Academic | Important Decisions to Realize a Dream

Dr. Levit was born in Russia. He received his BS and MS degrees in Physics and Metallurgy from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia. After graduation, he worked in the area of engineering for two years. But he had always dreamed of becoming a researcher at the academy, requiring him to further broaden his knowledge and participate in more scientific research projects. At the age of 25, with the suggestion of several professors from the School of Materials Science and Engineering of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, he chose to study for a Ph.D. in the field of semiconductor materials in Israel. Since then, he continued to cultivate in this field in the following career.

Maxim Levit spent three and a half years doing his Ph.D. He believes that this may be the best time of his life because he was young, full of energy, and happy to learn new things every day. His academic career finally fulfilled his dream: to be a materials researcher. Dr. Levit thinks the most important decision at the time was to follow his dreams and do what he really wanted to do and would do.

Careers | Change jobs and dive deeper into the area of semiconductors

After obtaining his Ph.D., he received some postdoctoral invitations from the United States and offers from two companies in Israel. Dr. Levit faced a difficult decision: going to industry or staying in academia. It was not just about personal development. It could profoundly affect the whole family. He and his family spent a few days thinking about which decision was appropriate, and he finally decided to join Intel, where he worked for 25 years. He started his career as a Quality and Reliability engineer. Since then, he has held several technical and managerial positions in the areas of Q&R, VLSI circuit design, VLSI product debug and VLSI packaging. In recent years, Dr. Levit serves as a director of the Client CPU Quality and Reliability Department. His job is to make sure the company's chips are reliable, high-quality, and trouble-free during the service life.

Every job brings him a different experience. In the design field, he learned how to better organize and integrate into teams to work collaboratively. In the work of management, he had more responsibilities and enjoyed the process of solving problems for employees and helping them improve their abilities. In his role in procurement, he learned to work with customer teams to coordinate multiple needs. Whenever he thinks about changing, he always asks himself: what am I looking for? Am I satisfied with what I have done? Do I get benefits from the company? For students exploring their professional interests or looking for a job, he suggests that changing careers is not a bad thing because new areas may mean you can learn and benefit more.

Meanwhile, Dr. Levit is also a part-time lecturer at the Technion. He has always enjoyed teaching and getting along with students. His classes focus on practice, discussing what is going on in today's industry: how to make chips, computers, or other devices. When he is teaching, he always pays attention to observing how the students are involved in this field and how to understand and accept relevant knowledge; in the process of discussion and Q & A, teaching and learning exist cooperatively, and mindsets are often stimulated between teachers and students. In short, academia and the industry are not separated. Teaching can not only impart knowledge to students but also deepen teachers' familiarity with the research field and enhance teachers' working motivation. For Dr. Levit, teaching at Technion is a rare opportunity. "Life is always about trying different things, but the premise is that you must be proactive."

Challenges and Difficulties | Change Mindset and Face It Bravely

During his doctoral study, Dr. Levit was under tremendous pressure because the experimental results often did not conform to his preset theory. However, with his own efforts and the help of his tutor, he explored new research paths and experimental methods from the previous unexpected experimental results, and finally published several papers on this basis. Therefore, he always encourages the students not to be afraid to discover something unexpected in the experiments. Sometimes not everything goes as well as expected, but the time you spend is not in vain. On the one hand, people can gain and summarize the experience in failed experiments. On the other hand, it may even be an excellent time to explore and innovate.

Unlike the pressure of doing scientific research, when Dr. Levit is in the industry, the pressure mainly comes from the uncertainty of working hours and the urgency of work tasks. When there is a problem in the factory, as an engineer, he must provide a solution quickly. Even under heavy pressure, he must think carefully to make correct decisions and find appropriate solutions with great psychology, rich practical experience and solid theoretical basis.

Answer Questions and Encourage Students

For students who cannot find interested field, Dr. Levit shared his story.

It was a coincidence that Dr. Levit worked in the semiconductor field. When he first started working in physics and metrology, there were many rich topics and research areas, like generation, classification and practical application of new materials, etc. Due to his curiosity and interest, he chose to work and research in semiconductor-related fields.

Dr. Levit feels that finding an area of interest is a process of finding answers, during which he will constantly think and try new things. He believes that everyone is not necessarily good at just one thing, but maybe good at several things. It is the constant brave attempts that make us broaden our ability boundary. We will learn a variety of skills to improve ourselves. These skills will help us improve our scientific research ability and the influence of academic achievements to make greater contributions in the research field.

Is it necessary to get a master's degree before working?

Dr. Levit believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on what kinds of jobs and opportunities people want. If people have a passion for doing research, Dr. Levit recommends continuing to study. If people think they have enough energy and want to do something in this industry, they can go to the industry and see whether they are capable. When facing a choice, you should consider and consult with yourself or your family. At the same time, you should consult the opinions of various parties, and finally choose the one that suits you. Although this can be a tough decision, once you have decided, do it and do not look back.

For students who do not like their majors, should they change them?

Dr. Levit thinks it is about how you see yourself and how others see you and your family. Dr. Levit recommends listening to your heart and following your own feelings and emotions. You should try to do what you want and find what you really like. At least you know what you do not like. Follow your heart and discuss it with your parents. All the parents want is for their children to have a happy life, so they will not force you to do things you do not want to do. No matter what your decision is, they will eventually accept it and try their best to help you. He also shared his daughter's story. Dr. Levit initially recommended materials science for his daughter, but it was difficult for her. So she chose linguistics and she was happy about it. She is also pleased to work hard for the future.

How can I self-regulate when I am not confident about my research?

Confidence is the key to success. Dr. Levit believes that each student's research is meaningful. When you do research, you must remember that you are an individual and you have your own opinions, understandings, and ideas. So, do not be afraid of others who are doing research in similar fields. You should believe that your views and works are very unique, and you should also believe that you will find some different and worthy of publication.

Text/Photos/Video: GTIIT Career Competencies Center