Employee introduction03 Hailing from Ireland and overcoming the language barrier to get involved in product design and development
M.S.
Joined as newly-grad in 2016
SCI DivisionSCI Design Dept. 1 Composite Unit Design Sec.Circuit Design
Background
Tell us about your major at university and your research subjects.
I studied electronic engineering at a technological university in Ireland. My research themes included the design of embedded systems, digital signal processing, C/C++ programming, and the design of analog and logical circuits.
When you were looking for employment, what types of work and industries did you look at? Also tell us why you chose SMK in the end.
I was originally planning to get a job in Ireland, and I mainly looked at companies that were involved in image processing. Then I saw the advertisement looking for RF circuit designers to work in Tokyo. That is when I decided that I wanted to work overseas in the electronics field.
Work
What were your feelings about SMK after you started working here?
SMK not only gave me the opportunity to work in the electronics field, they also gave me the chance to move to Japan and experience a different culture in both my business and personal life.
After having a successful interview, it was an opportunity I was very grateful to get the chance to fulfill.
Tell us about your job.
Currently I work as part of the composite unit design team, developing devices such as remote controls for commercial use. As for the work flow, firstly we listen to what the customer wants, and then create the circuit drawings. After that, we select the appropriate parts and procure them, contacting the PCB manufacturer to develop a working sample to provide to the customer. We also give the customer any technological feedback that they required.
Tell us about when you experience a feeling of job satisfaction.
A few years ago, I was involved in designing touch panels at the SMK Toyama Works. I was in charge of designing a 15-inch Film/Glass resistive touch panel to be fitted in a demonstration model that was due to be released.
It was the first project where I was involved in all the development steps, design to production, assembly, through to evaluation.
Seeing the process of the initial design drawings becoming the final product was a rewarding experience, and I was grateful to my coworkers at the time who provided invaluable support along the way.
Tell us about something that you found difficult at work.
Getting really tight schedules from customers is when I feel my job is tough.
My design work gets busy when time is limited, and this means there is a chance that little mistakes can happen that can make things worse down the track.
At times like this, I make sure I don't get overwhelmed, calmly put together my schedule, and try to work as effectively as I can in the time allocated.
Vision
Describe your dreams and goals.
The project I am currently involved in has an emphasis on energy harvesting. Our aim is to reduce our reliance on disposable batteries and looking for sustainable energy solutions that can replace them. My long term goal is to implement robust and efficient energy harvesting solutions in major devices to pioneer in bringing about electronic devices that are kinder to the environment.
CASUAL QUESTION
What do you do after work or on your days off?
When I first came to Japan, one of my goals was to become good at Japanese and try to blend in as smoothly as possible. That is why I put a lot of effort into studying Japanese whenever I had time.
As a result of studying, I passed the N1 level of the Japanese Proficiency Test. Being able to reach a satisfactory level has made me happy.
I also enjoy mountain climbing, and Japan has so many unbelievably beautiful mountains and locations, I am able to enjoy that kind of pastime here.
A day in my work life
