r/rfengineering

I'm a senior Electrical Engineering student at UW Tacoma graduating soon with a 3.6–3.7 GPA. I'm a U.S. citizen and I'm interested in RF/communications/telecommunications, particularly in defense or aerospace.

I don't have an RF/telecommunications internship or significant personal projects specifically in the field. I'm trying to figure out how realistic it is for me to get an entry-level RF/communications engineering position after graduation.

I'm considering companies like L3Harris, RTX/Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, etc.

Would my GPA and EE degree be enough to realistically get interviews if I apply broadly, or am I at a significant disadvantage without internships/projects?

Also, for those who have interviewed for entry-level RF/communications/defense engineering positions:

• What technical questions were you asked?
• What EE/RF topics should a new graduate know well?
• Did they ask about things like S-parameters, Smith charts, transmission lines, link budgets, filters, amplifiers, antennas, DSP, etc.?
• How much of the interview was technical versus behavioral?
• Did they ask you to solve problems on a whiteboard?
• How heavily did they question projects or coursework on your resume?
• What questions did you wish you had prepared for?

What would you recommend I learn or build during my remaining senior year to become a stronger candidate?

I'd especially appreciate answers from people who currently work in RF/communications or defense and who have experience interviewing/hiring new graduates.

Any recommendations for essential reading for someone learning the fundamentals of RF?

I started reading the pact publishing guide to SDR and I'm following along to learn GNURadio.

Hey RF folks,

I’ve been looking into the Multipactor effect recently, particularly regarding its impact on high-power RF components in vacuum environments.

I haven't been able to find any good tutorials on the actual simulation workflow for this, so I was curious if any of you have experience setting this up in an environment like Particle Studio from CST? Could you recommend any books, tutorials, or application notes to get started?

Also, for those who do this regularly: how reliable do you find simulation results compared to physical vacuum tests? (I imagine setting up physical test benches for this isn't easy either!)

Any tips, anecdotal experiences, or recommended resources/papers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!