With dreams of working in tech, Intel’s Geovana Lore said curiosity is what brought her to her current role as a process technician.
There are plenty of tech workers who have a long and winding road as part of their career journey. For some, that might be because they discovered their passion for tech late in life or because unusual circumstances led them to a path they had never considered before.
But for Geovana Lore, working in tech was a goal from early in her life. “Since a young age I was surround by technology. My father introduced me to computers, programming and early 2000s blogging/web design,” she said.
Originally from Brazil, Lore became a single mother at 18 and was determined to give her daughter the best life. In 2016, she made the difficult decision to move to Ireland with no English at 25.
“I found out Intel was based in Leixlip and decided to get a job as a contingent worker on the site, as a cleaner. Within months I knew that one day I would like to be a part of the Intel team and fulfil my childhood curiosity,” she said.
Creating a path
During her early career there, Lore networked, spoke to other Intel workers about their jobs and learned about the experience she would need to be considered for an interview. She decided to do a technical course to increase her chances, got some experience through different companies inside Intel, and eventually got an interview when Intel opened up new positions in 2021.
Lore now works as a process technician for the company. “I provide process support, validation and qualification of new products and technology in a start-up environment as part of the Fab 34 lithography area.”
Lithography is a fundamental step in producing microchips. It uses light projection to print tiny patterns on silicon wafers. This process is repeated to add layer upon layer of patterns in order to make an entire microchip.
“Part of my role that I enjoy the most is troubleshooting and data analysis because every day brings a different challenge. I can challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and learn to reach the best result,” said Lore.
“Multitasking is one of the skills that I use on daily basis. Another skill that I have had to draw on is resilience as time pressure and our areas needs can be challenging from time to time.”
From Brazil to Ireland
To move to another country without the language at such a young age can be difficult, but Lore said that even though she has felt lonely on this journey at times, Ireland is her home now and she feels stable in her career.
“I love cycling and am exploring meditation. I started adult life very quickly and now that I can breathe finally, I’m starting to think about me the person not just the roles I play, and it is an exciting time ahead,” she said.
“The weather was a huge shock when I first came to Ireland, and it took time to get used it. The most surprising thing for me is work-life balance. In Brazil, it feels like people live for the weekend where in Ireland it seems like the weekend can be any day of the week. The quality of life in general feels much better here in Ireland.”
Advice for others
For Lore, the biggest challenge in her career was when she started as a reticle inspector, where you use high-resolution imaging optics to find defects on a reticle. In this role, there was a vast amount of new information to learn and implement daily as well as new hires to train and knowledge to pass on.
However, she was then presented with an opportunity to work in process management, which was afforded to her through her achievements and skills. “I would say I’m open minded to the new challenges; I don’t give up easily when I face a new problem. Clear communication with a team is also key to a successful day.”
For those coming up the tech career ladder behind her, Lore said it’s important to pay attention to details and take notes. “Build relationship with team and peers. Think about your best skills and talents and don’t be afraid to implement them in your everyday job. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming but, in the end, it is very rewarding.”
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