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Gerek Jordan
CST 300 Major Proseminar
May 12th, 2024

A Look into the Tech Industry, NVIDIA, Software Development, and Data

The Industry for Software Engineers and Data Scientists

As the landscape of tech companies continues to evolve in 2024, there are many exciting

opportunities for software developers and data scientists. Among some of these noteworthy

companies are Open AI, NVIDIA, Meta, Apple, Netflix, Google, and Amazon. These modern S-

tier companies are on the forefront of innovation and influence in the tech industry. Several

prominent companies, including the FANG group (Meta, formerly known as Facebook, Apple,

Netflix, and Google), rose to prominence during the peak Web 2.0 era. The FANG companies

have been well established for decades now. On the other hand, companies like NVIDIA and

OpenAI are propelling us into the next generation of technology and computing. OpenAI, a fresh

new innovative AI company renowned for its cutting-edge advancements in artificial

intelligence, presents a compelling arena that pushes the boundaries of machine learning and

natural language processing. NVIDIA, though certainly not a new company, has gained

relevance in recent years and has refreshed its vitality as a big new player in the tech scene. With

its prowess in graphics processing units (GPUs), it holds a key position in fields ranging from

gaming to scientific computing, offering a fertile ground for engineers and scientists alike to

explore the frontiers of parallel computing, AI, and cryptocurrency. New or old, these are all

reputable companies that provide software development and data science careers for engineers

and scientists that work to push us into the next technological phase change. These companies

have a competitive hiring process for job seeking software developers and data scientists.

Aspiring candidates should be prepared for the rigorous hiring processes characteristic of these
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top-level companies, where talent is vetted to ensure the best and brightest make it in. To hone in

on a particular case study, I’m going to focus on a company that’s on the rise due to recent

events in the world of technology – NVIDIA.

A Look Into NVIDIA

NVIDIA is primarily known for its graphics processing units (GPUs). NVIDIA's main

headquarters are in Santa Clara, California. However, they also have branch offices in other

global locations including Asia, Europe, and other parts of North America. NVIDIA employs

around 26,000 employees worldwide and is currently seeing an average growth of 12.99%

(Mortensen, 2024). NVIDIA provides a range of products and services including GPUs for

gaming, professional visualization, data centers, and automotive markets. As of the 2020s,

NVIDIA has benefited from both the Cryptocurrency and AI booms. Both the Crypto and AI

industries seek out NVIDIA’s GPUs to leverage their technology. NVIDIAs GPUs fuel the AI

revolution. They are used by the GPTs (Generative Pre-Trained Transformers) used by AI. This

has led to NVIDIA’s stock price to rise by 500 percent since early 2023 (Fox, 2024). In addition

to AI, cryptocurrency mining, especially for currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, requires

significant computational power that is needed from GPUs. High-end GPU models are well-

suited for mining tasks due to their parallel processing capabilities. Parallel processing refers to

the simultaneous execution of multiple tasks or parts of a task, with the goal of increasing

computational speed and efficiency. In parallel processing systems, tasks are broken down into

smaller sub-tasks that can be executed concurrently by multiple processing units, rather than

being executed sequentially by a single processor. Because of the efficiency that GPUs provide,

there’s been surge in cryptocurrency mining has led to increased demand for NVIDIA's GPUs.

Bitcoin transactions are secured through the proof-of-work algorithm by verifying transfers on
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the blockchain. Bitcoin miners, using specialized computers called mining rigs use NVIDIA’s

GPUs to confirm transactions by solving mathematical problems to receive BTC rewards for

their efforts (Page, 2024). The chance of receiving rewards depends on being the first to solve

the mathematical problem and having a high hash rate, indicating the ability to solve problems

quickly. In simpler terms, the mining rig that processes the transaction first in the peer-to-peer

environment gets a partial reward for the transactions. Both crypto mining rigs and AI’s GPTs

require the use of GPUs. These two key industries have skyrocketed NVIDIA’s value in the tech

market, reassuring its position as one of the most prominent technology companies today.

NVIDIA’s History & Key Players

NVIDIA was founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem.

Jensen Huang is the co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA. He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical

engineering from Oregon State University and a master's degree in electrical engineering from

Stanford University. Huang has guided NVIDIA through its growth spurts and is highly regarded

for his leadership in advancing GPU technology. Under his leadership, NVIDIA has experienced

remarkable growth, expanding its reach into various sectors such as AI, data centers, and

autonomous vehicles. Chris Malachowsky is another co-founder of NVIDIA. He has served

numerous roles within the company, including as a senior vice president until his retirement in

2020. Malachowsky's legacy continues to shape NVIDIA's trajectory, reflecting his enduring

impact on the company's success. NVIDIA’s initial focus was the development of GPUs for

gaming and professional markets. They partnered with many companies including Sega

(Willings, 2023). It wasn’t until 1995 that they released their first product, the NV1 (Willings,

2023). In 1997 they released the RIVA 128, their first successful 3D accelerator. In 1999, they

introduced GeForce 256. After 2000, NVIDIA shifted from focusing primarily on GPUs for
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gaming, to becoming a leader in GPU-accelerated computing across various industries. They

have expanded their product offerings to include solutions for AI, data centers, and autonomous

vehicles.

Products & Reputation

NVIDIA's top-selling products include their GeForce series GPUs for gaming, Quadro

GPUs for professional visualization, Tesla GPUs for data centers, and DRIVE platform for

autonomous vehicles. Throughout its lifetime, NVIDIA has demonstrated strong market

performance, with revenue growth driven by demand for their products across multiple

industries. The data, automation, and AI industries have perpetuated its relevance. It is often

recognized as a desirable employer, known for its innovative culture and opportunities for career

development. In addition to its innovative culture, NVIDIA offers competitive compensation

packages that often include stock options or shares. Many top-tier tech companies do this for

their employees as it provides employees with a sense of ownership and investment in the

company's success and has the potential to yield significant financial rewards. As NVIDIA

continues to thrive in the tech industry, so do their employees. Some sources show that

NVIDIA’s recent success has made millionaires of employees due to their shareholder packages

skyrocketing (Bindley, 2024) making NVIDIA an ever more desirable employer.

Trends

Even though there have been massive layoffs at many of the top tech companies in

2024(Mickle, 2024), NVIDIA seems to be holding its ground. In 2024, NVIDIA is going against

the layoff trend and continues to hire top talent across engineering, research, sales, and other

functions to support its growth and innovation initiatives (Torres, 2024). They particularly seek

individuals with expertise in AI, machine learning, and computer graphics. NVIDIA is actively
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involved in developing AI and deep learning technologies, as well as advancing GPU-

accelerated computing for various applications. They are also investing in areas such as edge

computing and robotics. This trend of NVIDIA's resilience and continued growth as an employer

is likely to persist. NVIDIA's expertise and leadership in these areas position it as an attractive

destination for top talent seeking exciting opportunities for innovation and impact. NVIDIA

offers various opportunities for software engineers across different domains, including GPU

optimization, deep learning frameworks, autonomous vehicles, and game development tools.

There are many departments within NVIDIA where software engineers can contribute to cutting-

edge technologies. NVIDIA also offers diverse opportunities for data scientists. These include

deep learning research, computer vision, natural language processing, and autonomous systems.

Part II – My Interests and Approach to the Job Market

As a third year CS student, I’m split between two career paths – software development

and data science. It's important to note that all the companies I've mentioned above are esteemed

tech companies known for their competitive environments. However, I figure that if I shoot for

the stars, perhaps I’ll land on the moon. It’s plausible that I may find myself in a technology-

focused role within a company, but I envision myself pursuing one of these two professions. As a

former IT Technician, I have gained insight into surface level technology. However, I've always

had a desire to delve deeper into the engineering and scientific aspects of the field. Software

development has always intrigued me as I see coding as a magical modern-day tool that can be

used in creative and innovative ways for personal, or business and enterprise-related purposes.

However, I also believe I have a knack for Data Science. I enjoy working with data sets to solve

problems and thinking about problems and potential solutions on a larger scale. I like the idea of

innovating new ways of solving problems and implementing ideas, but I also believe I work well
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with data as I have a statistical mind and like asking questions about potential data sets. My goal

is to land a software development job while relying on data science as an alternative.

Approach to the Job Market

My tentative plan is to continue my educational focus on software development while

strengthening my data science skills on the side. I will prioritize my core classes in software

development, such as programming languages, data structures, algorithms, and software

engineering fundamentals. These foundational courses will provide me with a solid

understanding of software development methods and best practices. Although they are focused

on software engineering, the upper division curriculum comprises of a taste test of the whole

field of computer science. My elective courses will provide me with tracks that focus on database

management, networking, technical writing, and other computer science fundamentals. These

courses will help prepare me for roles that require a combination of software development and

data expertise and an overall understanding of the field of CS. Although database management is

mere fraction of the curriculum, I intend on going deeper on this subject on the side to strengthen

my skills for the job market by the time I graduate. There are many certifications that are

available in the data field. Some are the Data+ from CompTIA and the Google Data Analytics

Professional Certification. Obtaining some of these certifications will ensure that I’m able to

stand out as a data expert. Conversely, in the realm of software development, technical

interviewing skills seem to hold more significance over a certification. To stand out in

competitive job markets, I'm committed to leveraging resources like LeetCode, GitHub

repositories, software development interview preparation book, and personal projects. I also plan

on taking advantage of networking opportunities through engagement with peers, colleagues, and

online platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed. This will help foster meaningful connections
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within the industry. Lastly, I would like to make good use of the resources and faculty at

California State University, Monterey Bay. I intend on leveraging my school and my community

to seek out jobs and internship opportunities. Above all, I’m committed to establishing,

maintaining, and contributing to my community at my university.

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References

Bindley, K. (2024, February 26) Booming stock and sky-high pay: Nvidia is Silicon Valley’s ...,

The Wall Street Journal. Available at: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/booming-

stock-and-sky-high-pay-nvidia-is-silicon-valleys-hot-employer-e4fb6c20 (Accessed: 05

May 2024).

Fox, M. (2024, March 15) The Nvidia-led AI boom will eventually spread to these 3 areas of the

stock market, Goldman says. Available at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nvidia-led-ai-

boom-eventually-

222034591.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS

8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHD9uOGEplL1VXcHimveeTqKzq7RJ1go3DrkdCl36O_

LuB045Fw0bYFev2bLKbmkftn4wLElEiuX_MyXDBsKpAjYRhNyaQBLDqIBI60EsyG

RqUzl2hsIY9ZQyKyvRKJ2YtdfuGAQcUTm53UeSo96VZVI_9NCSFhLvi-9OcsYtO16

(Accessed: 05 May 2024).

Mickle, T. (2024, February 5) Why is big tech still cutting jobs?, The New York Times.

Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/05/technology/why-is-big-tech-still-

cutting-jobs.html (Accessed: 30 April 2024).

Mortensen, O. (2024, April 24) How many people work at Nvidia? statistics & facts (2024),

seo.ai. Available at: https://seo.ai/blog/how-many-people-work-at-nvidia (Accessed: 30

April 2024).

Page, J. (2024, February 26) Why are gpus used for mining?, Crypto Head. Available at:

https://cryptohead.io/why-are-gpus-used-for-mining/ (Accessed: 05 May 2024).

Torres, T. (2024, March 6) No job cuts here: 3 companies that are still hiring amid the layoffs
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trend, InvestorPlace. Available at: https://investorplace.com/2024/03/no-job-cuts-here-3-

companies-that-are-still-hiring-amid-the-layoffs-trend/ (Accessed: 30 April 2024).

Willings, A. (2023, March 25). Nvidia gpus through the ages: The history of Nvidia’s graphics

cards.

Retrieved from https://www.pocket-lint.com/nvidia-gpu-history/