How to land a job at Nvidia

In the last three weeks the U.S. company has been actively recruiting in Vietnam via LinkedIn, including managers, engineers and senior engineers. These positions demand specialized expertise, qualifications and work experience, reflecting Nvidia's rigorous global hiring standards as the world’s most valuable semiconductor firm.

Founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, Nvidia had just 42 employees in 1996. Today it has around 30,000. According to Statista, more than 50% of Nvidia's workforce is based in the U.S., primarily engaged in research and development. Its workforce in Asia focuses on engineering and operational roles, with India making up the largest share with 15%. The remainder is spread across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The hiring process at Nvidia, described by 4DayWeek as a "journey where the possibilities are limitless," is relatively short, typically lasting three to eight weeks from application to decision. Candidates must first tailor their resumes to align closely with the job requirements, emphasizing their qualifications, experience and skills to make a strong initial impression.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Photo by VnExpress/Hoang Giang

Once shortlisted, candidates proceed to an initial recruiter screening. At this stage recruiters assess the applicant's skills, work history, relevant projects, and, most importantly, their passion for the job. This is a critical opportunity for candidates to demonstrate their capabilities and how they can contribute to the team.

The next stage is a technical phone screen, where candidates tackle one or two coding problems, often involving algorithms and data structures, in an hour-long virtual session. Recruiters observe the problem-solving process in real time, requiring candidates to share their computer screens during the session.

Successful candidates move on to the on-site technical interview, which consists of five or six sessions of around 45 minutes each. Nvidia experts begin with 10 minutes of general questions before diving into 30 minutes of technical questions and coding challenges. Applicants are expected to demonstrate proficiency in C++, Python, computer architecture, data structures, algorithms, embedded systems, and other skills, all essential to Nvidia's leadership in GPUs, AI, robotics, and high-performance computing, according to Aura Workforce Analytics.

The final stage evaluates candidates’ alignment with Nvidia’s values and suitability for the role’s demands. Human resources representatives assess behavior, work habits and approaches to handling various workplace scenarios.

Reddit user ursonor99 shared their experience earlier this year, saying: "Beyond the simple concepts lie complex technical questions. Textbooks and YouTube offer theoretical advice, but real-world application is much tougher. "Instead of tackling every technical question at once, treat it like a competitive exam and prioritize. Time limits mean you won’t be able to solve everything."

Glassdoor data reveals that 60% of Nvidia interviewees rated their experience as "positive," 18% as "negative," and 23% as "neutral." The difficulty level was rated 3.2/5, slightly higher than for other major tech companies.

Nvidia employees get lucrative compensation packages. However, Bloomberg describes the work environment as a "pressure cooker," characterized by long hours, intense meetings and high expectations -- a work culture fostered by its CEO, Jensen Huang, since inception. One former employee reported working seven days a week, with shifts often ending around 1 or 2 a.m., while some colleagues worked even later. Another staff member described attending between seven to 10 meetings daily, many of which escalated into heated arguments.

Unlike other tech firms, Nvidia’s workplace lacks relaxation spaces, and employees are expected to operate at full capacity. However, staff working for long often find themselves in "semi-retirement" due to the substantial wealth accumulated from stock options, which vest over four years. According to Business Insider, Nvidia maintains a "no layoffs" culture. Instead of dismissing underperforming employees, the company reassigns them to new departments.

In an interview in April, Huang explained that his leadership style stems from decades of overcoming adversity and said he prefers to "torture employees into greatness," believing this approach helps them improve and achieve their best. Appearing on U.S. network CBS News’ "60 Minutes" earlier this year he said: "If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn't be easy."