Videos

By Roadtrip Nation

A.J. Rivero

Milestones

My road in life has been direct.
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas.
I earned my bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering with a minor in applied mathematics from Texas State University.
After graduating, I found a contract position with an automotive manufacturing company.
I initially thought that manufacturing was what I wanted to be doing but COVID-19 changed the environment and it didn’t seem like the right fit for me anymore.
As I gained experience, I became more interested in technology and how humans interact with technology.
I found a position with a small robotics startup company and realized that robotics is where I wanted to stay.
When Torc Robotics opened up a location in Austin, Texas, I knew I wanted to apply because the company culture seemed like a good fit for me.
Now I’m working as a systems integration engineer for Torc Robotics.
Keep following my journey

Career

Systems Integration Engineer

I perform tests and investigate unintended events for a robotics company.

Career Roadmap

Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Technology
Problem Solving

Day to Day

I review scenarios where our truck may have not behaved as our software engineers intended it to. After a test, we'll develop an event ticket where I'm able to analyze the situation that the truck was in and investigate why it behaved the way that it did. Then I channel that feedback back to the software engineers so that they can take corrective action.

Advice for Getting Started

Here's the first step for college students

I do think it's important to get an engineering degree. I also recommend that you focus on doing. It's very easy to read, listen to podcasts, and do research and feel like you're doing things. Those are all great ways to gain knowledge. However, actually doing the tasks and gaining hands-on experience is key. In this industry, when you actually do something, the chances of you getting it right the first time are slim. So get comfortable with trying, failing, and learning.

Hurdles

The Noise I Shed

From Peers:

"Oh, you want to major in engineering? You're going to change your major by your second year."

Interviewed By

Chip In

Chip In

Discover the world of microelectronics