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A Summer That Shaped My Career: My Experience at Broadcom

By Victor Taiwo posted 7 days ago

  

Working at Broadcom this summer was an incredible experience, one that significantly shaped my career growth and introduced me to a culture where collaboration is deeply embedded in the software we build. The professionalism and work ethic of the people here left a lasting impression on me. Everyone I encountered was welcoming, especially toward newer team members like myself, offering guidance on how to navigate the environment and make the most of the opportunity.

My team was nothing short of exceptional. Watching them manage multiple projects with such grace and effectiveness was inspiring. Every day brought measurable progress, and I found myself constantly motivated by their drive and commitment.

Building an AI-Powered Chrome Extension 

Our primary project involved developing a Chrome extension integrated with Broadcom’s internal mainframe support software. This extension gave support engineers access to an AI-powered chatbot directly within their workflow. The bot could:

  • Summarize customer cases

  • Generate draft knowledge articles

  • Assist in submitting lead forms

  • Display case analytics and ownership

  • Summarize internal comment histories (which are often lengthy)

The overall goal was to help engineers resolve support cases more efficiently, reduce response time, and boost productivity.

Technical Stack and Tools Used

We employed a diverse set of tools and technologies to bring this extension to life:

  • Frontend: JavaScript (for Chrome API integration and DOM manipulation)

  • Backend: Python (Flask server), hosted behind an NGINX proxy

  • Containerization & Deployment: Docker for packaging dependencies; Jenkins for CI/CD automation

  • Version Control: GitHub (with multiple branches and pull requests for code review)

  • Resource Management: Google Cloud for tracking resources; Artifactory for tagging Docker instances

  • Distribution: Google Drive for rolling out updated extension versions to engineers

We used the terminal extensively for build commands and tested builds directly within Chrome Developer Mode.

My Contributions and Workflow

On the frontend, I focused on building the user interface with JavaScript and injecting it into the Chrome environment. I implemented various DOM manipulation techniques and used complex regex patterns to flag PII or sensitive information.

The flow of data looked like this: when a user submitted a message to the LLM API, it was routed through our NGINX-hosted proxy server and then returned to the extension's frontend.

The codebase was modular, split into:

  • Scripts for extension logic

  • Build folder containing the distributable code

  • Backend files for initializing Flask API routes

Our deployment process followed a standard pattern: implement changes, test locally, create a Docker build, and push to a GitHub feature branch. We then opened pull requests to merge into the development branch. Jenkins automated our CI/CD pipeline, and Artifactory maintained tagged Docker builds under our MSD-support folder.

What I Learned and What I’ll Carry With Me

This experience taught me how to collaborate effectively in a professional engineering environment. I learned best practices for product development, branching strategies, and how to merge code cleanly in a shared codebase.

But more than the technical growth, I gained a new understanding of resilience. There were challenges, roadblocks, and restrictions—but we always found a path forward. I fell in love with the work, the people, and the process. Every morning, walking through Broadcom’s doors and logging into my laptop didn’t feel like a job. I would have stayed all day and night if it meant contributing more.

More Than Just a Summer Role

What makes Broadcom special isn’t just the name, it’s the environment. It’s the early-morning coffees, the hallway conversations, the collaborative sprints, and the shared passion for solving real problems. It’s being young and heard. It’s executing your ideas with confidence and without hesitation.

This place will stay with me, its name ringing like church bells at midnight, a reminder of where my career truly began. I leave with a stronger ability to solve problems and a deep tolerance for any challenge.

Although this chapter may be closing, I walk away better, sharper, and more inspired than ever. Broadcom is where the young become professionals—and where professionals sharpen their swords to tackle the toughest challenges.

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