Applied Materials

Get to work in the state-of-the-art, high-technology area of semiconductor processing.

Well-regarded and No. 1 company in the industry.

Interesting, technically challenging work.

Great colleagues, employees, great diversity, representing culture, nationalities, and universities.

Cyclical business leading to workforce reduction every 2-3 years.

Could be stressful or long hours, depending on the position.

Many cases involve a hurry-hurry, wait-wait situation.

To a small extent, there is sometimes needless bureaucracy.

Cut your spending (and save) during boom times, not during down times.

Perhaps that will help keep the heads that sacrificed for the company's business.