Applied Materials

A large company is a good place to intern. The company's reputation will carry weight within the industry.

Long-term prospects for the industry are questionable. You could end up in a group that may not be there in five years or offers no room for advancement. You won't be converted to a full-time employee during a downturn. Also, Applied has a tendency to lay off employees to meet Wall Street's expectations, even in quarters or years where they have a net profit.

The semiconductor industry regularly has downturns every few years. Accumulate additional cash reserves in good years to offset the bad years, so you don't have to fire and then hire staff for each cycle. The level of employee commitment is very low, since everyone is really a contract/temporary employee, whether they realize it or not.