Applied Materials

I hardly have any pros to working at AMAT. All the good executives left for better positions. AMAT is only run by politics. People climb up the corporate ladder only if they are on the right side of their bosses.

Employee morale is very low here. There is constant downsizing and moving jobs to China and Singapore. (Search AMAT jobs and most jobs are in China, Taiwan, and Singapore)

Downsizing and shutdowns started in 2007, even before a hint of recession, and it is still continuing for the next 18 months or so, until the end of 2010. Employees end up taking unpaid shutdowns and, at the end of the year, they are laid off so the company doesn't have to pay for accrued vacation.

Solar technology, in terms of cost per watt, lags way behind other leaders in the industry. Politics, politics, and politics. Like one of the reviewers said, some people end up putting in a lot of hours, and some people put in almost absolutely none. You can only climb up the corporate ladder if you have a godfather.

I have known several highly respected technical directors leave AMAT due to internal politics. Managers have no idea what their employees are up to and what their goals and ambitions are. Managers have a tunnel vision to satisfy their immediate bosses without any clear focus on what they expect out of their employees.

• Give employees the recognition they deserve. If you like their work, appreciate it. If you don't, then criticize.

• Stop having so many meetings. If you do set up a meeting, come fully prepared and ask any questions during the meeting. Don't expect the employee to spoon-feed each and every person the scope of the meeting.

• Stop talking nonsense during meetings (especially in solar meetings). Nobody cares how good of a sense of humor each of you has.

• Don't make a decision and then come back a few months later with any decision. Stick to your words. Employees are not a herd of animals to be pushed in whatever direction you want them to go every time.