Pros: Plenty of learning opportunities, especially for starting out in your career. Easy to switch groups and try new things. Great work culture, especially among engineers. The thing I miss most about my time at Intel was the people I worked with. Some very talented people to learn from. Reasonable compensation (not super competitive, but average-ish) depending on location. Avoid the Bay Area location, unless you aren't planning on staying long term.

Cons: Highly political, especially as you get more seniority in the company. Some groups are worse about this than others. Towards the end of my stint at Intel, most of my week was spent in meetings trying to manage expectations, reporting on workflow efficiencies/inefficiencies to management, and arguing with other teams on behalf of my team. Raises and promotion are not truly merit-based; your success in the company depends on being on the right projects, in the right groups, and being able to sell yourself to management. There are some truly great engineers at Intel. However, in larger organizations at Intel, management tends to try and fill positions as quickly as possible (or risk losing headcount). This results in there being a lot of engineers that don't have the skill set needed to do their jobs well, which can be very frustrating. Numerous 'big personality' types at Intel. These are usually very senior and principal engineers that have been in organizations for a while. They are easy to identify; their names will come up in conversations when discussing new ideas, usually in fear that the 'big personality' will come down from their high altar in the mountains and smite anyone that doesn't conform. Often these people bring little value to the organization, but they've managed to hold the organization hostage due to their long-term presence and 'wisdom'.

Pros: Great salary, great people, and a great job. I have worked here for 20 years and have enjoyed every second of it (almost).

Cons: Meetings are often a waste of time. Dealing with management can be frustrating at times. Sometimes it feels like there is more red tape than necessary.

Pros: Good salary and benefits package. Work/life balance is an Intel value and generally promoted in the office environment. Smart co-workers and managers. Results is what matters. This has made the company successful in the market.

Cons: Intel is really two separate companies: the manufacturing part (known as TMG) and the non-manufacturing part (engineering, corporate services, IT, Payroll, HR, etc.). The cultural difference between them is like night and day. The belief within TMG is they make the money, and the rest of the company is just unnecessary overhead. The culture on the non-mfg side is much more easy-going, and workers are generally happier. Work/life balance in the office environment is a very important corporate value, whereas in TMG, it’s a source of irritation and just another diversion from all that matters – making chips.