Intel

There are always an endless number of challenges available to work on. The stakes can be high; it is especially rewarding to realize that a small project or change you make can easily save the company millions of dollars. Variable is quite good, but sometimes it is as though the stock does not correlate to the outstanding job we do.

Work-life balance can be a challenge. To be really successful, you need to work 60 hours a week. Management will still respect you if you choose to work only 40, but you won't get the promos and big raises. There are always people who are willing to sacrifice their personal life to get ahead.

Oregon fabs clearly outperform the rest of Intel, although our pay and promotion opportunities lag behind. We want to live in Oregon, but the best career move would be to move to the Southwest. It's a tough choice, and unfortunately, the best move is sometimes to leave Intel.