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Get a job at Intel if you want to work on silicon, but stay away from the groups that try to design systems

Senior Engineer
Former Employee
Worked at Intel for 6 years
August 7, 2013
Santa Clara, California
2.0
Doesn't RecommendNegative OutlookApproves of CEO
Pros

Very large corporation. You'll never lose your job, even if you sit and watch movies at your desk. Good work-life balance if you don't care about advancement. Relatively good job mobility within the company. Travel budget is semi-infinite. The new CEO was a good choice because his background suggests he'll focus on architecture and manufacturing.

Cons

Very political.

The groups that design tablets, phones, laptops, desktops, etc., think they are doing a bunch of work that the companies that actually make these devices actually do. If the job says "platform" in the title, watch out.

Very hard to advance in the org unless you are connected and have the right friends. Intel values are touted as important, but basically ignored (and I've worked in places where the values actually guide the company).

Advice to Management

Remove 80% of the middle managers from the product groups (MPG, UMG, etc.) and stop pretending to make devices. Focus on architecting, producing, supporting, and selling silicon.

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