Intel

Working at Intel makes your life shine in others' eyes. Indeed, it's a good brand with a legendary history.

Intel won't treat you well in every single aspect. It's a big company, where you are a small screw. No matter how well you perform or how much you sacrifice your time, the company is numb to reward you.

You are not a priority in everything small. There is no free food. It's an old company. It doesn't feel grateful for people who work hard for the company's good. And it doesn't really care if you work here and you love to work here. What kills is that there is no dinner when you work after-hours. Hunger and thirst are your best pals. The canteen, which you must pay for and tastes like hell, is closed. Vending machines will be accompanying you.

And it's another place you can't owe money.

You are also not a priority in everything big. Intel is generally reluctant to pay you. Currently, I'm enjoying my low 10th percentile salary for the Bay Area. I have a near-zero stock grant, no year-end bonus, or any rewards that can distinguish my effort from others. But two months ago, I finally had an astounding raise in salary when my manager ranked my last year as successful. The raise for the successful was 2.1%. I can't thank the company too much for this, because it didn't even reach the US inflation rate!

When my manager presented the number to me, I was startled, utterly speechless, and faint to argue. The company that I paid homage to with faith and worked for with belief treated me in a way I can only describe as shabby and mean. I've been trying to quench my anger, frustration, and desperation for 2 months. But I found it's much harder than I thought.

Soon after my onboarding day, I found the company filled with passionless people. Now I understand why, because I've become one of them.

The CEO reacted to the pay problem at a quarterly meeting. He said the investigation team he dispatched has concluded that Intel's pay is still competitive in the market. That simply sounds ridiculous.