Intel

In the context of an engineer working in fabrication:

When you work at Intel, you're working with smart people. You'll be given responsibility fast – so fast that you may feel a little scared being responsible for so many millions – or billions – of dollars of revenue. However, while you are responsible, you have a great support system: a lot of people and systems around you to help. I've always found people at Intel very helpful; if you ask someone for help, you will get it.

Decisions are all data-driven. The first step is always to gather data, and if a problem is urgent, to expedite the gathering of the data. Data and model-based problem-solving are used extensively. At the engineering level in the fab, there is little "politics" due to the data-driven decision-making.

Safety is the #1 priority in a fab, and management sincerely promotes this and backs it up with dollars to make safety improvements inside the factory and office areas (especially ergonomic equipment).

Skills that will help you in the fab are knowledge of extracting data from databases, statistics, and data analysis with JMP. A little programming knowledge will help you as well.

People at Intel don't like to finish second. Intel likes to win. Intel demands to be the champion. The way Intel achieves victory is by moving faster than anyone else – speed is the key competitive advantage.

You're likely to feel a little "overloaded" at Intel, at least at first. I feel like I'm always 2X overloaded, but I'm used to it now.

You can have a good work-life balance; on the other hand, if you like to work a lot, Intel will take that and put it in its pocket.

Management is promoted from the engineering ranks. This has its good and bad sides. On the good side, they understand your job and can help you. On the bad side, the managers can focus too much on the problem of the day and not on longer-term things like people development, career coaching, and other "softer" management functions. So plan on taking charge of your own career.

Intel used to shower us with cash, mainly from stock options. Those days are over; the stock has been stagnant for over 10 years.

You'd think that being at Intel, you'd have access to some of the best computer equipment in the world. You'd be wrong. You'll get a "business class" laptop, which is not good for engineering data analysis. However, with enough push, you can get a high-performance desktop system.

Heh, nothing they don't already know. They're smart people (consider that Intel was founded by two geniuses – Gordon Moore and Andy Grove – and one super-genius, Robert Noyce).

OK, one thing: Flush TWWW open office layouts and give people cubes. Build more office buildings if you have to (which are cheap compared to the billions of dollars management wasted on acquisitions).