Texas Instruments

Large company, lots of interesting technology. I worked on Digital Light Processing, which is now commonly found in HDTVs that are on sale in retail stores.

Plenty of big company benefits, including:

• A credit union (TexIns)
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• 401(k) matching funds
• Free health club membership

Pretty good educational benefits, including tuition reimbursement and televised education from local colleges broadcast live into company sites.

If you can navigate through the big company system, you can reap a lot of benefits and rewards.

The company is too big. You feel like just a cog in the machine. Regardless of your personal accomplishments, it's difficult to make a large impact on the company bottom line when it is such a large multinational conglomerate. The company makes the vast majority of its money in semiconductor products, which end up in other products. There is little consumer name recognition for Texas Instruments, aside from the ubiquitous calculators. If you want to make a name for yourself in technology or with friends/family, it will be nearly impossible at Texas Instruments.

Be more nimble.

Consider funding standalone companies for areas outside of the core semiconductor business.