Texas Instruments

TI has a challenging but worthwhile environment. There are very smart people that work here, but they don't show it.

They're mostly native Texans: humble and grateful people. There's a reason the average TIer lasts 15 years here – because they make it hard to leave.

The company has great benefits that are competitive. It's a Fortune 200 company, and you get exactly what you'd expect and more.

There are great leaders at TI, especially the ones at the very top. TI does diversity right, too. They don't just diversify on race like some of the other Silicon Valley type companies, but on many different attributes.

Politics and bureaucratic incompetence just don't get in the way of your work or the company's mission, unlike some companies. With all of the extracurriculars that TI has, there is opportunity to make genuine friends here.

If you don't like Texas, you probably don't belong at TI. As a matter of fact, you probably don't belong in Texas.

Please, just stay in California.

Depending on where you live, the commute can be pretty bad. The DFW area in particular is getting crowded, so there's not much you can do about it. Again, stay in California.

While there is a lot of mobility at TI, it doesn't always translate to a significant increase in salary. You have to understand that working in IT at TI means you are fundamentally supporting the business, so you won't be on the cutting edge of technology necessarily. Of course, that does have its perks, but you'll have to decide for yourself if that's desirable.

In my opinion, it's hard to beat.