A good place for new graduates to gain experience... but don't stay too long
Pros
Applied is best suited for new graduates with little experience. You'll get: - Opportunity to work with high-end technology - Opportunity to travel at someone else's expense - Opportunity to convert your H1B into a green card (but you won't be happy staying there that long...) - Solid compensation at start and in good years
Cons
Applied Materials is not a place for technologists to build a long-term career. - Long hours and generally uncaring management means that you will likely be a pissed-off engineer working in a building full of pissed-off engineers - High turnover means a lot of time spent on re-work - Poor raises and rates of promotion even with high ("HS/TC") performance ratings - Advancement dependent on personal connections rather than performance. In one department in SSG, rankings and promotions were handed down before performance reviews were completed. - In good years, compensation is a 6 on a scale of 1-10. In bad years, its a 2. Average: 4 on a scale of 1-10.