National Semiconductor Reviews

Pros

Excellent engineering staff
Promotes team collaboration
Relaxed campus environment

Cons

Pay for my position is below industry average
Management can be somewhat removed

Advice to Senior Management

Facilitate more company-sponsored communications meetings

Pros

Nice and friendly work environment, great employee training programs with National University connecting with local universities around Bay Area.

Cons

Stock options are tepid compared with other semi companies around.

Advice to Senior Management

Growing stock price and stock options giving could attract more talented engineers around...

Pros

Good compensation structure, team work and good facilities

Cons

Not so well planned senior management

Pros

1. Good opportunity to move within company
2. Good engineers to work with
3. Good compensation

Cons

1. Middle and upper layer of management is rotten
2. Promotion given undeserving candidates. Promotion based on connections
3. No idea what leadership means, obviously when undeserving folks get promoted they are insecure and timid.

Advice to Senior Management

Fire all the exec VP, VP and BU. Get fresh young talented and energetic management.

Pros

National Semiconductor gave decent compensation and good benefits. The Santa Clara campus also has a nice park where you can run, walk or just enjoy a relaxing view in the middle of the day.

Cons

The executive team made several mistakes while I was there, and missed several good opportunities in the industry. Potential for advancement is too slow in coming as its technology is not as compelling as in the past.

Pros

-Good old company
-Remains flat over time
-Lots of budget, equipment, facilities.
-Good work, life balance.

Cons

-Remaining flat over time can be a very bad thing.
-Not sure what market they want to be.
-Lots of bureaucracy
-HR is very inneficient and has no idea what the engineering jobs involve.
-Inefficient management.
-Does not adapt to change or new technologies ( 3G, 4G, Microwave/RF).
-No idea what truly high speed means.
-Very, very but very slow.

Advice to Senior Management

-It is very hard to work in a place where your manager does not have the background to understand what the real problem is and what the solution is.
-It is hard to work on a big company where there are not chances to jump groups. Say applications to design, because apps does not involve any design no matter the problem is in the design itself!!!
-Sorry guys, but you are not really high speed, you are not willing to change or do what it takes to take advantags of the new technology being developed and deployed in key markets.

Pros

- good communication with other designers
- management are engineer-oriented
- designers are very helpful
- meetings are very active

Cons

- mediocre salary and benefits
- focuses too much on old businesses and markets
- stock stays flat, so-so overall outlook

Pros

Salary was above average. My bosses are really good and became good friends.

Cons

Upper management was always nontechical and that was a real negative. They some competent technical upper management.

Advice to Senior Management

National lacks good technical upper management which understand National strengths and leverages on that strength.

Pros

Great work and life balance
High responsibility, but little accountability
Nice campus with a great cafeteria
Gym on campus, with subsidized rates

Cons

There is a lot of bureaucracy, making it easy for low performing employees to stick around
Lack of clear direction from management, regarding future vision
Pay is far below competitors, with low raises year upon year
Name recognition is behind competitors

Advice to Senior Management

Be willing to get into higher margin parts as opposed to continuing to create low margin parts
Dump low performing employees quicker

Pros

smart and capable engineers, sharp design managers, good for those starting out in this industry to learn good ic design skills. if you know how to play the ladder game, you will do very well here since even incompetent people high up in the ladder have managed to survive the layoffs

Cons

retarded upper management, co. took a 1.5 billion loan to buy back stock and then laid of 2300 people to service the interest. very few upper level tech managers, pure dog and pony nepotistic show in Santa Clara, management cannot find a strategy to execute and buys into glitzy, overly hyped data from marketing

Advice to Senior Management

accept that you are a 3rd tier ic design company and that your lunch is getting eaten by others. then wake up and execute your projects with professionalism