Very political work place - Member Of Technical Staff Applied Materials Employee Review

2.0
Jan 14, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Resourceful place, if you know how to find and get what you need. Opportunity to experience large projects and complex office politics.

Cons

Specific to the SunFab group, but can also apply to many other groups: . No fair award system. No award for real hard work. No fair performance review system. Too many layers of management. Engineers have responsibility without authority. Management are not liable for their mistakes (no feedback system). Very in-efficient purchasing department. . . .

Explore other reviews about Applied Materials

5.0
Feb 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Amazing benefits. Lots of opportunities for growth across different BU.

Cons

Demanding. But that is very common in the semiconductor industry

2.0
Apr 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Salary, I was compensated very well, the I hated working there so much that I resigned without anything even lined up. It was a good move for my mental health.

Cons

The leadership in general are not very intelligent, disorganized, and uncommunicative. They were decades behind in certain areas that lead to massive inefficiencies and overwork. (Out of respect I will not be specific). I suggested an improvement that would have taken task time down from 8 hours to virtually real time, but the executive Team, in their arrogance, did not allow me to implement the system. Sometime later, the cumbersome, unreliable system was not working and a deadline approaching. I worked 20 hours per day for 7 days and built an entire real time reporting system - then resigned. No one at AMAT was ever helpful. It always seemed an inconvenience to give a colleague outside ones group the time of day. I gained absolutely ZERO new skills or professional development at AMAT all my time there. Many of the employees at the time, including senior management, felt free to publicly express invectives against the current POTUS in their suffering TDS. Another reason I could not work in the environment. Rules for thee and not for me.

2
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