Vantaggi
Despite the strong headline, this is 3 stars because of the following: -The company is not perfect (no company is), but the benefits you will not find anywhere else (or it would be hard to). -Management is generous, and it's a generous company overall. -You'll get to work with very smart and academic people (disregard the ones with big heads). -A lot of the technical problems are interesting and require a lot of brainstorming in solving. You'll get to appreciate how much precision and careful planning is required for chip fabrication. -You'll get some decent exposure to technology.
Svantaggi
The strenuous environment and poor work/life balance can and will outweigh any of the positives listed above. When you make a good paycheck, what does it matter if there's little to no time to actually enjoy the fruits of your labor? What does this mean? Sure, you can enjoy a lazy Sunday, but you will break the unwritten rules of having to respond to and read e-mails, or even go into work. As a result, you will stick out like a sore thumb if you neglect being glued to your computer/phone almost 24/7. This makes it hard to enjoy things outside of work. It is worth mentioning that some, but not all, old timers and ex-military people like to engender fear, thinking they are above everyone or that they are still in the military. This diminishes one's enjoyment of work and defeats the majority of the positive aspects mentioned above. Join at your own risk--there are positives, but consider how these negatives may outweigh them. There are parts of Lam that are UNBELIEVABLY stressful.