Does anyone here work for Intel? I got an offer and have Q's

[cowsclaw]

I just got an offer today for an entry-level Process Engineer position and am still debating whether I want to take it. The thing is that the salary offered is a little lower than I expected (even with the three bonuses/year). I was just wondering if anyone knew what the pay range is for a Grade 5 (I am an entry-level with MS). More importantly, I was wondering how you liked working there. I went to their Rush Interview and liked it, but I have also read about how people didn't like it. So... in a way, I am trying to decide whether the lower pay is worth the risk. I'm going to try to negotiate a higher base salary, but I was wondering if anyone out there could provide me with a better starting point for negotiations. Also, does anyone know how flexible they are with the initial pay rate?

p.s. Yes, I did a search and have already read the previous Intel salary post

 

[Desslok]

Originally posted by: cowsclaw
I just got an offer today for an entry-level Process Engineer position and am still debating whether I want to take it. The thing is that the salary offered is a little lower than I expected (even with the three bonuses/year). I was just wondering if anyone knew what the pay range is for a Grade 5 (I am an entry-level with MS). More importantly, I was wondering how you liked working there. I went to their Rush Interview and liked it, but I have also read about how people didn't like it. So... in a way, I am trying to decide whether the lower pay is worth the risk. I'm going to try to negotiate a higher base salary, but I was wondering if anyone out there could provide me with a better starting point for negotiations. Also, does anyone know how flexible they are with the initial pay rate?

p.s. Yes, I did a search and have already read the previous Intel salary post

I am just a Fab Rat, but Intel has been VERY good to me. I am going back for my BS in Computer Engineering and Intel is paying for it.

As for the pay raise, don't count on it too much. I have been there four years now and I just got my first raise. Intel really tightened their raise belts during the down turn.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask away.

 

[cowsclaw]

which Fab do you work in? also, have you ever been to FaceIntel.com. They seem to hate working there a lot.

 

[Desslok]

Originally posted by: cowsclaw
which Fab do you work in? also, have you ever been to FaceIntel.com. They seem to hate working there a lot.

hahahah yea I have been there, the way I look at it is that every big company is going to have people pissed off at it. What do you have to loss by taking the job? If you don't like it you can leave and have the experiance to put on your resume.

I work in Fab 11x in New Mexico, transferred from the Dupont Washington site two years ago to help with the startup.

 

[cowsclaw]

the only thing that I might lose is a fellowship to cover my PhD studies, so Im not sure if I want to risk it for a less than perfect opportunity. don't want to feel like i settled, ya know?

thanks for your comments, btw

 

[RaynorWolfcastle]

Originally posted by: cowsclaw
the only thing that I might lose is a fellowship to cover my PhD studies, so Im not sure if I want to risk it for a less than perfect opportunity. don't want to feel like i settled, ya know?

thanks for your comments, btw

Get in touch with pm, he works for intel, though I am pretty sure he is in the architecture side more than the process side (I get the feeling he's pretty senior too, last I heard he was heading some portion of the Itanium2 design team). Wingznut also works for Intel and I think he's a fab tech, not a process engineer. You may be able to get some good info from them, they are the most visible Intel employees on th boards that I know of (sorry Desslok )

 

[Keego]

What Raynor said, talk to wingznut, he's usually open to talking about it.

My roommate's brother worked at intel and one day they suspended him for no reason, and told him to sign this paper. Long story short, the paper was a resignation and he refused to sign, so they laid him off or something. He fought it and was back after a couple of months off. I guess instead of laying people off, they try to force them to quit.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Keego
What Raynor said, talk to wingznut, he's usually open to talking about it.

My roommate's brother worked at intel and one day they suspended him for no reason, and told him to sign this paper. Long story short, the paper was a resignation and he refused to sign, so they laid him off or something. He fought it and was back after a couple of months off. I guess instead of laying people off, they try to force them to quit.

No offense, but companies don't generally suspend people for "no reason". I'd be willing to bet that his boss has a different story.

 

[LordSnailz]

What module are you going to be working on and is this your first job? Working as a process engr. at Intel is going to be one of the roughest job you can get there. Long hours, after work hrs, weekends ... it never stops. When I joined, they happily gave me a pager and cell phone, as a result I was working after work, during the weekends, etc. Of course, all of this depends on what module you're on, for instance, the litho and ECD folks are always under the gun. It'll be tough if you have a family as well, work life balance will be totally screwed.

On the otherhand, OR is the best place to be in terms of the Intel sites, they're a development fab, so you get all the 300mm goodness and anything new. PM if you want more info. and good luck with your decision! =)

 

[cowsclaw]

Originally posted by: LordSnailz
What module are you going to be working on and is this your first job? Working as a process engr. at Intel is going to be one of the roughest job you can get there. Long hours, after work hrs, weekends ... it never stops. When I joined, they happily gave me a pager and cell phone, as a result I was working after work, during the weekends, etc. Of course, all of this depends on what module you're on, for instance, the litho and ECD folks are always under the gun. It'll be tough if you have a family as well, work life balance will be totally screwed.

On the otherhand, OR is the best place to be in terms of the Intel sites, they're a development fab, so you get all the 300mm goodness and anything new. PM if you want more info. and good luck with your decision! =)

Yes, this is my first real job. I dunno what module i'd be working on, but from what I got from the interview, I might be working with lithography. but yeah, they warned us about the long work hours, etc when we interviewed. I guess the question to you then is, Is it worth it? What do you like and not like?

btw, what Fab do you work in and what exactly do you do?

thanks

 

[cquark]

Pay grades are a range of around $20,000 from the bottom to the top of the range, and they won't make an initial offer at the very top of the range, so you probably have substantial room to negotiate. If they want you badly enough, you can probably negotiate a higher salary. As for whether you'll like working at Intel, it's a huge company, so quality of life at work depends tremendously on your particular manager and division. Some are great, some are terrible, and most are in between.

 

[Noirish]

just how much is low in your mind?

is it in the ball park of...

1) 50k to 65k
2) 65k to 80k
3) 80k to 95k
4) 95k+, you are being greedy now

 

[cowsclaw]

Originally posted by: orangel
just how much is low in your mind?

is it in the ball park of...

1) 50k to 65k
2) 65k to 80k
3) 80k to 95k
4) 95k+, you are being greedy now

haha.. no, i wasnt expecting anywhere near #4. i was looking for low 2 (that's what I have found in my research), but am getting an offer in the middle of #1.

 

[DT4K]

Disclaimer: I'm not an engineer, nor do I work for Intel.

I don't know how much more an MS degree normally commands, but mid to upper 50's seems pretty good for an engineering position straight out of college with no experience. And having engineering experience at a company with the name recognition of Intel is going to look very good on your resume if you decide to leave in a couple years.

Do you have any other job prospects?
I wouldn't assume their offer is less than you could get somewhere else unless you have other offers or personally know people who have gotten higher offers for the same type of work.

Being raised in Oregon and spending quite a bit of time in Portland over the years, I can tell you that Portland is a great place to live if you don't mind the rain in the winters. If you like the outdoors, you will like Portland. You can be at the coast or skiing on Mt. Hood in less than 2 hours. You can be salmon fishing on a beautiful river in less than an hour.

And while the cost of houses has gone up quite a bit in the past few years, it's still much more affordable than many other large cities. So keep in mind that making 57k in Portland is probably better than making 70k in Seattle or 95k in the bay area.

 

[Passions]

Originally posted by: cquark
Pay grades are a range of around $20,000 from the bottom to the top of the range, and they won't make an initial offer at the very top of the range, so you probably have substantial room to negotiate. If they want you badly enough, you can probably negotiate a higher salary. As for whether you'll like working at Intel, it's a huge company, so quality of life at work depends tremendously on your particular manager and division. Some are great, some are terrible, and most are in between.

This is really true. Quality of work is directly affected by your mentor/lead/manager. I have the best lead ever, really funny and chill person. Big companies are like that. Some will love working for Intel and some will hate it. I'd say if your getting mid-50k's, go for it! Intel is impressive to have on a resume anyway.

 

[Noirish]

MS degree might have given an engineer $10k more, but entry level with no experience is always low end.
Depends on the geological location, $60k is worth a lot in most states.
It's all up to you, do you really want the job, do you have bargain chips, do you think they really need your expertise?
After consider all these, if you still want, maybe you can give them a counteroffer (I've never done this so I don't know if it's going to work).

 

[Bryophyte]

My husband is a design engineer for Intel, as is Alternex's wife. They both work at Ronler Acres in Hillsboro. PM me if you'd like to chat with him about what you could expect. He can tell you all about pay grades. Remember, your base pay doesn't include bonuses (my husband gets 3 a year), stock options, insurance. You can very easily add 10k (realistically more than that) to your base pay when you take into account the extras.

 

[OS]

Employers know the job market is still weak, so offers are going to be low. I've seen the same thing with other recent grads, offers are not high. I got a software position offer in the bay area starting 45k with just a BS.

 

[Excelsior]

Where is Wingznut when you need him?

 

[jacob0401]

Originally posted by: Excelsior
Where is Wingznut when you need him?

Wingznut is moving...he has no dsl for a while

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=1328883&highlight_key=y

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: OS
Employers know the job market is still weak, so offers are going to be low. I've seen the same thing with other recent grads, offers are not high. I got a software position offer in the bay area starting 45k with just a BS.

Damn. That's pretty bad. I figure I'd have to get an offer of at least 100k to consider moving to the bay area. And even with that I couldn't afford to buy a house in that area.

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: OS
Employers know the job market is still weak, so offers are going to be low. I've seen the same thing with other recent grads, offers are not high. I got a software position offer in the bay area starting 45k with just a BS.

Damn. That's pretty bad. I figure I'd have to get an offer of at least 100k to consider moving to the bay area. And even with that I couldn't afford to buy a house in that area.

CA house prices are out of whack compared to reality. First time/new to CA buyers are priced out. I suspect there is going to be a correction in pricing in the coming 1-3 years.

As for the offer, it's still bad right now. They can low ball people and if they don't take it, move on to the next guy. There's no shortage of applicants these days.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: OS

Originally posted by: Shanti

Originally posted by: OS
Employers know the job market is still weak, so offers are going to be low. I've seen the same thing with other recent grads, offers are not high. I got a software position offer in the bay area starting 45k with just a BS.

Damn. That's pretty bad. I figure I'd have to get an offer of at least 100k to consider moving to the bay area. And even with that I couldn't afford to buy a house in that area.

CA house prices are out of whack compared to reality. First time/new to CA buyers are priced out. I suspect there is going to be a correction in pricing in the coming 1-3 years.

As for the offer, it's still bad right now. They can low ball people and if they don't take it, move on to the next guy. There's no shortage of applicants these days.

I know what you mean. Even though there is a lot more hiring going on right now, there are still a ton of experienced people unemployed so they are getting first shot at all the openings. Hopefully things will continue to improve and the beginners will get some more opportunities.

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: jacob0401

Originally posted by: Excelsior
Where is Wingznut when you need him?

Wingznut is moving...he has no dsl for a while

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=1328883&highlight_key=y

Ah.

 

[cowsclaw]

For those who live/work in Hillsboro, how is the housing cost? and what's a good place/neighborhood (maybe near Ronler Acres) to live?