Doesn't even remotely resemble the Great Company to work for before the big RIFT of 2002. - Customer Engineer IV Applied Materials Employee Review

1.0
19 Apr 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Really don't see any pros, in comparison to the previous job I left at Infineon, benefits are about the same.

Cons

I recently left a similar job at Infineon due to a planned fab closure at my site, excited to come back and work for AMAT after being laid off 15 years ago when the economy tanked in 2002....I was expecting the same family oriented, helpful, intelligent coworkers with a friendly atmosphere that promoted growth of an employee and career and be able to have a decent family life. Company cars, lots of benefits and bonuses all gone. Stepped into a sweatshop atmosphere with a group of hungry wolves that would eat their own if the opportunity allowed it. Applied is no longer the elite and upper crust of technology and work place, it has fallen from grace and seems to be content skidding along the floors of its customers fabs, making the rent and that's about where it stops. Very displeased almost heartbroken to see what has happened to such a one time technical giant and prestigious company years ago. It meant everything to work for Applied before 2002-I am almost embarrassed when I think back in comparison to memories of how it was before -now they have small minded, former car sales men that can't use a screwdriver supervising the field technicians which are mostly non-technical teenagers out of high school that are trained like zoo animals to perform repetitive maintenance tasks; instead of well trained equipment engineers and technicians that performed all field maintenance for the company when it was on top of the capital equipment supplier food chain before 2002. Putting my time in to avoid paying the relo bonus then poof! No one in their right mind would get on this rampant treadmill when you can get a comfortable leather seat in your own office elsewhere.

Explore other reviews about Applied Materials

5.0
27 May 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good company , benefits , lots of room for growth

Cons

Slow changes , tech related software on the IT side are very old.

2.0
8 Apr 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.

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