Looking from the outside now back into Intel many things amaze me. It's strange how comfortable and at the very same time how stressful that place was; as if high stress was a natural state. It's strange how it felt like home and how I treated it like home, and also how I clung to it when I should have left. I should have left it many years before the shanking. The reason I never left sooner was because it was a prison. It was a prison for my mind. By it's very nature a prison for your mind is invisible, you don't know that your thinking is limited by your environment because you're not able to experience life outside of that environment. But life inside Intel was very limiting. It was a "failure is not an option" view that enshrines perfection, turns minor issues into major worries, and distracts from true opportunities. And it was insidious - that view of life had crept into my view of the world and personal life. The shanking came on my 17th year at Intel after a great deal of career success. I say shanking because it fits that urban dictionary word perfectly: out of the blue I was being stabbed with makeshift instruments by those around me who I thought I could trust . One day it was "good job" and literally the very next it was "you're going to be getting an IR". The explanations were there but like I said they were "makeshift", as in so and so said this about you. Sometimes providence comes from the most unusual circumstances, because when you are shanked at the Intel prison you don't die there, they just show you the door and you leave for good. I didn't realize that Intel was my mind prison until a couple months after being on "the outside" when I noticed the quantity and quality of my thinking improving. Now much more time has passed and I can see clearly that I had kept myself in that prison. While the actual act of being shanked at Intel is never something that can be remembered fondly, I am very grateful that I escaped that prison... even if I needed help to do it.
22 replies (most recent on top)
Glad I'm gone. Shanked in 86. There is life out there.
@athv - you hit the nail on the head
This is a very insightful post! I'm going on year 23 at Intel. I don't work directly for the factories (thank GOD...they SUCK...horrid cultures) but rather in corporate services. Most of my tenure has been on night shifts, which is like another world vs. days. Stress is only what you put upon yourself.
As long as the systems are up and everything is running in spec, it's a piece of cake. We'll probably get shut down within a couple years, so I'll just ride this pony until it drops dead out from under me. Intel CAN eat you up and I've seen it happen to others. Some of the day shift jobs are pure misery and I HATE being here during those hours. I'll take my nights with 16% differential pay, no managers, no meetings and no bullshit, thankyouverymuch. I just hit the reset switch every morning after leaving the site. Meanwhile, I'm off to work out at the company provided fitness center, followed by free coffee. It's not a prison, unless you make it one.
I worked at Intel 17 years when the "shank" came. The story rings true to me word per word as if it were a life at Intel script. it would be interesting to me to see how many more ex-intel employee's have had the same experience working there.
I left Intel after 20 years in many job positions. I was "shanked" in exactly the same way so I took a VSP as soon as I could. I witnessed actual criminal behavior and I was required by managers to "shut up".
The freedom I feel now is amazing. And lately I have been making more money in a month than I made in 6 months at Intel. My health has returned!
Advice to RCG's. RUN AWAY from Intel. The entrenched people still working there will ruin you and you will lose your health by 30 years old. Plenty of good companies out there need your fresh ideas and skills.
Someone submitted "Both the Oregonian and Yahoo Finance news announced large double digit cuts today. Can you speak to that, please?" that's not very far up in the voting but suspect its because it's a late post so not many have seen it (or looking down that far since voting is almost over).
I'd love to see him get asked that myself. lol
Great OP Ed - I felt the same way. I left Intel last June after 16 yrs as part of the S/L4 reductions and was a people mgr for 10 of 16. I had several EE rating early in my career but plateau'd. I do miss parts of Intel, but my stress level now is considerably less. I still have many friends at Intel that our waiting to see what happens again this year. There is life after Intel.
Looking at the questions submitted for BUM, posts here, and form the office environment, morale seems to be at an all time low.
Advice for the folks filling up the NEO rooms: Set up SPP for quicksale and live frugal and plan on an early retirement.
Very nice Op. Yes, "Now much more time has passed and I too can see clearly that I had kept myself in that prison...."
I much prefer smaller companies myself. I came from Sequent Computers and all ex-Sequenters were all hoping for another "Sequent" but alas, none materialized for me. I also didn't look very hard. lol
Worked there 17 years. After last July ISP I started working for a much smaller company. At 1st I felt exactly like you but occasionally I do miss working at Intel but when I think about all the politics, focal stress, layoffs, reorgs, I thank god I don't work thee anymore.
:) @xms
Thank you so much OP! Beautifully written, it was a pleasure to read this. Your experience resonates with me and they way you've communicated it gives me pause. For all of my 7 Intel years, "high stress" has definitely been the default state and gold standard.
My 8 out of 10 years at Intel have been career best years. This year may be one of those down years so need to keep my options open.
#GOLD Post on Intel Culture:
SHANKED! in the Intel prison (you should be so lucky)
Looking from the outside now back into Intel many things amaze me. It's strange how comfortable and at the very same time how stressful that place was; as if high stress was a natural state. It's strange how it felt like home and how I treated it like home, and also how I clung to it when I should have left. I should have left it many years before the shanking.
The reason I never left sooner was because it was a prison. It was a prison for my mind. By it's very nature a prison for your mind is invisible, you don't know that your thinking is limited by your environment because you're not able to experience life outside of that environment. But life inside Intel was very limiting. It was a "failure is not an option" view that enshrines perfection, turns minor issues into major worries, and distracts from true opportunities. And it was insidious - that view of life had crept into my view of the world and personal life. The shanking came on my 17th year at Intel after a great deal of career success.
I say shanking because it fits that urban dictionary word perfectly: out of the blue I was being stabbed with makeshift instruments by those around me who I thought I could trust . One day it was "good job" and literally the very next it was "you're going to be getting an IR". The explanations were there but like I said they were "makeshift", as in so and so said this about you. Sometimes providence comes from the most unusual circumstances, because when you are shanked at the Intel prison you don't die there, they just show you the door and you leave for good. I didn't realize that Intel was my mind prison until a couple months after being on "the outside" when I noticed the quantity and quality of my thinking improving.
Now much more time has passed and I can see clearly that I had kept myself in that prison. While the actual act of being shanked at Intel is never something that can be remembered fondly, I am very grateful that I escaped that prison... even if I needed help to do it.
Would like to read your post but I have a hard time reading ALL CAPS and/or huge paragraphs (All caps AND huge paragraphs are the worst. lol).
Were you aware this site now allows paragraphs? You just need to hit the Enter key to make one. Then your large post is more readable.
The employee view of Intel is completely different if you joined Intel as an RCG versus if you joined Intel after working for a few high tech companies. I am in the latter and see more pros than cons working for Intel. I am happy with my Tcomp and honestly believe that I probably cannot do better at any other company. So that is why I do not like seeing VSPs/ISPs issued so often.
Outstanding summary. Much of it resonated with me as well. I was with Intel for 13 years, with many "outstanding" or "exceeds" focal reviews. Like many, getting a "successful" was a failure to me. Then out of the blue I was blindsided in a stunning betrayal by someone I thought I could trust. It was a politically motivated backstabbing by a lesser employee performance wise, but who was more savvy playing the political game. That was 10 years ago now, but still to this day I feel the pain of the betrayal and I have not found it in my heart to forgive. I hope I can one day. I used to bleed Intel blue, but now my feelings for Intel are very different. I still have many friends there, and present day Intel is much worse than 10 years ago. It's so sad how far Intel has fallen, with no valid plan that I can see to stop the fall from continuing.
this is fantastic! will be sending this to some of my other friends. thank you
Great summary OP on Intel culture!
It's a sweat shop
I was there almost 2X as long as OP when the "shanking" came. The departure after a while does become a blessing. The pain of leaving is soon replaced by the joy of freedom and the dramatic lowering of stress.