Sandisk

Pros: I got to work on some cool flash memory projects as a Firmware Engineer. It's a big tech company so there are lots of resources for learning new skills in the semiconductor industry. You can definitely learn a lot if you seek it out.
Cons: Promotions are slow; it's hard to move up without leaving. There isn't much formal mentorship for career progression. You often feel stuck in your role, especially for individual contributor paths in the San Jose office.
Advice to Management: Create clearer promotion paths for experienced engineers. Invest more in formal mentorship programs to help employees grow within the company, not just on specific projects.

Pros: Base salary for a Hardware Engineer is quite competitive, especially in Milpitas, CA. The 401k match is pretty solid too, which is a good perk for big tech.
Cons: Health insurance premiums are kinda high, it eats into the paychecks. Also, stock options aren't super generous for us in firmware engineering roles. It's a bit disappointing.
Advice to Management: Review the health insurance plans to make them more affordable for employees. Also, make bonus structures more transparent for all engineering roles.

Pros: You get to work on cool tech in the data storage space, which is rewarding. There are often periods where the workload is manageable, and teams are generally collaborative. I did get some flexibility to shift my hours around when I needed to, which was a plus for personal appointments.
Cons: The work-life balance for engineering roles can be rough, with frequent late nights before product launches. It's not uncommon to pull 50+ hour weeks, especially if you're a Firmware Engineer on a critical project. Management doesn't always protect your time, making it hard to disconnect.
Advice to Management: Try to enforce reasonable working hours and respect engineers' personal time. Project planning needs to account for realistic timelines to prevent burnout for Firmware Engineers.