Lam Research Corp (CA) offers a robust internship program to college students and a welcoming, challenging environment to new engineering hires, says Kathleen Rosenbaum, director of global staffing and benefits. Interns, in particular, are "thrilled by the end of their summer experience, when they get to present their summer's work to top executives," Rosenbaum adds.
Lam is a principal supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the world's semiconductor industry. The company is a leader in the etch products used in many steps of IC manufacturing.
New college hires typically have backgrounds in physics, materials science or chemistry, or degrees in ChE, EE or ME, Rosenbaum says. Degrees range from bachelors to PhD.
Engineers in their first few years with the company may work on a variety of projects, in the U.S or abroad, Rosenbaum notes. New hires generally start at the company's headquarters in Fremont. As they progress through their careers, they might work in the field at manufacturing and research sites like Fishkill, NY; Austin, TX; Vancouver, Canada; or locations in Europe and Asia.
A number of new hires are former interns. In the summer of 2004, there were twenty-four interns at Lam, seventeen of whom were engineering students. Interns can start their experience at Lam at the end of their first college year and may come back each summer until graduation. Most are assigned to the company's headquarters.
Interns work with a business group and are also exposed to a broad view of the company through workshops and seminars, Rosenbaum reports. Workshops cover topics on the company's business philosophy, the semiconductor industry and company products. Lam puts on social events like barbecues and offers other offsite activities.
Returning interns get new projects. At the end of each summer, they make presentations to management on their cumulative efforts. They're eligible to receive scholarships through an essay contest on their involvement with the company's values. The company gives two scholarships annually.
Rosenbaum notes that at least half of Lam interns and new college hires are minorities or women. But, "Because of the unique skills necessary in this industry, the first thing that we look for is technical competency," she emphasizes.
Lam often asks employees who have recently graduated to make referrals. Janette Ruiz, who joined Lam in July 2004, says she sought out the company because a college friend had a very positive employment experience there. Ruiz's friend told her that the day-to-day work was very satisfying and that the company valued its employees and was generous with promotions and raises. Ruiz adds that the fast pace at Lam was also attractive.
"This place has a really good mixture of lab work, analysis, creative
scientific thinking and real world problem solving," Ruiz says. "The
problems are generated partially by customer demand and partially by
trying to improve the products Lam already has. What you're doing really matters
to people."
Ruiz graduated in May 2004 from University of California at Berkeley with a PhD in chemistry. She specializes in physical chemistry. "We're studying the physical properties of chemicals," she explains.
Lam hired her as a process engineer for a product group after she completed her PhD. "Once I interviewed, I knew I really wanted to work here," Ruiz says. She pushed herself to complete her dissertation five months early so that she could start at Lam.
Ruiz says that during the interview process she was impressed with employees' reports on the company's support of flexible schedules to tend to family obligations. "You know that one day you may have a family, and you might still be here," she says.
Ruiz is part of a complex team of people from several different disciplines. There are about ten people in her core group, and Ruiz reports to a process engineering head. The group meets every other week to discuss the progress of each project. Ruiz's manager has been actively mentoring her.
Ruiz says that Lam is a welcoming place. When she first came, her team was working on a stressful, customer-oriented project, but members still found enough time to train and help her get up to speed. "I'm getting my training and the attention I need," Ruiz says. "I feel that I am doing things that are really meaningful."
D/C
Lam Research Corp
www.lamresearch.com
|
Headquarters: |
Fremont, CA |
|
Employees: |
2,200 |
|
Revenues: |
$936 million |
|
Business: |
Wafer fabrication equipment and services for the semiconductor industry |
|
|
|
