Insight on Working at F21 AZ Fab
Hopefully someone can find this useful in their job search or deciding if TSMC is right for them.
I think there is alot of hesitation for prospective candidates when they want to work at TSMC for obvious reasons. As someone who works at the AZ Fab as an engineer and follows the industry closely, I can say - its hard work. Anyone in the industry at advanced nodes will say the same-I see it as simply a reflection of the demand all companies are trying to fill. University Colleagues at Panther Lake for Intel and Taylor Samsung Fab, in my experience say similar things. Theres alot of noise with Glassdoor, ex TSMC employees, or bloggers - finding some neutral opinion is not shared as often. Working in a Taiwanese Company vs Previous American Legacy Companies - there are countless stories and opinions you may hear. I personally have found more success and understanding at TSMC vs previous employers in US. East vs West culture and expectations can be different but nothing critical. Both cultures have learned from each other very well at the site and great things will come in the future
The Good: My experience has been net positive. TSMC is fast paced work, I am tasked with alot of responsibility and I personally believe I use alot of tools from school for my job. I have had great growth and compensation along the way. Some problems can get very very technical which is something that is a rewarding challenge. A work assignment in Taiwan could be in your future, this is an amazing experience and I dont believe I have heard 1 colleague say they did not enjoy their time there. Lastly, simply seeing the result of your work through the site development is always great. Our workforce is relatively young so there is alot of energy and familiar faces from college perhaps.
The Bad: Making semiconductors are hard. Theres no way around that. Demand is high, pressure to perform is high. Many people simply dont work well in that enviroment where work can be ambiguous, deadlines are tight, and there is alot of tasks that can get piled up. Work can spill into after your exit time however this is a 24/7 manufacturing operation that is in early production, this is an effect of that. Day by day it is truly getting better as we learn more and more.
Join If: you are a younger engineer that wants to be challenged and grow in their career very fast (many people to not get the chance to start up an advanced node factory). Someone who is willing to hit the ground running and tackle problems head on. I have worked at "legacy" companies that many might know based off their products - however, they offer truly restricted, gloomy, and mute work environments - but "calm". TSMC is high energy and will be beneficial to you if you up for good hard work.
Do NOT Join If: You are married to a rigid work schedule. If you are tied to production, depending on the department you could have rotating night shift, on-call, etc and perhaps in an emergency you will get called after work hours. Do not join if you are also married to the expectation of doing only 1 type of job scope. Many employees will be tasked with a "secondary" role for their department like cost, safety, training, etc. This sometimes stacked on your primary work which is why many people who do leave do not take well to this- sometime because it deviated from their expectations coming in.
My comparison/perspective is drawn from experience at other companies that are legacy companies that may boast about compensation or work-life balance but the actual day-to-day was littered in red tape, condescending senior engineers 2x my age, suffocating growth paths, silent offices or pouring months of work to make the most small change on system or process that I may never see.