One thing I learned about working at Intel, especially if more than a couple of years, is that your skills become too narrowly focused on Intel-specific needs. You lose your generalism, diversity and range. And, ironically, because you are a very specific cog in a vast and unique machine, you lose your versatility and creativity. I take ownership for having let this happen to me. I am paying for it now in my job search. On the plus side, the Intel model lets some people become breathtakingly skilled in their niche... but what happens when that niche goes away or we have to reduce head count? I also learned that just doing a job well is not enough. I wasn't very good at the whole focal thing. My team was hugely hit by 2015-16 ERPs/ISPs/VSPs to where they are down from a hundred people to now maybe 12. They all do a very specific thing that may or may not translate to the outside world. I went to a post-Intel workshop and found out my Intel colleagues (me included) have a hard time writing a resume that isn't Intel gibberish and incredibly narrow. Plus, one of the tips they tell you in the resume class is "don't including anything longer than 10 years ago." That immediately eliminates any growth or diversity you might have had in your skillset before Intel.