Pros
1. Cree demands absolute accountability from it's employees, at least in my division. There is an overwhelming amount of talent in the company and it shows. For the most part, management keeps an open-door policy and will try to support you in meeting the goals of the business. The business is exciting and Cree has a world-class product in lighting-class LEDs. The compensation is good, especially for a young Engineer carrying some serious financial responsibility. 2. You are given no leash at all on the tools at Cree in my group. You can learn as many as you want and go as deeply as you want to. Once you learn something, you basically become responsible for it. It's an interesting system. You naturally fall into a tool. 3. I have come to call Cree a "boot camp" for Engineers. It is a very marketable resume builder because it is known for yielding world-class work ethic if you can make it through at least a year. 4. The triangle is a fantastic place to live. I particularly love Chapel Hill and Raleigh. It's swimming with young professionals who have money and like to go out.
Cons
1. Unforunately, the IT systems at Cree are not very good and information is not shared well. I find myself constructing reports that should be completely automated at least 1-2 times per day. That is the biggest downside to Cree. As a result, young Engineers must work extraordinary amounts of hours. The reviews saying you work 60 hours a week are not exaggerating. If you are new, you will live there. You will also be new for a very long time, which is why I see many people that are gone before the 2 year mark. It's basically expected. 2. Generally, 2 days off per week are allowed for salaried Engineers, but sometimes we even work on our weekends. This is the main reason for the title of my review. Cree needs to learn that people work to live, not live to work. 3. You will not get the conventional weekends as a new Engineer. Most entry level people will work Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday and work extremely odd hours. 4. Cree does not encourage other pursuits in your life or any professional development besides "on-the-job" learning. 5. Lower-level employees generally get very little credit for sometimes remarkable feats. Then, they are belittled in front of the team when things don't go well.
