Tribute to a Job Well Done

My hard working husband has been working at Applied Materials for nearly 12 years now. Sadly, this is his last week working there. The company has been part of lives for our entire marriage, so it is with a heavy heart we have to say goodbye to a company that has seen us through thick and thin all these years.

John began as a tester the summer after we got married. We lived in the rat's nest up by the U. while I did my pr internship in Salt Lake, and after dropping me off each morning, John would head up to his testing job at what was then AutoSimulations in Bountiful. We moved up to Logan that fall to attend school at USU and the job went with John. They let him work from our apartment while he finished his schooling - thank goodness for the internet!

After we graduated from USU a couple years later, he received a nice offer from the company, and he began work as a software engineer. I remember they were so patient with John the first few months of his full-time employment because he was so darn sick all the time! At the time, doctors were still trying to diagnose his chronic illness, which of course we eventually learned was Crohn's Disease.

Eventually, he worked his way up the food chain, or I guess I should say work chain and became a senior software developer, and then eventually the manager of the group he was in. He worked with some great people. I remember the economic slump in 2001 when we had to take a pay cut, as did everyone else at the company. John simply enrolled in the MBA program up at the U of U, which the company (at the time it was Brooks Automation) paid for, and thus enabled us to put our student loans on hold helping us weather the pay cut storm.

Over the last few years, I enjoyed our trips to Johns work so we could see the baby ducks out on the lake next to his building. I also enjoyed the annual Halloween trick or treat from cubicle to cubicle. I was always amazed at how much candy the kids could amass in just a few short minutes! Far superior to walking from house to house - you know, more time consuming!

A year ago, he was asked to be a part of a new group that was created to work on some new projects. He was excited for the change and thoroughly enjoyed his new group and the work he did. However, with another economic slump upon us, this group with about 90 some odd people was dissolved. Additionally, the company is currently in the process of cutting 10% of their workforce, which affects approximately 1,200 of their employees worldwide. John was asked to participate in the voluntary acceptance program. After a lot of consideration, he decided to accept, though this saddens him a great deal. Now I get the blessing (or is it a curse?) of having John home for the next who knows how long while he searches for another job.

We never expected to be in this position, but now that we are, we have simply decided to count our blessings, of which there are many, and move on. John is discovering numerous job opportunities, fortunately, and with luck he will find another company as good as this last one has been for him. Until then, thank you Applied Materials for giving our family 11 1/2 wonderful years.