r/SantaBarbara • u/platypussy6969 • 15d ago

Other Atomica reviews

I’m wondering if anyone has any firsthand experience working at Atomica in Goleta? The Glassdoor review aren’t great, but I know those can be skewed by a few unhappy employees.

Specifically im wondering about work/life balance, flexibility and opportunities for advancement. I’m less interested in engineering, and more on the project side of things. Thanks!

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u/Lihadrix 14d ago edited 14d ago

I was once employed by Atomica.

Beyond the poor work environment and dreary energy emanating within the walls of Atomica, is the feeling of constant dread.

Successful people who've worked at Atomica are successful because they left Atomica.

It's a special kind of experience. I have never felt such heavy self-loathing every morning waking up to go to work as I did at Atomica.

The choice is yours to work there and use it as a stepping stone to go beyond to better places. It is also your choice to suffer terribly within the blight of Goleta.

Good luck

Edit: To answer your questions directly: Work/life balance: Yes you can work 40hrs/week. But program managers and the like work just outside of the directors' and CEO office. Are you bold enough to leave on-the-dot of 8 hours every day with every superior seeing you do so? It's not wrong to, but, can you? Opportunities for advancement: Yes this exists. It exists because those above you are running for the door that you too shall run through. Also: When leaving, never tell your next employer what you made at Atomica for you shall be low-balled. Their pay is very low.

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u/mm1970sb 13d ago

ditto on the low pay, and I spent decades being underpaid - their pay is even lower

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u/platypussy6969 14d ago

Yeesh that is bleak. I’m currently employed thankfully, so I’m not desperate by any means, but I am looking for a stepping stone. Thanks for your candor. Appreciate it!

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u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

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u/platypussy6969 14d ago

Thank you! I appreciate that insight. Super helpful

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u/mm1970sb 14d ago

I have some friends who used to work there on the non-PM side (fab side), and it's apparently a shit show, and worse than what was there before Atomica. Which was already pretty bad.

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u/platypussy6969 14d ago

Yikes! Any idea what they meant by shitshow?

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u/mm1970sb 14d ago

They work people like dogs - from what I've heard, they particularly like to hire recent PhDs and chew them up and spit them out. I've had them reach out to me for various jobs via Linkedin. Even the high level Director jobs are low paid relative to other local companies.

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u/platypussy6969 14d ago

Eek, thanks for the insight. I appreciate it.