Career mobility is mis-represented during the hiring process. Just because the recruiter says that it is easy to move into SCM or CRM, doesn't mean you have a shot at it. It is easier to negotiate salary than organizational alignment coming into the company.
There is very little work life balance. If you are on a difficult project with long hours, and do halfway decent work, it can be difficult to leave. New team members may roll on, but they will likely be rolled off quickly when no one has time to get them up to speed. This is true at all levels. In the year that I was staffed on a single project, there were three SE's. Staffing on projects is driven solely by desired profit. Meeting actual staffing needs and providing a quality work product takes a backseat to making lots of money.
The assessment process is subjective and inconsistent. It was not uncommon for team members to assess others that were in their own peer group (whom they were laddered against). Promotions were based on a weird combination of tenure and social visibility. There are first year analysts that exhibit more competence and integrity than senior managers, but these people are not rewarded.
Clients and client expectations are not managed. There is no effort to adjust schedules to reflect increases in project scope. If the client acts inappropriately, management may be too spineless to let them know that they are out of line.
