No Career Growth Plan - NO SEVERANCE after 9 years! - Favoritism - Prepare to Play Musical Chairs
Pros
This company has some excellent benefits. All Fed Gov Holidays (even Columbus day!) Great Medical - Unlimited Sick Leave. Not so great Vacation - if you are Senior Staff try and get 3 weeks going in. Benefits are the only reason I stayed there so long. Oh and their stock program - I definitely made money off of that. Their bonuses are sometimes non-existent and low for the industry. But their stock grows like hotcakes when the company is doing well.
Cons
I was there almost 9 years and was passed around like a hot potato despite getting glowing reviews for my work. If you can hook up with a VP or Director and get them to keep you on a project long term - then you will have a shot at some career growth - classes - and certification opportunities. If not then you are basically toast and you have waisted years working like a dog. If you get on a "hot" project you will be working a ton of overtime. Their standard line for management and team leads is "We need people to work late and it will be noted". During one project the team was working 80+ hours a week and being on-call and working weekends. CGI lost the project in the end - and "being NOTED" as someone who gave their all and worked OT - didn't matter a bit. After almost 9 years there - my number was finally up - you get 2 weeks to find another project - and if you don't it's bye bye. I received NO SEVERANCE. I think they screwed me because a position with the VA in DC was made up and they had to make the position more senior just for me. I interviewed and never heard back. If you turn down a job they offer you supposedly they can get out of paying you severance. Be careful with this company. If you are young and in college they will love to hire you and then make you work a ton of hours. But once you get your 2 years in (if you last that long) look for other work.
