Pros
The opportunity to spend the majority of my time working outdoors in beautiful environments is one of the biggest pros for me and not easy to find in a full-time, permanent position. I believe in the mission and get a lot of satisfaction every time I see a paper published that uses NEON data. I also really enjoy mentoring the new up-and-coming ecologists that are hired as temporary employees every year and feel challenged to continue to hone and improve my leadership skills. With a new team of temporary technicians every year, the work never gets dull! I have heard a lot of negative feedback come from some offices but, for me personally, I feel valued, supported and challenged in my work environment.
Cons
While the internal advancement opportunities may seem limited to an ambitious person, I am confident that I am gaining a large set of skills in this position that will make me more marketable when I decide to leave the project and seek employment elsewhere. While I believe that the switch to Battelle management has come with a lot of pros, there are definitely some cons there as well. I don't often feel like the NEON project is really being 'seen' from the corporate level and our unique challenges are not acknowledged or taken into account when directives are sent down the chain. The benefits do leave much the be desired.