Pros
- Plenty of technical material to learn, lots of talented engineers who really know their stuff. - Ostensibly (but occasionally actually) good work/life balance. - Peace and quiet during work hours. - Walking distance to some cheap, healthy food options, though local traffic is obnoxious (as it is everywhere in Fairfax, VA). -
Cons
- Pay is minimum market; benefits are below market. Yearly raises aren't guaranteed and are leveraged against employees as punishments. - No significant compensation other than salary. No 401K, only an SEP, and you may need to spend up to 24 months waiting for that. Benefits are expensive. No yearly bonuses. "Profit Sharing" is $1000-1500/year. Company parties are poorly thought tent parties in remote commercial areas. - Management is not management at all, but fellow engineers who have been reluctantly thrust into the role. As such, they are poor communicators who ignore all management duties until they are forced to address them by their own managers. - Upper management is really only concerned in results. In 14 months I never once spoke to my boss's boss. - Work is sporadic. You may be ignored for months with claims that, "There's just not a lot of work to give you." then later you're criticized for not being productive enough. - Poor facilities. One shared bathroom for dozens of employees. Heating/AC was inconsistent.