Pros
A bit of background on myself. I am a recent grad who got hired to be a systems engineer at this location. You honestly have to remember that this is a DOD contractor and keeping that in mind helps you understand the situation. First thing is that everything here is dependent upon funding from the government. No funding means no project which results in no work. I got lucky with timing and the team I was placed on. Many people will tell me that LCS is a great gig that I got into. Solid contracts and the team is growing. The team is very diverse in terms of age and knowledge. You have the young fresh recent college grads like myself, leadership program members, advanced engineers, senior engineers and then management itself. People will be willing to help you as long as you are willing to make the step to go forward and be humble. The one thing I learned is that my job is safe for the most part. If GD loses a contract and we lose funding then I will end up taking on another project. This company is willing to pay for your clearance and get you certifications to make sure you can get to where you need to be. Just make sure to pay them back in time for the amount of training they provide you. Other pros include 9/80 flex time (Every other Fridays off) - Lots of traveling opportunities but depends on your function in GD - Ability to relocate - They provide work while your waiting on obtaining a clearance - They don't lowball you on pay because after you get the job you can check it compared the what the average pay is for your job title and it's usually a lot more. - Low cost of living in Pittsfield. - People are friendly and will hang out with you out of work - No micromanagement (depending on department)
Cons
There are a couple factors that need to be addressed. First of all, if you are single and are out of college bear in mind that Pittsfield is a rundown town because of the disaster that General Electric caused years ago. Look up Pittsfield online before even thinking about coming here. For those who have a family and are somewhat settling in then this town might be a cute little suburb for you. However, for the single young people, it will take time to acclimate and chances are you will want to relocate. This company really does try hard to make it feel like home by having events and such but the issue is the actual geography of this site. The town is depressing and there's not much to do around here. It's not fully developed which makes it hard to adjust to. You have to go to Springfield or Albany to get that city experience for those that like to go out and explore. Keep in mind that although you work 40 hours a week you still have the rest of the time to be outside of work and if you don't like the town then work here. They have plenty of other locations you can look at as well. My advice is when you apply for these jobs do a google research on funding for certain jobs and make a decision if you want to work in a specific department. I never did that but next time I will when I look at openings/relocation.