Pros
You will learn missiles depending on the group you are placed in. There are opportunities for advancement, but you really have to seek them out and push for them. The compensation and benefits are decent, but probably because HR is having a hard time trying to convince new hires to come to Tucson. The company seems like it is growing and even in a down economy it seems like we are actively recruiting people. People at work are really laid back and usually easy to get along with. I haven't had any problems with disrespect. Definitely a lot more relaxed that the east coast. This company is a good place to start your career, but I would try to get out once you get that "experience" and have "paid your dues" which is around 3-5 years. Otherwise you could end up having your life pass you by. Tucson has a lot of good Mexican food, a cheap cost of living, and a plethora of outdoor activities. The people are friendly and for a small town there are many things that one can find. The winters are mild (say good bye to snow) and it's almost always sunny.
Cons
How much you like your job really depends on the group that you are placed in. There are a lot of jobs that can lead to nowhere and you really have to watch out for yourself. You really have to seek out the opportunities and pursue them, otherwise you could be stuck in a dead end job. The management doesn't really care about anything other than numbers and if you are meeting them. There is a lot of office politics (although which company doesn't have them) and women are promoted much faster than men, this would be fine if it was based on performance, but this usually isn't the case. There was a huge movement to hire new engineers fresh out of school to replace the old baby boomer engineers who are set to retire. Raytheon has restructured the PTO and benefits. They will only allow you to roll over 40 hours of PTO a year otherwise it is use it or lose it. They did away with pension. When you are hired out of school you have no real control over where you go. Also depending on how fast your security clearance comes through you need to push papers or do other menial work until you get your full clearance, sometimes this process can take up to 2 years. Usually by that point you are an expert at paperwork and will probably have forgotten all of your expensive schooling. It's a good idea to try and get a Masters degree during this time. A lot of times it seems like there are so many new employees coming in and so many older engineers that are leaving that management is running around like chickens with their heads cut off and you can easily get lost in the shuffle. Pretty good benefits but the salary is lower than what you could make at a bigger city, however, your take home pay will be better because it is cheaper to live in Tucson, unfortunately you're living in Tucson. Sometimes you get that small town claustrophobia and need to get out. The summers are brutally hot. If I were starting out again, have Raytheon pay for your Masters and your security clearance and then get out since you will only be getting dinky 3% raises a year if you stay. That's not even inflation.
