Chaotic, Unstable, and Mismanaged—Proceed with Caution
Pros
Great Colleagues: Despite the overall chaos, the people I worked with were kind, supportive, and truly helped make the environment more bearable.
Cons
Leadership Instability: I was set up for failure from day one. My hiring manager resigned before I even started, and my one-up manager was let go within the first week. Lack of Guidance: For the first three months, I had no manager, guidance, or clear definition of my role. Poor Performance Management: I never received clear expectations or mid-year feedback; my only performance review came at the end of the year, making it impossible to improve in real time. Unempathetic Layoff Process: Receiving an impersonal 7 AM email on a Friday to learn if your role was safe, and having your access abruptly cut off if impacted, left no room for knowledge transfer or proper goodbyes.
