CERN Reviews | Glassdoor.co.uk

Glassdoor uses cookies to improve your site experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. OK | Learn More

CERN Reviews
Companies
  • Jobs
  • Companies
  • Salaries
  • Interviews

    CERN Reviews

    Updated 29 March 2018
    262 reviews

    Filter

    Filter

    Full-timePart-time
    4.3
    StarStarStarStarStar
    Rating TrendsRating Trends
    Recommend to a friend
    Approve of CEO
    CERN Director General Fabiola Gianotti
    Fabiola Gianotti
    79 Ratings

    262 Employee Reviews

    Sort: PopularRatingDate
    Pros
    Cons

    • It's hard to reach a permanent position (in 16 reviews)

    • es, il n'y a pas beaucoup de contrats sur le long terme et il est difficile de les avoir (in 8 reviews)

    More Pros and Cons

    1. Helpful (2)

      "Technical Student"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Career Opportunities
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee

      Pros

      Relaxed and friendly environment, conference opportunities

      Cons

      A bit too much internal team politics

    2. "Summer Student Programme"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I worked at CERN full-time

      Pros

      This is THE place to be for physics! As a summer student you get to not only work with amazing physics at one of the world's most amazing experiments, you also get to share this experience with others who are as passionate about their subjects as you are.

      Cons

      I don't really think there were any downsides to the Summer student programme, perhaps that it is only available for a limited time.

      Advice to Management

      I'm not sure what to write in this section, I think the Summer student team did a really good job at organising this programme.

      CERN Response

      14 Nov 2016

      Thank you for your review. We are really pleased to learn that you enjoyed being part of the summer student programme. We wish you the best for the future!

      3. Join the CERN team
      See Our Latest Jobs

    3. Helpful (2)

      "Software Engineering at CERN"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Fellow
      Former Employee - Fellow
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at CERN full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      * CERN is a melting pot for great passionate people you can learn from
      * I had many opportunities to go to conferences to listen to and give talks which was supported by management
      * People are open to new ideas and even on a short term contract I had a lot of influence on technical decisions made
      * The hierarchy within my group was no barrier, I could easily talk to my boss and his boss if I had a problem

      Cons

      * Some of the systems have a lot of history and therefore a lot of technical weight (legacy code)
      * The system of contract types and the opportunities to change between them is too rigid. For example there is no natural transition from a Fellow contract to a staff contract.

      CERN Response

      12 Apr 2017 – Head of recruitment

      Thank you for your review and for the positive feedback! we are pleased you got so much out of your fellowship at CERN. For what concerns there being no natural 'transition' between contracts, CERN... More

    4. "An exciting place to work at."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Senior RF Engineer
      Former Employee - Senior RF Engineer
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook

      I worked at CERN full-time (More than 10 years)

      Pros

      Challenging projects. Lots of technical resources. Continuous training programs. Best work/life balance.

      Cons

      Working after hours can be required. Night shifts. Very long term projects.

    5. "CERN"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Former Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at CERN full-time

      Pros

      Great place to work with an international work force. Focus is on quality as opposed to speed. Great salary. Location is amazing. Best job ever and sad my contract finished.

      Cons

      Sometimes the selection process of awarding permanent contracts to staff is questionable.

    6. "Fellowship"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Current Employee - Anonymous Employee
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at CERN full-time (Less than a year)

      Pros

      Good working environment, challening work with an international elite. Many opportunities in growing and learning new abilities. Internationally good reputation.

      Cons

      Limited possibilities to stay for a longer time. Limited duration contracts with many extensions. Depending on the group budgets are tight and private laptops have to be used.

      Advice to Management

      Do not think on a short term but care about the future of your employees. The working conditions are very good and it is fun to work here.

    7. "Nice but..."

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Fellow in Meyrin (Switzerland)
      Current Employee - Fellow in Meyrin (Switzerland)
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I have been working at CERN full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      Nice salary, good pension scheme and health insurance

      Cons

      working environment, not really social colleagues

    8. "Great Place to work and enjoy"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Software Engineer in Meyrin (Switzerland)
      Former Employee - Software Engineer in Meyrin (Switzerland)
      Recommends
      Neutral Outlook
      No opinion of CEO

      I worked at CERN full-time (More than 5 years)

      Pros

      Good Salary
      International environment
      Mountains nearby
      Great holidays

      Cons

      Big structure all the possible downsides of it.

    9. "Best workplace to be an intern"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Former Employee - Technical Student in Prévessin-Moëns (France)
      Former Employee - Technical Student in Prévessin-Moëns (France)
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I worked at CERN full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      - Satisfying salaries even for intern positions
      - Multi-cultural environment
      - Supportive colleagues
      - Lots of opportunities for side training
      - Quite a lot of days of annual leave
      - Plus you get to do visits and guided tours in the experiments and other facilities

      Cons

      - Teeny-tiny first-world problem: There are two major sites where you will possibly be working. In Meyrin and Prevessin. Prevessin, where I've been working, is a little bit secluded. Especially if you don't have a car, during the winter you'll probably have to rely on a shuttle that runs just a couple of times every hour to commute.

      Advice to Management

      You guys are doing a good job

    10. "Good benefits"

      StarStarStarStarStar
      • Work/Life Balance
      • Culture & Values
      • Career Opportunities
      • Comp & Benefits
      • Senior Management
      Current Employee - Fellow in Geneva (Switzerland)
      Current Employee - Fellow in Geneva (Switzerland)
      Recommends
      Positive Outlook
      Approves of CEO

      I have been working at CERN full-time (More than a year)

      Pros

      The leave days are perfect, you get 40 days per years
      The money is very nice for the area if you leave in France
      Relocation indemnity is quite a bit and helps you get set up
      Handles the paperwork for moving for you

      Cons

      Not very interesting job activities.
      The technologies are somewhat outdated but they are trying to improve the situation. But it could be better

      Advice to Management

      Allow firing of people that do not do much work during their working time.
      Get rid of weird contracts that have an expiration date

    Showing 262 of 410 reviews
    Reset Filters