Abandon hope all ye who enter here - Archivist History Associates Employee Review

1.0
10 Apr 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Benefits are fairly decent for a for-profit. It is near a metro stop.

Cons

Terrible pay for the worker bees; senior management probably a different story. Very old-fashioned, top-down, hierarchical office; this place is run by old-school history grads and it pervades the office experience. You will not be exposed to current best practices (at least that's how it was in the Information and Records Managment section; there's a new supervisor who specializes in digital archives, so things may have changed but as a general rule, due to the inadequate compensation, this place tends not to get the best and brightest in the field. Ergo, it's hard to justify the low pay in terms of a trade off for work experience because you're unlikely to learn anything that will propel you towards a better position. They encourage professional development so that they can tout their employees have "x" affiliations or certifications, but don't expect any compensation for it (you do get one or two paid "professional development days/year that you can use to attend a conference, but no money toward conference registration/travel or any classes. It is out in Rockville, an utterly soulless suburb,and not even in Rockville center. It's on a stretch of road with a bunch of car repair shops and private homes. No place to escape for coffee or lunch. Unless you love working there, it can add to the general feeling of isolation.

Explore other reviews about History Associates

5.0
18 Mar 2024
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Great salary and good colleagues to work with!

Cons

No getting to be on more interesting projects. Leads and managers get the load of the work and chances to advance.

3.0
12 Dec 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Projects are a mixed bag, but that's standard for the consulting industry. I had the opportunity to learn about so many topics and grew my research and project management skills quickly. My colleagues were smart, talented, and really amazing people. There are opportunities for remote work, travel, and tons of archival research and writing. The new office is amazing.

Cons

The pay is extremely low and you can't move past Historian unless someone dies. I was told when I started that many people leave around the three year mark when they realize their grown expertise and project management will not be recognized with any significant increases to title or salary. This was said to me with an eye roll as an employee left because they wanted "too much money" and poor little HAI couldn't compete. By the time I left, I was being charged out at 10x my salary and we had celebrated a banner year in profit but they were too strapped to give raises that even matched inflation, let alone recognized achievement. Senior management is disconnected from the actual work employees are doing.

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