Pros
- Work-time generally flexible except for 9a-3p - Internal mobility - 9/80 Schedule can be good. 9-hour days though (+lunch) - Learning other types of engineering can be fun - PTO given upfront on Jan. 1 (Don't have to wait for accrual) - 401(k) match is pretty good (100% of 3% of salary, 4% after 5 years) - Likely be in business for a long, long time. War is good business - Super hardcore Republican culture (if Republican) - Get to feel like Secret Agent Man. If you like that sort of thing. - Education reimbursement up to $10k/year - Profit sharing of 3% of salary usually - Stock doing well
Cons
- Pay and benefits mediocre at best. No sick days, lame company perks/discounts. - Bureacratic nightmare. Layers upon layers. - Constant obstacles in place to slow you down. Impossible to get anything done anymore. - Every person you have to interact with to get a job done acts like an independent entity. No company unity. - Dated culture. Dressing fancy doesn't make you a better engineer. - Hardly anyone smiles (No, seriously. It's hard to come by) - Leads usually aren't very knowledgable software-wise. Heavy enphasis on Electrical over Software engineering. - Process for the sake of process. Easy to see why Defense is so expensive. - No bump in pay if you move to a higher cost of living area - Super hardcore Republican culture (if Democrat) - No gas reimbursement for travel between sites in Tucson (even though the Feds say yes) - Virtually all meetings and classes are on your personal time, unless it's specific to your program. - Having to record your work time. Every. Single. Day.