Pros
The Information Lab (TIL) is a great place to make a start in data analytics and consulting. As a career changer with an arts background, I had a hard time getting my foot in the door for any roles with a data or software focus, despite relevant work experience and some basic foundations in programming. TIL's application process allowed me to show my eagerness and ability to learn fast by picking up some skills in Tableau and starting to create a portfolio of visualizations; I can appreciate that some people might find this a frustrating process, as it is a high-effort task for an application, but you are undeniably learning a valuable skill even if you do not land the job on your first try (and many people at the company are there after several rounds of applying!). In terms of company culture, TIL has a friendly, casual office vibe, while also taking employees seriously if they are struggling with their training or the workload of a placement. Employees are assigned a mentor in the company and a social Pod for occasional meetups, as well as forming close working relationships with the cohort they train with, so there are multiple support systems to help you through tough times. Other consultants in training or in the core team are generally very approachable and willing to help out when you are stuck with a technical question, or just need some moral support. TIL offers a lot of benefits; consultants are paid during the initial 4 months of training and provided with a laptop (the company can also provide a phone on request but fewer people ask for this), and the socials and parties are generously funded. The office is comfortable and still has a laidback startup feel to it, with spaces for games, a drinks fridge and table tennis. I have never been pressured to work extreme hours, and the option to work from home regularly (once training has finished) has been great for work/life balance too.
Cons
The company has begun to grow rapidly since the pandemic, and while this is great to see it has also appeared to limit the number of available placements for consultants. It is increasingly likely that some consultants will have placements at 3 companies instead of 4, and either have one of these be an extended placement, or spend several months 'on the bench'. This is understandable, but does ultimately mean that not everyone will get to experience as wide a range of industries and company sizes as their peers, giving some consultants a competitive advantage. There is also some hangover from when the company was smaller, meaning some formal processes are still being ironed out (e.g. official annual leave requests only recently got automated).