Pros
Culture: 7/10 Free snacks coffee tea. Company throws a Halloween, thanksgiving, and a fancy Christmas party which is appreciated. A small company of 50 people so you'll easily get to know everyone. Benefits: 8/10 Good medical dental insurance and decent PTO and holidays (15 last year, which is generous!) Vibes: 7/10. It's pretty cliquey but where is it not? Keep in mind this is a family owned business so there are some awkward accusations of stealing time and betrayal for working for the competitor. Simple things like gloves and pens are locked away.There seems to not be enough supplies to do work more efficiently. You have to clock in and out for every single break, your lunch, and coming and going- which is very annoying. Management: 9/10 The owner generously takes every employee to lunch to get to know them. I didn't have the best impression of him at first, but after getting to know him- he's a pretty cool guy. All levels of management are nice and communicative. I find it extremely helpful that there are 'lead chemists' who are readily available to help with technical questions. They are not breathing down your neck but simply available for support. I find this setup beneficial to everyone. Overall, the company is really doing it's best considering it's small size. I simply can't give it a 5 star bc I've worked for better companies with crazy benefits and pay but this company is seriously not bad. This could easily be your comfy career home.
Cons
Pay: 5.5/10 Not the best, especially for entry level. However, it is a great starting job for some who just graduated bc of how much you'll learn. Like every company, there is room to grow but no guarantees -you'll have to stick around for a long time and wait for a vacancy. Workload: 6.5/10 This is not a chill job. The company does not sell a product - it sells a service, so the profit model is based on how fast and hard you can work. You will work very hard here. You thankfully won't be bringing your work home, but you will likely work overtime and feel like there isn't enough time in a day. This may be ideal for some as the time does fly by fast and you'll never be bored. Yes, you might cry if you're a sensitive soul like me and gets overwhelmed by the load of work. Try to be cordial with your coworkers bc you will occasionally rely on their help. Advice: If you really want to learn, simply ask questions to your peers- otherwise nobody will teach you what you don't know. Also the work flow is inefficient and old fashioned which makes everything tedious - but the company is working on improving the technology.