Pros
From the beginning, you will be honored to work for the company; out of the hundreds that apply for each position, you were selected for good reason. You are part of an elite group of engineers, and your hard work will pay off to that extent. You will find one or two alliances in the company quite quickly, and they will help you leverage your talents and master projects that you will be proud of. These key people will become more like family members than coworkers, and you will learn more from them in the clean room than you learned in your PhD program. Beyond your closest immediate colleagues, you will work with engineers and technicians that are hard-working, intelligent, interesting, and interested.
Cons
The profit margin is impressive because the company refuses to hire enough employees to cover the scope of work. Avo may be 'star child' of the photonics division, but the entire staff is overworked, desperate to move on, and prone to making unnecessary mistakes due to working 12+ stressful hours a day. This tactic is short-sighted and only beneficial for pinching pennies; in the mean time, talent is either being wasted or walking out the door. Established PhDs have left due to constant micromanagement, a non-existent work/life balance, and the overarching anxiety that strongholds staff at this cult company. If you do not quit but fail to assimilate into the culture, you will be laughed at and fired. It is likely that Avo will have a turn-over rate that encompasses most of the company within just a few years. Despite the family dynamic at Avo, it is hard for most people here to justify why we stay. It is certainly not the management, the hours, the pay, or the benefits that salvage the situation. The only reasons to stay are impending retirement or being a stakeholder in the company. If you interview at Avo, ask about the retention rate--and then compare your offered salary to what engineers should be making according to market value (especially considering the 12 hour work days). Then keep these reviews in mind.