Pros
Face Paced - environment where you are forced to prove yourself over and over again. You definitely learn to how to cope with unbelievable project timelines and pressure
Cons
Transparency: There is really no support for individual growth for people really wanting to be contributors to the firm. In the studio where I was employed people were laid off at will if projects were no longer there. I had a lot of talent to offer but felt that if I am not constantly meeting unbelievable project timelines, I had no business being part of the firm. I actually got disciplinary letters from HR stating that I had to make drastic improvements with both speed and quality. NO respect for work life balance: Putting 50 to 60 hours at the firm with coming in the weekends to work is part of the firm life. NO additional compensation, you are expected to dedicate. I understand that in a bigger firm competence is the number one value and strong point, but when you are forced to compete against the others so that you stand out all the time, it literally puts the others to the dust.