Pros
Edelman is a good place to work if you need a reliable job that doesn't take too much of your time. For the most part, you can expect to put in your hours and not have to work overtime, nights, or weekends. Although the company seems to change it's direction quite often (they have been bought out twice, gone public and then private, and have launched and then cut a dizzying amount of different products and services), normally this doesn't affect the average employee's day to day life, making it for the most part a safe and predictable environment. All employees get 3 weeks of vacation/sick time (first year employees will have the time prorated from their start date), and never get pressured to skip vacation or come into the office when sick. Fairfax headquarters staff receive some nice perks including free workout facilities and the occasional lunch brought in for staff, and DC area employees can enter raffles for Nationals tickets and Wolftrap tickets. For the most part the employees are nice and friendly, and it's not hard to get know everyone.
Cons
For those looking to advance their careers, be aware that promotions are rare and usually happen within the same group of about 10-20 people in middle management positions. Client Service Associates in particular (this position makes up a good percentage of the company) are almost never promoted. Although there are always new projects in the works, there is little opportunity to get involved or exposed to anything outside of your own individual responsibilities unless you are well known and well liked by management, almost all of whom work in Fairfax and rarely meet those who work in the satellite offices. Although the hours are predictable, there is little room for flexibility. 9 hour workdays with a 1 hour lunch are strictly enforced, meaning that you cannot take a 1/2 hour lunch or just eat at your desk in order to shorten your workday. There is some flexibility for working either 8-5 or 9-6 (depending on your department), but that's about the extent of it. Telecommuting is not allowed unless you are a financial planner or in the IT department. Raises also seem somewhat rare and usually do not match cost of living adjustments. The company policy is not to give "raises" every year, but to give "merit increases" to those who deserve them. It's a very confusing and subjective standard. The company itself has changed considerably in the last 5-10 years. They have gone from being a small, fun, family-friendly company that didn't take itself too seriously to a large, national corporation with many fewer perks and a much more impersonal feel. There are many layers of management, making it difficult to feel you have a voice or any influence on the policies and procedures that get handed down to you. Perhaps in part because of this, turnover is high. It seems at least once a week we receive an email stating, "the following individual is no longer with the company" (a good example of the impersonal nature of the staff).
