Pros
* The people. Every office I has great people: intelligent, competent, motivated, personable and with a great sense of humor. I've made life long friends through working here. * Opportunity for advancement. Some other reviews complain about this, but I've never had a problem. In over 10 years, I've advanced through 6 different positions. The key is to be willing to learn new skills or change departments if necessary. * Travel opportunities. If you're in the right position, Elsevier will send you around the world to visit different offices or to meet with suppliers. They also allow you to take vacation days while abroad, so you can vacation in a foreign country with Elsevier paying your airfare. * Knowing that your work matters. It sounds cheesy, but knowing that I am advancing human achievement in science and technology makes me proud. The books we publish allow for new therapies, new drugs and innovations that improve the lives of millions of people. That's worth something.
Cons
* They will work you to death. Once you're beyond entry-level you are expected to work unpaid overtime, nights, weekends, conferences and travel internationally at the drop of hat. * Working for a company with offices across the globe means that you'll be taking work calls outside of normal work hours. If you're on the West coast, expect 5 or 6am calls on a regular basis. If you're on the East coast, be prepared to stay until 7 or 8pm. Lord help you if you work with Asia on a regular basis. * Unrealistic staffing. There's a heavy reliance on temporary workers over hiring more staff. Management leaves key departments with missing head count after someone leaves, almost to see if the department can manage the same amount of work with less headcount. * High management turn over. The "strategy' changes every 3 years or so. No time to see if the changes we've implemented actually benefited the business. * Shrinking benefits: 401K, dental and vision coverage are all still good, but the health care coverage is a joke now. If you or a family member take regular medications, be prepared for the prescription coverage to run out half-way through the year. You will pay full-price, out of pocket for the rest of the year.
