Pros
Mission-driven company: Paragon One is working hard to innovate in the education space and help students build great careers through the externship experience. If you are a mission-driven person or are looking for an experience like that, you will feel energized to work at Paragon One every day trying to create, improve, expand externships! Work here is fun, challenging, and fulfilling! People/ Culture: The team is super passionate about the problem we are trying to solve and works in a fun and collaborative environment! People really care about you as a team member, professionally and personally. Expect to work hard but also have lots of support from co-founders and other team members. Another big plus is how diverse the team is. I enjoy having a chance to interact with people from different countries/backgrounds who are working towards the same mission. Growth potential: Being part of a small team with a big dream mean you need to work hard and always take on different projects (problems). It is a fantastic place to get experience in various areas/ problems and learn new skills. Team members have a lot of autonomy from day one, which makes the work challenging and fun! Obviously, growth (company and personal) comes with growth pains. So if you like to work in a very structured environment with predictable work, it may not be the best experience for you. Remote first company: The team works 100% remotely, and the culture has been created considering that. Work from anywhere in the world while impacting thousands of students!
Cons
As expected for early-stage startups such as Paragon One, the compensation structure is lower than a comparable corporate job at a bigger firm. You are joining a startup with a big upside potential, not a corporation. If you know what you are signing for, I don't see disadvantages. However, don't join expecting to have a very structured working environment, predictable career path, or a 9-5 job. That is definitely not the case!