Pros
Paid Relo...if you are willing to move to a higher cost of living location, pay higher local and state taxes, take a pay cut, AND title cut It’s a steady job with a paycheck—Gilead as a company that isn’t going away any time soon. Based on all the other Glassdoor reviews...you pretty much know what you are getting yourself into. More “perks” compared to legacy pharma companies such as free snacks, free gym access, free bagel day, etc. Commitment to science-first philosophy...in comparison to many of the local biotech startup companies that are more focused on doing whatever it takes to secure the next round of capital The employee turnover is so high here that Gilead has enabled me to expand my network among many ex-gilead employees who at other biotech companies...good for me...I think?
Cons
No development. This is not a company for recent college grad students. It’s sink or swim...even for experienced hires. The types of behaviors that are rewarded at Gilead are not rewarded elsewhere. You can tell the difference pretty quickly between the “legacy Gilead” people vs people who have legitimate work experience and come to Gilead. It’s a rude awakening. Lots of gaslighting...management will break your spirit pretty quickly here...and because teams are so lean, you end up doing lots of work with very little reward or recognition. Rampant nepotism. The culture is not meritocracy-based....it’s all about relationships. Forget it if you have aspirations of advancement and do not fit the “Gilead mold.” (Make, white-ish, good looking, BFFs with leadership) The longer you stay at Gilead, the more ruthless you become. I suppose there is a ruthlessness at all big companies...Gilead culture holds a very special place. Contractors are literally second class employees...with very little/no opportunity for full time hire. I’ve seen so many people try to get their “foot in the door” by coming through the contractor route and they work really hard...for years. There is part of me that wishes I could tell them they are better off trying to get their foot in the door elsewhere. Three words...”The Gilead way.” That’s all I am going to say about that.