Pros
Fulfilling Purpose If you ever wanted to work somewhere where your work had meaning beyond contributing to the bottom line of some corporation, IFB Solutions is a wonderful place to look. The work was challenging and I learned a lot, but the best part of working there was to see, first hand, how much a person can accomplish, given the tools and opportunity, regardless of the challenges that they face in life. Company Culture There are so many wonderful, driven and extremely friendly people working there, sharing the same goal. I found the management to be very approachable, all the way to the top. There were so many people representing so many different countries, religions, backgrounds and personalities, such that there was always someone interesting to talk to and learn about. Departmental Culture As part of the IT department, I shared an open office with 8 other people and genuinely enjoyed every single one of them. There were some really friendly, dedicated, helpful people in that group. Management: My manager gave me a wonderful opportunity and I worked there for almost two years before moving on. Any time anyone had a personal issue and needed time off, she never seemed to have any problem and never once asked for an explanation. I found that to be very refreshing. Technology As a new developer, there were so many different types of applications and technologies to be exposed to and that was very nice. Summary This was probably the most challenging position I have ever had and I learned a lot. I met so many wonderful people while I was there and miss them all.
Cons
Points to consider for any brand new developers The management's approach is sink or swim. There is nothing necessarily wrong with that but, as a brand new developer, it can be extremely overwhelming and stressful. My coworkers were fantastic and willing to help with challenges, but did not have very much time to provide because everyone had a heavy workload. If you have anxiety issues, this might not be a good fit for you. There will be no hand-holding, whatsoever. Con - Lack of feeling stable in my position I was one of 9 in the IT department and one of six developers. For a long time, a full third of us were concerned that we might be fired on any given day. That is not healthy for the department, and is no way to live as an individual. In retrospect, I don't know that our fears were necessary but, speaking for myself, I never quite knew where I stood, even after a review. I never figured out how to get on the same wavelength with my manager, but that might well have been my fault.