Pros
- Get to work with alot of great, fun, smart people - Very interesting, busy, challenging job if you want it to be. I can honestly day I usually dont dread going to work. - Can easily (somewhat) move around the company and hold a large variety of positions if you so choose (or sometimes even if you dont want to) - Have alot of opportunities to learn new things from moving around and working in inter-disciplinary groups (there was a time when I would say teams, but now groups seems more applicable, pretend this is in the con list). - If your degree ends with 'Engineer' theres alot of room to move up and be in almost any position. - 2 Year engineering technicians can do alot more at Lutron than most companies (in functions, not in compensation). - Depending on your supervisor, there is a degree of a flexible schedule. If you need to leave early, go to a doctors appt, etc, this is generally acceptable without making it up (if you're salary of course)
Cons
- Pay increases minimal and dont keep up with inflation. I was paid more than others I know from other companies to start, now im paid substantially less. I'm an above average performer who has never had other than excellent reviews. - Company is losing focus of the "Take Care of the People" principle as time goes on. Employees are seen more and more as mere resources which is also leading to a decline of the team atmosphere that was present several years ago. - Long hours are just expected without extra pay (no overtime, flextime, etc.). If you leave at 5 you feel like you're leaving early, even at 6-7 theres often quite a few people still working. Some engineers, SEs usually, work until 10, 11pm regularly, which makes the rest of the guys seems like slackers because their output is alot lower. So if you want to impress by working late, buy a cot. - If you don't have the title 'Engineer' at the end of your degree, your pay and availability to move up is limited. Both 2 year and 4 year technical degrees hit a glass ceiling at a certain point, no matter how well you perform. An EE of a few years can bang rocks all day, and an EET of 10+ years can do amazing things, but the EE will remain on top. - When issues occur you can expect to work ridiculous hours, including nights, weekends, scheduled vacation days etc. Taking care of the customer is number 1, so sometimes this is expected, but it happens too often for poor reasons. When issues are resolved, dont expect much more than a pat on the back, and for it to be forgotten about by upper managment in less than a day. - Travel is often scheduled on weekends to save the company your time, so not only do you leave your family for a period of time, but you lose a weekend day or days too, with no additional pay (if you're salary) - Things can be very personal. If you want to move up you need the right friends. If the right person doesnt like you, don't slip up or you may suddenly decide to resign. - Unfortunately, with alot of really smart people as coworkers and leaders, arrogance runs amuck which can be really frustrating at times. It makes you feel good to be made an idiot of in front of your peers and other leaders (Some leaders are better than you could ask for, just a select few act this way)