Nice people, sub-standard pay, beginner-to-intermediate level projects
Pros
- Nice folks in general (people are kind, tone is respectful) - Free lunch - On the East Side of Seattle (Bellevue), which is convenient if you live there. - Management tries to do its best given the circumstances.
Cons
- Sub-standard pay (despite management's claim to being "competitive"). - It's consulting: interesting, high-scale engagements are rather rare. Work-for-hire type of business model. - No intellectual property (no revenue stemming from product sales), so profits are strictly from billable hours. - Intense focus on utilization, PM-centric culture: everything is about allocating people to projects, avoiding benching, maximizing billable hours. - You are expected to work 40 hours a week, and then "give" 5 hours per week to the company. Meaning: you are paid for 40 hours, but your timesheet is expected to have 45 hours filled in by the end of the week. Depending on the projects, you might end-up working more than 40 hours: regardless, you'll still be paid for 40. - Projects are not that interesting: good place to start if you're a junior developer (then leave for greener pastures once you've reached a certain expertise). - Intermediate to senior engineers: avoid if you can. The projects can sometimes be interesting, but that's hit-and-miss. And the pay makes it not worth it. - Growth opportunities are limited.