Mathematica Program Associate reviews

low formal investment in professional development

I continue to be disappointed by Mathematica's unrealized potential. As a junior -level employee, I was given an outsized amount of responsibility that was completely out-of-sync with my compensation. My workload was overwhelming (at times reaching 175% staffed) while the work itself was boring and repetitive. We were constantly told that Mathematica was an employee -run company with a dedication to collegiality, but myself and my colleagues were constantly put down and dismissed whenever we tried to contribute something outside of our immediate task list. Direct managers are unable to help with most issues and challenges since their primary role is to organize staffing. Also, Mathematica is chronically understaffed, to the extent that people very rarely have a say in the types of projects and roles they are assigned to. When I was hired, I accepted the offer (and low salary) for the opportunity to pursue several clear interests that were made known to my manager at the start. I never once got to engage on any of these projects, and was consistently pigeonholed in a role that had nothing to do with my own interests or goals. Last, opportunities for advancement, raises, professional development, or trainings were constantly presented and then taken away, or they simply failed to materialize. There was zero transparency around raises or employee reviews, and junior level staff were often gaslit into thinking they were solely responsible for their own raises and development when it was actually project directors who submit all feedback (in a closed-door process), make recommendations, and oftentimes believe that their project should be everyone's #1 priority. TL:DR - Mathematica has been growing quickly, but is doing very little to improve internally. Although junior level positions are occasionally good resume-builders, poor management and low salaries make this a role that one cannot stay in long-term.