Small office dynamics with pragmatic leadership
Pros
Competent staff, compassionate management, can-do attitudes, casual dress code. I can only speak for the tech department here as my main environment. Everyone that I worked with here seemed like real people. This is an office where individuals with wildly different opinions and stances can build close professional relationships based on mutual respect. Low drama. Easy to show up, do your work, crack some jokes, go home. Another review mentioned that political views aren't a secret, and they're not. But both sides of the aisle are represented all the way up the chain of command and success is based on merit. Hard to believe, especially in Iowa. Company leadership seem like real people too. No cushy or pretentious corner units, just accessible rooms with glass walls. Even the lowest employees can show up and be given the time of day to voice concerns or raise objections. Never had any fear of retaliation or unpleasantness from being honest. Feedback is constructive and there's no weird feeling from refusing to participate in "funtivities". Department heads are very competent, technical, and personable, not sycophants. Clients are all over the place; some are chatty and nice, others are more curt, but abuse of staff is not tolerated. You feel like everyone around you has your back if they go too far.
Cons
Workload can get hectic, compensation is on the low end of market, compliance can be strict. The office is quite small and clients are many, so issues that pop up can be daunting. As with any IT business, disruptions to client workflow mean you have to deal with a lot of frustrated non-technical users, but many are understanding and trust you to get solutions done. Compensation is the price you pay for a small business environment. You'll probably make more at big corporate or on-call positions. If your goal is earnings, you should probably aim somewhere with more variable or stressful workflows. Climbing up the chain and getting paid more is more hypothetical than a reality. Micromanaging mid-level supervisors will ensure that you absolutely do not hit overtime and can be chastising, but at the same time don't hold personal grudges and are fun to talk to. End-users are overwhelmingly financial clients with strict and often arbitrary compliance regulations that have a questionable impact on security. Broker-dealers will make your job harder at a moment's notice. A small handful of clients are paranoid, arrogant, and clueless as to what IT should, can, and cannot access or resolve. These dullards are universal to any technical position in any job sector, but at least here they're external and not your peers. Financial regulations are strict, so mistakes or complaints can balloon into overreactions that hinder your ability to do work. This is probably a plus for prospective clients.