Pros
AE Strategies is not a massive consulting firm, and that's a good thing. Having worked at a megacorp, here's what you get at AE Strategies that you can't there: 1. Work/life balance 2. Great coworkers 3. The ability to focus on your best work (if you're not a salesperson, that's ok) 4. Great clients. By far the best federal clients and relationships I have ever had were on AE Strategies contracts. The quality of life at AE Strategies is incredible. The benefits are solid: healthcare, 401k, etc. AES will be most appreciated by experienced professionals who are tired of the rat race and politics of larger consulting firms and want to do good work without the extra hoops to jump through.
Cons
The cons depend on what you're looking for. If you want the competitive environment of a megacorp, AES is not for you. If you're all about the money, AES is not for you. AES is a better fit for people who can self-manage and already have experience in their field. You can achieve great things at AES, but you're in the driver's seat. Finally, if you have dreams of coming in and turning AES into a megacorp, you will be disappointed.