Pros
Impactful contracts to work on, diligent/ talented/ kind staff who are genuinely interested in delivering high-quality work, good locations (Bay Area/LA/DC), accelerated opportunities for professional growth, excellent internal research operations & training program for new hires. I joined Acumen right after completing my undergrad. Through Acumen, I learned how to manage time, how to research, how to work with others, how to resolve disputes, how to build personal relationships, how to hold myself accountable, and how to hold my colleagues accountable too. It was a really helpful experience that made me into a well-rounded professional with valuable preparation for new roles and opportunities. Overall, I'd highly recommend Acumen to someone who is (a) a fresh grad with a degree in Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, or similar, who is interested in starting work that's actually impactful, or (b) health policy expert who is interested in continuing to make meaningful contributions. At Acumen, you're most likely not going to be resigned to some slow or inconsequential thing -- you're more likely to be thrown into work that is highly visible and fast paced. It is not for everyone (elaborated on below), but if you want to jump in & learn as much as you can, you're ok with a not-amazing salary for the first couple years, and you're ok with working a bit more than 40 hours a week sometimes, then Acumen may be a great fit for you. (As a note, Acumen actually pays significantly better than most public interest/government-type jobs, and the work-life balance is better than many other consulting-style work engagements, which are both pros in my opinion.)
Cons
Minimal investment in management quality/culture/support services to employees, combined with highly siloed teams, means that experiences can vary from excellent to terrible. Work-life balance and relationships among team members are frequent complaints. If any of the below describe you, Acumen may not be the place for you: (a) You're looking for a salary commensurate to other industries (tech/biotech/financial services) in the Bay Area. When I was hired at Acumen, starting salary was around $60-65k. If your goal is to make more like $100-120k and you're entry-level, then forget about Acumen and just pursue a role in a different industry. (b) you want a close, family-like feel from your workplace, where people tend to stick around long-term. Acumen is like the opposite of that. Retention is generally low, and people won't talk to you unless you take initiative to make friends. Even the layout of the Burlingame office reflects the anti-social environment (there are very few chairs out in the lobby for employees to gather, the offices are laid out in narrow hallways with cubicles, etc.). (I will say though that if you do take the initiative to make friends, you will make a lot of them, as there are a LOT of young-ish people in their 20s and 30s who are nice, have lots of fresh & fun interests, and are happy to hang out.) (c) you hope to rise in the ranks of the company to a point where you can chill and just make other people do the work. Actually, I observed that staff at Acumen work harder and harder as they rise in rank. (d) you need a positive, supportive, "everyone gets an A" type of work environment to be happy at work. Acumen's founders and current leadership are quite direct in their communication style and have been known to express critical feedback in very strong terms. Unfortunately, this sets a low standard for culture at the company that seeps into most teams. If you have fairly thick skin & aren't too bothered by a dearth of positive feedback, you'll be fine. But if you know yourself well enough to understand that you won't be happy unless you routinely receive positive feedback, chances are that you will be unhappy and the experience won't be worthwhile.
