Lousy place. - Lab Technician Analytical Environmental Services Employee Review

Good work environment, communicative managers

Adequate pay, not very challenging

AES provides good early exposure to a unique variety of projects. Due to the small size of the firm you "get" to be involved in all sections and steps of the process which can help you have a wider perspective early in your career. If you are a highly technical writer, who asks few questions about methodology - you will fit in well.

The business model is built on employing lots of young people (mostly women) right out of college who are paid well below industry standards. This results in a company culture of young employees who don't know what to expect out of most firms and a sense of pride of how hard, painful, and oppressive work is. There is no official compensation time or flexibility which can make the billable expectations and natural ebbs and flows stressful. There is no early professional development, leading to employees with declining CEQA NEPA knowledge and less competitive in the market. Everyone is nice, but it isn’t a place to grow, and it always kind of feels like you are being watched and about to mess up. The "sink or swim" environment is sold as a mark of exceptional work - but it just means there is no training and it is stressful. There isn’t much middle management, which creates a weird stratification and limited opportunities. The place is based the high turnover rate. Most people don't last, but it isn’t because AES has some amazing standard. Bottom line, if you want to know what it is like at AES, google how to lower employee turnover - then expect the exact opposite.