Pros
- Great working conditions on campus - Very bright and motivated colleagues - A lot of freedom in defining and pursuing scientific goals (may vary from team to team I guess) - Opportunity to take part in the world's top scientific conferences - Delicious food in canteen - Regular team off-sites (a few times a year) - Subsidised travel card for public transport - Private health insurance - Relatively good renumeration for academia
Cons
- Limited-time contracts (3 years for staff members with optional extension) - Work/life balance issues (in an internal anonymous review 60%+ reported that they spend more than 8hrs at work and/or continue working on weekend) This is not to say there is some external pressure into doing so. I guess it's rather a consequence of getting very motivated people into a highly competitive academic environment. - Space issues (i.e. finding available conference rooms, getting desks for newcomers, etc.) - Difficulty with career development, esp. when not working as a biologist or chemist.