Pros
A few of the employees are really talented and a joy with which to work. Good training ground for entry level employees.. giving them experience with which to move on to other companies.
Cons
Management is always attempting to create this atmosphere of "best places to work" but it is all hype! Salaries are low. Vacation time is not in line: I worked at JPL for ten years and only received two weeks. The CEO is difficult to work with. One day he compliments you at the staff meeting. The next day he considers letting you go. You never know where you stand with him. The rest of senior management...well if you are not part of the "in crowd", you don't get treated well. Despite their projected image, senior management does not like when you think outside of the box. They want you to do it their way, which can be unorganized. Some senior management have very little experience in the area they are working. If fact I was confused what some management did all day. They didn't seem to add value to any job. Too many staff meetings and other internal meetings. It seemed like 20%of my day was devoted to being in staff or departmental meetings, or preparing for the meetings. It is more important to put that energy towards client projects. We are always working to "make the building really cool". Which consumes too much creative energy from the staff.