Pros
The pay is really good with the possibility of running into lucrative overtime. The views at the buildings are lovely and it’s a cool way to see the city. There’s some good people too.
Cons
This organization starts with vague promises that are slowly chipped away, eroding trust between feild workers and management.
Commitments made in writing prior to my start date, like my hours and the scope of the work, were expanded without the expectation for pushback. They are looking for someone “flexible”, which is a thinly veiled way of saying they don’t want your boundaries to create friction in their system that appears to be running on life support. Flexible is doable, but after working multiple 12+ hour days, my formal concerns flagged in writing were ignored. Not an acknowledgment, not a follow up, nothing. No attempt to reconcile after i put time and energy into trying to meet them halfway.
The disorganization here is not incidental. Onboarding materials were incomplete and confusing, expectations were communicated inconsistently, and instructions differed from one supervisor to the next. This appears to be normalized throughout the organization rather than isolated to any one person.
What struck me most was the gap between the values MicroHabitat publicly espouses and the day to day experience of working there. People drawn to this mission tend to be conscientious and hardworking. The organization benefits from these qualities without providing the structure, communication, or basic professional accountability those people deserve in return.
If you are a novice horticulturist looking for experience in this industry, I do not think this organization is capable of providing the guidance and mentorship new professionals deserve. However, if you are someone who can roll with the punches for a hefty part time paycheck, this role might be a good fit. The less conscientiousness and concern you bring to Microhabitat, the better your odds are at making it through.