Pros
I've been working at ESC Lab Sciences for about 6 and a half years, and that in itself speaks volumes. I started in the Extractions lab and have been promoted to the Semi-Volatile lab within the past year. The atmosphere here is relaxed: there is no dress code, schedules are extremely flexible, and management is willing to work with you to help balance outside life with your work schedule. I was in the Extractions lab for almost 5 years (by choice), first as a regular extractor, then as a trainer, then as team leader. Who knows, maybe one day I'll run that lab, too! Extractions is a bit physically demanding; you have to move around and be on your feet all day, but most people handle it with no problems. Semi-Volatiles is the opposite because, as an analyst, you are required to sit at an instrument for the majority of the day. In either department, if you are willing to be a team player, come to work when you're scheduled, and actually care about doing a good job, you won't have a bit of trouble. The co-workers I have here at ESC are amazing. Some of my best friends are people that work or have worked in my departments. Benefits are great, upper management is great. I won't say that the pay is great, but I believe that it is higher than most comparable positions in the area. Have I mentioned how great the people are here? Or how flexible the schedule is?
Cons
There is a lag for promotion here at ESC. When I first started, the average time spent in Extractions was 6-9 months. When the economy tanked, people stopped leaving the company from the higher departments, so now there are people in Extractions that have been there for 2 or 3 years; however, the people who have been there the longest, provided they are good workers, are usually the first to get promoted. The management is heavily male-dominated, and there are definite cliques throughout the entire company. Once you move from Extractions to Semi-Volatiles, there are very few positions open in Quality Control (the next step up), which is why most people view ESC as a place to launch a career. There are, however, many people that have been here 10, 15, or even 20+ years, so you can make a career out of ESC if you so choose.
