Pros
One may work with some enjoyable colleagues
Cons
As a GIS Specialist at Tetra Tech, I was constantly running into pushback whenever I tried to make my job, or the job of other GIS staff, less monotonous. I was allotted a total of zero billable hours to develop more efficient ways of completing tasks, even if it could save tens of man-hours. This is not surprising, as Tetra Tech is a contractor, and prefers to pay your salary using the client's bank account, rather than their own. Any kind of time-savings seemed to allow Tetra Tech to bill less to the client, and thus was a major no-no. Forget about any kind of work-life balance. There is none. I was expected to be available at a moments notice to travel anywhere in the western half of the continental U.S. for an unknown amount of time. Often, when a project would finish, it would be piggy-backed with another, regardless of who the client was, to keep costs down, keeping myself and those with me in the field for prolonged periods of time. While in the field, it was not uncommon to work 10 to 12 hours a day, nor is it uncommon to be asked to work later into the day at the hotel you’re staying at. Pay was low. Bonuses were rare, and if you happened to get one, it was a joke at best.