Lack of culture and brutal focus on efficiency hurt career growth
Pros
The biggest pro is the people. Sadly, the people are so often turned over it's hard to really build any relationships, because before you know it, they're gone. Each and every person I met, except for the CEO, was unique and had something to share. The office is right next to Pike Place Market, so there's that. The views out of the windows are nice.
Cons
Salary is FAR below market value. Seriously. Chances for raises are VERY few and far between. Career growth is non-existent. I actually had an attorney for a different firm tell me that if he was going to hire someone and saw this on their resume, he'd decline right away. The bad reputation extends. Job growth is based solely on the person above you quitting or getting fired (which will happen often - mostly quitting). No training, and any training provided is "word of mouth" because the person training you is now a manager because their manager got fired or quit and trained them by word of mouth. No career development - the firm puts you into a specialized role, with hardly any cross-training. Any skills you learn are generally irrelevant to any other job you may have. The firm is focused on its "technology system" which it believes can replaced skilled, reasonably-paid individuals. Sadly, though, it can't and doesn't. The firm operates under a "next man up" philosophy, which helps keep costs low because it continues to replaced seasoned individuals who know what they are doing with new hires. No one knows how or why something is done a certain way - only "that's how we've always done it". The CEO is focused on the bottom line. Which is fine - businesses are in it to make money. However, when you sacrifice quality to meet razor-thin margins, it shows.
