Boeing - Pick Your Poison - Systems Engineer Boeing Employee Review

3.0
Jun 11, 2008
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The best reasons to work for Boeing involve the nuumber of programs available to the engineering staff. Boeing is so large that an engineer can move to multiple programs at a site, can move to different sites locally, or move across the country and never leave the company. This is good for professional growth and experience. Because Boeing does so many different things (aircraft production, advanced avionics, large scale system integration, advanced weapon systems, satellites, UAVs, etc.) it's easy to get a broad range of experience just by moving around the company. Boeing is also very good about work life balance. In most instances, the 40 hour week is the norm and OT is on a voluntary basis. Also, at Boeing, you get paid for every hour you work. Even though exempt employees are on salery, all overtime is paid at your normal rate +$6.50/hour. Not a great overtime premium to be sure, but there is no working 50 hours a week and only getting paid for 40.

Cons

Boeing is a VERY big company. As such, all the problems that come with a big company infect Boeing. Boeing is VERY bureaucratic. Everything is ruled by "processes" and there are legions of deadwood employees who do nothing but sit around making up new ones. Then the company runs "audits" to make sure everyone is following the "process". Obviously no one does, but everyone lies to the auditors so that the reports come out right. This is typical at big companies, but it is systemic at Boeing, infecting every level. There is little chance of Boeing ever changing as they have started "training" every manager at what they call "The Leadership Center" but the managers call it "The Plush Prison". It was described to me by a manager as a very slick version of a communist reeducation camp. From sunup to sundown for a week managers are subjected to intense "training". It is intended to make better "leaders" but the net effect is to ensure that every manager is a carbon copy. Individual thought and unique approaches are actively discouraged. Sometimes this can make it a very challenging place to work.

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3.0
May 27, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Easy going, nice benefits, free further education (masters/PhD). Great for an engineer starting out who needs to dip their feet in the pool of engineering for a few years and to get a great 401(k) match at the start of your career (compounding growth). Great for late stage career due to the benefits and solid enough pay in a low cost of living area

Cons

pay-scale lagging, no emphasis on learning new things, no punishment for people who are bad at their job. After working for 4 years, I feel like I should have jumped ship after 2. I haven't been given meaningful work that really challenges me in a while. Now I feel pigeonholed into staying because I have enough years of experience that I really should be considered senior, but I haven't been given work that reflects what I senior engineer should be capable of. Now I'm trying to jump ship before it's really too late. If I stay here another 2 years I think I will be genuinely unemployable and will have to stay at this company forever.

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