Pros
For those who are getting out of college, General Atomics is an excellent stepping stone in one's career. For those of a scientific (but not engineering background) they provide a good salary, with a comparable benefits plan. You work in close knits teams and get to know your coworkers very well. Morale is generally very good as often milestones are reached. I never felt unappreciated for my work and my morale was generally very good. In terms of the ability to take time off, this job is excellent. Management always allowed any of us to take time off even in the busiest schedules which we worked around.
Cons
Management has the view of fix problems when they're seen, which is often not the source. The dated view of quality management often creates situations in which work was done unnecessarily and and unproductively. Those who see these things happens are demoralized when they have to go through with these management decisions. As I have rated communication poor, it is in regards to group to group communication. As there are tight knit groups that are working on overarching problems, there is poor communication relaying specifications and quality issues to the next set of people handling a task. This leads to redundant checks or hidden imperfections that are found out (as a surprise to the latter group). Steps are being taken to mitigate this, but its a far cry from competent in my opinion. "Don't pass on bad quality" should be a motto. The other thing is the ability to advance in the career is not the best. The group from which I come from is small, so moving up in the ladder requires others to step down. I consider this a place to get started but not to stay. It has taught me alot of skills which could be useful in other industries.
