Pros
-Fast-paced work environment. New and exciting projects on a regular basis. Most projects are challenging and force you to get better at what you do. Get to see your work become real much more quickly than most places in the aerospace industry. -Feel like you are making a difference in the industry and the world -New engineers are given more freedom and ownership over projects than might be expected. Great for developing professional engineering skills early in your career -Casual and friendly work environment. Really smart coworkers and flat management structure -Base salary is about average, maybe a bit on the lower side, but total compensation is quite good due to stock awards. Benefits are excellent - still has a fully employer-paid health insurance option with dental and vision. 3 weeks paid vacation -Great perks - free frozen yogurt and high-quality coffee. Numerous on-site food options with good quality food for very little money -Get to walk past a 150-foot tall space-flown rocket stage every morning
Cons
-Work-life balance - this is highly variable by group and role. If you work with manufacturing or testing, it's likely you'll have to take calls at home and work on the weekends at least some of the time. More design/analysis based jobs seem to only have that during emergencies or crunch time. Hours are long but working >40 hours per week seems to be standard for engineers across the industry. -No 401(k) matching -Relatively small engineering team means not as many opportunities for promotions as in a large aerospace company. Focus is more on getting new responsibilities within current role than getting a new title or position.
