Pros
low stress. Good work-life balance, since you often don't have much work to do. low hiring bar. The existing employees haven't seen the outside world and can be blown away in an interview by anybody that has some actual experience in the software world. flexible time, allow you to work from home or take time off. free coffee.
Cons
Most groups are amazingly inflexible with new technologies. They use the worst of the worst software, and won't switch. Agile? Forget it. Automation? No way. Old school test plans and documentation? They LOVE that. Half your time is spent writing documentation that nobody looks at. Open a bug? Nobody will care. Even salaried employees have to fill out time sheets and break out how many hours they spent on each project. No parking anywhere, unless you get to work at 6am. Most employees start as contract workers, so it important to note how poorly they are treated While employees can come in at 9:30 and leave at 4, contract workers have to work full work days. They have a mandatory 2-week, unpaid furlough every year that they don't mention, and you won't be allowed to any of the fun events.
