Epic Systems

Awesome job right out of college. They hire people with various educational backgrounds for QA; computer/tech skills not required. The pay is generous.

Beautiful campus. Eco-conscious, too.

Amazing cafeteria. Cheap, delicious food.

Casual dress.

Individual offices (for most people, new project managers may share).

Insurance offerings fantastic.

Smart people all around.

Healthcare IT is a booming industry.

• Abysmal work-life balance.

45 hrs/week is expected most of the time, but around deadlines, expect more like 60.

But even if only working 45-50 a week, somehow Epic creeps into your brain and you are thinking of the job all the time.

• Disgruntled/overworked coworkers. Morale frequently seemed low.

• Middle management has limited to no management experience. Some people excel, while others are real duds. Senior management seems more organized and with-it.

No real complaints about senior management.

• Go-live support is required at least twice a year.

That's 12-hour shifts, on your feet, with grumpy doctors and nurses, for two to four days.

It is painful.

• Limited career advancement, both at the company and outside.

QAers can advance once, maybe twice, then you are really in the top of the pyramid.

And if you chose to leave Epic, you will find your QA experience does not translate well to most other places because Epic really does things its own way.

• Big takeaway: Epic plays the game how it wants to.

It uses old languages and does not implement many other industry-standard tools that a QAer would need to get in the door at other companies.

Epic tends to hire the very young, and I think it is because the company wants complete control over the forming of a new project manager, QAer, tech support person, etc.