SoFi

I'm a couple of months past my 2-year anniversary at SoFi, and I still hold that this is the best job I've ever had.

It's a great place to work if you like a fast, challenging pace. Individual work and initiative is noticed—for better or worse (depending on your output).

No one slides by very long on someone else's coattails (which is good for the guy wearing the coat). Opinions are heard, respected, and often accepted on everything from administrative rules to engineering solutions; I have yet to see anyone afraid to voice an opinion (critical or otherwise) here.

Free lunches every day, snacks and beverages (including two soda fountains) always stocked, unlimited (within reason) time off, casual workspace (read: Nerf wars)—the perks go on. Work hard, play hard. You'll never be bored.

If you're not a quick learner or a self-motivated worker, you'll likely struggle.

Likewise, this shop uses Mac/Unix heavily, so it could be a steep learning curve for users who aren't comfortable with command-line consoles.

The fast development of ideas from inception to implementation can be disorienting at times. This could be a pro or a con, depending on the employee.

The flip side of extremely flexible time off is the occasional need to be available for late-night or weekend work.

As SoFi continues to grow, try not to lose the awesome start-up culture that made it so appealing to begin with.