Pros: Great place to learn and gain hands-on experience. You’ll work with cutting-edge server technology, face new challenges every day, and develop your technical skills quickly.

Cons: One downside is the compensation. New hires are often brought in at significantly higher salaries than experienced employees in the same role. Even when managers recognize the pay gap, they have little ability to approve meaningful salary increases. As a result, many employees feel they have no choice but to leave for another company. In my case, changing jobs resulted in a pay increase of more than 50%, which would not have been possible if I had stayed. The break room is very basic. There are no free snacks, no toaster, no comfortable hangout area, and no dedicated space to relax or recharge during breaks. Very low annual raises and bonuses. Health insurance is expensive with less-than-competitive coverage, making the overall benefits package less attractive.

Pros: Stable work, at least usually.

Cons: You do not get many bonuses, and promotion is hard.

Pros: Good for job security. An underdog company.

Cons: Management is not the best, and there is a bad work-life balance.