Great for Starting Your Career, but Limited Growth and Increasing Pressure
Pros
Hybrid schedule allows for working from home twice a week. Flexibility to make up hours if you have appointments during the workday. Quarterly lunches provided, which are a nice perk. Good compensation, especially if you're looking to break into the tech industry; it looks great on a resume. Depending on the project, there are opportunities to work with relevant technologies and improve processes. Everyone I've interacted with at Cinder has been a pleasure to work with.
Cons
No upward mobility, with very limited promotion opportunities unless you find another job. Increasing restrictions on work flexibility over time, which is frustrating. The work environment at the company I was contracted at is unpleasant—it's loud, cold, and lacks sunlight. As a contractor, you can sometimes feel like a second-class citizen at your own workplace. Constant layoffs, roughly every six months, and even key contributors are not immune. Drastic increases to quarterly goals recently have put the team under significant pressure and scrutiny. Full-time employees at the company I contracted at have been dismissive, with some unpleasant interactions.
