Pros
Note: some of the pros and cons are opposite sides to the same coin. 1. Accelerated learning: If you demonstrate that you're proactive and responsible, you will have plenty of opportunities to learn new skills, techniques and more about the workings/requirements of the industry. 2. Growth opportunities: For the individuals that seek additional responsibilities, there will be opportunities. It may depend on timing, but the workload is definitely there. 3. Benefits: The benefits are fair, and there is potential to accruing more PTO with experience and promotions. 4. People and Friendships: From my experience, I have made many friends and my colleagues treated me well. My supervisors also cared about me on a personal level (even if work/business takes precedence). It is worth noting that Bachem made a clear effort to try to work with people and be fair with employees during the pandemic. Although not perfect, the company made many gestures that showed that they cared.
Cons
1. High expectations (often unreasonable): Deadlines are very tight. Quality can always be better. People can always do more. The problem is the logistics, resources, and time often makes meeting those expectations very difficult. Each time that you successfully meet the challenge, management continues to expect more. Team and company goals often fall unevenly on a few individuals work are expected to work to no end. 2. Sacrifices (Personal and Professional): To take advantage of the growth opportunities, extra work hours are necessary (and expected). Many workers (including salary) are often working 50+ hour weeks. Due to the nature of the company, it is sometimes very difficult to grow within the company without making these sacrifices and even then, there are no guarantees. 3. Compensation: For many positions, the compensation is not at market value especially given the workload. The compensation is also slow to adjust too from management.