Pros
Possible to "skate by" without being technically competent under the right market conditions and if you have the right connections Pay is good in the right geographic areas and jobs Opportunity for growth if you like moving to a new country every couple of years Great career for someone who wants their top priority in life to be the company
Cons
Recently I was laid off after 7 years of service, and nobody notified me. They cut off my access to email/company systems, and stopped paying me. It has been over a month, and I've tried contacting my manager, HR, everyone I knew, and they haven't done anything. It seems as though some people knew, some people didn't, and the general HR inquiry line had no idea. I don't know the status of my health insurance, severance payment, 401k, if I can use anyone as a reference, or what is the official reason for my termination. In addition to that, the HR processes and IT systems are very frustrating. It is a large company, and it is hard to accomplish anything meaningful with all the read tape. In such a large company with thin profit margins, dependent on the oil/gas market, people are very expendable. They will get what they can out of you, pay you as little as possible, and when it's over, you're out (and they may not tell you). Safety, security, and ethics are often compromised.