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Caltech (California)

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old boys club in full effect - Research Scientist Caltech (California) Employee Review

2.0
Feb 28, 2013
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Smart people everywhere, cutting edge research, great talks by world-class speakers. Since money in science is hard to come by these days, academic institutes such as caltech are suffering, and their employees with it.

Cons

Class system with definite 'old boys club' attitude. Promotion in the academic or staff stream is next to impossible except in a few departments.

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5.0
Jul 3, 2026
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Pros

You get to interact with many smart people

Cons

Dining halls should be better

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

I really like the people I work with. Managers promote psychological safety and follow through with their commitments . My direct managers are interested in my growth and professional development. There are a lot of affinity groups to connect with. Overall a great community to be a part of. Caltech has good benefits and even mental health counseling available for staff.

Cons

Because the campus is lightly administered/decentralized, policies can vary a lot by department, which can make things really confusing for the initial period. However, if you’re open to talking to others and making connections, it can go a long way in helping you figure out how things work on campus. Another negative is that departmental culture can vary. Working as an admin in one department may be much more difficult than in another department.

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