Pros
I met some great contacts and life-long friends. Gave me a whole new perspective on priorities and helped me appreciate my current and past employers even more than I already had!
Cons
I'm sure not every area is as bad as the one I was in, but this is by no means an exaggeration. There was very little respect given to employees. Many departments are ruled by fear and intimidation. I was given no tools or support to help my direct reports when they had issues. I was even told by my supervisor that instead of trying to support or help my employees I should tell them if they don't like it maybe they should just leave. It's very sad because there are some great people there with great skills, but it seems many in upper management have learned if they threaten they get what they want. And still others are more than willing to try to make co-workers look bad so that they look better. When the engagement surveys went out we were told if we didn't give high scores we would just create more work for ourselves so it's best to rate high no matter what. I honestly still find it hard to believe it was that bad and I lived it. Even after I gave my 2 week notice, I was told that I shouldn't tell people I was leaving. I'm not sure why, I will try not to speculate.
