Pros
Job security, friendly people, low pressure, free turkey yearly
Cons
If you love beaurocracy, substandard pay, antiquated technology, incompetent management, cult-like pressure to conform, job security, capped raises, lazy "lifer" colleagues and minimal innovation Costco IS is your dream job. The Costco environment selects for risk-averse, mediocre employees. This is because the company brags about not firing anyone and there is very little accountability. Loyalty and tenure is valued above all considerations. You could be an expert in your field and you will often be passed over for others that have no real tech qualifications but have been with the company for decades and have demonstrated the requisite fealty to the "Costco Culture". I'm not saying that there aren't people who enjoy working in Costco IS. There are. However, the people that thrive there are people who would not be able to surivive in other tech environments. They are very grateful to have a desk job with decent pay and low expectations. The department is thick with these type of people and they exhibit the worst cult-like group think behaviors. Innovative types are quickly informed that their best ideas are not "the Costco way" and will be ignored. If you are the type of knowledge worker that thrives in a high-accountability environment where you can have room to express your creativity and make a real impact, then working at Costco will drive you nuts. You've been warned.