Supportive employer driven by passion and loyalty. - CAD Drafter DOWL Employee Review

4.0
Aug 27, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The level of expertise and experience of the company is impressive. There are many leaders of various fields of engineering and the company continues to develop more. The benefits package is immediate and contains many improvements from my previous employers: company contributions to 401k, a good high deductible health plan with additional support with a HSA, and vacation time accrued from day one. The business outlook of our office looks great with projects continuing to be won. The future is bright from my point of view

Cons

I was onboarded during the height of COVID-19 measures. Initial training for someone new to the industry was lacking. With years of mostly self-taught CAD experience it was refreshing to see 'company standards' but the only detailed direction I received was from an outdated company standards manual. I had to learn by doing (which I am a proponent of) but as someone with higher personal standards it slowed my workflow down. While there are many employees throughout the states, due to COVID and work from home it feels as if the company is no bigger than my office. It is difficult to find ways to reach out to the leaders I mentioned in the Pros.

avatar
DOWL Response
4y
Great review with lots of stuff we can work on and implement. Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Regarding the CAD standards, I completely agree. And regarding COVID, I refuse to use it as an excuse. We need to do better to onboard employees in the virtual world that we now live in. If you have any specific feedback, please reach out to Keri (CPO) and she would welcome the feedback. And thanks for acknowledging the generous benefits program. We work very hard and spend a lot of money to protect the DOWL family.

Explore other reviews about DOWL

5.0
Dec 5, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company attracts highly talented and knowledgeable engineers and project managers. The peer mentorship is invaluable. The benefits package is competitive, particularly the 401(k) match and health insurance options. There's a lot of flexibility in working arrangements and hours, which is helpful for personal scheduling. Clear opportunities for career growth and advancement if you demonstrate initiative.

Cons

The company could benefit from more standardized knowledge-sharing protocols between different departments and geographic locations.

avatar
DOWL Response
6mo
I’m so glad to hear you are using some of DOWL’s programs to your advantage and your career is being supported by some of our great people. You’ll be happy to know that we plan to expand on our supervisor/leadership and project manager training in the coming year! We try and keep the whole company apprised of high-level goings on through intranet posts and all-staff meetings, among other things. Our market sectors get a lot of autonomy, which is important for those groups to be able to run their corners of the business, but can sometimes lead to gaps in communication. Be sure to talk with your supervisor or office manager if there are specific things you wish were better communicated between departments or geographies. These dots can sometimes be connected by regular office or market sector meetings where the larger group can discuss what they’re up to.
2.0
May 27, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Met some great people that I am still in contact with - Learned new skills

Cons

- Bad management. When I told my supervisor that I was burnt out, I was told to "Smile through it" and "Be happy that I'm not working 60 hours a week like other departments. - No room to grow at all unless you are an engineer.

avatar
DOWL Response
3w
I agree – we have great people at DOWL! As with most consultancies, our project workload does occasionally necessitate putting in additional hours so we can meet our clients’ needs. I’m sorry you feel your manager did not work with you to take advantage of some our flexible work options or coordinate workshare. The facts do not support your claim that you cannot grow unless you are an engineer. We have many people in leadership roles who do not have PEs, including Practice Area Leaders, Board Members, and most of our C-suite staff.
See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All