Pros
Compensation was competitive compared to similar roles in geotechnical earthquake engineering, although the long-term impact of toxic management on mental health ultimately outweighs the financial benefit.
Cons
The most significant issue was the direct management. My manager consistently demonstrated behaviors commonly associated with toxic leadership, including excessive micromanagement, a lack of trust, poor communication, and a lack of basic interpersonal and leadership skills. Instead of supporting the team, she often created unnecessary obstacles, escalated pressure, and made already challenging tasks significantly more difficult to complete. Collaboration and guidance were largely absent, replaced by a pattern of control-driven and, at times, retaliatory behavior that contributed to a highly stressful and unproductive work environment. This was not an isolated experience, and I was not the only individual affected. Despite clear patterns of turnover and dissatisfaction, upper management did not take meaningful action to address these issues. The lack of oversight and accountability allowed this behavior to persist, ultimately making the workplace environment unsustainable.