Pros
The company's mission is inspiring and was the primary draw for me. Some colleagues were talented and supportive when given the chance. Competitive compensation.
Cons
Extremely Toxic and Unprofessional Management: My manager engaged in bullying behavior from the start, including inconsistent feedback, shifting expectations, and creating a culture of fear. Their conduct included highly inappropriate personal oversharing, such as divulging personal trauma. Hypocritical and Unfounded Criticism: My scientific rigor and intellectual curiosity were questioned by a manager who themselves lacked the standard academic credentials for such a role, making the criticism feel particularly disingenuous and malicious. Potential for Bias: The manager made odd and unnecessary comments about the personal lives of other employees (specifically mentioning their family status) following a conversation where I shared personal information about myself. This created an uncomfortable atmosphere and raised concerns about impartiality. Unfair and Opaque Evaluation Process: For a critical training process, I was evaluated on a rubric created the morning of the test and never shown to me. I received no written feedback ever. Instructions were contradictory (e.g., I was explicitly told not to ask the manager for help, then later chastised for not coming to them directly.) Designed for Failure: The process felt deliberately stacked against me. I was only provided written documentation of my performance when faced with a final "pass or be terminated" ultimatum. No Psychological Safety or Trust: The manager fabricated feedback from other team members to support their negative narrative (e.g., I had never sought help from the person they mentioned.) There was no formal training department or onboarding team. Preparation felt haphazard and stressful. I would not recommend this company to a friend. I am grateful I left and would caution anyone to thoroughly vet the team and manager before accepting a role here.