Pros
There is plenty of room for growth at Westat. Hard work, ingenuity, and friendly personality are rewarded. Decent benefits and at main offices in Rockville, there is an gym on site.
Cons
Not every project is fun, but where is that not true? Some of the folks can be challenging to work with, but again, that is true in any work situation. Most of the projects are funded through government contracts--in the current administration funding for research is taking a dive, something to consider regarding potential long term employment/employment stability. Also, some of the projects are fast-burn, short deadlines and require more than 45 hours per week; that is difficult especially when you have multiple projects like that or many back-to-back. The coffee is terrible.