Not the place for someone that wants to 'set the world on fire'
Pros
Laid back dress code, pretty good health insurance and great 401k match, not micromanaged at all, teams that I'm aware of use modern tools (outside of aviation). There are a lot of good people at Garmin, and everyone is very approachable. If you want a job that you can work no more than 40 hours every week if you want, have kids and want to send them to decent public schools, and keep chugging comfortably along toward retirement, Garmin is definitely the place for you.
Cons
When I was hired, I was given the impression that Garmin has an innovative culture that encourages creativity. This couldn't be further from the truth. I don't know if it's the sleepy conservative midwest culture that Kansas breeds, but there is just no drive or investment from anyone to be innovative and cutting-edge in the products. As a result, always releasing products a day late and a dollar short. Management is too cheap, and in competitive segments cutting corners is not something that should be done if you don't want the Silicon Valley companies completely eradicating your market share when they inevitably move into your niche strongholds. Complementing the sleepy midwest culture, the location of HQ is in Olathe, KS, which is a very far-flung suburb of KC. This location attracts a certain type of employee, and it isn't the type of employee you desperately need (the ones that are driven and really put their heart into their work). Olathe, KS (as opposed to KC proper or elsewhere) as a headquarters location will continue to drag down the talent pool you desperately need to remain relevant.
