Pros
Invaluable work experience that I remain forever grateful for. Gained technical knowledge that has served my career to this day. A platform that has helped people worldwide. Benefits package was good, health, dental, commute, wellness (reimbursements for Metro, parking and exercise classes), lunches and snacks.
Cons
Favoritism, dishonesty, upward and downward bullying and manipulation (reminiscent of high school) such that if the "wrong person" doesn't like you, expect to get slammed in your "performance" appraisal, like I was. I also noted a number of spelling and grammatical errors in that lousy-excuse-for-an-appraisal that, to quote one of my favorite podcasters on this topic, read more like a petty Facebook breakup post rather than fair and constructive feedback (which I knew was not even the purpose of it). I did not sign it but printed it out just to throw it in my fireplace and watch it burn 🔥 (true story), then I decided that the best move was to move out. I do not stick around where I am not valued or supported (and ridden like a workhorse on top of that). Before this unfortunate development, I had received positive to at least neutral feedback and worked hard, long hours, with very little support, only to have my contributions consistently overlooked and dismissed and my perceived (through a discriminatory lens) intelligence and competence insulted. I not only got screwed out of a promotion, I was traumatized and demoralized, and it has taken me this long to process and come to terms with it. (Though I know I wasn't the only one that was treated this way; this is a FOR-profit company, after all)
