Very satisfying work, very unsatisfying hours
Pros
Very satisfying work, both from a technical perspective and because the work is meaningful. There are not many more complex systems than a particle accelerator, but to add to the engineering challenge, I am also responsible for subsystems maintenance, like x-ray systems, electrical components, electronics, robotics and networking.
Cons
Since maintenance can only be done outside of clinical treatment hours, that means a lot of shift work. Working weekends and nights is the norm, not the exception, as it is the only time we can really get work done (during treatment, we mostly monitor the system in case of problems). Also, there is no annual performance review. Well, there is, but its outcome is not reflected in annual salary increases, other than inflation compensation (usually around 3%), and the non-annual increases have to go all the way up the management chain, a system which feels like it's designed to make sure lower-level employees never have any chance to talk to anyone who actually decides about their salary. The engineering roles are extremely male-dominated, probably 90%+.
