Pros
Very interesting work across dozens of industries and subject areas. Lots of opportunity to learn.
Cons
Below-average pay (just enough to live, not enough to be particularly comfortable) does not align with long hours (or intensity of hours if you keep it to 40) or expectations of perfection. You will be shamed by colleagues and managers if you prioritize your health and work “just” 40-45 hours. Onboarding training was horrible/nonexistent - handed a packet of difficult assignments to figure out on your own, God help you if you didn’t get it immediately. Favoritism/elitism rampant, you will be invisible if not one of them, and your manager will throw you under the bus every chance they can get. For the consulting teams, only billable work is counted as work. Working on bids (the means by which ICF earns revenue) apparently means nothing and will result in poor performance reviews. In short, your entire worth to the organization is boiled down to a single metric — utilization. Work here if you like being treated as a number, not as a human being. Self-service and cheap, cheap, cheap are the name of the game.
