Pros
You get to work with some high-profile clients on projects and programs that really do make a difference. There are many divisions and groups in the company, so you're almost guaranteed to find something that you're interested in doing.
Cons
Where to begin? ICF recently changed its vacation/sick time policy in favor of a PTO system, which is proving to be confusing at best and stingy at worst. Work/life balance is already terrible across the board, whether you're single and childless or have a family. With less vacation/sick time available, the new PTO system will make work/life balance even worse in favor of work. But the money doesn't make up for it. Salaries are a joke compared to other companies. Raises are laughable, usually between 1-3% without a promotion, which are also hard to come by, even for the most talented employees. Bonuses and comp time for long hours are nearly non-existent. Do a great job and go "above and beyond" what's expected of you, and you might get a bonus or comp time, but you're more likely to get a pat on the ass and another hefty assignment for which you'll be asked to work long hours again. Showing talent and aptitude really doesn't get you anywhere at ICF; instead, it just gets you strapped with more work. Good thing we have laptops so we can work at home all night instead of at the office! Every project I've worked on has been under-staffed and run inefficiently; yet, management would sooner lay off talent to cut costs and load up other employees with too much work than hire to staff-up projects. They call it "matrixing" the employees but really it's an excuse to be cheap. Got an idea on how to improve efficiency of a project? Don't even bother, because senior management will just steal your idea and take the credit.
