Smart and hard working 'people' company
Pros
People. I started working at Netcracker at July 2006 (12.5 years ago from current date), while being a 3rd year student at MIPT In parallel I was doing my bachelor study at IPMCE with specialization in wireless sensor networks. Soon I faced with difficult choice: science or engineering. I've chosen NetCracker and never regretted it (to be honest I was frustrated several times, but never was disappointed). Reasons were (and still are) the following: 1)People over processes and tools. Most influential persons in Netcracker I know share this vision consciously or unconsciously. Netcracker values people based on person abilities and performance. 2)I do care what I'm doing. Personally, sometimes I switch to other languages, such as Spanish and Ukrainian in the beginning of communication just to show I care and want to understand better. I want to make a world a better place for our kids and ourselves. 3)Doing over imitation. I had important tasks from the very beginning of my career in NC and it was encouraging back then. It is still encouraging. 4)Money as indicator of value I bring. As first year trainee I got more than my scientific supervisor at MSU. 5)I love complexity. And most complex systems from my point of view are IT, telecommunications and human societies. At Netcracker we never get bored or short of challenging tasks in those fields. 6)I work in Netcracker, i'm focused forward and i'm doing what i'm paid for 8)
Cons
People. If you expect that Company, Product, HR, Management or some abstract entity else has to care about your career, entertainment, food or fancy office you'll probably might be disappointed depending on Office. You have to do your work and you will get paid for it, that's how things are going. Everything else is optional, you can organize office life or sports or music band or whatever you like. In 99% percent no one will stop you but provide support and help. I've done table tennis, basketball group, some small celebrations of best question on some functionality and get some souvenirs from HR for that. Some of developers working for like 8 years said to me it was the first gratitude from the Company. Well, he was sort of right and wrong at the same time. Don't treat Netcracker as a Company, treat it as a group of very well qualified persons (at least in Development, Engineering/Analysis/Telecommunications, QA and Sales/Sales Engineering) and follow basic rules (rules are very simple in CIS at least). But i love that spirit anyways. That's very challenging and honest.