Pros
You form a trauma bond with other employees
Cons
I worked at this organization for a significant portion of my career. Unfortunately, the department’s culture is heavily influenced by favoritism, with the Director showing clear bias toward her long-standing employees. This dynamic is noticeable almost immediately when you begin working there. There is also an undercurrent of racial and gender-based tension within the department, which creates an uneasy and unwelcoming environment. Assignments are not distributed equitably—regardless of your title or role, if you are not among the Director’s favored employees, you will likely be given the least desirable locations and the bulk of testing work. Managerial support is minimal; in some cases, it feels as though certain managers function more as chaperones during travel rather than as true leaders or contributors. Travel itself is excessive, with frequent assignments requiring you to be away from home for multiple weeks each month. Compensation is another significant drawback. The audit department is known—and even openly acknowledged by leadership—to be the lowest-paid department. The Director has even bragged about this fact. On top of that, employees are routinely criticized for expensing basic necessities while traveling, which only adds to the frustration of constant travel demands.
