Pros
relaxed atmosphere; each program acts as its own entity in that they raise their own funds therefore they act with complete autonomy of standards and practices for that program's employees/ team members; seminars and workshops are plentiful, along with the many opportunities to meet distinguished members of society, government officials, and global figureheads; the ability to mingle with a diverse group of people from all backgrounds and interests is invaluable; definitely looks good on the resume (if you are willing to put up with ulcers, gray hair, and anxiety issues in the end of it- more on that, in "cons" below)
Cons
as in the title, this is a double edged sword- since each program acts as its own entity, this also leaves much rm for error; from inconsistent standards policies and procedures, to a lack of managerial integrity, the problems stem from a blind upper management whose sight is too fixed on lofty goals, with no "peripheral" sight on core issues/ strengths/ weaknesses. working with aspen is a mixed bag: some programs are superb, some barely fit the bill; and while work life balance can be excellent with such a relaxed culture, don't let the empty promise of relaxation fool you: think carrot and stick principle, where the carrot is constantly dangling, and the stick is just a hologram of a metal baseball bat. you may get small perks like cost of living pay increase, but if you are unlucky enough to be a part of one of the less desirable programs your chances for advancement are little to none, and you will constantly be threatened. i left feeling that i wasted two yrs of my life in a glass room looking at all the wonderful things passing me by. multiple degrees, awesome personality, and a laundry list of skills were no match for the egos and agendas of the major players of the program i was in- my exit interview was combative, and management acted juvenile at best; the level of hostility i received upon leaving was shocking. Unfortunately for those not as proactive as I in willingness to quit and move on, i have heard multiple cases of severance pay with binding legal contracts (to prevent former employees from taking legal action beyond employment or otherwise). and to add insult to injury, inter-program mobility within the institute is little to none. My advice to any would be employee is to use whatever network you have to get an insider look at the institute, but more importantly take a microscope to the program you wish to work in. take some time to think about mobility and advancement within that program: if you ask your hiring manager about previous employees and the turnover is high, yet none have been promoted, unless you are passionate about that policy field (international development or environmental) then think twice.