Pros
I worked at CERN for 4 years as a technical student and as a fellow after graduation. My overall experience was very good and below I listed some main points to consider: - Interesting technical work with lots of freedom for experimentation - Great work environment with brilliant people around open to new ideas - Lots of learning opportunities (personal and professional) - Very nice location for free time activities in the city and nature - Work-life balance - All paper work (work permits, insurances, bank account, work permits for spouses, child care etc.) is done or helped by CERN -> just come from abroad and start working - Wonderful opportunity to meet international people and to have fun
Cons
- Inefficiencies compared to private sector (depends on the team) - Difficult to get full-time staff vacancies i.e. running after contracts (but when you do 100% job security) - People management skills can be lacking with supervisors (depends on the team)