Pros
Competitive pay, incredible location, great people. This job gave me a solid foundation into the construction world of DFW. GFF has outstanding clients with deep pockets that really want to innovate. There are many exciting opportunities that come through the door. My favorite aspect about GFF was how the designers experience projects from early conception, all the way through late-stage construction. It was particularly helpful when testing for licensure.
Cons
Very "corporate" which is odd for a design firm. Design, by nature, should be organic and fluid. Think: sketching and creativity. GFF feels rigid and sterile, by comparison. All design meetings I ever attended were cold conference rooms and blank notepads. There is a hand-selected "A-Team" of designers. If you aren't handpicked for the squad, you'll be a draftsman. Outside of the elite design team, ideas are considered inconsequential. I could understand if the elite designers were performing as such. Unfortunately, the elite designers were not particularly more gifted than anyone else and designs suffered. It really is just a popularity contest.