Pros
I've had a wide variety of software jobs in the past, from video game development to medical devices, from laid-back to cutthroat-corporate, and Pariveda Solutions is the sweet spot I've always wanted to find. It's the most challenging work I've ever done, combining complex software analysis, development, and integrations with the social challenges of consultancy: interfacing with clients and their teams to figure out what their needs are, to help them understand their needs, and to deliver solutions that meet those needs. When you interview, they stress that work-life balance is chief among their concerns, that taking care of employees is a point of pride, and that growing the individual is at the core of the business. It may sound over the top, ridiculous, too good to be true, but this is a place that really puts their money where their mouth is. They have a powerful mentoring program, and structured, well-supported career development plans to guide every consultant towards bigger and better skill sets. Even vice presidents get mentors. Everyone is expected to learn and grow over time, never to stagnate. They keep us happy with above-average perks and benefits, loads of vacation time that you actually get to use, free social and networking events, the list goes on. I won't say the perks are industry-leading because hey, not everyone can be Google, but compared with other places I've been, this is well and truly a dream job. For comparison, I interviewed on-site with a tech giant or two, and I can honestly, confidently tell you I'm happier here than I would have been there, from what I saw, judging by the culture and atmosphere in the office, and the way people treat you and each other in their offices. In exchange for all the fun and support here at Pariveda, you're expected to put in Maximum Effort for the 8 or 9 hours a day you're at work, but I've gotta tell you, I'd rather be challenged for 8 hours a day than bored and stressed by bureaucracy; and at the end of the 8 hours, you do actually get to leave work at work, and go home!
Cons
Working with clients is tough. They are our customers, and unfortunately, as in retail, the customer is (almost) always right. Sometimes you have to suffer through bureaucracies and interactions with people who are less skilled, less comprehending, and less scrupulous in order to deliver a product or service and get paid. But, that is the job, after all. We are being hired to help those who can't do this on their own, so, no complaints here. A real downside is that we have to work at the client site often, and that means you don't know where your office location will be, and it will change every few months, so living close to work is impossible. In LA this can be devastating in terms of the commute you'll be wrung through. I ride a motorcycle, it helps a lot that we can filter traffic here. ;) One other thing that gives me an itch is that since we don't have any products we own, per se, it doesn't feel like a "secure" job. Pariveda has a great record of retaining employees when contracts are thin, since so much focus is placed on employee care and growth; so that gives me confidence, but it is still nerve-wracking to know that all the contracts we're on now will be over in half a year and we'll need to find new ones to keep the lights on... and that's a constant feeling, because that is the nature of consultancy!