Autonomy, career growth, and smart/motivated coworkers
Pros
Here's why I've been around for 5+ years: 1) BlueGranite is one of the top tier Microsoft Data and Analytics partners, which provides ample opportunities to work with a variety of clients and interesting projects. 2) The team is stacked with smart, capable, and collaborative consultants. Most everyone is a team player and has an interest in bettering themselves as well as their teammates. 3) You get to work from home (or whatever you want to call home for the day), but you have the backing of an encouraging leadership team that gives you the autonomy to choose where you want to focus on developing and deepening your skills/career. 4) You get a platform (if you want one). Blogging, speaking, and training are highly encouraged. So if those are activities you're interested in, you get the benefit of doing so within a trusted well-known brand. 5) Compensation is competitive and always getting better. 6) Career growth opportunities within BlueGranite and after. I've seen consultants move up to leadership roles on several occasions. There's also a pretty clear path to move up the ranks from more junior roles to senior and architect roles. Also, since BlueGranite has built such a great brand, the career opportunities that I've seen coworkers move onto are very impressive. 7) BlueGranite is not afraid to walk away from possible work if it doesn't line up with the core disciplines or values. For example, if a customer demands that a consultant be on-site full time, BlueGranite will gracefully turn the opportunity down in most cases. Also if a customer is being difficult to work with and the consultants are doing everything they can to help make the customer happy, the leadership team will fully back the consultants. They'd rather keep good talent then deal with difficult customers.
Cons
1) Working from home can be isolating at times. If you've never worked from home before, there will likely be some new habits you'll need to learn. Most importantly, focus on setting up an environment at home where you can be productive. Lean on the team to find out what systems they employ to help focus and succeed. 2) There's not a ton of back-office support. However, they do a lot with a nimble Operations team. If you're not used to being a self-starter and seeking answers when they're not readily available for you, then you might struggle a bit. 3) As new technology evolves, you have to continue to stay ahead of the curve. Sometimes you might be asked to work with a Microsoft technology that you're not incredibly confident with. You'll have to learn it quickly so you can use it within a customer engagement. The constants of learning and change might feel a bit stressful at times. 4) It's largely project work. You have to be ok with not seeing things you build grow and mature for extended periods. You implement, release, and move on. I can't say I've loved every project I've worked on. However, when I have been unhappy with a project, the operations team always does what they can to move me to a project that aligned more with my interests.
