Pros
Conifer was a great place to work and one of the best places I have ever worked. I received a great deal of mentorship while there and learned a lot. The company also encouraged me to grow as an employee, increasing my skills and my responsibilities over time. I enjoyed that I was free to work independently on things and it was up to me to seek clarification if I needed it: this was a welcome environment compared to other companies I have worked for where micro-management was the norm. I also felt my ideas and contributions were valued. If there ever were issues in the work place, management responded as soon as they were aware. I had one issue while I was there where another employee was a bit bullying and the behavior was inappropriate for the workplace. Management became aware, spoke with me about it, and then took care of it. Additionally, I want to emphasize that I was a contract employee while I was there. The fact that the environment and everyone there was great to me and I was not full-time: well, I felt that was really impressive! Also important to note: Conifer is a fast paced, team-centric, client-facing work environment. This means that when I was in the field with a team collecting data there were often days that were longer than 8 hours. However, on those days it was made sure that we were fed and taken care of while conducting field work. Having seen this not be the case for other companies, I think it's important to note that while in the field it's acknowledged that employees are working hard and that they are valued. Other pros: - the kitchen always had snacks and coffee - emphasized keeping employees safe during field work - not expected to use your own computer or video equipment for work related tasks - encouraged to take a lunch break (this may seem silly, but if you've ever worked somewhere where the expectation is that you don't eat lunch or eat lunch at your desk, you understand this one!) - cared about full-time AND contract employees - great mentorship from both managers and other employees - really, really great people Overall: 10/10, would work here again!
Cons
As a person who likes working hard, conducting research, and who enjoys a challenge, I can't think of any cons! This was a very rewarding job that I enjoyed a lot.