Pros
This was the disclaimer that several hiring managers made when I came to an open house in 2004 with some years of systems integration experience on my resume. However, MITRE does develop some sophisticated prototypes for the government. I appreciate my five years of varied planning studies, such as technology evaluations and functional requirements. As an adviser, there are some opportunities to help the government make good decisions based on some level of objectivity. The MITRE campus is a fairly collegial environment. I greatly appreciate MITRE's generous retirement contributions.
Cons
Leadership skills are important, but politics can be problematic, both within MITRE and at government sites. It can be challenging to return to mainstream system integration after spending five years with Microsoft Office. MITRE supports continuing education, but budgets for internal training are limited. The corporation has grown substantially in recent years but still relies largely on personal networking for internal staffing. The employee ranking process can be a painful exercise. Prospective hires should also be aware that MITRE policy strictly prohibits employment references, if they ever need to change jobs.