Extern Reviews

4.4

89% would recommend to a friend

(76 total reviews)

82% positive business outlook

Extern has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 76 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Extern employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Information Technology industry (3.9 stars).

Reviews by job title

76 reviews
1.0
17 May 2021

If you're a woman, you're better off applying elsewhere.

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company has a noble mission

Cons

It took a few months to recover from the trauma developed during my time there. There's probably not a single female that lasted over 2 years. They'll try to sell all the benefits of working at a startup. Don't bite it. Go to a startup run by emotionally mature people.

avatar
Extern Response
4y
Thank you for providing feedback. It certainly hurts to hear what you went through, and I take complete ownership for the ways we let you down. I believe that the journey of building something involves many mistakes and a willingness to listen and learn. I'm happy to report that in the past two years since our pivot, we've built a strong culture with very low turnover, and a focus on values such as sincerity, collaboration, ownership, optimism, and tenacity during a period of growth. Diversity in all its forms is also a value we strive for. It is surprising to hear that you felt like a punching bag, and that's not how I view anyone on our team or believe anybody should be treated, but I acknowledge how you felt and apologize for anything that led to that. I would respectfully disagree with how we approached hiring and compensation during that period, although I will acknowledge it didn't make everyone happy, and wasn't for everybody. We did what we could to stay alive, including founders not taking salary. I am proud of how we learned lessons and eventually grew into something much stronger with a much larger impact. But I won't forget and will be grateful to those who took that risk with us back then, and I'm especially sorry for the trauma you experienced. I am open to connecting offline if you want to share further.
5.0
10 May 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

1. Talented, collaborative and aligned team 2. Fast-growing, mission-driven organization focused on end-user experience 3. Flexible, 'no-micro' management, you set your time as long as things get done. Unlimited PTO 4. Plenty of opportunities to grow within the organization, take on projects that interest you, or learn cross-functional skills 5. Smooth recruitment process The overall experience has been fantastic so far, right from the recruitment to the onboarding stage, the team is professional and extremely supportive.

Cons

Benefits are not the same as you'd get at FAANG or other big corporations, which is understandable since the company is in its growth phase.

5.0
14 Jun 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Mission-driven company: Paragon One is working hard to innovate in the education space and help students build great careers through the externship experience. If you are a mission-driven person or are looking for an experience like that, you will feel energized to work at Paragon One every day trying to create, improve, expand externships! Work here is fun, challenging, and fulfilling! People/ Culture: The team is super passionate about the problem we are trying to solve and works in a fun and collaborative environment! People really care about you as a team member, professionally and personally. Expect to work hard but also have lots of support from co-founders and other team members. Another big plus is how diverse the team is. I enjoy having a chance to interact with people from different countries/backgrounds who are working towards the same mission. Growth potential: Being part of a small team with a big dream mean you need to work hard and always take on different projects (problems). It is a fantastic place to get experience in various areas/ problems and learn new skills. Team members have a lot of autonomy from day one, which makes the work challenging and fun! Obviously, growth (company and personal) comes with growth pains. So if you like to work in a very structured environment with predictable work, it may not be the best experience for you. Remote first company: The team works 100% remotely, and the culture has been created considering that. Work from anywhere in the world while impacting thousands of students!

Cons

As expected for early-stage startups such as Paragon One, the compensation structure is lower than a comparable corporate job at a bigger firm. You are joining a startup with a big upside potential, not a corporation. If you know what you are signing for, I don't see disadvantages. However, don't join expecting to have a very structured working environment, predictable career path, or a 9-5 job. That is definitely not the case!

Viewing 1 - 3 of 76 Reviews

Glassdoor has 305 Extern reviews submitted anonymously by Extern employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Extern is right for you.