Pros
Government contracting is full of small (and large) businesses that are only interested in providing a technically adequate service at the lowest price and highest profit margin, which translates to very meager benefits and little attention to employee's concerns. Fortunately, in five years of working at TechGlobal, I found that not to be the case, and I genuinely enjoyed working here.
Although I have had several job offers to leave, I repeatedly chose to stay with TechGlobal, because I had opportunities for growth and felt I could learn more by being involved in the day-to-day management of a successful small business. If you are willing to be part of that start-up culture, you can be successful here.
TechGlobal has a core team of employees who work at the company's office in Rockville, plus a larger contingent of staff who report to government agencies for work every day. During my time with the company, I served in both capacities. The Rockville team has a strong team culture, while the folks on-site at customers tend to adopt the culture of the agency where they work, which is normal and expected. Both groups are treated as part of the TechGlobal family, invited to company events, etc.
I found that project managers, the COO and the company President are generally responsive and supportive of employee's concerns to the extent possible within an industry with pretty tight margins. Benefits are at or above industry norms, and the company pays for some professional development and continuing education opportunities. Employees with personal circumstances such as young children are typically accommodated with flexible working hours; the general attitude is, as long as you get your work done, you will not be micro-managed.
Cons
As is to be expected due to both the nature of government contracting and the ownership structure of the company (sole proprietorship), the company has historically not paid bonuses, even though the firm is profitable and growing. With some strategic initiatives underway at the moment, this may be changing.
If you are a young professional who wants a ping-pong table in the office and enjoys going to happy hour with colleagues after work, you may be disappointed here. The company has a very multi-cultural staff, including many people with young children. You may not socialize often (or ever) with them outside of work, but you can build strong professional relationships with them.
