Pros
- consistent work schedule, every other friday is off (because 9 hour work days). Ample vacation time given and freedom to use it practically whenever you want, with very little notice required. - salary that's basically guaranteed to increase the longer you stay, practically irrespective of performance - very few managers that expect more from you than what everyone around you is willing to give in terms of effort
Cons
- LM perpetuates a culture where an employee is encouraged to create/"own" one specific, very nice part of the pipeline, and then sit on that and guard work on it jealously for 35+ years until they retire. If you do not find your hill to die on within your first year at Lockheed, i.e. before you get your security and program clearance, you will likely leave within the next year. - progress moves at a pace that would generously be described as glacial. Writing a simple in-house tool in python requires getting that version of python approved by the government, which will take 6+ months. - software engineers are put in the basement, with "break rooms" that are a counter, a microwave, trashcans and a fridge that is never cleaned. No sinks. The water "fountain" tastes disgusting and there are rumors that the water is radiated as it comes from the nearby lake, where nuclear power was tested in the 80s. Good reason to make use of the awesome health benefits. The area you move to once you have security clearance is known to have an extreme rat problem. - LM overhires because it knows that about half of the new hires will leave within a year, and there is little to no work given to anyone without security clearance. But the government requires that everyone who is paid on their contracts with LM be working the whole time, so you are expected to look VERY busy at all times, but do nothing. People who are cleared (have security clearance) and stressed from overwork sitting next to you will rat you out to management if they suspect you don't look busy enough.
