Pros
Unionized. Starting salary was great with excellent benefits. I was left to work independently most of the time and had some room to explore and get acquainted with the physical work space. I had an opportunity to travel to NY for orientation and met other staff from across the US. It was a great opportunity to meet researchers with lived experience and a lot of heart/investment in their countries of origin. Occassionally got to meet funders and became familiar with big-money philanthropists.
Kontras
I worked with a very small team and in this case it meant less opportunity for support. I experienced passive aggressive behavior from supervisors - there is no training or accountability for poor communication on their end. I received so many belittling comments when I made mistakes within the first 60 days of employment. On one occasion, I walked into a room with a supervisor and another staff member only to receive “the cold shoulder” the entire time I prepared materials with them. I heard of similar experiences with other associates across the org, sometimes being asked to get coffee / run errands for supervisors.