Vantaggi
I worked for HNTB's sports architecture practice immediately after finishing graduate school. Between the cool typology of projects and the undeniably lucrative benefits the firm had to offer, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Even as a former employee, I must admit that the projects are impressive and the pay/benefits are excellent. Some good people worked at the firm. However, the pros of my tenure were heavily outweighed by the cons, which is why I left the firm on my own terms.
Svantaggi
While I built some solid professional connections with the firm, much of the senior staff is rude, dismissive, and untrustworthy. I was rarely assigned tasks of substance, and when I asked for things to do, I was hardly given a response. It was clear my role was expendable. Despite my genuine efforts to establish a positive and professional relationship with my supervisors and other senior architects, many of them were incredibly rude and, at times, aggressive. They made clear their dislike of me and looked down at the younger staff who were newer to the field. Younger staff without an architectural license/who weren't actively pursuing architectural licensure had no value to the firm. By the time I had the backbone to accept an offer somewhere else and leave my position due to the toxicity of my work environment, senior staff vindictively clapped back by kicking me out of the building. I was informed that I was being subjected to an investigation by HNTB for accusations that I may have stolen sensitive information. Eventually, I was cleared, but not after a long and stressful period with minimal communication from the firm about what was happening, I would not recommend HNTB to peers seeking new employment in this industry. Everything I experienced in my last few months was toxic, and I would not wish it on anyone else.