Vantaggi
Any job will use your skills. Orion pushes you to get better. It's a company that started with a chip on its shoulder, got big clients, buried its competition and keeps expanding. Steady growth and profitability for more than a decade are the result of a dedication to operational excellence, the success of our partners and to some really great engineers. As an engineer, you've got a ton of options and can do pretty much whatever you're interested in -- provided that you work hard and deliver on your goals. I've worked with clients, worked on the backend AND front end, I've designed products, lead teams and solved many hard problems. Team and tech leadership opportunities are wide open for anybody of any skill level or tenure. Promotions aren't automatic but they're becoming quite common.
Svantaggi
There are many product teams and each has a distinct engineering culture. Teams tend to vary in terms of size, direction, area of focus, approachability, desk space, technology stack, work-life balance, delivery rate, on call requirements and process. You may need to interview with or even work for a few different teams before you find the right fit. (Note that if hiring managers like you but don't have a position for you, they will shop your resume to other teams and we've hired many good people this way). You're going to need to show more than just aptitude; you need to display initiative. An advanced degree will not necessarily propel your career necessarily but applying knowledge will. There's been more focus on conferences and formal training but the budget is restrictive. It is rare that anyone is groomed for advancement, though mentoring relationships are common. For years, engineering managers have placed engineer preference before organizational need with regard to team placement. This is great for engineers, but can lead to teams becoming understaffed. Managers are actively working to improve this condition. with its organizational structure. These changes are generally beneficial but are stressful and confusing as they are happening.