Vantaggi
I loved my co-workers at SEL. My supervisor was a smart and kind person who really helped me grow in new areas at the company. I was not sure at first what to think of the employee ownership model but over time realized that it's as good a model as is out there for a company. After a few years I left (my husband transferred to another city and I didn't have a choice) with a healthy nest egg. The CEO is smart (really smart), talented and pushes hard. He's not going to just roll over if quality isn't right, if we didn't do something right by a customer, and so on. It's that pushing that is part of what has made SEL what it is today. I wouldn't say that it was ever over the top, either, and once you learn why he pushes, it's a very inspiring organization. If you're a whiner, a "my way or the road" person, don't like to work hard, or can't take direction sometimes this isn't the place for you. But if you want to understand problems and be part of working together to improve electric power, I can't think of a better place. I joke with my husband that I'll leave him some day to go back to SEL. It's the best place I've worked, and I'm not a spring chicken these days.
Svantaggi
There are some quirks at any company and SEL isn't an exception. I will say though that the quirks are part of what I came to love. It's a family and families have quirks. It's what makes a place unique. An example: there is an all company lunch every Friday that is really a business meeting. At first I felt like it was kind of a waste of time, but if you actually pay attention and try to learn, there is a lot to pick up about technology, our finances, new markets, community events and so on. I even presented once. It just took me a while to buy in.