Pros
The caliber of projects is a notch above what you’ll be exposed to in other small shops. The workloads will have a lot of peaks and valleys, but if you don’t appear busy at all times you will be seen as problematic. Even if you’re in a valley in any assigned projects. And when the work picks up you’ll still be expected to work extra hours to meet those peaks. There’s an obsession with billable hours being constant even if project timelines are inconsistent.
Lots of people bring their dogs, but only the high-end breeds. Leave your mutts at home.
Cons
If you haven’t worked in a smaller shop before, this place might be a tough reality. It can feel a lot like you’re a Barbie doll being made to ‘play office’ by people who want to think they’re running a big corporation. But it’s just the owner or husband pulling the strings when she wants to act out a certain drama. If you don’t mind ‘playing office’ you can go far. But if it’s your personality to find the pretense of office politics annoying on top of doing your daily work, you can stagnate at best or burn out at worst.
Managers might shield you a bit from those expectations, but the tendency for micromanaging can be like a compulsion that needs outlet. And this happens not just over work but over wardrobe, or mannerisms, or how you sit in a chair.
Kind of a cult of personality. It’s not an uncommon dynamic in the design world. And might be the nature of working in any small businesses. So unless you want to work at a large firm this is a reality you’ll have to learn to deal with until you start your own. Especially if you intend to stick around Austin where most design shops are smaller.
Benefits will be presented like they are generous, but if you’ve worked anywhere else they are basic. Minimal holidays. You will be in-office since the owner is convinced her ability to read body language is like reading minds. Even if you do get a WFH day it can be scheduled over or seen as a handicap if you take it since the owner puts so much scrutiny on every exchange.
Peers will see and appreciate your quality of work, but everything else noted above here is what you’re being judged on when it comes to raises and bonus. If you’re ever seen as nonconforming along the way, expect little to no compensation or title changes.
And even if you do get bumps in pay, do not expect them to be generous. You would have to negotiate pretty hard in your initial package to stay competitive.