Pros
There's many facets of the industry that you can be exposed to while working at ERCOT. This wealth of knowledge is beneficial for young engineers looking to build solid work experience. The pressure to out perform or over achieve is minimal (the con is that this reasoning is promotions and bonuses are few and far between) Hybrid working environment, seems like most teams in the engineering department are moving to 3 days remote, 2 days in the office. You've probably already heard about the benefits, they're good in most ways: - 10% 401k non deferrable contribution + .75% of the first 6% matching 60% vested after 3yr, 80% after 4, 100% after 5 -$60/mo health insurance premiums for entire family (~5k deductible) -$2200 annual employer HSA contribution -3 weeks vacation, 4 weeks after 5 years, 5 weeks after 15 -10 days of PTO or 10 sick days and 3 days of PTO -11 holidays - 1 week of paternity leave. This can be a con when comparing to industry averages in tech, but it's better than nothing -240 hr max vacation bank (160 hour payout)
Cons
While there are many facets of the industry to be exposed to, lateral movement is slow, and the opportunities are scarce. There has been a "silo" stigma for a while, and you could get by not knowing much of anything about what other departments do. While the work experience looks good on a resume, you will likely feel trapped to some degree after several years in the same position. ERCOT has been challenged with retaining mid-career level talent leaving since the pandemic started. Pay is what you'd expect working for a quasi-government entity. Cost of living increases around 3 percent every year is not enough to keep up with the living and property costs in the Austin area, the office location in Taylor is a costly commute in both financially, and in time. COVID-19 policies are likely to change the company culture and working environment for the worse, which sadly was ERCOT's best selling point prior to the pandemic.