Pros
People I worked with were at the forefront of their industry. Extremely knowledgeable and welcoming. Very clever people who always happy to help Lots of projects and the work is very intense so you learn quite a bit. Office environment in Gateway was nice. IT was top notch. The latest versions of everything and great back-up helpline. Line manager despite being totally overworked always helped where possible.
Cons
-Personal growth was dreadful. I waited seven months for a discussion over my career aspirations and got 2 days training in 10 months. I wanted to become chartered but if your not a grad it is totally unclear who to go too. -The work-life balance is shockingly bad. I worked over 80% of my weekends whilst there (unpaid) and those who have been there a while are absolute workaholics. I have never seen a group of people who work so hard. -The holidays are not as great as they seem. Yes you get a few more days a year but then again you work 2.5-3 hours longer which effectively mean you pay for your own holidays. -Pay for having 3 years experience was a couple of grand higher than a graduate which seems odd. Since Atkins is based in Epsom wages are relatively low as not technically in London but Surrey is just as expensive. My current organisation gave me the equivalent of a 50% pay rise per hour. -Never got out of the office after first week. Stuck to my desk rigidly.