Pros
Exposure to multiple projects and a fast-paced environment. Some hardworking and capable coworkers. You learn quickly out of necessity.
Cons
There is little to no formal training. New assistant project managers are largely placed into a sink-or-swim environment with minimal onboarding, support, or clear expectations. It was common to be assigned projects mid-way through and expected to “clean them up” without proper handoff, documentation, or background. This led to constant firefighting instead of effective project management. The management style is highly micromanaged, with responsibility given without real authority. Many key decisions were made behind closed doors, and changes were communicated after the fact, making it difficult to plan or manage workloads effectively. Workloads were consistently heavy, and long hours felt expected rather than occasional. Burnout was often reframed as “maintaining a high standard” instead of being addressed as a resourcing or process issue. Turnover appeared high, which added additional pressure to those remaining. While the company promoted “speaking up” as a core value, in practice it felt selectively applied. Feedback and accountability tended to flow downward rather than upward, and raising concerns about workload or process was not always well received. Flexibility was inconsistent. Employees were expected to work from home during emergencies or urgent situations, yet overall flexibility was limited or reduced, creating a one-sided expectation.