Pros
- If you're on the BNSF contract, you get unlimited PTO. - As of my typing this, if you're on the BNSF contract, you'll get to work with some of the BEST developers at Wabtec. - When you leave this company, you'll know exactly how software should NOT be written. - When you leave this company, you'll know exactly how a company should NOT be run.
Kontras
- Software Engineers are treated like second-class citizens. - If you're on the BNSF contract, the client WILL act like they know more than you and will shut down any attempts to improve the software that isn't specifically one of the bugs they've pointed out for you to fix or one of the features they want added. We've explained the code is bad, but BNSF and Wabtec both do NOT care enough to fund modern applications to replace them. You're going to lose morale real quick. - The majority of the software at this company is written in Visual Basic by people who didn't know what they were doing and Wabtec and BNSF both have no intention of letting anyone write modern applications to replace the old software. You're looking at a disaster waiting to happen here folks. Be on the lookout for a 60 Minutes special on TV about a train disaster. (That's not a joke.) - To paraphrase a senior coworker: "This is the worst code I've ever seen in all my career." - No room for growth. - You're pretty much not going to get a chance to write any new software unless the source code for something is "lost". - If you aren't on the BNSF contract, your job will be at risk of being sent to India or replaced with AI. - Very low raises each year. Wabtec and BNSF both are incredibly stingy with their money. - Horrible managers outnumber the good ones.