Good option in Italian Software development job landscape - Software Development Engineer II Expedia Group Employee Review

work life balance lots of pto

limited room for growth in the company

Good pay, supportive manager, and genuinely pleasant colleagues.

Frequent reorgs and shifting strategic direction made it difficult to build momentum or plan long‑term. Over time, contractor roles became increasingly narrow and production‑focused, which limited opportunities for meaningful skill development. Responsibilities that originally included project management were reduced to primarily email production work. There’s also a broader corporate pattern where work is expected to be completed exactly as written, with little room for judgment or improvement. Even small, quick optimizations can lead to pushback rather than appreciation, creating an environment where going “above and beyond” requires multiple layers of approval — which defeats the purpose of being proactive in the first place. Finally, there’s an in‑office expectation (less strict than for full‑time employees, but still present) for work that can be done entirely remotely. This tends to benefit highly social personalities, but for those who prefer focused, independent work, it feels unnecessary. Social dynamics also play a noticeable role; if you’re not immediately well‑liked or you make a single early mistake, it can create a self‑fulfilling perception that’s difficult to overcome.