Next Century Reviews

Pros

The very vest company ever

Cons

There are no cons here

Pros

Team is great to work with

Cons

Physical environment is difficult to work at

Pros

Probably the best company I have yet to work for.

Cons

Can't say anything bad about them.

Pros

Great compensation, opportunity to work on cutting edge technology

Cons

Nothing I can think of

Pros

Two recent examples: - Winter weather was forecast to hit hard and one of our C-level executives sent an all-staff message urging everyone to go home before the roads became unsafe. Given the recent reminder I got of the meme with the picture of five feet of snow and impassable roads with the caption "and the boss be like: But you're still coming in, right?" this is unusual enough to warrant kudos. The company knows a lot of us can still work from home, and we're all committed to the mission, so it treats us like adults. - Employees had been asking about the possibility of a parental leave benefit recently, so with the turn to the new year, that was added to our benefits. Not only that, but our CEO and COO make an effort to go out to lunch with all employees (in small groups) at least once a year. Our leaders value the informal contact and increased accessibility, and it shows in every interaction. I honestly can't say I've ever seen these attitudes in any of the many companies I've worked for over the years.

Cons

The process of getting under contract with the government on a new project can be fraught with delays and other uncertainties. This means employees have to be willing to be flexible as they roll off one project's work to another, and can mean that employees land on overhead for a short, interim period until all the details are resolved. For all that, I've never seen the company let go of an employee because we're waiting for a new project to start, which (again) speaks to the strong commitment management has to retaining its people.

Pros

In every aspect of its corporate life, Next Century is guided by two complementary forces. One is it mission, that of saving lives. That was the reason John McBeth, the company CEO started the company having been deeply moved by the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. All the projects the company undertakes are viewed through the filter of the company's mission. The other one is the internal drive to be a competent organization. Its hiring decisions, its policies, its technical and management culture are significantly affected by the notion of competence. Under the influence of these two shaping forces, Next Century, hires people who are exhibit the traits of competent developers, competent managers, etc and who have their own mission in life (not necessarily matching that of the company but compatible with it). Thus if you join the company, you will find yourself surrounded by passionate, ethical and technically savvy engineers as well as ethical and competent managers. People are trusted and given wide degree of latitude. The company is family-friendly, which manifests itself in its benefits and the way employees are treated if expected or unexpected family events take place. Next Century always treats its partners and its subcontractors in an ethical fashion and expects the same from them. The company participates in a large number of software projects using a variety of current front-end and back-end technologies.

Cons

The Next Century is a contractor, which means that it the range of jobs is determined by the contracts in which it participates. One many contracts Next Century have multiple employees working together as a team, on some - just one or two employees working with representatives of other organizations.

Pros

Logistically speaking, Next Century offered an extremely competitive compensation and benefits package. It was noted in another review, but it is worth repeating that they offer a non-matching 6% 401k contribution that vests instantly - I had never seen that before. The health benefits are extremely solid as well: great HMO plan with no premiums and a $3000 deductible that the company contributes ~$1000 into an HSA that employees can pay into as well. Aside from the logistical stuff, the work atmosphere is GREAT! Everyone here is extremely competent and focused on getting work done. Next Century has set a high standard for who they hire and it makes things very easy when you are on a team that gets their work done! Ever worked on a team or had a group assignment where half the team didn't carry their weight and you ended up having to do it all? That isn't a problem here. On a personal note, it is extremely rewarding to wake up each day and contribute to work that really makes a difference. Every project the company takes on can be directly translated to saving lives in some capacity. It is very powerful to know that the work we do makes such an impact.

Cons

The only negative I can think of is that for a small company, some teams currently are spread out between Annapolis Junction and Columbia. That can make things difficult at times to collaborate. The thing is, the offices are being consolidated over the next few months so that by August, we will all be at the same location.

Pros

Upper management has a strong and shared vision for the projects we take on. We work on things that save American lives and if a project doesn't fulfill that goal then we don't accept it/bid for it. The management does not feel far removed like in larger companies but is very accessible. Great benefits package for their employees. Our CEO, John McBeth, does a great job of casting his vision for the company and hiring people who share in the vision, culture, and values of the company.

Cons

The only con I had was that I interned with Next Century one summer and loved it. But when they hired me on full-time the only available projects were as a subcontractor to another company. I was concerned that I wouldn't have face time with Next Century and people would forget that I would exist. I voiced this to someone and the next day they somebody had set up a meeting with one of our VPs to see what they could do about making sure I felt like part of the company. They have gone above and beyond in making sure that I am in regular contact with people, including upper management and have really made me feel like they have taken my concerns into account and are doing their best to value me as an employee.

Pros

Although Next Century is a government contractor, it avoids the "beltway bandit" mentality; much of what is developed at Next Century is provided free-of-charge (after the development) to the government, and in sometimes the public as well. This matters, because that sense of "we're here to do good" instead of "we're here to make money" permeates all parts of the company, including who is attracted to working here. If you want to feel like you're contributing to something greater than a corporate bottom line - this is a good place for you. Management takes great care to make sure everyone feels clued in to everything that's happening at the company. For example, after wining a large contract this past month, the CEO came out to the smaller office in Falls Church to run a meeting specifically to explain the new work in depth, and let employees ask questions. We have quarterly all-hands meetings, where management briefs us honestly on revenue company business, and gives us realistic assessments on where we stand.

Cons

Some of our customers can be pretty demanding - but I do feel like we're given the support and resources to meet those demands, and management backs us up when we need their support with tough customers.

Pros

The company is focused on a worthwhile purpose, and the people are professional and caring, which is clearly evident in how they treat each other as well as in their dedication to the important work that Next Century does. Even as an intern, I felt useful and (to an understandably smaller degree) necessary, that my efforts would actually produce a tangible result; I never felt that I was simply being given tasks for no other benefit than, at most, my personal education. Although the company focuses on making employees feel useful, as opposed to simply 'happy' or 'comfortable', the end result is that they succeed in engendering all three.

Cons

The first couple weeks here were hard for me as an intern, probably because it was my first job, but once I became familiar with the systems I was working on, and figured out which ones I didn't need to try to understand, it became much less overwhelming. The only other downside I experienced was the accompanying commute in working near D.C. (I'm at the Mclean office), but that very much comes with the territory, and is, relatively speaking, easy to overlook.