University of Pennsylvania Reviews

Pros

UPenn is a great place to work overall. It is so easy to network and make connections that will last. There is always room to grow and there are constant education opportunities no matter what position you are in. No matter where you are on campus there is always something going on. Many perks including workshops, networking events, and access to on-campus happenings. The health insurance is great and they matched up to 5% towards retirement when I was there. There is also an annual review which UPenn requires you to have with your manager. I think this is great because it allows you to see where you are doing well and what needs improvement.

Cons

To get the position I had, I was lucky enough to know someone who lead me to the job and put in a good word for me to the hiring manager. It is sometimes difficult to get your resume in for certain positions due to the HR system blocking your resume if you appear to not be "qualified" enough. I did not have an extensive research background, but I was thankfully given a chance and I excelled at my position. Another con is the annual "raise" aka "cost of living increase" which is usually only about 2%. I always felt like I deserved more than the average, but it all comes down to funding which is what most labs are run by. It is also extremely difficult to get a raise or increase in salary because HR runs everything.

Pros

The Annenberg School for Communication (where I work) is a wonderfully supportive group of colleagues, not to mention one of the top places for communications research in the world.

Cons

I don't particularly enjoy living in Philadelphia.

Pros

People are really nice. Great life/ work balance

Cons

the equipments are old. need to get creative