Pros
I find the people at Autodesk to be collaborative, friendly, capable and eager to do a good job. That in itself is a huge positive factor, because the general vibe is positive. I also happen to have a great boss, who gives good feedback and keeps us as informed as possible about what is happening. Autodesk is reorganizing and reinvesting at the moment, and overall it seems like things are going in the right direction. They encourage us to proactively find ways to be of service to customers, and to take an active role in making our products better than merely good enough.
Cons
The line of communication between Autodesk and the people who use their products is good, because there are multiple routes for this information, but as a company there are still some disconnect. With travel budgets slashed it is harder to maintain connection with customers. Conferences and training have also been cut, so it seems they are not prioritizing professional growth at the moment. With the stock low, that is understandable. The salaries have also been frozen this year to help us survive this down economy. The culture of how people communicate and how products are developed is a bit too undefined at times, making it difficult sometimes to gain momentum on products because the vision is unclear. Flexibility is good, but unclear expectations don't move us ahead. With regards to the flow of corporate information, management usually seems to want to tell us whatever they are allowed by law to say. However, sometimes it still feels like we have surprises looming, and when layoffs happen there's not much discussion about it. It can feel a little like an elephant in the room. At the moment another round has been mentioned as a possibility.
