CERN Software Engineer - Fellow reviews

4.8

99% would recommend to a friend

(16 total reviews)
avatar

Fabiola Gianotti

99% approve of CEO

99% positive business outlook

Software Engineer Fellow employees have rated CERN with 4.8 out of 5 stars, based on 16 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Software Engineer Fellow professionals have an excellent working experience there. CERN is rated 32% above average by Software Engineer Fellow professionals compared to other employers within the Regierung & öffentliche Verwaltung industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

16 reviews
4.0
Apr 30, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great conditions for research, few distractions or additional admin to do, a very diverse place where there is always tons going on - from physics to outreach to seminars and courses. The food is very good as well. It's a plus to know that you are part of this wonderful organization.

Cons

Offices are a bit shabby, but there are renovation works all around (then you have drilling noises). Possibility of getting a permanent job is almost nonexistent.

2.0
Oct 27, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

High salary and good health insurance. Connections to all fields of physics and a vibrant community of young aspiring colleagues. Great potential to learn from others and extend your horizon.

Cons

The skills you acquire do not match the ones needed in industry. With every year spent you loose qualification in the outside world and are forced to a career in science. The tasks for an applied fellow are often regular and repetitive duty work than research. The infrastructure is very bad, offices are small, services factually non-existent. If you have a problem, nobody will help you. If you ask for help, it will be used as an argument against you. As an example, it took me two weeks and several emails and phone calls to get scissors. Rising up in hierarchy does not depend on the quality of your work but on how convenient you were to your supervisors. Scientific arguments or criticism makes you inconvenient to be dealt with and works against your career options. Almost all staff positions are filled with former fellows since, I quote, "we try to give follow-up positions to all of you". Your supervisor is most likely selected due to his ability to work without complaints and not due to his leadership or project management skills. Do not expect guidance or valuable feedback, but be aware that you enter a complex game of social and professional dependence and struggle for visibility.

Viewing 13 - 15 of 16 Reviews

Glassdoor has 1,754 CERN reviews submitted anonymously by CERN employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if CERN is right for you.