EPAM Systems Chief Systems Engineer reviews

Not many options for promotion is recent years

Note this business model implies, to keep company running and profitable, while customer pays for your services 100%, your salary have to be let's say 33%. So this business model works well when employees are in poor countries, while customers are in rich ones. When you move abroad to richier place (let's say to Western Europe) your wages will only allow ends to barely meet. And even if you find a better place - watch for contract clauses: quitting may cost you significant money. When your current assignment ends - this every time feels painful and risky, because: you have to search for new assignment at the EPAM internal portal very much like as if you are unemployed. There are possibly not much of right options for you at the moment. A typical assignment listed may ask to serve "one musician orchestra" (skills you would expect from 5 people but you have to know/do it all. And switch focus frequently). When job ad is found - it is only beginning, you're going to be intreviewed N times (internal then external interviewers), requirements may be shifted and results may be random. When you have no assignment for quite a time (it is called "on bench") - they easily say goodbye (a month, more or less - depends on how much you cost to them). Even when you got a shiny new assignment - it may be still a risk. Interview process is one thing and work is another - requirements may shift of be misunderstood, expectations may be unrealistic, management may be drastic, and so on. They rarely ask you explicitly to overwork. Instead they set expectations to this amount, that you often have to work extra hours (but ofc is your fault then). In the end, it is all down to how technically and managerially advanced your customer is. And best cutomers are rarity.