Pros
The interview process is rigorous, so your colleagues level will be good. The job is relatively easy, so you will not be exhausted or mentally over-worked. Awesome work/life balance, but it is a perk of the Netherlands as a country, not Booking as a company. Great relocation package and support in every step of the journey from your homeland to Amsterdam. The company name counts for something and to have it on CV is good.
Cons
The tech stack is seriously outdated. Huge legacy codebase. Work is often boring. Stifling corporate culture, a lot of rules, a lot of meetings (most of them non-tech). For some people, Booking is a place to sit while they are waiting for their 5 years until EU citizenship will pass. 5 years is a lot of time and this attitude is depressing to see. For others, like me, the Booking becomes a transitional bridge between their job outside EU and their next job in EU. I didn’t plan it this way, but my work experience at Booking was disappointing enough to leave soon after joining and I was skilled and capable enough to find another well-paid (and technically more up-to-date) job as a developer in Amsterdam quickly after leaving.
