Pros
- Working in the biggest scientific project in the world. - Working/living with a huge community of scientists from around the world. - Geneva is a safe, clean city with excellent public transportation. - In principle, one should be able to collaborate on everything remotely (though it's more productive to be there in person).
Cons
- The projects involve cutting edge technology, but the office buildings and amenities seem to be from the 60s. - The problems of any big scientific project where everyone is supposed to be an equal: poor organization, managers rise out of necessity or technical incompetence (no one wants to be bothered with administration), who is working on what constantly changes, and a lot is informal and requires knowing the right people. - Most of the resident population (especially post-docs and grad students) don't live there for very long, so making long-term friends is tough. - Unless you love hiking and shopping, Geneva is rather boring for such a big city. Also, everything is expensive compared to the US. - Finding a place to live can be a nightmare (easier across the French border).