Pros
1) Good 401K match program - but you have to stay for 3 years for the match to vest. Frankly, most people don't make it that long, so take that into consideration. 2) Overtime pay - As a salaried worker, you get paid for working weekends. It's an expectation to work them, so it's not an option. However, you do get paid for that time which can be nice to at least make some extra money. 3) The 3 month that you are in training are actually a fun way to meet people. During the training period, you have very little responsibility at work, so it's honestly pretty fun. This will change dramatically once you get placed, but the program itself is relatively low-stress. 4) Free beer - The Fairfield location had a generous "free-beer" policy. Honestly, I didn't use it much but it is a nice perk.
Cons
Working for Anheuser-Busch was a miserable experience from beginning to end. I was hired through the BTP program, which is common for those with an engineering background. I was very excited about the program, but was quite unclear from the beginning on what the role was exactly, which department I would be in, and where I would be located. This is the case for everyone who goes through. There is little to no transparency on anything, which was frustrating at times. The training program itself was enjoyable, the content and lack of structure was poor, but it was a good opportunity to meet other people and build a community across multiple breweries. After the training period, you get placed at any of the U.S. breweries or MCC plants. You have very little say in where you get sent. That, in itself, is understandable since it determined by business need. However, be aware that REGARDLESS of where you are sent, there is no cost of living adjustment to your salary. This is non-negotiable. Talking to my coworkers who went through the program in previous years as well as years after I went through, it is clear this has always been a source of frustration that the company is made aware of every cycle, and I am highly doubtful it will ever change. I was placed in Fairfield, and I would not recommend working here to anyone. Frankly, my poor experience parallels the experiences of those placed at other breweries, so I don't believe the issues I had are unique to Fairfield but are certainly exacerbated by the low wages for the area. Employee Engagement in Fairfield, for both salaried and hourly employees, is consistently lowest in the North America zone. Despite what is marketed in the BTP program, you will be a shift supervisor managing highly disgruntled, union employees. You will not be doing "engineering work" or anything related to engineering. You will be a people manager. In my experience, which is characteristic of most people's experience, you will receive little to no tangible training, especially when it comes to labor relations, and will become the punching bag for upper management and hourly employees alike. You have little to no say in decisions that are made, but often take the brunt of the frustration of everyone around you. Classic low-middle manager role. You will be on rotating shifts (midnight, day, and afternoons) and will be expected to work weekends on a regular basis. There was a period where I worked every other weekend for 6 months, meaning 12 days on 2 days off. It's a good way to make extra money, but it is certainly draining especially when the job itself is not at all enjoyable. The turnover, especially in Fairfield, is unreal, which just creates a chaotic and unstable environment for everyone. I, along with the vast majority of people that have gone through the BTP program and worked in Operations or Logistics as a shift/group manager, had a miserable experience as a whole and would not recommend this job to anyone. At the end of the day, this job will push you and force you out of your comfort zone, but it is certainly not worth the mediocre wages and poor career development. If you value true technical training and gaining a valuable skillset, this is not the place for you.
