Pros
Small finance/accounting staff enables opportunity to gain experience in a variety of accounting competencies. Departments are typically 2 employees (the controller and an analyst) at smaller sites (less than $50M sales) up to about 5 employees for larges sites. Accountants will gain experience in cost accounting, general ledger/month end closing, fixed assets and capital. There are plenty of opportunities to work on cross functional teams to promote continuous improvement. Benefits are better than average (company still provides a pension in addition to 401K matching). Health insurance is average for large companies. Tuition assistance is available but was reduced with the economic downturn in 2008. (As of Apr 2010, $5K per year for undergrad assistance, $7500 per year graduate.)
Cons
Opportunity for advancement in finance/accounting depends on your willingness to relocate. Entry level accountants/analysts may be promoted up to senior analyst (about 60-70K salary) will remaining in one location. Advancement to controller position requires relocation, and expect to be asked to relocate every 2-3 years until achieving division controller or higher position. Deadlines at plant level are extremely tight. Controllers are measured on forecast accuracy and quality of commentary, but adequate time is not given to provide a reasonable forecast and analysis on actuals. Opportunities for promotion in Finance seem political. Many exemplary finance employees have been turned down for promotions for rather invalid reasons. Some have been promoted that don't seem to be exceptional leaders. You have a better chance applying for higher level jobs (division controller and above) outside the company than from within. Eaton touts promotion from within but it seems this applies only to a certain level.
