Pros
- You will receive a raise every year, and a shot at a bonus. Bonus check amount is equivalent to a paycheck. - Big opportunities to learn about IT in a production environment - Tickets to sporting events - Users are understanding and polite when issues occur - No limit on sick days, however, you will be expected to be monitoring your phone and email to fix any issues that arise - Management pays for CBT Nuggets training videos - Cheap soda/snacks - Good 401k match
Cons
- This is a 24/7/365 job. You will be ATTACHED to your work phone. You will get calls on week nights and weekends frequently, and will be expected to resolve issues promptly. - Reviews are in October, and it is a mystery as to what rating you will receive. There are no monthly check-ins to monitor the status of your goals you set, and per management, it is "impossible" to receive the highest rating in any category unless there are "unique" circumstances. It's similar to having a professor who doesn't give A's. - Raises and compensation are based on merit, as well as how the auto industry performs. The last 2-3 years my raises did not reflect COLA. - Management deflects when asking for pay increase, and actively discourages discussing salary/bonus information with coworkers. - You will drive to multiple sites a day, so ask about compensation for gas/mileage. During my time here, they never notified me that this was possible. - Micromanagement. You will need to constantly justify the time you spent on projects, and document every minute of your day via daily shift reports. - All of the big decisions are made by staff in Canada. They will constantly push bad configuration changes that break systems, resulting in an emergency for you. - Management says that working from home is "impossible" for IT. You will not be able to negotiate any WFH days. - Promotions are not likely. Most of the higher-up staff is located in Canada, so you will have to wait for a firing, quitting, or retirement for promotion. - Any training for certifications will need to be done on your own time. You will not have time during the day to sit for an hour of training videos - Carrot on a Stick management style. You will be "offered" opportunities for potential raises and promotions, only for these opportunities to evaporate around review time. Don't fall for these statements. - Upper management does not view you as a person with a life, you are a body to fill a seat and a voice to answer support calls. - HR works for the company, not for you