Pros
I applied for a warehouse position at Graybar looking for a job and a steady source of income. What I found was something profoundly different, something that would challenge my professional goals and fundamentally shift my career path. My first year on the team I learned about Graybar's customers, products, and systems. I also learned that Graybar was a Fortune 500 company with locations across the U.S. This was a surprise to me because I had never heard of the company until shortly before I applied, and to be honest it didn't feel like I was working for a 'big company'. I decided to stick around and take advantage of as many development opportunities as I could. Over the next five years, I promoted into customer service and then a management position. Along the way, my employee benefits helped me navigate the birth of my first son and also go back to college through Graybar's tuition reimbursement program. Ten years later, I am a director with a career I love, a college graduate, and I am getting ready to celebrate my 17th Graybar anniversary. What started as a job search, and a decision to take a chance on a company I didn't know, ended up changing the entire game. I'm truly grateful for that.
Cons
Graybar is over 150 years old. This history is very special, but can also hold back progress at times.