Pros
Salesforce is an incredibly reputable company to work for. It really is the best resume booster you could ask for that sets you up to be recruited by almost every company. The benefits are top notch- healthcare, ESPP, wellness stipend, and discounts at a variety of different companies. The offices are absolutely beautiful and an impressive place to take friends and family. I have heard that most departments are really great to work for, but be VERY careful to do your due diligence in figuring out which ones those are.
Cons
Underneath its grandiose, towering presence and pristine public reputation, lies a dark reality in the sales organization. I could never recommend a career in sales at Salesforce for these reasons: Compensation: Salesforce's base and OTE's are well under the market rate for Account Executives. On top of that, you are punished financially for being promoted within the company, and will receive a base/OTE that is 10-20k lower than external hires. Due to this, there is incredibly high turnover, as long term Salesforce sales employees bounce to other companies to receive proper compensation and many of the sales teams are constantly dominated by new hires. Territories are created in a way in which only about 20% of reps will hit their annual number so base your expected income on your base rate and how comfortable you would be living off of that number. Customer treatment: Salesforce redistributes territories every fiscal year, meaning customers are given a new Account Executive every year. This leads to extreme frustration and oftentimes, customers being sold solutions that they don't necessarily need. Expect to be dealing with many angry customers during the first part of the fiscal year, and cleaning up the mess created by the previous AE. Management: From my experience, I have had some of the most micromanaging and condescending bosses of my career at Salesforce. Even though I am a remote employee, I constantly feel as if my boss is looking over my shoulder through the constant Slack messages and tracking of my daily activity (call/email volume). The worst part is the culture of toxic positivity. Never admit that you are struggling either with work or in your personal life, as that will be used against you in one way or another. Favoritism is rampant and is gifted to those who go out of their way to express immense gratitude, compliment their boss, and NEVER admit frustrations, even if valid. Sorry, but I'm too old to act like a corporate robot monkey. Career mobility: As I mentioned above, in the sales organization, your pay will hardly change as you go up-market. Switching into other departments is nearly impossible as you must seek VP level approvals, navigate the lousy internal recruiting teams, and build up a case as to why you are more valuable than external hires. This is why there are so many Salesforce boomerangs... Ultimately, I had really high hopes for the Sales Organization at Salesforce, but was super disappointed by my experience. I understand that not every experience will be the same, but I think it is important to look past the facade.
