Pros
- Opportunities are potentially limitless, but you are required you to pursue these yourself and to 'network' with the right people. An 'entrepreneurial spirit' is encouraged. - Similarly, work/life balance is often dependent on the amount of work you're willing to take on. You can work 9-5 if you want, or push yourself a bit and hopefully move on to other things. - Has a very strong health and safety culture, even for those of us confined to the office. - Is working hard to put in place more robust structures and procedures, e.g. to make career progression clear and less subjective. - Has relatively high moral and ethical standards - Focused plans for growth, e.g. targeting the right clients rather than just any clients - Generally good camaraderie in the teams and a real desire to share knowledge (though it can be unclear how to do it)
Cons
- New brand has been slow to take hold. You still need to explain that you're ex-EC Harris etc to people and they ask why you would ever ditch such a brand - Senior managers appear so stretched that they spend very little time with teams, which can make you feel unimportant. - Some team leaders and junior/middle managers do not want to be managers and are not very good at it, which is destructive for morale. - Those going through APC tend not to get rotated and so it can take a while to qualify. - You can feel beholden to support services rather than them making your job easier
