Pros
BSM provides abundant learning opportunities whether you are graduating with no prior work experience or have a couple years in the pet food industry under your belt. You get exposure to clients and industry professionals that you will not receive at most companies. The work itself can be quite enjoyable and everyday is an adventure. At the time I worked at BSM, they had a number of strong industry experts. They’ve lost some, but they have huge potential with industry veterans like Dr. Brad Quest and Dr. Renee Streeter. It’s one of the few places that offers remote work still. This is the perk that kept me around long after I knew it was time to leave. Everyone who’s left BSM has been able to pretty much double their salary, so it’s a nice place to work hard and learn quick and then cash in somewhere else.
Cons
The culture encourages gossip, backstabbing, and retaliation. Leadership is emotionally immature and lacks self-awareness. Be SUPER careful about what you say, especially on the company-wide calls. They frequently sought feedback in forum setting and if employees gave actual feedback, the consequences were lasting and painful. There is an onboarding program but they don’t uphold the promises they make and if you come to BSM without previous experience, it is not comprehensive and you will need to find someone who’s willing to get you up to speed who isn’t chasing billable hours. The time tracking system requires you to log 45 hours min/week to meet employment conditions. I often spent 60+ hours a week working to meet that goal in the system because not all work can be logged. My work-life balance was non-existent. They also do not give advance notice for travel and it made it difficult to have a life outside of work. Salary raises are few and far between. The guaranteed 20% bonus was a huge perk, but it does mean the base salary isn’t competitive. I worked there for 3+ years with no change to benefits or salary. Most managers say it takes 5 years before they’ll consider it. It’s an unprofessional working environment typical for a start up. Lots of drinking and drugs at conferences, some really creepy older men making inappropriate advances or comments towards the younger female employees, and no manager training. In the past couple of years, they’ve fired about 25% of their workforce due to money issues, with 50% natural turnover. If you’re still thinking that it might be worth it, talk to former employees. The ratings here are heavily influenced by threats from upper management. Back when I worked there, my boss made me show him a 5 star review so our team could show we’d completed writing a Glassdoor review.