Pros
MasterCard has a very competitive benefits package, base pay is average, but performance is recognized via end of year bonus quite well. Opportunities for advancement as a people manager are plentiful for those with a keen acumen of IT-to-business value and good management skills. For those on a purely technical career path, opportunities for advancement *can* be plentiful. However you'll need to be very adaptable and not tied to just one technology or job function. Otherwise, it's possible to reach a block point where further advancement within a given discipline isn't possible. The workforce at MasterCard have a great community spirit. Whether it's through the business resource groups (Women's Leadership Network, Young Professionals, PRIDE, Technology Leadership Network, etc.) or through involvement with the United Way and Junior Achievement the people of MasterCard do a lot of fantastic things together. The campus is nice, including a cafeteria, gym, and a few gaming areas. Internal programs for computer based training on programs like PCI, ITIL, and Six-Sigma as well as opportunities to participate on tiger-team type functions are easily available should you have the time or inclination to want them. Commercially, the company is doing fantastic. Internally the operations world is in a state of transition. As MasterCard continues to push for deeper connections direct to the consumer that will call for an adaptation of their IT Operations and Technology staffing and mindset.
Cons
Work load can be INTENSE for those wanting to advance their career. You will not find much opportunity here if you're only interested in coming in and doing an 8 hour day with an hour lunch in the middle. Due to a focus on the consumer, MasterCard has several initiatives rushing to market in parallel and as such require delivery of IT Service and Operational support at a rapid pace. Though the company is operating that way at the top, IT staffing and funding decisions aren't based around that same mantra. For people managers who identify a staffing gap, it's often only after a process *breaks* that the business case is given merit. The campus is nice, however it's going through some changes. Due to space constraints a "cube restack" is changing the cubicle configuration to a smaller, less private cube. There are collaborative "pod" configurations as well. BUT ultimately if you're a people manager requiring privacy or a technical person who requires distraction-free working conditions you'll find them in short supply. However, they do offer an alternative workplace program for tele-working. It's disappointing that the gym and cafeteria aren't subsidized. Though convenient, the cafeteria food becomes pretty repetitive and the pricing doesn't provide a satisfaction that you've gotten what you paid for. The gym again is incredibly convenient, but can be very crowded during peak usage, especially if you have a short window to get your workout in. For the monthly price paid (with no discount options for full year or contract based pricing) the gym waters down the value of having it on site. Because the company is doing so well and driving so hard with card-holder focused initiatives there is a distinct lack of resources. Both from a staffing perspective, as well as training and tool funding. The intense pressure to outsource operational level tasks all while maintaining the same ops tempo has lead to challenges internally in quality requiring more time and pressure on deliverable schedules. The big question is would I recommend this company to others? That answer for me is still a **yes**. Of course there are challenges, but in today's IT world I don't really know of any opportunities in the local area that don't have those in some form or another. If MasterCard is still in exactly the same place it is now five years in the future, maybe that answer changes. However, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to both influence and watch to see if that change happens.