Pros
I was fortunate to be part of the OCI team for two years before I made the difficult decision to move out of state. When I joined OCI, I was seeking to shift my national/global environmental engineering background to more civil design and stormwater management for local projects. My experience at OCI met and went far beyond my initial goal. While there was a pace I had to quickly pick up on to build skills required for projects, I felt there was always someone (and not always the same person) available to assist through those first few transition months. The company’s culture and team-oriented approach fostered a positive working environment that made working on projects enjoyable, despite a project’s complexity or schedule. The environment also allowed me to step out of my comfort zone. The support network allowed me to feel confident in my commitment to professional association, to lead projects, actively participate in strategic meetings and pursuits. In such a short time, I saw myself grow professionally and thrive. It really is a gem when your work environment feels like there is a collective effort towards a shared vision of the company’s success that, in turn, motivates us to take pride in our work, come together and deliver.
Cons
When I moved out of state I was able to continue working for OCI remotely to complete a project deliverable. However, at that time, supporting a remote staff was not a viable option or conducive to my career growth in a new city.