Pros
The job takes you all over the country to interesting client sites.
Cons
Authoritarian management resists change, resulting in a smug certainty about their static processes and an utter disregard for the reality of a changing market and operating environment. The only development offered is on-the-job training, and sink or swim is the litmus test. Although the company is the OEM, there is no formal field engineer certification program. There are no standards - no standard tools, no standard procedures, not even a standard dispatch process. My position was salaried but I was micro-managed by three different people who felt they had equal control over my activities. When I pointed out that I was receiving conflicting instructions and suggested that the three confer before giving me directions, I was told it was up to me to make sure the other two knew when one of them told me to do something. The focus is on per-service-call revenue generation with no regard for long term client relationships. When I pointed out errors in the documentation, I was admonished not to rely on the documentation. I received no performance reviews during my 2 years there and my boss always ignored my requests for development and training. There are no raises or bonuses. There is no life/work balance, and there is no concern about whether the company makes it on to any list of the most desirable places to work. There is no career advancement path. Despite the vast amount of extra effort and huge number of hours you are expected to put in (I logged over 370 hours of overtime per year although I was salaried), management is petty and will ask you to pay the difference if your meal expense exceeds the prescribed amount by even just a few cents. The HR department is nothing more than a shill for the corporation and does not act in any way as an advocate for the employees.
