Pros
I frequently remind my fellow employees, at a large corporation, job opportunities are endless. I could climb telephone poles in Hawaii or build webpages in Atlanta. In my past life, I frequently found myself working at companies for a couple years, then the company would go out of business. AT&T has been around for more than 140 years and I imagine will be around for 100s more. AT&T pays a competitive salary, encourages professional development, assists with college and technical training costs, and encourages an environment where creative expression can exist alongside performance activities. The company empowers its employees to make change. I’ve frequently felt that my ideas and opinions have made a difference in the execution of corporate strategy.
Cons
Initially it is hard to understand the different “silos” that exist within the company. Whether helping out a customer or attempting to start dialogue on a new project, you frequently engage with stakeholders who’s priorities are different than yours. You spend just as much time inside the company presenting your idea to partners as you would externally capturing new customers. Over the last 10-years, the conditions have improved, but in no way are the gone. But, if the company wasn’t as strict on cross department policy, would it have existed for 140 years. Additionally, the company is quick to eliminate positions when they become unnecessary. While we are frequently reminded that these decisions are not personal, they certainly feel that way. You must be comfortable with position change if you’re going to find happiness at AT&T. This isn’t a company where you would perform the same task for 30 years… Must be flexible!
