Solid advancement, great compensation, and the peace of mind of working for a Fortune 10 company
Pros
I remember wishing when I was offered this job that there were more reviews and information on the internet about it and what it entails, so I figured this might help somebody out someday. The LDP is tailor-made to give a complete understanding of every function that a Ford Credit business center performs in less than three years. Can't speak for other centers, but management at the Colorado Springs center is very competent, fair, and open. Compensation and benefits are great, and scale very well at higher salary levels. The Program teaches (and demands) functional excellence in financial analysis, high-pressure negotiation, leadership, and many other key business skills. Advancement opportunities after the program are extremely attractive. MBA programs are encouraged and funded by the company, along with eventual Six Sigma Black Belt certifications on the job. FMCC is a captive finance entity of Ford Motor Credit, and as such is much more than just Ford in name only. FMCC and Ford Motor are meshed so intimately that it's almost not worth looking at the two as separate entities, especially where the most finance-intensive positions are concerned. The LDP is treated as a vital and serious part of FMCC's corporate staffing growth model. It is a well-planned and rounded experience, and upper management affords it every bit of respect that it deserves. Joining the LDP is guaranteed to make you some amazing friends. Every group of LDP candidates comes in at the same time, and most of us are fresh out of college. You'll make friends like it's freshman year all over again, except without the horrible awkwardness of being 18 and leaving home for the first time. There are 16 people in my class including me, and every one of them is a solid, valued colleague. No fear of career stagnation or boredom with doing the same position for years and years. Higher-ups at FMCC have done every position imaginable, including work out in the field, and many have jumped between Ford and FMCC during their careers. Top management at Colorado Springs business center have done so many jobs and gone so many places with the company that it's hard to believe they've fit it all into one lifetime.
Cons
The first two positions in the rotation are collections-based and they can (will) feel brutal at first, until you get the hang of them and realize that they are incredibly important functions of the business to understand and consider in every position within the center, even ones that don't seem to have even a tangential connection to them. The business center model, while likely the best and most efficient fit possible for Ford Credit operations, can feel a bit disjointed from the company as a whole at times. Management has worked to remedy this even in the year I've been here though, including dropping the center performance competition-based bonus payout scale in favor of a much more fair bonus system that more accurately reflects the One Ford model that has worked so well for the company. If you aren't willing to travel or relocate (possibly several times during your career), then this simply is not a good fit for you. This can also make the program a tough fit for folks with spouses and/or kids. Further, if you can't deal with almost a year of doing some of the most mentally taxing and least glamorous work in the business center, then this is also not a good fit for you. Regardless of what you eventually get to do (and there are many fascinating and attractive positions in the company), you will spend the first year on the front lines of collections. You'll hear a lot of sad stories, and deal with a lot of folks who would rather have their teeth pulled than talk to you. I've been called every foul name in the book, including some that I think were probably freestyled on the spot, as have all of my friends and colleagues. It seems like drudge work at first like I mentioned above, but without doing collections and paying your dues, you'd be so out of touch with the business cycle of the company that you'd never be able to effectively lead, even in the many positions that have nothing to do with personal auto loans. Your colleagues in the department will also be some of the most friendly, helpful and grounded people you will ever meet. If you're open to learning and you have a good attitude, your co-workers and managers will be there to help every step of the way. You catch on faster than you might think. The cafeteria could arguably be a little better, but that goes for just about every company ever. The business center is in a nice, quiet, pseudo-suburban area of town. In most respects this is great, but if you want to live close, rents can be kind of high. It's also hard to pick an apartment without having previously visited town. My two cents: avoid Talon Hill unless you've got a roommate in mind. Bella Springs is a nice (and cheaper) alternative. Finally, this goes without saying for anyone that's ever visited Colorado/knows anyone that has/does a cursory Wikipedia search for the climate of the Front Range, but if you can't handle the winters, you're going to have a rough time. Pack a sweater or two and bite the bullet on the heating bills, because the winter sports are amazing here, every one of your friends from home will be extremely jealous of you, and every other season is magnificent. Oh, and take it from experience, don't buy a new car with a dark paint job unless you have a garage or own a touchless car wash. Seriously.
