Pros
This is a fascinating business (credit card manufacturing and production). I learned a lot. The best part about working at CPI was being able to work with many excellent people.
Cons
(1) There is a "fire-drill" atmosphere, due in part to a number of flawed processes. (Tribal knowledge is a big problem, as well as a lack of cross-training.) While every job has cycles of "high stress", at CPI stress was a constant. (2) Although I received some training in the use of one of the core internal applications, I received zero training in the business itself. (Not even a tour of the facility.) Yet there seemed to be an expectation that we should know it all. (3) The high security environment, though necessary because of the nature of the business, often hampered automation of processes and workflow. An oft-repeated phrase was "working with one hand tied behind your back." There was also a problem with work-life balance. For instance, if I took a day off, more often than not I got called to help with some emergency. There was very high employee turn-over, unlike anything I've ever experienced in my entire adult work life.
