Pros
The pros about working at Cyracom is that for a single individual, they will pay for your healthcare premium, and if you need to work late hours, you can do so since the center is open for 24 hours. Additionally, if you aspire to be an interpreter and have zero experience, then Cyracom is a training ground to start. (Please read the cons about why it is not a good place to stay for professional development)
Cons
With that being said about the healthcare premium, they have changed the plan to have a $2,600 deductible, and with the current pay rate, you will struggle to pay your medical bills. First of all, a $15 hourly wage in Houston is barely liveable. If you have a family, children, and housing to pay, you will NOT make ends meet working at Cyracom. It is better than nothing; however, you will have to work a second job or figure out how to have a second income. It is a good place to start if you have zero experience, but they do not offer further professional development. You will have to do those on your own. If you think you have enough medical experience to take those medical assessments, you do not because even their training does not offer the Latin/Greek medical terms for you to learn. The company's culture is zero to none, and this reflects strongly upon the upper management. The communication is horrendous; it is not streamlined. For example, training department does not communicate well with the operation side. Most importantly, you will NOT feel like a valued employee at the company. When they train you, they talk a big game about how great this company is, but once you start your official shift, you will see the opposite of what they sold to you. In Texas, the center looks depressing once you walk inside. You walk right into their kitchen, so it either smells like food or some weird mixture of everything. The interior color is pretty much a monochrome gray. They do not offer the state of the art computer system; the system is very slow. Additionally, the headset that they offer to you is flimsy (similar to the airplane headset design), and after months of working, your ears will hurt a lot (even after hours). Every month, they provide free food (just once a month) and think that they are doing everyone a huge favor. Lastly, they really do not care about you as an individual like someone has said. You only get PTO and not sick days. If you call in sick, you will not get paid that day nor can you use your PTO at the last minute. Basically, you have to be able to predict when you will get sick in order to use your PTO. Even when you need to get PTO, it is very confusing. There is a two step system to follow to ensure that you will get paid for your days off. Your PTO is accumulated rather than being given to you up front once you pass the probation period. Furthermore, you have to worry sick about losing points. Yes, they operate on a point system monthly where you will get penalized if you take a day off without a doctor's note. The PTO is also used for rest and relaxation needs, but depending on which language you interpret for, it can be EXTREMELY hard to get a day off or even a vacation. When you read on their website, they say that they offer quarterly bonus. That bonus is heavily dependent upon your attendance and not your work ethic. It is completely backwards. Please only apply here if it is the last resort because if you are an ambitious individual, you will feel like you're rotting away. If you do have to work here, keep on looking for a better opportunity; do not get comfortable here!
