A Fantastic, Fast-Paced Learning Experience - If That's What You Really Want
Pros
I've worked at DPS for 14 years. In 2006, with $278 in my bank account and rent looming on the horizon, I responded to a newspaper ad looking for a "Techical Writer to write user manuals & promotional material" at an unnamed company. I called the number and scheduled an appointment. As it remains today, our interview process was rigorous then. I had turned off my cell phone to avoid disrespectful interruptions. After 5 hours of radio silence, my parents convinced themselves that their recent college graduate had been quickly rejected by DPS and was now wandering the streets in despair and refusing to answer incoming calls. In truth, I was taking a few computer-based tests and interviewing with multiple people. One manager was busy, so he gave me $20 to go get lunch for an hour (that was 7% of my net worth, remember!). I came back, had my last interview, and got an offer. The starting wage, as others have noted here, wasn't particularly thrilling. The printed Monster.com salary estimate I had brought with me (based largely on jobs in major metros where rents are 3x Fresno) started burning a hole in my pocket. I'm still not sure precisely what motivated me back then, but I accepted the offer. I started working for the Engineering Director writing user manuals and promo material. Later that month, I learned how to write and send our email newsletter. Having proved myself somewhat capable with HTML, I began updating pages on our website. To analyze web traffic, I learned SQL to query our database for information. To modify the website more deeply, I learned server-side scripting (PHP). My advancing web skills meant I could write internal reports for the various DPS departments (ex. how fast are orders being shipped?). Today, I think of myself as a "white blood cell". I go to where the problems are and whip things back into shape. I've learned how the water jet in our metal shop works, optimizing it to cut smoother and faster. I've worked on the SMT machines that put parts onto our circuit boards. I traveled to New York when a client was having trouble, knocked out their list of concerns, visited several other clients in the area, and flew back to California triumphantly. In summary, I now have an AMAZING set of skills for a resume that I hope I never need to update. My annual income is a combination of a base wage that was and will remain low, ample overtime hours, and quarterly bonuses that are now more than half of my total pay (that lofty Monster.com salary estimate would thoroughly disappoint me now). It's amazing what 13 years and a 4% employer match will do to your 401k balance. I've visited about 20 US states, plus Canada, to host trainings and visit DPS clients. That's a pretty wild leap for a kid who walked in the door with $278 to his name. If DPS is the right fit for you, it's an excellent experience. If you want to work hard, learn new things, and grow your skills, you'll get that from the very first day. Some people do that for a few months or a few years, taking everything they learned to wherever else they decide to go. Others, like me, make a career at DPS.
Cons
At DPS, our hiring process is rigorous. We run lots of tests and interviews to ensure you have a reasonable chance of success. Doing anything else wastes our time and yours. Once you start, we challenge you quickly to see if you'll keep moving forward when you encounter obstacles. Some people do, and many others don't. As a result of this high selectivity, the majority of people who interview at DPS are not hired. Of those who do start, a significant percentage decide that DPS is not for them within a few weeks. That, of course, means that there is a sizeable, motivated, and perfectly honest group of people who didn't really enjoy their interaction with DPS. As with most things, one person's cherished "pro" is another's lamented "con".
