Pros
This would be a great place to start an IT career because you can be hired with no experience into the call center. They look for eager young individuals who are either just out of school, or simply need work. The starting salary is low for NYC, but there is promise to move up within the company; out of the call center, and into the other departments. There are half-day Fridays and barbecues in the summer months. There is also pizza provided every Friday by the management. Casual Fridays can also happen a few times a year. The people you work with can start to feel like a family, and it is a comfortable and very friendly environment. Due to the challenges here, there will be a stronger appreciation for growth once you reach the next level in your career path. This will help you build a strong work ethic and test your patience and ability to deal with stress, which makes you a resilient employee.
Cons
There are a handful of formal training sessions that are held with every group of new hires, but most of your knowledge is learned while working in actual client production systems. The rest is learned by asking others. Documentation on the product is poor, which makes working alone very difficult. Supporting the product is challenging, as each new version deployed is very buggy. You do not get the chance to develop long lasting relationships with your team, as individuals are often moving to different positions or leaving the company. There is a mandatory on-call (after hours) duty that is rotated on a weekly basis with poor compensation. There is a mandatory night shift duty that runs on an 8 week rotation, where only one technician is expected to complete all tasks. There is a mandatory weekend shift that is assigned on a rotation. Overtime is offered, but only when the incident count is high. There is no telecommuting allowed, though employees have remote access to their machines. Parking is free, but only available in an unpaved and unlit outdoor vacant lot across the street from the office, as the company lot is only large enough for management. Lunch is unpaid, and there are two strict 15 minute breaks. You are not allowed to have your phone on your desk or use your phone at your desk during working hours. You are not allowed to browse the internet without management's prior approval. There is no break room and lunch must be taken out of the office, or at your own desk. You are not allowed to throw food garbage in your own receptacle as they are not regularly emptied. You are expected to clean up after yourself and take out your own garbage. Your performance is based very closely on the volume of incidents you close, and less on your quality of work. Raises and reviews are once annually, and are typically lackluster.
