Pros
I chose to join the Engineering Development Program (EDP) after graduating and it was the best decisions of my career. John Deere is a wonderful place to work with incredible employees that are committed to delivering quality products and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. The company is very family-oriented so that leads to flexible working hours and opportunities to volunteer and engage outside of work. The EDP program is great because you start working with a cohort of new graduates so even though it was scary moving to a new town in the Midwest, I made friends and a support network very quickly and there were social and development committees in the program that ensured that all EDPs had a quality experience. This is by far one of the best rotational programs for new engineers and they give you a variety of options for your rotations where you are challenged, respected, and prepared to become a full-time engineer. I feel like I am a part of a community at John Deere and I'm so glad I'm not in a toxic, cutthroat environment that I saw at other companies. People come here to work and stay because the company values its people above everything else.
Cons
The locations are pretty remote and limited. The Quad Cities and Cary are probably the best places to work geographically. The pay is also average for a large industrial company. Upper management needs to listen and invest in young talent especially as we try to globalize. Things are slow to change and modernize.