Pros
-Not micromanaged. Getting the job done is the most important part. If you can be trusted to get things done on time and correctly you will do better than others. -Not stuck in one place. Lots of opportunities to move around (leadership position or to different departments). Good experience in the oil/gas industry. -The majority of people get an office. After seeing many different companies this is not very common...most other companies have lots of cubical for certain positions but not at Oxy. -Occidental hires high quality employees so it is nice working with people that are driven and know what they are talking about. This includes hiring experienced workers and also college graduates from many different universities. Usually companies stick to one or two universities to recruit at but its obvious they recruit at many universities to find the best potential future employee. -Not in downtown. Location of the Houston office is great. Food available in the plaza level for lunch (not free but convenient)
Cons
-Lots of changes in every area. Occidental rewards workers that make their positions more efficient but at the same time its hard for workers to do that when they are in a new position all the time. Some people end up happy with the change since they get a better position...others are not so lucky. This doesn't really help employee moral. Regular employees are constantly questioning management about most major decisions. I guess thats how it is at most companies but its seen here quite a bit. -Vacation and time off isnt great. Its not a reason not to work here but its a con. Also, gym memberships are not paid for by the company like most others that are similar. -Most open positions are not listed online. Like most companies, it helps to know someone. Not always the best idea. Occidental could probably hire some highly qualified people if they would just post more positions that are open. -Quite a few people have been fired recently. I'm not saying it wasnt for good reason but it has definitely made everyone nervous. I don't think fear is such a great motivator so hopefully this doesnt become the norm because I think more and more people will be looking for other jobs if it does. (Mostly since they wont want to be stuck with nothing if they do end up getting fired).