Pros
Worked at Southern Company and Georgia Power full-time (More than a year) Pros Great place to work in terms of coworkers. Very friendly environment, even though work force is on average older. People here are very proud of the company and its history. Most employees have been here 6+ years and take great pride in their work and time spent here. At first impression, it seems the Company is highly invested in employee development, with mentor programs and employee resource groups. They have several Mentor programs, rotational opportunities and student of the business learning sessions to see and learn about different areas of the business.
Cons
Work-life balance is a sham. At first it may seem that the hours are reasonable, but slowly more and more work is dumped on you. Upward advancement is very difficult and takes a very long time (less than half the pace of other companies). The culture places heavy emphasis on word of mouth and networking. The company doesn't invest in developing and growing its employees. They are seen as worker bees while those at manager levels and above rotate and take on different opportunities. Networking, mentoring and rotational opportunities are quite limited at non-management levels once you really start to understand the Company and its culture. If you are interested in advancing your career and taking on leadership roles, I would not recommend Southern Company. If you want a 9-5 job, put your head down and stay a worker bee, then this place is for you. The company also doesn't encourage diversity (age, outside work experience, race, gender) nor does it value differing opinions.