Pros
The only pro to FDM is if you HAVE NO OPTIONS AT ALL, I am talking like you have had no job for 6 months+ or are incapable of speaking English then use them. That's not a pro. Then it becomes a dire relationship where you have to accept their terrible terms.
Cons
FDM is a company who takes advantage of you by creating a system of modern day IT indentured servitude. -It's a two year contract where you are underpaid drastically. You will make about 32K after taxes. Most of these jobs are 80K+ a year positions and FDM only offers you 43k your first year. Do the math. Go to a recruiter instead. -The clients are not that great. Yes they are well known banks. BUT, you are not in Front Office. So the name doesn't matter. You are essentially a back office IT worker who will be taken advantage of. - They pay you for 8 hours of work a day but anyone who works in Finance knows that no one works 8 hours a day. Its between 9 to 12 hour days plus add in your commute from the suburbs because you will not be able to live in the City you are working in. -Account Managers do not know what they are doing. They do not email you back or have no interest in there jobs. Let's be honest they are placing people in IT jobs. How can anyone be passionate about that? -The training program isn't a real training program. I do not know who gives them these awards but they must be blind. You learn nothing and their trainers are mediocre at best. - The positive reviews here are not from Consultants, this is from management and marketing teams. FDM has to improve their image in order to recruit. There reputation online is terrible and terrible in general as well. They are now a public company so image matters, even if its all lies. -If you are a current Consultant and FDM responds to your reviews asking you to politely to email HR with your "suggestions" -> It's a trap. FDM conducts reviews while you are being "trained." which are not anonymous. One of the trainees in my class gave them a honest assessment, he was called to meet with his trainers who scolded him into submission. Essentially they grilled him on why he wasn't happy with them and kept the door open to dismissing him if he kept it up. ***Now here is the challenge for those of you read this, IF YOU THINK I AM NOT TRUTHFUL, go to LinkedIn, search for former FDM consultants, and ask them if this is the truth or not. MOST OF THEM WILL AGREE WITH THIS. The best way to find out is to research. So ask away. PRO TIP: Learn UNIX command line and Basic SQL online by yourself using tools such as YouTube, W3 schools, Code Academy, and other University sites. Put them on your resume and send to IT recruiters. Say you are looking for entry level positions in Application Support, Business Analysis, Development, and Project management. Most have positions available to them and will be happy to help you. Banks constantly look for young talent in tech. Cut out the middle man.
