First Student reviews

3.7

68% would recommend to a friend

(120 total reviews)

John Kenning

73% approve of CEO

64% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

120 reviews

Reviews about "Culture"

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1.0
Jun 24, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They will hire anyone do don’t stress about the interview

Cons

You’re just a warm body. They don’t care about you or your career. You’ll work for free for at least a month - don’t expect a paycheck because you’re not hired until you get your CDL. Even once you pass, there’s no guarantee you’ll get a job do you could have thrown away a full month of work for nothing. The bonus and training pay are a joke. Your first payment should be when you get your CDL permit, but 30 days later, nobody at First Student knows how to get the check cut. There was lots of talk about securing “cripples” and the overall driving ability of “those Somalis” that are “everywhere” in classroom training. Behind the wheel was so poorly structured that I couldn’t say from one day to the next when I’d be at my day job. It was clear that the company’s culture is one in which the company owns the employees’ time and doesn’t even have the respect for them to plan ahead and be consistent in the training. If I hadn’t gone into this as a part time job and if I didn’t set my own schedule, I’d be homeless and starving before I finished training. Now that I have, there are no hours though (something the don’t mention in the interview) and, if I quit, they pull my CDL because they sponsored it. Yet another way First Student demonstrates their ownership of drivers and even noted that they failed to disclose during the interview. The moral: run as far away as you can and do it as fast as you can.

3.0
May 15, 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The safety staff and trainers are awesome...very knowledgeable. Co-workers are pretty awesome and everybody gets along well enough. This is the perfect job for retirees, moms who don't have to work to support the household, or full time college students who take most of their classes online. Free continuing education courses are offered online for employees, but there is no clear discourse regarding how to find them or sign up.

Cons

You're obligated to work for First Student for 6 months if they help you get your CDL. If you try to leave, they will cancel your CDL. What this amounts to is a commitment from the driver to work a split shift during the week without considering other opportunities for full time employment. You'll earn part time pay for a minimum of six months with First Student. Money: $15/hr to start, regardless of experience, with 20-25 hours per week. The split schedule doesn't allow for another well paying full time job. There is no flexibility. Not many am only or pm only routes available to allow you to commit to another company. You get paid every 2 weeks, and direct deposit takes two months to go into effect. Training can take 4-6 weeks, or longer, depending on availability of the trainers and how well things are coordinated. Training pay goes on your 1st check, which can be 2-3 weeks after your first shift as a driver. Plan ahead and go into this job with plenty of money saved and the bills paid. Advancement opportunities for salaried positions seem to be very limited, and they will hire from outside before promoting a driver.

1.0
Mar 20, 2018

Unprofessional

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You get trained for free

Cons

No communication, completely missleading for me.

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