Pros
Management Trainees get a significant amount of exposure to senior management that employees who have been at the Bank for years haven't received. Senior management takes an interest in the program and actively try to get more Management Trainees for their divisions. Pay (avg MDP salary is $50k) is decent for Buffalo, NY. Bank culture promotes community investment and involvement and prioritizes work/life balance for most divisions. Position and program is decent for a year post-grad if you don't expect to learn much and are just seeking a position that pays mediocre with a good work-life balance.
Cons
Continuity is seen as a pro-- no room for change or innovation. Very conservative organizational culture. Employees brag about being in the same position at the bank for decades, without seeing how this is the cause of the majority of their cultural and technological problems. Few employees want to learn new systems/technology and Management Trainees are often looked down upon because they often want new technology to keep up with competitors. Millennials are simultaneously the most wanted customer demographic while being blamed for a good deal of the Bank's ills. Pay is low in terms of the market and other geographies outside of Buffalo, NY. Similar positions at other banks would be at least $70k. Western NY placements blatantly favor WNY natives and those with family in the area, which has been confirmed through personal discussions with hiring managers. Most direct managers don't know how to delegate work to Management Trainees, who are often driven, bright recent graduates who have worked in corporate settings before. Easy to be burnt out as a millennial that is looking for room for learning, advancement and company growth; "top talent" and graduates of top schools often leave within 6-12 months.
