Worked with great people! Not geared for an older worker; too focused on youth, and not much value placed on experience.
Pros
The best reason to work for SolarCity was the passion of the organization towards providing clean energy for all who want it. It's a cause after my own heart. The general working atmosphere was very good.
Cons
I accepted a position that I was overqualified for, based on my experience and education. I was fine with that, because it came with the assurance that upward mobility was a viable option. I was willing to pay my dues, because I wanted to be involved in the solar industry. I received awards while at SolarCity, based on my measurable performance. A few months into my employment, I overheard a group of management personnel, from my division, laughing about how they would rather promote a younger worker than an older worker. It was along the lines of not being able to teach an old dog new tricks. I was offended, to say the least. I was sitting in the same room at the time. I reported the incident to my manager, and moved on. I applied for several management positions within the company, that I was completely qualified for. I did not move past the recruiter phase. I was told I was "not the right fit." This was an experience I have not encountered in the business world, outside of SolarCity. I witnessed such poor management techniques at the lower level of the organization. Youth and enthusiasm was the key to upward mobility. Clearly, they needed some additional people and management training. I have been a very successful sales manager and sales trainer in the past. They clearly were not interested in what I could contribute to the organization. The department I worked in went through some layoffs last year, and I was a target of that action. I can accept that as a business decision; however, I was laid off ahead of others without my education, experience, or performance level. The primary difference is that the others in my division are under 40. When I was laid off, I was called into a meeting with an HR rep and a manager. They spent the first several minutes discussing the wonderful vacation that one of them had just returned from. They then turned to me, and let me know I no longer had a job. It boggles my mind how someone with HR training doesn't know how to be more professional than that, and that goes for management, as well. It goes back to people skills and proper management/HR training.
