Ford

As a large manufacturing company, Ford has many positions to offer, and therefore allows one to segue into various areas in order to round out their experience or to find a position that fulfills one's needs, wants, and expectations, and provides a sense of accomplishment.

There is an opportunity in some areas, not all, to achieve work-life balance by telecommuting or working an alternative work schedule.

The Christmas holiday is about 10 days and allows one to recharge at year-end.

The current economic conditions make Ford Motor a tenuous place to work. There have been three steady years of downsizing and restructuring, which makes it difficult and stressful. There are many cliques, and in many instances, it is not what you know, but who you know.

In your efforts to downsize, look at all people's experience and capabilities when eliminating positions, as opposed to setting quotas for various sections, departments, or divisions. Many who are eliminated could have been able to better fill positions when restructuring activities begin than those who remain because of length of service in an area or their years' performance review.