General Motors

I was hired during my senior year of college to work at the Austin IT office. I like cars, and GM's offer was higher than a couple of others I received, so I was excited to start!

As an entry-level employee, you get to work on real projects that contribute to the company. If you have the drive and determination, you can get recognition and earn some extra money!

The pay is good for entry-level hires. For your first 3 years, you get 4.4% increases every 6 months, as long as you don't screw up!

The new college hire program for IT is very luck of the draw. You are assigned to a team based on need and not really your skill set. I came in with Java skills and was assigned to a team to do web development.

Also, some of the managers are better than others, and once you are assigned at random, you don't get to pick. Some of the managers like to micromanage and count bathroom breaks, while others are hands-off and allow you to work from home whenever you like. I got one who was kind of in between, which was fine.

They hire a lot of recent college grads, so if you want to get ahead, you have to bust your butt. There are not a lot of opportunities for advancement, so even if you do bust your butt, it is not guaranteed you will get any promotion. This is the main reason I left.

GM as a whole is a very cheap company, so don't be expecting to be trying out the new cars. There are no free meals, no company-sponsored parties, and no team outings. If they can save a dollar, they will! I often forgot I was working for a car company!

TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES! The CIO, Randy Mott, is old enough to be my grandfather, and it shows. The company is using old tech and old-fashioned office practices. Let your employees revitalize so that it can excel!

Also, LET YOUR EMPLOYEES TEST DRIVE THE CARS! I often forgot I worked for a car company.