Pros
Stride & Associates is a great place to get kick your career off if you are interested in real business, sales/ marketing and relationship/client building. This company has a unique population of younger professionals who are interested in entrepreneurship. The training program and hands-on introduction to the way businesses operate in the "real world" is easily in the upper echelon of what most other companies can offer to entry level candidates. The company only hires entry level so the environment is upbeat, energetic and fun. Don't be mistaken though, this isn't an immature group of people. The best analogy I can give is that the teams they work in are like an AP class or varsity sports team. They know how to balance hard/smart work and having fun while maintaining a professional and goal oriented atmosphere.
If you consider yourself more mature than most of your peers or just naturally consider yourself more competitive and goal oriented than most of your friends then Stride & Associates offers a unique opportunity to not only get into a lucrative business but also gain training so that you can take on a leadership role within 2 years.
Stride also offers a base salary throughout your career at all levels (including commission roles), great benefits at a very cheap monthly price and 401k.
Average 1st year income is between $40,000 - $50,000 easily through the merit based raises gained. Six-figure incomes are a lay-up after your first promotion if the hard work that got you the promotion continues.
Promotions within the first 14 months are not unusual here.
If you want to work for a company where bureaucracy is null and void, then this is the company. It's all about hard work, growth and merit at Stride, which gives everyone a fair chance to create the kind of career and income they desire. You can't say the same at most other companies.
Cons
As I mentioned in the Pros section, this company does not provide the ideal opportunity for everybody. The "Pro's" for some people are "Con's" for others and I think thats where some of the negative reviews come from. You often hear, " an opportunity is what you make of it" and that is 100% true at Stride. Just go out and get it!