Pros
The honeymoon is great. You are promised the world. Best onboarding in the business thanks to some really solid people (and former employees) that have blended together the best of the former BMC/PTC (MEDDPIC) methodology with "Challenger", Sandler and other best of breed sales methodologies. Some literally amazing case studies with customers. Truly groundbreaking business outcomes enabled by differentiated software. Great pay, benefits, stock options, and in general some of the best people out there. Diversified technology - you can literally sell to anyone across an enterprise organization, from finance, to IT, to security, to operations.
Cons
So you've just gotten done reading the Pros and are saying - sign me up!! You should give it a try - maybe you'll be one of the lucky (or chosen) ones. Here are the cons from someone who didn't make it (and btw it's not because of lack of talent, effort, or intangibles - I have the performance reviews and additional unexcersized stock equity awards to prove it - so don't even try to rationalize that argument). With Splunk, it's all about the accounts. Good accounts in strong financial health with dynamic IT leadership? You're good. Everything else? Good luck with that. 1. Politics. You think our current government has issues? The white house has NOTHING on Splunk. The nepotism, favoritism, and flat out backstabbing is like an episode of House of Cards on steroids. The worst part is the main actors in this play pretend they are doing it for the greater good of the company - and they have most people fooled. Until you see through them and then watch out. Accounts are handed out not based on merit, but like a sick game of pin the tail on the donkey while intoxicated. Some tenured reps are taken care of - others are stabbed in the eye. No rhyme or reason. For a data analytics company, the way accounts are doled out is laughable. This leads to a cohort of reps who are 300+%, while others starve, selling to bankrupt companies that were assigned to them (true story). Some reps are given a choice, others are "bought off" with more RSUs to just keep shoveling coal in the furnace while the chosen are strutting above deck sipping martinis. 2. The technology is an overpriced data analytics development platform that requires very solid practitioners in each account to make it successful. Most of your time is spent grooming these champions - when you do it well and get an account off the ground, it is usually pulled from you and given to another rep with more tenure. See #1. 3. I know several former reps who have needed serious counseling after working here. When account assignments and financial success are not correlated with effort or talent like it is at most meritocracies, it really screws with your head. It will take you quite some time to get over working here if you don't make it. Be advised. 4. Micromanagement. The SFDC culture that has taken root will ask you for deal updates every hour. Not kidding. Management likes to sit behind a desk and run SFDC reports - they are not concerned with your individual goals or aspirations. At all. 5. Be careful who you trust and confide in. See #1. Final thought. I have never worked somewhere that I loved and hated in equal amounts at the same time. This place is really screwed up. My advice - if you know someone really well who is hiring you or referring you in, you'll probably be ok. If not - take a look at the accounts you are assigned in your first year. It is only going to get worse from there my friend. So if you start with crap, don't expect that your attitude and hard work will get you anything. The only thing that will matter is if one of those crap accounts has a breach and suddenly they open their checkbook. You look like a hero but it's total chance. Then maybe you'll get trusted with a better account the following year.
