Take job as last possible option
Pros
The company culture is very good in the sense that everyone you work with is very nice, helpful, respectful, and friendly. Also, it is very difficult to be fired, so job security is very good.
Cons
-BE AWARE, CHARLOTTE IS A CALL CENTER. Don't let them lead you think anything different -Pay is at least $20,000 less than you can make in the same job at similar investment firms. For entry level college grads, compensation is not negotiable. When HR and Manager are told about the pay difference they say its because the believe in "total compensation" meaning they think the benefits cover for the pay discrepancy. We had many colleagues leave to go to other firms in the industry and they confirmed the benefits are equal if not better elsewhere, so "total compensation" is not legitimate. -There is nowhere to advance career-wise in the NC office. After speaking to managers in PA, they said it almost impossible to switch from NC to PA into a new role, that it was easier to get a job when coming from outside VG. This to say, don't start in NC thinking you can work your way up the ladder, you're just wasting time. -They have a corporate CFP, CFA program, but you have to stay up to 3 years after you complete it to not pay anything back. Those 3 years (and the years spent getting the designations) will be at the lowest rungs of the call center. Once you have the designation there is no promise or increased possibility that you will move to a new or higher job. I have multiple coworkers who were turned down for Personal Advisor jobs when they have their CFP only to realized they hired people that didn't have the designation yet. The CFA is useless in NC, as there are no financial analyst jobs here (and as mentioned above, it is impossible to move from NC to PA) -Like I mentioned previously, this is a call center. You will be in a cubical, and will be expected to take calls back to back everyday for at least 7.5 hours. You will be look down on if you take breaks (even though you are given 30 minutes a day for break time) and a manager will be watching you (electronically) to make sure you are taking calls back to back. -The are very picky about how you say things, beyond what regulation requires, and you will get in trouble every time you say something that is not exactly like their script. -You start with 18 days PTO (Paid Time off) which is great, until you realize this includes sick days as well. Sick days are considered unexcused PTO, and if you get 3 in a rolling 6 month period you get in a lot of trouble and could be fired. This is not so much a problem for recent college grads, but is a huge problem for parents because they have a hard time getting off if their children are sick, and if they do take off they get in trouble. -NC is so understaffed it is almost impossible to use any of the PTO unless you have a wedding, funeral, or some other large life event. I have been in some situation when I am in a wedding and need a day off and they wouldn't allow it, so I had to take a unexcused PTO, which to me is completely ridiculous. People shouldn't feel bad for having to miss work to be in a wedding, especially when you work in a call center and are completely expendable.
