CDW Reviews

Pros

Decent work environment. Plenty of projects to sink one's teeth into. Some very accomplished coworkers.

Cons

Inexperienced management & tight constraints on costs. Often inexperienced people are slotted to do work way over their heads. While I believe in stretch opportunities, this has made for some embarassing moments when a customer has looked at one of my inexperienced coworkers sideways.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop the madness - return to your roots building a solid customer base.

Pros

You can accomplish a good work to life balance if you work towards it, but don't expect a lavish salary or any great leadership in senor management. Tons of talent in certain areas, but so many are moving to greener pastures.

Cons

Too top heavy, the senor management doesn't lead by example or practice what they preach.

Advice to Senior Management

Get back on track and stop worrying about nothing but the bottom line.

Pros

I enjoyed almost all of the people that I worked with on my sales team during my time at CDW.

Cons

Senior Management, Director and higher, is stuck in the "when I used to have this job" mentality. They don't have any suggestions to improve except for preaching their own successes in significantly different times.

Advice to Senior Management

Bring in sales coaching instead of "lunch & learns". Hire competent people from outside the company to use sales experiences outside of CDW to perform better in a difficult economy.

Pros

If you work, the money is there.
Benefits are pretty good.
Very flexible work schedule, very solid manager that understands we do have a life.

Cons

Could use some clearer direction, but they are moving in the right direction, it just seems to be slow progress in certain aspects

Advice to Senior Management

Just keep on track to what our goal is and always remember, we have no company without the AM's in the trenches

Pros

great place to work if your in the sales field and want to make good money and grow as a sales person

Cons

the goals when i was there are a little unrealistic and hard to attain a job there after a year for the young sales associate.

Advice to Senior Management

do not make the goals to continue working at the company so hard to attain that it's hard to continue working for cdw

Pros

Hard work/Luck is directly reflected in pay
NO micro management
New Tampa office has limitless opportunities
Smart management always willing to assist

Cons

Luck/Hard work is directly reflected in pay
Prospecting is time consuming and percentage of positive return is slim
Inside/desk job

Advice to Senior Management

Great management down in Tampa
Expect new hires with no sales experience to have no sales experience

Pros

I like the people I work with, and also like that we are not micromanaged and can choose when we can take breaks and lunch .
Lots of resouces on sight
Strong management team-The best teach the best
But it is not a job for everyone.

Cons

Wish that the pay was better! $25K is NO way to make a living in Chicago where cost of living is very expensive.
The cons are alot of cold calling and none of these leads are provided.
The book they give you in the beginning, are mostly terrible accounts.
Management thinks there are all of these new buisness wanting to buy technology
Hearing that it will take 2 years to see ROI

Advice to Senior Management

Don't tell us that in order to be successful we need to be there prospecting 12 hours a day. People have limits and a life outside of CDW

Pros

Constant perks - food - giveaways - shirts - etc.
Plenty of flexibility to attend local events and industry conferences.

Cons

Organizational structure sometimes separates groups that need to work more closely together.
Lack of expertise in important markets.
Flexible residency requirements can encourage too much travel.

Advice to Senior Management

Fill open positions faster!
Focus more on services.
Publish more blogs / whitepapers for public consumption.
Cooperate more with "the community" - user groups, events, etc.

Pros

Relaxed atmosphere. Lots of engineers to collaborate with and learn from. Excellent management.

Cons

Seriously low pay and benefits get worse almost every year.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't stop with the market pay adjustments in addition to the annual raises until our pay equals that of other companies or it will be hard to retain experienced talent.

Pros

The only thing that is making me happy right now here at CDW is that the vendors are spending more money towards contests and trips that you can win. My pay check over the last 7 years has dropped due to accounts being taken or moved.

Cons

The managers don't know what they are doing half of the time. I have a manager who has been with CDW for less than 3 years and this is their 1st job out of college. The pay sucks and I am back to making the money that I 1st made when I started with the company 7 years ago.

Advice to Senior Management

Like everyone else posts on this site, you need to treat the sales reps with more respect and better pay. We are the ones who are making money for the company to pay your paycheck. Also, you need to trim down on how many managers/directors there are. I feel like I am in the movie "Office Space." Every month someone is being promoted to some new job position that was created out of thin air.