Caltrans Reviews

Pros

You can come in any time you want. No restrictions on how long you stay or commit to the program. Very flexible. Nice coworkers and supervisors. Opportunity to be exposed to various day to day operations of Caltrans engineers. Casual environment. Frequent potlucks.

Cons

Not enough work sometimes. Sit around a lot of the time. Sometimes work given is very basic and does not benefit you in reaching your career goals. A lot of administrative duties given (depends where you work). Volunteer program needs more coordination and organization.

Advice to Senior Management

Set up an official volunteer program curriculum to expose unpaid volunteers to Caltrans operations in all the departments.

Pros

The benefits are great. The benefits I'm referring to are medical, dental, retirement, vacation leave benefits, sick leave, etc.

Cons

We were furloughed back in 2008 & STILL not back to what our original salary was back in 2007. We were cut 5% when furloughed. Furloughs are over but our salary is still below what it was BEFORE the furloughs.

Caltrans is divided into 12 geographical districts. We're one department with 12 different ways of doing things. There's absolutely NO consistency throughout Caltrans, each district wants to do things THEIR way.

People that are on the lower end of the pay scale do more work than higher-paying positions. There's no upward mobility, even though they say there is.

When people who are inefficient or lazy are reported, often times supervisors agree with the complainant but then do nothing to address the problem.

Advice to Senior Management

encourage your more productive employees to seek advancement.

Pros

good projects and lots of information

Cons

too much politics and perosnality conflicts

Advice to Senior Management

more indians and less chiefs

Pros

Many interesting projects
Many good people
Flexibility and autonomy if you work hard and show initiative
Statewide opportunities.
Multi-disiplinary work environment - unending challenges if you seek them out.

Cons

Pay has not kept up with private sector or inflation over the past 25 years.
Too many bureaucrats who don't help.
Caltrans is made scapegoat by public and elected officials, often when not to blame. (There is plenty to blame on Caltrans, but often missed.)

Advice to Senior Management

Lead, follow or retire. Take responsibility or take up golf (i.e., retire - don't tee off on state time!).
Bring in fresh blood to oversee troubled divisions within Caltrans.

Pros

Work-life balance
reasonable salary
great benefits
pay for PE

Cons

Little room for advancement
Bureaucratic system

Advice to Senior Management

Need better way to incentivize employees to achieve

Pros

good benefits
good compensation
good sharing of knowledge

Cons

There is limited opportunity for advancement

Pros

Unique setting that offers the opportunity to learn a broad array of property-related skills and more. Some members of the staff and management are decent, friendly, competent people. Working hard and playing ball may get noticed and rewarded. Average benefits & pay, especially when you reach Associate level. Lots of paid holidays. Reliable merit pay increases, vacation, and sick time. State vehicles to drive. Nice building with a credit union and cafeteria on the ground floor.

Cons

Many agents leave for better-paying jobs with counties or cities. If you're not interested in the technical aspects of property assessment, you'll be bored. The Right of Way Manual is about as dense and dry as it gets. There are some bad apples, dead wood, and incompetents among staff and management. Trust and morale are not high. Creativity and proactivity are not necessarily rewarded. Budget cuts make training, advancement, and new hiring opportunities few and far between.

Pros

Provides an opportunity to learn and practice a variety of real estate skills at levels of experience not available anywhere else.

Cons

The quality of the work and the level of experience of the management staff has greatly declined as has the number of experienced and qualified staff in the department.

Pros

Benefits : Health Care, Dental, Pension, and Vision.

Cons

No respect for those with real abilities.Management would have the unproductive, slothful,complainers rule with lies.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop pandering to the cry babies and judicial personal jealousies against productive employees! You are destroying CalTrans! SHOW SOME RESPECT!

Pros

- You will be exposed to some of the coolest infrastructure/bridge projects!
- Senior engineers are very willing to help you
- You room for promotions and educational reimbursements if you want to do the EIT/PE or such.

Cons

- As a government unit there are rules and procedures (which is OK as well)

Advice to Senior Management

- Know your employees on a personal level which I experienced. Great job.