BMW – “One of the best Intern positions in the world!”

Pros

Top notch people, facilities, and environment to work in. Many opportunities to be part of the coolest processes in Auto-development. Deep wells of theoretical and how-to knowledge. High levels of esteem associated with your work. Amazing benefits package... even for Interns.

Cons

Extremely hierarchical structure. Processes sometimes move VERY slowly. The company's zeal to protect the personal time of workers sometimes hampers productivity. In many projects, it is common to find critical person A out one week for vacation, and once they are back, critical person B is now gone. Nobody needs to necessarily have less personal time, but it seems like some better co-ordination would be good.

Advice to Senior Management

Individual managers can make a huge difference in reducing the barriers of the hierarchical structure without necessarily defying it. Such vertically effective people need to be spread out throughout the company, instead of clumped in clusters.