Countrywide Financial – “Solid company for your first professional job.”

Pros

Countrywide provides a solid benefits package and gives employees the opportunities to learn new skills and interact with a good group of coworkers in the Texas facilities. Countrywide is a good starting point for people out of college, with a somewhat lower than average compensation structure they give many younger employees good entry opportunities before moving on to hiring paying employers. Additionally, the company encourages employees to take on new opportunities and to learn new skills (granted this very rarely increases compensation). The opportunity to grow your skill set is very good here, but advancing your career in this top heavy company is unlikely.

Cons

While I have only been with the company a few years, the difference between the corporate culture and how upper management deal with lower employees now and when I started is vastly different. What used to be a good company to work for with a engaged staff has turned into a bitter environment plagued by finger pointing and indecision.

Advice to Senior Management

Remember where you came from. With such a large amount of senior management having started in low level, front line positions the unappreciative and condescending attitude of much of the senior management staff is puzzling to say the least. Also, the company should look at ways to even out the management breakdown between California and Texas. Departments keeping 75% of management in California, but having less than 40% of their total employees there seems to be the norm here.