International Paper – “Great company. Don't start you career at corporate.”

Pros

IP has sent me to all parts of the US. I have worked on several different projects that allowed me to take ownership and receive credit for the work that I accomplished. IP has been understanding and supportive when I needed them to be. The pay seems to be on par with other careers. Upper management is accessible and as friendly as I would expect an executive to be. I am very satisfied working for IP.

Cons

Relocation is a necessity if you want to move up in the company. You could just stay at corporate, but, unless you have prior experience in the field, you are only going to move up so far before you level out.

Advice to Senior Management

I think senior management has done a good job managing IP. I would recommend that the value of a person if the field is worth a lot at the end of the day. Consolidation and complexing is good to a point, but like everything else, you can have too much of a good thing. Packaging in the US is not a growth market. Contine to retain customers and treat them properly. If IP is going to be a cashflow company, we need to take care of our equipment, our employees, and our customers.