US Coast Guard Reviews

Pros

You get good benefits, you get to travel, advancement, medical, dental, vision, retirement plan, college, tuition assistance, MGIB, housing benefits.

Cons

You will always need to relocate, no geographical stability, slow advancement, weight requirements, early work hours, duty, getting underway, advancement process.

Pros

Great benefits, the benefits are worth it alone to sacrifice 4 years. Also a great experience. Once you finish your tour if you don't make a career out of it you will be very proud.

Cons

The hours can be very tough depending on what unit you are stationed at. On a land unit you would typically run a Port/Starboard schedule, which has its own pros and cons.

Advice to Senior Management

Its totem pole ranking, which pretty much will go by how much responsibility and respect you will recieve. The higher ranked the more respect.

Pros

Health benefits. Paychecks. Job security.

Cons

promotion based on time in service rather than performance.

Pros

Job stability for todays economy.

Cons

Senior management not communicating with lower level, integrity is not present in most senior management, favortism is a general practice for awards and time off.

Pros

The Coast Guard is a great job to experience new and exciting things. You learn leadership and fellowship. Great benefits and opportunities for education.

Cons

You have to be very flexible, you may go into work in the morning and not return home for weeks. You may work very late hours and change shifts. You have to move every four years.

Advice to Senior Management

You're people aren't disposable stop treating them that way

Pros

Military benefits, opportunities to interact with other military and govt organizations. Access to White House events.

Cons

Current building and future building site not in a good location for many reasons (transportation, parking, crime, etc)

Advice to Senior Management

Provide opportunities for employees of all levels to submit improvement ideas to senior management.

Pros

Stable job
Training
Education
Benefits
Great teamwork projects.
Entrusted to make decisions
Chance for leadership challenges.
As much travel as you want to do.

Cons

If you are looking for geographic stability or a boring job, this is not for you.
Once you near the end of your career (retirement), you realize that you may have gotten out earlier and been very competitive on the outside.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue (or change to) to challenge your junior workforce -they are tomorrow's leaders of the Coast Guard.
Do not lose sight of the importance of training & education within the CG.

Pros

Brotherhood, from the Commandant to the newest boot camp grad. Leadership positions early on, especially compared to other branches. Depending on your rate (job), you can be set up for a career outside of the CG better then a college degree could. Deployments are often shorter (although more frequent), and to better locations, then other services.

Cons

Deployments, although a pro above, does not change the fact that you can be away and out of contact with your friends/family you left behind for months at a time. For the first few months/years, your pay is pretty low.

Advice to Senior Management

We're still Coasties in my book, not sure why we had to suddenly become Guardians, Shipmate?

Pros

Work life balance, job security

Cons

Government bureaucracy can limit productivity and creativity

Pros

Builds character, gives you responsibilities and will provide you with 20 years of employment.

Cons

Long hours, separation from family.

Advice to Senior Management

Don't make changes for the sack of change.