Pros
3-month's continued pay to find another job following the second failure of an examination board. Trainers work with you to get you certified. Some Control Room Operators provide the necessary constructive feedback to improve your level of knowledge and proficiency. Most Managers On Duty (MOD) provide constructive criticism when you engage them. All Control Room Operators want to "Own" their position for the day to maximize their hands-on training, but they won't tell you this.
Cons
Control Room Operators and Supervisors discuss new hires and generate preconceptions before meeting them all the while doing this in front of the other Associates (System Operators in training). They belittle other Associates when they are not around in front of the other Associates. Control Room Operators provide minimal training, expecting the Training Department to have provided all the necessary training. Training is broken up between the simulator (switching or emergency response) and the Control Room (practical application of non-emergency operations), providing piecemeal training, making proficiency at any particular job difficult. It is taken by default by the Control Room that you are exposed to everything (which is not the case) after a certain time and are shocked when told otherwise. Items that are constituted as Critical Failures in processes are minimally reinforced/discussed and are only a problem when you make the mistake. The lack of constant re-enforcement and inconsistent proficiency may impact your certification examinations. Some Control Room Operators will openly berate you in front of the entire Control Room when you make a mistake, with no interjection by the Manager on Duty (MOD), displaying poor leadership skills when it comes to correcting errors. There is no clear guidance on how to do most operations. There are too many inconsistencies when it comes to operational standards, which provides maximum flexibility but causes friction between Associates and Operators when Associates ask about the inconsistencies. When participating in Simulation training, the complexity varies based on the trainer and qualification/certification boards will be more complex and difficult than any simulation prior. Post qualification/certification board feedback will include individual evaluator constructive feedback that should have been covered while you were training for the role over the months prior. This feedback, of course, varies on the evaluator and is inconsistent. While it is good feedback, you should have learned it before the final evaluation at the Reliability Desk, as it will be minimally reinforced as your qualified position (Switching Desk) will not leverage most of these skills and you will only be filling the role of "Reliability" minimally (e.g., three days over a year).