Pros
- Ingram is #1 in the world and will be in business a long time (stability) - If you perform well, and you navigate your career carefully (stay away from "special projects"), you can succeed there for a long time - You can get overall general management experience very early in your career compared to other places. - Strong promote-from-within culture - many companies just poach talent outside
Cons
- Perpetually understaffed due to low margin model of distribution (ie a lot of work for current employees) - Low starting salaries and weak entry-level recruitment = spotty talent at the lowest levels. The best rise up, but often the "best" are only okay compared to other companies - Tremendous travel at director and above level, since staffing levels are low - Economic model makes new investment and initiatives tough. Ingram does well versus other big distributors, but struggles in new initiatives compared to specialty distributors.