Good for coasting, not good for career growth - Marketing CarGurus Employee Review

3.0
10 Feb 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Obviously, all pre-COVID: - nice perks: free catered lunch, nice open office, coffee & snacks, subsidized parking/T passes, parental leave, etc. - Generally nice people to work with and an energetic company overall - Big name in the Boston tech scene, so nice resume recognition - Increase in ERGs was a welcome change and gave specific groups within the organization a lot more voice

Cons

I was at CG for a little over 1.5 years and in my time there I saw 0 opportunity for advancement within my team. Some middle managers were held to higher standards than others. Unfortunately, and I hate to say it, female middle managers had a sharper microscope on their strategies. I went a whole year with 0 goals to work towards and my requests for setting KPIs/goals also fell on deaf ears. Even if I wanted to move up to a new role, I had nothing to measure against besides my own self-imposed goals. Any 360 feedback given to managers at review time fell on deaf ears. I never saw any improvement or addressing of the issues within a team or department. The work is as a whole, uninteresting. CG is an advertising company parading as a tech company. That's been made very clear over the last 2 years as competitors & Facebook Marketplace has eaten into their marketshare. Many of the marketing and sales messages developed were just regurgitations of the same messages developed 1-2+ years prior. Nothing innovative or interesting to share with dealers, and it hurt us. If you're looking for an easier job to coast in, CG is for you. If you're looking for a growth trajectory or career advancement, the work is simply not challenging or interesting enough to get you there. And management doesn't help you get there either.

avatar
CarGurus Response
5y
Thank you for this direct and honest feedback. As part of our company-wide initiatives, we’re continuously working to improve our overall employee engagement and acknowledge that further defining our career paths and development is a crucial part of this work. Although we’re far from perfect, we do encourage all employees to have ongoing conversations with their managers and HR Business Partners around personal and even external career development. Additionally, we offer Gurus multiple internal career development sessions with our Learning and Development team, and company reimbursed external learning opportunities for further self-development. - Andrea Eldridge, Chief People Officer

Explore other reviews about CarGurus

5.0
15 Jun 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible workplace that prioritizes professional and personal development. Amazing office and perks that motivate you to come to the office. Culture is strong, people work hard and support each other.

Cons

Sometimes unclear career progression opportunities.

5.0
14 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Having completed my first three months as a Senior Engineering Manager, my experience has been very positive so far. Excellent Culture: The organization fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive culture where people are encouraged to share ideas, challenge assumptions, and work together toward common goals. Leadership is approachable, and there is a strong focus on transparency and continuous improvement. Great Team: I have had the opportunity to work with a highly talented, knowledgeable, and supportive team. Everyone is willing to help, share expertise, and contribute to collective success, making onboarding and collaboration seamless. Technology-Forward and Innovation-Driven, The company embraces modern technologies and remains technology-agnostic, selecting the best tools and platforms for the problem at hand rather than being tied to specific vendors. The organization is proactive in exploring emerging technologies, including cloud, platform engineering, and AI, which creates an exciting environment for learning and innovation. Overall, my first three months have reinforced that this is a great place to grow professionally while working on meaningful and technically challenging initiatives.

Cons

The hybrid work model requires employees to be in the office three days per week, which may not suit everyone. However, I personally appreciate the opportunity to collaborate face-to-face, build relationships, and connect with colleagues. Combined with the office perks and supportive environment, I do not currently have any major cons to report.

See reviews by: Helpful|Rating|Date|All