Pros
I am working as a Storage Consultant after transitioning from Active Duty in the USMC. I was awarded a White House Training Scholarship during my transition from Active Duty and that, in-the-end, led me to find PGTEK. If you are interested in further details of the program I used, please see my Linkedin Profile for additional information: linkedin /andrewjmarsh Over the past year, working for PGTEK has been great. I have the best work/life balance I've ever experienced. In my current position, I work about 2 weeks on the road (leave Monday, come back Friday with all expenses to company AMEX the moment I step out of the door), the other two weeks are spent working from home. PGTEK is a fairly small organization with Technical Professionals based all over the U.S. Most of us travel 50-75% of the time, some positions less, some more; it always depends on the customer you are supporting. Typically you are working with a new customer once a week, but we also have some scenarios where you may stay with one customer for 6+ months (called residencies). Personally I prefer the "small" company feel because you are never a number, you are known by name. You will typically be interviewed by, and report directly to our Vice President. The VP works with and hires only the best talent and potential in the industry, so you can rest assured in a few key things while working for PGTEK. One: you will work hard, you will be placed in scenarios that set you up for success, but force you to grow, and two: you will be treated as a professional. In this job there is no one looking over your shoulder, or micromanaging your work. The only critiques of your work are your customer, with that amazing amount of freedom, comes a lot of responsibility. Your success is in your ability to please your customer, sink or swim. This leads to amazing job satisfaction for me, because I have freedom to do things my way (as long as customer agrees), and can work aggressively to achieve results. In a nutshell, if stay in project scope, and ensure the customer is happy, you and PGTEK succeed. I work in the "Data Center Group" (PGTEK also has Geo Spatial Intel Analysts, but they are a completely separate half of the company). We have experts in areas such as: Storage Area Networks, Virtualization, Blade Servers, FC/IP Networking, and related niche areas. I wasn't an expert in these areas when PGTEK hired me. They provided me time, funding, and shadowing opportunities to train aggressively and learn fast. Lots of my training was at home on my own time, but I was also sent (all expenses paid) to a 6 week boot camp for a big vendor to receive top-of-the-line immersion training. It is not important that you come in knowing everything, it IS important that you have a solid foundation (Basic Networking, Computer Hardware, etc.), a passion to grow where planted, and a motivation to accept and conquer new challenges. You may be asked to train and achieve certificates from home during weeks where you are unassigned, during these weeks, achieve results, you are being paid to better yourself. If you are disciplined enough to put in the work and achieve certs/skills, then you also reap the rewards of that extra time at home with family. (Company pays all test voucher fees, etc.) Compensation. In my case, PGTEK's salary is competitive. That being said, if salary alone is your motivation to work, I will suggest that PGTEK may not be the best fit for you. If however you want an employer that will compensate you fairly, and also push/enable/encourage you to become better (and in the end more valuable), then PGTEK is where you need to be. I have been loyal to PGTEK and it has in turn been very loyal to me; it acknowledges and rewards those who contribute. -All work related expenses go on company AMEX, so there is no need for reimbursement. The several times I have spent cash, I was reimbursed within two weeks. -Travel booking is ideal, we have a full-time employee that can book whatever you need with a quick email/phone call (no annoying booking system, just real people). I have worked along-side fortune 500 company employees that take over an hour to complete their travel bookings. -Paperwork, you do a weekly report of completed work, and expense reporting. If you spend 15 minutes at the end of each week day, on Friday just click “send”, too easy. -Company will take time to thank you for kudos you receive from customers, and even send some cash for personal events in your life like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. -“severance” and “job security”. PGTEK is a consulting firm, anyone in the consulting world knows that your “severance” is your personal savings, and your “job security” is your ability to achieve results.
Cons
-PTO is a bit on the low side only because if your customer closes you are sometimes forced to use it, but as a solid performer, I have never had a vacation request declined (regardless of PTO balance).
