anyone know anyone who has done this? I have a friend who is going to interview for a corporate position, not the MIT stuff. He said he's seen some websites liek Failing enterprise.com as well as reviews on glassdoor.com. but he wants to know if anyone in the NCSU community has any experience working for them

8/6/2010 2:58:37 PM

I tell you one thing, i will never use them again, that whole "Pick enterprise, we'll pick you up" ya thats true, but those asses wont drop you off when you return the car

Their excuse "we cant get on to post (in the army at the time), and its too far away"
Me "How did you pick me up then?"

8/6/2010 10:11:31 PM

WELL THEY NEVER SAID THEY'D DROP YOU OFF DID THEY? NOPE...JUST THAT THEY'D PICK YOU UP.

SO THERE

8/6/2010 10:16:36 PM

IIRC, Nighthawk used to (still does?) work for at least one car rental company.

8/7/2010 1:15:28 AM

^I used to, years ago, and when I went to another sales job I helped out part-time. Since I finally got into the IT field, I haven't looked back.

I was in the ERAC MIT program, and it blew. It was hard work, crappy pay, and the dress requirement is ridiculous. I started my own branch and was promised lots of things when I did this. They never came to fruition because they lied to me and went back on their promises, so that's why I left. For example, I was told that if I built the branch big enough to be a self-sufficient store, I'd become the manager. Then they hired some bitch from Elizabeth City to run it and boss me around. They screwed around with my hours, and travel expenses, but that was the final straw that caused me to jump ship.

The guy from Failing Enterprise had an axe to grind and started that site, but quite a bit of what is posted is accurate information. The upper management guys were often sleeping with the new MTs and lots of promotions were determined less from the matrix numbers and more by who were their drinking buddies and who they were fucking. ERAC is very cult-like in its determination to make you work a shit-ton of hours and then get your to go out drinking with your co-workers. They want you to think that since you dress in a suit and put in 50+ hour weeks that you are on the fast track to success and surround you with other ERACers who bleed green. Family life is not stressed at all, and most of the ERAC corporate events are not family friendly at all.

I understand corporate jobs were very insecure too, and when the economy went south they dumped a LOT of the bloat they had in corporate. But corporate was a slightly better area to work, as you had normal business hours and turnover was usually lower. But it was still very political, and management changes often meant that admin was cleaned out as well. Lots of people were sacked or found themselves looking at forced retirements.

If you want a true measure of ERAC, look at the staff. They are almost all young. NOBODY stays there long. Employees that have been there 10-15 years are almost unheard of. They want you to think its because they are in St. Louis making big bucks, but they don't exist. Also, speak to ANYBODY after ERAC and they will all tell you they are better off now. I certainly am. I can actually take time off around holidays, I'm home much more to see my boys, I have retirement and security, and I make more money working far less hours and don't have to wear a suit and tie. I did learn quite a bit in my time there, and made a few friends. But in general, I don't miss it. I would be very wary about the job, or at least go in knowing that it should be a temporary position that your friend needs to keep only long enough to build their resume and find something better.

8/7/2010 9:47:19 AM

i've got a buddy who runs a branch here in charlotte. He went from an associate position to full branch manager in just over a year. Other than his ridiculous stories about moronic customers he seems to enjoy the job.

8/7/2010 10:28:50 AM

^ that's why i never intend to work another job where i have to deal with the general public. i can't handle how stupid so many people are.

8/7/2010 10:37:06 AM

not defending Enterprise, or any other customer service professions for that matter, but i'm sure you have to deal with some stupid people in your line of work too

8/7/2010 10:45:31 AM

^^ Why I want to get out of the end user part of IT. My clients are almost entirely retards.

[Edited on August 7, 2010 at 10:51 AM. Reason : *]

8/7/2010 10:51:16 AM

^My users in IT now are stupid, but they pale in comparison to the geniuses that come in to rent a car. Frequently high, mentally impaired, etc. etc. Pretty much the scum of the earth were what I got to deal with on a regular basis. I had to call the cops on multiple occasions because of crazies coming in and harassing myself, other employees, etc. Now in IT, I just deal with know it all asshole teachers and public administrators. At least they usually don't come in drunk or high and most smell like they showered within the last 24 hours.

Running a branch is a lot different from being somebodies bitch MT/MA/AM. I was busy at the store I opened as a "BM" but enjoyed it. However, I got none of the perks of being a BM because I was a "satellite" location, so technically the branch manager at the store an hour away was the manager, although he never showed up. I ran it, and enjoyed being my own boss, although I never got the big pay of being a BM. Dealing with stupid ass customers was the only bad thing about it. To elaborate on how I got screwed, my original manager wanted me to open the store and run it. He and the area manager said I would be BM if it ever was changed from a satellite office to a stand alone location. I said fine, as this would directly depend on my performance and operation of the store, and I was sure the area had enough demand. They also said that since I was living about 2 minutes from the current store, though I would move halfway between the 2 stores, that I could use the gas card for driving on my own vehicle, or if I had an extra car on the lot at the end of the day, I could use it. This was usually a BM perk, but it would keep miles off my truck and allow me to not spend more money on this operation, since I was not going to get a pay raise. Then I was also told since my office had fewer hours, that I could count my driving time as my working time and was allowed to be on the clock for lunch. That way I didn't lose hours by working at a branch with a shorter day. I love this shit. I thought I was on the fast track to opening and running my own branch. I quickly got the location to over 50 cars, and was running the branch solo. The management changes ensued, which saw my manager transfer to another region, I got a new area manager and split to a new area, and the new area manager promoted one of his friends to the branch manager job at my store and split it off. Then he complained to the new manager about the hours I worked and me drivign the cars/using the gas card and that all got cut off. My shit wasn't honored, so for me putting my ass on the line by opening a new store, I got a pay cut, had to drive a lot further, and then my position promised to me was given to somebody else. Hence why I bounced as soon as I had something lined up after that.

[Edited on August 7, 2010 at 11:39 AM. Reason : ]

8/7/2010 11:35:56 AM

Quote :

"I tell you one thing, i will never use them again, that whole "Pick enterprise, we'll pick you up" ya thats true, but those asses wont drop you off when you return the car"

they've dropped me off when i've used them...

8/7/2010 4:27:46 PM

^It depends. If you drop your car off 5 minutes before the office closes and live a half hour away, you will be getting a ride somewhere else. And yea, we had some regional restrictions. But 99% of the time we would take people wherever they needed. Sometimes if we were super busy they might have to chill for a minute, but my branch made every effort to take people home.

8/7/2010 7:41:08 PM

update:

Friend said the interview was a pretty good experience interviewing-wise. Very structured and behavioral based questions, lasted nearly 2 hours, was with the controller and the accounting supervisor. Looking at the benefits package, he was disappointed. You earn 1 day off for every month you work for up to 7 days max, until you are allotted 10 days on your 1 year anniversary. Salary was pretty much fixed at low-mid 30's with an expected contribution of 40-45 hours a week. He said if he was offered he would probably decline it.

8/11/2010 2:47:58 PM

Their insurance would be alright, but yes the vacation package sucks a fat one. And you can also roll over no more than 7-10 days a year, max. So, unlike state jobs or other ones, you will not be accumulating days. Also, asking for time off around vacations is almost impossible, at least at the retail locations. That is their busiest times. It was impossible for me not to work Christmas Eve & the day after Christmas, etc.

8/11/2010 3:59:23 PM

^I understand declining that, but it's still a whole lot better than many college grads are doing these days.

It's the kind of job you take for a year or two, and if it turns into something great, then that's just bonus. Otherwise, you make sure to snap up all the skills, experience, and responsibility you can to transition to something better.

Then, a year or two after graduating, you're in a much better job-hunting position.

8/11/2010 4:10:06 PM

^Totally agree. That is exactly the approach you need to taking ERAC job. It gets you some experience and is better than being on unemployment. Don't go into it for a career or anything, just go into it for a paycheck and a chance to move up in the future.

8/12/2010 7:04:42 AM

They have an excellent corporate structure and they...*they* give *you* the tools to be your own boss.

8/12/2010 8:31:00 AM