Pros
Leaving my previous organization was scary, but I was ready for a change in pace, industry, and responsibilities. Working for PLTW has far exceeded my expectations since joining the organization. Last week I attended our first bi-annual all team in person retreat, where we had the opportunity to connect, learn, and have fun together. I wanted to share my experience with future teammates as we continue to grow and add more amazing people to our team, so I figured I would share my review of PLTW on Glassdoor. As I read through some of the reviews, I was truly shocked as they do not represent what my experience has been up to this point. I know that everyone experiences companies, management, and work differently. I also know that not every organization is perfect, and I don't believe the majority of folks expect them to be. Over my 25 years in the professional world, I have learned that you if you want to see the change you have to be the change. So here I am being the change. The management (or leadership) team genuinely cares about the well-being of the team members. There is a strong emphasis on work-life balance, and the organization offers various wellness programs and resources. They offer flexible PTO, which is unbelievable, recognize holidays, and give all team members a week off during the holidays to be with their families, friends, loved ones, etc. It absolutely refreshing to work in a place where you feel valued and supported. The teamwork and collaboration is exceptional. Colleagues are always willing to lend a hand, share knowledge, and work together to achieve common goals. The sense of camaraderie and mutual respect is evident in everyday work. Not to mention we have lots of fun, and from the sounds of our event last week there is more fun to come as we come up with ideas to keep this going in our remote first world. The projects we work on are innovative and have a significant impact on students and educators across the country. It's rewarding to see the positive outcomes of our efforts and to be part of an organization that is at the forefront of educational innovation. I was completely inspired by our board of directors and executive leadership team sponsoring an innovation tournament. There were so many intelligent, amazing, and super cool ideas that team members worked on at the same time as they regular responsibilities to better our company in the future! PLTW is a mission driven organization. We are making a difference in the future of our country by inspiring students and educators across the nation, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of this work.
Cons
As previously mentioned, not every organization is perfect. I really don't have any "cons" when it comes to PLTW, but I will share a challenging experience I had back when I first started - 3 years ago. PLTW is an intricate organization, so naturally I found it challenging to understand all the inner workings. There are many teams inside of teams with differing levels, as well as department and job specific titles that were extremely difficult to understand. Instead of just making this PLTW's problem and blaming the company for not making it easy on me, I embraced the challenge to learn as I wanted to really be a part of PLTW. I put myself out there and asked tons of questions of other team members (at all levels) who took the time to get to know me, shared what they could regarding the complexities, and helped me connect the dots. Through open, honest, and meaningful conversations with many others across the company, I am now a part of something so much more than what I ever envisioned.
