Pros
- Very competitive compensation packages - Flexible working opportunities to help work/life balance - For most people, job safety for many years - If you perform well, you are offered interesting opportunities and projects, but only to a certain level. - If you are a contractor, you also have a lot of job security as BP holds on to contractors for many years (whilst making employees redundant every 4-5 years). Summary: if you want a nice, steady job with a good amount of challenges, and are not worried about developing your skills and are happy working at a low/medium level in an organisation for many years, BP is a great company to work for.
Cons
- Very little in the way of career progression opportunities - there is a very low ceiling for the vast majority and leadership roles are saved for ex-Accenture and those whose 'face fits' as recognition of real work is trumped by politics and meeting diversity statistics. Do not expect any leadership level role if you are under the age of 45. - Whilst there are a lot of good people in BP, there are large pockets within the organisation where behaviors clearly breach BP's own code of conduct, but this is simply accepted as those people have been in the company for 20-30 years. - In the Sunbury office, you'll barely get a "hello" from anyone over the age of 40; there is a feeling of people holding on just for the paycheck and/or for retirement. - For some, the unspoken expectation around working hours could be challenging (~10 a day) but this is the norm in most professional industries today. Those working the old-fashioned "9-5" are quietly looked down upon.