GE - Good for Career, if you can live through it.
Pros
Great for the next job - having GE on the resume is a huge door-opener. There's a certain credibility that comes from working for the company - in large part, because employers can be reasonably sure of your capabilities. For example, if you were in one of the 'program' jobs, such as IMLP or FMP, there's a cadre of people who have completed the same program that gives a benchmark for your performance. It's like attending an Ivy League school vs. State U. ... Ivy League is known everywhere, but State U. is less well-known except in the geographic region. If you want to see the world, Join GE. The old adage about moving around has really been replaced; there's more emphasis on learning & mastering the job now, instead of learning every job in the company by relocation/reassigning you every 12-18 months. That's a huge improvement.
Cons
Given the flat organization structure, you can be a the same level for many years. You'll get pay increases, but not necessarily a title change. Their performance review process is too rigorous - there's just no getting around the "bottom 5%" situation with them. If you're graded as "least effective", you should get back in the job market, fast. You're expected to stay in a role for 18-24 months, and that is rigorously enforced. Even if you're the best candidate for an opening, if you haven't hit that milestone, you can forget about changing jobs. (Caveat - unless you're considered" Top Talent" in the annual Performance Management derby). Annual reviews are done, and a huge amount of time goes into this - almost bringing other work to a halt. However, your pay increases aren't necessarily annual - for Top Talent, it is 12 months, if you're considered "Highly Valued" - the middle 85% or so of employees, it is between 15-20 months. If you're "Least Effective" there is no raise. GE provides great benefits, but the tradeoff is that you will work very, very hard and very long hours. Have a kid, plan to be back on line within days, even if you are taking maternity leave. There's not a lot of empathy about dealing with family matters. The expectation is that you are available 24/7, even in non-customer-facing roles.
