Management is slow to make decisions, and at times very weak. There also isn't a lot of help with career development, and although they preach about innovating educational travel, it is clear that their main mission is to make as much money as possible, as their trips still skimp travelers as much as possible. They use curriculum development and their "innovation" products as tools to sell their bread-and-butter European trips.
If you start as a Sales Associate it is extremely difficult to move up, even if you have fantastic sales numbers. When you hit your sales goals you get bonuses, but be careful because if you make too many bonuses the company may 1) not promote you to a new position because they want to keep you in sales, or 2) let you go because they can always find a cheaper alternative. This job is all about selling trips and it can be extremely cutthroat at times. Bonuses are very difficult to hit and the pay is low, so there is high turnover.
If you work in marketing be prepared to fit your creative ideas into the "EF voice". EF has a proven, time-tested way of doing things and they are very slow to adopt new ideas and methodologies. Also, if you have a good idea (even a very small one), you seemingly need to get it approved by 3-5 different Directors, which slows the momentum of a project.
