Mid-level managers: Avoid if you value your dignity. You can do better. - Anonymous employee EF Education First Employee Review

* There is a massive disconnect between upper management and mid-level staff/managers. * If you are in any position below director level you will be treated like a child. * They'll try to distract you with shiny things like themed parties and sparkly t-shirts and wacky office dances in which you're expected to participate, despite the fact that you are not a 13 year old girl. * There is very little attention given to real life personal career development. A lunch seminar led by a random internal manager is not career development. * This leads to very little opportunity for growth. * There is significant title inflation - lots of "directors" lacking the experience to truly drive the company forward, and managers a couple years removed from undergrad * You will watch as countless talented people who were good at their jobs get pushed out with no warning because management doesn't know what to do with them. (They'll call it a mutual decision. It's not.) * Majority of execs and upper management is a psuedo-Swedish boys' club, with a handful of middle-aged white dudes running departments full of mostly young women. Gross. * Projects get monotonous and have never, ever been delivered on deadline. * They're perpetually 5 years behind the times. (Management thinks they're oh-so-innovative. They're not.) * They'll dangle the travel opportunities as a major benefit. When you make $15k more a year elsewhere, you can afford to go on your own trips. * There is virtually no strategic planning, long term or short term. Even when there is, it will change a few months later at the next board meeting anyway. * There is so much attention and PR effort put toward office culture, how fun and positive and great it is. Only it's like that annoying guy at a party who's constantly blabbing about how much he can bench and how many girls he's been with. You know it's just a lie to make himself feel better about his lack of self-confidence. That super awesome culture does not exist in reality. In summary, please do yourself a favor and find a firm that will respect and value your talent and experience, and treat you like a grown-up professional.