First Derivatives Employee Reviews about "client site"

Pros

Good grad package with an opportunity to work with an excellent portfolio of clients International experience Fast growing company

Cons

Lack of support on client site due to company growth

Pros

Can't think of any, unless you like to be left completely to your own devices with no intereaction.

Cons

Where to start! This is not a consulting firm but rather an agency/recruitment firm. FD dump you into the first project they can find, regardless if the project suits your skills. From there on out expect minimal to no interaction from FD. You're essentially any other contractor in the client site now. Good luck if you think you have any say on what project you will go onto next! Absolutely no structure or thought given to your self-development or progression. Which makes it hilarious at the end of year HR meeting when this is asked of you. Very one sided to expect everything from the employee when the employer is not willing to make any effort to begin with. Sick to think of the daily rate (€450) they earn from each consultant being based on client site while paying out in pennies a fraction of this to us!

Pros

Travel opportunities Responsibility when on client site

Cons

HR a nightmare to deal with Uncertainty

Pros

Young workforce Good benefits (unless you are in Newry)

Cons

Managers will literally lie to you about almost everything. I was misled about client site, end of project timelines (I know many projects get extended but mine was extended 5 times), what the work entailed, no training provided and we were also lied to about bonus's

Pros

The technology owned by this company is fun to work with, and you get the opportunity to work with global banks and financial institutions. The expenses package when on client site is pretty decent. Accommodation, food and transport are covered (within reason). You get the opportunity to travel if you're interested (tho you get 0 say in where you are sent to).

Cons

Extremely poor communication with management. You will be left in the dark about what projects you'll be working on. Emails will go a long time without being answered, you may be sitting doing nothing for weeks while the project is delayed. This is not fun. The company has grown quickly but has not increased the size of it's HR department proportionally to the number of consultants. Don't expect any good communication. Expect to hear about things last minute.

Pros

Meet loads of new colleagues/ friends Traveling (if your contracted to New York, Sydney etc,) Expenses while on client project

Cons

Marketing team have used glitter and unicorns to paint picture of exotic work life - shambles in reality. Little to no management - after initial welcome to the team and workshops training of "intensive" programme that's it, left to own devices. (Get used to using CTRL +F) Yes, you are required to use your own initiative to learn which is great, but don't expect to come into contact with any manager or HR member unless being deployed. Workshops mainly taught by other non experienced employees. Assigned a mentor but you will never meet this person expected to guide you or answer concerns. Be prepared to drop and rearrange your life in the space of a weekend, no heads up or preparation time, you get your project, be expected to move within a day or two. Projects at times can be interesting if you're lucky, but be prepared to complete mediocre tasks which have to stretch to an 8 hour day, moving files or copying and pasting. While on the 'bench' - not on client site - be mentally prepared to keep yourself busy 9-6, you could be benched for months at a time. While on client site, you forget you work for FD - No room for career progression. HR do not care about employee wellbeing! More interested in office gossip. Honestly, do your research and know exactly what you want out of your career, do not fall for the pipe dream FD sell.

Pros

Great package - the package really is excellent once you are on client site, huge tax savings too. Easy travel - you can move city often and FD will arrange your flights, visas, landlords, etc all on your behalf. Colleagues/networking - the company is young and social (most employees are only 1-3 years our of uni) and you meet a lot of employees at prestigious clients.

Cons

Travel opportunities are mis-sold - the fact is you could spent most or even all your time in Newry where your compensation is cut by about half. Also for UK contracts in Financial Engineering about 90% of the work is in Newry/Belfast/Dublin/London. Poor support - after month 1 you are essentially left on your own with no manager, a mentor who you wont see (and only a couple years more experienced than you), and essentially no connection with FD. Poor career prospects - a lot of the projects require low skill and offer worthless experience (e.g. data labelling) and FD doesnt really have any internal ladder to climb.

Pros

This is an amazing place for easy money, you did not even need a degree to work for FD. There are plenty of people in that company with no degrees but with Newry DNA which is more than enough. The accomodation can be amazing special when you do not care if the lads in the house/apartment are having a second life as teenagers Expenses,this is a jackpot, you can claim whatever you want , and you will get paid as long as you respect of course the companys rules. There are rumours people claiming toilet paper every week... Friendly staff, i have not enjoyed more drinking with senior management, where they share all the gossips Those lads after few pints they are like an open book Senior Management, the guys do not bother as long as you are on client site and you make money with no noise. Do not ask for better roles etc, this is FD not f...g Goldman Sachs, there are no better roles

Cons

Future candiates, please read carefully. THERE IS NO CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN FD. HR, well except some friendly ladies in that department, the rest of the team are from newry and very good friends with the previous CEO who recently passed away. There is no professionalism and there is no attitude to change Locations, 90% of the roles are based in the exotic island of Ireland and in the other exotic and sunny place of London. If you are lucky you might go to US canada etc Accomodation, you can easily be given an apartment where the noise from the toilet can wake up dead people, or you can have an amazing house in Ballsbridge , again it is all luck , unless you have Newry DNA