I did an internship this past summer and was extended an offer in PD (engineer). I found this site researching Ford's stability. Is this site representative of your experiences? Looking for advice.
80 replies (most recent on top)
RUN!
Did you decide, what were your options?
Intelligence is a red flag here
Intelligence is a red flag here.
@nj Shame on them for thinking this is a legitimate company!
@kp don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched
@OP if this is a serious question then
- if this is your one and only job offer then take it until you find something better
Otherwise please work at companies where you are more than a cog while you are young, learning and advancing. Well run small-mid sized companies are best. You will learn all aspects and become competent in your field. In these companies you will learn what areas of your field you enjoy the most. You will also be able to easily transition to adjacent fields if you want. Once you are established in your field and are perhaps looking for a coasting job to spend more time with your family, THEN consider applying to Ford and taking a GSR8 / LL6 position. The Ford job will be a cake walk as your coworkers have only been the same cog for decades and will have a fraction of your skills and knowledge. About the same time you are hiring into Ford all the career cogs will be getting pink slips. This is the Ford way.
@jk You mean this protected class?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/microsoft-software-engineer-dies-on-silicon-valley-campus-at-35/ar-AA1Lqx5v
Recent news of a lad who was in the country alone, with friends and family in another country. A family member shared that his roommate said he was under a lot of stress because his supervisor was making his life very difficult.
A member of his family that said he frequently worked late into the night. Apparently, the bloke was discovered around 2 a.m.
People say money isn't everything, but not having it is... yet choosing for that sake may be the ultimate price.
@jk I see people here talking about how they made good money, are we even talking about the same Ford? I honestly thought the company was struggling… then I realized I was the one going broke. I spent everything buying the dream they sold me. When a company as big as Ford makes promises to you with confidence, and gets multiple people to vouch for them for reassurances over time, you tend to believe them. You trust their word. You don’t expect them to scam you, especially with all the support they get from the government. That’s the kind of behavior you'd expect from career criminals, not a company like this. Right?
@ar Oh please. Truth is like the sun, you can shut it out for a time, but it ain't going away,
@OP if you want any kind of career growth that doesn't involve su-king up to management, do not take the offer. Ford is where careers go to die.
@hw - Good points, my take on these:
If you want good money…
The money won’t make you happy.
If you want to advance yourself quickly…
This isn’t the place.
If you want a fair environment…
Not here—unless you’re in a protected class.
If you want to work only 40 hours a week…
Maybe you can swing that, but it’s not worth the money either way.
If you want to meet some good people…
Some might be decent—but the others? They seem nice. They’re not.
If you don’t mind doubling the workload because your coworkers can’t pull their weight…
True—or feign incompetence yourself.
If you think you’ll eventually need antidepressants…
You're lucky if that's all you'll need.
If you can afford to be fired at 55 years old…
Good luck making it to 55.
If you want good money...take the offer.
If you want to advance yourself quickly, don't take the offer.
If you want a fair environment, don't take the offer.
If you want to work only 40 hrs a week, don't take the offer.
If you want to meet some good people, take the offer.
If you don't mind double the workload when incompetent employees can't pull their weight, take the offer.
If you want to go on antidepressants eventually, take the offer.
If you can afford to be fired at 55 yrs old, take the offer.
@hj What happened to you?
@d3
You hit the nail on the head. You described my experience to a T.
Don't do it.
Depends on your manager and team. some are good, some feel and act entitled. What was the dynamics in the team? Where all working hard and honest? Did team members support each other and manager? Was the atmosphere open? Was the manager part of the team, coaching, advising, doing the same work, or hiding in the office doing who knows what? Where you shown a bit of everything, assumed a place at the table as equal, or given the worst work there?
@d7 I discussed it a few days ago here when someone like @d5 approached me in a similar fashion.
What started off tense turned into more of an interview where they ended up respectfully asking questions before jumping to conclusions. By the end, they didn’t have much to say about their original comment. I believe they said something like “sometimes you gotta roll with the punches”-- which I took as “sh-t happens".
Unfortunately, the moderators deleted the entire exchange shortly after, so it’s no longer visible here.
@d6 If I may, what happened to you?
@d5 What? Quit mischaracterizing what I said.
@d3 Translating this for you - If you have a victim mentality, inflated ego, are a snowflake, or have trouble getting along with others this is not be the place for you. If you're decent, grounded and willing to put in your dues before becoming a VP, you'll do just fine; welcome to the real world!
Ford’s work culture is riddled with mistrust, fear, and a lack of genuine respect. Defending one's turf trumps mentoring-opposite of the KT culture new grads hope to find. Yet, knowledge is power. Many long-timers expect young employees to “keep your head down” and pay dues quietly, whereas new grads come in expecting modern, ethical management and balk at the status quo.
In practice, bullies and sycophants rise up, while honest ones get pushed out or silenced. If you threaten (even by accident) to upset the power hierarchy, you’ll be shut down and labeled the problem. Perhaps most disturbing, toxic behavior by managers not only goes unpunished, but rewarded. High-level leaders either know about or choose to ignore the mistreatment happening under them, as long as projects get delivered. Reporting often leads to retaliation or dismissal of the issue.
Employees feel trapped, abused, and unsupported, while expected to “continue delivering” under threats with no voice. Bullies or inept folks often masquerade as stars, while anyone pointing out problems or inequity is labeled a malcontent. In a culture where higher-ups might smear an employee to justify a negative reinforcement for control, it’s crucial to proactively manage your professional reputation. The fear of being blackballed is real.
There is a reason those who harass or exploit subordinates often face no consequences. Ford is a historical company in Michigan, and negative stories (apart from recalls) don’t always surface. This is because Ford can prevent the kind of public relations disasters that might otherwise draw outside scrutiny to its culture.
It's most probable that if you try every internal and local avenue (complaints, chain of command) you'll be met with indifference or further abuse. The deck is stacked, so if you’re being mistreated, gather evidence, watch your back. Ford managers and HR will go beyond just downplaying a claim; they will actively work to undermine the claimant’s character. Protecting a senior from scandal often “overrides accountability”, and legitimate complaints vanish without a trace.
Retaliation is feared as a near certainty if one challenges authority, even productively. The social and political network around Ford will not rally to an individual’s side. Don’t expect Ford to do the right thing once you report an issue, you will be railroaded mercilessly if you try to speak up. Lack of action doesn’t mean you were wrong it could mean the system worked as intended (to not act).
Understand you are signing up to be around entrenched nepotism and favoritism, a breakdown of meritocracy, fear-driven management, and impotent oversight mechanisms in a place where many other disillusioned employees feel undervalued, vulnerable, and in some cases victimized.
Best of luck to you.
Seems like GM employees post more on Reddit rather than this site. If you need to compare the two don’t just look at this site
Expect to be involuntarily separated for no known reason after you turn 50.
You have to develop marketable skills that are not specific to Ford and having Ford “experience” on your resume will be a minus.
You can’t buy a house or make long-term plans if this job is in the Detroit area.
@bz Does your college offer a PhD in automotive recalls and defects? You could move right to the top of Ford with those credentials!
I would seek other opportunities. Ford's most recent recall brings the total number of vehicles recalled to 7.5 million. It is no longer physically possible to fix the recalls based on the number of Ford dealers and the dealer service operating hours. Ford will have to outsource warranty work to 3rd parties. This is an existential threat, jeopardizing the primary brand, and will lead to a class action lawsuit based on degraded vehicle resale value. I worked for the company for 30 + years and cannot recommend employment at Ford, nor the product itself.
If you are from SE MI, take it until you find something better. However, if you are not from the area, don’t take it. Run as fast and as far as you can from it. Find something in a much nicer area.
If ford is your only offer, take it. Get a few years in, upskill, and if things don't start looking up, change jobs. The market isn't great right now and a job is job. This place is nuts but no where is perfect.
Company is trash. Job market is trash. If there are no strings attached (meaning you have to stay X years), take the offer for now. If something better comes along, rescind your commitment. It's the tech bro way. And at least you will have some $$ coming in.
Mmm fresh meat
This guy has an interest in fresh people to dump his cr-p on. Its in his vest interest to keep the fresh people who don't know flowing in.
Ford management re-orgs constantly because they dont know what they're doing. Not a stable environment.
@ap Bad reel like the Rocky Four Door Picture Show? Got any rice to throw?
@ar I definitely agree. BUT, this is NOT your opportunity to learn what to do in a business environment. It is ABSOLUTELY, positively your best opportunity to learn what NOT TO DO to in a business environment. SIMPLE! Don't follow Ford and you will most definitely lead!
My opinion is that it’s a great opportunity. Certainly an imperfect company but a lot of great people and a lot to learn. Dont get turned off by a bunch of whiners on internet site.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste
Surviving Ford and watching new grads join feels like a horror-reel where the script is the same but the faces are new. Like watching someone run a psy-op on themselves live.
Run!!!
Do not waste your time at Ford. It will ruin you mentally, physically, emotionally and career wise. A lot of pretend games happen around the interns to shield them from reality. What you saw in your short summer internship was cosplay Ford. Just don't do it.
My experience at Ford for almost the last five years is definitely reflective of the forum sentiment...especially the last couple of years.
Look at thelayoff.com page for GM and you tell me which company is more stable. This place is nuttier than a squirrels a--hole.