Pluspunten
I recommend Intrepid Travel as a workplace if this is your first job, if you are new to the travel industry, or if you just want to have some fun for a year or two. But there are caveats (see the cons). -You get a free trip every year of your choice: Intrepid's trips are among the best in the business. -Fun work environment if you're young and want to make new friends. -Opportunity to learn a lot from talented co-workers and online learning resources provided by the company. -The team as a whole is very passionate and talented. -Intrepid is a cool brand and will look great on a resume.
Minpunten
The caveat to my recommendation is that if you are looking for a more serious workplace, or you are experienced in your career already, this workplace will seem very amateur. Unfortunately, the cons outweigh the pros. -Senior Managers have mostly been promoted from within, and they lack management and people skills. This leads to a lot of micromanagement, poor and delayed decision-making, taking forever to make new hires and business plans (and then rarely following through on those plans), and the inability/unwillingness to take responsibility, ask for help or advice from their team, or to give much credit to others. -There is zero work/life balance; without being explicitly told as much, you are expected to work extra hours every day. This is exemplified mainly by the Senior Managers who live and breathe their job. If you leave at 5pm, you feel guilty and it is pretty clear that you won't go far in this company if you have a life outside work. The free beers in the office are usually cracked at 5pm, leading to a bit of socializing and a lot of sitting at your desk and working well into the evening. -There is a very strong clique culture in this company, again exemplified by management who have worked together for years. You can certainly make friends with the team and there is always someone to have lunch with, but it's pretty clear that the people who are liked more than others are the ones who will have the most opportunities. -There is very little room for growth; when senior people leave (which has happened a lot in recent years), their jobs are usually just spread out among lower-level people who are willing to absorb them. -If you have a partner or family, or want to start a family, you won't feel welcome here. This is a young office and they are interested in doing beers and baseball games together. There are never any opportunities to bring your significant others or children to a social function, and no one is particularly interested in getting to know them either. -The pay is extremely low, particularly considering the offices are located in very expensive cities like Toronto and London. The low pay is justified by free trips (which are not 100% guaranteed) and some work perks, but those quickly get old. Again: perfect for an entry-level job, but when you're ready to get serious about your career, you'll probably want to look elsewhere.
