software engineer

systems administrator

senior software engineer

it administrator

implementation consultant

Descartes Systems Group

I have to say this: I will be always thankful to Descartes, because they hire a lot of immigrants that come to Canada, and need an opportunity to get "Canadian experience". 

The technology is good, and I learned a lot by myself (they don't provide training).

At the same time my experience wasn't great. I was working on a development team that:

- Was very unprofessional, as the team lead can curse with every single letter of the alphabet (I'm not joking)

- When I got there, the developer leaving told me he never got a raise for 7 years. I never got a raise for 3 years, so don't expect raises.

- Management screamed a lot. They can't talk, it's all screams (at least the director I was working with). One day I asked if he could stop screaming at me, and he did. But after that I was told (by a co-worker close to the director ) that he didn't like me anymore just because he couldn't scream at me.

- When I started I received a very good bonus for 2 months. Next year I got the same bonus for 12 months. The 3rd year there was no bonus (for anybody). So don't expect a bonus.

- Yearly evaluations don't even happen

As I said, I will always be grateful, but at the same time, my experience wasn't great.

Unfortunately, although the staff were generally friendly and helpful to each other, I found the management at this company to be below average. Little is done to enhance knowledge or to applaud employees for initiative. In fact, showing initiative can get you in trouble.
Due to the fact that Descartes has purchased several smaller companies, there are multiple products requiring multiple procedures, which creates confusion.  Additionally, this has created situations where managers are not in the same location as their staff, sometimes being so far away as a different time zone.
Management plays favourites with staff, and does not apply rules evenly, leading to frustration and upset.  This also has promoted an environment where some staff will undermine others in order to not look bad.
Lack of policies in place to reduce confusion and workload has resulted in staff having to actually ask customers what they are supposed to have, rather than being able to look it up or contact an internal staff member for the information.

In this role, I’ve learned what kind of manager I want to be when I reach that goal. It’s true that good leadership is the most essential part of your work experience and I just couldn’t have asked for a better mentor.

When mistakes are made, my team looks for solutions and ways to improve; never punishments or harsh treatments. Everyone is given the trust and the resources they need to do their jobs with reasonable timelines and expectations. I’ve never felt overworked or burned out while working at Descartes. 

I know I won’t retire in this role, but I’m certain it’ll be extremely hard to part ways with everyone; I’ll truly miss them.

I confirm the many reviews here regarding the incredible length of their recruitment process. But that’s not the worst part : you will get very frustrated if you expect any type of feedback despite giving them your time and obliging to their demands. This totally discouraged me from moving forward after having went to the end of the process. I thought « if the process is that frustrating, how awful must it be to work there in a daily basis? » My advice, do not waste your time and energy with Descartes.

Typical day is spent in front of a computer until you are done your day. Coworkers are great. Management is immature. Training is unprofessional. Lots of gossip and unprofessionalism in the setting. Most people at Ottawa location are lifers and have no moved up in the company as there is no room to grow. Great job for a year or less but not recommended for the long term.

Collect your paycheck while you look for another job.  You will be tasked with practically nothing to do all day.  study, hunt for other jobs, watch youtube.  All day, and never get bothered. 

Young find this as paid education, as long as they actually use it as such.  Old find it as a place to retire.  Those in the middle are either collecting a paycheck while looking elsewhere, looking for practically a retirement, or the likely scenario, just too dumb to find anything else.

No Collaboration
No Professionalism
No Respect for Privacy

~ HR and senior management without my consent released all my education and work experience to my co workers in a very unprofessional manner, leading to a toxic environment of bitter jealousy and rivalry. I am so sorry that I left my job believing that I was going to be apart of a group of professional people. I have never had to contact the Ontario labor board in my life, until now.

Working for Descartes for a period of two years, was not a stepping stone, it was a head stone. to this very day I receive negative reviews and complainants because I could not work 12 hour night shifts. My manager was over critical and been destructive to my career. If you are new to IT and have just gradated keep looking for another job, remember you have a tuition to pay. You don't need your career destroyed before it starts.       

Seems like shareholders come before employees. There were many staff with more than 4 weeks carry over vacation and lieu time, they could not "take".  Chronically understaffed in IT.  Quite stressful environment with managers 2 levels above asking "on the keyboard" questions. 

No training, just given the work and are expected to know how to do it.  No help from others, and if you ask they just tell the manager that you asked.  The manager then tells you that you should know  what to do.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Software engineer 3 salaries reported	$84,000 per year
Systems administrator 3 salaries reported	$95,000 per year
Senior software engineer 3 salaries reported	$106,667 per year
It administrator 3 salaries reported	$67,500 per year
Implementation consultant 3 salaries reported	$75,000 per year

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