Pros
Plenty of opportunities to hone skills, stay on top of industry trends. Opportunities for advancement are there if you are willing to give 100%. Competitive pay for culinary professionals and managers. There have been several negative reviews on this site, many of them stating that there are few opportunities for advancement within the ranks at Sodexo. However, it has been my experience that if you are willing to be at work, on time, every day, and give 100% of your effort, the opportunities are there. Management does notice and acknowledge employees who take initiative, and show an interest in advancing. Unfortunately, many employees are relatively unskilled and seem content to stay that way as long as they are collecting a paycheck. The fact is, supervisors and managers absolutely want entry and mid level employees to improve their skills and abilities, because in the long run, a better trained staff makes our jobs much easier while greatly improving customer satisfaction. This is definitely not a problem that is exclusive to Sodexo, I am sure that everywhere you find enrty level employees, you will find a few who don't exactly have the work ethic that you would hope for. In short, I have worked at 5 accounts with Sodexo, beginning as an entry level cook, advancing to my current position as Sous Chef in a large, successful account with top notch food and customer service, and I have every intention of continuing along this path. Why? Because I am reliable, dependable, I take my work seriously, and I take the initiative to do whatever it takes to get the job done. If you aren't able to progress financially or otherwise within this company, perhaps a self evaluation would help you to find out what you need to do to take the next step.
Cons
Hours can be a little crazy and unpredictable, but the same goes for any position in this field. The health insurance is not the greatest considering the cost for a family plan. Units can sometimes be minimally staffed in the interest of cutting labor costs and overtime.