Pros
I worked at PartnerComm for five years and felt that overall it was a really rewarding place to work for many reasons. - The people: The people who work here are truly kind, hard-working humans. Everyone is willing to help you learn and grow and wants you to be successful. Your team members will pitch in and help you out whenever you need it. Senior consulting writers are willing to mentor junior consulting writers, which is really key. - The size: The company is less than 100 people, which makes it easy to get to know your coworkers and get things done. You don't have to jump through as many hoop/processes like you would at a larger organization. It's also gives you more access to discuss your career goals, aspirations, concerns and feedback with leadership. - The creativity: It's unprecedented. You get to work with some of the best minds in the business. Every campaign, solution, or deliverable PartnerComm produces for a client is top-notch creative. Every department--video, web, design and consulting/copywriting brainstorm together. And it's fun to be part of that process. - The listening of leadership: I always felt that leadership was willing to listen to my concerns and ideas. Whether it was discussing a raise, how to handle a tricky client or an idea to improve something at the company, I always felt heard and valued. - The benefits/flexibility: PartnerComm gives a generous amount of time off, which is much higher than most companies out there. Also, they are pretty flexible if you have an appointment or something during the day; you can take care of it and make up your lost hours however best works with your schedule and clients.
Kontras
-The hours: There is a busy season from late July through October, because most clients have their Open Enrollment windows during that time. Since PartnerComm's bread and butter is benefits communication, everyone works grueling hours, and it's easy to get burnout. -The training: I had no training on how to be a successful consulting writer when I joined the company; the philosophy was "sink or swim". PartnerComm has improved this a bit since I was a new hire, but it still doesn't invest enough time in training new people, whether they're fresh out of school or have been in the business for many years. -The pay: When I left, I was content with my salary. But it wasn't until I joined a new company that I realized how underpaid I was for my skills and talent. (However, as I said in the pros section of this post, I always felt heard when I wanted to discuss a raise.) -The feedback: There isn't any formal feedback process, and there really needs to be. You only receive feedback if you ask for it from your peers and leadership; only the best peers who you work closely with and who value what you bring to their team will willingly give you positive and constructive feedback without you asking for it. I genuinely feel that everyone--whether you've just entered the workforce or having been in working for many years--has opportunities to learn and grow. -The structure: PartnerComm has a pretty flat structure, especially for consulting writers. Since you have no direct "boss" or manager, it's hard to know who to go to for guidance sometimes. And, it means no one is going to go out of their way to train you--it's up to you to get billable work and figure out which team(s) you can join. And, it means there isn't much room for upward mobility, other than through knowledge and/or salary.