Pros
While I've always been fortunate enough to enjoy pretty decent experiences with my previous employers, I can enthusiastically say that working at Catalyst has blown every other work and academic experience I've engaged in to date. As my first foray into the workforce as a full-time, year-round employee fresh out of graduating college, I simply could not have imagined a better place to land for my first job, for a number of different reasons.
To start with, the individuals that work here are absolute rock stars. This a lovely, diverse group of people that are very pleasant to work with and around in pretty much all settings. These are the kind of folks that make work fun, easy, and exciting: Every person here is highly competent in their area of expertise, bringing their own unique set of skills and experiences to our work environment, injecting passion and thought and a true desire to produce great work into every deliverable or service that the firm provides. Everybody has a great attitude, is willing to jump in and do what it takes to get the job done right, and constantly supporting and propping up each other in the process. I've never been made to feel bad or wrong for asking for help, or asking a question, or making a suggestion or bringing a new idea to the table, which is invaluable to me in defining a good work experience. We are constantly striving to improve and do the best we possibly can for our clients and ourselves, and this really shows itself in our work and in our company culture.
In my opinion, the company is about the perfect size. It's small, fast-paced, and busy, with plenty of opportunities to wear lots of different hats and help out in a multitude of ways. There really is no better way to learn something than to just do it, and there are ample opportunities to contribute to the firm's success. However, the wonderful cast of people does a great job of handling the high volume and pace of work - Even when things feel a bit overwhelming, it never feels unmanageable or out of control because of the high degree of competency and optimism pervasive throughout the team.
Leadership is fantastic: Highly engaged in both the company's well-being and the personal well-being of its employees, the individuals on the Leadership team here are experienced, super intelligent and insightful, and give employees the tools and confidence they need to believe in themselves and accomplish great things. From both a professional and personal standpoint, they really go out of their way to connect with you and learn your nuances, help you fully realize your strengths as an employee, and place you in a good position to succeed if you're willing to work hard. This, combined with their willingness to stand behind their employees and advocate for them, makes them the best core group of bosses I've ever head. I actually switched roles into my current position from another one because they recognized unrealized potential with my skill set in my last position here, and they trusted me enough to give me a second chance to prove myself. All this is to say, the individuals on the Leadership team teach me something new almost every day, and the insights I've garnered from working underneath these professionals has been invaluable. They would be great to work for in any era of my life, but as a new member of the workforce, I cannot state how appreciative I am of this. They are also tremendously understanding and flexible about personal life stuff and the work-life balance. They are just generally invested in your well-being, which is not something to take for granted in an employer.
There is also a tremendous amount of growth and potential here. As successful as our recent run as a company has been, it's obvious to me that it's just the beginning of a much longer, much higher trajectory for the firm. There is also a good degree of upward mobility/opportunity here: The individuals that stay here and consistently contribute are regularly promoted and appropriately rewarded for their great work. I would venture to say that it's a great time to join a great team in a great position. Anybody passionate about digital marketing, branding, or real estate (and the niche arena where these worlds intersect) that's willing to work hard, be a team player, and generally have a lot of fun should consider the opportunity to work here.
Cons
If there are any downsides (and if you can't tell by the glowing appraisal I wrote above, I fail to see many), they are mainly aspects that are typical of any small company (especially agencies) that just take some adjusting to. For example, there is a lot of "training by trial." There is not really a super formal or organized training process: Most of what is required is learned by just diving in and doing it/engaging in the day-to-day activities of the firm and making adjustments as necessary. While I personally consider this a strength because this is how I typically learn most effectively anyway, I could see the unorganized quality of an environment like this causing certain folks unnecessary stress, or might leave them poorly equipped to tackle the responsibilities expected out of them if this is not their learning style. Similarly, the fast-paced nature of deadlines and projects at a smaller company like this could also be considered a con, depending on the individual.
