Pros
-Lots of big name clients. -You'll learn a lot about the marketing industry that will be invaluable for your inevitable departure. -The analysis can be interesting once your manager trusts you enough to produce your own deliverables. -There are a few basic morale boosters that seem to be effective -- usually in the form of something edible. All hail bagel Mondays. Occasional happy hours take place. -There is a "don't ask, don't tell" work from home policy. As long as you're getting your work done, there can be flexibility when you need it. -vacation time is good -- if you can get away without feeling guilty about it
Cons
-Promotions are arbitrary and largely dependent upon who your line managers are. Stagnating is usually a side effect of account shifts. The people who are lucky enough to grow on one or two accounts are (shocker!) more likely to be promoted because their learning curve is lower. -Positive reinforcement is hard to come by. But screw up once? You'll be reminded in your review. You can't review your managers ... because they're delicate flowers. -Speaking of managers, many of them need manager training. Doing good work for the client is one thing, but being a good manager is a separate, overlooked piece of the proverbial puzzle. -Training is non-existent. MB has a suite of in-house methodologies and nuanced procedures...which is great for MB, but not great when you're learning from scratch. Have some real training protocols in place. Seriously. -If you're into popularity contests, this place is a fantastic fit for you. You have to maintain a level of phoniness to get ahead; if you don't, you're completely forgotten about and passed over for any real opportunities (i.e. industry events, promotions, office champion) -Personalities in the NE offices are weird. It feels like everybody around me is a replicant. This makes any social activity a nuisance. -Forced, all-day team building activities are painful and potentially useless. -The high deductible health insurance options are laughably bad. -cost of living raises are as real as the tooth fairy and santa claus. -Promotions are paltry. 10% of an already low salary is non-competitive and disrespectful, given the amount of work and time (sometimes 2+ years) that are required to move up.