Pros
I joined R360 a few months after I graduated college in a hope that working at an agency could help me learn more about the direction I wanted to take my career. Two years later, I'm still here and thriving. I joined as part of the fellow program, which I found incredibly helpful to help me adjust to working life. In the time since I was a fellow, the fellow program has been streamlined to be much more cut and dry, and is a great way to become an associate (or learn that you want to keep exploring different types of positions as a young professional). As an associate, I've had some incredible mentors, particularly on the healthcare team, both from very senior staff and mid-level directors who have dedicated a lot of time and have vested interest in my success. I will note, however, that this depends on the client teams you're initially assigned to. I got very lucky, but there are other teams or managing directors that I don't think I would have had as much of a positive experience with. Overall, I've had a very positive experience at Rational, and have grown so so much as an employee. My quality of work, confidence in myself, and hard skills have improved tremendously, and I credit that growth to my teammates here. I've learned a lot about various industries and feel that when necessary, I would be able to easily transition to another company and succeed there because of the way that Rational has prepared me. I'm, however, looking forward to staying at the firm for the foreseeable future and continuing to grow.
Cons
The pay isn't great as a fellow, but that seems to be the case across the board in DC for these type of positions. In comparison to other larger PR firms, the entry-level pay is absolutely competitive if not better (or was when I started). However, you absolutely have to be ready to learn quickly to be successful. If you do not work well in a fast-paced environment or independently, this is not the place for you. You certainly have support -- I've never felt like I didn't have someone to turn to for a question or like I was alone on a project -- but you need to be self-sufficient to succeed. Your teams will be there for you, but you need to be ready to be there for your teams. Be prepared to work late sometimes, as you would in most DC jobs.
