Pros
Free parking, amazing talent and knowledgeable colleagues, opportunities to learn and put into practice important industry skills. Teaches you to have a tough exterior in the face of challenges (both with people and scenarios), the company “tries.” Best part is working with global leaders and experts like Wolf Blitzer, Christiane Amanpour, all CNN International and incredible shows like Parts Unknown, Anderson Cooper 360 and financial programs with Richard Quest. The programming for CNNI, TBS and special projects is award winning for a reason!
Cons
Far too much instability - very difficult to tell if we were being dismissed or laid off from day to day. Every day felt like a mystery regarding our employment status. My director was the only reason I was terribly uncomfortable and kept looking for another department to go to. She didn’t have the same senior skills needed to be successful and a leader in our division. She was difficult with which to work due to her anger management issues and many people agreed. It took them years to get the courage to speak to her about it and finally let her go. She would leave early every day to get hair cuts or work from home yet she was very inaccessible during afternoon working hours and would get angry if you called her to ask about things pertaining to work. Work from home was not an option for me during my ten years so I stayed on site upwards of 10+ hours a day as our group had a lot of work and there were only a few of us to manage it...and that took a serious toll on my weight and health. I came in at 26,000 USD so it cost me more to work there than I was getting in return. It was a labor of love for 10 years because I wasn’t paid enough to purchase a home or pay off my student loans. I still have the same student debt that I entered the company with in early 2004. It’s not a place to make a living if you’re just out of college, it’s an extension of your studies and so you really can’t stay and make an industry impact or survive on such low wages even if you double major in relevant fields and previous experience. Working through hunger, sleeping overnight during storms and blizzards was challenging. Lots of egos to overlook. It was so bad to the point some senior management that I supported would pretend not to see me if I waved at them in the hall/courtesy hellos but would email me privately to say thanks for the hard work, etc. that same day. I don’t know what that was about. I dressed up everyday so, not sure why they seemed ashamed of the association. It can feel like a very disrespectful environment at times but I loved my work so I stayed until drastic change took place that made it impossible to remain. I should have left sooner but I had a lot of hope. I ran out of hope and I was tired of going hungry and lack of job stability so I didn’t stay.
