Pros
- Majority of those on the client side (Safeway/Albertsons) were enjoyable to work with, as were Quad co-workers. - Decent health insurance (though you’re not eligible until you’ve worked three months). - Two to three weeks of paid vacation (unused vacation time is not paid-out upon resignation though). - Gained project management experience.
Cons
- Long hours, low pay: Regularly worked 45-55 hours a week, but was one of only two salaried employees on the eight-person team, and was never paid overtime. - Job responsibilities unclear: Was consistently given more work, expected to gather more information on behalf of the client (Safeway/Albertsons), without any additional pay. - Client marketing team was demanding, disrespectful, and disorganized. - Quad was unwilling to set reasonable boundaries with client regarding deadlines, timelines, work hours, and processes. - Dysfunctional client relationship: Us-against-them mentality, not at all collaborative. Client could do no wrong, was allowed a seemingly endless amount of revisions and last-minute changes. - Unreasonable/unrealistic timelines and expectations. Poor planning on the part of the client, everything was a rush. Client didn’t respect Quad deadlines and processes, and often didn’t provide enough necessary information or creative direction at the outset of a project. - Client didn’t always approve project estimates and artwork in a timely manner, but Quad was often blamed for the delays. - Rarely received appreciation, recognition, or support from Quad or client leaders. - Never received a formal review of my performance, positive or negative. - Quad put a freeze on vacation time due to COVID-19, from March to July. While Safeway/Albertsons employees were taking time off, Quad team was overworked and not allowed to take any time off. Quad also decided they wouldn’t be giving any pay increases in 2020 due to COVID-19. - Safeway/Albertsons division office space is uninspiring. It’s a sea of gray walls and cubicles, and the Quad office is located in a middle room without any windows/natural light.
