Good learning opportunities for a career beginner
Pros
- Flat hierarchy, colleagues with a strong work ethic and a shared sense of responsibility for producing high quality work together (e.g. between field operations and consulting). - Management was sincere in my training and development. From the onset, I was given a lot of responsibility for projects, and had many opportunities to travel overseas. I was always given feedback on how to improve. If you are not afraid of hard work, and are willing to improve yourself, this is a wonderful place to learn and grow. I was, and still am, very appreciative of all the learning opportunities and mentoring given to me when I was working here. - Perks such as a pantry which was always well-stocked with food, annual company trips, transport allowance for working late, etc., were nice to have but secondary. - Project teams were always rotated, so I got to work with different individuals and working styles. Most of the time, I got to work with wonderful people who were nurturing, smart and creative. Sometimes I was not that lucky.
Kontras
- As in any market research firm, and the East Asian work culture in general, there was a tendency for a lot of overtime and low work life balance. Working overtime is not a problem if there is a job to be done, but it becomes a problem if there is consistent overtime over a long period. - A small office work environment, which means physical space was limited, together with a lot of auditory and visual distractions, which can at times affect cognitive processing. There is a need for some quiet space in the company for deep thinking and concentration. - Be more appreciative of junior employees. Frequent overtime should not be expected as a norm. If you notice a junior employee working on multiple projects in succession, give him/her some time off to 'recharge.' Sometimes, a simple "thank you" goes a long way.
