1. R/GA will make your resume stand out, but if you don't gain the portfolio to back it up...
2. A lot of egos and hacks too. Some of the management seems to have become friendly with the right people and move up to where they are today, yet they are horrible managers that are severely outdated. They tend to float on the work that's actually done by the lower level creatives by taking all the credit for it since they provided "direction." It's really sad as the lower level creatives become disenchanted by the whole experience at R/GA, thinking that they busted their butts to get the job (very tough interview process) only to find that they're stuck doing routine, uninspiring work on an account they have no interest in for a manager that they can't even look up to or learn from.
3. Ask for the money you want to be making from the start. Don't low-ball yourself, or you will be placed on a low-ball salary track that's hard to break free from.
4. The opportunities are present to work on important, portfolio building projects providing you are on the right account. But you have to pick your battles: A) Sign your life away and work on one of the big thinking, award winning, sexy accounts OR B) Choose to have somewhat of a life by working on mundane accounts. It is R/GA and you will have a hard time balancing work/life no matter what account you're on, but you have maybe an 80/20 rather than a 150/0 if you work on the boring accounts as opposed to the exciting accounts.
