Pros
I've worked for Red Ventures since June 2007 and love it here. It was a big career switch for me - I'd never worked in direct marketing before and wasn't very analytically inclined, so I had a very tough learning curve the first three months. It was with some trepidation that I left a more creative marketing role at my previous company, but it turned out to be a great decision. Everyone I worked with went out of their way to help me understand the way we track, analyze and report on our marketing/sales programs, and they were incredibly patient as I got up to speed. I would say that my favorite part of working here is the people. I love all the people I work with. They are more than co-workers, they are friends in and out of the office. We have a great time together even when we're working the hardest.
Another thing is that in less than three years, I've had three different jobs here. That's something else I really love about it. If you want to learn about a different aspect of the business or just try something new, you can. People move around a lot within the company, which keeps everyone's perspective fresh. There's a big focus on performance, so you are expected to deliver results. It's kind of intimidating to realize that everyone can see how your marketing channel is performing just by glancing up at one of the scoreboards all over the office, but it's also refreshing to know that your performance isn't subjective, either. Everyone can see your accomplishments. And if things are going wrong that are outside of your control, I've found the management to be understanding. They know who is working hard and making a solid effort and who is not, because the executives get to know everyone in the company, even the most junior employees. And when you are doing a great job, the financial rewards are also great. My compensation grown substantially since I started and it's really motivating. My advice to anyone considering a job here would be just to do your work with passion and show that you genuinely care. The results will follow, and you'll be rewarded for it.
Cons
This isn't a negative for me but I can see how it would be for some. Because it's a 24/7 business, a lot of people log onto the VPN from home or use their Blackberries/iphones to check on their sales numbers after work. People who want to punch a clock 9-5 and be done for the day probably shouldn't take a job here. The people who work here tend to act like they own their own business and check in with it from time to time in the evenings and on the weekends. It's not that you're spending your whole evening or weekend working from home, it's just that you're checking your stats to make sure everything is running smoothly. And it's exciting to do that. It's really cool to watch the numbers tick up toward the end of the night as you're approaching a record sales day.
