Pros
The "Best Place to Work in Charlotte" may be a stretch. But it's got greeting people at the Super Walmart next door beat. Remember those funny "Don't re-enact scenes from Platoon with Charlie Sheen" DirecTV commercials? Yeah, that wasn't Red Ventures. So if you're thirsty for a tall drink of the Mad Men copywriting Kool-Aid, look elsewhere. They don't sell that at the subsidized employee cafe (which is awesome and delicious, by the way). What you do get is crash-course, beat-you-over-the-head-with-a-stick education in how to sell things online -- not to mention a 360 look at what it takes to convert interest into action. If you want to learn how to be found online, how to better present information on the web, and how to drive a strategic response, this is a great place to start. There's a real job market for that, and unlike your starry-eyed portfolio school counterparts, it's actually growing... not dying a slow, painful death. You also get to work with a lot of really incredible people along the way. You'll report to managers you like and respect. You'll be in the room for a lot of really insightful conversations, at the same table as important higher-ups, where you're encouraged to share your thoughts and ideas. Even better, those thoughts and ideas will be taken seriously.
Cons
An RV copywriter's opportunity for advancement isn't what it should be, especially if this is your entry-level or re-entry level gig. To make this a more pressing concern, prepare to be grossly underpaid, even by starving writer standards. As a writer or creative type, you'll always come second to the number-crunchers. After all, it's a technology and analytics-driven company. Actually, you'll probably come third. They come first and their interns second. The actual work can be fun and fresh, or mind-numbingly painful. There's little-to-no say in your day-to-day projects. But you'll get plenty opportunity to expand your horizons and take on extra, higher-level work if you both prove yourself competent and ask for it. Again, don't expect the pay that goes with it. In Conclusion: If you start your copywriting career at RV today, you're not going to be there in three years, probably not two, many last less than one. But you can learn a whole lot at an accelerated pace, so when the time comes, you can speak intelligently about copywriting and online marketing in ways that those competing for the same job prospects can't. RV labels itself a "career catapult." I'd say that's fair, though so-called writers in Charlotte are in high supply and low demand. If you're talented, you'll make it out the other side. Grind it out. Have great times with coworkers. And know that you're not stuck there when you get to a point where you feel like you're running in place.
