agency life vs. start ups
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- monkeyshine
which is it? who does what and why? It doesn't have to be a start-up per say, but between choosing an interactive design position in an agency vs. doing some cool, albeit less diverse work for a start-up or other company.
Let's hear it?
- k0na_an0k0
i might have this choice in the next week.
i'm currently freelancing (contrat to hire) at an 11 person firm 10 minutes from our house. the people are cool and the work is ok. i'm on a shit dell and last week a new imac showed up for the copywriter along with 2 new dell laptops for the media team and a 15k apple server. no new computer for me. kinda says something about the lack of commitment on their part for this relationship.
thursday i have a second interview at a giant firm downtown chicago for a senior designer who would work directly under the cd and over a staff of designers. it's a two block walk from the train station and the environment is stunning.
there are pros and cons to each.
at a small place you can come in as a nobody and quickly become a somebody whom everyone knows and trusts.
to a large firm you're sometimes nothing more than an employee number on a paycheck to your boss.
which is a good thing come time for layoffs, but if you're flying too low under the radar is also a bad thing.
a small firm you might have less chances to learn, and fewer chances to grow with the company, as a small firm won't grow that much in comparison to a larger agency.
a large agency you'll have more people to learn from and grow with. there may be room for growth and you can more easily climb up the ladder.
it's going to be a tuff choice for you.
if i'm given the choice and offered the job downtown my life will yet again have to change and my lifestyle will drastically change.
you gotta weigh things out, trust your instincts and not look back.
fuck. i am REALLY bored today at work. the main players here have been at a meeting all day and me and the other designers have the music turned up and the work turned down. haha.
- madirish0
if it arises for you, take the position downtown, kona dude....
- mg330
Yah Kona, get back down here!
Interesting observations of both.
- material-10
agency, variety is the spice of life...
- monkeyshine0
interesting perspective, kona. thanks. yeah, sounds like downtown life is for you.
I'm not talking so much about small vs. large agency so much as agency vs. non-agency...yet, not the stereotypical in-house corp. gig. More like working for google or similar.
- k0na_an0k0
we'll see mg. they contacted me on monday and i thought for sure i'd be locked up for an interview by today or tomorrow, but i haven't actually heard anything back from their hr guy.
got a place up at 350 North LaSalle interested too but that walk from the train station would be pretty far. especially in the winter.
i like it where i'm at but shit, i'm 32 and thinking about babies. i can't be freelance depending on my wife for her companies benefits. i need a 401k and some stability n shit.
especially with the holidays coming up. if this keeps going freelance the closer it gets to the new year the harder it will be for me to find a fulltime position.
i'm thinking about this way too much.
- material-10
More like working for google or similar.
monkeyshine
(Oct 3 07, 11:25)kill yourself now
- madirish0
not to rain on it in ANY way, but google is basically working for an in-house corp. gig, no?
- morilla0
yes it is.
- jox0
Life as a designer at Google:
Around easter:
- Alright designers, listen up, I want you to prepare a christmas-y Google logo for this christmas.Around christmas:
- Alright designers, I want you all to start thinking about a cool Easter logo for next year.Repeat.
- k0na_an0k0
hmm... not sure i follow monkeyshine. but then again i was up until 2am, am running on little sleep and jacked full of dayquil.
i worked for macrovision in their user experience department so i guess that would be considered a "non-agency" job. there was a marketing team but we did not work with them. other than those jokers there were no creatives in the entire company aside from the I.As. it was cool. had a ton of perks. we were kind of our own entity not associated with the company, but the team whom everyone came to when something needed to look pretty and function well.
really... you can't decide until you go in there and check shit out. ask for a tour. look at the workspace, the desks, the computers, the people. go to the lunchroom and look for the little things. free snacks, soda for a quarter, no roaches.
its like buying a pair of shoes. nike vs. new balance. they both look great in the box but until you try them on you don't know how they're gonna feel with all the glorious details of your feet.
fuck. i think i'm od-ing on meds.
- morilla0
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Life as a designer at Google:Around easter:
- Alright designers, listen up, I want you to prepare a christmas-y Google logo for this christmas.Around christmas:
- Alright designers, I want you all to start thinking about a cool Easter logo for next year.Repeat.
jox
(Oct 3 07, 11:32)It's not like that.
- czawada0
I'm now part of a large agency, but working in the newly started up office in Vancouver.
It's really the best of both worlds. It's like working for a start-up with the backing, support and reputation of a larger agency.
I wouldn't trade it for anything.
- jox0
I wouldn't trade it for anything.
czawada
(Oct 3 07, 11:37)Oh yeah? Not even for a rub n tug, a power bar and a 2ADVANCED INTERNSHIP?
- madirish0
Taxi, chris?
- k0na_an0k0
Oh yeah? Not even for a rub n tug, a power bar and a 2ADVANCED INTERNSHIP?
jox
(Oct 3 07, 11:39)HAHA!
- morilla0
"Oh yeah? Not even for a rub n tug,"
We get those here.Only on Tuesdays though.
- czawada0
Jox: did I say anything?... I lied, sign me up!!
Irish: yessir.
- monkeyshine0
haha!! you guys are cracking me up.
Fair nuff, shouldn't have said google...more like a start-up and left it at that.
Thanks, Kona. Good advice.
- madirish0
awesome dude. loved that portfolio for a while. cool to know someone here is part of