Joyce Kim (A1)

I have worked in big firms, small firms, in-house, and everywhere in between. Each respective place has its benefits, but apart from financial needs, I believe the workplace environment and location should fit my personality. First jobs only come once, and even in this period of economic turmoil, I don't want to settle for anything less than what I know I'm capable of achieving. Working in corporate environments completely drained me of all my creative energy. Although it taught me the “correct way” and procedures to approach a certain problem, I wouldn’t have as many opportunities to break through and climb the ranks. I don’t want to be pigeon holed into one position for a decade of my life. So that leaves me with independent, privately owned firms. Working at a boutique firm was fun, but work was always sporadic. Working at a medium sized privately owned agency located in an urban setting would probably be my choice. It’s still small (75 people), but just the right amount of people dispersed into different departments, so that you won’t get sick of the same five people. Also, working at a private agency allowed many of my coworkers to get promotions at a rather fast pace, the downside being that people leave the agency rather quickly.

Coming from a more creative slash marketing background, I think working in the fast paced advertising world will suit me best. I enjoyed the competitive nature of it all during my summer internship, and I feel like I have to work in advertising while I’m young (when my body can still handle all-nighters). Then I will move onto smaller boutique style firms.