Job Responsibilities
I am responsible for my company's subscription databases, customer
service and postal affairs. The first two each require 45-50% of
my time; the third just 5-10%.
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Job Requirements
Rutgers is among the better tier-two MBA programs. I'm learning a
lot, especially since I took so few business courses during my
journalism undergrad. The professors are mostly good teachers; I
guess the others are more research-oriented people to begin with.
Acceptance criteria are not as rigorous as the top-tier. And the
students don't seem as career- and networking/people-driven as
students I've met from top-tier programs.
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Uppers
The best parts of my job are the involvement with multiple people/departments;
working on big-picture projects and day-to-day details; setting my own agenda;
and managing a staff.
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Downers
The worst part of my job - at any media company - is that people
in other departments generally have no clue how my department
works or what we do; and they only think about us when problems arise.
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Lifestyle
My work hours are roughly 8-5, 9-6, 8-6, with not much work going home with me.
I like to get in early so I can work with fewer disruptions. Business travel is
minimal; out-of-town to see our database vendor; in-town for industry meetings.
As in most publishing/media companies, the dress "code" is relatively casual,
though I usually wear a jacket or suit.
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Compensation
I'm at the high end for my position and experience: $83k salary.
This came at the expense of working under the average for years,
when I wanted to learn as much as possible. No bonus. An important
benefit here, but not at my previous employer, is tuition
reimbursement.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Have a passion for the industry and its place in the larger
business environment. In media, you should also somewhat enjoy the
topics that the company covers. Get to know people in other
departments, and how your departments affect each other. This will
help you to understand the big picture of what makes the company
tick, boosting your chances of running up the ladder instead of
taking baby steps rung-by-rung.
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