Pay was a big issue. The biggest companies in Hollywood often pay the least, and Paramount is at the bottom of the list in terms of fair pay. I wasn't paid enough to afford living in the city in which I worked so I had to commute from over an hour and a half away. Although the company was, at the time, hybrid with 3 days in-office, the commute was untenable. Many other teams came in sporadically whenever there was work, and often only once or twice a week. When I asked my manager if this was feasible, they asked HR who said absolutely not and that corporate policies had to be applied unilaterally. So as you can see, there was a lot of unfairness and unclear policies being applied. It really matters who your manager is and who your team is.
Additionally, because the company is so siloed, your team matters because they're pretty much the only ones you'll be working with (at least in my experience). There wasn't much opportunity for expansion or collaboration with others. Some of my friends at work had great teams that valued them and respected them. That was not my experience. My manager was highly impatient, not letting me get used to the position before scolding me, oftentimes more than once a week, on something I was still learning.
Last few notes:
- most of my team was unhappy with where they were at and had been for years, expecting a promotion that never came (low career advancement)
- culture overall felt pretty toxic and "sweep it under the rug" felt like the modus operandi
- although they say diversity is a priority, no person of color worked in my suite and I was the only woman on my team. additionally, all upper-level management and execs were white men.
Overall I learned a lot, but I would not go back and I would not recommend others to work there unless you're sure of the team you're joining.
