This review could be a novel, but we’ll focus on 3 areas…
The workload and expectations for this position would be unmanageable even for a team of copywriters. Talks of daily content needs at a “brisk” pace immediately turned out to be 30, 40+ sends per week with multiple rounds of revisions and last-minute changes from marketing that should have been decided earlier. By the end of my first week I was logging on early and staying late just to approve content for the next day.
Most of this seems to be the fault of marketing, although you wouldn’t know it because all accountability for this process has been shrugged onto the writer. Incorrect sale pricing? Prepare for a harshly worded note from the person who approved your source of information. Missed a comma? Expect to answer for it at 6:00 on a Friday. They want award-winning emails every time but have neither the time, strategy, or knowledge to help make it happen.
The kicker? It’s an open secret. Members of the team welcomed me with warnings to preserve myself, not disagree with management, etc. Bringing up the issues internally did nothing either as my boss acknowledged multiple former writers who burned out/quit dealing with similar problems. Despite offering multiple solutions, her best advice was to stick with it and “eventually hire someone else for a turn on the treadmill.”
Only after submitting my notice less than 2 months into the job did they find energy to make some changes, but do you trust a company who needs that big of a push to make a basic position livable?