Pros
Industry exposure is unmatched; you learn a ton. You make friendships that last a lifetime based on mutual love for books.
Cons
Low pay and very poor company culture surrounding pay transparency. Approval hoops for projects of actual interest are horrendous, and in some cases, years long. Requests for support go unanswered. Development meetings with superiors only occur when you're at your breaking point or have submitted your resignation as a means of situation control. Very little proper training -- very much thrown to the sharks. There is a "just be happy you work here and stop complaining" attitude whenever you bring up concerns about company culture or your own development. Performative allyship to all causes, but particularly in their anti-racism standpoint, which is absolutely not reflected in internal relations. Pay is abysmal, as previously mentioned, and does not get better (or so I assume; pay transparency discussions are heavily discouraged). I lived with my parents during my time at PRHC because I could not afford rent on the poor salary. Junior employees are worked to the bone, often upwards of 60 hours a week for no extra pay, and told it's "part of the role expectations." Time in lieu is impossible to actually take. All this to say: I dedicated my entire life and education to books, and it was not an easy decision to leave an industry I was so passionate about. I sincerely hope Penguin Random House Canada will address the mounting concerns so that future book-lovers like myself can feel like they're working toward the enrichment of this community rather than breaking their backs to keep upper management's boot from breaking it for them.
