Zimmerman and Partners
The 15th-largest ad agency in the nation has its headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and offices spanning 
L.A. to D.C. Zimmerman and Partners is also the largest retail ad agency for car dealers, representing 2,000 of them. If you're still not grasping the idea that this a big company, it's owned the even bigger (and sinister-sounding) Omnicom Group.
18 comments:
Good pay as you move up the ranks, but expect an increasing marriage and family-killing schedule. You'll be busy busy busy. Maybe you don't have to put in so many hours, but the guy next to you is, so you will too. Productivity is the key, more than creativity.
This is the only place i ever worked where I quit without notice. It is not for the faint of heart! Saw people sitting in the corner crying on a semi-regular basis...no, I'm not kidding.
I know someone who worked here until recently. They litterally wanted to quit within the first few weeks. One you adapt to the atmosphere, it's pretty livable but the pay is industry minimum! They work you to the bone with the hopes of climbing the ladder eventually, i.e. when someone quits or dies. If you actually know or care about advertising, not the place for you. You'll wither under the flourescent lights and uninspiring copy.
A fun and exciting job with opportunities to grow...if you're a work-a-holic. They pay overtime for some (graphic designers, animators, etc), but not for everyone — so there are a lot of grouches who wander around the office complaining all day that they have to work 12 hour shifts for shit pay. But those with the right attitude will climb the ladder and receive the recognition they deserve. It's about drive and passion and they notice that.
They told me 9-Whenever my work is done. then 9 turnedinto 8:30 and 8;30 turned into 8. I wouldntleave until 8pm some nights. If im going to put in that kind of time I might as well start my own business! Oh and there is a girl in the art department who is the rudest person I have ever met. Stay way. this place breeds stressed out people.
It's no surprise that this thread has the highest number of comments; most are negative of course.
I worked there for 3 months in 2002 and the pay for fresh out of University with a degree in Advertising was a meager $19,000. Now, even with the cost of living increases, I doubt it has much.
False promises, hard work - too hard if you want any life at all or if you have a family. Working hard to get to the top is not bad, but working like a slave for peanuts and for people who don't give a rats behind about you is a waste.
I really don't know how they are so successful with such a high turn over with staff.
Karma is raising it's pretty little head. This place is crumbling, rotten stucco piece by rotten stucco piece. As in there piece of shit office. The hacks that run this place are a disgrace to the business community, not to mention the ad community that they are not a part of. Believe me, no one knows who they are or gives a shit about their "brandtailing". What a joke! They got lucky with a little run of wins, but they can't hold on to them because the leadership is from the slimy automotive, old school thinking of do what it takes to make a quick buck.
Too bad for the honest people that work there that think they are going in a positive direction in their career. Sorry, you're not. You'll see soon enough.
This is NOT an advertising agency. This is a PRODUCTION house. Avoid like the plague
If you're a client or a potential client reading this, know that they are cheating you as well. You do not have a team working for you. The promise of one team dedicated to you is a lie. You are sharing a team, editor with 9 other clients and that's why your work will look like crap. But they will promise you the world!
Imagine working long hours for below industry standard wages, not being appreciated and generally being treated like crap while the companies namesake flaunts his lavish lifestyle built off of the back of his hard working, underpaid employee (like working in hell for Satan)--thats what the culture is like as Zimmerman.
Their mission statement says, in part, "We put the client before we put ourselves....", expect you to use your cell phone for work (they reimburse you but it takes forever) and have you put "24/7 (seriously)" on the bottom of every outgoing email. Clearly they do not give a rats ass about their employees.
This thing they refer to as ZNA is nothing but a cult mentality shared by a handful of brain washed employees. Moral is the worst I've every experienced.
If you are thinking about working there, i suggest you think again. If you currently work there, as soon as you can run like hell and never look back because the energy in that place is toxic!
I agree with all the postings that say this is not a good environment in which to work. They love to get young people that have just graduated from college and live at home with their parents because they can pay them low wages, work 10 + hour a day and basically brainwash them. This being their first job, they do not have anything to compare it to.
However, It is not like this at every agency and you/your parents paid way to much for your education to just accept anything.
Times are hard and its open season for employers' to take advantage of employees, especially in South Florida. I encourage you to KEEP looking before just accepting crap, even if it means having to relocate. There are opportunity out there for smart, educated individuals that respect you, give you a good work-life balance, and pay decent wages.
Good Luck!
Uh, I wish I read this blog sooner. Is all this true? They are actually flying me out there next week for the interview. I guess it's a good thing I found this out now and before I signed the papers. Do you think I should cancel flying out there and just copy and paste this url in a response email? lol. If anyone else has any more insightful information about this agency please write it. Thanks everyone, you have been a big help.
Well, once again I appreciate your responses. As far as canceling the interview, I could, but the hotel is already paid for. I guess I could cancel and just go have fun for a couple days. I booked the hotel in case I liked the place and the people. That way I could get a feel for the area and scope out places to live. I'm from New Jersey and I guess I was more in love with the idea of kinda starting over in a new place and working for the 14th largest adv. agency in the country. I must admit, I was impressed with their client list and annual billings of 1 billion dollars.
However, like most places, you never know the inner workings until you are on the inside. I can certainly vouch for that. The place I work for now does adv. for all the hotels and casinos throughout the country, sounds cool, right? Wrong. The place blows and sounds a lot like Zimmerman. So I am thankful I stumbled upon this blog before I made a huge mistake.
Just out of curiosity, I am a Copywriter and I would like to know if anyone here works with or has worked with the creative team at Zimm? If so, could you tell me if it's more like, "here's the info just write it and design it" or do you get to actually conceptualize and comp up instead of just jumping right to the execution?
Please, if you wouldn't mind, tell me as much as you can about the inner workings of Zimm. Again, thank you everyone.
DO.
NOT.
EVER.
-UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE-
WORK HERE.
IT WILL EAT YOU ALIVE.
i love how Zimmerman makes us work and always expects us to be on time whenever there's a hurricane. forget our families and our houses and our well being - the clients and their money from them are more important! but isn't it convenient how the ceo and upper management suddenly disappears when there's a hurricane? sounds a bit fishy to me... greedy no-heart bastards.
Its funny how current Zimmerman employees who have taken a big swallow of the 'z-aid' and now have ZNA running through their veins seem to think that they can dictate public opinion represented here with regard to working at Zimmerman. The reality of it is that if you work there and love it, good for you! If you work there or have worked there and hate it, Thank the Lord you got out!
I for one, have worked there, hated it (in my opinion it would be number 1 on the list of worst companies to work for), and have moved on to bigger and better things!
My advice, work for Zimmerman at your own risk and if you choose to, don't beat yourself up about it...some lessons just have to be learned the hard way.
My good friend, who has worked at Zimmerman for almost thirteen years was layed off with no warning, no severance package a disabled spouse and daughter. He was the sole provider in his home. There excuse was his rate of pay was too high. He has 25 years experience in his field and was paid according to his experience. Here is a company who prides themselves on helping others, ie; fund raisers, but fails to see the devastation they caused a loyal employee who is now in the process of loosing his home. I guess if his situation was a tax write off there would have been help for him. Instead, NOTHING. These are ruthless, heartless, greedy people with no humanitarian skills. Doesn't charity begin at home?
I am a former employee. I worked here for over 2 years. This NOT a good place to start your career but you may end it here. The company has very high overturn. They work people on average of 50 to 70 hours a week for little compensation. And for the young who start at 24k a year and are promised overtime well it is true they pay over time at half time hours of $5 per hour or less based on the number of hours you work! They have been investigated by the US Department of Labor several times but do not get shut down. If you dont work the over time they will make your life woth hell. They put 24/ 7 seriously on your business cards and they mean it. I know that they call people to do work even when they are burying a family member. DO NOT work here.
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