SKDKnickerbocker Reviews

I was so excited to receive an offer from SKDK. I followed the firm's work for several years and was eager to help champion progressive causes. However, my excitement quickly faded. After I started, it soon became apparent that while the firm does have incredible, progressive clients, those clients are few and far between. Most of the work you do is run-of-the-mill, corporate PR that can sometimes conflict with your beliefs. While I would expect to do that type of work for a large PR agency, I did not expect it from SKDK. The pay is also AWFUL - well below industry standard. And management makes it very difficult to negotiate your salary. The firm is severely under-staffed. Most of the junior level staffers are on 7+ accounts. There is little work-life balance - you are expected to be on-call 24/7. Management has their own agenda and does not care about the needs of junior staff. Many people in management are rude, passive-aggressive, and/or lack the expertise they need to do their job. Finally, for a place that claims to value and empower women, I have never felt so defenseless as I did during my time working there. While I was there, I reached out to several, experienced women for work advice and was either shrugged off or reported to upper management. There is no formal HR department so it's nearly impossible to report work issues.

HR was ZERO help, as their job is to protect the company's interest. I was routinely screamed at by one of my colleagues, overcrowding in the workplace made for ridiculous competition among associates for reserving conference spaces. Unrealistic expectations were a daily occurrence. I consider myself a 7am - 7pm professional because that's what is needed working in a fast-paced firm in DC, but even those hours weren't enough to accommodate the work being assigned. Additionally, there was almost zero diversity there, and while they use female empowerment as a cover for this, the women in charge are awful. Don't be fooled. It's an alluring brand but believe me, you deserve better.