Thinkery Reviews

Very Low Compensation Unrealistic Expectations Unorganized Inexperienced Leadership Unappreciative Environment Poor Planning Extremely High Turnover Little to no room for Advancement.

I’ve read these reviews on Glassdoor prior to joining the company, but waved them off as people who were cynical and bitter. Now, I wish that I did not ignore them. Get yourself comfortable everyone, this is going to take a while. First, the pay. Yes, this is a non-profit and a kid's museum. You're not going to get paid half as well as someone with a similar position in a for-profit organization. It doesn't matter what your experience or qualifications are; you're going to be paid peanuts and you're going to be expected to be happy about it. Next, management. Let’s preface this by mentioning that there are managers that actually care about their employees and ensure they are set up for success. If you’re lucky enough to work for them, good for you! On the other hand, there are the types that like say that they don’t enjoy micromanaging, but end up micromanaging the hell out of everything anyway. Also, don’t expect management to be present on the weekends – the busiest days of the week. Don’t be surprised too if management don’t know how weekend programs run as well, since they’re never there! If you’re low on the totem pole, be prepared to fend for yourselves and somehow keep the place afloat because management is too good to work on weekends. Lack of confidentiality. Don’t expect private conversations with HR to stay private. It’s terrifying to work in a place where you don’t know who to trust or even be comfortable with, because anything you say or do can be and will be used against you. Work life balance. If you’re an hourly, at least you can get paid overtime. But, if you’re full-time exempt, be prepared to literally spend all your waking moments working. Consider this with how little you will be paid. If you have not bought 100% into the organization’s values and the work you’ll be doing, stay far far away because working here will wring every last drop out of you. Lack of career growth. More accurately, if they don’t like you, there’s no career growth. Sure, management has little to no problems dumping projects on you if it makes things convenient for themselves, but if they don’t care for you, don’t expect all those extra responsibilities to lead you anywhere. Many talented staff, part-timers and full-timers, were passed over for promotions for external applicants who were “more qualified”. Which is reasonable, but is it so hard to let your employees know why and then follow up with opportunities to gain the experience that they were lacking? Obviously that’s too much trouble. On the other hand, if you’re lucky and they like you, climbing the ladder wouldn’t be as difficult. This was a lot, but take caution at my tale. Maybe I am bitter and cynical like those before me, but hopefully this helps you make a more informed decision about working here.