I interned for the Coca Cola team in Manhattan and have never been treated worse by an group of people in my life.
When I say that these people were mean, that is a bold understatement. I worked hours that were unreasonable and also not allowed for interns (although I didn't find this out until later), I was given demeaning tasks like being asked to go through the trash and use my personal credit card for errands (despite my bosses having corporate cards). I was exhausted from the hours, feeling extremely under appreciated and overwhelmed.
When I told my boss that I was overwhelmed, she was very kind and understanding but then went and told her boss that I had an attitude problem. I was brought into the office of a higher up who until that point I had never spoken to, only brought her coffee. The woman ripped into me like I have never been ripped into before. She told me that I was rude and disrespectful for telling a boss that I was overwhelmed. I told her that I'd had multiple internships in the past and had never been given such negative feedback. I also told her that I had never refused a task by my boss and would never treat anyone disrespectfully. She didn't care and despite my sobbing told me to go home for the day and wait to be told if I was invited back. When I told HR about how I'd been treated, they didn't seem surprised. They told me that they had had similar issues with that team in the past but could not move me because it would look bad. However, HR did help me get reimbursed for the money I lost, and asked the team to treat me better.
The team did not take well to this. All of this happened in week 2 of a 10 week internship. I stayed until week 6, struggling every day. But the team was so upset with me because of HR scolding them, that they continued to mistreat me every day. I asked to be moved to another team 3 different times but was told no all 3 times. Something seriously did not add up because different people kept telling me that they would move me, but then came back telling me no for different ambiguous reasons. When I told HR I was leaving they seemed relieved. I couldn't believe how incredibly disrespectful this company was to me.
I found out that the turnover rate for Ogilvy was extremely high, and frankly was not surprised.
They treat their employees terribly, overworking them and disrespecting them. They are so worried about office politics and producing good work, that treating employees with respect is not a priority. It was my dream to work there, and now I have no intention of stepping foot in that office ever again.
If you are a student looking for a positive internship experience at a large advertising agency, I would recommend looking at BBDO or Grey Group. Both companies produce beautiful work and I have read great things about their internship programs.
My experience was horrible, but I learned so much about the importance of being a good boss and red flags to look out for in future job searching. I hope that my taking the time to write about my experience helps others who are considering employment at Ogilvy.
