Life Highlights: Sony/ATV

The view from the cafeteria on the 28th floor that I took on Monday

I know I brushed on my experiences at Sony in this blog post, but since it's my last day here, I figured I would do a full commemorative one.

After doing a bit of Googling on my first day, I found out that Sony Music is the second largest record company of the "Big Three" (after Universal and before Warner), and it was originally known as the American Record Corporation before becoming Columbia Records (the name it was known under for most of the twentieth century).  Now, Sony/ATV is technically a separate entity from Sony Music (since it does the publishing and licensing bit of the business), but it's still exciting to work for the same larger corporation that is such a titan in the music industry.  Moreover, because of its history, I was deeply impressed with the amount of songs in their catalogue (which boasts over 3 million in their collection).  The company owns the publishing rights to hits going as far back as the '20s and '30s all the way to this year.  Obviously, the most impressive of which is that I got to work for a company which owns the rights to my favourite Bowie song of all time: "Golden Years".

Aside from the impressive history and catalogue, I've greatly enjoyed my time here - I could definitely see myself happily working at an office similar to this one.  I helped out a little here and there - getting coffee, refilling the fridge, and the like, but for the most part I was left to my own devices.  While here I was able to write on my blog, catch up on email, and (of course) listen to David Bowie - and still getting paid significantly more than my restaurant job and staying off my feet! There was also a lot of free drinks, fruit, and energy bars that, as a post-college graduation young person, greatly appealed to me.  I definitely took advantage of the open fridge policy.

However, more than the work (which, as a temp you basically get all of the pay and exposure without the same level of responsibility) or the free food, what I really enjoyed was the workplace environment.

Everyone here was extremely welcoming - it felt a lot like being the new kid in school.  The office is rather small, so it's no surprise when a new person comes in.  My first day here I was introduced to a majority of the assistants and a few of the executives.  I was able to shake their hands and tell them a little about myself, which was not only great exposure, but also lovely to see that they cared enough to be introduced.  I also got to see how everyone seemed to genuinely care about each others' lives.  It was a true glimpse into a corporate office workplace, but with the added bonus that instead of finances (or paper), the product "sold" here was publishing licenses for great music.

In particular, the executive assistants Emma and Carrie were a bright spot on my time at Sony.  Emma is also from Oregon (Eugene), while Carrie is from London.  It was great to hear a little bit of their stories as well as share my own.  They even liked my David Bowie shirt (yes, the infamous $300 shirt) and my taste in music - so I considered both a great win for everyone involved.  Carrie even advised me about how to get a permanent job at Sony, which was absolutely lovely of her.  Apparently, she also went to film school (but in London), and after working in a bunch of different jobs, she has become an assistant for the past ten years (working as both a personal and executive assistant).  It really is incredibly interesting, the types of people God puts in your life to meet along the way.

Although I am really sad to be leaving such a great workplace, I am truly grateful for how inspired I feel after working here.  In comparison to the restaurant, (where I just felt all my dreams die), I feel like I'm making real progress towards my future.  I'm getting exposure to lots of people in the industry, I get to increase my experience as an office worker, and I get to listen to good music while I'm at it.

Here's to hoping another gig like this comes my way (and this time have it be permanent)!