Pros
Opportunities to earn commissions. Work environment filled with musicians, so typically there's always some type of mutual interest level. I can't think of many jobs where every employee has something in common. It's an excellent job for a "just out of high school/early 20-something". I will say, I have always had a work ethic much beyond most my age and with such a "work-hard" mentality, it is quite easy to work your way up the ladder. I was originally hired at 18 as a "rental temp" and then was selected out of a group of several "temps" to be promoted as a regularly scheduled part time employee. I accepted several responsibilities beyond my position, taking on tasks normally assigned to full timers or managers. Because of my willingness to work hard, I was promoted to a full time position within 8 months. Yes, the wages are tight. Sure, it's not a job that I think I'll retire from, however, what this job allows you to do is prove yourself at a young age. I know several managers under the age of 30. I am 20 and one of few of my peers with a full time job including benefits. I have no doubt that I will work my way towards management in the next couple of years. Once I've earned that management position, I likely will work it for a few years to learn the ropes of management. If I get promoted beyond that, cool. If not, I can always take my management experience (in a large company, at that) to most employers and get instant recognition being under the age of 25.
Cons
I'll agree that sometimes the upper management team (typically starting at DM and moving upwards) can be a tad bit ignorant of what actually goes on on the sales floor. Sometimes their understanding of how things actually work is lacking. The scripts that they make you use aren't really that great and in fact, I've noticed success with some of my modifications to the scripts and such. It is incredibly difficult to get recognized as a part timer. You're expected to meet sales goals based on the same formula as the full timers, however you're only there half of the time. They do not take into account that the "follow-up" time for your customers may be double than that of a full time employee... simply because there might be 2 or 3 days in between your shifts. With that in mind, it is incredibly difficult to "stay in the know" about lesson schedule changes, moving product, transactions, and other day-to-day things that every good salesman/tuition keeper should know. I resolved this problem by calling in every day to check on things and get updates. As a 19 year old part time employee, it probably shouldn't have been my concern to call on the daily so that I know what's going on. Granted, that may have been one of the things that got me promoted, but it shouldn't be my responsibility as a part time employee.