Pros
Opportunity for growth if you start towards the bottom (or if Paul likes you), decent benefits, 40% discount
Cons
In the (relatively) short time I worked at Guess: -I voluntarily worked well over 40-hour weeks (plus weekends) without overtime or even a pat on the back -I was lied to (repeatedly) by management and was made to feel that my co-workers are my competition, not teammates -I was micromanaged to the point where even I started to question whether I'm capable of doing anything correctly myself -I saw dozens of people come and go. I saw my department go through 4 rounds of firings and lay offs that were absolutely NOT economy-related (such as employees questioning management decisions) -I received a thorough education in nepotism -I saw management engage in completely unjustified secrecy, paranoia and other unprofessional behaviors that wouldn't even be normal for a small, privately-owned company. The people that were in my department who truly cared about creativity, improving the brand and working as a team were depressed and frustrated. Everyone felt beaten down and unappreciated. As much as I'd like to blame this on the economy or the fashion industry, that's not the case. According to friends who have been in the industry for a while, GUESS' reputation for employee relations has never been stellar. Here's what I suggest: If you're serious about fashion and you get a job at GUESS, use the experience to toughen yourself up for a year and then look for something better. Depending on your department, there's a small chance you'll get lucky and find yourself working with a great team. Unfortunately, I don't know anyone who is happy at GUESS that is passionate and highly motivated when it comes to their career. Also, keep in mind that this mall fashion mostly based on knock-offs. The company is great at justifying certain behaviors by making you feel like you're actually working for an innovative, cutting edge fashion brand.
