Pros
**Who doesn't love a bookstore? You get to work around a variety of media and get an exposure to types of literature that you might not have any previous knowledge of. **Insurance and PTO are major plusses. Three tiers of insurance to choose from, and the base plan is affordable while offering solid coverage. Sick and vacation time accrue independently, and as long as you ask off far enough in advance they are accommodating with personal schedules. Taking vacation time is encouraged, but using sick time is discouraged unless you're seriously ill. **If you want to buy any merchandise, the employee discount is generous. They also let you check items out 'library style' for up to a month. **Everyone gets a steady 35 hours per week. They recently adjusted the starting wage to $10.00 and bumped all the current employee's rates accordingly. Our store did a constant-type schedule where you essentially worked the same hours from week to week, which helped with punctuality and attendance. **All promotions are from within the store, so there is room to move up. Many people at corporate started out in stores as booksellers. **Store management will give you the space and freedom to run your assigned sections independently. They will usually give you up to what you are capable of handling, but not over. Constant feedback is provided in terms of how your section sales stack up against other areas of the store. **The company has established a good reputation in the community over the years, by being environmentally conscious, donating books to schools/non-profits, and providing a good product at a reasonable price. Every time I told someone where I worked, the response was almost universally “oh I love that place!”
Cons
**Two words- Buy Counter. There are no limitations on what people can bring in to sell, and about half of what comes through is utter trash. People bring full boxes of items covered in animal feces, live insects, urine stains, and literal garbage. It’s a health hazard and people should really have more consideration exposing others to their junky materials. **Customers will occasionally balk or become irate from an offer, but generally these situations are rare and handled by someone on the management level. **Dust EVERYWHERE, but that is to be expected. This place is not for those with allergies or weak immune systems. **In my experience, training was adequate and seemed to follow a formula, but as new employees came in during my tenure, I felt like they were not getting the same information and thus took more time and energy to show them the 'right' way of doing things.
