J.Crew is a great place to expand ones product knowledge and to gain experience in the retail field.
Pros
Your co-workers are generally friendly. Most are very down-to-earth and understand that everyone is working towards a common goal. If you work at a larger store, getting the time off that you need can be quite easy. The managerial staff is generally quite knowledgeable and willing to explain. Some of the personal shoppers are completely consumed with the world of J.Crew, this is rather refreshing and provides a positive working environment. If you're working full time at J.Crew, the benefits can be quite helpful - full time employees receive on average 20 payed days off a year and health/dental care plans are offered at a discounted price. Finally, the associate discount might just be the biggest plus. Employees receive 30% off regularly priced items, 50% off sale item, 5 wear-to-work items a month at 50% off, and there is also "The 60's List" - a list with various items (both in store and online at 60-75% off).
Cons
Competition when selling is never a fun thing. Some of the associates are very serious about their daily goals and will stop at nothing to get there. I, personally have never been involved in an elevated situation selling-wise, but I have definitely witnessed many. The dress code can be quite ridiculous. Employees are required to wear a "third piece" when wearing jeans. This "third piece" is a jacket or cardigan. This can be a nuisance while working in the southern California area (yes, the weather is usually nice, but we all have those days...). The store can get very hot and forcing employees to wear layer upon layer of clothing is borderline cruel. Another downside is the scheduling. If you work at a small J.Crew location it can be virtually impossible to get a shift covered. I've also encountered some favoritism at my J.Crew. The managers tend to become close with the personal shoppers, you can't blame them, they are both full time positions and therefore spend a lot of time together by default. The only bothersome thing about this is favoritism when faced with making the schedule. Personal shoppers, or just well-liked employees, will receive prime selling shifts while everyone else is left with closing shifts. Finally, the commission system is not all it's cracked up to be. Unless you are selling MASSIVE amounts of product per day, you won't see much difference at all in your weekly paycheck.
