Pros
The company was very understanding when I had an illness and had to miss work. They don't micro-manage like other jobs I've had. You get amazing discounts on merchandise. Very flexible schedule.
Cons
The pay is low. Many people think when you work at Macy's, you make more money than other sales associates/cashiers at other companies. This is not true. Even after fifteen years of working at the company, my coworkers would still only get .25 raises once a year, IF they met all sales goals, credit goals, etc., which is nearly impossible. You get a sales goal every day, which for my department, (children's), was nearly impossible to meet. It's difficult to get credit cards in certain departments, so usually you only do well with credit during the winter. The worst part, though, is dealing with the stress of constant lines and people in general. Macy's only gives you one day of training, and it's all on the computer, and then they throw you out onto the sales floor. You may be all right if you have plenty of retail experience already, but I know two people who immediately quit because they were scared; they felt they didn't have adequate training. Even for me, it took a long time and was very hard to learn everything. The basics of using a POS system are not all you need to know, because nearly every customer needs individualized attention and exceptions to the rule. Expect to make calls to other stores to hold merchandise for guests, make frequent calls to Macy's credit, process lots of returns with or without proof of purchase, and deal with plenty of angry, bitter, rude customers who feel way too important. Because the managers don't micro-manage, they're often not on the spot when you need them. You have to make frequent calls to the office in the building, who get frazzled. So, not seeing your manager all the time is both a pro and a con. You're usually very understaffed. Expect to work on your own on weekday nights, closing by yourself. Most departments don't work on commission, but the dedicated employees will act as if they do, creating lots of drama by acting as though you've "stolen their customer," when that's really the last thing you want to do. Lots of drama, with customers and coworkers.
