High stress, low rewards - Photographer Sears Employee Review

2.0
17 Jan 2010
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

If you're studying photography or interested in it, you get the opportunity to practice and learn some skills. You get to work with kids. You get a 10 to 20% discount at Sears and KMart

Cons

The rate of pay is very low considering the amount of work you do. The pay is barely above minimum wage for experienced photographers. The holiday season is incredibly stressful, and most employees don't last through it. 50% of the job is telemarketing. You have to call ten former customers every day, and you have a lot of pressure to bring in customers and make large sales. There is no commission, regardless of the fact that you're taking the pictures, editing them, and driving the sales. The place is often over booked and customers get impatient waiting. Many customers are rude to the point of being abusive, and they rarely had any control over their children.

Explore other reviews about Sears

5.0
10 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good team and good compensation

Cons

The contract is only for 30 days, so it needs to be renewed every month, and we always lose access during the process. This creates some uncertainty for us.

4.0
19 Jun 2026
Anonymous temporary employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Working at Sears allowed us to develop strong customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills in a retail environment. We gained experience assisting customers, handling transactions, managing merchandise, and working as part of a team to meet sales and operational goals. The position also helped us improve time management, adaptability, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced setting while maintaining a positive attitude toward customers and coworkers.

Cons

One challenge of working at Sears was managing periods of high customer traffic, which could be stressful and demanding. We occasionally faced difficult customer interactions, changing sales expectations, and the need to balance multiple responsibilities simultaneously. Additionally, retail schedules often required evening, weekend, and holiday shifts, which could affect our work-life balance.

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