Pros
- great training opportunities, when you get a chance to go to them - tons of gratis (free stuff) - requesting off is pretty flexible - starting pay is good compared to other retail jobs - monthly pay bonuses (depending on how much your store sells) The team I worked with was great (for the most part), a good mix of ages and styles, very supportive of each other, much like a little family. If it weren't for the people I worked with, I wouldn't have lasted very long in the company. Store manager was great. District manager never introduced himself to me.
Cons
- long hours, 9 hour shifts with only one break - running around from client to client literally near-constant; on your feet all day if you're a sales associate - company expects A LOT from its employees, very stringent customer service standards - part-time sales associates will work 45+ hours a week, but will still be considered only part-time and receive no benefits - little opportunity to advance - a lot of typical retail drama-- favoritism, poor corporate -> management -> floor associate communication, etc. I feel like when you tell someone you work for Sephora, they automatically think "That must be such a fun job! I want to work there!" In reality, you probably don't want to work here. It looks like it would be a lot of fun, getting to play with makeup and skincare all day, but it's really not playtime. I think Sephora has the strictest customer service expectations of any retail job I've ever had. Customers fill out anonymous surveys every day-- and they're almost always bad, or at least, we only hear about the ones that are bad. It feels like all of the hard work we do is never enough and it never pays off. We work really long shifts with only one break, and the rest of the time you are literally on your feet, running around nonstop, trying to give these customers "great client service", and many of them aren't appreciative of it at all. Everything you do is monitored by corporate, and you feel like you're always being "watched". Employees that work over 40 hours every week are somehow still considered "part-time", and don't get any benefits. It is almost impossible to move up within the company unless you practically beg for it, but that may change as the company grows and opens more stores. Overall, I think Sephora would either be a great once or twice a week job for someone who really enjoys the beauty industry and wants some extra income. For someone looking for a regular 40 hours job, be prepared to be burnt out very quickly.
