My experience is from the corporate office as a salaried member of management....
Pros
Great growth opportunities, able to work in any field you set your mind to, training to support job growth, challenging projects that keep you developing key transferrable skills. Working for Walmart in the corporate office can be to bolster your resume for future positions/companies, or you can spend your entire career there. Is a great, stable company, and it doesn't take long to realize you're working for the biggest and, most likely, the best. Good pay for the area, ok benefits, but be sure to negotiate vacation time when you enter the company! Waiting 7 years for 3 weeks or 15 years for 4 weeks, will seem like an eternity for the schedule you will keep as a manager.
Cons
If you start as hourly, is tough to get into management if you have one misstep or are into drama. Competition for middle and upper management very high and career path to upper management could take longer than it would in most other companies unless you have a specific personality or a great mentor/sponsor in an upper position. Always working to do more with less, so always short on headcount to get key projects/initiatives done. Long, long hours and weeks. Night and weekend work is the norm and is expected in most areas. 7:30 to 5:30 when you're lucky to have stuff done on time. Those with more home obligations get more time away from work for sick kids, family stuff, etc. and those that don't get stuck with longer hours and more demand to deliver. If you have emotions or are emotionally driven or show your emotions easily, there will be very few spots for you in middle or upper management, and if you show it one to many times, no matter what you do to change it, everyone will remember it and promotions will be tough to come by. One major misstep will ruin your chances for advancement and no matter how strong your reputation, will take years to overcome, if you are able to at all. Is very difficult to get the benefit of the doubt. If you spend more than 5 years there in middle management or above and leave, you'll need some decompression time to return to a "normal" person. The speed and intensity is unlike any other company.
