Vantaggi
The discounts are amazing. Twice yearly employees receive 75% off of all sale merchandise, online and in store. The benefits packages are nothing to be scoffed at either. Long before most companies implemented same sex partner benefits, J. Crew was ahead of the game by ensuring that (as long as you could prove that you were a couple via financial documents) you and your partner received awesome benefits.
Svantaggi
Almost zero work-life balance. As management, you were expected to come in early (7am) on your days off for meetings. The opportunity for creativity in the store environment is non-existent, even as the visual merchant, I got little say in what I was allowed to do. The amount of work was always more than could be tackled in a 40 hour work week but if you went over on hours, you would receive disciplinary action by the management. The schedules are inconsistent, lots of close/open shifts which make it hard to prepare for the next day. Huge communication gap between upper management and lower management.