Vantaggi
Competitive wages for retail. If you consistently perform well, you can make a good wage at the company. If you are with the company for many years, you can do quite well. Many crew members have been with the company for 10+ years, which is a good sign. Most stores are open a very wide range of hours, many start as early as 4:30 AM and are open as late as 12 AM. Competitive raises and performance reviews for eligible crew members are currently offered on a twice-yearly basis. Great for students and people looking to work nights and weekends! Assistant Managers ("mates") make good to excellent wages for working retail, with 10 hours of mandatory overtime a week. Most managers, especially at well-established stores, are knowledgable, friendly, and have been with the company for many years. Coworkers are friendly and fun to work with. Management is approachable and most "Captains" have been with the company for 5+ years, many started out as "Crew". If you are scheduled enough hours to obtain health benefits, they are quite generous and affordable for the quality of care offered. Dental and vision are offered with fewer hours required. Paid time off accumulates based on the hours you work and you can use it (mostly) at your discretion. There are no blackout dates, and it can be used for illness or vacation. Transferring: It is possible to transfer to other Trader Joe's locations. It is not unheard of to have a crew member transfer to another store within a large city, or even to transfer across the country. There are requirements and limitations, of course, but it is a cool perk if you are looking for a change of scenery and want to stay with the company. I have many coworkers who have transferred to or from my store.
Svantaggi
High turnover in some stores. However, in some stores, crew members have been with the company for 10-20 years. Management is constantly changing the "rules" for how to work, usually resulting in doing the same job twice or in having safety-improving tools being off-limits during open hours. Often back-breaking labor with minimal tools for safe lifting. Age is no barrier to the physically demanding work...whether you are 17 or 60, you are expected to break down pallets and carry heavy boxes. Everyone works a variety of shifts, often with as little as 8 hours between shifts (ie: 3P-11P one day and 6A-2P the following day). Assistant Managers have set schedules, but few crew members are given the luxury of a set, predictable schedule. Childcare and family life are hard to manage with the schedule, unless you have a partner with a supremely flexible job. Difficult to budget during "slow" months, as weekly hours may vary from 16 to 35 hours per week. Some managers are fantastic, while others are lackluster. There is a high occurrence of transfers amongst management at the various stores in an area. This means that assistant management of the store is often changing like musical chairs. Usually assistant managers don't have a say as to where they are transferred or how often, which can be difficult for them and for the crew. Favoritism is a problem at most stores. Some crew members can get away with anything, while others are constantly being watched. If you are a manager's "favorite" you usually have it pretty easy. If you are not outgoing or have trouble getting along with everyone, this may not be the right job for you. Some stores understaff to make sales and budget numbers look better. This results in an already overworked staff getting exhausted, especially during night shifts.