guitar center (or similar) employment

[adamcbest]

any one ever work at a store like this?? if you have, how is it?? They treat you well?? whats the pay like?? etc.. anything you wanna say. I'm an IT major in college, and more and more i'd rather work with something i really love and make less than with something i totally can't stand anymore and make more. you know what i'm saying.. anyway give me your thoughts thanks.

[jono]

Actually I found it killed my enthusiasm for it all

There's nothing like than having to help annoying 15 year old with Rich parents choose a PRS to put under his bed.

Or pursuade folks that the squier strat IS a better guitar than the competitors, simply as the store makes more profit that way

Or get the super cool guitar of the day off the top rack for a group of teenagers who are never gonna buy it so one of them can showthe WHOLE store how well he can play the intro to "Seek and Destroy"

Or ...

Seriously, get your IT degree, re-invent Windows and retire at 35 to collect the guitars YOU want rather than re-string those someone else wants.

[JESTER700]

I'm with Jono - stay away from sales. If you think you hate PCs now, you will hate guitars just as much after a few years selling them. Unless you have a niche where you don't have to deal with the customers Jono mentions, and at the same time aren't on the edge of going out of business by the megastores. But that's a pretty rare situation.

[ChrisReedSmith]

As some of you may know. I work for Guitar Center Danvers, Massachusetts.

Ive been working for Guitar Center since September of 2003. I started in the Guitar Department, but for particular circumstances, decided to try and move to the Accessory Department.

We sell the small stuff. And a few big things. Strings, effects, racks, picks,wireless systems, pickups, pickguards.. etc.

I really have enojoyed the time I've been there and can't say I plan on leaving to soon. I don't think I'll be there forever, not on the sales side anyway, because I've seen what it can do to some people.

Its not for everyone. There are certian skills that will help you greatly. Being able to adapt to your customers and trying to make every situation into a win-win is what you need to do.

Basically we get paid an hourly base rate and then we also get a percentage of commisson. Based on our monthly gross sales and gross profit.

Some people can make decent money there. Some people don't. There are many reasons why it can be much harder for you then the next guy. But like I said, it all depends on how well you can adapt.

Anyway. I dont want to make this too long. I enjoy the atmosphere most of the time. I REALLY enjoy the employee discount. And for right now I feel the job suits me. I do feel that I will move on from either sales or GC altogether within the next 2-3 years. But ya never know.

So if anyone lives around the Boston area. And you have a day off and nothing to do, take the drive up to Guitar Center Danvers. Come see me in accessories and I'll hook you up with a great deal. (A Jemsite deal will be pretty badass) If anyone has any questions or wants address or phone info. Please let me know!

Peace!
-Chris

[moro]

You said you want to do something you love. Are you talking about music or sales? Because working at GC is about being a salesperson, not about being a musician.

If you really can't stand IT, you might consider switching majors. Or you could minor in music. Then, you could take a "real" job when you graduate, and teach on the side, eventually moving toward teaching full time as you gain more experience.

That's just an example--maybe you have no interest in teaching. But dropping out of college to take a sales job seems pretty extreme. Of course, I think trying to get career advice from a bunch of strangers on a web forum is pretty nuts too. Good luck.

[adamcbest]

actually.. i'm not dropping out of college.. i'm a senior this year and will be graduating in May. I am taking a class in sales this semester, and from what we've talked about and done in class, i really like it. I know class is seldom like the real world, but it seems like it could be something that i may like, where IT has gone very stale. A job at one of these stores is not so much find a job in music, but to see if i enjoy being in a sales career by getting a job in something i like and understand well. Like Madwell, I don't plan on staying in that one position my whole life, unless i find i totally love selling guitars. I may move around within one store or go elsewhere. If i end up not liking sales at all, I will still have my IT degree to fall back on. Maybe I exaggarated the "can't stand" aspect, but I just feel that IT is not right for me at this time in my life.

And Moro, i'm not really asking career advice, just getting an idea of what the store is like. Definitely have lots of thinking to do before choosing a job.

thanks a lot guys

[moro]

Ok sorry, it sounded like you were asking "should I go into sales instead of IT?" but it's really "should I work at GC?" If that's the case, then it sounds like you have it figured out--just do what you think is best for you. Like you said, you can always change jobs later. Good luck.

[jono]

I'll just add that some retail experience gives you a lot of directly transferable skills, which other employers will look favourably on. If you're working at GC for a short while whilst applying for a "career" job then I'd certainly say go for it.

and also

"Can I have a discount?"

[shredmaster]

what's up guys? i can understand your point. i do work in IT and have been for about 8 years. I do love it, but it can get really stressful. In the corporate world, as many of you may know, it's a mess...and a real stress! I have thought about working somewhere such as GC just to be around the element...to just be around it! I have felt that slip away as i got older away from early 20's.... just turned 33. so i took up my other love of film (which is what i went to school for long ago.) I started up a video production company a few years ago so I get my fix that way.

Believe me, I hate leaving my guitars and seeing them when i leave for work. my brother and i have both said....this damn job gets in the way of everything! but without it, well............

maybe work there part time and see how you feel.