Pros
Lots of opportunity to move up to upper management. You learn so much about your product in order to sell. It's a very fast paced company, you're rarely bored unless you're in a lower volume store. Praise is usually given where necessary depending on who your district manager is. Commission based pay, also so more incentive to sell. Your teachers are the people who you keep in touch with, they are always there to help you even if you're in a different store. Depending on your location you meet a lot of cool new people. You're always socializing with people whether It's about shoes or not. Journeys employees stay loyal to their first managers or whoever trains them.
Cons
You are expected to work long hours. For management if you can't handle 50 to 60 hour normal work weeks, and 70 to 80 hour work weeks during the holidays you won't make it as management. There is a lot of unnecessary pressure on employees to make sales goals. If you don't make your goal for a certain period of time you will be terminated (even management). Very young managers and district managers, sometimes they are so scatter brained they have no idea what they're doing. Work load takes a toll especially with very few days off which ultimately makes sales worse. It's a vicious circle. Not a whole lot of communication goes on between district managers and store managers. They can tell you you're doing something wrong but wont give you the tools or advice to fix it.