Pros
learned alot, variety of work, interesting for car buffs. shop owner and managers control the culture more than corporate involvement. The pros and cons really depend on owner/managers. In my shop this was 2 distinctly different people often at odds
Cons
pay is often lower than area market, management at store level defines the culture, lack of standard professionalism, lack of team continuity or guidance, see pro's above (manager purposefully got store closed, then took a job with new owner after the rest of us were left unemployed - then he bounced after 3 months - shows the culture was diseased here)