Pros
Some departments have more freedom than others. There’s no service counter in dairy frozen—you just throw freight and work on presenting your department in the best way possible, so no need to worry about someone complaining that you sliced their ham too thin. If you have a good team, it can be pretty chill. I used to get my groove on dancing and singing in the cooler while I stocked the milk. As long as you have one ear free and keep it discreet, go for it. It’s not a job that requires a lot of brain power: stock shelves, front department(front as you go), receive truck, repeat. HT is also pretty flexible with students. I used to work full-time hours during summer and winter breaks because they always need help. Hard work and being a team player pays off. Profit sharing check twice a year is also nice. Part time employees get benefits after one year of employment, I think. I met some really nice customers as well.
Cons
Oh boy, well this is retail so… customers can be annoying and rude. The pay sucks unless you go into management or apply for the meat cutter apprenticeship. Lots of people who work there don’t give a flying fish about being a team player or fixing general operations to help the store run smoother. High turnover rate. Managers get transferred to other stores often(usually every 6 months to a year and a half), so by the time you build a reputation with a manager, they get transferred. Try to maintain a positive connection with cool managers. They can often help you transfer to another store or pick up hours. Oh, and the cooler typically runs around 40 degrees, while the freezer is 0, so make sure you bring a warm jacket, hat, and warm gloves if you have Raynaud’s like me. Here’s a tip: get some vinyl disposable gloves from the deli and put those on before your work gloves—helps keep your hands warm.