Pros
Cheap samples, take home laptop
Cons
I usually don't even bother with reviews, but I feel obligated to warn any potential candidate about the horror that is Place Showroom. I'm still not sure how they continue to lure people in, even for the short few weeks that they stay, but please read before you even consider an interview with this company. Where do I begin? To even call Place Showroom a company is a joke. It's run by a CEO who comes from money and has had everything handed to her, but expects everyone in the company to work themselves to death without any reward. The office moral is so bad that multiple people quit each month, leaving the team down to nothing. Then management advises that the workload will triple; but do not expect any recognition for your work. The pay is awful -- the majority of the sales assistants are barely above the poverty line and they promise you 1% commission, but most brands only pay .7% The best part is when a brand leaves the showroom (which happens almost on a monthly basis) and HR sends you a brief email saying not to expect any commissions for the work you did. You're expected to work long hours, regardless of how busy you are, just to show management that you love the company. But don't expect them to stay with you because they have hair appointments and baseball games that are too important to stay past 6. Which brings me to the next con: You're expected to check in with multiple people so that they know where you are and what you're doing at all times. Going to be 2 minutes late? You need to let them know or else your name gets put on a reprimand list. (Are we in elementary school?) Need to leave 5 minutes early? Get ready to explain exactly where you need to go and why, and most likely you'll be asked to stay until 6 on the dot just to show face. Management expects you to go on the road once a month regardless of whether the trip is going to be profitable. You'll spend the weeks leading up to your trip fighting with your fellow account executives for samples, begging for working suitcases (you may get 1, the rest will not have working wheels or handles), and packing away like a sweatshop worker because the interns have more important things to do than help you (like clean the showroom and hanging out with the showroom manager). Benefits? None. Healthcare is expensive, there is barely any time off which you accrue throughout the year and are scolded for redeeming, a minuscule bonus (if any), and so-called "socials" where the company gives the team a budget of $3 per person -- expect old beer, Chateau Diana from Duane Reade, and a bag of tortilla chips. The turnover at Place Showroom is so high; people don't even bother learning new hires' names. Expect at least one person to quit each month, and most likely they won't last more than a couple months. And if they feel like someone is challenging the way things are done, they most likely will be let go and whoever remains is left to pick up the slack. To put things in perspective; we were a team of approximately 20 people at the beginning of the year, and are now down to 10 with more and more people looking to get out. If that doesn't deter you, then maybe this is the place for you.