Pros
My fellow sales ambassadors were largely great people who cared deeply about the customer experience, and who didn't strive to compete against others/make the sales floor a hostile environment. The clothing is mostly well-made, and it was nice having a discount at all HM brands, not just COS. The store that I worked at was a fun location to be in, and I admire that COS is thoughtful about the architecture and interior layout of their stores.
Cons
Pay is all over the place -- what I was making (barely above minimum wage in NYC) with a heavy background in retail was greater than what a fellow (also experienced in retail) coworker was making after being with the company 3-4x as long as I. The upper management does not care to actually act on concerns that are voiced to them (especially in regards to COVID-19), resulting in a culture that gaslights customer-facing employees and very obviously prioritizes profit over the wellbeing of their employees. For how expensive the product is, and how little the pay is proportionally, discounts were meager and allowances couldn't be spread far. Zero commission. You would make the same amount of money & have less formal responsibility (and less pressure to be 100% on your A game, 24/7) working at a cheaper brand like Forever 21. "Efforts" to promote "diversity" and/or "inclusion" feel way more performative than meaningful, which is disheartening especially in 2020.