Pros
Had the opportunity to hire and work with some great people
Cons
A Dollar Tree store manager is really just a glorified cashier/stocker who also has to find time to do everything else they are suppose to do. After my training I went to manage a store in a bad neighborhood with a high rate of shoplifting. The support was minimal and there was a great deal of what I call, 'monkey work' (fill out form Z on Monday, e-mail a list of X on Tuesday, sharpen pencils on Friday...you get the idea. Tasks that nobody would ever see and meant nothing). They say you have work-life balance, but there are a never ending "get this done before you go home" threats that make it almost impossible to work less than 10 or 11 hours a day. I had my fair share of 14 and 15 hours days as well. You are told you have to work six-days-a-week during the holidays, then they comp you ONE day to make up for it (thanks Dollar Tree!). They also love to talk about all the bonuses you can get, but the reality is that NONE of the 10 stores in my district were getting a bonus because of the impossible sales goals you have to meet. Assistant managers work like crazy for peanuts. The smart ones don't want to be promoted to store manager. Everyone gets hired at minimum wage and is very part-time. I guess the thing that really made me hate the job were the constant, not-so-veiled threats from the district manager and regional manager (get your sales up, OR ELSE...get your labor costs down, OR ELSE...get your product out, OR ELSE). Dollar Tree is retail at its worst. Long hours, crappy pay, crappy benefits, no bonuses and 24/7 pressure to get your numbers up (or else). Don't do it.