Pros
I have worked for Swank Audio Visuals for many years, and have been dedicated to the company. As a result, the company has been dedicated to me. It is disheartening to hear people come in and expect to get raises and promotions without earning them. Swank can be a great place to have a career as long as there is a mutual respect between the employer and employee. Their training program is an industry leader. They invest quite a bit into bringing knowledge to the field. The management is human. Of course they are running a business, and want to be profitable, but many of them are home grown and understand what is like to be out on the floor. They listen to what I have to say, and something actually comes out of it. Swank generally has good equipment. They equip the offices with good, most times new, equipment. They pay better than most companies in this industry.
Cons
I wish there was more advancement opportunities. When we are in a growth period there are promotions abound, but when we are not growing into new hotels, the promotion can be harder to get. It is tough to maintain a good life/work balance, but I think it is standard for the industry. When you are busy, it could be up to seven days a week. However, when the slow season hits they turn a blind eye to taking shorter days and are pretty flexible with scheduling when they can be. Sometimes the guests really don't appreciate what you do. We bust our buts to make them happy, and they still complain. The industry isn't glamourous. We are highly educated, hard-working indivduals, who have a professional career, but are often seen as just an "AV Guy."