Pros
5 hour minimum shift times - get paid for 5 hours even if job only takes 30 minutes to complete. Free food in hotel cafeterias/leftovers from client events. Low probability to get fired or laid off (AI/robots cant set up speakers, mics, projectors, and run cords across the floor of an event space, yet), managers don’t care enough to want to go through the process of firing, interviewing and rehiring staff. Many of the employees have interest or passion for music, film, and or digital media
Cons
Inconsistent at different properties. Some managers will have no hours allocated to training, they want you to complete training on your own time. Other managers will want you to come in when its slow to complete training. Work hours are slow in the summer (corporate executives all taking overlapping vacations), fall (thanksgiving break vacation for companies), winter (christmas break vacations), and spring (spring break vacation). As a full time employee I had at least 8 weeks of summer where I was not scheduled a single hour of work. Management frequently acknowledges how slow business is when sending out our schedules every Thursday (changes every week, could be starting work at 9pm or 6am) and during regional meetings. Most managers not interested in advancing employees into higher positions through education and encouragement. They will schedule you to work 4pm-9pm, but you will be sitting in a small dark smelly office until 9pm and then expect you to begin working at 9pm when the room is finally cleared and ready for you to either set up or strike the equipment. Can’t say I developed any meaningful skills after 2 years working here.