Pros
-Good benefits -Pay is on par if not a tad better than a lot of jobs most marketing/management majors score right out of school -Develop a strong work ethic due to doing a lot of grunt work you really never wanted to do with a degree -IF you are the right fit, opportunity to do outside sales, manage a branch, operations manager, etc. will present itself but if you can make it past the years of work at the store level on the counter or in "inside sales"
Cons
-Not a good fit for the typical marketing major they hire fresh out of school. They sell the training program well, but it is not exactly always a reality. You have to be a specific kind of person (down home, "rough around the edges") to relate to the industry and customers. It isn't a glamorous job or industry, and you get your hands dirty a lot due to having to pull orders in the warehouse, hop on the forklift, etc. even when you are in counter sales/inside sales -In my case, I was working on the counter (you are literally working behind the counter of a store) after my time in the warehouse with no set end in sight. I did not see when and where the big outside sales opportunity I wanted would open up, but I knew it would be a few years.. - Learning curve: Whether you are doing plumbing, HVAC, etc. you MUST enjoy learning about these kinds of things...you are having to talk to contractors daily about their projects and they ask you technical questions, product recommendations, etc. If you have no interest or really any prior background in this kind of thing then you will have a hard time catching on and enjoying your job. -Understaffed branches are a huge issue. Most branches have 2 people on the counter and a warehouse associate who is also a delivery driver. In the busy season the phones ring non stop, guys line up behind the counter, and the driver is gone it is extremely hectic and you really have to know what you are doing. It is frustrating a huge flaw of the company as it effects customer service. A WORD OF ADVICE TO ANY RECENT/SOON TO BE RECENT GRAD THINKING ABOUT BEING A FERGUSON TRAINEE: Think a hard about industry fit. The people who like this most are usually ones who are rough around the edges and have some prior knowledge or just a genuine interest in the construction industry. If it does not interest you, look for something else. You won't like it.