Pros
Nice discount, you learn trend of sales and are able to work the system to get the products dirt cheap. We have a friendly and family type staff at our location, I hear it's not like that at most other stores. Pretty nice benefits for full time, I'm not sure what part time gets.
Cons
There is no such thing as full time. Our store has all part time associates, and full time management. (It's not that we don't hire into full time positions, corporate doesn't allow our store to have a full time position outside management or framing) So don't take a part time job thinking you will move up in the company. But they hire from within, so if you do move up in the company your new job is to kiss corporate butt and everything in the store is your fault, even if it has nothing to do with you. Have you ever shopped at Michaels and said "no" to giving your email address? You just ruined that cashiers day, you just ruined the CEM's week, and you just ruined the stores reputation. Enough people saying "no" to email may have lost that cashiers job, and the CEM's job is probably being threatened, and the store may be under special watch from corporate because of it. Seems ridiculous right? Then don't enter management. If you are in a store that is a "C" grade, chances are that during most days there are only 4 people in the store. The framer, the store manager or other form of manager, a cashier, and yourself (being a CEM-customer experience manager). Since the store manager is doing office work and isn't supposed to be on register you are running the store by being the associate who helps every single customer, sometimes from the register, since you are the only back up there is, at the same time as running to get sku numbers and sign checks and void approvals and change for register, answering calls and manager issues. And don't forget to make the craft samples every week and updates signs and schedule the instructors, and keep the store clean and organized. And so much more that you won't even know is part of your job until you didn't do it and get blamed for it...oh right...and do it all from a square tile on the floor in front of the front door. Because what corporate really wants you to do is be a door greeter... As far as part time goes don't look at your schedule as definite. If the store is slow and not making their quota in sales you will be called off or sent home early. Meaning some weeks you might not work at all. After Oct 1st you might work as close to full time as you're allowed...because people quit or call off sick or the store manager doesn't schedule enough people on a given day. Don't hope for overtime though. There is no such thing. You will be worked up to within a minute of overtime so that they don't have to pay you more. And raises are a joke and only happen once a year. There are a handful of employees who are even allowed to get substantial raises, if you're part time don't hope for more than a nickel unless you've been with the company a while.