Look behind the curtain before accepting a position - Anonymous employee Sweetwater Employee Review

1.0
Nov 14, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The development team was great. All the developers got along fairly well, and were pretty supportive of each other. We had nice, new Mac's, and the employee discount is nice!

Cons

There is a mismatch between where management tells you they want to be, and what their actions are. I don't want to go into a lot of detail, but here are things I would suggest you ask about in an interview: 1. Do salaried employees need to clock in/out everyday, as well as at lunch. 2. Does the company offer tuition reimbursement. 3. What conferences and training do they provide to the software team. 4. What is the cost of health insurance, and how long is the waiting period. 5. How many paid holidays do you get. 6. Do you have paid sick time? 7. How much vacation do you get. 8. Do you have a career ladder (ask to see it). 9. Do you offer sign on bonuses? 10. Are you required to work during Gearfest and is it possible to take vacation during that time. 11. What is the turnover rate in the software team? 12. What is the average tenure of the software team? 13. How many people with the title of manager are in the marketing department? If you ask these questions, I'm fairly certain you won't be happy with any of the responses.

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Sweetwater Response
6y
Thank you for recognizing the team environment we have at Sweetwater. We are fortunate to have so many great people working with us and the best equipment to work with. We of course encourage all candidates and employees to ask questions are always transparent with our responses. We enjoy a wide array of benefits and perks at Sweetwater and appreciate the opportunity to show them to candidates during the interview process. In response to just a few of your questions: 1) we continually look at training and development opportunities for all of our team members. For IT specifically, we have even developed our SweetGeeks Speak sessions specifically around advancing knowledge for our team members in technology roles. 2) Regarding vacation, we recently increased Paid Days Off for team members across all levels of the company. Most individuals received 4 or more additional days beyond what they were already receiving. 3) Our turnover rates are very competitive with the technology space in general and in many areas are vastly better than comparable companies across the retail and ecommerce industries. For your other questions, we absolutely invite candidates to ask away and are confident that they'll find joining our 1700+ team members to be a very satisfying step in their career journey.

Explore other reviews about Sweetwater

5.0
Jun 19, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Structure for private lessons -Create your own hours -Pool for new students -Food discount -Benefits

Cons

-I personally did not have problems

4.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If sales and music are your drives, Sweetwater is as good as it gets. Management in my experience has been very supportive and development-oriented, creating a positive culture around the company. They have a fantastic training program (albeit intense) that trains on both products and sales methods, so even if you're lacking experience in a given category there's plenty of coaching and training to get you ready for the role. Over time, the position can also be quite lucrative which compliments Fort Wayne's low cost of living well. They also offer relocation assistance since all positions are on-site, and a great benefits package. I've been fortunate to become great friends with many of my coworkers and honestly some days don't even feel like work. Ultimately, with this job you get what you put in, and making a solid living to geek out over music gear all day is a pretty sweet gig.

Cons

The job is very demanding - it's a fully commission sales job that revolves around constant customer outreach via call, text, and email. This means starting out is tough financially, and days are usually long. Try to have a savings cushion before you start, especially if you're moving from another city/state. You also work nights, holidays, and rotate through weekend shifts which won't be new for those who have worked retail before, but it's still a tough adjustment. Starting out I struggled from a social aspect as well. Fort Wayne is a cool city, but it's no LA, NY, or Chicago. Long hours at work make going out and making friends or getting involved in community groups/organizations difficult.

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