Luck of the Draw - Sales Engineer Sweetwater Employee Review

2.0
Sep 13, 2022
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

the skill and product training is incredible. Most of the people are great to work with

Cons

You must work well over 40 hours a week, and every 3rd weekend at least. My schedule varied daily (12-9pm on Wednesdays and 7:30-6pm Thursdays , etc). They can force you to work more than 5 days a week because you are paid on commission. Your pay is 95% based on luck. (The new person next to you may instantly be making double what you make with the same effort, and they will be praised). You are coached to collect as many rich customers as possible and shrug off the people who aren't buying expensive items. If you are new, you MUST work 44 hours a week and make at least 60 calls a day or you will be fired (you get 4 chances). 10 tardies in a year and you will be fired (1 min late = a tardy). If you are sick, the clinic will quarantine you for nearly all of your paid time off. If you want to take a vacation after just 1 illness, you have to work weekend shifts of senior SE's, or be fired. Many people are currently working weekends to make up for being sick. The policy caused everyone to come to work sick and everyone got Covid. It is true that there are only 5% of women in audio. But Sweetwater has about 1% of women in the sales department. It should be proportional. When I was there, there were 8 females in the whole sales department and not one female in management. There are around 600 people in sales. What's more: The database crashes often and you have to catch glitches in your paycheck. They can't calculate your pay accurately. Ask Sweetwater about these facts. This was my experience and none of this is untrue or exaggerated in the slightest.

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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