1. In all of the interviews they will obfuscate what the real job they're hiring you for entails. There's a reason they are being vague with you, and it's because they don't want you to get wind of how monotonous and mind-numbing the job actually is.
2. MCM supposedly loves their customers. But then you are told by your supervisors that you cannot give the customer what s/he actually wants--especially if that thing is the coveted MCM Catalog. One customer actually started crying when I became the 30th employee in 10 years to tell him we wouldn't send him a catalog. Turns out, we had mistakenly sent him a few catalogs more than a decade ago, and he desperately wanted to find out how he could get back "on the list." He was desperate. I eventually mailed him my personal copy (anonymously), because I was so broken-hearted after hearing this grown man cry.
3. Your coworkers are genuinely nice people, but they will throw you under the bus. Your job is only safe as long as you are valuable. And make no mistake: only a small percentage of MCM employees are ever truly valuable.
4. There is no viable excuse for missing work (unless you're on maternity/paternity leave, disability, or some other protected type of leave). Your child/spouse is in the hospital for a few days? Your dog got run over by a car and now you're distraught? Too bad--better show up for work 20 minutes early, as usual.
5. The company runs on a system of unethical, but not illegal, practices. Your bosses will lie to you, they will tell you to lie to coworkers and customers, and if you don't like it you're on the short list of people to be fired. Don't expect anyone to stand up for what is right and good, or come to your aid.
6. Don't expect to be rewarded for what you're good at. MCM will stick you in whatever position they please (guess what--you're now working in the warehouse!), and if you aren't particularly good at it, they'll fire you. Forget that you can type 50 words per minute, and have fantastic leadership and sales experience, and would be a great fit for the sales department or the TCC.
