A life-changing eye-opening experience, Uniqlo really drilled into my head what retail is all about.
Pros
They are very organized and methodical about everything, from the way clothes are folded and displayed, to the way they encourage the use of appropriate mannerisms in interacting with customers, to the way they stress the significance of note-taking. As somewhat of a Japanophile, exciting to me was the fact that various examples of Japanese culture, such as bowing, are present in the workplace. Working here is not like any other retail position: many of the skills I learned and refined at Uniqlo (organization, showing respect, time management, work ethic, how to "body fold", the list goes on) have found their way into other facets of my life, and I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to work here, as it has definitely changed my life. I have also made a number of friends with coworkers in my division, owing to the fact that the store's team-oriented, energetic, and just plain happy environment is conducive to fostering good relations with other employees. Speaking of respect, they really emphasize being respectful to everyone, not only customers, but also coworkers and management, and management in turn respects all of their employees. Some of the management turn out to be true role models as well. When the location I worked at (5th ave) just opened, the store was of course very busy during the first week, resulting in some managers voluntarily working longer hours, running about the store and taking part in assisting regular sales associates on the floor with activities, as opposed to commanding others from the background. One manager I knew even slept in the store instead of going home for the first couple of nights in order to help other employees maintain the store. They really are people to look up to and follow, and not just people who tell you what to do. As an employee at Uniqlo, you get from your job what you put into it, so don't work here if you're not going to put in the effort. If you do put in the effort, they are happy to give you more hours. They are also very accommodating to students' schedules, and in fact, a lot of my coworkers were students. I also like that they give you 2 sets of clothes (for guys, black jeans and a black button up) to use for work. The pay starts at $10/hr, but they stage evaluation periods from time to time, and the opportunities for raises and promotions are very good.
Cons
Really, I have a hard time finding anything bad about this store/company, but if I had to name a few faults, they would be: -The 5th avenue store is so huge, it's rather difficult to keep track of display changes/movements. -(related to above) The managers could work on better communicating these changes to everyone so that everyone is aware of these changes, even though not everyone works the same times. -Although most of the management and supervisors are excellent at what they do, there are a few bad apples (a very small minority) who whine and complain and obviously don't deserve their high positions. Don't let them discourage you from putting your trust in the company and working hard! You don't do this for the bad apples, you do this for the company, for the store, for the customers, and for all your fellow coworkers who DO give it their all!
