Pros
There is a lot of cache to working at Nordstrom. People are really impressed because it is considered high end and has been named (in the past, at least) "one of the top 100 companies to work" for. If you want to be around a lot of glossy upscale merchandise in a sparkling department store environment, then look no further. You will get a whopping 20% discount off your purchases as an employee. And after 1,000 hours of full time work you will be eligible to sign up for health insurance and other benefits. Eventually, you will earn paid time off at your non-sale rate of $9 an hour. You will gain excellent product knowledge at Nordstrom because the company wants you to be "the fashion expert." You will learn a lot about the merchandise so you can up sell and cross sell. You will receive business cards that help your customers remember you and provide you a polished presentation. You will look your best every day because the dress code is enforced. If you work in a department that sells jeans, you may be allowed to wear denim to work. Otherwise, it's close toed shoes, no denim or jeans, no sleeveless tops or bare shoulders, no printed tees. Professionalism is the key. You will see the occasional leggings and tops on women; men will wear jackets, sweaters, and ties. Expect to accessorize and to pick up a lot of tips on how to stay fashion forward. It is said that if you work hard, you will be rewarded. While this is possible, it is not a given. Not everyone moves up. If you are right out of college or if you intern at Nordstrom you will have a better chance for promotion because you are more mobile and have fewer obligations.
Cons
Your commission is calculated minus your returns for up to a full year later. Total truth. Check it out. Example: A customer buys a Gucci handbag in December then returns it next August. You have to take it back and that commission comes out of your pay even if it's 12 months later. Ask yourself why the sales staff is so over-the-top nice to customers and remember that next time you shop there. Watch your coworkers. They are supposed to "save your sale" when a return comes to the counter, but they can exchange your merchandise then ring it up as their sale when you are not there. This is technically commission fraud, but there are all kinds of "extenuating circumstances" and excuses that people use to justify it. Even managers do it. And, yes, it can get ugly. Watch for those managers who take over sales from their own staff, especially new hires who don't know how to speak up. Managers have all kinds of excuses for doing this such as "I was actually the one who made that sale happen," or "Because I had to service your customer, I get the sale." Remember, managers are paid partly on commission and have sales quotas too. Commissions paid are calculated by how much you sell per hour. As a commissioned sales associate, you are paid a draw against commission, so every single hour you work you have to sell ten or more times your hourly wage to cover that draw Nordstrom pays you. They start calculating your sales 40 minutes before the store opens and 40 minutes after it closes. And during those times you are unable to sell because the store is closed. Clearly, this policy unfairly reduces your commission. Get used to being a drone if you are not a top seller. Mr. Nice Guy does not come in first at Nordstrom, regardless of what they say. You might be asked to come in from 7:30am-9:30am, then work that same day from 1pm-Close, then open the next morning at 8:30am. Yes this really happens Bottom line, if you can live on $11-$13 an hour then go for it. We compared paychecks and occasionally the best sales associates make $15. Sales or special event bump it up. If you are in the top 10% of sellers you will earn more, but watch out for those returns. They can even be in the thousands of dollars in one day. Management will entice you with the tremendous growth potential at Nordstrom, but that really only applies if you are mobile and willing to relocate at a moment's notice. Do not plan on moving up soon if you want to stay in the same city.