Is working at Gamestop an enjoyable experience?

Swiggudy

Swiggudy

CAGiversary!
Good evening CAG,

I have been looking to get a (part-time) job for awhile now. One of the places I have been looking into was Gamestop. I picked up an application the other day but have not turned it back in yet.

So far, I have done a lot of online research which, unfortunately, has been for the worse. Most of the reviews I have read were from disgruntled employees who claimed that they did not enjoy the job at all. The few positive reviews said though that it was a fun experience mainly thanks to the co-workers and such. However, all the reviews claimed that the pay was disheartening and the amount of hours was poor.

I would really like to hear what CAG has to say about it though. If anyone (especially with experience) can give their 2 cents, I would really appreciate it.

Also are there other good places to work that are/can be centered around the video game market? Is Bestbuy a good choice? I don't think they would hire employees to specifically monitor the video game section though.
 
Based on what my friends tell me it really depends on the location, who runs it and your coworkers. If you enjoy talking about games with people and being in an environment where pretty much all you do is games then yeah it'll be great, but I hear that some stores really put pressure on their employees to push sales as much as possible (obviously business right). Like any retailer job, you have to balance moral judgement vs being a 'good' employee.
 
I worked there for about five months as a seasonal employee. I wouldn't worry about reviews too much. Just like any other large company, your specific store, as well as your experience will vary.

I personally enjoyed working there, but I wouldn't look at it as anything other than a side-job or something to do. The hours were scarce (one or two days a week, less than 10 hours a week) and often inconsistent. If you're young and you're just looking to make some money and get some job experience, you will probably enjoy working there. You get to be around video games, which judging from you being on this forum is something you enjoy. You will be pushed to get subscriptions and pre-orders, but that's just part of the job.

If you're looking for a stable/career oriented job, Gamestop probably isn't it. But if you're just looking to make a few bucks ($7.25 an hour) then it's not the worst job in the world. The pay sucks, but it's not hard work either, so it sort of evens itself out.
 
I can't speak for Gamestop, but working retail, I can say this much. It's very true that it depends on your co-workers. Customers can generally suck wherever you go (I personally cringe when I have to wait on the "coupon lady"). And I have in my opinion, one of the worser positions (cart attendant). Only reason I even come to work (other than needing money) is because of my co-workers.

As for reviews, I wouldn't put too much stock into them. Reason I say that is, the reason you normally always see more negative reviews instead of positive is that the negative people always feel more compelled to complain than the positive people feel compelled to say something positive.
 
How well do you know the people working at the store you're applying? Are they hardcore gamers or just filling a position. My college years at EB Games were the best retail experience of my life because my co-workers were all gamers. They were the type of guys that would throw a party after hours in the store when we got our first PS2 display unit (until mall security kicked us out). It can be a seriously fun job, but be prepared to sell subs as they push numbers like a bitch.

Best Buy sucks; don't waste your time or energy because they treat their employees like shit.
 
Yea- there are 2 types of Gamestops you can work at:

1) The one that's full of cool people and a laidback atmosphere. Corporate won't put up with that, and one day they'll clean house, or transfer everyone in the team to different stores across the city.

2) Crappy manager and high expectations to meet pre-order goals.
 
Working retail generally sucks, period.

Even if you have a good boss etc., you still have to deal with customers.

I'd have to imagine a lot of gamestops would suck even more than most retail jobs with all the pressure to get pre-orders, parents letting their kids hangout while they shop in other stores etc.
 
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