Pros
Met some wonderful people, both coworkers and customers, that will remain lifelong friends. The pay was very competitive at one point, but the impact of lab grown diamonds has decimated that. The draw vs. commission plan for “Diamond Experts” has become a detriment to getting and more importantly KEEPING the best talent. Many have seen their income consistently decrease year over year.
Cons
The favoritism and nepotism are so ingrained into the culture of the company that it makes for a work place lacking diversity and other points of view. For too long they have relied on individuals with no industry or leadership experience and then propped up their numbers and success with backroom deals. Then they asked those same inexperienced managers to lead individuals with much more knowledge, skill, and experience. Thus far, it has created a sense that those of us that don’t meet a very specific “criteria”, there is no real opportunity for career advancement.