Pros
Swarovski is a family owned company out of Austria. They are an international leader in crystal -- jewelry as well as collectible figurines. As a Manager, you manage a very small staff, and will probably spend at least half, if not most of your time on the sales floor, selling. Visual changes are infrequent (a few major changes each year, and minor floor changes in-between). Paperwork and administrative work tends to be light, and communcation with your boss is pretty good. Each District Manager has about a dozen or so stores to look after, so you'll probably get the right amount of follow-up, without the feeling that someone is breathing down your neck. Pay is probably good to above average, based on the size of the store you're managing, and if you exceed your sales plan, the bonuses can be quite motivating. You can probably add about 15% - 20% of your base salary, if you hit or exceed your sales plan on a regular basis. If you follow the rules, do your job, and try your best, you'll find Swarovski a rewarding place to work. Every year, you'll go to a National Convention at a 5-star hotel for a few days, which the company spares no expense. It's very interactive, and if you're adequately prepared, you'll find it a lot of fun, and a nice change of pace from the daily routine. Also your peer co-workers (other Managers) tend to be very top-notch. Almost everyone in the Company that you interact with on a regular basis is friendly. The quality of people you surround yourself with is excellent.
Cons
Customers tend to be cheap, but then you are mostly selling costume jewelry. However, Swarovski is a fair-traded company (like Apple, Sony, etc.), so you will rarely have a discount or a sale--which customers have a tendency not to understand. Be prepared to have to explain that throughout the day, as your customers continually ask you for discounts. The company, overall, is rather top-heavy with corporate management. Since most of the company direction seems to come from Europe, getting used to a "different" type of management style takes a little patience. There are way too many people at the corporate level--each not knowing what the next person is doing, and pretty much unable to help you ("not my job" mentality). The District, Regional and H.R. personnel are very nice, but they really aren't "empowered" to help you or effect any kind of change if you have an issue or problem. They're pretty much "support" players, and it won't take long before you realize the flow of communication is top-down only. Also, don't go outside the chain of command, as that would be political suicide. It's best to just shut up, do your job, be reliable, and try your best to make sales plan every month--if you demonstrate that you have a mind or can think outside the box, you would probably be more comfortable working for another company.