Area manager - Anonymous employee Smith-Western Employee Review

Loved the people I worked with! So many fun design/illustration projects. Worked with big clients - looks good on resume. Large, well lit, attractive cubicles. Well established file systems and procedures. You get to pick your projects based on priority and what speaks to you. Lots of different souvenir items to make art for - it's exciting to see your work created in 3D. Travel! The CSR's travel a lot, but the company tries to send even the artists on a company sponsored trip every year. I got to spend a week working a convention in Las Vegas. Other artists got to help set up and take company stock photos at major national parks. Great family environment - the owners threw me a surprise baby shower at their Villa. I can't promise they'll throw you a baby shower, but they are pretty thoughtful about celebrating life events. If they really like you, they'll even prank your desk for your birthday. Office staff regularly eats out together, and don't worry, if you're shy they'll still invite you. The head-honcho CEO, Skip, is probably the warmest, friendliest guy I've met. Even when he's encouraging clients to send us kooky requests in the art department (You want me to put a what on that shot glass? Just making sure.)

Wasn't allowed to use vacation time for maternity leave. Management agreed to let me work remotely after baby - never returned my calls or sent me work. Got let go with two days notice for a couple months during the slow season, then brought back on. That was about it. Frustrating at the end, but otherwise loved working here.

they are willing to over look a bad record,

there is no s.o.p. standard operating procedure for warehouse operations and there order picking programs are outdated and not streamlined.