Pros
It is fun work! You get to work with guitars and other musical equipment. You help musicians of all skill levels out which can be rewarding on a personal level. Generally your coworkers will be friendly, laid back, and like-minded people; Guitar Center associates are almost all musicians in some way shape or form and there is a sense of community and understanding there that is hard to find elsewhere and it's generally an overall fun work atmosphere and culture. There is a substantial discount on gear and merchandise for employees that can be very attractive and helpful for serious musicians.
Cons
Though things have improved over the years, the pay is still not awesome. Sometimes customer interactions can be difficult when people are rude, overly demanding, or have unrealistic expectations - moments like this make the job challenging and it sometimes takes a great deal of patience and tact to steer situations towards a favorable outcome for all parties involved. At times it feels as if management at the corporate level is out of touch with the needs of associates, seemingly focusing only on numbers based results and setting unrealistic goals without understanding how things actually work at the store level. The emphasis on pitching add-ons and services, such as Pro Coverage, lessons and repairs, can be irritating at times. Although it is understood that these things are great ways for Guitar Center to generate income and thus pay off corporate debt incurred by decades of mismanagement, it can be burdensome for associates when faced with high pressure goals to sell these things. Not a whole lot of room for professional growth or raises with this company either. So-so benefits. Gear discount is awesome - but if you work here full time you'll be too broke to get anything cool with it.