Pros
work with studio equipment that you might not have access to as a beginner photographer. You will get comfortable directing and posing a subject because of the high volume of work and fast pace. For a photographer with little portrait experience, this can be very beneficial.
Cons
Pace, Pay, Gear, Management, creative restriction, etc. Very low end of paid photographic work. Good place to learn some soft skills and keep your bills paid, but do not expect to bank a large savings or learn much beyond what was mentioned above. You will use one or two pre-designed lighting setups. Sometimes you will be allowed one or two shots with more freedom during a shoot, but these are few and far between, without time budgeted for the additional work. This job is fast paced, demanding mentally and physically, and will leave you worn out by the time the winter seasonal layoff hits. Photographers are laid off and encouraged to apply for unemployment benefits. In my state, based on local regulations, it takes several weeks to access unemployment, which then only paid me half of my full time wage. Management may not warn you of the dramatic pay cut unemployment brings. No promise of how long layoff will last, or that work will be consistent afterwards. Returned to work for a few days pay, then did not receive work for weeks, but could not reapply for unemployment (again based on local regulations ) and had to go several weeks without pay. No path for upward mobility besides being a team lead (dealing with callouts and day to day fallout from mismanagement, slight pay raise)
