sales associate

store team leader

program instructor

stocking associate

retail store manager

L.L. Bean, Inc.

I am a web-based developer with 10+ years experience.

I worked as a contracted front-end developer, very much below my skill level but was interested in the reputation of this company. I found the workplace very frustrating because while there is strong talk about producing "good code" there is very little follow up due to business requirements having priority over programmer expertise. 

"Current state" is judged as the gold standard, allowing very little opportunity to make strides toward a better codebase or process. "Outside the box" thinking is not only not allowed, it is actively discouraged.

As a very conservative company, there is zero room to make changes to existing problematic systems. Off the shelf products and third party vendors are given priority and limit the potential of local developers. Local developers end up supporting endless incompatible third party systems. 

The work environment is very friendly and the people are good to work with however. Very easy-going until problems occur, in which time the lack of distributed knowledge quickly becomes problematic. Very large portions of technical programs are dependent on very few people. While there is endless talk about moving away from this obviously flawed process, no progress was ever made in my ~1 year contract.

Meetings cripple productivity. Their frequency and length make actual work almost impossible. Preparedness is an issue here also. Meetings are scheduled without consideration for the problem trying to be solved, resulting in the wrong attendees present, and subsequent additional meetings once it's been identified. This was an endless cycle while I was there.

The workflow is extremely slow, much slower than any workplace I've ever been involved with before... and I've worked for government in the past. There is a lot of hurry up and wait.

There is a legitimately strong importance placed on getting outside and being healthy, this is easily the strongest point in favor of this workplace. The work/life balance was great. Pay was competitive for the area, but low by national standards.

My daily work was fairly boring, with very low requirements. I constantly asked for more/higher level work. It never came. Full time employees constantly complained about lack of time and wanting to have more developers on projects. There is an endless revolving door of contract workers.

There is an accountability problem in this workplace where no one is directly responsible for anything. Work that doesn't get done is brushed under the corporate rug. Status update meetings gloss over facts and rely on spinning results in positive light. No changes to resolve obvious problems are attempted and rarely even addressed.

My contract was extended several times while I was there and eventually I declined to continue due to these reasons. I don't see this company as one that offers any future for software-centered people. While it's constantly praised for being a top workplace, the tech side of things is definitely not. I would not recommend this workplace to anyone searching for a development position of any kind. Other departments appear to not have these problems, especially business, product development, retail and operations.

Working at L.L. Bean in a retail environment I presume is similar to other retail chains. The work varies largely, as does the attitudes of the employees. Some days will be terribly boring but you still have to be there and can't work on other productive things, while other days will be very very busy, and other days are of course in between these extremes.

You'll learn great customer service values and techniques to take with you anywhere you go, and you'll deal with people of all sorts, giving you the skills to engage and interact with strangers of all backgrounds and attitudes. I've seen and dealt with customers on both ends of this scale as well, many of whom are still repeat customers, which takes off of providing positive customer service.

My co-workers are probably the best part of the job. Most of the people there have become friends through work, some joining in outside activities from time to time. I enjoy talking to my coworkers and it's kind of the one freedom that you have when not engaging with a customer.

Management has changed drastically since I've been employed. I think management is largely positive, and those in the upper portions of management are often the ones projecting the most happiness and excitement, and laying down the rules, as it is their job to do so. I've had terrible instances of communication on some key issues with management, and disagreements on some of their store reviews and policies. I again, understand the difficulty put on management for doing their job, but it's hard to take someone seriously when they consistently want more out of lower level employees that are getting paid so little, with no hope for a raise or promotion.

I've also noticed that even as a veteran employee your hours will get cut during the slower seasons, even as the company is rushing to hire more people. Through word of mouth, and with unknown reliability, I'm told this is so that they don't have to provide benefits to most year round workers, which is another hit to employee morale, without promotion potential or possibility of a raise, when you're getting hit from customers sometimes frustrated by the lack of employees, and you still aren't getting the support you desire from management.

All in all, the job is a fun time killer, and it can provide some good experience in dealing with customers and various issues that may arise. I'd be lacking if I said I hadn't learned something, but there is a wall you can hit where the job becomes pointless for skill and career development.

L.L. Beans Outdoor Discover Program runs from April/May through October. There are various outdoor programs which depend on the location of the ODP. This one currently has kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, archery and fly fishing. All the courses are run in Five Islands Park. ODP instructors primarily have opportunities to work on weekends (some weekday opportunities are available throughout the season and more are added as the season rolls along). Work opportunities are not guaranteed for every weekend and most instructors do not work every weekend. There are usually two instructor slots per course and instructors will usually work all the courses for a particular sport in one day. So there are way more instructors than slots available. Rainouts and other weather interruptions are possible given the outdoor environment. No guarantee to get customer signups for a course you sign up to instruct (it is uncommon to get no sign ups but it does happen). In general if you show up to work for the day you are guaranteed four hours of work because of labor laws (assuming you don’t voluntarily leave).

Cons: The pay is low. You can probably make the same amount of money doing other service jobs. 
Pros: Your upfront commitment is very low since it’s shift based work. You are working outdoors in a park all day and in some cases out on the water which can be really nice in the summer. The work is not difficult. You don’t need a lot of experience in the given sport to lead the courses (knowledge and experience is valuable though! It means you can help the customers more). People enjoy their time with their activities which is great. Helping people learn archery and appreciate the sport is really rewarding. 

The kayaking and paddleboarding do have some instructional components but are more focused on the tour aspect than the sport elements.
The setup and cleanup can be tedious (or annoying in the case of moving the kayaks around) but you get paid for that time so it’s worth it.
It is possible to be tipped but uncommon since there is nothing prompting the customers to tip and you can’t prompt them.
There is access to an L.L.Bean discount (and other unrelated corporate discounts). The discount has some value but it’s limited since their products are already expensive.
The other people who work there are great.

TLDR: Low stress job that can be fun. You won’t be paid a lot to do it though.


Retail sucks...sort of. I didn't enjoy the tasks I had to do some of the time, for instance, the more repetitive ones such as organizing displays, folding clothes, and sizing departments. I also didn't enjoy interacting with angry and entitled customers. No one does. 
There were some positive takeaways though. the people I worked with helped me get through the monotony and everyone was nice. Managers were hit or miss, some of them I really liked, but others were hypocritical and hard to work with. But we were all passionate about the outdoors and knowledgeable about what products were selling. I enjoyed helping people find the right items they were looking for and giving great recommendations for things. 

But the morning shifts and then having to close the store the next day really wore on me, I felt I never could develop a sleep schedule, and while I had a lot of time to myself for things, I wasn't making enough money. I'm still a loyal Bean fan, and wear their clothes and products, but I'm glad I don't work there anymore. 
Advice: Learn as many skills as you can, so you can get as many hours as possible. Don't limit yourself. If you can't run the register, then you're not going to get as many hours, because a floor rep is not as necessary as a cashier. The store will always need someone to ring someone up. 

I enjoyed working during peak season the best because of the hustle and bustle and there was always something to do or someone to help, but dreaded and hated it when the store was slow and you didn't see a person for hours....it gets lonely. Plus some customers are so rude, but the worst for me is when you greet people and are constantly ignored by people. That hurts and wears you down. So at least acknowledge people who greet you in stores, they aren't always trying to pitch to you right away when you walk in, that's annoying. but they're humans too and are being friendly, the least you can do is say hi back. 




LL Bean was overall better than expected, especially for a seasonal position. A typical night (3rd shift), I would either work on left over second shift work, but the most the time third shifts work. Getting a cart full of products, and ensuring quality packaging taping and folding when needed. Several times at the end of my shift I was able to assist in other departments and sometimes in the midst of my regular work if the volume was there. 
I learned to do many other jobs and push my limits when I thought I no longer had any. I always learned new things daily and they welcomed my ability to do so. 
My management team was experienced, knowledgeable and well season throughout the company. Even when they were new to the shift or department it seems they were fully trained, just as a seasonal employee is.
My co-workers were from many backgrounds and ethnicities. I really enjoyed working in such diversity. It was interesting to learn the different cultures and languages. I had fun both during work and on breaks with some of the happiest people I have met in life. I still have contact with many of my previous co-workers and look forward to seeing them every season forward. 
The hardest part of the job was being in such a fast paced environment. There were so many jobs I wanted to learn!. There is one job they have a belt that moves entirely too fast and makes you really dizzy at first, but once you start going in the job it's exciting to see how you much you are able to keep up. 
The most enjoyable part of my job was//is how welcoming everyone is. I really enjoyed working with a group of people that were "happy" to be at work and welcomed us newbies with their hearts! 
LL Bean also was always concerned to our safety. They made it very clear as to how and when you are to do/not something. I enjoyed the small breaks of ergonomics to keep healthy.

How your shift goes depends upon who is in charge. Some managers are laid back and actually treat you like a person. Some high strung managers who are rigid about rules -- no talking to fellow workers (unless you're a favorite), checking your phone - even for the time - is verboten, can't ask if something is for sale on the floor and instead must use your own cell phone to look up product because floor computers are so sloooooow, two min late and they talk to you rudely even though they often  expect you to stay way past when your shift is done and forget to give you breaks.  You are expected to put everything on hold for good of company: ridiculously increased hours at Christmas and late, long shifts. Expected to work inventory until 1:30 am if needed. and to attend mandatory meetings.  Hours cut to once a week by February and until May, and sometimes cut during week with little notice if store is slower than expected. Expect to do the same monotonous task over and over even if you ask to be trained elsewhere. Keep folding the same shirts, greeting customers, and above all else sell sell sell that Mastercard or you don't matter. Favorites get to do whatever they want. Pay is poor, given the price of the product. 

Working at L.L.Bean as an Associate Desktop Support Technician (Contract) was a valuable experience. A typical day involved providing technical support, setting up and troubleshooting computers, resolving hardware and software issues, imaging devices, and assisting employees with IT-related requests. I strengthened my knowledge of desktop support, customer service, and enterprise IT processes while improving my troubleshooting and communication skills. Management was supportive and encouraged teamwork. The workplace culture was welcoming, respectful, and collaborative, making it easy to work with colleagues across different departments. The hardest part of the job was managing multiple support requests while meeting deadlines during busy periods. The most enjoyable part was solving technical problems, helping users get back to work quickly, and gaining hands-on experience with modern IT systems. Overall, it was an excellent environment to grow professionally and build practical IT support experience.

The co-workers were nice enough, the work in general (I mainly unboxed and processed merchandise) was pretty basic and doable, and the discount was neat even though I didn't have any interest in their (somewhat overpriced) products but I only ever worked about 12 hours a week. My hours got shaved very often and it's clear the management favors the full time employees more. It's no way to make decent living, its like a $100 a week, a job for college students during the summer between semesters. Also the manager wasn't too friendly, at least when business picked up. He was a tad too strict and unwilling to accept excuses and mistakes, and that didn't make the work environment as friendly as the company's core values insist. Also its not plausible for someone who only works 10 to 12 hours a week to immediately become an expert in the field, so be more forgiving please. The team leaders were 50/50, some were kind and resourceful, but others were rude, dismissive, and clearly had no interest in the employees. Heck, I don't think a few of them ever called me by my name, let alone knew what it was. Also there was a lack of strategic unity amongst the leads. One would show me how to complete a certain task, but as I did that alone another lead would appear and chew me out for doing it that way. So, there's a lot of miscommunication going on. Don't recommend the job. You won't get enough hours and the environment does not live up to the core values.

The first year I started working at L.L.Bean, it was the top-rated mid size employer in the country, but during my time there it definitely slipped down the list. They reduced the employee discount and as they changed the return policy, the deals at the employee store weren't what they had been before, so just be aware that the employee store isn't nearly the same perk that it was several years ago.

The work environment was pretty good overall. The managers were generally nice people to work for, although I did have one supervisor who had some very unrealistic expectations. If you do a good job, they'll rehire you one season after another and keep you on staff year round eventually, but don't expect a full time job or a promotion at the retail store unless you're willing to be available any time 24/7/365.

Oh, and also be aware that their "open door policy" only exists in writing. Sure, you can talk to anyone in the building, but good luck speaking to anyone in corporate!

The company is great to work for, and this division is no exception.  The 2 major factors I found difficult was lack of flexibility (e.g. the requirement of flexibility in an employee) and the difficulty finding a non-temporary/season job.  As a father it was very difficult to get a spot satisfying basic needs of young children in school & daycare - my availability is M-F 7:00am-5:00pm.  They couldnt work with that.  Had it been a small division of the company I would understand.  Creating blanket requirements of a wide range of flexibility in a temporary/seasonal position where hundreds of people work is not supporting the diversity of living situations which exist.  Which leads into my next frustration of finding opportunities to become a permanent employee.  Very few and very far between were there job postings for any part of the company.  Thousands of positions existed and I would only find 5-10 openings anywhere in the entire company, most of which were almost always niche/specialty positions.  The opportunity just wast there.  And as I finished my most recent seasonal assignment they were transitioning/phasing out several regular employees/positions.  The company is shrining.  However, again, if you’re very flexible and looking for a seasonal job this is a great place to work otherwise.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Sales associate 86 salaries reported	$16.61 per hour
Store team leader 51 salaries reported	$23.37 per hour
Program instructor 41 salaries reported	$17.00 per hour
Stocking associate 8 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Retail store manager 15 salaries reported	$71,570 per year

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