Intensity of the Role - While I loved the training, the people, and felt I was truly set up for success, when it came time to actually performing the role, I immediately struggled to the point of not eating, not sleeping, constant nausea, and intense anxiety. I believe this was largely due to constantly having to be "on" - when you're on phones and/or chats, your every pee break is timed by the second. Every conversation is recorded and Shopify has very specific messaging that can be extremely difficult to keep up with (especially since new features are always being added/subtracted). There wasn't a day where I was able to actually leave when my shift ended - I would always spend at least an hour trying to keep up with phone calls, chats, and email.
High Turnover - Although I was only in the role for about a month before the cons outweighed the pros for me, I experienced a ton of inconsistent management and several people in my initial training group has resigned due to stress and anxiety-related concerns. Additionally, I heard way too many stories of people who were afraid they were going to get fired any second for taking too long of a break here, not keeping up with 3 simultaneous chats well enough, etc. In my short time there, I heard from tons of people about the high turnover rate and was really alarmed by how many people from my training group ended up leaving within the first month.
False Promises - Throughout training, you're encouraged to think about the roles you want to move into after your time as a guru. You go to Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting where someone who got promoted from the guru role after 2 weeks is telling you all about their department. Then, once you get into the role, you quickly learn that rapid movement is something that's dying out - and it's now pretty much impossible to get out of the guru role even after 2+ years.
I worked in sales and customer service for many years, but Shopify exudes a kind of pressure and exhaustion I have never before experienced. In a few short weeks, I lost control of my mental health - even as someone who's very active, healthy, and makes a concerted effort to prioritize my mental wellbeing.
My main point here - Shopify Gurus get amazing benefits, but at a steep cost. I would absolutely NOT recommend this role for anyone who deals with anxiety.
