I received a call from the ING Financial Partners office in Philadelphia a few months before I graduated and immediately reported for my interview, full of excitement and hope for my future. I thought it was a one-on-one interview and was surprised to be escorted into a room filled with other hopefuls like myself. However, they seemed like a professional, well-educated gathering, so I wasn't concerned. A young guy then came in who introduced himself as the VP and proceeded to give us information on the company, telling us that we could early really good money with this opportunity if we were willing to work hard enough for it.
I knew there was a catch, and this was it: you had to generate your own leads. This could be done in a variety of ways, including cold calling, although we were told this wasn't recommended. We were instead strongly encouraged to persuade our family, friends, and anyone who made at least $100,000 per year to sign on with us as their financial advisors. While the opportunity seemed legitimate, it was evocative of other so-called "opportunities" in which I have been involved over the years: to wit, Mary Kay, Herbalife, and Primerica. These companies, too, insisted on my pitching products and services to friends and family, something I have never been comfortable with.
Another concern was that we were told that we needed to be licensed to peddle these services. Which I expected, but I had a bad feeling that I would be under inordinate pressure to get my license, and then once licensed, I would find myself under even more pressure to hound my family and friends and meet a sales quota.
An opportunity such as what is offered by ING may work for someone who is a go-getter and at ease with glib sales talk, but if it's a steady paycheck you seek, look elsewhere. Not to disparage this company, but it didn't seem like a place that would offer financial security. It seemed as if this would only come based on certain contingencies, namely, that you find your own leads. This is where I would have faltered. I have student loans to pay back and need a steady paycheck, so I said no thank you and moved on.
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