This is such a joke. After my initial interview with Victory Promotions / Edgewood Marketing (they work out of the same office and have the same staff, kind of like a dirty criminal with many alias') they asked that I come back for a "Day of Observation" where I could see what the job entailed. They made me feel that I was one of the few that would get this opportunity. I should have known this was a huge scam. They build you up make you feel special and then lie about what the job truly is. Unofortunately I fell for their dirty scam to waste my entire day.
I showed up for my day of observation with 3 other unsuspecting, good looking 20 somethings. The 3 other girls were all recent college grads. I just had been laid off from a great job, I was the midwest marketing manager for a huge company. All four of us were WAY OVER QUALIFIED but from the BS they sold us on in the interview, we were interested to see the potential that they spoke of... SO we met up with the Trainer and got ready to go. I live in Chicago, right downtown by their so called office and that is where I expected to work. They tell you that you will have to be with them all day... 8 HOURS of NON PAID "training" I figured whatever, if it sucks I will just go home.
WRONG! The trainer (yeah right, some idiot kid that got suckered into this job is more like it) picked me and this other girl up in his car and started driving, and interviewing me in the car. He was a total bonehead with no idea what he was talking about. Mind you I have 5 years of upper level marketing management experience and this kid was supposedly my trainer. I started to really question what was going on at this point, and why we were still driving. I asked where we were going and he told me that we were going to JOLIET IL. That is an hour away from Chicago!!! I felt as if I had been kidknapped. The worst however was yet to come.
We stopped for lunch at Quiznos. I now understood why they drag you out to the boonies... So there is no escape! Anyways this stop was really so that the trainer could continue to feed me BS about how the management trainee program works. You start in the field "marketing".. What a euphamism! You then become a trainer (still working in the field with no base pay or benefits, however you have an added responsibilty, to "train" new field reps) After that then you supposedly are assistant to the manager (still same, field marketing) then you open up your own location and make hundreds of thousands of dollars. I couldnt believe what nonsence I had gotten myself into! I was ready to go home. I was stranded though, and after we had lunch, (which I also had to pay for) we were bound for the streets of Joliet.
This trainer dropped us off in the middle of some random neighborhood in Joliet IL and left. Now am stuck in the middle of nowhere without a car? The other girl had some coupon books with her and that was her job, to sell the coupon books for a commission, no base at all, not even a draw. THIS WAS THE JOB!?! Door to door pizza coupon sales? Why would anyone need job experience or a college degree for this??? I talked calmly with the girl that I was with. Poor thing. I assured her that there were better jobs out there for her. This was the first job she had been offered after she graduated from Michigan. She was suckered. I told her some good places to start looking and then let her know that I was leaving. I had to take the train back into the city. What a huge waste of my time. This company is very misleading.
Go with your gut. If you feel something is shady, it probably is. As I continued my job hunt another company, seemingly identical to VICTORY PROMOTIONS AND EDGEWOOD MARKETING, contacted me for employment. The name of the company is KDSM Executive Companies. I did a little research and found the following. Who knows maybe it is just another alias for Edgewood marketing or Victory Promotions...
"I went to a interview with KDSM executive co. On the first interview they tell you they are looking for management personnel to do different types of work so you go thru it thinking customer service, clerical, and so on. Little do you know thats not what they have in store for you, what you are gonna do you don't have any clue until you go on the second interview.
On the second interview they have you wait a little while they you meet the person you interviewed with (Kevin) and a Corporate Trainer "supposedly" the Trainer said I would be observing him for the day in the Buffalo Grove area. Which leads you to believe they have an office around there nope, nope, nope. The trainer starts talking you while your heading to Buffalo Grove and tells you about the company ask some BS questions then you arrive in Buffalo Grove you get out of the car and he starts getting little books and we head out walking.
What you are about to do is sell coupon books for CMS (Cause Marketing Solutions) and you do that for about 8 hours yes you get a lunch and all but you are walking around all day trying to sell these books. Which you were never told you would be doing. I called it Door-to-Door sales the Trained disagreed and said what he was doing was PR (public relations, the only time you will be in any type of management position is after you have moved up about 5 positions and that is also the only time you will do any clerical work.
So what I think is that this company should be fined or something for misleading people when they go to there interview. So anyone else with hopes to get something out of this company, all I have to say is I hope you like selling door-to-door cause thats all you will do."
Erik
Maywood, Illinois
U.S.A.
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