As a recent college graduate, applying for jobs can be disastrous. You see a job, think the employers will be impressed with your resume (especially when you strived to gain "experience" throughout the college journey), only to go weeks without hearing anything. I am still in this particular predicament. Even worse, my current job is waiting tables (for seven years), and I recently broke my arm and had to go through a grueling surgery.
So, you can imagine that I was ecstatic to hear from a place called the Wilmar Group, to which someone named Nikki told me her manager was impressed with my resume, and therefore wanted me in immediately for an interview. The funny thing was, I wasn't sure I'd even applied for this job, but I'd applied for so many I thought there was a good chance.
Like any good interviewing candiate would do, I did research on "The Wilmar Group". This is something everyone should do, so you can be sure to tell them what you know about their company when you get there. From what I could tell, The Wilmar Group manufactured and distributed palm oil. Since my degree is in English, and I have applied for several technical writing jobs, you never know what sort of bizarre company could employ me.
I drove to Nashville for my first interview, located off of what is now called Rosa Parks Blvd. I had some trouble finding the building, but when I did, there was a directory that said which offices occupied which suites, to which I found no resemblance to "The Wilmar Group". So, I called and they told me they were in Suite E240 (if you ever do interview this job, I hear they change locations frequently). As I approached the door, I saw the company's actual name is JP Consulting. Still, the application I was given still bore the name "The Wilmar Group".
Well, the first interview was about five minutes long is this creepy little office. He asked what I knew about the company and I said "You distibute and manufacture palm oil." He never asked where I got that information, but just kind of laughed it off and said "No, we do direct marketing for AT&T, this is not a sales job, we ensure that all of our customers are happy and receiving the best service and discounts possible." I didn't feel good about my interview, because I have no poker face, and I was sure this guy (Jonathan Perry) would see my resistance. I've worked my tail off, and it's not to sell AT&T. So, you can imagine my surprise when I got a call two hours after he said they would be calling me. I'm sure this is some sort of scare-tactic to provide a certain sense of relief when you actually do get a call-back.
So, I went in for the second interview. I have read some complaints that people were not told to plan to be there all day, but I was. I thought there would be a lot of tests to endure, so I was sure to wear my glasses. However, this was not the case at all. I was introduced to a nice young chap named Landon, who would be interviewing me for the day. When Jonathan Perry ("JP", I assume) told me that Landon had been instructed to not answer any questions (which he was "sure I would have plenty of") until lunch, my skepticism kicked in fully. Then, even worse I discovered I, a married woman, would be riding along with this complete stranger all day. I thought at the most, I would be going to some meeting or something in Nashville.
About thirty minutes later, I sheepishly said, "Hey, Landon - I know I'm not supposed to be asking any questions, but exactly where are we going?" To which he replied "Oh, the little town of Pulaski, TN"
OK, here's where my problem lies: I should never, ever be inticed with a job to be so manipulated where I am supposed to get into a car with a total stranger, driven three hours away from my hometown, all the while in oblivion to what it is I am really getting anyway. This completely defies any ethics or morals which I possess.
If you read everything about JP consulting or the Wilmar Group, or Stallion (I later found out that's what it was once called) and how their pay structure works, from what I could gather, it's all true. Landon was a nice guy, and I feel horrible that he payed for my lunch, and worst of all that he is completely brainwashed into believing he can be a "manager" one day, a position which I was told by "JP" could have me living in Oprah's old condo, or even retire my parents. It's just too bad I am ok living in my house, that I own, and my parents are already close to retiring, and we all did it the honest way - hard work. More than that, honesty.
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