Wow, this job sounds great! Regional marketing director, sales manager, HOUSTON MARKETING FIRM HIRING ACROSS THE BOARD, 45k a year SALARY and wow, great growth options. And tey just opened a new office - wow, how about that? They were opening one last week, and last month and the month before that! Hmmm...
So you're pleased you've gotten that first interview, now what to expect. I went to my first interview where they told me that I'd make about 45k a year SALARY. Well, that was a lie. The entire pay is based upon commision. So I meet with a few different people. The president of the company even comes in to meet with me. Buuut, they're not sure... Tey'll call me.
Sure enough, I was called back. I later found out that EVERYONE recieves a call-back. I'm invited to a full day of interviewing on Friday. No, problem., my brother had gone through law firm interviews that took an entire day: meeting associates, learning about the company, etc.
Well I was told to be there at 8:15 AM sharp. I was there, and was noiceably the most professionally dressed person in the office. I am starting to pick up an a few key clues: why is the latest issue of COSMO the only reading material available, why is the secretary calling a new person every minute and telling them exactly what was told to me, "there's only a few more positions available!" and no one who is being hired has a college degree!
I am a newly graduated college student, looking for a great, full-time job with benefits and a salary. I called my best friend in the parking lot before I went in, to have her pray for strength for me... That was my first warning. She too, had been interviewed by this company and told me about their illegitimacy. She even had to drive around her "interviewer" because he had no car. Still, I had on my suit and had driven over an hour to get there, so I went in against my better judgement.
I waited for a full hour before everyone in the office stopped whooping and hollering in the next room and actually came out to speak with the 10 of us sitting in the room, meanwhile the receptionist was loudly taking interviews by the dozen. "I wanted you all to hear the kind of morale and environment we promote here, " was the only excuse given by the president.
We were asked if we had any questions, so I asked, "If you're a marketing firm, where do you get your leads from?" I was told that they didn't use cold calling, because it didn't work, so they just used what the president called, "a first introduction." I clarified his statement by asking, "so you have no leads? We're walking door to door?" At which time I was politely taken to the side away from the other hopeful candidates and asked about my pessimistic attitude. I was reassured that "almost everyone is skeptical when they first start." This was confirmed by 2 employees walking by who "reassured" me that, "if I was smart, I'd have to be skeptical, but that it really did work."
Well, I don't know of many other LEGITIMATE jobs that start out with skeptisism.
I was assigned a very nice young lady and was forced to walk around a very dangerous part of town (remind you, there were 4 of us girls and NO men with us to protect us) as we entered business after business and tried to sell them some SBC phone plans. I was told to come dressed professionally, so I was in HEELS for this long. I was told we'd be back by 5, however, i did not arive back until 6:30. During this time I asked a lot of questions that my "interviewer had a hard tim answering, but here's what she told me over the course of a day:
-she had been literally chased out of buildings
-she had tried to quit numerous times and was talked back into it (what a happy employee!)
-she worked over 12 hours every single day (when i pointed out that she was only making a few hundred dollars every week, she actually became thoughtful for a moment and said she had never done the math to figure out what she was making hourly)
-she was not paid for gas or mileage on her car
-she used her cellphone repeatedly during the day, and was not reimbursed for these phone calls
-she was nearly arrested for soliciting in a building
- she did not have time for a boyfriend, gym membership, or homelife. (This is consistant with other reports found on this website on these types of companies)
- she was forced to attend meetings with her team once a week (in addition to the 12 hours of work put in)
- Oh, and in this 10 hour shift, they expected ME to purchase my own lunch. Yes, I actually had to PAY to be interviewed by them for those 10 hours. Thanks a bundle. It's understandable, the salesmen aren't even making enough to buy my $10 lunch.
- Then the most unprofessional thing I have ever seen - these girls took "kickbacks" from those whom they "helped" by selling them SBC service. This consisted of them acting like adolecent girls and bluntly asking their victems if they could "ya know, like just have this? Since you've just saved so much money through SBC." They got a new pair of earrings off a man who barely spoke english. I was embarrased.
So if you're into 10 hours of unpaid labor, you go for that second "interview." And if you happen to make it in, you can enjoy all the brinawashing and lies they tell their employees
HOW TO AVAOID THEM:
-ask what their hiring practices are
-ask what a follow-up interview would look like (if they say it's all day, to discover what a day of work looks like - BEWARE!)
-Ask where they get their leads. Reputable marketing firms will always have leads
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