My search for a career led me to Cumberland Enterprises, Inc. I am from the far west side of South Dakota, recent college graduate, who drove all the way to Minneapolis (11 hours) for an interview with these guys. I made it to the interview, 15 minutes early to prepare myself. Got in and waited for 30 minutes or so AFTER 1:45, when my interview was scheduled. While I waited, I filled out an application and then handed it to the attractive, yet airheaded receptionist along with my resume.
I got into the interview with Brett Siler (maybe spelled wrong) and started getting grilled with questions. He started looking at myt resume and asked questuions about it, that could have been answered, if he'd have read further down. He acted as if he had not even seen my resume before, had no idea i was coming, and shuffled me through it all like it was routine BS work... Just like the receptionist had. I answered his BS ratings-based questions (rate you best strength 1-10... Rate your management skills from 1-10) to the best of my BS-ing ability.
I asked if i could ask a couple of questions... Like what it is the company ACTUALLY does, sells, or services for other business, what the pay was, ANYTHING to further MY knowledge of what i might be doing in this job... He said they do outsourced marketing and advertising for Verizon, TMobile, Sprint and other big name telecommunications companies. I would be able to ask more in the second interview, and that he'd call me by 7pm that night. (don't businesses close at 5 or so!?!?) seems weird... But "OK", i say, being enthused that something might happen
7pm rolls around and no call, i stayed a whole extra night in a hotel to see what would unfold. I called. TWICE, and left messages for Brett Siler to call me at his earliest convenience... No call back... I return to South Dakota with no job prospects or offers.
Weeks later I return to the Minneapolis area for more interviews and to continue my job-hunt closer to the cities. When no job offers turn up and the hunt cools down I decide to return to Cumberland... I'm from South Dakota... Small town USA. When someone says they'll call you, you leave two or more messages with NO return call... You knock on a guys door to get the 411!!!
I walk in and ask the receptionist (her name is Rachel I find out) what is up... She looks in the databases and sees that there is nothing typed in there about how the interview went, or that i even showed up. She asks, "did you make it to your interview or ever apply yet?" wtf. Of course i came in, i was just here less than 10 days ago. A person with a job title of receptionist should have good face-to-name skills, be able to remember who is coming and going from the office. (to be quite honest... I'm a guy... With eyes and a taste for good-looking women..in a male-dominate office, it is OBVIOUS why she has her job there... She was slim, 6'2 or so, brunette, pretty face, big lips, dressed office/slutty... Oh ya, VERY obvious indeed.) beyond looks she was stupid... Stupid enough to blurt out, and I quote, "Im sorry, sometimes resumes and call-back slips just get lost up here at this desk, ya know, he he he"... WTF!?!?
Is THAT how they run things... Do they just LOSE clients paperwork or not return their calls as well? Anyway, i'm there, i'm in the moment so i just roll with it. I get to speak with another hiring manager, Kristin, who looks at my resume with some enthusiasm. She gets me booked right away with a ride-along interview, the next day, with a sales rep or account rep selling Quill office supplies... Wait... I thought they did outsourced marketing and advertising for Verizon, TMobile, Sprint and other big name telecommunications companies???
She responds..."we do many things here, right now we are looking for sales reps"... Well, i wanted to do marketing... Not direct sales... But at $65,000 commission, healthcare, vision, dental, stock options, 401k, life and disability... Blah blah blah... The works pretty much in the benefit department (heres the BAIT). I accepted the offer to ride along. "come in at 9:15 and be prepared in business professional attire to be out in the feild till 5 or so" she says, "then we'll conduct a third and final interview."
(another interesting fact... I have now been into a receptionist room, 2 hiring managers' offices, and a conference room... ONLY ONE COMPUTER IN THE WHOLE OFFICE!!! Wtf!!! You'd think hiring managers need their own computer, and that a conference room would have a computer, projector, or something... But no, just the receptionist has one)
The next day, i arrive at 9 (15 minutes early as recommended by any job-hunting book EVER). I wait in the lobby and here a roar of laughter coming from the conference room. At about 9:40 they dimiss out of the conference room and some go into Brett Siler's office with him and continue laughing and joking. Some head out the door, and some go into the break room to get a bagel or juice. No one looks at or speaks to me me or the other 4 nervous looking candidate who all seem to be here for ride alongs as well. I didn't worry really, the online ad said they were looking for 6 positions to fill. There were 5 of us, so the odds looked good.
I finally see Kristin, and Rachel notifies her that we are all here and ready (ready since 9 or so, and it is now 5 after 10am). I am paired with Roxy and another candidate Richard for the ride-aolng. Luckily richard and roxy previously know each other so the rest of the day i felt left out of sidebar conversations about what they are up to now-a-days, and how back-in-the-day was so great, and they just catch up on old times. I don't let it discourage me, and i asked all sorts of Q's about the job... in summary... No base salary, only commision, no vision plan, which is important to me since i wear glasses and contact lenses, no mileage reimbursement, and there is 100's of miles of driving in a day, and of course no stock option... Why? Because they have no stocks... This nationally recognized company has no stock!?!?! (THE SWITCH!) Roxy promised that commission pay was nothing to be scared of and that tax write-offs, and monthly sales bonuses and sales contests would all pay for it, and that $65k a year would come easily.
I rode along, jumped through hoops, pulled teeth to get interviews and get my foot in the door, and ate all this BS they were feeding me all for lies!!! The third interview went quick asked when i could start and i said June 1st. I asked for the job to see what would happen... Kristing said she'd call me at 8pm... (again with this BS i thought) She assured me that she was in the office till 9 that night (even though it was a friday) and thgat the incident with Brett would not happen...
No call back... The next morning i go to the local library and looked up this cumberland BS... I find this site, usacomplaints.com, and 4 articles of similar interview stories, and even stories of Brett Siler, and other companies he's worked for, that have gotten business scam charges, been indited, and visits from the Better Business Bureau about shady business and hiring practices... How did a South Dakota boy unknowningly let this all happen and get baited like this??? I don't know, but don't let it happen to you, WHEREEVER your from.
If you are reading this prior to an interview with Cumberland Enterprises in Minnetonka, MN, or anything to do with Brett Siler... DO NOT DO IT, MAN!!! It's a waste of your time. They are shady, unprofessional, and probably illegal... If you are reading this and you just got a position at, or work now at Cumberland Enterprises... God have mercy on your soul.
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