A few years ago, I had started searching for a job after being a housewife by choice. I was looking for something new to do and a way to make a little extra money on the side. I applied to several job openings around the area doing basic Admin stuff and I had a few calls back to schedule interviews. One of the calls I received was from a company called CAM Advertising, located in Norristown, PA. Now this was a bit far for me, but I figured "what the heck?" and made an appointment for an interview. I was a bit confused as to why an advertising company wanted to interview with me, someone who had no advertising background, but the woman that I spoke with on the phone assured me that they had a lot of different entry level positions. I wasn't exactly "entry level" but again I was just looking to make a little extra money so I went with it. The woman arranged a time and date to meet and I went, resume in hand, dressed in a very business-like pantsuit.
When I first arrived, nothing seemed amiss, the office was located in a complex with many other offices. I went inside and then, I started thinking what the??? The "waiting room" walls were covered with NBA posters and Warner Bros. Signs. The office was very stark, modern and empty; like they wanted to make a big impression, but they also didn't really do any "work" there. I thought that was odd. The receptionist handed me an "application" and told me to fill it out. I did and then sat there watching approximately 5 or 6 people go in & out being interviewed in about 10 minutes. Speedy interviews. At last it was my turn. I interviewed with a man named Josh, I believe, and the interview went something like this:
Josh: What we are looking for is - blah, blah, blah...
Me (thinking while he blabbered on about high energy and commitment to succeeding for the company's sake, making you feel like you had to be upbeat to the point of being manic & that if you ever wanted to be anything other than the pathetic slob you are then you better work, work, work!): This guy has gotta be joking...
Josh: I am very impressed by your attitude and your experience. We'll give you a call by 5 if we're interested in setting up a 2nd interview.
*Shake hands*
And I left
I knew something had to be up, because he was "very impressed" by my attitude, even though he hadn't let me say anything other than "hi" - and by "my experience", when he hadn't even glanced at my resume once.
I went home shaking my head.
That night I made dinner and by 5:00 no one had called. I thought "they mustn't have been too impressed" and as silly as it sounds, I was disappointed that I hadn't received a call back. Then at about 6:45 the woman called and said that they wanted me to come back for a second interview. I don't know if it was just the feeling of not being rejected or what, because I knew they were jerking me around somehow, but I agreed to come in for that 2nd interview. The woman on the phone instructed me to "dress professionally" and that after I met with an interviewer and they liked me, that I would be shown around their business and get a chance to better understand what they did. I was also informed that to set aside my day from 9-6 to be sure that I had enough time for everything as there would be a lot to learn. I took this to mean that I would have a more formal interview than the 1st and that if I passed the 2nd interview, that I would be take on a tour of their company and that my job would be explained in better detail... They took me on a tour alright!
I arrived for my second interview dressed even more business-like than before. I went inside and was told that, let's say "Helen" because I can't remember the girl's name that took me around that day, would be out in a minute to meet with me. 5 minutes later a man took myself and another gentleman outside. There I met Helen and was introduced to Robert who had been working here for a few weeks. It seemed Helen was going to be in charge of the "rookie"-me & Robert for the day and that she was going to show us around. Helen lead us to her car which was crammed full of what seemed to be everything she owned and boxes of god knows what. While she was making room for us in her car, the gentleman that had walked us outside made a snide comment about by blouse being too low (which it wasn't) and basically made me feel like I was a tramp.
After sometime we piled into Helen's car and I began wondering where the actual office was, because we were driving farther and farther into Philadelphia while her and Robert chatted about where they've lived, sports teams, and the fact that he was smart for dropping out of college and ditching his scholarship to come work for CAM. Personally, I didn't say much and just took to listening to their fake and idiotic conversation. When Helen noticed how quiet I was she instructed Robert to open one of the boxes in the back and get out the stuff. It was a bunch of kids books and Looney Toon toys. She reached for them (while swerving all over the road) and began asking me how much they were worth. I wanted to say "2 cents" but I smiled politely and answered as best I could. She still obviously didn't like my answer, because she pressed "No, how much would you pay for these items?!?" Again, I wanted to say I wouldn't take the crap if they were giving it away, but I gave he a figure. She "corrected" me, saying how much they cost at Wal-Mart and how much we could sell them for. That was when the light bulb went off. I started asking questions about what EXACTLY our job was, and although she tried her best to make it sound high class & exciting, she basically said "we take this stuff and sell it out of the trunk of our cars" I did a mental groan when she pulled up along side of a run-down building in one of the worst parts of Philly and her and Robert proceeded to hop out of the car and began setting up shop on the sidewalk outside a liquor store while homeless people wandered by. That was the last straw. I got pissed and demanded that she pack up and immediately take me back to my car.
The whole ride back I got to listen to them talk about how "successful" they are and how "some people just don't have what it takes to make it in life". Helen actually tried to bully me into staying. She said "You know you can make a lot of money doing this. Look at me, I make over $400.00 a week. And how much were you making?" I told her that I was a housewife and she scoffed at me like I said something horrible and said "So you were making nothing then? How long have you been out of work?" I told her that I hadn't "worked" in over a year to which she replied "well, if you don't take this job, where are you going to work, McDonald's?" I wanted to tell her that I hadn't worked BY CHOICE not because I couldn't get a job and that actually, given the choice I WOULD rather work for McDonald's, but I had wasted enough of my time and energy on these people, it was time to make a break for it.
She dropped me off at my car without a word and drove back the way she came. I drove home that evening thinking to myself that I should trust my hunches more and not knowing whether I wanted to cry or laugh hysterically. I chalked it up to morbid curiosity and having to learn a life lesson.
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