I have been interviewing like crazy recently as I am out of work. I keep running into the same kind of interview process. The exact same interview process.
The first round of interviews consists of either a one-on-one or a small group interview. They will speak very fast, refuse to specify exactly what the job entails, and assure you that all questions will be answered during the second round of interviews. "Ok." I think to myself. "Shady, but I do like what I hear and I do need a job, so what do I have to loose? Why not?" I tell myself.
The second round of interviews isn't really an interview at all. It is basically a full day of unpaid work where you shadow an Associate who started with the company only a few months ago. They are introduced to you as "The person to impress". You will be told that theirs is the decision that will determine wether or not you are hired. Sure. Makes sense I guess. You will shadow this person all day, going door to door or working your territory. They will break down the specifics of the job at lunch and talk you through their payment structure. They will tell you that you will be making "At least $400 - $800 per week at the entry level and when you advance to the next level you will be making at least $600 - $1,000 per week." They will tell you that you can advance very quickly and make it to upper management within 7 months to a year and a half, which is when the base pay kicks in. You will get a cut of the sales that the others in the field make. At first this person will seem very professional, very determined, very experienced. But the other shoe will inevitably drop and this person will fold under questioning. You will notice perhaps that it's the little things that seem off with them. When you gain their trust they will confess that maybe they are still struggling and aren't making as much as they told you they did, and maybe they don't really like their job as much as they had originally said.
If you make it through the day, you will be hired. However, pay attention to the fact that they are still holding mass interviews. You will see these hopeful, eager people come in and interview all day. "Ok, weird, but maybe not everyone can handle this like I can" I tell myself.
So you go in for your first real day of work. Paired with someone different this time they will pull out a check list and ask you to recite specific sayings they taught you the day before. You will go to a remote area of the city - either the Bronx, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens - and you will go door to door. I have seen actual physical fights break out because surprise, surprise, they are not up front with people and if when they figure out that something is not right they get mad. I decided right then that this is not something I want to be a part of. Especially when after training I will be expected to go out alone. No way.
Now, I have been through this process three times now with different companies. One of the in Jersey City, one of them on 5th Ave & the company (EQ) mentioned above. They all have the same process. If it weren't so f*ed up it might be funny. It seems like within the last year or so they are popping up everywhere and completely saturating the market. I find this kind of thing very disturbing. They are preying on good people trying to make an honest living in a tough economy. I should have run screaming every time I tried to convince myself that maybe it wasn't that bad. Stay away from companies like this.
There is a reason they are always hiring and pay attention to the type of people they have working for them. My advise... Stay away.
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