Dear Reader:
If you have already read the reports on Infinity Group Advertising then you already have an idea of how my day went down when I interviewed for Catalyst Corporate Solutions. If not, I would suggest it as mandayory reading for anyone that is looking into a career in marketing.
The job posting sounds too good to be true. You want to know why? Because it is! Fast Track to Management in 1-3 months. Earn up to 100,000 per year as a Manager! Marketing and Corporate Solutions for global leaders in communications and technology! Perfect for Entry Level Grads or for energetic people looking for a career change into marketing! Here they got me thinking - well I am an entry level grad and I am looking into getting into Marketing - maybe I should give this a shot.
BIG MISTAKE! I have never been more deceived or appalled in my life. Here is the kicker - for all of those people who were somewhat ambiguous on the term "direct marketing" - let me break it down for you - you will be a "door to door salesman" plain and simple. Of course they don't tell you that during the phone screen or the interview. They talk about their "clients" and their exciting "campaigns." Never ONCE do they mention that you would have to go door-to-door to sell credit card processors or junky office supplies that no one in their right mind would want.
So they hooked me after the initial interview with their talk of money and management and set me up to do a job shadow from 8-6. I took a day off of work without pay to go to the interview. I arrive and at first am impressed that the office is on the 42nd floor of the Bank of America tower. The secretary takes me to the manager's office. It is then that I realize that the company does not own the whole 42nd floor. It doesn't even own a hallway. It leases one room. One room. And the secretary? Not on their payroll. She works for a general staffing agency who does administrative work for companies leasing offices in the Bank of America tower.
My trainers come in for the job shadow. There is two of them. They say that for the shadow there is some travel involved but will say no more. I am skeptical bordering on scared as we (myself and another recruit) head towards the broken down POS car that we will be motoring in for the day. But I bite my tongue and hope for the best. We get in and are driving on the freeway for approximately 40 minutes when I gather the courage to ask - Where are we going and what does the job entail? They were like - just watch and you'll get the hang of it. I ask - how does your pay structure work? What is the entry level salary? They respond with - well actually its all commission based. I was thinking, are they kidding me here? My ability to make rent is based wholely on the assumption that I can make enough commission? Dear God.
Later on that morning, we drive into this poor, middle of nowhere town with one broken down gas station and one main road. We walk into a cafe where one of the trainers claims to have a meeting with the owner. As it turns out - his meeting was simply to high pressure her into buying the credit card processing services that are in his "campaign." Suddenly everything became clear - our goal was to convince ignorant, small town people to buy into something they already have but at supposedly lower rates (nevermind the cancellation fee of the other service or the installation fee of the new one).
Then we went to a strip mall and the two trainers separated and other recruit and I tailed one of them as he went about his job - talking to managers and owners who seemed shocked that someone could come in so boldfaced and blatant in their attempt to ignore the "No Soliciting" signs posted everywhere.By the end of the day I had had enough. The two had the audacity to tell the other recruit and me that we were "lucky" since they rarely had both recruits come back upstairs to the office with them to schedule a final interview. LUCKY? Rare occurance? I think not. I bet they bring up anyone with a pulse that hasn't already left in tears or filed a restraining order.
I thanked them for their time and told the head manager that I was formally withdrawing my resume. I told him that it wasn't quite what I was looking for and that he should have been more forthcoming with the details of the day-to-day duties of the "position."
I cannot believe they still get people roped into this. I only hope this report will bring more awareness to those who are also out there, busting their butts to get a decent job. We deserve better than this. Please stop and think before answering one of those "Fast Track to Management" postings EVER again.
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