I entered my career info at jobhunter.com - run by Bernard Haldane Associates (BHA). Later, BHA called to set up an appointment. When pressed about what they wanted to talk to me about (cuz something smelled fishy), they only said they wanted to talk about my future. Hmmm.
I kinda/sorta thought BHA was a head-hunter. So I went, but with eyes wide open. Once there, they picked at small things in my resume and proceded to pitch to me their service for $5000.
I just about fell outta my chair - and I was irritated that they didn't happen to mention earlier on the phone the true purpose of this "appointment".
I told 'em I was already spending money on certification courses, so I had neither the money or the time for BHA (which was both true and a ruse). The sales guy asked why then was I there?
I told him because of some misinformation from the BHA gal who set up the appointment. He disagreed about there being misinformation as he very politely ended the meeting and showed me out passed more well-dressed people.
I never did understand why they asked me to get into my
interview clothes for this.
See also near the end of the NY Times article at
http://www.nytimes.com/01/05/business/yourmoney/05JOBS.html
Where it mentions that the company who owns BHA, the Reed
Freedman Management Group, was made to pay $300,000 to former BHA clients.
I gather Bernard Haldane Associates has been doing this sorta thing for decades. I hope now that the Internet is here, sites like this will help to one day put 'em out of business.
But who am I kidding? Shady folks like this will just change names and go at it again.
John
Chantilly, Virginia
U.S.A.
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