Contained herein is my letter to monster.com and the BBB:
To whom it may concern:
I am reporting for 2 reasons: 1. My previous experience. 2. To protect any future applicants from harm.
I applied for a possible athletic or talent scout. About 1 hour after sending the application, I was sent what I now know to be an automated response. It reads as such:
Dear %,
I have received your online application for Trans Continental. We are delighted that you have expressed interest in becoming a part of the Trans Continental team.
I would like to schedule an interview with you at our local office in the Philadelphia area.
I can see you at 10:00 am on Thursday, February 13th. You will be meeting with several members of our local staff and getting a complete overview of the company, so plan on being in the office until 4pm.
I apologize for giving you what might be considered short notice but we are filling the position immediately and this is the only time I currently have available.
Please reply directly to this email confirming the time so that I can know to expect you. Please include the telephone number in the body of the email in the event I need to get a hold of you prior.
The office address is:
1150 First Avenue
Parkview Tower
Suite 232
King of Prussia, PA 19406
If you are not familiar with the area and need driving directions, I recommend using Mapquest.com. If possible, I will get a confirmation receipt email to you before the interview with directions from various points throughout the city.
I look forward to meeting with you. The dress code is business casual to business professional attire.
Please take a few minutes to visit our website at www.tctalent.com before you interview to familiarize yourself with the company.
Sincerely,
Virginia Woodward
Asst. Director of Scouting
After receiving this message I checked their website. Although it had the glitz and glamour, It lacked one thing... Content. No job descriptions, salary, or qualifications. Ok, I know it's a recruiting interview. A blind recruiting interview. I understand that. I used to work with one myself, however not nearly as ill-mannered as this. I replied to Ms. Woodward's request and scheduled to meet with her almost 2 hours away form my home. I did notice there was no telephone number attached.
I then received this.
I received the confirmation that you will be at your interview tomorrow
morning scheduled for 10:00am.
As mentioned before, please bring at least one copy of your resume and a copy of the previous email to the interview.
During the few hours before your interview, take a look around everywhere you go (i.E. The grocery store, the mall, etc.). Just walking down the street, candidates for modeling, acting. Undiscovered potential exists in
more places then you yet know.
I've included the address below.
We look forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
Virginia Woodward
Trans Continental
Address:
1150 First Avenue
Second Floor
King of Prussia, PA 19406
I drove to their office and walked into their "bullpen" area. Standard setup for a recruiting situation. I was greeted by two young women who asked me politely to fill out some secondary information. The sheet required my social security number. I filled in "Will supply if needed" and waited for my turn. Each applicant was screened for 2-3 minutes before being asked to wait in an adjacent room. Once again, I understood the process, having done this myself, and was willing to hear them out.
I was called back to a corner office and met a man whose name I cannot recall. He was shabbily dressed with unkempt facial hair. I thought it rather unprofessional for the employer/recruiter to be dressed in this manner for a professional job interview. I, myself, came in my standard suit and tie.
I shook his hand and introduced myself and went to sit down. He told me not to sit but to stand at the desk. He glanced my resume for about 5 seconds then began to ask questions quickly. For the purpose of this dialogue the employer/recruiter's verbiage will be in italics, whereas my verbiage will be underlined.
Are you interested in working in the entertainment field?
Yes.
Have you ever worked in the entertainment field before?
No.
Do you have experience working with people?
Yes.
You will be required to meet with at least 30-40 strangers a day. Can you handle that?
Of course, I've had to do it before.
Sometimes, you'll have to deal with screaming kids, upset parents, and the like. Can you handle those situations?
Yes.
Okay, we're looking to start someone immediately. We have a five-day training program that would start tomorrow if accepted. Is that OK?
Well... I do - (cut off)
A simple yes or no will suffice.
Please understand that I live in %. I would have to commute until I move here.
hours away?
About. Yeah.
Are you serious about this?
What?!
Are you serious?
Of course, I drove all the way here. It runs through the weekend?
Yes. Thursday through Monday 10-4pm
No. I cannot.
If I move you into next Thursday, can you assure me you can clear your schedule?
No, I will not.
Why n& (cut off)
Let me ask you a question. The website has nothing a bout salary or commission. I'm assuming this is commission based, which I prefer. What do the top 20% of your scouts net in one year?
Um... (slight pause) 50 - 100,000 dollars.
Can you substantiate that?
Um, No.
Well, then I'm going to have to decline your offer. I thank you for your time. Good day.
Goodbye.
The manner in which the entire process was handled was curt. It was extremely clear he was trying to steamroll me into answering his questions. I was offended at the accord with which I was treated. When, I returned home, I replied to the email originally sent to me about this matter. I have received no response. I would attempt to call, however, as you can tell, there is no telephone number. I did a little research on the company. I am attaching several web pages which you may already be aware of.
Http://usacomplaints.com/results.Asp? Submit22=Search All The Latest consumer complaintss Now! &q1=ALL&q2=&q3=&q4=&q5=trans continental&q6=
&q7=&searchtype=0
Http://www.clickondetroit.com/det/money
/ruthtotherescue/stories/ruthtotherescue
-178920020021115-151135.html
Http://www.fox5atlanta.com/iteam/tct.html
Http://www.angelfire.com/space/
modelingscams/letters. Asap.html
Http://www.angelfire.com/space/modelingscams
/unsubstantiatedclaims.html
Http://www.bbb.com (click check out company,
type "Trans Continental Talent")
Please read these posts! As a highly qualified job seeker, I feel it necessary to report to you, Monster.com, that you are hurting your reputation as a respectable company, by continuing to do business with companies who are allowed to use blind advertising with no legal boundaries. You do not have to remove them on my account... I choose not to tell you how to do your business. However, I do urge you to look into the matter and possibly, put some restrictions on exactly how they advertise their openings. I thank you for your patience, and look forward to hearing your response.
Sincerely,
M.
I choose not to divulge, Other
U.S.A.
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