I was looking for jobs on careerbuilder and being a recent college grad I was looking for jobs with key words such as "entry-level". I came across 6 or 7 entries for a company in Livonia Michigan called AG Concepts, with tag lines such as "Paid training!", "Exciting working environment", "Make 30 to 40K a year!". So, being desperate for a job, I decided to apply and I emailed my resume.
Within the hour, I received a phone call from the Human Resources person from the company telling me how they received my resume and I am an "ideal" candidate and they would like to schedule an interview with me ASAP. Excited, I accepted the interview. Come the interview, I locate their suite in a large office building in Livonia. Taped on the wall outside the door, was a piece of paper with "AG Concepts" on it. VERY unprofessional I thought. I walk in to find an office that looks like they had purchased everything from Pier 1 the day before and did the best they could to put an office together. I sit down to wait with another girl, who was also there for an interview. The "manager" comes out and calls me back for my interview. I walk with him back to his office. Looking around while I walk back there, I notice that there is absolutely nothing in the office besides furniture. Not a piece of paper, a cup of pencils, a computer, printer, anything! Everything you'd think to find in a legit office. Anyway, I sit down in his office and he looks over my resume and says that he is impressed. He then asks me about my study abroad experience I did while in college and then proceded to ask me about the girls I saw in Europe (attempting to joke around I'm assuming). Trying to remain professional, I smiled and chuckled awkwardly and moved off of the subject. He then said he would like me to come back for a second "interview" where I would be shadowing a marketing rep. Even though I had hundreds of questions because this interview took no longer than 5 minutes, I agreed thinking that perhaps they would be answered during round 2.
I come back the next week for my "second interview" at 9:15 in the morning. I am paired up with a marketing rep and discover that I will be "out in the field" with him all day. The other manager there informs me that I will be out until about 6 or 7 and that she hopes I had my day cleared (she said with a chuckle). (Side note: reading some of the other files on here, I think these people share jokes). Anyway, still very unclear about what the hell I would be doing all day, I get into Jesse's car and we head out. We make friendly chit-chat during our drive to our first "client". We arrive at a furniture store where I discover what, in fact, it IS i'll be doing. I discover that I have just agreed to shadow an Office Supplies salesman all day. AG Concepts, I find out, is "outsourced" by Quill office supplies to go door-to-door with a catalogue and ask people to buy their products. Plain and simple. I may as well have been selling Girl Scout cookies.
I was also told that AG Concepts has 250 other offices nationwide. I asked my trainer if they were all called AG Concepts and he told me no. Digging deeper, I asked how then in fact all these offices were connected or related. He said he couldnt really answer that question because he, and I qote, "didn't want to open a can of worms". The final thing that happened that blatantly showed me that this was all a bunch of bullsh*t is while during our lunch break, he wanted to explain the pay structure of what I will be doing. He then proceded to say "Now, the reason this is not a Pyramid Scheme is that... Bla bla bla." I guess it's not a good idea to mention the thing you're trying to hide.
Long story short, do not apply to AG Concepts in Livonia, Michigan. Is it CLEARLY a scam and a waste of time for people looking for a serious job. It is nothing more than cold-call, door to door sales.
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