I was fresh out of college and looking to get my first professional career in advertising. After a few weeks of looking, however, I became desperate. I found Phoenix Advertising Inc. On Careerbuilder.com and immediately the words "entry-level" caught my eye. I called the number immediately, set up an interview for the following day, and THEN started doing research on the company.
First off, for a marketing group, they had a pretty vague website. No logo, all stock photos, and no real information about what they actually do. They use descriptions such as "fastest growing" or "industry leaders" to describe their "firm." However, I couldn't find a single client, product, or report from this company ANYWHERE on the internet, even after hours of extensive research.
I went into my interview with a mountain of questions and found the building in a corporate park with absolutely no markings on it. I was interviewed in a room that didn't even have a door handle by the manager of the company. This "interview" was basically him spewing the same dribble on the website and basically selling his company. I was in and out so fast I didn't have the time (and wasn't given the opportunity) to ask any questions. I got a second "interview, " however, which was my going out with a team leader and selling auto windshields business to business and in parking lots. I went back for my debriefing and told the manager that I didn't want to do B2B sales again, I've been there before. He assured me that if I did it for a training period I would get to move up to be a manager at events immediately afterwards.
I was broke, desperate, and figured "how bad could it be?" Well, my day consisted of driving all over Phoenix, sometimes as far as Anthem or Deer Valley in order to find businesses to cold call and try to sign up employees, customers, or passers by for a new windshield. The job was bad enough, but the fact that we were walking around for 10 hours a day in 115 degree heat wearing shirts, ties, and slacks.
After a few days of this I was finally put into events. What I wasn't told is that their idea of an "event" is bribing a gas station manager with $50 cash to let us stand outside and sell windshields and spray wax to customers. However, we weren't supposed to harass... Sorry..."pitch" them until they came OUT of the store in order to avoid having them complain and the manager force us to leave.
On top of all of this (yes, it gets worse) employees are forced to drive their own cars and pay for their own food all day.By the way, this is a commission-based job where you earn $45 for each windshield you sell. I, however, still haven't received my first (and last) paycheck, so I don't even know how much I made in my 10 day tenure there. I DO know that I spent $90 in gas and food over that time period though.
I learned that Phoenix Advertising Inc. Is under the parent company Smart Circle, which has a pretty bad track record with the Better Business Bureau. Also, employees are constantly moving up in the ranks in the MANY different subsidiaries, earning higher commission wages, and eventually becoming managers themselves, ready to open their own "office" under any name they choose, making research on the "company" nearly impossible. They can choose to do this anywhere in the country and begin an entirely new pyramid scheme of their own.
Be warned, there is NO indication of a Smart Circle connection on any of these company websites, I had to ask my manager. However, I have found dozens of similar websites, many of which are no doubt Smart Circle affiliates. Most of them have annoying generic music, and NONE of them give you ANY information about what it is they do. Don't be drawn in by fancy descriptions of a "growing" company. There is no degree required for this job (some employees were right out of high-school,) only the willingness to lie your way into sales so that you can eventually have an "office" of your own.
Hopefully you will take heed of this warning and AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS!!
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