I responded to an ad on Craigslist.com, the subject of the post saying in all capitals "MUST PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS". Not very professional.
Well, being rather desperate for a job, I responded with the subject line "plays well with others..." and included my resume.
The next morning, I received a phone call from a kind lady representing DB Advertising.
She said she reviewed my resume, and wondered if I'd be able to come in today, or tomorrow for an interview.
I said that today would be great.
She reminded me to dress professional, and bring a hard copy of my resume.
Now, I should mention, my resume has no marketing credentials whatsoever, other than saying I graduated High School, and worked as a cashier at a local grocery store.
So as I rummaged my closet for my suit and tie, I thought I should probably research this company before pursuing any further.
I had fallen victim to the infamous Vector Marketing/Cutco company (who also have a negative profile on usacomplaints.com) about a year ago. I was not about to be fooled again.
I came across the one and only post on usacomplaints.com concerning Db Advertising. The report, however, states that they did not attend the interview.
With this in mind, I printed a copy of the report, and brought it with me to the interview - with the idea that I'd be able to whip it out and rub it in their face as soon as I realized what "the catch" was.
Upon entering the building and looking at the office directory, DB Advertising was nowhere to be found. If I had not read the original ripoff report post for this company, stating that they also go by the name "Boss Marketing", I would have been lost.
I went to the room number labeled as Boss Advertising, and went to the desk.
The office is legit, with professional signs saying "Boss Advertising". I told them my name, and was greeted by the kind lady that had called me that morning.
Upon being interviewed, I was asked simple questions about my personality, and whether I'd be willing to do this and that with whatever they did.
I answered yes to everything, and was asked to come back to a 2nd interview. Easy enough.
Hmmm, where's the catch?
Hmmmmmm, what would my Job actually concern?
I should have asked, but I assumed those questions would be answered on the 2nd interview. It still seemed legit enough, and I still needed a job.
For the second interview, I was asked to clear my day from 11am - 7:30-8pm, as I would be job shadowing a representative from DB advertising.
I sat in the waiting room with 5 other potential hirees. Each of us were assigned to one representative.
I was called into the office and told that I was especially lucky, as I would be paired with one of their top people. Lovely.
My representative, a woman, led me out to the parking lot, and to her car.
Leaving the office, and my car in Auburn Hills, I was driven about 20 minutes away to Waterford.
Finally, the catch was revealed. The entry-level job for DB Advertising is selling a coupon book, door-to-door.
F*!
Not only was the original post right, but now I was stuck.
I don't have any qualms against door-to-door solicitors. A good salesperson can make a good living doing this.
However, they're paid based on how much they sell, which by law of average is 1 out of every 10 people they talk to. (hey, I learned something today.)
Personally, I'd rather have an hourly job, with fixed wages. If I had known what this job was, I wouldn't have attended my interviews.
I went along with it the best I could, asking questions here and there, even considering that MAYBE I'd be willing to do this.
After hours of walking, knocking, and listening to her repeat the same sales pitch over and over and over again, it was finally time to head back to the office HQ.
She said that I had a good personality, and though I was very quiet most of the time, she would give me a good recommendation to her boss.
I said I was having second thoughts about it, which she replied...
"Well then I'll give you a ride back to your car, and you can have a good life... And if you want, you can come back in a few months when you still don't have a job."
Ouch.
So that was that. I apologized if I had wasted her time, which she replied...
"No honey, I'll have more people to interview tomorrow. We get at least 70 applications a day"
This company is legit, and does allow for quick advancement to management positions.in fact, their main goal is to make you a manager of your own branch of the company.
Explanation to the different company names is due to the different industries that they market.
For example, sport teams and arenas are marketed under a different advertising name than say, a 5-star hotel or restaurant.
If you're well driven and willing, this job is for you.
The scam comes down to their deceit of what the job ultimately details.
If they had just straight up told me that I'd be going door-to-door selling things, I would've passed, and no one would have wasted any time.
Hope this helps!
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