In the beginning I was excited to start my career at Blackstone Consulting. They promised that I would make between $700 to $1100 a week and would have an opportunity for management. I was excited to work out of the Carlson Towers.
My first few weeks working there seemed to go great. I was having a good time meeting new people. Everyone who worked at Blackstone was lots of fun and liked to go out and have a good time. Work didnt seem like work and I enjoyed the hours.
My first indication that something wasnt right with the company was when I was in a territory that a previous employee had been in recently. Blackstone Consulting represents other companies and basically is the company they represent sales force. When I started I always did well. So when I was in the recycled territory I was shocked at the negative reaction that I had from many customers. I thought that everyone did things ethically and honestly. I was so surprised at how customers told me that my friend who was there recently screwed them over and they would never do business with me because they thought I was like that.
Team nights are a part of Blackstones culture. When I first started I thought it was so much fun to go out with everyone I worked with. We would do fun things like go to a fun bar or go bowling or play laser tag. It wasnt until after a few team nights that I realized that inappropriate things usually happened after team nights. That was my next indication that something wasnt right at Blackstone.
I got to know my co workers and leaders well. Im not saying that what happens in someones personal life is anyones business at work. However, certain activities outside of work can indicate someones character. The majority of my co-workers and my boss were the types of people to cheat on a spouse or a significant other. Someone who can lie to the person they love isnt the type of person who is going to look out for the people that are under them. There were several leaders that wouldnt split profit if they went with newer people to make sales.
I had a lot of respect for Jeremy and looked up to him. At first I thought he had a lot of knowledge about business and sales. I wanted to soak up as much of this information that I could. After awhile I started to catch on. I realized Jeremy would tell you whatever it took to convince you to stay at Blackstone. He would say that no other company offered the same opportunities that he offered. He would talk about how bad the economy was and how there just werent jobs out there. He would tell you that even if you went back to school and finished your degree you could never make what he paid. But I dont think Jeremy even graduated from a college and what he would say to his employees was because of his insecurity.
The checks I would receive were always less than what I thought they would be. Blackstone never tells new employees about the percentage of sales that are canceled. Blackstone gives all leaders a book of all the things they can and cant say to a new person. There is also a pitch for second interview. They dont necessarily lie to new employees but they dont give all the facts either. When a new employee asks a question about Blackstone that is negative their question is either avoided or the answer is phrased in a way that the answer doesnt seem as bad.
To me, the way Blackstone treated new employees didnt seem ethical. It also made me question on what lies had been told to me or what negative facts have been hidden from me. I thought of things like;
Are they really going to open more offices?
Are they really going to be able to promote people to management?
Are the office managers really making what they say they make?
Do the companies that Blackstone represented really need them?
Is direct marketing really the way of the future in business?
If leaders were coach to deceive people then was what management said the whole truth? What negative facts were with held?
I was worried when I quit my job. After hearing Jeremy talk about how bad the economy was I was worried I wouldnt find a job. It also concerned me that employers wouldnt take me seriously because of the short time I was employed at Blackstone. I realized that I had to take that chance because Blackstone is a company that is based on miss informing people and deception. When a company behaves like this someone is going to catch on. My reputation and what I have worked so hard for isnt worth associating myself with a company that isnt 200% ethical and honest.
My decision to quit has been a good decision for me. I found a new job within two weeks of quitting. My new boss (who has actual credentials) has become a mentor to me. I told my boss about the bad situation at Blackstone. I have been able to turn the bad situation that I was in into something positive. The leadership at where I work now trusts me more and has a lot of respect for me because my record shows that I will do the right thing. I have learned to trust my instincts. If something doesnt seem right then its probably not right. I am happy I quit before I got too far in. I pity the people who still work there and havent caught on or cant walk away from it all.
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