The Job Search Thus Far August 30, 2007
As some of you may know, I’m jobless right now. I’ve been applying to tons of places, and I had 2 interviews last week. One of them told me up front that the job paid $15/hr and had no medical benefits, so that one was out of the question. The other one was for some type of marketing position, and they didn’t say anything about wages – I didn’t feel comfortable asking, as it was a quick-and-to-the-point interview, and since I had been told beforehand that if I qualified that I’d get a follow-up interview, I figured I’d just ask then. You can view a description of that job here. Keep in mind that I was applying to pretty much everything that is even remotely in my field, so I didn’t exactly read over that description ten times or anything.
Anyway, later on that night I get a call from that company telling me that I was chosen for a follow up interview. They told me to come in the following Monday and dress professionally, and that I’d be observing what the work there is really like, in order to get a better feel for the job. I figured that sounded alright.
So I show up fifteen minutes early, and there’s like 8 other people who are clearly there for the same reason that I am. They call each person into the office one by one, and they are each sent out the door with someone else, I assume these are people that are taking them to another office to talk to them or something. Eventually they called me in, and the same guy that interviewed me introduced me to some other dude that worked there, and explained to me that this dude would be taking me out “into the field for a bit” to see what the job was really like. So we go out to his car and there is one other kid waiting at the car already. The dude gets called back up to the office, and comes back down with one other girl. We all pile into his tiny car, and start driving.
On the way, he is making small talk about “the field”, asking us questions about marketing and etc. Basically he was keeping our minds occupied, so I still hadn’t really had a chance to ask where exactly we were going. I didn’t want to cut him off because in a way he was quizzing us, and he had told us beforehand that he would be evaluating us to determine who the best candidate was. He also told us that even though there had been a lot of people in the office, they were only looking to fill 1 or 2 positions. Right.
Anyway, we finally get out in some neighborhood, and we follow him… Right up to someone’s door. He starts talking to them. “Hey there ma’am, nothing crazy or anything, I’m just here on behalf of the neighborhoods number one fine dining restaurant. You folks go out to eat, right? You like Italian? (laughs) Of course you do. We’re out here in the neighborhood to give 15 local people some free appetizer coupons, and give you a chance to try us out, as we’ve made a bunch of renovations to the place, and added some stuff to our menu…” Blah blah blah, there is nothing ‘free’ involved though – He is trying to sell packages of coupons to some restaurant that not one person in the neighborhood had ever heard of before – It was in a shopping center, next to a Joeann Fabrics. Anyway, after the lady said she wasn’t interested and shut the door, I asked him what percentage of the job involved going door to door and selling stuff. He looked at me with a blank stare that practically screamed “are you serious?” and said “One hundred percent. That’s what we do.” And without further thought, headed towards the next house.
It turns out that the other dude that had been waiting by the car at the office was already an employee, and he was along just for training purposes. Well, me and the other girl were pissed. Had they been up front about what the job entailed, we definitely would not have come along for the ride. A few minutes later, she asked him what time we’d be going back to the office, and he said not until 8 that night. She told him she didn’t know we’d be going far or staying out long (as they hadn’t told us, and they said we were going out ‘for a bit) and he basically said “tough shit.” For the rest of the day, the dude was a dick, and I guess he figured it didn’t matter since we made it very clear that neither one of us was even remotely interested in being a door to door salesman.
Now I like to think of myself as a relatively intelligent person (POOPFART!) but I have to hand it to these guys, they were able to keep me interested in the position without actually ever saying what it was. I guess I figured it was a general marketing job that had a bunch of different resposibilities. Look at the ad again though, does that look like a door-to-door salesman job? Maybe to someone who has been in the industry for a long time, and maybe I’m a total idiot, but I just wasn’t expecting that at all.
I didn’t end up getting home ’til around 9:30 that evening. I wish I could say I learned something from the whole experience, but I really didn’t. I just walked around a neighborhood in a suit and uncomfortable dress shoes in the blazing sun for 8 hours. Oh well, things can only get better from here, right?
Jerry Aug 30, 2007
haha i went on the same interview only with the company called dakos marketing. It was such bullshit. Any business on career builder that says Business to Business sales is basically what you experienced. Its all a bunch of shit
Jerry Aug 30, 2007
i forgot to mention that instead of selling coupons the guy took me around selling little cheap 10 dollar digital cameras.
dave Aug 30, 2007
Wow. It coulda’ been worse, they coulda’ handed you black Nikes and literature on how to get into heaven.
And don’t say you didn’t learn anything. Lesson from this: Never trust any ad which mentions that “‘corporate giant’ with a personal and friendly handshake”.
Did they at least pay you?!
good luck on the job search
Jay Cutler Aug 31, 2007
I would have told that guy to fuck off, and gotten myself a taxi.
rather spend $20 than waste a day.
Fucking scammers.
Dino Aug 31, 2007
I was involved in the same scam when I moved to a new City in 1990.
I was young and desparate for a job.
Instead of going to a local neighborhood we (I think there were 5 of us – 2 employees and 3 trainees) drove for an hour to another community to go door-to-door to “market” day planners.
So a cab fare would have been more than $20.
What a waste of time
John Aug 31, 2007
Haha, glad to hear I’m not the only one who fell for this. I guess I did learn something… I’ll be a bit more skeptical from now on, that’s for sure.
Rich Aug 31, 2007
Ya I got tricked into this bullshit too. I got into the office and I heard this loud bass coming from the next room. I asked “did I get here late or did they start without me?” It was loud dance/club music pounding to get the other employees/door to door salesmen amped up to go sell shit all fucking day.
It happened the same way as you described it, I was in a suit and got into a tiny car and drove to Chambersburg to sell these mapquest road maps. I had to carry this fucking heavy ass bag all day long and it was fucking hot all day too. We were even threatened by this industrial park’s foreman to get the fuck out of there or they will start shooting.
I thought it was going to be a management position and when I found out what was really going on, tricking people to work under you so you don’t have to do shit, I said no dice.
Now I know anything that says marketing is fucking straight up selling SHIT.
Martin Aug 31, 2007
I went through marketing company crap 20 years ago too. Right out of school is a tough time in life. Then again, with your face, it’s all tough, I’m sure.
Get a job with the federal government.
Brandon Aug 31, 2007
Damn, that’s some tough tats right there. Good luck searching.
Matt Aug 31, 2007
Dude,
Same thing happened to me when I graduated. The ad called for “Sports-oriented/minded individuals”. Get all dressed up in a nice suit only to find out that the job was to sell Direct TV door-to-door.
Keep up the search, it may take a while, but try to send out resumes everyday. Since you’re a marketing major check out/sign up for Media Post. After you sign up you can do a search for all Advertising/Marketing Companies in your area.
Good Luck.
ElmGoodie Sep 7, 2007
Why didn’t you just go home? What’s the point wasting a day on a job you know you’re not interested in?
x-fan Sep 7, 2007
remember when your site didnt suck?
Logan Sep 11, 2007
That. Fucking. Sucks. Hate to hear it, man.
When I was a freshman in college I got suckered into a pyramid scheme by this really hot chick who I eventually stopped being friends with when I stopped being involved in the scheme (cunt).
Fast forward 6 more years and this kid I went to elementary school with got a hold of me on Facebook and asked me if I was doing any internet marketing? I said I make websites and such but not really any of that, and asked what he had in mind. He said he had some associates in my area who were holding a meeting explaining the whole process. So I go to said meeting, and it’s freshman year all over again. Same shit, different day. I sat there for an hour listening ot this guy speak about selling items online, etc.
Basically you sell items through an online store. where they kickl you in the balls is when you have to buy tapes and CD’s that teach you how to do it effectively. I lost about $800 when I was a freshman investing in this stuff. Luckily this time around I only lost about an hour of my time.
That doesn’t include the 25 minutes I spent telling my friend who I had not talked to in nearly 13 years I wasn’t interested after the meeting over the phine, and him saying “I understand” and then going on for 20 minutes about what he does in a “I get what you’re saying” kind of way trying to get me to reconsider.
Bitches.
event management birmingham Aug 24, 2010
I wasted my time with this same nonsense. I was desperate for a job and I went for an interview at a marketing place. They made it sound like it was a proper program when really it was just street selling and door to door selling. All the marketing companies are behaving the same way right now.