I recently wrote a short post regarding how excited I am about getting all bus-cassed (business-casual) for my new job. I love the professional attire and leaving the house each morning feeling sleek and smart. I, however, hate my new job. So, I guess it doesn't really matter how bus-cassed I am when I'm all dolled up for a job I loathe. Lemme tell you about it.Why do i hate it? you might ask. Well, first off, I can't tell you how excited I was to get this job. The pay seemed reasonable- nothing spectacular but, hey, it was my first job in the industry, I was at the VERY bottom of the ladder in this job but, hey, you gotta start somewhere and all the training is a great learning experience. This job was offered to me as a prime opportunity to build my confidence, create a great network, and start on a speedy track towards management. Then, throughout the week, things started to be revealed to me. Sketchy things like...
1) My work superiors talking about how much debt they're in with their bank accounts. Their checking accounts are so overdrawn, in fact, that they can't even deposit this week's paycheque because it will fall into the hole of negatives and they won't be able to use the money.
2) The fact that I'm out on the streets every day for at least eight hours, hawking t-shirts and child-protection I.D.'s. And that we're encouraged to sell these items for twice more than their suggested retail price so the promotions company, not the charity who's name is on the shirts, gets the profit. Don't even ask me how much money the charity receives. I still have no idea.
3) One of the top managers of this company is, like, 24 years old and has been working with the company for only a year and a half. Isn't that a bit sketchy?
4) It's only non-commission-based pay for your first week, after that, it will be completely commission-based. This doesn't work at all for me because, as it turns out, I'm a crap salesperson! I remember when I was in high school, selling candy bars to raise money for my yearly choir trip. Mom would have to take the candy bars to work to sell them because I simply could not sell them on my own. Now, I can communicate the hell out of something. I can tell you which products you need, why you should purchase them and why they're such a necessity for your life, even if it's something you clearly don't need. But I can't seem to close the deal. So... no commission for me.
5) The office is kind of a shithole. It's a hole-in-a-wall location with almost no desks, no computers... nothing. It's like they just pick up and move from place to place whenever the cops find out or something. That's not fact, mind you, just my musings.
6) Shoes. I tend to judge a man by the tambour of his voice, the strength of his handshake and the shoes on his feet, then I sum it all up and create a solid first impression. Weird, huh? The other day, a strong Black man (a company manager) boomed into the office and gave us a pep-seminar encouraging us to SELL SELL SELL!!! Before speaking, he approached me, shook my hand, and introduced himself. Alright, I thought. Strong voice, good grip but (looking down), what's this? Dodgy Payless sneakers at least two years old? It would have been fine if I were meeting him on the street, but we were in an office setting and he's telling me how successful he is in this company. Hmmm... something ain't adding up here.
7) The company is ALWAYS hiring. There are never enough people, I'm guessing it's because after a few weeks, people wise-up to the situation and bolt.
So I decided to go online and restart my job search. It wasn't before long that I found another marketing company and applied. They called the next day to set up an interview. How lucky! I thought. Nope, not so much. I went online to get directions to their office and when I Googled their name I found this other website, Rip Off Report.Com displaying an article that a man wrote after attending an interview with this company. Turns out this organisation is a Pyramid scheme too. Are there no legit businesses anymore? What is the best way to find a good, solid, legitimate job?
