The promise of big money, the immediate interviews, and the cursory glance given to your resume before being offered the job is a classic bait and switch.
It’s important to know what kind of leads to follow when you’re out looking for work. No one wants to waste their time, money or gas going to what promises to be a legitimate position only to find it’s a seminar for a get-rich-quick scheme. Luckily, dodging these employment fake-outs isn’t that difficult for anyone with good common sense.
Is this employer promising “immediate interviews for qualified candidates?” or providing a direct line to call for an interview? Personally, any company worth working for will ask for your application, a cover letter and a resume. If you’re what they’re looking for then they’ll contact you.
How many people are in the waiting room alongside you? If you’re not the only man/woman in a suit waiting to be seen by an interviewer for the same position, it could be a bad sign.
Have you ever found yourself and a large group of fellow applicants herded into a meeting room and relentlessly sold on the wonders that company’s miracle product or services? A job should sell itself to you and not the other way around.
Another big hint you’re applying for a junk job is the curious absence of advance information you’re provided about the position beforehand. If you can’t even find out what you’ll be doing as a “Professional Marketing and Public Promotions Sales Specialist” you should reconsider that long drive and save your time for something more legitimate.
The whole purpose of the mass interviews and hiring is because the work is typically lousy, monotonous and entails performing assigned duties in oppressive or uncomfortable conditions. That basically translates into a very high employee turnover rate. For every peg that slips out, a new one is sought to plug the gap by whatever means possible.
The promise of big money, the immediate interviews, and the cursory glance given to your resume before being offered the job is a classic bait and switch. They expect to dazzle you and before you know it, you’re stuffing envelopes, engaging in highly aggressive telemarketing or selling cheap steak knives door to door in 95 degree weather.
Personally, I have never sold knives door to door, but I know it wouldn’t provide me with any of the essential elements that I look for in employment. Believe me folks, I’ve been suckered into my fair share of sham interviews and subjected to snake-oil recruiting tactics.
But they never got me and there’s no reason why they should get you too. I’d like to end this by telling you, dear reader, that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
ha ha, seriously, if anyone could makes 1000’s in their spare time working from home….then why are we in a recession?
I have talked to several unemployed people and many have stated that they have been in group interviews with upwards of 10 other people. I am not sure how effective this process is, but it seems to be a cattle call rather than an interview. Many people are taking advantage of the horrible job market to prey on desperate people.
It has been a long time since I had to look for a job. I remember a few years ago that I did some temp work that was a telemarketing job. We read from a script and obtained peoples’ opinions on various local issues. We worked in the evening to late night. I quit because I did not like getting yelled at when I called someone and they were in the middle of dinner or bathing their children. I have never experienced a mass interview type situation but this article shows me what to look for and avoid. Thanks!!
I think this is especially true in certain industries. I know that when I’ve looked for sales/marketing jobs, I end up getting pitched with dozens of MLM (multi-level marketing) and direct-sales schemes. Most serious sales people would say that there is a huge difference between working as a sales rep for a firm and working selling vitamin supplements or makeup or medicine-magnets out of the back of your car. A good way to measure whether the opportunity is good or not is to see how long people have been doing it for. Be friendly, strike up a conversation with other people at the company and see if people like what they do and stick around for awhile.
I went to an Apple job fair once that sounds similar to whats described in this article. Essentially a room full of tables with lines leading to them. I handed my resume, they asked if I was familiar with Apple products, than they offered me a position. I declined, but a friend that I attended with took the job. He ended up miserably tucked in the back of a call center, in what ended up as a temp position. Boo.
when I was looking for a job I think half of them were scams. i knew they were but I’m surprised people fall for them.