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Sorry about this semi-rant, but this really got to me.
I have been applying for jobs like nothing else these last few months since graduating from university in June with my degree.
In these tough times response has been low, however one Sales & Marketing company I applied to, Primus UK, sent me an e-mail response to my application showing interest in me, and asked me for an interview in Manchester. That is within a good distance from me so I made the trip cheaply.
I went to this initial interview, which seemed fairly professional, and typical interview style. I passed this, and was invited back to a more "formal" interview the next day, with the promise that I would be on my feet a lot, which was the only indication of the next days' activities I got.
On entering the waiting room getting there earlier today, I spoke with other candidates where we speculated about the days' activities, such as whether "on our feet" a lot would mean doing some initial market research activity or something, starting near the bottom of the ladder exersize to get into the theme of things.
But ohhhh, no.
We were all shown to a personal mentor for the day, who looked at forms we had to complete while waiting vased on what aspects of the working for the company we prioritised.
Then, we were given a very brief briefing of what the day would entail. This would include my mentor asking questions about the business structure in some non-formal and rather random manner while we walked around a residential neighbourhood selling deals to customers for the client companies Primus UK sells for. This was dubbed, therefore, an "observation day".
First, this involved walking through Manchester to the nearest bus stop at break neck speed, before being made to buy my own day pass around the city on this public, crowded bus all the way into Bolton. Except that my mentor, who was quite cocky, arrogant and only 25, had no clue how to read the map. We left at about 13:30 went all the way through Bolton once, still on the bus at 14:25 he had no idea where we were, and he and another new employee he was mentoring just laughed about it.
This went on another 20 minutes, until we got off the bus station and had to get another bus back to the correct part of Bolton.
Then, the day consisted of this "mentor" taking me around one residential area, with him and his other new employee going into houses making sales. I was told to wait outside, and just answer some basic questions on a note pad, such as "list forms of non-direct and direct advertising", and "list attributes of a good manager". This went on for five and a half hours, barely anything to eat or drink, while those two went in houses going through the sales process with me having to stand outside, looking rather suspicious.
I did not get to observe a thing. I asked questions, but got the response "we want you to think for yourself, not us to tell you things". I get that, but I was not allowed to observe anything, and I made this clear twice, but got no answer.
I was asked questions about the way the company makes the sales I was supposed to be observing but wasn't, so I basically had to guess. Then, having been told there "aren't any right or wrong answers" to some questions, was told there was a specific answer they were looking for, infact, and implied that because I didn't "get-it" I have no "business accumen" and not the right "personality".
They criticised me of getting slightly frustrated, which I did in the end, because I was made to stand outside for 5.5 hours, not observing ANYTHING before receiving guessing game questions about the process in a very arrogant manner.
Primus UK, from this first impression, might be onto a "winner" with their earning by commision basis on selling better deals to customers for client companies with a predictable unit cost etc... but the way I was treated, in my opinion, by these people, was utter CRAP.
I finally got back home at eleven o'clock at night, everyone wondering where the hell I had got to, as I was given NO indication this was going to go on for so long. I personally found the whole hypocrisy of the situation, the fact I wasn't able to OBSERVE anything, etc ,etc to be an insult.
Don't bother with these people. Their manner is not professional at all. Is this the way the world is going these days? Just a money making rackett with no ethical backbone what so ever? This what I call the "rise of the little man". People like this who actually know very little and make money through the work of other companies.
Has anyone else had such irritating experiences? After all this job hunting and nothing, having this waste of a day is a kick in the balls. I made the effort to go, with good faith, I got to observe, NOTHING. Rise of the little man.
Well I have done my research and discovered that these unethical twisters are not a properly registered company, and use several different names for themselves. They don't even have a properly working website.
I found some interesting links to peoples experiences with these twisters.
ALMOST had the same thing happen here in good 'ole Phoenix, AZ. I posted their crap on Rip Off Report, along with others. Yes, I was not the only one that vented.
It's unfortunate that during these tough times the "exploiters" seem to come out of the woodwork.
If you had the company name before the initial interview you should have googled it and you would have found that it was not worth your time and energy. Primus has major complaints. I am very wary of one name outfits and especially those with catchy sounding website addresses. You have to learn how to identify bogus before you invest your time. I will not waste my time on anything containing the words financial, investment or even insurance these days as most are not worthy of my employ. Unfortunately that means there are few job ads that garner my time. I have been unemployed for 2 months now.
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