Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I would like to ask you guys' opinons and thoughts.

Ok, I have a job that works me roughly 24 hours per week [half-time] at minimum wage [$6.55 in the U.S.]. The money isn't much, but comes every week.

Now, I have two job offers. The first, is with a company called "Smart Buy". It is commission only with the average salesperson earning $75 - $225 per commisssion and bringing home an average of $400 - $750 per week. That is significantly more than what I currently make.

The second job offer is with a marketing firm called Silvalining Marketing Inc., [I'm pretty sure that's the name, I'd have to look in my email again]. It's hourly pay [not sure on how much].

My question is which would be a better choice? I mean, the earning potential of the Smart Buy job is humoungous but I have bills to pay. Commission only means if I make 0 sales one day, I make $0.00. The marketing firm is steady pay but I probably won't earn as much at an entry level.

Thanks,
GMoga.

Well first find out how much the other job pays,I mean you could maybe make as much with the marketing firm job if you work overtime.

Are you going to school currently? If so focus on school.

If not: you need to:
1. Look at how each company is doing. Are they going to be around in 6 months? Will your position be around in 6 months?
2. What are you comfortable with? true commission jobs can pay more, but you eat what you kill. If you don't kill anything quickly then you're out the door. A salary job pays less but can be more stable-on the other hand they could cut you just as quickly.
3. Whatever they are selling-is it capable of being sold in an economic downturn? People always need bread. They don't need new pools.

A bird in the hand...

Sales can be tough. Really tough. Unless you have the stomach for it and have the ability to deal with a variable income you might want to avoid pure commission.

Sales will be especially tough in the current economic climate.

If you want to offer a discount to get someone to buy, it will be your comission that gets cut.

Well, with my illustrious Google-fu skillz, I found this http://www.silvaliningmarketing.com/about.htm.

Silvalining Marketing, Inc. offers safety education products, prevention tools, and child recovery aids - including the instruments necessary to publicize a photo of a child with important personal information to the police and law enforcement agencies in the event a child becomes missing or abducted. We are dedicated to protecting America’s children and are committed to addressing one of our

nation’s most pressing concerns, missing and exploited children. We have assisted law enforcement agencies in returning thousands of children to their families.

And

We provide grassroots Public Relations for our clients at local retail venues, schools, festivals and fairs. We help to provide a personalized approach for our clients in a way that is far more effective than traditional advertising done through television and radio messages. We inform, educate, promote, and serve on behalf of our clients in order to provide them with increased revenues (to continue local and national efforts) and awareness of the causes that they stand behind. Promotional buzz is created through handing out fliers and other literature, offerings of Child ID Cards sponsored by our clients for the children in our communities, free fingerprinting sessions and toy drives for local children in the Christmas season.

This is sounding like a really nice opportunity.

Not entirely an exact comparison, but having worked freelance contract-only vs hourly positions before, I have to say that I liked the steadiness of hourly positions. OTOH the freelance work paid well when it did pay.

Also, what are the opportunities for moving up the ranks at either gig? Even if the hourly pays less initially, if there is a path for advancement there, then I'd say put in your dues and run with it. What you should do, though depends a lot more on your individual position in life and mindset.

Repeating what has already been said, the economy right now is not great, so think wisely before choosing a salemanship job that requires to to sell items to customers that are holding tightly to their money.

Well, just got back from the first round of interviews. The commission only job is mine if I want it. All I have to do is call the manager back in a week. From the looks, advancement here will be very slim.

The job at Silvalining has 2 more interviews to go. The position I am being considered for is Projects and Marketing with pre-management training. However, there is a snag. I'm not all that well qualified and there are several more qualified individuals, including someone with a Bachelor's.

Go for the 2nd one and keep the first on a leash. I am leery when you go to an interview and they say "you're hired."

Did you ask what happened to the guy you're replacing?

No. The only guy that was there [other than the manager] looked very happy to be there [sarcasm]. It looks to be a small operation [locally owned].

Er...run?

Yeah, I have to agree with Frazz on that (!?!) It sounds like a fly-by-night operation. (If they mention vacuum cleaners, you'll know.)

Fly by night or not, commission sales jobs have a HIGH turnover rate. Take the hourly, and wait for a real job to open up. Take it from me, a commission job is the fastest way to a stress related heart attack, not to mention sucking ALL the fun out of your life because all you can do is worry about whether you'll sell enough to eat that week.

Well, just an update...Got a call from Silvalining and they have dropped me from their pool of candidates, saying that they believe I am not *as* qualified for the position as the other candidates.

Oh well. Guess it's back to the kitchens until something else comes up. Thanks for all the imput.

GMoga.

Smart buy... isn't that those guys that try to sell things for three times their original worth AND TELL YOU they do, but you get to take it home that day? I would go with the other one my fellow Dakkian.