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So. I recently got an interview with a marketing company. I was ecstatic. Until I starting thinking about the phone interview. When I asked about the position and my responsibilities I was told "You will have opportunities for advancement and will make 25,000 to 60,000 a year and be part of our amazing company" when asked again they said "You will be part of our marketing team at events and have opportunities for advancement in our company" When I asked my cousin he said "IT is going to be a 5 minute interview, you can go in smelling of pot and piss and still get the job, dont waste your time, it is a high-turnover commission based job where you will make less than minimum wage" and looking over the listing again, they say nothing of pay or compensation or requirements of the job.
Im tempted to take it if they do, but i have other interviews for things that i kinda want to do, but wont know for awhile afterwords.
What does dakka think?

I think your cousin is right.

"You will have opportunities for advancement and will make 25,000 to 60,000 a year and be part of our amazing company"

Were those the exact words, the bolded ones specifically? If so, that is the first and largest red flag I see because no legitimate company ever describes itself like that.

I paraphrased a bit, but it was more like "Be part of a team of amazing people and be part of a company that is leading the world in marketing strategies"
The biggest thing is I do not know what my job will require after asking twice.

Google the company, see if its been in the news or anything.

That might tell you if it worth even attending the interview.

Going to the interview can't hurt unless it's in place of another opportunity. You can just decline it later. If they offer you a job on the spot just say you need longer time to consider.

They won't tell you what the job is? Yes, that's a major red flag. It's either a scam or a job so crap they don't want to tell you. Your brother is probably right. Commission based, probably call centre based, with high targets you never make any commission and a huge churn. But ye, if you get an interview go for it. Treat it as practice.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
I paraphrased a bit, but it was more like "Be part of a team of amazing people and be part of a company that is leading the world in marketing strategies"
The biggest thing is I do not know what my job will require after asking twice.

You asked them, they spun an answer, twice. Look elsewhere for employment.

It should also be said that unless you are wired the right way marketing and sales jobs will crush you. In asking your original question I rather think you aren't cut out for such positions. That's a good thing.

I have had and heard of some experiences where an employer was vague in job responsibilities until actually meeting in person, but I have never heard of a company that talked like an infomercial and was offering serious positions. For example, compare the 'about' page of some random marketing company I found on google to that of this technically legal pyramid scheme company. What is of particular relevance is how the former describes in detail what they want from employees,while the latter talks about how great the company is and barely mentions employees beyond how awesome it is to work for them.

They didn't want to tell you what you would be doing so you would still come to the interview.

Probably going to be a telemarketer.

Marketing team at events? My wife took a job that sounded just like that before we lived together. They made her drive all over the map, and stand outside places while staying at crap hotels that changed every night because they were too cheap to rent the same room 2 nights in a row. Not to mention she made almost nothing after factoring in gas and food. I had to move in with her to keep her from losing her apartment. Run away bro. Run as fast as you can. Unless you have nothing but time, then take the interview and screw with the guy.

That is so sketchy. Do not trust them, and do not take a job with them.

 Mr. Burning wrote:

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
I paraphrased a bit, but it was more like "Be part of a team of amazing people and be part of a company that is leading the world in marketing strategies"
The biggest thing is I do not know what my job will require after asking twice.

You asked them, they spun an answer, twice. Look elsewhere for employment.

It should also be said that unless you are wired the right way marketing and sales jobs will crush you. In asking your original question I rather think you aren't cut out for such positions. That's a good thing.

What this guy said. Move on.

How did you end up applying for a job where you didn't know what it was?

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
How did you end up applying for a job where you didn't know what it was?

I know I’ve got resumes out there with my contact info, as I’m currently looking for a job myself. I will occasionally get cold calls/e-mails with people offering to interview/employ me for a great opportunity, very similar to the one in the OP. Mostly commission based insurance sales. So for those, it’s easy to get an interview without actually applying.

There are also headhunters that will help find you jobs. They will find your resume, and forward it to a company (getting a reward for matching you). They should be asking first, but sometimes they might not have all the answers, as you are getting hired at one remove. Temp agencies as well.

If you show up to the interview and the interviewers are nude, or nearly nude, with cameras set up in the room that may also be a red flag.

Is it an actual salary ?

(depending on what they say in interview it might be worth a try and seeing if the first months arrived... although it does sound fishy)

or

is it all commission?

(run a mile, fishy sounding job, wide salary quote, no other info sounds like scam city, either getting you to work for free for a few month before leaving, or getting you to scam little old ladies out of their life savings for vitamins/jewelry/garage doors etc)

or even worse will they ask you for money to participate in their 'family'... run a mile

 Ahtman wrote:
If you show up to the interview and the interviewers are nude, or nearly nude, with cameras set up in the room that may also be a red flag.

And it'll still be a better job than this one sounds like.

Get those other interviews rolling, this one isn't worth the time.

 NinthMusketeer wrote:
"You will have opportunities for advancement and will make 25,000 to 60,000 a year and be part of our amazing company"

Were those the exact words, the bolded ones specifically? If so, that is the first and largest red flag I see because no legitimate company ever describes itself like that.

That, and the amount offered are the big flags. When any interviewer for a sales/marketing company offers a range of numbers for your pay, you can expect to get the lowest number. Only a Professor Harold Hill, Billy Mays, or Ron Popeil will get anything close to the higher number.

Advancement... In a sales role... Nope. Just nope.
Pretty damn rare. And the ones who do are very good or have no soul....
In a call centre I worked.

One head manager.
One floor manager.
3 team leaders.
30-50 team members....

The pyramid iw very slim. And very few last long in those jobs.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
Going to the interview can't hurt unless it's in place of another opportunity. You can just decline it later. If they offer you a job on the spot just say you need longer time to consider.

Well I have a phone interview an hour after this one. But I was just going to go to the starbucks near it and to it there.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
...and looking over the listing again, they say nothing of pay or compensation or requirements of the job.

I'm sorry. What was the question again?

Yeah it definitely sounds like a commission based sales job, with terms so poor they fear you wont' even attend the interview if you knew them.

That said, if you've got nothing better to do, and there's some base salary, it's maybe worth doing it until you can get something better.

Herzlos wrote:
Yeah it definitely sounds like a commission based sales job, with terms so poor they fear you wont' even attend the interview if you knew them.

That said, if you've got nothing better to do, and there's some base salary, it's maybe worth doing it until you can get something better.

Yeah. If taking the interview isn't big trouble why not just take it. Not like they can force you to take job you wouldn't want after the interview. At worst you get experience in interviews. And you get into a one. Don't know how it's elsewhere but in Finland if you don't show any activity in searching for jobs you could get reduced support from the government for a while. Taking interview would at least show you are looking for a job.

Its a scam job, they haven't told you what you'll be doing because if they told you first up you'd just walk away. Instead they want you to put some effort in to it, and get your hopes up, knowing that if they keep you on the string just long enough then you'll be more likely to buy in. Imagine if they told you at the start of the first phone call that you'll be working door to door, or maybe in a call centre cold calling, or maybe in a pop up booth at a shopping centre, selling crap using manipulative, high pressure sales tactics, with commissions and sales targets that mean you'll never earn above minimum wage, and maybe possibly less. Of course you'd say no. But if they've strung you along through a couple of interviews, just long enough to tell friends and family that you might have a job... then maybe hope will take over and convince you to believe there's a real job there even though you know everything about it is dodgy as.

So don't go. But on the other hand, if you decide to play along with for however long it takes to satisfy dakka's curiousity... I'm guessing it will end up being door to door selling knives. Or maybe Kirby vacuums.

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I think your cousin is right.

Yes.
If you have a natural affinity for sales there are better avenues: real estate, equipment; loans and financial products, even high end cars.

Sounds like it could be one of those "multi-level marketing" deals. Basically a barely legal pyramid scheme.

 Frazzled wrote:

 Kilkrazy wrote:
I think your cousin is right.

Yes.
If you have a natural affinity for sales there are better avenues: real estate, equipment; loans and financial products, even high end cars.

If you can land regular bonus, and such you can earn alot even in crappy jobs.

Problem. Maybe 5% or less will earn that every week with every bonus and extra.
Majority will pull in the min wage basic.

If your good at sales great.
If not, well its not a easy job. Whatever people say some are just not right person.

Through a temp agency? What is your current salary / what other jobs have you applied for in the marketing field?

I thought you were around my age - I've seen you post here for the past few years/ 23? ~ Post undergrad?

Well.........I was late to it. By about 45min. I missed the first train. Took the wrong second. Missed both trains trying to get back, and one train was delayed that I was on to get there