I like to think of myself as a prideful person.
Not conceited, but proud of my accomplishments and qualifications thus far. To have my character taken advantage of is one of the worst scenarios I could imagine. Unfortunately, I recently experienced the grimy, sketchy side of the real world the hard way through two words: scam interviews.
I am going to keep the titles of the two companies anonymous since they unfortunately have my resume and information for protective purposes.
Interview One
It was a sunny morning in Gainesville when my Gmail account pinged with the good news. I had received my first “big girl” interview for a marketing intern position for a sales company in Tampa, Florida.
Fast-forward one week and I’m anxiously awaiting my name to be called in their waiting room, resume in hand. I adjust my pencil skirt as a younger man retrieves me from the waiting room and escorts me back to his office. He start by telling me that after two years with the company, he is already a manager and would be in charge of me as an employee — this guy is 23. He continues to ask me a few standard interview questions and makes sure to let me know that he “really, really likes me.”
Then it gets weird.
He asks me all about my horoscope and decides that since I’m a Cancer, I would fit in perfectly with their team. He finally spills the beans and lets me know that their company does door-to-door “marketing and sales” for an inexpensive makeup line. He tells me that my job would be to walk into stores and through neighborhoods to try to sell as much makeup possible, with the only pay being commission. Nowhere on the job posting or on the company website or employee reviews did it mention any of these details, so I sit there stunned, not knowing how to respond. I honestly can’t even remember how the interview ended because I was so eager to get out of that place.
Though more of a let-down then an outright scam, I was reminded that extensive research needs to be done on a company before committing to an interview.
Interview Two
This interview seemed like an even better marketing position.
During my initial phone interview, the lady claimed that their company had national clients including Verizon, so I assumed that maybe this company would also be legitimate. I take the elevator up to the 6th floor of a large office building located near downtown Tampa. I feel way more comfortable waiting in the receptionist area for this interview and my name is called briefly after my arrival.
I’m taken back into an office covered in Verizon promotional posters. “Phew! They actually are a client,” I think to myself. I’m immediately introduced to a younger man who will be my “mentor” for the day. The man – we’ll call him Joe – informs me that he wants to take me to lunch to explain the details of the job. I lie and tell him I already ate, but he insists.
Joe and I awkwardly take the elevator down to the parking lot and he asks for a description of my car. He also asks for my cell number in case I “got lost” and immediately dialed to be sure my phone rang. I start getting strange vibes the second we reach the parking lot. Joe tells me to follow him in his truck and to stay very close. I begin to follow Joe for a few minutes until we reached the interstate. After about eight minutes on the interstate I call a friend for advice and decide that something is very wrong about this situation. I then call Joe to ask where in the hell he is taking me. He says “We’re almost there. We are going to a location near the Wal-Mart in Brandon, FL.” This would have been at least another 15 minutes on the interstate. Something didn’t feel right about a middle-aged man having a young girl follow him far away to an undisclosed location.
I firmly tell Joe that he has lied to me, misinformed me and to immediately lose all of my contact information. He seemed caught off guard and made one last attempt for me to keep following him. I took the next exit and sped back to Gainesville.
Who knows where that interview may have ended up leading me, but my intuition tells me it would have been nowhere good.
Lessons Learned
Scam interviews and sketchy job meet-ups like the ones I experienced are not new. When you’re a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed college student or recent grad, you’re tempted to jump at any opportunity that comes your way.
But you need to recognize that your time and, of course, your safety, are important. Learn to weed out potential scams through good research and have the confidence to ask questions when you first get contacted.
Forbes recommends getting the following questions answered on the phone or via email (that way there’s a written record) before you go on a job interview:
What is the name of the employer?
What is your relationship (you, the person who’s inviting me to the interview) with this employer and this hiring manager?
When is the company looking to hire someone?
How much (roughly) does this position pay?
How long has this position been open, and why is it open? Did someone quit or get promoted, or is this a new position?
What is the hiring manager’s name and title?
If answers seem vague and sketchy, then don’t bother ironing that blazer for an in-person interview.
Although the two dud interviews discouraged my attitude about the interview process, I am happy to say that I have finally found a trustworthy, legitimate internship for the summer.
To all the young professionals out there: Beware of scam interviews, keep your B.S. radar on at all times and happy hunting.
