OK SO THERE ARE A FEW THINGS I NEED TO SAY ABOUT THIS COMPANY AIL.
FIRST OF ALL, WHEN CONTACTED BY THIS JOB, I WAS ONLY 18 YEARS OLD, HOWEVER I HAD JUST FINISHED COLLEGE TO BECOME A CERTIFIED PHARMACY TECHNICIAN. SO I DECIDED TO DISPLAY MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE FORM OF A RESUME ON MONSTER.COM.
IMMEDIATELY I RECEIVED NUMEROUS EMAILS FROM AIL (AMERICAN INCOME LIFE, ALTIG). THE JOB DESCRIPTION WAS VERY VAGUE BUT I THOUGHT WELL THEY MUST SEE SOMETHING IN ME, AFTER ALL I GET EMAILS 20 DIFFERENT TIMES A DAY. SO I SAID WHAT THE HECK, RESPONDED TO THE EMAIL AND GAVE THEM MY PHONE NUMBER. THEY CALLED RIGHT AWAY. THE MAN WHO CALLED ASKED ME NUMEROUS QUESTIONS ABOUT MYSELF, HOWEVER WHEN I ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COMPANY, HE KEPT REFERRING ME TO THE INTERVIEW THAT THEY WOULD LOVE TO SET UP WITH ME. SO I DECIDED TO GO.
SO FIRST OF ALL I GOT LOST ( BY THE WAY THIS IS IN PORTLAND, OREGON) BECAUSE IT WAS JUST IN A BUILDING WITH NO SIGN OR ANY WAY OF KNOWING WHERE THE HELL I WAS GOING. SO WHEN I DID FIND IT, FINALLY, I WALKED IN AND RIGHT AWAY A GUY ASKED ME IF I WAS GOING TO THE 'INSURANCE THING' UPSTAIRS, AND HE TOLD ME NOT TO WASTE MY TIME, AND THERES SOMETHING FISHY ABOUT IT. I THANKED HIM FOR HIS ADVICE, HOWEVER DISREGARDED IT AND WENT UPSTAIRS.
SO I GET IN THERE (IN THE WAITING ROOM ABOUT THE SIZE OF MY BATHROOM) WITH LIKE 10 OTHER PEOPLE JUST SETTING THERE 'DRESSED TO IMPRESS' (LIKE THEY SAY) WITH THEIR RESUMES AND NERVOUS SMILES. WHEN MY NAME WAS CALLED, I WENT INTO THE 1ST INTERVIEW(THERE'S A PROCESS OF 3) DRESSED LIKE CAPITAL BARBIE, THINKING I'M SPECIAL.. HAHAHA... THE MAN WAS VERY UNPREPARED, HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW MY NAME OR MY BACKGROUND. I KEPT WONDERING WHAT AN INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD DO WITH A PHARMACY TECHNICIAN, BUT THEY'RE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. SO HE TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A SALES POSTION, IN WHICH I WOULD RECEIVE A SALARY AND COMMISSION. SOUNDED GOOD TO ME.. WE EXCHANGED A FEW MORE WORDS AND HE SAID, " CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE MADE IT TO THE SECOND INTERVIEW." ...
SO TEN MINUTES LATER, HERE COMES THE SECOND INTERVIEW. THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A ORIENTATION PROCESS. ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN THE WAITING ROOM WITH ME MUST HAVE BEEN AMAZING TOO, BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? WE ALL MADE IT TO THE 2ND INTERVIEW, AND SOME. IN A NUTSHELL A GUY WHO IS MAYBE 20 YEARS OLD DESCRIBES A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN AGENT, AND ASSURED US THAT WE WOULD ONLY NEED TO PUT IN 40 HOURS A WEEK TO MAKE 'UNLIMITED INCOME.' HE TOLD US TO TAKE NOTES AND PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE ONLY ONE PERSON WILL BE HIRED FROM THIS GROUP OF 20. SO I DID. HE SAID IN ONE MONTH WE WILL EARN 9 CHECKS. NINE. THAT TO ME IS ALOT IN JUST A MONTH, BUT OK. AFTER AWHILE, IT BECAME VERY TEDIOUS AND I WASN'T INTERESTED. I MAY BE YOUNG, BUT I'M NOT STUPID.MY MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT IF SOMETHING SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT PROBABLY IS. 2 HOURS AND A BUNCH OF BULLSHIT LATER(STILL IN THE 2ND INTERVIEW) I DECIDED THAT THIS JOB WAS NOT FOR ME, SO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GUYS SPEECH, I GOT UP AND WALKED OUT. AND I DIDN'T LOOK BACK.
SO I JUST DECIDED TO FORGET ABOUT IT AND CUT MY LOSSES THERE. AT THIS POINT, I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS A SCAM OR NOT, BUT SOMETHING JUST DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT. OR MAYBE IT WAS JUST ME.
2 DAYS LATER, I GET A PHONE CALL AT WORK FROM THE 'HIRING MANAGER' ... AND GUESS WHAT? I WAS CHOSEN TO COME TO THE 3RD INTERVIEW! WOW, ME OUT OF ALL THOSE OLDER EXPERIENCED PEOPLE. ALTHOUGH I WAS A BIT SKEPTICAL, THEY ARE VERY VERY CONVINCING, AND I LISTENED TO MY HEAD INSTEAD OF MY HEART AND I WENT ANYWAY.
SO HERE I AM AT THE THIRD INTERVIEW, WAITING... WAITING... WAITING... AND FINALLY I WAS ASKED TO COME WITH THE HIRING MANAGER TO ANOTHER ROOM. EVEN WHEN I GOT INTO THE ROOM, I WAS STILL WAITING, DUE TO HE HAD 'PERSONAL BUSINESS' TO DO. RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. ON HIS LAPTOP. 10 MINUTES LATER, HE TRIES TO GATHER HIMSELF AND FIND MY NAME ON THE RESUME. AFTER ASKING ME A FEW ROUTINE QUESTIONS, HE ASKED ME IF I HAD ANY QUESTIONS. FINALLY, IT WAS MY TURN. SO I ASKED HIM TO GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT BENEFITS AND WAGES. ONCE AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT IT IS A SALARY + COMMISSION JOB, AND THAT WE WOULD GET 13 CHECKS A MONTH. HUH??? THE OTHER 'MANAGER' SAID WE WOULD GET 9. HMMM...
HE ASKED ME TO STEP OUT OF THE ROOM FOR A MINUTE WHILE HE MADE A DECISION. 10 MORE MINUTES LATER, I WENT BACK IN THERE AND HE SAID I GOT THE JOB. I WILL ADMIT AT THIS POINT, I WAS EXCITED. VERY. I MEAN I WAS 18 YEARS OLD, AND SOME ASPECTS SEEMED SO PROMISING, THEY ARE REALLY REALLY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I WOULD BE WORKING WITH PEOPLE YOUNGER THAN ME. YOUNGER THAN ME? NOW WERE TALKIN MINORS, BUT OK I'M READY TO MAKE SOME MONEY.
BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, A JOB LIKE THIS DOESN'T COME EASY, AND OF COURSE, I WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR MY SCHOOLING AND LICENSE (WHICH AND UNDERSTANDABLE) AND 'ADMINISTRATION FEES'. HUH? I ASKED WHAT I WAS PAYING FOR, AND HE SAID MY EQUIPMENT (OK...) AND MY LEADS. SO I ASKED HOW MUCH THESE FEES ARE. 312.00. DUE NOW, ON THE SPOT.
CALL ME INEXPERIENCED, BUT I HAVE NEVER PAID TO GET A JOB. I MEAN IF ANYTHING, I NEED TO GET PAID, HENCE WHY I'M IN HERE TRYING TO GET A JOB. ONCE AGAIN, THEY ARE GREAT AT WHAT THEY DO AND AS STUPID AS IT SOUNDS, I PAID. RIGHT THERE. 312.00 CASH. I ASKED IF I NEED TO GET A MONEY ORDER, AND THEY INSISTED THAT 'CASH IS FINE'. SO I WENT FROM THERE TO THE SCHOOL WHERE I WOULD BE GETTING LICENSED, WHICH IS ANOTHER 279.00 PLUS FINGER PRINTS, 20.00 AND OH THE APPLICATION FEE, 80.00. SO GUESS WHAT? I'M NOT RICH AND IT'S A GOOD THING I JUST GOT PAID, OTHERWISE I MAY NOT HAVE GOT THIS 'WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY'. SO I START STUDYING FOR MY EXAM, AND I DECIDED TO LOOK UP THIS COMPANY...
GUESS WHAT I FOUND? WEBSITES LIKE THIS. AND THE FUNNY THING IS EVERYONE WHO COMPLAINS ABOUT AIL, WE ALL HAVE HAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE. THERE WERE A LOT OF RED FLAGS THAT I CHOSE TO IGNORE.
NUMBER ONE:
IF THIS JOB WAS AS WONDERFUL AS DESCRIBED, WHY ARE THEY AFTER AN 18 YEAR OLD PHARMACY TECHNICIAN WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SALES EXPERIENCE?
NUMBER TWO:
WHY WAS I TOLD THAT I WOULD BE PAID SALARY AND COMMISSION, WHEN THE TRUTH IS THAT YOU ARE ONLY PAID COMMISSION?
NUMBER THREE: 312.00 FOR ADMINISTRATION FEES? FOR THAT PRICE I BETTER HAVE MY OWN DAMN OFFICE, AND ALL KINDS OF LEADS. BUT IM SURE THEY COVERED THEIR ASS, RIGHT ON THE RECEIPT IT SAYS 'NON REFUNDABLE'.
NUMBER FOUR: I HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM ANYONE FROM AIL, AND I GOT HIRED IN OCTOBER.
AND AFTER LOOKING AT ALL THE WEBSITES LIKE THIS, MY SUSPICIONS WERE CONFIRMED.
AND FOR EVERYONE WHO DEFENDS AIL, ITS BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR THEM AND YOU'RE GETTING PAID SOMEHOW.
THE POINT IS YOU SHOULD NEVER HAVE TO PAY TO GET A JOB. IF YOU FEEL THAT SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT, THAT'S BECAUSE IT ISN'T.
I HAVE HEARD OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE BANKRUPT FROM WORKING FOR AIL. OH AND BY THE WAY, YOUR 'PAID TRAINING' ISN'T SO PAID.
I'M NOT DOING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE EXTRA TIME ON MY HANDS, I AM VERY BUSY AND VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS THAT I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO PREVENT ANYONE FROM GOING THROUGH WHAT I WENT THROUGH. I WASTED A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT JUST WASN'T TRUE.
MY ADVICE IS TO DO YOUR RESEARCH. THOROUGHLY. STICK WITH WHAT YOU KNOW. NEVER SACRIFICE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY JUST TO CHASE A DREAM.
AS FOR ME, IT'S TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE. I DON'T HAVE ANY REGRETS, JUST ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED. |
Date
675 days ago by Jeremy Nasta 
655 days ago by Googler 
653 days ago by Lawrence Wolff 
