Clues That A Job Lister Is Misleading You

in jobs •  3 years ago  (edited)

There are many different ways that job listers will try to deceive you about the job so they can get you to sit down with them. They typically do this because the job is in a particular field and/or industry with a very high rate of turnover (attrition). Most often, these jobs are either multi-level marketing, network marketing, or direct marketing. In other words, a sales job. These jobs will often be listed under job titles that fall under the same large category as sales; customer service is usually the preferred listing, but you may find it under other job titles. I found this job listing on Indeed, Simply Hired and Glassdoor. I'm not saying it's a scam, but I am saying that if a company is willing to lie to you to get you to interview, do you really think they'll never lie to you again? In my experience, they will.

Fishy Traits

  1. The job title will often contain "customer service," "call center," "client services," "agent," and/or "representative." Similar job titles in related fields may be used.
  2. The job requirements are generic/vague.
  3. The job description is short and generic/vague.
  4. The company information is minimal.
  5. The listing is brief.
  6. It puts more detail into the benefits than the job itself.
  7. The company name may include the words "consulting," "agency," or similar.

Glassdoor:
Misleading Job Ad on Glassdoor

Simply Hired:
Misleading Job Ad on Simply Hired

Indeed:
Misleading Job Ad on Indeed

As you can see from the above images, there's very little information about the job itself. You cannot click on the company name to learn more about it. I applied for this job and, the same day, got an interview request. The more I saw, the more it felt like the same experience I'd had in West Allis, WI, with an insurance agency looking for "customer service representatives" and "supervisors". The company, (Michael) Denton Consulting LLC is listed in multiple states, but I could find very little other information about it, and it's not on BBB's website.

Other clues that the job is misleading or a scam:

  1. They contact you quickly (usually the same day) and show interest in you.
  2. They immediately want to interview you and tell you specific days and times, each week, that they are available. The days and times are probably the same each week.
  3. The "interview" will last for 1 hour.
  4. You are expected to dress well.
  5. You will find very little information on the Internet about the company, but you may find:
    • Incorporation listings, most likely in multiple states.
    • The same/similar listing for multiple cities and states.
    • The same job listing on multiple sites.
    • No BBB listing.
    • No information on Google, Yahoo, Wayz and other maps.
    • Few or no reviews.

I went to the virtual interview dressed as required both then and today and, although the companies were different, the presentation was based on the same format.

Here's what to expect at the "interview:"

  1. You'll be expected to dress well, even if it's a video conference call.
  2. The people presenting may not be dressed the way you're required to dress.
  3. The presenter(s) brags about themselves and how s/he went from rags to riches, and how much they earn now.
  4. The presenter brags about the company and service(s).
  5. It's eventually revealed that you'll be selling (for both cases, insurance) even if you're applying for the supervisory position.
  6. There is no interview during the hour you wasted....errrr...invested.
  7. You will be asked to schedule a "follow-up" interview.

Should I Join Them?


First of all, I strongly recommend that you search for information about the company that you'll be selling for - both the insurance agency and the insurance company. In this case, it was US Health Advisors, which has A, B and NR ratings on BBB.org depending on the location. Please take note of the reviews and comments posted by various people, including David Duford's, an insurance agent, review, about the actual insurance company that provides coverage. The one I was "interviewed" for in West Allis didn't have a good reputation like USHA.

USHEALTH Advisors sells individual health coverage plans and a number of related supplementary products underwritten by The Freedom Life Insurance Company of America and National Foundation Life Insurance Company, both of which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of USHEALTH Group.

You will have to become a licensed insurance agent, which isn't free. You may discover that you will be charged a fee for leads, or a monthly fee until you start earning money.

If the conditions above, and what they tell you after they hire you, are acceptable, then give it a shot as long as the insurance company is reputable. But, keep in mind: one lie is usually an indicator of future lies.

Wrap-Up


Once I had confirmed that the pitch was for insurance sales, I left the video-call. I also reported these listings to the websites for being deceptive. I also emailed Michael Denton and told him to take me off their list. I have no tolerance for companies and people that will lie to get what they want, which is why I left my last employer - my manager deceived me and lied to me, and my director lied and broke promises to me.

Thank you very much for reading this. If it helped you, please upvote and share it!

Here's my video about my experience.



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