To think this job offer was highly dodgy?

[Rhodedendrons]

DC (early 20s) is currently looking for a FT job after leaving their last role in December.

Applied for a role recently and was contacted with an invite to a virtual interview, between 2 and 4 on a particular day. Day rolls around, no call or other contact. At 4.45 DC is out walking the dog, they call re the interview. When DC explains they can't do it there and then (because of being in the park with dog etc, DC suggests 5pm which would be time to get home) there's a lot of huffing and puffing and then they propose 8.30pm. No apology for lack of contact between 2 and 4.

8.30 rolls around. Interview takes place. A lot of waffle about how DC will get several weeks training, then be a team leader, 'managing and inspiring' a team. Lots of corporate speak. Very little about what the company does or exact nature of the role. Lots of chat about bonuses and OTE 'an extra' £500 a week but nothing about the base salary. Hours are 10am-8pm Mon-Fri, no clarification of lunchbreaks, and some expectation to work Saturdays too although how many and for how long also not specified. Working entirely from the office.

At the end of the call they say DC you're exactly who we are looking for, can we confirm you'll take the job? And start really putting DC under pressure to accept. DC agrees to call them back the next day.

After the call DC reflects and realising that despite asking the questions there's been no actual specification of job title, responsibilities, pay, terms, and most importantly salary, calls back the next morning. DCs request for this to clarified and ideally put in writing is met with hostility and DC is basically told 'well clearly you don't want the job, timewaster'.

I mean that is true, who would want a job like that? The whole thing seems totally fishy to me and that DC has had a lucky escape. AIBU?

It could have been anything! Most likely being a Nuisance Caller with some stupid script to read to increasingly angry people.

Lucky escape!

This smells all wrong to me; I think she was right to ask questions and their response makes me think she's probably had a very lucky escape.

Why did they apply for the job if they didn’t know what it was?! I can see why this looks like time wasting to the company, sorry.

It is very very weird thet they didn’t say the base salary and yes their behaviour when asked has red flags all over it.

Inonce applied to a cool sounding job thst keps going on about bonuses - turned out I would be working in a sales call centre on virtually no base salary and if 1% of my calls got a yes that was considered a great result. Perhaps it was something like that.

Lucky escape!!

Very lucky escape I think.
Who would ever agree to do a job not knowing what you’d actually do.
Or was that in the original advert?
Either way I wouldn’t go near it.

The job was advertised as Marketing, but there were no specifics really, DC was expecting to be given more detail in the interview but that didn't happen, it was all waffle.

I suspect Marketing is a rather generous term and it's actually cold calling, especially given the working hours.

The fact they wouldn't discuss base salary and just kept on about bonus' I would assume it was some kind of commission based work.

Definitely sounds like she dodged a bullet there

Defo 100% cold calling so you make your own wages if you sell anything.
My friends son and my son both had jobs like this one was selling gas /electricity all commission based. No real salary at all.

My DD got a similar job offer and it turned out to be door to door sales, some kind of pyramid scheme, where she'd get bonuses if she recruited other people. She did one day (for which she never got paid) and never went back.

Looks like a scam, or a scammy job (where DC would be expected to do the scamming)
Potentially both (fake job recruitment pyramid scheme?)

I suspect it's cold calling, call centre type 'marketing' with a very low base salary and difficult to achieve 'OTE' which is why they're not being altogether transparent about the terms of the job.
The way he's been treated at interview and offer will be indicative of how he's treated as an employee.
Lucky escape in my opinion.

@Rhodedendrons

The job was advertised as Marketing, but there were no specifics really, DC was expecting to be given more detail in the interview but that didn't happen, it was all waffle.

I suspect Marketing is a rather generous term and it's actually cold calling, especially given the working hours.

I went for a similarly vague marketing job when I first left uni. It turned out to be door to door selling. It’s probably that or, as you suggest, cold calling.

I've had this before, it was a call centre, company that bought debts and then chased people for them. Not something I agree with or was interested in. Lucky escape! I think they don't know half the answers because it's an agency doing the hiring, and they just offer the job there and then as they know out of hiring loads that only a few will stay

I fell for that before as a young person.

All spiel about progression, team lead role, based in office. I took the job and was told someone would pick me up the Next day.

Found myself in a housing estate in the arse of no where knocking door to door selling electricity. Too shy to tell them jog on at the beginning, I told the guy who was training me when I got into the car after working till 8 at night that I didn't think it was for me, he made me get out if the car and drove away!

Your son dodged a bullet.

I had a similar experience at 21 with a recruitment agency. Went for an interview for an admin role but it was clearly hard selling involving a lot of cold calling, lots of corporate speak as well and no clarification on pay but lots of waffle about all the bonuses I could earn. The recruitment agency called me the next day and said I got it. I told them I didn't want it as it didn't seem a good fit and was more sales than admin. They went silent for a few seconds and then starting really yelling at me for wasting their time.

@SnipSnipMrBurgess

I fell for that before as a young person.

All spiel about progression, team lead role, based in office. I took the job and was told someone would pick me up the Next day.

Found myself in a housing estate in the arse of no where knocking door to door selling electricity. Too shy to tell them jog on at the beginning, I told the guy who was training me when I got into the car after working till 8 at night that I didn't think it was for me, he made me get out if the car and drove away!

Your son dodged a bullet.

Oh no that's terrible just leaving you there! Especially as it was just a housing estate. Some people are just awful.

I think DC probably would have fallen for the leading a team bit but for the fact that a) in their last job they were promised a lot which was never delivered so they're now more sceptical and b) the office is in a city about 30 mins for us where parking is £10 a day so DC needed to know how much the salary was to work out if the travel was worthwhile (compared to something in our town). I'm really relieved they didn't take the job, I don't think it would have been any good. DC is also far too nice and sensitive a person to be good at selling or cold calling.