Is this worth the expense? Presenting/training work

[MissM]

I've been asked to interview for a freelance training job. However, the interview is a couple of hours drive (or train/taxi) from home, and they want to interview me on a Sunday. If I'm successful I will then have to attend two successive weekends training in south London (again, over two hours from home). If I then get the work I will have to pay a one-off 'registration' fee of £120. None of my travel expenses for interview or training will be covered.

I've worked out it will cost me approximately £200.00 if I get the job, and £90ish if I don't (more if I get the train), plus two weekends and one Sunday away from my family. If I get the job it pays £120.00 per session, and they reckon I'd do about three sessions a month. So I'd have to do two sessions just to get my money back from interview/training!

Is it really worth all the expense? At the moment I've got a really unsteady income and I need all the cash I can get! If anyone can offer me any advice as to whether this is worth it or not I'd really appreciate it!

Anything where the money isn't flowing to you is a no-no in my very humble opinion. And I actually thought registration fees were illegal (was a recruitment consultant but it was a hundred years ago so is hazy). That said, if you do need the cash it might be worth the risk - only you can decide that.

I would ask to speak to someone else on their books actually, ask them to give you the name and contact details of another trainer and see how they react. If they're happy to do it, then I would take from that they're above board. I would then follow up and speak to the individual and see how much work they're getting. If the agency aren't happy to pass details on I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

Hi

It is difficult when something regular comes up...there is always lots to think about.

You may have already looked into this...is the actual training going to be in London too? So the money per session will be £120 minus travel expenses? And can you get to a training session in time, some trains only start at xam, which might not be early enough to get there, so you need to say over etc..

I also wonder about how far in advance they'll advise of dates and what happens if they cancel a course due to lack of interest. If they are hosting a few courses a month I guess they are a high volume org, it could be worth asking.

I also think £120 isn't a huge amount for a days freelance work, esp if you take into account travelling and preparing time (even if they give you the material I guess there will be some prep for you, at least at first). Looking at it clinically it is probably almost 2 days for £120. Take tax etc off (I generally put 25% aside) then you aren't left with that much.

I don't love the idea that you need to pay for the chance to earn money. However, I can imagine that they train people who then find something better/different (as freelancers can do!) and then they don't have any trainers left. So I guess if you have paid you might be more invested.

As wilson says it would be good to know who currently trains for them. I would also just check there is no obligation for you to be finding delegates, I doubt it but worth asking.

On balance I am not sure it is a great opp, and will probably only deliver a couple of hundred pounds for c6 days out of your schedule where you could be finding other opps.

If you do go for it, I'd try to find out a bit more about the opp/them.

Good luck.

Really helpful comments, thank you so much. I hadn't thought of speaking to a current trainer, but that's a really good tip. The company all seems legit, did a bit of digging and all their accounts are in order, have been going for almost 20 years, family-run.

Looking at the job description again I was wrong about the regularity of the work - if you are 'willing to travel' you can get up to 3 or 4 jobs a week. But what does 'willing to travel' mean? If it means being in Newcastle one day and Exeter the next it's a no-no for me, as I would have to arrange childcare, which would barely be covered by the amount I was being paid.

Writing the post and reading your responses has been hugely helpful, thank you so much again. I've pretty much decided that it's not a great opportunity.