I've been hitting the ol' job search pretty hot and heavy lately and it's proving to be fairly...interesting. Mainly, I'm looking at receptionist gigs because I'm trying to integrate real-life people into my day-to-day, not to mention the sun. Haven't seen it in awhile. It still exists, right? 
The two main places I peruse for job listings are Craigslist.com and the Herald-Times online. CL is becoming a bit of a joke at this point, though. Don't get me wrong, "Phone Fantasy Operator" actually sounds like a really fun job, and I wouldn't kick the $300-$400 a week paycheck out of bed (so to speak), but knowing my luck I'd recognize the bloke's voice on the other end. Or worse yet, they'd recognize mine. There is one receptionist opening I applied for on CL. It seemed legit. Required basic skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, attention to detail, etc. But here's how they replied to my email:
"Thanks for the interest! Excellent Resume! You may be a bit over-qualified for this position, however, if you are just looking for some easy part-time work to receive the extra income you desire, this will be great! The position is a Quality Reviewer. You will be doing online shopping, filling out Jobs and receiving products/services from our clients. Later, you will summarize and review your experience. You are fully compensated and reimbursed--IN ADVANCE--for any purchases made, along with your salary: $10 an hour."
...so, what part of "part-time receptionist" did I misread? Don't get me wrong, being paid to try out free products and services sounds great! Almost too good to be true, in fact. I did a little research and discovered that the BBB has no record of "Quality Reviewers" (actually, they never give an actual company name, even on their website) and that many people who do participate in secret shopping have trouble with the whole "being reimbursed in advance" part...or being reimbursed at all. Apparently, they're as flexible with that statement as they are with, "Hey, we need a part-time receptionist."
Anyway, I guess I'll just have to keep my ear to the grindstone and my nose to the ground.
Maybe I should write idioms for a living...
-Erin.
Maybe you should write idioms for a living. Or try to get a job as an advertisement reader. LOL. That, my dear is something you can do well.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've got the voice for fantasy phone operator but it can't be more demeaning than where I work haha
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