Back to Square One

When someone gets a call for a second job interview, it normally means good news. For me, I thought it was the case. I was called for a marketing job, all good since it was one of the things I studied in college. So I anticipated for weeks the day of the interview. I was gonna get a good look at how the job was going to be.

At first, I was wondering how an office job would be. And while using The Office or Office Space as a reference to how it might be seemed like a bad idea, I just ended up using my memory from times I visited some offices. From that, I gathered that it wasn't going to be bad. No having to deal with annoying customers (maybe coworkers, but one just deals with that with a friendly smile to scare them away) or crazy store environments seemed perfect for me.

But during the day of the interview, I quickly got to see what a job in marketing sales was really all about. We drove all over Pittsburgh trying to sell office supplies to stores. At first, I thought it was pretty neat. Going around all day, meeting people, being outside an office. Seemed like a pretty good deal. But then the day kept going and I started to see something that worried me.

I was wearing a suit, but I was walking "in the hood" while looking so classy. Not saying people in the hood aren't classy, not at all. I'm saying I stood out like a supermodel at a nerd convention. People kept looking at me funny all day, and it worried me a bit. Perhaps they thought I was some kind of pimp or part of a mafia. I didn't want to find out either way.

My fancy suit made me worry that I was being confused for a mobster.

But the part that killed the job for me was when I found out the method of payment. It was all from sales and commissions. There was no set salary, so it was a bit worry for me. Why? Because I know I'm a horrible salesman. Don't get me wrong, I can try my hardest to sell something. Thing is, I recognize that selling isn't my thing. It wasn't my thing when my old job depended on it (selling electronics at a well known office store), especially since my failure to sell warranties was going to cost me my job.  I could sell the computers with their gear all set, but they always denied the warranties, despite my best efforts.

Right then and there, I knew I wasn't a good salesman. So then, in a job where my only source of income is from commissions due to sales, I knew I was screwed. I wasn't going to last, no matter how good the training might have been. So I'm crossing my fingers and hoping they don't call me, because I fear I will only disappoint them in sales. Any other part of marketing, I can be good at. But sales? Sorry, not my thing. I'm the opposite of Billy Mays when it comes to sales.

So with that sudden disappointment, it's back to square one in the hunt for a job. So with no jobs and no friends in the local area, it will eventually drive me nuts. Yet, I'm not giving up yet.

It's a rough road to travel, but it will be rewarding someday.