Weekly Log - 18 through 24

Mon May 18

Sitting on my mailbox this morning was an e-mail written in English, offering me a job. Someone who apparently had gotten my resume and wanted to offer me a job paying €1.800 for an administrative position, working from home. My first reaction was going "Score!" and getting hyped about it... however, when I tried to check which ad I had answered for them to offer me such a position and realized I hadn't. I had answered an ad for the same company, but it wasn't an administrative position - I answered for store employee.

This puzzled me, so I replied asking for more information. In the meantime, I checked the company website. My suspicion grew. My cousin said it best when I showed it to him: "I could whip up a website like this in ten minutes and have all the links working." The website was a plain blank html-based sheet with text in Times, no pictures, no colors, no buttons. All links were broken, I had to access them by inserting the missing www - it looked unfinished, and it sounds odd to me that a company bragging they made a 2 mil profit last year would do something like this. As a plus, the Portuguese version of the website was written in an odd Spanguese (you know - half Portuguese half Spanish) while they claimed to have Portuguese agents. It all sounded too jaded (and too good) to be true.

Tue May 19

Someone from Human Resources at yesterday's company called me today - a call from abroad. I spoke to him for some time in English, but if something, it only contributed for my suspicions to grow. He explained to me that the position was offered to me because there had been delays in the opening of a store in Portugal - the company was in California! It still seemed too good, especially because even without speaking to me or knowing if I had the means to work from home (functioning computer, fax machine, working telephone, the works), they were already sending me contracts. I investigated some more.

A Google search revealed nothing about the company. They work in supplying gourmet food to restaurants, and there was no mention to it anywhere. They claimed to have stores here, there and somewhere else, so I tried Google Earth for the stores location. Again, nothing. I checked for their name in supplied lists, on gourmet food websites. Jack squat on them. I even called Consumer Defense to ask if they'd check it for me. As it turns out, they won't do a thing for anyone unless you're a registered user. You need to subscribe to their magazine, it isn't exactly free, and I don't exactly have the cash for a subscription right now. So... yeah. Now, do I send them the signed contract and leap, or...

Wed May 20

For the past two days, I was killing my head with that company's offer. Especially after double-checking contracts: I need to pay for Welcome Kits even before I have a customer list. If this was a fake company, I could be in trouble. And nothing indicated it was: the crippled, beginner-like website, the lack of general information, the fact I couldn't find mention to the company or even company locations where they should be on the Internet... even the Human Resource guy way of speaking was... well. It could very well be that this is a legit company, but did I want to risk it, in my current financial situation?

I decided to ask for advice. My Mum said it would probably be best if I forgot about it. I asked my cousin, he said the same. I decided to forget about it. They did promise €1.800, which was very tempting, but without previous proof, I probably shouldn't sign anything. And I've always been suspicious of job offers where I'm not interviewed over the phone or in person before I'm given a contract. Back to square one for Seion.

Thu May 21

I got a call for a job interview tomorrow: a 6-month job, inserting data into systems. Very sweet pay, which would probably allow me to get my bills in order for a while. I had lunch with Pops today as well, since I once again was asked to walk by there and do some office work for him. It pisses me off a wee bit that after he stopped paying me, he wants me to help. But hey, I get a free lunch and I usually don't pay for transportation either. And unless I have an interview, it's not like I have anything else to do...

Fri May 22

Went to the interview: two women asking questions, one of which was a "doctor". I hate getting interviewed by "doctors", and here's why: all of those I met thought they were too self-important. And if you're not submissive enough, they don't want you no matter what the job is. They tend to linger on everything bad about you and don't measure the good stuff... I'm not saying they're all like this, but the fact is that most of those I met WERE like this. I got the impression the doc didn't want to hire me, but the other woman did... they said it was a job to start next Monday so they'd contact me today still. Since up until now I didn't get a call, I'll presume it's another blank.

Weekend May 23 - 24

Epic weekend. I went out for coffee with the guys on Saturday night, and a lunch date on Sunday. I got there 2 hours late (both because I was waiting for my brother and sort of dozed off, and because getting a bus on a Sunday is as easy as using a q-tip with boxing gloves. My friend at Project Salvation gave me a copy of Resident Evil 0 (thank you so much! I'm liking it a lot!) since they sent him an extra one from abroad. My plans for the rest of the weekend from then on were finishing that baby - no stealing this weekend.