Elite Uinta Expansion Elite Uinta Sketchy… I was almost hooked. Salt Lake City Utah

I was skeptical (but hopeful) from the beginning. I was called in for an interview for a receptionist/customer service job. Truthfully, I don't think those positions that they advertised even exist. They called me right away and told me they were very impressed by me and wanted me for a management position. The second interview was a shock, because there were about 25 people in the room besides me. It was actually a lecture, rather than an interview--and having studied cults and brainwashing before, I have to say that their schpiel was extremely manipulative. 

We were told not to ask questions because it was just a waste of the leader's time. One man who kept raising his hand was chided like a child, which seemed to make everyone--including me-- afraid to attempt to ask questions. She told us all about the company and the fragrance industry, making their product and company look like an amazing rarity in the world. She showed us an award they won, and an ancient bottle of wine they were given as a prize to build us up into believing that we were dealing with the cream of the crop among this company.

She also told us that she makes $10,000 for each manager she hires and each "office" she opens. She pretty plainly told us that money was her focus and that it should be ours as well. We were told if we were selected, we would be setting up an office and managing it, but we were never told what that office would actually do. Of course, we were not allowed to ask. We were also told that we would be signing a contract, so we sell so many bottles of perfume a month and we make this amount. That part was alluring.

The office itself was in really bad repair... crazy wild colors on the walls, beat up chairs, and ratty carpets. I did notice that there were three desks in the office, and none of them had a computer. There were no signs of any file storage, and it was hard to see anything but an ugly, empty office.

I sat there for two hours totally enthralled by this amazing opportunity, and somehow, she made me want to be picked so badly I could taste it. At the end, she went around the room asking people questions and telling them to call her at a certain time. When she got to me, she asked no questions except "what did you think?" So, I was suspicious when I called back and was told that I was chosen. I mean, seriously, I have no management experience and I couldn't understand why they would be so interested in me or want me... the interviews were so brief, they took no time to really find out anything about me.

I also thought it was suspicious that of the two people I interviewed with the first time, they chose the ditzy girl who said she would describe herself as "charismatic" over the down-to-Earth guy who had tons of solid management experience. She came for the second interview, he was not invited back. It seemed to me that they were picking the people they thought were suckers, and wouldn't know the difference between management and whatever they were going to have us do, which apparently would be standing on a street corner peddling perfume after an encounter with them in a Walmart parking lot.

To their credit, the fragrances were amazing. I worked at a perfume counter and developed a severe distaste for anything less than the best, and I must admit that what I sampled of theirs was excellent. I still don't want to spend my time with street sales after having been recruited for "management". 

The whole thing was really questionable, and I'm embarrassed that I got suckered in for as long as I did. Needless to say, I didn't show up for the training... even though they called me over and over to ensure that I was going to be there. They even told me what to wear and what to bring.

Beware.