Well allow me to pull up my sleeves and let my annoyance pour out on to my keyboard and onto your screen. If you are reading this before accepting a 'job' with these people then count yourself lucky. I do.
Ok let let me start at the beginning. I, like so many others was job hunting on a job site (Totaljobs.co.uk) when I came across a job advertisement for 'Trainee Managers/Assistant Managers' for the company XLN. I applied as I was applying for practically everything and to be honest the ad sounded very promising. The role was exactly what I was looking for i.e. management and training. Out of all the jobs I had applied for online so far the ad looked the most 'thrown together' but I had applied and waited to hear if anyone would get back to me.
Around a few days later I recieved a phone call from Kelly from SP Marketing, saying that they had recieved my CV and would like to invite me in for an interview. I was told that I sounded ideal for the job as I was still young and they would like to invest in me to train to become one of their managers. She asked when I could attend an interview and suggested the next day which was a Wednesday.
I said that was not possible and told her I could do Friday morning to which Kelly told me that the interview process was actually for 3 hours so I may need to take the day off work. I told her she could put me down for the next week Wednesday and asked her to send me a job specification as the description on the internet was slightly vague. Kelly told me she couldnt send me a job spec as the role 'was not defined yet' but would send me an email to confirm the interview with what I needed to bring and where I would need to go. She said she would not be able to send it until Monday though. This was on the Tuesday.
Coming off the phone I was in two minds about the interview until when searching on Monster.com I saw the job ad again but with more detail, professionlism and at that moment it actually felt that I was applying for a real job. When I received the email from Kelly I replied asking her to explain the interview process as I could not understand why it would be 3 hours long. Kelly replied saying that Steven would explain the company and the role then conduct personal interviews.
Arriving at the interview on the following Wednesday I was greeted by Steve who shook my hand and showed me up stairs to a room full of other candidates (I'll say about 15). I noticed that they were all young with myself probably being the oldest at 24. I was sat at the front and asked to fill in a form and attach my picture to it. I did so and sat and waited for the other candidates to fill in the forms while during that time Steve brung more and more interviewees into the room. Once the room was at around 25 -30 we were left in there while Kiss FM played on the radio. It was definately a relaxed vibe and people chatted among themselves until Steve came back and told us that the interview was going to start and would be held by a very important man in the company, the man under the boss of the whole company, a millionaire, a straight talker. He actually warned us that this guy was very to the point and not to take offence. His name was Steven Punn.
Steven came in and starts what I can only describe as a well rehearsed act. He described himself as a 'Simon Cowell' character. Shouts, swears, jokes, laughs, toys and teases, tells us we are all desperate for this job but he is only going to employ 6 people and already knows who they are. He then went on to tell us about his wealth, how he started, where he came from, what his brothers did for livings and how they rented two penthouses from him but didnt know he was the landlord. This was broken up by facts and figures on XLN but it always came back to him and his millions- also how he made 4 other people millionaires (who were older than him) and how much he got paid for every word he spoke. In case you didnt know yet Steven Punn is a narcissistic and probably believed every word he said!
He gave us figures which he scribbled all over the board and shouted about other things at the same time so you were slightly confused as to what you were listening to. Once we knew everything about Steven Punn, hardly anything about XLN and even less about the job that we were applying for he began talking about the training...
The ACADEMY... 8 weeks intensive training where you would sit 8 tests for the 10 days... with the first 4 being about the 24 departments within XLN and the next 4 being 'performance related' tests. After you pass the first two weeks you would then be asked to train someone else and someone else and someone else and someone else until week 7 when you will be taught some other stuff... Im sorry if this academy bit makes no sense to you - its just it really made no sense to me but I put that down to me sitting in a room for nearly 3 hours listening to this man shout and tell us how badly we wanted to be part of his team.
Anyway after 'explaining' the training and 'explaining' the job role he began the one on one interviews which consisted of him standing behind his little podium and interviewing individuals infront of the whole group. Some people he asked alot of questions to, some people he only asked a few. Everyone got the same question 'Do you think you could work with me? ' to which he basked in the ego stroking he recieved. I was asked three questions... all of which I answered to his satisfaction and I was told I could leave but to call back at 4.30 to see if I had been succesful.
Now this was a first for me, calling to find out if I had a job- Hmmmmmmm. I had been in there from 11.15am until 4pm without even an offer of a drink and as I travelled home I realised I hadnt been allowed to ask questions and that it actually felt like I had been sitting through a sales pitch. However I called at 4.30 and I was told I had been successful. Yay! I had the job.
Then I ate a sandwich, allowed the fresh air to travel to my brain and serious doubt came over me. I went on google and typed in XLN scam and just like you found me, I found someone who thankfully saved me from leaving my job to go and sit through 2 weeks of cold calling and then a dismissal.
The facts are XLN want you to work for free- they are succesful through dishonesty and great acting.
If you are reading this before accepting the job which Im sure everyone in the room was offered, then count yourself lucky. I do
Jadey w
London
United Kingdom
0 comments