None

Interview date:

2018/5

How long it took to receive the interview notification:

1 day

Interview language:

Chinese

Was there a written test:

No

Was there a second interview:

Yes

Overall interview duration:

More than 3 hours

How long it took to receive a response after the interview:

1 day

Was I hired:

Left immediately

Interview question:

Q. What is your dream for the future?

Anything was fine; I answered, buying a house.

Interview process

The first-day interview lasted less than five minutes. They only briefly tried to get to know me, and the main impression was that they were screening people based on their appearance or whether they found them appealing. Then they notified me that there would be a second interview the next morning and told me to bring a notebook and pen. They did not explain anything else.

On the second day, I waited outside and heard the people inside the office—which was more like a small event space—giving themselves motivational speeches about things like pursuing their dreams.

After the manager came out, he told me they needed to go out to evaluate cotton products, so he assigned a salesperson to me (they did not consider themselves salespeople, calling what they did “promotion,” but in reality they directly sold products). Then they quickly said, “The interview will last until six o’clock!”

I did not think much of it. I assumed it was a competitive position requiring extensive discussions and written tests. As soon as we left, the salesperson took me on his motorcycle, riding farther and farther away from the city. I asked, “Where are we going?”

“Rende Rest Area.”

I was stunned.

When we arrived, he first went to 7-Eleven and began introducing the company and some rules, but he never directly explained anything about the position I had applied for. That was when I learned that everyone who joined first had to become what they called a “frontline worker,” and that everyone would eventually become a “manager.” This is multi-level marketing, isn’t it?

After finishing, he gave me a small slip of paper and told me to record his “promotions.” Under the blazing sun, I followed him as he knocked on car doors one by one, watched him introduce the products, and tried FW1 (a car-care product). Every time he introduced the product to someone, I had to record it on the slip of paper.

I thought this would only last a short while, but I did not expect to spend the entire day doing this.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that something was wrong. There was no pay—was I just working as a temporary laborer for free?

There was also another woman there. They said, “You have to choose between the two; this interview is very important.” They called it an “interview,” but in substance it was already a “trial period.”

Moreover, they had not informed me of the content of the second interview. (I did not think much of it at the time and went straight onto the pirate ship.)

At noon, I immediately contacted my friend to come pick me up. Before that, I also asked the salesperson how much the base salary was for new employees.

They said they could not determine that and that it depended on the supervisor’s decision.

This made me even more certain that it was a sweatshop-like exploitative company.

Maybe I had not been brainwashed yet?

In any case, they interview many people and conduct interviews every day. If the image and atmosphere this company creates make you want to take on a passionate challenge, go ahead and work as a temporary part-time laborer for a day first (without pay and under the sun). They grandly call it an interview, making it seem as though you have received a wonderful opportunity and honor.

A reminder to every interviewee: when you have doubts, be sure to ask questions. Do not waste each other’s time for nothing, and stay alert.

Recommendation

Prepare your résumé, sunscreen, and a hat. I spent the entire day in the sun and got much darker.