Wasn’t sure whether to throw this into an ask community or here, but ultimately chose casual convo because I am lowkey also looking for advice lol
I landed a job last week (hired me on the spot, did training 3 days later) as one of those people who stand outside shops/etc. asking people to donate to charities. Reputable charities for the record and without cash donations, so not some scam. But the way this is organised is miserable!! I literally get told where I’m supposed to go the night before I go there. I also get paid exclusively based on how many people I get to donate (this was not on the job ad on Indeed). The job itself is fine, is whatever, but between the chaos of having to schedule my day last minute and never being sure how much I’ll make in a month… I need to hightail it out of here.
I get paid on the 15th of May, would it be inappropriate for me to quit right after? I’ll give two weeks notice of course. My team leader has been super sweet to me and is already telling me I’m a natural and she wants to promote me inside her team… I did hint at the fact this is just a temporary thing for me and what I really want is an office job, but she keeps insisting I should stay and can earn a lot more here (and tbf she makes €3000/month). To be honest this whole structure feels very pyramid scheme-ish lol minus the fact people don’t pay into it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this or any experience you want to share!
How you know this job is a scam, in your own words:
This means that you’re likely getting less than minimum wage, indicating dubious legality and (as you’re experiencing) poverty inducing fuckery. It wasn’t on the job description because it’s likely illegal.
Also, never ever ever use Indeed. It’s a den of lies and villainy. You will find nothing but skullfucking third tier recruiters, AI bots programmed in Hindi, and suspiciously lucrative offers from Dubai that require you to turn over your passport. You will literally have better luck on craigslist.
Translation - no one wants this job and they’re desperate for suckers
Cash donations make it too easy for you to supplement the sub minimum wage you’re earning under the table, so that’s why they don’t accept them. Their business model is likely based on a subscription donation model that allows them to hook the donor and get them on their marketing lists. The only way to ascertain that the charities in question are actually getting any donations is to contact them independently. My guess is that if it’s not a scam, the charities in question end up with about 10% of the actually donated $ with most of it going to company overhead.
Personal experience - I worked a number of these types of jobs when I was younger and trying to make my way, including working donations for non-profits and political campaigns, as well as your more traditional pyramid schemes like Cutco. They operate in a very similar fashion, but you’re more likely to make at least some money with the regular pyramid schemes - non-profits will work you harder and pay you less, because you’re “doing it for the cause” and not a paycheck, supposedly.
GTFO now. I wouldn’t even bother about the paycheck or giving notice. Any basic office temp job will pay better and give you more security. Hell, even fast food workers are paid hourly.
Oh this is 100% legal here in Italy! It’s called commission based income (or something like that) and there’s no minimum wage here either (I worked for €5/hour at another job…) so it’s not a scam. Scummy for sure lol but completely legal.
If not Indeed is there anything else you’d recommend? I landed my previous jobs through connections and never really learned how to look for work online for as pathetic as that sounds haha. Genuinely the basic office job paying €800/month has been my goal for the past few years but they’re much harder to get than I thought they’d be, or maybe I just have no idea what I’m doing lol
If you’ve worked in an office before and clean up nice, sign up with every temping agency in your area until you land a gig. Generally, if you’re reasonably reliable and show you can hold down a position for more than a few weeks, they’ll try to keep you working even after a particular contract expires. It also can (and often has in my experience) provide permanent employment with your contracted employer if they find you a good fit for their team.
As for alternatives to Indeed, the service that’s gotten me the best jobs has been LinkedIn - despite the memes, it does produce results. The only other spot I’ve had close to as much luck as I have on LinkedIn is craigslist (but you do have to be on your guard for scammers).