Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Slave Labor

Dear Tales from the Ditches,

This happened to me yesterday and I thought I'd share it with you.

I went in for a job interview yesterday for [redacted] apartments in [redacted], Kansas.

My story up to that point is pretty typical, I guess. College grad, no bites for work, except insurance companies that want me to sling for them in exchange for commissions and nothing else. Resume doctors looked at it, but couldn't fix anything. If there's work out there, no of it was for me.

I applied at this apartment complex that's opening up near a college campus, and the my utter delight, they called me to schedule an interview within two hours. It was magical. My resume must have impressed the hell out of them. I was a shoo-in.

10 AM rolls around. I'm at the interview. The lady introduces herself as the general manager of the complex,

And immediately begins telling me how much the cost of a single apartment in her complex is. I smile. Job's a job and she's going somewhere with this, I'm sure.

The apartment costs $800 a month to live in, and this part time job she's offering requires that I move in. I'd make minimum wage, which would go toward rent, ten hours a week, and I'd get $25 for every lease someone signed while I was at work. The offer wasn't quite slave labor.

I was stunned. Silently stunned. The part of my brain that keeps me human during job interviews is still in charge. I haven't said more than my name and a greeting in the whole ten minutes I've been there.

She says, "You look confused."

"I was under the impression that this was a paying position."

"It is. I just explained that."

A beat. And then she says, "Frankly, I don't like your attitude right now, and I wouldn't offer you the position."

I thanked her for her time, because society has perverted me like that, and then left.

No comments:

Post a Comment