[Parcae]

(Original post by standreams)
This seems a little harsh. Pareto only bring in those with a 2.1 to their assessment days (or at least, they used to) and so everyone has the same baseline academic credentials. When they asked us what our biggest achievements were, they told us not to mention anything academic for the specific reason they are interested in people who can show they have had success in other areas of life. This is not really any different from the majority of graduate recruiters, most of whom are looking for well-rounded people who have additional skills to offer besides academic ability.

The MD was at our assessment day and I distinctly remember the interest he took in each person's speech about their greatest/proudest achievement. He seemed far more impressed about and approving of the achievements of those who were self-starters and had obtained something without any outside help.

Cold calling is a big part of most sales jobs and not an easy job to do- you do need to be good with your mouth but that doesn't mean that you can leave your brains at the door. Everyone who goes to an assessment centre has the minimum level of brain function required. They therefore want to find out what else you have to offer.

Ok, what I have a problem with is the part where they stress that there will be NO cold calling, and that was said to me during the telephone interview. She was categorical that no cold calling will take place and then on the assessment day what do I get " cold calling is essential". Now I dont know about you but it made me feel very stupid as it did majority of people there.
Dont forget you are dealing with graduates, and Parato specifically deals with graduates, our degrees are our greatest achievements at age of 21 and over. Let me tell you why he took an interest in each person, that is when your personal assessment started, he was examining if you spoke to everyone, maintained eye contact with everyone and if you moved the conversation forward. He wast taking interest in any achievements he was testing you there and then how you reacted to his questions.

[standreams]

(Original post by Parcae)
Ok, what I have a problem with is the part where they stress that there will be NO cold calling, and that was said to me during the telephone interview. She was categorical that no cold calling will take place and then on the assessment day what do I get " cold calling is essential". Now I dont know about you but it made me feel very stupid as it did majority of people there.
Dont forget you are dealing with graduates, and Parato specifically deals with graduates, our degrees are our greatest achievements at age of 21 and over. Let me tell you why he took an interest in each person, that is when your personal assessment started, he was examining if you spoke to everyone, maintained eye contact with everyone and if you moved the conversation forward. He wast taking interest in any achievements he was testing you there and then how you reacted to his questions.

You have a legitimate grievance if you were told one thing but the reality was different. Hopefully the woman you spoke to made an error rather than intending to mislead you.

As for the second part, I would dispute that a degree is necessarily somebody's greatest achievement when they are in their early twenties. Plenty of people have achieved bigger things even at a young age. And even if your degree is your biggest achievement, they specificially say that they want to hear about your greatest non academic achievement. Hopefully you had something to say. They want people who have a life outside of academia and who have other accomplishments to talk about.

You have misunderstood my point- I have been on enough assessment days to know what assessors are looking for in terms of interpersonal skills. I am telling you that on the day I was there, he was very interested in certain people's achievements. And the common bond between all of those people who merited extra attention was that their achievements were all self-made. For example, one guy told how he had bought and managed his own pub for 4 years and sold it at a profit. The MD looked impressed for a while, but then asked how he had got the money to buy the pub. The candidate replied that his parents had loaned it to him. MD lost interest. Conversely, someone had started up their own much smaller, seemingly less impressive enterprise, but entirely off their own back by working a part-time job and taking out a small business loan. This warranted extra questioning and a note of approval. My own 'achievement' (though seemingly rather minor) resulted in considerable approval (and was mentioned again in my feedback as being very positive)- not because my achievement was particularly impressive but simply because it was unusual and I had achieved it without any help and it required stepping way out of my comfort zone.

In short, if your achievement was that you got a 1st from Durham or went backpacking for a year in Thailand on your parent's money, they won't be particularly impressed. If you have shown some get-up-and-go in life, they will take notice.

[Parcae]

(Original post by standreams)
You have a legitimate grievance if you were told one thing but the reality was different. Hopefully the woman you spoke to made an error rather than intending to mislead you.

As for the second part, I would dispute that a degree is necessarily somebody's greatest achievement when they are in their early twenties. Plenty of people have achieved bigger things even at a young age. And even if your degree is your biggest achievement, they specificially say that they want to hear about your greatest non academic achievement. Hopefully you had something to say. They want people who have a life outside of academia and who have other accomplishments to talk about.

You have misunderstood my point- I have been on enough assessment days to know what assessors are looking for in terms of interpersonal skills. I am telling you that on the day I was there, he was very interested in certain people's achievements. And the common bond between all of those people who merited extra attention was that their achievements were all self-made. For example, one guy told how he had bought and managed his own pub for 4 years and sold it at a profit. The MD looked impressed for a while, but then asked how he had got the money to buy the pub. The candidate replied that his parents had loaned it to him. MD lost interest. Conversely, someone had started up their own much smaller, seemingly less impressive enterprise, but entirely off their own back by working a part-time job and taking out a small business loan. This warranted extra questioning and a note of approval. My own 'achievement' (though seemingly rather minor) resulted in considerable approval (and was mentioned again in my feedback as being very positive)- not because my achievement was particularly impressive but simply because it was unusual and I had achieved it without any help and it required stepping way out of my comfort zone.

In short, if your achievement was that you got a 1st from Durham or went backpacking for a year in Thailand on your parent's money, they won't be particularly impressed. If you have shown some get-up-and-go in life, they will take notice.

Every employer wants a person with a get up and go attitude but having a degree proves that in itself, you were willing to go to higher education , taking up loans and future financial hits. The very action to better yourself through education reflects your attitude. And with that at the age of 21 (+) in the country where it is hard to get even a temporary job many people may not have the opportunity to reflect their full ability.
But ok, so far lets go with your point of people having non academic achievements. I agree with that people have to show initiative but I showed alot of initiative to better my university, i was lucky, i stood out, i showed myself to be competitive and my views on restructuring my university was taken on board.
Very small minority of people got to do what i did but that doesnt mean they dont have potential to do what I did. Non academic achievements are also very subjective and its strength vary with the assessors.
Lets take the example of the guy owning that pub, parents loaned him the money but he showed initiative to do something about the running of the pub.Money is important and gives you boost but unless you have a good mind to place the money into correct corners of the business to make it profitable.
See, I recognized that without drive he wouldn't make the business profitable and in my mind he would have stood out, but for MD he didn't, as something was given to him. See how subjective non-academic achievements are?

[AestheticOverload]

(Original post by cheesysmile)
Hi Everyone,

I thought I'd take the time just to put my 2 cents in. I went to the assessment day at Pareto Law and was successful and have now been placed in a brilliant job.
My friend who previously went through Pareto themselves suggested I go through them.
I think people need to take the assessment day with a pinch of salt the whole idea of the day is to see how you work within a variety of situations. The staff I met with were really helpful and prepared me well for the day.
People saying its a scam are obviously lying as you just have to look at the companies they work with to see that isn't true.

Once I was successful I was placed 2/3 weeks after my assessment day with company that organize conferences and I am really loving it.

I feel that the negative reviews are coming from those who are slightly bitter from being unsuccessful on the day. This isn't a detriment to them but shows perhaps sales wasn't the right career choice for them.

I have nothing but good things to say about Pareto and would recommend the highly if your looking for professional, fast paced and well paid job. (p.s none of the clients they work with offer commission only salary)

Hope this helps

Nice 1st post and fake review.

(Original post by Parcae)
Ok, what I have a problem with is the part where they stress that there will be NO cold calling, and that was said to me during the telephone interview. She was categorical that no cold calling will take place and then on the assessment day what do I get " cold calling is essential". Now I dont know about you but it made me feel very stupid as it did majority of people there.
Dont forget you are dealing with graduates, and Parato specifically deals with graduates, our degrees are our greatest achievements at age of 21 and over. Let me tell you why he took an interest in each person, that is when your personal assessment started, he was examining if you spoke to everyone, maintained eye contact with everyone and if you moved the conversation forward. He wast taking interest in any achievements he was testing you there and then how you reacted to his questions.

She didn't tell you because she KNOWS just how bloody awful cold calling is and didn't want to put your off. After all, she's a Recruitment Consultant. They are amongst some of the worst scum on the planet, who will lie to their own grandmother for a bonus cheque. The overwhelming majority of people in cold calling jobs don't hang around for long.

[standreams]

(Original post by Parcae)
Every employer wants a person with a get up and go attitude but having a degree proves that in itself, you were willing to go to higher education , taking up loans and future financial hits. The very action to better yourself through education reflects your attitude. And with that at the age of 21 (+) in the country where it is hard to get even a temporary job many people may not have the opportunity to reflect their full ability.
But ok, so far lets go with your point of people having non academic achievements. I agree with that people have to show initiative but I showed alot of initiative to better my university, i was lucky, i stood out, i showed myself to be competitive and my views on restructuring my university was taken on board.
Very small minority of people got to do what i did but that doesnt mean they dont have potential to do what I did. Non academic achievements are also very subjective and its strength vary with the assessors.
Lets take the example of the guy owning that pub, parents loaned him the money but he showed initiative to do something about the running of the pub.Money is important and gives you boost but unless you have a good mind to place the money into correct corners of the business to make it profitable.
See, I recognized that without drive he wouldn't make the business profitable and in my mind he would have stood out, but for MD he didn't, as something was given to him. See how subjective non-academic achievements are?

Your point here seems to be that 'non academic achievements are subjective.' Well....yes....and....so what??? I don't know how long you have been out of university or looking for employment but you will learn very quickly that the vast majority of employers will assess you primarily on non-academic skills and competencies. Hence why there is so much focus on getting work experience and taking part in extra-curricular activities at university. They ask all candidates to meet a minimum academic standard (usually a 2.1 for graduate jobs), therefore every candidate they see/interview will have this standard, ergo no need to discuss it any further. Unfair/subjective this may be but it is reality and a reality you'll have to face if you want graduate-level employment.

In light of the fact that 100% of their candidates have at least a 2.1 degree, I think it is entirely logical that Pareto explicitly state "do not talk about your academic achievements." Would you find it particularly productive or an efficient use of time for all 30-40 people in that assessment centre, when asked what their greatest achievement was, to stand up and say 'I got a 2.1/1st from a good university' and then sit back down again? Perhaps ''I got a 2.1 from a good university while raising a young child as a single parent and taking a professional accounting qualification in my spare time'' would spark their interest as it shows additional effort. Similarly, while strictly speaking 'academic' I'm sure they wouldn't object to you telling them how you taught yourself Mandarin and then studied in China for a year by organising your own language exchange or something similar.

But having a degree in itself is irrelevant beyond the screening stage- they already know you have it, if you didn't have it you wouldn't have passed the screening stage- so why mention it as an achievement?

It would therefore be unfair to characterise Pareto as not caring about academic credentials- they obviously do care, otherwise they wouldn't ask all their candidates to have at least a 2.1 degree.

Bottom line: your 2.1 will get you through a screening interview and through the door of the assessment centre. Beyond that stage, it is largely irrelevant- and that is true for most graduate employers.

[billy_louden1867]

Hi guys...Sorry to dig up a week old thread, but I had a very brief phone conversation with Pareto this morning and they said they would phone me back later today for the formal phone interview. I haven't got the best degree and have been really struggling to find a job since graduating, I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for the telephone interview? I would really like the opportunity to experience the assessment centre even if I don't get selected as this is the first response I've had from any prospective employer and I've been jobhunting since June! Any help at all would be greatly appreciated,

Regards,
Billy

[standreams]

(Original post by billy_louden1867)
Hi guys...Sorry to dig up a week old thread, but I had a very brief phone conversation with Pareto this morning and they said they would phone me back later today for the formal phone interview. I haven't got the best degree and have been really struggling to find a job since graduating, I was just wondering if anyone had any advice for the telephone interview? I would really like the opportunity to experience the assessment centre even if I don't get selected as this is the first response I've had from any prospective employer and I've been jobhunting since June! Any help at all would be greatly appreciated,

Regards,
Billy

Hi Billy, I think their requirement is a 2.1 and they don't mind where or what you studied. Just be prepared to talk about what you've done in your life, what your work experience is, interests are, where you see your career going etc. It was quite a long time ago for me but I really don't remember it being particularly formal or in-depth- the main thing is to be confident and friendly, and talk yourself up without being arrogant or obnoxious.

[billy_louden1867]

(Original post by standreams)
Hi Billy, I think their requirement is a 2.1 and they don't mind where or what you studied. Just be prepared to talk about what you've done in your life, what your work experience is, interests are, where you see your career going etc. It was quite a long time ago for me but I really don't remember it being particularly formal or in-depth- the main thing is to be confident and friendly, and talk yourself up without being arrogant or obnoxious.

Yeah but I don't even have a 2:1...i left with a Bachelors with merit, and I thought 2:1 was the minimum so was quite surprised to recieve the call. Thats why I'm bricking it a bit as to how to come across as better than all the others they are phoning who actually have the relevant qualification!

[standreams]

(Original post by billy_louden1867)
Yeah but I don't even have a 2:1...i left with a Bachelors with merit, and I thought 2:1 was the minimum so was quite surprised to recieve the call. Thats why I'm bricking it a bit as to how to come across as better than all the others they are phoning who actually have the relevant qualification!

Maybe a 2.1 isn't the minimum criteria any more then. In any case, draw the attention away from the academic side and focus on work experience, personality, interests etc.

[Gemmab1988]

Hi guys,

Similarly whilst I don't want to dredge up an old post I feel I really should write about my experience with Pareto - I stumbled across Parcae's original post searching for something positive about them having read some horrific reviews of Pareto and quite frankly expecting them to be awful, therefore I thought I'd share my experience for any future people considering their assessment days.

To summarise Pareto are a very aggressive but very successful sales recruitment agency - now I personally don't think the aggressive tactics they use are a bad thing - if someone is going to be representing me I want them to be working hard for the money they're going to earn off me, equally you can understand from their POV, they are in sales too - they have to bring in contracts with big companies and find successful candidates and for every one of you that they place in a roll they probably earn Pareto a tidy commission (I’d imagine they'd be paid by your future employer roughly 25% of your starting salary) and they themselves are hitting their sales targets by placing you and closing the deal with your future employer.

Initially I had a voicemail from a Pareto rep stating that they wanted to discuss my application. I hadn’t applied to them so thought this was bizarre; however I had put my CV on some online job websites (reed, search, monster etc) so can only assume that they got it off of there. Admittedly I do think it’s a bizarre tactic to find people’s CVs online and pretend to them that they applied to you, and if they’d have just said they’d done that then I honestly wouldn’t have minded but then again they are a good recruitment agency and do probably have people apply to them (there were certainly people on my assessment day who has applied).

Anyway I had the phone interview and was put forward for the assessment day, and did lots of prep before hand – they’re very keen for you to research the company and find out what’s what before stepping in for any interviews. They also phone you a good few times prior to the interview to ‘see how it’s going’ and check your on track, whilst this is slightly annoying it’s obviously part of their standard process and you can understand that they’re wary about putting people forward for jobs who aren’t interested/invested/doing the prep as it would reflect badly on them.

So, my assessment day was for a company and there were roughly 40 people there. It's true they're on you from the start, checking how you interact with one another etc etc, it’s nothing to get stressed about but just be aware of it and behave accordingly. First we had some people from the company talk about it and their products etc, then we did a group introduction bit, standard as others have commented “Name, star sign, greatest achievement” – the obvious thing here is to try and make sure your greatest achievement is either really impressive or in some way sales related. In my opinion some people were rubbish and missed the point, you can’t say “I met Richard Branson when I was 5” – let’s face it, this isn’t an achievement, you happened to be in the same place as him at the same time and it’s not like at 5 you chatted about the problems of the world, equally “I went on a gap year” in and of itself isn’t that impressive unless you have something extra to add. So my advice is keep it relevant.

Then there were group activities, the point of these is to see how you can command the group. It’s definitely not about shouting the loudest, but sometimes it’s useful to show you can command the attention of the group by saying something like “hey guys, let’s stay focussed, we need to do X and we need to do it now cos we’re running out of time”. Sometimes they make you justify your group decisions afterwards, and the Pareto person will try and bait you a little – whatever you do don’t start blaming the other group members or picking fights, it’s about taking responsibility and being able to speak up and represent.

Then there was lunch (oh fyi there was also water available, and you could go to the toilet although they preferred you to do it in-between activities and not during company presentations or mini interviews etc – which in my opinion is perfectly fair as it’d look terrible if people were in and out while the MD of this company is talking about their product) and it was nice, to be honest I didn’t eat much as I used the time to try and network with the company people. As a side note I will say the room was ridiculously hot, I’m not sure if this was deliberate to add the pressure on but it certainly was irritating and we all drank loads of water.

After lunch it was individual presentations (we’d had to prepare 3 minute presentations, why we want to work for X why we want a career in sales and why they should pick us) and “mini-interviews” where they asked you just logistical questions (where you live, how far from London, if you’d relocate, if you have a car etc).

At the end of the day when they tell you who they’re hiring (6 out of the 40 I think) it is admittedly very X factor. I wasn’t hired for that role but Pareto liked me and put me on their books to put me forward for different things. Overall I enjoyed the day for the experience but was absolutely exhausted after and glad it was over.

Since then Pareto has put me forward for several other interviews (different reps call you up and outline the job for you, sometimes they ask you some standard qus ‘why do you want to be in sales’ ‘how do you overcome challenges etc’ - i think this is just for them to test you to make sure they’re happy putting you in front of their client). Again i would re-iterate that sometimes they’ve been annoying, and they are aggressive but equally they are good and getting me through the doors of places. Equally they’ve offered me a couple of things that I haven’t liked the sound of at all and had to politely say that I didn’t think it was the right opportunity for me.

I’ve just heard that I have landed a position with them and am waiting to hear on another (as if I landed that too I’d be in the nice position of choosing which I preferred!), so I’ll let you know how it pans out.

Sales isn’t for everyone, I truly think you have to be a certain type of person to get into sales and be successful and enjoy it. If you are looking to get into sales I would recommend Pareto but have your eyes open from the beginning and know what you’re headed for. They’re using you for commission and you’re using them to get a job – therefore be polite and suck it up a bit, even if the assessment day’s rubbish and the people are rude (mine weren’t but apparently some other people’s were) use it as a way in and make sure you really check out the companies you interview for and scope out the people interviewing you (the future company people not Pareto people) to see if they’re people you could get on with and work for.

Sorry for the essay but I wanted people to know how Pareto really are, hope it’s helpful.

[boo_neil]

Hi everyone,

I've just been hunting down information on Pareto also, and thought i'd share my experience with them thus far.

I have varied feelings about Pareto. It started in the standard way as mentioned above: a random phonecall about a job I applied for on a completely different website. After asking me some random questions and telling me about the role she proceeded with the telephone interview. I was given feedback immediately, including things like "keep enthusiasm in your voice" etc, and was then told I'd passed and would I like to come to an assessment day.

I decided to go. It was the first bite I'd had since completing my degree in Sept so if nothing else I'd hoped to gain some experience from the day. The assessment day was specifically for a company who wished to take on 10 people of the 50 who were there. Of course Pareto would take their pick of the ones who were good, but not quite good enough for the company.

Anyway, as I said 50 people. And BOY was it tough. The competition was outstanding. I had a lot of confidence in myself as I work well in these conditions, but even I was intimidated.

The day was set out as many of the other posters have said above (intro, a few presentations from the company and pareto, 2 group sessions and a 3 minute presentation), and overall I gained a lot of experience, performed well and met some great people. HOWEVER, it was boiling hot in the room, lunch was rubbish (and not until 3pm... we'd been there since 9!) and, because they give you the x factor style feedback on your success, the day didn't end until 8pm!! No dinner, not allowed to leave, just sit and wait until they've made their decision.
I wasn't successful for the company, but was taken into the "pareto wants to work with you to find you something else" room.

I got my feedback the next day which was really helpful for the future. In the 2 1/2 weeks since i've been invited to interview for a whole range of jobs. Some rubbish, with rubbish salaries for rubbish companies; but some that actually come with the "competitive package" they harp on about and seem like exellent positions. However, once again I find myself frustrated with them. I got a call from pareto on friday for a 22K plus commission and company car etc. GREAT! Yes please. Then all of a sudden she has to rush off because someone is shouting for her. When she comes back after about 5 minutes she explains that because I have an interview with pareto for a job with them in the week, she can't put me through for any other opportunities... Well, that's not really fair is it?!
I decided not to kick up a fuss. At the end of the day I've had one job offer already and, like I said, have been invited for an interview for a job with pareto, so i've not done too badly!

Overall I'd say my experience has been varied, but the good outweighs the bad. They have some excellent clients and have found me jobs quicker then I ever had imagined in this difficult graduate job market. And let's face it, I want a job yesterday and pareto are giving me results.

I hope other people find this helpful

[paufit]

Hi guys,

I've got an assessment day with Pareto coming up this Wednesday (18th), and even after reading all of the negative comments on this site and many others I've decided that I will go none the less. This is due to the fact that I have had very little luck finding a job so far after graduating with very good degree, and I'm getting desperate.

Therefore as soon as I can after I have been I will post my account of what it was like etc. and if it's worth going to. That way if it really is a load of crap hopefully I'll be able to save people time, effort and money. Either that or you'll be as curious/desperate as I am and go anyway!

[erodes2000]

(Original post by paufit)
Hi guys,

I've got an assessment day with Pareto coming up this Wednesday (18th), and even after reading all of the negative comments on this site and many others I've decided that I will go none the less. This is due to the fact that I have had very little luck finding a job so far after graduating with very good degree, and I'm getting desperate.

Therefore as soon as I can after I have been I will post my account of what it was like etc. and if it's worth going to. That way if it really is a load of crap hopefully I'll be able to save people time, effort and money. Either that or you'll be as curious/desperate as I am and go anyway!

Hello Paufit,
I have the Pareto Assessment this Thursday (9th), I have also been struggling to find a job since graduation and I was wondering how was your impression of the day?
I would be really grateful to know since I live far away and I want to know if I should spare the journey or if it is worth it....
regards

[gail123]

Hi
I am a parent and my son is just about to graduate so I was just chatting to him about possibilities. I used to be CFO of a large IT reseller in NW England and we used to recruit all of our new internal sales people through Pareto Law so I suggested it to my son. I agree the reviews are pretty bad but then they are an aggressive company with a good reputation in the right circles. Sales, particularly at the bottom, is hard, however the earning potential is amazing and if you can get through the first year or so I'd say go for it. I've advised my son to go through Pareto. If he doesn't succeed then sales wasn't right for him. And no, categorically I do not work for Pareto Law!

[Tomharper]

Hi,

It seems Pareto Law has quite the negative reputation among majority of the individuals here! I had a phone interview with them last week and passed like all of you and have been invited to an assessment center this Wednesday. I live down south and a open return train ticket (as well as accommodation) would cost an arm and a leg, but they assured me they would pay for expenses...I read earlier a post whereby someone did not get reimbursed which is worrying, has anyone else got any experience with them regarding expense? I am torn whether or not to risk it, the position they recommended me for really did sound fantastic (GSK -26k salary, etc) but were others also given false hope? Would really appreciate some feedback, would you risk it?

Many Thanks

Tom H

[Raj.ahad]

Guy everyone who is goin, be pre-pared of a circus act. I am a graduate of a social science with 10 years of sales experience. Firstly on the telephone interview they lied and said it was a 25k basic, that was a load of bull! It was acrually 18k basic! Secondly they keep you for aageees! Thirdly people who are loud and took chargeEVEN if they lost were picked foe just beong loud?! I got an offer and hav refused this waste of a company which prides itself so much. Blue chip companies who pareto represent would be disgusted with this assesment day. If your coming from a long way dont bother, it will be the biggest waste of your time!!!!

[Raj.ahad]

This company has been reported to EAS as its a very poor recruitment agency.

[Pinball_heart]

I've been done by a couple of scam companies recently and the only reason I DO NOT feel that Pareto is the same is because I have a friend that passed an assessment day in March with them and is very happy in his sales job.
Also, the woman that rang me was actually on assessment day with my friend and she was subsequently hired by Pareto.

I've got the assessment day on Wednesday. So I'll post back on how it goes. I know this is an old thread, but I'm assuming if I came looking, other people will too.

And I just want to say, if you people thought Pareto was dodgy, you should have seen the other 'jobs' I was interviewed for. Stay away from 'Praetorian Outsourcing' and 'Gateway Marketing', both in Birmingham.

[openunisol]

You've got to accept it for what it is. Pareto is a recruitment company and they place graduates in sales roles with other companies, for which they charge a fee (to the company). Without any sales experience, the only criteria on which they can assess you is by reference to the characteristics of successful sales people. The assessment day is based on this science and it is unlikely to be a particularly enjoyable experiecne for the candidate.

I went to a Pareto day back in 2006 and was not successful. I quite enjoyed it though and my feedback was positive. I later went for another assessment day at one of their main competitors (I wont say which one) and I was successful and I gained employment with both a third party company and the recruitment consultancy itself.

I was an assessor on assessment days and I even hosted a few of them when the MD was unavailable and the candidate numbers were low. There are a selection of 'tricks' which they use to draw candidates but none of them are dishonest. On the whole I saw nothing underhand and the people I worked for and with were a great bunch.

The work itself was very difficult however but that is just the nature of sales. Anyone considering this option needs to ensure that they have a proper understanding of what sales involves, particularly in the early stages of a sales career. There is potential to make excellent money though. On a pro rata basis, I was on more in my first year of sales as I am now as a 2 year PQE solicitor!

[Pinball_heart]

SO... I said I'd post back.

It was a hardcore day, I was told 30-40 people. There were 70 odd. Just meant you had to be even more on the ball, it was rather intense.
I was successful, along with around 20 other people. So I'll keep updating over the next few weeks, to tell you if it all flopped or if I got a wicked job. Hopefully the latter.
If anyone does want any in depth information, I would be willing to post/message it to you.