You wake up one morning and decide you want to change your career. Maybe you’ve worked for so long in the same company that you feel you can no longer develop your skills, or perhaps you’ve been thinking about the growing impact of climate change and the need to become more environmentally aware. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided that this is the right time for a change and that now is the perfect opportunity to implement a new skill set. How exciting!
You begin by preparing a detailed business plan and taking appropriate courses to learn the necessary skills. Just as you’re starting to feel confident that you can succeed, you receive a call from a friend who knows of a role in an established company that’s just opened up an operation in your area. Would you like to be considered for the position?
You have all the necessary experience qualifications and are over the moon about the opportunity. However, there’s one small problem. While your friend assures you that the job is completely secure and that you’ll have the opportunity to grow with the company over time, the position doesn’t exist. What gives? Is your friend trying to scam you?
You begin searching for the truth and discover that the company doesn’t even have a board meeting scheduled, let alone any need for additional staff. In fact, the CEO doesn’t even show up for work anymore and hasn’t for many months. What’s the deal?
You have every reason to be skeptical, but you decide to give the firm a call just to verify some information. The receptionist who answers the phone introduces herself as Marjorie Merriweather and tells you that the CEO will be back at work soon. Can you please hold on? she asks.
For what seems like an eternity, you wait patiently for the CEO to come back and give you the good news that your new career is finally beginning. Finally, the receptionist comes back on the line and informs you that the CEO would like to meet you for lunch tomorrow at 12:00 pm. She then asks if you’ve got any questions about the position.
Tomorrow becomes today and you decide to go for it. You begin preparing for the important meeting and polish your résumé. By the afternoon, you’re feeling pretty good about yourself. You’ve got the perfect job and you’ve got the perfect opportunity to further your career. The world is your oyster!
You arrive at the restaurant a little early and are waiting at the bar. You’re chatting with your new boss when another friend arrives and buys you a drink. You begin to feel a little nervous and drink to calm your nerves. After your third or fourth drink, you begin to feel relaxed and the alcohol seems to be taking the edge off. You feel pretty good about yourself and decide to go for it. You ask your new boss if you can use the restroom and he informs you that there’s a bathroom down the hall. You go to the bathroom and remove your tie and coat. You begin to wash your hands and stare at your reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, you feel something hit your hands. You turn around and discover that water is pouring from the ceiling. You quickly exit the bathroom and see that the building is on fire. In a panic, you begin to wonder if this is just another scam. Are you going to be okay? Are you sure that this is real? Are you dreaming?
You begin to scream and call out for help. Smoke starts filling the room and you feel trapped. You begin to panic and search for a way out. Suddenly, a fireman enters the room and begins waving his truck outside to get the blaze extinguished. You begin to breathe more easily and the anxiety begins to disappear. You’re going to be okay! You tell yourself. The firefighters put out the blaze and you rush to your table to sit with your new boss. You decide that you need to leave your job interview a little early but you feel confident that you made the right decision. You decide to shake hands with your new employer and begin to contemplate your next move.
Searching For The Truth
You want to believe the best, but sometimes life doesn’t cooperate and you need to search for the truth. That’s how you ended up in this situation, but in order to get out of it, you need to find the truth. You want to know what’s going on and who’s behind this. Is it an honest mistake? Are you being scammed? Who’s doing this and why?
You begin by researching the company. You discover that it’s been around for a while but has never been particularly successful. In fact, it’s reported to be insolvent and on the verge of being sold off or merged with another company. What’s more, the friends and family of the owner never seem to have any good things to say about the company. They claim that it’s a scam and that no one there ever gets a good night’s sleep.
You begin to wonder if this is your lucky break. Maybe it’s time for a change and this is the company you’ve been searching for all your life. You begin to brainstorm ideas about what you’ll do next. You have a house that you’ll need to look into. You need a car. You’ll have to find a new place to live. Your whole life is about to change.
You contact the company’s owner and begin negotiating for the job. He tells you that he’s not interested in selling the company but would like to be able to let it go downhill and not have to worry about it anymore. He promises to get back to you with a response by the end of the day. You tell him that you’ll start as soon as you can and begin searching for a place to live. You decide to take a road trip with your wife and kids and begin to look for housing that’s available. You find a good-sized house in a beautiful area and make an offer. The owner accepts it and you settle into your new home. You begin to look forward to working for this company. It’s a great opportunity and you can’t wait to get started.
A Scam?
You begin to wonder if your new employer is scamming you. It would be easy enough for them to do so. After all, there’s a lot of opportunity in this world and it would be easy for them to find someone to fill the position. It’s odd that they haven’t been able to find anyone willing to take the job given its obvious irrelevance. Perhaps, they’re just trying to swindle as many people as they can before they go out of business. You decide to be extra careful and do your due diligence. You begin by getting references from former employees. Everyone you contact assures you that the company is legitimate and that working there is a great opportunity. You decide to believe them and give the company a chance. You start work and, eventually, decide to take a day off. You begin to feel under the weather and take the day off work. When you return, you discover that someone else had signed in at work. You contact the company owner to tell him that you’re not feeling well and want to come in late. You hand in your notice and begin to look for new work. The company owner calls to give you a reference, but you don’t need one. You won’t be forgetting the name of West Coast Solar Energy.
The Road To Recovery
You land a job with a reputable company that you’ll eventually come to respect and admire. You begin to wonder if your previous employer was right about the company after all. Working for this company has improved your life. The work is interesting and you’ve gotten used to seeing results. You work hard and eventually rise through the ranks. You begin to feel appreciated for your skills and the company will soon be seeing your name on the top of the list of candidates for promotion.