They Wanna Interview Me HOW?!

So a few days ago, I got (what looked like) a promising response from one of the gazillion companies that I applied to for full time, part time, or screw my dignity...just pay me because I'm desperate to do anything and preserve my sanity work! Little did I know, this was not a stroke of good fortune, but another episode in my job hunt misadventures! I thought you might find this one particularly interesting...

So in the email I got from the nameless company that I applied to on (you guessed it) Craigslist, it said that I was a prime candidate for the job that I had applied for. You can imagine my delight and enthusiasm. Yes, there were shouts of glee and jumping up and down in excitement ensued. After I came back down to earth, and read the rest of the email, I was surprised to find that my interview would not ensue in the conventional manner that interviews go.  No, No, this interview was special and different.....this would be an AIM Interview (side eye).

I was immediately skeptical, not because it was to take place on IM, but because of the fact that it was to take place on a Saturday, of all days,  and because I was not given a specific time to chat, but rather a window of time. (9am to 2pm; what a window right?!)  Despite my inner Jennifer screaming, "This is SOOOOOOOO a scam! Don't be hoodwinked or bamboozled yet again HEFFA!" I decided to forgo my initial instinct and try out this AIM interview thing...

Needless to say, after going through all of the trouble to set up a yahoo account just so that I could chat with this SUPPOSED manager on Yahoo chat (no offense yahoo! I actually think you're a nice company, just a tool being used by a deceptively crafty scam artist out to make me loose my unemployed mind) the interview went something like a dialogue out of a National Lampoon movie.

ME: Hello
Seedy Manager: Hello, how are you?
ME: I am fine, I am ready for my interview.
Seedy Manager: What is rush?
ME: Um....What is the name of your company?
LONG, UNCOMFORTABLE, AKWARD PAUSE
Seedy Manager: World Wide Data Entry Company
ME: Okay (secretly googling this company to see if it exists; it is a seedy website where you have to buy software and work from home in the hopes that you will make it rich)
ME: What would the hours be and what is the salary range?
EXTREMELY LONG PAUSE WITH NO RESPONSE

ME: Hello?  Are you still there?
Seedy Manger: SIGNED OFF
2 minutes later (yes I waited in disbelief thinking they must be having some technical difficulties)

Seedy Manager: SIGNED ON
ME: Hello?
Seedy Manager: Hello, How are you today?
ME: (CONFUSED FACE) Um....Hello again.
Seedy Manager: I'm fine and you?
ME: (UBER CONFUSED FACE) Um...you didn't answer my last question.
Seedy Manager: What is rush? We will get there in time.
ME: Well tell me what your company does exactly.
Seedy Manager: We distribute dialysis on schematics that various businessmen find useful in maintaining and improving their productivity.
ME: (???) Okay (side eye)
Seedy Manager: You would work from home and enter data about personnel payment.
ME: Is there an actual office that I could go to in case I have questions or problems.
Seedy Manager: That is not necessary, but if you want you can.
ME: Well what is the salary for this position and what are the hours that I would be working?
LONG PAUSE WITH NO RESPONSE
Seedy Manager: SIGNED OFF

ME: (MOUTH ON FLOOR, IN UTTER SHOCK AND DISBELIEF....This couldn't have happened again)

Seedy Manager: SIGNED ON
ME: Why won't you answer that questions about salary and hours and why do you keep signing off?
Seedy Manager: Hello, How are you?
ME: THIS IS SUCH A FREAKIN SCAM!!!  This is not a legitimate company which is why you keep signing off
Seedy Manager: We are real company. We do very legtmte business (their exact typing not mine...no exaggeration)
ME: YEAH RIGHT!
ME: SIGNED OFF

This interview was a total BUST!
 
I will forgive this scam artist's bad typing grammar and the spelling, because after all I'm an ENGLISH MAJOR with impeccable spelling and grammatical skills, but what I will not forgive is the complete disregard and wasting of my TIME!!! (Especially on a Saturday) I went on with my Saturday as usual, filling out gazillions more job applications and taking time for the occasional drink and venting session with friends.

So the moral of the story kiddies is that and AIM Interview for a job is a red flag that the job is a total scam! Trust your first instincts when it comes to trying so desperately to find a job in this waning economy.  If you have to ask "They wanna interview me HOW?" This job probably isn't LEGITIMATE to begin with!