02070173866

Similar scenario - got invited in for an interview, tried to do my research and became very suspicious, from the lack of website (it's "under construction" and "will be completed in about a week" - interesting, seeing as they don't seem to have ever had a website - how long does it take?!) to the fact they want you to bring a copy of your CV - don't big marketing firms have printers?!

I called to raise my suspicions and spoke to April, who gave me standard answers about the website being under construction, claimed that several companies traded from the one building - she seemed not to understand that these suspicions are all connected to the one phone number, and I refuse to believe that several companies in one building don't have independent phone lines! She couldn't answer my questions (about the interview process, about the job description (I am not looking for a sales only job, which is what this appears to be, despite them saying it was marketing), and about the fact that it is commission based.

I was eventually put through to one of the managers who gave me insufficient information - the same line about the website, claiming that the marketing role involved a variety of tasks including a large amount of door to door sales (I have a masters in marketing and have never come across the phrase "door to door" - what happened to the marketing communications mix?!) and confirmed that it is performance-related pay.

He didn't seem bothered in the slightest that I wanted to cancel my interview on the strength of the fact the company seems highly suspicious, which a) confirmed my suspicions as they must be used to this reaction and know and accept that they're treating people badly, and b) saddened me, as the fact they didn't try to convince me to come in suggests that they have enough poor sods who don't realise how badly they're being treated.

Ah well...

i work there...i'm not sure what these people are talking about.  i have fun and make great money

Thanks to all of you and however started this blog, I also got a call from the company, and it's a bit weird that they've changed names so often, it might be true that some people like commission only sales jobs, but as I see it, they din't want to explain that on the phone and that generic email that all of us got does not sound good, so I will cancel my interview, by email.

What are you guys on about??? I work here and it's a cool company!

I also received an email from a company called Aspire. They say their website doesn't work at the moment. I still tried to look for them and found this. Thanks very much guys!!! I was meant to go later today (31.3.09), but no way !!!!P.S. There are always some SAD people trying to abuse the situation.

Thank you guys for the warning.
I also got a call from this company and invit me for the first interview. After reading these comments, I dont think I still wanna go there tommow.

Thanks you for all the comments: for those who works there, or have attempted to work there, could you tell us what is it that they sell door to door? Please enlighten us.

Hi ,I'm verry upset to see this forum cause I've had a phone call today from Tatiana from Unknown Number.She tell me that I'm aproed for an interview for tomorrow cause they are interested in my CV and want me to go there.But there was no number.And I'm looking for a job so I can't remember if I apply in this company .She said to me that they will send me all the details about the interview.2 hours later I've received an e-mail :
Hi Krasimira,

We look forward to meeting you during your preliminary interview on Thursday 9th April. We have reserved a meeting with one of our Managing Directors for at 15:40hrs. Please be sure you are dressed smart and have a printed copy of your CV with you so the manager has one during your interview.  When you arrive, please ask for Tatiana from Aspire.

We anticipate Thursday being busy due to the number of people currently looking for full time work in London, so please keep us informed if you are running late or unable to attend. We will do our best to contact you if we run into delays; however you should clear at least 30-45 minutes for the interview including any waiting time.  

Our managing director will want to learn more about your background and your career goals, so please be prepared to discuss these.  He will also break down a more detailed job description, tell you more about the services we provide for our clients, and outline where you could fit in to our plans for 2009. Any specific questions you have about the role can be addresses with them.    

We will not be making a final decision based on Thursday’s interview.  Some candidates will be invited back for a second, more thorough, interview where they will spend a full day with an experienced client representative.  This day is an evaluation of the candidate’s work ethic, ability to recall information, and overall communication skills.  It is also very helpful for the candidate since they are given the opportunity to observe the role and educate themselves about our marketing system.  Once this full day interview is complete, we will look to make a mutual final decision.  

Unfortunately our website is currently undergoing essential maintenance work. The problem should be resolved and be up and running within a week’s time. We appreciate that candidates would like to prepare for interviews, but our managers understand the current situation and a full company outline will be given during the interview.

We have included directions and a link to a map below. If you have any difficulties locating us, please do not hesitate to ring and we will navigate you. See you soon!

Kind Regards,

Tatiana.



Directions

The nearest underground station is Old Street Station which is on the Northern Line (King's Cross branch). Our office is really easy to find if you use exit #8. The main road you'll be on is City Road. There is a green line painted along the sidewalk.  Follow the green line up until it turns left for Moorefield's Eye Hospital. DO NOT TURN LEFT: Continue walking straight on City Road, past the Bavarian Beerhouse, and take the next left, which is Bath Street (it's at a set of traffic lights). We are the first set of blue double doors and you will see a plaque that says '1 Bath Street'. The door should be unlocked, so just push to enter and reception is straight ahead.

http://www.multimap.com/maps/?&hloc=GB|EC1V9LB#t=l&map=51.52692,-0.08793|17|4&loc=GB:51.52785:-0.09132:16|EC1V9LB|EC1V9LB



Frequently Asked Interview Questions

How should I dress for the interview?

Please dress smart.  (We understand new comers to the business world may not have suits, in which case a shirt and tie is suitable for gents; while ladies can wear dress slacks or a skirt with a blouse or jumper.)

What should I bring with me?

We advise candidates to bring a printed copy of their cv, a short summary of their career goals, and a pen.  (We will ask all candidates to fill out an application form, so if you are unable to print your cv, don’t panic)

How long will the interview last?

Our interview process is broken down into three stages.  The first (preliminary) interview will last approximately 10-20 minutes.  The goal of this interview is to meet candidates, introduce our business, and discuss the opening.  We also evaluate candidates’ communication skills, level of confidence, and career goals.  A second, more thorough, interview involves the candidate observing the role first hand along with our evaluation of their work ethic, ability to multi-task and people skills.  The final interview is where we’ll reach a final decision about the candidate’s compatibility and confirm terms.  

How many positions are you looking to fill?

There is no set number. At the moment we are working with national clients in need of exposure, therefore we do not wish to limit their growth, nor that of our company.  Throughout the recession we intend to provide work for recent graduates, career changers, redundancies and the like.  

When will the role commence?

The role is set for an immediate start.

What are the salary/ benefits?

Details vary based on campaign, results, advancement, and responsibility.  On average, non-experienced new starts earn between £200- £500/ week.  As candidates advance and assume more responsibility they will continue to earn significantly more.  Specific questions regarding pay can be answered during your interview.  

What are the hours?

These also vary based on the campaign you are chosen for and the amount of advancement / responsibility to undertake.  They will be set during the interview process.  

What type of experience/ degree is required?

Our clients require us to provide all candidates with full product training through workshops and in-house presentations, so no specific experience/ degree is required.  However, experience dealing with customers in retail sales, customer service, telesales or the like is beneficial.  Business related degrees often accelerate an individual’s learning curve and comprehension.





--
Tatiana
Administrator
1 Bath street
London
EC1V 9LB
Aspire.
0207 017 3866



So it's whritten that the website ofthe company is having a problems and it's not appear,so I started to search something about this.I write in Google the name Aspire and the phonenumber cause it's easy to find it with the number....and I found you
Please tell me what to do
To go or not????

hahahahahaha... i was there today, everything you guys have been saying they said 2 me 2 , i was told 2 come in for second interview and i was also told i wasnt gona get paid they wanted 2 see my work ethic loool... anyway thanks for the advice i knew somthing was wrong from the moment i arived there, please people its good 2 do research on this company before u work for these sick people!

Hi guys, i confirm that now, the name, has been changed in aspire......bewere, life is too short to waste time with stuff like that...

i got a call from aspire and received an email confirmation same like you guys quoted above.

defenitely they are fraud people i can tell you..thats the reason they keep telling us..website is under repair..thank lord..

the new aspire number i have received call
02072519028

i emailed in response to a job at red square, and i got an email address back asking fr my mobile number-which i thought was weird as it was on my CV. Anyway igot a call and they left a message and i called back. When i called back i said who i was etc and then i got asked to come to an interveiw either the next day or next week. I said id go next week, im not sure to go or not?!
So is this RED SQUARE a dodgy company?! im confused..
WHAT DO I DO..? tell me before i go!!

Applied for a marketing job yesterday with 2 different companies. I woke up today with an email form ASPIRE at 1 Bath St. They had ben unable to contact me by phone (I lost it last night). That was strange as I hadn't even applied for a job with a company of that name.

Doing  little research on them I discovered a dodgy website which states "the Aspire Design team will be back shortly". Ha! And then I found this blog. It was the same phone number as GM solutions and SupremeCorp! I had had a feeling something wasn't right.

And Eddie, if believe that exploitation and commission based work is todays norm then good luck to you spending the rest of your life as a doormat! I won't work for free...

It's people like you who give these scam companies a naive and happy workforce that helps them stay affloat. Sell your soul to them if you want, you'll be promoted until you will be one of the "recruiters" sending out the dodgy emails and trying to desperately attract vunerable, unemployed people and believing in the lie!

Cheers guys, had a message left on my mobile from a Stuart from Aspire offering me an interview (slightly odd being offered an interview via voicemail message). Enough to arouse my suspicions so googled the website (under construction STILL! LOL) and then the number and found loads of disgruntled jobseekers, never rang them back. Not the first job scamola I've almost been the victim of, bunch of [***]!

I have just been to red square today for the sales marketing thing, and got a call back for the second round. Then I got a call 2 hours later from Aspire for an administration job, and he said he was in the same building as them as I said I would have an interview clash!
What do I do? I am going to go but I am definately not doing door to door sales or be had my a stupid scam. I am worth more than that!!!

I recieved a telephone call to say they had read through my CV and wanted to see me for a preliminary interview the next day. Due to being at work I couldnt make it so i attened the same day. The man emailed me the details of the location and information about the job which i didnt have tome to read as I had to leave as it was very short notice. My boyfriend came with me and we found it strage that the interviews were taking place in a newly built house on a new estate, with the front door wide open with a piece of paper stuck to the door with 'Aspire Acqusitions' on. My boyfriend waited outside and I went in, i all could hear was lud music so i rang the door bell. The man came down and told me to fill in the application form and dissapeared back upstairs. Once I had filled it in he came back down and we went to his 'office' upstairs. He explained that their new office had not yet been finished and would be open over the next 14days. He asked me questions about myself and explained how the company had expanded from Boston to London and now hoping to open another 40 in the UK and a office in Spain. I then expalined that I am currently completing a NVQ Level 3 in Business and found it strange that he didnt know what an appretiship was but carried on with the interview. I was excited to be told that in 6-10 months i could be a manager earning 80k a year. I left the interview on a real buzz and hoped to have a phone call to say I had got through to the second stage of the interview. I went home and tried to Google to company but could find any details whatso ever which i thought was a bit starge for such a big well established company from the USA. I then went back to the email and used the link I had been sent from the interviewer and loked at the website, where i found it strange that there wasnt much information about the company itself and only one contact number in London! I then Googled the postcode and used the new 'Street View' to see the office based in London to find it looked like an empty building with no signs of the company name, which i found very odd. I then recieved the telephone call that I had earlir been waiting for but just said I would attend on the Friday. I then found this website and a few others with the companys only website contact number and a range of caller names and many other comapny names linked to the telephone number of 02070173866. I then decided to Google this number to find that currently this number is being used to look for candidates to work for JCC Solutions!

I have emailed this 'Shem' asking him to explain my issues but have not heard anything back as i attached this webpage with the exact email I recived along with the email he sent me.

I do not understand why they are doing this as they new full well i am only 17 and have a good job and they were happy for me to take time off and rush around to suit them. I could understand if they were doing it for people who had been out of work for a long time but this is wrong!!!!

Here is a copy of the email i was sent:

Hi Erran
      ****Feel free to visit our website http://www.aspiremktg.com****
Wednesday 17th June @ 17:30

Directions

49 Signet Square (off Thackhall St / King Richard St), Stoke, Coventry, CV2 4HY

By Car

Not advisable as parking is limited

By bus

You can take one of the following buses; 10, 27, 31, 32, 32c, 33, 85, 101, 585, x6, x30 or any other bus that goes along the Walsgrave road, get off at swan lane bus stop walk straight up to the end of King Richard St.  Into Signet Square and 49 is on the left hand side opposite the green.

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&source=s_d& ... 62,0.02105&z=16

Frequently Asked Interview Questions

How should I dress for the interview?

Please dress smart.  (We understand new comers to the business world may not have suits, in which case a shirt and tie is suitable for gents; while ladies can wear dress slacks or a skirt with a blouse or jumper.)

What should I bring with me?

We advise candidates to bring a printed copy of their cv, a short summary of their career goals, and a pen.  (We will ask all candidates to fill out an application form, so if you are unable to print your cv, don’t panic)

How long will the interview last?

Our interview process is broken down into three stages.  The first (preliminary) interview will last approximately 10-20 minutes.  The goal of this interview is to meet candidates, introduce our business, and discuss the opening.  We also evaluate candidates’ communication skills, level of confidence, and career goals.  A second, more thorough, interview involves the candidate observing the role first hand along with our evaluation of their work ethic, ability to multi-task and people skills.  The final interview is where we’ll reach a final decision about the candidate’s compatibility and confirm terms.  

How many positions are you looking to fill?

There is no set number. At the moment we are working with national clients in need of exposure, therefore we do not wish to limit their growth, nor that of our company.  Throughout the recession we intend to provide work for recent graduates, career changers, redundancies and alike.  

When will the role commence?

The role is set for an immediate start.

What are the salary/ benefits?

Details vary based on campaign, results, advancement, and responsibility.  On average, non-experienced new starts earn between £200- £500/ week.  As candidates advance and assume more responsibility they will continue to earn significantly more.  Specific questions regarding pay can be answered during your interview.  

What are the hours?

These also vary based on the campaign you are chosen for and the amount of advancement / responsibility to undertake.  They will be set during the interview process.  

What type of experience/ degree is required?

Our clients require us to provide all candidates with full product training through workshops and in-house presentations, so no specific experience/ degree is required.  However, experience dealing with customers in retail sales, customer service, telesales or the like is beneficial.  Business related degrees often accelerate an individual’s learning curve and comprehension.

Kind Regards,

Shem.

07931 867075.

hey guys im not quite sure why u think its a scam, it is a sales based company that trains u up to become a manager, u start of doing door to door to get u ready for management ur also training people up after bout 3weeks in the company. iv only been there a week and made £1000 last week

I got the same email and call from Tatiana. The company seems to be bogus.

All the same, same letter, same scam. How in hell they would have limitless jobs of £16,000 to £20,000?there would be no unemployment in the UK!They pay you a small % of what you sale,slave you for 12hrs a day 6 days a week. Otherwise if you are not good,they give you nothing.Don't do it,is a waste of your time and your money.
Everything is doggy in this company. REED should check this things, I am preparing a report for REED so that they become aware about what these durty rats are doing. I am also to report it at a higher level and have this scam company close and the responsible prosecuted.

Just don't waste your time with them!
I attended a preliminary interview last week with Red Square and was told to go back for a 2nd interview today but after reading this comments I have realised that it is not the marketing role I was looking for. They advertise as 16-20k but fail to mention the telesales, door to door etc.
Also had all the blah blah about becoming 100k manager within 6 months, however the manager who I had the interview with was unable to answer all of my questions. I left having no clue about exactly what the job involved.
I later rang them to ask what the 2nd interview involved, and the receptionist just kept repeating that I would need a notebook.

What I think is appalling is that they advertise for roles on graduate sites, when clearly they take on anyone! All in all waste of time!