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Don't think I'll get the job...

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I'm on a trial at this magazine company. Three weeks in media sales. I started on Monday and spent the first three days listening in to other calls and learning how to do it. I started on the sales side yesterday and almost got a sale but didn't.

Today I was sick. I ate my flatmates cooking and spent half the night chucking up. I called in sick this morning and my boss was like "This isn't good enough. It's only your first week. You can't do this again as you won't be allowed to come back. etc etc" Which is fair enough. But when I'm sick... I'm sick.

I'm getting paid £250 per week for the first three weeks. First week is in hand and I'm terrified I'm not going to get the job.

I graduated in July and have found it really hard keeping a job. I've had a hard summer (my mum died and I'm having loads of financial problems) and it has affected me quite badly. But I'm trying.

If I don't make a sale this next week I'm out and I won't get a penny. I'll have wasted my time and my money (the travelcard to get there is like £40 per week). Has anybody got any sure fire tips to help.

My biggest problem is that when I'm on the phone and talking, the people on the phone will be saying something and then my boss/head sales person will be telling me things to say. I find it really hard to listen to both at once and my boss got quite angry at me for telling me to say something, I didn't understand and couldn't hear.

Any tips?

Comments

  • Olly_BOlly_B Posts: 222 Trailblazer
    Hi Starcrossed,

    It sounds like you are having a pretty hard time in your job. There's no easy answers, but hopefully the following might help.

    Firstly, it's not your fault that you can't make a sale. Read any of the industry press and you'll find that the media is being seriously affected by the recession (advertising spend is always the first thing companies cut when they are worried about a fall in income). So if people aren't spending, you can't be expected to generate a sale.

    Your boss/head salesperson is probably stressing out about this: not only is your job on the line, but so is theirs. So you are probably the easiest thing to shout at. That doesn't make it right, but don't take it personally.

    Secondly, you need a plan of action. It's certainly not your fault that you were ill, but equally it's doesn't look great in your first week. But you can try and mitigate that by becoming an employee they want to keep.

    That might be offering to work late one night to make up for your lost day (by late I mean a couple of hours, I don't mean a full day), it might also be being proactive in asking for help. Explain to your boss/head salesperson that you find it difficult to concentrate when they are talking whilst you are talking to a client, but you'd be happy for them to listen in and give you feedback afterwards.

    Thirdly, even if you are on commission only pay, your employer has to, by law, pay you the minimum wage if you made yourself available for work. Remind your employer this, and then contact ACAS on 08457 47 47 47, who will tell you your rights and what next steps you need to take.

    And finally, I had a look at your journalism blog. You've got some great articles out there. Make sure you put some time aside after work to work on doing that, and then getting your portfolio out to commissioning editors who will want to pay you to write.

    Best wishes,



    Olly
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah also even if things did not work out they must still pay you for the time you have worked.
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