why do I have to pay for some jobs?
sometimes I apply for jobs and I don't hear back and sometimes I find jobs where they ask me to pay for stuff at the beginnign, like I have to buy the stuff I'm supposed to sell. why is that? is that even a job or are they just trying to take my money?
Hi Julie! This is a great question. There are a couple of different kinds of opportunities you will find when you're doing an online search for jobs. The first type is traditional employment. This means you fill out an application, you do an interview, and when you get the job you simply start and very rarely will you have to pay anything to begin the job (some companies require that you pay for your uniform or something like that, but usually that's it). This would be a job like being a cashier at Meijer, or at Walmart.
Another type of opportunity you might find could be called Multi-Level Marketing or Direct Sales. Here's a little bit about them from the FTC: "In multilevel or network marketing, individuals sell products to the public — often by word of mouth and direct sales. Typically, distributors earn commissions, not only for their own sales, but also for sales made by the people they recruit." Some well-known MLM/Direct Sales companies include Avon, Mary Kay Cosmetics, or Pampered Chef. These types of jobs have a high earning potential but you often have to pay for the items you plan to sell and frequently your job is not only to sell the items, but also to recruit other people to do the same.
It's always a great idea to thoroughly research any job that is asking for your money, just in case. If you've got any interest in joining an MLM please check out this site that will tell you exactly how people are actually earning with these companies: http://www.mlmrankings.com/.
Remember, it's ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry, so if anyone asks for money up front feel free to ask here if that's something anyone else has had to do, or see if you can find any more information from the FTC: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0065-multilevel-marketing
There's a lot of great reading online if you're curious about MLMs, you can just do a google for "Best and worst MLMs", or "How MLMs work"
I don't think highly of any company that requires payment of any kind to work for them. We strive to filter those out of the Jobcase job feed. Let us know if we missed any please... Fred