You can find a lot about Vector Marketing on the Internet. Most of it’s just plain wrong. Which is why I decided to write the TRUTH about my Vector experience. Reading some of the blogs written about Vector just gives me a headache. Did any of these folks actually work for the company? Or, did they just come in for the interview, get the jitters and decided the company was a scam because it’s not “normal.”
Let’s get this out there right away: Vector , selling Cutco, is not for everyone. It may not be the right job for you. But, why waste your time reading crap and lies about the company? Or venting online because it didn’t turn out to be what you thought it was going to be? Not for you? Move on!
It’s true that the Vector interview is weird. Well, mine was. I was expecting to fill out an application, talk one-on-one with a manager, and be asked standard questions. Vector has more of an orientation than an interview. In fact, I learned a lot MORE about the company than I’ve ever been told in an interview before. Was I surprised when the manager pulled out knives? You bet. Did I know this was going to be a job selling knives? No. So what!! In my opinion, that’s what an interview is for – to learn about what the job is and decide whether I want it.
I’d applied for a handful of summer jobs before I came to Vector. I didn’t know what I would actually be doing in the job before the interview in any of them!! I might have recognized the company name (which means nothing). But, I really didn’t have any idea from any of those ads what kind of work they were hiring for. Call me crazy, but I appreciated Vector going into detail about the work, how I’d be paid, the products, etc. Then I could decide if I wanted to give it a try. It was really obvious at that point that this wasn’t a normal 9-5 job with an hourly wage. Okay, fine. What I don’t get are the people who say the interview was a “waste of time” because it wasn’t what they expected. Excuse me? So, to go along with that line of thinking, every company that doesn’t offer you the work you expected is evil? Grow up. The whole point of interviewing is to see what’s out there, and find the best match for you.
Another thing that gets me about some of the blogs out is the flat out lies. Like you have to buy Cutco to get the job. No…you have to put a FULLY REFUNDABLE security deposit on Cutco, just like you put a deposit down on anything that’s of any value. The people I know who’ve quit returned the kit and got a check for their deposit. Simple. Even better? You can choose to keep the product – which is amazing – at no additional charge, which is an incredible discount.
Guess what else? You also pay for conferences and you don’t get paid for training. This isn’t illegal folks! It’s called running your own business and being an entrepreneur. One of the biggest things I’ve gotten from selling Cutco is learning how to manage my finances, how taxes work and how to keep good records. That’s huge for a college student who one day wants to own her own business. I wouldn’t trade that for anything, it’s an investment in myself that I think is absolutely worth it. I still make really good money, get great training, and I can deduct those costs as a business expense.
So, is Vector a perfect company? No, probably not, and there could be managers out there who have taken advantage of people. But my personal experience? My managers are great. They really care about me and my success. I see them keeping in touch with people who’ve left, and I’ve watched how they conduct themselves in all kinds of areas. I’ve had some challenges where I couldn’t make it to some meetings, and had to take some time off, and everyone was really understanding. That’s what counts to me.
All this negative stuff on the Internet is old news. I’ve read it, and from what I can tell where there was some bad judgment, it happened years ago and the company made a lot of changes in response. Personally I’d rather be judged by how I respond to a mistake, than to have it constantly flapped in my face and reminded about it forever. I mean 1992? Who cares!
