Should I cross over to the dark side?

Well it has been several months since I have started looking for work again and I have not even gotten a nibble. Basically 2 interviews in 6 months of looking. The job market around here sucks at the moment but I dont pay rent (own the house), no car payments and my family including ailing grandfather lives here. I would like to stay in the area for now unless something really big came along that made it worthwhile leaving.

Anyway occasionally I still see jobs popping up at the local dealerships doing sales. I had a bad experience doing that before and not sure if I want to go back to it. It would be one of the new lots and from what I here it is the Ford dealer. I can do the job the problem is I prefer to be honest and not lie to customers like many car sales managers seem to encourage.

What do you guys think? Cross over or keep looking?

Salesmen lie? No way.

You have to do what you have to do, you might just like it.

In reply to rebelgtp:

Keep looking. I worked for 5 miserable weeks in sales for a dealership. The attitudes of the owner, sales managers, and long term sales staff was unbelievable. Much worse than I expected. That job was a complete and total nightmare.

Graefin10 wrote: In reply to rebelgtp: Keep looking. I worked for 5 miserable weeks in sales for a dealership. The attitudes of the owner, sales managers, and long term sales staff was unbelievable. Much worse than I expected. That job was a complete and total nightmare.

See this was basically my experience before. Two weeks after I quit there was a new story about the place conning people left and right.

I hated car sales. It made me hate all sales from then on.

Are there other members of the family who can take care of the grandfather?

If so, again, I'll say head to North Dakota and work your ass for a few years. With your housing already paid for, you could likely just work part-time after that.

Stay honest and use your car knowledge to earn your customers trust. Give honest recommendations on safe and reliable vehicles.

You will do fine and might even find out you really like it.

z31maniac wrote: Are there other members of the family who can take care of the grandfather? If so, again, I'll say head to North Dakota and work your ass for a few years. With your housing already paid for, you could likely just work part-time after that.

Unfortunately there really isn't. My mom works on the other side of the mountain so she mostly is only able to see him on weekends. My aunt lives in town but she is as crooked as they come and she would bleed him dry in a month. I basically see him 5 or more times a week, take him for rides so he can get out, take him up to see the doctors or other appointments and run to the store for him to get him things he needs.

What is going on in North Dakota that I could do?

Honestly if I could be honest doing car sales and make money I am sure I would be perfectly happy. But it requires me being able to be honest.

Williston, ND.

Fracking around.

In reply to rebelgtp:

If you have the opportunity, just take it. Jobs are hard to come by.

...and it's easier to find a job when you already have one. (That's what I'm told, anyway.)

Listen to Flight Service. It might be possible to do it YOUR way and still make sales.

My older brother had a hard time finding a job so he did car sales for a while. I believe it made it hard for him to better work. Oddly enough people who do the hiring think car salesmen are creeps so you end up at the bottom of the pile.

It's a tough market selling cars right now, at least where I live I know it is. If you really can't find anything else give it a shot. I would just find some an anything for money job a then just keep looking even if it sucks like sales. It's what our great great grandparents would have called opportunity. You never know that sale job might lead to something you want once you get your foot in the door too.

Now if something goods comes up jump on it even if it means moving. Worst case scenario you have to find a care taker, which insurance tends to cover.

I dunno. Is she hot? Any baby-daddy?

Doesn't sound like you need much to live on. Can you turn cars yourself? Scrap them? Move stuff for hire? Handyman? Basically, is anyone around willing to pay you for something?

Ford does have some cool stuff and the EcoBoost thing is getting peoples interest.

MrJoshua wrote: Doesn't sound like you need much to live on. Can you turn cars yourself? Scrap them? Move stuff for hire? Handyman? Basically, is anyone around willing to pay you for something?

I actually did think about flipping cars considering you can find some older ones here in the valley. Biggest issue would be starting up, getting a flat bed and having some cash to start out.

In reply to rebelgtp: Tow strap, a couple of buddies and $500 will get the flipping business started.

You could take it and make a reputation of being an honest car salesman. I have worked with some before so they are out there, however few they may be. At least you can get a few dollars while you are looking for other work.

When I worked at a dealership (in parts) the turnaround on salesmen was astounding.

step 1)get a used older 3/4 ton pickup and a cutting torch setup.

step 2) start hauling scrap iron

step 3) profit

i did this for a summer- 2 loads a week and i was making as much money as i was working my previous 40 hour a week job.. each load took about 3 hours to cut and load..

Think of the first chance you get at all of those beat up trade ins headed for auction, at wholesale prices.

It's a common game for dealers to hire scads of new salesman, let them work like dogs for a few weeks, then fire them all. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

It's all win for the dealership. It's all lose for you.

Sure, there are honest ethical car salesman who actually make a decent money. There's probably six in the entire nation. The rest...that's why there are so many car salesman jokes, because they are real.

You've experience, you know the game and the scam. It hasn't improved or changed.

Edmunds had an article a while ago when they sent a writer undercover to apply for a job selling cars.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/confessions-of-a-car-salesman.html

It was pretty interesting. Seems there are some dealerships that are better to work for than others. And a lot that are every bit as bad as you think.

Been around dealerships for over 25 years. No way would I ever go into sales. mguar nailed the reasons why, if you are honest you are screwed and if you don't turn big #'s (ie be crooked) management will drop you like a hot potato as soon as there is some flimsy excuse.

North Dakota was mentioned. Unemployment rate of 3.8%, lowest in the US. Area is now referred to as Silicon Prairie. Low cost of living. If you can handle the winter. People arriving from all over the world. Sounds interesting to me.