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Just when I thought a final round interview was going great, they said I'd have to pay for my own plane ticket to attend the week-long training in another state.

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Anonymous

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Just when I thought a final round interview was going great, they said I'd have to pay for my own plane ticket to attend the week-long training in another state.

This is for a B2B regional sales job that comes with a base salary I'm very happy with and could really use after being unemployed since May 2022. I told the interviewer (the President of the company who just got done boasting about their multi-million dollar profit margin from last year), that I would not be able to afford a $400+ plane ticket out-of-pocket and asked if that was negotiable. He said "It could be, but that concerns me because there are plenty of other expenses that will go into doing this job. We do reimburse weekly for those expenses, of course, but you will be responsible for your work-related expenses upfront. I'd hate for you to start in the hole and then have to quit a month in because you can't afford it."

I tried to explain that work-related expenses that come after I'm on the payroll and receiving my salary aren't the problem, the problem is that I cannot afford a plane ticket on top of the other out-of-pocket expenses that come with traveling to another state for an entire week because I have responsibilities like a high schooler, pets, etc. that need to be taken care of in my absence. I told him that I could attend the training virtually, or a training up in my region, with no problem whatsoever but I cannot afford to travel that far for that long if the expense isn't being covered in advance. He said "that makes sense" and that he'll talk with the other people who interviewed me and someone will get back to me soon.

I'm so frustrated that I felt cornered into a position where I had to reveal such personal details like that in an interview. At the beginning of the interview, he started out by sharing his professional background which began when his parents kicked him out at 18 years old and he had to find a way to make it on his own. After that story, I wrongly assumed he would have empathy for someone who is earnestly trying to land a good job. I know I'm getting ahead of myself because I don't know what decision he/they will ultimately make, but the interview should never have come to that conversation and my employment should not be conditioned upon whether I can afford a really expensive plane ticket.

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  1. Asante DeJesus

    This sounds like an MLM type tactic, proceed with caution please.

  2. Barbara Thompson

    Great point!

  3. Leah Petrosino

    No. Do NOT proceed! RUN!

  4. Anonymous

    Ugh! What nerve! They should have brought that up earlier in the process or as a caution in the job description. This is like hiring a recruiter to find you a job. If you HAD the money you wouldn't need to find a job. These employers think all job candidates are desperate and will do anything to get a job. If they're making so much money, they can afford to not only let you train virtually but even pay for training. Keep looking and don't give these firms your personal information, so they don't think if they employ you that you're at their mercy. It's none of their concern.

  5. Anonymous

    Any solid company should have an expense card for employees - this sounds wrong. You could say, "I prefer for the company to pay all of the employee expenses upfront". Try to find another job.

  6. Rhonda Magee

    Agreed. Or, “in my experience, these sorts of expenses are paid by the company.” (And when you’re ready to be really snarky: “if I had this kind of money to spend outside of living expenses, I probably wouldn’t be looking for a job.” )

  7. garland

    zing!

  8. Anonymous

    And he wants to hire you into a revenue producing role?

    Any business related travel for company business should be paid either up front or via expense reimbursement by the company. His story is surely an enchanting tale but that is his story and not yours don't let him shame or gaslight you into paying your way for training for his business. IMHO they are not the place for you. Keep looking.

  9. rose

    Sounds like you dodged a bullet. Get out quick and thank your lucky stars. It’s not about the ticket. That guy knows how business travel works and is gaslighting you.

  10. Barbara Thompson

    Run. Away. If he’s saying that he’s worried about your finances and being able to afford working there, that’s just trying to make you look bad for their miserly business practices. I’m also struck that in an interview, this guy is telling his personal story, seemingly in an attempt for manipulating you. This doesn’t pass the smell test.

  11. Stephanie Malcom, MBA

    Nope

  12. Anonymous

    Multi million dollar profit margin is easy to achieve when you don’t cover the business’s expenses. Run away fast.

  13. Anonymous

    This is a huge red flag. I would not take the job. You should also be paid for the time in training.

  14. rgstaffing@bellsouth.net

    I would not take the job. Of course they should pay for it.

  15. GirlBossanova934974

    Run, do NOT walk away from this company! This is a sham of an outfit. As a business owner myself, this is just plain pitiful. This hiring manager is a cheap carnival CON MAN! This type of dealing usually has nothing to do with whether or not the company is doing well financially. It is an attitude problem. This company is saying in no uncertain terms, you are more than lucky to be working for us because we are the biggest blah blah blah. Well you know something, it is usually only a matter of time before companies like this take a nosedive right off a cliff.

  16. Anonymous

    I drew a line after working for an employer like this. Never again. They had big fancy conferences and required us to dress in fancy suits and silk blouses. They had to approve what we all wore before events, brining in racks of clothes only to be rejected. Everything had to be new. Oh and guess what!! We had to paid for their extremely high standards from a salary nearly at poverty level. They were all up in your personal business. Don’t do it. This company is happy to shove off the bills on you. This is nonsense. They can give you a corporate card. You poster because it felt like a red flag. Trust your gut!

  17. Lorraine Lane

    Run and don't look back. I know it must be tempting to take the job since you've been looking for a long time but asking you to pay for this expense is a big no-no. This is an indication that you'll be expected to pay for other work-related expenses, too. Employees are not valued by this CEO and his company. BIG red flag.

  18. Anonymous

    This reminds me of the age-old scenario: going into a luxury store and when you ask the price, they say “you probably can’t afford it.” Which results in getting angry and buying more than you can afford.

    This is manipulation because folks that question “can you pay for this” are doing it so that you’ll actually get angry and pay more. It’s a type of sales manipulation.

  19. Dcre1977

    So basically they expect you to give them an interest free loan for paying their business expenses.

  20. Anonymous

    Mic drop. Well said!!

  21. Cinzia Iacovelli

    They should pay for the travel expenses. This is big red flag in my opinion.

  22. Anonymous

    When I was in sales….everything was provided. I did not pay and I didn’t even have to make my own travel plans. R.U.N.

  23. Anonymous

    Why do they want you to attend a training when you haven’t been hired yet and still in the final interview process? What training is this? You attend and they might not even hire you?

  24. Anonymous

    Those are great points!

  25. Anonymous

    This seems weird. Seems like a red flag to me.

  26. CJB62

    I am assuming the training required is after you are hired? If so, a good stable company should be picking up the tab. And if you have to pay for training before you have the job, huge red flag.

  27. Anonymous

    No. She hasn’t even made it to the final round of interviewing yet.

  28. Anonymous

    When people reveal something personal and incriminating, I assume it is a trap to draw me out. Anyway, a sales position that wants you to pay up front? Sounds fishy to me. Either that or it is a satanic cult.

  29. Anonymous

    This sounds like a very clumsy way to judge your hunger and commitment. I fully understand from what you've written that you really need the job, but you don't want to join a role with that premise, i.e. that the staff will do whatever is expected of them to succeed, even at personal expense.

    I personally would not join a role where they wanted me to spend a single cent before I joined, because I'd worry about all sorts of things, from their commitment to me, to the contents of their management accounts. However, what do others say about working in the company? If it is positive, then it is just a blip and you can keep an open mind, even though you've been (unfairly in my view) forced into a corner. If it is mixed or negative, though, you may want to keep looking.

  30. Ida McCarty

    Run, do not pass Go! There is something unsavory about this position and company. They seem to play games to see just how desperate a person is to find a job, that will ultimately require you to jump through hoops after you are hired to keep it.

  31. Kim Raper

    That is enough red flags for me. I would put my energies into looking elsewhere. This is concerning right off the bat and only likely to go badly for you. Sounds like they would be slow to reimburse as well, You are not independently wealthy or you wouldnt be interviewing for a job with them. If they are that sounds, they can front the money.

  32. Afo Ogbeyalu Kalu

    As I was reading your post, I began to believe that the suggestion of you to pay upfront was a way for the owner to find out your circumstances/personal information, without violating labor laws. My hunch strengthened by the end of your post. I would not be comfortable joining this company . . .

  33. Ms. S.

    Exaclty.

  34. Tammy Hager

    I agree someone who's just starting a new job should have a corporate card immediately for travel you should not have to reimburse the company for that if the training is needed for your job

  35. Anonymous

    It seems worth it to me. Where are your savings? If you spend $800 for training for a job you will 100% secure after training, it will probably work out better financially than being unemployed for another 2 or 3 months...or longer. After employment, as long as expenses are reimbursed weekly, you should be OK.

  36. Anonymous

    Nothing indicated that the OP would 100% get a job offer after laying out all this moneyz

  37. Paula Brantner

    "Where are your savings?" Who realistically would have savings after being unemployed for nine months?! And "as long as expenses are reimbursed weekly" is also a huge leap of faith in someone who claims to have multimillion profits but still expects employees to front expenses, with some having to quit because they can't.

  38. Lori Laurito Betz

    Of course this reply is anonymous lol

    Please share the crystal ball you’re looking at that tells you she will 100% be securing this job…and do something about that massive disconnect from reality you’re suffering from.

  39. Kat

    She isn't employed by the company yet. How does she/we/you know that she'll get the job? How do you know that if/when she's onboard, they will reimburse her quickly, or at all? Once hired, how fast will they reimburse her regular expenses? A vague promise of "looking into" reimbursement is not going to pay bills and cover costs of this trip. She's been unemployed almost a year so she probably doesn't have any savings to cover this expense. I don't, and I've got a steady job. Any reputable company would pay for all the training costs and expenses, or have the on boarding/training done virtually so she doesn't have to spend the money. This is very shady on the company's part and not worth it for her.

  40. Anonymous

    I’ve never been in sales, however after reading everyone’s viewpoint it’s unanimous that you should not be paying anything up front for airfare or other expenses. The big red flag Is you’re not officially hired yet! Wow, this definitely does not seem like a good risk. It gives me anxiety thinking how much you’ll have to pay up front in the future, without the guarantee of being reimbursed. Good luck on your decision.

  41. Paula Brantner

    This does not pass the smell test. If the president of the company is telling you this, he's essentially betraying that the company has financial issues. If there are multimillion dollar profit margins, then they can certainly afford to front expenses for employees who are doing the work of the company, and are just taking advantage of the employees who will do this for them.

    How do you know you won't be left holding the bag? It's common in sales anyway to withhold commissions and fight over whether someone is eligible for bonuses. Or to fire employees for not making unrealistic sales quotas. To have to worry about expenses reimbursement on top of that -- no way, no matter how badly you want the job!

  42. Anonymous

    Run. Do not pass go.

  43. Anonymous

    Ugh ugh, get somebody else to do it.

  44. Focused721350

    Good Morning,

    NO! Sounds way to FLAKY!!!!!

    Good Luck and God Bless, Ms. T ;)

  45. Jennifer Finger

    End the application process now. A company whose president boasts about multi-million dollar profits but refuses to cover the expenses of its employees and would-be employees, especially when that same presidents boasts about bootstrapping his way up, is not a company worth working for.

  46. Rich

    Bingo! Keep your self-respect and walk away. "Ghost" them if it makes you feel better.

  47. Angie Martin

    My initial reaction is that this is a "churn and burn" sales outlet. I'd look into reviews and feedback from other salespeople. My guess is a lot don't make the cut and then are left holding the bag with regards to expenses.

  48. Reb562

    It sucks you had to reveal your situation. I have had two interviews where I had to pay for my ticket & expenses upfront,etc... (Houston & New Jersey) both times they reimbursed me when I arrived. I'm just bringing this up, because I had no issues getting reimbursed.

    I was fortunate to be able to pay it, but I also researched the company enough that I knew this was normal for them to do.

  49. erica doss

    At someone from HR and Accounts Payable backgrounds, I think you are jumping the gun just a little. It is very common practice in the interviewing process to reimburse a candidate for the travel expenses related to an interview AFTER the interview has taken place. So, i wouldn't read into that too much. It does seem like he understood when you laid out your reasonings for them to pay for the ticket upfront and since he said that he would look into doing that for you, I would wait and see what he finds out. As an Accounts Payable Manager myself, if I was approached by the interviewer about footing the bill for the airfare upfront, I would not have a problem approving that as long as they were very comfortable that you were going to actually use the ticket and show up for the interview.

  50. Janet Parkhurst

    But this wasn't for an INTERVIEW. This would have been for TRAINING, AFTER she was hired. An interview, yes, I can see your point. A couple of comments thought the poster meant an interview but, after going back and re-reading the post, I definitely saw she meant a week's worth of TRAINING. Plus, he mentioned "expenses related to doing the job." Yuck, no! I agree with all the other comments. BIG, FAT RED FLAG.

  51. Anonymous

    This wasn’t even for training AFTER she was hired. They asked her to do this and she hasn’t even made it to the final interview!

  52. Janet Parkhurst

    Okay, my apologies. I guess I thought she'd already done the final interview and this was a "condition of hire." But it WAS kind of confusing. Which makes me state, yet again, another red flag. I know this, because the "requirements" of my current job were presented as "SOME flexibility in hours." Less than two weeks in, I found out that meant seven-days-per-week availability. Whoa! I threatened to quit immediately. NO ONE wants to work 7 days per week--even in their own business! So I negotiated one day off during the week and Sundays. You have to be SOOOO careful!

  53. Bradford McCormick

    This may be the norm today, but in past it would have been entirely unacceptble. One of my first jobs (1972, back in the days of Tom Watson not Jack Welch) was as a computer programer raw trainee in 1972 at a big insurance company. The job started with a 6 week classroom training class, AT FULL SALARY. I may add ther was no gender discrimination, either, again, 1972.

    Are employees long term capital investments or are they expense items on which they don't pay service agreements (e.g., pensions) because it's cheaper to replace them when they break?

  54. Anonymous

    With all due respect, a white man saying “there was no gender discrimination” during a time when women made 60 cents for every dollar that men made and it’d still be another 20 years before women could wear pants in the Senate is a bit irritating, especially on a message board that specifically exists for professional women.

    If your comment was intended to be sarcasm and I just don’t get it, I fully apologize and vow to never FGB pre-coffee again.

  55. Anna O'Rourke

    "I'll look into it" is common psychobabble for a lengthy delay or never getting back to you. Beat of luck on your job search.

  56. Anonymous

    Nope. What you experience during the interview process is a good indicator of how the company operates.

  57. Anonymous

    Typically, the company buys the plan ticket and pays for the hotel. If travel and business expenses are the norm, usually a company credit card and gas card are given to you. Reimbursed bi-weekly, monthly, etc. I'm sure there are some companies, usually 100% commission-based that do have the employee pay up front (I had such a job). They reimbursed me monthly. It was hard. Not going to lie. See if they'll just do it since you're brand new. This should be the norm for new employees, not the exception. Good Luck. Let us know what happens.

  58. Anonymous

    OP is not brand new. She hasn’t even made it to the final round of interviews!

  59. Anonymous

    I have to say this troubles me , you should not have to foot bills for an interview and I am really suspicious about that

    so far as expenses while working my son has to fly and attend meetings out of state ( for every job he has had ) and most of the time they get a company credit card on the one company they had to use their own the reimbursement process was labor intensive and problematic he left that job after about a year.

    a weekly reimbursement? Weekly? I don’t know about that either that seems pretty fast turn around so how could you end up in hole? That would only happen if they didn’t reimburse you promptly

    i would think twice about this job have you looked up w company? Go to glass door and see some of the comments if you can it can help

  60. Anonymous

    This is a big red flag. Someone didn't think this through. That happens, but what's worrisome is that the hiring manager should've immediately pulled up and not tried to rationalize this with you. Do you really want this position...?

  61. IntentionGirl299847

    Run away. You will never see anything reimbursed. sounds like a fishy scheme to get you to pay for everything out of pocket and they pay for nothing. Not on the up and up!

  62. tiffany birch

    Red flags waving. A well funded company operating with integrity does not pass the buck to you. Consider this an opportunity to take your value to a company that is principal ed. Take a breath and move on.

  63. Anonymous

    HELL NO.

  64. Janet Parkhurst

    Okay, I couldn't read beyond his comment, "I'd hate for you to start in the hole and then have to quit a month in because you can't afford it." Thats so very telling. It's a big, fat red flag. Run, woman, run! Here's my simple rule: It shouldn't cost you ANYTHING to do your job (outside of gas for commuting, of course). Look elsewhere. What a jerk and a cheapskate!

    I can only add to that, in my job as an apartment leasing agent, my boss refused to pay for the simple office supplies I'd requested: air freshener for the VERY shared bathroom and presentation folders I use for holding leases and all the attendant documents. (She'd once lauded the folders as "a great idea!") This... after a weekend of renting ALL the available apartments!!!!

  65. Anonymous

    There is no job that is worth paying up front. That screams scam to me. The ONE job that everyone needs right now, even if we get into an official recession is sales. GenZ is very anti-sales so there is not fresh blood coming into the pipeline for employers either You are a hot commodity that is only going to get hotter You have the skills they need and you can do much better than this place.

    I would not take this job but if you still decide to pursue it make sure that they pay everything upfront AND give you a corporate card to use for all expenses. No reimbursement garbage because they won't pay you back. And get all of that in writing before you accept the position.

  66. Gail Buckley Crane

    Wow! Make like Usain Bolt and "bolt" from this situation immediately! I won't go into an analysis of all the RED FLAGS in this situation - you have already pointed them out. AND, your thoughtful analysis of the situation shows common sense and critical thinking any legitimate company would be glad to hire!

    HUGS!

    Let us know how this plays out!

  67. Anonymous

    Run for the hills, sounds like they ate not financially stable.

  68. Zeecil Kimmel

    I agree with all the comments below. For my interview at my current company, they flew me out and paid for the flight no questions asked. They do have a policy in which we use our own credit cards for expenses (not flights) and get re-imbursed because most people like to get points and bonuses. Having said that they ALSO have a corporate card for people who cannot afford to float those expenses. That should be your expectation from a 400-million-dollar company.

  69. Erica Mitchell

    They should not expect you to pay for the flight. This is for training so they should absolutely cover it. Seems a bit sketchy to me.

  70. Ida McCarty

    I was in the final round of interviews across the country. They flew me to the interview, and picked up all of the expenses related to travel. This company is really trying to take advantage of job seekers. Definite red flag in my opinion

  71. Anonymous

    No way in hell. RED Flag all around. You should NOT have to be put in that position. IF they really want you, they will get you to the training on their dime.

  72. Anonymous

    RUN!

  73. Anonymous

    Your company should be paying all travel/training expenses-NO EXCEPTIONS. At least they are telling you this at the beginning and not when you've already accepted. I traveled for my company for tradeshows etc, and NEVER would I be expected to pay out of pocket. This is definately a red flag. You will be struggling to get money back from this company for the rest of your employment. This is a hard pass. As much as you may want the job, I think you'd be digging yourself into a deeper hole if you accept it.

  74. Anonymous

    It sounds like they are putting you through hoops when you haven’t even gotten the job.

    is the training part of the hiring process? Why would they want you to attend a training out of your pocket? I would look for something else and tell them you can’t go. Stand your ground and be strong. Can’t be too desperate

  75. Liz Milne

    If you've definitely got the job, can you not borrow the air fare, knowing that you'll be able to pay it back pretty quickly?

    Although, it does sound like he's going to ask if your training can be 'proactively' expensed, which is promising - he didn't say no?

  76. Amanda Chen

    If you need to pay the expense upfront from your pocket for a multi-million sales company, you should run away immediately! It is a red flag especially when there are many career scams out there.

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