Can I just disregard these people?

Call and cancel.

You can disregard anyone you like (or don’t), as you will. You can even disregard this response, and I won’t even know – or mind, even if I did. Because I like to write, too.

In fact, it sounds like your idea of posting a résumé on Monster in which you declaim strongly against the very type of people who filter résumés there to find likely candidates for jobs they need to fill is simply a type of creative writing on your part. A kind of ranting into the void, that is. And feel free to do it! I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to feel as you do or to write about feeling that way, or that you’re wrong on either count.

But “financial services” is not the same kind of industry as, for example, food carting. (I know about food carting a bit, so that’s the example I’ll use as a counter.) One of those industries is pretty highly structured, stratified, corporate-to-the-nth-degree, and the other one is pretty much only bound by the local Health Department codes. If you want to be polite – as I would recommend, even if you’re totally opposed to everything your contact might stand for – then I would recommend calling back to cancel. (Not that they would greatly miss you if you simply fail to show up, but you might feel better – about yourself.)

Instead, wander around to the food carts in your town and apply there. They pretty much always need the help (maybe some not so much in winter, but others maybe more, if they stay open all winter – it’s tough work in the cold), and it’s definitely not “corporate”.

Because of the lack of details describing what this “financial group” is, I would expect they are needing people with your background because they will take anyone they can get to hawk some marginal financial product that are near impossible not only to sell but end up being a worthless product to the people who buy them. If they cannot offer you specifics over the phone then I would not waste my time going on an interview.

I’m of the general opinion that if something smells bad, there’s probably shit somewhere.

This company is clearly emitting something you don’t like. So why go through the charade? If you’re already dubious, then you wouldn’t want to work for them anway.

BUT there is a slim possibility that they want a free thinking iconoclast such as yourself. So you have to weigh that…..

The deciding factor for me would be the effort required to “come in and interview.” Curiosity would drive me to consider the interview if it were simply a matter of cab, bus fare or parking feed and a total of 2 hours of my time (travel included). Anything beyond would require total accommodation on the part of the mystery people supposedly seeking my services. In the past, I have actually actually requested that transportation to and from the interview be provided. And if the organization is seriously interested in snatching you up, someone that matters might well offer to conduct the interview over a meal in a quality restaurant at their expense.

What keeps coming to mind when you say “financial group” is some sort of multi level marketing.

I’d want the name of the company before I went for an interview.

Its a multi level marketing thing that has been going on for years. They troll the job boards looking for resumes and then go after job seekers. Ive been getting them since the late 90s.

Maybe it’s a pyramid scheme. When I hear the term “multi-level marketing” that’s what comes to mind. I’d be wary and probably not waste my time interviewing.

@jca – yep, Primerica once tried pulling that on me – but basically it was selling insurance crap to my family.

I have that about 10 seconds and walked away from the guy telling me I would be good at it,

What @stanleybmanly said.

Have you seen Office Space?
Go to the interview and pretend you’re Peter and they are the Bobs. If they still like you, go from there.

Follow up; I opened the email from them and verified the name, then Googled it. They’re called Banker’s Life and it looks like they are some sort of insurance group. There was an article with links and even a review from someone who had worked for them. Good god, I’m glad that I did. I won’t be wasting my time on these people. Thanks all.

I suspected that much @Jak. From the description of your question, I suspected some 2nd or 3rd tier insurance program like AFLAC. I have this one guy from Colonial Life that keeps wanting to try to tell me they are better and cheaper than AFLAC and of the 9 employees here no one wanted their supplemental insurance. No matter how many times I tell him no and take me off your call list he still keeps calling every 3–4 months. He will last about 9 months and his replacement will start the cycle all over again. In 5 years I have had 4 different people from Colonial call on me. I could not try and make a living hawking high-cost low-benefit financial products. Keep looking.

What @stanleybmanly said. If a company is really interested in you, you specifically, then they, like a lonely guy trying to get down a girl’s pants, will pick you up and take you to dinner before making their move.