Summer Sales Program
The company recruits between 2,500 and 3,000 college and university students each year to sell educational books, software, and subscription websites during the summer months. Student dealers come from over 300 colleges and universities in North America, South America, Africa and Europe.
The president of Southwestern Advantage admits that selling books door-to-door is "incredibly hard, frustrating work," and not for everyone. Experienced dealers say the program provided them needed funds, boosted their confidence, and taught them to stick with a project despite adversity. Almost a third of the company's first-year dealers quit within 20 days, often with hard feelings. Some of these first-year dealers share stories about losing money, facing upset homeowners, and unfriendly dogs. They call the company everything from a cult to a scam.
Read more about this topic: Southwestern Company
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—State of Indiana, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)