Not all jobs are worth taking, especially when you find that the interview didn’t go quite the way you thought it would. Saying no to a prospective job can be difficult, but sometimes it’s necessary to ensure that you won’t be stuck between a rock and a hard place. The hiring process involves both you and the company, and often you don’t need to be compromising or sacrificing so much of your life to get a position that you would’ve been better off turning down. These are some of the red flags to watch out for at a job interview that will let you know when to run the other way:
Little to no information online
Job seekers will often do a little research to find out about the company they could potentially be working for. Red flag number one is when you can barely find anything about this company online. There are few reviews about them online and, if any, most are negative. They are not active on their social media accounts. Another quick Google search tells you that they’ve had a run-in with the law. These should be obvious signs that this legal advertising firm is not one you would want to work for and that there are probably many others in the Bay area that could use your skills.
They don’t answer your questions properly
Maybe when you ask about details in the work contract, they beat around the bush or dismiss the question entirely. Maybe you want to know about the salary, but they’re tight-lipped and don’t negotiate. You might start to feel like they don’t respect your time and efforts. It may even seem like the interviewer doesn’t know what they’re doing or maybe they’re just keeping you in the dark. And who wants to spend eight hours of their life, five days a week, for a company that won’t answer their questions?
Communication is difficult
It is important for employers and employees to have a clear channel for communication and exchange information. If the company you’re applying for is tardy in replying to emails or use language that is too casual for a professional setting, you may be looking at a potential red flag. If they’re hard to contact before you’ve even started working for them, you can bet waiting for a reply on the job will be just as difficult.
Your gut is telling you no
Sometimes your best bet is to just listen to your gut feeling. Perhaps something doesn’t seem quite right with the job description, or you have a bad feeling when you walk out of your interview. Maybe you can’t explain why you suddenly feel bad for the customers of this company. Drop the position and look for something else. It’s better than being stuck in a job that makes you consider quitting every day.
