Are you interviewing for a new job? If so, congrats on the new opportunity! However, as everyone knows, not every job is perfect. But, how do you determine what might actually not be the best job? Sometimes, an interview can provide some great insight. Here are some job interview red flags that I’ve experienced and heard over the years.
Job Requirements and Such
- Nights & Weekends. If these words come up at all, it’s a safe bet you might be expected to work off shift.
- On call. Are you expecting to be on call? If so, great, but if not, watch out if this comes up at all. You’ll likely find yourself on call sooner rather than later.
- Filling In. If you suddenly start talking about items beyond the job description, and how you’d be filling in, watch out. This could be a permanent or way too regular thing.
- Short Staffed. If the words come up at all, watch out! When they tell you in a job interview that they’re short staffed, they are probably always short staffed.
- Mismatch from the job description. If the job description differs from what they talk about in the interview, watch out. My friend hired in for a job where the travel time was listed at 25%. During the interview, they said it could occasionally be 50-75%. Well, of course it was 50-75% all the time.
- Learning a job on the fly. I was hired for a job where I didn’t qualify. But, they assured me that my background would make me a quick fit after I was mentored for a few months. Then, after I was hired, the mentoring shrunk to a week. It was doomed for failure from day one.