Job searching can be exhausting. When you get to the point of burn out, any position looks ideal if it pays more than nothing an hour and allows you to stop repeating, “No I haven’t heard back yet.” Here are three red flags that should make you reconsider taking any position that gets thrown your way.
It seems sketchy
If it’s harder to find details about the position than it is to get into Fort Knox, it could be a sketch situation. You should be able to do some level of quality research on the organizations website, Hoovers, LinkedIn, or Glassdoor. If you can’t find information regarding the position or company, it could be a safe bet to question the credibility of what you would be getting yourself into.
An exploding job offer
Have you felt more rushed during the interview process than you did when you woke up 30 minutes late for work and missed the bus and then you had to call an uber that took 10 minutes to arrive but your shift started 6 minutes ago? Yes? Then you have an exploding job offer. This means you have to make a decision about accepting or declining the offer in a ridiculously short amount of time - think 24-48 hours or worse, on the spot. Think about why the interviewer is asking you to commit in such a rushed state, the answer is usually not anything good.
It doesn’t feel right
Trust your gut. Back it up with research (see above) if you’re not the type to rely on your instincts, but trusting your gut and listening to yourself when something feels off can save you a stock in Tums in the future. If you notice that the interviewer doesn’t seem genuine when they tell you why they enjoy working at ‘X’ company or the company culture feels competitive and sales-driven when you’re looking for more of a friendly, team-oriented vibe - it might not be the best position for you.
