You’ve been hunting for a new job for what feels like an eternity. You’ve spent hours browsing LinkedIn, submitting applications, and interviewing with no end in sight. Naturally, when a job offer comes along, you’re inclined to immediately say “yes”.
Before you sign away your professional life to a company, make sure you aren’t overlooking some red flags. You’ve been the one under the microscope thus far, but now it’s time for you to step back and make sure your potential employer meets your standards.
What are the biggest red flags? When should you politely decline the job offer? Here’s what the experts say:
TOO EAGER
It can certainly leave you feeling flattered when someone offers you a job on the spot. Make sure their expedience isn’t actually just desperation to fill a spot. If your employer hasn’t done their due diligence to check your references, get to know you, and give your potential employment some amount of thought, they could just be looking for a warm body to fill a seat. You deserve to work for a company who has done their research and is rightfully impressed by your experience.
PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES
A good boss makes all the difference when it comes to career contentment. While sitting through interviews with your potential supervisor, pay attention to personality. If you don’t see your two personalities meshing well, think twice.
REPUTATION
While they’re doing research on you, you do some research on them. Chances are you won’t have to look far to find someone who previously worked for the company. If you encounter enough people who left because they were unhappy, you may want to think again before accepting the job. If the company appears to be a revolving door of unhappy employees who couldn’t get out fast enough, that’s a big red flag.
EVASIVENESS
You arrive at your interviews prepared to answer a wide variety of questions – even weird ones like “If you were a fruit, what would you be?” In the same way, the company should be ready and willing to answer any of your questions. If they can’t answer questions about job description, salary, and time commitment, this place may not be the best fit.
IGNORE THE MONEY
If the only thing attracting you to the job is the salary, think twice. A larger salary sounds great, but if you hate everything else about your job, you’re never going to be happy. Before taking a job offer, analyze your motivations for accepting.
TRUST YOURSELF
Your instincts are the most valuable thing you possess when trying to make a decision about your professional future. You’ve sat through the interviews and learned about the company; what is your gut telling you? If you have a nagging feeling this isn’t right for you, investigate that feeling further. Trust yourself.
Taking a new job can be life-changing and can lead to countless new opportunities. Not every company is a perfect fit. Before you make a move, make sure you’re confident in your decision.
We found lots of great information on red flags during a job search. Check them out here, here, here, and here.