10 Red Flags to Watch Out for in a Job Interview
Summary. While no one can perfectly predict how a new job will turn out, staying alert to potential red flags during the interview process can help weed out sub-optimal employment options. Being observant in your interviews as well as attuned to how the process is managed, asking good follow-up questions, and doing your due diligence can help mitigate the chances of making a bad decision. Here are 10 red flags to look out for.
Job interviews are a two-way process — you’re interviewing your potential boss and employer as much as they’re interviewing you. After all, you don’t just want any job — you want the right job. According to a CareerBuilder survey, two-thirds of workers say they’ve accepted a job only to realize it was not a good fit, with half of them quitting in the first six months. There are several reasons this could happen, including feeling like you’ve been sold a false bill of goods or a realizing that the culture is not consistent with your values or even toxic.
The saying “caveat emptor” — buyer beware — applies when interviewing for a job. This isn’t to suggest that you should go into the interview process overly skeptical or suspicious, but rather to encourage you to be attuned to potential red flags in the interview process that warrant your attention, as they can indicate larger issues with your potential boss, team, or the organization as a whole. Here are 10 red flags to watch out for.