Interviews feel a lot like dates. 😰🌹 There's the stress about what to wear. Oh, and the stress over not sounding like a total idiot. 🤡 Make sure you put on that extra-strength deodorant for those pre-date…uh, we mean interview jitters! 😅
Worrying that your interview will turn out to be a total Catfish situation? 🎣 Don't worry, there are ways to spot red flags in an interview just like there are for dates. Knowing what to look out for can save you from ending up in a toxic job relationship before it even starts! 🆘
Here’s Five Fast Facts on how to pick out red flags in an interview:
- 🤐 Um, Excuse Me - One of the biggest red flags in an interview is not being able to ask good questions. An interviewer should be eager to answer your questions and give you insightful responses. If they seem annoyed or defensive over your questions, or don't give you the chance to ask any at all, consider that a red flag. Like, what demons are they hiding?!
- 🤨 Yadda, Yadda, Yadda - While we're talking about questions and answers, another red flag is an interviewer who gives you vague responses. If you ask an open-ended question, you should get more than just a yes or no answer. If the other person's being short with you or offering an unclear response, that's a bit red-flaggy. It could be an indicator of how things would be like on the job, and you're going to need clarity and honest feedback to succeed.
- ☕ Here's the Tea - We all love a hot gossip session with the girls, but…not in an interview. While getting the tea on people before you join a company could be beneficial, it's not a good sign if the interview is talking smack on other employees. This gives you a little insight into the company's culture, which could be toxic AF. Another hot tip is to pay close attention to how the hiring team treats everyone around them throughout your experience. It matters!
- 👻 The Runaround - Ladies, if they're constantly rescheduling and ghosting you, he's just not that into you. We're not kidding. While one reschedule for an emergency or a mix up is usually forgivable, a company with a pattern of blowing you off is a warning sign. It could be that the role you're interviewing for isn't a top priority or the whole place is a disorganized hot mess. Either way, it's not a good sign and tells you a little bit about what it would be like to work there.
- 🤔 That Went…Well? - Here's a weird one for you. Say you have the worst interview of all time. The interviewer was super-late, you couldn't get a word in edgewise, and everyone you talked to seemed like they were on another planet. However, somehow you wind up with an offer letter. Even if you're desperate for a job, don't accept the offer. It's a trap. Companies who don't take interviews seriously won't take *you* seriously. At the end of the day, you need to earn a paycheck but you also deserve dignity, respect, and a healthy working environment. You're better than that, rock star.
🔥Bottom line: A little intuition goes a long way in an interview. Even though you're in the hot seat, you should be sizing up a company and its people to make sure it's the best fit. Ignoring the red flags could spell disaster down the road. Looking for a "lazy girl job"? It might be too good to be true. This article explains why.
Have you come across any of these interview red flags?
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