Just like you know when to quit your job, the same intuition will inevitably tell you whether or not to accept a job opportunity after you interview. Job interviews. I’ve been to some bad ones and have observed some even worse ones. In my career I’ve witnessed or experienced enough to compile the following job interview warning signs that should steer you from accepting a position that may not be a great fit.
Your Nerves.
Frankly, I believe if you aren’t nervous about something important, then you don’t care enough. That may be the case if you stroll into a job interview without a care in the world. Be careful in that respect, because it’s likely the interviewer may view your confident, laissez-faire attitude as apathy. Nerves come into play in another way. If someone is describing the job and the responsibilities that go with it and you feel your nerves set in, then that may suggest that your skill set doesn’t match with the requirements. In either case you’re not doing anyone any favors (especially yourself!) by accepting a position you’re not passionate about or truly qualified for.
Endless List of Questions.
Just like your intuition will warn you not to accept a job opportunity, a hiring manager’s will tell him or her to hire you. If the hiring manager has an endless list of questions to ask a job candidate, that tells me that he or she may not be so confident in their hiring decisions. What makes someone unconfident in hiring decisions? Past awful decisions about hiring. I find that people will use an endless list of irrelevant questions in a job interview to compensate for a lack of instinct for hiring. Politely and thoughtfully answer each and every question, but if it starts to feel like the Spanish Inquisition, be wary.
Jumping Through Hoops.
In addition to answering a seemingly endless list of questions, a hiring manager may require you to jump through several hoops to win a position. While some testing may be acceptable for some types of positions, if it feels weird and a little unnecessary, then it probably is. This can be another crutch for an unsuccessful hiring manager.
No Next Steps.
There is nothing worse than enduring a terrible job interview only to be met with a swift handshake and, “Well, thanks so much for coming in….” and an comfortable silence before you leave. At the end of a good job interview – no matter how you performed – the hiring manager will give you some indication of the next steps. When can you expect to hear back whether or not you will have another interview? This information is crucial to your career planning and not receiving it can be a warning sign that this job prospect may not be adequately prepared to hire or manage you.
I’ve seen enough excellent hiring managers to know instantly when someone or some company doesn’t have it together. That can be really indicative of you future at a particular company. Be judgemental during job interviews. You should be interviewing the company as closely as they are interviewing you to ensure it’s a place you want to spend the next leg of your career.
Photo by: RichieC
