Don't Take The Job If You Spot These Five Warning Signs
Source: www.forbes.com
Dear Liz,
I have one job offer in hand, and I'm waiting for a second one.
The second job is better for me in several ways, but I hate to turn down a job offer in hopes of getting a better one.
The job offer I already received is basically a lateral move for me.
I am a Credit Analyst now and I'd be a Credit Analyst in the new job, too.
The biggest issue is that this company has treated me extremely carelessly and even rudely during the interview process. When I first applied for the Credit Analyst job, it took six weeks for them to contact me. They invited me to an interview with a specified date and time. They didn't ask me what time would be convenient for me.
That interview went okay. Then I heard nothing from them for four and a half weeks. At that point I was invited to a second interview. That seemed to go pretty well. There was no more communication from the employer until I got the job offer via email last night.
I never talked to anyone from the company on the phone. Isn't that odd?
Does it sound like a risky situation? Would I be better off declining this job offer and taking my chances?
Thanks,
Mikhael
-------------------------------------------------
Dear Mikhael,
You can tell a lot about an organization by the way they handle job applicants. The folks who made you the job offer do not see you as a valued collaborator. They've already made that clear.
Everything they did during their recruiting process sent the message "We couldn't care less about you. If you don't take this job, it's no skin off our noses -- somebody else will take it."
Turn down the job unless you literally need the cash to pay next month's rent. If you take the job, keep your job search going.
If you have any financial wiggle room turn down the job and raise your standards. The problem with taking a job out of desperation is that the job can easily suck away all your mojo, leaving you so depleted and lacking in self-esteem that you lack the energy or confidence to get out of your dire situation.
That's why taking the wrong job can be much worse for you than another month or two of unemployment!
Here are five warning signs that scream "Do Not Take This Job!":
When you visit their facility, nobody is smiling. The people you meet are tense and angry. You can't afford to become one of those unhappy people!
You don't like and don't trust the person who will be your manager if you take the job. Your boss is the most important person to you in any job. Don't sign up to work for someone you don't feel good about.
Every time they describe the role to you, the assignment gets bigger -- but the paycheck stays the same.
You read their employee handbook and noticed that they have a lot to say about fussy workplace rules. They treat attendance as a massively important topic, and you can get in trouble for walking into work five minutes late when the weather is bad. Run away from a place like that!
They treat you terribly throughout the interview process, leaving you in silence for weeks at a time, failing to reply to your messages and generally ignoring you. They are telling you already how little they care about you as a person. You deserve better!
It takes intestinal fortitude to walk away from a job offer, but as you advance in your career you will find it easier and easier to do. Keep in mind that only the people who get you, deserve you!
All the best,
Liz
Liz Ryan is CEO/founder of Human Workplace and author of Reinvention Roadmap.
If you have any information or questions please leave a comment below.