Image via Complex Original
Hunting for a job can be excruciating. By the time you land an interview, you might be so excited or nervous that you don't notice major red flags.
While hindsight is always 20/20, one Redditor asked the Internet to share tips on how to know when a job might be wrong for you. Here are four signs you shouldn't sign that contract just yet:
1. Promise of a 'fun' environment
One of the oldest workplace platitudes is "work hard, play hard."
Redditor navster15 pointed out that's usually a lie:
"We work hard and play hard. Bullsh*t, you just work hard and have awkward social get-togethers at most once a month. This isn't Wall Street, all that's going to happen is that you're going to make me work 60 hours/week because of this mentality."
2. High turnover rate
There are some jobs people are more likely to quit, and those are probably the ones you don't want.
Redditor aatop pointed out said to look out for "extremely high turnover" rates, and be cautious if "you are being interviewed by people who have worked in their department for < 1 year."
Be make sure to ask your interviewer how long they've been with the company, how often people leave for other opportunities, and if there's room for you to grow in the long run.
3. Shady location
Not every workplace is going to look like Google headquarters, but if your job interview is in a shady building, watch out.
One Redditor had an interview in a crappy building, and the job ended up being a pyramid scheme:
"I saw one of those ads that said 'work for students, $15/hr!' or something. I called the number and set up an interview (should have known not to interview for a job you don't have to apply for). I got there and it was this crappy building downtown with flickering florescent lights.
They brought me to a room not unlike a doctor's waiting room where several other people sat filling out papers. I was skeptical but needed a job so I started filling out my paperwork. When I flipped the page over, I finally saw the name of the company I was applying to: Vector Marketing. I only knew about them because a friend of mine sold Cutco knives for a while.
I crumpled up the paper and left without a word."
4. Interviewer keeps you waiting
Everyone's late sometimes, but if your interviewer straight-up doesn't care about your time, they probably won't respect you in the long run.
Redditor DisneyBounder learned this lesson after they waited half an hour for their interviewer. "I picked up my bag and walked out," they said.
While it might seem okay to ignore red flags for the promise of employment, keep these tips in mind if you're looking for long-term opportunities. Catching red flags early on can save you months—or even years—of headaches.