Summer is around the corner and though it might mean a lot of resting and happy times for some, others are busy preparing to start their internships and some are still in the interview process for summer jobs. As college students who have never worked or worked outside campus, there is a lot that will shock you outside of “campus life”. Unfortunately, no one can prevent you from all these experiences but I want you to know about some of the red flags that some employers show. If you are lucky, you will detect these red flags right during the interview – you can either decide whether you want to go ahead with the company. Even if you know deep down it is not good for you or you can honor your gut feeling and let it go (please let it go).
Here are some of the Red Flags from employers:
- Trying to rush you to make a decision once they make you an offer – they want you to overlook important information that will put them as, an employer, at a “disadvantage”.
- They ask you if you are planning to have children and are happy when you say no – they want to overwork you because they assume you have no other responsibilities outside of work.
- They tell you at the interview they work long hours – this is a lack of boundaries by the employer and it is detrimental to your health, whether physically, mentally or emotionally.
- During the interview they emphasize about working under pressure – this employer lacks proper planning skills and you will constantly be running like a headless chicken until you die.
- There is always or frequent job openings of the same positions – this shows that nobody stays in that company which alludes to the fact that the working environment might be toxic.
This list is not exhaustive. Please pay attention to your gut feeling and honor it. It is good to have professional working experience but you do not want to put yourself in a position where you inherit trauma. I wish you all the best with your new jobs and interviews!