Look for these ?? red flags ?? in a job description

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Sometimes we get so swept up in an exciting job description that we might overlook some of the common?“red flag language”?that could indicate the job might not be so delightful. There are a few common phrases that should raise your eyebrows if you see them in a job description.?

Before I share them with you, first a disclaimer: If you see these phrases in a job description,?don’t count out the job completely. This might legitimately be a great company and they're just using cliched job descriptions. If the job sounds interesting to you, you’ll want to research the company too. More on that at the end of this message.?

?? Here are a few common "red flag phrases" to watch out for:?

• The candidate must be able to?“work under pressure”?or?“work in a fast-paced environment.”?Sometimes these lovely phrases are added to?“extremely hard-working”?or?“handles stress well.”?Yeah, those are big ol’ red flags right there. This sounds like the job will be demanding and chaotic with unreasonable hours and little work/life balance.
• The candidate should be a?“multitasker”?who is?“flexible,”?“wears many hats,”?and/or?“high-energy.”?This sounds like the role isn’t clearly defined, the company is disorganized, and you’ll get burnt out fast.?
• The candidate should be a?“rockstar,”?“wizard,”?or?“ninja”?- they’re looking for a unicorn who can do it all but get paid for one job. This might also indicate long hours with cheap pay.?
• And the biggest red flag of them all:?“We’re like a family here.”?Oh good golly, no. Families can be tough. Personalities clash. Boundaries aren’t respected. Not only that, if you’re considered “family,” then they might expect you to “pitch in” for unpaid activities, they could be more demanding than the average employer, and culture might suffer from favoritism. Yes, sure, you want to work with a great team, just stay away from “family” culture.?

?? Here are a few tips to research a company before applying for a job:?

• Check out the job posting?- has it been up for a few months? Is the position posted a lot? That usually indicates an undesirable job, a difficult company, and/or high turnover.?
• Look up the company on?Glassdoor and Indeed?- What do employees say about working there?
• Search for the company on LinkedIn?- find other people who work/worked there and check out how long they were with the company. (Check out my video about the "All Filters" button to help your research.) Are people being promoted from within? (That’s a good sign.) Are people leaving after a short employment period? (That’s a bad sign.)?
• If the job/company really interests you,?reach out to some of those people on LinkedIn?and ask about their experience at the company.?Reach out to former employees, who can be more honest when they aren't on the payroll.
• Go ahead and apply for the job, go on the interview with an open mind, and?ask clarifying questions. Ask about the job expectations, learn if there are clearly defined roles and expectations, suss out if there is a work/life balance, and consider the company’s culture and values.??Here are some questions you could ask to get this information:

1. “How would you describe the company culture/values? What kind of person fits best here?”?
2. “What does a typical day look like for you?” “Why do you like working here?” “What do you like most/least about working here?”?(You can get an idea here of work/life balance and management demands without outright asking about it.)
3. “Reflecting on your own experience, what have you seen the company do to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion?”
4. “With whom would I be working?” (This is your chance to learn about the team, department, and supervisor)“How many people work in this department?”“What is the average tenure for people in this department?” “Do people leave the company or switch departments?”?“What is the top priority for this department?”?
5. “Is this a new position or did someone have it before me? What happened to them?”This is a great way to tell if people are generally happy there, if people are promoted from within, and it’s a good question to ask if you want to know about the demands of the position.For example, if they are asking for a “multitasker,” that’s a hint the job might be too much for one person to handle. And perhaps the person before you quit out of frustration.

?? One final “red flag” warning … Beware of scams.

Sadly, scammers have learned how to take advantage of job seekers. If a job listing looks too good to be true, it probably is. Here are some things to look out for in job descriptions:

??A website asks you to pay to search for job openings?or charges an “upfront” cost. No! You should never have to pay to apply for a job.?Even if they say, “Money back guaranteed” you’ll not get your money back.

??If they offer to send office supplies?or a computer to your home or give you money to purchase these things, that is definitely a scam.

??A website asks for your personal information. Yes, you might have to use an email to open an account on the website (and you should use a spam email address for that anyway), but never give away your credit card, social security number, banking information, or other personal details.

? Fake job offers typically use phrases like,?“Guaranteed work,” “Guaranteed income,”?and?“You can work from home.”?They might even promise some unheard-of government jobs that you never knew existed (because they don’t).

? Fake job offers will also?conduct your interview over text,?Slack, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp etc… That’s a big red flag - real job interviews for?real jobs?at real?companies?would never conduct an interview by text or other messaging apps.

? If you did fall for a job scam and lost money,?you can report it to the FTC. You won’t get your money back, but you might be able to help other people from being swindled

1. Call the FTC at 1-877-382-4357
2. Go online:?ftc.gov/complaint?

Please pass this message along to a friend who is on the job hunt. If you have any questions about your job search, make a free 30-minute appointment and tell me about it. And if you have a question you'd like answered in my newsletter, leave a comment below.