How to Spot a Bad Job Before You Accept It
A no-fluff guide to red flags during the interview process
Before we begin…
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The best time to leave a bad job is before you take it.
But most people do not.
They ignore the early signs because they are tired of job hunting. Or they are desperate to get out of a toxic situation. Or they think they can "make it work."
That is how people jump from one bad role to the next.
In this market, the margin for error is small. You do not want to make the wrong move.
Here are the signs to look for before you say yes.
1. They move too fast
Yes, there is such a thing as too fast.
If a company is willing to offer you a job after one call, with no technical screen, no references, no real vetting, that is a red flag.
It means they are desperate, disorganized, or both. It means they are not evaluating you with care. And if they do not evaluate carefully on the way in, do you think they will support or grow you on the way forward?
Fast is fine. Reckless is not.
What to ask:
“Can you walk me through your typical interview process and how you evaluate success in this role?”
2. Nobody can explain the role
If you ask what success looks like in the first 90 days and they cannot answer it clearly, they are hiring out of panic.
Hiring should be about solving a specific problem. If they cannot define the problem, how are you supposed to solve it?
You are not walking into structure. You are walking into chaos.
What to ask:
“What would you want to see from me in the first 3 months that would make you say this hire was a success?”
3. The interview is disorganized or inconsistent
If you are asked the same question three times by three different people, that is not just annoying. It is a sign of deeper issues.
It usually means there is no hiring rubric. No alignment on the role. No clarity on how decisions get made. That lack of structure does not stop at the interview process. It is likely how they run the team too.
What to look for:
Interviewers seem surprised to be talking to you
They do not reference your resume
They miss scheduled times with no follow up
They ask wildly different or irrelevant questions
4. You are doing all the chasing
If you are the only one following up, asking for feedback, and trying to move the process forward, you are the only one who cares.
You want to be pursued too. Not in a desperate way. But in a way that shows they value your time.
If they are this bad at communication during the “sales” process, imagine what it will be like after you sign.
What to ask yourself:
Are they showing me the same level of respect and urgency I am showing them?
5. Their answers feel too polished or vague
You should be allowed to ask hard questions. About turnover. About career growth. About team morale. If every answer feels like it was run through PR first, they are hiding something.
Not every job is perfect. But good companies will be transparent about the challenges.
If you hear phrases like:
“We are like a family”
“We work hard and play hard”
“There is never a typical day here”
“We are still figuring things out”
Push further. They are dodging the truth.
What to ask:
“What are some of the biggest challenges your team is facing right now?”
“What made the last person leave this role?”
“What is one thing you wish you could improve about your org structure?”
6. High turnover or missing titles
If everyone you meet has been there less than a year, ask why. And if you only meet peers but never a hiring manager or skip level exec, ask yourself what they are hiding.
Good leaders want to meet top candidates. Bad ones delegate everything so they can avoid accountability.
Also watch out for roles that seem to hire every 6 to 12 months. Look them up on LinkedIn. If the same job title has been posted or filled 3 times in 2 years, there is a retention problem.
What to check:
LinkedIn alumni pages
Job boards with old postings
Team members’ average tenure on LinkedIn
7. Culture red flags during the call
Interrupting you. Speaking down to you. Seeming distracted. These are not minor issues. This is how they operate.
You will not change their behavior after you join. And even if your manager seems great, culture issues tend to trickle down.
If it feels off, it probably is.
What to trust:
Your gut. Every time.
8. Overpromising with no data
“We are going to IPO soon.”
“We are building the next big thing.”
“There is unlimited growth potential here.”
Big claims are fine. But there should be data to back it up.
Ask about funding, revenue, product market fit, team attrition, or how many people actually got promoted in the past year.
Good companies are transparent. Bad ones will spin a narrative and hope you buy in before you ask too many questions.
What to ask:
“What are your biggest indicators that this is working?”
“How is performance evaluated and rewarded on this team?”
Final Take
A bad job is not always obvious on day one.
Sometimes it is death by a thousand cuts. A toxic culture hidden by a charming manager. A chaotic product masked by a shiny pitch deck. A role with no real path forward, dressed up as a “growth opportunity.”
Your job is not just to get hired. Your job is to vet the company as hard as they are vetting you.
This market is hard. Desperation is real. But making the wrong move will cost you time, money, and peace of mind.
Ask better questions. Read between the lines. Pay attention to how they act, not just what they say.
You are not just interviewing for a job.
You are interviewing for your future.
If you’re looking for bespoke advice, you can book a call with me here.
I also wrote an e-book that details all my advice in one spot which you can by here for just $5.
“Unlimited growth potential” and “We’re family”
Run.
Run.