Avoid Winding Up in a Lousy Job

I recently spoke with a woman who had been in a new job for three months, and she thought she was going loopy. The company was not at all what she had expected when she interviewed. Using conventional wisdom (outdated, in my opinion), some people might advise her to stay, to finish out a year with the company, so she can "look good" on her resume.

Frustrated But, really, staying at a life-sapping job for another nine months? Hah! Then imagine how lousy her energy would be for a job search. She'd be totally tapped out, drained, burned out, a zombie. And what would she have to show for it?

So, she left the company after three months, and is on the job market again.

How could she have avoided getting into a poorly-fitting job?

CNN recently ran an article, in conjunction with Career Builder, detailing six signs your new job is lousy. I'd like to look at those six signs -- and show you how you can proactively check a company's health, before you sign on:

CNN lists six signs that a job is lousy...in black. And in blue, I share six things you can do in the interview process to find out, in advance, if a job is lousy.

1. You ask your new boss for supplies and she hands you a No. 2 pencil and legal pad -- and nothing else.

You can avoid this situation. Once you've been extended an offer, tell the hiring manager that as part of the package, you expect certain basics, like a laptop. You might even want to talk about extra supplies or services you need, like a Blackberry or cellular service. If your request generates concern, that's a sign that the company may not be in good health.

Imnotgood 2. You were shown to a cubicle your first day of work, given a company manual and haven't spoken to anyone since.
Goodness gracious! Be sure to ask upfront: "What kind of training is involved in this job? Will it be on the job? If so, who will be training me and when? Or do you offer formal training classes?"

Also, be sure to ask to meet your future colleagues, not just the hiring manager, during the recruitment process. Ideally, meet them both in the office and at a restaurant or cafe. People often let down their guard when they are offsite, so take advantage of the more casual atmosphere.

3. You get the same reaction every time you tell someone about your new job and employer: Raised eyebrows and "Really? ... Good luck with that."

If people outside your company know that the place is a horror house and you don't know it as a job seeker, then you have not done your homework. But sometimes, there are more subtle issues. It's always vital to ask, "Why are you looking for someone to fill this role now?" Be sure that you get a coherent answer, and that the rationale is related to the corporate strategy, not just because they need warm bodies or someone to fill a quota. If you're considering joining a publicly held company, do some online due-diligence and look through their financial statements to check whether they are in bankruptcy or have substantial issues that might impact your ability to get your paycheck.

4. After two weeks on the job, you are already halfway to becoming the employee with the most seniority.

Again, this is another reason to ask the question, "Why are you looking for someone to fill this role now?" You also want to ask the employees you meet, "How long have you been working here, and how do you like it?" If you hear that most people are short-timers, and this is not an absolute startup, this should start to make you suspicious.

Ohnodoubt 5. You answer the phone while the company's secretary is away from her desk and find that the voice at the other end is a collection agency calling for the third time that week.

Holy moly! Why would you want a job where you'd answer the secretary's phone anyway? But, really, you can find out a lot about a company by calling some suppliers and buyers and finding out how they like doing business with the company. You can do that by posting a question on the LinkedIn Answers section asking "Are you a buyer or supplier for XYZ Company (the one you want to join)? I'd love to hear how it is to do business with them." You might just get some private messages telling you to be cautious or stay away.

6. You notice that every day for the last week, at least one person has run crying from your boss's office.

Not cool! This is why you want to interview everyone on the team. A great question to ask is "How has working for Ms. Boss or Mr. Boss enriched your career?" Your question deliberately assumes that this person is a great manager. That way, if that's not the case, you'll watch the respondent hiccup or barf or wince or gasp, because it's generally hard to tell a lie. Listen for a snow job. If you don't get one, then it's likely that the boss is just fine.

I share these tips because too often, I find that job seekers give away their power. They make the interview process a one-way street, like an interrogation. Guess what? As a job seeker, you not only have the right to ask a bunch of questions, you've got a requirement to ask -- IF you want to stay in charge of your career.

So if there's any nagging doubt if a job fits for you or not, ASK QUESTIONS. You deserve to have work that fits, so you and the employer can get as much benefit as possible from your association.

Here's to finding work that fits!
Susan

Susan Bernstein, MBA MA
Job Search Coach & Founder
The Job Search Gym
www.JobSearchGym.com