Maybe you’ve been out of work for a while. You are watching your savings dwindle, the holidays aren’t looking very jolly and you are envisioning a long wait for the right job.
So, when you finally land an offer, it is easy to try to overlook the fact that:
- During your interactions with the company, they treated you badly,
- They weren’t particularly well organized and
- Everyone working there seemed unhappy.
I’ve written about this before, but since today’s economy seems even more likely than ever to make job seekers grab the first job that comes their way, it seems a good time to remind everyone to consider a few important facts:
- When a company is hiring, an applicant should assume that they (the company) are on their “best behavior” during the process. So, if arrangements are disorganized, interviewers seem unfriendly, people around the office seem unhappy or disgruntled, someone makes a snide remark about the boss or HR is unclear about the position’s duties – consider yourself forewarned.
- If you take a job with a company that you know comes with problems, you may very well be jumping from the frying pan (unemployment) to the fire (employment with a badly run organization).
- If you are miserable in your new job, it will be difficult to spend time searching for yet another job, and you may wind up in a situation (if you leave the new job) of explaining why you left, which is never easy.
The main point of this post is not to convince you not to take a job offer that will help you pay your bills. It’s to remind you that you should try not to let desperation make a decision for you. If you go into a situation with your eyes open to potential problems, don’t put on rose-colored glasses and assume everything is going to be okay. Use whatever skills you can muster to manage yourself and protect your career. Focus on how you can make the most of the situation while you are there.
I’m a big believer in the idea that awareness of a problem actually helps lead to a solution. So, if you take a job despite red flags during the interview process, remember that forewarned is forearmed. Act accordingly.
Have you REALLY done everything you can to help yourself and the RIGHT job? We can help! You may need a transformed resume, some outside-of-the-box advice and a professional to coach you along. I can help you! www.keppiecareers.com
photo by image-ination