8 Danger Signs When You’re Job Searching

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Allison -
I love your column and your thoughts. You should also add these annoyances/danger signs -
1. Employers that use personality tests, and also those who ask for your credit history. How would any of these paint a picture of who you are and how great a candidate you'd be? Personally, I despise these, and when I come across these items when an employer contacts me, I begrudgingly take the tests, but decline my credit report.
2. Having ridiculous requirements for a job (speak Chinese, German or Korean - or require a degree for a simple administrative or clerical job). Employers are STINGY - they are looking for the so called "perfect candidate", only to jerk everyone around, sometimes with no intention of ever hiring anyone, just to satisfy legal stipulations for job vacancies.
3. They demand so much from you, testing, filling out paper work, etc., only to not hear from them again - and some are so snobby they truly say/unsay "don't call us, and we might or might not call you."

Frustrated Job Seeker of GA 11:25AM June 05, 2013

Allison -
I love your column and your thoughts. You should also add these annoyances/danger signs -
1. Employers that use personality tests, and also those who ask for your credit history. How would any of these paint a picture of who you are and how great a candidate you'd be? Personally, I despise these, and when I come across these items when an employer contacts me, I begrudgingly take the tests, but decline my credit report.
2. Having ridiculous requirements for a job (speak Chinese, German or Korean - or require a degree for a simple administrative or clerical job). Employers are STINGY - they are looking for the so called "perfect candidate", only to jerk everyone around, sometimes with no intention of ever hiring anyone, just to satisfy legal stipulations for job vacancies.
3. They demand so much from you, testing, filling out paper work, etc., only to not hear from them again - and some are so snobby they truly say/unsay "don't call us, and we might or might not call you."

Frustrated Job Seeker of GA 9:35AM June 04, 2013

Please don't give up of playing that game of our references. In our lifetime journey, always there is an obstacle of people or way that disturbing in the conditions difficult to avoid. There is something we can change and cannot, even for the new development.

Andre Budianto S 4:13AM December 27, 2011

I remember trying to apply at this one store that was opening in my area (Buy Buy Baby, if you know of it). The management was so unprepared and so unprofessional that it wasn't funny. They rented this tiny conference room, which was over capacity. After you turned in the applications, they called you up to be interviewed publicly. The interviews were nearly impossible to do because of the high tension in the room and the managers were extremely rude. It was a complete waste of time! I could tell that the man interviewing me wasn't interested (even though he threw at me the "we'll call if" line). I even very politely thanked him for his time and requested him to have a good day and all I got was the cold shoulder, extremely rude.
@Chibi Same thing with my fiancee. The interviewer was quite impressed with his responses and experience. We've both been unable to get work, no matter how many applications we put in, so we were rather excited that he might get a job. Then the next day, my fiancee got an email saying they weren't interested. Not only was he offended, but so was I. He went all that way and for what? A very impersonal response. Instead of telling him straight up, they basically gave him the "text message break up" response. Target's management is very rude.

Lili of IL 4:28AM December 14, 2011

Great article, I’ll keep these in mind.
@DEB of CA – that must have been very frustrating and inconvenient. The lack of clear communication on their part was very unprofessional and leaves one feeling uncertain of what to do. Sorry you had to experience that.
@RICHARD TETE – I found your comment to be unnecessary, inconsiderate and disrespectful. There is an old saying “no romance without finance”. A lack of financial stability can put a strain on any marriage. Love doesn’t pay the bills. Out of this entire article and all these comments, your only focus was to dissect Mr. Foley’s marriage? Very rude.

PFW of GA 2:25AM December 14, 2011

@James Foley - If your marriage is that dependent on you making money, it's not much of a marriage to begin with.

Richard Tete 3:35PM December 13, 2011

My last interview went well, i thought. toward the end of the interview, my interviewer said we could skip some of the paperwork involved. it was one of those 50 question tests designed to "disect you." at first, i thought this was good as i explained i had "disected" many of these questionares before. it turned out he/she had no interest in me. i would not have wasted my time or his/hers had i known. that turned out to be the worst interview of my life! i was asked to call in a couple days and never reached the interviewer. if you are not interested, just tell me. my time is valuable also.

mike ledacciola of AL 3:30PM December 13, 2011

Macy's Herald Square, La Grenouille, The River Cafe, Harry's Bar and Cafe and most jobs in NYC
Each interview I was treated like a moron, no appreciation for going out of my way only to be asked personal questions and told I was overqualified--even when they had my resume up front.
The hiring manager at The River Cafe in Dumbo was verbally abusive and sexually agressive--i kissed up to him for a job and then walked out two weeks later when I was told "I dont worhsip him enough"
Yikes !!

tara ann rose of NY 11:48PM November 25, 2011

Absolutely agree with #4, 6 & 7. I experienced these in my last two jobs. Both interviews included young, hard-nosed women who seemed determined to make me feel as unqualified as possible for the positions even though I thoroughly answered each interview question with flying colors. I ignored my gut feeling to run the other direction hoping that my initial assessments were off base. I took the jobs anyway and they were the worst decisions of my professional career. Once in these positions of these little prima donnas who improved the bottom line they created nightmares for working conditions. Management refused to mentor these little darlings knowing that they created hostile and unproductive work enviornments, refused to share knowledge tools that effectively contribute to the failure of anyone they deem a threat to their limelight.

Lessons Learned of IN 2:19PM November 22, 2011

something like this happened to me, I had an interview over the phone, and they said if I would go to training. & I did. The girl I worked with gave me an address told me to go the following week. I asked her what time I was suppose to start, she told me to call the guy who did the phone interview and find out. I did and they never answered I left a msg and they never called back, so when the day came I went either way& when I got there the girl told me they changed the schedule, & they didn't need me so they sent me home, saying they'll call back. They havent called me back. I technically wasn't an employee since I was suppose to fill out an application the second day. So I did 9hours of training for nothing. I find them very unprofessional.

Deb of CA 3:18AM November 21, 2011