Q. My current boss is awful. Super unethical. Mean. Downright not a nice person. When I interviewed here a few years ago though, he seemed awesome. I’m interviewing now. How can I spot a bad boss during the interview?
A. First, I’m sorry to hear you’re in a current toxic boss situation. That’s definitely not fun, but the good news is you’re actively interviewing. Many times, the only way out is the exit door.
Now, as for your question, you can do the best you can (and in a second I’ll offer some tips), but during the interview both the candidate and hiring manager are typically on their best behavior. You may not be able to catch any or some red flags. Please be kind to yourself in that regard and also trust that you will make the best decision on whether or not to proceed with the interview process based on the information you’re gathering.
As for what to look out for, does the prospective boss interrupt you? Make eye contact as you’re talking or is the boss scrolling on their phone, looking at their screen, basically not giving you their undivided attention? Do they talk negatively about the company and/or people on the team? Do they seem respectable? If you’re in the hallway and the boss is saying hello to people, what is their reaction? (I’m asking because I remember my very first interview when I graduated from college occurred at 6 p.m. on a weeknight. No one looked happy to be there after hours and when the boss said hello to everyone, they grimaced. Whether that was toward the boss and/or the environment, that was a red flag for me.) Try to do the best you can. The more you can interview with multiple companies, the more you can contrast and compare especially as it relates to the new potential boss. Good luck!
Q. I want to take the summer off. I’m graduating this month and feel pressure to land a job. I saved up from my two jobs during my senior year. Is that OK?
A. Congrats on your upcoming graduation! Only you can determine what is best for you. What I can say is that there is definitely value to taking a break after earning a degree, working on an arduous project, anything that consumes your time and attention to achieve an accomplishment. And financially it sounds like you’ve planned for it, so do what is best for you and then it sounds like you’ll be refreshed for launching your job search in a few months. Enjoy!
Vicki Salemi is a career expert, former corporate recruiter, author, consultant, speaker, and career coach. Send your questions to [email protected]. For more information and to subscribe to Vicki’s newsletter, visit www.vickisalemi.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram @vickisalemi./Tribune News Service
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