How to Spot a Bad Boss While Job Searching

How to Spot a Bad Boss While Job SearchingHow to Spot a Bad Boss While Job Searching6There are so many things to be concerned about while youre looking for a job. When will you find a job? Are you qualified enough for the punkt once you find it? Will you be able to make a good first impression? Do you know how to answer all those tricky job interview questions? Theres one question that many job seekers dont think about, but its a crucial one how can you spot a bad anfhrer while job searching?Even if you find a job that looks like it could be a good fit for you, youre qualified for the position, you made a great first impression, and you were able to answer all of those strange job interview questions, a bad boss can make that once-fabulous job a living hell. Luckily, you dont have to wait until youre hired to realize that your boss is a creep.Here are a few ways to spot a bad boss while youre job searching.Before the job interview.If you thought that you had to wait until meeting you r potential boss in person to determine if hes going to be a bad boss, think again. There are telltale clues that you can plek up on even before you face off in person. For example, how does he behave in email exchanges? Is he professional or impersonal? Is he friendly- or worse, overly friendly and crossing personal boundaries? Or maybe hes disorganized and doesnt respond to emails for a few days, leaving you wondering if you did or said something to offend him. Your gut instinct will let you know if something is amiss, so be sure to keep your eyes open for signs.During the job interview.If you already had an odd feeling about your prospective boss before meeting him, sitting down across from him during a job interview can confirm what youve been feeling all along. The first clue is his office. Is it super messy, with papers strewn everywhere? Thats a sign of not only a cluttered office, but a cluttered mind as well. Is he unprofessional, rude, or just downright mean and condescend ing? Its important to remember that the job interview is the opportunity for not only you to be on your best behavior, but your boss as well. (Thats why, in many ways, a job interview is like a first date.) If your boss feels comfortable enough to act like a jerk in front of you during the job interview, theres a very good chance that he will continue being one (or worse) after youre hired.After the job interview.After youve finished with your interview, you should see if you can confirm your sinking suspicions about your boss-to-be. As you walk through the hallways on your way out, try to pick up on the offices vibe. Does the atmosphere seem light, with colleagues laughing and talking with each other? Or is it like a tomb, with everyone sitting silently at their desks? Seeing how the office functions can speak volumes about how your boss is as a manager.And if youre interviewing for a telecommuting position, you can ask to speak with members of the team to see if you can glean any inside intel as to how the person is as a manager. In fact, Glassdoor has great anonymous employee reviews for larger companies so you can get a sense for what the companys management structure is like in general, including reviews of the CEO. It makes all the difference in realizing that you dont want the job after all.Its easy to overlook a potentially bad boss when youre trying to find a job. But if you gloss over potential clues into his bad character, you may end up accepting a position that youll later have to turn down. That can cause you to waste precious money and time. And keep in mind the old expression a leopard (or in this case, a bad boss) cant change its spots.Readers, have you ever experienced signs that a boss was bad before or during a job interview? What happened? Did you wind up accepting the job- or not? Let us know in the comments section below