Don't ignore that inner voice during interviews
When Sarita Banning interviewed for a management job at a Delaware company in October 2006, she was told during the interview process that the business was "in transition" as a result of a merger.
"The managers looked stressed. You could see it," said Banning, of Odessa, Del. "They even said they had no clue how things were going to play out. But I did choose to ignore it because it was a huge company and I thought, 'This can't be possible.' "
By Day 3 on the job, Banning realized she had made a horrible mistake. She lasted six months on the job, long enough to have learned a valuable life lesson: Heed those caution signals. "If I saw those warning signs again, I'd run. I wouldn't even waste my time," she said.
Like Banning, most employees who wind up in the wrong job know intuitively that something is not right before they even get an offer, said psychologists and career experts.
"Every single person who is unhappy in their career has told me that looking back to the interview, something didn't feel right," said Deborah Brown-Volkman, author of "Coach Yourself to a New Career: A Guide for Discovering Your Ultimate Profession."
But people naturally go into the process hoping it's going to be positive, said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, an outplacement consulting firm in Chicago. In many ways, the job interview process is similar to dating.
"Anyone says something bad, you don't want to hear it," said Alice Domar, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School.
In addition, people who are out of work or are threatened with losing a job are fearful about the future, said Brown-Volkman, of East Moriches, N.Y. Fear then trumps caution.
"If you are out of work, your survival instincts take over, and you will ignore the warning signals," Brown-Volkman said.
For those who have a job and are unhappy, there's "a need to believe the grass is greener," Domar said.
For people being actively recruited by an employer, the ego kicks in.
"It's very seductive to be wanted," said Karissa Thacker, a management psychologist in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
Prospective employees should be aware that the recruiting process is a sales job on both ends, psychologists and career experts said. Applicants are eager to put their best foot forward, particularly if they need a job. Employers want to convey the image of a desirable organization. The company Web site, for example, tells you what the company wants you to know, Brown-Volkman said.
"Beware of that. Who's really selling whom?" Thacker said.
When people ignore the warning signals, it's because they make "cognitive errors," giving greater weight to one or another factor, such as money or the commute, Thacker said. Once on the job, a person then realizes the money is excellent, but the hours are horrendous, and the commute is unbearable.
"It really is a two-way evaluation. But most employees think the employer has the upper hand. They don't call when they say they're going to call. It really is like a relationship," Brown-Volkman said.
But unlike dating, job applicants often don't have enough time to get to know the employer before the marriage proposal. So it's important to remember that an offer "doesn't mean you have to accept," Challenger said.
Experts suggest making a list of pros and cons. If the money is good, try not to overweight that against other negative factors.
"Ask yourself how it fits with your five-year plan, your 10-year plan," Thacker said.
For those who wind up in a bad situation, the best response is to get out quickly, the career counselors said. Don't hang around and feel trapped. That saps the energy needed to look for another job, Brown-Volkman said.
"If you do make a bad decision, it's OK. Everybody has one bad thing on their resume," Brown-Volkman said.
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