20 Red Flags in Job Interviews That Made People Walk Away

Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor

Jul 18, 2023 8:00 AM EDT

Everyone has a mental list of red flags to bear in mind when walking into a job interview. You might even keep a physical list with you at all times. That list might include a list of preferred benefits (healthcare, PTO days, etc.), a base salary requirement (they better be upfront about this one!), or even buzzwords that provide a window into a toxic work environment (anyone who utters "we're really like a family here" is a potential employer to walk away from immediately). This collection of job interview red flags made folks walk away on the spot, and if they didn't, they certainly regretted not doing it then and there.

The stories certainly bring me back to being fresh out of college and completely naive about how to advocate for myself in the workplace. Little did I know at the time, but I was conditioned to think that I could only be so lucky if anyone wanted to hire me at all. I didn't take pride in my skill set, and I certainly didn't feel like the reverse dynamic (i.e. that a company could be so lucky to have me on their payroll) was a possibility. Like many adults who become disillusioned with the workforce very quickly, I came to understand that gratitude for being there can blind you from seeing what a potential employer is putting on the table.

Keep scrolling below for these red flags. When you're finished, here's a story about a front desk agent who walked out mid-shift.

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