I once was in discussion with a finance-related company that expected me to shake down customers in bad areas and do nightly cash deposits at a bank where others had recently been mugged. Their “safe” was a paper box in the office.

They changed how much I would be paid by saying I was expected to work ten to twenty hours overtime/salary wage suddenly.

Management made a point to tell me they offered free chips and sodas, and a moment later, they called an employee greedy and fat for enjoying said snacks.

I could go on.

When I decided not to take the job, I called the manager only to find out that he had gone on vacation — no supporting incoming staff — and the chick above him about lost her mind on me when I told her it wasn’t going to happen.

I’m so glad I bailed.

I was an individual contributor at a telephone directory publishing company. I was asked by our supervisor, along with a coworker, to sit in on job interviews to fill a position that would be our equal in the department.

There were three people interviewed. Two already worked for the company in a different department and would be great to work with. There was one girl — yes, “girl”; she was very young — who interviewed well.

However, my coworker and I saw right through her “act”. We both commented to our supervisor that she didn’t have enough experience to be considered. She also wouldn’t fit in well with the rest of the department.

Of course, the idiot supervisor hired her, and I was the one to train her. She never took notes, even though I suggested she should. I would give her tasks to complete to see if she was retaining what we went over. The task would not be done when I checked her progress.

I would complete it since it needed to be done in a timely manner. Then, I’d inform her I’d had to complete it since she hadn’t. Her excuse was always, “I was about to do the task, but you already did it.”

There were more issues that needed correction after she did do tasks. It was so aggravating to have to deal with her.

Then, she started coming in dressed in pajamas and slippers. She was told she needed to dress more appropriately.

Thankfully, she and the supervisor were both laid off during a reduction in force.

I’ve been spending a lot of time on job sites for the last few years due to a lot of raw luck, and most job listings are generally in the same few categories: “Vague”, “Dry-But-Straight-Forward”, “We’re-A-FUN-And-Quirky-Workplace”, “I have someone in mind but I had to write a job ad”, and maybe a few, “I’m not paying you more than minimum wage, but you’d better have seven years of experience.”

Here’s one I saw today that really stood out for an unreasonable ask. It was full of grammatical errors and random capitalization.

Job Listing: “Full Job Description: Experienced, effective graphic design EXPERT. Must have advertising background. In order to apply, you must submit a mock ad for our brand to my email, which can be found in the contact section of [Website].

“We are looking for an artist who can create poignant call-to-action ads that fit our company aesthetic. The ideal candidate can provide a portfolio of advertising design work. Must attach examples of AD work for women’s clothing, even if it’s just a mock-up, for this position. Please do not apply if you do not have an advertising graphic design background.

“Office location is inside a clothing boutique. Must be able to run store functions and ring up customer sales as needed. If you do not want to also be a sales associate, do not apply.”

So, they are asking for you to make an ad for free. Don’t ask designers to make demo designs; that’s a real design you’re asking for, and that’s what you need to pay for. Not to mention, that’s why people have portfolios. Artists, designers, etc. don’t do spec work. That’s how you get scammed and taken advantage of. Draw a hard line on free professional work.

And apparently, the super graphic designer “EXPERT” also has to run the store for them. Because experienced, established marketing designers love to jump back into retail just for funsies.

There wasn’t a pay scale listed, and I didn’t look too carefully after seeing “Send me a design first.” I only clicked back into the ad a second later when my brain went, “Wait, did they say you have to run the store, too?”

About a year before the global health crisis hit, I lost my previous long-time job. The drama surrounding that could be several individual stories — maybe someday.

This story is about the first interview for a new job I got afterward. Having been working in a warehouse for years and repeatedly passed over for promotion or transfer, I was excited to answer an ad for a Warehouse Supervisor position. The pay wasn’t superb, but it was better than what I’d been making. It was explicitly listed as an “introductory” salary, and there were various decent benefits listed.

I’d already spoken to the operations manager on the phone, and he liked what he heard and saw on the resume, so a lot of the interview was getting-to-know-you-type stuff about me and about the company, general warehouse-related questions, etc. The manager was very gregarious and very personable but also very, very much a salesman. It put me a little on edge how much he was trying to sell “opportunity” and “futures” and sounding more like a multi-level marketing scheme than a restaurant-supply warehouse.

After the less-than-impressive tour and meeting the warehouse manager — red flag #2 was that this group of less than ten people was to have both a manager and a supervisor — we finally sat down to discuss specifics on the job. Considering how happily he had responded to some extremely basic and common-sense questions, he was really overplaying a position of superiority when I could tell he was desperate. Then, this occurred.

Manager: “So, the pay rate is going to be $13 an hour, and—”

Me: “Whoa, hold on! The ad stated that the starting salary was going to be $16 an hour, and that was an introductory rate!”

Manager: “Well, let me finish. We run a minimum of fifty-hour work weeks, so that’s the equivalent of $16 for a forty-hour week, plus extras.”

Me: “Hm, that’s the first time I’ve heard about that because, again, in the advertisement for this position, it stated forty-hour weeks. So, you’re saying I would be getting a minimum of ten hours of overtime a week?”

Manager: “Actually, we don’t pay overtime; part of the contract is that you waive the right to it.”

Me: “I see, I see… Should I also assume that the benefits listed don’t match what you actually offer?”

Manager: “Oh, no, no! Our insurance is actually very high-tier for the amount it costs, and you qualify after twelve months.”

Me: “So, you want a warehouse supervisor who waives their legally obligated rights in exchange for below-standard pay rates and no benefits for a year?”

Manager: “Well, technically, you wouldn’t be a supervisor. We’d have you as a standard warehouse employee for a four-to-six-month evaluation before we decide where you’re going.”

Me: “Mhm. I’ll definitely have to think about that, but thank you for your time.”

I spent most of the hour-long drive home ranting and raving with my husband over the phone. The astonishing part was that the manager actually called me back twice, trying to offer me the “great opportunity” to work there and saying that I was passing up a “sure thing.”

Oh, yeah. So sure.

For the record, the job I DID get was a desk job with better pay and benefits, and I’ve already gotten a promotion and a raise despite the tumult the world’s gone through.

It seems like that company eternally has a “warehouse supervisor” hiring ad open. It’s a real mystery how it never gets filled!

I am a web project manager in a good position, with really good working conditions, a very good team, and a very good salary. I am not looking for another job, but I also said to myself that I will always try not to miss good opportunities. I’ve had several job interviews, but none of them grabbed my attention. I’ve turned down a couple that were promising around ten percent bigger salary.

I am approached by one company; I was referred by some previous colleagues as a highly professional project manager. The company is a new one and I’ve never heard about them before, but I decide to follow my rule: never miss good opportunities.

We set up an interview and they tell me about the position and responsibilities. They always emphasize that they are only looking for an extremely skilled and professional person, as projects will be huge, and the person will need to manage big groups of people. They continue talking about work, and everything seems okay but too good to be true. I sense there is something wrong here.

Me: “Okay, it seems you are looking for a very skilled person. I know I fit this position, as you can see from my experience and references. Now, let’s talk about work conditions, salary, benefits — what you are offering.”

Interviewer: “Oh, about that. It’s a five- to six-hour job per day, and currently, this position is unpaid. We also cannot grant a personal car and laptop. Also—”

Me: “I am sorry, did I hear that right? This is an unpaid position?”

Interviewer: “Yes.”

Me: “You really expect to find someone so skilled, to work for free, like a charity? I really do not get why you do not look for students or interns.”

Interviewer: “What? They have no experience! We do not want such people!”

Me: “Of course they don’t. But what makes you think someone skilled will go for it? What makes you think I will quit my [salary] a year paying job just to work for free for you?”

Interviewer: “Well, if you really earn [salary] a year, you must have some savings.”

I started laughing. Then, I suggested we finish the interview and ironically wished them good luck in their search.