Red Flags in Job Descriptions You Should Never Ignore
Not every job posting is what it seems. Here's how to spot the warning signs that separate real opportunities from time-wasters.
Job Descriptions Are Marketing
Companies write job descriptions to attract candidates, not to give you an honest picture of the role. Once you understand that, it becomes a lot easier to read between the lines.
Here are the warning signs that experienced job seekers know to look for.
Compensation Red Flags
"Competitive salary." Translation: they don't want to share the number. If it were actually competitive, they'd put it right there in the posting. Always ask for the range on the first call.
"Unlimited PTO." Sounds amazing on paper. In practice, it often means no PTO accrual (so nothing gets paid out when you leave), plus social pressure to take fewer days off. Companies with unlimited PTO average 10-12 days taken per year. Companies with fixed PTO? 15-20 days.
"Equity instead of salary." This is fine at later-stage startups on a clear path to IPO. It's a red flag at early-stage companies using it to justify paying you below market rate.
Culture Red Flags
"We're a family here." Translation: they'll expect loyalty that goes way beyond what your paycheck justifies. Families don't do performance reviews and layoffs.
"Fast-paced environment." Could mean genuinely exciting product velocity. Could also mean understaffed, chaotic, no processes, and you'll be doing three people's jobs for one salary.
"Must be comfortable with ambiguity." The good version: you'll have real autonomy to define your work. The bad version: nobody knows what they're doing, including management.
"Work hard, play hard." Almost always just means: work hard. The "play" part is pizza during crunch time.
Role Red Flags
"Wearing many hats." If they can't clearly define what the job is, they probably want one person doing three roles at one salary.
"Other duties as assigned." Every job description has this, legally. But if it's front and center, expect the scope to keep growing.
"Looking for a rockstar/ninja/guru." Cringe terminology usually means they don't know what they actually need, they'll have unrealistic expectations, or the team culture is immature.
Unrealistic requirements. "5 years of experience with a framework that's been around for 3 years." This happens more than you'd think. It usually means HR wrote the listing without talking to engineering.
Green Flags Worth Looking For
Not everything is bad. Great postings include:
- Salary range posted openly. Signals a transparent company.
- Specific tech stack. They know what they're building.
- Clear growth path. Promotion criteria are defined.
- Interview process explained. They respect your time.
- Benefits listed in full. Nothing to hide.
- Team size mentioned. You know what you're walking into.
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Last updated: February 2026