In your job search, you’ll read dozens—maybe hundreds—of job descriptions. After a while, they can all start to run together. 

But there are some words and phrases that you should look out for. They may indicate a harmful work environment, poor work/life balance, or simply unclear job expectations. Here’s what to watch out for while you’re on the job hunt!

1. Unlimited PTO

Sounds amazing, right? Maybe not.

When companies offer unlimited paid time off, it puts employees in the awkward position of not knowing how much time off is too much. As a result, they tend to take less than employees that have a set number of days. According to Namely, people with unlimited PTO take an average of 13 days per year, compared to 15 days for those with a traditional PTO plan.

It might be helpful to ask how many days people actually take off, to get a sense of how the unlimited PTO policy works in practice. 

2. “We’re a Family”

You already have a family, whether it’s the one you were born into or the one you created yourself. A family is the people you’d drop anything for at 3:00 am when they needed your help. It’s not a supervisor who can’t manage his time, and therefore expects you to cancel your evening or weekend plans to help him finish a project. 

Workplaces that claim to be a family can come with the downsides of family—poor boundaries and guilt trips. No thanks.

3. Must Be a Self-Starter

This is one of those cliches that is overused on both resumes and job listings. What does it actually mean?

It could mean that you’ll be given very little training, and be expected to “figure it out” as you go. It could also mean that your job duties aren’t very well-defined. This happens sometimes with startups, as they’re still working on defining their roles. Ask lots of questions about training, job duties, and company goals so you can figure out what “self-starter” means to them.

4. No Salary Listed

A job description should be written to attract the best talent that a company can afford. But when the company doesn’t tell you the base salary—or even a salary range—it could indicate that they plan to offer a below-market rate for the expertise and responsibilities required.

Employers may also choose to omit the salary to prevent current employees from using that info to negotiate higher wages for themselves. Fairness comes through transparency, so if they’re trying to hide this info from current staff, it could mean they don’t give many raises or bonuses.

Plus, going through the entire interview process only to get a job offer and find out it’s significantly less than your current salary can waste hours of your time. Omitting salaries from job descriptions is unfortunately pretty common, so it’s not always a red flag. But it’s worth considering.

5. An Enormous List of Required Expertise

You’ve probably seen job postings that look like this: 

Job Responsibilities: 

• PPC campaigns
• Email marketing
• Social media management
• Blog and content writing
• Website management
• SEO
• Graphic Design
• SMS marketing
• Public relations
• Marketing data analytics

There are about six different jobs in there, from analysis to graphic design to copywriting. And it’s impossible to be an expert at them all. They’re looking for a marketing unicorn—someone who can do all the jobs of an entire marketing department, but in record time and with the salary of a single person. A job like this sounds like a quick road to burnout!

6. Must Have a Sense of Humor

Unless you’re applying for a job as a comedian or circus clown, why is a sense of humor a job requirement?

While this could simply mean they’re looking for someone that can have fun at work, it can also indicate that you’ll be expected to tolerate off-color jokes or inappropriate banter. And when you complain, you’ll be branded “too serious” or “no fun.” 

No one likes to be the office killjoy, but it’s also not fair to expect anyone to tolerate offensive “jokes.”

7. Anything That Shows a Negative Attitude 

When an employer is looking for a new hire, they should put their best foot forward. So what does it say about them when they start this new relationship with combative or aggressive language like this?

• Don’t apply if you’re entitled
• There are no free rides/Don’t apply if you’re lazy
• Leave your emotions at the door
• No whiners/crybabies/snowflakes
• If you get sick often or take vacation, don’t apply

A job description like this immediately puts the applicant on the defensive, as if they’ve been accused of something before they’ve even had the chance to apply. It’s a bad first impression.

Plus…no crybabies? Why? Is the boss mean enough that he or she makes people cry?

Red Flags…But Not Necessarily Dealbreakers!

As a final note: remember that none of these terms or additions/omissions should be considered deal-breakers. Always do your due diligence by checking employee reviews and asking lots of interview questions to find out if they’re really worth your concern!