How to Avoid Working for a Toxic Boss

Several years ago I had a weird thing happen on a job interview. Actually, it was a very helpful thing that kept me from taking a job that could have turned into a disaster. I was being interviewed by a woman who then brought me in to meet her boss who was the person to whom I would have to report. During the few minutes I spent with them -- it was probably under a half hour -- he yelled at the woman a few times. When he wasn't yelling he was talking down to her. He was quite nice to me however. In spite of that, although I was ultimately offered the job, I turned it down. I knew his treatment of his employee was a good predictor of how he would treat me, or anyone else who worked for him. Lucky for me to discover this on the job interview.

In an article on Monster.com, contributing writer Margot Carmichael Lester, tells you what the ten signs of a toxic boss are. Ms. Lester points out that you can often see these red flags show up as early as a job interview. Heeding the advice in this article, says the author, can help you "avoid a negative work environment -- or at least know what you're in for."

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