Ask HN: How do detect a crappy boss / toxic environment when interviewing?
1.)go with wisdom, NOT with truism rules
-If respect isn&#x27;t reciprocal, run.
   be thankful you have a job. Some bosses are psychotic
a--holes AND power alleged SADISTS.
2.)read the book
<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bostonglobe.com&#x2F;business&#x2F;2016&#x2F;03&#x2F;22&#x2F;hubspot-book-unflattering-portrait-old-school-corporate-politics-new-tech-economy&#x2F;FVh4ayJZ5LMLdjoGXd9oIN&#x2F;story.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.bostonglobe.com&#x2F;business&#x2F;2016&#x2F;03&#x2F;22&#x2F;hubspot-book...</a><p>3.)always ask about possibilities of TRANSFERS and
other departments, even contractors.<p>4.)give email address with I LOVE TO GET ANONYMOUS MAIL.<p>5.)sometimes you have to visit the bars and party places
where the employees hang out for some &#x27;human tips&#x27;
-- know what i mean<p>6.)over age 54 or was it 49? first career out of a few
was electric - gas grid.
FIRST YEAR IN FIELD, about three persons GOT KILLED or
?? and what waz  intereesting was they were not necessarily
accident prone.<p>7.)look up the govbuerment stats. electric - like after
the hurricane out is up there next to coal mining.<p>8.)the CRAPPY boss is part of the overall package. define
your framework - ecosystem, QUANTITATIVE assessment of
factors, etc. You are an A student in Math, for top
university, right???  sure??<p>9.)it&#x27;s gonna sound real harsh. insert quote by Nitzzzkieche.   the responsibility AND THE ATTITUDE is
yours alone.  I&#x27;ve been amazed at how bad and even
how out of date SME subject matter expertise - great
coding skills in Microsoft VB - the crpola-boss gets
and they rotate and TAG TEAM YOU.<p>sometimes, Its a &#x27;sisten-in-law&#x27; who married the key
customer VP so BOSS is &#x27;royalty&#x27; YOU CANNOT TELL.<p>rule #10 - be really suspicous, if the &#x27;secretary - 
admin assistant, receptionist? doesn&#x27;t give you the
REAL RULES and culture of the company?  It&#x27;s UP TO YOU
to ge the truth out of them as in the book Disrupted.<p>oh s<i></i><i></i><i>t, no rules that are too easy to say.<p></i>buy the management books. Find out what the CRAPPPITO lord
is reading. Only then, plan your strategy.<p>-If they give you an IQ test or similar, run.
no dumpkofff, I used to practice IQ tests and I go to
Mensa, but no real good lookers there - if you know what
I mean.
THE NEW AGE is the PSYCMETRIC babble test. if you are
not a &#x27;quality focus PERFECTIONIST&#x27; then maybe U SHULD gib
up &#x27;developer position&#x27;?<p>Conclusion - Sadists?, possible racists?, sexists?
been there done that - both employee, consultant, manager,
no I am not &#x27;racist&#x27;... I think a<i></i><i></i>hole, since I am
a minoarity and used to
STICKING OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB
    rolling with da punches, mon! don&#x27;t let them know
you have been hurt.  Sometimes, it helps to suggest other
possible VICTEMS for the Mr. CARPPY-hole to attack.<p>the best books seem to be FBI related as to open questions
and sniffing for dirty dirties.  The CODE is the company
and the code smells?
according to book reviews on internet, the KGB uses
the medieval tortures; the CIA uses the outsource or
rendition to other a-hole tortures like fine democracy
Egypt; the DEA uses the highly reliable informants paid
for in cash.<p>the local sheriff grew up in the same high school, so
he knows the ART-holes as kids and has not changed his
mind in 20 years, while he tries to get rich on the
fracking boomlet.<p>please refer to Fred Reed, lew <i></i><i></i><i></i> rock <i></i><i></i> well <i></i>*com
for useful travel and adventure writings as old time
journalists? used to bounce around quite a bit.<p>hey, I like writing - code only in hh aa ss kk ee ll
or give advice to &#x27;nephews like you&#x27; or virtual sons
making all the same mistakes I did when I was young<p>loooooong time ago. fellow Art-hole in training!<p>remember, it 10% personal. U have been selected by fate.
it is ALWAYS, THAT IS THE RULE, 90% not personal.
55% divorce rate in USA. it still is 90% NOT personal,
its the system....<p>PS. Research is ongoing. I LOVE DATING BAR-MAIDS because
they tell such interesting stories.<p>PS. If you work in Wall Street, NYC, why are the
go-go dancer bar close-by?<p>PPS. sure, I&#x27;m just an old, kinda introverted consultant.
did startups, and did part-time startups - sure I failed
but some friends did succeed. IT AINT PERSONAL, I just
did the best I could. with the crabby bosses i got.