Well, I can tell this was written by a young person and someone in California. Nothing wrong with that, it's just that she has a lot of expectations that are going to be really hard for any company to meet.<p>It's awesome if you happen to get hired by a great company that walks the walk, but for the most part the things students/graduates get sold on as "normal" for white collar employment don't happen, or only happen in certain circumstances in a limited way. Examples:<p>>Flag 1: I did not have a thorough understanding of the role, and I don’t think management did either.<p>Not even unusual. Sometimes all a company knows (especially a small company) is that they need something done and need a person to do it. These are actually great opportunities if you know the work... it's a chance to write your own ticket. If you expect everything to be laid out for you when you're hired, you're not going to grow much or get paid the way you want.<p>>Flag 4: Push your manager to provide a clear description and/or breakdown of your role. You should know what you own, what your day to day or week to week looks like, and how with your position you will add value to the team that ideally aligns with a larger team goal or mission.<p>Wow. I think in my whole career I've had only 1-2 managers who could tell you in full how my role "aligns with a larger team goal or mission". Most of the time it's just "Our business runs on computers, and you know how they work". It's great if you have a visionary boss, but most people don't. If when you're hired your manager can tell you exactly what you're going to be doing and what success looks like, you've gotten an easy job... that again won't pay as much as you want nor help you to grow.<p>Uncertainty is normal.<p>>Flag 5: I didn’t have an ally or sponsor in the workplace. This stemmed from me not feeling like there was someone that I could reach out to, and not feeling comfortable in the work environment.<p>Most workplaces you don't have someone to hold your hand except maybe your boss or (if you're an intern or trainee) your mentor. That's not a <i>normal</i> thing to have, your employer is running a business, not an adult daycare. If you want support, join a women in business org or a fraternal organization.<p>>Flag 6:A good manager will work with you to identify your strengths, and provide you work opportunities to learn the skills that will allow you to advance in your career, and help you take it in the direction you want.<p>...and the other 90% of managers are doing well if they get all the work done on time and under budget and don't accidentally murder or grope their employees.<p>I'm sure the business environment is different in Cali, especially in the valley, but the author's expectations are rather high here.