A lousy new job?

You put your best foot forward during your job interview. You wear your costliest formal shirts and make impeccable claims to sell yourself. Once you've been working at a place, you get a little more comfortable.

Did it ever occur to you that employers might also be hiding their true colours during an interview? The dream job with the friendly boss who has an open-door policy might turn into a nightmare as soon as you sign the offer letter.

Here are six true-life signs that you shouldn't stick around at your new job.

• You hint to your new boss for office perks and you are handed stationary - nothing else

Not every company has the budget to give you an expense account, a BlackBerry and a cutting-edge laptop, but you should be equipped with the tools necessary to perform your job. A company experiencing financial troubles might be so stingy with supplies that you spend more time worrying about the company books than working.

• You were shown your space on your first day of work, given a company manual and you haven't spoken to anyone since

Any good employer trains new hires during their first few days on the job. Although you might have years of experience, each company has its own procedures and expectations that you won't magically know without some instruction. From the first day, your new employer should make it clear that you have a network of support ready to help you and answer any questions.

• You get the same reaction every time you tell someone about your new job and employer

Raised eyebrows and "Really? … Good luck with that."

You know better than to believe gossip, but sometimes a company's reputation speaks too loudly to ignore. If friends, colleagues and people in the industry consistently give negative feedback about the company, there's probably a legitimate reason. At the start of your job search, research which companies have the best reputations and which have the worst..

After two weeks on the job, you are already halfway to becoming the employee with the most seniority.

One of the reasons the country's top companies have employees who have been around for years is that people will stay where they're appreciated and treated well, and they'll leave when they're not.

• Your company secretary gets calls from collection agenicies

While this sounds unbelievable, this actually happened to one worker, who said other employees at the company were eventually instructed to not answer the phones! If you see any signs that your company is in real financial or legal trouble, don't wait for layoffs; get your rsum back out on that job site.

• You regularly notice people coming out with grim expressions from your boss's office

Finally, about the person who hired you. Not every boss is the kind you want to be best friends with, but you should show each other respect. If you can't have a conversation with your boss without being yelled at, don't feel obligated to stick around. A good company uses open communication, not fear and intimidation, to get results.

It may take a few days, weeks or even months to realise the new job isn't right for you. The key is to recognise the signs and leave when you can.