Sometimes it's impossible to know whether a potential new employer will be a good fit or a bad fit. But many of us ignore our instincts or red-flag warning signs and regret it later. Here are a few of the major red flags and bad situations that you should avoid in your job search.

Red Flag No. 1: They Won't Give You Time to Review the Contract

Just agreeing to and signing a contract before you've read all of it, or have had a lawyer review it, is professional suicide. Having a lawyer look over a new contract is especially important for new PA graduates and even for practicing PAs who aren't familiar with the business end of PA employment.

For example, a colleague of mine once was offered a job verbally, and then sent a 19-page contract filled with legal jargon and various outrageous sections. Some of the highlights were a restrictive covenant that wouldn't allow the PA to practice in that county-or the surrounding four counties-for two years after her employment ended (regardless of who ended the employment) and a requirement that she pay for her own tail malpractice coverage, even if the practice fires her.

Before the PA even had a chance to respond, explain or negotiate, the physician rescinded the job offer (in an e-mail message), stating that his last PA, a new graduate, had signed the contract in 24 hours, and that the desire to consult an attorney "had left a bad taste in his mouth." This is ironic, since clearly an attorney had written the physician's 19-page contract document.

The real shame of the situation is that a new graduate PA signed this outrageous and unacceptable contract with less than 24 hours of review and with no legal advice. She not only has hurt herself but also has potentially harmed any future PAs who apply for employment at the practice.

Red Flag No. 2: They Want You to Sign to a Multiyear Contract

Once you've settled into a practice, and you know that you like it there, I do think it's reasonable to sign a multiyear contract. But beware of contracts that renew indefinitely unless you think that you're at the very top of the income structure or that you cannot hope for a better contract with this employer in the future. Contracts that automatically renew allow you to just let the years pass you by without increases in compensation or benefits, and they don't impart a sense of urgency on behalf of the employer to try to negotiate with you.

The most outrageous contract I have seen recently was for a new PA employee to join a practice for seven years, and it included a financial penalty (in the six figures!) if the PA left the practice before the seven years were up. A practice that can keep a PA employed there only by threatening him or her with a monetary penalty should be a huge red flag indicating that it's not a good place to work. You should stay at a job because you like it, not because you can't afford to leave. In addition, the compensation the practice offered the PA was easily $10,000 under market average for the medical specialty. According to its Web site, that office employs two PAs, and I hope they didn't sign such an outrageous contract.

Red Flag No. 3: PAs There Won't Talk to You About the Job

It's very important to talk to other professional-level employees outside of the office setting about their experience working for that employer. You can ask very general questions such as, "Are you happy there? What do you think of Dr. Smith? Do you get the support you need clinically?"

You'll want to talk to them outside of the employer's office so that they can feel comfortable speaking freely. Before you start, assure them that everything they say will be held in strict confidence. I feel sorry for any PA who is now in a bad employment situation. But a PA should feel guilty for aiding and abetting a bad employer with silence by letting another PA join and become a victim of a bad employment situation.

That's not to say that you should seek out any PA applicants who come through the door. But if a colleague takes the time to contact you outside of the office, you should give him or her the professional respect, courtesy and honestly that you'd want if the situation were reversed.

These examples are from real-life situations that three of my colleagues recently experienced. It made me realize how much of an impact each of us can have on the entire profession by accepting a contract or compensation that is out of line. Realize that by devaluing yourself, you devalue and hurt the entire profession.

Abby Jacobson practices dermatology in Lancaster, Pa. She has held numerous leadership positions in the AAPA, the Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants and the Society of Dermatology Physician Assistants. She is owner of Strategic Medical Consulting LLC and www.PAprofession.com.