Dodging a Potential Bad Boss On The Outskirts of Tampa

Why you should read in close on these situations.

Sean Kernan
5 min readAug 28, 2024

--

Pexels Images via Rene Terp

The first red flag was his bumper sticker, which loudly pronounced, “Keep Christ in Christmas!”

I always get weary of people who wear their politics on their sleeve — especially at the office.

I’d just arrived for my in-person interview. I pulled into an industrial parking lot on the outskirts of Tampa. The estate was surprisingly busy, with cars and trucks coming and going through the huge security gate.

The company did government contracting, installing motherboards on military weapons and equipment. They needed someone to help with budget management. Though I had no military experience, outside of growing up on Navy bases, I did know a ton about finance and cost management.

The facility was both grand and super creepy, with towering fences, surveillance cameras glaring at you from every corner, and stern guards patrolling the perimeter. The whole place felt like a fortress — built to keep secrets in and everything else out.

“This isn’t your typical office job,” I thought. I parked my car and glanced in my rearview mirror, checking my shirt and face.

--

--

Sean Kernan

I'm a nommer. Submit your articles to my publication Corporate Underbelly and I'll try to help you get boosted.