It's very hard to use black and white heuristics, because life is frequently shades of gray. And there's a big difference between work as presented in recruiting presentations, and what's it's really like. That's called Life, and it's why we get paid.
2 things I've found that work:
1 - If it's a backfill for an existing role, find out if the person is still is with the company.
1a - If the person who had it is still in the company, it's generally a good sign, but ask to talk to them anyway. You may not get full information, but you'll get some. (If they're just doing something else for the same boss, also a good sign.)
1b - If the person who previously had the job left the company, reach out to them and ask about the role. They'll usually be more honest.
2 - Find a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend who works there, and ask them. This will get easier the more you work, as your network will expand. It's also a good reason to keep in contact with everyone you meet. (LinkedIn helps a lot on this, despite all the bad press that it receives)
2 things I've found that work:
1 - If it's a backfill for an existing role, find out if the person is still is with the company.
1a - If the person who had it is still in the company, it's generally a good sign, but ask to talk to them anyway. You may not get full information, but you'll get some. (If they're just doing something else for the same boss, also a good sign.)
1b - If the person who previously had the job left the company, reach out to them and ask about the role. They'll usually be more honest.
2 - Find a friend, or a friend-of-a-friend who works there, and ask them. This will get easier the more you work, as your network will expand. It's also a good reason to keep in contact with everyone you meet. (LinkedIn helps a lot on this, despite all the bad press that it receives)