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True up small piece of wood I want to mount this piece of plywood in such a way that it is reasonably removable. I first need to true up the edges of the wood and that is difficult because of its small size, 8" x 12". I have a table saw, circular saw, and reciprocating saw. I would like to avoid the table saw because...	If the tools listed are the only ones available and the table saw is ruled out sanding is the only alternative I can think of.
How to prevent short off-cuts from flying everywhere? I am mitering some 21" boards for picture frames using a tablesaw. The first cut leaves a small off-cut to the right of the blade. Sometimes it goes flying, or even gets caught between the blade and blade throat cover. I am pushing the boards through with a mitre ga...	However, for cutting picture frame miters you should not have the blade tilted at all. Making a zero-clearance insert (per LeeG's answer) is a good idea.
How do you cut a 4x8 in half without a panel saw? One challenge of working with sheet goods is doing a really wide cut, for example cutting a 4 x 8 sheet into two 4x4 sheets. The problem I run into is that I can't reach across a 48" board or panel, so if I am using a rail saw, it is difficult and requires awkward thin...	When I was in the trades we use various guides and rails and such to break down sheet goods.
How to cool hole saw I am currently trying to work on a project that involves piercing a lot of large-diameter (~38mm) holes in rather thick (~5cm) bamboo board sheets. For that, I am using a hole saw. However, I ran into the problem of the wood starting to burn and the bit getting stuck (due to the thermal expansion...	A source of compressed air is handy in this case. One way to fix this is to slow down and clean out the kerf often.
How to fix fix/repair a board that has minor planer snipe? I got a new planer and ran a board through it without properly leveling it first. This board now has minor planer snipe on each end. (No more than 1/8th or even 1/16th inch) I've since properly aligned/leveled the tables but I can't seem to remove the snipe fro...	If it's really small and light, you might get away with a little sanding on the ends, or you can run it through the planer again at a smaller thickness.
Which shelf holds the most weight I am new to this forum so please bear with me. My wife wants a "retro" shelf in the kitchen and wants it as figure B on the image. Is there a difference in "strength" (i.e., able to hold more or less weight) between figure A or B. Shelf B will have on the bottom the same flange as ...	In design B the shelf will be against the wall and the force on the anchors will mainly be in shear (i.e. pulling them down), where they are stronger (unless the load on the shelf is significantly uneven biased towards the front).
Drilling through 3/4" MDF? I want to drill 48 dog holes through 3/4" MDF. I tried Forstner and spade bits. The Forstner did fine but heated up and became dull. The spade bit left a jagged edge on hole top. What bit would be the best for this application? <Q> Drill a pilot hole for your Forstner bits before drilling t...	I've had good luck using "speedbor" flat spade bits.
Weight capacity of cabinet made of 1/2" plywood I would like to determine the weight capacity of a cabinet made of 1/2" plywood which is 18" deep and 60" long, 37" high. The cabinet has 2 sides and 2 uprights spaced about 20" from either end. The top is also 1/2" plywood. <Q> Given the information offered the only way ...	If you only need it to hold a few pounds the materials in the cabinet can handle that as long as the weight in the cabinet is transferred well to the house (floor or wall).
Rip cutting plywood on my table saw I'm working on a project where I need to break down some sheet goods and I want to use my table saw to get the best and most accurate cuts parallel to the factory edge. The problem is that my workpiece is wider than the distance between the fence and the blade. I only have a job site...	Depending on your saw capacity, the size you need, and if the sides of the sheet are already perfectly parallel, you can use the rip fence on the waste side and have your off cut be the finished piece. If you do any amount of work with sheet goods, I'd always recommend investing in some kind of guide.
How to keep the thread of a vice clean? I'm finding that a lot of debris is falling onto the thread of my vice and sticking to the grease that's on there to lubricate it. What techniques are there to keep either (1) keep this from happening or (2) to easily clean this after each use given the consideration that it nee...	I've found that silicone or other synthetic lubes often don't stain (but you have to make sure it is one of the safe-for-wood types) but gunk up just as much as organic lubes. But for now I'm stuck with metal-on-metal screws.
Should I give my router a “break” between passes? I’m using a Bosch 1617 on a Kreg Router Table. Should I ever let me router “rest” or cool down? Currently, I turn it on, make a pass, then turn it off and get prepped for my next pass or next piece. <Q> I normally always switch off all my power tools in between setup a...	So if you are doing raised panel for a whole kitchen in one run - I would do breaks after 4-5 passes - swipe shavings and dust, move ready pieces away, etc. To answer your specific question about cooling, you should not be feeding the router that hard that it requires a cooling-off period.
Remove and replace inset wooden handle I have acquired a Danish vintage teak sideboard with distinctive inset wooden handles that the designer used on a range of pieces. Unfortunately, one of the handles has been damaged over the years and I would love to restore it in some way and would greatly value any advice. Here...	Since the overall handle is in good shape, and because it is a contoured shape that will be very hard to remove cleanly, you might be better off just repairing the break.
Adding a "plank" like section to the edge of a table to allow for monitor stands/ mic stands I am using an Ikea dining table as my work table. It works wonderfully, is made of quality pine and looks good. Recently, I was considering adding a VESA table clamp monitor stand but the table has a skirting less than 1" from...	Using the portion of the table which hangs vertically, you can place a bracket of a form similar to a gusset, screwed and glued to both the add-on board and the vertical portion. If the added plank is an overlap, you gain substantial strength.
How could I maintain a flex agreement when my boss moves on? When I hired with the company I'm with right now, I negotiated a flex agreement, saying that every other Friday I'd have off. I have the email in which that was agreed to, and everybody's been happy with the agreement. On Thursday, however, the boss with who...	Be aware and engaged in talking through the bosses perceptions of how others in the team may react. Determine the expectations of the new position before signing on.
Is loyalty (depth) or diverse experience (breadth) more important to a hiring manager? From a long-term goal setting and "hireability" perspective, is it more valuable to have gained significant experience in one company or to have a diverse portfolio of companies and hats on your resume? Basically, should I be consta...	Managerial folk, lead developers, and such, people who have serious responsibilities in companies, it may look better for them to stick around longer. Don't let the next job tail wag the dog of the job you are in. The answer is "it depends".
Can I pursue romantic relations with a client if our project is completed? A friend of mine works as a management consultant. On a previous project she was working closely with a Fortune 500 client's team. One of the team members and her had chemistry, but they maintained professional standards and didn't act on their ...	Don't start anything unless you believe that a relationship can be finished if needed, without any scandal (that depends on both people of course).
How can I tell which job requirements matter in software offerings? Tech job offerings are plagued with over reaching and unrealistic job/experience requirements. They want college grads to have 5 years of experience, list multiple extremely specific technologies they use which no one would have as a normal skill set, ...	Evaluate job postings based on whether or not the job description interests you and whether or not you think you'd be a good fit.
Is it unprofessional to pursue personal relationships with site users? As a community manager for a large internet company, I interact with our users (and moderators!) on a fairly consistent basis. In fact, I often spend large swaths of my day in the main moderator chatroom, handling moderator issues and contributing t...	Business relationships can be viewed negatively if they're used as leverage or if they make others uncomfortable (harassment).
How do I coordinate the process of pursuing multiple job opportunities at the same time? In the hot field of software engineering, a competent programmer wanting to switch jobs will be able to apply and interview easily for at least a half dozen jobs. However, coordinating the speed at which the interview and eventuall...	If you are interested in company C more then A&B I would suggest simply contacting them and telling them that you need "a few more days to make a decision". I would never force a potential hire to make a decision immediately if I really valued them as a future happy employee, and would respect the need for time to make...
Switching jobs - how soon is too soon? My current (and first) job as a junior developer is ending and I need to look for a new one. I've received a fairly appealing offer in town, but for a variety of reasons I expect I might relocate soon. This new job will provide me with training in new technologies which would ma...	In the case where a substantial amount of money may be paid to train you or ramp you up, you may wish to ponder the idea of notifying your employers before you take the job.
Should I describe myself by my current position or my desired position? I currently am a programmer in job title and largely what I do. However, I am applying for UX/UI/ect Design (and front end development) positions. My current skills are important for the positions I'm looking for, but "programmer" just sounds lik...	Use your current job/role title on your resume ..but clearly describe the transferable skills you are looking to take forward. In some territories it can be construed as fraud to embellish your resume, so keep it truthful.
Is there an optimal number of years per job as an engineer? Some (software) engineers keep their job for very short periods of time, as if they have commitment issues. Some keep their job for too long, as if they're afraid to leave their safety zone. Is there a "right" number of years per job for a (software) enginee...	Totally depends on the industry/job you are in, and want to have, as well as many factors outside your control.
How to work on my personal ideas during the weekend I'm working full time 5 days a week, mostly between 10 and 14 hours a day. At the end of the day I'm very tired and just want to take a shower, hang out and go to sleep. I have a lot of ideas that I want to implement and someday sell maybe through an online software ...	Take some days off of work and commit yourself to making significant progress during those days off. If you can't get motivated to turn on a computer then don't at this point.
Workplace gossip makes me uncomfortable - how do I deal with it? At some of my jobs people love to gossip about each other. I don't like to participate in gossip. I've found that if I speak up to tell these people that I believe gossipping is bad, I become a bigger target for the gossip itself. Am I right to try to s...	If you're alone and someone interrupts you or walks by your desk and tries to gossip, make up an excuse or just shrug.
How to lead teams to turn criticism into collaboration As a designated leader who has gotten the respect of those I lead - here's a problem I've had before. When working on project is where there are other potential leaders with strong opinions, I've the problem that others challenge my authority as a leader by being ...	If the problem is that team discussions about decisions being made are unproductive due to criticism, start asking questions. Try asking questions twice as often as you make statements.
As a peer, how can I provide leadership for my team? I have been listening to a lot of leadership podcasts. One was an interview with former Indianapolis Colts' Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy , who wrote a book titled The Mentor Leader: Secrets to Building People and Teams That Win Consistently . Tony Dungy ...	Part of a lead's job is to help every member of the team do well at their job - not just the ones they get along with naturally.
How should I request a copy of my contract? I don't recall if my contract had a Non-disclosure agreement for my work and I don't seem to have a copy of it in my records. How can I request a copy of my contract from HR without appearing suspicious? What's the standard procedure and is it confidential from other departm...	I'd say that just saying you need it to provide "proof of employment" to some organization is likely to be the least suspicious and usually lets them know you need it rather quickly.
How should I bring up working from home? Working from home is becoming more and more common. If my work lends itself to remoteness, what's a good way to ask management to work from home from time to time? Or is this not a reasonable thing to expect? I don't necessarily want to work remotely on a recurring basis (e.g....	Frame it in a way that would benefit the company. If you show that you are willing to be flexible in the requirements of the "work from home" structure and you are fine with it, then your manager will be more indifferent to your work environment.
What are possible career transitions for a seasoned software developer? I have been a software developer for 11 years. During these years I worked for number of companies, sometimes changing places twice or three times a year. They say it takes 10 years to reach 'expert' level, and while I don't think I am an expert ...	Look on a site like angel list (www.angel.co) where there are a lot of startups looking for co-founders, CTO's and senior technologists, to not just code or architect applications, but to help construct the vision and be part of the venture at an early stage. Eventually a seasoned Scrum Master may grow into an Agile Co...
How many simultaneous job applications is too many? When I last applied for a job, I sent out as many applications as I could. Granted, this wasn't a lot, maybe 50 applications in three weeks. I've heard of others sending out hundreds at a time. But others suggest that you don't need to apply to more than three or f...	Casting your net wide is not as effective, however, as targeting places you want to work. It could be seen as unprofessional.
How important is a grade point average on a resume? I admit i wasn't the best student in college. My years in college were spent working at a job. How important is it to include my grade point average on a resume? Also, at what point should i stop including it? I'm about 5/6 years removed of college and been working i...	Once you have some job experience on your resume, I don't care anymore.
What does "years of professional experience" entail or refer to? Oftentimes on a job application for a more specialized position, you'll see a box for "years of professional experience." What all does this entail? Is it simply how many years you've worked in a job that is exactly like this job, or very similar? For ex...	“Years of professional experience” refers to the number of years of experience that an employer would like to see an applicant have as it would mean they have a solid understanding of the area.
Does the average candidate have any recourse when they encounter an unethical recruiter? If you've been in the white-collar job market for very long, you have likely come across recruiters who exhibit questionable ethics. The most common way I've seen this manifested is when the recruiter oversells you as a candidate, ...	As a candidate, there is not much that you can do other than apologise for the behaviour of the recruiter.
When do I notify a potential employer of a nickname I go by? If I have a nickname I always go by and that everyone knows me as / calls me, when do I tell this information to a potential employer? Most applications do not have a spot on them to write in a nickname or alternate name, and it would seem awkward to just ran...	If your "nickname" is what your friends call you, and you don't expect strangers, even those who work in the same company, to use it, then wait until you are hired and invite people to call you it if you like.
Am I required/expected to notify current boss that I'm looking for a new job? When I changed jobs last year, my previous boss was very insulted that I didn't tell him I was looking for a job and didn't ask him for a reference letter. (I did give him a month's notice when leaving.) Is it usual or expected to notify yo...	No, you are under no obligation to tell your current employer that you're looking for a new job It is probably a bad idea because it can taint your image as someone who won't be around long if you don't find another opportunity and decide to stay. In the banking industry in the US, letting your boss know you are lookin...
Should a negative online presence be weighed when considering potential employees? Accounts on Stack Overflow, github, what have you will contribute positively to your online presence and may give you an edge over other candidates with equal experience that don't have them. However, should a negative online presence h...	Looking a the public persona is acceptable, but it is far more likely to harm the company than help it as they might elimnate the best potential employees based on personal criteria of the person doing the checks.
How, as an intern or summer student, do you deal with a situation where you are denied opportunities because of your temporary status? I've worked in a number of internship/summer roles/student schemes and one problem I have come across is that often, opportunities including interesting tasks and training courses are d...	Companies are often unwilling to invest time and training on employees that are not going to stick around. If you are interested in getting full time work with the company let them know and find out how to maximize your chance of getting hired on.
Reference from previous Job Generally potential employees are asked to give references from their previous job. If the last job didn't end on a good note, is it acceptable to say no to providing references? If not, what is the best thing to do in this case? <Q> Unless you burned your bridges with a flamethrower, there...	To the interviewer the fact that you don't provide references from the last job could be a Big Red Flag. If you were fired and you know the person will give a poor reference, then the best strategy is to address that up front.
Dealing with someone who thinks he's "divinely right" I have recently come across the situation where I have to deal with the person (software architect) who seem to think that the software solution he had come up with is basically "divinely correct" and can be applied for every situation. Without going into too much ...	I don't think it hurts to make your concerns known, so long as it is a reasoned, objective point of view, and not a personal attack on the engineer. Take it up with your teamleader or boss.
Are technical assessments appropriate for interviews? At our company, i've written an exam that provides relative technical assessment. The test questions range from simple to difficult. Is it appropriate to provide compulsory technical examination for a technical candidate? If so should it be written or orally execu...	Write your own test, with long-form answers, rather than using a multiple-guess exam from BrainBench or similar services.
What do I take from a "demotion" that doesn't change my title or pay? After getting a customer complaint (the only one I had in two and a half years), I was promptly "demoted." The upper management kept referring to it as a "demotion" and it kind of was since they were forbidding me from doing a lot of things that I wo...	The key is to take responsibility for whatever happened and look for ways to change to ensure it doesn't happen again. They wanted to make it clear to you that you did something wrong, but didn't think the offense warranted a full demotion with loss of title and pay.
How can I monitor my own DoD security clearance? In the Washington, DC area, having a security clearance is a prerequisite for many jobs, but the actual "holding" of the clearance seems to always be the province of the company for which one works. If I was interested in becoming my own company, how could I go about ho...	You need an Government agency to sponsor your efforts and a good business case for why you need the clearance.
When is it appropriate to use post-nominal letters, such as degrees, in a professonal setting? While there is a bit of a cultural distinction to be made as the treatment of post-nominal letters (e.g. Honorifics such as OBE , Esq. , or Ph.D. ; or licensure credentials such as PE ), what are some general rules that...	Generally it is only appropriate to the academic degrees if it is directly relevant to the context which is why generally they only see heavy usage in academic environments or in the medical profession. I list them in the order I earned them. With regards to what should actually appear, it depends upon the environment ...
What is the purpose of references? In every place that I have ever worked for I had to provide references. Most of the time I have provided people with them if I have worked with and have good relationships with. Now as far as I can tell in the US there is no responsibility placed on the reference giver. If that is ...	Other than confirming that a candidate isn't outright lying on their resume, I agree that references don't have a ton of informational value.
How should I make up time when I'm late? I'm salaried, and my employer's corporate culture is fairly lax about when we work as long as we cover our expected spans of time each day. I've occasionally had trouble getting to work, and I'm never sure if I should stay late or show up early on the next day(s) to make up fo...	Often just having a set pattern is really helpful for the employer. Stay late and it will stand out from your usual schedule If your work is getting done and meeting (or preferably exceeding) standards/expectations you're probably fine with whatever method you pick to get your time in.
Hitting a ceiling in my career I have been in my career for 16 years and I've hit a ceiling where my skills as a developer make me more attractive as a hands on developer than as a development manager. I have successfully lead teams in the past as a "pseudo-manager" where I have mentored/trained/managed project and tea...	If you're indeed a valuable person in the organization, they'll find a position for you that both utilizes your skills while also keeping you engaged.
How can you evaluate your market value? Possible Duplicate: How can I determine a reasonable salary to ask for? I am very happy in my current position but I feel like I am being under paid. However, this could just be me having an over-inflated opinion of myself. How can you accurately and objectively estimate you...	You can get the prevailing wage for your title off of various websites.
Is a dress code beneficial in a company? Are there any studies on whether a dress code is beneficial to any/some companies, as opposed to just adopting "casual Fridays" all week long? <Q> As chad said the term beneficial is fairly broad, however I'll take t to assume you mean beneficial in the sense <S> your employees ...	Most companies, depending on the type of services they provide, need some sort of dress code to appease customers.
What is the preferred way of reporting suspicious behavior by co-workers? Oftentimes when I fill out a job application, I'm also asked to take a survey where I have to write the best action to take. One question (or something similar) I see pop up on these surveys all the time is: You see a co-worker take something...	Close the door when you're talking to them and tell them why you're talking to them (about a suspected theft/ect) before you divulge the specific details; if you need to talk to someone else instead due to company policy, they'll know what to do. So I'd say something like "discreetly report it to the appropriate person...
How do I push a product I've been told to push to customers without being pushy about it? I've been told push a particular product to customers if at all possible. I'm okay with promoting it since it is a good product but I also hate when retail floor people come up to me and try and push something to me if I so much a...	After that you start talking about the benefits of the product you are recommending and make sure, if at all possible, you get the customer to touch the product.
How should a candidate approach an interview for an internal position as opposed to an external position? How should a candidate approach an interview for an internal position as oppose to an external position? An internal position is a vacant position that is available within the company you are currently working. A...	I'd probably focus a bit on making sure I have a list of character references within the company to support why I'd be a good fit for the new position.
When should I inform management that I have been approached by a competitor? My main gig is as a web developer in a company that builds web applications for a niche market, and about 90% of the market is split between us and another, considerably larger company. Recently I was approached by our competitor and although ...	On the other hand if you genuinely have no interest in the competitor you could simply refuse the meeting and not tell management at all. In this case I would suggest holding off telling anyone until you have a concrete job offer in hand with better pay then your current one. Going to work for the competition will not ...
How should I approach a co-worker on matters of personal hygiene? It's a rather delicate issue that I had to deal with once or twice in the past, and can't really say I handled it effectively. I'm a bit crude, and socially awkward and would pretty much prefer to avoid such discussions with co-workers/employees. I've ma...	If it is in fact your responsibility, you need to address the issue directly, quickly and politely. At the very least, talk to HR before penalizing an employee for anything that isn't covered in their job description and company policy. There is no "nice" way to say "you stink", but you can make it as painless as possi...
Why do companies list jobs on other sites but not on their own site? Sometimes I run across jobs on Monster and other similar sites that look really good, and they're listed for companies that are good companies that I'm familiar with. However, when I go to the company website and look through their careers pages, the ...	Even if they do post under the company name, it's far less likely that their listings will be found by people who usually check their company web site, employees, clients and competitors.
Is it frowned upon to take unproductive breaks while on the job? I've seen several people in there workplace, within their confined area in the office, who were working. I've also seen people who were supposed to be working, but were, instead, tweeting (or had the "Twitter-Jitters" if you will) or on Facebook or anot...	Generally, the perspective/attitude of these cultures is that a mind needs to have breaks in order to be productive at other times.
How can I improve communication at a virtual office? I just started working at a virtual office. I am finding that communication is harder as people have different schedules but you're not sure when they're around, if they're online, if they're available, etc. How can I have good communications with my fellow co-worke...	The use of shared calendaring systems also helps as people can indicate times when they have meetings (real or virual), vacation hours, or have allocated times to work that requires minimal disruptions. Although I don't work virtually, the places that I've worked that allow people to have virual office days have tended...
Does putting LaTeX as a skill on my resume make me look too academic? I know some LaTeX and plan on learning more to write papers and the like but is it something I should list on my resume when applying to the business world? I've heard tale that one should look as un-academic as possible. Would LaTeX be too much? <Q>...	If there is no sign of there being any usage or requirement of LaTeX at the job you're applying for, then I would say it falls under general rules of keeping your resume focused and to-the-point. If you are applying for jobs where this technology would be helpful, add it, If not, then something else might be a better u...
How to list contracting on resume How do I list contracting on my resume? Specifically, I'm paid by company B (a staffing agency) to do work for company A. Company A is much more impressive than company B -- everyone locally will have heard of A and likely be at least mildly impressed. But they don't directly pay me -...	If you are finding work for yourself or through recruitment agencies, I'd say list who you did the work for.
How do I convince a manager to not "meddle" with the network? We have a boss who used to be a member of the team, and still (perhaps too much) enjoys getting his hands dirty with the technical aspects. We're trying to move away from the old methods of doing everything by hand and automate and standardize the processes...	If you can't get your boss on board you may need to consider going over their head -- Explain to the next level of management how much time is being wasted "cleaning up" after the boss makes manual/out-of-band changes.
How persistent should you be when you're low priority/ignored as a new or entry-level employee? Background: I'm working a fairly entry level job in Information Technology for a company I've been with for nearly a year now. I've been hired part time after interning initially for 3 months. After receiving my bachelor's ...	You should take initiative; not to bug them again, but to go find the answer. Ask a variety of people, not just one.
Can I charge for email support as a freelancer? I work as web consultant (freelancer). I work basically from home at an hourly rate. In my contract which was mostly through email, I am supposed to charge in increment of 30min. If something takes less than in 10 min. to fix, a charge for 30min will apply. If something g...	Unless your contract states that you are billing very specific tasks at very specific rates , then anything you do that requires effort and thought on behalf of the client is billable.
Working late without overtime pay, good idea or not? So I've read through How do I maintain a work-life balance when company culture tends towards frequent overtime? and that is very similar situation that I found myself in. There's no explicit guidelines or any instructions to stay late to work, but it seems like h...	If you are producing your work then there is nothing to be worried about and no need to do overtime or change your habits. As far as the timetracking piece goes - use it and track your time based on exactly what you've done - your efficiency will shine through, which will also look good. If you're working and not getti...
Should I include short work experience on my CV? After only three weeks from the day I left my previous job I have been invited by this company to join their team. I accepted the invitation right away, but now three other weeks have passed and, for a number of reasons, I don't feel neither comfortable nor satisfied eno...	Working for only 3 weeks in a permanent position would be a red flag to a potential employer (it indicates you could have been sacked). I would list this in my resume and continue to search.
How should I respond to interview requests in my first month+ of a new job? I've been working with a company for only one month, and I've received ongoing interest - such as requests for interviews - from resumes I sent out before I started my new position. How should I respond to these interview requests? Is it a ba...	If you do want to leave your current employer, respond as you would to any interview request when you're seeking employment (schedule an interview, talk to them, get an offer, etc.) -- Be aware however that a history of serial short-term employment may not look great on a resume.
Is it professional to cut out a middle-man in a contract chain? I currently work via 2 contracting companies: CompanyA and CompanyB. So the hierarchy is like this: I'm contracted to CompanyA which is contracted to CompanyB which has a contract with the final customer. Now a contract renewal must take place and I was ...	In general, you can take a step like this, over time, but only when you are largely recognized as an independent name by yourself and if and only if companyB make an offer if they think that companyA is not adding value in the chain!
How common is the use of the polygraph for security cleared jobs? I asked in a comment to an answer to the question Security clearance jobs: will security make it hard to get work done? whether real life agencies are as enamoured of the polygraph as their portrayal in modern TV drama series' such as Homeland? T...	Speaking very, very generally - the use of a polygraph is correlated to the specific agency's determination of the security risk of the information being handled and the security controls that are most appropriate to mitigating that risk.
Responding to thank-you notes from interviewees I've recently been performing a number of interviews, and many of the candidates send follow-up emails just to say "thank you". My question is, what's the best way to respond? All of the following seem bad: something like "thanks, nice meeting you, cheers" Too short. ...	(and I only respond if it's an emailed thank-you): "Thank you for your interest, and for taking the time to talk with us about the position. Adding in more details about the follow up process - particularly if we did not have that conversation at the interview (frequently I let HR do it).
Is it appropriate to ask colleagues for their mobile numbers on the first working day? Asking for a phone number right away might be too personal. Should I ask for their phone numbers on the first day, or wait until we really need to contact each other on mobile? <Q> Any personal details (i.e. personally owned mobiles)...	If you're asking about a personal cell-phone number, don't; if your co-worker offers it then that's fine, but divulging this information should not be expected. Wait until you have gotten to know the person/people a bit better. Here in Boston, I would be reluctant to ask a coworker for personal information unless we ha...
Is it good idea to shorten URLs in a CV? I want to place some links to projects I worked on in my CV. However some of these URLs are rather long. Is it good idea to shorten these URLs using on-line URL shorteners? Is it common practice? Could CV full of URLs like "http://tinyurl.com/cqvga" potentially turn off potenti...	Another drawback of using shortned URL is they are case sensitive in some of the site such as bit.ly and tinyurl, and people normally use lowercase while typing the url, ignoring the actual case, so it's another reason to use long URLs.
Why are company names hidden from job postings by third party recruiters? I often find job postings from third-party recruiters (a contracted personnel company, not an in-house recruiter) that do not list what company the job is for. Why do they do this? <Q> This is often because they don't want candidates to have th...	It puts the recruiter at risk of losing that contact if the candidate declines but then (good intentions or bad) goes directly to the company. Another big reason is there are competitors out there that also would like to fill that position.
How should I respond to recruiters listing jobs that are being advertised publicly anyway? I don't mind a recruiter working on behalf of a company, but if a recruiter contacts you * with a position which is clearly being advertised publicly anyway, how should one respond? Or is ignoring them the best option? * - ...	If you can sleuth your way to the original job listing, skip the middleman and contact the company directly! Personally, I just send a canned sales pitch right back at them "
What jobs/workplace environments are more conducive to social interaction? Some programmers are not social individuals and are happy at their terminal all day. Others are more social. I have seen claims that "The happiest Americans report 7-8 hours of social interaction a day–face time, not Facebook". What programming...	At a higher level, all management positions (including tech leads and sr developers who mentor others) require people skills and interaction and jobs such as architects, systems analyst, DBA, business analyst are all jobs that require more interaction.
Are constant changes to a projects requirements a sufficient reason for terminating a contract? I have serious problem with one of my clients and I am trying to determine if I should terminate the contract or not. I am doing web site and application design for a client. I estimated the project to be one month (which w...	If the client insists on the changes under the terms of the old contract, I would say that could be good grounds for investigating (with the help/consultation of a lawyer) termination of the contract.
Is "What are things your organization has done recently" a risky interview question? On a career site , it includes this question as an example of how wording can be so important: Better : What are things your organization has done recently to show how it values its employees? As opposed to the the curt Does ...	What do you like about working here (if the interviewer likes the company the company probably values it's employees)
What should I look for when hiring a salesperson? I have a software product that may have some appeal to a relatively small, vertical market. I am considering hiring a salesperson part-time (which can be in addition to the salesperson's other work provided that there are no conflicts of interest) to sell this product,...	Great at forming instant personal relationships with folks and able to see and relate to their point of view. Just as with hiring for any other role, a track-record of doing this successfully and an enthusiasm for doing it here.
Company refuses to pay and does not have an address I worked for a particular start up sometime ago, but got a bad check in the mail after the work. Since it was a start-up, I decided to give some time before I demand my money. Problem is the company does not have a valid address and my lawyer says that is needed if he...	Since they still have a website up, you can try to lookup an address for them through their domain registry.
About to launch a hotly anticipated, already profitable product. Is now a good time to ask for a raise? I was hired as a mid-level developer into a large company to work on a product with great feedback from its users. The original authors were bootstrapped and built a great tool. Unfortunately, their lack of experie...	You need to show how important you are to the company and that it's in their best interest to give you a raise and keep you in the company.
Does it matter what color tie I wear to an interview? I typically favor dark ties in shades of green, black or grey as a matter of personal taste but I'm curious as to how this will be seen by an interviewer. Is it better for me to wear a specific color of tie or is it a non-issue? I know that some companies don't care...	Wearing a tie or not may be important for general image. In addition to other answers, something to consider is if the place you are interviewing at has a tie to a specific colour.
How much humor should I display in an interview? In an interview, there is often this icy nervousness. Would it be appropriate to make a comment about something mundane, like the coffeeshop nearby, etc? Just to break the ice? How much humor can I display in an interview setting? In particular, I am talking about inte...	If they lead with a joke (because they may feel the same as you do), it is probably a good opporunity to respond to their comment with a joke of your own, but still try to keep it clean and friendly (even if their joke is not so clean).
How should I indicate project contributions on a resume when internal roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined? Throughout my career I've worked in teams where everybody does everything and nobody really has the ability to claim ownership of a specific feature or successful implementation. As I'm updating m...	You can also specify which projects you did work on "end-to-end" on your resume by writing "Single-handedly designed...," etc.
Should I follow up with an interviewer whose call I missed because it was at a different time than agreed? I was supposed to have a phone interview yesterday with a high-level manager, and I had given my interviewer a list of times that were OK with me (he told me to do that, but looking back, I should have just said "...	If you had scheduled a time to take the phone interview, and they decided to call another time, you did not mess up at all.
Are there any standard practices related to hiring a currently unemployed candidate? Are there any differences in standard practices related to the potential hiring of a currently unemployed and employed job candidate? <Q> Not really, no. <S> If you're offering the position, you'd probably expect that the employed ca...	In the UK anyone on benefits has to prove they have put in enough job applications and list all interviews have had, often the benefit advisor will phone up an employer to check how some ones interview went.
What is a successful salary negotiation strategy in the presence of a big performance bonus? When negotiating salary, I've found that the presence of a big performance bonus (for ex. between 0 and 30% of the salary) further complicates the process. Even more so in fields where performance can only be quantified with pe...	I would treat the possibility of a bonus as irrelevant to the salary I want to negotiate.
What is the best protocol for courteously declining a job offer? According to this site, if you decide to decline a job offer: do so courteously, in writing, after making a phone call I'm curious, though. What if I signed up already for a 2nd round of interviews before I found out I wanted to accept a different j...	Once someone has given you a job offer in writing, declining it should at least get the same treatment. Separate from the formal message, send out some personal thank you notes to any people in the company who personally shepherded your application or interviews.
Do I need to worry about how I'm dressed when going to a general exam? A lot of jobs to which I've applied recently have a "general exam" that you have to go in and take before even starting interviewing processes, etc. These exams usually take 2 - 4 hours, so the thought of wearing formal clothes while sitting there i...	Basically, for many technical positions, business casual is the norm (depending on your country and industry sector) and dressing more or less formally I think that you have to assume that the person who is going to make a decision on who to call to interview could be watching at any time during the exam. Don't wear sh...
Maternity leave benefits and two-weeks notice? I have been on maternity leave for the past 12 weeks, and am starting back in the office tomorrow. Before I started my leave, my company made it quite clear that they didn't really want me as an employee any more but wanted to force me out with cause rather than lay me of...	So in general you should not have a problem with leaving, but in this case I think you employer was really looking to unload an expensive employee (having to pay leave and higher medical premiums) than anything else.
Send “thank you” email after phone interview? I just had a technical interview over the phone with a manager for a programming job I'm applying to. The company deals heavily with open source, and the phone interview was friendly and rather informal (this doesn't mean unprofessional! We had some good talk about code, t...	As a person who has interviewed and hired for technical job roles I can honestly say this does not make a difference to your chances of being hired, I do however agree with jcmeloni in that being polite is "never lame or unnecessary".
What is the difference between freelancer and contractor? I have been hearing about freelancers, especially in the software industry. What is the difference between freelancers and contractors? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? As to my own situation, I've been working as contractor in the softwar...	On the other hand a freelancer gets paid whatever was agreed for the work, while contractor most likely gets paid the fixed rate from their company.
Can an administrative assistant take on the roles of morale building and team building? In my company, we have an administrative assistant who does not have a sophisticated degree, and whose experience is in doing data entry and simple bookkeeping. I am considering having her take on crucial human-resource roles, such...	You might also need to offer some initial training and mentoring in the new role - especially if it involves anything covered by employment law.
Who is supposed to be responsible for team building morale building etc? I am the owner of a small business company that has between ten and fifteen people. There are some crucial employee-related roles, such as morale building, employee welfare, bonus setting, and other jobs that require specific skills and that are...	In short, I'd suggest that you can choose whether to take these things on yourself, or to create a position to run them for you. The ultimate person responsible in my opinion for morale building is the top honcho.
Should I quit my job because I lack experience? I'm just 18 years old, so I don't have a lot of experience. I currently work for a company that develops online games for a local casino. My job is to create servers that will support Flash clients. This is not very complicated, but it's not easy, either. Because I lack e...	You are doing your job perfectly fine, there is no reason to quit.
How should I greet co-workers? I know this may be a very newbie question, but I really want to know. When you come in for a new day of work and see coworkers, is it common to shake hands, or simply say "hi" or "morning" ? Or Do people just get right to work? <Q> Shaking hands daily would be way too formal. <S> Peo...	First, see what other people do and find the "standard". There's a ritual in office I work in to shake hands of all inside. On a day to day basis, I just say "Morning" and carry on my work.
When emailing my boss, is it OK to use his first name in the greeting? Suppose my boss's name is John Smith and in person I address him as "John". Is it better to start the email saying Hi Mr. Smith or simply Hi John I know it's somewhat minor, but I want to avoid being too informal. I appreciate any tips or advic...	You should probably ask your boss directly what they would prefer, and probably even what their advice is for how to handle this in future. If you want the greeting to be more formal, while not very formal, you should go with "Dear" instead of "Hi" because this give more respect to the recipient, implying your subordin...
Is the summer before senior year too early to apply for jobs? I'm currently at an internship and I'm starting to worry about jobs after graduation. Is it too early for me to apply for full time positions? Since I'm within easy traveling distances from many companies in the region, it's definitely much easier for me...	Being somewhat aware of the hiring process from the inside now, I would say that there's certainly more flexibility if you're looking for a full time job. If you are applying to jobs to start a year from now, that's way too early.
How to negotiate working hours before accepting a new job? I've heard through the grapevine that I'm likely to get a job offer from a company where a friend already works. Probably the most important thing to me is the hours I work. Not how many, but rather, which ones. Specifically, I know that I would work "best" ...	Discuss the working hours that suits the company and you, looking forsolution
Peaceful and professional way to drop out of a volunteer project that's gone bad I used to be involved with a composers' consortium. The organization was comprised of several of my friends. In the beginning, everything was alright, because there wasn't a lot to manage at first, but at a certain point, I decided that th...	My suggestion would be to stop doing any new work and consider where you are right now.
Do employers visit online resumes/websites for extended versions of resumes? How realistically can I expect an employer to visit an online and extended version of my resume? I'm currently a Junior in college, studying Computer Science. Since I'll be graduating about this time next year, I'm going to begin looking for...	Really, nobody is going to bother looking at your online resume if you're offline resume (which should hold most of the important info) sucks hard.
What are some good seminar topics that can be used to improve designer&developer communication? I'm development team leader in a internet service company that provides service that's very similar to dropbox. In our company we have mainly two divisions: the tech division and the designers division, both have their own r...	From the dev side, the thing I would really like to see in a seminar for designers is a demo of how much stuff one of those "minor" changes means we have to change. Since people can't just 'switch jobs' at the drop of a hat, try having a 2-3 meeting where, for that meeting, people "switch roles" and represent and advoc...
What's the correlation between guys with longer hair and professionalism? I've been with a company for about nine months now. When I first started out my hair was cut to just above eye level, now I've grown it out close to my chin. For a while now, my higher-ups have been bugging me to get a hair cut, but I like it how...	The reality is that long hair ranks alongside visible tattoos, scruffy clothes, piercings and any number of other fashion choices (ie. points of appearance that are very much within your control). The more you deal with customers, face-to-face, the more important being neat in appearance is to your employer. In my pers...
Can an intermediate programmer be considered a senior developer? I would consider myself an intermediate programmer. I don't think I'm ever really going to get better than that. I've read code from what I consider to be good programmers and worked under these people as well and I don't think I have it in me to be tha...	This is what I have seen expected of a senior developer anywhere that I have worked: Is more involved in initial design and overall architecture Is expected to mentor junior developers Is given the hard problems that others would not have the knowledge to solve.

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