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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 of its weight and bulk and because it is not on a stand. How can I true up the wood? <Q> Given your available power tools (and the stand-less state of the table saw which would be appropriate if it were set up properly and if you were comfortable using it) , I would suggest using hand tools. <S> Use an 8-inch or larger carpenter's triangle with one edge flat against one of the long sides to draw a squared up edge along each of the 8-inch sides. <S> Then secure the wood in a workbench vice (or clamped off the edge of a sturdy table) to hold it motionless while you follow each of those drawn lines with a sharp hand saw. <S> Once those two 8-inch sides are square to one of the 12-inch sides, use a tape measure to find a point equally distant down each of those 8-inch sides. <S> Use a straight edge and a pencil to connect those two points, then re-secure <S> the vice/clamp and reapply the hand saw. <S> When you are done, sand all cut surfaces to the desired smoothness. <A> How can I true up the wood? <S> By sanding. <S> Neither the circular saw nor the reciprocating saw are capable of the required accuracy. <S> In theory a decent circular saw is but we don't know if yours is that good <S> and you can't directly use one on a piece of this size, <S> so you'd need to carefully attach it to a larger sacrificial piece and saw through both <S> and that's just crazy to square up a small piece of plywood. <S> So sanding it is. <S> Start coarse, no finer than 80 grit and possibly rougher than this if you have much material to remove from one corner (although it looks pretty close to square in the photo <S> it's hard to judge). <S> Finish at 180-220 grit, there's unlikely to be any benefit to going finer than this. <S> Note: <S> watch for splintering at the corners, you may need to sand inwards from every corner to completely avoid this. <A> Only suggestions that I would have would be an auxiliary fence on your miter gauge, a cross cut sled, or (as Graphus said) push blocks with you rip fence but only on the long side true the short sides a cross cut sled or your miter gauge. <S> Although I think the table saw would be best using an edge guide with the circular saw would also work with careful setup. <S> https://youtu.be/ttxU494qtpQ cross cut sled or simpler will also work
| 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.
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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 gauge. I cannot push the mitre gauge all the way past the blade as the off-cut then gets caught (drops into) in the slot past the blade, and prevents the mitre gauge from any more travel in its slot. Any ideas how to do this safely? <Q> Make or buy a zero tolerance insert for your tablesaw. <S> This will give cleaner cuts, and not give a place for the off cuts to drop into. <A> It sounds like your main problem is that you're cutting on the wrong side of a tilted blade. <S> In general you should always have the work piece flat on the table if possible. <S> This is a lot more stable (and therefore more accurate) than putting the piece up on edge. <S> To cut "picture frame" miters you should have the blade straight, the miter gauge set to 45 degrees, and the stock flat on the table. <S> (This usage is so common that the "miter gauge" is named after it.) <S> This also has the advantage of allowing you to miter stock that is wider than your table saw's depth capacity. <S> The more typical use for tilting the blade of the table saw is in "case" miters, where you're making a box with no end grain showing. <S> The stock should still be laying flat on the table surface, but now you'll cross cut it with the miter gauge at 90 but the blade tilted. <S> Any time you're tilting your blade you want the blade tilted away from the work piece. <S> That way the small offcut rests on the table surface when it separates instead of falling onto the spinning blade. <S> Depending on your saw's tilt direction this may mean moving your fence or miter gauge to the other side of the saw blade compared to how you typically work. <A> Another thing I would suggest is using a miter sled. <S> This gives a fully supported, non-moving place for the offcut to rest after it separates.
| 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.
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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 things like climbing on top of the table. Of course, it is easy with a panel saw and frame that holds the board upright, but I do not have a panel saw system. <Q> I lay the sheet on top of a 4x8 piece of 2in pink foam insulation board and then just walk/crawl on top of it while pushing the saw along the track. <S> Unless it's a really delicate material, I've never had any trouble. <S> You could also lay a moving blanket and/or a thicker plank on top of where you crawl to spread out the load and avoid any scratches or damage. <A> For this purpose a clamped guide batten and a handsaw (I first read the post thinking panel saw in the handtool sense, with slight confusion!) are probably the most flexible and frugal solution. <S> For support, this would be best paired with a few saw horses and 2x4s as commented above. <S> Of course this depends on how often you'll need to do it, and how precise you need the cut. <S> With a sharp saw and a bit of repetition you might end up with similar results to more expensive options without needing another powerpoint. <A> When you run out of arm when pushing the saw you just have to reposition yourself safely. <S> What safely means is dependent on how many people are doing the cut and how comfortable you are with the saw. <S> In practice, what this amounted to is: <S> You stop the saw mid-cut and reposition yourself and then restart the saw (back it up a bit <S> so it is free to spin up) and continue with the cut. <S> Have a second person take over from a safe position, restarting the saw in the same cut again. <S> I don't recommend this, but in some cases I observed people leave the saw free-running so they could reposition their reach and continue the cut. <S> This was very common, actually. <S> But a stopped and restarted cut with most sheet goods is fine. <A> A circular saw and a sawboard make this straightforward. <S> A sawboard is a home-made guide consisting of a straight-edge fastened permanently to a wooden base plate. <S> As original build the base plate is too wide. <S> The final step in building the sawboard is to run the circular saw along the straight-edge to cut the base plate to exactly the correct width. <S> In use the edge of the base plate can be lined up exactly with where the cut is required.
| When I was in the trades we use various guides and rails and such to break down sheet goods.
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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?). If I was drilling or routing metal, I would be cooling with a mix of oil and water at the ambient temperature. What can I use to perform similar cooling in the context of working on wood? Would water be sufficient? Should I just make frequent pauses and let the drill bit cool in the air? <Q> The problem with hole saws is that there is no way to eject the waste. <S> If the waste sawdust is properly dealt with the saw will not heat up to the point of scorching. <S> In a normal twist bit the waste is pulled out by the grooves in the bit. <S> With no grooves the waste from a hole saw clogs the gullets and packs in around the sides of the bit, heating it up and increasing friction. <S> This is actually the cause of the binding you're feeling, not thermal expansion (or possibly alignment issues, see jdv's answer for more info). <S> There's usually plenty of "set" on a holesaw (i.e. the teeth project well outside the thickness of the tube) to prevent binding on the work piece itself. <S> The best way around this is to keep a compressed air blow gun handy and stop, pull the bit out, and blow the hole out every so often (every 1/8" of depth or so). <S> At the same time you should also pick or blow off any sawdust packed in the gullets of the saw. <S> You can also drill holes in the waste that overlap with the kerf the saw is cutting to give the waste somewhere to go. <S> Just be careful not to let them wander into the "keeper" side of the cut. <S> This is easier with brad point or forstner bits. <A> This was mentioned in SaSSafraS1232's answer , but it works so well that I think it deserves an answer all on its own. <S> If you're using a hole saw and planning on cutting all the way through the work piece, then I strongly suggest you start by drilling one or more relief holes for sawdust before you use the hole saw. <S> Drill the relief hole on the kerf of the planned cut with the hole saw, such that the relief hole is mostly on the waste side of the hole that will be cut with the hole saw, but still overlaps the kerf of the hole saw. <S> Here's a picture to help illustrate the technique: Image Credit: <S> Family Handyman ( original article ) <S> The problem with heat and burning is that sawdust builds up and has nowhere to go. <S> Another way to fix it is to drill holes as above. <S> It gives the sawdust somewhere to go as you cut. <S> You'll still have to go slow. <S> Check the relief holes periodically to see if they've gotten clogged. <S> If they do, the heat will start building up and you'll get smoking and burning again. <S> But with the relief holes, you can drill with the hole saw longer before you need to stop and check things. <S> The difference in quality of the resulting hole saw cut with a relief hole vs. without is just huge. <A> To answer your question: the DIY or home wood shop doesn't generally use any sort of bit lubrication or cooling liquid. <S> Maybe some applications would use some sort of wax or teflon coating on the bit, but I wouldn't bother. <S> Use sharp appropriate bits for the material and adjust speed and feed accordingly. <S> It sounds like you are using a hole saw, which has a few problems: <S> They don't clear chips well, clogging the hole and adding to the overall work load <S> They often have a greater amount of finer teeth, with little kerf and not much gullet necessary for clearing chips <S> The large rotating part that holds the teeth is almost always going to rub against the work no matter what you do, holding all that heat and causing burning Hole saws are really only appropriate for specific applications. <S> The typical use is to go slow and straight -- try not to rotate the bit out of round around its axis or you will wallow out the hole and cause more friction. <S> Nice even and straight pressure is best, with plenty of breaks to clear chips. <S> Alternatively, you can get a few Forstner bits that are the right size. <S> Get one with the centre a bit proud <S> so you don't have to drill pilots holes. <S> Again, adjust your speed and feed, and allow the chips to clear. <S> Forstner bits have less trouble with clogging, so you might be able to just blow the chips away as you work with puffs of air. <S> This is also a place where keeping square and true to the hole is important. <S> Two much pressure to one side is where the friction and burning comes from. <S> A drill press or guide is handy in this case. <S> Though, I've had luck with careful hand placement and a centre spirit bubble attached to the base of the drill, in line with the tool bit.
| 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.
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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 from this board. Is there a way to "repair" this board without simply cutting off each end? I stupidly ran a nice board through it and would like to salvage it for a project. <Q> It's funny that all of the answers have talked about how to prevent snipe, but nothing actually addressed your question of how to fix the board now. <S> I would glue "rails" onto both edges of your workpiece that are thicker and longer than the piece itself. <S> They will have to be long enough on both ends to absorb the snipe that you're getting, and the thickness should ideally be just thicker than the workpiece. <S> If you only got the snipe on one side of the boards (i.e. one side was jointed then the other planed) you can leave the workpiece proud of the rails on the jointed side. <S> If you have snipe on both sides then ideally the rails should be parallel with the workpiece (i.e. the overhang is even all around.) <S> to reduce the amount of material you'll lose by re-milling. <S> Then start by jointing the rails until they're flush with the board. <S> Now you can plane the board. <S> The rails will have snipe, but the workpiece should not. <S> Once you've taken a pass that hits the entire surface of the board you can rip off the rails on the table saw. <S> (Although, if you've just got one board that's not too big <S> I'd probably just hit it with a #7 or #8 hand plane.) <S> Another alternative that I just thought of is to "gang" the board up with scrap wood. <S> If your workpiece is narrow enough you can run a scrap board before it, then run your piece alongside the end of the scrap, then feed another piece of scrap in alongside the end of your workpiece. <S> This will have the same effect of putting the snipe on the scrap instead of your work. <A> I haven't built one for my planer (yet) <S> but after posting a similar question here, I learned that one can construct a planer sled. <S> A search returns far too many very useful links, especially many videos. <S> The sleds fall into a couple categories, but are based on a flat board onto which your work piece is placed. <S> The aft end of the sled has a stop block at a lower height than your final thickness. <S> Some of the designs I've seen include side guides on the sled that are held in place with countersunk screws and are at the height of the work piece. <S> The key feature is that the sled extends forward of your work piece and creates a portion of wood onto which the planing blades will scoop/snipe, saving the work piece for the proper depth/level. <S> In the process of updating this answer, I found an SE post with a few photos. <S> None of them show side rails and I'm unable to locate any using TheGoogle. <S> I think when the weather breaks, I'll have to build a couple different designs and see if I can get an anti-snipe model to work! <A> it's been my experience that unless you have a table that supports the lumber going through the planer (at more than half the length, maybe 2/3) and of course level, that you will get snipe without a little extra help. <S> I usually pick up the ends both when starting a feed and near the end of the feeding, since the snipe occurs when the board is not supported by a roller both in front and behind the cutter heads. <S> Now to clean up snipe that has already made it into the wood, you have 2 options, 1 <S> you say you prefer to avoid, which is to cut the ends off reducing the length. <S> The other is to reduce the thickness. <S> Of course for using the planer to fix the issue, you need to make sure you don't repeat the same mistake.
| 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.
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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 it will have on the top (and wall) which will be connected with 3 strong 5mm bolts through the shelf. edit: this is the idea but with 3 instead of 2 flange sets <Q> If this is going into drywall the weakest point is probably the attachment of the wall flange to the wall. <S> With regards to this joint design B is substantially better than design A, since in A the shelf can pivot out from the wall and apply a tension force to the anchors (i.e. pulling them out). <S> Even if this is attached to the structure of the building I still think I would prefer design B, as you could get compression of the drywall over time with design A, leading to a wobbly shelf tilting out from the wall. <S> If this is attached to masonry or concrete with appropriate anchors I think either design is more than strong enough. <A> It depends. <S> Shelf B has a failure mode not available to Shelf A; specifically, the joint between the brackets and the shelf is in tension, so it can separate. <S> On the other hand, if both shelves fail because the brackets pull out of the wall or the shelf breaks then this failure mode is irrelevant. <S> There are two ways round this failure mode. <S> One solution is to use enough screws from the bracket into the shelf that the construct will support the maximum load that is likely to be applied (that will be difficult if the shelf is chipboard). <S> The other is to have a metal bearer under the shelf and bolt through the shelf into the bracket (with large enough bolts). <S> In conclusion: There is no fundamental reason that you should not be able to provide a shelf of adequate strength of the design required by SWMBO (and if my experience is anything to go by, any additional hassle will be much less than that involved in changing the design). <A> If we ignore or fix the bracket-shelf joint failure Martin Bonner mentioned and assume that the shelf touches the wall, but is not attached to it in either case, I expect design B to put lower forces on the wall joint. <S> This maters if you screw it into drywall with no studs behind. <S> In case of A, weight placed on the edge of the shelf pulls shelf away from the wall and strains bracket-wall joint. <S> In case of B, weight on the edge pushes shelf into the wall, partially distributing the force horizontally, so a heavier weight is needed to pull screws out of drywall.
| 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).
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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 the main hole. <S> The problem here is that MDF isn't nearly as compressible as wood. <S> If you look at the center of a Forstner bit you'll see that the center spur doesn't actually cut. <S> Material isn't mechanically moved away from the center, it's just compressed to the side and later cleared by the cutting edges. <S> This works fine in softwood, plywood, and even hardwoods, but MDF simply doesn't compress. <S> This prevents the bit from moving down and engaging the material fast enough. <S> If you drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the center spur on the Forstner bit it will allow the face cutting edges to engage properly and it should cut through the MDF like butter. <A> I used once short auger bits with pretty good results. <S> Be aware that they have a lot of 'grip' so to say. <S> I started first with a pilot hole, just half size of the needed hole, and then 'finished' with the bit as needed/wanted. <A> An alternative to using a Forstner bit is to first drill a pilot hole, then use a counterbore tool. <S> See examples . <S> They're typically used on steel, but they make quick work of MDF too. <A> As a young`un working in a high school, I remember making many many holes in MDF for building lab equipment. <S> The main weapon was a pillar drill and a suitably-sized hole saw, and a jig. <S> The tricks are to get the correct size saw, and to find a good speed that doesn't burn the wood. <S> MDF having a high glue content likes to char in the hole if you overheat it. <S> The center drill bit goes through first, and the saw edge cuts into the outside. <S> For a good-enough finish you flip the part and come in from both sides to meet in the middle. <S> At the end, you'll have a puck up the saw looking like this: <S> They make great wagon wheels for the local kindergarten to hammer on, or string +glue a lot of them together on threadded rod to make handles. <S> A last trick is to clear the chips periodically by raising the saw out, and you can also drill small through-holes in the foot of the slot to help the saw breathe. <A> They are boring normal flat bits <S> but there's a cutting tang on the outer edge of both flats, and they work to cut the circumference loose before the main cutting edge lifts the swarf out. <S> Not a brand recommendation <S> , there are plenty of examples at your average bigbox store. <A> Using the tools at hand without too much mucking around, etc: Do the first 1/8" or so with the Forstner bit, then change to you spade bit to finish out.
| I've had good luck using "speedbor" flat spade bits.
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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 to arrive at an answer is (as mentioned in the comments) to experiment with different weights and see what works. <S> Big Bang Method <S> If over loading the cabinet will not cause a catastrophic event - hurting someone or damaging something you care about - you could load a large amount of weight and then periodically observe the cabinet for bending / breakage. <S> Let the weight sit for some period of time and check again. <S> Personally, this method makes me nervous. <S> Slow but <S> Steady Method A more cautious method would be to start with low weight items - observe over a period of time (say once each hour for example) and increase the weight a little - observe and repeat until the ideal weight is found. <S> Be sure to identify the part of the cabinet that connects to your house. <S> If the cabinet sits on the floor you will want to observe the parts of the cabinet that transfer the contained weight to the floor. <S> If the cabinet is mounted to the wall you will want to observe the wall mounts. <S> One way to go at it would be to determine how much weight you need it to hold. <S> If you need it to hold as much weight as you can stuff in then do some testing. <A> Try the sagulator. <S> While I wouldn't hang my hat on it as, jdv mentioned, each piece of ply will be different, it'll give you an idea if the weight you want to put on it is in range or not. <S> https://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator/ <A> If your wall studs are 16" on center, 64" equals 4 studs on center. <S> A 66" cabinet would allow for a pattern of 4 screws per row, with a total of 3 screws at 6" spacing for up and down rows. <S> Using 3" stainless wood screws, with a 60" cabinet you would only hit 3 studs at 16" O.C. (16", 32", 48") <S> you would want to open the wall to add support backing, with whatever material your wall studs are, patch the walls up, or using wall anchors (which I don't recommend for this project). <S> Hope this helps/
| 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).
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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 saw at the moment. What's the best way to handle this? Also, I'm a little worried about safely doing this since I don't have an outfeed table and the sheet goods are big and unwieldy. I'm a beginner so I'm just looking to get some tips on how to manage this. <Q> For sheet goods, I prefer to bring the tool to the material instead of the other way around. <S> Assuming you have a powered hand saw of some kind with a decent shoe, I'd recommend you give this a try. <S> Using a medium sized table saw for breaking down large sheet goods is a good way to find out how quickly a saw can separate meat from the unwary operator. <S> Some guides are just straight-edges you can clamp to the piece. <S> Others are the fancier ones you attach to the shoe of the saw. <S> It is, of course, a time-honoured tradition to make your own guide out of clamps and some factory cut lumber, as well. <S> I've used store-bought and home-made straight-edge guides in the past, and they all worked well enough for rough cuts. <S> Otherwise, my advice: <S> Have someone help you. <S> Build or borrow an outfeed table. <S> Many shops are built with portable tables that are at the same height (or adjustable height) so they can be used for this exact purpose. <S> Assume it will bind and kick-back, and be prepared. <S> Refresh yourself on how material behaves when some fraction of real horsepower decides it wants to transfer some rotational force in another unexpected direction. <A> Depending on dimensions, and whether you need more than 2 pieces out of a sheet, you might rough cut the sheet goods into smaller chunks with a circular saw, then put them through the tablesaw. <S> (This obviously isn't going to work if you need a 30" finished size and your saw only cuts 24".) <S> If the rough cut idea works for you, then you only need to get something (outfeed stand, box, milk crate) at the right height a few feet away to help with the outfeed. <S> If your needs are a little more complicated and can't be helped by rough cutting, then you'll need to build a temporary table to drop the job site saw into. <S> Ideally, it's a full sheet of melamine faced plywood, though particle board would work. <S> Have the saw positioned in the right-front corner of the sheet. <S> Depending on your lumber source, they might have sheets around that have been slightly damaged that they'll sell for a discount. <S> And a final wildly expensive idea <S> : get a tracksaw and a long track. <S> It'll do everything you want without moving sheets around. <A> For example, you have a 4x8 sheet of plywood and need a 36in wide piece but your rip fence only goes to 24 in. <S> You set the fence to 12in minus the thickness of the blade (usually 1/8in or 3/32) and run the sheet through and end up with a 36in wide piece and a 11 7/8in piece. <S> I would also definitely get someone to help maneuver the sheet and consider making a simple outfeed table/stand as large sheets can be unwieldy and unsafe, especially on a small job site saw. <A> Having followed my own advice in a comment on Aloysius' answer , I did a DuckDuckGo search for "home made track saw" (or something similar) and came up with a 90-second video (on the tube of you) from Tom Silva of This Old House fame showing how to make a very simple track saw from scrap plywood. <S> (This was only one of hundreds of videos & written instructions I found, choose your favorite.) <S> Not having a lot of scrap plywood laying around, I bought a sheet of 3/8" ply, carefully ripped 2 strips about "yay" wide each off the long edge (super wife is an excellent assistant in-feed table/material guide) on my father-in-law's table saw, then took the pieces home. <S> I glued the two 4" strips to the plywood and "clamped" it with a pile of lumber over night. <S> In the morning, I ran my circular saw along each edge of each glued strip, once with the wide side of the sole plate next to the attached strip, once with the narrow side. <S> This gave me 2 8' long track saws. <S> I cut one into a 5' and 3' section. <S> Despite these being made of some rather wavy plywood (can you get 3/8" ply that isn't warped in some fashion?), they worked extremely well for all the rip- and cross-cuts <S> I needed in sheet goods for the shed <S> I just built. <S> at only 3/8" thick, the act of clamping each end down on my cut marks bent the track straight to meet the flat sheet I was cutting Using the track <S> saw makes for effortless <S> , nearly brain-dead straight cuts at any angle across the sheet without having to focus on a chalk/pencil line <S> This was exceedingly handy since my saw seems designed to throw as much waste as possible toward the user's face when focusing on that cut line. <S> I can stretch to the other side of a 4' sheet and still have a straight line <S> I don't have to draw <S> /snap a line all the way across the sheet, 2 simple marks is all that's necessary. <S> This is a very fast to build, incredibly simple and easy to use jig that I wish I'd had 20 years ago!
| 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.
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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 needs to remain lubricated? The vice is an Eclipse EWWQR9 if that matters. <Q> I have the same problem with my Record 52 1/2. <S> The older ones had a thin sheet metal cover over the screw lead. <S> I cleaned all the old grease and applied a Very thin coat of silicone lubricant. <S> The dust and crude does not seem to stick to it like it does to grease, plus it lubricates better than wax. <S> I use it on the guides as well. <A> I've never used wax, <S> as all the threads I've ever encountered like this were pre-greased. <S> If I ever get or build one of those wood-thread vises I'll use some sort of wax. <S> I've experimented with various lubes, greases, and oils over time, and I've found that lighter oils are the best. <S> They'll still attract sawdust the same way (or maybe a little less) as grease, but it seems easier to cleanup. <S> I bought a metal can of WD-40 and a refillable spray bottle, and I give the threads a few squirts, and then wipe most of the softened crud off with a rag. <S> Basically, I use WD-40 as a cleaner and rust-preventive. <S> For vises used in woodworking, it also provides enough lubrication. <S> The downside is that petroleum-based oils can stain wood, <S> so you have to be careful with pieces you are getting ready for finishing. <S> Maybe a light silicone oil would work the same as WD-40, but I have not tried it. <A> You don't need to sweat this overmuch. <S> As you can imagine this is a common issue with almost all users of such vices — some amount of wood dust inevitably finds its way into the mechanism of working vices where the thread and guide rods are exposed during use, and such vices are built with loose tolerances so this won't affect function much. <S> It can actually take years and years (literally decades in some cases) for the buildup of dust within the mechanism to become so great that the vice begins to bog down, and/or the lock to begin to slip. <S> Although periodic brushing off of the worst of the detritus is good practice, the guide rods (where the tolerances are tighter) are self-cleaning to a degree. <S> There's some indication of this in the photograph you posted, where the rods have been wiped clean where they enter the rear jaw. <S> One way to minimise the problem is to stop using oil or grease (any kind) to lubricate, and instead use wax. <S> Now a vice's drive screw <S> should really be greased, not simply oiled, and wax is not really an ideal replacement for grease on screw threads in regular use. <S> But, we can see in the photograph that these are buttress threads, meaning this is a quick-release vice. <S> This makes this approach even more viable since much of the major movement of the vice in both directions can be accomplished without actually using the screw at all. <S> However, there is no rule that says that you can't use more than one lubricant on a single mechanism. <S> Here only a short length of the screw and guide rods commonly have dust and chips falling on them. <S> So clean just the portion of them that is most commonly exposed with white spirit/mineral spirits and then wax, leaving the remainder lubricated with grease, and you get the best of both worlds.
| 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.
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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 and next pass especially when working with large pieces. <S> The power switch is located and convenient to access. <S> So turning off the tool is more for safety. <S> All prep work would mean the power tool is turned off. <S> With a router underneath the router table, without a separate convenient switch location, this may not be easily done. <S> I am building a router table now <S> , that will have an easy-to-reach push cutoff switch. <S> If you see that the router is starting to heat up, then a cooling off period is needed. <S> Your router may cool off faster with the router on with the fan blowing air through the motor. <A> The motor/bearings in the router aren't generally much of a concern for overheating. <S> However, router bits can definitely overheat. <S> Particularly, if you're using a high speed steel (HSS) bit overheating it will cause it to loose hardness and dull very quickly. <S> Carbide is generally able to dissipate heat better than HSS, but if you get them too hot they will be more prone to chipping. <A> Short answer: <S> yes, you should do breaks. <S> Longer answer: <S> it depends on how how does a motor and a bit gets. <S> There's a nominal temperature for a motor depending in its class - the highest temperature a motor can be indefinitely at without any degradation in its primary functions. <S> You could look it up for a specific motor, I picked mine to be ambient temperature +60˚C, so if my workshop is at 25˚C, I would let a motor warm up to 85˚C. <S> Every 10˚C over this value will reduce motor lifetime 2x. <S> Some machines (e.g. planers) have overheating protection, my router doesn't, so I cap the highest temp at 95˚C <S> When your router idles (that is rotating without load) it takes very little current and pretty much is not heating, so I would switch it off only if preparing next pass takes more than a couple of minutes or makes me turn away from a router. <S> Switching a router on and off repeatedly will heat it more than idling, also it's not good for bearings. <S> This being said, a bit would get way hotter in a way shorter time, it fact it's totally possible to burn a bit in just a few moments after a cold start.
| 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.
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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 is a picture of the handle in a good state. I imagine that the handles were made separately and then glued unto a routed-out hole in the face of the panel. There is no sign of the hole on the reverse face, of course. Image from Via Antica Here is a picture of the broken handle. I guess there is an option of trying to build up new material onto this one, but the handle takes all the force of opening the panel, and I think that this is bound to fail. I have been offered a spare drawer-front with the same design of handle and so my question is what would be the approach to remove both the good and the bad handles in such a way that the good one then could be inserted back into the panel? <Q> It's hard to know for sure without more information (and more, specific knowledge of antique Danish furniture, I'm afraid). <S> Considering that it's an antique piece, I'm thinking that the piece is glued in with hide glue. <S> If that's the case, you should be able to apply heat (and a maybe a little moisture) to loosen up the glue enough to pry the pieces out of the panels. <S> I'd try applying the heat from a hairdryer for 10-15 minutes and gently trying to pry the piece out of the panel. <S> Dissolve/Remove Hide <S> Glue <S> How to Reverse Hide Glue's Bond How to Break a Glue Joint in Furniture NEW INFORMATION: <S> From what I can tell, it is likely a piece designed by Louis van Teeffelen for the Dutch furniture manufacturer WéBé . <S> The company went out of business in the 1990s, but the handle was one of van Teeffelen's "signature" design elements. <S> I'm thinking we now might be able to figure out what kind of glue was typically used by the manufacturer... <A> I may as well mention the obvious: <S> Don't replace it at all. <S> You can use the existing extra handle to match the wood, or go through your scrap pile looking for some sort of match (or contrast, repairs are never truly invisible, so a technique is to lean into the charm of well-lived cabinetry). <S> You want to look for a piece that matches the grain structure and direction. <S> Colour can be approximated with stain or just left as-is. <S> The idea is you carefully shape both the existing handle and the replacement piece, dry-fitting as you go, to get something that can be shaped to look like the existing handle, which also mates nicely to the existing wood with a decent glue joint. <S> You want to keep the repair pieces proud of the rest of the handle so final shaping is possible. <S> You could use brads to help keep the position during glue-up. <S> You'll want to experiment with your clamping a few times <S> so you get it right. <S> Once cured, you could use chisels, scrapers, and clever stick-and-sandpaper tools to help merge the repair into the rest of the handle. <S> Stain and finish as you like, either trying to merge the repair into the rest of the handle, or letting it be an obvious battle scar for character. <A> Maybe I missed this in all the back and forth, but I don't see it as impossible to remove the replacement handle by destroying the donor front, and it's not impossible to carefully chisel out the broken handle from the keeper unit. <S> (Having the experience of harvesting the replacement will tell you how much depth of panel you have behind the handle, which will tell you how careful to be when chiseling.) <S> Alternately (and I'm sure conservators are throwing things at their screen on reading this), you could slice the broken handle flush to the face of the keeper piece, harvest the replacement handle by slicing flush to the face and then epoxying new onto old. <S> This would depend on the original being smaller or equal to the size of the replacement. <S> If the replacement was smaller, then all bets are off. <S> Chances are, things would get a little scuffed and require refinishing, which again has the conservators cursing.
| 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.
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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 the edge. This would make it hard for the clamp to have good purchase on the surface and bear weight. Here is a picture for reference: My idea was to buy a standard plank like this 1"x6"x4ft hardwood and glueing it using wood epoxy and/or other fasteners to the side or the back edge of the table. I can then use this overhand to add the VESA stands and maybe another microphone stand. The things I am absolutely unsure of: What thickness of plank do I need? My monitor is about 22 lbs and maybe another 10 lbs for the microphone. Will a 1" plank be think enough, or do I need a 2"x6"x4ft plank? Is wood epoxy strong? Would it be better to reinforce the join with screws? I don't own a drill currently, but I can borrow one (and maybe some expertise) from my neighbor if needed Do I need to sand the joining surfaces? but above all:4. Is there a much better solution that by novice brain will not be able to come up with? :) Any and all advice would be appreciated. I have not done wood working since high-school, so all advice, no matter how basic is really appreciated. This is the table I am talking about and these are ( monitor , microphone ) the stands I am looking at. Edit:The skirting on the side is 2.5" high and 1" from the edge of the top surface. Edit2:Came up with another idea - I could cut a small 1/2" channel in the 2.5" side surface as such: Here the pink solid shape is the area I would drill out. I'd then have to find a solution to reinforce the skirting (in case its load bearing). <Q> Many monitor stands have the option of mounting with a clamp through a hole in the table as well as a clamp at the edge. <S> This allows the mount to be placed further in from the edge. <S> The hole is not ideal in a table used as a temporary desk, but is penalty fine in a dedicated deal if the monitor arm will be a permanent addition. <A> Mounting a monitor (selected as the heavier of the two) to a stand or arm assembly will change the leverage the mount can place on the foundation. <S> If you consider the monitor directly above the base, the force is vertical and represents, generally speaking, the weight of the monitor and assembly. <S> As the monitor is moved forward, the leverage increases, effectively increasing the force on the base. <S> Using both wood glue and screws would result in a joint of greater strength than either alone. <S> The glue is going to be clamped by the screws, which is easier than managing an edge clamp without screws. <S> Screws alone are subject to movement which can loosen over time. <S> One could periodically re-tighten the screws, <S> but eventually the forces would work to strip out the holes. <S> Avoid attaching to end grain. <S> Sand both surfaces, clean both surfaces, but do not create curved edges which will result in gaps between the two pieces. <S> If you can get long enough screws to pass through the additional board, ensure that the holes you pre-drill to prevent splitting are square and centered in the board. <S> Another method of attachment with screws is to use pocket screws and appropriately drilled holes. <S> It has the advantage of shorter screws and somewhat hidden holes. <S> Number four is more an addendum than a stand-alone answer. <S> Sam's Metal Works has a more elaborate item than my suggestion, but it serves as a useful example. <S> Consider the triangle to be constructed from solid wood, perhaps scraps cut from the board purchased for the extension. <S> They would mount in a manner similar to a shelf support, providing additional torsion strength. <S> You can get away with a 1" plank if you provide the under-surface support, as it will resist twisting. <S> Without the under-surface support, 1.5" should be oka. <A> A complete alternative is what I have right here, which avoids cutting or drilling into your existing table. <S> It's an offcut of 28mm beech kitchen worktop (the cutout for the stove/sink combination in my campervan, tidied up a bit) on kitchen cabinet legs. <S> Worktop and legs are both from Ikea, though the legs are discontinued. <S> The overall height is about 20cm, and the monitor stand clamps onto the back. <S> I've got a nicely variable height monitor stand to go with it. <S> Stability is perfect as the centre of gravity of the stand+monitor is over the middle of the shelf, which is 28cm front-to-back <S> It's a nice bit of extra space as well. <S> My desk is fairly tidy by my standards at the moment, but I did have to redact a bank statement.
| 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.
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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 whom I negotiated that arrangement was let go. Because I've done a really good job, the old boss' supervisor would like to promote me to my old boss' slot. One problem, he says, however is that he's a little concerned about how I seem to be working from home "a lot." Upon hearing of the arrangement, he now "understands," but isn't sure if he can promote me under the current arrangement. What would be the best way to try to keep this flexible arrangement but still get promoted? <Q> The promotion is a new role with new terms and conditions. <S> You need to discuss with your new boss whether it's practicable for you to be out of the office every other Friday. <S> You can't assume that your current arrangement will carry over. <S> If you don't take the promotion you should be able to keep the current arrangement - your contract hasn't changed just because your boss has, and you have it in writing. <S> Well assuming that your company treats e-mails as equivalent to letters and someone else (preferably in HR) was copied into the e-mail. <A> Remember that in a work-at-home situation, the onus is on you to demonstrate value. <S> One technique that some of my co-workers use is to send an email at the beginning of the day, describing their plan for the day, and at the end of the day, outlining what they accomplished. <S> Err on the side of overcommunicating when you're working at home. <S> Give them no reason at all to be suspicious. <A> Wow - lots of great answers... <S> putting a few things together, I'd offer: <S> Any promotion is a change in expectations, but the most profound is usually the one from individual contributor to manager. <S> At that point, you become much more a representative of the organization and its values than you were before, and that is bound to come with expectation changes. <S> A big question is - does the organization espouse a work-from-home tolerant philosophy? <S> By creating a supervisor with this work-agreement, they are saying to everyone else "this is OK", and the boss may or may not be ready to do that. <S> Find win conditions to staying at home - for example is it possible that you can move all your "sit alone and think" work to your day at home, which may allow you to minimize disruptions - often I have suceeded at diverging from my boss' "norm" by highlighting how he's getting more bang for the buck from me doing things differently. <S> Be sure that even at home your communication channels are open - <S> if you are hard to reach or perceived as unresponsive, there will be more pushback, as a supervisor must be both easy to reach and responsive. <S> The boss may not be worried about you , per se, but another person on your team. <S> In which case, you and he may be able to talk through these team issues and find resolutions that don't involve you giving up your work/life balance. <A> This also gets to a matter involving negotiations. <S> If your position is changing, often the expectations will change with it, even if the supervisor wasn't also changing. <S> Also, engage the supervision in a discussion about why he was initially concerned about when you work at home. <S> Dig deep, ask questions, and don't be defensive in case <S> the answers you start to get back aren't what you want/expect. <S> You'll often find that these kinds of things come down to various ways that people approach work, and how they approach supervision of others. <S> To some extent, this will come down to the new supervisor's management style, and there may not be a ton that you can do about it - this may be the "new way" that things will operate. <S> On the other hand, you might find that your questions lead to the underlying issues (the supervisor doesn't know how to measure productivity/effort unless they can physically see you, or maybe they feel communication is more effective in person, etc.) <S> which will tell you what you'll need to do in order to satisfy the underlying concerns and potential fears. <S> Clearly, if you've done a good job, and are in the running for this promotion, then you're capable. <S> With any negotiation, you're spending a certain amount of political capital (whether or not you actively engage in politics) on trying to get what you want, so just be aware of that. <S> Maybe the tradeoff is worth it, maybe it isn't. <A> That's pretty typical for managerial or supervisor positions. <S> It's not as big of a deal for normal developers or even lead positions, but once there's an HR component involved (you do reviews, hiring / firing decisions, etc), you're going to lose a lot of flexibility from your schedule (outside of normal PTO type situations). <S> At least, that's the status quo I've seen in the market over the past decade or so.
| 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.
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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 constantly on the move to different companies to gain a breadth of knowledge or focus on one company for depth in a specific methodology (not necessarily one specific skill, just one way of doing a specific hat)? <Q> Basically, should I be constantly on the move to different companies <S> NO. <S> The idea of moving around a lot to get some diverse experience may sound like a good idea, but I've personally seen at least one candidate get rejected for the explicit reason that he hadn't stayed at one job for more than a year. <S> Ideally, try to find a good job that'll give you a good breadth of technical experience. <S> If the job turns out to be a stinker, then by all means move on. <S> Just don't think you'll ever be doing yourself a favor by frequently moving from job to job. <A> Less than a year at a job is a Bad Thing if it happens more than once or twice. <S> On the other hand, doing what I've done and staying at one place for 9 years is also sub-optimum for a lot of companies. <S> No hiring function in the US places any value on 'loyalty' any more. <S> But really, it's your life, and life is very short. <S> If you are happy in a position then you should stay until there is a good reason to leave. <S> If you are unhappy, life is too short to stay just because some hypothetical person in the future might wonder why you didn't stay longer. <A> It will probably be a red flag to a hiring manager if you have lots of short term jobs (unless the nature of your industry means that short term contracts are the norm). <S> The last thing they want to do is have to train your replacement in 6 months time. <S> However, it might also be a red flag if you've stayed in one job for 10+ years (say). <S> They might think that you don't show any drive or desire to "get on" and that might be just what they are looking for. <S> Having had several jobs will widen your experience which is a good thing. <A> First off: Loyalty is not depth. <S> Good depth in a single problem of courses requires that you stick to one place and be loyal. <S> But great number of times people do same repetitive work without learning anything new or enhancing new skills. <S> Such things is <S> NOT really better depth. <S> Many a times, I do find candidates who have been around for more than 5 or 7 years. <S> This is indeed great. <S> But then you look at the depth of his/her work. <S> Has the person continued more projects, higher up in the responsibilities or has been stuck without any significant growth? <S> Or has she/he been only stuck at a position. <S> On the other hand there are candidate has been almost always changing the job, say every 6 months or 1 year; If people jump too often it is a sign that they don't stick to some or most problems too long <S> and or have severe problems with aligning the work place culture and hence cann't stick around. <S> Such people might run away in the middle of the project keeping jeopardy. <S> People who have left critical assignments just because of more money or bad days of company, it is a sign that you cann't quite trust that person to fight in a critical project. <S> Of course, of many changes, you might have took up one or two odd positions where you might find yourself misfit - but that's not that bad. <S> So - a right measure to judge whether jump that people took should be reasonable. <S> In one of the books by Jack-Welch - Winning , he writes: .. <S> why the candidate left his previous job, and the one before that. <S> " <S> This "tells you more about them than almost any other piece of data." <S> (p. 96 - Winning) <S> The essential answer he gives is that when people change because of desire the learn more and do more exciting challenging stuff - it is the right candidate. <S> If the candidate has continued growth and a long tenures (fewer jumps) <S> it is really ideal hire. <S> But all else depend on his individual performance on certain projects. <S> If the person has at least one or two great projects, it is a reason to believe that he will be willing to at least attack the work and finish things and will fight for challenging problems. <A> It depends on what you do. <S> If you're startup hopping it might not matter so much. <S> If you can rationalize your job history, long or short, then that is the key.
| 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".
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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 feelings for the duration of the project. The project wrapped up, and she was assigned to a new project with a different work group, in a different industry. Is it unprofessional and/or unethical for her to pursue this relationship at this time? Would it prove problematic given that the other person was technically a former client? <Q> Is it unprofessional and/or unethical for her to pursue this relationship? <S> Would it prove problematic given that the other person was technically a former client? <S> I believe it depends on two factors: <S> Whether there is a likelihood of that client being accepted for new work again. <S> The industry you are in. <S> To explain - whilst on the project, the two individuals will have had equal access to any discussed intellectual property and sensitive material. <S> If that's the only project undertaking, then I cannot see an issue. <S> However, it gets technical if for example the company deals in intellectual property belonging to multiple partners and there is a likelihood of the customer being signed up again. <S> In this case, the relationship could be construed as inside information - and discussing work at home might potentially give away other companies' intellectual property. <S> If you're having trouble visualising that, let's take an example. <S> Fred works for a big airline, IFly. <S> He really likes Jill, who works for GoodEngines. <S> IFly contract GoodEngines to make some engines, they do, all done, Fred and Jill start dating and so on. <S> Then, IFly want some more engines making. <S> GreatEngines submit some IP as part of their bid. <S> Fred reviews the bid, but has a stressful day and goes home ranting to Jill about it. <S> Over chicken fajitas, to which he's partial, he accidentally lets slip that GreatEngines are using SuperFuel to Jill. <S> Whoops. <S> Usually, this sort of thing can be managed as with any conflict of interest. <S> I would suggest the following action be taken: <S> What does your contract say about it? <S> Ultimately, it may be a breach of your T&Cs of employment to even engage in the relationship. <S> What do management/HR say about it? <S> I am not suggesting asking permission - however, assuming you are not barred from having said relationship, covering your bases by raising a potential conflict of interest would be a legitimate thing to talk to HR about. <S> Of course, this assumes a specific problematic scenario with which I have some experience (not necessarily romantic experience, however). <S> Clearly, if it's just a paper order from your local stationary supplier, that's a bit different! <A> Proceed, but with caution. <S> Be discreet for a few months, since it may come to naught. <S> But if your friend sees a future with this person after 3-6 months, she should make a disclosure to her HR department. <S> It's a formality, but an important one, since both people might be asked have to waive certain rights to sue. <A> Here's a pretty good test for questions of the format: "Is it ethical/professional to _ ?" <S> The answer is almost always the same as this question: "Would you feel uncomfortable telling your boss about _ ?" <A> Whether this is unprofessional doesn't really matter. <S> There are things that are more important than being professional. <S> Not being with the love of your life who you would be married to for 50 years with four children and a dozen grand children, because the love of your life was at some point working for a client, that is unethical. <S> On the other hand, having a one night stand with an employee of a former client, that's a different matter. <S> Instead of asking whether it is unprofessional, you need to decide how to behave and weigh up the consequences. <S> If at all possible avoid any publicity until you are sure you are in a long term relationship. <S> If you don't get there, break up in a polite and sensitive way so that nobody finds out and nobody cares. <S> Meanwhile, avoid any conflict of interest. <S> If you manage to get into a long term relationship, then you post here again :-) <S> Good luck. <A> If the business relationship is over, there is absolutely no reason why a personal relationship should not happen - assuming both parties want it, of course - perhaps something to consider with a little more caution than normal if there is or was a power dynamic involved. <S> (It's never appropriate for a manager to invite one of their direct reports on a date, for example). <S> If the business relationship is ongoing, it would still be reasonable to pursue a personal relationship with the same comments as above, though with a little more caution (looking out for conflicts of interest, potential for (accusations of) preferential treatment, etc.). <S> This happens all the time - we spend half our waking lives at work, of course we will meet people for whom we develop personal feelings - and I've yet to work at a company that didn't have at least one married couple somewhere in the business. <S> (Obligatory warning: a friend of mine was once involved in such a relationship that ended spectacularly badly, to the extent that my friend very nearly had to quit his job; to this day, my friend and the other person involved refuse to both be in the same room at the same time - which has made certain work situations extremely difficult. <S> It can happen. <S> But I suspect that entering a relationship wondering how badly it might end probably isn't healthy, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.) <S> Either way, call me a hopeless romantic if you will, but as long as direct conflicts of interest are avoided, I'd personally rank personal relationships as of higher importance anyway; who wants to die alone at eighty saying, " <S> well I was lonely my whole life, but at least I never dated any former clients"?
| 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).
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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, or require deep experience with emerging technologies. These requirements sound like someone rattled off the software/skills of a previous employe with no concept of what was important about those skills. For example, when asking for 10 years of Oracle SQL experience what they probably really need is someone with deep SQL knowledge and experience using databases in an enterprise setting. I always see these specific requirements on the job offer but once I get down to it I find most companies want skills, not technical knowledge in a specific brand of technology/language/ect. How can I figure out what they really need when I'm interviewing/being screened? How can I probe without making it look like I'm unqualified, communicating that I have what they really need, just not the exact flavor of expertise on the offer? <Q> I like to ask open questions like: What can you tell me about the project you see starting me out on? <S> From the answer to this question I usually ask about the frameworks and tools they are using for it. <S> I can get engaged with the manager about the position and show how my skills can help there. <S> Not to mention if the manager is on the fence this question can help to push them over and get them thinking how I can fit in their team. <S> It also helps take the temperature of the interview. <S> A short answer with no thought probably means it is not going well. <S> It gives you an opportunity to either cut losses or redouble your efforts to make a better impression. <A> In my experiences, the job posting will list the things that someone hired to the position is likely to come into contact with. <S> Having more experience in those particular areas or with those specific things is, of course, beneficial, but doesn't mean that the candidate who gets the job has all of those skills. <S> When I come across a job posting, I break it down in two ways. <S> First, I identify which of my skills directly lined up with the skills in the job posting. <S> Then, I identify which skills were easily transferrable or relatable to the skills requested in the job posting. <S> When I'm communicating with the company, I make sure to touch on both of these - highlighting past experiences that are directly relevant, but also related technology and emphasized times when I've had to apply knowledge to learn something new. <A> Job listings such as these would test people psychologically, whether it's their intended purpose or not. <S> At best it would attract people who may not know everything they ask for but have the drive and confidence to do so, and at worst it will bring people that would lie in their resume. <S> If you make it in for an interview, congrats, you're already a step ahead and have given them the benefit of the doubt. <S> Try to explain your work experience in more language-agnostic terms and actively attempt to draw in similarities with what you've used and what the job description is looking for. <S> One of the best things you can do is teach them something interesting that they didn't know about, such as how your skills have solved a similar problem to what they might be facing. <A> Every job posting is different, so it's impossible to answer this question in the abstract. <S> But in general, the framework and the language listed closest to the top of the page tend to be most important. <S> However, OTOH, I've interviewed for jobs where the hiring manager did not care which framework or which language candidates emphasized/favored in previous jobs. <S> General skills and general programming aptitude mattered most. <S> [Anything else could be learned on the job.] <S> My best advice: <S> Let the hiring manager, at the face-to-face interview be the arbiter of whether or not you possess all of the "must haves" for the job opening.
| 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.
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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 to the conversation that is going on. Moderators are unpaid users who cultivate and police a site. (By contrast, I am an official employee of the company, and I receive a salary.) Also, from certain perspectives, I'm a moderator or user's first line of appeal, meaning that if an issue requires escalation, I'm one of a group of people they turn to first. I've been fortunate enough to be able to meet some of these moderators and users in Real Life. I find I get along well with some of them, and enjoy spending time with them. Is it unprofessional for me to pursue friendships and personal relationships with these users? <Q> As long as you don't let it affect your work <S> then no, it's not unprofessional. <S> Obviously it could be seen as being unprofessional, but as long as everyone - including your employer - is happy then you should be OK. <S> In fact, it could be argued that forming a personal relationship with these users is part of your job as community liaison. <S> You are part of the conduit between the regular users and moderators and the company. <S> Your job would be much harder if you didn't get on with them at some level. <A> Being that they are unpaid I would guess no. <S> Your employer is a vendor of a service and the people in question are voluntary consumers who engage at their leisure with nothing at stake but their own time. <S> It doesn't seem like a conflict of interest in a business sense. <A> Since you're not (hopefully) talking about harassment, the relevant thing here is whether or not you gain inappropriate leverage with your user/client/etc. <S> In this case you can't really extort much out of your users; you can't make them buy the Premium Option for $5000 extra because there's no money involved. <S> You're not getting access to insider information because you already have it. <S> You're not going to be able to get a raise or gain additional clout through these interactions, so I don't think they could generally be perceived as inappropriate. <A> Just consider the following issue: No matter how badly we try to keep professional and personal relationships separate we are not able to do that. <S> We are all only human. <S> So is it unprofessional? <S> No. <S> Will it affect how you perform your duties with respect to the site where user is present? <S> Definitely. <S> So my suggestion is to avoid interactions where your professional life bleeds into your personal one.
| Business relationships can be viewed negatively if they're used as leverage or if they make others uncomfortable (harassment).
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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 eventually offer process occurs can be a nightmare. For example, I interview for companies A, B, and C, all of which I have a serious interest in. Companies A & B move quickly and both have offers on the table within 2-3 weeks. However company C was slow getting into the game and just began interviewing me. If I am interested also in company C, how do I appropriately stall companies A & B for more time without upsetting anyone? What is the professional manner in which this should be handled? You can't just aggressively push company 'C', but at the same time you can't just tell companies A & B "Thanks for the offers. I need 3 weeks to think it over please." What is the proper and professional way to handle/coordinate/juggle the interviewing and offer process when pursuing a new job? <Q> In my experience, stalling is not the tactic to take--there's always another you out there. <S> In both job searching and hiring, I've always valued honesty. <S> In the case of the A, B, and laggard C companies you outlined, I would immediately tell Company C that you are already far along the interview process with Companies A & B. <S> This is not aggressive pushing, but rather immediate honesty -- and <S> what I have found is that if a Company C is really interested in me (or if I'm Company C <S> and I'm really interested in someone), it's amazing how quickly that process can move along... <S> On a similar note, if you feel an offer from Company A or B is imminent , it's reasonable to tell them that you need a few days to consider other offers, which you could use to your advantage with Company C. <S> Basically, be honest with everyone involved, even if at the end of the day it means making a hard decision (to pull the plug on something potentially good, in lieu of something actually on the table). <A> In How can I delay job offer acceptance? <S> [duplicate] which was marked as a duplicate, DJClayworth answered : I don't think I can do better than link to Joel Spolsky's article: " Exploding offer season ". <S> While aimed at new graduates, it explains exactly how this works and how you should respond. <S> Occasionally companies are really looking to find someone to start in a couple of weeks - but it is very, very rare that they would rather have someone <S> now than wait a week and get someone good. <S> They will almost always give you a week or two to make up your mind. <S> Remember that 'considering other offers' makes you look good in their eyes, not bad. <S> However it's important that they don't think you are playing games with them. <S> Give them a deadline by which you will get back to them, and stick to it. <S> If they say they absolutely must have an answer now, then that's like a car salesman who says the offer is only valid 'right now'. <S> You shouldn't take it. <S> The only reason they would want to stop you considering other offers is if they think the other offers would be better than theirs. <S> There are also some other good answers there on that question. <A> If the prospective employers think that you're worth your salt, they'll reasonably expect that you may have other options on the table. <S> Just like with any relationship, not appearing needy is a great way to gain some leverage and operate on an even playing field. <S> While I wouldn't suggest stalling them via deception, you could just be open and honest with prospective employers A and B and tell them that you are exploring other options, and you would like to know from them directly how long you have to make your decision. <S> They may tell you that they'd like to know as soon as possible, or they may tell you that you have a week to decide before they extend the offer to the runner up. <S> If you're not comfortable telling them directly that you're exploring other options, it would still be okay to ask how long you have to make the decision. <S> Staying in communication with your prospective employer will not only set clear expectations on both ends, but you'd also be starting this new relationship on the right path by demonstrating how well you communicate with others. <S> This will likely make them want you to accept even more. <S> One word of caution, I wouldn't recommend asking for more than a few days to make the decision. <S> Instead, ask them what they are comfortable with. <S> An exception to this rule might be if you need to give your employer 3 weeks notice. <S> If the company you're applying with is worth their salt, they should respect your intention to leave your former employer on good terms. <A> Normally in this case I would suggest limiting the number of companies you are pursuing. <S> The problem with 3 weeks is that most companies won't keep the offers open for that long unless they are really desperate. <S> What you could also do is to call company C and tell them that you have received and offer but you would like to work for the company C and ask them what your chances might be to get an offer from them. <S> Possibility of doing that would of course depend on what stage of the interview process you are in. <S> Of course you could go a different route: <S> You can tell companies A & B or just one of them that you would like to accept their offer but have a 4 week notice period and then refuse to start with them if the offer from company C comes through. <S> Of course this will probably kill your chances to ever work for company A again <S> but then you might get your dream job at company C and never have to worry about it.
| 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 a decision (within reason -- 3 weeks would be too long).
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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 make me more marketable. While my concern ultimately has to be for myself, I'd like to deal as ethically as possible with my employers, as well as burn as few bridges as possible. What I'd like to know is - how long should one reasonably stick around at a new job? How much of a black mark is a short employment span going to be for future employers? <Q> I can tell you that I am on the side of the table that does hiring for programmers and jumping around year after year is indeed a black mark IMO. <S> However you have a legitimate and valid case for switching jobs due to the relocation. <S> If I asked "Why were you only at job 'X' for 6 months", and you stated "It was a fantastic opportunity to do X,Y,and Z, but I had to leave because we relocated", then that black mark would turn into a gold star. <S> Also at this point in your career switching jobs to gain valuable experience and not get bogged down by 1 companies "way of developing" will make you a far superior candidate in the long run. <A> You may even want to do that by asking directly if there is a sign-on obligation (for example, a commitment to stay for a year after training). <S> Not every position requires a lot of training, or this type of commitment. <S> For the record, from a management perspective, it takes about 6 months to ramp up just about anybody - in the 0-6 range, the person is more of a liability than an asset as they are (rightfully) asking for help and instructions from the team, so the overall team is less efficient and the new guy isn't productive enough to make up for the overhead of question-answering. <S> At 6-12 months, the ratio levels out - the new guy is more produtive and asks less questions (cause he has the clue!) <S> and he's doing meaningfull work. <S> He is probably not 100% efficient yet, but the team as a whole is now more productive than they were before the new guy joined. <S> The new guy usually amortizes on the investment in his second year - somewhere between 18 and 24 months into the situation. <S> If you are really sure you're relocating, give your employer a heads up. <S> While you probably won't destroy your career (the world is a big place, and blacklisting is nearly impossible), it's ethical to let them know. <S> I agree with @atconway that multiple career jumps in a full-time employee <S> is a danger sign. <S> One jump, because of a relocation - is not a killer - but in terms of burning bridges, I think you need to be fair to your incipient employeer on your short term plans. <S> The metric for "normal" career changes these days is usually 3 years. <A> Speaking as a recruiter, I don't bat an eye if I see a couple of short stints on a resume. <S> I also almost expect to see someone new in their career (less than 5 years out of school) to have moved around a few times as they explore different companies and industries. <S> This is especially true for developers in highly competitive markets such as the Bay Area and Seattle. <S> That said, staying in a FTE <S> *** role for less than a year does look a little...iffy <S> though there's a long list of perfectly acceptable reasons for it such as having your spouse take a job that required relocation, needing to be closer to family, etc. <S> It's also perfectly acceptable if someone takes a job <S> and it just doesn't turn out to be a good fit for them (so long as the person is diplomatic and tactful when expressing this!) <S> I suppose the operative phrase here is "relocate soon". <S> Are we talking a year? <S> 3 months? <S> If it's just a few months how much will you really learn? <S> Also read the offer letter carefully - if they're investing in you they may include a clawback phrase regarding education expenses (though this is somewhat rare, clawbacks are much more common for relocation packages) <S> *** <S> Contracting/freelancing is a whole different situation.
| 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.
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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 like a poor match. I really don't want to come off as a programmer applying for a design job; I have design experience, I do front end design at my current job, I have an education background that supporting UX design. At the same time, I don't want to come off as a liar, saying I'm a UI Designer when my resume clearly states my current title is Programmer at Such A Company. Which title do I chose for my elevator pitch? The position I want, the position I have, or something in between that applies to both? <Q> Use your title as anyone doing a reference check may throw you out if it doesn't match what the reference check says. <S> If you feel the title is too far off, add the realistic title of what you did in parentheses after the official title. <S> Then explain why you did that in the cover letter. <S> What you want to do is make sure the description of the job includes the information about what design tasks you performed. <A> Some recruiters will see inaccuracy/exaggeration on your resume as indicative of other problems and reject you. <S> It may not be the prospective employer who does this - it is common to use a third party agency to do routine background checks. <S> Your cover letter and/or objective statement should describe that you're looking to move across roles. <S> If you are moving companies, it may be easier to apply for the same role as you're currently doing and then transfer internally when you get there. <A> I always try to customize my resume for the position I am looking for. <S> The person looking to fill the job I want does not care about the skills I have that are not important to it. <S> Always try to emphasize what is important to the position you are applying for. <S> List <S> any skills you used in your former position(s) that is being sought in the new position. <S> You can use the title that you have. <S> Most employers realize that titles are just that. <S> They look at the skill sets that were important to the position.
| 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.
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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) engineer, or does it matter? <Q> Keep your job as long as you're learning, growing and improving every year. <S> If you start to stagnate, that's a signal that it's time to move on. <S> If you're being interviewed, be prepared to answer questions on both ends of the spectrum: <S> Why did you leave so soon? <S> Why did you stay there so long? <S> What did you do to keep growing in the same place? <A> It depends on what you want to get out of your career. <S> If you want to have a lot of experience in different areas of expertise, then you could move around every few years. <S> The reason being you want to grow and you want to enhance your skills. <S> However, if you feel you are growing in your career (and getting promoted) and you are working for your dream company (Microsoft/Apple for example), you could stay there for 20 years if you wanted. <A> Just like in writing software itself, "optimal" in the real world is a combination of factors, applied to the problem you're trying to solve. <S> I don't think there's a canonical answer to something like this. <S> The combination of factors that will, or will not, get you a particular role are complicated and unique depending on the exact moment in time when you apply, the experience you have at that time, what a potential job might require, and lots of other factors in the larger world that you have no control over: i.e. the market for such jobs. <A> The rule of thumb I have always heard is that you should generally stay for at least two years - otherwise it might raise a red flag when people read your CV. <S> Of course, if you have a good reason, <2 yrs may still be OK. <S> Apart from that, there are no general rules. <S> I depends on both what you want (do you prefer stability, or frequent new challenges), on what your job offers, and on industry practices. <S> Some employers consider anyone who stays less than a decade a job hopper, and in some consulting companies, the majority of people is expected to leave after a few years. <S> Also note that there are alternatives to changing jobs, such as moving to a different department, doing consulting work as part of your job, getting a side job (with employer's permission of course), etc.
| Totally depends on the industry/job you are in, and want to have, as well as many factors outside your control.
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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 business. I have my weekends free. However, when I get to the weekend I can't even imagine myself turning on the computer. But I really want to make my ideas happen, and I can't leave my job right now to devote myself only to my ideas. What do you say? Do you find some method helpful? Do you use some technique? <Q> Some things to try: Distance yourself from the work you do at your job. <S> You can keep it relevant, but change it up enough that you're not doing the same thing seven days a week. <S> Keep lists of goals and tasks for your project. <S> It's a lot easier to get going if you limit yourself to one small task at a time. <S> Schedule out time to work on projects. <S> A definite schedule is harder to ignore than a vague notion that you might have some time this weekend to spend on your project. <S> Make sure you enjoy what you're working on. <S> If you view it as more work, it's going to be difficult to get started. <S> Plus you'll burn out eventually. <S> Get other people involved. <S> If you commit to working with others, you'll be much less likely to back out. <A> When you are looking for motivation you have to make one thing clear in your mind: why are you doing this? <S> If you are developing the idea just for kicks nothing in the world will motivate you to do it when you can have fun. <S> So basically all you need to repeat to yourself is : in 3,4,5,6 months <S> when I finish with my idea I will be able to give my boss the bird, quit and work the hours I want on something I like to do. <S> Having a family that supports your endeavor also helps. <S> Although finding a spouse that understands the long term goals is a challenge but is a great motivator. <A> 10 to 14 hours is rough! <S> Stick to pen and paper. <S> Get your project ideas down, add any sketches or diagrams that you have in your head now and move on to the next idea. <S> Get everything out of your head - do a full data dump. <S> Now, motivation has to come from within so look back over your projects and see if you have anything that pulls at you, something cool, something fun, something that excites you. <S> When you are working that much during the week you really need something to help you unwind and relax during the weekend. <S> If you find you have a project that does that for you <S> then you have a winner, if not then at least you have everything down to come back to later. <S> Take your time and go for a hike, go see a movie or take a nap... <S> Or maybe even polish up your resume. <A> I'm going to be contrary (and potentially unpopular) here and say that you shouldn't try and work on your personal ideas on the weekend -- at least not right now. <S> Presumably, your ideas are something in the software development realm that you would to evolve into something that can financially sustain you and your family. <S> By investing a significant amount of free-time into a personal software dev project, you will likely indirectly impact your performance on the software dev job for which you are currently being employed. <S> These impacts could be burnout, distracted focus or fatigue. <S> This is not necessarily fair to yourself or to your employer. <S> So, for now, I'd recommend jotting down your ideas in an 'ideabook' with supplemental information as appropriate. <S> Once you get to the point that you may be ready to move on from your job, I'd revisit that 'ideabook' and see if there's anything in there <S> you're actually willing to commit to and take a risk on. <S> If not, then I'd close the book and come back to it some other time. <S> In the meantime, spend your free time playing games, reading novels, taking long walks or any other hobby that is not also your job. <A> Trying to think outside the box here, because I have the same problem: Tons of ideas not enough hours in the week to see them out. <S> Have you considered taking a "Working vacation" instead of trying to cram it into a weekend? <S> The fact that you are using up your valuable vacation time might be enough to convince you to get your butt to work on those ideas.
| 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.
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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 stop gossip from occurring? If so, how can I address it without causing problems or making myself a target? <Q> You are definitely setting the example by not participating. <S> After that, it just depends on how assertive you want to be. <S> For example, I had a friend who used to say things like, <S> "Is this a positive, uplifting conversation that will help us all move forward?" <S> Feel free to paraphrase or borrow outright. <S> The other discipline I find useful is to reflect on the Rotary Four Way Test . <A> Feed into it! <S> Gossip is just another word for "information exchange". <S> It only becomes a problem when it's harmful or incorrect. <S> Folks naturally want to share information about each other and the company they work for, and trying to suppress it is futile; indeed, if you develop a reputation for shutting down gossip, you may find yourself "out of the loop" as your co-workers learn to recognize you as a buzz-kill. <S> And by refusing to join in, you may actually be hurting yourself and others : <S> The study also found that gossip can be therapeutic. <S> Volunteers’ heart rates increased when they witnessed someone behaving badly, but this increase was tempered when they were able to pass on the information to alert others. <S> “Spreading information about the person whom they had seen behave badly tended to make people feel better, quieting the frustration that drove their gossip,” Willer said. <S> So don't just listen. <S> Participate! <S> And make sure you're sharing helpful and accurate information, and encouraging others to do likewise. <S> ...Or failing that, at least spread entertaining misinformation <S> : Mary : Did you hear about Janice? <S> Her son got arrested for selling Ritalin at school! <S> Lucas : <S> No, I didn't... <S> But what a relief it is to hear she actually has a son! <S> There was a rumor going around that her whole family was just a cover story, to hide her involvement in the Russian mafia! <A> There are many different kinds of gossip and they aren't all wrong. <S> Gossip is how a culture establishes its norms. <S> When someone tells you I saw Steve in the caf talking to Joe from another group, and they looked embarrassed and went quiet when they were spotted , they are telling you that leaving this group, especially stealthily, is against the group norms, or that secret conversations are against the group norms. <S> That kind of gossip has its place. <S> On the other hand if they're telling you I saw Steve at a restaurant last night talking to a woman who wasn't his wife, and they looked embarrassed and went quiet when they were spotted , that is not good gossip. <S> I would reply "I can think of a thousand innocent reasons you would see that, and I can't think of a single reason we should be discussing it." <S> Lumping both conversations, along with I heard there might be more layoffs coming and <S> The new XZ123 Mark IV is really spiffy, I can't wait till it's released as gossip is throwing away valuable information and not being hard enough on the personal prying and judging that constitutes bad gossip. <A> Change the topic, shrug your shoulders, find a reason to leave the conversation. <S> Don't defend or attack anyone, don't let the gossip thrive. <S> If you're in a group and someone starts gossiping, change the subject or revive the topic you were talking about before the gossip. <S> Chances are if you're in a group of people someone else is just as uncomfortable as you are. <S> Say you don't know X person well enough to comment, say you've got to go to the rest room, something polite to get them to go away. <S> They'll get the hint and you don't need to get in a big argument over who's a gossip. <A> Stay away. <S> Don't get involved in that slippery slope. <S> My recommendation is to walk away from those types of conversations or steer it back to a work-related matter. <S> Another alternative if in a casual setting (like a lunch break) is to change the subject to something positive that everyone will enjoy discussing. <S> At the end of the day it is completely unprofessional, and leads to nothing positive or productive.
| If you're alone and someone interrupts you or walks by your desk and tries to gossip, make up an excuse or just shrug.
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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 critical of solutions without offering better alternatives. How do I derail this negative, critical behavior to lead a more collaborative, solution-focused team? <Q> Some of the best leadership experts state that leadership is not about power, it's about service . <S> I can't answer this directly because I feel that the premise is wrong. <S> I have no reason to believe their behavior <S> should be unwanted. <S> Maybe they are just trying to help, albeit inappropriately? <S> Maybe the solution is wrong? <S> Here are some tips: <S> Jim Collins, author of Great by Choice and Good to Great , advises to increase your question-to-statement ratio; <S> What are the facts? <S> Why have we concluded that this decision is best? <S> This will help you and your team understand the decisions. <S> If you are a good leader, then having other "leader types" should be a benefit, not a problem. <S> Maybe they are just a curmudgeon and you are putting it politely. <S> However it is <S> , you should be sure you are correctly diagnosing the problem. <S> Leadership is about having power but seldom using it . <S> You shouldn't need to put them in their place. <S> They are your team — you should figure out how to build them up. <A> What your asking about isn't leadership. <S> It's more about how teams can collaboratively work best together. <S> When I lead projects where this happens, I ask for alternatives, and encourage the debate, while reminding people of the practical limits (e.g. we can't debate forever - we have to deliver something at some point). <S> As the lead, you have to make the final decision, but not alienate people or put them down. <S> I think another, really critical thing that people often forget to do, is follow up after decisions are made. <S> Someone might have had a great idea that didn't get implemented, or an idea that maybe wasn't so good and was never considered - both of those are absolutely okay. <S> If you follow up with the people who put the most energy into the debate (whether or not their ideas were followed), you'll find that they generally care the most about trying to solve problems. <S> If you keep inviting those people back (even if their ideas maybe aren't the greatest), you'll get a much more diverse point of view on new problems in the future, which is way more valuable to creative thinking in an organization than picking the "winning" and "losing" ideas. <S> You might wonder, "Well what about the people that put little or no energy into the process? <S> " I wouldn't worry about that either. <S> Just make sure they know that they're welcome to speak up, and they will when they want and need to. <A> This is a tough one. <S> I was once a project lead developing a product. <S> We had difficulties with a new member of staff coming on board in accepting that ultimately I was responsible for the decisions on the product. <S> I feel this is an applicable scenario here <S> - I needed to assert leadership to prevent the project from collapsing, but I also needed to focus his technical skills. <S> The employee in question was highly talented, but unfortunately his actions were disrupting to the team. <S> Here's what we tried. <S> Not all of them may be relevant to you, unfortunately: Establishing a review/complete pattern. <S> Previously, we'd allowed this employee to notify us when tasks were done and how they met requirements - however, we subtly altered our approach for this employee, asking him to let us know when he'd finished and then talking through where we were at and whether the results met our objectives. <S> In conjunction to this, we ensured the employee had a chance to be at our direction meetings and understand our requirements. <S> We also had a meeting with the employee, to explain that their talent was a positive thing, but that we had business needs which came first. <S> We also established that the above meetings would take place in this chat, to ensure the employee felt they were still seeing and could comment on the wider picture. <S> We upped our positive feedback. <S> In short, what we did was to set out to establish a slightly more rigorous/formal management chain than was previously in place. <S> Partly, this was self-defence; the employee was altering things against our instructions because they felt I'd make the wrong call and we needed to ensure we reviewed these. <S> However, on the other side, we tried to increase the impression that the employee had a say in decision-making, or at the very least an understanding of why decisions were made a certain way. <S> We also tried to positively feed back on jobs <S> well done, to show that as a whole hierarchy we were well aware of the employees abilities.
| 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.
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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 is a champion of the idea that the teams that win are the teams with the most unity of purpose, not the teams with the absolute best players. I am not a direct leader of my team, and our team does not have a manager who works on the same day-to-day items. Sometimes I feel like we lack unity of purpose, and I would like to help its growth. How can I improve my team's unity, and provide general leadership without entering into any of the potential pitfalls? Is setting an example the only way? <Q> I find that one of the most important factors in becoming a leader on a team, unofficially or officially, is maintaining a positive and communicative relationship with every member of the team. <S> You don't have to be buddies with everybody on the team, but everyone should think of you as someone with a fair perspective and someone who respects everyone on the team, even if they'd never want to talk to you outside of work. <S> This will help you gradually move into the role, as Jae mentioned. <S> If you have some kind of relationship with each team member in which they regard you as helpful (or at least respectfully interested), you can start to become the natural choice. <S> This answer reminds us that leadership isn't about power, it's about service . <S> Your job in forging these relationships is therefore not to nitpick or provide unwanted instructions on how to proceed on a particular project or task. <S> It's to try to provide any help that the team member might require to do their job better, even if sometimes that means simply going out to get them a cup of coffee if it will help them meet a deadline. <S> A leader should put the needs of their team - both the individuals and the team as a unit - before their own needs. <S> Start doing this, and the title (or at least the unofficial role) will follow. <A> Setting an example is not the only way, but it is the easiest way. <S> Nobody is going to follow somebody that doesn't know what the heck they're talking about. <S> They're going to follow those who take initiative and are respectable people. <S> By doing this, you won't lose any job security, and you will most likely gain it. <S> You could also gradually move into the role... <S> I actually like this scenario. <S> For example, if you were to start helping a single employee with their work, others will see that. <S> They will then begin asking for help, and gradually, you could become a leader in your workplace without anybody even realizing it. <S> Or you could be an evil dictator... <S> Yeah. <S> Don't do that. <A> Setting a good example can be a very lonely and cumbersome approach, especially if you work within IT, since developers are very good at shutting out what goes on around them. <S> First off, you should assess where the team needs strengthening. <S> Every team has issues, but they vary wildly from inter personal conflicts, poor morale, lack of domain knowledge and so forth. <S> Try spending a little time finding out what you believe the teams greatest weaknesses are. <S> Once you got there, start out by validating your beliefs. <S> This means: check if a reasonable number of the other team members recognize the same issues and try to see if you can test them by running small experiments or benchmarks. <S> After having done this, you have a laundry list of issues that your team should work to resolve. <S> Getting to resolve them may require a lot of hard work, but having validated them should help the team understand why they are important to resolve. <S> If you see that you're loosing ground, consider if a re-validation is appropriate and prepare for the possibility that it turns out that some issues aren't worth resolving any longer. <S> Doing the steps above is the kind of leadership that I believe would help in your situation.
| 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.
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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 departments? Will it look bad? <Q> Just ask. <S> You're not obligated to tell them why you need another copy of the contract you signed, and even if an HR person is "suspicious" of why you are asking, you do have an answer: you want to fact-check something you signed your name to -- that's a good thing, both for you and for them <S> (you want to make sure you're in compliance ). <S> As for confidentiality, assume everything having to do with employment is confidential. <S> Even if it isn't, just assume it is unless and until HR explicitly tells you otherwise. <A> Just ask. <S> You did a round of cleaning up all your documents at home (which you should do once in a while) <S> and you just can't find the employment contract with your company. <S> To make it look better, tell them you found the contracts with your two previous companies, which are quite useless now, but not the one with your current company. <S> Since this is something that you should have (there is no need for any specific reason, but it's obvious that you should have a copy of your employment contract), could they please make you a copy? <A> Hey HR, I need a copy of my contract for (select options that apply): - tax purposes, - real estate rental, - confirmation of employment by whoever, - my own records. <S> I can't access mine at the moment. <S> Would you be so kind as to forward a copy to me please? <S> Thanks a bunch. <S> Would do. <S> Amend wording where applicable.
| 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.
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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. every Monday) but answers addressing that situation are also welcome. <Q> If your current work environment is loud, annoying, with too many distractions, etc, then consider telling your boss (truthfully) that you could work more productively from home one or two days per week. <S> You might also mention that your lack of commute on those days would also give you some extra time to work. <A> Start with, "hey, boss. <S> Tomorrow, I need to get X, Y, And Z done. <S> If I'm here, the distractions of the office will probably limit me to X and Y, but if you let me work from home, I bet I could get Z done too. <S> " <S> Repeat often enough to gain your boss's trust, then see about making it a regular thing. <S> Have verifiable, set targets, identify an obstacle in the workplace, and have a record of meeting the targets at home, and you'll be on your way to working in your pajamas. <A> Do a demo. <S> By this, I mean demonstrate that you can get work done from home before asking. <S> This may require some unpaid work time on your part, but if this is what you really want, the rewards should be worth it. <S> This also has the benefit of giving you a chance to be sure you like working from home and can be productive there before you go through the effort of asking, setting up a plan, and so forth. <S> As for doing this demo: <S> Some day when you have to stay home otherwise, go ahead and work while at home. <S> This could be a day when you're dealing with a sick family member, an appliance delivery, utility repairs, severe weather, etc. <S> Alternatively, you could just work on a day you would normally be off work (weekend, holiday). <S> After having an experimental work from home day, if you still want, you can now go to the boss and say "I accomplished this (<- whatever tasks) while home and found that I could be just as/more productive (<- pick which ever is appropriate) due to being more relaxed/ <S> having fewer distractions/more time available/whatever (<- pick as many as apply). <S> If you don't mind, I'd like to work from home more often. <S> Would you mind if I started doing that with whatever (<- desired starting) frequency?" <A> Be prepared to give some tangible benefits and also reassurance that the work is getting done. <S> For example, you may need to work in a new reporting structure to show that work is getting done, and provide metrics that your work output is either equivalent or improved by you working at home. <S> If there is extra overhead for you to work from home you will most likely need to show that there is a increased benefit to productivity in this venture. <S> From my personal experience, I was required to spend an extra 10 minutes every day preparing a report on my tasks completed for that day - something that was not expected while working in the office. <S> This was a auditing policy. <A> Look into why more people at your company don't do it. <S> Your job may be the only one conducive to working remotely, but there may be some other hurdles. <S> Many people don't want to work from home because of distractions or the loss of face to face time in meetings, so don't be afraid to be the first. <S> As others have suggested, do a test run. <S> Technical Infrastructure - can you get connected to the resources you need when remote? <S> Will the people you work with be able to use chat and conference calling? <S> Make sure you don't rely on paper files <S> (You won't get a copy at the meeting, so make sure they email it to you in advance.). <S> Management - some managers just won't feel like you're working if you are not at your desk for prescribed amounts of time. <S> Do you have flexible office hours? <S> That could be a start. <S> The more your supervisor understands what you actually do, the better. <S> Your boss may not be willing to get permission from higher-ups to let you do this because then everyone will want to do it <S> (Anarchy). <S> Office Politics - will the other people who don't have positions that allow them to work remotely complain? <S> This is hard to over-come and will take a little bit of a sales pitch. <S> Maybe you have to work off-hours or a longer day. <S> Are you on call to trouble-shoot. <S> Some people's workloads are driven by different phases like quarter end for finance or holiday seasons or weather related. <S> Not all jobs are the same. <S> I'm in my third position working from home. <S> I've always started working in the office for a couple of years and then from home. <S> I've been fortunate in this area, but I'd like to think I've proven I can handle it as well.
| 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.
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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 by any measure and I have certainly met lots of people who are more knowledgeable, smarter and more focused than I am, however I think it is safe to say that I had my fair share of the whole programming thing and would like to move into something else. I still get the thrill when a piece of code I've been working on finally starts doing what it supposed to do and things fall into places; I still like discovering new techniques and learning new technologies, although it has got kind of repetitive - I can already see the patterns in this process. It was fun to crack open new things like python, node.js, html5 etc. but after some time it has lost some of its appeal. Psychology and people's behaviour has always been something interesting for me, especially the practical, applicable bits. Recently I've been to some communication skills training and I realised that I have been missing out on the great deal of fun stuff - how people work and communicate, especially in subconscious, non-verbal area. I also find fields of Design, typography and UX to be quite interesting, maybe because they are deeply rooted in human psychology and have to take into account various behavioural quirks. Currently I am thinking of making a career change - ideally moving somewhere my technical skills would still be beneficial in some shape or form. Obviously I have some financial commitments already and would prefer a rather gradual transition. What are the steps I can take to figure out what I really like and what can make an interesting career going further? <Q> For a software developer there are a number of paths you can go in your career. <S> Management, which is further divided into People Management Project Management Top-most level of software engineer/architect. <S> See this relevant discussion Breaking off into independent consulting. <S> Doing a start-up or small business <S> Academia <S> Based on your question, I think the latter 2 choices might be what you're looking for. <S> It seems you're interested in Human-Computer Interaction, and that is something you can explore in a Master's Degree or PhD. <S> Otherwise, you're describing a position that dons a few hats: technical/developer skills, design, communication. <S> That type of position you would only find if you joined a startup (where you're oftentimes expected to wear more than one hat) or started your own thing. <S> I'd recommend the book Quitter . <S> It will "help bridge the gap between your day job and dream job". :) <A> Even once the technical stuff is no longer the challenge, people will always remain a challenge. <S> Learning to communicate technical concepts to non technical people is a rewarding endeavor. <S> That can mean management, pre sales engineering, or a whole host of stuff. <S> Ultimately, computers are easy because they will always do what you tell them. <S> People are not - so if you can learn to interface between the two, you'll never get bored (frustrated, maybe. <S> Psychotic, possibly, but bored, never. ) <S> Being able to bridge the two is a career. <A> One possibility which hasn't been mentioned by other answers is becoming a Scrum Master . <S> As you are fascinated by people and human interactions, this could be an interesting path, especially if you are interested in Agile software development methods or specifically Scrum. <S> The Scrum Master is not project manager, nor team lead, albeit in some places they can mix the two roles (which may not be ideal, but as you have a solid developer background, it may actually ease your transition). <S> The Scrum Master works on bringing out the best of his/her team, by mentoring, coaching, challenging, motivating, questioning current approaches and ways of thinking etc. <S> The other prominent role in Scrum is the Product Owner, this might also be a viable option for you although this may be a less technical role (depending on the domain and the type of product). <A> These are excellent answers but there are potentially a few other careers for you, depending on your skill set and interests: A move to finance. <S> There is a significant demand for experienced software engineers at places like banks and hedge funds for machine learning, algorithmic trading and portfolio management roles. <S> These roles can be a great entry-point for a software engineer looking to transition careers while getting recognized for their prior experience. <S> An example list of such roles is here: http://tapwage.com/channel/artificial-intelligence-meets-financial-intelligence <S> A move to a senior role at a startup. <S> Many of these roles can leverage your technology background early on, while giving you room to grow into other roles like product management, marketing or sales as the venture grows. <S> These could also be roles that utilize your diverse skills and interest like design, UI, human psychology. <S> Finally, you may not have considered non-profits and sustainable for-profit organizations (B-Corps). <S> Organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation are constantly seeking skilled technologists. <S> Like startups, these could be broader roles where you utilize your technology and programming skills while also leveraging your other interests to identify how innovative social solutions can be deployed - whether its in education, or healthcare, or agriculture. <A> From what you're expressing it doesn't matter what you go into, you will always find a point <S> it's less 'exciting' <S> than when you first started. <S> Imagine you did psychology all these years and are just now looking at coding and programming and thinking ' <S> I think I want to code now <S> , that looks far more interesting to me'. <S> Everyone does this, it's inevitable that we get bored if we do the same thing all the time. <S> You could try further growing, create new systems and technologies with the stuff you've learned - don't get stuck in the rut of 'only learning something if I haven't touched it yet' become better and more proficient in the things you do know, expand on them, reach places no one has in your current tech before, push the industry, etc... work on a program that dives into these things - maybe make a program with an AI that reacts on these psychological inner subconscious reactions while talking to people in the field and try to make it your full time job and go independent - something not a lot of people could do because they don't have the skills you have. <S> Molding your skills to fit into the things your interested in would be best for you financially while also letting you fully explore and dive into them on the levels you want - merge your interests and your talents.
| 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 Coach and/or start an independent consultancy.
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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 four places at once. What are the pros and cons of sending out lots of applications, assuming you take the time to write different cover letters and tune your résumé each time? <Q> Rather than a large number of scatter shot applications, I'd rather see you focus deeply on a small number and personalize each one, explaining why you'd like to work for their company and why you're a good match for their needs. <S> A letter that shows that you took the time to research the company puts you heads and shoulders above someone who sends a generic cover letter. <S> Think quality not quantity. <A> I've was once unemployed for several months. <S> If you have free time on your hands like i did. <S> I didn't ever limit the amount of applications i would apply for. <S> I would even apply at positions i was underqualified for. <S> You never really know. <S> I would track where you've applied in a spreadsheet or calendar if you could. <S> It couldn't be more embarrassing applying at the same advertisement more than once. <S> I would also suggest that you automate the process. <S> Write the necessary details: industry specific cover letter, industry specific resume, and a follow up email template if you can. <S> Also, applying for jobs is a skill one must practice at. <S> This ability is very valuable in itself. <A> For highly competitive jobs, it's expected that you'll customize your resume, cover letter, and initial contact to the employer to which you're applying. <S> When acting as a hiring manager, you can smell a no-effort application attempt a mile away, and it's a waste of your time (the person applying, and the person reading the application). <S> On jobs that are more entry-level and "first job" types, like your first job as a waiter, food service, sales clerk, etc., this is less important, but will still show effort. <S> When a person is unemployed, I agree you should spend the time wisely. <S> If you don't have a specific place in mind, it's a much more effective use of your time to either go to job fairs (and make a personal, face-to-face impression with a potential employer), or register with a temp agency and get side jobs while still having plenty of time to apply to permanent positions.
| Casting your net wide is not as effective, however, as targeting places you want to work. It could be seen as unprofessional.
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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 in the field extensively. <Q> As a hiring manager, I'd suggest not including your GPA unless it was exceptional or the employer specifically asks for it. <S> As for as how much it matters: If I am reading a resume with no job experience it is almost all I have to go on. <S> Still, I wouldn't include it unless it helps sell you. <S> Many managers won't ask and you don't want to volunteer unsolicited information that hurts your case. <S> Never once have I looked at a resume that omitted a GPA and ruled it out because of that. <S> In fact 90% of the resumes I read don't include them. <S> If I had concerns I'd just ask you at the interview. <S> What you did in college is far less important than what you did in a real job similar to the one I am hiring for. <A> When I taught undergrads how to create their resumes, we spent an entire class period talking about the inclusion of GPA on a resume, and when and why it might be necessary. <S> In short, the students all recognized that as juniors or seniors (3rd or 4th year) preparing for summer internships and first jobs out of school, that sometimes their GPA was all that would set them apart from their peers. <S> In some cases, this GPA would set people apart...poorly...so some suggestions for mitigating this poor overall GPA included: showing GPA in the major field -- especially useful for the international students who made up most of my classes) who weremultilingual learners and tended to perform less well in reading andwriting intensive general education courses than they did in corecourses in Finance, MIS, Engineering and the like. <S> listing specific coursework completed in the major -- some students reported great success delineating the progression and depthof courses completed rather than "3.1/4.0" with no indication of whatthat B average was in . <S> But after that discussion, I said that the minute they get that first job, take it off the resume. <S> Once you have one job, any job, in the field in which you are trained or intend to make your career path (at least for the near term), what you did in that job is what will get you in the door to the next one -- not the GPA. <S> In your specific situation, take it off immediately and never think about it again. <A> Since you have worked in the field extensively, I believe putting your GPA <S> is not needed at all: after all, you have already proven your skills - despite not having been the best student. <S> Most employers do know that good grades do not translate to actual experience (and in fact can mean the opposite, sometimes). <A> Less and less important as your career experience grows. <S> And while you're new with a short resume, if you weren't a superstar student, talk about what else you did during school - did you work part time, grade papers, tutor, play sports, etc. <A> Generally, GPA is something one would only include on resumes for the first 1 or 2 jobs out of school, and only if it is very good. <S> There is a dissertation that I think may be relevant: Hiring and inequality in elite professional service firms (by Lauren Rivera). <S> Your university library should be able to obtain a copy. <S> I think it is one of the few sociological studies that actually measures what recruiters (in that tier of company) are actually looking for - as compared to what they say they are looking for. <S> In general, partners and staff at the "elite" service firms look upon a high GPA as a proxy measure for "how meticulous" you are. <S> Someone with a 4.0 would be perceived as "very meticulous" while someone with a 2.5 might be intelligent, might get the job done, but would be perceived as "careless". <A> As a student, I was extremely hesitant to ever put my GPA on my resume, even though my cumulative overall GPA was always above a 3.0 and my field-of-study GPA was typically a couple of tenths of a point higher than that. <S> However, if you don't have a work history in your field of study, you might not have anything else that makes you stand out from other peers, especially when everyone has the same summer jobs and the same class projects on their resume. <S> Once you start having work experience or personal projects that are relevant, there's little need to include it on your resume anymore. <S> These experiences will be what sets you apart from other people applying for the same jobs. <S> I'm not sure exactly how much relevant experience qualified as enough to remove your GPA - <S> that sounds like a personal decision. <S> However, you said that you have 5-6 years of experience, and I think it's safe to say that's enough. <A> For you first job it can be quite important if you want to land a position with a high profile company, but then they are also going to be looking at interns that have worked for them in the past <S> so GPA might not be as significant a factor as one might think. <S> After you start having companies that you can list on your CV <S> it starts to mean even less and <S> arguably you should drop it from your CV when you add your first "real" job as that <S> is what you will be judged on going forward. <S> Likely the only exception that is somewhat related to the GPA is I would leave any Latin honors received on the CV as it tends to speak more than just a raw number would.
| Once you have some job experience on your resume, I don't care anymore.
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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 example, if I was applying for a security job, would volunteer experience with a local police department be considered professional experience? What about simple supervisor experience at a grocery store? Does the word "professional" become strict to having had a profession, getting paid for it? Also, where is the cut-off line for what year you should round too? For example, if I've had 11 months of experience in something, I'd probably round it off to a year. If I has one year and a month, I'd probably say I have one year experience. What if I had one year and six months experience? What if I only had 4 months experience? Should I round up to a year or just say I don't have any experience and hope they ask at an interview? <Q> Unless they ask for months and years, I think you're fine rounding 11 months up to 1 year. <S> Don't round 7 months up to a year though <S> - that's a bit of a stretch. <S> I think the distinction of "professional" experience is important, because being paid to do a job <S> implies that you did a good enough job that someone paid you to do it (and were, presumably, satisfied with your work often enough to keep paying you). <S> If you have years of volunteer experience, I think that's fantastic. <S> Include that - it often helps, and depending on where you're applying, this might be a big plus. <S> However, it should not be considered professional experience. <S> For example, as a young Boy Scout, and as an adult, I worked for years painting houses, re-shingling roofs, doing yard work, cleaning city streets, and other service/volunteer work. <S> That's good, and to an employer it would show my willingness to "go the extra mile," and to do things that just need to get done (and not just because I'm getting paid). <S> However , does that make me qualified to be professional painter (that you would pay money for), a roofer (that you'd pay money for), or a professional landscaper (that you'd pay money for)? <S> Does it make me qualified to mentor or supervise a professional in any of those industies? <S> No, I'm afraid it doesn't. <A> There is no standard by which that question should be answered. <S> There is some room for interpretation by both the interviewer and interviewee. <S> My advice is this. <S> Be as honest as possible and don't write down anything that you wouldn't feel comfortable defending during an interview. <S> If you are nervous about rounding it might help to put ~10 years when you really mean 9 years 11 months. <S> Then there is no potential for them to claim you outright lied. <S> Getting caught in a lie or a perceived lie during the recruiting process is one of the surest ways to kill your chances for getting a job. <S> It just isn't worth risking it. <S> Many companies do background checks for basic things like dates of employment with previous employers. <S> It is unethical and just bad strategy to exaggerate on a resume on things that can be objectively measured and refuted. <A> I would include only work that was a) paid and b) in a relevant field. <S> I'd mention any volunteer experience or other possibly useful but not directly related experience elsewhere in an application. <S> However, if you really feel your volunteer experience was similar enough to a real job that it should count, or your experience in a completely different job has enough in common with this one that it should be considered, I don't think it would be unacceptable to include it in the count, as long as you mentioned the specifics elsewhere in an application. <S> If you do that, just make sure you really do have good reasons for counting that experience, and explain them clearly <S> - otherwise you run the risk of appearing to pad your application, and they may not consider your other claims trustworthy. <S> As for rounding - I'd put "0.5" for six months, etc, if the form allows that (don't go to smaller fractions than 0.5 - I think rounding to that is reasonable enough). <S> If the form doesn't allow it... <S> I suppose I'd take the risk go for 1 rather than 0, since you have some experience, and then specify at the interview, along with possibly asking them to improve their form. <A> It's often thought of (and often worded so, e.g. "must have") as a minimum, but in reality it's nearly always a guideline and if you have other factors such as code or lots of recommendations (or volunteer work) that can easily compensate. <S> Sometimes the "minimum years" is set partly by HR who do it for all employees whereas the people in the department itself may even prefer someone relatively new who they can 'mold'. <S> For times, you basically are on the right track already, e.g. 0-4 months: <S> Say the number of months 5-7 months: "6 months" 8-9 months "9 months" 10-15 months "1 year" 16-20 months "1 1/2 years" 21-28 months "2 year" <S> etc. <S> Don't focus on that though. <S> Make sure you have the true dates if asked. <S> What's important is your skills, experience and character and how much you prepare for interviews, learn about the company, etc.
| “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.
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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, exaggerating your credentials. Then it can be extremely uncomfortable if you are asked about a particular skill that you don't have or at least not to the extent that the recruiter claimed. The worst instance I've seen is a recruiter that called my office to try and headhunt me. I was out of the office so they used the company directory to find someone else. Then they lied to that person, saying that I was moonlighting for them on a programming project, and asked if there were any other programmers they could be transferred to that could also help them with the "project" I was supposedly doing for them on the side. At first I had no idea what was going on, and it took a while to convince HR and my boss that I wasn't moonlighting against company policy and this was just a recruiter fishing for more programmers to entice out of the company. Ultimately, karma bit them in the butt when I was promoted to a manager position and became a potential customer for them. I told the exact story above each time their sales people called me looking to place candidates and told them I would never ever work with their company and advised fellow managers against using their firm also. Luckily I was in a situation to make them regret their unethical behavior, but I'm sure I am in the minority. Does an average job seeker have any recourse when they encounter an unethical recruiter? For example, is there a professional association for recruiters that they can be reported to? Does it do any good to contact the recruiter's company and report them directly? <Q> As a hiring manager, I have contacted a recruiter's company on two occasions to report behavior that I felt to be unethical or otherwise unacceptable. <S> The first case resulted in the termination of the recruiter and the second resulted in improved training and process. <S> As a candidate, I've never had an issue working with a recruiter, however, I would contact the company if I did. <S> Further, I only work with firms that have a process in place for me to sign off on all submissions and all resume modifications. <S> Recruiting firms live and die by their contracts and their contacts. <S> If either one of those can be impacted by the negative or inappropriate behavior of a recruiter, then you should absolutely give them a call and let them know. <A> As you suggest, what goes around, comes around . <S> The more stupid tricks recruiters pull, the less likely they are to be trusted and the less likely they are to get business in the future. <S> Anyone who finds themselves in this situation should find that people will be generally understanding if it is explained that there appears to have been some misunderstanding. <S> If you identify that a recruiter has over-sold you, then you just have to explain, apologise for their behaviour and possibly cut the interview short to avoid wasting any more of anyone's time. <S> As a hiring manager, avoid these recruiters like the plague. <S> They are wasting your time and the time of potential candidates. <S> As Tangurena suggests, a company wide black-list is too good for them. <S> Whatever your position in this situation, if you really feel strongly about a recruiter, make sure that the recruitment firm knows about the behaviour of it's employees, as Jacob G recommends. <A> I've never heard of recruiters going to this length, but there's always http://shame.heroku.com/ - it takes anonymously forwarded recruiter spam emails (or other undesirables), and puts them on the shame list. <A> Many companies have a "preferred vendor" list. <S> If yours does, then getting them removed from that list means that they can't "sell" your company candidates.
| As a candidate, there is not much that you can do other than apologise for the behaviour of the recruiter.
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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 randomly blurt out "I go by..." when you first meet them. So, when is the best time and how do I go about revealing that information? Do I tell them at my first interview, whenever they first use my name, or when they've offered me the job? <Q> If your "nickname" is what EVERYONE, even strangers, calls you (for example it says Katherine on my birth certificate <S> but I go by Kate) <S> just do all your interactions with the company using that name (fill out the application form if there is one, sign your cover letter and so on.) <S> Then where necessary mention your other name - for example that a university degree was earned under that more formal name. <S> I occasionally have to ask a client who is buying a plane ticket to buy it for Katherine Gregory so the ticket will match the passport. <S> If you want all your coworkers to use it, wait for the first person to either greet you, or introduce you to someone else, and say "I go by animuson actually" and then that person will introduce you to everyone that way. <S> If during the interview process you're more comfortable being called by the nickname, but for some reason you applied as LongName, when it's your turn the person will say "good morning, you're LongName?" <S> and you'll say "yes, though in person I prefer to go by animuson" and they will make a note on their notes and you're all set. <A> It really depends on if an opportunity presents itself. <S> I have a name that is commonly "nicked" (Jacob -- <S> > Jake). <S> Many interviewers will ask my if I prefer one or the other, at which point I can make my preference known. <S> If an opportunity such as that does not present itself, I would communicate it to HR after accepting an offer and then to my new boss on my first day (with reinforcement as I'm being introduced around if necessary.) <A> This is simply a matter of professionalism. <S> If your nick-name is acceptable within the culture of the company, there should be no reason not to introduce yourself with that moniker during the interview. <S> If however your nick-name is more personal than a contraction or common substitution <S> (Dave for David, Bob for Robert) <S> then you might want to wait until you have the job before going around and telling people to call you something else. <S> Essentially, at an interview, I would expect to call someone by the name the provided on their CV (resume), but I would be happy to accept that people may prefer to use a different name for official correspondence or a contract than in personal interactions. <A> You have a couple of opportunities. <S> Some put their nickname on their resume, others (Michael to Mike) mention it in the interview. <S> You can also wait until you put together their email signature. <S> The confusing ones are those that can make it hard to find the employee in the email system. <S> You may want to let your company know before IT has a chance to set up the email system.
| 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.
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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 your current workplace that you're considering leaving, and to ask your current employer to act as a reference? If so, in what circumstances would it be acceptable not to do so? If it's not generally expected, are there any cases where it would be? <Q> I suspect that this will probably be one that will vary a bit from country to country. <S> I can only speak from my experiences in Ireland: <S> Yes, it would be typical to ask your current employer for a reference (though typically only once you've resigned) <S> Exceptions to the first rule might include situations where you're a one-person team <S> and you don't want to leave your current employer in the lurch. <S> However, these truly are exceptions, and not the rule. <S> In general, giving your employer an opportunity to replace you is what a notice period is for. <A> It is not expected that you inform your boss that you are looking for a new job, and it's certainly not required. <S> Look at it the other way <S> : Would your employer give you more than the minimum legal notice if they were thinking of firing you or making you redundant? <S> The answer to that is probably "no". <S> The notice period in your contract is there to notify your employer of your intentions to leave. <S> In some countries/industries you get escorted from the premises as soon as you hand in your notice - for all sorts of reasons. <S> These same reasons would apply when you reveal your intentions to move and if the move didn't happen then you'd be in an infinitely worse position than you were before. <S> In respect of a reference - in the UK all that a previous employer has to give is confirmation of the dates you worked there. <S> So there should be no issue of not asking for a reference. <A> In a poor economy it would be inadvisable to quit a job before you have a new one. <S> In a US state where you work "at will" they can fire you for almost any reason. <S> You take the risk that they will let you go the moment you tell them you are looking. <S> This doesn't happen very often, but what does happen is that they can start to think of you as being disloyal or only going to be around for a short period of time. <S> They won't send you to training, or add you to the new project. <S> Telling them you are looking does mean that in some cases they will offer you a raise, a promotion, or a transfer. <S> Some times that is just a delaying tactic, and then they still view you as disloyal. <S> In the end you may delay your departure for a while but ultimately you end up leaving. <S> You have no requirement in the United States to tell them, and little practical reason to do so. <S> Most companies you interview with will avoid getting a reference from your current company, especially if you let them know your current boss is unaware you are looking. <A> It isn't customary and shouldn't be expected to tell your employer that you are looking for a new job before you have one lined up. <S> That said, I can see why your boss might feel that way. <S> As a manager it is frustrating to lose an employee who never communicated any complaints and just leaves without giving you a chance to remedy the situation. <S> You have <S> to really trust your supervisor to tell them you are considering other opportunities before you have one in the bag. <S> It sounds like you boss is a little disappointed that you didn't have that level of trust with them. <S> However, it is somewhat of a catch-22. <S> If you had that level of trust, you probably would be less likely to be looking for another job in the first place. <A> One bank I worked for monitored phone lines (and bathrooms) and if you were overheard to be looking for another job, the security department would have your boss and an armed guard at your desk the next morning to help you pack your things and leave. <S> While this bank is an outlier, the doctrine of " at will employment " in the US means that giving your employer "too much notice" can result in you being fired. <S> In the US, 2 weeks notice is customary when resigning. <S> It is reasonably common enough that when you give your notice that you will be immediately escorted from the premises, so that informing supervisors that you are "looking" can be very risky. <S> It is my experience in the US that you should have all your personal possessions out of the office before giving notice.
| 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 looking for another job can get you fired immediately.
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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 have the opposite impact? Examples of a negative online presence being, say, a public social networking account where you profanely deride your past workplace/boss, or somewhat scandalous information that could frankly be used to blackmail you, found within 30 seconds of googling the email address you use in your resume. (Of course, I think there's a very big distinction between information that's public, and the ridiculously invasive practice of requesting social network credentials during interviews that's currently causing such a stir.) <Q> Even when dealing with publicly available information...here be dragons. <S> First and foremost, can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the online presence is actually the person in question? <S> Between people that look similar and/or share names, and some simply downright nasty trolls, it's possible that the person that posted such things is not the same person that is applying for a given position. <S> Make sure you're making the right connection. <S> That said, it in part depends on what actually constitutes a "negative online presence." <S> Defaming a current or past employer is one thing, and pretty obviously should be considered. <S> As Chad said, such behavior can be a cancer in the workplace, poisoning the whole group. <S> Getting drunk with friends is a different matter (so long as it is legal and doesn't interfere with work), and in my opinion, it's ludicrous to think that just because you can't see evidence of it, that no one else in the company does the same thing once in a while. <S> Additionally, make sure that you're not attributing behavior of your prospective employee's friend/family/acquaintances to your employee. <S> It's easy to say "well, if my other employees do it, they're smart enough to not plaster it all over the Internet," but what if your prospective employee didn't put up those pictures (because they, too, are "smart enough to not plaster it all over the Internet")? <S> What if someone else at the party took and posted the pictures, and someone else tagged the employee? <S> The employee didn't post those pictures, and they have no control over the person who did. <S> Should the employee be faulted for someone else's actions? <S> tl;dr <S> - It's a sticky matter. <S> Make sure you have your facts straight, and don't hold them to an abnormally high standard solely because you happen to have knowledge of things they do that you don't necessarily approve of as a person. <S> Remember that they're human, that your other employees probably do many of the same things, and a given person can't control what others put online. <A> Pretty much everyone who has an online persona has something that a potential employer could object to. <S> Much of which is information that is illegal for you to use in hiring decisions. <S> From their online persona, you can often deduce someone's religious beliefs, political beliefs, race, age, sex. <S> You can also see things that were maybe posted years earlier and the person has matured and would no longer do or say such things (especially things from high school and college). <S> Some of the data may be associated with the wrong person. <S> And some things that are positives (like a high Stack Overflow rep) may be negatives to other employers because the data is interpreted differently by different people. <S> Asking for my password to see my private persona is completely out of bounds and would immediately terminate an interview because I would not work for a company that was that unethical. <S> So while I may not be able to ask if you are a liberal athiest in an interview, if I can see it from your public persona, then I might choose not to hire you even though you are far better than the other candidates. <S> And remember the people doing this check may not be the people who work with the person daily. <S> So their refusal to hire anyone not conspicously like themselves can cause corporate harm (choosing less skilled employees) in the name of promoting some personal value. <S> Practices that lead to eliminating people based on criteria not related to their ability to the do job are wrong and should be prohibited. <S> Checking the online persona is one of these practices. <S> It's sole purpose is to get around labor laws that forbid asking those questions. <S> In general it is an unethical practice. <A> Let me add another perspective. <S> I was once told by a recruiter that a potential employer said I was not the kind of person that they would want at a company because of things I said online. <S> Considering what they found, I would lean towards the employer being a bit to sensitive for my tastes. <S> Then again, the employer could have been overly cautious, and had he not discovered what I said, I might have done well there. <S> The point is, there is a lot about me other then my skills for the job in question you might like or dislike me for. <S> Some of it you can't legally ask for, and some of it might just be stuff you never thought to ask. <S> For example, I might raise and slaughter dogs for meat <S> (I don't btw and that might be illegal). <S> If one of my extra circular activities really bothers you, I'd much rather you be able to find out about that on your own, and for you to tell me <S> I'm a bad fit. <A> I would urge caution in this area it varys by jurisdiction <S> but you can get your self in all sorts of trouble - check with an experienced HR person <S> is my advice Screening out applicants by looking at social media profiles could lead to discrimination in a number of ways race, religion, caste, political affiliations of friends. <S> For example I have several of contacts on FB who are MP's and FB <S> did suggest Alastair Campbell as a possible contact which was fun but might freak out a Russ Perot style employer. <S> the American enlivenment of Alister would be some one like Rahm Emanuel.
| 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.
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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 denied to students because "you're not here long enough" (which includes year-long internships). A very trivial example of this experience - at one of my former employers I was involved in some chemical work. Testing equipment regularly used a compound called Methyl Salicylate in small, controlled, non-toxic (i.e. not pure) doses. However, I was not allowed to use this, instead being limited to only using water. The reason for this was, apparently, safety and training for the correct handling of the compound required time with other members of staff at the company, which the company were unwilling to spend. Another, more common example includes being denied access to training courses. I realise that, as an enterprise, a company wishes to make investments such as training opportunities in staff that have accepted permanent contracts, rather than temporary ones; however, if you're part of a company for a year-long internship, I can't help but feel I am also entitled to some (reasonable) development investment. Am I right? Obviously, you have to be reasonable in what you are asking, but assuming the company regularly offers training schemes and progression opportunities to full time employees, assuming the task, course or opportunity is relevant or useful to the company and my role, is the fact that I am employed on a fixed term contract a sufficient reason to say no. If so, how does one approach their employer, manager etc and ask to be considered for these opportunities where relevant? Is there anything specific you can do to make your case? <Q> Yes. <S> As an intern you are being brought in to help get some practical experience. <S> The company needs to manage its workforce and liabilities. <S> You should not expect the company to treat you like an employee because you are not. <S> What you can do is develop a relationship with your supervisor. <S> You will find the companies are more willing to train assets that they feel they will benefit from later. <A> The important thing to get across to people is that as an intern you are already costing them a lot of money, so the extra cost of a little training could be small compared to value they gain in the short term from you having had that training. <S> Using your example, if providing you with Methyl Salicylate handling training would mean that you could take the load off a permanent employee who is currently over-stretched, or allow someone else to provide even more business value than they are currently providing, you might be able to convince them to authorise the training. <S> As with many things in business, you have to provide a business case for anything you want to spend company money on. <S> You may not have all of the figures needed for a full cost-benefit analysis, but just having the discussion with your manager/mentor could be all that is needed to find other areas where a business case could be argued. <A> Obviously, you have to be reasonable in what you are asking, but assuming the company regularly offers training schemes and progression opportunities to full time employees, assuming the task, course or opportunity is relevant or useful to the company and my role, is the fact that I am employed on a fixed term contract a sufficient reason to say no. <S> There is the question of how long after the training will you be in the position so that the company could recover the cost of the investment that is either being dismissed or ignored here. <S> Are you really thinking that a company should pay for you to take a course right before the contract would expire? <S> Think about that as there is the question of even in a year long internship, where would one expect to have the training be done such that it is justifiable from a cost basis to be done for the employee. <S> There is something to be said here for making the case of how the company is spending $x for the employee to take a course and this will be recovered by an improvement of $y/hour in productivity gains, improved employee engagement or some other benefit since otherwise what is supposed to be the company's motive to pay for the training? <S> Some companies, particularly large multinational companies would likely claim it isn't fiscally responsible to incur that kind of cost.
| 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.
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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 is usually SOMEONE at an old job who would say something nice about you. <S> It will be a bit of a red flag if the person you offer up is only vaguely related to your job function and/or isn't a supervisor, but a weak reference is usually better than none at all. <A> There are two kinds of references - personal references and those of former supervisors. <S> When you create a personal reference list, you should be looking for the people who are most likely to say something good about you. <S> You have much less choice about listing former supervisors and their contact information. <S> If the former supervisor has moved on, you can list the name and point out that you have lost contact with this person over time and do not know how to contact them. <S> If he still works at the company, this will be revealed as a lie, so don't try it then. <S> Being caught in a lie is the single worst thing you can do in looking for a new position. <S> If you have a former supervisor who will have something negative to say, first be aware that many companies do not let their supervisors give out more than dates of work at the particular place. <S> If you were fired for cause, then they may say that as well, but they may not. <S> If you want to find out what the person would say, then have someone you know call and pretend to be the HR person of a company who is checking your references. <S> At least then you will know how serious the problem could be. <S> Explain why you were fired, what you learned from it and why you don't think this will be a problem in a future job. <S> It is most effective though if you have other strong references (from other supervisors not just co-workers) that you can point to. <S> This kind of thing can follow you around for a long time, so be very careful of how you leave a company in the future. <S> In the software industry, you have the opportunity to spend time working as a freelancere and then have client references that you can point to instead. <S> This can get you past the time when the old poor reference would be most damaging. <A> In many places, a reference doesn't necessarily have to be from your last job, it could be from a previous job. <S> If you are still employed, you can even use the justification that you don't want to warn your current employer that you are looking for another job. <S> If not, you can still claim that a previous employer could provide a more objective assessment, especially if you are in the middle of claim for unfair dismissal. <S> Finally, in litigious locations, employers are often reticent to provide references which include anything other than verifiable fact . <S> In many cases they will refuse to confirm anything other than the dates you worked there, since even saying how many sick days you took could be considered disclosure of private information and open them up to the risk of a libel case. <A> You can be honest about why you'd rather not provide references. <S> If you DO say, up front, why you're not providing them, at least that avoids them "filling in the blank" on their own. <S> Many company's policies are that personal references are not allowed, do there's always the "give them the number to HR" reference, but that's not really a character reference at all, which is what most people are looking for. <S> It's a tradeoff any way you look at it. <S> One bad experience isn't going to kill your career or resume. <S> It might be a bump in the road, but just keep moving, and make sure to learn from your past experience (i.e. make an active effort to make sure your next reference is a good one). <S> Often times when a previous job's reference would be a bad reference, for example if I'd been fired from my previous position, there were probably opportunities that I passed up to have had an open conversation with my supervisor that would have led me to leave on my own before things went bad, and therefore resulting in a reference that would have been at least fair and level headed, rather than poor because I waited to be fired before leaving. <A> The thought process when someone refuses to give references from their last position means that there was a conflict between this employee and the rest of the team that noone will give him or her the reference. <S> This also means that this potential employee will have the same conflict in the new job so it might be better to simply pass on this candidate.
| 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.
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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 details on what the solution is, we have done quick analysis of applying the solution to the problem at hand and came away with more questions and problems that I care to list in the question, yet this person persists with applying the solution. Some of the first attempts to utilize the solution this person come up with produced Rube Goldberg's machines which had been shown to run measurably slower then the previous solutions (no matter how outdated and badly written). What is basically comes back from this person when questions begin to be asked is: "This is the way I have decided to do it and this is what we will do!" How do you deal with a person like this? <Q> The only quick solution I have found in these situations is to find a new situation. <S> You are dealing with organizational insanity, and you won't be able to fix it anytime soon. <S> The wrong person has been promoted and his management doesn't seem to know or care. <S> You do not have enough influence to effect a change, and technical arguments will not work . <S> The alternative is to go along with the ineffective process and bide your time. <S> Eventually the cost overruns will force someone to take notice. <S> The architect will be encouraged to do something else. <S> If you have stayed around, cooperating and winning friends, maybe you will be the next architect. <S> BTW, I left a very similar situation five years ago. <S> The incompetent technical leaders were replaced last year. <A> If that person has the decision-making power, then that's that. <S> If it's not meeting with the customer's requirements (i.e. the customer disagrees that the solution meets their requirements) then they don't necessarily have to pay for it (unless a contract says otherwise), and they can say something as simple as, "Ok, I hear why you want to go this way, but that doesn't solve the problem that I need the [software/product/solution] to solve. <S> " <S> Egos run high. <S> This is part of any workplace. <S> When it comes to engineer types, you can try to present objective, measurable performance and quality metrics (if that applies in your situation) - engineers (at least generally) will respond to reasoned arguments. <S> If that fails, then you have to consider who actually has the decision making power, whether or not this is a fight worth fighting, and how it will impact your customers and business. <S> All that being said, what we don't see from your question is the engineer's point of view - perhaps you're wrong on this one, perhaps you're not - it's hard to make a determination without knowing both sides. <A> In simlar situations I've relied on getting a list of resources (books, blogs, Standards and Guidance from the major vendors in your particular development space eg IBM, Microsoft, Idesign, Thoughtworks to name but a few) to back up the points I'm trying to get across and have, sadly, had to produce them at meetings. <S> If you've gone through that process and are still being told you are, not right, incorrect or they know better. <S> Then do as you are directed to do but keep a hold of your source material if thing go wrong to cover yourself and your own professional integrity. <S> On a positive note, it will help to improve your skill set as you'll learn how to do the necessary research to back your statments and how to deal with difficulty (people, situations and flawed approches). <S> Finally, just ask how they came to the results of their decisions. <S> Its the job of a software architect to show the intent and purpose of a design and how the working part all fit together to provide a solution. <A> The thing you can do is talk with him in group about it. <S> If this is a shared effort then you need to see what other people think about his solution and if there is a better alternative. <S> If you feel the quality of his solution isn't good enough and would make your customer unhappy or jeopardize your project. <S> Explain to them why you think his solution isn't correct. <S> Show your alternative. <S> However if you are the only one on your team that thinks he's wrong then you will have to go with the flow <S> I'm afraid.
| 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.
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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 executed? <Q> Yes It provides an additional, objective input to the selection process. <S> And it can save time, because some candidates will just give up and go home. <S> And although I am not a lawyer , I think it is a good idea to have a standard test given to all candidates. <S> The written test results can help defend against a discrimination complaint from a rejected candidate. <S> On the other hand, evidence goes both ways, so you probably want to seek counsel before creating any discoverable documents. <S> A skilled test taker can do well on a multiple-choice exam with no prior knowledge. <A> I prefer a hands on technical assessment. <S> It is more important to see how the problem was solved than that the problem is solved. <S> I would rather have a "wrong" answer that was achieved through a good method than a "Correct" answer that came from memory. <A> I would shy away from a test. <S> Writing a test that intelligently evaluates a candidate's knowledge, and avoids trivia is hard. <S> And I've heard that some really good developers do poorly on such tests. <S> What I like to do when interviewing candidates is ask to rate them to rate themselves on a scale of 1-10 on all the relevant technologies they'll be using if hired. <S> Then I take whatever technologies <S> they rated themselves the highest in, and I just chat with them about it, and make sure they have a good understanding. <S> If they rate highly JavaScript, then I'll ask them about closures, how the this value works, etc. <S> If they rate highly in Entity Framework, I'll ask if they understand the steps needed to avoid superfluous database calls, select N + 1, intelligently abstracting the data layer, and so on. <A> I'm going to provide two perspectives to this. <S> The first is that part of my dream job would involve sitting a test. <S> The role has a highly mathematical element and the test is there to ensure basic competencies needed to do the job. <S> This is ok, since a test can show this - can a candidate perform to a strict minimum level. <S> However, I am also a software engineer, and for these kind of roles I do not think a technical test in an interview is a good idea. <S> For starters, all decent software engineers can pick up any language they so desire and should be able to research and solve problems. <S> That's what you'll be doing on the job <S> and it's hard to write a test that covers those competencies. <S> Instead, I much prefer an interviewer set me a problem to complete before interview. <S> It shouldn't be too big, but it should show my ability to code out a solution to a problem. <S> It also reduces the number of people you need to invite to you for assessment, which is an expensive business. <S> It gives you something to talk about in interviews and is somewhat self-selecting in that candidates who are not prepared to put the effort in to complete the task will not even be interviewed. <S> Finally, this method takes the pressure off the interview and allows you to use this time for assessing interpersonal skills and other "soft" requirements, if you like. <A> I've seen it done a couple of different ways - recruiters asking me to go take a BrainBench exam and having to do hands-on exercises at an interview. <S> IMO, seeing someone code / whiteboard / design something (or on the flip side, having to do that stuff), really says a lot more about the candidates skill set than a resume or cover letter will. <S> I'd rather see how someone thinks and approaches a problem. <S> As a developer, I'm really not interested in how well your resume is written - it just needs to convince me that you can do the job I need done. <S> I'm interested in seeing how a candidate approaches a problem and thinks on their feet. <S> Yeah, interviews are stressful and lots of people have problems in them, but you can make allowances for that. <S> I don't expect someone to come in and ace the interview - it's hard because I want to hire the top 10% (or 5%) of developers. <S> I want the candidate to walk out of there knowing that they had a hard, but fair interview. <S> I want them to want to come work for us, not just a " <S> yeah, I could work there", but a "man, that would be an awesome place to work". <A> I've been given an exam in lieu of a phone screen, and I've also been given a short-answer quiz. <S> A short-answer quiz (about 5-7 questions) is a good idea. <S> It's basically a phone screen but in paper form, and it might save you some time. <S> You can give it to weed out people who don't know anything, or like to make stuff up. <A> ANY assessment is fine as long as: <S> It's standard for everyone applying for that post. <S> It's not significantly biased in ways that would make people frown. <S> Some cultural bias is fine since your customers or working environment might depend on that. <S> You actually bother to tell them the answers or <S> at least explore there answers with them. <S> Giving someone a test and not exploring the answers with them is pretty often just a waste of time.
| Write your own test, with long-form answers, rather than using a multiple-guess exam from BrainBench or similar services.
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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 would normally do as a supervisor, basically knocking me down to a regular employee. However, my title and pay did not change as a result of this. My name tag still said "supervisor" and I was still given keys. What do I take from this / what does it mean? Do they not have a real reason to demote me and just don't like me? <Q> I don't want to put you on the spot, but it would be very difficult to say, without knowing more details, such as the nature of the mistake, its perceived severity, the result and impact of the mistake on the customer and company, etc. <S> Since I don't want you to bear your soul to everyone, I would advise you to speak to your supervisor and ask what the plan is, how this will affect you, and most importantly, how you can correct/avoid the mistake and regain the trust. <S> it may turn out that this is part of documenting the issue, which is important to affecting any changes that they feel might need to take place. <S> Ultimately, you just need to bring it up, be receptive and non-defensive regarding whatever feedback might come your way, with the goal of finding out what you can do about it. <S> Whatever you do, don't sit and wonder. <S> Take some action, and if you feel you're in the dark, ask the right questions to get some light shed on the situation. <S> I don't want to try to explain the behavior of your supervisor, because there isn't enough information, and everyone's approach is different when working with team members that make mistakes. <A> First be grateful they didn't reduce your pay. <S> What to take from it is that you messed up but not so badly that you can't be put back into your previous level of trust. <S> The worst thing to do is to think, "it wasn't my fault and they are out to get me" and theerfore to whine about how bad things are. <S> Your attitude speakes volumes here. <S> It is possible to get demoted and be repromoted in the same organization. <S> It just happened where I work in fact. <S> It is also possible to move on and get promoted elsewhere. <S> Your career isn't ruined and you have the chance to grow professionally from this. <A> normalocity is right that you should just talk to your supervisor. <S> However, I can give a few guesses as to their motivation: 1) <S> 2) <S> They're hoping you'll improve your behavior and plan on giving you the old responsibilities back once that happens, or giving you a real demotion if it doesn't happen - for now <S> they're just waiting to see and saving themselves the paperwork. <S> 3) <S> They didn't think whatever you did was very bad at all, but needed to be able to say they did something in response to the complaint when asked (by the higher management, or the customer in question), so they picked an option that's least harmful to you. <S> In either of the first two cases, it's important that you show effort to improve if you want to avoid more severe consequences; in the last case, it's still important that you at least that you not get any more complaints (though I realize that's not entirely under your control).
| 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.
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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 holding my own clearance and maintaining it? What forms do I need, what processes do I need to go through? <Q> The Joint Personnel Adjudication System (JPAS) is the database that stores information about clearances. <S> It's managed by the Defense Manpower Data Center. <S> They have contact information and regulation about obtaining access, but it appears that you need to have a position that requires you to hold a job that requires you to access the database and its records. <S> An individual can not request access to JPAS on his own, but must go through the Facility Security Officer (FSO). <S> It's up to the FSO to monitor the clearances of the individuals who require (or no longer require) them and the individual to monitor when you received your clearance, when it expires, and properly submit any paperwork regarding status changes that impact your clearance. <S> You might be interested in the Defense Security Service website , which should have some documents available to the general public about DoD security clearance. <S> The Frequently Asked Questions about the Industrial Personnel Security Clearance Process page should address most of your concerns. <A> The trouble is that a security clearance is always tied to a specific need to access classified material. <S> To my knowledge there is no way to just have a security clearance without have a specific job or contract where you are required to use it. <S> It doesn't work like a technical certification where you pass a test and it is tied to you individually for a period of time regardless of whether you need it. <S> If you are moving from one contract or employer to another those clearances can be transferred, but technically your employer is required to notify the agency issuing the clearance within a prescribed amount of time to either transfer it to your new employer or cut it off. <S> So to more directly answer your question: First your company would need a contract with an agency that required you to have a clearance to do the work. <S> Then you would need to work with them to sponsor your clearance. <S> Long story short: <S> You can't just get a standard form and apply for a clearance for no reason. <A> With regards to monitoring a security clearance, there really isn't much you can do other than noting when the various background investigations will need to be redone so you can keep your CV up to date as once the background investigation expires it loses any value when it comes to job hunting. <S> You don't get any notification when things lapse and if you interview with someone saying that your investigation is valid and that is not the case they may not want to keep you around for a reinvestigation. <S> When you leave the FSO may be able to provide you with a print out saying when the relevant investigations were performed for your records. <S> From your comments to the question it sounds like you really need to be talking to the FSO and having them find out what is going. <S> Likewise, if you are in a certain field then that may help as different agencies can help sort things out better for their own people than trying to take the general approach to the problem. <S> In summary, if you are currently employee by someone you should talk to your FSO and work closely with them until the issue is resolved. <S> If you aren't currently employed by someone then you are better off just indicating when the relevant investigations were conducted as a lot of issues might get cleared up just by changing sponsors. <A> To form a company that holds clearances, you will need a facilities clearance. <S> This is a completely separate process from your personal clearance. <S> You will need a sponsoring organization. <S> You don't need a personal clearance for a company you start to get a facilities clearance; it will just speed up the process. <S> If the company you form does not obtain a facilities clearance, your clearances will be managed by prime contractors to whom you sub.
| You need an Government agency to sponsor your efforts and a good business case for why you need the clearance.
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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 should apply for the use? Likewise, when working in an international environment, should their use be adjusted based upon who you are addressing (i.e. some writing from the United States to someone in the United Kingdom) or should you default to using the local standards? <Q> The phrase you are looking for is forms of address , and there is a huge amount of information on the subject. <S> The sheer amount of information points to the fact that the correct form varies from honorific to honorific, country to country and setting to setting. <S> The best I can do is point you at some references: http://www.debretts.co.uk/forms-of-address/hierarchies/letters-after-the-name.aspx <S> http://www.formsofaddress.info/post_nominals.html <S> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Titles-Forms-Address-Guide-Correct/dp/0713683252 <A> Turns out that this is actually quite the complicated field and that there is also quite a bit of difference between how things are treated in the United States and the United Kingdom <S> so this answer will focus on the United States usage. <S> With regards to the order of post-nominal letters the standard order in the United States is as follows: <S> Religious orders <S> Theological degrees <S> Academic degrees - Which should be listed in ascending order if there are multiple degree <S> is different fields. <S> Thus, someone with a PhD would not list all of their preceding degrees if they are all in the same field, but if they were to earn an MBA they would list it as [Name], MBA, PhD. <S> Also, holders of a PhD should not introduce themselves as doctor as a matter of course, the only appropriate use is by holders of a MD in a professional setting. <S> Honorary degrees, honors, decorations - Of which honorary doctoral degrees would be listed and which also do not confer any sort of courtesy title such as "Doctor". <S> Professional licenses, certifications and affiliations - For which if there are multiple then they should be listed in alphabetic order. <S> Retired uniformed service <S> Likewise, professional licenses and the like would only be listed if they are relevant to the environment (i.e.a CPA should not include it if they are working for a software company as a developer) and should be added or dropped from correspondence as needed. <S> Thus, the usual rule of thumb in the United States it that less is better and in most cases they are dropped completely from anything less than very formal correspondence. <A> I have on my business card: <S> Kate Gregory, P.Eng, Ph. <S> D <S> I don't normally include them in resumes or bios, though there are times I do, when I feel they'll be relevant, such as when contributing to a bid on a project involving engineering (and therefore rich in engineers, who will think better of me for being one of them) even though I'll be doing software design. <S> I don't normally include them on the "About Me" slide (if I even have one) in presentations I give, but I do for the course I teach at the local university, where having a doctorate is relevant. <S> I never introduce myself as Dr Gregory, and only answer to it when it's ironic from friends, or at the aforementioned university. <S> I don't include an email signature at all, but I do encourage my staff to mention PMP and related qualifications in their signatures. <S> To me the key is relevance. <S> If not (say you're writing to your fellow pre-school parents) it just looks like showing off. <A> Three Primary Places. <S> On Your Resume <S> In your Email Signature <S> On your Business Cards <S> Also other places that officially identifies you such formal letterhead\ stationary that you have or a Name plaque on your desk. <A> I always thought that you are supposed to use titles, such as M.D., Phd, MBA, CPA only if they fit with the job title that you are working in. <S> I think that if a college professor does have a Phd in the field that he is teaching, it is appropriate to us the title Dr. <S> I am not sure how the rule of thumb applies to High Schools and Elementary Schools. <S> I have seen principals use the title Dr. because they have a Phd, hopefully in education. <S> On the other hand two high school teachers that I knew both had doctorates, and they did not refer to themselves as Dr. <S> So, I think that it may be appropriate if teaching in a college or university but not middle or grade school. <S> I work at a university in accounting, and in e-mails I always see people plastering their titles, from Phd, to M.D., MBA, you name it. <S> From what I could tell by their job titles, and their certifications, they are probably being pretentious because most of the time, those titles don't fit with their job titles. <A> As others have noted, the first question is, In what context? <S> If you're in some casual setting, and a friend says, "Hey, have you met by girlfriend Sally? <S> ", it would be very pretentious to say, "Hello. <S> I am Dr John D. Jones, MD, OD, Prestitagious University, class of 1982. <S> " More likely you'd say, "Hi, I'm John." <S> In the U.S., it's common to refer to people with medical degress as "Dr so-and-so". <S> It's debatable for other doctoral degrees. <S> I don't think there's any consistent rule. <S> It just depends on the preferences of the people involved. <S> I'd certainly mention any degrees you have on a resume. <S> Sometimes in the letter head or under the signature on formal business letters.
| 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 involved and the actual context. It has to be on-topic to tell someone your qualification. It's fairly common to put advanced degrees and certification on a business card.
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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 the case what is the purpose of references? As an example see the References section of this job application <Q> There are 3 types of references: Job Reference: <S> The purpose is to confirm that you actually worked at the company in the position that you are claiming when you claimed to work there. <S> People do fake their resumes and this can weed out some of the fakes. <S> Professional Reference: <S> The purpose of this is to find a peer or supervisor that you have worked with that will talk to the quality of your work, and your work ethic. <S> In a professional setting this is the reference that usually means the most. <S> Personal Reference: <S> This is someone who knows you that is willing to vouch for you. <S> The idea is that if someone is going to vouch for you they are willing to have you work with them. <S> Ideally this type of reference should be someone that the reviewer knows and respects. <S> We like to say "it is what you know not who you know" but the reality is most of the time that is false. <S> If you know the right person you have an edge, in many cases, over someone of similar or even slightly better skill set. <S> The reason these are important is that your past performance is usually indicative of the type of performance that can be expected in the future. <S> So having good references is important. <S> The more recent the better. <A> One of the purposes of references it to verify the information you've given on your CV (resume) is factually correct. <S> In the UK this is limited to an employer confirming <S> that you did work for them between the dates you have specified. <S> For a university/college it will be to verify that you gained the qualifications you have claimed you got. <S> These are different from personal references where someone (hopefully) says you are a trustworthy person who'd they'd employ again given the chance (assuming they were your manager). <S> General references are an additional check for the prospective employer to make to prove you are who you say you are without the potential expense of checking government documents. <S> Obviously they can be forged, but if you're found out then you'd likely be immediately fired. <A> I say this mainly because unless the candidate is brain dead they aren't going to give you a person's name unless that person will give them a glowing review. <S> To me, as a hiring manager, the main value of references is: Can this person come up with three people (other than Mom) who will say nice things about them and their work?
| 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.
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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 for it. I'm a programmer/systems analyst, so at least some of my work can be done regardless of when I'm at work. Most of us leave before 5 o'clock. My boss usually leaves before I do, so I don't think staying after gives the same appearance as showing up early, but either way I get my work done. My time's not directly monitored in any way. Should I show up early or stay late to make up for late appearances? <Q> I think if you talk to your supervisor, and the people around you, they are the best source of information on how they measure and/or value the clock. <S> Totally depends on your company culture. <S> In some places, when you're salary the concept of "late" has basically no meaning. <S> So long as you show up for important meetings with co-workers and clients, you get things done, and you turn your work in when you say you will (because deadlines still definitely matter). <S> Being in the office beyond this often has a very high networking and collaboration benefit to you, especially before and after "official" work hours, because that's when much of the networking happens, so I generally try to be around beyond just when most people are there at least a few days a week, but that's my personal approach. <S> Back to your question, some people who are salary still carry the concept that "work" is done between certain hours of the day. <S> However, your workplace can also be the other way around, where deliverables and measurables are the only thing that matters, and when you're physically in your seat makes absolutely no difference. <S> When I transitioned from being hourly to salary within the same job, it was very hard for me at first to shake the "I need to be here exactly between time <S> X and time Y," because that's what I'd always known. <A> I work in a similarly relaxed environment, where the basic rule is "Put in the time and get the work done". <S> Sometimes this means 35 hour weeks, sometimes 50 hour weeks, and if you're in late you're pretty much on your honor to stay late and make up time (or take the work home). <S> If you think there might be a question though you should pull your boss aside and ask. <S> At my last company I mentioned it during every performance review, something along the lines of "I know we're doing the flex time thing, and I think it's great. <S> If you would prefer I were here on a specific schedule just let me know." <A> Have dependable hours. <S> Communicate that you value time. <S> Both your and theirs. <S> (See 1 above), and make sure you mention "oh I'm making up for soem for <S> x'. <S> Or work at home and make sure you email or do whatever to show that you were active. <S> Over time it will be noticed but it has to be consistent. <S> Talk to your manager. <S> Ask them what the right thing to do is. <S> Explain your situation. <S> Make reasonable requests if necessary and then go <S> wit what your agree on and be true to your word and expect them to do the same.
| 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.
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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 team responsibilities, but I was still expected to take on daily coding tasks. Truth be told, I don't think I'm as effective a coder as I was 5-10 years ago when my eagerness compensated for my limited experience. On the other hand, managers look at my experience and knowledge and would prefer to keep me as a tactical asset rather than strategic. When looking for direct hire positions as a manager, the majority of the jobs have a hard requirement of a degree and/or PMI certification. I don't have my degree and PMI requires a certain number of years as a project manager to even sit for the exam. I guess my question is how do I take my career beyond being a code slinger? <Q> If you are looking at the project manager direction, taking the PMP exam without the years as PM qualifies you for the CAPM . <S> This then gives you a few years to get the "in the saddle" experience as a project manager. <S> You may find your local university offers a project management course that meets the project management training required for the CAPM. <S> To get the degree requirement dealt with, you may want to look into first acquiring an associates degree from your local community college, then leveraging that to a 4 year degree at a later time. <S> Most counties have a community college, and most community colleges offer evening classes, some even offer online courses. <S> Many colleges only count courses 7 years old (or less) towards a bachelors, while the associate degree will "lock in" the first 2 years of school. <S> This will let you take evening classes at a more leisurely pace suitable for someone with a family. <S> I don't know about your state university system, but here in Colorado (and in my previous state of Florida), the state universities have to admit you (as a transfer student) <S> if you have an associates from a community college in that state. <S> So for older students who have to work and support a family, the community college to associates to state university to bachelors route is the most practical approach to getting that degree credential. <S> I'm an older software developer, and I don't really want to get into managing, so I'm working on a different degree <S> (this won't be my first bachelors) to get credentialed in a different field. <A> There are multiple career paths for developers. <S> Project Management, functional management, software/system architecture, and senior development roles. <S> Project Management and functional management, like Development Manager, Team Lead, and CTO, are the management positions, with project management being more about managing project success and functional management being more in-line with team success, both tactically or strategically. <S> I've heard of developers heading into system architect roles, which is really just a senior level technical position that doesn't involve people management as much as it does determining the overall architecture of large systems. <S> Senior development roles are more like the position that you're in. <S> Management likes people like you because you can use your experience to solve complex problems. <S> While technologies do change a lot and you may feel like your coding skills aren't what they were in the past, the concepts behind problem solving are fairly static. <S> I've seen senior developer roles where the senior engineer was more independent, like a sole developer on a one-person team. <S> A position such as this could be a great perk for an experienced developer who doesn't want to move into a management-type position, yet he/she still doesn't want to have the same type of hands-on management that a junior developer might face. <S> You might consider talking to your managers and finding out what your options are; they don't even have to be formal. <S> Finally, a degree can help you break through this ceiling that keeps you from progressing. <S> Consider discussing with your employer to see if they'd be interested in helping you obtain your PMI. <S> It's not clear which path you're most interested in, but expressing your interest either way <S> may at least let you know where you stand. <A> how do I take my career beyond being a code slinger? <S> Change the job. <S> Either within the same organization, or move to a different company. <S> There are no ways around. <A> PMI's years of experience requirement isn't necessarily PM-work, but years that you have been doing project-related work. <S> This means that you can count contributions you've made on other projects towards the goal. <S> If you've been doing project-related coding for the past 15 years, I'd be willing to bet that you have enough project-related experience to sit for the PMP exam. <A> The biggest obstacle if you want to reboot your career like that is that it almost always involves accepting a pay cut for a few years as you build your experience in the new area. <S> Remember that a considerable part of your current salary is probably based on your experience as a programmer. <S> That doesn't necessarily help you as much in a different role that doesn't involve programming. <S> If you are open to taking a step back to take two forward you should be able to make the transition.
| 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.
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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 your market value (apart from just leaving and seeing what people will pay you)? <Q> There are a number of websites that give salary data for positions by location (salary.com or something like that, being one). <S> There is also nothing to stop you applying for jobs elsewhere whilst in your current job and attending interviews to find out what you might get paid, though I would definitely be discreet about it. <A> This is not as simple as it seems. <S> But your title may not be an accurate descriptor of your position. <S> Sometimes a position is under-titled and you are responsible for duties that are typically assigned to a higher grade. <S> And sometimes you are over-titled and have a title that infers a higher level of responsibility than you really have. <S> You need to look and see what responsibilities are typically assigned to a title to figure out what the title you should refer to for getting your prevailing wage. <S> Next you need to accurately access where your skill set belongs were you to move into a new position. <S> You may have senior responsibilities but only a year or so on the job. <S> It is difficult to justify a senior title for someone with only a few years of experience. <S> Instead if this is the case I would take the added responsibilities to move my salary expectations higher into the normal range. <S> Finally you have to gauge the level of interest in your skill set in the open market in your area. <S> If you expect to get a raise for your current position you need to have a marketable skill set that allows you to find another job at a higher rate in your area fairly easily. <S> If there are a glut of people with your skill set looking for work in your area you are going to find it difficult to make a case for any significant raise. <A> You don't have to leave to see what others will pay you. <S> Apply to some interesting positions or companies. <S> See if you get an interview or an offer. <S> The search may result in determining that you like where you are, or that you really want to switch jobs. <S> You will probably be asked why you applied, but you should be able to give a sufficient reason besides "just looking". <S> Also posting your resume on LinkedIn, monster... will get some inquiries. <A> If you are in the public sector (certainly in the UK) <S> job adverts will include the salary range that they are offering for that role. <S> If you can find a position that matches yours you can compare your salary against that in the advertisement.
| You can get the prevailing wage for your title off of various websites.
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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 are happier and hence more productive and <S> hence provide greater benefit to the company in regards to their output = <S> > money value. <S> I'm not aware of any studies <S> (I'm sure there are some though) but it would be my opinion that different professions have the impression of requiring different levels of dress. <S> For example if I saw a group of of lawyers in the office wearing shorts and shirts my first impressions might be one of un-professionalism. <S> However if I saw a builder coming to work in their sunday best I might be a bit concerned. <S> Basically to some degree society has dictated our dress sense in the work place. <S> However I've always worked best when I could wear what I felt comfortable at the time and felt like I had the support of the company to make the right decision if I had to dress more approprietly i.e. meeting a customer for an important business deal and they wear suits to work. <S> I've never really been a fan of dress down fridays. <S> I've preferred a fairly loose dress standard all week with the emphasis put on the employee to ensure they dress appropietly. <S> I guess there would be a certain standard but it would be flexible enough to cover those who enjoy wearing jeans to work over those who enjoy wearing dress pants and suit etc <S> In summary. <S> I believe dress standards can have an effect on performance if people dress casual <S> then they relate that into working casual. <S> However it can also be determined on society expectations as well as the individual. <S> Dressing casual (or smart) just might be one way to get the best out of the team and help develop the kind of work atmosphere your looking for. <A> Well, casual Fridays all week would mean they aren't casual any more, right? <S> In a suit and tie environment, casual Fridays may be casual but still implies some sort of dress code, e.g. no shorts and flip flops. <S> It gives the folks a chance to relax a bit (especially for the women I think) but doesn't really significantly degrade the overall impression that a customer might get. <S> If all days were casual days, I think the variance between what is acceptable and what is not rapidly gets out of hand because there is no longer any "standard" and <S> humans being what we are will gradually "down-dress" until management eventually gets pissed off and steps in anyway. <S> Only difference is by that time, egos get bruised. <A> Well it depends on the following points - which kind of business you are in do your employees contact the customer face-to-face or not <S> What kind of corporate culture is in your company (such as moreformal, less formal, average etc.) <S> There can be more points added to the above list. <S> If you are in service industry and your employees meets the customer frequently such as in banking and finance industry, a strict dress-code is must (Can be relaxed a bit for operations and processing guys). <S> Generally in IT industry dress codes are more relaxed(Not for Business development guys). <S> So until unless we have a subject industry, we can not say whether it's beneficial or not to have a dress-code in our company.
| Most companies, depending on the type of services they provide, need some sort of dress code to appease customers.
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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 that you know doesn't belong to them. What do you do? I've always written a basic "report the suspected theft to your supervisor" response because I really don't feel that confronting them is a beneficial thing for me to do, but something needs to be done. I know it makes me kind of a snitch, but that's just how I feel it should be handled. What I'm wondering is what employers see as the best solution. What do employers want their employees to do in these types of situations? <Q> Talk to Human Resources immediately. <S> Theft is a Human Resources issue and they'll know the specific policies ect, and by talking to them first you'll know what you need to do. <S> Call them and tell them you need to speak to them privately; you don't need to say why aloud. <S> If you're concerned about a reputation as a "snitch" ect. <S> ask your HR person what they can and can't keep confidential about your conversation; they may be required (by law or by company policy) to pass along certain information they get from you. <A> Are you asking what you should really do, or what you should say on the application? <S> On an application you may not know the procedures of the company, so I would suggest being a little vaguer. <S> Mentioning HR when applying to a small firm that doesn't have an HR department might tag you as a big-company rules-stickler who won't fit in to their small folksy ways. <S> Mentioning a specific job title like supervisor, foreman, or manager might raise hackles if in that company, you'd be messing with the chain of command going to that person. <S> As to what you should do in real life, it would depend on what was being taken (Joan's lunch? <S> Steve's red stapler? <S> A box of printer paper or pens? <S> Cash from the petty cash box?) <S> and where it was being taken (to a desk to be used? or home?). <S> If one co-worker is stealing private possessions from other coworkers, or stealing items from the company for personal use, then that's just not acceptable. <S> I mean maybe a pen or two might happen to go home in a pocket, but <S> nothing beyond that. <S> However taking "the good mouse" or "the nice ruler" to your own workstation is not the same thing at all. <S> So the interview question "taking something that didn't belong to them" is insanely vague. <S> If something's not acceptable, it has to be acted on. <S> so your boss or a neutral third party like HR is the way to go in non-emergencies. <S> If you're concerned that the consequences of that would be too severe for the offense (firing for yogurt-taking) <S> then you can confront the person directly or anonymously <S> (Eg leave a note that says I know who took the yogurt <S> and if it happens again I will report you ) although people may just laugh. <S> And worrying about being a snitch? <S> The workplace isn't high school, where there's a students-vs-teachers vibe, or prison for that matter. <S> You're all on the same team. <S> There may be places that are line-vs-management <S> but I don't want to work in them. <S> I recommend you don't think that way at all. <A> After all, it might be a misunderstanding. <S> Maybe they actually loaned object in question to the company and are taking it back, or maybe it's a piece of old equipment which they bought from the company. <S> Also, if it is something of low value, I'd consider addressing it directly, rather than making it a big deal. <S> But if it is clearly criminal behaviour, then reporting to the supervisor indeed seems like the only viable action. <S> I would not see this as "snitching" - by harming the company, they are also harming their colleagues, who may have to bear part of the consequences for the company, such as financial problems.
| 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 as soon as possible." Actually, you might consider talking to them first, if you know then and get along well. It would usually be ridiculous to start with the police (though if a coworker took car keys and drove off in someone's car, I would call 911)
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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 as glance in the direction of the product or am remotely associated with it. How should I go about pushing this thing without seeming like I'm pushing it? <Q> I would be looking at definite things that your product does to help <S> that person and mention those, also listen to your potential customer and take their information on board. <S> Not only will that help your product in the future but the customer will remember you and your company as approachable. <S> If you need to do the hard-sell then do you have the right product for the person? <S> Does it make its own purpose clear? <S> If not then you might want to mention this to your company. <A> It's easy, let the customer think they brought it up. <S> I did retail sales for many years and was always one of the best in every area I worked in. <S> The entire secret is to make conversations and use psychology. <S> Lead the customer's conversations to the product that you are trying to sell. <S> I will give an example from my work experience where a customer came to my store to purchase an MP3 player and I sold them a smart phone instead <S> (it was early 2010 <S> so smartphones were newer to the general public). <S> Customer: <S> Hi, I am in need of a new MP3 player Me: <S> What happened to your old one? <S> Customer: It broke. <S> I dropped it while jogging and it got water damage. <S> Me: That's horrible. <S> Did you have any sort of insurance on the device? <S> Customer: <S> Yes but they didn't cover accidental damage. <S> Me: <S> Well, I know you are not looking for this but the newer smart phones will play your MP3s and with the insurance through the phone company, accidental damage and even lost is covered. <S> Would you be interested in looking at those instead? <S> What I did was steer the conversation by asking questions that would allow me to steer the conversation to it. <S> Also, stand a proper distance and watch how far the customer stands from you. <S> If they are a full arm's length away, they do not trust you at all. <S> If they stand about elbow's length away, they put you into their personal space meaning that they trust you and will value your opinion. <S> Read the body language, it will tell you more than anything. <A> I have personally been caught in the same position having to meet a weekly quota selling a great product but not a fan of the stereotypical salesman image as you describe. <S> I always used stories to get the customers mind working on how the product I am selling could be used in their day to day life. <S> To create a powerful perception of value and consumer worth of this product you are selling, you need to tell both the “before” and the “after” story – you need to tell customer stories that have contrast. <S> When you tell stories from either other customers or yourself, don’t be afraid to link the stories with emotion. <S> Often the best way to do that is to talk about the people as though you personally know of the struggles they had prior to buying your product. <S> Then talk about how their lives became better, easier, more fun, or less stressful after using your solution. <S> By doing this, you're not trying to force the product onto them, but attempting to enlighten them on what practical uses they could get out of your product.
| 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.
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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. An external position is outside the company. Several aspects such as process leading up to the interview, position intel and culture intel would be key differences. This is from the perspective of a candidate. <Q> For the most part, there's no difference at all. <S> You should go into the interview expecting just as much scrutiny as someone who has never worked for the company. <S> However, you should also be prepared to demonstrate how your inside knowledge of the company is an asset, and not just expect the interviewer to assume as much. <S> I've never interviewed a current employee, but I've interviewed two former employees who left for educational reasons then came back to apply for a higher-level position a few years later. <S> One couldn't remember anything about our products or what she worked on before. <S> The other was able to talk intelligently about his previous work here, and demonstrated ability beyond what was required in his former position. <S> Guess which one we hired? <A> The only difference I would expect is that the folks conducting the interview will probably know you (or in a bigger company, know someone in your supervisory chain) <S> - the interview is less of a "getting to know the candidate" event and more of a <S> "Do you have the requisite skills?" <S> / "Can we afford to lose you from where you are?" <S> kind of thing. <S> Because of this you should expect to be grilled a little more thoroughly on your weak points, and you should have a plan on how you will continue to grow and improve as an employee. <S> The benefit side of that equation is that when you state some of the projects you've worked on there's a good chance the people interviewing you will be familiar with them. <S> If you've done consistently good work for the company you can expect that other teams will want to have you as an asset. <A> If you have identified an internal position that you want, your best bet is to get your current manager to advocate on your behalf in support of your candidacy. <S> In most companies I've seen, the first thing hiring managers/HR do with internal applicants is to speak with the employee's current boss. <S> On that same point, your current boss is going to hear about your application, so he/she might as well hear about it from you. <S> Explain why you are interested, how the new position would help your career development, and how you taking the new job would help the company. <S> Ask your boss for his/her thoughts and to provide a positive reference for you. <A> Knowledge of the company isn't likely to be a big focus in the interview though it may be worth knowing what department the new position is, what changes would I be taking <S> and how is this a good move for the company for me to move to there from here. <S> The reference point here is a bit different since these may be mutual acquaintances unlike the other case <S> where in an external company there may not be that same depth to the business relationship.
| 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.
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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 I work full time and am quite happy with my company, I'm technically a freelancer and wouldn't want to miss what could be a great networking / job opportunity. The competing company is the parent of a group of companies, and they've approached me via one of their companies that don't directly compete with us, so at this point I can't even be certain that they want me to work on their competing application, or something completely unrelated. At which point should I inform management that I'm taking a meeting with them? Before, after, or when (and if) I have a solid offer in my hands? I have no legal/contractual obligations to inform my current company of anything (at least that's what my lawyer said when we discussed my contract for unrelated reasons). <Q> Good question. <S> The issue is the purpose of the meeting. <S> There are some companies that under the guise of a job interview perform debriefs of competitor's employees <S> so let's assume that it's a genuine job interview for the moment. <S> The question on when to inform your management that a competitor is attempting to contact <S> you is actually a problem on how good is your relationship is with the management. <S> If you have good relationship and you want to stay with the company you could inform them immediately just to say you have no interest in the company. <S> There is another possibility and that is you do want to make a move. <S> In this case you do not tell management at all. <S> The industry especially in a close geographic area usually tend to have same people cycling between companies or have people from one company that had worked with managers from another company and depending on how vindictive they could be they could simply kill your chances of getting a job at a competitor out of spite. <S> (Yeah it's been known to happen). <S> There is a 3rd possibility: <S> You can potentially use the job offer from a competitor as leverage on your current contract to get a better compensation. <S> So in summary you should first decide what you want to do <S> and then your actions will become clearer. <A> While I admire the honor you wish to comport yourself with, you are in a strictly business relationship with your current source of income. <S> Because they have not committed to you for any specific amount of time, you have no professional obligation to advise them at any point prior to your decision to end your business relationship. <S> If I were going to have discussions (directly or indirectly) with my current contact's competition I would make sure there is no appearance of impropriety. <S> I would do so as a natural breaking point is about to occur, such as before an extension is offered, or likely to be offered. <S> If at any point the discussion veers towards the unsavory(prying for business intel) <S> I would terminate the meeting. <S> The company is not going to respect you if you give them the secrets of your former employer even if you not you are obliged to keep them. <S> And any company attempting to get them from you has no real intent to do right by you. <S> Once you have made the decision to leave, I would inform your current company with in the terms of your contract. <S> I would not advise them of your intentions for the future beyond that they will not be included in them. <S> I would make certain that I left with good form and that my work was above expectations. <A> That really depends on what you want out of it: Just to reiterate: make absolutely sure you haven't signed a non-disclosure, non-compete, confidentiality, IP protection agreement. <S> These is VERY common, so I'd recommend to triple check. <S> Be clear about your goal <S> : do you want better conditions at your current gig, new gig, just gauge your market value, find out what's happening on the other side of the fence, nothing, etc. <S> The specific goal will trigger specific actions. <S> There is no specific need or etiquette that would require you to inform your current employer. <S> Personally as a manager I would like to know either <S> and I would view it as a big plus if you'd tell me. <S> I shows trust, gives a chance to restructure the current job in a way that works better for you and, if all else fails, I have more more time to prepare. <S> Not all managers are the same though, so this requires a judgment call.
| 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 engender good will.
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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 managed to avoid the issue by delegating it 1 , but that trick can't work every time. What would be preferable, a direct discussion with the co-worker in question, a casual reference to the issue in abstract terms in a meeting, or the implementation of a company wide policy on personal hygiene (if it doesn't exist)? Or something else? This isn't a current issue, as right now I'm mostly working from home and solely responsible for any odours. ;P 1 My favourite management technique. <Q> As has been mentioned, ideally your Human Resources department should be made aware of the situation and handle it. <S> Be upfront and request a private conversation with the individual. <S> Ideally you should have a private office or otherwise a conference room/ect where you can close the door. <S> You don't need to humiliate them, it's a private matter, keep it private. <S> Be direct and tell them what is expected of them; their hygiene has to improve. <S> Maybe they need to shower before they come to work, use deodorant, wash their hair thoroughly; you'll know the specifics. <S> It's going to be uncomfortable so just make it as brief, clear and direct as you can. <S> Don't pull <S> the "A lot of people have been talking... <S> " garbage. <S> You don't need to appeal to social proof in this situation, and you can make the employee feel alienated; <S> like everyone's talking behind their back/out to get them/ect. <S> It's not relevant or necessary and it feels like an attack. <S> You're responsible, own up to the fact that it's you <S> who's telling them they need to improve their hygiene. <S> If they don't follow up on it, send them home. <S> Nothing is going to motivate them like lost time and money. <S> If they don't shape up, make it clear their future employment is at stake if they can't operate professionally. <A> I think a "casual reference in a meeting" is a bad idea - either the person will know you're talking about them and will feel put on the spot and humiliated in front of the team, or they <S> won't know you're talking about them and you won't have accomplished anything. <S> A direct conversation is definitely the way to go, and other answers have already given great pointers on how to deal with that. <S> However, I think the "implementation of a company wide policy on personal hygiene" idea has merit as well - in particular, before you implement the "send them home to shower and dock their pay for the lost time" idea from other answers, make sure you're legally allowed to do that . <S> If your company has no policy on it, you may not be, in which case if just pointing it out to the employee <S> doesn't work (which in most cases it probably will!), you'll need a policy before you can do anything more specific about it. <S> Another note <S> - there may be medical issues involved, in which case you may not be able to do much about it without getting into discrimination issues. <S> Again, definitely check with HR if anything like that comes up during the conversation. <A> Take the person aside and talk to them. <S> They may not realize it, as I've had coworkers with anosmia <S> (lack of sense of smell) and some with sinus infections. <S> Sinus infections tend to give folks horrible breath - which they cannot smell themselves. <S> I've also lived and worked in other countries where what is considered acceptable is very different from the US. <S> Deodorant for men was considered effeminate until some advertising campaigns during the 1960s. <A> From a personal point of view: As someone who enjoys cycling to work, I'm often worried about my smell, and keep deodorant, body spray, etc. <S> at work, as well as bringing a change of clothes and a towel so I can shower (or, if there was no shower, I might consider a small washcloth for a dry 'bath'). <S> If I was managing to smell bad despite this, I would be mortified. <S> The only thing worse than smelling bad at work would be if people put up with it and didn't tell me . <S> I would also think that going to a boss / through HR rather than just telling me was rather jerkish. <S> Dude, just tell me, not the whole world! <S> Essentially, some people may just need a heads up that they need to try harder, and won't mind at all if you let them know they're a bit whiffy sometimes, but it depends on the person's habits and situation. <A> Part of being a manager is dealing with unpleasant things like this. <S> It's your job. <S> That's why you're getting paid even though you don't actually produce anything tangible. <S> You deal with it by being direct with the person in question, and just letting them know the fact that daily bathing is an expectation of the job. <S> "There are jobs where you bathe after work, rather than before, but this isn't one of them. <S> I need you to come to work having showered and wearing clean clothes." <A> Ideally you can refer this problem to your HR department. <S> They are trained in dealing with people in ways that avoid harassment and communicate effectively your concerns with out the conflict that can arise when peers criticize lifestyle choices. <S> If this is a chronic problem and you do not have an HR department, then I would sit the offending individual down and let them know this is a professional office and these are the expectations as far as personal hygiene go. <S> I would request that the individual rectify the issue before returning to work. <S> And repeat this process immediately when a problem is noted from this point on. <S> It should not take to many days of short pay, and trips home to shower, before the problem either goes away. <S> If the problem persists you will need to make a decision about either accepting the poor hygiene or taking other HR Type measures.
| 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 possible. Again don't make a scene, contact them privately, but they have to go home, and you need to dock their time.
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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 job doesn't seem to exist and isn't listed anywhere on their pages. Sometimes these jobs are posted just today, a day ago, or up to a couple weeks ago. It seems very strange that a company would list a job opportunity on a site like Monster but have no trace of that opportunity on their very own careers page. Is this a common practice, or should I be wary of listings such as these? What reasons would a company have to list a job opportunity this way? <Q> Yes, it happens, for a variety of reasons: <S> The company web site doesn't support an easy way of posting and maintaining listings <S> This may sound unrealistic <S> but if you think about it, job listings websites are designed exactly for that purpose, and offer a far friendlier interface to post and more importantly keep track of and organize listings, and collect and archive resumes. <S> Some countries may have specific regulations when it comes to collecting resumes, and it makes much more sense to make use of a job board that already follows them. <S> In most company websites I've developed such facilities were not asked for, and when I proposed them, the common response was "well, we are using careers site foo <S> and we are happy with it". <S> The company web site doesn't really have that much traffic <S> For companies that don't have much use of their web site other than simply having some sort of on-line presence, it makes much more sense to post their listings at a site where they'll be way more visible, especially from the job seeker's perspective. <S> The company doesn't want to directly advertise they are hiring Several companies opt to post listings on job boards anonymously, and only reveal themselves at a later stage of the hiring process. <S> Now, one could argue that for the first couple of reasons it would make sense to post a listing in both a job board and the company web site. <S> Well, that's really a question of cost, effort and value, in some instances it makes sense and in some it doesn't. <S> If the job board provides an API or any other easy technical way of accessing your own data, the cost and effort are significantly smaller, as most of the process is automated. <S> In conclusion, it's not unreasonable for companies to only post listings in job board sites and you shouldn't really worry about it. <A> One more reason to add to the answers already given. <S> The company may be using an outside recruiter and the recruiter is posting the ad on the job board and not the company directly. <S> In this situation where the company wants the recruiter to do some vetting of candidates before HR looks at them they may not post the ad on their own site to avoid being contacted directly by the candidate. <A> Websites dedicated to job finding probably have a clear and easy way to input new job opportunities and get them displayed in manner of minutes. <S> When it comes to company's private website, sometimes it can be wholly managed by a single webmaster without any special tools for any such tasks. <S> In that case it can take awhile before the new information is inputted to the website, especially if the person is making it harder for some people.
| 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.
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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 another social networking site. Is this frowned upon within the average workplace? Is it unprofessional? Do most companies/businesses have rules against this? <Q> I don't think there is a single correct answer about it. <S> Some workplaces have a very relaxed culture — you'll find people playing ping pong at 10am and 3pm. <S> These same places are unlikely to judge someone too harshly for web-surfing, sitting on a couch, or chatting to a coworker, unless those activities are too frequent or get complaints. <S> These cultures are often highly dependent on creativity. <S> As Don Draper said, "You came here because we do this better than you and part of that is letting our creatives be unproductive until they are." <S> Some workplaces actively block distracting websites and set schedules for break rooms — <S> I've worked at places that took this approach, blocking youtube.com, facebook.com and stating that the ping pong table (at least until the ping pong table was taken away) was only to be used during lunch and after hours. <S> These workplaces (meaning executives, managers, and even peers) are, in my opinion, very likely to judge people for "unplanned" breaks such as web surfing. <S> There are likely to be workplaces in between these two extremes. <S> Again, there's no single answer <S> — you'll have to assess the environment for yourself. <S> In either case, you've got to get your work done, and/or at least avoid being found slacking/relaxing a majority of the time to be held in high regard as a motivated, productive worker. <A> It is important for your mental health to take short "breaks" occasionally. <S> Most people tend to find it difficult to concentrate intensely on one thing for more than 20-30 minutes, so after a brief bout of "deep thought", it's actually good to shift your focus to something completely unrelated. <S> Even better is to stand up, stretch the legs, and walk about for a minute, which is also good for maintaining your physical health if you're stuck behind a desk all day. <S> In a relaxed working environment this is easier to do. <S> If your boss is a real B <S> * * *D and frowns on anything that keeps you healthy during your work hours, then this is something to either negotiate, or to do discretely. <S> As long as you are getting your work done and meeting your obligations, taking occasional short breaks should not be a problem. <S> However, if you are sitting around playing games, updating your blog and other stuff, then you are probably on very dodgy grounds ethically. <S> If you are meant to be working, but instead simply taking time out to essentially screw around, then you'll end up with a poor performance review, and possibly being shown the door. <S> The line between how unprofessional or not your behaviour is viewed will come down largely to company culture and your relationship with your boss, but will also depend on how you go about taking your breaks, and your reasoning why. <A> One thing that people often misunderstand is that even in a relaxed culture, you are being paid to produce. <S> If Joe surfs the web all the time and never meets deadlines or sells product or whatever his job is, then yes this is a problem. <S> If Jane also does this but also solves the hard problems, meets the deadlines and keeps the client happy, well then it is less of a problem. <S> I remember one really relaxed place I worked where we had a sales guy who was really relaxed about his tasks (and hours for that matter), but he didn't sell anything and so was let go in about 3 months. <S> If you are going to be seen slacking, you had better also be seen producing. <S> In a more bureaucratic environment, it might be a problem all around as they find it hard to explain to the 9,000 mediocre employees why the 10 great employees have privileges that they do not.
| Generally, the perspective/attitude of these cultures is that a mind needs to have breaks in order to be productive at other times.
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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-workers when we are all virtual? <Q> To aid communications, you need to ensure that everybody logs into some messaging system <S> - Skype for example - as soon as they're "at work" and there should only be one system you all use. <S> This way you can quickly see who's available and who isn't. <S> If you can, try to keep to a regular schedule so that everyone knows that you'll be available at the same time each day. <S> Video calls via web cams could help here as well. <S> Having a shared calendar that marks holidays, business trips away will also help for the times when you have to break your schedule. <S> Giving each other plenty of warning about appointments etc that mean late starts or early departures will also help. <S> If you aren't too geographically dispersed, arrange regular physical meetings. <S> This should be both business meetings on work time and social meeting outside of work time. <S> These will help you "bond" with your co-workers. <A> Depending on how much influence you have at the company, it's worth suggesting that you all draw up an agreement between you as to how communication should be managed. <S> Any companies that I've worked at virtually, the policy has always been that if you are not in an office you still need to behave as if you are i.e. during working hours you should be contactable by whatever form e.g. IM, Skype, email, phone etc. <S> If you can agree this policy then you can be comfortable that there are no barriers to you contacting colleagues. <S> And as ChrisF points out a shared schedule is a significant part of this and also regular face-to-face business meetings and social meetings. <A> The first is consistant hours. <S> The concept of "core hours" exist in the office, and also apply to people working remotely. <S> These are hours where they are expected to be available via the corporate IM network, email, and phone. <S> Everyone on the team is expected to be working during these hours, with the exception of vacation or sick time. <S> Core hours are, in my experiences, about 5-6 hours of the day, with the other 2-3 hours being at your convenience. <S> In the office, people tend to have a signboard on their cube or office door indicating their schedule. <S> It has their preferred email address, phone number, and an on-site point of contact (typically their supervisor). <S> If they are taking any time off or will be unavailable, it is indicated on this. <S> Finally, people only tend to work a few days a week virtually. <S> It might be helpful to pick a single day where everyone works in the office to attend to things that can not be done remotely. <S> It also provides a good social bonding for the team, so consider a team lunch (even if it's in the cafeteria) on these days to try to make sure everyone's working well together. <A> Skype <S> You can use this to keep in touch with staff and clients. <S> You can do calls and conferences at no cost. <S> Dropbox Share your files with staff or between your laptop and desktop. <S> Google Docs / Google Calendar Share and update documents. <S> Virtual office / address <S> I use it as it is cheaper than hiring office space <S> and I don't think P.O Box look professional, nor does a home address Just what I use to aid with the operations and organisation of working virtually! <S> Hope it is of some help.
| 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 to have some guidelines to help reduce communication problems caused by people being in different locations. Share and update calendars. The next would be to keep everyone aware of your hours.
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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> This depends on what exactly you're applying for. <S> If you're applying to a company that produces textbooks and they use LaTeX for their typesetting it would definitely be a plus. <S> If you're applying to a college/university or a shop with lots of *NIX systems/people around they'll probably know what LaTeX is, and it can't hurt to list it <S> (I consider it a plus personally). <S> If you're applying to be a grocery store cashier or some other field so far removed from publishing/typesetting/academia and other areas where LaTeX shows up the folks interviewing you probably won't even know what LaTeX is - at best you'll have to explain, and at worst they'll probably think you have some strange fetishes. <S> Bottom line: <S> Tailor your resume to the job you're applying for when you send it directly to an employer. <S> If you're putting something up on Stack Overflow Careers or Dice/Monster/Etc. <S> go ahead and list it, as it's one more thing someone can search by. <A> If it will be used in your job, then heck <S> yeah. <S> But, if you don't want to look to academic, there are ways to prevent that. <S> For example: Known Technologies Include: Java C LaTeX Python ... <S> Is like saying to look academic. <S> It's like saying, "Look I went to school <S> and I know all of these cool things because I'm awesome." <S> On the other hand: Have [fill number here] years experience in Java and C. Work comfortably with Python and LaTeX. ... <S> Is more like saying "Well, I went to school, and I'm proud of it, <S> but I don't like to brag." <S> ;-) <S> So, yeah, put it on your Resume, just be careful how you word it. <A> My question to you is what benefit would you gain from putting LaTex on there? <S> I try hard not to put a single word on my resume that won't help me get the actual positions I want. <S> If I don't intend to work in a technology, for instance, I won't put it on there even if I have experience with it. <A> If you're needing to trim in order to keep it brief, then trim out less relevant skills like LaTeX. <S> But I honestly can't think of any situation where it would be a negative just to have it there. <S> Sure there are some technologies which do attract a degree of prejudice from some people in hiring positions (e.g. Visual Basic), but I'd be amazed if LaTeX was one of them. <S> Frankly, I suspect that anyone who would be prejudiced against it on the grounds of it being "too academic" wouldn't actually be familiar with the name.
| 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 use for the space. Never even think about not putting something useful (within your job) on your resume.
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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 -- they pay company B, who pay me. Company B also provides my benefits and so on. Is it appropriate to list company A and put my job title as "contractor"? ETA: Specific concerns are a) taking up too much space detailing the situation (since in the US I'm told I can only have one page and I have a lot of skills), and b) letting potential employers know I've worked at a large, established company rather than giving them the impression I worked at a small startup (since the staffing agency has a name that sounds like it's in the industry I work in) <Q> For classical Job Shopping (contract Engineering), the standard has always been to list the dates and the client, with a notation to indicate that it was a contract position. <S> For example, from my own resume: Jan 1984-Oct 1987 (Under Contract To) General Dynamics / Fort Worth Division, Fort Worth TX. <S> Some people will list the contract firm's name in parentheses, instead of saying "under contract to". <S> For example: Jan 1984-Oct 1987 <S> (Global Group) General Dynamics / Fort Worth Division, Fort Worth TX. <S> or MAYBE something like: <S> Jan 1984-Oct 1987 Global Group, Fort Worth Tx. <S> Under contract to General Dynamics/Fort Worth Division. <S> With this form, direct positions appear without the parenthetical note, viz. <S> Mar 1983-Jan 1984 UTL Corporation, Dallas TX. <S> Classical Job Shoppers are well-known for having short-to-medium gaps in their history, if they were between jobs. <S> This is considered perfectly normal for them. <S> (If you are in this category, and you run into a hiring manager or a recruiter who doesn't understand this, RUN AWAY!) <S> If you are a long-term employee of one firm, and they rent you out to various clients, and keep you on the payroll while you're "on the beach", you probably want to list them as your employer, and say something in the description about various assignments for various clients. <A> On resumes, I usually list the contracting company first, then the client company second. <S> For example, I worked for Bob's Bodyshop as a contractor, and they placed me at Big Shiny Corp , I usually put something like: 1/2011 to 12/2011 - Bob's Bodyshop / Big Shiny Corp. <S> I know many folks say "1 page!" <S> but I find that one cannot trim a resume to one page and get any meaningful details across. <S> One of my friends uses a functional resume, and his is 8 pages long. <S> Mine is chronological, and I try to keep mine to 3 pages. <S> We are both in our 50s. <A> I do a very simple sub list under the consulting/contracting company that I work for and limit it to 1-3 bullet points of highlights about what I did for the client. <S> Two important things to remember to protect yourself: Make sure to lay out your resume so that it's clear that you were a contractor and not employed by the clients. <S> You don't want anyone claiming you lied on your resume. <S> Get permission to list clients on your resume! <S> Some contracting companies have rules about not publicly disclosing clients or clients contracts might have provisions restricting you from saying you did contract work for them. <A> I agree with @Tangurena , for most contact jobs. <S> One case I would also like to share is when you work contract to hire and you get hired. <S> I have several of these on my resume <S> and I show them like this: Big Well-Known <S> CompanyA - Aug 2005-Jan 2008 <S> (Aug 2005-Dec 2005 - temporary hire working for Name of agency) <S> This gets several points acoss, it shows the total time I worked for the well-known company and it lets the employer know that I was a temp to hire <S> and I got hired and <S> it makes sure the HR refernce check into my employment dates won't conflict with what I said on my resume. <A> However, if the staffing agency finds you the work and actually holds the contract with the "more impressive" company then that's a different situation. <S> In that case I'd say that I was employed by the staffing agency (company A) <S> and I worked at Company B, Company C, etc, for these times with these responsibilities. <S> That way your prospective employer can contact the right HR department for the relevant references etc. <A> In the US, when I have worked for contracting companies they tend to dislike giving their competition credit. <S> For that I list the company where I did the work, my title and append - Consultant. <S> HR understands what that means usually. <S> And when so long as you make it clear you were working as a consultant(contractor, external, whatevertheirtitleforoutsidecontractorsis) <S> few companies are going to care. <S> This is often different in Europe, or anywhere they prefer a more accurate CV. <S> On a CV always list the company you actually employed by.
| If you are finding work for yourself or through recruitment agencies, I'd say list who you did the work for.
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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. However, the boss still likes to get in there and make changes and feels empowered to continue doing so since he is, in fact, the boss. I don't feel this is good for the organization in the long term since it creates more work and confusion as our team continues to grow, but how can I dissuade the boss from making out of band changes? <Q> Does he breathe fire? <S> Do people go to his office and never return? <S> If not, tell him the team's trying to do something for big-win points and some of the changes he's been making have been undoing the stuff you're all working on. <S> Now mind you <S> , I can actually make fun of my boss's code and get away with it, so if you do work in an environment of terror and fear, do like all people do in such scenarios. <S> Pass the buck. <S> But you can probably talk to him without insulting him if you put some thought into it. <S> Hint <S> : Avoid the use of words like "meddle" <A> I like what Erik said in one of his comments starting with the "I'm confused...". <S> One of the tricks I believe in dealing with bosses is making them feel like they make all the decisions, know everything and are the greatest bosses in the world (stroking their ego is what I like to think it is). <S> One of the tricks I use to do this is sometimes make myself seem like I don't know what is happening when I notice something "I believe" is wrong (it may NOT be). <S> This is leading on from Eriks comments. <S> Sometimes I'll say things like: <S> I'm struggling to grasp this code. <S> Can you talk me through it. <S> We have started implementing some processes that will help make our team more productive in the future. <S> I'm not sure how this new code fits into that. <S> Can you talk me through it. <S> Is there any reasoning why you did this like this? <S> We have some similiar setups that we are working on that might make this easier to implement in the future. <S> Sometimes we just have to put up with the "interesting things" that bosses do. <S> Some bosses find it hard to step away completely and really enjoy getting in there. <S> However they don't like to believe they are no longer required and sometimes don't want to show their inadequacies in case they feel the team might lose respect in their abilities. <S> Basically, try and make your boss feel like the changes he did <S> was really helpful <S> but you don't quite understand how they fit into the direction that the boss and your team is trying to follow. <S> If your boss has insecurities etc you may have to just be prepared to have to review all his code and try and fix/change them without his knowledge after he has made it. <S> In the end, you can make suggestions and talk to your boss, but you can't change his way of working. <S> That is up to him and his bosses. <A> Sometimes you need to give people's ego a way out. <S> Say something like, "How did you want to integrate your changes with the new automation?" <S> Then hopefully he will initiate some questions about what problems it caused. <S> However, I want to point out that the only person's behavior you have complete control over <S> is your own. <S> Think about what you can do to mitigate the problem. <S> If your boss isn't the only one making manual changes, you either have process or training issues to work out, or the ease of making changes to the automation needs to be improved. <S> Maybe people were on board with the idea of automation, but not the implementation. <S> You need to figure out what specifically is keeping them from being fully on board now. <S> In the mean time, you can institute procedures like automatic audits to detect manual changes, and rollbacks to easily undo them. <A> We're trying to move away from the old methods of doing everything by hand and automate and standardize the processes. <S> But the boss still likes to get in there and make changes and feels empowered to continue doing so since he is, in fact, the boss. <S> From what you're said it sounds like your boss is not totally on board with the automation/standardization process. <S> If I'm right about that you absolutely must get your boss on board - have him in the loop and behind the drive toward automation/standardization, and hopefully he'll start doing things according to the appropriate processes. <S> Preferably document negative effects (like a manual change that was wiped out during an automated push which caused an outage - totally avoidable if the new procedures were followed). <S> Note that doing this may cost both you and your boss substantial political capital, and if it backfires you'll probably be the one taking serious heat :-)
| 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.
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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 I will begin working full time for the company Question: I'm often working on projects from various levels of priority, mainly fairly low because of my experience. Being inexperienced however, I often require additional help or instructions from members of the company. My experience with replies range from taking weeks, to often not receiving a reply at all from different sources of help. This can often lead to my projects stalling completely. How often or how persistent should I be when it comes to following up with these requests? Is this normal to expect as an entry level employee? It's difficult to tell sometimes if they're deliberately seeing if I'll show traits of persistence or if they're simply too busy to deal with my requests. I don't want to show that I lack initiative and drive; however, I don't wish to be a thorn in the side of my employees. Thank you for your input. <Q> I don't know the nature of your work, but in my own experience, if a worker is given access to the data and tools to do their job, then rarely do they absolutely have to wait on a coworker for an answer. <S> If you're waiting for: General knowledge : Google it. <S> Develop your research and investigation skills by using a combination of what you know and what problems/unknowns you see. <S> Ask questions on forums. <S> Understanding of proprietary systems <S> you have access to : Dig in and find out how things work. <S> It's like above, but it's an internal search. <S> Understanding of proprietary systems <S> you don't have access to : If you've asked once, then before you ask again, make sure you can show what you've found out in the meantime. <S> And, like above, ask more than one person for help. <S> Someone to make a decision : <S> This is the most difficult to figure out as an entry-level employee. <S> However, you still need to take initiative. <S> Instead of just expecting your manager or a senior employee to make a call, you should become an expert in the facts, consider potential solutions, understand pros and cons, and finally make a recommendation. <S> At a minimum, this will help the senior worker to make the decision, even if it doesn't match your recommendation. <S> As you gain experience, you will be more likely to make the right call and they will simply sign off on your recommendation. <S> Summary: <S> Show initiative by doing as much as you can before returning to ask the question again. <S> Take ownership , no matter how low the priority of your projects is in the company. <S> This will show that you are the right person to take on projects of increasing importance. <A> Were you assigned a direct mentor/supervisor for your internship? <S> Assuming you're in a situation that really truly requires help from within the company, this is the person you should go to with all your questions. <S> S/he can then decide who is best suited to help and ask that person for you. <S> Building on NickC's comments about proprietary systems, ask your supervisor or HR manager if you can cross-train with groups using everything you interact with . <S> If they've already committed to hiring you upon graduation, they should be committed to helping you succeed within the company. <A> Sometimes (especially when you are inexperienced or new to an organization) you need to ask something, not because you don't have a preference about what to do, but because you want to make sure that your preference is going to be OK with the organization or make sure you have the authority to do something. <S> One thing I might do in this case is write an email that states the possibilities and the one I prefer and then adds the magic words: <S> I know you are busy, so if I don't hear back from you differently by noon tomorrow, I will use Option 1. <S> This has the advantage in that the person is fully informed and doesn't delay you much. <S> Further if you have someone who consistently ignores you, it gives you political ammunition if you do something other than what they wanted, because you told them that no replying meant they agreed. <S> It might even make the person start to actually read your emails when they get burned because you did something they didn't agree with <S> and they couldn't be bothered to tell you so.
| You should take initiative; not to bug them again, but to go find the answer. Ask a variety of people, not just one.
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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 gets fixed in 40min, charges of 1 hour will apply. My question is about email support. I often get email from clients asking about various questions and the work that I do. These are not tasks for me but something like, this is not working, the page is broke, it does not work on my pc etc etc. My question is, is technical support chargeable as freelancer? One might suggest to just add up these hours. However it does not take that long to answer these email, something around 1min to 10min, but it does interrupt my regular work. <Q> For any questions regarding billing, it is of the utmost importance to go directly to your contract and verify: the description of your services for hire the rate of pay for each service you are contracted to perform <S> If your contract states that you are performing "consulting services" -- which can range from A to Z and anything in between -- at a fee of N per hour (calculated as you've indicated), then yes, charge for email consultation, phone consultation, and any other activity applicable to your work for that client . <S> I would note that mhoran_psprep brings up the good point of the occasional good faith freebies -- and those are always your discretion. <S> To recap: anything you do is billable unless you have signed a contract that locks you in to piece work or flat rate bid, and if your services and rates are not explicit in this contract, make sure they are in your next one. <A> Yes email support should be chargeable. <S> You would charge for telephone support also. <S> Is it on your contract? <S> Only you can answer that question. <S> When I had to support contracts like this the key was how quickly did they want an answer. <S> If they expect a 24 hr turn around, then you can gather all the ones you receive that day and answer them in a single block of time. <S> But if they want them ASAP, then you will have to treat them as separate jobs, charging a minimum of 30 minutes. <S> Try to be kind to them if they always follow up with a related question, answer a short email for free every once in awhile. <A> To your main question, yes of course you should charge. <S> Anything that takes time, you should charge for. <S> You might want to maintain a count of emails though and charge (say) 10 minutes or 15 minutes per email. <S> But I'm also struck by your remark that emails interrupt your regular work. <S> This suggests to me that you have sounds or alerts turned on for email while you're working - something you should turn off to allow you to be more productive. <S> Prioritize email down when you're doing project work - you'll be surprised at the difference in your ability to get things done.
| 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.
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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 half of the developers here seem to stay overtime without receiving extra pay for it. I have 10 minute lunch break while lot of people go out for 45~1 hour lunch breaks. It feels bad everytime I have to leave on time while some of the other developers on my team are still working. All in all, I make sure that I am on schedule and meeting deadlines. However, I just don't understand why the other developers work extra hours even when there's no real pending reason. It seems like they end up with more work to do because they are working ahead of time. I double checked that there's no overtime pay or compensation at all with HR. So what is the explanation of this behavior? Should I follow or not? This is quite stressful to think about. There's no set guidelines of when to start working or when to stop. As long as projects are completed on time is what they keep telling me and they are, but why are some of the other developers staying behind to do extra work? Is that how you get promoted or get a salary bump? We have this web app where we have the option of recording how much hour we spend each day but this is for project managers and definitely not for calculating overtime pay. It seems like me and another person are the only ones to actually leave and not do overtime work. Sometimes I do but that's because the project is urgent and I do not mind that at all. But it's like this group behavior that worries me because if I have to keep working overtime like that it wouldn't work for me. I need to have a set time limit to concentrate and work in bursts, I can't do coding marathons.... <Q> Back in my consulting/contracting days the company had a simple rule - if you work, it goes on your timesheet. <S> If the client doesn't care to pay for your time, don't work it. <S> Too often this is sort of a co-dependent thing - the boss gives subtle (or perhaps not-so-subtle) hints that extra time is appreciated/needed/required (choose your level of abuse :-) <S> and people then pick up on this and start working over/extra. <S> If eight people each put in one hour of extra time per day, that pretty much saves the company from bringing in one more developer. <S> Hey, must be time for bonuses and parties <S> all 'round, right? <S> Wrong. <S> What happens is more likely the following: <S> Management learns that they can get something for nothing. <S> Employees learn that they can get nothing for something. <S> Grumbles start. <S> Management wants more (the old "free milk and a cow" thing, kinda :-). <S> Employees get burned out. <S> Employees bail, remainder are asked/nudged/ <S> pushed/expected to cover "on a temporary basis"/"during our current crisis"/"for ever". <S> And the spiral continues downward... <S> Working free overtime does neither you nor your employer any good in the long term. <S> If you're working for a "short term benefit" company do yourself a favor and move. <A> If you know this kind of regular overtime work isn't for you (which I think is a healthy attitude, but it's also a personal preference), then just don't do it . <S> Most probably nobody will complain, since you are on schedule and meeting deadlines. <S> If it does become a problem, you'll still have the option of having a discussion with your supervisor about it and explaining you just can't be productive on that kind of schedule in the long term. <S> And if it turns out they really do expect those kinds of hours, well, you should probably just start looking for another job <S> - it doesn't sound like a good fit for you. <S> As for why everyone else is doing it - I wouldn't worry too much about it. <S> Maybe you just got a group of "workaholics" by chance. <S> Maybe they spend half their day checking their email and make up for it with later hours. <S> Maybe they're all looking at each other and not wanting to be the first to leave, or don't know why it's going on any better than you do. <S> Or maybe there really is a practical reason why most people in the group are keeping those hours, <S> but if that's the case, you'll find out sooner or later, and I don't think it'd worth going along with that kind of schedule until you at least know what's going on. <S> You sound <S> very stressed out about it, <S> and I think feeling stressed out about your job is much more likely to hurt your productivity and your position in the team than the hours you keep. <A> First of all don't assume that high desk time is proof someone is working harder. <S> Most people can't maintain working at anywhere near capacity for over eight hours, especially in an intellectually taxing job like programming. <S> The majority of the time when people put in longer hours they end up working significantly below capacity (surfing on the net ect.). <S> Although that may suit some people better <S> it is no more productive and is often less so. <S> The key here is to be confident in your results. <S> Any descent manager will judge you based on results rather than desk time. <A> As long as your manager isn't pressing you to do overtime and you're not being penalized for your schedule, don't worry about it. <S> People have different work habit's, don't stress out about other's habits unless they are negatively effecting you. <S> If you want to know how you get promoted or a salary bump, ask your supervisor. <A> Are you getting your work done on time? <S> If so, kudos to you - you're much more efficient than those staying late. <S> There's a massive difference between working smart and working hard - in fact, as a manager, I often look poorly at members of my team who have to stay and work late because they aren't as productive as they need to be - so, in short, unless there's an additional project at work that you want to put extra time in (or are staying because you've been specifically asked), don't fret <S> - you're working right. <A> If you have regular reviews in your organization then that would be the appropriate time and place to ask the boss directly if there really is an unwritten 'face time' policy. <S> If not, then then just meet the boss in private and ask the question in a frank and professional manner. <S> Don't be emotional, don't talk about 'feelings'. <S> Just ask if he's OK with your work routine or not.
| 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 getting paid for it you're effectively taking a pay cut.
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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 enough with my choice. I would like to start looking for a new job again, but I don't know whether it will be beneficial or not to include this 3-week-long experience in my CV. The truth is that in these three weeks I learned a lot of new things about Java (which is most certainly what I will be applying for anywhere else), but I am afraid that "stating" in the CV that I want to leave a company I joined just the other day will give a bad image about myself. How should I deal with my current position in my CV? <Q> Resume where you are listing your projects or key results - there won't be much about this part of the job. <S> Also, generally "learning a lot through reading" is usually not placed much in resume unless you have gained practical work experience in that area. <S> (it's ok to put Java as part of skill set). <S> However, when you are putting down the chronology of companies you have been to, it is very essential that you do not omit any organization attended. <S> Usually, a period like 3 weeks one could ignore when evaluating and <S> no one will come to know about it; however, if they come to know about this relation during ref check - it leaves a bad remark as to why you hide this fact. <S> And during interviews where one would ask you why did you changed so quickly? <S> If you had genuine reasons to leave people wont mind it. <S> But in the above stated situation no one might cross check with you. <S> You might be at loss. <S> So as a general rule never hide that you have attended a company even for a small while. <A> Short answer is no. <S> Career gaps are an even bigger red flag but nobody will notice just three weeks so your safe to omit it. <S> I suggest you do a pet project that uses the skills you talk about. <S> You can then demonstrate your new skills without detracting from your cv <A> The reasons, it leave a positive impact that you have a job and you are looking. <S> You are not comfortable with it is understable by any employer. <S> Just one bad case does not leave you in bad water. <S> If you have a history of such short tenures then you might have a problem and you want to think again. <S> Employers will look at this as positive thing, unless something's wrong with the company, you are not really proud of it <S> and you dont want to associate yourself with it. <S> In that case it is your personnel choice. <A> First you should approach your current manager about your concerns. <S> They have invested time and money in bringing you up to speed. <S> If they are at least aware you are looking for a new position then you are more likely to get a positive reference. <S> Second for a CV <S> I would list the position always. <S> A CV is about your complete experience and should be all inclusive. <S> A resume on the other hand is about what experience you have that is important to the position you are applying for now. <S> For a Resume I would list the position as my current position but I would likely drop the position from my resume afterwards. <S> After 6 months or so those few weeks you spent there are no longer important enough to list unless you made a major contribution or received an award while you were there. <A> It strongly depends. <S> Big corporations hiring people with long-term perspective usually find short-time contracts suspicious. <S> I was even once asked, why I quit my previous job, without any suggestion from my side, that I lived and that this contract was in any way prolongable. <S> However, if you're going to work as contractor or freelancer , sometimes such short contracts can be a plus for you, because they prove you can adapt to the new workplace quickly (which is a crucial ability for very short-time contracts).
| 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.
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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 bad idea to take the interview? What would be the risks and/or tradeoffs? <Q> First you need to make a personal choice: Do you want to leave your current employer, or not? <S> If you have no desire to leave simply tell the recruiters (politely!) <S> that you are sorry, but you recently came to work for a new employer, you are happy where you are, and you are not currently looking to change employment. <S> Make sure to be polite - You may decide later on that you do want to interview with this other company, and you don't want to burn your bridges. <A> How would you respond to the request normally? <S> There isn't much different at a new job except the following: You may still be in a probation period. <S> You don't really know a lot about your new job yet (good or bad) <S> so it will be hard to make any judgments about whether you should be considering different opportunities. <S> Responding may make you look flaky (unreliable, careless, prone to changing your mind) to the other company, and to your new one if they find out. <S> By "not much different" I mean <S> you should only consider taking the interview request if there is a good reason to: <S> The opportunity is/could be better <S> You are unhappy in the current position <S> Any other reason you might leave a company If you decide to decline, you should simply say "I've already taken a new position, but thank you for your response." <S> And, if you'd like them to retain your resume for the future, say so. <A> If you didn't intend to leave your current job, or the new opportunity looks flying sexy, it is a waste of time of everyone to attend the interview. <S> If you want to decline the interview, you can say, " <S> Well, I was looking for a job and might have been interested in a position like this, but I have just taken up another assignment <S> so I'm not be willing change very soon. <S> " <S> I think this (just-joined-somewhere) is enough, for recruiter not to bother you. <A> I read an advice from an article, that is recommended to have an interview every six months or year even if you are enrolled, that would help to understand what new things managers care about, or what skills are more important currently,
| 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.
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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 thinking of going directly through CompanyB because that way I'd get a salary raise, as the costs of CompanyA are cut to zero. Do you think it is professional to do this? This is my first contract as a freelancer and I don't know what to do because I feel I might be better with just 1 contracting company. UPDATE-1:the thing is that actually at some point I was asked if I want to change the contract directly to CompanyB. But that was a previous contract extension, now I'm thinking if it is fair to ask since I initially said I wanted to go through CompanyA. <Q> Generally when 2 companies enter into a sub contracting relationship they also agree not to recruit from each other. <S> Usually there is significant remuneration required in order to do so. <S> This makes it unlikely that the prime contractor will be willing to seriously consider hiring you away from their subcontractor. <S> In addition most companies in a contractor arrangement, require that you sign a non-compete in order accept the position. <S> This document will generally prohibit you from entering into a business relationship with any business partners which would compete with your current employer. <S> Being hired by their prime contractor fits this. <S> Some states allow it to be prohibited, while others simply allow for damages. <S> In this case the damages are generally the full amount they were paid to fill your position. <S> If there is a reason you would need to move to be an employee of the prime contractor you should first talk with your current employer. <S> Some positions may not be covered by the sub contracting agreement and you may be eligible to move to the prime company. <S> If you are considering the move because you think it will mean more money for the same job, this is unlikely, at least in a significant variation. <S> Most prime contractors make management fee for handling sub contractors. <S> But should you become an employee of the prime <S> you will still likely make the prevailing wage for that position. <S> It is possible that you would even take a cut in pay. <A> This answer is based purely on your update, in which you said at some point I was asked if I want to change the contract directly to CompanyB. <S> But that was a previous contract extension, now I'm thinking if it is fair to ask since I initially said I wanted to go through CompanyA. <S> Given <S> there is precedent, it would not be unprofessional to <S> politely inquire at contract extension time if the offer to switch to Company B is on the table again. <S> All of the general information in Chad's answer is absolutely true and should be considered; however, in the specific situation where a precedent has already been set, it's not unreasonable to politely inquire about possibilities. <A> Do you think it is professional to do this? <S> NO! <S> But i think the advise doesn't stop there. <S> The point is, Company A is in business for some reason - and for a reason probably better than you because they hired you. <S> The reason can be that including but not limiting to: they are in here for longer times, better relationship with other customers, better marketting/sales network than you have alone, better project management and client interaction framework (may or may not) <S> better terms with CompanyB than you might think initially and perhaps more financial stability which means if contract with end customer goes awary <S> , company A still have some obligation to you if you were not culprit. <S> (never undermine this) <S> So you are killing your relationship with CompanyA almost immediately while there is only a small hope to remain connected to CompanyB (which might still take more than couple of project at least. <S> Also, you are turning companyA as your competitor. <S> So it is not truly unprofessional, it does imply betrayal - specially if you are yourself a one project company.
| 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!
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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? There were a couple of responses suggesting that the use of polygraphs were quite routine, in the US at least. Given the dubious validity of the polygraph as a lie detection mechanism, I had always assumed that Hollywood played up the role of the polygraph, but now I'm not so sure. While I was working in the UK defence industry, I certainly never had to take a polygraph, and my only exposure since was a business angel who asked me to set up a website to distribute phone based lie detection software, which I was very dubious about. So, how routine is the use of lie detector technology in security cleared workplaces, and indeed has anyone seen its use outside of the defence sector? <Q> I can speak to the US Department of Defense guidelines for polygraph use. <S> The polygraph program is detailed in a document from 1985 , which was most recently updated in 2011 . <S> It specifies, among a number of other things, which types of access require a polygraph investigation. <S> Polygraphs are only used for special access programs , sensitive compartmented information , and by the CIA, DIA, and NSA (sections C1.1.4 and C1.2.2). <S> I'm not sure if numbers exist, but this is probably a relatively small number of people with clearances in the US. <S> In addition, these guidelines ensure that polygraph results can not be the only reason for rejecting a candidate. <S> This leads me to believe that it is recognized that it isn't the most accurate tool, but that it can provide insight to investigators when looking at people who would be handling information that can, in the wrong hands, be the most damaging to US interests. <A> In practice, this question is pretty hard to answer from a single person perspective. <S> No single person's experience is likely to cover the spectrum and the actual practice of polygraph usage is generally considered sensitive enough that I would consider most Internet responses worth a grain of salt. <S> I know people for whom work is completely impossible without a polygraph, <S> and I know people who have remained very gainfully employed in interesting, marketable and engaging work in the defense industry without submitting to a polygraph, in fact they've actually been asked and said "no". <S> There are also some variations on what "taking a polygraph" means and they change over the years. <S> Sorry to be negative. <S> I love @Thomas Owens answer - as he's nailed the actual DOD guidelines for this. <S> While there is a single agency that handles clearance investigations, they are not the group responsible for deciding risk and the adequacy of security controls - that is handled by the owner of the data and the group responsible for the project that uses the data. <S> (check out NIST standards relating to risk management and security controls) <S> To make conjectures about which agencies and what types of information or how prevalent this aspect of clearance application is would be a problematic endeavor - particularly on a public forum. <S> I can say from personal experience, that the ad hoc, free and easy use of a polygraph as seen in crime shows is anything but the truth of how they are actually used. <S> Polygraphs (and any biological based truth detection mechanism) treads very closely to the US cultural norm of protection of privacy from government scrutiny (even when the subject is working for the government) <S> and it's treated very, very cautiously and with a fairly rigorous procedure. <S> About the best thing to do is to avoid the hype and ask the question when doing the interview. <S> Don't expect that you know based on a previous interview or job experience that the jargon being mentioned raises a standard set of expectations about the background check process. <A> There were a couple of responses suggesting that the use of polygraphs were quite routine, in the US at least. <S> Given the dubious validity of the polygraph as a lie detection mechanism, I had always assumed that Hollywood played up the role of the polygraph, but now I'm not so sure. <S> The results of a polygraph are used as a means to determine the general truthfulness of your statements. <S> Often times the results of a polygraph can be accepted by a court of law on this premise. <S> So, how routine is the use of lie detector technology in security cleared workplaces, and indeed has anyone seen its use outside of the defence sector? <S> I really want to expand the comment I made, in the linked question, with regards to federal employement. <S> The polygraph would be used to determine the truthfulness of your answers based on questions raised by the information you provided as a means to verify your background. <S> The example I used was timeframes where you didn't reference people, whom that can be contacted by said investigator, or whom provided answers that were say not flattering. <S> So, how routine is the use of lie detector technology in security cleared workplaces, and indeed has anyone seen its use outside of the defence sector? <S> The same agency handles ALL United States Government Security Clearance Requests. <S> So if a security clearance is required for the job, the use of a polygraph is the same, the entire process is the same. <S> There are additional steps the agency that handles the security background checks simply provide a recomendation at the end of the process. <S> As I have mentioned I have personal experience with this process, the exact details are not important, I should add the process is public knowlege. <A> I got a secret clearance for a job a few years ago. <S> There was no polygraph. <S> No one else <S> I worked with needed one for that clearance level. <S> One of the people there was ex-Air Force. <S> He had to get a polygraph while in the AF as part of his duties <S> but it was a small set of information they could ask about <S> - it was an open ended set of questions. <S> (There was a technical term for the <S> difference(s) - not sure) <S> In my experience you won't get a polygraph for lower security clearances.
| 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.
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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. something like "Looking forward to working with you in the future" Seems to me to be too indicative of a positive outcome, which hasn't been decided yet. "best of luck with future work" Seems to me to be too indicative of negative outcome, which again hasn't been decided yet. I should note that I'm not the only one making the decision—there are a number of interviewers, and I'm going to be one of the people providing feedback to the ultimate decision-makers. Any suggestions? <Q> In situations in which I am on a committee, and I receive thank you notes from individuals, I do not respond. <S> The only instance in which I would respond would be if I were the committee chair. <S> When I do respond, as either committee manager or as an individual interviewer (when there's no committee), I keep my acknowledgement brief <S> Our decision timeline is..." <A> Thank you notes are considered a one way message with no requirement or expectation of a response when received. <S> They are a token sign of grattitude and a last attempt to make a postive impression on the interviewer. <S> Unless of course the sender asked you a question or made a statement that you decide you would like them to explain more. <A> I hit this one too - I've stared at a blank page for up to 20 minutes thinking "geez, a simple "your welcome" should not be so hard!" <S> I agree that 2 out of 3 of your samples are too indicative. <S> Sadly, in this day and age, it seems we have to be very careful at anything that sounds like a commitment. <S> Here's some stuff I've felt OK with: <S> I enjoyed speaking with you, as well, thanks for following up! - <S> and I have some permutations of these that are less positive in cases where it really wasn't great speaking with the person (in fact I wanted that hour of my life back) <S> - things like "it's always enlightening to get to meet new people". <S> Answering any factual questions asked, or providing more info about a discussion point. <S> My absolute favorite candidates are always people who prompted me to go do some research or thinking about the topics (this is like the top 10% people), and so I may mail back with - "you got me thinking about X <S> , did you know about Y?" <S> NOTE: <S> These people are probably so awesome that I want to keep in touch, even if they don't come to work for me... <S> networks are good! <S> Things I avoid: any positive or negative impressions that could later evoke some presumption on the candidate's part any feedback on the interview <S> - I leave that to HR. <S> any information about other candidates, or my opinions on the hiring process, or the relative urgency of filling the position. <A> I generally don't return them unless I am very sure we are going to offer him the position. <S> These things have a way of changing at the last minute. <S> Some other manager vetoes it, HR finds some background questions at the final step, etc, etc. <S> I have replied positively a few times in the past and have them come back to bite me in the behind. <S> OTOH, I sometimes reply to those that I know WON'T make the cut and offer advice if I think they need/appreciate it. <S> Some of them aren't doing resumes right <S> and I think the advice might help them with another job application. <A> Just to add one more approach for those who hit this problem in the future, in the end I just wrote a simple, neutral reply: <S> Dear <person <S> > : <S> Thank you for your note, I enjoyed meeting with you. <S> < <S> my boss <S> > will be getting in touch with you shortly regarding the position. <S> Be well, <S> <me <S> > <A> If the feedback is negative don't reply (Have HR tell him) <S> If the feed back is good, let him know you guys are interested. <S> It was a pleasure meeting you as well, Carol will be getting back you shortly regarding next steps. <A> As someone who sends thank you notes I really like getting a response just to know they in fact got my note. <S> A simple it was nice meeting you and thank you for your interest in our company. <S> The successful candidate will be contacted in the next few days. <S> I believe it's a great response. <S> Its simple polite and doesnt give anything away. <S> Since only 20 percent of individuals send these after interviews it's really nice to get a response.
| (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).
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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) in my opinion should not be asked for, they should be given. <S> I would expect it normally to be given/exchanged when a level of trust has been established between the individuals concerned and where they consider it ok to move from a professional relationship to a more personal one. <S> In this case I agree with Michael in that if it comes up that either party needs to contact one another outside of work then they will jointly agree to exchange their numbers. <S> However, having this need on the first day of work seems highly unlikely to me (of course there are always exceptions). <S> And to be honest, I would find it a bit weird (and creepy to be fair) if someone I just met was asking me for my own personal number after only just starting at the company we worked for. <S> When you have, the exchange of numbers will just happen naturally. <A> I'm going to break this down slightly differently: Company Contact Information <S> You should ask for how to find it for anyone on the first day. <S> That includes - email, IM, landline phone, cell phone. <S> Discussion should include appropriate uses for this information (for example, is someone "on call" each night? <S> Is there a time that is too late? <S> What constitutes an emergency?). <S> Old school places will keep a list of this information, more modern places roll it into signatures, directory systems, or profiles. <S> The nature of any of these forms of communication is they are provided by the company with the expectation that every employee be able to use it for every other employee. <S> Personal Information <S> Most of the folks I know <S> if in corporate America (mileage varies in other countries) - have two phones - one for home and one for work. <S> I knew a few old school folks who only carry a work phone, and a few underfunded folks who only carry a personal cell. <S> But most folks I know intentionally separate home and work life this way... and in some cases it is mandated by their work. <S> Asking for personal information varies significantly from culture to culture. <S> That would be indicated by having made several arrangements to meet up outside of work at purely social, non-work-sponsored endeavors. <S> Not necessarily anything romantic, but definitely a relationship that has transcended work. <S> In general, to stay on the safe side, I'd be more likely to offer my own cell than ask for someone else's. <S> Especially if there is any doubt. <S> This is true for any personal information - home email, personal mobile, social network identity, home address. <A> Why do you (think you) need a colleague's cell-phone number? <S> If your job involves possibly dealing with a problem in off hours and needing help, then the company should have a procedure in place for that already (emergency number, rotating beeper, cell-phone numbers in an employee directory, etc). <S> If that's the case, follow the company procedure. <S> If it's for any other reason, then you probably don't really need that information and should not ask for it on the first day. <S> If the person has a company-issued cell phone then it's appropriate to ask for that number the first time it seems plausible that you'll actually need it. <S> (But again, it might already be in a directory.) <S> People should have a reasonable expectation of not being called, on personal phones, for business at all hours. <A> No. <S> If it is generally the case that employees need to contact each other outside business hours, then there should be some sort of internal directory (wiki page, etc.) <S> that has as much personal information as the employees are willing to share. <S> Asking for access to that on your first day would be perfectly appropriate. <S> If a new employee were to request this information on his/her first day, I would be concerned that he/she was looking to extend my work-time beyond what was established. <S> Unless this person is my new boss, I'd be hesitant. <S> There may be an exception for some cases -- if you were hired to establish 24 hour support for a product that never had any real formalized support. <S> Even so, I suspect you could wait until Day 2 to start collecting this information. <A> If you will need to contact them outside the office you would need it for that. <S> However I would not ask for it. <S> Let them do their job <S> and you can focus on yours. <A> I wouldn't ask for their personal contact <S> no. <S> on the very first day, except if someone just joined with me and we had a good talk already. <S> In one of my last office, I was approached by my senior to take contact no. of immediate superior and HR, so that in case of any emergency I can contact them. <S> However I don't think it's a common practice. <S> Anyways your colleagues will exchange the no. <S> when they feel comfortable with you. <S> You don't need to approach them first.
| 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 had clearly formed a personal bond. If they want you to be able to call them they need to give you the number.
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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 potential employers? <Q> No, I would not recommend shortened URLs in your CV. <S> Whether you're putting URLs to public profiles or to online projects on your CV, it's important to remember that people may or may not click on them at all -- <S> and if it's a paper CV, people are unlikely to type them in -- at least on the first review of your materials. <S> However, what people may look for ( <S> and I know I do), is some indication of what those URLs are -- in this case, the domain name is a rhetorical device (it provides ethos). <S> In other words, on first review of your materials I might not look at your LinkedIn or StackExchange profiles or GitHub repositories (for example), but knowing that you have a LinkedIn profile, you participate in the StackExchange community, and you contribute to or maintain open source repositories means something . <S> If you only use shortened URLs, I have no idea what is behind those shortened links, and <S> thus the information that could be doing some good is doing no good at all. <S> Similarly, assume that I care enough to look at the information itself. <S> If it's an online or electronic CV, I'll click the link; if it's a paper CV, I'll take the time to type the links. <S> However, if you use shortened URLs, I have no idea where I'll be sent to. <S> The cost-benefit analysis of typing a LinkedIn or SE URL and knowing where I'm going, versus a shorter link to somewhere unknown, just doesn't work out in the applicant's favor. <A> Nobody, and I mean nobody will take the time to type in a URL that they see on a printed CV. <S> So, from that perspective I say no because there's no point in putting the URLs there to begin with. <S> If you have an electronic CV, there's no point in shortening them because the user isn't going to type the URL in, either. <A> Speaking as someone who deals with this periodically, here's my impression about how I deal with URLs in a resume: <S> I get an electronic copy of the resume and click or copy/paste. <S> This generally only happens if you are fairly far through our process, since by that point you would have interviewed with HR and gotten through a phone screen. <S> If it is clear you own the site I'll sometimes go to the parent page and see what else you have to say. <S> This <S> I'll occasionally type in, but I won't type anything beyond "blog.example.com" or github.com/yourname. <S> At no point do I type a full path, and I would pretty much never bother to type in bit.ly/whatever. <S> I might click on it, but then the shortened URL doesn't buy you anything. <S> So the question is, who is your target when you put a shortened URL on your resume? <S> You are targeting the person who a) wants to see whatever it is you are linking to but b) doesn't have an electronic copy of the resume and c) <S> doesn't care about the information that gets lost when a resume is shortened (e.g., am I looking at a professional blog?) <S> d) is better at typing a shorter-but-random string than a longer-but-nonrandom-string. <S> That seems like a relatively low margin game. <S> Maybe in your industry or area that might be worth it, <S> but I have trouble thinking that it would be a good idea in the general case. <A> To add a minor point to all of the excellent cautions above: there is no guarantee that a shortened URL is persistent. <S> TinyURL and bit.ly seem to be doing fine right now, but I still remember my surprise when Tr.im shut down in 2009. <A> The shortened URLs don't look professional and most people like me don't trust shortened URLs, although tinyurl provides a preview, but I don't think anyone would do extra work for it. <S> Another point of view may be (not sure if its true everywhere or not) but once an interviewer told me that they treat shortened URLs like internet memes and shorthands (like using 'U' instead of 'you'). <S> If your project URls are too long, you can have a blog explaining your projects and can put the blog link in your CV. <S> Another way would be to buy a good domain name and put a redirect in it. <S> It might impress your interviewer too. <A> It might make a good impression if one is able to describe ones work in words (the fewer the better, as HR people don't have time anyway). <S> On the other hand, it might be of good service to the reader to include a single link to a webpage, e.g. johndoe.com/projects, where one can check out all the details. <S> If the CV is a .pdf, I would always use the URL as the link text, e.g. johndoe.com/projects and not "john's projects" . <S> This ensures that the link is valuable when the document is printed out.
| 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.
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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 the opportunity to work around them — to decline and then make direct contact with the company, cutting them out of the transaction and costing them their commission. <S> Recruiting companies deal with a lot of money for each position ( 20 to 35 percent of the starting salary, says this article ), and typically won't get any commission if the hire was not found by the recruiter. <S> At the same time, the company can't be expected to give up good potential hires that contact them directly. <S> This is why initial job postings sent to potential candidates by recruiters often don't include the company name. <S> As for advertised job postings (gathering instead of hunting), it's the same thinking: they want to make sure their advertising money brings them the commission. <S> I was told this by a recruiter when I asked who the company was for before I agreed to have them send my resume to the company. <S> He said they normally won't tell candidates until the candidate agrees to work with them. <A> We use recruiters pretty often and normally request that they keep the company name out of the picture until later stages if its for more senior positions. <S> If you are a listed company, it's pretty much a given that the company name won't be mentioned because even small things can affect market perception and you don't really want to take even minimal risk. <S> Even if you aren't listed but are relatively well known, most people won't want the market to know that their R&D director is leaving soon, etc, etc. <A> Looks like there are a variety of reasons to do so. <S> the company may be a small business, so hiring by itself may not attract better talents. <S> Moreover there could be an overhead of interviewing, screening etc <S> Competition could be another reason. <S> They may not want their competitors know what sort of talents they are hiring <S> Moreover recruiters <S> these days are specialized in finding and hiring people. <S> So a reliable recruiter will really make lives easier for the companies by hiring the exact talents to suit the exact needs without the headache for the companies. <S> Recruiters do have a pool of existing talents with a wide range of skill set, so its easier to find the one required <A> NickC hit one of the main reasons, the company does not want its best candidates cutting them out of the deal before they can even talk with the candidate. <S> Announcing who it is that you are seeking to place is essentially telling their competitors here is a business open to using contracting/placement firms. <S> With a small amount of due diligence the competitor can come in and undercut the first company. <S> This places stress on the relationship with both parties of the originating deal. <S> Many times these competitors will come in around the actual manager making the decision, and have the managers boss direct the manager to use the new company. <S> This still happens. <S> But by using good discretion the Initial firm can hopefully fill the position before any competitors can intervene. <S> Good contracting and placement firms spend quite a bit of time and money cultivating relationships with prospective customers. <S> They spend a similar amount of time building relationships with their prospective candidates. <S> They do not want to do anything that compromises their relationship with either.
| 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.
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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? * - with a document attached containing the job specification simply copied & pasted from the company's website/linkedin/etc, with the original contact details and dates replaced with Xs. <Q> DHH from 37signals posts clueless recruiter posts publicly . <S> He also hassles them over twitter when they email him asking if he wants to relocate for a entry-level Ruby position. <S> Sorry Jim, I'm not looking for a job right now, but my company is full of really talented developers, the same caliber as the ones you are looking for to fill your position, and we could definitely help you out.... etc... etc... <S> " <S> Then I offer to re-write their recruitment management software for them <S> so they can do a better job matching candidates. <S> As things stand right now, though, I would never recommend the use of recruiters to anyone for a technical position. <S> You’re much more likely to be associated with the incompetence of the recruiter than you are to find highly skilled technical talent. <S> -DHH <A> It's better to apply directly to the companies in this case. <S> The recruiter here is being opportunistic and is unlikely to help you in the recruitment process, so why to add a middleman in between you and the company. <A> Now, not all technical recruiters are terrible- from my experience the bad ones tend to be the ones that scour through so many resumes and jobs. <S> I applied to a newsletter for one that gave weekly job listings, but getting a response from any <S> I was interested in <S> was futile. <S> I had a better, more personal experience with smaller agencies. <S> They tend to have less candidates coming their way and you won't get so lost in the shuffle. <A> If you're pretty confident that they are being shady, I would ignore them and use it as an opportunity to winnow down the list of recruiters with whom you may work in the future. <S> Additionally, depending on your level of confidence, it may be worth reporting to either the employer or a higher up in the recruiting organization. <S> But this doesn't sound egregious enough for that. <A> As annoying as you might find recruiters when you are not "on the market", you'll miss them even more the day you are hunting for a new job. <S> I say don't burn bridges if you don't have to. <S> Have a polite copy/paste answer prepared to just send back. <S> Something like "Thank you for sharing this interesting prospect with me. <S> Unfortunately, I'm currently not looking to change positions <S> but I'm looking forward to working with you in the future, should that change". <S> Also, "publicly available" != <S> "universally known". <S> Just because you saw the ad on the companies website doesn't mean everybody have. <A> I think this is a matter of "it depends". <S> In one case, a recruiter contacted like this, and couldn't think of an answer when I asked him what his value added would be. <S> In another case, the recruiter pitched me for a position that was published as well, but had the personal connections within the company to get my CV onto the relevant desk very fast.
| 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 "
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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 related jobs (i.e. jobs which require a background in programming.) highly value interpersonal skills? On the other end of the spectrum, which jobs require little in the way of interpersonal skills? I have been in a few workplaces where it was dead silent and am trying to find jobs where that is not the case. <Q> I think teams that work in a true Agile development environment experience interaction on a similar level to what you are talking about. <S> Also believe it or not the more women you have on your team, the better off you are with regards to social intelligence (which also, consequentially drives productivity and team performance) <S> Second, there is a strong positive correlation with the number of women on the team and team performance. <S> Women make teams smarter than men. <S> Full Stop. <S> Why? <S> Those of us with a Y-chromosome will be relieved to know that there is a similar correlation with social sensitivity and team performance. <S> Women generally rate significantly better at social sensitivity than men. <S> The researcher states, "what it suggests is that if you don't know the social sensitivity of a group, it is a better bet to include females than not." <S> "The team also found that groups in which members took turns speaking were more collectively intelligent." <S> (New Scientist) <S> So, if you're looking for a smart and well performing group with excellent social interaction, you'd be well served looking at companies that both practice agile development methodologies and have a solid men/women ratio. <A> Agile is certainly a good bet - I don't know of many/any teams working in an agile enviroment that don't have a healthy respect for the power of the team over the power of the individual. <S> Pair programming, too, is likely to be a helpful indicator of how much time you spend day to day with another person. <S> I'd offer the thought, however, that non-Agile doesn't necessarily mean no-interaction. <S> Here's a few other situations that may be high on the human interface: GUI designers and anyone who designs stuff in a highly collaborative environment with regular people (customers and/or users). <S> Support people and trainers - people who are responsible fixing customer issues - usually have to collaborate with both customers, and other team members. <S> Managers - not an entry level job - but one where your level of human interaction will go through the roof. <S> Sales engineers - may or may not actually program - <S> many do mock-ups and proofs of concept - to help convince the customer that what they want is doable. <S> Professional services - often a lot more customer-interfacing than a pure product development team. <S> The key here is that the job can vary widely both in terms of interal vs. external communication. <S> Some of these roles may have lots of human interaction, but they may not be everyone's cup of tea, because they may be mostly focused on communication with non-technical people - which may or may not be energizing depending on your personality. <S> I'd say the best indicator of all is to talk to the interviewer of any particular job. <S> Although all the jobs I mentioned are usually high interaction, I can think of a case in point for each one where I've seen examples of the job having very little human interaction, due to the nature of the business or project. <A> For more interaction at the developer level look for places that pair program. <S> Also positions that might require more interaction are maintenance programmer who deals with immediate production issues. <S> Frequently they need to talk directly to users. <S> You might also consider the workplaces where the users are internal (or specific clients)tend to have more interaction than the ones where they create Commerical-Off-the-Shelf software or web sites designed for the general public. <S> That's because their users are available to talk to and get clarification from when needed. <S> They also tend to want to talk to developers about their issues when teh developers are handy. <S> Another area with a lot of interaction is in reporting and ETL. <S> This is espcially true in ETL if you need to coordinate imports and exports of data with an external party (we have more interaction when we develop a feed that needs to go to the client and then return something to us after they have processed it for instance). <S> And if you are an export at developong business reports, you wil almost certainly havea lot of management interaction as they are always thinking of new things they want reported on.
| 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.
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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 was more than enough) and it's now the end of third month and we're still only half way through. There have been around 20 revisions so far and the design got out of the control. This is because they see things on other websites and want them integrated into the design, so it looks like an awful patchwork. Also, they take my designs and photoshop them until they are satisfied, even though they have less than basic skills, and I see their behavior as insulting to my expertise (you hire me to do the job and then you do it instead of me, sending me the message that my knowledge is not valid). I've politely warned them several times of the implications of such an approach to the project, and even though I made sure they understand it, they continued to behave in the same way. I've been paid 50% so far, but I cannot sustain having this project as it affects my work, budget, and other projects. So are the ever-changing requirements by the client a sufficient reason to try and terminate a contract? And why or why not? <Q> I'm making assumptions based on your comments and the small amount of the story in your post, but from my outside perspective it sounds like the client isn't your problem. <S> Your contract is the problem. <S> It sounds like you wrote a contract with a fixed price and no clear constraints on how much work you would do for that money. <S> In this situation almost any client is going to eat your lunch on change requests. <S> You have set up the situation where they have zero incentive (other than how long it takes to get to the final deliverable) to constrain feature-creep. <S> The client you have is extremely typical and not the exception. <S> It doesn't even sound like they are being unreasonable. <S> You won't want to hear this, but your best option now is probably to come clean with them and admit you underbid the project and attempt to renegotiate. <S> If they won't go for it you should offer them a refund and an apology and refer them to another developer. <S> It might hurt to lost all that money, but consider it a down-payment on your education for how to protect yourself when writing a consulting contract. <S> I'm pretty sure that most developers-for-hire have learned this lesson the hard way at least once in their careers. <S> TL: <S> DR - The contract language decides what is a sufficient reason. <S> If you didn't write that in, then the answer is no. <A> First, I would recommend talking to a lawyer to see if you can legally terminate the contract without having to worry about getting into trouble. <S> Assuming that a lawyer says it's legally OK to do so, then I suggest you do it. <S> From what you've written this client is causing many problems and is not very easy to manage. <S> I'd recommend ending the relationship and turning over whatever resources (code, database, PSD files) <S> you are required to to them and wish them luck. <S> Maybe as a good-will gesture (because some clients get really nasty when they realize they're being "fired"), don't demand the remainder of the money unless you need it and have a legal basis to do so. <S> The only situation I'd recommend keeping them is if they are your only client and you need the money <S> OR if the value of the relationship transcends the project (such as they are a father/mother-in-law <S> and you want to remain on good terms with them, or they are a good network connection that will probably lead to better projects in the future). <S> Addressing recent edits in the question: <S> Are the ever-changing requirements by the client a sufficient reason to try and terminate a contract? <S> If the contract specified a system that has features A, B, and C, and can perform function D and the client later decides that they want to add new features, change the nature of feature A, and remove feature B, that sounds like a point where the contract must be re-examined with client to remind them what they initially requested and what is being developed. <S> Why? <S> The client is insisting on more/extra work and constant changes that may be beyond the scope of the contract for a pre-determined/fixed amount of money that was based on an estimate for different work. <S> There is no reason to let a client push you into doing work that is far beyond the contract. <S> Unless you want to be a "nice guy" but that probably won't help you pay the rent. <A> It sounds like you have been taken for a ride. <S> Your fixed bid contract is a big matter of risk vs. reward. <S> If you do the work faster, you get paid more. <S> If you are taking more hours, you get paid less (hourly). <S> The contract you have written has posed a risk distribution problem here. <S> You're setting the price, but when they kept requesting revision after revision, they have put most of the risk back on to you. <S> As far as I'm concerned, this is unethical, and you are clearly being taken advantage of. <S> If your client is trying to take complete control over the direction of your work, he is purposefully getting free man hours out of you. <S> If you want to be tough on your client, next time he wants a quote, start billing an hourly rate. <S> Balance the risk by putting some of it back on him, and explain to him why the project isn't yet finished.
| 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.
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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 your organization value its employees? But would this question be risky when I'm applying for an internship spot? I will be in a low-level position. Is it presumptuous to ask proof that they "value their employees"? <Q> So just rephrase: <S> Why do your employees love working here? <S> What do you feel is most special about your company as a workplace? <S> Why is your turnover rate so low? <S> (Ask after you find out that the rate actually is low.) <S> Competition for good employees is pretty stiff in your field. <S> How do you manage to attract and keep good people? <S> You may be applying for just an internship, but you'll still be working there for a while <S> and it's not unreasonable to ask questions about the work environment and the company's relationship with its employees. <S> Just be polite about it. <A> When they are interviewing you, which do you think they'll ask? <S> Do you tend to put the extra mile in when necessary? <S> What have you done recently that involves going the extra mile, when necessary? <S> The first is something everyone will say yes to. <S> Everyone. <S> Who wants to be seen as someone who works 9-5, no matter the situation? <S> Likewise, any company will answer yes to "Does your organization value its employees?" <S> Really. <S> How awkward would that moment be when you ask me that <S> and I say "no, never." <S> "What are things your organization has done recently to show how it values its employees?" is a perfectly valid question. <S> The only people who will be uncomfortable with it are those who have no examples. <S> Do you want to work for those companies? <S> If so, then asking the question is a little risky, yes. <S> If not, then you're showing that you know you have options and that you're genuinely interested in taking the right job, not just any job. <A> I have previously seen employers lying to applicants just to get them interested in the job. <S> This is more common than you might think, especially in smaller companies or in smaller towns where there is a lack of applicants. <S> Therefore, whatever question you ask and whatever answer you receive, don't take it for granted. <S> Ask your question in a polite manner, but you'll have to work for that company and see for yourself whether that organisation values their employees. <A> Since it's an intern position, you should rather ask: What type of onboarding program do you have for new employees (Most companies that value employees have a good onboarding/training program) <S> What type of project can I expect to get while interning here <S> (if they give you fun/interesting work it's also probably an indicator of a good place to work) <A> Not at all, even though you're "just an intern" it shows that you're interested in the company for more than just the job experience, you might actually be interested in working for them long-term after your internship is over! <S> Most interviewers would be very happy to receive that kind of question.
| What do you like about working here (if the interviewer likes the company the company probably values it's employees)
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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, customizations to the product, etc. What should I look for in such a salesperson? <Q> Given that it sounds like you yourself are not a sales subject matter expert, I'd try to find out if the candidate could explain the following: a general process for doing sales - ie <S> , how does one geneate leads, how does one go from initial intro to colosing a deal <S> what are some of the pitfalls and solutions to working in sales <S> what is particularly difficult in this area <S> what kind of strategy might work in your specific case If the person can explain this stuff to you - in both a generic case and in reference to your specific product/needs - then you probably have a good one. <S> I think this is particularly important in that if they can't explain to you what they are doing on your behalf, why and how they are doing it - then they aren't right for you. <S> You're going to be a small team, so if you don't understand your sales person... <S> how are you going to resolve problems? <S> This person is likely to share in the vision and help form how you sell your idea... <S> so you have to be able to trust them, and that's a communication and chemistry thing as much as a knowledge/skill thing. <S> Also - you'll want to incorporate negotiation in - how can you and the salesperson swing a pay mechanism that you can affort which motivates the sales person without depriving the company of capital. <S> There's all sorts of tradeoffs between salary, sales bonuses and other incentives. <A> in two words "people person". <S> I have a slightly different take on this. <S> I think a good sales person is someone who is extremely friendly (but not overly), genuinely warm (but not slick), good at listening with intelligent replies. <S> They should be able to recount several stories where they're charm and personality <S> won them success (and this can be outside of sales). <S> Other than this they should show knowledge of the industry they are in, a track record that reflects the level that you want them to be at for your requirements and price and good recommendations and references. <S> A quick web search and review of their credentials shouldn't raise any red flag. <A> It's worth thinking about though what responsibility this person would have for agreeing and specifying modifications, and whether they would deal with any contracts. <S> These are skills that some but by no means all sales people have and you may well not want them executing contracts on your behalf.
| 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.
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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 is to deliver the papers. I know this company is still in business as the website is still up. How do I go about getting my money? Also, what rights do I have as an ex-employer to wages unpaid, in general? <Q> For example, this whois query gives contact info, including street addresses for stackexchange. <S> (Note, that query is through their registrar, which I found through a less informative query .) <S> Also, you might try tracking down addresses of individual people associated with the company. <S> Talk to your lawyer and see what he can use. <A> In Illinois, the "official" way to find the "official" address of a business appears to depend how the business was organized. <S> That is, the business could just be someone operating under an assumed name, or it could be a corporation, or it could be a limited liability company, etc. <S> For an assumed name, the name and address must be registered with the county. <S> See (805 ILCS 405/) <S> Assumed Business Name Act . <S> A corporation must have a registered office in the state. <S> See (805 ILCS 5/) <S> Business Corporation Act of 1983 . <S> The laws pertaining to other business organizations appear similar, and it looks like you can find a whole list of them in the Illinois Compiled Statutes . <S> The link lists the laws pertaining to the various business organizations in about as clean a format as I have seen. <S> Now, it appears that the Illinois Secretary of State has a page allowing you to search for information about a corporation or LLC. <S> However, since assumed names are just registered with the county in Illinois, you would have to find the county administration offices to get that information. <S> Finally, if the business is in violation of the registered address laws, you may have to discuss with a (perhaps different) lawyer how to serve them. <S> In Minnesota, it is permissible to serve process on the Secretary of State for certain similar circumstances, but I do not know whether such a mechanism exists in Illinois. <A> If you still have the cheque, go in to the cheque-issuing bank (particularly when you'd expect them to have money in their account) and ask the teller to see if the cheque can be cashed. <S> They will tell you. <S> Once it can, cash it and you're paid. <S> Uncommonly known fact.
| Since they still have a website up, you can try to lookup an address for them through their domain registry.
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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 experience manifested itself in classic ways: performance pitfalls, maintenance difficulties, etc. (Not deriding their effort, they got further than most programmers ever do. :) ) However, with a bit of experience under my belt I was able to make meaningful contributions that impacted on our feedback and order rate in positive ways. Things took off and worked out in a great way. Times were good and so was the team. Since then, everyone has been promoted or moved on and I'm the last teammate supporting the product. Preorders for the next release have already made it hugely profitable (10x over). Though I've been filling the role of Lead Developer/Architect/etc, I am still getting paid my original mid-level wage. My company doesn't do "bonuses", and our raise-policy prohibits more than x% per year. My Question With a big launch coming up, would it be unprofessional to approach management with the sales figures and ask for a (substantial) increase in pay with promotion? <Q> The key with salary negotiation (or any negotiation for that matter) is leverage. <S> From what you said: I'm the only guy left working on the product and assuming this product is important to the company, you seem to be in a good position. <S> Before you enter any sort of negotiation, you need to know your BATNA (Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement - see Roger Fisher book "Getting to YES" <S> if you haven't read it), in short: you need to know what your alternatives are if you can't come to an agreement. <S> If (in the worst case), they decided to fire you on the spot (very unlikely) <S> - what's your backup plan? <S> No matter how unlikely this situation would be, you simply need to be prepared. <S> Or what if they simply said "no"? <S> Would you be happy to stay? <S> or you probably, again, need to be prepared to move on. <S> At the same time, once you start this kind of talk, your employer might start thinking that you are not happy and you might jump ship at any time <S> and therefore they might slowly move to make sure you can be replaced quite easily. <S> So many if, might, and but ... <S> but that's just how it is <S> Another issue would be how to present the question to your employer. <S> Rather than straight out asking for a raise, it's usually better to lay your facts and arguments on the table, with the goal of telling your employer "I am worth a lot more than I am being paid right now". <S> In summary <S> : Make sure you are prepared with facts supporting why you should be paid more <S> Be prepared for ANY outcome, make sure you have a back-up plan <A> It sounds like you deserve it, but it also sounds like policy will be to say no. <S> Instead of a raise, consider asking for a promotion. <A> I think you've earned it. <S> It certainly sounds like you've contributed enough to deserve it. <S> With that said, it doesn't sound like your employer is going to give it to you, even if you ask. <S> It kind of sounds like a situation where your skills at your salary level are being slightly taken advantage of, as you should have probably gotten this promotion already. <S> One way to handle this if you ask <S> and they say no - start shopping your resume. <S> I'm not sure where you are located but in most places in the US, software developers (especially experienced ones) are a hot commodity. <S> You'd likely find another offer quickly. <S> Then you could probably take THAT back to yoru current employer and use it as leverage. <S> Do this carefully, though, as you will probably only be able to do it one time with this employer.
| 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.
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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 about ties or don't even want you wearing one, but for the ones that prefer a buttoned down look, what lends the best impression? <Q> If you're applying to a place where dress is highly regarded in the day-to-day work, for example: <S> Sales Banking Fashion <S> Law <S> Television Executive positions Luxury/jewelry/car sales ... <S> then it may, but there are exceptions, and it depends a lot on the reputation/culture of the specific place. <S> If you're applying for a job where you won't regularly be dressing in a tie, than probably not. <S> Just make it clean, neat, and properly tied. <S> Also, use a real tie, not a clip on. <S> The color of a tie is the kind of thing that can only really hurt you if you do it wrong. <S> A properly tied, clean tie and shirt pretty much qualifies as "right" for most jobs. <A> It would have to be a pretty bad choice of necktie to scuttle your chance at a job! <S> Think of it as just one small part of the total image you present. <S> However you dress, you'll come off as more polished if it looks like you're being yourself and not just wearing a costume for one day. <S> So if a dark tie suits you and the rest of your outfit, then that's what you should wear. <S> So, no, it doesn't matter as long as it looks "right" on you. <S> I should add that even in the most conservative board-room environments where everyone is over 60 and wearing $2000 tailored suits, the necktie given some leeway for self-expression and playfulness or "flair". <A> It's horrible to think that a good IT person could be passed over due to his choice of tie, but I guess its possible. <S> The seminal work on how to dress in business is the book "Dress for Success" by John Malloy. <S> Even though it was written in 1988, it's still true today, and it's spawned an industry of imitators. <S> Malloy studies all the major organizational types and gives you a color picture of how to dress for that milieu. <S> Just do what he says. <A> Ie if you are applying to the ACME company and RED is their colour, and green is the colour of their major competitor, wearing a red tie is a good choice. <S> Wearing a green tie is a bad choice. <S> Also do not wear a tie that may have the logo of the company's competition. <S> In addition, for the most part, stay away from joke ties like Homer Simpson ties or ones with the built in Dilbert curl. <S> Unless of course you are applying to work with those brands. <A> If anyone is that concerned about the color of tie you are wearing, it's because they are not competent to assess your skills, and are desperately grasping for some kind of irrelevant criteria upon which they can make a decision. <S> Going with something that is not garish or distracting may be a good idea. <S> Blue vs. red vs. grey <S> vs green..... if they care, you probably don't want to work there, because if a company will task someone who factors in something that irrelevant to make important decisions, then they have problems that will definitely impact the quality of your employment, should your tie color be deemed acceptable.
| 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.
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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 interviews in the IT sector. <Q> I myself tend to be a very humorous person, but I wouldn't make the first humorous remark right off the bat <S> (maybe it's a personal preference, but whatever). <S> I always wait and see how they act and if they're laughing and joking, I'm perfectly fine with laughing and joking back. <S> If they're serious through the entire interview, you should probably be serious as well. <S> If you do joke, only joke about things that are very closely related to what's being talked about at that moment. <S> Most importantly, try to be vague . <S> Using specific names, companies, or brands may trigger the "Well, I like that [whatever it is]. <S> " Then you're in an awkward situation. <S> Obviously the general rules of not being offensive, etc would always apply, no matter how comfortable you feel at the interview. <S> Don't want them thinking you're racist or something. <S> One panel interview I attended was at a fire station, which we were unable to get into because it so happens that all the fire staff had gone out on calls and the building was locked. <S> While we were standing outside, we made a lot of jokes about fire departments (in general). <S> No specific names (of fire fighters) were mentioned, and it didn't focus on any specific fire department. <S> Since they were already joking about fire departments in general, I felt perfectly comfortable joining in. <S> Remember that they are still people, and every person does things differently and takes what you say differently. <S> Start off safe, learn what they think is acceptable, and go from there. <S> Think of a potentially unwelcomed joke as a unnecessary risk that could jeopardize the interview. <A> In general, you are better off not trying to be funny during an interview (barring an interview as a comedian of course) because it is simply too easy to say something offensive accidentally or worse yet, leave a negative impression with someone who takes things seriously. <S> If there is a lunch or dinner portion of the interview you might be able to get away with being a bit lighthearted but you need to remember you are still "on the clock" and there is a critical eye on you. <A> In terms of ability, I'm pretty sure you have the ability to make a comment about something mundane. <S> However, you do have to be aware that in breaking the ice you may also be shooting off your foot. <S> For example, some people may remark about how they strongly dislike coffee from Starbucks and thus make a remark like, "I hope the coffee here is better than the junk they serve down the street," which may or may not be well received. <S> If the other person in the interview is a diehard fan of Starbucks then you may have a big mess to clean up as what to you was mundane <S> isn't mundane to him or her. <S> Humor in an interview can be good but also difficult to successfully do. <S> Nailing the timing and delivery is a key point. <S> Just be prepared to defend why you're saying what you say. <S> Chances are either the other person can accept that part of you or not. <A> I agree that humour can be good to break the ice, but you have to be careful with it. <S> You're being interviewed by strangers in a professional setting who may get to make the decision on whether or not you get the job. <S> You don't know anything about them <S> so you can't assume <S> you know what sort of jokes will be offensive to them or not. <S> If you want to make a joke, try to keep it as clean and family-friendly and non-insulting as possible. <A> A couple considerations: You want to ensure that the target of your humor is not one that the person on the other side of the table is going to identify with. <S> Obviously this will rule out ethnic, religious, and sexual humor, which I hope you would eschew anyway. <S> But also about specific job roles -- it would be bad for a developer to joke about stupid business owners always changing requirements and not understanding the development process, but it may be OK to find some humor in the reality of shifting requirements without the implying that those changing the requirements are shifting are stupid. <S> Your safest target is probably yourself -- self-deprecating humor that doesn't make you look stupid, but shows that you don't take yourself completely seriously. <S> From the perspective of you interviewing the company as mush as they're interviewing you (assuming you're not looking for a job to pay this month's rent), if your personality is humorous, you probably do want to let some of that come through a bit in the interview. <S> If the reaction is stony silence, that may indicate that this place won't be a great fit for you, and you'll be constantly stifling yourself. <S> These are people you'll be next to for 40+ hours a week. <S> Do you want to spend that time pretending <S> you don't have a sense of humor? <A> I think that someone who has a true gift for humor can very quickly adapt themselves to a situation using an intuitive feel for whether or not their humor is being received by the intended audience. <S> A good sense of humor, IMHO, is very much a sign of intelligence. <S> If you got it, it is to your advantage to use it. <S> However, if you have to ask about "how much humor" to use, it is probably a good idea to restrain yourself at least until a rapport is developed with the people you're talking with.
| 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).
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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 my resume, I find it hard to find something to claim as my primary responsibility or contribution. The things that I did contribute most significantly to would be so specific that it wouldn't be relevant to anybody who wasn't part of the organization or used the product. Should I forego trying to list specific roles and responsibilities on my resume or is there an effective way to present this collaborative work? <Q> You can take partial credit for the team's achievements: <S> Worked as an equal member of a five person team to reduce costs in an online purchasing system. <S> Once fielded, the improved system save the client $12.8 million in the first six months of operation. <S> Helped to refactor a legacy system. <S> Team efforts eliminated 65% of existing code, with an overall code base reduction of about 50% and a 300% performance improvement. <S> As well, you should be able to point to some individual accomplishments. <S> What do you talk about at your annual or semi-annual performance reviews? <S> If you keep a daily journal of your work, mine that for accomplishments. <S> If not, see what you can find to build a case in your version control system, bug tracking system, or other artifacts. <A> The audience of a resume doesn't care about roles or responsibilities ; having a role or responsibility doesn't mean you didn't fail miserably at them. <S> It just means that was some formal title or description you had. <S> What hiring managers and resume readers look for are specific accomplishments . <S> Wording them as What you did, and Why you did it and the Result <S> it had <S> is much more powerful than. <S> "I was a developer and was responsible for writing bug free code." <S> That pretty much describes the minimum implied expectation and that will get you looked over quicker than anything. <S> You need statements like: <S> Leadership: <S> Provided technical direction, mentoring and training for 35 developers and operations staff; worked with multiple product owners and project managers of many projects concurrently. <S> RESULT: <S> Reduced operational maintenance cost by 90% and decreased product development time to market by 50%. <S> They don't need the minutia and you don't want to give it to them. <S> You want to whet their appetite to ask you more questions about your accomplishments. <S> You can get into the gritty details in person where you can better gauge what to say and how to say it. <A> I have talked to an IT Resume reviewer about this. <S> Basically, in Software development it is understood that everyone works as a team. <S> The idea for a feature comes from a business person, the design comes from the Team Lead, etc. <S> So it's not always expected ( <S> unless you're a 1 man team) that you worked one a project single-handedly. <S> You can discuss your specific contributions to a project in the interview itself, while still saying "Developed feature to do X and Y which resulted in Z". <S> It is assumed that you worked as part of a team. <S> What is important is that you don't misrepresent yourself or lie in an interview about your actual contribution. <S> It will become obvious <S> you're not telling the truth, if you're working on a team and you completed all the projects on your resume "end-to-end".
| You can also specify which projects you did work on "end-to-end" on your resume by writing "Single-handedly designed...," etc.
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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 "call anytime"). We scheduled a time at the end of the day, but he called at midday. I was exercising and did not take the call; he left a voice message. He said he may call today, but I'm afraid he wrote me off. I emailed saying sorry for the missed call, and that I am open to calls today 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. onward (because I'm expecting a another phone interview at 4:00 p.m. today). Did I mess up about some phone interview-rule? Should I compensate by offering to meet him in person at his convenience? Again he's a high-level manager so I want to be safe. <Q> It sounds like the first call was not very well scheduled - it was one of many possible times. <S> That could make it difficult for you to be available at all of those times - what if you need to use the washroom at some point? <S> I'd be a little surprised if he'd completely written you off (especially if the vague scheduling was his idea). <S> In the future, I'd suggest scheduling more specific times to have these calls at <S> so there's less risk of missing it while doing other chores. <S> Also, for this second call - you really can be 100% available from 8 AM to 4 PM? <S> You don't need to eat? <S> Use the washroom? <S> Take out the garbage? <S> And what do you do if the 4 PM call runs longer than an hour <S> and the first caller tries to call you at 5 PM? <A> The company messed up by calling you when you were not available. <S> If you are still interested in the company, I'd suggest choosing some one hour time-slots during the week that work well for you. <S> Send these time slots to the interviewer, and ask him to reply with the time he will call you for the interview. <S> Make sure the interviewer commits to a time <S> so there is no confusion. <S> The whole thing seems kinda fishy. <S> A "high-level" manager doesn't usually do phone interviews (HR or his staff handle this), and calling you out of the blue and then acting as if he may call you later is really unprofessional. <S> Before trying to reschedule, Google this person and company and see what you find. <S> I'd ask around my professional network as well. <S> He may have just tipped you off this isn't a company you want to work for. <A> Of course it depends on your situation: for example how many job interviews do you have lined up; how much do you want this particular job etc. <S> However when I have been interviewing I have always set a time for them to call me <S> and I give them half an hour to be late. <S> After this I'm inclined not to take the call and feed back to the recruitment agent that I have other interviews to do and they will now have to reschedule (which is usually the case). <S> I don't think it helps to be seen as always available to take their call <S> - it gives the impression there are no other companies who are looking to hire you, and makes you seem less desirable. <S> In short - if you have a decent skillset don't take being messed around by companies. <S> Offer them a chance to reschedule (it may be an honest mistake) but some people involved in recruitment can be quite arrogant and self-important.
| 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.
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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 candidate would have to give two weeks notice after accepting the position while the unemployed candidate would likely be able to start immediately. <S> And you'd expect that the candidate might get a counteroffer from their existing employer. <S> But that doesn't really change the hiring process. <A> Here are several criteria <S> you think of when you hire - and comment on which one that needs special care when hiring someone currently unemployed. <S> 1. <S> Fitment to <S> job - NO difference <S> However, you can note that currently unemployed guy might be a bit more desperate and try to stretch himself to fit. <S> Just ensure he <S> /she can genuinely fits. <S> 2. <S> Past performance and Talent - <S> To some extent <S> However, Person with a relatively longer gap, even if he has done good work in past - might be out of touch. <S> This means there must be indeed good potential, yet the recruiter must set expectations regarding how long will it take for the person to start being very productive again. <S> 3. <S> Number of years of experience - <S> To some extent <S> If the current job is drastically different, then the person might take significant turn around and person is more like a fresh person. <S> The mutual expectations must be very clear. <S> Hiring the person might not be wrong decision but defining role might be very crucial. <S> 4. <S> Personal factors vs. assignments - very critical Quite often, personal factors play a significant impact on performance. <S> Sometimes new job brings fresh new energy in people and they are really want to make a mark; on the other hand if the reason has been off from work due to serious family personal issues and still not out from it, and if job puts him under immense pressure he/she might only end up compounding the problems. <S> 5. <S> How would one have a drive in the job? <S> - the key concern. <S> When people are meeting target after target, there is a reason to believe that the person will keep excelling; when there are gaps we are not sure. <S> There would be some who wants to come back where as when it is not for genuine reasons, this would be a key concern to ensure that people will have the drive to rush through the finish line or putting the quality in the assignments. <A> There are a few differences. <S> If someone is currently out of work, and does not have other job offer, the employer does not know if they truly want to take the job, or if they are just taking it due to having no other options, or to keep their unemployment benefit advisor happy. <S> Therefore don’t expect them to tell you they don’t want to job, or know that they can’t do the job. <S> Likewise it is required that someone takes the first job, even if they know they have another job starting in a few weeks time. <S> On the other hand, no employer likes “letting someone go” within the probation period, but if a person is out of work, the employer can over then a few weeks extended trail, without feeling bad if things don’t work out.
| 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.
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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 peer reviews and is perceived by the employer as a measure of "how well you work" or "how hard you try", thus completely under your control. It is obvious that everybody's goal is to work so well to achieve the maximum allowed bonus, but in reality we all know this does not happen all the time despite the effort (otherwise the bonus would make no sense). How can you make it clear to the potential employer that you are totally committed to work so well to grant the maximum bonus, but cannot accept an offer that reaches your minimum salary goal only when you achieve it? <Q> My recommendation would be to make sure that discussions involving compensation clearly delineate between benefits that are part of the status quo and bonuses that may or may not be given each year. <S> For example, you probably do want to consider non-salary benefits - like 401K matching, health care, life insurance, etc. <S> The best bet would be to have a clear concept of the market rate for your skills and negotiate for a salary that is relative to that market rate. <S> Let the bonus be a perk and an incentive, but don't allow your future employer to get you thinking of it as a "given", particularly since the rules for how the bonus is acheived may well change from year to year and across job levels. <S> Avoid dicussions where your bonus is lumped into your salary - continue to refer to the baseline salary in all discussions. <S> And be ready to walk away if the salary isn't appropriate. <S> I would say in a salary negotiation like this, that spending a lot of time on your commitment or capability is not necessarily productive. <S> Presumably they have already judged you a good fit for the job, and any assurance you can give about your commitment is hard to verify until you back up your words with actions. <S> Instead, focus on market rate and whether your salary range is fair for your skills. <A> I would be very leery of taking any reduction in take-home pay in anticipation of a future bonus. <S> To compensate for the risk, my expected earnings would have to be significantly above my market salary. <S> To take a salary that is X below market, I would want at least a 50% chance to receive a bonus of 7X. By 50% chance, I mean that bonuses were paid in over half of the past several years. <S> If the bonus is based on some sort of profit sharing, then I would want to know exactly <S> what percentage of the profits I would receive, and the size of the profit sharing pool for the past few years. <A> I have seen too many cases where the promised bonuses were cut out completely or reduced significantly at the end of the year due to factors outside the employee's control. <S> It's an easy line item to cut if the company needs to free up some money (except somehow for senior management bonuses). <S> I would under no circumstances take a cut in basic pay for the possibility of a large bonus. <S> And most especially not if the company was a start-up (the majority of those fail).
| I would treat the possibility of a bonus as irrelevant to the salary I want to negotiate.
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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 job offer (i.e., I already committed to going to visit company X for an interview, but before that date came I found that company Y was giving me a better offer)? In that case, should I still go along with the interview normally and break the news that I'll pursue other options by phone/letter? I appreciate any tips or advice. <Q> I have had interviews cancelled because the candidate has already accepted an offer somewhere else. <S> This doesn't require much protocol: you can call or email, and you're only cancelling an interview. <S> If you send a nice paper letter, you may be thought well of by the people involved, but you don't have to. <S> However getting two job offers is a little trickier. <S> If the offer was in email, you can reply in email. <S> Be nice. <S> Tell them why you are declining, in as polite and vague a way as you need to. <S> When I send "sorry, but you didn't get the job" letters to candidates, I say "we have made an offer to another candidate, who has accepted it" so you could say "I have already received and accepted an offer from another company". <S> Most firms are going to be a little annoyed. <S> Maybe they feel you shouldn't accept that offer right away but should somehow let them know someone else has given you an offer. <S> Maybe they feel you held back information in the interview. <S> This isn't very logical: none of us would tell our children to stop applying for jobs just because they've had an interview, and after all the firm is interviewing lots of candidates. <S> But people aren't always logical. <S> So write a nice letter or email and do it as quickly as you can, so they can make an offer to the second place person while that person is still on the market. <S> Email is good for speed; you can follow up with paper if you want. <A> If you have received and accepted a written offer, then call or email immediately and remove yourself from consideration if you will no longer consider the position especially if you have an interview scheduled. <S> They may want to use that time slot to interview someone else. <S> If you have a verbal offer, I would be less likely to inform the other company immedaitely because many a verbal offer has been rescinded or changed by the time you get the written offer. <S> If you are still interested in the second postion, you can go to the interview or call them up if the interview has already happened and tell them that you have another offer. <S> It is best if you can delay accepting the first offer if you are still interested in the second. <S> And be aware that after accepting one postion, if you come back and turn it down within a couple of weeks, you may be burning future bridges at the first company. <A> The two most important factors for the "decline" message are: Timeliness <S> - Make sure you send over notice of your declining the offer as soon as you possibly know it. <S> The reason for this is that the hiring process is often managed in a concurrent way - with many candidates "in the pipeline." <S> However, once an offer is made, it is sequential. <S> If you get the first offer, you should decline it early, so that the hiring manager can make an offer to the next candidate in the pipe. <S> This is helpful to both the company and any other current applicants. <S> Formality - Be careful to match the level of formality that was extended to you. <S> Have you been interacting with this company exclusively through casual emails? <S> Decline <S> the offer that way. <S> Phone calls? <S> Decline <S> the offer that way. <S> Letters? <S> Go that route. <S> Speak whatever language the company has been speaking to you. <S> Other things to take note of: <S> Don't leave the door open with loose language unless you are actually open to a second, higher offer. <S> Be clear and to the point, and ruthlessly edit your message to the shortest version that conveys the information. <S> They deserve to know that they are appreciated, and could be a valuable part of your network in the future. <A> If you think company Y has the best offer, then simply go with them. <S> I would say that unless you signed something, you're under no obligation to say anything. <S> However, keep in mind that in some circumstances employee at Company X may know someone at <S> company Y. This is especially common in areas with a narrow job market for the field. <S> In my area, there is one company that seems like everyone has or had worked at and had or had known someone worked at. <S> With that said, it is very important that you never burn any bridges. <S> Simply send an email, and perhaps a phone call <S> but don't miss the interview time or do the email after. <S> Give them at least 48 hours notice.
| 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.
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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 in a chair for 4 hours is very unappealing. These tests are also generally conducted in very large groups of around 40 - 50 people, where the only real contact you have with the conductor is during sign-in. Does it matter what I wear? Is there any dress code to this type of pre-interview exam or is it just personal preference - whatever you feel comfortable wearing? What I'm really wondering is if the conductors really pay attention, take notes, etc on how potential candidates conduct themselves during these exams or if it's strictly for test scores and nothing else. <Q> That means that you should probably treat an exam just as you would treat an interview. <S> For technical positions, there is some great advice in the answers to the question How to select interview attire for a technical job interview? <S> could hurt your chances. <S> As I suggest in my answer though, if you can't feel comfortable working for half a day in a suit , then you probably don't want to spend every working day in a suit either. <A> It is best to assume that every contact with a potential employer is being judged. <S> People have been not hired on the basis of how they treat the receptionist. <S> In the case you described above, you probably should wear at least business casual. <S> Be neat and clean <S> (yes we had someone show up at our offices once looking for a job barefoot and with visible dirt on her legs, she wasn't hired!). <A> Ask. <S> Some employers might expect you to wear a suit and tie, some might want "business casual", some might not care. <S> Just ask the person making the arrangements what you should wear. <A> If it is a hot summer day, you might be tempted to wear shorts and a T-shirt. <S> But if they blast the A/C, then you are in trouble. <S> The best bet is to wear layers and have a few extra layers just in case you get cold. <S> If it is as you say, then formal clothes won't help you much. <S> Make sure you don't wear anything memorable. <S> Leave your "F*CK Y*U" t-shirt at home. <S> Scrape the mud off your pants. <S> If you are interviewing for a job with Coke, don't arrive wearing a Pepsi t-shirt.
| 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 shorts, flip flops, t-shirts. Of course you should pay careful attention to your clothes.
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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 off or fire me without cause. If it weren't for this, I would probably have stayed another six months before moving on out of a sense of obligation to stay with a company after accepting maternity benefits. I updated my resume two weeks ago online and started a job search with the expectation that it would take at least two months to find something, but now have two offers - both better than my current job in almost every way. I am strongly considering giving two weeks notice after accepting an offer, but am concerned that the company might then require me to pay back benefits I received during maternity. I will be checking to see if there is any official policy tomorrow, but am wondering if I can be charged for benefits received even I can't find any written policy about this? Also, can they have me return my benefits even if I return for two weeks? Should I be looking into hiring a lawyer before giving notice? Money is very tight right now, so I'm not even sure if this is an option for me, financially. I really don't trust this company to be straight with me anymore. However, I'd also hate to miss out on a better job that will treat me well because I'm scared of the repercussions. ETA: I am not covered by FMLA, though I've been here a full year and the company is mid-sized; there aren't 75 employees of the company within a certain radius (I forget how many miles) of my office. The leave was granted by the company. I got PTO and a benefit for extended sick leave, plus the company paid my health insurance premiums while I was on leave; otherwise, the leave was unpaid. <Q> I can only speak for the US, but I hear that most other first world countries are even better than the US when it comes to maternity leave, so the following should also apply. <S> Maternity leave is a benefit not unlike other paid time off. <S> Therefore, they shouldn't be able to expect it back if you've used it, unless it was written into a contract. <S> The Family Medical Leave Act (assuming you're in the US) makes it illegal for them to fire you for taking the leave, which is probably why they're trying to coerce you into leaving. <S> Your company's behavior (is it really the whole company, or just certain managers?) could constitute a hostile work environment. <S> If your company is large enough, talk to your HR department, ethic committee, or Open Door line ( <S> the anonymous help line that larger companies often have) about the situation. <S> They can probably handle the managers, regardless of whether you decide to stay or leave. <S> If you are worried about the company retaliating, see if you have any law schools around you. <S> Some have legal clinics, where they provide certain services for free, if you're willing to have a senior-level student head the case (generally under the guidance of a barred lawyer, but the student does the legwork). <S> I've personally had good experience with this path when I needed it, and sometimes, just knowing that you have the backing of legal council can make the company think twice about playing the lawyer game, not to mention that it equips you with someone who knows the laws in your local area. <S> If nothing else, it's probably worth talking to them to see if there is anything the company might use to try to strong-arm you ( <S> and, if they do have a "return maternity leave pay" clause, whether it's actually kosher in your area). <S> It never hurts to know your rights. <A> It's very unlikely they'll try to get your maternity pay <S> so I just wouldn't even think about. <S> Give notice tomorrow, make it formal, give two weeks, talk about the new opportunity that presented itself to you. <S> and nothing else. <S> Leaving a company is always a bit 'weird' but the main thing is to remain calm and get it done asap. <A> I'm not an expert in labor law or even an HR professional, but I had my own company for a long time and did my share of hiring and firing. <S> In the US, employers don't usually have to show cause for firing anyone. <S> Most employment is "at-will employment", meaning you can up-and-leave whenever you want, for whatever reason you want, and the employer can terminate your employment whenever the employer wants, for whatever (legal and non-discriminatory) reason the employer wants, stated or unstated. <S> It's always good to have a documented reason for terminating an employment, but it's not necessary. <S> This is employment we are talking about, not indentured servitude. <S> So I would stop worrying about lawyers and retaliation and give two weeks notice. <S> Either this employer is a bad apple and doesn't deserve further consideration, or you misunderstood their true intentions or motives. <S> Either way, you and the employer don't have a good relationship and no one is obligated to stay in it. <A> If you are really sure that the company wants you gone, then you aren't helping them at all by staying. <S> However I suggest this approach. <S> Go to HR and tell them you believe they want you gone. <S> Tell them you would rather stay, but if they would like you gone <S> you are prepared to leave. <S> Tell them what they would have to pay you if they let you go (make sure you have found this out - read the laws or have am brief consultation with a lawyer), and offer to go if they pay you some fraction of that - half, perhaps. <S> Meanwhile accept the best of the job offers you've had. <S> I did this with a previous company. <S> They started giving me flak for 'attitude', while neglecting to raise my pay or give me more than minimal responsibility. <S> It turned out they just wanted me gone, and rather than go through the long process of building a dismissal case they paid me two months salary. <S> I had a job before the end of the first month. <A> My wife has left after a leave not once, but twice. <S> In neither case did she even return after the leave. <S> In one case it was after the birth of our first child <S> and she didn't like the work she was doing and had found another job. <S> In the other case she had a medical leave and decided to stay at home afterwards. <S> In both cases the leaves were amicable and in the second they actually offered her part time contract work. <S> They will be happy for you to leave and at least in the US they should not be able to request repayment of your leave. <S> The only repayment clauses I have seen are signing bonuses, relocation expenses, and educational re-imbursements.
| 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.
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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, technologies, etc) so I was wondering if sending a "thank you" email afterwards would be appropriate. By doing a quick search this seems to be the recommended thing to do, but most of these "job search" sites seem to apply to positions not technical or related to programming, but rather marketing, business, etc. so I'm having some doubts whether this would be seen as rather lame or unnecessary. <Q> The answer to this question does not depend on the industry (or the type and level of position), because being polite is never "lame or unnecessary" . <S> You might find the answers to this question interesting, to understand how your "thank you" might be received by the folks who interviewed you: Responding to thank- <S> you notes from interviewees <S> Be grateful for the opportunity to interview, reiterate any good parts of the conversation, express a desire to keep in touch, do not go on and on, and do generally show that you are a fine, upstanding individual: none of that is lame! <A> No matter what the field is, it is good to follow up and give a thanks. <S> This can help for many reasons: <S> It shows that you are very interested in the job <S> It shows that you are a kind (or you can act kind) <S> person <S> You may get a response to the email that says more than just "You're welcome" <S> So yes . <S> Say thanks. <S> It can't hurt. <A> Absolutely. <S> The thank you e-mail isn't just a courtesy, it is another bite at the apple to sell your candidacy for the position. <S> It is a good excuse to give them a concise summary of your qualifications mapped to their needs as communicated to you during the call. <S> You should have a much better idea about what factors are important to the interviewer after talking to them than when you wrote your cover letter, and you should use that information to your advantage. <S> Also, during the recruiting process it is a good idea to have your name cross the hiring manager's mind as frequently as possible. <S> Anything (positive) you can do to separate you from the pack is going to be beneficial to you. <S> I can tell you from the perspective of a hiring manager, that only about half of the phone interview people bother to take this extra step and it does make you stand out a little. <A> If we keep things as simple as possible, you will get hired because: They think you can do the work <S> They think will get along with the others (in business speak you "fit") <S> They will also take into account risk factors for hiring you, including (simplifying again): <S> How long they think you will stay <S> If they think you have skill gaps, how long will it take to teach you what you need to know (and can you be taught what is needed) <S> Being polite via a follow up email has never swayed me into choosing a candidate over another, however <S> , it won't hurt your chances either. <S> What I think would be a good cause for a follow up email is researching an answer <S> you didn't know the answer to during the interview, and then contacting the interviewer with a solution and asking if you are on the right track. <S> This will show: a willingness to learn a willingness to attempt to solve problems (shows you don't need someone to 'babysit' you) and a willingness to seek guidance when you are new to a particular subject <S> These are all good qualities for someone in a technical role, as it is a very rare that a single person will know all that is needed to know to determine a technical solution. <S> An email of this kind would make me remember you and discuss what you had done with others, and will influence directly hiring point #2 and risk point #2, above, and to a lesser extent, hiring point #1.
| 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".
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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 software industry (mostly in Java technology). I have my own company and I get paid for every hour that I work. The end client pays the vendor and the vendor takes a 20% cut and vendor pays my company. I am the sole employee of my company. Usually the projects/contract lasts between 1 year to 5 year. I go to my client's office location for my work. What would be the difference between my current situation and being a "Freelancer"? <Q> They are used somewhat fuzzily interchangeably, but when there is a distinction, it is that a freelancer is self-employed possibly with a contract whereas a contractor may or may not be self-employed with an employment that is usually defined by the terms of their contract. <S> This is the case in the USA <S> but it may be different in the UK or other countries. <S> The "difference between your current situation and being a 'Freelancer'?" is that currently the client pays the vendor and the vendor pays you as opposed to you being paid directly. <A> You're a contractor when you're getting paid and a freelancer when you're unemployed. <S> But, seriously, in my experience in the USA, here's how it works. <S> A contractor generally works for one client on an exclusive basis through a recruiting/placement firm. <S> They're essentially a temporary employee and will usually be expected to keep certain office hours and so forth. <S> The projects will tend to be longer term, typically 3-12 months, although there are cases where short term projects are farmed out this way. <S> You're paid by the hour, usually on a W2 basis, with the sponsoring company providing some benefits, taking care of employment taxes and taking a cut of the hourly rate. <S> For example, you're paid $40/hr and the client is billed $70/hr for your time, the recruiter pockets the difference. <S> Freelancers generally work for multiple clients and find work on their own. <S> They have a 1099 relationship with the client companies, meaning they're totally responsible for their taxes, including employment taxes, and benefits themselves. <S> Most projects are short term or are on an "on call" basis. <S> Some work on site but often they'll work from their own location and only visit the client office as needed. <S> It's common for freelancers to get overbooked and not be able to complete work for all clients within the required time frames. <S> That's why some companies, those that have been burned, prefer to use contractors since they have greater control. <S> There are some people who have kind of a hybrid arrangement where they work on a 1099 basis without a contracting company taking a cut but the tax laws can get messy if things aren't done right. <S> I screwed this up once and ended up owing the IRS a huge amount of money. <A> Without repeating what has already been said, a freelancer is a self-employed contractor or what SBA calls an "independent contractor" as opposed to simply a "contractor". <S> Also note that a freelancer is strictly an individual juggling gigs, but an independent contractor proper can be a full-scale business with its own employees. <A> The trouble here is mixing up legal status with colloquial titles for work arrangements. <S> A worker who gets paid on a W2 by a temp agency is an employee of the temp agency. <S> A worker who gets paid on a 1099 by the end client or by an intermediary agency is an independent contractor. <S> In my experience, until recently, the difference between "freelancing" (a type of independent contracting) and a "contracting" (another type of independent contracting) was that freelancers typically worked on discrete projects with specific deliverables, e.g., a brochure, while contractors typically worked over a span of time, e.g., a six-month stint to install a new computer system and migrate data or content. <S> The words have been blurred largely because companies don't want so many employees. <S> So indefinite, ongoing, somewhat variable work, integrated with the basic operations of the company, has been relabeled "freelance," "contract," or even "consulting" to mean simply outsourced, either to a temp agency or to an independent vendor. <A> Freelancers are usually their own boss, more like a 1 man business even if they work in a team. <S> A contractor is more likely someone who works for a company who provides contractors on demand to whoever needs them. <S> Thus a freelancer has a lot to handle own their own especially when it comes to their payment/taxes <S> /legal also finding work/projects/contracts and negotiating the price for their work, while contractor has their company's support to handle many(all) aspects for them.
| 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.
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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 as morale building, employee welfare, bonus setting, and other jobs that require specific skills and that are crucial for my company's growth and survival. On one hand I need people to help me with making sure my team is performing at the most optimum level, and on the other hand I don't feel comfortable to entrust this task to her as I believe this task would require her to have deep insight into human psychology and have great soft skills (something that only truly, truly great managers have, like Steve Jobs or Jose Mourinho). Is it reasonable to have an administrative assistant transition to this role? If so, how can it go smoothly? <Q> College education has very little to do with the tasks you're describing. <S> A person with no degree and excellent interpersonal skills will run rings around an oblivious PhD in stuff like this. <S> (No offense meant to PhDs, oblivious or otherwise. :-) ) <S> We used to have a receptionist who also assisted with HR matters and informal morale; she's such a great "people person" that people find it easy to talk with her and be inspired by her. <S> She's probably the best "face of HR <S> " I've ever worked with. <S> Your decision should be guided by the capabilities (including trainability) and interests of the person you're thinking about moving into this role. <A> Have you discussed this potential role with the employee? <S> If they are willing to learn and keen to have the extra responsibilities then this can make up for a lack of qualifications and/or experience in the area. <S> You can also offer the role on an 6 month (or whatever time period is mutually acceptable) trial after which the position becomes permanent (with a pay rise?) <S> or the person reverts back to their original role with no loss of benefits. <A> Focus on two things: <S> Training and Trust Training is key. <S> There's a great deal of material, sites, courses etc. <S> out there. <S> Make sure she goes to some company <S> provided education for the skills you desire. <S> Trust. <S> This part is on you. <S> You have to trust someone and not second guess them when giving them a new role. <S> Allow them to make mistakes and learn the consequences. <S> The consequences are NOT a berating from you and recommendation about "the right way" to do <S> x, consequences are when bad procedures are followed and bad consequences ensure. <S> You need to let them grow into the position and that can take quite a while. <S> These are software skill areas and it's better if she doesn't feel the pressure to come charging in like a bull to make her impact (which frequently just pisses everyone off). <S> You will and should be giving her feedback of course. <S> To do this set up a structure, maybe weekly meetings where you get the chance to give direction <S> AND you also get the chance to LISTEN as her feedback and input is very important in order for her to succeed. <S> Please stop thinking Steve Jobs, etc. <S> He was <S> a * * to work with personally and setting the bar, even if in your own mind, of 1 in a billion great managers is not really very fair to the person here. <S> You will need to promote and make her new position very clear to everyone so that they adjust their expectations. <S> Say things like she'll even be keeping you in line, to indicate and promote her position of authority to others. <S> Finally, as this is a business, make sure you compensate fairly for the new role and set out a path of increased compensation if she's doing the job you specify well. <A> Virtually every small office I have ever worked at has the administrative assistant do all of those tasks except the bonus setting (Processing the bonuses, yes, determinine what they should be is a management task that you should be doing). <S> This generally happens until the office is large enough that the work needs to be split between two people. <S> When that happens you genrally hire another admin assistant and make the first person, the HR specialist who has the AA report to her. <S> At any rate if you are going to give her as lot of new work to do, she will deserve a raise.
| You might also need to offer some initial training and mentoring in the new role - especially if it involves anything covered by employment law.
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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 crucial to my company's growth and survival. These roles, if performed correctly, will make sure my team is performing at the most optimum level. So, the question is, is there a specific position that do all these things? <Q> YOU! <S> However you can delegate this down the chain to ensure it is being addressed to those you think might fit the bill and have a more on the ground <S> feel for how things are going in the team. <S> However you set the standard (expectations) and those assigned specific tasks then try to implement and see them through. <S> For other tasks it can depend on your relationship with your employees and their job allocations. <S> Sometimes I've seen the person responsible for dealing with the bills, office tasks <S> etc take on the role of employee welfare. <S> For bonus setting it might be a senior manager/person who leads the gathering of this information and all the donkey work but gets any final sign-off by yourself <S> Although these roles can be done by one person I would think your company size is big enough (but not so big for a full time HR) that it may be split between individuals concerned with you still having the ultimate say if and as required. <A> In most cases that would be your HR person. <S> However my company and yours is roughly the same size <S> and I do not have a full time HR person. <S> So in my case my project manager take on the roles that you speak of. <S> If there is a issue with me or the other project managers I usually pay a lawyer to act as a 3rd party in such a event if things can not be resolved. <A> Ultimately, it is the management that sets the professional tone of an organisation, especially in key (linked) areas like morale and employee welfare. <S> You've indicated that you are the owner, but you haven't highlighted what specific role(s) you fill in the organisation, and which you have already delegated to someone else. <S> If you key role is "outwards facing" - business development, strategy and so on - then it can be difficult to maintain this and an excellent level of "internal" focus required to keep the operation running happily and smoothly. <S> There is also a question of aptitude; only you (or perhaps your staff) can honestly identify if you are the right person to coach, mentor, manage and grow all of your people. <S> My former manager was highly strategic and focussed on business development; he could also get very stressed from time to time. <S> When we set up our business unit, I was initially his only direct report, and ran the team operationally to give him the space he needed from the team when he required it. <S> When he left, and I took over his position, I restructured our group to retain the "team mentor" side of things, which I enjoy, delegating other components of his role to keep things balanced. <S> It took some time to grow the skills in the other team members, but ultimately it worked well. <S> The most important element of this choice is how much you enjoy performing these tasks, and how much time you can afford to invest in them yourself. <A> The manager is responsible for building his/her team's morale. <S> Naturally (s)he can use some tools&advice provided by someone designated to do HR-related stuff but finally morale is his/her task. <S> The same is for bonus setting - this goes according to the rules defined by the company leader. <S> I assume that you're the only manager in your company because 12-16 people is usually cited as max. <S> size of the team that can be effectively managed. <S> There's however one important thing to emphasize. <S> In case of bonus, welafare/benefits etc. <S> you as a manager are responsible for the decisions but administration of the process can be delegated (or even outsourced, like in case of some welfare aspects).
| 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.
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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 experience, I sometimes need to use Google to look things up (I can be proud that I've never copied code written by others). Some of my friends and even my parents say that I'm a swindler, that I do what I don't know, and that it'd be better if I quit. I understand this, but on the other hand I feel comfortable in this company. I always finish my work on time and I've never had more than little bugs in my applications. I am really confused about what I should do. Quit now and finish university at first or keep learning from projects (with reading books of course)? <Q> This job sounds like a great way to get <S> the experience you lack. <S> Using Google (or Stack Overflow!) <S> to read up on how to do things properly is not a problem, it's a perfectly reasonable solution . <S> Nobody knows everything, and knowing how to figure out how to solve a problem is at least as important as just knowing how to solve the problem. <S> It sounds like you are performing your job competently. <S> If your boss has no real problems with your work, continue working. <S> You'll gain valuable experience in an actual work environment, and build your technical skills while you do. <S> Additionally, being able to face a problem you don't already know how to solve is a positive trait. <S> The resourcefulness to research and implenent a solution is a valuable skill. <A> Whether you should quit (or cut back) your job in order to go to school is a seperate issue from whether you are being fraudulent in accepting the pay for your current job. <S> IT is a funny business at least from the outside, people will suggest that you are basically doing nothing, sitting on your butt all day, so no stress and no being tired from working, or they'll ask why don't you make a new game or website that makes millions, why don't you whip up a new E-Bay over the weekend for the church fundraiser.... <S> Unless they are or have done your job, they almost certainly have no idea of the skills necessary in order to do it, and unless they need those skills, they also have no idea as to the worth of those skills. <S> A job is fundamentally no different than buying a nicknack at a flea market -- the exchange is what determines the value, the seller may have bought it for more or less than he is willing to take, and the buyer probably wants to pay less but may be willing to pay more. <S> So... <S> As long as your employer is happy with paying you, and you are happy with the pay you are being given, ignore the bystanders. <S> They aren't part of the deal and their opinions of Dogs Playing Poker don't matter. <S> Now, all that said -- you're only 18, so there's a good chance that your current job won't last you a life time. <S> What you should be considering is not whether you are getting paid more than your worth, but how you will continue getting paid the amount you are accustomed to. <A> Let me ask you a question, are you learning and enjoy performing your tasks ? <S> If that answer is yes, then stay. <S> If not, then move on to something better. <S> Life is too short. <S> There are many jobs out there where it is difficult to have all the knowledge to complete it properly. <S> There is always something to learn, innovate and execute. <S> If it ever gets to a point where this is not possible, we might as well start living in the trees as monkeys. <A> Your job is to solve problems, "to create servers that will support Flash clients" just happens to be the problem you are currently facing. <S> And that's exactly <S> what you are doing. <S> Solving problems can be done in several ways, by experience but also by research ("to use Google to look things up"). <S> Your ability to set up servers for Flash clients won't be what will make you good in your job. <S> There will be always new problems you are going to face <S> and it's impossible to know about everything beforehand. <S> And being able to solve the problem non-the-less will be what makes you worth being employed. <S> So, no, don't quit. <A> I can answer this from personal experience. <S> I walked into my first (and current) job having years of programming experience but never having used Ruby on Rails and very little of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. <S> I also had never maintained (or now) built a real-world application before. <S> However, I learned on-the-job what I needed to know (with liberal SO usage), asked questions when necessary, and I am doing very well. <S> To second what others have said, a lack of experience means that you need to get some, and a job is a great way (if not the best) to do so. <S> tl;dr <S> You advance your career by gaining experience, and no one knows everything; also, if you can do well with what you already know, you're doing something right.
| You are doing your job perfectly fine, there is no reason to quit.
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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> People vary from a slight head nod to a full-blown "Hi <S> , how are you, how was [the weather / the ride in / sports trivia]. <S> It really depends on the type of work, industry, type of company, size of company, country, style of company, etc. <S> The main guide with etiquette questions like this is to wait and see and observe what the existing folks do and follow their need. <S> They'll be expecting you to do that anyway. <A> I agree with most of what Michael mentioned with one small addition. <S> You should greet people in whatever way is most comfortable to you, but be encouraged to step out of your comfort zone a bit. <S> Observe what everyone else is doing and figure out a way to make yourself standout in a memorable, yet appropriate, way. <S> If most people just say, "Hey", then throw in a "How ya doing?". <S> Cultivating relationships starts with making yourself approachable. <A> A few minutes of walking between all desks. <S> I find no sense in that and never do such a think. <S> I just go in and say 'Hello' (sometimes it happens I forget it). <S> But I'm not typical because I don't like physical contact. <S> And noone ever said me a bad work about it. <A> Then, add a bit of "your personality" to that standard and make it your way. <S> Example 1 <S> You're a social avoiding person and everyone at office has a 10 min talk at morning just to start-up. <S> Join that talk for 5 min, and go work. <S> Example 2 <S> You're a happy person that like socializing and getting to know everyone at office, but the others are more of the " straight to the desk without a hi " kind of people. <S> In this case just share some good mornings around on your way to your desk. <A> On a new encounter, introduce yourself. <S> If your company is typical, then someone who you met at the interview should take you around the people who you are to work with and introduce them to you. <S> usually followed by some benign bullshit I really couldn't give a shit about, usually TV, sport or some other event that everyone can relate to. <S> After about 2 months, I give up on the small talk and just get on with the job. <S> People get on my nerves, but hey, you got to pretend, or you don't get paid :)
| 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.
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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 advice. <Q> As you use "John" in person I'd go with that in the e-mail. <S> The only exception I consider making is if the e-mail is a formal one - something as serious as resigning or an official complaint - then I'd use "Mr. Smith". <S> For anything else - holiday requests <S> etc. <S> stick with the less formal greeting. <A> It depends entirely on your boss. <S> I have no problem when my staff do that, but I have worked for people who would not be happy. <S> (They are, after all, way more expert than you in how your industry works.) <A> Usually, it is enough to use the First name otherwise it would be too formal and implies that you two barely know each other - which is not the case here. <S> And you can say "Hi" to any co-worker in the same level with you. <S> I have been addressing my boss in email like this for 2 years without problem. <A> When in doubt, do nowt. <S> Most of the time you can just flow straight into the email. <S> When a greeting is required, usually just saying "Hi" and ending with "regards" will suffice as this is quite commonplace. <S> Other than that it depends on your relationship with this person. <S> If you have never talked to them then you should always err on the side of caution and be formal and say Mr or Mrs/Miss/Ms.. so that would be "Hi Mrs Benjamin. <S> " if you don't know her, or "Hi Flo" if you do. <S> Why act in these ways? <S> The email is already addressed to the recipient. <S> Each email sent, one to one, the recipient is automatically assigned to be the reader. <S> This is the departure from hand written letters. <S> It is obvious that the email is from the sender and the recipient is a given. <S> This is one of the unique features of emails being immediate asynchronous communication that is personal via a personal email account. <S> A greeting is used as a vehicle to flow into the actual content of the email. <S> The actual statement being made, the headers and footers (hi, regards) are just a way of starting and ending the email, and provided these are polite there isn't much thought given to them. <A> It depends on the expectations of the individual boss, expectations as adjusted by the company culture and the boss's personality. <S> If in doubt, the simplest and most direct way to find out the answer is to grab some of your co-workers and ask them how they address your boss. <S> This is an instance where guessing is complicated but finding out is simple. <S> When guessing is complicated and finding out is easy and straightforward, just find out. <S> Having said that, in my official capacities, I plead guilty to dispensing with niceties because of the nature of my job and the nature of the firm's business - "Server XXXX is down and out. <S> Did you have something to do with it? <S> " <S> The reason is obvious, a potentially bad situation is developing and we need to get it under control. <S> Now.
| 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 subordinate-boss relationship.
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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 and for companies to do an in-person interview now, while I am still in the area. <Q> Rather than applying for full-time positions, what I would do instead is start making networking contacts. <S> Go to user groups meeting and other tech meetings that are local to you and start meeting people. <S> If you have time outside of your internship, help the group put on an event. <S> People who help with the nitty gritty of helping with the an event like a Code Camp or a SQL Saturday will make contacts in many of the best companies. <S> You can even continue to help with some tasks during the school year, just not the on_site ones. <S> You might even come up with a cool presentation topic that you actually get to present. <A> It will be very difficult to find a position like that (where you can start a year later). <S> It is more reasonable to find a position in your last semester as a Senior. <S> Things you can do in the meantime: Network with people (as HLGEM mentioned). <S> Attend the Fall job fair(s) at your college and take the business cards of people from target companies. <S> The same companies might have a position open in your last semester, so you can contact them directly. <S> Work on meaty school projects and document " <S> What was most challenging, what you learned", etc. <S> Create an online portfolio of school and personal projects. <S> If you're in CS, put your source code on something like github <S> Even if you don't do any of the above, good internship experience can give you a leg up over new grads with no experience whatsoever. <A> If your school has some, talk to the guidance counselors. <S> They should have a lot of experience with helping graduating students figure this out. <S> Right now might be too early, but early fall will probably be the right time. <S> Sometimes your internship will also turn into a job offer by the end of summer, which, if you like the place, might save you the hassle entirely. <S> On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to look around more too. <S> Just some anecdotal experiences I had: <S> In my junior year, I started looking for internships in February/March, thinking that 3-4 months was appropriate. <S> I was wrong. <S> All of the large companies in the area that I would have loved to get in with (Microsoft, Google) were already mostly filled up and were only taking the best of the best at that point; I'd like to think I wasn't too shabby a candidate, but I didn't even get an interview. <S> Now, that was for internships, so it's a little different than a full time job. <S> In my senior year, my department had its big career fair in early October if I remember correctly (it's been a few years). <S> Interviews happened sometime in November or December with the large companies (again, Microsoft, Google, Amazon) and some of the smaller ones as well (since they were competing for talent with the big boys), and job offers were wrapping up by New Years. <S> I had to get an extension on one offer because the other company I was interviewing with hadn't finished the interview process by mid December. <S> On the one hand, it was a drawn out process, but on the other, it was over before I originally expected it to even start. <S> Any reasonable company will judge you based on skills, not on the date you applied. <A> My answer is based on my knowledge of the french hiring market, mainly in engineering, computer engineering/science. <S> 1 year, and specifically 1 year before you end your senior year, is too early. <S> For various reasons: most companies don't plan their recruitment so early, also, since you cannot give any idea of your technical level/grades for the final year you won't be able to give tangible facts to the targeted companies, etc. <S> However, it is not too early to start looking for an internship (basically, big companies are hiring a similar number of interns each year, regardless of the market needs) and to start building a professional network. <S> Work on your resume, start a blog, polish your best computer engineering projects and transform them into open source software, go to (professional) conferences and event, ask for mentoring to professionals you know. <S> If you do that, finding a job quickly will be easier.
| 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.
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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" and have the least stress if I could work 8.30am - 4.30pm in the office and then at least 1 hour, often more after a 2-3 hour break, e.g. 8pm / 9pm at night. Sometimes I'll be up to 2am, as I am a programmer and sometimes problems present or I just 'get in the zone' for actual development. I know the "standard" at the new place is pretty relaxed but it seems like 10am - 6pm is more common (same number of hours). However, I don't know the official "core hours" of the business. My main question is: How can I talk about this with a new employer? Should I mention itbefore accepting any offer? I want to fit into their culture but also work in a fashion that is good for me. I do also worry that since I am relatively junior for some of the technologies I'd be using, some things will take me a while and I worry about the impression it gives if I'm slogging through learning things...but not staying late. If it matters, this is a small company (<20 total), it's not a crazy-hours startup though, and I'd be working with seasoned developers who have lives. <Q> If it comes down to it, just ask them outright: "What kind of hours do you guys keep in the office? <S> Would you be OK with me working 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM? <S> I find I'm most productive at those times. <S> " If they say "NO!", how willing are you to walk away from the offer if they insist you work the same hours as everyone else? <S> Would you be willing to do 8:45 <S> am to 4:45 pm? <S> I have often worked on teams where people stagger hours a bit at the start and end of the day. <S> Some do it for commuting (earlier trains are less crowded) and some stay later because they like to sleep in later and get to work later. <S> The only times it was <S> a (relatively minor) problem was when an early person needed info from a late person and was blocked on progress until the late person came in. <S> Honestly, if the offset is less than an hour or two from the rest of the team, I can't see this as a major issue. <S> Now, if they were all coming in at 11:30 AM and you wanted to start at 8 AM, that might be a problem. <A> Honesty is key here, along with concise to the point communication. <S> Ask what type of working hours the company keeps (policy). <S> Ask whether the employees are allowed to work out of normal businesshours.e.g. <S> provided that employees meet the deadlines, etc. <S> Explain your reasoning of such hours. <S> (notice I've placed 'company' before 'you', not vice versa). <S> If you are absolutely set on your "best" working hours and they are not compatible. <S> Find a job that is willing to be flexible to benefit both you and the company. <A> Considering time and health (plus productivity) as the most precious resources, I personally would start the question of working hours first on the agenda, without any hesitation, nor regrets if they refuse my candidature because of my requirements.
| Discuss the working hours that suits the company and you, looking forsolution
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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 the leader of the group was mismanaging things and it would be better for me to go it alone. So I dropped out. That was a little over a year ago. In addition to being a composer, I am also a professional web developer (kind of new to the profession, but not inexperienced in the work place, generally). I have stayed in touch with the composers in the organization I mentioned above, and I mentioned to them that I could redo their website and make it into a full-blown web application with lots of useful archiving, planning and management features in the backend. Initially, payment was brought up in a very loose way, and I said, just give me what you can, this is a favor I'm doing as a friend. I tried to gather requirements from them like they were any other client, but the mismanagement issues seemed to crop up again. What I mean by "mismanagement" is basically a lot of buck-passing and general negligence, not being decisive, clear, and I would be left waiting two or three weeks with no contact, etc. So I got the (self-appointed) "president" on the phone and asked him if I could just get started with it because I was really interested in the project, but I didn't want it to drag on forever. I shouldn't have done that. Without clear requirements, and knowing I wasn't getting paid, I figured I would just have a lot of creative freedom, and when I was ready, present them with a series of demos and begin the more iterative process with feedback, etc. What's happening is horrible. I have about 200 hours in this project. So far I've presented them with one demo. Most of the members are on board with the process, more or less, giving comments and participating, but the self-appointed "president" of the organization is now swooping down with a lot of criticism, and in some cases being rude in his criticism about things that he clearly doesn't understand (most of his criticism is based on strong opinions about things he thinks he knows more about than he does). Many of the members don't agree with him on the direction the site should go, etc. And it's clear that he hasn't read most of the group's comments and is dictating what should and shouldn't be done. On top of that, he is all but unreachable outside of email because he is vacationing in Europe for two months while this is all happening. So, it's turning kind of ugly. What was once a really interesting project to me has turned into something I really wish I could just drop out of, but I don't know if I can do that without burning any bridges. Many of the members of this organization, most of which are my friends, are really excited about the new site, but tension within the group is really making this hard for me. I think I know what mistakes I made getting into this situation so I can avoid it happening again, but how do I fix this now? Should I try to help them resolve their issues? Should I tell them it's not working out, but give them what I've done so far? Should I just soldier on and get it done on principle? What is the most peaceful and professional thing to do in this situation? Update: I ended up doing a version of Monica's answer, except I also requested a change to the terms. In their last response to me, they asked if I would just like to rejoin the group. So I let them know that what has happened so far wasn't what I had anticipated going into it, that if they wanted to continue on with the project, I could take a (modest, 25% of a fair market price) payment, either in cash or in trade (they put on concerts and do recordings and I could have one of my compositions done through their organization). So, if taken in trade, at the very least they can pay me back over time. We'll see how that goes. <Q> I've seen this kind of thing before with non-profit and social organizations. <S> A volunteer from within the group offers to do work that will be an improvement in the end, but the leaders aren't on board <S> and you end up with either a half-implemented solution or a full implementation with resentment, and either way interpersonal relations are strained from then on. <S> Since you offered to do this work (they didn't ask you to), I think your best bet is to step back. <S> Don't burn any bridges, but stop working on this for now. <S> You can tell them something like: "I can see that this isn't a good time to try to work out what we want this to be, so I'd like to hold off until circumstances change. <S> How 'bout if you guys have some internal discussions to figure out how you want to proceed, and I'll be happy to pick this up again in a few months. <S> " <S> (Assuming you would be, of course.) <S> Their current web site works, so there's no urgency other than a desire for something better. <S> You, as a semi-outsider, should be the last one pushing that. <S> You said the members are generally in favor; let <S> them carry the discussion for the next few rounds and you can come back later with people who will still be your friends. <A> I've been in this position before. <S> I went with [summarized] <S> "Sorry, I've just got a really intense new job/project and unfortunately I just don't have time to continue with this volunteer work <S> but it's a great thing you guys are doing <S> and I have no doubt you'll be very successful." <A> What are the pieces that are done, what is in progress, etc. <S> Get clear on what you really do have and what is still in development as well as list <S> what are the challenges going forward and <S> what commitments would you like to see to move this project forward in a productive and useful way. <S> The key here is to communicate what you have and what you need in order to do a proper job on this. <S> I'd be careful about just dumping what you have now to them without them understanding what they would be getting. <S> Thus, there may be some documentation and presentations to ensure a good hand-off if you want to go down this road though I'd suggest inquiring if they want this. <S> There is a chance that they may not want an incomplete website and that is what you may have right now. <S> If you want to be a martyr, keep soldiering onward <S> but I'd question the upside of it personally.
| My suggestion would be to stop doing any new work and consider where you are right now.
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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 jobs soon. I have done three 6-month co-ops (internships). Apart from that, there are various other freelance/personal projects etc. Now, not everything finds space in my resume. However, I do have an online resume I maintain which provides far more information about me in a more presentable way. I do intend to include this link in my paper resume. How realistically can I expect employers to actually visit the link? <Q> If I'm evaluating candidates I first narrow down the list based solely on resume content. <S> After that first pass, I'll begin looking for other information that may or may not help me make my decision. <S> If a candidate has a link anywhere on their resume, I will go to it at this point. <S> This link could be a personal website, a portfolio site or perhaps a third-party website upon which they claim to have worked. <S> All of that data is valuable. <S> If the candidate does not have a link on their resume, I will Google them and see what comes up. <S> So, if I were to receive your resume for a position and you passed my initial screen, I would absolutely follow the link and see what was there. <A> The answer to your core question "How realistically can I expect an employer to visit an online and extended version of my resume?" depends on the type of position and level at which the employee is being hired. <S> In your case, you fall into the student/recent grad/entry level bucket, and in most situations the hiring manager will not take extra time to look for extended information about your work history (or yourself). <S> This is not to say that you (and students/recent grads/entry level candidates) are not wonderful people with great skills, but rather that there are a lot of you, and in general that extended information elsewhere is not going to dramatically alter my perception of you and where you're coming from. <S> If that information is so incredibly amazing as to tip the scales dramatically in your favor, it'll either be clear to me based on your cover letter that I really should go look because if I don't I'm really missing out , or I'll have heard of you in some other way (personal reference, internet fame, whatever). <S> Not to be harsh, but students/recent grads/entry level candidates are a dime a dozen. <S> When do I, as an employer, begin to spend more time with a person's resume, and follow links to read extended information and investigate more? <S> When the position is one of greater responsibility, creativity, management of others, and so on -- when I'm evaluating a seasoned professional, for example, or when someone's cover letter is just so amazing that I can't not look. <S> (Not all hiring managers care about cover letters. <S> I am one who does.) <A> It depends on how good your offline resume looks. <S> This means that you're going to have to make the resume the employer sees first look good, even if you're online resume is amazing.
| 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.
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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 reporting hierarchy. Designers focus on designing UI and prioritizing features, while developers focus on implement designers' ideas (more like being driven as our big boss has said). Then here comes our issue: the DEV team and DES team communicate very bad. DEV complain DES for these reasons: Too frequent changing of requirements Too complicated interaction (our DEV team has actually learned many HCI principles) Documents for design are incomplete, usually you just get 'design principles' and it's up to DEV to complete design details. When you find design defects, you ask DES team to resolve them, then DES team quickly change the principles and you gonna spend another several weeks because the change is so fundamental. While DES complain DEV for these reasons: Code architecture is not good enough to adapt to changing requirements (Obviously DES knows something about software development) Product design is about principles, not details. DEV fails to realize this. Communication should be quick and should be mainly oral. Trying to make most feature discussion in document for reference is too overloaded and doesn't make sense in a Internet company (cuz 'the world outside changes fast'). As you can see, DEV and DES have different ideas on product design, and encourages very different practice. We have this difference because of the way we work. So our solution is that we should plan some seminars to make each part more aware of the way the other part work. Then my question is, what are some good topics for such seminars? Guessing some people may not think seminars can solve this problem, please also suggest your solution. <Q> Seminars are likely to be a good idea since in the real communication people of different divisions would be more kind to each other, than when they report through the managers. <S> You may use some of the following themes for these seminars; also note that it would be great if seminars are started by a team leader with remarks about the end-user experience and goals of the organization as a whole: <S> Why even a small change takes a lot of time? <S> Review the following blog post by Eric Lippert: <S> http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ericlippert/archive/2003/10/28/53298.aspx , your DES team shall clearly understand why it's not always easy to change the way things are working; Why it is important to pay attention to the details? <S> The DEV team is likely to be inclined to implement things a little bit technically , i.e., a click on any button produces a sound, whereas only the OK button should produce a sound -- the DEV team might argue that it is hard to implement a sound only for the OK button. <S> Of course, my example might be ridiculous, but such cases are happening. <S> Why continuous feedback and objective discussions are important. <S> For example, if you don't have it yet, it would be beneficial to introduce a continuous integration system that would compile the latest DEV build so that the DES team might review it as early as possible. <S> In some cases, the DEV might spend 3 weeks building a thing that the DES would not like. <S> This can be avoided if the DEV frequently demonstrates the DES what they are doing. <S> Furthermore, there might be indeed a problem with the hierarchy of organization. <S> Instead of functional divisions, you may try to introduce project divisions, so that there are NO distinct teams of DEV and DES, but rather designers TOGETHER with developers participate in project teams of building specific features. <S> The responsibilities of each other, as well as the workflow, are better be clearly stated in a short formal document that everybody accept. <S> The benefit of a project team is likely to come especially with rapid prototyping, e.g. a designer shows developer a picture, the latter makes a quick prototype (not actually working, just pretending to be the actual thing), then both discuss which issues do they face. <A> I would: <S> Make sure the user voice is the one 'heard' the most. <S> Seek agreement where you can. <S> Trying and see how many points you can get joint <S> "yes's" on. <S> Then move on to points of disagreement. <S> Get folks together socially and ban work topics. <S> Encourage people to think "outside the box". <S> Wearing the different hats can be most educational. <S> Listen. <S> Many folks get frustrated because they feel passionately about their subject area and they just want to be heard. <S> Don't assume that you know what they want or what their viewpoint is. <S> Even if their viewpoint is counterproductive and wrong, be gentle in closing them done and just listen first. <S> Remember to ask everyone their opinions and wait for 30 seconds of awkward silence to be sure that shy people really get the chance to speak. <S> We know the outspoken folks will chime in first <S> so let others speak too. <A> I wouild want the designers to understand that what looks like a simple change on the surface of the UI often is cvery complicated below the surface. <S> In fact, it might be a good idea to have the devs devlop a curriculm for the designers' seminar and the designers develop one for the devs' seminar and the managers develop one on communication and project management for everybody.
| 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 advocate for each others area, instead of their own and make convincing argument for that other area. communicate repeatedly and constantly that everyone to focus on the work that's produced for the customer and the solutions that work for the customers. People that can have fun hanging out together can do a lot better job when it comes to working together. Try a day of outside work activities like skiing or a retreat or something.
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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 it is. I'm a part-time employee at a retail store. I just don't understand this request, because whenever I go somewhere to go shopping, I really couldn't care less how the employees' hair looks. Maybe it's due to the generation gap (I'm only 18). Could someone try to kindly explain this to me? <Q> In all these cases, I have never seen a study which shows a correlation between fashion choices and professionalism. <S> I strongly contend that there is no correlation. <S> However, none of that matters. <S> The fact of the matter is that some of your customers will assume a correlation between fashion choices and professionalism, even if none exists. <S> I used to have long hair at your age, but I was never customer-facing and nature <S> took its course long before I was forced into cutting it short. <S> I have tattoos but they are covered whenever I'm in the office, certainly whenever I'm facing a customer. <S> I have deliberately had my tattoos in places that are usually covered. <S> Because I know that I'm professional, <S> people who work with me know that I'm professional, but others don't, and I have to accept that society is such that someone may make an incorrect assumption based on my visible personal choices. <S> (I guarantee you that at least one person is already thinking about responding with a comment about tattoos being an indication of my poor judgement and that they wouldn't want to deal with me based on that alone. <S> Some might even judge me for having a beard. <S> But I'm lucky enough to be marketable and can ignore those people.) <S> Sadly, if you're going to be in retail, your bosses have every right to suggest that you will appear more professional to your customers if you keep your hair reasonably short. <S> It stinks, I know, but they do. <S> Because it doesn't matter what you or I think, if one customer walks away because of their assumptions, the business has lost out because you didn't cut your hair. <S> Most people, nowadays, simply don't care. <S> But no one ever assumed that someone was unprofessional because they have short hair, no tattoos or piercings, were clean-shaven and wore a nice smart suit. <S> (Except a tattoo artist, of course, to pick a rare example.) <A> Retail doesn't mean short hair. <S> If your clientele were teenagers or early 20's, or you worked in surf shop, or music store it might look appropriate. <S> If the clientele was older, the company might think they would be turned-off. <S> If your company/store has a employee hand book, review it. <S> They might discuss length of hair, or other appearance issues. <S> They could discuss warnings or consequences. <S> They might even suggest ways to minimize the issue. <S> If there are guidelines, were they discussed during the interview, training or orientation? <S> Did you sign anything saying you read the handbook? <S> Keep in mind that in some places there are safety or health concern/regulations. <S> There can also be religious exemptions. <A> Long hair (or loud shirts, or tattoos, etc) signal that you're not in the tight bounds of normal. <S> In places that value standardization <S> (Walmart, the Army, McDonalds, the Phone Company) <S> you don't want to signal creativity. <S> You want to signal that you know what's expected, and you'll do what you're told. <S> There's little upside to the firm in you being better (does McDonalds want someone to experiment on their Big Macs?) <S> and plenty of downside if you're worse. <S> In creative fields (software, advertising) there is more room for creativity. <S> Even at some banks there is freedom. <S> But... <S> If you buck convention, you need to be good, because will assume you're either the best or the worst. <A> You can have long hair and look professional. <S> I have known men with hair like Fabio that looked professional. <S> I have seen more that pulled their long hair into a pony tail. <S> But most of them compensate with extra attention to detail in their professional dress. <S> If you want long hair you may need to compensate with extra effort in other places. <S> Getting a hair cut does not mean getting your hair cut short. <S> The style you choose has quite a bit to do with this. <S> Choose a style that is neat and ordered. <S> I know people who have the unkempt look out of the office but make sure their hair is neat and orderly. <S> Then after work then go into the bathroom and spend 10+ minutes to make it look like they just got out of bed. <A> Well, your productivity or professionalism doesn't get affected by having long or short hair. <S> The point is that whenever you are working in a position which requires client/customer interaction, people(customers) would want to see the company representative as someone who looks well dressed and clean. <S> They could judge you, and more importantly, the company, based on your appearance. <S> Also, it's just maybe an unwritten rule. <S> Like always wearing formals at the workplace.
| 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 personal experience, I have also never seen a correlation between fashion choices and professionalism.
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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 that good. I'm not saying that one day things might click, I just don't think they will (I've been programming for 12 years now and things still haven't clicked!). And the glass isn't half full, I'm just trying to be realistic! In spite of this, I would still love to move up the ranks in the workplace and one day take on more senior roles. Could I realistically ever move into a senior developer role, or is this an unfair expectation. Are other paths more suitable for me. Some other paths I've thought about include: Team leader (Is this even different from senior developer?) Management Project manager The problem is I do love programming so don't really want to leave it altogether which is where I fear project/management lines might take me. Are there other skills I could develop and work on that might help offset my lack of senior programming skills. Perhaps skills such as communication, motivational, inter-personal, organizational, passion, etc.? Or as I fear, is being a great programmer the be all and end all of being a senior developer? EDIT: For an intermediate programmer I guess it could vary dependant on the company's or individual's perception of these levels. But I guess I'm not thinking of it in terms of how long you have been at a company but rather the skills/attributes that would be required to make that step (whatever it may be) to the next level. <Q> Is the person who can be relied on to deliver the product within the deadline Is expected to have specific business domain knowledge <S> I suspect it is number 3 that concerns you when you talk about not being sure if you can be a senior developer. <S> However, the hard problems to solve vary widely from employer to employer. <S> So if you don't expect to be on the cutting edge of the field, your understanding as the experienced intermediate developer may certainly be enough. <S> But you can start looking at studying some of your technical stack more in depth to help you here. <S> And solving the hard problems is sometimes about willingness to try something you didn't know how to solve before you started, knowing how to research and understand new possibilities is critical. <S> If it is the architecture/design part that you thing is beyond your capabilities, then start studying that specifically. <S> Begin participating in discussions in your own workplace and make suggestions and learn from how they are received. <S> If you aren't currently thinking about design and architecture, the only way to learn is to start to think about it, start to do designs and learn from your mistakes. <S> Again the expectation for this in a senior developer varies between companies. <S> Those with architects would expect less of this than those where the seniors make all of the architecture decisions <S> The other three are easily within the reach of a capable intermediate developer. <S> So if you aren't doing them now, start to do them and let people know that you are. <S> A lot of good developers never make the cut to the next level because they don't toot their own horn to management. <A> Development is about delivering the right PRODUCT. <S> While great coding skills can help with the process, it has much less to do with whether or not the product makes the user smile. <S> That comes from proper understanding of the requirements and domain logic plus a genuine desire to make the user's life better. <S> In fact, I'd go so far as to say that in the grand scheme of product development, coding skill comes in middle of the pack at best and that putting overly heavy emphasis on it would be akin to putting the cart before the horse. <A> I think you should put yourself out there as a senior developer. <S> Like most things, a lot of knowledge comes from experience. <S> If you put yourself up as a senior dev and get a new role as a senior developer, then you know what? <S> You've become a senior developer. <S> You might not be great at it at first, and that's where the experience comes in. <S> You have 12 years programming experience - the junior devs will come to you for problems, you shoo them away to a different task, look up the solution to their problem, come back and tell them. <S> All the time, you're gaining exposure for leadership positions. <S> I wouldn't ever look at it as suddenly "being ready", you have to believe in yourself and it will come. <A> Some other paths I've thought about include: <S> Team leader (Is this even different from senior developer?) <S> Management Project manager Team Leader implies leadership . <S> Leadership implies confidence. <S> Confidence implies advanced expert skill. <S> This is the only option that requires any practical technical knowledge. <S> 12 years of work and your personal admissions about lack of competence with advanced topics doesn't really put you in a position for this track. <S> Management has nothing to do with programming or software development. <S> It is a people/social and organization skill set. <S> 12 years of writing software doesn't qualify you for this. <S> Project Management has nothing to do with programming of software development either, it is a more organizational focused specialization of generic management. <S> Only the first of these is a natural progression in your career track, and you are at least 2 - 3 steps away from that where you are now. <S> If I were you I would really ask myself WHY I got into software development to begin with. <S> If it wasn't for a passion of creating software, it was probably the wrong reason. <S> To put it into perspective; Would you have chased a career as a musician for 12 years with mediocre skills and the same lack of progress?
| 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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