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What to do when a jealous coworker is doing my tasks? We are a team of five members, each working on his own tasks. These tasks are not necessarily individual, by which I mean that if someone needs help the others can help him without any problem. Recently, a coworker got a task in which he needed to do a little modification in a task that belongs to me. However, he's leveraging that opportunity to do my whole task. He's not qualified to do my tasks. He's a system administrator; I'm a security engineer. I understand that my tasks are "cooler" than his tasks, but I told him that this task is mine and he just ignores me and keeps doing it. <Q> You are a team, there are tasks to do. <S> I suspect you split up the tasks so everyone has something to work on <S> and it gets done in time. <S> Recently, a coworker got a task in which he needed to do a little modification in a task that belongs to me. <S> However, he's leveraging that opportunity to do my whole task. <S> This perfectly makes sense in this example: Your coworker has already done some work regarding "your" task, why souldn't he carry on and finish it, rather that explaining you what still needs to be done? <S> Misunderstandings included. <S> However, you need to agree that you and your team communicate if someone takes over a task. <S> You clearly want to avoid the situation that two team members work on the same task independently in parallel, and once done, one can throw away his/her work. <A> I suggest you try to talk to this person explain the hazards of the situation. <S> You are a security engineer, you are trained in security. <S> The sys-admin is (probally) not. <S> This can potentially create dangerous situations . <S> The hard part is making this person understand that security is often a lot more complex than others asume, there are a million things a 'normal' person doesn't even consider. <S> Since you're both logical people, provide a logical explanation. <S> To my experience this'll work better than "but this is mine, don't do that!". <S> Explain that potential danger, you might want to think of some example situations the sys-admin didn't think of to show the difference in skillset (without belittling the person). <A> If another teammate finishes their tasks early, there's no reason why they can't take on additional work. <S> If it was a task you were looking forward to working on, perhaps do it first next time. <S> I will agree that it is a bit odd that the person is taking tasks from you after you asked them not to. <S> But it's also odd that you asked them not to take a task from you. <S> Hoarding tasks just sounds weird to me, as a developer working on a project with a group of teammates. <A> Why don't you have this discussion with the person who did your task? <S> It needed modification so his task would work, what did you expect him to do or what is the company/group's policy? <S> At some point, the person in charge should be reviewing everyone's task accomplishments. <S> I'm guessing this person fell behind because he worked on your complete task. <S> If he did the work, assign his name to it. <S> Your boss may wonder why you didn't do it, tell him. <S> If your boss has to get involved, you'll find your answer. <S> Hopefully the two of you can settle it before it comes to that. <A> After all, that is (one of the many things) that your manager is there to deal with. <S> He may tell you to deal with it yourself, may say it is no big deal, or he may flip his lid... <A> Potentially, this could be escalated to a manager. <S> Depending on the scope of the work involved, sometimes "separation of duties" is required as part of audit controls. <S> Also, having dealt with jealous coworkers in the past, sometimes manipulation can be disguised as "help", where he/she is trying to take over your duties to advance themselves. <S> I would definitely agree with the concern, that if someone is not qualified/authorized to perform a task, they can actually cause damage to the system or overall project (think handling office politics). <S> Your coworker needs to respect you as the project owner. <S> If your manager has designated an appropriate backup, then that is the go-to person for your work when you are overloaded.
| Talk to your own manager about it - for example you could light-heartedly ask him for more work to do, since someone else is already doing all of yours. As part of a team and a company, you don't "own" a task.
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How can I emphasize my projects on my resume? I'm a junior software engineer. I have a one page resume with a second page crammed with a few previous work projects and then a link to my github profile. Since I did not get good grades in school I want to emphasise my practical work. Is it advisable to include descriptions of projects in the resume itself? Or is it better to.make an extra document? Also how many pages are advisable? Thank you for your help in this matter. <Q> Firstly, don't make a separate document. <S> Developers don't generally have "portfolios" for job applications: either something is worth listing on your resume, or it's not. <S> Don't describe the project; describe your involvement. <S> I don't care about half a dozen open source projects and the arbitrary problems they're designed to solve, but I do care that you made a thing 25% faster, or redesigned a UI to be touch-friendly, or found and fixed a critical security bug. <S> Your resume isn't about who you worked for, or what you worked on: it needs to show what you can demonstrably deliver . <S> Sometimes - very occasionally - it's enough to say "I am great because this company that you recognise as great have hired me and promoted me and kept me for years" - but there aren't many jobs like that. <S> Concentrate on highlighting what you have delivered. <S> As for length: this can vary by region. <S> I'm from the UK, and I'd expect 2-3 pages for a resume - probably only 2 for a junior. <S> But present it well: don't cram it all in. <A> You should always try to describe the projects you have worked previously. <S> Most of the time during interviews they will ask about the project you worked previously. <S> Make sure you mention things in which you are most comfortable for example if you worked only on the backend coding <S> do special emphasis on that. <S> Their are millions of great programmers in the world who didn't get good grades in school <S> so don't feel shy on that instead present your strengths and skills more positively. <A> Dan answered quite well. <S> Building a nice resume when you lack years of experience can be a bit of a challenge. <S> If you break it down into the different positions that you have held can be extremely detrimental. <S> If you consistently advanced with the company and it is in your field than that might be a good option otherwise you will want to make a skills summary essentially. <S> The way it should look like is as follows: <S> Research and Development I am experienced with researching and developing tools utilizing Java including Graphical User Interfaces for APIs, data compilation and distribution. <S> I have performed the lead on all operations of the Software Development Life Cycle for these tools including the planning and conception phases, proof of concept development, demo/sales presentation to management and development of final product and long term support. <S> These tools have been highly regarded among my peers and has drastically increase the productivity in my department as a whole and led to me being nominated for a Distinguished Service Award after 4 months with the company and awarded the 'Most Technical' award for my department in 2013. <S> Next Skill <S> I am experienced with <S> x <S> utilizing y . <S> I am in the process of developing a utility that will z . <S> Here is some details on what the project does, make sure that you hit the keywords for the job function (IE, User experience(UX), GUI, make sure you type out and abbreviate to hit the keywords correctly). <S> Here would be the type of system it is, again remember the keywords. <S> And this is what the end results was from the project and what it was so awesome. <S> Ultimately, avoid things like dates. <S> Put the information in that shows you have experience with what you know well. <S> Ultimately, you will need to add in dates for your previous work/school experience but that can be at the bottom of the resume after you have your hooks in them. <S> After that it comes down to the interview.
| More important, I'd say, is how you list the projects.
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Impact of 100% travel on salary expectations? There are a lot of great points raised on How can I determine a reasonable salary to ask for? including points about location affecting the salary you ask for. Similarly, Does my geographic location matter when requesting a salary? also discusses specific points related to your location and the salary you should expect. However, I feel these questions and answers are operating on the assumption that you are living and working in the same geographic area. If a position requires 100% travel (i.e. you travel to client sites throughout the country 4/5 days a week), does your home location still affect your salary expectations? In general, should the 100% travel requirement adjust your expectations up or down (or not really change)? Assume the employer is covering all travel-related expenses. <Q> Home location is independent of a travel requirement. <S> Geographic location affects salary due to differences in cost of living (primarily housing costs). <S> So, a location based adjustment would be determined by where you live . <S> Even if you're travelling 4 or 5 days/week, you still need to pay rent or a mortgage (and taxes!) <S> somewhere. <S> The travel requirement may or may not affect the pay rate. <S> I've been a software developer for nearly 20 years and my experience is that most developers would not be willing to take job that required so much travel. <S> I worked for one company that had a fairly high attrition rate because they had a tendency to have the developers travel a lot. <S> So, given two equivalent positions where one required travel and one did not, I would expect that most devs would pick the one with no travel. <S> This means that companies who require devs to travel a lot may have to offer more money to entice someone to take the job. <S> I have no data on this, it's just a theory based on my experiences working in the industry <A> You need to get more specifics. <S> Are you going to be flying first class, taking limos, staying in suites, and have a generous expense account? <S> Or are you going to be flying coach, taking a bus, staying in roach motels, with a limited per diem that wont cover crackers from the vending machine? <S> Also what are you going to be doing? <S> Do you enjoy doing that and are you good at it? <S> Do you enjoy travel and don't mind being away from home more often than not? <S> If this job hits you right in the sweet spot for your ideal job then you do not need to ask for more. <S> For every sacrifice the job will require from you the more money I would ask for. <S> Do you need to pay for someone to come in and take care of your fish? <S> If you have a spouse and now since you are gone there will be more expenses at home to provide for them or for childcare? <S> It is important to think about everything you will need if you are going to take this job and what the costs will be. <S> But be careful asking for more than what you are willing to take. <S> You could lose out on a job that would have been yours <S> had you stated your actual salary requirements. <S> But do not cut your throat either. <S> You will not be home to take care of things and there will be expenses you are not counting on. <S> If you take to little because you think the job will be worth it, you may end up broke and unable to take care of your responsibilities. <S> The TL;DR <S> ; is there is no one set formula. <S> This is something you need to think about. <S> If you can get the company to give you the offer you can figure out whether that will cover your needs. <S> If not figure out what you would need if it is more that 25% above the offer, based on my experience, it is highly unlikely that your counter would be accepted. <S> If you do counter being able to explain why you need more might give you some leverage, assuming the needs are reasonable. <A> Having worked for a large International Consultancy with 75% travel the issues were taken care of by in-Country/Travel Per Diem rates (in addition to Hotel costs), even though I was away the majority of the time. <S> I knew of people who would request long specific country assignments simply due to an increased per Diem rate and decent Hotels. <S> As long as that is covered well you shouldn't have any problems. <S> if it doesn't walk... fast.
| Another consideration is what are your actual expenses that will increase since you are not home during the week.
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How can I politely request that I get a chance at a second interview? I have just been interviewed via Skype, after which I was given a coding assignment to complete. The interview was okay except that I got nervous and couldn't answer some of the questions properly. I feel my nerves meant I wasn't performing at my best and I would like another chance; the interviewer did mention that there will be another interview if need be. Taking this into consideration, is there a way I can politely inform them that I would like another chance in this second interview before they make their decision? <Q> In my opinion I wouldn't recommend you write the email but just concentrate on doing the best possible job on the coding assignment. <S> Why? <S> I shall explain below. <S> I recently interviewed and hired a new developer for my team, and you can tell when someone is nervous. <S> In my experience as both interviewer and interviewee, the interviewers will take nerves into account. <S> Almost everyone I interviewed showed nerves to some degree. <S> They've already told you a second round of interviews will be necessary if you do well on the coding assignment, so don't worry about what has happened as you can't change that; worry about what you can change and that's how well you do in the next bit. <A> I'm going to court a little controversy and say that you should not ask for another interview. <S> As an interviewer, I have to assume that you are performing at your best. <S> I can't think "Well, that was a pretty poor interview, but I bet Parth is better when not under pressure. <S> " <S> In your day to day work, I need to know that you will be able to cope with the pressure of deadlines, urgent client meetings, things breaking. <S> If you can't cope with a friendly chat over Skype - am I going to be happy putting you in from of my boss? <S> That said, yes, we know everyone gets nervous in interviews. <S> We're not expecting 100% perfection. <S> You probably didn't perform as badly as you thought. <S> The interviewer is the one who decides which candidate gets a second interview - not you. <S> Do not write saying "Gosh! <S> I was pretty crappy, eh? <S> Can you give me a second chance? <S> PLEASE!" <S> Instead, say something like... <S> Thanks for taking the time to interview me last week. <S> I found the whole process really interesting. <S> Based on the questions I asked, I would love to work for XYZ Corp. <S> I really think my experience with ABC could be a great asset to your project - and I'm keen to learn more about your 123 processes. <S> Please do let me know if you need any more information from me. <S> That way, you are showing that you actually want the job and get to reiterate your strengths. <S> Good luck! <A> If the interviewer is leaving you to do the assignment, then either they're actively considering you or else they're a time-waster. <S> If they're considering you then presumably your interview was acceptable. <S> They'll interview you again if they think it will help them decide. <S> So overall you might as well sit tight. <S> Perhaps when you submit the assignment you could say that your interviewer mentioned a possible second interview and you would like to know whether this will be required. <S> That is, don't ask for a second interview, ask them for the decision they explicitly left open. <S> I can't tell from what you report, whether they really meant a do-over of the first interview. <S> More common is that their process calls for a second-round interview if they're happy with your first interview and your assignment. <S> I don't want to speculate what proportion of hiring processes allow for wasting the time of rejected candidates on pointless exercises. <S> I hope it's small, but I fear that not everyone in the business is as professional as you'd expect. <S> But the fact that they still want you to do the assignment after the first interview is cautiously a sign that you didn't actually fail the first one even if you feel you could have done better.
| If they're a time-waster who has already rejected you but hasn't bothered saying so then asking for a second interview won't help.
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How can I decide between two great opportunities/career paths? (and be happy with that decision) I'm stuck in a situation that my friends and family keep reassuring me is a great dilemma. This whole year, I had planned to go to law school and was admitted to a couple of top 10's. I'm an engineer who wants to pursue IP, and I couldn't be happier with my path up until a couple of weeks ago. In the midst of my law school decision-making, I was contacted by one of the big Silicon Valley companies that most people would kill to work at. I went through the interview process because the job (as a project manager of engineering projects) sounded interesting to me, and I have always thought that project management might be a good alternate career path for me to law. So, I found out that I got the job and I will need to make decisions quickly. One small additional tid-bit that I know shouldn't really influence my decision but is something that I'm dreading--if I take the SV job, I will be pulling out the rug from under my current employer's feet, which I'd feel horrible about. They have been supportive of my decision to go back to school but have been planning for me to leave in several months, not weeks. What do I do? I know a lot of people probably think I sound whiny and everyone keeps telling me that I can't make a "wrong" decision, but I also know that this is a decision that will have a great impact on the course of my life. I'm slightly concerned that the market for engineers in law could shift if I decide to defer my admissions, but I don't know if this is an unreasonable consideration... Help! <Q> Welcome to workplace. <S> Wow, what a hard choice to make. <S> All I can offer you is advice based on my experience. <S> I switched career paths a couple of years ago from I.T. support to Programming. <S> I trained in support and went down that path throughout my schooling, always thinking it was what I wanted until I got in the job and realised it was nothing like I thought it would be. <S> But I taught myself how to program and used to do it as a hobby. <S> I really enjoyed it. <S> I have absolutely no qualifications in programming. <S> What I do have is a job I really enjoy, 2 years commercial experience and more years when it was just a hobby. <S> For me, the lesson I learnt from all of that was having an education is good; having real world working experience is so much more valuable. <S> I see so many job adverts saying you must have <S> x, y and z qualifications <S> that I could happily apply for without them because I know my experience would back me up. <S> I know I have the examples I can show them of what I have done and what I currently do that will blow anyone with just those qualifications away. <S> So whilst this answer is entirely based around my own experience <S> , when I see your choice I know exactly what I would do in your situation; in fact it's an easy choice for me. <S> I'd take the job. <S> Several years experience at a Silicon Valley company will do more for your career than any degree. <S> And the fact that you walked into that job without a degree will speak volumes to potential future employers. <A> Follow your heart. <S> If your heart says that you really really want to go to law school, go to law school. <S> A friend once recommended that I flip a coin. <S> If I found myself hoping that I would get one answer, I knew what I should do. <S> If I still found myself torn, then do whatever the coin flip said to do -- it meant that both options were equally good for me. <S> You're right that your life will be very different <S> no matter which option you take. <S> Standing at a crossroads is always difficult because you know that your life will change. <S> Your life is going to change on many smaller decisions. <S> You might find the love of your life, or your next job, or your best friend while waiting to get a coffee. <S> Every single decision you make, even just which coffee shop to go into, could impact your life. <S> Keep <S> perspective: you're going to make many many other life-altering decisions in your life. <S> Humans are adaptable. <S> Both paths are awesome. <S> Whichever path you take, focus on letting that path be awesome instead of focusing on what might have been if you had taken the other path. <S> Both paths will have ups and downs. <S> If you choose one path, that doesn't mean that the other path is forever closed to you, or that a new even more awesome path won't open itself up to you in the interim. <S> Go forth and be awesome. <S> It's that easy, and it's that hard. <A> What feels better: engineer or lawyer work? <S> Experience <S> >> <S> > secondary education <S> I would take the job at the SV firm, experience trumps education anytime. <S> You can always go to university... <S> Unless(!) you feel that the experience that the SV job would give you takes you in the wrong direction. <S> In that case that job shouldn't feel so attractive to you and the decision should be easy...
| If your life changes in such a way that the path that you are on is no longer awesome, you have the opportunity to make a new path for yourself. If your heart says that this is an awesome opportunity that you just can't turn down, don't turn it down.
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Can I add suggestions I made that weren't implemented (by me) to a resume? I've left my place of employment and I've been fixing up my resume, etc, but while adding to an "Achievements" section, I thought about all the ideas I originally brought up to the company. Being much lower in the hierarchy, my ideas had no bearing, and were commonly ignored or rejected. After over 2 years of my ideas being rejected or ignored, my employer hired someone in a more senior position to handle system architecture, and within his first 2 months of being there, he implemented many of the ideas (and began planning for many of the other ideas as well) I previously mentioned. I mentioned this to my boss in a review, and was basically shrugged off (claims she didn't remember any of it). I honestly don't care about that since I no longer work there, but I want to know if (even though I didn't get to implement any of them) I'm still able to attribute the ideas to myself and take some credit for it on my resume? If so, how would I go about adding intangible items to my resume (like ideas that I researched and proposed, but were only later implemented due to someone else's recommendation)? <Q> In short, the fact your manager ignored you is a detail - the ideas were good, they were used, and the operation runs better as a result. <S> If the new employer sees that you can explain your thinking, it's as valid as if you had implemented them directly. <S> Getting out was the right thing to do, however you'll need to make sure the new employer actually values what you're offering. <A> TL;DR; <S> And in an interview, you are fundamentally being assessed under economic constraints. <S> Focus as much as you can on value that you have actually created. <S> Talk about your ideas to show that you're software development hasn't reached its full potential, and that you will be paying attention to implementing your ideas in your next development project. <S> It sounds like the complementary aspects of being smart and getting things done . <S> I'm relating from a similar experience - where I was a novice programmer solely responsible for a Data-Warehouse architecture (talk about underqualified?!), and with time I pointed out many underlying architectural errors that needed mending, and even made a prototype and some partial implementations - but my ideas always faded into non-existance due to my manager never telling me " Yes, good idea - you should make this your priority. " and instead having me focus on further features. <S> Now the thing is a huge mess, and most problems are accompanied by an "I told you so..." - but somehow I still feel it is my shortcoming, not my manager's , since my manager is more clueless about software than me, and it is my responsibility as specialist to point out the right priorities for the value of a software system, particularly in the long-term. <S> The Idea <S> The fact that you had good ideas shows that you're smart. <S> In your resume you want to show that you're smart, but I wouldn't get to specific about it. <S> These are some great things to talk about in an interview. <S> The Implementation <S> In the end it all comes down to getting an idea implemented - and I think that really is the challenge of software development; particularly given unsupportive work-environments, changing requirements and tight deadlines. <S> What counts is what you get done. <S> And what you actually got done is what you should firstly focus on in as much detail without becoming boring, because this is the real proof of your value as a developer . <S> To read: Economic value of a programmer. <A> You need to be a bit careful how you bring this up. <S> You don't want to seem catty towards your last job by mentioning that they implemented something you thought up without giving you credit, or even acknowledgement. <S> You could put something on your resume like "Added value to the team by collaborating and suggesting ways to enhance the system architecture on a regular basis. <S> " If you really want to, you can add something like "... that were later implemented. <S> " The interviewer doesn't need to know when. <S> The interviewer will likely ask what these ideas are, and you can say them. <S> If they asked how it worked out, tell them. <S> You can leave out the part where the ideas were ignored until someone else thought them up again. <A> I probably wouldn't bother. <S> If you put the ideas down in your resume, then don't be surprised and wax indignant if they get extracted from your resume and get used elsewhere without giving you any attribution. <S> I prefer to discuss my ideas at the interviews, where I can use some of them to get prospective employers interested and excited about the prospect and promise of hiring ME :)
| Rather than insist that they are 'your ideas', simply indicate that you had laid out a set of proposals that were implemented by the team. Ideas that don't get implemented don't carry any economic value. Putting all of ideas down as a one-size-fits-all could be dicey with a prospective employer if some apply to one type of situation and not to another.
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Is it appropriate to list a long-term contract job as my employer on social media? For the last 3 years, I've been working as a contractor, providing services to a large company--let's call it "XYZ". I've chosen not to become a permanent employee of XYZ because my hourly rate as a contractor is much higher than what I'd get on salary for an equivalent position. When I initially got the job, I was told that it would be a 3-month project, but due to pressing needs and my relatively rare skill set, I was kept on. Realizing that this was likely to be a long-term job rather than a quick contracting gig, and that XYZ was a much more widely known company than my contracting agency, I identified my employer as XYZ on Facebook. Over the past 3 years, I've gone through several different contracting agencies but continued to provide services to XYZ, so I've kept them listed as my employer. Is it appropriate, from an HR perspective, to list XYZ as my employer on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media? I'm not actually their employee, and don't have benefits through them, but my contracting work with them is full-time 40+ hours per week, and now seems to be indefinite. Some other Workplace.SE answers indicate that there's no problem with listing XYZ as my employer on my resume, but my social media content is more publicly available than my resume, so I'm wondering if it's appropriate professional behavior to present myself as working for XYZ, given that there's no way for me to identify it as a contract job on my Facebook profile. <Q> I use probably because if there's a problem, someone will say something to you and you can easily correct it. <S> The tricky part becomes when you look for another job, purely because more and more companies cross check resumes with social media profiles and reference checks. <S> If a discrepancy exists between these, it could get confusing and delay things at best and at worst, cast aspersions upon you. <S> I'm assuming from your question that your Facebook profile is open and public? <S> If it's not <S> and it's used purely for personal reasons, this should be fine. <S> But if it's open and public like LinkedIn is <S> , I think you need to be a little careful. <S> I've worked with long term consultants for many years in big companies and they tend to do things like "title=IT Consultant" and "company= <S> XYZ"—I think this portrays things accurately and still allows you to use the company's name. <A> I don't see why not. <S> Your paid by XYZ, you do work for XYZ and if you ever needed a reference it would be provided by XYZ. <S> As long as if anyone ever asked if you were full time employed or not, you specified that you were a self-employed contractor, currently working under contract for XYZ <S> then there's no harm. <S> You're not deliberately misrepresenting yourself because as you mention, there are no options on Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media to say that you are a contractor rather than a full time employee. <S> I think the only exception to this would be if XYZ saw that you had put your employment status as working for XYZ on your social media and asked you to change this. <S> Why they would though I can't imagine. <A> Not only is it entirely appropriate, it's also very normal. <S> You may wish to highlight that you're a contractor, but you don't have to. <S> Ultimately, semantics aside, this is the company who are in receipt of your services and there's absolutely nothing wrong with borrowing their name to highlight your credibility. <S> If you were a rocket engineer and had a contract with NASA you'd want to highlight it, wouldn't you? <S> Even if you wanted to make the job title a generic 'Consultancy Services' role, it would still be very much encouraged to name drop them. <S> People like to know where you've been and what experience you have <S> and it's generally to your advantage. <S> In addition, unless you mean you're own personal company, I've never seen anyone put the name of the agency down. <A> People use social media sites like LinkedIn to keep in contact with former co-workers, and to find new positions. <S> Your text can describe the nature of the work you did/do, but each contracting company should either be listed or use the generic term contractor as employer. <S> I wouldn't list company XYZ as my employer on either my resume, or social media. <S> You aren't an employee of Company XYZ you are an employee of contracting company ABC. <S> Frequently when you need to provide work history for a new job, they will call a toll free service who will verify that person X worked for company XYZ from start date to end date. <S> You won't be in their database of current or former employees. <S> You will be on the list of people that were given contractor access to their facility; the same as the cleaning crew, or the people that restocked the soda machine. <S> Keep in mind that in some cases you can't reveal the customer, or in some cases the customer varies but not the contracting company. <S> In my case I worked for 1 contracting company for years, but supported 3 different government agencies. <S> In government contracting the contracting company may be more well known than the customer. <A> You definitely worked for Company XYZ and Company XYZ did pay for your services, although through contractors. <S> This <S> what I would write on the resume:" <S> Company XYZ (date-range) Consultant Software Engineer Provided software engineering services ... <S> " <S> You'll tell the HR of whatever prospective employer you are interviewing with that <S> you provided consulting services to Company XYZ through a series of contractors, which you'll be happy to name. <S> That's all there is to it. <S> Prospective employers are looking for two things on your resume: (1) who you did it for, and (2) what you did for them. <S> Leave out of the resume complex/intricate details that add nothing to anyone's understanding as to who you did it for and what you did for them - You'll get your chance to include them later in the hiring process. <S> And yes, get references from Company XYZ.
| You are a contractor, which isn't a bad thing, so you should state that what you are. I think this is probably fine while you are actively working for company XYZ. It's absolutely immaterial and won't mean anything to anyone.
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Asking coworkers for help on projects they aren't assigned to I'm assigned to several projects but I don't have a true mentor at work to get constructive feedback from, or to ask questions and learn from. Since I don't have anyone assigned to answer my questions, I have to ask developers assigned to other projects when I have a question I can't answer myself, or for general guidance on how to approach a particular problem. When I ask, I often get less than helpful answers and the feeling that the other developers can't be bothered to help me, or are just too busy. While I understand that answering these questions aren't a part of their job description, they are the only people at my office I can ask for help. While I don't expect them to take the time to act as my mentor, I would like to increase the chances of getting them to support me when I do need to ask them a question. How can I ask coworkers for help on projects assigned to me that they aren't involved with when I run in to problems I can't solve alone? <Q> You are in an unfortunate situation at work. <S> The other developers should be working with you to help you get past any issues you have. <S> But since that doesn't seem to be the case... <S> Pretend that you work alone as a developer for a small company. <S> What would you do? <S> Read books. <S> Read articles online. <S> Come onto web sites (like StackExchange) and discuss issues and ideas. <S> There are hundreds of forum sites where you can discuss to your heart's content (including the StackExchange chat areas). <S> Don't let the company culture hold you back. <S> It is your responsibility to grow and learn. <S> If the others either won't or can't help you, help yourself . <A> How can I ask coworkers for help on projects assigned to me that they aren't involved with when I run in to problems I can't solve alone? <S> Basically, you are asking for a favor, and for their time. <S> Ask if now is a good time to chat <S> If this isn't a good time, perhaps another time (during lunch?) is better Explain why you need help <S> Ask your specific question(s) <S> If they are too busy or don't know the answers, ask who else would be better to talk with <S> Thank them <S> If the opportunity comes up in a different (or public) context, praise them ("Yes, boss - I wouldn't have been able to get this project done without the advice of Jane.") <S> Many people enjoy helping others. <S> (Many people contribute here at Workplace for just that reason) <S> But sometimes they are too busy. <S> Be respectful of that. <A> As someone who is a young developer, I can relate to your problem. <S> As Adam Zuckerman rightfully pointed out, you should try figuring out a solution on your own before you knock on another developers door for help. <S> It can be incredibly frustrating when a developer is interrupted when he is in the middle of something. <S> The good way to start is to solidify your skillset as a developer. <S> It will help you in the long run. <S> Long term solutions: Use your weekends to gain experience and learn new things. <S> Pick up a book or two. <S> Contribute towards open-source projects Take up classes on MOOC <S> Short term solutions: Google for help. <S> Set time constraints and take a break. <S> It's easy to spend the whole afternoon trying to debug one problem. <S> It helps to set a self-imposed time constraint, and when the clock ticks, take a 10 minute break. <S> It help you clear your thoughts and solve problems sometimes. <S> If you absolutely must as for a solution, avoid walking up to their desk or using instant messenger. <S> Drop them an email. <S> Since most developers only read emails when they have some time to spare, this may not come as an intruption to them. <A> This is good question for the new developer who are willing to get help from other developer in the same company. <S> There are situations that we can ask help from other developer but most of the time they are also busy with their tasks. <S> Just imagine when you are busy with your developing, some another new developer ask help from you to his project, do you spend time for that? <S> Probably no. <S> So we can discuss issues when they are free, in friendly manner without disturb for their works. <S> I think then you may get good response from them. <S> Other than that we should find out possible ways to accomplish our works. <S> In Adam Zuckerman answers he pointed out some good ways to solve your problems. <S> One good example if the forums. <S> There are number of users who willing to give help. <S> You may get different types of ideas by them. <S> As well as reading books, blogs and tutorials you can solve most of your questions. <S> It will give number of possible answers since you don't have to wait for the help from other developers. <A> I am fairly sure that you have a manager. <S> In general, if you identify an issue as a management issue, try to come up with a management solution for it. <S> As an aside, advice on looking things up on Google or in some textbook is going to be of no use to you if your issue is having to make sense of tightly coupled in-house code that is inadequately documented.
| Answering others questions in your spare time is another good way to improve your skills. Sites like StackExchange can be incredibly helpful in getting realtime answers. Don't ask too many questions at once Don't take up too much of their time So, escalate the issue to your manager and ask your manager to tell/mandate the developers to give you the requisite cooperation because at this point, getting the developers to cooperate with you to answer the simplest, most basic questions on the work that THEY have done is like going into the water and pulling teeth out of a Great White shark with a pair of pliers - and just as pleasant :) I would like to suggest you, first of all try to learn how to google the particular issue. The issue you have is not a technical issue but a management issue.
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My new employer wants to me to attend a meeting with their team I have accepted a job offer and currently on notice period. My notice period is 2 months and alomost one third is completed. My new employer wants to me to attend a meeting with their team for a new upcoming project. Is it is good in IT industry to attend a meeting for upcoming employer before joining? Please advice. <Q> I don't see anything wrong with this. <S> I've had to do it a few times when I've changed to different IT companies. <S> It gives you a chance to meet the people you'll be working with, find out the technologies you'll be using and get an overview of what your project will be. <S> It's not quite clear from your question, but it sounds like you're suggesting you'll be required to take time off from your current role to attend this meeting, which could be a problem. <S> You could speak to your current employers and ask if this is possible, although I wouldn't be surprised if the answer was no (although you never know without asking!). <S> If that is the case, speak to your new employees and explain this situation to them. <S> Explain that you'd love to know more about the project, but you can't take the time off. <S> They can either record the meeting for you (if the technology is available) or simply email you the minutes from the meeting. <S> They obviously are aware of your notice period as it will have been raised when they hired you, so I can see no reason this would be a problem. <S> All of this information should help prepare you for the role you're going into by giving you time to do any initial background research/reading you want to and by showing you things like the coding practices and work environment of your new company. <A> In theroy you are not an employee yet, so you are not obliged to take part, and if you take part you would theoretically be entitled to be paid for your presence. <S> But in practice it would make a good impression when you just show up. <S> It seems to be an important meeting for the project you will take part in. <S> So your presence will be beneficial for you and all future project participants. <S> But should you be unable to attend because your current employer won't let you, it will likely be understood. <A> Is it is good in IT industry to attend a meeting for upcoming employer before joining? <S> It's something I have done myself. <S> It demonstrates that you are eager to get started, excited about your new role and company, and are willing to extend yourself. <S> It's a great way to get off to a fast start. <S> Your new boss, and your new colleagues will probably appreciate it. <S> As long as you aren't expected to make any binding decisions, or to do any real work before you have fully joined, I see no downside to this - only benefits. <A> If I were you, I'd ask at what time and on what day the meeting is going to take place <S> and how long that meeting will last. <S> Because depending on timing and location - hopefully both your new and current employers are close by - you might get away with taking time off from your current employer to attend the meeting. <S> But even if the coast looks clear at the moment and indications are that you can make that meeting, something might happen at your current employer that might get you tied up in knots for all of that day when you said you were going to show up. <S> Hopefully, your new employer understands that you are making a best effort to attend but that you can't make a guarantee that you can attend. <S> Your new employer is probably operating on the principle "If I don't ask, I am not going to get" and that's fine. <S> and that's fine, too.
| It's a great thing to do, if your schedule and current contract allow for it. Give attending that meeting your best shot and if it turns out that it's not doable, it is what it is
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Gaining more time for a job offer decision I am currently applying for a new job in IT. I have an offer in city far away from where I currently live. The boss in the other city gave me a job offer a week ago. I told him that I need some time to think about it and will get back to him today. I later had another talk about a more interesting job opportunity in my home town, but I don't have an offer yet. How should I deal with this? My plan is to call the first boss (far away) to send me a contract. And ask about the progress of the application at the company in the city where I currently live. I don't want to make a decision now, if I can avoid it. Do you have any recommendations to gain more time without losing the job offer? <Q> I have told him, that i need some time to think about it and will get back to him today. <S> To me, this implies you will get back within the day with either an acceptance or refusal. <S> Therefore, if you didn't do this, and dragged the process on, I would immediately have doubts about you and whether I wanted you to join the company. <S> My plan is to call the first boss (far away) to send me the contract. <S> By all means review your contract, but bear in mind <S> they will still want a response promptly - so it's unlikely you'll be allowed a few weeks to peruse at your leisure. <S> Given your situation, I would contact the second company and basically inform them of the first company's offer. <S> Explain to them that you would prefer to work for them (it certainly sounds that way) and ask if there is any way to advance the interview process. <S> If the company wants you enough, they'll do it. <S> If they don't, they won't. <S> You need to decide how important/necessary the first job is to you. <S> You've a firm offer already - is it worth rejecting this on the glimmer of hope <S> a second company offers? <S> I think your actions thus far are fine, but you've a short time window. <S> Get in touch with the second company, determine what they're willing to do and if they don't get back to you take the job with the first company. <S> By all means ask to review the contract with the first company, but the longer you put off getting back to them, the more unprofessional it appears if you refuse them. <S> Of course, given their distant geographical location, you may not care about this - but I would never advise burning bridges with any company. <S> Be professional, be polite, be courteous and be sensible. <A> Call the manager in your city and tell the manager that you received a job offer and that you would like the review process speeded up, as you expect that you will be put under pressure to give a quick response. <S> I was sort of in your situation once <S> but I never got the answer I needed, even though I was asking only for a "yes" or a "no" Eventually, I took a guess that this refusal to provide the answer amounted to a "no" and acted accordingly. <S> Needless to say, I wasn't fond of this particular prospective employer. <S> Asking the prospective employer in the faraway city for the employment contract to review - <S> that's appropriate because you need to review he employment contract regardless of what you ultimately decide to do. <S> And the employment contract will most likely show a tentative start date. <S> That tentative start date gives you a fix on how many days you have. <S> You might call and have the start date pushed back by say a week for personal reasons - you need to get your affairs in order, just don't disclose that one of these personal affairs is a potential job offer in your city - but probably not much more than that. <A> "I later had another talk about a more interesting job opportunity in my home town, but I don't have an offer yet." <S> This is the part that stands out to me. <S> It already seems like you have doubts about the company you are going to join. <S> I feel like the worst thing you could do would be to accept the offer with the company and then find out within a year that you are dissatisfied with your decision.
| Try and get a response on the second job offer, but don't forget you've a company who have shown you clear interest and are obviously keen to hear back from you - which sounds like a very promising start for a new role.
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How to present a long period of study on your own? The question : How to present a long period of time in which you have been working on your own projects, trying out technologies and implementing things you "always wanted" to do? Context : As software developer, I quit last job because I realized I could not reach my potential as programmer there, as project quality was poor and managers had no intention of improving it. I did learn though all the technical knowledge I lacked, and decided to do something about it. That was 13 months ago, time I filled with many hours of reading and implementing, researching and playing with the new technologies. During that time, I did several things that I think are interesting in my field: a custom php framework, a project using different design patterns, etc. These practices, when studying under a program (University, paid courses, etc), look great in your resume. But when you do it on your own, it turns not to be that easy to show it as an interesting time inversion. How can these studies be presented in a resume? <Q> Let me give you the perspective of a hiring manager looking at a 13-month gap. <S> I will first wonder why your last job ended: <S> If you told me you were fired, I'd wonder for what reason. <S> And I'd look at 13 months of non-employment, and think that it must've been really bad. <S> If you told me you quit, I'd again wonder for what reason. <S> Then seeing 13 months of non-employment, I'd think you had no drive. <S> 13 months is a long time to "self-train" and "work on PHP Frameworks". <S> Was there any other reason you took this much time off? <S> You'll most definitely be asked about this. <S> Family reasons? <S> You don't want to say "I didn't like my last job, so I just quit". <A> How to present a long period of time in which you have been working on your own projects, trying out technologies and implementing things you "always wanted" to do? <S> You certainly have additional Skills/Competencies that you can list in your resume now. <S> And you could choose to have a "Personal Projects" or "Other Activities" section where these might be appropriate. <S> But I don't think I'd call attention to them as part of the reverse-chronological listing of your jobs. <S> That's a gap that you are going to have to leave vacant, and be prepared to explain during an interview. <S> It's unfortunate that you chose to quit before finding your next job. <S> As a long-time hiring manager, that's a big red flag for me. <S> And that's something I advise my family and friends to avoid whenever possible. <S> But that's behind you, so now you need to deal with it head on. <S> Your personal projects trying out things you "always wanted to do" cannot take the place of a gap in your job history. <S> And attempting to fill in the gap in your resume will likely come across as disingenuous to me, if I were reviewing your resume. <S> Hopefully, the technologies you have added will be appealing to your potential employers, and they will bring you in for interviews in spite of the gap in employment. <S> At that time, be prepared to explain why you quit, your thinking about how you chose to use the 13 months off, why you won't be inclined to quit on them, and if you now are able to learn new technologies while remaining employed. <S> That approach will best serve your interests. <A> The most honest way to present them would be to call them what they are - personal projects. <S> Get out some documentation from these projects and, if they don't already have them, give them proper names and timeframes in which you performed them, listing everything you've accomplished during that project. <S> If you don't have documentation, now is the time to make some. <S> This still isn't going to look as good as solid work experience though - you could try to play off the experience as being 'privately employed' (as I did while trying to describe side-projects I had worked on for people while looking for full-time work), but you might then be tasked to bring up your bugetary practices, and to admit that the projects were really just personal interest activities (Or were they? <S> If they were actual budgeted projects and had some business application, you could play off of that!) <S> While certified college studying is usually better to put on a resume, you can still get away with calling this "skill set development" or something similar, as an explanation for why you began these projects. <S> Try to frame it, as you have here, as recognizing key areas that you lacked proper skill in, and set out to improve through self-regulated exercises. <S> But be careful to clarify that they are improvements on job-related skills. <S> If pressed to explain why you left your previous company, you might cite work relation issues, and a desire to find a more challenging project, which sounds a little better. <S> Ultimately though, quitting any job will carry a little stigma, and you'll have to find some way to reflect that in a positive light.
| There's no shame in carrying out personal projects - and if they are relevant to your work, they are relevant to your resume. You don't want to give the impression that this was all a personal project that you quit your job for - that's the last thing an employer wants to hear their employee would do.
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How can I overcome my fear of public speaking? I am a software engineer at a top multinational corporation. I have extreme stage fright, to the extent that I cannot speak in a group. Whenever I go for a meeting, my situation is like kaato tau khoon nahi - fluttering or pounding heart, tremor in the hands and legs, sweaty hands, facial nerve tics, dry mouth, erectile dysfunction, dizziness and feeling like I have a fever. My heartbeat rises from 74 to 110. My condition is very very bad. Lots of people have stage fright, but not to this degree. Nobody in the world can be as phobic as I am. I would rather fight with a lion than give a presentation. I can't explain my fear to anyone at work. Because of the phobia, I'm considering resigning or searching for other jobs that do not require communication. I am a Java developer. I have good technical knowledge. I am a very positive and optimistic person, but because of my terrible communication, people can't see that. How can I best overcome my fear in meetings, or explain my problems to management so that I can get help? <Q> Please don't resign your job because of this. <S> That would be wasteful both for you and your company. <S> You are not alone in your fear of public speaking. <S> There is no shame in it, not at all. <S> Many people have this kind of fear, and many people learn to live with it and become fine public speakers. <S> How can you work on overcoming this? <S> There are many approaches, and you can take a few of them to work on this. <S> Here are some suggestions. <S> First, please don't be ashamed. <S> It's a common problem. <S> Second, many large companies have a confidential and free Employee Assistance Program. <S> Find out how to use that program to find a behavioral health professional to give you suggestions about this. <S> " <S> An EAP counselor can help you pursue the right ways to get help. <S> Third, there is a worldwide club called Toastmasters International dedicated to helping people like you grow in public speaking ability. <S> Investigate whether there's a local club you can join to get practice at public speaking without the high stakes of your workplace. <S> Fourth, when your performance review comes around, by all means tell your supervisor you hope to overcome your fear of making presentations and learn to do a better job at that vital skill. <S> Don't let this wreck your promising career. <S> Nobody wants that. <S> Good luck. <A> I went through 8 weeks of training in improvisational acting when I was a young adult - <S> the training was free because I was working with this theater director. <S> This training really helped me "get in the zone", stop worrying, go with the flow of the audience's reaction and think on my feet. <S> Sometimes, we did fantastically well. <S> And sometimes, we bombed so spectacularly that even our pets would have been ashamed of us. <S> Big deal :) <S> The second thing I recommend is change your attitude: stop caring if you fail, because if you stop caring about it, you'll stop worrying about it. <S> If you fail, you fail. <S> You didn't kill it this time - in fact, it killed you instead. <S> You'll kill it next time. <S> It's not going to work if you are afraid of failure. <S> I failed. <S> I am still alive and kicking. <S> So what's the big deal about screwing up, and screwing it up good, as in really, really good, so good it hurts? :) <S> Now, I have done and participated in 40 presentations where I just winged it <S> - I am not a believer in rehearsals - and I have gotten so self-confident that I hope that my friends and acquaintances boo me off the stage :) <S> By the way, the motto of the British SAS is, "Those who dare, win!" <A> My nervousness typically presents itself as shaking, heart rate increase, and weak voice. <S> Two of which are easily detectable in a public setting. <S> What I typically do is controlled breathing. <S> Know the presentation, and the topic, and try not to read off the slides. <S> Try even to make your slides sparser, so that you have a lot to say and can more easily engage your audience. <S> If you have 6 2-line bullets on each slide, your audience will be too busy reading your slides to pay attention to your words. <S> So I try to start a presentation with the stuff <S> I know really well and feel expert on. <S> If you are that way, too, starting off strong can diminish your nerves throughout. <A> Practice makes better. <S> Directed practice, in a safe environment, makes better faster. <S> There are formal courses on public speaking and presentation technique -- your company may offer some of these or be able to recommend local organizations which offer them. <S> I've also had friends swear by organizations like Toastmasters as a venue for learning and practicing these skills; I can't vouch for them personally.
| If you have to give presentations, prepare well, but you don't want to be the one reading off the slides. I find that my nervousness goes away once I feel like I'm doing well. Don't let anybody -- including yourself -- tell you you're a fool for having such fears. There are all kinds of ways of helping you, including pharmaceutical methods and also "cognitive behavioral therapy. Tell your supervisor you're in Toastmasters (if you are) and you'd like help developing that skill. I find that if I control my breathing pace and consciously control the ins and outs of each breath, my heart begins to slow down and my shakes diminish.
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I am ahead of schedule; what to do I have this simple question: sometimes I am ahead of schedule on the task (software development) that has been given to me. For example, I am supposed to accomplish a task in one month, but I finish it in about a week. So this leaves me with about three weeks of downtime... I also work in an open space. I should stress that I am not a genius or something. The people planning the task simply overestimated its complexity (it seems to happen a lot in companies that are externalizing tasks and this leaves them without the very basic technical competence to be able to say how long a given task will take). I do not like doing nothing, but I cannot tell the customer that I already accomplished my work and ask for more. I cannot tell them because I work as a contractor, not full-time staff, and there is a contract between my employer and the customer. If I tell the customer that I already did the job, he will put an end to the contract in order to save money (payments are made for each day) and this will make my employer angry. So the trade-off would be to stay at the office, waiting for the deadline to come and making sure my employer is paid by the customer for my presence. How should I proceed? What should I do in the meantime? Edit: Thank you for your answers, I accepted one. I should stress out that the employer is basically lending me, without really knowing what tasks the customer will ask me to perform. I work on customer's site, still the sole contracts are between me and the employer, and between the employer and the customer. While legally, all my work should go through the employer towards the customer and assignment should go the other way around, in practice the customer talks to me directly, the agreement of my employer being presumed (this is kinda/almost illegal, because is unlawful/hidden employment; but it goes like that and it is widely accepted in the field). The customer initiates successive tasks through kick-of meetings, when rights to access the code are granted to me for a certain time. I am not authorized to modify the code beyond the scope of the change request - as any modification has to be validated downstream/upstream by safety teams. Still, I am authorized to make propositions, and this is what I intend to do, maybe even testing an preparing an alternative implementation, and provide it along with the official one, if it works better. Please consider the question answered. <Q> Firstly, you should not contact the customer directly. <S> It's actually none of your business. <S> The customer will be really happy and come back with more work more often . <S> If your company doesn't reduce the quote, the customer may go elsewhere next time to a competitor who quotes more realistically and you'll lose the customer forever. <S> If your company doesn't want to address this, spend the time learning how to do your job better (learn new tools, languages, whatever). <S> Technically, you're still "on task", albeit at a meta level. <A> Take a break from the code (a day?) and review it. <S> Seriously, you missed something. <S> It happens. <S> Take the time to test. <S> Focus on error handling. <S> Maybe someone with the client can try it out? <S> Code Review. <S> See if someone else on another project would review your code and do the same for him/her. <S> Performance Test. <S> Try something new and compare. <S> Document some more. <S> Sorry, you didn't do enough. <S> I know many of these things were not asked by the client, but you'd be surprised that they think it's done automatically. <S> I know you don't have control of the over-billing, but you can do everything possible in the time given to produce better code. <A> 1 - Tell your boss/customer <S> Don't assume that you (or this forum) are going to have the best answer for the next priority at your company. <S> This is a radical difference in estimate, <S> so having someone walk through expectations, adjust the time schedule, and plan out the work that you can now do is necessary. <S> Also - verify with your boss, and/or the team what your checklist for "done" should be. <S> When a task takes over 50% less time than expected, I get worried that there was a disconnect between the assignee and the work planner, where more work was assumed on the planner's part than was executed on the assignee's part. <S> 2 - Finding other things to do <S> If your boss can't find something for you to do in a week, then something weird is going on.
| But while you're waiting for new work - look for things in the office that make you a better performer (like learning a new skill), helps others, or improves the tools and process. While it's true that while the task might be "done", that it can always be done better (by adding lots of automated tests of edge cases, improving the documentation, etc), if you're finishing in 1/4 of the allotted time, then your company has seriously over quoted for the job. Create automated tests if you haven't already. Bring the matter up with your manager and suggest that your company contact the customer and just say they over quoted.
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Working hours and additional hours in UK The contract that came with my job offer says: Hours of Work Your standard working week shall be 37.5 hours, exclusive of meal breaks. Your current operational hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. However, your department’s operational hours are 24 hours, 7 days per week. Your operational hours may be subject to change due to operational requirements. The nature of your employment is such that you will work whatever hours may be necessary to fulfil the duties of your post. --Additional Hours Additional hours may be necessary from time to time, in which case you will be expected to co-operate when requested to do so. For the avoidance of doubt you shall not be required to work any hours that would give rise to any infringement of any statutory provisions relating to working time. Questions: Does this mean I will only work for 37.5 hours per week, but at any time? What about overtime payments for additional hours? What does the bold font sentence mean? They didn't mention any annual salary increase in the job offer. Is it a must to list it in the contract or it is something will happen by law by default? <Q> I am not a lawyer, nor do I know a lot about the UK. <S> Here is my reading: You will usually work for 37.5 hours. <S> As Jeroen points out, the legal maximum in the UK seems to be 48 hours, and if this much is necessary, you will work this long. <S> You may be required to work your hours at any point in any given week. <S> At least this excerpt does not say anything about additional pay or time comp for overtime. <S> The sentence in bold says that you won't be required to work hours that are illegal, e.g., the 48 hours that Jeroen found as a maximum amount per week. <S> I'd assume there are also limits per day, or limits to how long you can be made to work without a break. <S> You don't have a guarantee to salary increases. <S> You will have to negotiate them, at least to a degree. <S> Fortunately, there are tons of advice on this on the internet. <A> The UK enacted European Directive 2003/88/EC into national legislation <S> "Working Time Regulations 1998" <S> governing how long you may work. <S> The snippet you posted is unclear. <S> I would interpret it to mean any 37.5 hours a week, between the hours of 8am and 6pm. <S> If they require you to be in your department from 8am to 6pm, you will accrue more hours then your 37.5 contract, which you should be able to take in lieu, by accruing whole days of vacation. <S> If there is doubt, you must clear this with your human resources rep . <S> Since your department is operational 24/7, you could be asked to work at any time. <S> The snippet doesn't say anything about overtime. <S> If overtime is not regulated anywhere in your contract, it will be regulated by UK employment legislation <S> (I'm not a lawyer). <S> The bold sentence is stating that the company will not require you to break the law. <S> By default, it's 48 hours per week ( legislation ) but as has been pointed out, this doesn't apply to 24-hour staffing which could indeed be a legal loophole. <S> If there is no provision for annual pay increase, you must negotiate this yourself - I don't think they're guaranteed by law (even at inflationary levels). <S> Be warned, though, the UK is considering its membership of the EU . <S> Should it decide to exit (nb. <S> this has never happened before), any legislation enacting European Directives could be repealed and the UK would be free to set its own working time maxima. <A> https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours/weekly-maximum-working-hours-and-opting-out <S> The law does rightly state that 48 hours is the maximum (taking into account the exceptions mentioned above). <S> Employees are able to work longer hours however have to opt out of the 48 limit. <S> This must be done in writing.
| I would interpret this to mean that you will be able to refuse to work longer than the legal maximum, which is greater than 37.5 hours.
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Pay, Hours, Environment: pick any 2 So far I have had 3 jobs in software field. And I have noticed an interesting pattern. But before I get to the pattern let me explain 3 main things I look for in a job. Pay: Getting paid slightly above current market value, or having good benefits. Hours: Not doing more than 50 hours of work per week. Environment: Being in a fun friendly environment where you feel like part of the team, and you are never bored and always have at least some kind of a task to do. This is what I have observed. My first job was in a medium sized company, and while hours and environment was great, the pay suffered. It was filled with awesome people, and I "almost" never had to work more than 50 hours each week. However they paid 10% below average market value. So after I stayed there for 20 months, I moved on to job 2. It was a very small start up. The pay was awesome (15% above what I have seen being offered anywhere else), people were one of the best I have seen. Type of work I did allowed to quickly gain a lot of skills. However working at least 90 hours each week was pretty much mandatory. The people I worked with made it fun, but I got burned out pretty quickly. Needless to say my health only held up for 16 months before doctor said quit or die. Now I am in my 3rd job for 15 months now. I work for a super gigantic corporate company. My pay kicks ass. I have best benefits, and never had to work more than 40 hours. But I am so very lonely and bored. There is almost no one to talk to, and when I have a question and even if someone sits beside me I have to email them to ask and can't ask them directly in person. EDIT: I scraped the last question I asked and will rephrase. Is it possible to find a "perfect" job where you are paid slightly above market value, you are not forced to work more than 50 hours a week, and you are surrounded with people with whom you can talk with and feel like a human being? Also I am happy with all 3 jobs, and do not regret working there at all whatsoever. This question is simply to wonder if it is possible to find something that suits my needs down to a T. <Q> Is it possible to find a "perfect" job where you are paid slightly above market value, you are not forced to work more than 50 hours a week, and you are surrounded with people with whom you can talk with and feel like a human being? <S> Yes, it's certainly possible. <S> If you haven't found that sort of job yet, you might need to re-evaluate the way you search for jobs, the way you evaluate a prospective job during interviews, the field within which you are searching, how you evaluate "market value", what your definition of "feel like a human being" is, or all of the above. <S> It's very hard to perform an effective self-evaluation. <S> We all think we are better than most everyone else (it's good to be optimistic!). <S> And what we value as necessary to "feel like a human being" may be quite different from what others value. <S> I've had many jobs which match your criteria (at least my definitions of your criteria). <S> I've only had a few that didn't. <S> Perhaps I was uniquely lucky, but I don't think so. <S> (As far as "never bored", I'm not sure that's realistic. <S> "Never" is a long time. <S> Would you settle for "seldom"?) <A> I think with most jobs it eventually gets to the point where one of those three becomes lacking. <S> And what started off as a best of all three worlds you get used to and feel like there must be greener grass somewhere. <S> All three are important, and a three-legged stool is a good example. <S> If the length on all three legs (money, people, work-life-balance) isn't right, you won't be able to sit still for very long. <S> If you don't find a balanced stool at your current job, there's no reason to stay. <S> But be wary of looking like a job hopper. <S> 1.5 years to 3 years is probably a good average tenure for an IT job. <S> To answer your question more directly: it's worth it to look for other jobs, but only you can determine if it's worth the risk of giving up the known (current job <S> and it's level of balance) for the unknown (new job). <A> While not universally true, I have found that people are generally paid what they are worth. <S> The problem for you(us) is that the company gets to evaluate that worth. <S> Understand that your goals and the company's goals won't necessarily align and when it comes to the bottom line, they will make decisions based on theirs. <S> In some ways work is a competition. <S> If you want to get paid more, you need to produce more. <S> You don't necessarily have to work more hours to do it, but at the end of the day, you need to have shown that you are more valuable than the people around you, whether that is inside your company or against industry norms. <S> Being happy at work requires effort and decisions on your part. <S> What are you willing to do to get to that happy point? <S> The company doesn't hold the responsibility for your happiness. <S> If you care about the size/makeup of the company, you need to balance that with your other desires. <S> Their are plenty of places you can be happy and plenty of places you can be unhappy. <S> You just need to understand all of the players in the game and what you can control.
| If you want to work less, then you need to be prepared to be compensated less.
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I am a fresh graduate. How can I impress my prospective employers? I am a fresh college graduate. I've been applying for jobs related to my degree. How can I "impress" my prospective employers knowing that I only have the knowledge and not the experience, yet. <Q> If your prospective employer is any good, they want to hire people who are smart. <S> get things done. <S> I suggest you work out how to tell the story of your time in college to emphasize those two traits, especially the second one. <S> Did you have a job while in college? <S> If so, write on your resume "financed 65% of my college tuition with my summer job at Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe" (or whatever is true). <S> This supports your "gets things done" claim admirably. <S> Did you do anything arguably creative while in college? <S> If so describe it. <S> For example, "In my EE microelectronics course my lab partner and I designed a solar-power hearing aid, using an innovative way of powering the transducer" (or whatever is true). <S> This supports both "smart" and "gets things done" very well indeed. <S> Did you publish anything? <S> If so, mention it. <S> "gets things done. <S> " Similarly if you worked as a teaching assistant or in some other academic role, describe it. <S> For example, "I was chosen as organic chemistry teaching assistant because Prof. van t'Hoff saw the quality of my laboratory work." <S> "smart." <S> "gets things done." <S> Here's the thing: It's unlikely you'll be able to claim stuff like "issued patent 7,987,654 for superconducting shielded power transmission cable" or anything so spectacular. <S> But to get through college you must be smart, and you must know how to get things done, even if they're standard coursework. <S> Convince your prospective employer <S> you have gotten things done, and intend to keep getting things done. <S> Tell the truth. <S> And tell your story. <A> Whether you realise it or not, you have experience. <S> Perhaps not commercial and professional experience <S> but you will have life experiences that you can relate to professional experiences. <S> Did you have a job before where you worked with others? <S> Have you ever played a team sport in high school / university? <S> Have you taken part in team building exercises, perhaps at summer camps? <S> Relating any / all of these to working within a team in a professional environment will impress. <S> An example of how to put this to a potential employer is: <S> I understand that teamwork is an integral part of what you do here <S> and I know my experience playing football will be valuable here. <S> When I played football I had to communicate closely with my teammates to ensure each play ran smoothly. <S> We worked hard to integrate well together <S> and I believe the skills I learnt about teamwork whilst playing Football would serve me well integrating with the team here. <S> Look at what your the Job you are applying for requires and then try to apply the above technique to as many points as possible. <S> Show them that whilst you lack professional experience, you have transferable skills. <S> Everyone has transferable skills to some degree. <S> It's recognising these and expounding your virtues to your future employer <A> Whatever you do, don't try to "impress" <S> - you are more likely to fall flat on your face than not because you don't know the company culture, the staff & management, the procedures and the rationale behind the procedures, the relationships the company has with its customers, vendors and service providers, etc. <S> There are very few things that people like me dislike more than uninformed criticism from the new kid on the block. <S> If your criticism is poorly founded, that could cost you your job prospects with your prospective employer. <S> The top impression you must give a company recruiter is that you are someone that the recruiter would love to work with as a colleague. <S> Employers hire on potential, especially at this stage of your professional life when you just staring out <S> and you are a (very) short track record. <S> So show them you have potential - intelligence, a well written resume, the ability to listen, coolness under pressure, team spirit, etc.
| One way to show you are aware of what is required to work in a team environment (often something employers look for in graduates) is to apply real world experiences of where you worked in a team.
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How can I ensure future coworkers do not see my break schedule as laziness? I tend to take several breaks throughout the day in order to clear my head of my work and relax (and smoke a cigarette). Typically there are 2-5 of these each day. At my current company, there are no problems since I typically am in the office at 5:45am and leave at 4pm with over 9 hours at my desk. I am taking a new short term contract position and am worried these breaks will result in my new coworkers seeing me as being lazy. I want them to understand I typically take a short break when facing a problem I don't understand. How can I ensure my new coworkers do not view my break schedule and work habits negatively after starting a new job? <Q> Is there any suggestions on how to prepare for this and to kind of test the waters in order to stay in the best light of my company while performing optimal work quality? <S> Every company has a culture. <S> Part of that culture relates to the intensity and continuity of the work, and the location, frequency, and duration of breaks. <S> As part of the interview process, it's a good idea to try and get a sense of the culture, to make sure it meets your personal needs. <S> That can be hard at times, so you might have to get your clues after starting work. <S> Early in your tenure, look to your colleagues. <S> See what they are doing, how often they break, if the breaks are formal, coordinated times, or just informal breaks. <S> In particular, note the actions of the smokers. <S> Then, join in. <S> During a smoke break with your new friends, casually ask about how these breaks are received. <S> Compare their actions to those who take fewer, shorter breaks, and which of them are high-performers. <S> Then chose your actions to best meet your goals, based on your observations. <A> Any company worth working for will understand and respect that people need to take breaks in order to work effectively. <S> It may only be for max 5 minutes, but it helps a lot. <S> It's amazing how you can get fresh perspective on a problem etc when you take a step back away from your desk for a few minutes. <S> I'd be really surprised if a company took issue with people doing what they need to do, providing you're achieving the goals set out for you. <S> Perhaps just do what you need to do and bring it up at your first 1:1 with your manager, or if they don't mention it and you're getting good feedback otherwise, keep quiet. <S> The only thing I would say is that people stepping away to smoke may get viewed in a different light to someone, say, popping away to get a glass of water or the like. <S> As stated before, I don't smoke, but I've definitely seen a shift in attitude towards smokers at work in the UK in recent years and the numbers definitely seem to be dwindling in the smoking area down near the entrance to our building. <S> Still, if popping away for a cigarette helps you clear your head <S> and the smell doesn't offend your colleagues <S> then no harm done I say. <A> Every industry, and every firm, has its own attitudes about this sort of thing, so if you don't know for sure, you should play it safe when taking a new job: <S> IMO you need to do three things in order to figure out how best to handle this: If possible, bring it up at an interview: <S> "At my previous job, Isometimes took a few breaks during the day to clear my head. <S> Theyknew <S> I was a good worker <S> so it wasn't a problem. <S> Would that be OKhere?" <S> Note: <S> This is a subject that should be taken up withextreme care - with the right person, at the right time. <S> Create some kind of track record ofproductivity, so that you won't be branded as a new slacker. <S> Observe your co-workers: What do the veterans do? <S> What isconsidered acceptable for them? <S> That will give you an idea of whatis within bounds.
| Before you start taking many breaks, establish yourself as a good,industrious worker. After a short time, you'll certainly learn how others handle taking breaks, smoking, and which of them are high-performers. I'm not sure what industry you work in, but I work as a software developer and although I don't smoke, I step away from my desk at least every hour, if only to take a walk to the kitchen to get some water, or a slow walk to the toilet etc.
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My boss wants to do personal activities together. How can I maintain work-life balance without negatively affecting our work relationship? Some background information: I've gone to the same chain of gyms for a few years now, and my boss recently joined. During last week's session, he approached me and we chatted about work and music (which is totally fine with me) but then he suggested we meet this weekend and exercise together . We have different goals, and I prefer to lift alone so I can do whatever I want (I lift pretty heavy and follow a custom routine)... And he is known for getting upset with colleagues over personal conflicts . I enjoy working with my boss, but I'm not sure I could relax with him outside of work. Additionally, I'd prefer not to use short term avoidance as the solution . So how can I keep the business and personal separate without it affecting our work relationship? <Q> My recommendation would be honesty. <S> While you can't really control 100% how someone will take it, saying "Hey, it's nice seeing you randomly in the gym, I enjoyed chatting the other day. <S> But I really like keeping my own workout schedule and working out with a custom routine on my own. <S> " is totally fair and absolutely true. <S> Keep it about you— <S> you like your own routine, you like the chance to get away from work people and work thoughts when you're working out. <S> You don't need to make any accusations about his behavior here, it's really just your preference, which is valid and justified. <S> I think you're right to not use short term avoidance, as working out is a regular enough pattern that you'd have to be clear about your preference sooner or later. <S> It's probably best to find a casual time— <S> stop by his office when he's alone and his door is open, find few minutes after a meeting when it's just the two of you - something not too loaded and formal, but not public either. <S> It was a casual invite so it can be a casual refusal. <A> So how can I keep the business and personal separate without it affecting our work relationship? <S> The reality is most people aren't asking for marriage levels of commitment in situations like this. <S> Saying "no" isn't going to crush them. <S> Simply saying, "I'm not really interested, I like to work out by myself and have done so for years" is a perfectly reasonable response. <S> Our tendency is to assume, "this person is going to hate me <S> and I will destroy their life dreams" if we tell them the truth, when in reality this is hardly the case. <S> We make it seem like saying no will cause the asker (the boss in this case) to feel rejected and upset <S> and we avoid this. <S> I have had similar situations come about because I live close to some coworkers <S> and we have a nearly 30 mile commute. <S> They have approached me about carpooling <S> and I really do not want to do so for personal reasons. <S> It's amazing how much better received " <S> hey, I'm not really interested, <S> I like driving myself" was compared to how I worried it would be... <A> He should respect that. <S> Just say to him that whilst you're fine chatting with him when you happen to bump into him you don't feel comfortable in mixing your personal and professional lives. <S> Anyone who is reasonable will accept that and simply move on. <S> There's no need for it to be a big deal. <S> Just make sure to be polite when you are talking with him and keep it focused on the fact that you want to keep the relationships separate.
| Simply be honest with your boss. You can't really control his expectations and his reaction, but as long as you can make it really clear that it's not a personal thing, is a preference about how you work out, I think you'd be OK with the majority of bosses.
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Professionalism and Rejecting Job Offers Situation: I had applied to two positions through my contacts. One which is an unlikely but awesome job in my city. Another which is less awesome (but still good) in a foreign country with messy immigration for my citizenship. I was given provisional details about the offer by the foreign firm a month ago and given that I wanted to start right away, I told them that I am interested in the job and I would like to hear their final offer along with details about relocation etc. Because of the non-standard nature of the position, I corresponded a lot with them and they tried really hard to navigate the immigration woes for me. But it still took them a long long time to get back to me even with my final offer. After a month, they gave me a final offer and a "fast pass" to visa. However, it might still take months before I get started. In this entire time, I only said "I am still interested". Yesterday, I was offered a provisional offer by the local firm. This is of course my first priority. I want to make sure I sign the documents with the local firm before I reject the foreign firm but I feel bad since they tried so hard to fix my immigration issues. Question: How do I tell the foreign firm that I've found another job which is better and I won't have to bother with tricky immigration issues? Should I tell them that I have another option and I am considering it? Or should I simply tell them I need time to make my final decision? <Q> How do I tell the foreign firm that I've found another job which is better <S> and I won't have to bother with tricky immigration issues? <S> Should I tell them that I have another option <S> and I am considering it? <S> Or should I simply tell them I need time to make my final decision? <S> You're backing yourself into a corner in your desperation to explain - as you haven't signed, you merely need to explain that after some thought you no longer feel that the job would be the right thing to do. <S> Obviously it's not ideal <S> and there's always some chance of ill feeling, but short of simply making things up you <S> really can't avoid that. <S> If you're trying to simply hold off until you check out your other job, then you either stay quiet and hope they don't expire the offer or suck it up and accept that you can't always have the best of both worlds. <S> Essentially, you need to sit down and decide which path you're going to place your bets on. <A> As with most things in the professional world, honestly and politely. <S> It seems you feel bad for the other firm for all the work they've put in trying to get you. <S> You have to do what is right for you, just as the company will do what is right for it. <S> You don't have to tell them you have another offer that is better if you don't want to. <S> You can simply tell them that you no longer wish to pursue their offer. <S> You can of course tell them you need more time to consider and put them off a little to make sure you definitely get the local job, and if that falls through go with the foreign one. <S> But once you have the local job secured, just be straight up with the foreign company. <S> Thank them for the offer but tell them after all considerations you've decided not to take their offer. <S> They'll probably ask why <S> and it's at that point <S> you can either say " I'd prefer not to answer that. " <S> or " I've taken a different job more local to me. ". <S> Whichever you choose, remember not answering them is more preferable to lying to them. <S> Just stay honest with them and you should be fine. <A> You're under no obligation to the foreign firm - neither legal nor moral. <S> You've signed nothing, and committed to nothing (AFAIK) <S> and you've acted in good faith - you weren't trying to fool anybody. <S> The foreign firm also assumes and knows all that, and they voluntarily encumbered the risk of going to the trouble of facilitating things for you. <S> Every business professional knows that nothing is set, until it's SET . <S> It's business as usual for them to try, and for you to opt out. <S> So, just be brief and cordial <S> : Thank them for their help and interest, and explain that, notwithstanding, you've decided their job is not really the right move for you. <S> Done.
| My advise to you is stay detached in these situations; don't feel guilty about having to turn down the job no matter what they've done for you.
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Is it a good or bad sign if a potential employer is willing to bend over backwards for an interview? I'm currently employed but looking elsewhere as my current position is unstable. In this search, I've found a company that wanted a very long second interview (4+ hours) that must start early - obviously cutting out a big chunk of my work day because I also lose the time driving there and back. Taking off this time would mean that I basically couldn't do any other interview during that week as I wouldn't be able to make up the hours that I would need to. Because of this time commitment to a position I wasn't highly interested in after the first interview, I passed. But, they just recently offered to give me a call to discuss the company and hopefully get a better impression, and then split the interviews up so I can make it significantly easier. That all sounds well and good. However, I'm skeptical (or paranoid). This is sending up red flags for me. I'm in a major city that is a huge center for software development, and while I feel my resume is strong, I am at about 5 years of development experience - I have no illusions that I am a unique snowflake. Basically, I struggle to believe that my own skillset is why they're so flexible about making the interview process work, and committing that much time to a candidate that only passed a 1 hour technical phone screen. Edit: To clarify, my concern is that I am surprised a company would be willing to adjust for a candidate that isn't at a senior level. I'm trying to figure out if this is either a good sign (because the company is flexible and understanding) or a bad sign (because the company is desperate for qualified employees, because of high turnover or other faults). Since I am relatively inexperienced, I'm looking to tap into the experience of more seasoned individuals to learn from their insight. Is this really a red flag, or am I simply worrying too much? <Q> It sounds like there are two things that are good signs to me. <S> They are respectful of your time restraints and willing to adapt to your needs. <S> These are qualities that I find highly attractive in a prospective company. <S> That does not mean that the company will continue after you are hired on, However, my experience is that companies that are not flexible and respectful in their on boarding process are also not flexible or respectful of your time in their day to day operations. <S> For that reason these are positives to me. <S> I would also guess that they are having trouble finding the right candidate for this position. <S> It could be that they are looking for a rare combination of skills/experience. <S> I would guess that if this is the case, based on your resume they think you may have that combination or something that they can work with. <S> It could also be that the reality of the position may not live up to the expectations of their prospects. <S> But the only way to find out is to have the interview. <S> Presumably you were interested in the position at some point. <S> If you still are I think there is little reason now not to at least try the first interview. <S> You should be able to get a feel for the company from it and make a decision at least if you are interested in future interviews. <S> In the end even if you go through all the interviews and get an offer that is not what you are looking for, or even just decide the position is not for you, there is little lost in proceeding with the interview if you are interested in making a change. <A> Sounds to me like you're worrying too much. <S> While the rest of the country may (or may not, depending on who you ask) be experiencing sluggish recovery and lingering unemployment and jobless rates, IT unemployment is extremely low or even negative (at least in my area), resulting in stiff competition for IT talent in most markets. <S> You mention that your area is a hotbed of software development, so it seems to me that it's probably pretty likely that you're in a market where companies have to compete for development talent, rather than the other way around. <S> So, with that in mind, I wouldn't see this a red flag (on its own), especially because this is certainly a situation that you don't have perfect information on. <S> They're definitely acting like they want to be as accommodating as possible to you, but that could be for many reasons, even independent of the competitive market for IT talent right now. <S> Perhaps they're starting a new project, and need to hire engineers to deliver it. <S> Perhaps someone important left recently, and they need to fill the opening. <S> Perhaps you really blew them away on the phone interview, and they recognize your potential value. <S> Or any number of other reasons that don't involve it being a bad place to work. <S> It's also very possible that you're experiencing the inverse relationship between knowledge and confidence that plagues a lot of intelligent, skilled individuals regarding your evaluation of your skillset. <S> Certainly, you should try to feel out the interviewers for why they're so accommodating, and maybe do some research on your own, like finding a developer or two that work there and taking them out for a meal (in exchange for information about the company), but this is good advice, regardless. <S> Due your due diligence, but definitely don't let the fact that they're eager to accommodate you scare you off. <S> After all, what's the alternative? <S> Working for someone who won't accommodate you during the interview process? <S> That sounds like a serious red flag for a bad workplace. <S> If they won't accommodate you while you're interviewing, what are the odds they'll be accommodating once you accept? <A> However, in your case they are only being flexible for a good candidate, not "bending over backwards". <S> It's a 4 hours interview, which is hard to do for an employee already working, and most of the good candidates are employed while interviewing. <S> And 5 years of experience cannot be considered "inexperienced", you are a valuable candidate. <S> You are not an Ace in the deck, but J or Q at least. <S> Enjoy. <A> If it's the sort of job that makes sense for you, you should perceive a four hour interview as something fun where you'll get to do all sorts of new, interesting and challenging things. <S> If you feel as though it would be a hassle, then why would you even consider the job in the first place? <S> Do something you want to do instead.
| Conversely, the fact that this company is accommodating to you now is a positive indication that they might be similarly accommodating to their employees, and not just their potential employees. They must think that your qualifications make it worth the extra effort for the chance to have you add you to their team. Yes, it's usually a bad sign if the company bends over backwards.
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Should a departing employee offer (unsolicited) feedback to the company? I am a software engineer for a Scandinavian company. I recently accepted a new position at a different company and will leave my current job in the next month. I have great respect for the senior leadership of this Scandinavian company, but my reasons for leaving are, first, due to the company's lack of interest to invest in in-house software engineering, second, because I want develop different types of software, and a distant third, because I think my current boss is dishonest. This company does not conduct exit interviews, and I do not have any history of speaking to the senior leadership directly as this company follows a regimented "chain of command." Should I write these senior leaders and provide them with feedback on the job, or just let it go? <Q> In general, the advice I've always heard from everywhere is that whether in an exit-interview an informal conversation, or even in an a situation like yours where advice isn't being solicited, the best course of action is to say as little as possible. <S> Basically say nothing of note, and avoid specifics. <S> Especially when the case is that you're leaving for a better (or more suitable/compatible) offer elsewhere, the best thing to do is just say that. <S> It's honest, vague and not going be taken as offensive or negative. <S> The reason for this advice to generally say nothing is because you're in a situation where you have nothing to gain, but could potentially burn your bridges or hurt your reputation if you say something negative, or something you say is perceived negatively, or someone takes offense at it. <S> In the best case, you gain exactly nothing, and in the worst case, you hurt yourself... so from a cost/benefit or risk/reward perspective, the math on this type of situation is incredibly easy, and overwhelmingly in favor of saying nothing. <S> Write up what you want to say now, stash it somewhere safe, and come back to it in a few months. <S> If you still want to send it off, you can (of course, keeping in mind that you don't want to say things that would personally identify you, or come off like you're bashing the place or any person in particular). <S> But again, since you have nothing to gain from sending off your anonymous correspondence, I would advise against it. <S> Writing it out anyway can be a helpful exercise in introspection and may even be cathartic, <S> so just gathering your thoughts is not a bad idea. <S> Sitting on it for a while gives you time to make sure you're not acting out of emotion, the passage of time helps anonymize you, and you also get more time to consider whether it's really a good idea to offer feedback to your former employer. <S> (I've gone both ways, myself, but choose not to offer significant feedback the vast majority of the time, for what that's worth.) <A> I wouldn't offer any specifics in an email. <S> Without a face to face conversation, whatever you say could be taken negatively. <S> I would email either Sr manager or preferably the HR department and suggest they conduct exit interviews. <S> You have a lot of feedback to offer and they "should" want to know about it. <S> You want to develop different kinds of software-it is what is-no hard feelings. <S> Not sure how your boss's dishonesty affects the company, but there seems to be some things in place that prevented you from saying something while being employed. <S> Maybe senior manager instructs him/her to lie? <S> Regardless, emailing people you have no previous experience communicating with is very difficult. <S> You don't want to be seen as being out to get your boss. <A> I find it's better to discuss feedback in review meetings before it comes to switching jobs. <S> But not unsolicited feedback on your way out is like breaking up with someone and telling them all of the things they should change about them self. <S> You are moving on, they can too in what ever direction suits them. <A> You have nothing to gain from being hard-nosed in an exit interview. <S> After all, you are leaving this company behind. <S> Their problems cease being your problems the moment you say "goodbye." <S> You want to (1) work in a company with a stronger in-house team, and you want to (2) work on different types of products. <S> Those are perfectly good and common reasons to take a new job. <S> If they ask, you can explain briefly and politely. <S> Otherwise, don't say anything. <S> You want to (3) get away from a manager because you believe he's dishonest. <S> Some comments about this: You probably are not the only person at the company who believes this. <S> Therefore, your information will probably not help the company much. <S> If you say anything about this, they will remember you for saying those things, not for the work you did. <S> You gain nothing by talking about this. <S> Choosing to be a "whistleblower" is a significant, life-altering, choice. <S> If you do choose to speak up about this, read about "whistleblowing" first. <S> In my opinion, your best choice is to say nothing, and certainly nothing about the dishonest manager.
| If you're really interested in leaving feedback or suggestions for whatever reason (Which again, is not recommended), the best way to do it is anonymously. If everyone is working together to make the company better, it's great to give each other feedback.
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Is it unprofessional to bring lunch to a meeting? Every so often I have days that are very busy with no time to take a proper lunch. When this happens, I usually end up bringing my lunch to a meeting and eating while other people talk. These aren't lunch meetings (usually around 1 or 2pm), and I'm typically the only person who has brought food. This got me wondering if I was committing a faux pas without realizing it. So my question for you all is this: Is it unprofessional to bring lunch to a meeting? <Q> This is almost impossible to answer without being there, but I'll try and give some guidance from my Point of View: <S> Is it ever acceptable? <S> Absolutely - we've all got to eat and, despite best efforts and 'official guidance', sometimes our days conspire against us. <S> And some meetings certainly have a food culture - I used to have a 9 - 12am Friday morning meeting, and we'd always grab breakfast at around 10:00am. <S> Is it ever completely unacceptable <S> I'd suggest it's never acceptable if there are clients, customers or senior (in comparison to yourself) colleagues in the meeting. <S> Also, I hope it goes without saying - but it should never done with "anti-social" foods. <S> I.e, smelly foods, messy foods, hand food (Excluding sandwiches) <S> How do I mitigate the risk? <S> Following the culture is always the first rule. <S> If your boss brings food, then that's almost always a cue that it's fine. <S> You state that you're the only one, so this in itself is a warning sign. <S> Ask others and excuse yourself. <S> If this is truly a once ever [x] meetings thing (Where x is a reasonably high number), then I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a bit of understanding. <S> Especially for a 1:00pm meeting. <S> It also depends on the formality of the meeting - <S> an informal catch-up with colleagues on your team is a world away from a formal board meeting. <S> In summary, however, if you're the only one doing it and these meetings don't fall into your local definition of "lunch time", then I'd suggest you avoid doing so. <A> Generally, in most workplaces where I have worked, if a person is working completely through lunch (When the other attendees are not or lunch would be provided), the other meeting attendees will be understanding if you eat your lunch, but only if you explain that you have had back to back meetings and ask if it is ok. <S> I have seen a lot of people do this through the years and have never seen a group say no. <S> If you don't mention it and just pull put your lunch and start eating, that would often be considered rude. <S> It is also a good thing to ask if you have to eat your lunch during a conference call. <S> In general though, I do not accept meetings that are during my lunch hour, I suggest a different time unless the issue for the meeting is quite critical. <S> If you block off lunch as a meeting on your calendar, you will get far fewer meeting requests at that time. <A> Any work environment that allows/accepts scheduling meetings through the lunch hour, should be tolerant of people eating during meetings. <S> Personally, I try to avoid these scheduling messes, but I don't control my schedule and our working culture is very flexible with calling meetings. <S> I have never had anyone complain about me bringing my lunch to a meeting, in fact, most times the reaction is sympathy for my schedule that day. <S> You should be cognizant of who will be in your meetings and the subject, and try to bring your lunch to the meeting where you will have the least interaction and fewest higher ups. <A> I have a completely different list of what makes it acceptable or not. <S> It's unacceptable, if: It makes noise. <S> It can spill. <S> It smells. <S> It's acceptable if in the meeting you are a consumer. <S> If you're supposed to answer questions during the meeting, making everyone wait until you finish chewing before every question is exceptionally rude. <S> If you have so many meetings where you're a consumer that you regularly eat during the meeting, then you can improve your standing by getting rid of, or streamlining, these meetings - this will help your reputation far more than eating during such a meeting could ever harm it (unless your food makes noise, smells, or spills). <A> I think it can be acceptable but first and foremost the person taking food should inquire as to whether it is OK to do so, instead of assuming. <S> IMO it's a common courtesy but as already mentioned, some cultures have different tolerances. <S> I am in the UK and this sort of behaviour (I believe) is generally frowned upon. <S> This casual and arguably disrespectful 'attitude' irks me more than the food itself. <S> I have an employee who brings food to our regular, scheduled, team meeting and has not thought it necessary not to ask. <S> Last time he was late to the meeting as well as he was preparing his 1st breakfast. <A> Just to follow on from the two excellent answers so far, what hasn't been mentioned is WHAT you are having for lunch <S> There is a difference IMHO between eating a ham sandwich during a meeting and pulling out a bowl of extra spicy curry with some rice and naan breads.
| However, I agree with some of the comments above (e.g. that a snack can generally be OK) but it depends on the meeting or if you are taking a pre-planned working lunch etc. Eating behavior and expectations has many cultural differences, so it will be hard to answer your question without being familiar with your culture. It's something I've certainly done, especially with last minute meetings. I also don't think anybody would look twice if you bring a drink and some sharing food such as cookies or doughnuts etc. I would say that consideration to other meeting attendees is paramount
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How can a new manager deal with a report who is not productive and has communication issues? I work in a small start up and have recently been made a Team Lead. I have some developers working for me; a product manager, a scrum master and a QA engineer. The job is largely going well but there have been a couple of issues with the QA engineer recently. He leaves a lot of testing until the last minute - resulting in a deluge in bugs the day before a given piece of code is supposed to go live. Additionally, he is unfocused at work - often yawning, stretching, having to be prompted to attend each meeting, being unable to remember what he's working on and what he should be working on and he misses a lot of issues too, often giving code the OK when there are some problems with it that he should've caught. Most frustratingly of all though is his communication. A conversation that in my opinion should take a few seconds can often end up lasting minutes, his thoughts are muddled and he often goes off on huge tangents, usually about technical details of the testing framework he's using. It takes me often considerable effort to try to understand what he's saying. Given that I'm new to management of any sort, I expect this to be at least partly an issue with me. Regardless: What actions should I take to get this employee to improve his performance? <Q> As a new leader you should not just start by just wading in with the club of accountability, just because you perceive he is not upto it. <S> Your are responsible for turning his performance around, that is your job as a leader. <S> You need to build a relationship and try and understand reasons behind those symptoms ? <S> It starts with empathy.... <S> Is he just slack ? <S> disengaged due to some personal reasons ? <S> or not supported by the team <S> (pretty often we see teams putting too much pressure on QA towards the end of a sprint or delivery cycle) -Engage with him in an informal setting and put your observations across (only as observations and not as points,yet). <S> -Share <S> with him what expectations do you have him from his role (do your home work and be absolutely clear with your expectationsfirst) <S> Do you see the gap (between your expectations and his performance) ? <S> -Make <S> him see the gap , through examples, observations again in a private 1:1 setting. <S> -Work with him to come up with a plan (specific, measurable goals) , and then continuously support him and work on his side(maybe <S> have daily 5 minute catch ups with him to check how is hedoing) to implement the plan <S> If still , he does not improve then sure it is time to issue an "official" signal and putting him under performance management <S> orwhatever equivalent term is in your org before he gets fired. <A> What really helps, especially for a new manager, is to communicate openly with your direct reports. <S> Initially weekly, then bi-weekly and then monthly. <S> I've also had all kinds of staff- <S> the middle performers will improve a lot with a slight push, but the low performers, similar to the one that you mentioned, may eventually have to be disciplined. <S> But don't take this step without discussing all your concern points with him. <A> The QA guy reports to you. <S> You have the prerogative as a manager to expect that his reporting is on point. <S> No meandering. <S> No tangents. <S> Just straight, thorough answers. <S> If he unfocused, ask him "what do you want to tell me?" and have him itemize what he has to tell you. <S> If he starts meandering, cut him off and bring him back to the fork where he started meandering. <S> Have him give you status reports regularly, several times during the day if necessary. <S> Make your questions as repetitive as possible - you are making an effort to make your questions fair, straightforward and predictable because remember: you are training him to report to you. <S> "What are you working on?" <S> "When do you expect you will be done?" "Do you have any questions for me about what I want?" <S> "Are you on track?" <S> "What issues are causing you delay?" <S> Again: the keywords you want to go by are "simple", "straightforward" and "predictable". <S> Fairness to the staff starts with you and your expectations being predictable. <S> You don't need long and extended answers but you have to have clear, actionable answers on which you can base your decisions. <S> The most basic rule of management is that there should never be any surprise or miscommunication about what you want and expect. <S> If he says he is going to do something, follow up on his promise to you as tightly as a flea hangs on to a dog. <S> Don't let him get away with unkept promises. <S> Or work that gets "done" at the last minute. <S> The QA guy has the power to make all of you look like chumps, simply by failing to do his job. <S> Don't let him exercise that power.
| You are going to have to train him to give you reports in the style you want them given. I have seen much improvement in my staff's performance when I started 1:1 meetings with each of my direct reports. If you feel more comfortable, you may request help from HR, who can also be a witness in the this meeting.
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How to add task improvement/efficiency in a resume? I am about to finish a semester internship and looking for the right way to highlight the results of a software that I wrote. In a nutshell, I automated a task that would take around 6.5 hours for an average employee to complete. It now runs in 20 minutes by using Java. I've been thinking of various ways to highlight this on my resume. Here are the possible scenarios: Automated a manual task that took 6.5 hours to 20 minutes. Improved efficiency to 95% when retrieving data from various DBs X Task runs 19 times faster than before I'm not sure what the proper metrics are to use when measuring how you improved a process. You can talk about efficiency being 95% (370mins/390mins). You can also talk about the percentage difference between 20 minutes and 390 mins which is 180%. You can also talk about how much faster it is when compared to the old process (19 times faster or XXX% faster)... How can I show that work in a resume? <Q> I know this is an old post but for future jobseekers... <S> I disagree with the story from O.Jones. <S> It's weaker than the simple line: <S> "I automated a task that would take around 6.5 hours for an average employee to complete. <S> It now runs in 20 minutes by using Java." <S> You won't even need the rest of the numbers (95% efficient, runs 19x faster... <S> yo can save that for the interview) <S> I gain so much info from the one above line. <S> Just tweak it, like, "Automated a task using Java...then the numbers in a bullet" It's strong. <S> The % amount of time saved is obvious. <S> Other facts stand out: Initiative, problem solver, team oriented,technical, etc. <A> I have added savings like this in terms of FTE s (Full Time Equivalents). <S> When you talk about saving 1/5 of an FTE on a process, that means that 1 day of 1 person's time has been shifted to some other task. <S> That's a very serious savings on personnel costs. <S> I would highlight any time that I had in excess of 1 FTEs savings. <S> That will get any business person's attention quickly. <S> If you don't know about FTEs, but do know about money, use that instead. <S> Something along the lines of " Saved the company $1.2 million USD over the course of 2 years " will also turn heads. <S> Whatever you do, don't exaggerate or inflate the numbers. <S> They will be confirmed. <A> You're asking about what to put on your resume, not what to put in a term paper about your internship. <S> The point of a resume is to get an interview for a job. <S> You can talk about efficiency metrics in your interview. <S> Keep it simple and tell the story. <S> Try something like this <S> : I created a Java Servlet web application to guide users through setting up an account in Oracle for a new customer. <S> It improved accuracy, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced the time required from the sales administrator from 6.5 hours to twenty minutes. <S> Now look: this isn't your story. <S> I made it up. <S> I don't know your story. <S> But you do. <S> This is a species of elevator pitch. <S> If you don't know what an "elevator pitch" is, look it up. <S> It's a vital workplace skill.
| My point is this: in one or two sentences you can tell what you did, what technology you used, mention who your users are and describe the benefits to them and to the company hosting you as intern.
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Our time card punch clock is almost exactly 2 minutes behind the actual time of day. Is this bad? Is there some way that my employer is somehow benefiting from the time card punch clock being 2 minutes behind everybody's desktop and phone clocks? <Q> I will assume you use the same clock when you sign in and when you sign out. <S> So whatever you lost when you signed in will be gained when you sign out or vice versa. <S> The only warning sign would be, if the clock is showing another wrong time when you leave. <S> If it's always late by the same amount, that's ok. <S> After all, it should measure how much time you spent, not the exact minute you got in. <A> It is extremely likely that this is just a mistake or oversight by your employer. <S> I can't imagine 2 minutes of your time being worth a terrible amount to either you or your employer, especially since it's only for once a day. <S> You could simply bring it up to your manager, and he or she will likely fix it. <S> Worst case, nothing is changed, and you can feel free to show up to work 2 minutes later than you normally do. <A> Probably just an oversight, but it depends on how your worktime is calculated. <S> If its between punch in time to punch out time, then it doesn't matter. <S> However I have worked at a place where you were supposed to start at 06:00 and the official workday started then. <S> Punching in at 05:58 meant you worked two minutes for free. <S> In this situation, the company could, in theory at least, stand to gain from an incorrect time. <S> 2/60 <S> * avg hour pay <S> * employees at company * workhours a day <S> * workdays per year, this could amount to a significant number. <A> Is there some way that my employer is somehow benefiting from the time card punch clock being 2 minutes behind everybody's desktop and phone clocks? <S> There are two ways that it could benefit an employer. <S> For the purposes of this post, "reality" is defined as the time that it actually is, if you look on a time-synchronized smartphone or on a computer whose time is synchronized regularly with an outside server. <S> If the timeclock is not consistently two minutes behind, it is shady on the side of the employer. <S> (for obvious reasons) <S> This is because, when you arrive, it will be based on the "reality" timeframe, meaning you'll arrive in the "work computer" timeframe two minutes ahead. <S> If you leave work in the "work computer" timeframe, you'll actually be leaving two minutes early. <S> If the timeclock is the one that is off, and the work computers reflect "reality" time, then there isn't really anything to worry about. <S> (barring picky managers wondering why you're "leaving early")
| If the timeclock matches reality and the computers are two minutes ahead, then the employer could benefit, and it is more likely that this is unbeknownst to the employer.
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How To Answer the Infamous Salary Questions It seems that almost every employer I've interviewed with has asked me the following 2 questions: What is your current salary? What compensation are you looking for? A potential strategy might be to answer one of those questions and not the other. For example, not telling them what compensation I'm looking for could leave their offer range more open than accidentally low-balling myself. They could then base the compensation off of the info provided as to what I'm currently making. On the other hand, I could say that I'm not comfortable telling them what I'm currently making. Then, I can specify what I'm looking for without limiting myself to an increase based off my current salary. How should I answer (or not answer) these two questions based on the fact that I believe based on my salary research that I am underpaid at my current company? <Q> " I prefer not to discuss my previous salary. " is the way to answer the first question. <S> What I do make right now has no bearing on my worth beyond what my current employer <S> and I have agreed to. <S> There are more diplomatic ways to say the same thing. <S> The whole point is I am trying to get the best salary for the work the company wants me to do. <S> " What is the budget you have for this position? "* is how I start the actual negotiations into salary. <S> If the interviewer is insistent that I provide the first number, I will. <S> Somewhere toward the high end of the range I am looking for. <S> *Suggested by a friend of mine. <S> This is the strategy I have used successfully many times in the past. <S> I don't expect it to work for anyone else. <A> What is your current salary ? <S> xxxxx but <S> this is below industry standard as per research(here us the proof...) and is one of my reasons to be looking for a change. <S> What compensation are you looking for ? <S> *XXXXX + 25 , because then i'm aligned with the industry levels & will feel incentivised enough to make the switch as it enables me to forget about salary being a worrying factor at the next job <S> The employer's response at this stage will tell you a lot about whether they are fair towards your situation or are disadvantaging you during negotiations by basing their offer on your already existing low salary (rather than what the industry should pay). <S> Note that your "research" on what you deserve to be paid need to be solid too ! <A> How should I answer (or not answer) <S> these two questions based on the fact that I believe based on my salary research that I am underpaid at my current company? <S> These are both common questions, and while it may be uncomfortable, you do need to be prepared to answer. <S> Declining to answer interview questions is usually a way to miss out on the job. <S> What is your current salary? <S> This one is easy. <S> You tell them your current salary. <S> And you indicate that you feel you are currently underpaid. <S> What compensation are you looking for? <S> This is a question you can handle several ways. <S> Most times, I've just finessed the question and indicated "I'm open to reasonable offers." <S> But then, I haven't gone into interviews feeling that I was ever significantly underpaid. <S> If you take this route, you have already indicated that you are underpaid and want more, but you are leaving it open for them to decipher what "reasonable" means. <S> Be prepared for pushback. <S> You may still need to give them a number. <S> Or, you can be bolder. <S> You can just say "I feel that I'm worth X". <S> This puts the onus on you to determine which X is high enough to meet your needs, but not too high so as to be unreasonable for this employer. <S> You are the one who is guessing what "reasonable" means here. <S> If your X is too high, you may be considered too expensive, and thus not be offered the job. <S> Either way, go into the interview with a very clear idea of the minimum you would need to receive in order to accept this position. <S> Be prepared to be offered a bit less than you might want, while still being at least as much as you need. <A> I would also not proceed if they couldn't give me a budgeted range as well. <S> Using this information, I could make a determination whether it is worth it to proceed. <S> You probably won't low ball yourself, if you do your homework. <S> The issue by giving your current salary/history is that the company could use that number against you. <S> In other words, they could not do their own independent analysis of how much the market for a particular job pays and how much the job at hand is worth to the company. <S> There are many variables at play in a salary.
| I would not answer the current salary question, but would be willing to discuss what I would like to make. I was in the same situation ,I answered both questions and was completely honest with the prospective employer.
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How can I turn a "do more mentoring" objective into a something SMART? I am writing objectives for one of my developers at the moment and we want him to take on some of the mentoring of a more-junior developer, partly as a means of increasing his seniority and partly because mentoring benefits both parties, so he'll learn something from the experience too. The team in question is relatively small and they are going to be meeting regularly to peer-mentor and walk through project show-and-tells, for example, so how he might achieve this objective isn't too much of an issue. The problem I'm having, though, is that I'm struggling to work out how to make such an objective be measurable — in the sense of SMART objectives . What sort of criteria would people here use in order to measure the success or failure of an objective around "having a greater input in the mentoring of junior members of staff"? <Q> The answers so far suggesting X number of meetings are not very specific, which is required by SMART. <S> At best you're measuring how many meetings have taken place and not whether the meeting actually accomplished anything. <S> Feedback is more specific, but it is not likely to be accurate if the mentors are liked by the developers being mentored. <S> The results might be similar to students rating teachers. <S> Do the developers being mentored have SMART goals related to the walk through project show-and-tells? <S> They should. <S> How about getting the mentor to describe in her SMART goals specifically what she will do to help each developer achieve his goals. <S> This could / should obviously be different for each developer and therefore the mentor would have different goals too for each developer. <S> A concrete example, but not related to project show and tells. <S> Let's say Sarah has the SMART goal of: show five examples of js prototypical inheritance used appropriately in your own code within the next month. <S> Appropriate use will be determined by a senior developer. <S> Sarah's mentor Billyboy could then have goals such as Explain <S> one example each of appropriate and inappropriate js prototypical inheritance with Sarah by next week <S> Create four quiz like questions around the Douglas Crockford chapter from Javascript The Good Parts and review <S> answers etc. <S> I don't think the above is a perfect example, but I hope you get the idea: you need to decide specifically what it is you are hoping to achieve with the mentoring before you can measure it. <S> And one final idea, since mentoring is very much like teaching <S> I wonder if you could draw from that discipline? <S> What are effective ways of measuring teachers? <A> There are two approaches (IMO) to Measurable. <S> Self Recording. <S> That is, the person has an aim of running X mentoring sessions with Y members of staff - and they simply records the number that they did. <S> Feedback. <S> Implement a feedback system (even a Google Doc or email will do) and have the Measurable as "I will receive feedback from 3 junior staff members. <S> The average score for my performance will be 7 / 10" <A> If you're recording time spent on tasks, and can categorise some of those tasks as "mentoring", then you could have a target of "at least 5 hours a month" or "spend 5% of project time mentoring" or similar, that you can then track via timesheets/agile tools. <A> Based on your stated goals in the first paragraph, increasing seniority and both parties learn, I'm not sure you can make this a SMART goal for exactly the reason you are struggling. <S> How do you intend to measure "increasing his seniority" and how do you determine that any improvement is based on the mentoring? <S> How will you measure the learning from both parties and you determine whether the success or failure is because of the mentor, the mentee or the pairing? <S> There are so many influences in a team work setting that influence <S> the how and the what of our work, the mentor, another developer on the project, the developer who sits next to you, etc. <S> The challenge for you in making a SMART goal from the mentoring will be determining how to measure the exact impact of the mentoring while excluding the impact of all of these other factors. <S> Having said all that, I still think it is a good idea to do mentoring for all of the reasons you stated. <S> Having been both a mentor and mentee at various stages of my career, I believe this is an excellent way to help work new members into the team. <A> The unfortunate thing about SMART is that it encourages people to believe that all worthwhile endeavors are objectively measurable. <S> Not everything is like that. <S> I think that "mentoring effectiveness" is one of those things that is ALWAYS going to be intrinsically subjective. <S> Perhaps the best course of action is to keep it simple: ensure that meetings are occurring and chat with the mentees. <S> You can then judge SUBJECTIVELY if the person is diligent and effective about their mentoring. <S> Yes, it does mean that the person has to be likable and someone who can relate to the mentees. <S> The mentor relationship is something that is personal and different for each person-- you can't put a score on it.
| When I've had goals like this, I have used feedback from staff as a measure of improvement, as other answer mentions, but you could also use a measure of time.
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What do I say if my manager asks me if there is someone in the company I would rather not work with? As I was meeting with my manager the other day, he asked me who in the department I looked up to, besides my mentor. I named several people. Then he asked me if there was anyone in the company I would rather not work with, or that I would be happy if they just left. Now admittedly I don't enjoy working with all my coworkers equally, but under that kind of pressure I honestly couldn't think of anyone I wanted to call out. So instead I told him that one person I really did not like working with had already left, which was true. He still seemed to want to know about someone who was still working at the company, though. I'm wondering if it is related to performance evaluations coming up. I wanted to be honest, but I also was hesitant to throw anyone under the bus even though some of my coworkers are less deserving than others. I was also afraid that by criticizing others I could make myself look bad. I have a good relationship with my manager and am confident it was not a trap, but it felt that way. How can I answer a question like that truthfully but politely (and ethically!), and with a minimum of damage to other coworkers' careers? <Q> You can make it about you, plural or the interaction more than about the other person . <S> Some (approximate) examples of things I have either said (as an employee) or heard (as a manager) include: <S> "Alice and I seem to have very different styles of interactions; I find her pushy while she finds me too reticent. <S> She works great with Bob <S> and I work great with Carol, so it's not a problem with either of us on our own -- but something about the two of us makes for frustrating interactions. <S> " <S> "I like David but for some reason he doesn't seem to like me much. <S> I don't know what that's about, but all else being equal, it might be better for us not to work closely so he doesn't get aggravated. <S> " <S> "Ellen is an early-morning person and I prefer to get routine tasks out of the way first <S> so I can focus on harder work in the afternoons. <S> One of us could change our routine if we were working together, of course." <S> (Implied: "... <S> but we don't want to".) <S> "Fred is smart and I sure could learn a lot from him, but I have a lot of trouble understanding his accent and I can tell he's self-conscious about it, so pair-programming doesn't work as well as stuff that can be done via email/wiki/IM/etc." <A> It's fair to ask "why are you asking?" <S> Performance reviews may be a reason, or they may be replanning who is on what team, or trying to figure out a team leader for a new project. <S> There's plenty of reasons to ask - he may even be touching base. <S> But particularly when there's an attempt to probe for a final answer, you're fair to say "with respect to what, exactly? <S> " <S> It's also fair to say the truth - you don't like speaking ill of others when the issues between you are (I assume) <S> somewhat minor. <S> If you had such a problem with a coworker that you couldn't do your work, you'd be be bringing the problem up in meetings with your boss -- so the problems can't be that bad. <S> It's also fair to say that where everyone is a mixed blessing (being human and all), that you'd love some better insight than just "people who you are least compatible with" - for example, I have some great colleagues who I'd never want to work for. <S> And I have some colleagues who are great team players, but very bad at certain elements of the work, while great at others. <S> So I'd pick them for one task and make sure that they had serious mentoring for another. <S> From there, I really love Monica's insights on how to relay interaction issues - focus on the issue, not the person. <S> And short and sweet. <A> To me this sounds like there may be an upcoming organization change <S> and he wants to place you best, OR there is a pending reduction in force. <S> I suspect the latter is more likely. <S> Your manager is fishing for feedback to support his decision, which he has probably already made. <S> This is a rather unfair position to put people in, but one that is rather common. <S> As a senior developer I have frequently been asked by my manager to evaluate other members of my team. <S> Honesty is best, also asking your manager frankly as to why he is asking the question may help you answer fairly. <A> I think it’s fine to say that there isn’t anyone at the company you’d rather not work with, <S> if that’s true. <S> I wouldn’t be afraid to say that just because your manager prompted you again after you said there wasn’t anyone. <S> The manager may well be aware that speaking ill of co-workers feels awkward to you, and may have just been trying to make you feel like you didn’t have to hold back out of politeness.
| You might be really happy with all of your colleagues, or at least happy enough that you wouldn’t want any of them to lose their job just to make you slightly happier. You can also soften it by saying something positive about the other person.
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Is it appropriate to leave a company in the middle of small and large projects? I have been at my job as a Jr. Developer for about a year an half and it is now time for me to leave and find work closer to home. I am in the middle of a smaller project, one I should have finished in a month or so, and about to start a rather large project that will last at least the rest of the year. If I leave before the smaller project is completed it would not create that big of a headache for the company as the software should be fairly simple for any other developer here to finish off. On the other hand, the large project is a complete system upgrade of 14 remote locations. I will be working on this project with 1 other person, who is the ONLY other person that could work on this project. Part of the job description when I was hired was to be the backup for the guy I will be working with. With the knowledge of how large this project I am about to start is, and the fact I am currently the sole developer on my smaller project. Is it appropriate to leave after the large project has started or should I find some way, appropriate and ethical, way of either backing our or delaying the start of this large project? <Q> There will never be a time when you aren't in the middle of a project. <S> You need to leave when you get another job and not worry about the company. <S> They can hire a replacement. <S> The company won't worry about your needs if they decide to make you redundant. <A> It is honorable that you feel compelled to finish a project or to not start a bigger one before you leave. <S> However, you really do not owe the company anything. <S> One thing that I have learned over the years is that no one is irreplaceable. <S> This goes from the CEO down to the janitor. <S> So don't feel guilty about leaving. <S> You should however, do everything you can to finish that small project up if you find other employment before you finish. <S> There may be hurt feelings <S> when you turn in notice, it has happened to me, but you should always look forward and when looking back on your time with this company remember all the good work you did, not necessarily how you left things. <A> It is totally within your rights and within reason to leave your job when you feel compelled to do so (whether that is for personal or professional reasons). <S> Professional etiquette centered around leaving a job is a very tricky subject. <S> Bottom line, you must do what is BEST for you. <S> Here are rules that I follow to protect myself when leaving a company: <S> Do <S> NOT give your official, written notice until 10 work days before your last day (just in case something with your new job offer falls through such as a background check). <S> Do <S> NOT notify your employer that you are job-seeking under any circumstance if you fear any type of negative repercussions. <S> If you do not fear repercussions and feel obligated to divulge that you are attempting to leave the company, only do so AFTER you have secured an offer -- and do <S> NOT notify them in writing except for the official 10 day notice (this usually will allow the employer an extra week or two to start the process of finding your replacement). <S> These three steps are simply to protect you in the case you are unable to secure an offer as quickly as you may have thought. <S> In regards to your other concerns if you want to "do right" by your current employer: Try your best to complete the small project. <S> If you are not able to complete it, provide reasonably complete documentation with a list of remaining tasks. <S> In either case, leaving behind solid documentation will be very valuable to the company. <S> If you do not secure new employment before the large project starts, then give full effort to keep documentation on everything you do on the new larger project so that the hand-off to your replacement will be easier. <S> Your company will greatly appreciate any documentation you produce that helps in the transition.
| You should never feel guilty about this if it is the best decision for your personal situation or for your career.
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Is lowering employee's self-esteem a practised management technique? I'm wondering if consciously making employees doubt their abilities or value, is a technique that some managers actively practise. I can imagine that this might be a good technique in certain contexts. Clearly for a high achieving company like Google, the company simply wants the best talent possible, and it's best to keep the employees happy and motivated. However, for a company that: Is on a tight budget. Requires smart people, but the work is mundane. Requires smart people, but employees value is tied up in their domain-specific knowledge, rather than transferable skills. It might make sense for management to angle to make employees doubt their abilities or value as to: Be able to pay them less. Make them feel less confident to leave, and find a different job. Make them feel satisfied with doing mundane work. Management can do this by: Criticising performance. Not providing positive feedback. Highlighting all flaws. Is there any evidence that management actively discuss and practise this technique? <Q> Without a doubt there are some managers who employ these techniques, I've seen it both as a consultant and as an employee in companies large and small. <S> But I don't believe that it's a company philosophy at all; at least I've never seen it in that context. <S> One manager in particular that I reported to would talk with members of my team and push them in to a particular task or approach to solving a problem. <S> A few hours later he'd come back and innocently ask what they were doing, then he'd proceed to belittle them for taking that approach or track. <S> Basically destroying any confidence that they had in him as a manager/leader. <S> Obviously they had no respect for him at all. <S> He actually told me at one point that he enjoyed creating this dissention in the team. <S> A large portion on my role was to act as a buffer between that manager and my team. <S> Not always an easy position to be in. <A> I'll present a contrarian view here, even though I agree with most of the comments if the OPs question is taken at face value. <S> No decent manager would deliberately take that tactic. <S> There's a unfortunate culture of entitlement and the building up of unjustified self-esteem in young folks these days, and, sadly, some uncomfortable (on everyone's part) attitude readjustment is going to have to happen when they enter the workforce, especially in the first year or two. <S> They probably feel they're being picked on, but really it's the system that has inflated their grades and never demanded true excellence of them that is to blame. <S> The management techniques <S> I'm familiar with are more aimed at the opposite- to retain employees and maximize productivity by creating a positive environment which may be seen to compensate for the less exciting projects and the middling pay. <S> But that doesn't mean overlooking a 'C+' outcome when an 'A' job is required for fear of the consequences of pointing out areas for improvement (after going over what went right, naturally). <A> Nice observation on your part <S> i have observed that its a practice of people suffering from lower self esteem. <S> A persons current position cannot be a indicator of his future growth always. <S> When a subordinate or junior appears to be more promising then the seniors and given the same time span, shows the ability to reach a higher position, Then the same ability is taken as a subconscious threat by not so competent seniors who are at a higher position more by virtue of time . <S> This might invoke such reaction. <A> I suspect that any management in such a company probably doesn't have the reasoning ability to actively practice this. <S> However stupid people under pressure behave badly (as do smart people of course) so a bad manager in a bad company is likely to fear the employees and treat them badly.
| But any organization which has a bigger picture in mind will never encourage it .
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How can I make part-time work a success? In all likelyhood, starting next year I will work at reduced hours (at 60%) for some time as a form of parental leave. This is nothing I have to negotiate, the law here being what it is. I did roughly the same thing when my first kid was smaller, and while my boss was generally supportive he's no big fan of his people working less than full-time. I want to solve several problems: The perception that I'm far less useful than when I'm fulltime. The fact that I'm less useful than when working fulltime: The projects we work on are usually big chunks, a week worth of fulltime work or more. So me being in the office less does not only mean that I do less work, but that one project will take longer to complete. We also often need to work with people outside the house, when someone has a question for me and I'm not around for a day or two this is an additional block. Also, the individual projects we work on are highly dissimilar, so it's hard for a coworker to take over and cover for me. Also, we have to work on stuff as it comes up with about a month or two of rough planning ahead. At another place I worked, part time was no problem as an individual task were smaller. I want to go to my boss and say: "Hey boss, I know some of the work can be difficult with only part of the time. I have a few suggestions to ease the situation a bit, maybe we can talk about it soon so we still have time to make adjustments." But I don't have real ideas right now, where do I find any? Edit to add Looking at the answers so far, I want to stress that I don't have to negotiate or even ask for part time. This is parental leave, the law in germany is that they have to give me the time (and that I'm protected from beeing fired from 7weeks before the parental leave starts until it's end). I also want to clarify that my parttime period will probably be half a year, my position is not so that a new hire could start right away and they would have to hire the replacement as a temp or move him/her to another department so I don't think they'll do that. <Q> How can I make part-time work a success? <S> Part time work can be successful if both you and the company are flexible. <S> Job Sharing - have you ever explored the possibility of hiring another part-timer to cover the hours you are giving up? <S> Sometimes two part-timers can equal one full-timer. <S> Changing Roles - sometimes your current role demands full-time coverage. <S> But often there are other roles within the company (some at lesser pay rates) that don't. <S> Occasionally covering that need can make you valuable enough to offset the loss in total hours per week. <S> Taking Longer - if you cut your hours, sometimes projects just take longer to complete. <S> Sometimes that's acceptable. <S> Only for a While - Sometimes a combination of any/all of the above is acceptable for a short period of time. <A> In my experience, bosses tend to be more comfortable with full-time, in the office work. <S> The standard 40 hour work week has a long and extremely hard fought history behind it. <S> However, you have the law on you side ( tips imaginary cowboy hat ) <S> so: How can you make everyone feel better about the situation. <S> Now comes the big question: Has you boss (or co-workers) expressed negativity towards your situation or are you expecting them to? <S> If you have been the target of negativity, figure out the source and politely address it. <S> Negativity often comes simply because we expect it to. <S> Being positive sometimes solves these kinds of problems before they happen. <S> Help people to feel good about the positive instead of trying to make them feel better about the negative. <S> If there is negativity, this flavor of positivity will bring it out of the shadows. <S> Then it can be faced with with the support of other positive, like minded people. <A> I think all you can do is ask for a trial period to show you can get things done. <S> Often managers are reluctant to make these types of changes if they feel like it will be difficult to change them back. <S> Now if you get too far into the project only to find out this is not working, he may have to replace you, but at least you can get him to try. <S> We don't know your boss or they relationship and history you two share, so it's difficult to say how to approach him.
| Otherwise, be generally professional about the change and address negativity as it comes. Changing Hours - sometimes you can cover hours that are in need of coverage by working a different schedule. If your work environment is healthy, people should feel good about paternity leave and support you.
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How to deal with a Manager who believes the more difficult solution is always the best solution I work in a software company as a tech lead under a manager who is an architect but has very good technical knowledge, as well. I know it's good to have a manager who has knowledge about technical things, but as a tech lead, I would like to make some decisions on technical stuff. He always asks me to do development the more difficult way because he thinks that the whole team will increase their learning curve. I am not saying that I am not happy with my job, nor that I am not happy to learn new things. All I want to say is that I can't implement this new technology for the current project because of a tight schedule. Moreover, even without that technology we can do our development. Can anyone suggest me how to deal with this kind of managers? <Q> I think the biggest issue here is this is "always" the way it is done. <S> For whatever reason, the analyst feels a need to stretch everyone's skills. <S> There's nothing wrong with that. <S> Avoid getting into what is the better solution. <S> You've already made the simple solution argument, but you're losing. <S> Instead, ask that you be allowed to come up with some of you own solutions as part of the learning process. <S> I'm sure he can remember how frustrating it is to not be allowed to experiment and come up with your own designs. <S> If you don't get it into some level of production, you're never going to learn if this truly works and is easy to maintain. <S> Another part of your training argument is to learn when and where to apply a more complex solution. <S> Of course you need to learn how to code the more complex solution in order to compare and contrast with a more simple one. <S> He may not truly be concerned about everyone's learning, but is just promoting his capabilities with sophisticated designs. <S> If that is the case, it is going to be difficult to debate someone with an ulterior motive especially when they have more authority. <A> As a manager, he will have different goals to you regarding what is delivered to the client (be they interbal or external) with factors such as maintainability, technical architecture constraints being just two of many. <S> You need to understand what his priorities are and if you are determined to sell your approach to him, you need to make sure it fits in with these priorities <S> If you are attempting to sell your approach simply as "makes development a bit easier" then any manager worth their salt is going to push back on that. <S> Coding standards are there for a reason and sometimes, the development phase is slightly more painful than it feels it needs to be simply because getting it right upfront makes everything from that point on so much easier <A> Remind him of the upsides of the KISS principle. <S> Simpler approaches often involve shorter learning periods, faster implementations, and more successful maintenance cycles. <S> If the simpler solution is not producing these benefits, then go for the more difficult solution. <A> I'd really want to know what he is really saying. <S> There is often a solution to a problem that is simple and works most of the time, but not always. <S> And a solution that is more difficult and works all the time. <S> In my experience the more difficult solution ends up easier, because the holes in the easier solution will be found, requiring fixes that make it more diffult but still not correct, requiring more and more fixes <S> and you can see where this is going. <S> (The saying is: Every problem has a solution that is simple, obvious, and wrong). <S> On the other hand you might have a boss who is just a bit silly - very often the simplest solution is actually the best one. <S> And there is the situation that a problem can be solved with a simple hack - which will bite you in the back very soon. <S> Think hard about which one it is. <A> Ask your manager if he is going to help you with the Ops work and on-call later on? <S> If not, then tell him that you are not comfortable supporting the system he proposed and that he should be aware of that and take responsibility of increased ops work. <S> Is his role manager/architect or just a manager? <S> If it is just a manager (which means that he would not help you with ops work) then he should be there to manage employees and devide tasks, not to design the system. <S> That is what you are in for.
| You need to be clear to him why you wish to do things the way you want to.
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How can I make myself worth the hassle of being an overseas hire to a US tech firm? Ideally I'd get sponsored, but I've just wanted to move to the US for so long that I'd be willing to cover costs myself, not to mention that after university I'd love to be a software developer, so what better place to further my career than the US? I just know it's a long and complicated process for both me and the hiring company, so how can I make myself worth it for them to take me on with all of the hassle of moving abroad? I've gathered that I'll need as much relevant experience as I can get, but I don't know how many years I'd be looking at, and aside from making myself as employable as possible (through side projects, good degree, excelling in my field, etc.) how can I make myself worth all of the trouble? I'm from the UK. <Q> I assume you aim to get a US job via H1B visa , then become Permanent Resident (AKA Green Card). <S> Did you read up about it? <S> This is long and complicated process (Green card can take few years, unless you marry US citizen :-) ), but can be done (I did). <S> It will not be easy to "undercut yourself" paywise because employer applying for your Green Card is expected to advertise your position AND to pay prevailing wage. <S> Good start is to be either hired by UK subsidiary and get transfer, or getting real important skills in something. <S> Good option to showcase your skills is any relevant open-source project, because it is open way to show your skills and get peer-evaluated. <S> Points are known, you can count your chance yourself. <S> As Canadian citizen, you can get TN visa to work in USA. <S> Or travel world, with cheaper health insurance than in USA. :-) <S> Also, IIUC you don't need a sponsor to immigrate to Canada: if you have enough points and your application is approved, you travel in and start looking for a job. <A> I would attempt to be hired on at the local branch of a global firm headquartered in the US. <S> Your connections with them and their experiences working with you will put your application for transfer at the top of their list when considering new candidates. <S> It's much easier to get recognized and get into the US with a company when you already work for them. <A> You're already on the right path. <S> You want to make yourself the best possible candidate imaginable. <S> If you're good enough they'll be willing to go the extra length to make it happen. <S> I'm sure it's probably the same on your side of the pond <S> but in the US we have a phrase that when going for a job you need to "Sell yourself" essentially treat yourself as a product your potential employer will want to buy. <S> Things that help this: Experience <S> (Depending on your field on how much is needed to give you a competitive edge, more than most potential candidates) <S> Desirable traits <S> If they are going to help get you here, they want to know you'll stick around) <S> Supply/Demand (Some career paths are in higher demand here than in the UK, it might make sense to supplement your knowledge with what is needed where ever you'd like to go. <S> The US is huge though, so what we need in Florida is not the same as California, you'll need to do research here) <S> APPLY <S> (Simple fact you won't get a job if you don't put yourself out there. <S> Worst that can happen is they say no) <S> Leg <S> In (Many US companies have offices through out the world, if you can't get the direct route in, it's not a bad plan to take a job in a local company that is US based and as you gain seniority pursue a promotion or transfer into the US) <S> Undercut yourself <S> (This is not ideal, but if you can't get them interested in your talent. <S> Sell them a bargain, accept a lower wage in return for sponsorship. <S> I discourage this method because you'll get taken advantage of and most likely wind up in a really shitty job, but it is technically an option) <S> All in all you want the potential employer feel that you're an investment that is going to be very profitable for them. <S> After all... it's business you're either making money or losing it.
| By proving your worth at the local office, and making connections to your US-based coworkers, you'll have a lot more success in landing a transfer to the US (or a promotion to the US). (Demonstrate you go further than most, showing you're self motivating is a huge win here, as is loyalty. You cannot pay your employer to apply for Green card (would be not only expensive but also illegal). There are other investor type visas you may consider (if you can afford it). Another option (no personal experience) would be to immigrate to Canada, which has saner and more predictable immigration process: you get points for skills, age, language, relatives in Canada etc, pay the fee.
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How should, or shouldn't, I work with a recruiter who asked me to be hush-hush about his former agency? In the past I've worked with recruiting agency A. Today I was contacted by recruiter B, whom I knew through recruiting agency A but has now left and is now working for recruiting agency C. The conversation was mostly amiable and normal, except that he asked a couple of times that I keep our dealings hush-hush from agency A. That raised warning bells with me, just because trying to keep things hushed-up can mean that something inappropriate is happening. My suspicion, or best guess, is that B is using some information in violation of agency A's confidentiality or non-compete agreement. I know that not all legitimate job endings leave on friendly terms, but I'm having a little difficulty thinking of a legitimate reason why he would contact me after knowing me through agency A and then ask that I keep his contacting me hushed-up from agency A. Two questions: First of all, is this suspicious, in line with my guess-work, or are there straightforward and perfectly believable reasons why B would contact me while working for C and ask me to keep this a secret from A? Second of all, where do I go from here? Has he shown himself a breaker of trust? Is this a regular recruiting relationship which I should take at face value? Is it something else? What should our dealings (if any) be from here? <Q> This does seem a bit suspicious to my mind. <S> I'd likely call B back to confirm what are the parts to be hidden. <S> If it is just his name, then I could understand that part of him not wanting you to call up A and tell them, "Hey, you remember this guy B? <S> Now he is working for C..." which is just gossiping and not that productive. <S> On the other side, if he is telling you not to tell A that you are working with C that would be a big red flag to my mind. <S> I've often had recruiting firms ask if I'm working with other firms and <S> I believe it is fine to disclose the name of the firms. <A> It is more likely that the recruiter could be in violation of his seperation agreement by working with you since he originally made the contact through Agency A. <S> More likely the recruiter wants to avoid the appearance of impropriety where that is involved. <S> If the two of you talk about your professional relationship you have had in the past then it could look as if the recruiter was targeting the contacts he made with Agency A, which while probably not illegal, is definitely on the shady side of the morality fence as far as the agencies are concerned. <S> If you are concerned about the potential issues ask the recruiter directly. <S> If after that talk you still do not feel comfortable you have several real options. <S> You can ask your recruiter to disclose the prior relationship to his company and get them to sign something that they will accept the risk <S> You could contact Agency A and ask them if they have an objection to your working with the recruiter. <S> (If you choose to do this I would make it clear that regardless of their answer you do not intend to work with Agency A at this time) <S> You can ignore that feeling of concern and take what is probably a very low risk to you but could cause some complications you have to deal with down the road. <S> Or choose not to work with the recruiter now. <S> You have to choose what you are most comfortable with. <S> For me when the whole thing starts off with a shady feel, I have found that I wish I had listened to my gut at the start. <S> Every one of my horror stories involving consulting started with a something that gave me that feeling that something wasn't quite right. <S> I do not really know how many times I have thought that and been wrong either, but it was more than once. <A> It doesn't sound like there's any harm on your part in getting any of this information out in the open (that is, open to the 2 recruiting agencies and you), unless you have a prior agreement with agency A prohibiting that very action. <S> Thus, I would contact agencies A and C to see first, if agency A knows who B is and what his reputation is (without mentioning specifically what action recruiter B is pursuing), and second, if agency C knows what recruiter B is doing. <S> Worst case, recruiter B gets canned (and potentially sued) for violating some agreement, and you aren't stuck in a job obtained illegitimately. <S> Best case, everything checks out, and you can feel free to pursue a job worry-free. <A> Contact the recruiter and tell him you are not going to lie. <S> it is not in your best interest to go into any interview with this sort of worry-they're hard enough as it is. <S> I don't think you can trust this person to give you a legitimate reason. <S> Maybe he doesn't want to burn any bridges at the old firm, but there could be contract issues as well. <S> Chances are his name won't come up. <S> it's a stretch, but this could be some sort of ethics test by the recruiter. <S> Either way, don't play this game.
| Unless you have a non-compete with Agency A or some other obligation that you require disclosure, or prevent your working with Agency C, or the recruiter, then you have no obligation to Agency A in this regard.
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Get salary increase after probation even if increase are annually given I just finished my 3 months probation on my work this week. I have not been asked to give up my projects and equipments given by the company, and have also worked well for the past 3 months so I am pretty sure that I'll be a regular/permanent come next week. My question is, how can I effectively ask for a raise in my salary since I am now a regular in our company even if the salary raise are done in our company yearly. When I was offered this job, the salary that was offered to me was below my expected rate though I accepted the job because I really wanted it and I gave up negotiation for my salary when they said it was just my initial salary. I might have mistook/misunderstood by what they said as initial salary as I expected that I'll get a raise when my probation ends but didn't. <Q> My question is, how can I effectively ask for a raise in my salary since I am now a regular in our company even if the salary raise are done in our company yearly. <S> You made a mistake by assuming you would get a raise at the end of your probation, rather than asking about that specifically (when in doubt, don't assume - ask!). <S> If you knew then that you must live with this low salary for a year, you still would have "really wanted the job", right? <S> Would you have turned down the offer? <S> But it's done, so that doesn't matter now. <S> Now, you need to move on. <S> You can still find a quiet time to ask your boss about a review, and ask about a raise during that review. <S> You may find that you will indeed get a raise at that time. <S> But be prepared if the answer is "No <S> . <S> You must wait until the annual increase period". <S> Decide beforehand <S> if this is something you can live with or not. <S> Then act on your decision. <S> If you decide to move on, make sure you understand the details of your next offer before you accept it, so you don't end up with similar regrets. <A> If there isn't one scheduled, I'd advise having a performance review soon where you ask for feedback about how are things going and if they are going well then ask for a raise now that you are off probation. <S> The idea here is to have a basis for why you deserve the raise. <S> If you've done work that exceeded expectations then you may have a better position than if your work is just acceptable. <S> At least this would be how I'd handle it <S> and if you can't get a raise, then possibly ask if you could get a bonus for the good work you've done. <S> The key is to have something to justify the additional funds. <A> I have worked at a few locations where My expectations involving pay, hours and workload were no in line with the companies and I had find a way to alter either my expectations or my work situation. <S> Here are a few of the things that I learned: <S> Make sure that you talk about your expectations from the get go. <S> If a raise was not established in you initial meeting, then it is a very hard sell afterwards. <S> Its never too late to start talking about your expectations. <S> Keep your conversation about pay very 'matter-of-fact'. <S> Don't make it personal. <S> Focus on you needs instead of wants. <S> Make sure that you can back up your request with past performance. <S> It is difficult to show major value in the first three months. <S> Try to keep options open. <S> No does not mean never, just not right now. <S> If you goal is not immediately forthcoming, try to build a road map. <S> If the answer is no, accept you bosses decision, but try to get a feel for when to readdress it. <S> Show your resolve, but also show a willingness to cooperate. <A> You should feel free to ask for a raise any time you want. <S> Any time you feel you are being underpaid, you are doing your manager a favor by asking for a raise because it gives him or her a chance to address the issue before you quit or are whisked away by recruiters. <S> Simply drop in on your boss or appropriate authority in their office, make sure your timing is appropriate by asking if this is a good time, and then firmly ask for your requested amount. <S> They may or may not give it to you, but that is a good way going about asking.
| Remember that the key here is to discuss that your past performance is good and thus you believe a raise is merited and since you started outside of the annual system, you'd like a raise soon.
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How does a Lead prepare to leave a job gracefully? What are some best practice for someone in management to leave in a manner that does not leave the company with a major gap? Is the normal 2 week minimum enough for the company to normally handle the transition? I am the Technical Lead at my company and sort of the go to technical person for everyone in the company. I handle everything tech from development (architecting, coding), consulting and even IT. I am also heavily involved in all management meetings and manage a team. I am only thinking of leaving the company only because I want to be in another industry and I want to get back into more programming. As further background, I am in a company for 30+ staff and I am the most senior developer out of 5 developers. Most of the developers under me are not ready to take over my role in my view because too junior (fresh out of school) wrong attitudes when given an opportunity to lead not the right tech skill sets needed. I have been though trying to train/expose most of them to what my role entails and opportunities to step up (ie. being the lead in a project). <Q> At the end of the day it is Organization problem, not your problem. <S> How ever the below points helps you to leave gracefully. <S> (1) Identify best one among your team and identify gaps and training needs. <S> You can identify best fit for lead role in your team. <S> Of course they might not as good as you as Lead. <S> But identify gaps and what they are lacking. <S> And identify what knowledge and training make them be ready for training. <S> (2) Do documentation, write articles or prepare video sessions: <S> Based on your knowledge you prepare some articles about your project, technology and other lead related articles, or prepare video teaching sessions, or dos and fonts in different scenarios. <S> This helps to any one who take up your role (3) <S> Be ready to do extra favor to Management if you can: <S> Generally in this kind of scenarios, management usually requests you extra favor like extending notice period or participating interviews to find your replacement. <S> Be ready and plan for it if you can unto certain reasonable extent. <A> If there isn't anyone in the team suitable to take over your role, then your standard two weeks notice is not going to be enough - either to build one of your team up, or to find a replacement from outside. <S> However, to be blunt, that isn't your problem to worry about. <S> That might sound a bit selfish, but that's the bald truth. <S> On the other hand, it is always a good idea to smooth things over - if only so that you can get a positive reference in the future. <S> If you're starting to look for work, pick your most senior developer and get them to shadow you - have him attend meetings and take on some of the architecture/design work. <S> Explain it as professional development - don't tell people what your real plan is until you are ready to resign. <A> Take care of yourself first <S> It's not really your responsibility to have your replacement set up. <S> It's management's. <S> However, I do appreciate your sense of professionalism and it's also not wrong to want to be helpful and leave on good terms. <S> Resignation notice Generally speaking, yes, two weeks is the standard professional recommendation in the US. <S> However, that is not always applicable to all situations. <S> You could consider leaving a longer notice, for example one month. <S> This gives them more time to find a replacement and also emphasizes the priority of giving you time to assist with it. <S> Help designate your replacement <S> If the company accepts your resignation in a professional manner, they may be amenable to letting you help name your replacement. <S> Perhaps from the team, or, since you've indicated some concerns about that, from external contacts you may have that may be a good fit. <S> Post-resignation support <S> Another thing you can do is offer some assistance even after you're gone. <S> Things like allowing them to call with questions or a part-time employment period. <S> This may not be possible depending on conflicts with the new job though, and even if it is you must manage any post-resignation contact carefully lest it become an avenue for abuse of your time (if you offer free help) or a disturbance to your new job. <S> Your question sounded familiar to me and I found these links to other Stack Exchange sites where you might find some good advice: Quitting a small start up where you are a primary developer <S> Is it a good idea to take a dev job knowing you'll be leaving shortly? <A> Let them know that you have begun the process of interviewing, but have not accepted any offers, and you are telling them early so that they can either find a replacement that you can vet/interview, or they can pick from among your team <S> and you can groom that person to replace you. <S> This gives the company the maximum amount of time to find/groom your replacement, and it also gives them an opportunity to try to keep you by meeting your requests (if you think you may want to stay at all). <S> IMPORTANT <S> If for any reason <S> you think the job will not be happy you told them early, or that they may fire you before you have accepted a new offer <S> do not tell them . <S> Your generosity and concern could backfire and leave you without a job.
| If you don't have a job lined up yet, and you don't plan to leave for a competitor, why not tell your company that you are looking to change industries. At the very least, you need some kind of continuation plan for the situation where you are suddenly unable to work (through an accident or illness).
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How should I react to my colleagues making fun of my behavior and mocking me? I recently left my job to join a small startup. Everything was fine until one other person joined. The Startup founders and the new starter always talk about social things like football, dance and other stuff. While talking, they make fun of my behavior and mock me. Sometimes they insult me in front of others in small matters. Crack jokes on my accents, laugh at me for being vegetarian and taking no drinks. I always smile on such behavior without saying anything. How should I react to this situation? <Q> The way you are telling it, I don't think they mean any harm, but they are just fooling around . <S> If you are not comfortable about this, you should, tell them in private . <S> "Hey (person's name), you probably do not mean it this way, but I would appreciate it if you do not joke <S> about y (your accent, eating behaviours etc.). <S> " <S> If that doesn't stop them, try talking to someone more senior or the CEO of the startup, assuming they don't have a HR. <S> Always stay polite and professional. <A> Unless this continues on past the point where it becomes exceptionally personal (insults about your family or nationality for example), where it interferes with your work or it becomes physical, I would advise you to ignore the person. <S> If most people see that their behavior isn’t having the desired effect, they’ll get bored and stop as that ruins the “fun” that they are attempting to have. <S> State clearly that this isn’t funny and it is interfering with your ability to get your job done. <S> Unless the person is a real bully or a sociopath they will apologize or they will try to lessen the impact of what they were doing and then discontinue their behaviors. <S> If talking to them personally doesn’t work, it’s time to involve your supervision. <S> Ask for a brief meeting with your boss and explain the situation. <S> Make it clear that this interfering with your work as this will make any competent supervisor put an immediate stop to it. <S> If you are asked if you can work with this person (this is a trap) always answer “Yes” as if you don’t, then YOU and not him will be seen as being “the problem.” <S> NOTE: <S> If this new person is a “rainmaker” (a high-level performer) and you are not, or if you have had other similar issues with employees, you may have to consider that this company’s atmosphere is not good for you and you should begin your job search. <S> While this may seem unfair, most companies are going to err on the side of a higher level performer than a “lesser light” and they may use this situation as a reason to get rid of you. <A> Don't assume he knows how you feel: tell him like he's a five year old. <S> Tell him that in your culture or where you're from such behaviour is considered insulting, and why. <S> Again: don't assume he is doing it on purpose . <S> Give things a month. <S> If after a month you're back to square one, then leave . <S> Right away. <S> If that's the "core" team, it's likely that under pressure things will only get worse and jokes will escalate to racism, sexism, and misbehaviour with future female employees. <S> You don't want to get involved with such people - and if it's a startup, there**will** be pressure and sh*t will hit the fan. <A> If you make fun of yourself first, you leave them nothing for cannon fodder. <S> What I have learned most is those that pick at or make fun are unhappy with themselves. <S> Instead of taking offense, tease them back but make fun of yourself. <S> When they tease you about not taking any drinks, tell them the last time you drank <S> a you took home a pre-op transvestite street walker and THAT is an experience you will never want to repeat. <S> Go so off the wall that all they can do is laugh about it. <S> It will stop or it won't, but it doesn't matter because then everything is taken with a grain of salt! <S> Jokes about being a vegetarian? <S> Tell them you rode a bull one time and the horn impaled the calf. <S> The baby cow didn't make it <S> but you'll never ride a bull again <S> that's for sure! <S> It's so stupid and corny that folks just can't help but look dazed and confused or laugh about it. <S> It's 100% harder to make fun of someone that makes fun of them self. <S> With a small start up there will be stress and the need to blow off some steam. <S> Developing a thicker skin goes much further than whining and complaining to the founder or HR, because then you become "that guy". <S> Tease back. <S> Having fun and cutting up has a place in the work place since you spend more awake time at work than you do at home. <S> If, however, it does go wildly too far to the point of plain meanness and rude behavior then pursue it further by talking privately with the person, with the founder, or HR. <S> Establish boundaries that everyone knows can not be crossed.
| If things get to the point where this behavior is impairing your performance, then I would confront the person in question in private and tell them to knock it off. My suggestion is to first corner the founder, and explain him clearly why you're uncomfortable. Enjoy and embrace the moment rather than take everything personal. Ignoring them does not always work and many will try harder to get some sort of reaction out of you.
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Is it good idea to refer an ex-roomate with whom I have personal conflict? Two years ago, while I was working with my previous company, I happened to stay with a person in a shared apartment. Whilst staying with him, there were a lot of personal conflicts. He was not transparent in money matters. He didn't talk terms clearly at the beginning and accepted all the terms, however at the end he raised different points and concerns and argued. When it came to helping or to sharing responsibility, he escaped or he only concentrated on things that mattered to him and abandoned other things which didn't impact him, arguing if we asked any questions. He didn't respect personal privacy and personal weaknesses and tried to take advantage of others' weaknesses for his benefit. Now I have changed my organization and am working as a senior developer. He is planning to quit his company, and has asked a favor of me, to refer him to some of the job openings in my current organization. I don't know much about him professionally, as I am not working with him. Is it good idea to refer him to my company's job opening that suits his profile? <Q> I don't know much about him professionally as I am not working with him. <S> Hence my question is Is it good idea to refer him to current job openings those suits to his profile? <S> No, it's not a good idea. <S> You cannot really serve as a professional reference, since you haven't worked with him. <S> It doesn't sound like you would want to work with this person. <S> Since you cannot give him a good reference, you should try to avoid giving any reference at all. <A> •He was not transparent in money matters. <S> He didn't talk terms clearly at the beginning and accepted all the terms, however at the end he raised different points and concerns and argued. <S> He will not be transparent when it comes to any projects. <S> He will mislead his team members •When <S> I came to helping or to sharing responsibility, he escaped or he only concentrated on things that matter to him and abandoned other things which didn't impact him, arguing if we asked any question. <S> He won't go the extra mile to help the team or organization <S> •He doesn't respect personal privacy and personal weaknesses and tries to take advantage of others' weaknesses for his benefit. <S> He will make it uncomfortable for others to work around him. <S> He may be qualified, but his personality will ruin things for everyone, and make you look bad for referring him. <A> No. <S> First, put simply, the way it is written in your question, your ex-roommate seems to be trying to get advantage again from where he had tried it many times previously . <S> You allow it this one time <S> and then it will be very hard to put a stop to it once he's on the same ship with you. <S> Second, you are now one of the people responsible for success of your company (as are all other employees and managers, you see), and in this position, you need to make decisions that are in best interest of you and your company (if you are lucky enough these two sets have a considerable mutual subset). <S> And you don't want somebody whose interests you know to often pose clear contradiction to the interest of his social group. <S> Third, professionals like, say, Jeff Atwood, the co-founder of this very site never forget to emphasize that it's all about the personality of every single developer , regardless of type of project or product. <S> Fourth, a real-life example. <S> The company I work for has several hundred employees yet still retains its flexible and open internal culture from the start-up times thirty years ago. <S> When looking for new colleagues, personal recommendations and invitations from within the company are always sought for. <S> I suspect that the main idea behind this is the best thing to do to keep this sort of people as far away from the company as possible . <A> Would you be his roommate (deskmate) again? <S> Regarding the question, the answer to my question is no, which is the answer I'd give in this situation <S> You don't know your former flatmate professionally, so <S> you can't say anything about it. <S> Since you would not live with him again, referring him could lead you to sharing an office. <S> Is that really what you want? <S> If so you could refer him but again, but the answer, based on what you've said, seems to be no. <A> I had a similar experience. <S> I had a bad experience about my roommate. <S> During our stay together (we did not work together), I observed that he was cunning, shying away from responsibility, very dis-organized and selfish. <S> He asked me to refer him for a job in my company. <S> Initially I thought it may be my bias towards him, but later I learnt from our common friends (who worked with him) that he behaved similarly in his workplace as well. <S> Few things I learnt were: <S> Personal behavior matters a lot. <S> You cannot be a different person in your personal and professional lives. <S> If you do not find someone compatible outside work, it is more likely you won't be compatible in workplace. <S> Referring someone in your company is not just a trivial act, but it carries a lot of responsibility. <S> So, IMHO, if you do not like him, do not refer him. <S> Period. <S> It will create more problems for you. <S> Imagine in future he joining your project team and doing all those things at workplace!
| You cannot serve as a positive personal reference, since you had conflicts with him personally.
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Why is it bad to use personal pronouns in a CV? I am applying for a new job, and I am rubbish at writing CVs, so I often have a look at the examples and templates on-line, and it says that you should use not use personal pronouns in these examples.For example Instead of: I Solved an IT issue You should use: Solved an IT issue Why is it frowned upon or bad to use personal pronouns in a CV/Resume? EDIT: Is it acceptable to use I once or twice, or would you advise against it completely? <Q> You put your name at the top. <S> It is implied that everything on your CV would pertain to you, so there is only a need to include other people (team members) <S> where appropriate. <S> It gets a little repetitive <S> I did this. <S> I did that <S> I did something else. <S> This is great if you really want to hammer the point home that "I did ..." <S> but again, it's your CV <S> so it is implied. <A> Because it makes the readers go to sleep after the 567th repetition of I. <S> And because it saves space which is helpful when you have 30 years experience and only 2 pages to put it on. <S> And since it is a CV, the reader will assume it was you and no-one else who did the task. <A> Yes, usually, you do actually write your own CV, but that's not something you're supposed to emphasize. <S> Basically, write your CV as if you were someone else describing yourself in third person. <S> Ps. <S> Caveat: <S> Rules are meant to be broken. <S> Sometimes, writing your CV in an unconventional style might make it stand out and cause a prospective employer to pay more attention to it. <S> Of course, sometimes it might also just get it sorted into the circular file that much quicker. <S> It's up to you whether you feel that's a risk worth taking. <A> While it’s okay to talk directly about yourself in your cover letter, “Me, Myself and I” should be avoided at all costs in your resume. <S> You resume should be concise, neat, and easy for an employer to read. <S> Using pronouns is how we normally structure sentences, but since your resume is a document about your person, using these pronouns is actually redundant.
| Because a CV is supposed to be a factual and impersonal description about you, not by you.
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Does my employer own the maintainership and github stars of my open source project? I created and have been maintaining an open source project on github.com as part of my work for my employer. The project was created during the employment. My employer allows me to open source it on Github.com. There forms a community - I created a mailing list and the numbers of people are growing. People like it and star it on the official github repo, which is under my username. Most of the links on Internet points to that repo. My employer knows it's under my username. Someone in the organization asked for transferring it to the company's account. But since it would break many links at that time, it was decided not to transfer it. My question is: If I quit the job, do I still own the maintainership of the project? Do I have to transfer the repo to employer's account on Github.com? I think making a clone repo under employer's account is OK, because the stars will be transferred along with the repo and I think I own those "stars". (Github stars are similar to "Likes" on Facebook) Thanks <Q> Reversing the first two sentences of your question makes it very clear your employer owns the project: <S> [An open source] project was created during [my] employment. <S> I created and have been maintaining [the] project on github.com as part of my work for my employer. <S> My employer allows me to open source it on Github.com. <S> There may have been an initial failure on the part of the company around defining the governance of the project, but the main repository is theirs . <S> You were asked to start a project during your job, for their benefit and they allowed it to be open-sourced. <S> Consider if it was never made public. <S> You employer asked you to make a project and write some code to help the business - they clearly own the code. <S> You can fork it and make your own after you leave, but this seems like a very clear case case that they own it. <S> Regarding legalities, it depends on where you are, but worst case they could lawyer up and demand your Github account <S> so they can maintain it. <S> They even could make a case that you weren't diligent or acting in your employers interest, by not making an "organisation" on GitHub to control the code and instead managing it under your own private account, despite it being work for them. <S> Best case you could transfer ownership of the repository and remain a part of the community. <A> Probably the number one answer is, the most definitive guidance on who owns what when, where and how is what your employment contract says . <S> Everything else is speculation and while they are good guesses as to what the default position would be, a bulletproof answer requires inspection of your contract of employment. <S> That said, going by what's usual practice... <S> the answer is that, to put it in facebookesque terms, it's complicated . <S> First, most people here are entirely correct pointing out that the default position in most contracts of employment is transfer of certain rights to your work . <S> By certain rights , I of course imply that some rights are not transferred. <S> Let us consider an example. <S> Alice works for <S> Bob Corp. She develops Blodget, a ground-breaking solution for a difficult cryptographic problem, while at work. <S> Implemented as a software, it would net the company millions. <S> Alice then leaves Bob Corp. <S> Now, Bob Corp would, under the standard transfer of rights clause, be entitled to <S> economically exploit the invention <S> -- there's no doubt about that. <S> However, given that they let you open-source it, it's unlikely there'll be much of that going on. <S> Moral rights are another thing. <S> Traditionally, artists, writers, performers &c. have certain unassignable moral rights -- these are basically 1) to be known as the author of the work, 2) to 'defend the work' (the right to argue with folks who think your product sucks). <S> How far these are valid in the realm of tech has been a very contested territory, with some even calling moral rights for inventions an oxymoron. <S> Some employers, for this reason limit their claims to economic rights. <S> Agreements are always better than suing it out! <S> Make sure, however, to enter into a properly witnessed, legally binding agreement. <S> And, of course, to read your contract of employment properly (even if it's just for this one point). <A> I believe there are actually 2 questions here 1) <S> Who owns the "Administrative Rights" to the repo (i.e. to choose a maintainer, which patches are folded in, etc) 2) Who own the code once its written. <S> Your company clearly owns #1, even if it is under your name. <S> Depending on what Software License was used, they likely do not control the code (#2) in the repository. <S> Most Open Source licenses explicitly grant any user the right to use and change to software as they see fit. <S> Many also require that any changes be made available. <S> Once a copy of the code has been legally released under an OSS license, it all the code is now bound by the terms of that license.
| In your current situation, what might well be best is to come to an agreement with your employer, such as them getting the right to be credited as your employer during development in return for you regaining control of the project. If your concerned about what happens when you leave, almost all OSS licenses give anyone the right to branch/fork code and continue working.
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Is it bad form to turn down a job offer after asking colleagues to give references? I am happy at my current job, but I am considering moving to a new job (at a more risky startup). The interviews have all gone well, but I'm not sure about long hours and low pay. I have, however, asked a bunch of former colleagues to give me a reference, and they have all graciously given me glowing reviews. Now, I feel conflicted about turning down the job (though I haven't made up my mind either way). Is it rude to my former colleagues to turn down a job that they tried to help me get? Of course, I think highly of all of these colleagues (which is why I chose them as references) and I would like to remain on good terms with them, in case I need a reference in the future, or if they need mine, or if we end up working together again down the road. <Q> They referred you but final decision needs to be taken in terms of your gaining as compare to your current company. <S> If you are not satisfied with the offer you will not accept it. <S> It's very practical thing. <S> There will be many times you pursue job opportunities that look good at first but over time you realize you aren't interested in. <S> This can occur at any point in the process <S> be it the recruiter interview, technical interview, offer, and even after the time of hire. <S> That said sometimes you'll have professional favors such as references involved. <S> It's nothing wrong as long as it's not a chronic problem. <S> I'm a strong believer in one professional favor per person. <S> You only ask and grant a favor professionally once per person. <S> (Just to mutually avoid abusing connections) <A> Is it rude to my former colleagues to turn down a job that they tried to help me get? <S> No, certainly not. <S> This is your job, your career, your life. <S> If they are your friends, they may be disappointed, but they will want only what is best for you. <A> No, that is ok. <S> But in the future you should wait with giving references until you are sure you want the job. <S> Usually for me references have been given after the interviews and before salary discussions. <S> You must remember to write your references to let them know what you decided and why, and also to thank them for their help. <S> A beer at the local pub is generally the agreed upon price for being a reference :)
| No nothing wrong in that. Just because your friends did you a favor by providing a reference, doesn't mean you are obliged to them such that you should take a job you don't want.
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Does work experience on obsolete technology/platform count? I have a good amount of experience (about 6 years) working on the Symbian platform. While I have learned a good deal about mobile application and framework development and about mobile computing in general in these six years, I understand that things have changed ever since. (It has been 3 years) I moved to web development and cloud computing ever since and am at a verge where I am relocating to a different country and should look for a new job. Is it possible at all that recruiters will consider me for a mobile application developer job purely based on my Symbian experience? <Q> Yes. <S> Even though you do not necessarily have an up-to-date/in demand skill set, you do have experience working in a professional environment which will come in handy. <S> Technologies change all the time, it's a fast moving industry, that doesn't mean the past six years learning a now redundant technology was a waste. <S> The important thing isn't the specifics of your skills, its the transferable knowledge that is gained from experience. <S> I could be the best in the world at using technology <S> Y and fresh out of university <S> , so I'm likely to start as a graduate. <S> On the flip side, I could be the best in the world at technology <S> X with 6 years experience, some minor exposure to technology Y , but not a great deal, and start as a developer who is probably paid more than a graduate and has a respected opinion. <S> Of course, you will probably want to train yourself up on the technologies you're interested in working on, with proof that you have an understanding of what you'll be working on. <A> There are lots of skills in software development which are completely independent from the technology being used: How to properly plan and execute a project How to communicate with other project members How to write readable and maintainable code <S> How to design proper user interfaces How to write proper documentation <S> It doesn't matter if you did projects in Java, Visual Basic, C++ or Fortran and if you did it for mainframes, desktops, phones or smart toasters. <S> These skills are far harder to learn than a new technology. <A> It definetely counts, include it even if you dont highlight it. <S> If the company isn't looking for that tech, as long as you have the required one <S> or it is similar <S> there shouldn't be a problem. <S> Put focus on the most valuable things for the target job but don't hide work years less 6 of them. <A> In terms of selling yourself, if you can tell good stories and share a good laugh about legacy technologies with both technical and non-technical people, that can be much more beneficial than talking about some new technology just because it is on the job description. <S> The mistake many people make is spreading themselves too thin by attempting to discuss every technology in the job description, rather than showing the in-depth understanding needed for debugging and troubleshooting. <S> There is no possible, imaginable correlation between people that know that particular piece of trivia and people that you want to hire. <S> Who cares what the difference is? <S> You can find out online in about fifteen seconds! <S> Remember, smart does not mean "knows the answer to trivia questions. <S> " Anyway, software teams want to hire people with aptitude, not a particular skill set. <S> Any skill set that people can bring to the job will be technologically obsolete in a couple of years, anyway, so it's better to hire people that are going to be able to learn any new technology rather than people who happen to know how to make JDBC talk to a MySQL database right this minute. <S> References <S> The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing (version 3.0) – Joel on Software <S> On Interviewing and Interview Questions
| You haven't picked up one skill in six years, you've picked up an array of transferable skills, that's what matters.
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Interview question: 'What's your worst workplace mistake?' A recent interview I went to appeared to be going very well. The CTO was prepared to offer me the job there, and we negotiated a salary that I was happy with, but then he had to go out and consult with the rest of the panel. He came back and said that one of the panel had dissented, and so he called in an additional two people, a guy from HR and a solution architect. Up till this point the interview had been quite amicable. But these two guys asked quite, I feel, confrontational, questions, including 'What's your worst workplace mistake?'. I ended up telling them a story about how I accidently wrote over production data when I first started my current role (I should never have had write access to that table), and what I'd do better would be more vocal about it when it happened. What are interviewers seeking to get out of this question (and why would they be asking it in the first place), and what's the best way to answer it? I feel that the question was a bit confrontational - while I think it's an interesting question, that you could perhaps, chat about over a beer with your friends, in this context it was unfriendly - so I'm thinking that it was perhaps a reflection of the workplace culture. (On the otherhand, perhaps I'm being a precious princess). <Q> I use this question (or a similar) question a lot. <S> I'm looking for the following <S> Do you have good self assessment and self awareness? <S> Everyone makes mistakes, what matters is how you deal with them Are you comfortable with talking about difficult issues? <S> How did you communicate your mistake to your management? <S> What did you do to fix the problem ? <S> What did you learn, how did you made sure this doesn't happen again? <S> Bad answer: <S> the better" Good answer: <S> "I did a last minute change to some code and as a result we have a significant bug in the field. <S> I immediately communicated to management what happened, what's the likely impact would be, a list of options and the associated trade offs on what we could and a recommendation. <S> We chose option XYZ and the results was ABC. <S> In order to avoid this from ever happening again, we instantiated a code review process and change approval process where the bar for changes get higher and higher as the ship date approaches" <A> A hiring team can learn a lot about a candidate in how they answer this question. <S> The most important thing is your ability to reflect on a situation and learn from it. <S> Everyone makes mistakes. <S> Not everyone is smart enough to be able to identify what mistake they made and what they could have done different or how they could have handled the situation better to either avoid the mistake in the first place or mitigate the effects of the mistake. <S> This also shows how you communicate about an uncomfortable situation. <S> While we might know that everyone makes mistakes, it still isn't comfortable to discuss it. <S> For example, how do you react when asked this question? <S> When discussing the mistake, do you place the blame for the mistake on someone else? <S> Do you minimize the impact of the mistake? <S> How do you explain how you learned about the mistake? <S> How do you explain how the mistake got resolved? <S> The answer that you outline here is a pretty good one. <S> You specify the mistake that you made, and what you would do differently in that situation. <S> You could improve on your answer by identifying ways that you could have avoided the situation in the first place, or identifying something that you did after the mistake to ensure that you (and others like you) didn't have write access to production data. <A> This may be a legitimate question to see how you handled being in a tough spot. <S> The recruiter may be trying to see if you appropriately corrected what you have done wrong or reduced its impact. <S> While I reckon that it's not an easy question to answer if you did not know to prepare for it in advance, I'm not sure from this question alone that its intended goal was to be confrontational.
| "I really don't make a lot of mistakes, if I do I'll try to fix it before anyone notices, the fewer people know about it,
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Colleague at work makes constant jibes I have a colleague who is not only very intrusive, but also makes constant jibes at me. He keeps snooping what I am doing on my computer (even though I am just working) every time. But that's not even the issue. He makes attacking statements every time , especially in a large gathering. Although he makes comments about trivial things, it affects me. For instance: I am a few years older than him. He makes fun of the fact that I am stuck in the same level as him. There are many other instances (too many to list here). I am posting this here out of frustration because I don't know what to do. I avoid saying something to him since he is extremely sensitive. He will sit and sulk for the next one week if i said something in retort. I think his bitterness stems from the fact that I am not very chirpy and friendly to him. But I am introvert, and that's how I am. Also, I do not particularly get along well with him either. What can I do to make him stop? <Q> Well, it's a little unprofessional, but this does work <S> (I've used it): <S> You have the advantage of age. <S> Use it. <S> Whenever he makes an attacking statement, turn to the person next to you and say, "They're so cute when they bristle their fur like that, aren't they?" <S> Or some variation on that theme. <S> It works especially well if there is a mix of ages in the room, as many young people are looking for respect from the older decision makers, and they'll all get the hint quickly. <S> You've just taken the wind out of everything he tried to do, and made him look the fool. <S> It works because you've established that whatever he did is absolutely no threat to you, and you're in no way upset by it, but actually find it amusing. <S> You say the kid is insecure and sulks if you one-up him. <S> He's looking to engage you. <S> You can't lose the confrontation if you refuse to get into one in the first place. <S> You've basically just told him publicly, "You're not in my league." <S> As for looking at your PC screen, a witty retort there can work well. <S> Again, use your age advantage. <S> If you're in the US or a country that gets a lot of US movies: Men in Black is a great source of material. <S> "You lose something over here, Hondo? <S> " (In your best Tommy Lee Jones voice, if you can) is almost perfect for that situation. <S> Watch the movies. <S> Take notes. <S> I've rarely had to do this twice. <S> I've never had to do it three times. <A> I think you have answered your own question! <S> I avoid saying something to him since he is extremely sensitive. <S> He would sit and sulk for the next one week if i said something in retort. <S> RETORT AWAY!!!! <S> In all seriousness though, he sounds quite insecure (purely based on your description - I'm not a psycologist). <S> I think you just need to ignore him and shrug him off when he makes attacking statements as he is probably looking to be seen as the alpha male within the group <S> When he is snooping, simply say "OK? <S> Are you not busy at the moment? <S> Looking for work? <S> " in a fairly loud work so that colleagues/superiors hear Don't be too despondent though. <S> Most offices have a mixture of personalities. <S> It is for management/HR to manage these clashes so you are well within your rights to express your concerns to your direct manager/HR department with a calm, measured manner. <A> You need to stay professional, so don't make demeaning comments back. <S> However, that doesn't mean you need to just take the jibing, either. <S> Don't get all emotional, and try to do it without other people around. <S> If he gets angry or agitated, just walk away. <S> If he gets sulky and doesn't talk to you, that's a win! <S> It will probably take quite a few times of you calmly asking him to stop for him to do so. <S> You're making comments about my age, and that's inappropriate and unprofessional. <S> I would like you to stop. <S> Can you do that? <S> If he escalates it, or simply won't stop, then you can go to your manager. <S> Tell her that you've asked him to stop several times and explain what he has been doing. <S> Then ask your manager how she thinks you should handle it.
| Next time he makes a remark you don't like, calmly and professionally point out that the comment isn't appreciated, and ask if he can please stop.
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Stock options offer - questions employer should answer When evaluating a stock option offer at privately-held start-up company, what questions re. the options plan the employer should be able to answer? What is really a private information that cannot be disclosed and what is just a trick to avoid disclosing the information that could help to evaluate the offer? EDIT: the offer includes cliff, vesting schedule, number of options given, strike price. <Q> You need to know the total number of shares, or the percentage of the company that your options represent, the option price or current value of the company and the vesting. <S> This doesn't stop you being ripped off in the future, there are so many ways of being ripped off in share options that you just factor that into the same risk that of the company suceeding. <S> But if the employer doesn't state what proportion the options represent, the price and the vesting then they are either stupid or crooked. <A> I would ask them if they get an independent409a valuation; <S> The company's policy for option refresh. <S> Some companies will refresh only when you are finished vesting, others will refresh everytwo years etc. <S> Will be helpful as you think about the equitypossibilities for the job. <A> I was in this position recently with a startup that I had applied to work at. <S> I enquired about the options and they were happy to offer all the info I wanted. <S> In short they made me sign some NDA or something like that <S> and they then send me a HUGE packet of info. <S> It included everything I could have ever asked, it was supposedly prepared for some of the investors that held big steaks in the startup but it had all the data I was looking for none the less. <S> Some companies may not be as transparent as this <S> but I would avoid places that try to keep this stuff under the rug.
| I would make sure you know the following when trying to understand the value of the options: Total Fully Diluted shares outstanding; Price of last Preferred Round; Strike Price of the Options (often this will be the 409a valuation of the common stock).
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How to deal with "Why did you accept the other offer?" when declining/rescinding acceptance of an offer I accepted a job offer from Company A a few months ago, but I never signed any contracts. Company B contacted me for an interview and gave me a better offer. I decided to accept it, so I notified Company A promptly that I would be rescinding my acceptance of their offer, stating that: I recently received an offer from another company that I feel is more aligned with my needs at the present. ...and that I was going to take it, albeit with great difficulty since I was very attracted to the offer from Company A initially. I am nonetheless happy with my decision. However, the recruiter from Company A contacted me today to tell me that she was very disappointed (Company A had put a lot of time, effort, and resources into my hiring process) and then asked: I’d like some more detail about what opportunity you will be pursuing and what your reasoning was for choosing that over your Company A offer, if you don’t mind. This is setting off alarms in my head. Should I respond? What should I say? I realize that I am likely blacklisted, but if my response could determine whether or not that would be the case, I'd like to avoid it, obviously; even then, I'd like to be as kind and professional as possible. <Q> While there are some places in the world where you have to do this (India comes to mind), it isn't required most places. <S> I have actually seen a person from the company I was working at call the new employer of an ex employee, provide all kinds of information that wasn't proven, and the ex employee lost his new job. <S> If you feel comfortable telling the rejected company about the package you got from your new employer, then do so. <S> I would keep it as generic as possible or even omit benefits that would identify my new employer. <A> I wouldn't give them detail about what you'll be doing, for who, or where. <S> That's all company-confidential information, and the other business has no legitimate need to know. <S> However: Think about it from their point of view. <S> They're competing for good employees, and they have a legitimate interest in knowing whether there's something they should be doing, or not doing, to market themselves better -- just as you might appreciate feedback on whether there was something that you might want to do to improve your own marketability. <S> They might even have been fishing for "is there anything reasonable we can offer to keep you, in particular, from changing your mind". <S> So giving them some general indication of "Well, their location was more attractive to me, and they've got better educational benefits" seems both harmless and courteous. <S> But I wouldn't go into more depth than that. <A> I accepted a job offer from Company A a few months ago, but I never signed any contracts. <S> Have you started working there yet? <S> This line sets off alarm bells. <S> If the company spent that much money hiring you, it seems they would not drag their feet getting your signature of a few pieces of paper. <S> If you haven't started working their yet, I would cite the months of waiting for an official offer, and move on. <S> Also, don't say which company you are moving to or give enough specifics to make an educated guess. <S> If you HAVE started working for them, be prepared that they may have been paying you out of the cash register, and not paying your employment taxes. <S> This happened to me when I was working as a contractor during college, and continued to bite me each subsequent job due to my background check not coming back clean. <S> AFAIK <S> I never lost a job over it, but I had to talk to several HR folks about it.
| Never tell a previous employer (or in this case, the company you rejected) where you are going to be working.
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Should I remind recruiters about my job application status? I uploaded my resume through a job recruitment website (for an review/writing position online). A few days later, someone contacted me asking my Skype details, so he could have a chat with me and see if I'm the right guy for the job. I replied immediately to that email but till now I haven't heard from him. Is it advisable to 'remind' him or do I assume that I'm not the right guy for the job? <Q> Yes. <S> Remind them. <S> Politely of course. <S> Recruiters are usually working on several positions at the same time.... <S> and it gets crazy. <S> It could be they didn't receive ( or their system misplaced ) your reply. <S> Good luck <A> However, if there was no clear communication already about when you should expect to hear from him, since he did not contact you the same day or following day, it would not be out of place to send a brief follow-up email asking if he could let you know (set an appointment) when he is planning to call <S> so you can make sure you will be available and that he will have your undivided attention. <A> The general rule of thumb is to wait at least a week before sending a reminder message-- but in my experience recruiting, things do occasionally fall through the cracks. <S> I have never minded a candidate requesting an update on status, and your story makes it sound as though your information fell through the cracks with regard to scheduling. <S> A heads-up may be just what this recruiter needs to get you set up for the interview.
| In general, I would wait at least a few days before replying to remind someone, probably a week or so before following up just to remind him--if it's a holiday week(end), perhaps even a few extra days more.
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Is it advisable to tell my colleague that he is getting fired? Yesterday, my manager told me that my colleague would get fired. Then I asked my boss for the reason, and he gave an explanation. After we finished the conversation, I continued working. When I came back home, I couldn't stop thinking about it. My boss didn't say (explicitly) that I couldn't tell him. Is it advisable to tell my colleague that he is getting fired? <Q> Is it advisable to tell my colleague that he is getting fired? <S> You know what your boss said, <S> but you don't really know what will happen. <S> It's odd that your boss would tell you this <S> and it's hard to understand his motivation. <S> I would be very wary. <S> It doesn't appear that your job is to inform people that they are fired, thus you should not say anything at all. <S> Now what? <S> Leave the firing notification to the person who actually owns that task. <A> To echo the answers: it's absolutely not advisable. <S> The more troubling question here is: why did your boss tell you about this? <S> Typically any internal communication about an impending layoff is big no-no, at least in any reasonably sized US company with an at least half-way functional HR department. <S> In some companies I've worked for this would be considered a fairly serious transgression. <S> So it's possible that your manager has some sort of non-obvious agenda in telling you this. <S> It may be helpful to cautiously ping him on this. <S> For example "Hey Mr Boss. <S> Thank you very much sharing this very important information with me. <S> I assume that this is still confidential at the moment, so <S> I'm not going to share this with anyone unless you tell me it's okay to do <S> so. <S> I was also wondering whether there are any specific things <S> you'd like me to do differently or specific actions you expect from to help with the situation". <S> Something along these lines. <S> It's basically a diplomatic way of saying "Why the heck did you tell me that and what do you want me to do with it? <S> " It may be also helpful to keep detailed records on any conversation with your manager on this topic. <S> If something fishy is going on, your records can help in demonstrating that you have acted transparently and with integrity. <A> No, it is not. <S> What you were told is not etched in stone, and it is not your responsibility. <S> Your boss told you that (most likely) so that you could ensure any critical information was secured before he fired your colleague. <S> Nothing more. <A> One reason someone would tell you this is because you 'need to know', particularly if you have to be prepared to mop up something left by the now departed colleague. <S> This could be backing up a server or changing locks on a door or securing a storage area - who knows. <S> It might also be necessary for you to take over a customer relationship that the other party has, you might need to know this if the customer calls. <S> If your boss provided an explanation, it's quite possible you're being invited to drop a hint: for your colleague to clean up his/her act. <S> Since you haven't indicated whether it was a performance issue or a resources issue (i.e., a layoff due to cutbacks) <S> it's hard to tell why this is being done. <S> Realistically, dropping hints to people that they're not performing is useless - <S> it isn't likely to affect behavior, other than to, perhaps, give them an opportunity to mess something up on their way out. <S> If your boss was engaging in somewhat of a dirty trick, he might have you tell your co-worker that he's being fired in order to wreck his morale, triggering even more performance issues. <S> This seems rather dangerous, and if this is what your boss was doing, he wouldn't answer your question in so many words.
| Just as telling someone they are "safe" from an impending layoff can backfire, so could telling someone that they are fired: I told a recent layoff victim that his job was safe. No, it is not advisable.
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What is the process with recruiters for a third party? I am currently about a year from completing my Bachelor's in Software Engineering. I was recently contacted via email by a recruiter for a third party. They said that they found me via LinkedIn, and included the job description. I have been contacted previously by startups, but this is the first time I have been contacted by a recruiter. So, I am a little confused regarding the appropriate next steps. For one, its not even clear whether the offer is an internship or a job and the duration, but the company (from Google searches) seems to be a fairly fast growing company. So, what is the process now? If I am not interested, should I reply with a short email stating I am not interested? On the other hand, if I were interested, what would be the next steps here? Moreover, given that the company has the job listing available on their company page, what's the purpose of the recruiter? I mean, I could just as well go to the company page and directly contact them, from here on. My main interest here, is to know the process, rather than what to do in this specific instance. <Q> I've had a LinkedIn profile for several years and get cold contacts from recruiters anywhere from every few days to every few weeks. <S> Now that you've started to appear on their radar, you'll probably see more of this. <S> When deciding whether to respond (if not interested) <S> I ask myself: do I think this recruiter actually put some thought into this (the position is actually reasonable given my profile), or is it so much of a mismatch that I think he's just sending this message to anybody <S> he comes across? <S> If the former, I usually reply with something along the lines of "no thanks for this one, but please keep me in mind for the future (optional: particularly for positions involving X, Y, or Z)". <S> If the latter, I don't reply; if the recruiter couldn't be bothered to read my profile he probably won't read my email <S> (if I'm not saying "yes") either. <S> If you are interested in the position, then you have to decide whether you want to apply directly (if you know who it is) or go through the recruiter. <S> This is somewhat an ethical question that you have to decide for yourself, but here are two practical considerations: <S> If the recruiter is affiliated with the company (an in-house recruiter, in other words), going through the recruiter will probably expedite your application. <S> Some companies reject applications from third-party recruiters. <S> Check the company's jobs page; if it says "principals only" or "no recruiters" or the like, going through the recruiter dooms your application. <S> (A dilligent recruiter will have checked that first, but...) <A> The first thing you need to do is see if the recruiter is flaky. <S> I get recruiting invites from groups in Texas (where I live) that closely match what I do. <S> I get recruiting invites from California, Georgia, or Pennsylvania that are 'Flying *%^#s at a rolling donut'. <S> If you're interested, spend some time (at least on the phone) with the recruiter. <S> It won't take long to figure out whether this will be a constructive relationship. <S> Try to figure out what they know about the industry. <S> If this turns out to be someone you wouldn't trust to walk your dog, send them a polite 'sorry <S> I'm not interested'. <S> However, some recruiters want to get your resume and put it in front of the company to fish a fee out of a job you might get anyway. <S> If the recruiter told you who the company was, it's probably because that company will work with the recruiter to qualify you as a candidate. <A> A professional and well-informed recruiter can really help you get a good job by briefing you about what hiring process and questions to expect, de-briefing you after interviews and so on. <S> One good recruiter once did that for me. <S> However, many recruiters are not professional and they know little about the company and job. <S> Both types of recruiters request a big fee from the hiring company, which decreases your chances of getting hired and of negotiating the salary upwards. <S> Therefore you should distinguish which kind of recruiter you are facing and decline working with them if they are of the bad type. <S> Which kind of recruiter is one who behaves like yours? <S> From your words I interpret that the recruiter did not tell you the company's name upfront (they normally don't do that so as to protect their business), but you googled the job description provided by them and found the job ad on the company's website. <S> That is indication that the recruiter is not very smart (they copy&pasted from the company's website) and that they have no very good contact with the company (unless the company's website says they hire only through this recruiter, but your question would be different if it were so, right?). <S> If you really are in this situation, then you really owe nothing to the recruiter, as you had not agreed to use their services before they gave you some information in their unsolicited email. <S> So imho a person in this situation is ethically free, and has a practical interest, in writing the recruiter "Dear Recruiter, thanks <S> but I am already aware of this opportunity at company XYZ and I am not interested in working with you at this time." and then apply with company XYZ directly.
| If a company has an ad out, and it's trying to fill multiple positions for that role, they're likely to work with recruiters if the recruiters are finding appropriate candidates.
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How to note salary when I can't indicate part-time status? Some recent positions of mine were part-time, but salaried (i.e., not for an hourly wage. I was hired for a certain number of hours per week, but often worked more). Some online job applications are fill-in forms that leave no room to indicate whether my most recent position was full-time, but ask me for its salary/wage. Should I answer with the actual salary, the pro rata full-time equivalent, or the pro rata hourly-wage equivalent? If the full-time equivalent, should I use 35 or 40 hours per week as full time? I'm located in the United States. <Q> Since the form prohibits you from being absolutely accurate, I would put in an hourly rate because it most accurately communicates to the reviewer what your pay level was. <S> A part-time salary could cause someone to miscalculate your value to the previous employer since the part-time status is not noted (and a part-time notation might not indicate number of hours per week either). <A> Should I indicate the actual salary, the pro rata full-time equivalent, or the pro rata hourly-wage equivalent? <S> Anything else would provide numbers that aren't real, and don't answer the question being asked. <S> You resume should indicate that the job was part-time. <S> That way, the recruiter or hiring manager can put the two data points together for a complete picture of your situation. <S> Some applications ask for "Desired Salary" - that's where you should indicate the full-time salary you are seeking (if indeed you are seeking a full-time position). <A> You should, where possible, be precise. <S> For example, put "£19.15 per hour / 45 hours per week." <S> If it is just asking for your annual equivalent salary, you should calculate it based on what you have been paid. <S> For example, if over the last month you worked 150 hours and were paid £19.15/hour - your annual salary would be £34,500.
| Since the applications are asking for salary, you should simply indicate your salary.
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Should I replace an AV accessory that was lost by someone else? I work for an education oriented non-profit and recently we started letting people take A/V and photography equipment in exchange for a copy of the final product, so basically for free. I'm in charge of monitoring the state of the returned equipment and recently someone lost a cable (TA3F-XLR to be exact) and I can't find it nor determine who exactly lost the cable and when. Our boss is putting a halt on the "policy" and more or less starting to become unreasonable about finding the cable. After some searching I found an adapter combo that would eliminate the need for the cable (And would actually be more convenient to store) but our accountant is refusing to give me the money to buy the adaptors until our boss gives the green light. I'm now thinking of simply buying the adaptors out of my own pocket knowing that I will probably not be reimbursed but should I? Will buying the adaptors out of my pocket bring any negativity in the near or far future or should I scrap the idea and continue trying to convince my boss to buy them? <Q> I'm now thinking of simply buying the adaptors out of my own pocket knowing that I will probably not be reimbursed <S> but should I? <S> "Should" is something only you can decide. <S> In general, a company (even a non-profit) should fund their own business needs. <S> But this may be such small potatoes, that it does't matter much. <S> How much are the adaptors? <S> If they are more than a few bucks, then do the work of convincing your boss that they are needed. <S> Will buying the adaptors out of my pocket <S> bring any negativity in the near or far future or should I scrap the idea and continue trying to convince my boss to buy them? <S> In might be viewed as a negative by your co-workers. <S> The downside here is setting a precedent that the company can get away with avoiding purchases by expecting employees to fund their expenses. <S> Even if this is something you can afford, perhaps your co-workers cannot, yet would feel pressured for similar purchases in the future. <S> Has <S> a precedent already been established for these sorts of purchases? <S> If so, you might want to be guided by the past. <A> OK, time for a little collectivism, here. <S> Tell the folks who used the equipment over the suspected loss window that you need to "Pass the hat," replace the cable, and get your boss to lighten up. <S> Your boss will (or should) see that as an act of contrition, i.e. "We aren't sure who lost the cable, but one of us did, and we take responsibility." <S> Then get the adapters. <S> FWIW: <S> I'm a video engineer, as well as a software developer, and know exactly the cable you're talking about. <S> You can buy them online for just over $20, depending on the length you need. <S> I've made several of them. <S> You're better off with adapters and just using regular old XLR cables. <S> It will make life and inventory a lot easier. <A> Will buying the cable actually convince your boss to continue the loaner program? <S> (If you're not sure, assign a percentage to yes and no, and scale the answers to the next two questions by those percentages.) <S> If so, is having the loaners available worth the cost of the cable, TO YOU? <S> If not, is getting rid of the distracting situation worth the cost of the cable, TO YOU, even if your boss continues to be grumpy about people not taking care of the equipment? <S> This is an exercise in expectation value. <S> You've got to figure out whether the cost produces enough value, TO YOU, to justify the situation, and some of that is going to be a matter of guessing the odds of each possible outcome. <S> The other answer would be to institute a much more explicit check-out/check in program, where people are responsible for replacing anything in the kit that they lose or damage. <S> It's their responsibility to make sure everything is present before they sign for it; it'll be someone else's responsibility (yours?) <S> to check that everything has come back and appears to be OK. <S> This will cost some man-hours, and some grief badgering folks about replacing, or paying for, anything that goes AWOL while in their hands. <S> Personal opinion: Unless the loaner program is actually within your nonprofit's official mission, or is a critical part of justifying having invested in the equipment in the first place, it probably isn't worth fighting to continue.
| If they are a few bucks that you can easily afford, there's little harm in buying them.
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How to manage re-engaging a job search after only 1 month at new job I find my self in a situation where I need to start a job search just 5 weeks after I started my current position. I am nervous that have only a 1-month tenure one my resume is going to make me look bad when seeking new jobs. How can I present the situation so that I don't damage my chances to find a job but that it is also clear that the circumstances of my new job are not something I am able or willing to endure. <Q> I am nervous that have only a 1-month tenure one my resume is going to <S> make me look bad when seeking new jobs. <S> How can I present the situation so that I don't damage my chances to find a job but that it is also clear that the circumstances of my new job are not something I am able or willing to endure. <S> People seeing your resume are going to note the short duration between starting your job, and seeking the next one. <S> Just saying "I found the company intolerable" probably isn't sufficient. <S> So best to be prepared to tackle that question more fully during an interview. <S> Be prepared to tell your prospective employers why this won't happen with them <A> People leave jobs for all sorts of reasons. <S> The situation you described -- which is essentially "The position ended up not being a match. <S> If I had known I was going to do X, <S> when I was told explicitly that I would only do Y and not X, I wouldn't have taken the job" -- is a reasonable thing to say when your new interviewers ask you "why were you at your last position for such a short period of time" (which they absolutely will). <S> If I was sitting on the other side of the table, and you said the job wasn't a match and here's <S> why (insert short and impersonal description here ), it wouldn't necessarily raise a red flag. <S> I might press you on some examples, such as the ways in which you expressed your dissatisfaction with a perceived bait-and-switch, how you and the company attempted (or didn't) to fix the situation, etc. <S> The answers would help me learn about you as a person and whether or not this is something about you or really just wasn't a good fit overall (which is common, and why there are typically 90-day "probation" periods). <S> When you are interviewing again, just be as clear as possible about your job/environment requirements and duties, and perhaps ask more questions than you did previously (for everything is a learning experience) to try to uncover the "truth" of the situation. <S> In this case, you might ask how often employees are asked to deviate from their written job descriptions--is it common, occasional, etc--and what communication paths are available in the company to settle differences (e.g. is there an active and useful HR department or not). <A> You have essentially two thing to consider here: <S> What is intolerable and how you explain it? <S> You clearly are not happy with your current employer. <S> This would imply they did not meet the expectations you had prior to employment. <S> Perhaps they are working you more than originally expected, asking you to do things you hadn't expected to do, or maybe their project management style is not up to your acceptable standard. <S> It's perfectly fair on your resume to say "The working hours was not what was originally described." or similar. <S> If a company says 40 hour weeks and they are working you 60 hour weeks <S> this is a completely valid reason to move on without a future employer being bothered much (unless this occurs multiple times) <S> Should you list this on your resume? <S> Remember when you're looking for a job effectively you are selling yourself. <S> Think of it like this. <S> You are the product, the potential employer is your potential customer. <S> Your Resume is you marketing yourself. <S> It should contain only things that better sell you as a product, while remaining honest. <S> Your resume needs to contain only the most relevant things to the customer. <S> That being said a one month stint with someone else should not appear on your resume. <S> You should list the jobs that best demonstrate what you're capable of. <S> I've never seen a gap in time as short as a month prevent an interview <S> (there are thousands of perfectly acceptable reasons for a short gap in employment). <S> Of coarse this will be asked about in the interview. <S> Interview <S> As the above says you should be honest and simply say what you expected of the company that hired you was not what was described. <S> After that make sure you ask questions and clarify what both sides expect out of being hired. <S> This both formalizes expectations which works two fold. <S> This helps prevent getting yourself into another job you wouldn't like and helps the employer feel comfortable that you'll stick around.
| Be clear in your own mind why your current company is intolerable Practice conveying that in an interview Try not to bad-mouth your current company Examine in your own mind why you didn't see this before you chose to sign on with your current company
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If I study so slowly that my CS degree takes 5-6 years, will anyone value it? I dropped out of high school and went on to study in open uni. I had a year before my conscription for a 3 year service, and I planned to study during my service to make the best of a horrible situation. This semester and the previous semester I took only 2 courses because of issues that keep me from devoting 100% of my time for studying. I plan to take 1-2 courses per semester during my serviceand after the service just finish up what I could ASAP. Now I worry that employers probably value the ability to cope with the amount of studying and hard work it takes to finish 3 courses per semester, not just that you know some CS stuff they teach in uni. Should I stick to my plan or give up and resume uni after the army and drown in even greater boredom during my service. <Q> The better way to approach this is simply not to have start and finish dates on your studies. <S> For example, my degree on my resume looks like: B.Sc. <S> Computer Science, University of where I went to school, graduated [month, year]. <S> Having said that, it took me 6 years to get, in part because it wasn't my only one, in part because I was working to put myself through school, and also, [other stuff], but so far, no employer has even asked why it took longer than 4 years, which would be elementary to deduce by my age and the year I graduated. <S> If you include your military service on your resume, and handle the issue of the degree with just a graduation date, it's unlikely anyone will notice it took you more than 4 years, and even less likely that anyone will care. <S> After all, people do get better careers or climb the corporate ladder by going to night school part-time, so it's really not a big deal to an employer how long it takes you to get a degree. <A> is it risky employment-wise to take 5-6 years to finish a degree? <S> In the many years that I've been reviewing resumes and hiring, I've never once cared how long it took to finish a degree <S> - I've only cared that it has actually been achieved. <A> I got a BS in Electrical Engineering <S> the "normal" way, taking four years to complete my courses and graduate. <S> I then got a full-time job, and immediately realized a lot of the hardware logic I was designing could be handled by a computer program (which I knew little about). <S> So a year after getting my BSEE, I decided to get an MS in computer science. <S> But now I was working full-time. <S> Luckily, one of the universities in the area was offering all of their graduate classes both during the day and at night (not necessarily the same semester), since there was a major organization nearby (Bell Labs) that was sending a lot of students there. <S> It took me six years to get my MSCS, taking one course at a time. <S> (I tried taking two at the same time, but it turned out to be too much.) <S> So now I list my two degrees, with completion dates seven years apart. <S> No one has ever asked me how long it took me to complete either of my degrees, they just are interested that I have them <S> and they came from good schools.
| Be concerned with other parts of your resume, and if they fit the model for the job you are trying to get, but don't worry about the duration of your studies.
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Do recruiters have to say where they get their contact info? I've increasingly been getting recruiter emails at my personal email address, and on occasion even my work address (!). As I've never personally reached out to these people or companies, and I'm not currently looking for a job, I ask them where they got my email address. Some of them simply stop responding. But I've also gotten these two replies: It showed up in a search in linkedin. I would love to chat if you are interested in hearing a bit more about what we do. We have a research team that takes care of finding that information and maintains our database. To be honest, I’m not sure how they do it. I'm fairly certain I have my LinkedIn account set to not show my personal email anywhere publicly (although if anybody has any tips on verifying this, it would be much appreciated!). Is it considered unethical to any degree for these recruiters to be lying about where they got my contact info? <Q> No, they don't have to tell you. <S> I'm pretty sure lying, by definition, is unethical (with the possible exception of some moral grey areas) <S> (although maybe I'm confusing ethics and morality). <S> But whether it's unethical or not doesn't really change whether they will or have to tell you. <S> Unsolicited contact from recruiters is unfortunately part of professional life for many. <S> If the request isn't specifically directly towards you, and you're not interested, you could consider just ignoring them - such e-mails are probably sent in bulk, so they're not going to care much / notice if you don't reply. <S> You're presumably not connected to them (on LinkedIn) directly, but any of your contacts, or really anyone you know, could provide them with these details. <S> Most of the unsolicited contact I get from recruiters involve them asking me if I know of anyone else who might be interested, which I always just respond "no" to, but possibly some people you know provided some of your details here. <S> It could be publicly available somewhere . <S> Open a private browsing tab (Ctrl-Shift-P in IE, Ctrl-Shift-N in Chrome) look for yourself and see if you can find it. <S> Side note <S> - I'm pretty sure LinkedIn doesn't make your email address available to anyone but your (possibly 1st degree) contacts (which is presumably optional as well). <S> But you can hover over the icon in the top-right, go to Privacy & Settings, and look for the applicable setting there. <S> Or you could attribute it to recruiters providing these details to each other. <S> If you've ever provided access to these details to a recruiter, this is possible. <S> One way to address this is the unique address idea (possibly a bit late now though) - provide a unique address each time you provide an address <S> and then you can instantly know where your contact details originated from (you may not know where they got it, and it doesn't help you stop it, and it might not work if they just BCC you (TBC), and, <S> depending how you do it, they can just modify the address if they know and care, but it might be better than nothing). <S> With Gmail, I believe you could just add + followed by anything to your email address <S> and you'll still get the mail sent there <S> , for example, if your address is example@gmail.com , you'll also get mail sent to example+bob@gmail.com . <A> I am an Executive Headhunter, my job requires filling executive roles and roles that are very difficult to fill - i.e. rare skills. <S> Because the roles are so difficult to fill, the people with the right skills are usually, like yourself, not in the market for a new job. <S> My Clients pays me an upfront fee to approach people with these skills, irrespective if they are in the job market or not. <S> Its then up to them if they would consider the new challenge, new company or project. <S> If I can not get hold of a person by telephone, I try to figure out their work email, which is not difficult. <S> I can simply guess it, ask your receptionist or personal assistant, maybe I can use the receptionist's email address and just replace it with your name and surname. <S> The recruiter must tell you how they got access to your email address - its highly unprofessional not to. <S> You have to ask yourself, is it really that bad to know what is happening in the job market, specifically within your sector or discipline. <S> Maybe in 2 years you are looking for an opportunity <S> and then you have access to jobs and to recruiters who knows the sector you work in well. <S> Either ignore them or ask them politely not to approach you. <S> I approach my candidates with a full job description and a complete breakdown of the company I am recruiting for. <S> This helps the head-hunted candidate to make an informed decision. <A> On the other hand, they have no way to require that you talk to them, so you can demand that answer as a precondition if you're willing to risk hanging up on an offer you would otherwise be interested in. <S> My own position is: If they claim they were pointed to me by a friend of mine, but are unwilling to name the friend, I conclude they're liars and not worth talking to. <S> If they're willing to admit that it's a cold call, I may be willing to listen. <A> This is an answer for Germany. <S> Note that I am not a lawyer. <S> We have the Recht auf Selbstauskunft , loosely a "Right of Self Disclosure" , both with respect to public authorities and also companies. <S> It states that you can require to get the following information: <S> Which data is stored and how they received it <S> Whom they passed over these data Reason for storing these data
| There is no way to require that they give you this information.
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How to go beyond the manager professionally whenever it is required? I am working as developer in the current firm. We are developing a application for the organization. However for requirements and for other clarifications we need to approach so many other teams and many other people. Usually for those clarifications I used to approach my reporting manager. However he is super busy with lot of things, and usually the inputs or clarifications are getting late from other teams. Since my manager is super busy he is sometimes becomes bottle neck for those clarifications and inputs. Sometimes I used to wait for those clarifications and sit idle without any work. But when those clarifications are inputs come I used to work more than usual working hours and used to slog in order to meet dead lines. Hence I feel I would like to go beyond my manager and approach other teams or departments for those clarifications. How can I do gracefully without creating any rift with my manager? <Q> The easiest way to do this is to go to your manager and say "I need some clarifications from such-and-such a team. <S> Normally I'd talk to you, but I know you're busy. <S> Do you mind if I go and talk to them direct? <S> I'll copy you on what they say if you like." <S> I should say that in some cases, getting input from other teams is much more complicated than simply going to some person and asking them. <S> I say this because taking on this task might be more work than you think. <A> The graceful way is to offer your manager a potential solution to help him with the amount of work in his plate and getting projects finished sooner. <S> Don't start with trying to limit your hours in general, but doing things at the last minute is taking a risk of more errors. <S> He may be worried that things will happen without his knowledge. <S> Work on documentation of the requests and that if you feel someone is making an unnecessary requirement, you'll bring it to his attention. <S> He is responsible for the project and sometimes that leads to micro-managing. <S> There could be other checks and balances required by the company to keep him in the loop. <S> I've had managers who tried to insulate their team from ad hoc requests especially <S> and I only would work directly with users when given permission on particular projects. <S> There may be other solutions to free up his time <S> (Isn't that the real problem?). <S> Does he take on the sole responsibility of finding replacements? <S> You'll never provide the best solution until you have all the information. <S> Just because this is a bottleneck for your projects may not be perceived as a problem for the company (ie. <S> they don't care if you have to work late.). <A> It depends on your company's structure. <S> I work with a remote manager who is not the most punctual and brings a very outdated approach to application development to the table often. <S> In those situations where he is stalling or being purposeful in his impedance to progress for the sake of his own comfort and position, I routinely go directly to the President/CEO. <S> The key to doing that though lays in presenting the facts and espressing the issue tactfully, not in a way that comes across as throwing someone under the bus, even if they may deserve it. <S> I find that being equipped with the facts, what the problem is and how going about it differently will speed up completion, the CEO is all ears, and provides the authorization and any resources needed, in addition to setting the manager straight on the same path as I presented to him. <S> Just be prepared and organized beforehand.
| If the President/CEO is in your line of report-to, then simply make the point to politely request to speak with him/her and bring such issues to their attention.
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What time counts when it comes to remote work? I'm getting back into the world of work after being disabled for 10 years and got a job as a software developer. Because of a disability I work from home. I'm starting again at a junior developer level but I'm replacing an intermediate level developer. I'm paid hourly. I'm learning as I go but things are taking me longer than a more experienced developer. I keep track of my own hours and am not sure what all to turn in. I have only been turning in the time that I am programming and take off the time I have to look things up or learn something new. I also don't count the time I take breaks or the time when I come into the office to meet about projects. I also take off some extra time because I'm just slower or have to re-do some things as I go along. In my last pay period I only turned in half the hours I worked on a project. Am I being correct in calculating the hours I should be paid for? <Q> You should consult your employees manual for exactly what you are entitled to submit for hours, failing that consult your manager or HR. <S> They should be able to answer this more completely than anyone on here. <S> That said as a general guide you should be entitled to claim any time you are in work for meetings, plus travelling time to and from work (at least here in the UK). <S> You shouldn't be removing time just because you are slower than you expect. <S> That also goes for time spent looking up new stuff. <S> You'd have to do that if you were in the office so why shouldn't you claim the time at home? <S> Every developer, new, experienced, young and old all look up new technologies (or they should) as they come out. <S> Researching how to code is an expected part of the job (to a certain extent). <S> Just don't be afraid to contact your colleagues in the office for help when you need it. <S> If you constantly short change yourself on your hours you're going to set a precedent that isn't good. <S> It leaves you unpaid for hours your working and it means management isn't aware of how much you are actually working. <S> If they suddenly drop a project on you and expect you to have it done in X time because you've been short changing your hours <S> and you actually need twice as long to do it <S> that puts you in a bad situation and when you can't do it in time it leaves your managers asking why. <A> I keep track of my own hours and am not sure what all to turn in. <S> I have only been turning in the time that I am programming and take off the time I have to look things up or learn something new. <S> I also don't count the time I take breaks or the time when I come into the office to meet about projects. <S> I also take off some extra time because I'm just slower or have to re-do some things as I go along. <S> In my last pay period I only turned in half the hours I worked on a project. <S> Am I being correct in calculating the hours I should be paid for? <S> It doesn't appear that you are calculating your hours correctly at all (at least the way they would be calculated in my shop). <S> But the only opinion that matters in this regard is the opinion of your employer. <S> Your employer is trusting you to keep track of your own hours. <S> If you aren't sure how to do that correctly, you owe it to them to find out. <S> In general, you are entitled to be paid for all of the hours you work - at home or in the office, not those hours diluted by some factor to account for your slowness. <S> Ask your boss. <A> If you were in the physical office, chances are that time taken to research solutions, build your skills, go to the restroom, take a few minutes to reset your brain, and the like would all be perfectly billable. <S> The way I tend to resolve this is that I have a desk area set up at home: <S> any time spent at the desk is time I'm "on the clock", and quick trips to the restroom or kitchen are also "on the clock". <S> If I wander off and have a nap, obviously that's not billable, and likewise for popping out to run errands (akin to a lunch break). <S> When I'm in my home office, I'm in the office, period, and I make a point to behave the same way I would at the actual office. <A> If you wouldn't be doing what you are doing if you didn't have the job, it's work. <S> Charge for it!
| You should talk to your boss and ask how you should be calculating your hours. You were hired in a junior developer role, they won't expect you to produce code at the same speed as those at a more senior role so don't expect yourself to.
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Is it OK to go on interviews while working on a contract with another company? As the question states. I have a month to month contract, which is non-binding in its current state. I can basically leave the job any time I want to, but this requires me actually wanting to try to find a job to apply for. Does this allow me to go on interviews in the meantime? If they ever extend my contract full time, would it be ok to take some time off to go on other job interviews for other opportunities before accepting the full time contract? My current hours are 9-5 and not really flexible for job interviews even in the city I am working in let alone travelling elsewhere to other job opportunities like California or NYC. Would my current workplace see this as me not really wanting to work there? That would be strange because my boss keeps on hinting that I am always free to look for other opportunities, but I don't want to hurt my chances of getting the full time job!. <Q> Since you are on contract, you probably don't have paid time off like sick or vacation time. <S> In either case, the assumption is that you aren't interviewing for a new job during hours when the current job is paying you for work <S> you are supposed to be doing. <S> Options while contracting Unless you have a nice deal that gives you vacation or sick time, basically the only way is to take unpaid time off. <S> If you are on a strict schedule, notify your boss that you won't be able to come into work on a given day. <S> If s/ <S> he asks why (it's really none of his/her business), <S> the right way to do it is to say you need to take care of some things that you can only handle during business hours. <S> Lying works, too, but is never the best policy. <S> If your hours are flexible, just tell your boss you will be coming in late/early on the day of your interview, and make the time up later in the week. <S> This option is a lot easier since you don't need to take unpaid time off. <S> Options while salaried with Paid Time Off <S> The best choice is to use vacation time to "take a personal day". <S> That's all the explanation you should need to give. <S> If you have flexible hours, you could also tell the boss you will be in late/early, and then make up the time later. <S> Obviously, taking sick time to interview sets you up to lie, so it's not preferred. <A> Is it OK to go on interview ... ? <S> Well, that's how the world works, <S> so yes. <S> People manage to stealthily go on interviews all the time. <S> "Oh no, I've got the flu!" <S> , "Allergy season again, I'm not feeling well", "Great Aunt Betty died <S> so I need to be out for 3 days to get to the funeral in LA. <S> " <S> etc are fairly common excuses. <S> That said, any manager with decent experience knows that a "sick" employee is just as likely to be interviewing as eating chicken soup. <S> At the same time, managers know that people will come and go so it's usually not a big deal. <S> You appear to be in the US. <S> A number of states are "Right to Work" states which essentially says that you can leave at any time for any reason, just like they can fire you at any time for any non-EEOC reason. <S> Contracts forcing a person to stay at a specific job aren't enforceable for a whole host of reasons (talk to your lawyer about yours); the appearance of being an indentured servant being one of them. <S> Now, there might be some penalty if they gave you something extra (the job itself usually doesn't count) like a big signing bonus or specific training that you accepted while agreeing to stay for a minimum term. <S> But, again, they can't stop you from leaving <S> , it's just that you might have to pay back that bonus. <A> Yes, absolutely. <S> As a contractor, it is expected that your current position will come to an end, and that you will need to arrange for a new position. <S> They will in all likelihood figure it out anyway. <S> If they want you to stay in the job, they already know that they have to be competitive with their job offering. <S> Try to make sure that your absence won't unduly inconvenience your current employer. <S> Frankly, the only employer who has any right or expectation that you will not go on interviews is one that has offered you literally a perfect job with 100% guarantee of job satisfaction and has placed your entire lifetime's worth of salary in an irrevocable trust. <S> As no such jobs exist as far as I'm aware, you should not feel guilt about interviewing. <A> Of course you should go to interviews. <S> All the more so as you have a temporary position. <S> It's perfectly natural to have appointments and other personal business that will take you out of the office at times. <S> I usually advise people to take an interview every few months even if they're completely content in their position. <S> It keeps them sharp and aware of how things are changing.
| Rather than try to do this covertly, simply inform your current employer that you need to take the time off for an interview. If you have a job that lumps sick and vacation time into a PTO bucket, the point is moot.
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How should I confront my boss for not being open with me about my performance and development? I am a new manager (junior/assistant head of department), promoted one year ago, and I have always had five star performance ratings as well as been recently named best employee of the company. On the surface, I have little or no reason to believe that I have had performance issues. During the recent performance review, however, my boss told me that someone else would soon come and help look over my team. In fact, this person is a friend of the CEO with little technical experience in my function but has been fast-tracked. De facto, I also feel like he is becoming more and more our new boss, giving me and my team commands.During the appraisal, I did feel a bit uncomfortable and asked my boss:"Is there any negative feedback about my performance? Anything I could improve?" And he said:"Absolutely not, you are doing a great job and you should continue like that!"In that instant, it reassured me, but now 4 months have passed and I feel more and more like I am being cornered, stripped of my responsibilities, and being excluded from nearly all decision-making. This was my hunch back then, and it is turning into reality.My boss has more meetings with the new guy, and the new guy has independent meetings with the others in my team. The doubts and anxiety about this are increasing every day and I feel quite betrayed about this. I also think my actual performance is dropping due to this, as I am constantly focusing about the team, about what to do to improve the team and prove myself, and confused about my tasks which are increasingly technical.All in all, I have reached the point where I cannot take it anymore and need to talk about this with my boss. I want to develop my path as a manager and grow to a senior level leader, so I need to learn what are my mistakes and what I need to change, etc. How can I confront my boss about this? Note that this is part of a larger question, but I am breaking it down to more specific questions following the request by members who dislike too generic questions. I also hope this makes the question and answer more relevant to a larger audience. <Q> In fact, this person is a friend of the CEO with little technical experience in my function but has been fast-tracked. <S> This suggests to me that the problem may not be a fault in your work per se, but rather an issue of politics. <S> If the CEO has decided to carve out a niche for a friend in a part of the business that affects you then this might be the whole problem in itself, not something that you are doing or not doing. <S> If you don't feel you can do that then do you have a management peer or a mentor outside the line of fire who might be able to give you an impartial view, or share any gossip they may have heard? <A> During the appraisal, I did feel a bit uncomfortable and asked my boss:"Is there any negative feedback about my performance? <S> Anything I could improve?" <S> And he said:"Absolutely not, you are doing a great job and you should continue like that!" <S> The lack of feedback here would be a bit of a yellow flag to my mind as one possible explanation is that your boss hasn't noticed anything and thus doesn't have anything to tell you other than to continue as you are. <S> In other words, is your boss really noticing how well or not well you are doing with your job? <S> Possibly not as if you aren't causing trouble then things are fine. <S> I want to develop my path as a manager and grow to a senior level leader, so I need to learn what are my mistakes and what I need to change, etc. <S> How can I confront my boss about this? <S> Personally, I wouldn't. <S> I would suggest finding mentors outside of those direct superiors you have that may be more useful to have as sounding boards. <S> There is the potential that when it comes to office politics you aren't doing well enough to be the person that is getting favored <S> and thus you feel a little bitter. <S> Depending on the size of your organization, there may be others in management positions that you could ask for a perspective of how are you seen by others as it may be that the company wants to have you do some technical work while also calling you a manager so that you aren't the low man on the totem pole. <S> Networking events and professional events for your field would likely be my suggestion for where you may find other managers as well as considered graduate schools where some managers may go to get degrees like an MBA. <A> Don't "confront" your boss. <S> You can ask for more information from him, but confrontation will just hurt whatever relationship you have. <S> From what you have said here, it sounds to me like @RobM <S> is on track. <S> It isn't you, it's the CEO creating a role for someone else. <S> And perhaps your manager not being very focused on your development. <S> To help you grow your skills, I'm happy to suggest Manager Tools ( http://manager-tools.com ) where you will find a large number of free podcasts on management. <S> Start with the Basics feed, and then branch out. <S> They have been a huge help to me.
| As for what to do about it, if you have the right sort of relationship with your manager then ask them.
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How can I improve the tone of my communication with clients? I am working at a client site as an IT Consultant. Recently the client has provided feedback to my employer: “His communication is direct and straight forward to the point. But most of the time it is very crude and blunt. He needs to improve on presenting his points more sophisticated and in a sweet way. Especially we have observed when conveying negative things or the points which are related conflict of interests to someone or some team. As a lead he needs to learn to add honey to his communication without impairing the facts” I agree that sometimes I am very direct, blunt and sometimes it appears as rude to others. Based on the feedback I want to improve on my way of communication or presenting the things to others. What does it mean to "add honey" to my communication? I am not sure even how to start improving. What techniques can I use to improve with both the sophistication and sweetness of my communication? Please note this question was originally written by someone who is not a native English speaker. It has been rewritten to help communicate to a native speaking audience. Few Scenarios of my communication to add clarity to my question Scenario: Context is here. I am lead for web UI development team. I found an issue with web service due to which some part of the functionality of web application is not working. Hence I have talked with other team lead who is responsible for that web service. Since he can not reproducible the issue in his machine he debug and make code changes in my machine. That code changes worked fine and I confirmed that asked to commit the code into TFS branch, where is our central code repository. He says that he would like to check in from my machine it self since he has some issue with his machine. I denied because I am not comfortable to commit other than my changes. Here is the conversation Myself: Hey Service Lead(SL), Your changes are working fine. Please go ahead and commit the changes. SL: Good to hear that. I have some issue with TFS which not allows me to commit the code. Hence I would like to do it from my machine. MySelf: I am not comfortable to commit other changes from machine. Please do it from your machine itself. SL: OK. I will do it after the issue with TFS has fixed. <Q> For example: No -- <S> > <S> I regret that I can't agree to that request. <S> None of your business --> <S> I really couldn't say. <S> This is late. <S> Give it to me now! <S> -- <S> > <S> I was expecting to have this by now and really need it immediately. <S> I can't stand for this! <S> -- <S> > <S> What are we going to do about this? <S> Especially if English is a second language for you, you can set out to learn these phrases. <S> For example, watch movies set in England in the 50's and 60's when this polite way of speech was the norm. <S> Watch movies set in the 18th century and watch how the richest characters talk to each other. <S> (Careful, though, not to sound too old fashioned.) <S> Also, take mental notes of your coworkers and especially the person who gave you this feedback. <S> How do they say no, sorry, hurry up, stop that, this is wrong, you can't have that, and the like? <S> You may not mean some of what you say at first. <S> Not everyone who asks "how was your weekend? <S> " really wants to know. <S> But you may also find that acknowledging the feelings of your coworkers in words leads to actually caring more - especially if it leads to them liking you a little more. <A> I have a few tips here. <S> 1) <S> In written communication, it's good to be direct and concise but you should not omit greetings unless you have already had written e-mails with that person earlier in the same day. <S> It's easy to just reply "Ok" or a straight <S> "Yes" or "No" to an e-mail <S> but it might be perceived as agressive tone. <S> 2) <S> In person or on the phone, try to understand the person in front of you. <S> Some people like very direct conversations without small talk <S> but others will like that little bit of "warmth". <S> Try to adapt to the different personnalities you encounter. <S> 3) <S> In the quote we can see that it appears you were perceived as blunt when giving negative feedback. <S> You should take extra care when giving negative feedback. <S> You should especially make sure that your feedback is needed. <S> Sometimes, keeping your mouth shut is the best policy for peace. <S> 4) <S> Last advice, I suggest maybe polishing your english if you are communicating in this language. <S> This may be reflected in the "needs to improve on presenting his points more sophisticated and sweet way <S> " part. <S> This, in my opinion, may also be a source of confusion on your tone. <S> Sometimes, a poor choice of words can convey the wrong meaning. <A> Basically you change the operator of your sentences. <S> Instead of "You", use "I". <S> Instead of <S> You did something wrong <S> say <S> I think this is wrong <S> You can do that with all your communication. <S> Try to send your feedback as "My opinion". <S> This carries the point across, but it is not as hard to digest. <S> some examples <S> : You should have done that the XY-way. <S> You are wrong <S> You have to work harder better: <S> I would have done that the XY-way. <S> I have another opinion (or stronger: I think you are wrong) <S> I would like to have the result faster <A> I have noticed that people sometimes tend to be blunt due to their attitude towards their customer. <S> Treat them the way you want to be treated when you are at a shop or at a window waiting for some service. <S> Ultimately, they are the "customers" and they need to be satisfied. <S> I assume you are based in India, and so am I. <S> We are adapted to so much of bad customer service that we do not understand value of speaking pleasantly to our customers. <S> So let us check some practical scenarios <S> :Customer changes their requirements - yes, that can be annoying. <S> But that is how business is. <S> Business changes, and you are there to help them through it. <S> So instead of sending all negative messages or resisting the change, just communicate what can be done, and if it involves additional cost etc, say that the management will analyze get back on it. <S> Say something like "can you please help me understand why xxxx has to happen like this(customer's way) and not like this(your way)" <S> Sometimes the way we speak <S> (sentence structures, even pronunciation and intonation) can give a negative impression. <S> Work up on those. <S> If you do not have too many opportunities to speak and improve, listen to podcasts - these help a lot!! <S> - example : http://www.businessenglishpod.com/ <S> Finally, treat your peers, leads, supervisors as your customers (the SL in your example scenario) <S> - In your example you could just tell the SL that you would commit the changes on his behalf only if there can be a comment added to it saying so. <S> Also you could just send a follow up email to that (copying relevant people to save your back) saying " <S> Hi Sl, just as discussed I have committed the changes to xxx in your behalf"
| If you are disagreeing with your customer, use polite ways to say that(as mentioned in other answers) and also, do not end your sentences abruptly with statements like "that's all I have to say" or "that's it!"; and do not disagree without hearing their side of the story. Re-think your attitude when you are interacting with your client. There are a number of set phrases you can learn that are softer and sweeter versions of what you may first plan to say. What I found really helpful for communicating negative feedback is the " I-Message " (thanks to @sleske for looking that up).
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When to apply for a new job while living abroad My current position is slotted to end in about a year. My profession is IT (specifically network engineering), and I'm employed in the UK but looking to head back to the States - hopefully California because of the large technology market. Taking into account my geographical distance from my end-goal: When is the most appropriate time to reach out to other potential employers? A year? 6-9 months? 0-6 months? When should I begin dialogue with this employer? I don’t want to apply too early and get shot down because that's too far in the future. I also don't want to apply too late and risk not getting a job. Any guidance/experiences would be greatly appreciated. <Q> Put yourself in the shoes of a potential hiring manager. <S> If you're a total stranger to them, and you come inquiring after an easy-to-fill position that you can't take until 2015 sometime, you may be perceived as wasting their time. <S> Worse, you may be seen as trying to get them to pay for international relocation, which is expensive. <S> That's the downside of getting started early on your job hunt. <S> If you have distinguished skills and experience and you happen to know which companies in your field really need you, it's an entirely different matter. <S> The same is true if you have friends / former colleagues at some of your target companies. <S> In other words, at this stage it's too early, I believe, for an overt job search. <S> Instead, you'd be wise to develop your relationships. <S> How can you do that? <S> There are all kinds of ways. <S> You probably have some idea what companies you hope to work for. <S> LinkedIn works for many people. <S> Another thing you can do is use Meetup.com to locate affinity groups in your specialty in your target geography. <S> That's especially helpful if you're planning an exploratory trip: you can go to meetups and have in-person conversations about who's doing what. <S> Craigslist has lots of job postings. <S> You can scan it to figure out what kinds of jobs people advertise for. <S> You can try writing to or telephoning acquaintances and asking them about their work and companies. <S> People love to be asked about themselves, and will introduce you to other people. <S> You might ask acquaintances for an introduction to a respected agent (headhunter). <S> There are some really good headhunters willing to work with a situation like yours when you get closer to moving, but you will have to do a bit of work to find them. <S> This web system, specifically https://serverfault.com/ is designed to help tech domain experts identify one another. <S> It's worth a try to look for people who make good contributions (answers, mostly) and try to get in touch with them. <S> In all cases, talk straight. <S> Tell people you're thinking of relocating six months out, and you're trying to figure out what's going on in your specialty. <A> Job searches can take a long time, and companies can move very slowly. <S> For many people, this would be much too late. <S> Your better bet is to start looking very soon (6-9+ months ahead) and applying. <S> If a company moves quickly, and they call for an interview, let them know up front your time schedule. <S> That way, if they need someone sooner, they don't have to spend time on you, and you don't burn bridges with them for future opportunities. <S> In other words, a job opportunity that you have to pass on is better than no opportunities at all. <S> If they're still interested and interview you, then they are aware of your schedule up front, and will work with your timing. <S> The more likely scenario is that once you have a company interested, it may still take weeks or sometimes even months to get through the interview and job offer process. <S> The sooner you get that started, the more likely you'll have a job when you return. <A> When to apply: after you have arrived locally or a few weeks before. <S> See my answer here: https://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/22861/would-moving-to-one-of-the-main-cities-with-user-experience-job-opportunities-he/22863#22863 <S> That makes it difficult for you, so I'd suggest planning to make the move, and saving up for about a month without income. <S> The day my contract in SC ended, I packed my car. <S> The following day I started the two-day drive to CO. <S> Upon arrival in CO, I started interviewing and was able to start a new contract job within the month I had planned for. <S> I thankfully had in-laws to stay with until I had established myself. <S> Some things to consider: <S> Do you have friends/family in this city that you can stay with rent-free or low-rent until you have a job? <S> Do you have a SO that you plan to move with? <S> If you have decided on a city already, you could get a Google Voice number with the local area code that can be put on resumes. <S> You can line up interviews for the week of your arrival to minimize your unpaid time off.
| If you're confident that your skills are in demand and a job search should be fairly quick, it would be valid to wait until you're about 3 months from moving to start applying. My personal experience (and the experience of similar friends who are trying to make a long distance job move) is that most places won't even pick up your resume unless you are local.
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Asking for raise to meet HR guidelines Recently I have met my manager to ask him a significant raise. I based my demand on: HR guidelines for the level of my position and what I have seen in the industry on payscale and glassdoor. I have underlined my recent achievements and said I thought this salary adjustment was needed in order for it to make sense. The raise I asked is about a 15% increase of my current salary. Currently, my salary is in the "development" range as stated by HR guidelines, which is stated to be "only for short term" and what I asked constitutes a salary in the middle range of the guidelines. My manager looked very surprised, told me this was a significant amount and reminded me that regular annual raises are around 2%. My question is: is it considered legitimate to base salary increase demands on HR guidelines / demand a bigger raise in order to match the market ? I'm not sure if I did something wrong. My manager seemed to find it unreasonable but told me he would not give me his final decision until next month when the annual salary raises will be given to all employees. Relevant info: My manager is very satisfied with my work and has told me so a couple of times recently. We have no history of conflict whatsoever and I have no reason to believe he likes me or not. Also, this is the first time I ever ask for a raise and I have worked in this department for two years. Edit: The HR guidelines I am talking about are salary ranges according to 5 different stages and for each level. The phases are Development (new employee, needs a lot of supervision), A (employee needs more supervision than normal), B (employee needs regular supervision), C (employee needs little supervision), Exceptional (contribution far exceeds expectation for level). There is a range for each stage. The salary I asked is exactly the middle of the B range. I have been in the "development" range for a year even though I bring a lot of new ideas to the department and technical skills equal to or above those of my colleagues (recognized by my colleagues and by my manager). <Q> You asked: Is it considered legitimate to base salary increase demands on HR <S> guidelines / demand a bigger raise in order to match the market ? <S> The answer is yes. <S> This is business. <S> From the way you've described your company's salary range system, your company has invested quite a lot of HR effor and probably money in working out a compensation plan. <S> So, as a company they care about paying people fairly. <S> It sounds like you've done your homework and made your case for a salary adjustment. <S> Note: you're asking for an adjustment, not a routine yearly raise. <S> I have one concern: your use of the word demand. <S> Be careful thinking that way. <S> In US culture, that's a harsh word. <S> A lot of supervisors (including yours) take it personally even when their employees politely ask for more money. <S> If you demand it, you may make your manager even more defensive. <S> That's not going to help. <S> You want your manager to be able to take credit with his boss and co-workers for having a successful and highly paid team. <S> So try to figure out how to enlist him as your ally in getting this adjustment. <A> As others have said, requesting an adjustment is perfectly fine in this situation. <S> I would like to add a few things, though. <S> First, make sure that your boss agrees with you about which phase you're in. <S> You say you are in phase B - does he agree with this? <S> This should be your first concern, since the pay scale is set depending on which phase you're in. <S> If he disagrees and says that you are still in phase A, or even Development, your next step is to have a meeting with him figure out what it is he thinks you should be doing that you are not (yet <S> ) doing. <S> He should be able to be specific here. <S> This meeting should result in a checklist of things that you need to do in order to be considered phase B instead of A or Devel. <S> This list is your most important negotiating tool. <S> You need to make sure that you actually do the things he wants you to do; you need to have documentation to back it up and you need to have him agree that you have done those things. <S> You should follow up regularly (whether by email or by meetings) to verify that the two of you are in agreement on what you have done and how close you are to completing the things on the checklist. <S> If you need to change the check list, perhaps because you are ordered to focus on a different project instead of the one on your check list, you need to have an agreement with him that the new project is the one that counts towards your goal. <S> Within a year, the two of you should agree that you are now in phase B. <S> Once that is done, and you have that signed, that is the time that you bring up salary adjustment again - because now he cannot argue that you don't fulfill the requirements to be in that salary range. <S> If, instead, he agrees that you are already in phase B, but he's still unwilling to adjust your pay, then you can contact HR and ask the what the procedure is to have an adjustment. <S> Only do this if you are prepare to handle any fallout from his perceiving you to be "going over his head" on this. <A> It sounds like you've asked for a raise in exactly the right manner, as set out by HR. <S> The truth is - if the manager wants to give you a raise, he can. <S> He may think that he can simply get away with not giving you the (decent) raise. <S> It's concerning that you've apparently been on a development range for two years - perhaps just because you haven't pushed for a raise before that. <S> This worked for me, at about the time my raise was being considered, I emailed my manager outlining some issues our process and environment. <S> Perhaps it was a coincidence, but about a week later, my raise which had been taking ages came through, and was a decent amount. <S> My advice is to start looking at other jobs, attend interviews, negotiate salaries etc, this will give you a good perspective on how much you're really worth, and you can take it from there, what you want to do with that knowledge for your current role; you can say 'Well look, I've been offered a job at $xxx', or you might simply decide it's time to move on from your current role. <S> Attending interviews will give you confidence about your own value and also give you a good picture of what's out there. <A> My question is: is it considered legitimate to base salary increase demands on HR guidelines <S> / demand a bigger raise in order to match the market ? <S> In my experience, market correction in salaries (upwards or downwards) is purely a management decision and is usually exercised company wide.
| Some advice given to me, was 'The best time to ask for a raise, is when they think you're about to leave'. Your manager may not want to give you the raise, because it's always nice to save money. Although I am not particularly sure what HR guidelines you are considering, however, as long as your data points are cohesive and relative, you initiating the exercise is definitely legitimate.
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Applying to a position I already allowed a recruiter to represent me for I have been approached by two recruiters (A and B) for a position the same role at the same company. I was asked by Recruiter A first, and told them that I would allow them to represent me for the position at the company, and told Recruiter B that I was already being represented by Recruiter A. I have since found out that each recruiter is only allowed to submit three candidates for that position to prevent the company from being flooded by resumes. Since Recruiter A approached more than three candidates, it is possible that despite me giving them permission to represent me, they have not submitted my resume to the company. I contacted Recruiter A asking for verification that they had submitted my resume for consideration to the company, but they are telling me they will not provide that information. They have an incentive to prevent me from applying for the role through another recruiter as it reduces the candidate pool and makes it more likely one of their candidates will be selected. How can I apply for this role given the situation with Recruiter A? <Q> Recruiters make money when you are placed, not when your resume is submitted. <S> Instead of trying to get this proof you're looking for, be open and honest. <S> Tell the recruiter your assumption, and ask for assurances that you have been submitted to the position and when you can expect a response. <S> This isn't a game, it's business, and both of you benefit when there is open communication of expectations. <S> Things you don't want to do in this situation: Attempt to be submitted via multiple recruiters by lying and saying that you haven't already been submitted. <S> Being dishonest is always bad. <S> As a hiring manager, if I saw your resume twice from two agencies, yes, it would reflect poorly on them, but it would reflect worse on you because I know most agencies won't submit unless they have sole submit right--and that you lied to both of them. <S> Submit yourself via online application, and attempt to be submitted via recruiter. <S> Again, it will look like you're lying: either you didn't tell your recruiter you were already submitted, or you are trying to weasel the recruiter out of commission by submitting yourself after you were told where the opening is. <S> In either case, I will not consider you for hire. <A> Personally, I think you are being too nice to the agencies <S> and I would not consider it my problem to maintain. <S> I would even say if asked to represent me, I would say "I will say yes to other agencies too because I understand there are quotas on the number of CVs you can submit". <S> I appreciate this does not directly address your question of proof which I think you will struggle to get an answer from ANY agency about. <S> If one of the agencies is just trolling, then they know that if they send your CV in, they will probably only get their cut if they were the only agency to send in your CV. <S> I had a situation where an agency contacted me about a role <S> and I sent my CV to them. <S> My wife (unknown to them) worked with the hiring manager and after a week or so asked if my CV was on his desk. <S> It turned out they had 5 CVs but could only submit 3 and literally threw them up in the air to see which 3 came down first. <S> My wife described me to the hiring manager and he asked me to come in for an interview on top of the 3 he had been sent. <S> I got the job and the agency phoned me up to congratulate me and subsequently badgered the company for their commission!!! <S> Needless to say, they did not get paid! <A> There are a few things to keep in mind here. <S> Most companies will not want to get into a fight over the finders fee. <S> So if you were submitted first by an agency/head hunter, do not apply to a company directly. <S> Also, do not apply via another agency or head hunter. <S> Secondly, sometimes you can figure out who is hiring by the job title, description, etc. <S> You may be able to leverage your network to get into the position or apply directly. <S> The issue many times is that the agency/recruiter does not have exclusive rights on the job listing. <S> In other words, the employer may be using several agencies as well as listing it on their own job boards, web site, etc. <S> Unless you're so good/exactly want the company is looking for, they may be hesitant to pay the finders fee. <S> Recently, I had 1 agency contact me about a position where I think I know where it is and the VP over the position I know quite well. <S> So, why would he want to pay the finders fee to hire someone he presumably knows?
| If the company/hiring manager is using multiple agencies, then it is up to him to decide which agency first sent them the CV if they receive several copies of your CV and subsequently hire you.
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How do I deal with an employer withholding my paycheck? I recently gave notice that I was quitting my job and my boss told me not to return to work. I left all of my hardware on my desk. The next day my boss texts me and says "X is missing." I know for a fact that I was not given this item, but my boss insists one was checked out to me. My boss has now informed me that my final paycheck will be withheld until I return the item, but I don't actually have the item to return. I have made this fact clear to my boss but she does not seem to care: she will not pay me until she gets back this item I supposedly have. I don't have an employee contract and have never signed a legal document, let alone one regarding anything to do with hardware and hardware returns. What is my next course of action? <Q> Do not communicate, in any fashion (phone, text, email, in person... NONE) <S> any further with your ex-boss. <S> All communication regarding this matter should be directed to your former company's HR and Legal departments. <S> Let them do the legwork about the checked-out item. <S> If what you say is true , your boss won't be able to generate any proof regarding the item, and "magically" Legal will make sure you get your paycheck promptly to dissuade you from taking further legal action against the company. <S> Sidenote: you probably want to inquire (to Legal or HR only!) <S> about your official status -- were you officially terminated (because the boss told you not to return), or are you classified as a resignation, or "job eliminated"? <S> This may affect things like whether you are entitled to accrued vacation pay, 2 weeks notice, continuing health benefits, unemployment eligibility, etc. <A> What is my next course of action? <S> Check your local employment laws/ <S> meet with a local employment lawyer. <S> Some of what your boss is doing may be illegal, and you should make sure you know your rights/entitlements. <S> For instance: Since you gave proper notice and your boss decided to request that you leave immediately, you may be entitled to receive payment and benefits for your entire notice period. <S> It may not be legal for the company to withhold any funds from your final paycheck <S> (as in, the company may be required to deal with the issue of the "missing" hardware through some other means). <S> The company may be legally obliged to include all of 1) payment for hours worked, 2) payment for your notice period, and 3) payment of any accrued leave and other entitlements in full as part of your final paycheck. <S> There may be a legally imposed deadline specifying when your final paycheck must be paid. <S> Reiterate to your boss that you do not have the disputed item <S> , you never had the item, and request that she show you what actual proof (i.e. written documentation) she has to the contrary, and also what proof she has that you agreed to have hardware costs deducted from your pay. <S> Consider bringing HR <S> and/or her supervisor into the matter if necessary. <S> (print out the relevant statutes so that you can cite them, as well), and request that she pay your final paycheck in accordance with the applicable local law(s). <S> You say you "don't have an employee contract". <S> That seems a bit odd. <S> You may also want to do research to determine what, if any, default workplace agreement applies to you. <S> For instance, in Australia there are Award agreements that specify the minimum conditions of employment for various jobs. <S> If a comparable system exists in your location, determine what terms apply in your specific case. <S> This is another thing that a local employment lawyer could likely assist you with. <S> Or your company's HR department, if you consider them trustworthy. <A> They should check all the items one by one to ensure you gave them everything. <S> In case if you both signed this paper, they have no legal demands on you. <S> If something missed from the list: that is their problem, you can prove your good attitude with the paper which is signed by you and your former employer. <S> If they hold back your last salary just say them you gave everything they stated, so please send the paycheck or get a lawyer, since it is rightfully yours. <S> Sadly in this situation you don't have this kind of paper, if you have nerves to fight with them outside a courthouse, you can, but I would say it is futile over a certain amount. <S> What you can do, whenever your friends applying a job there, tell them your story. <S> At normal places these documents are just natural and part of the regular practice. <S> In case if you legally didn't work there (is it the case?) <S> then the situation is clear: just walk away, don't recommend the workplace for your friends, and never do the same again.
| For the next quitting in your life: Ask (or Force them) for a regular checklist for giving in all the properties what the company has and it is in your hands. If you find that the local employment laws are strongly in your favor, calmly but firmly let your boss (or HR/her supervisor) know that what she is doing is illegal
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Is it required to be exact about previous salary when dealing with recruiting agencies? All jobs I applied for have been through recruiting agencies and all of them are asking for my current/previous salary. It is much much lower than industry average (nearly half) and I don't want that to influence my next salary... I remember reading somewhere - though I don't remember where - that it doesn't need to be precise, and that it should also include in the sum a money value of perks, benefits, bonuses and maybe even equity. For example, if my basic salary is 50, my bonus is 10, my laptop is 3, other benefits amount to 2... can I say that my salary is 65 to the recruiting agency? Could there be any negative consequences for not disclosing the exact base salary? <Q> You can say whatever you like. <S> The recruiting company wants to know in order to factor it into what roles they might consider putting you forward for, and in order to determine how much they should be putting forward as your salary demands. <S> So obviously if you fudge/mislead/use creative accounts/outright lie, it just means that they'll be using the fudged number in those considerations. <S> However, before you do this, bear in mind that it is in the recruiters' best interests to put you in a job at the best salary they can get . <S> Their commission is based on your salary. <S> The more they can get for you, the more they get for themselves. <S> So when dealing with a good recruiter, you should absolutely be able to get the most effective service by telling them what your current situation is, what you are hoping for, and what you are not willing to settle for less than. <S> Feel free to say "my current salary is $50k, but taking perks and bonus into account, I value it at $65k, and am not interested in changing jobs for anything less than $75k". <A> I disagree with Carson63000's point that "it is in the recruiters' best interests to put you in a job at the best salary they can get." <S> Technically, this is true. <S> However, their primary goal is really just getting the placement at all. <S> If they can sell the employer on the fact that you will accept less than another candidate, they will absolutely do so, and hope to earn 90% of a commission, vs losing it entirely. <S> You have to be very clear to the recruiter (and to yourself) about what <S> you'd <S> really do in various scenarios. <S> You say your salary is only about half the industry average. <S> Using your example, would you stay at your current $50k job even if the recruiter could get you a $70k one? <S> That still may be below the industry average, but it's a nice bump for you. <S> If you know you'd turn it down, be honest and tell the recruiter that -- but be prepared if the recruiter says demanding more will take you out of consideration. <A> You have two professional choices, and neither involve lying. <S> Put down what you want your salary to be, providing the answer is clear that it is not your current salary. <S> Put down your current base salary <S> and then when salary comes up, point out what you were getting with bonuses, and what it will actually take to move, based on being underpaid. <S> The reason for giving the base salary, is that many companies will, in the process of checking references, confirm salaries with the previous employer(s). <S> If the number you have provided does not match the numbers they hear, and is wildly different, you may be dropped from consideration without a chance to explain. <S> Here are some related links on how they might verify your salary , and a couple more about why it is inappropriate to include the value of your benefits and whether you should lie about your salary . <A> In my opinion, they have no right to know what you currently make. <S> Whenever looking for a new job, or when being contacted about an open position, my first response is: Thanks for the consideration, Recruiter. <S> I'm interested, but it would take at least $[salary or hourly rate] for me to consider leaving my current job. <S> Until they respond in the affirmative that my requested rate is achievable in the position discussed, they won't get anything else out of me. <S> If you are considerably under the market rate in your current position, try to keep the conversation along the lines of "I'd leave my current job for $x" instead of "I'm currently making $x". <A> There is no way the recruiter can verify what you tell them about previous salaries. <S> No employer will ever give out that kind of information to a recruiter or new company, so it cannot be verified. <S> Some would argue it is unethical to lie about the figure <S> and I agree it is, to an extent. <S> You need to be realistic with the numbers however. <S> Recruiters aren't idiots, they have access to salary information. <S> If you tell a recruiter you earn $120k a year for the sake of getting a potentially higher paying job, but the average salary for someone of your experience and skill-set is only $90k, they will know. <S> Not only that, but you risk pricing yourself out of a job. <S> If you quote your current or previous salary too high, you could be excluding yourself from the list of potential candidates because the company isn't offering that much money. <S> However, as you also point out, if your current or previous salary was way below market value, you run the risk of not getting the salary you deserve. <S> Many of us have lied to a recruiter about how much we've previously earned, I've done it once before out of embarrassment of how below the average I was being paid and another to get a better salary <S> then what I was previously on. <S> I've never quoted more than $10k above what I was previously earning though.
| Some forms will ask for a desired salary, and so current salary is immaterial.
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My boss wants me to do something that might be illegal I work at a paperless type of IT shop. All the documents and records are maintained electronically. I am the guy in charge of the databases holding employee records. These include time-sheets, task distributions, ratings and everything except the money. My boss wants me to "fix" the records for a big external audit that's coming up - if this isn't done, we'll probably fail the audit and lose the company. The top management might want the same or might've even asked to get it done. The command has come verbally in a hush-hush manner. There is no mail. I have a feeling that this is unethical and potentially illegal. Not doing this will surely cost me my job. Then they will get some other guy do the task. I am totally prepared to leave, but am I overreacting? How can I figure out if what I have been asked to do is illegal? How can I protect myself if I'm forced to take this action? <Q> Update: the question was modified to determine how to tell if the request is legal, and how to protect oneself. <S> The advice below was for if the request is obviously illegal. <S> Here is one way to determine if the action is legal and to protect oneself at the some time, although it isn't foolproof: <S> Ask your boss for written directions on what needs to be done and why. <S> If the boss gives it to you without any hesitation, then the boss doesn't see anything wrong it with, nor does he consider there any danger to himself by asking you to do it. <S> If the boss refuses to give you anything in writing, then consider the original advice: <S> It's also possible that even with the fix that the audit will find the problem, and evidence of trying to cover it up. <S> In that case, you will be the first offered as guilty, from all of those above you. <S> But, you're also in a situation where if you don't do it, you lose your job. <S> You have to consider the pros and cons, and some of those will be weighted by how important you consider your own integrity, and how precarious your life will be without this job. <S> Consider also the long term effects on yourself, not just the short term. <S> I would consider this serious enough to walk away from, and let someone else do it, and that would not be an overreaction. <S> (Or get the written instructions, as in the question mentioned in the comments.) <S> However, that is just an opinion of one person, who isn't you. <S> We often hit ethical decisions (usually without such dire consequences), and sometimes we're in a position to fight the situation and sometimes we are not. <S> You have to determine if you are in a position where you can fight it. <A> How can I figure out if what I have been asked to do is illegal? <S> Consult a local attorney with experience in your domain. <S> How can I protect myself if I'm forced to take this action? <S> Tread carefully here if you suspect this is illegal. <S> First, let's be clear about this - you aren't being forced to take this action . <S> You aren't a slave. <S> You aren't a robot. <S> You always have the alternative of refusing, perhaps at the cost of your job. <S> As far as protecting yourself - that's a legal attribute that depends almost exclusively on the specific locale, and the specifics of the context. <S> In others, you could not. <S> In some countries, depending on the position you hold in the company, you could be personally liable for misrepresenting some company records. <S> In other countries, or holding other positions, you could not. <S> In some contexts saying "They forced me to do this illegal activity" might be a reasonable defense if charged with a crime. <S> In other contexts, it would not. <S> Anything else is pure speculation. <A> The best suggestion I have for you is the following: <S> Try and get a paper trail with the request. <S> Determine if you think doing it is likely to be either illegal or not. <S> If illegal you should immediately get legal advice. <S> This may prove in valuable in the future. <S> Make a decision as whether you're doing it or not and for what reasons. <S> Face the consequences of doing it or not. <S> If you can't get anything in writing (including proper emails). <S> then you need to immediately move to step two and seek legal advice, even if it's just to determine if the work is likely to land you with negative consequences.
| Be sure to weigh in the possibility that you lose your job, even if you do it. If you need to know for sure, consult a good attorney. In some countries and companies, you could blow the whistle and be protected legally. It is unethical, it could be illegal, and it will certainly compromise your integrity.
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Poor performance review/I'm not a good fit I recently received a verbal documented warning about my poor performance and not meeting the expectations of the role. I've been with the company/role for less than 6 months. This is the first negative feedback I have received in 17 years. The job and company is not what I expected and I know I'm not the not fit for them and them for me. The warning said I would be monitored and coached over the next 30 days and significant improvement would be needed or face further disciplinary actions up to and including termination. Any ideas on how to approach them about severing ties. I wasn't expecting such a harsh review and financially Im not prepared to quit without being able to collect ui. Any suggestions on how to handle this situation and have that conversation... To part ways in a mutual manner? I'll add some more color to the situation. While I should consider myself fortunate that they did not fire me on the spot my heart is really not in this job and it is obvious to them too. They told me I seem disengaged, lack motivation and questioned if I am happy in my role. They are correct in their assumptions, I am not happy and I really don't see this turning around. They said at I am not performing at the level they expect and they pay me a lot of money. I'm not living up to their expectations. I expressed that the environment is not what I expected either. I was lead to believe I would be working with my boss more closely but I was told I shouldn't expect such hand holding at my level. I understand the right thing to do is to hold on as long as possible but I also don't want to feel like a sitting duck waiting for the tap on the shoulder. Inks really like to know if anyone thinks its better to talk to them about parting ways and how to go about initiating the conversation. I don't want to be perceived as a voluntary quit but how can I approach them about agreeing to let me go and not contest my ui application? <Q> Check this answer: <S> I received a written warning for my performance, how can I save my job? <S> Basically, you need to have another job lined up before you can consider resigning (especially since you mentioned you aren't financially ready to be without income). <S> Start looking now, but do whatever your boss requires of you in the meantime, so you aren't fired before you're ready to leave. <A> You're asking about an imbalance of power, I believe. <S> You didn't mention what feedback you received in your negative review, or why the company isn't a fit for you. <S> But, the fact of it has put you in a low-power situation where you may lose your job involuntarily. <S> You say you'd like to leave, in a dignified way, for another company. <S> In order to do that, it will help if you can bring the power back closer to a balanced situation. <S> How can you do that? <S> Obviously one way would be to find another job before your 30-day warning period has elapsed, and resign. <S> Thank them for the opportunity to work with them, and be on your way. <S> Another way is to take seriously their demand that you improve your performance. <S> You didn't mention what kind of changes they're asking for, so it's hard to know whether it's in your power to make those changes. <S> But at any rate you can try. <S> You can visibly try very hard. <S> You can get your supervisor invested in helping you overcome the problems <S> she or he sees in your performance. <S> Why bother doing this hard work? <S> It will restore the power balance a bit. <S> It will buy you respect and some time to find another way of paying your bills. <S> You didn't say what jurisdiction you're in, so it's hard to comment on what you'd need to persuade them to do to allow you to collect unemployment benefits <S> should you leave. <S> That's obviously a strategy you could consider. <S> You're not as powerless as you think. <S> Most companies hate to fire people. <S> It's unpleasant to fire and expensive to replace people. <S> Your supervisor will gain status if she can be perceived as fixing the problem. <S> Plus, if the next candidate asks "why is the position open?" they have explaining to do. <S> Good luck! <A> Without knowing the actual finer details, I am going to take a wild stab in the dark and assume you're competent, especially if you've been in the industry for 17 years and never received a warning before elsewhere. <S> I see this all of the time. <S> If you're not passionate about your role, the people you work with and the products/services you are working on, subconsciously you will detach yourself from your role. <S> Once you detach, the likelihood of getting back that initial spark is quite low. <S> Think of it as a relationship, two people start out going in the same direction, but as priorities change and things happen, you go in separate directions. <S> It sounds like you are only in your current job for the money, because you are also aware of the fact the economy isn't doing so well <S> (some sectors affected more then others) and some of us don't have the fortune of being able to be picky about where we work. <S> That's fair enough, you need the money and without a proper financial buffer, you are stuck. <S> I think everyone can sympathise with that. <S> There is an upside. <S> You mention you've been at this current employer for six months <S> and you've received a warning, with a 30 day period to improve within. <S> This to me signals the company doesn't see you as a lost cause, sees value in you and wants to help you get back to the level you need to be at in your current role. <S> Trust me, it would be easier for the company to just let you go rather then giving you warnings and a chance to improve. <S> You have two choices: <S> You can seize the opportunity to improve, find the passion within to do your job efficiently and to the standard the company expects. <S> Or, you can move on and find yourself a better, more suited opportunity that matches your skills and experience. <S> Given your feelings toward the job, it seems the second option would be a better fit, unless you can find it within yourself to give your current role/employer a chance. <S> You are being given a pretty good ultimatum, it is up to you if you decide to take it or not. <A> You state the job is not what you expected and sound unhappy about it. <S> I advise starting to look for a new job. <S> •Accept the position you are in and cooperate in as friendly a manner as you can. <S> You do not have to inform your current employer right away that you are looking for a new job, try to patch things up in your current position a preserve bridges. <S> You didn't mention if you think the negative feed back is fair or not? <S> Can you improve based on the feed back given? <S> If yes, there should be no problem. <S> Just because you got negative feedback once is not necessarily a terrible thing. <S> They stated you will monitored and coached over the next 30 days so it sounds to me like they aren't trying to get rid of you <S> , they are trying to make things better.
| The problem doesn't sound like you're unskilled, but rather you're not passionate about the job you currently have.
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How should I handle my new job as manager? Today I had my interview for a job that I had no idea about (my uncle told me to meet XYZ person, and my uncle himself didn't know anything about the position available). So I went to the office of XYZ and met with him and my interview was quite a good one and he said that the job was mine, if I wanted. (BTW. XYZ is the CEO of the company). The job is a type of managerial position and I will be responsible for one sole department. The person who is currently managing the department is not responsible enough, so although he is quite senior to me (professionally and age-wise) he will be under my authority and will report to me. I will have to manage all the employees of the department, making sure they arrive on time and do their work properly. I will also be responsible for making sure the client's complaints are resolved in a timely manner. I will also have to manage other couple of things. This all sounds good, but the problem is that this is going to be my first proper job (I have done odd jobs before). I am a 22 years old male and I have just completed my bachelors. I have no real experience in the market or of having managerial position. The department employees have an average age of 30 years so I don't think they will like to take orders from someone of my age. Also, XYZ told me that I can't be their friend so I will have to keep my distance to maintain my position and respect. I think the previous head of the department will obviously dislike me as I am kind-of replacing him. Also, other employees may generally dislike me due to my age and position. I need some guidelines on how to handle this position. I am thinking of giving a formal introduction of myself and explaining to them that what I am here to do, what are my responsibilities and what I expect from them. Is this the best way to go or should I just quietly sit at my desk on the first day and meet employees one-by-one? <Q> Yes, this is an extremely overwhelming position to be in - but you wouldn't be there unless XYZ felt you had reason to be there. <S> Some things to keep in mind: <S> XYZ is right - these people are your staff, and not your friends. <S> Efforts to be chummy can seriously backfire as it can seem like you're just trying to ingratiate yourself. <S> That's not to say you can't be friendly towards them <S> (in fact, you don't want to be cold and distant) - but don't offer to take them down the pub or round to your house for a barbecue - at least, not until you've been there and have their respect as a manager/leader (years from now - not months). <S> You weren't hired for your experience, you were hired to lead. <S> Learn what they do - not just from them, but from outside reading. <S> You make the decisions. <S> Being indecisive is worse than making the wrong choice. <S> They might not always agree with a decision, but if you'd already listened to their advice and discussed your reasons with the most senior/experienced members, they should go with it. <S> You are responsible for their stuff-ups - don't complain to your management that your team are making mistakes (unless it is chronic - in which case, start disciplinary action). <S> Credit them for their work to your management - your team's successes reflect on you, and you don't need to hog the credit for that to happen. <S> Protect your team from crap from above - <S> this is one of the most important jobs of a manager/leader - and sometimes one of the hardest. <S> Don't try to force them to work they way you want - observe how they work and then nudge them towards your ideas. <S> Lead by example, and let them see the improvement for themselves. <S> Trust will build and it will get easier. <A> Now you know how a newly minted second lieutenant feels when she gets to meet her platoon including the first sergeant with 20 years of experience for the first time :) <S> You are going to love learning on the fly, because you have no other choice. <S> Speak with authority and make as many mistakes as early and as quickly as you can, so that you learn your job quickly and early. <S> Make your decisions with confidence, but be open to reversing them if you sense they are not working out as you expect or wish. <S> You bring in a new perspective as an outsider, a young person and a smart young person. <S> And that perspective is the asset that no one else in the firm has and that you bring to the firm. <S> Make the most of that perspective :) <S> Again, establish your own authority early on, because you don't want to be perceived as the CEO's pet - stand-in, maybe. <S> Pet or puppet, never. <S> And establish your authority, even if you have nothing behind it but your the power of own voice - newly minted second lieutenants do that all the time :) <S> And of course, laying out your expectations clearly and firmly, however you want to do it <S> , is part and parcel of how you establish your own authority. <S> Don't let their age, experience and competence intimidate you. <S> Because if you let their age, experience and competence intimidate you, the group is not functioning well and they become a weakness rather than a strength for the entire group. <S> If you leverage their age, experience and competence instead to help you make sounder decisions, then they become a strength for the group as a whole. <S> Any hostility they feel toward you is aimed at the newbie who has yet to prove herself. <S> Believe in yourself, be confident in yourself, and prove yourself from Day One :) <S> Learn from your newbie mistakes, just don't let any of your newbie mistakes get to your head and play games with your mind :) <S> If you do it right, there are two things that should come through: (1) <S> your respect for their age, experience and competence; <S> (2) their respect for your authority and your decision-making. <S> Again, good luck to you :) <A> Your problem is not very big problem,it is quite a common problem happened with every fresher or new comer. <S> Your job is a managerial job <S> so you have to manage all works <S> comes under the management. <S> You got the nice opportunity in very less age,not everyone got opportunity like this. <S> You will have to start your work with the bottom of the core. <S> In the starting show your full effort and devotion towards your work. <S> Keep yourself fresh and frank to the environment so that you can easily mesh up with the company and do your work easily.
| You just start to introduce yourself with everyone and you will feel better when you are frank with everyone. Make yourself confident to do all the work. Use their experience - ask for their advice.
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How to prepare for first performance review My first review as a Ruby on Rails programmer is tomorrow. This is my first performance review ever. What should I do to prepare myself? Should I study anything? Should I review my own work history? I have worked for the company since 2012, and transferred into a position as junior programmer in July last year. I had been studying different programming languages for about 12 years prior to that. A little more context: my boss has admitted he has limited knowledge with programming. For that reason, he has hired a specialist outsider to conduct these "30 minute interviews" in order to "give us an overview and better understanding of our strengths and weaknesses as a team...help discover [any holes] and give a recommendation on what we should do" I know that I'm good at my job, but I have had incidents in the past that lead me to believe my boss disagrees with that. This quote from his e-mail makes me nervous, but I don't want to over-think it. Should I be concerned about this specialist, or the length of time allotted to the review? <Q> It's always good to prep for your performance review. <S> Here are a few suggestions: Review your work over the past year and develop a list of your major accomplishments. <S> It may be too late to use this information to influence your review, but you should be prepared to speak in terms of specific examples when discussing any particular aspects of your performance. <S> Think about any questions you want to ask, or comments that you want to make, and make notes if necessary. <S> These may be questions or requests for information about your own career development, observations about improvements that could be made to your working environment or your processes, or anything else that you think is relevant. <S> Think about potential review points to put yourself in the right frame of mind. <S> You probably already have a good idea of some of the things that will be addressed in your review. <S> If you expect it to be mostly positive, be prepared to be gracious; if you expect some negative points to be raised, think about how you want to address them. <S> In either case, you will be more self-assured and provide better feedback if you think about the possibilities in advance. <A> Look over the past year for major accomplishments. <S> What were the good things you did in the past year that are worth highlighting? <S> Look over the past year for major issues. <S> What where the less than good things that happened that you've learned lessons and improved? <S> Goals for the upcoming year. <S> What focus do you want to have in the coming year? <S> What are some areas for improvement where you'll do some work? <S> Compensation. <S> What kind of salary adjustment do you think you earned? <S> While this may not come up, I have seen in some of my past reviews where salary is discussed along with performance as well as bonuses. <A> In a good performance review, there should be no surprises on either side. <S> Expanding on Rogers answer. <S> Do not leave it a week/days before your review. <S> It should be a one liner, a 2-3 line summary of the situation and what was the outcome. <S> If it was an issue that may negatively impact you later on, also keep any correspondence during that time. <S> If your manager points to an issue in your performance in the review, you can then back it up with what actions took place. <S> If they mention something that you have not documented, you can push back on it and say why wasn't it brought up at the time when something could be done about it? <S> If you don't keep this history, you can't back such a situation up. <S> You should also have a 1-3-5 year plan. <S> Discuss with your manager your plan (if it's agreed with them), and where you are in moving towards that plan. <S> Also when talking about situations in the review, word them in a positive fashion. <S> For example: "These are areas we need to grow my skills in the coming year" (good) vs <S> "I wasn't able to do X last year because I wasn't trained". <A> Others have given excellent suggestions for preparation for the review. <S> If all is going well in your job, I suggest you think about these questions your supervisor might ask you .... <S> What are your 3-5 year goals for career development? <S> How am I doing, as your supervisor, helping you get there? <S> Is there any training, or any particular assignment, you would like to have in the year to come to help you get there? <S> I also suggest you ask your supervisor "how am I doing, and how is our department doing, at making the overall company successful? <S> What can I personally do better? <S> What can we, the department, do better?" <A> After studying your problem and question, it seems that you are thinking too much about your performance review. <S> Most people become helpless when they think about the performance review. <S> Prove yourself with your first performance review, explain all the things that what you have done in three/six months or in one year. <S> Talk about your key achievements. <S> Develop a detailed agenda about your work and experience. <S> Use the particular result-oriented language in your documentation. <S> Don't become defensive, because a good boss knows about the areas that need improvement.
| Going forward I would recommend to document your accomplishments and critical issues at the point of them happening. Thus, I'd advise looking over the past year as well as preparing for the upcoming year.
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What impact does a sharp looking CV have for a technical role? So looking at these CV examples , they look nice, they look professional. If I needed a graphic designer, or a magazine editor, I'd hire them. But for a technical role (like an IT developer), does 'slicking up' your CV help? Personally - my CV is written in Times New Roman, and uses font size, bold and underlining, and bullet points for formatting. It's tidy and readable. Some of my colleagues use more slick CVs. So my question I guess is to any recruiters or HR managers, does a slick CV impress, or is it the contents that help? <Q> So my question I guess is to any recruiters or HR managers, does a slick CV impress, or is it the contents that help? <S> I've been a hiring manager in a technical role for many, many years. <S> I hire technical people, in roles where creativity isn't the primary attribute I am seeking. <S> correctness (no typos, mis-spellings, grammar mistakes) <S> I don't care at all about slickness. <S> For me, content is by far the most important attribute. <S> I'd be concerned <S> if I got one of the resumes in your linked example, that the candidate spent way too much time on slickness, rather than content. <S> These examples would probably be counted as a negative for me, unless they were otherwise an exceptional fit for the position I was filling. <S> (your mileage may vary) <A> When I see a resume, unless I'm hiring for a graphic design position, if it has slick layout and look, I get the feeling the potential hire is hiding or compensating for something. <S> If the resume is slick, and less readable as a result, I probably toss it. <S> Anecdote <S> : When my wife was putting together a resume for an internship (she's a Master's student), she wanted to print it out on fancy, expensive paper. <S> I asked her why she wanted to waste the money when the resume would most definitely be tossed after reviewing it. <S> A lot of people treat a resume like a work of art, when it's much closer to a memo. <S> Information is consumed, reviewed, and then discarded. <A> For positions that have a lot of applicants, standing out would certainly be a good thing. <S> Do make sure you do not overdo it with the flashy-ness. <S> Some of the more elaborate resumes you link (e.g. the floral one) would definitely put you at a disadvantage for a technical role, but the more clean ones (e.g. the 'clean business resume') should be fine. <A> I look for three things when I read a resume: <S> What did you do? <S> What can you do for us? <S> Can you do the job that we need you to do? <S> The only resume format that I care about is the format that gets me <S> these questions answered within 20 seconds-30 seconds. <S> I want the resume format to work for me not against me. <S> This means, no fancy words, no thick verbiage, no apologiae, not your autobiography, no braggadoccio - <S> I hate braggadoccio. <S> And no b.s. <S> like "Supervised 600 computers", to which I will ask under my breath " <S> And you did that by yourself?" <S> about two seconds before I toss the resume into the garbage pile. <S> Tell the truth, stick to it and give me no headaches. <S> And b.s. gives me headaches. <S> And I do get annoyed when the format works against me. <S> Make the resume as simple, straightforward, and fast as a hard TKD kick to the head. <S> Don't screw around with optics - they are at best a distraction to me. <S> Keep the colored paper, the fancy fonts, the nice illustrations and pictures to yourself. <S> To give me these is like casting pearls to a swine. <S> And I am the swine from hell :) <S> In summary, my focus is content. <S> If the content is not there or it is inadequate, that resume flies into the nearest circular file. <S> Keep in mind that I have 50 other things to get done and that reading resumes including yours - and even mine - is definitely not a hobby of mine. <S> Fill up your resume with content. <S> Review the format so that I can find skills under "SKILLS", work experience under "WORK EXPERIENCE" and education under "EDUCATION". <S> Re-read your resume to make sure that I can go through your resume in 20 seconds-30 seconds. <S> If you want to give me an impression when I read the resume, give me the impression that you are a top notch professional and that you don't screw around. <S> Write your resume to make it easy for me to decide that I want to see more of you - at an interview. <S> I ask for two things from you: <S> Don't waste my time. <S> Don't drive me crazy. <S> Having said that, I wish the best of luck to you :) <A> The linked examples are very flashy and distracting from the content, even the one called Clean Design. <S> Also the bars and star ratings of your skills suggest a precision that's probably not given. <S> Are your photography skills really 3.5 and not 3.0? <S> What difference does it make? <S> Reading a CV <S> you usally get an overall impression but also scan for the buzz words you need for a certain position in mind. <S> Trying to find those informations in the design jungle is impossible. <S> just my 2 cents.
| A nice looking resume does make you stand out form the average tech-resume. When I review a resume/CV, I care about content clarity Let your experiences and abilities shine through, you don't need flash and glitz for a piece of paper.
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How best to handle leaving a company when there is training already booked and paid for in advance? I am making plans to leave my company. Nothing super urgent - the work just simply not challenging to me. The issue is that in the next month or so, I am about to be sent on a 2 day training for Agile/Scrum PM (~$2k). The training has already been booked and paid for by the company months before I made the active decision to leave. So my dilemma is how should I leave with that in mind? I have not yet actively applied for new jobs yet - just going through ads and researching companies. Nor am I in a rush to change jobs yet. Some options I have heard quit after 1-2 months of taking the training try to wiggle out of the the training session (the hardest without hinting them that I plan to leave) pay company back for the training after I leave <Q> At this stage of your job search, you don't know what is going to happen. <S> There may not be a better job out there. <S> Your company may find new work to do that does challenge you (you have told them that you don't feel challenged, haven't you?). <S> Even if you do end up leaving, you don't know how long it will be. <S> It would be premature to start making plans as though your departure were definite, while simultaneously doing damage to your position at the company, which is what you would be doing if you turned down training. <S> For all you know your company may value you enough that they will better any offer a rival makes for you. <S> I would say nothing, and only start to talk about the training when you have a definite job offer. <S> If it hasn't happened, they can pick someone to replace you at it. <S> if it has, then that's just the way the cookie crumbles. <S> The training will probably be useful to you in your future job. <S> Frankly, $2K of training isn't actually a big cost to the company compared with all the other expenses they will have when you leave, things like advertising and recruiting your replacement, training your replacement in things you already know about, lost productivity while your replacement comes up to speed. <S> They probably won't worry about it, and neither should you. <A> Every day you go to work, you work, perform, and plan as though you will be there until retirement. <S> Every evening when you are done, you update your resume, network, save your money, and plan as though you will be laid off tomorrow morning. <S> You go to the training. <S> You participate fully in it, and you use the skills you gain when you come back. <S> Until you actually have a signed and accepted job offer, there is nothing to do any differently than if you weren't even considering other jobs. <A> You're a free man so you're free to leave when you think it will be good for you. <S> The companies are aware of the risk someone will leave soon after an expensive training and are calculating it. <S> Either as their risk or they give the 'loyality paper' to sign before sending to the training. <S> From what you've written, there was no 'loyality paper', so you're not oblidged to pay anything in case you leave. <S> If your company has decided not to ask you to sign anything, it was their decision. <S> They risk exactly what would probably happen, you leaving soon after the training. <S> But otherwise they would risk employees not willing to go to training because of the 'loyality paper'. <S> There's nothing unethical in you planning to leave. <S> It would be unethical if you'd say you don't plan to leave (in next 1-2 years) in order to get the training, but actually plan to leave. <S> If you're sure you'll leave soon, you should however communicate it. <S> However, your company may try to make a 'moral pression' on you, that you shouldn't leave because of training. <S> It would, on the other side, be a bad sign from their side. <S> There's nothing like moral obligation to stay because of money invested in the employee. <S> Such cases are dealt with 'loyality papers'. <A> The general rule is that until you have accepted another job and started it, you continue on your current role as if you wanted to keep it forever. <S> This means, even if you are interviewing elsewhere, you're still a star employee at your current company and if interested, you still plan to go to the training. <S> There are a couple reasons for this: <S> You don't know for sure <S> when/if you'll find a new job worth leaving for. <S> Don't sabotage your existing role. <S> You should always make decisions in a win-win mindset. <S> Such that whether you stay or whether you go, you're playing each side to be successful and win. <S> Otherwise, a win-lose mindset gives you a 50% chance of losing, or ending up hurting yourself. <S> As for the company, it's a business. <S> They only need to account for you not going to the training when you officially resign. <S> They'll make it work, a contingency plan will be enacted. <S> Everyone leaves eventually, and until then it is business as usual.
| You would leave a bad impression if it would be known you have planned to leave before the training but didn't say anything only to get the training.
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How to find work to do when starting a new job Today was my first day at a new job. I know it's slow the first day or two, getting set up and all, but I've got a particularly bad feeling about this one. Basically all I did was walk in, someone showed me around, the secretary gave me a piece of paper with instructions on how to log into my account and that was it. No one really showed me what it was I'm supposed to be doing and I'm not even sure who my boss is. Everyone in the office seems very friendly but it's very quite and usually no one speaks. Tomorrow I plan to proactively try to find work, I'm going to ask some other people if they need help with anything or if there's any particular resources I could use to read up on the company. Is there any advice on how I can find out on what it is I'm supposed to be doing. The position is IT and it's for a smaller company that's been around for 6 years. UPDATE: the first day was slow but the second was anything BUT slow. First thing in the morning the project manager gave me plenty of work. Latter I found out he is the one I report to. The company is small and doesn't have a dedicated HR department and I'm the only dedicated IT (developers and testers are expected to do some IT duties). I found the titles used to be rather unusual, for example the lady who works at the entrance and orders office supplies has the title "branch manager", though I would have guessed "secretary". <Q> No one really showed me what it was <S> I'm supposed to be doing <S> and I'm not even sure who my boss is. <S> This is the first thing you must strive to correct. <S> I don't understand how you can accept a job without knowing who your boss is going to be, and who directs your activities. <S> So make it your first priority to figure that out. <S> Perhaps you can talk to whoever interviewed you and ask "Who do I report to?" <S> Perhaps you can talk to HR and explain that you don't really understand who your boss is. <S> Either way, figure it out. <S> Then talk to your boss and ask how you should learn your responsibilities, and what you should be working on now. <A> If you are 'the' IT person, what you would do first is survey every piece of computing equipment on the premises. <S> I was hired into a company where the people I was working for couldn't name the brand of the computer, even though it was embossed on the case. <S> The nearest 'IT person' had come in from Utah <S> (I'm in Texas) to get my accounts set up. <S> What I found (this is in 1992) that each computer was a different age, different CPU/Memory/Disk combination, and as it turned out different version of MS-DOS. <S> Who ever had been there before had basically stopped doing anything whatsoever. <S> Job one was to get everything up to equivalence, so I migrated the older DOSs to the current version. <S> We were running Novell Netware, and that was out of date as well, although that cost some money. <S> I also determined that our backup protocol wasn't particularly secure - I insisted that we alter it to make it more robust. <S> Nobody, even the plant manager, could 'tell me what to do' initially - they were depending on my initiative to keep bad things from happening. <S> After they got to know me, they started asking for reports. <S> I had plenty to do in no time at all. <A> It may be that someone has a plan for you, but that person may be on vacation, sick, or otherwise unavailable. <S> Not very convenient for you, but hardly a reason to consider walking out on a job you just got. <S> Maybe they want to see how you deal with uncertainty or lack of direction. <S> Do you throw your hands up and do nothing? <S> Or do you take the initiative and own your new position? <S> Do you remember who you interviewed with? <S> Those people would be the first ones to start with. <S> Tell them you haven't been given any direction and ask if they have any suggestions as to where to start ramping up for your new duties. <S> If you can't remember the names of those you interviewed with (and that one's on you, you should keep track of those things) look for the secretary. <S> Confide in her your uncertainty and ask her if she would mind answering some questions about the company. <S> Find out about the organization. <S> How did the company get started, who started it, who are the managers (with titles if possible). <S> Make it clear that you are interested in the company and in becoming part of it. <S> Ask about what everyone does. <S> Let her know that you want to figure out how to become a working part of what is going on, that you need some startup tasks, and ask who she thinks you should go to. <S> And above all don't let first day jitters get to you. <S> If you still feel this way after a month, you probably need to start looking for another job. <S> You absolutely shouldn't give it less time than that. <S> If you don't feel you are getting enough to do, ask the older members if they can give you small projects as learning exercises. <S> Use this "dead time" as an opportunity to dig into related technologies that you feel might be useful to the company. <S> That way when your opportunity comes you will be ready.
| Ask for suggestions about what technologies to dig into in order to be most useful in your new position.
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Can I make my employers aware of a better-paid job without making my current job less secure? I'm a programmer with a job working in mobile apps and web design. I have a secure job with reasonable pay and nice coworkers; I enjoy the mobile work and I tolerate the web design part. I've just seen an ad for a job with a startup. It's 100% mobile work, the pay range starts at my current salary and goes up to 60% higher than that plus equity; and there are more perks. The only downsides are that, as a startup job, it's less secure, which is important to me; and that I absolutely loathe the entire process of moving jobs. I'm happy and established where I am, but I do like the sound of a 60% pay rise. If I could get that at my current job, that would be great. Is there any way I can make my employers aware of the existence of this other job without making my current job less secure? <Q> Is there any way I can make my employers aware of the existence of this other job without making my current job less secure? <S> Your employer almost certainly knows about lots of other jobs out there in the world. <S> Perhaps your employer already knows about this one too. <S> I think you are really asking "Can I use the threat of my leaving for this job as leverage to get a raise at my current company? <S> " <S> The answer is probably No. <S> Honestly, every manager knows that virtually anyone on his team could leave for another job at almost any time. <S> But that doesn't mean he/she can just throw a raise at everyone on his team every time a new job pops up elsewhere. <S> Managers have budgets. <S> Companies usually have annual raise cycles. <S> Reacting to every job posting doesn't make sense. <S> If you want to get a good raise, you can work within the performance review framework in your company. <S> Work hard, find out what matters to your boss and company - then deliver. <S> Do great things, and expect good compensation. <S> If you start threatening/hinting that you will leave because you happened to see an interesting job posting, you might get more money thrown your way. <S> But you also risk that your current employer will conclude that you won't be around much longer, and will start planning for your departure. <S> That might mean you won't get good assignments or good raises. <S> Many managers believe that trying to entice a team member to stay by throwing money at him/her is at best effective only in the short term. <S> Since it's easy to come up with a new job posting every month, a manager really cannot respond with more cash each time. <S> Thus, in many managers' minds, it doesn't make sense to start down that path. <S> If someone is going to leave to chase more money, there's not much you can do. <S> So you could try to dangle the threat of leaving due to this new job posting you saw, but it's unlikely to be effective. <A> You cannot use a single job ad as a leverage for a raise. <S> An actual job offer can be used as leverage, though you must tread carefully. <S> What you can use as leverage for a raise is the market price for someone of your skill set (and years of experience). <S> Find out what the average salary is, check some more job listings and maybe actually apply for another job and see what they offer you. <S> After checking (some of) these out get some facts together about you and your contribution to your current company and 'confront' your boss with these facts. <S> Even with all these facts backing you up there is no guarantee <S> you will get a raise (for now). <S> By Phil H: A company doesn't pay you what you are worth, or worth to them, but roughly just enough to keep you up to your worth to them. <A> I doubt strongly that showing up with a copy of the ad, and a demand for more money will get you further ahead or less secure in your current position. <S> There's too many "ifs" here for this knowledge to do you any good. <S> You haven't interviewed, you don't know if you'd get this particular job, you don't know (if you got the job) - where in the range they'd offer you for a salary, you don't know for any of the equity or perks <S> how likely it is that it will be valuable for you. <S> Realize that different jobs have different tradeoffs. <S> A less secure business may very well offer money, it may also demand more hours - and overall it certainly will be a different context, slightly different work, and different people. <S> Generally management <S> does survey the climate and adjust salaries to make a fairly equal pay structure in comparison with their most obvious competition - so <S> a stable small company will compare with other stable small companies in the region, particularly if they need similar skills and experience. <S> If this particular opportunity doesn't fit in with likely competition, I doubt that knowing about it will change your boss' view all that much. <S> However, if you've interviewed, found a job, liked it, and have an offer - then you do have some leverage because it's quite a true reality that you may actually move, and you have a value to the company beyond just being a warm body <S> - you already know the business and fit well with the team. <S> But this will require you to have taken the time and effort to along way into the interview process. <A> And the reason you want to let them know about it is......? <S> You firstly need to decide if the risk and move are actually worth the possible 60% rise (whether you'd actually be offered <S> it is another thing, ranges can be well above what they really want to pay). <S> You then need to decide if you really want to play off this job against the security you have <S> (if that's your plan), you may risk it all for no quite as much more as you'd hope, for a life that isn't for you. <S> If you do manage to use it against your current employer you WILL change the dynamic forever, and the "secure" part of the job may no longer be that, especially if you do get as much as a 60% pay hike. <S> Think carefully about what you want, but make sure you have something concrete before you involve your current employer.
| If you're hoping to leverage an offer to raise your salary, you need to be at an offer stage, just saying "I've seen this job I could do that pays more" will just get your card marked.
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How many days to respond after phone interview I had an interview; it went well. We discussed the position and job I would be doing and the company in general. We spoke for about 50 minutes. I haven't heard anything from them in three days; should I still expect a response? <Q> One of the most difficult things for most of us to do is to wait when things are out of our control. <S> As people communicate more and more electronically, our expectations of time periods are different. <S> HR and accounting organizations rarely respond at the speed of Twitter. <S> I would not EXPECT a response, but it is also very possible that you WILL get a response. <S> It could come today, or not until the hiring manager is back from a four day trip to X, or when the budget for this position is finalized at the end of the week, etc. <S> for example. <S> Hiring is sometimes done in a hurry, but the other current obligations of an organization usually trump return calls when push comes to shove. <S> One of the other important things to remember is that a phone interview is often a first step of several in the hiring process, and sometimes you will be filtered out of the applicant pool. <S> The job announcement rarely tells the whole story of what people are looking for, or <S> what criteria they hope they will find. <S> The important thing to remember when applying and interviewing for work is to remember it is a process, and you will get better with more interviewing practice. <S> It is also important to remember that just because you might be perfect for that job, that job may not be perfect for YOU. <S> I'd advise going on looking for other positions, and just let this play out. <A> This answer applies to phone interviews, but could just as easily work for face-to-face interviews. <S> First, if you haven't already, send a thank you note. <S> For other interviews, always send a thank you note right after the interview. <S> Even if they say something like, "We'll let you know in a couple of days." <S> People get busy; hiring decisions can take a lot of time. <S> If you don't continue to let them know your interest, they may think you've lost interest. <S> Keep following up about once a week. <S> If they don't respond at all to a phone call or e-mail, it's okay to keep going for several weeks. <S> Seriously, there's often lots going on that they may not have gotten to a decision on next steps. <S> Until you're told "no," you do not know you're excluded. <A> There's a couple of things you can do: A) <S> Call right now and ask them along the lines of <S> "Sorry, I didn't ask during the interview, but how long does a typical candidate wait before receiving notification?"B) <S> Wait a standard 2 weeks to call and ask about your results: <S> "I'm a candidate of position X. I haven't heard anything back for a while and wondering if you've made a decision on the position?" <S> Pros A) <S> Makes you feel confidence and control <S> Gives you concrete expectations to work and plan around. <S> B) <S> Gives the impression that you are patient. <S> Cons A) <S> May give a bad impression of impatience. <S> B) <S> May give a sense of desperation. <S> You've probably already made a decision by the time you read this <S> so I'll tell you what I would do. <S> A). <S> It gives you more control over your plans and it gets it out of the way so you don't have to dwell on it. <S> The more uncomfortable it is to make that call, the better, because that will ingrain the next point into your mind. <S> In future interviews I would advise asking when to expect a reply. <S> After that time has passed, it's safe to assume they will not call back.
| In general, you follow-up a week after your last interaction. Make sure they know you're interested in the position by telling them explicitly.
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Should I be expressing my real thoughts on this website ("The Workplace") or toeing the generic "company line" if i'm looking for work on careers? So. I'm semi looking for work just now, and I've got a careers.stackexchange.com profile. How fancy! Anyway, I was just responding to someone's question here on "The Workplace" with my thoughts on how they should consider burning all their bridges and seducing the boss's partner and maybe visiting a mystic so they could haunt the office in the afterlife when, suddenly , i thought "Hold on, I'm visible on careers. And that means it's fairly simple for a company that might be interested in me to check what i've said on The Workplace". So i redacted the bit about burning all the bridges (because companies like people who are inclined to network!) and posted my answer. But now I'm wondering - should all my answers here be typical "you should bleed for the company all the time and never ever consider hiring a mystic so you can come back and haunt the company toilets"? Or should I just plain hope that the people who might think to hire me via careers wouldn't take the fairly obvious next step of determining my company character by looking me up on "The Workplace"? <Q> Not exactly an answer, <S> but I couldn't resist. <S> Then again, it might not be smart to use xkcd for career advice. <S> (then still, it might actually be) <A> More and more, companies are checking out an online presence as part of the reference check (although many companies skip or do very casually). <S> (Here's one relevant link .) <S> However, if you're providing GOOD advice, even if it is not always Rah! <S> Rah! <S> Go Management! <S> type advice, a reasonable company will recognize that. <S> A not so good company could dun you for that, but that is part of the vetting process of determining if you want to work for them. <S> If you must provide an answer pushing toilet haunting services, it is possible to make and use an alternate ego, and thus protect yourself. <A> The opinions you express anywhere online, on profiles publicly linked to you, should be 100% in line with what you're okay with current or prospective employers knowing about you. <S> Consider the extreme example of being asked one of these questions in an interview as a hypothetical - your answer here should probably be similar to one you'd give in such a situation. <S> If you want to be known as a "yes-man" <S> ("a person who supports the opinions or ideas of someone else in order to earn that person's approval") <S> (I don't), any answer to an employee-vs-employer question should probably involve telling them that the employer is right (although that will probably get you the occasional flood of downvotes). <S> If you want to be known as someone who will speak up when something is wrong and who won't stand for getting mistreated (among other things) (and perhaps even more significantly - someone who gives good advice), then happily give good advice to the employee, even if that won't be in the employer's best interest. <S> However, I assume a potential employer is fairly unlikely to look at one's profile here at all, but you never know (they'd probably be more likely to check out your profile on an industry-specific site, such as Stack Overflow if you're a programmer). <S> If they do, they may look at the highest and/or lowest voted posts, and perhaps a few selected ones here and there. <A> I have an online presence (11000 references to my name in Google) <S> that's just too big to hide. <S> If anyone from HR investigates me: I'll blame my thoughts and shenanigans on my evil twin - OK, we are both evil but whoever is investigating me doesn't have to know that :) <S> I am going to brazen this thing out, and claim to be the victim if I have to :) <S> In life, it's not what you do that differentiates you from the rest of the pack but what you get away with, and I actually expect to get away with this :) <S> Having said that, I was aware that every site I participate in is a sound stage and echo chamber, complete with recording equipment. <S> If I say anything truly stupid, anyone who does opposition research on me even several years from now may find what I said. <S> Strong impulse control is my best friend. <S> Flame wars are fun but be careful about crossing one bridge too far. <S> Express your strong opinions in the appropriate forums not necessarily everywhere :) <A> One thing I've learned over the years is that people are people. <S> If you are some troll on the internet, that sort of behavior will seep into real life. <S> If you have a fiery temper at home, you'll eventually have a fiery temper at work. <S> Pretending to be something you're not is a temporary solution at best. <S> If you don't want your company to think you're a vengeful, boss-hating loose cannon <S> then maybe you should work not to be that guy... <S> Though personally, I find it easier and more satisfying to simply accept it. <S> I am a curmudgeonly cynical, anti-social super-developer. <S> Companies need not worry about what I'm hiding. <S> And I don't need to worry that what I post is going to please people - so I can focus on what I'm actually doing rather than how I appear doing it.
| I'd actually refrain from expressing any especially controversial opinion (of the type that might make it particularly difficult / impossible to get a job with someone who knows you posted it, or that might get you arrested), even on a profile not publicly linked to you, as nothing on the internet is truly anonymous.
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Books read on CV appropriate? Is is appropriate to mention some books I have read on my cv related to self development like : Getting things done, Couple skills, Rewire you brain ... In North America? I am afraid this would look like I am bragging which would be unprofessional <Q> What is it to read a book? <S> Do you take your time, making notes, looking for the meaning in every sentence, taking any and every message to heart, making it part of your life? <S> Or do you just pace through it in a few days, forgetting most it a month down the line? <S> Maybe even skip a chapter here and there? <S> I wouldn't suggest putting it on your resume. <S> If you feel differently, you should definitely have a good answer for a question like "How did reading this book change your life?", because that's what it really comes down to <S> (and you should be able to say a fair amount about the book itself as well, along with why you put it on your resume). <S> And you certainly should be including work-related achievements in your answer - <S> "I learnt a lot about this and that, which led me to better understand clients and become the top salesman at [some company]" or something like that. <S> Something which makes them say "Wow, impressive", not <S> "That's nice. <S> Good for you". <A> I don't see the advantage of doing it that way. <S> I could see logic in mentioning books that have impacted you in a cover letter so that you show what you've gained from these books so there is a point. <S> Consider this question, "Why does it matter that you've read this book? <S> " from the perspective of the interviewer. <S> A couple of other points to ponder: <S> What if the hiring manager doesn't know of the books? <S> Is this spare space you have in a CV that you want to fill? <S> Is this part of what you used in getting a degree or doing some major project in your life? <S> How prepared are you to be asked about the book? <S> If they asked for what you disliked about the book, would you have an answer? <S> If they asked for your favorite ideas, what would you say? <S> If they asked how you learned of the book, what would you say? <S> In a way, when you put these into a CV or cover letter this becomes something you can be questioned and while you may not immediately have an answer, one could come to you within a minute or two including why you read the book <S> , what value it gave you, how you would summarize the book and what kinds of issues do you experience in reading the book. <A> No, the only time you mention books or publications is in the context of being a published author, and then probably only if they are relevant to your work. <S> I Have gone through CV's for job seekers before, and this would be a huge red flag and would end up with the CV dropped at the first stage. <S> And to be a bit blunt, you mention books that to be honest sound like trashy self help books <S> – that is never going to help – just looks desperate.
| Reading a book isn't quantifiable, nor is there any assumption for the amount of value any given person will take from reading any given book (especially for someone not familiar with the book), nor is showing such value through achievements better than just putting the achievements on your resume in the first place instead.
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What's an interviewer trying to find out when asking you to compare yourself to others? Interview background: In that session of interview, all the candidates are graduated from same university and course. An Interviewer asked:"Do you know (person name)?" My Answer --> "Yes" An Interviewer asked further: "When compared to him, what's your strength over him?" At this point, I wondered whether should I answer his question directly, since I don't know whether is it good or not to answer the comparison between candidates during an interview. What is the interviewer trying to find out? Should I answer this question directly? If not, what should I do. <Q> They're trying to set you up for a bragging match against each other. <S> And no doubt they have their own ideas already and are judging from your responses whether you're professional or not. <S> Extremely unprofessional on the part of interviewer, <S> and I'd seriously wonder whether I'd want to work in an environment where such questions are considered normal to be asked of people. <A> This is a minor variant of "What is your biggest strength?" <S> You just have to make sure you don't pick something which he is clearly better at than you. <S> But don't throw the other guy under the bus. <S> Definitely don't say the other guy is bad at something at any point - saying bad things about people <S> is not a trait people look for. <S> Saying you're a lot better than the other guy at something might be seen as similar to saying the other guy is bad at that. <S> I'd probably stick to words like "probably" and "a bit". <S> A good idea might be to use comparable strengths here <S> - say you're a bit better at {thingA}, although he's a bit better at {thingB} - just be careful not to throw yourself under the bus when saying he's better at something than you (you might consider treating this part similar to "What is your biggest weakness?", which you should be able to find plenty of advice online regarding). <S> There's nothing wrong with not knowing. <S> A variant of: I haven't worked with {that guy} too much, so I'm not particularly familiar with his strengths and weaknesses, but my strengths are {this}. ... <S> should be an acceptable answer, assuming this is true, or they don't know how much you've worked together . <A> If you live in the US, cite the 6th Amendment: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confrontation_Clause <S> "the accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against him" <S> Basically, state that you don't like to discuss other coworkers' work without the coworker being present, and you'd hope the same accommodations would be given to you. <S> In the case that you remember the person negatively: Give a vague answer citing your lack of memory working with that person. <S> If you remember the person positively: Give a positive report, but don't fawn over the person to the detriment of your appearance in the interview (compliments look good, but you don't want to make the other person look like the better choice!). <A> Some way you stand out. <S> On should I answer this question directly <S> what I would suggest is that you give a general answer in something you are better than the norm. <S> Say something like " I do know person X, but not exactly sure I can be authoritative on their ability. <S> But what I can tell you is that I am better than most in xyz" and give some examples on why you excel in this particular area. <S> But I agree with the other comments this is not necessarily a great question.
| On what is he trying to find out it is likely just to have some way you are different/better than the rest. If you know the person, and have worked with him/her, regardless of his/her abilities, in an interview, it is never a good idea to be negative; whether it's about a previous company or coworker.
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Negotiating an already accepted job offer I did an internship at company XXX and got a job offer from them; I accepted it. But I haven't started my work yet. I now received another job offer from company YYY which pays $15K more. The work is almost the same, both are full time. I like the higher salary, but I prefer company XXX. How do I approach company XXX and ask them if they can match YYY's offer? <Q> How do I approach company XXX about my new job offer with YYY and ask them if they can match YYY's offer. <S> Once you accept, negotiation is complete. <S> I'm not sure if that's a healthy thing to do in your locale or not. <S> Where I work, it wouldn't be considered very professional. <S> You could go to company XXX and say "Even though I already accepted your offer of Z, I got an offer for more from another company. <S> And unless you match their offer, I won't show up when I promised." <S> They might make a counter-offer. <S> But be prepared to hear them say "goodbye". <S> As a hiring manager, once I have an acceptance, I consider the negotiation period closed. <S> And if the new employee tried to get more, I'd almost certainly withdraw the job offer and move on. <S> I don't want to have people on my team who are happy to go back on their word. <S> And I don't want to have people on my team who will jump ship for a few dollars more. <S> I almost never make counter-offers to people who go find themselves another offer but indicate that they are willing to stay if I will match the other offer. <S> My experience tells me that it will only be a short period of time until they either leave for yet another slightly-higher offer anyway, or until they come back with yet another try for a counter-offer. <S> As a manager, that's not a game <S> I'm willing to play. <A> You have accepted their offer, negotiation is over. <S> Accept this. <S> Now, you have a decision to make -- do you want the 15k or do you want the company? <S> Either is a reasonable choice. <S> Thank them for the offer, apologize for any inconvenience, be upbeat -- they aren't bad, you simply have something better. <S> Do this as soon as possible. <S> Don't go into the details about how this offer is better unless they explicitly ask. <S> Do NOT hint that you want to renegotiate. <S> If you want the company, simply decline the offer. <S> Edit <S> If you're wondering about my emphasis or how this differs from the other answers: In work, you trade time for money and the company trades money for time... <S> So, when you accepted the offer, you said "this is the price you have to pay for my time", renegotiating is unprofessional and dishonest because without any change in what you are offering, you are trying to change the price. <S> But while you don't have any more to offer them , you have (depending upon what you find more desirable) found someone else that values your time more. <S> This is a change not in what you have to offer, but in your circumstances -- and it iscompletely independent of the original company, it has nothing to do with them. <S> But it does impact your life, just as it would if your spouse was transferred, or your child was accepted into a really good school. <S> It's entirely reasonable (and should be expected) for you to reconsider your situation based on your circumstances, and then to decide in a manner that you believe is best for you. <A> The way you state your questions indicates your priorities and in any decision making process it's all about weighing your priorities. <S> If money is your first priority and don't mind ruffling some feathers or pissing some people off, it can't hurt to ask. <S> The worst thing that can happen is they stick to their guns and say "no". <S> Your question is "how". <S> Just be up front with them and let them know that $ is your priority. <S> Maybe you have a mountain of school debt or just had a kid. <S> It helps to provide context to why you're asking. <S> The other important thing is to not make it an ultimatum unless you really want to push hard and risk losing the opportunity. <S> You have to be mentally ready to accept the other offer and you also have to ask yourself if you're willing to give up on the offer if they only offer you 5K or 10K. <S> Negotiations are all about leverage and what you and the other side are willing to give up. <S> In India this is common. <S> In the US, this is quite rare and would probably be frowned upon. <S> However again, it's all about leverage. <S> How badly do they want/need you? <S> Have you proven yourself? <S> Since you interned there, they have an idea of what you're capable of so they may be more willing to negotiate with you. <S> Best of luck! <A> It looks very good on your CV to have worked post university for a company you interned with, as it shows they must have liked you. <S> Also you will need a reference from them for your next job move, so it is important to keep them on side. <S> So be nice to them whatever you decide to do. <S> On the other hand 15K is a lot of money! <S> Personally I would go with company XXX and tell them about the other offer when you have your first salary review. <S> If XXX is not willing to pay you what you think you are worth <S> once you have 18 months experience, then consider other companies. <S> Explain to company YYY that you have decided to take the offer from XXX as they provided you with an internship, but that it was a very hard to decide as you greatly respect company YYY. <S> Email this to the person that interviewed you as well as the HR person. <S> You want to be able to go back to company YYY in 18 months time if needed.
| If you want the money, politely inform the company that another opportunity has arisen and you can't pass it up. I would certainly not make a counter-offer to someone who hadn't even started work, yet has already decided to ask for more. You could "unaccept" I suppose, and see if you could re-open the bidding war.
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How to deal with a team member who tries emotional blackmail on us? We have a team member who has to create some input for a project we are working on. This team member is terribly sensitive to even the slightest criticism. They started a discussion how they feel slighted. I have a leading role in the team, although I don't have a high managerial role in my organisation's hierarchy. The team member is not my subordinate, they have been loaned to the project in a supporting role. When the team member complained (of a situation in which I was involved), I tried to be fair, accepting and understanding. I apologized for not having considered the impact on their feelings before I took action back then, and reversed my earlier decision. By the way, the decision I had taken was not so unusual, I have made similar ones in other projects without team members complaining, and a senior member of the team confirmed that while the decision fell in somewhat of a grey area, it was not obviously incorrect or insensitive, and the consequences are so minor that it shouldn't have caused drama at all. The team member accepted my apology. And then they launched the next complaint, about a different situation. This time, they had submitted a document we needed, and somebody from us asked for clarification. It was a terse question, which can certainly be interpreted as a challenge, on the lines of "Here, why do you write that so-and-so?". Back then, the team member had given some answer and the communication about this issue had stalled, mostly because of lack of attention to this detail. Now they informed me that they have removed their document from the shared workspace storage, and that they are considering leaving the project, because they are getting the message that their collaboration is not appreciated and they are unwanted. They have removed a document before in a similar situation, but the "I feel pressured to leave" theme is new. I certainly would like everybody involved to feel good, and I am aware that more politeness can certainly lubricate the communication. But my view is that this person is badly overreacting. Sure, they don't want to be criticized, nobody does. But saying what amounts to "I will take my dolls and go away if you bad people make me cry", especially when the threshold of them feeling threatened, unwanted, etc. is so much lower than that of most other people I have worked with, is not constructive adult behavior. And sometimes negative feedback is needed, because their work actually needs to be improved now and then. The work of the others (including mine) needs it too, and the frequency and presentation modus of the negative feedback in the project seems to work for everybody else without causing resentment. In many situations, I find that a frank personal talk about any issues is a good first step to take, but what can I do when even the whiff of criticism makes the person fall into a highly emotional defensive mode, demanding apologies and reassurance that we are not trying to get rid of them? We don't actually have to work with this person. If they decide to leave, we could get a replacement to supply the same input, or quickly wrap up the project. Still, I find the social situation very intriguing. Is there a way to improve the situation so we can continue to collaborate in a professional manner? Beyond walking on eggshells and reassuring them on every step that we are not mean to them? Is there a way out beyond them parting ways with the team? <Q> Three possible approaches: Continue to walk on eggshells, catering to this person's unprofessional approach to working on teams. <S> (Not a preferable option). <S> Get this person to leave your team, either by asking them or asking their supervisor to reassign them. <S> It doesn't sound like that will damage your project significantly. <S> Have a private conversation in which you make a classic "I" statement. <S> For example, "When you respond to reasonable questions about your document by becoming offended and deleting it from the repository, I have to do extra work to make sure your department is adequately represented in planning. <S> Please answer the questions people ask you and please recognize that we all need to work together for this project to succeed." <S> Behavior, effect, change: work out your statement ahead of time <S> so you know your exact message. <S> Now look: the person will melt down and give you a hard time when you say this. <S> They will not say, "gosh! <S> you're right! <S> I will change my ways!" <S> Don't negotiate. <S> Don't speak for anyone else, only yourself. <S> Don't apologize, neither for yourself or for other team members Just stick to your "behavior, effect, change" formula. <S> Say your piece, and end the conversation. <S> Give the person a while to think this over. <S> Then, if they can't cooperate, boot them off your team. <A> The only way to get rid of the problems a drama queen (genderneutral) <S> causes is to get rid of the drama queen. <S> If you spend a lot of time you will find ways to navigate around the issues they complain about, but they will find new ones because it is their life mission. <S> They might even complain that you are navigating around them. <S> Have a simple plan B for every scenario. <S> This answer is given in the assumption that sufficient talking has been tried. <A> I am going to disagree with the answers given above. <S> The reason being this paragraph: <S> In many situations, I find that a frank personal talk about any issues is a good first step to take, but what can I do when even the whiff of criticism makes the person fall into a highly emotional defensive mode, demanding apologies and reassurance that we are not trying to get rid of them? <S> What seems like a frank personal talk to you, is simply not being perceived the same way. <S> Whatever you do in this situation, you first need to understand that this person is reacting this way because in their mind, this is the rational way to react to this. <S> Take away what you think is happening in their mind, and focus on the outcome. <S> The outcome is that this person is simply not understanding your negative feedback in the same way that the rest of your team does. <S> That is bound to happen since you and your team might have a different team culture. <S> You also mention that this person is an outside collaborator. <S> In regards to: <S> Is there a way to improve the situation so we can continue to collaborate in a professional manner? <S> You have already answered your own question. <S> I certainly would like everybody involved to feel good, and I am aware that more politeness can certainly lubricate the communication. <S> But my view is that this person is badly overreacting. <S> How about trying your own advice and bring more politeness to the table? <S> Regardless of whether someone is overreacting or not, it seems like a wasted business opportunity to not try something as simple as more politeness if it can indeed net you better results. <S> If it still doesn't work, I guess it wouldn't have worked out with less politeness either (aka now). <A> I've run into several people that fall in that category, some of it in personal relationships and others in professional relationships. <S> One pattern I noticed was that these people had grown up in abusive environments, often around parents that were addicted to something or who were violent in some form. <S> It was common for the family to close ranks around the abuser - everyone kept it quiet and kept it out of sight of their neighbors and friends - and the authorities. <S> If they are conditioned to see danger in every interaction, they will be forever on the defensive. <S> In general they have an unrealistically high standard for how they're treated, and your 'normal' interactions will periodically breach those standards. <S> When you do, you'll hear a lot of bellyaching or a tantrum. <S> If you can find a replacement, do so. <S> Do not try to fix anything, apologize, make unreasonable accommodations, or anything else. <S> If they can't fit in an normal working environment, don't go out of your way. <S> It's up to them to sort themselves out - this shouldn't happen on your nickel.
| If you are in the position to decide, get rid of them, if you are not try to ignore them on not depend on their input. Name the unproductive behavior you have observed, state the effect it has on you personally, and request a change. There is nothing you can do.
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Does one's Learning Horizon narrow after getting a job I started with my first job in a company recently, the company already had a project and i started working on it,The main hurdle in my career progress bar is that to complete the project i had to learn a few new skills due to lack of time i completed specific topics[related to the project] and i will be starting the next project in a couple of weeks, and i feel it will. My question is , **1) when you are upgrading your learning curve for a project is it common to study the most required part first promising yourself that you will revisit and finish the book after the part in project is over. * What i would like to know from the fellow workspace users , 1)how did you deal with this kind of situation if you had to[no negotiations] put in 60 hrs of work in a week and you are living from paycheck to paycheck.** <Q> Does one's Learning Horizon narrow after getting a job? <S> That certainly depends on the individual. <S> If you are the type of person that only learns during working hours, and then only learns the minimum of what is necessary to complete a project, then Yes - your learning will be constrained by the needs of the projects in which you participate. <S> If instead you are a lifelong learner, and learn on your own time in addition to on-the-job, then No - you are not bound by the constraints of your job and projects. <S> When you are upgrading your learning curve for a project is it common to study the most required part first promising yourself that you will revisit and finish the book after the part in project is over. <S> I do suspect that is common. <S> You need to get your project completed on time. <S> Thus if there is learning to be done, it only makes sense to learn the project-specific needs first, in order to meet your project schedule. <S> However, there's nothing to say you cannot continue to learn (by finishing the book, by working on your own, by talking with others, etc.) <A> In my experience, learning on the job is a do or die affair :) <S> Given the pressure of the priority and the deadline, I learn what I must know in order to get the project completed and no more. <S> Given that I was usually the strongest techie in the place, I rarely got a chance to learn anything from anyone in the hierarchy. <S> Often enough, I was called in to help gang up on a supertough problem and we would solve it by interacting with each other, because we would never have solved it on our own. <S> I have plenty of experience learning from videos but often enough, I prefer to learn from written materials - in PDF format, I don't care for the dead tree format. <S> I actively participate in meetups but while meetups point me in the right direction, I find that I learn everything that's important on my own :) <S> Now matter how much support I get, at the end of the day, it comes down to just the three of us - me, myself and I :) <S> Learning on the job has its shortcomings and limitations <S> but I wouldn't knock it, when it's the direct reason why I keep getting to collect my paychecks :) <S> And when I go home wiped out from 10-hour days, the de facto choice is between learning on the job or not learning at all :) <A> It can, but doesn't have to. <S> As others have pointed out, your own level of motivation plays a big role; you can certainly choose to learn on your own time, or if/when it happens, downtime in between tasks. <S> As far as training your employer provides <S> / pays for it will likely be focused on what benefits them. <S> Hopefully this will align with your interests, but if not, you'll need to learn on your own time.
| Certainly while getting up to speed for a project, your learning will be focused, but afterwards, perhaps not.
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As a new manager, how can I learn to navigate the company politics? As I wrote elsewhere, I feel that my role as a manager is being marginalized by my superiors. I am loosing some of my responsibilities, and my managers (both director and line manager) tell me that I am doing great and that I should keep on doing so. I was promoted twice already in the company before these issues started, so I truly feel that my issue might be company politics. As a matter of fact, I know nothing about company politics and how to navigate them. I feel that partly this may be due to me having a busy personal life (family commitments and health issues) and most of my focus is on contributing to the bottom line in line with what my managers ask me to do. I am also very proactive with new initiatives and strategies, but I never ever promoted any of these with "personal agendas".All I do is think what's best for the company and embody that in my attitude and actions. So... if I am new to this whole "company politics", how do I start learning how to overcome the hurdles and navigate them, rather than being drowned and sunk by them? <Q> Forbes has Office Politics: Must You Play? <S> A Handbook For Survival/Success which notes in part: <S> As reported by Chad Brooks for Business News Daily, here is some advice from Robert Half for using skilled communications to navigate the politics you cannot avoid: <S> Build a broad coalition of support: <S> Lobby for the respect and trust of all your colleagues, including those at the grassroots level. <S> Forge strong alliances by sharing credit for successes and delivering on promises. <S> Avoid smear campaigns <S> : Gossiping or mudslinging can only damage your own credibility. <S> When you are upset or frustrated, wait until you’ve calmed down to express your concerns. <S> Be direct but tactful. <S> Focus on the black and white facts. <S> Don’t give in to the temptation to play underhanded games to rise through the ranks. <S> Connect with your constituents <S> : Smart political candidates tailor their message and approach to the audience (in life coach parlance, we call it “speaking to their listening.”) <S> What is it that a particular listener or audience wants to know and needs to frame the information within? <S> What are their priorities and goals? <S> Employees should apply the same tactics to communication with co-workers. <S> Play by the rules <S> : Avoid sticky situations by paying attention to the office protocol. <S> If you make a misstep, make amends quickly. <S> So there is something to be said for knowing values and culture as a starting point. <S> The Win-Win Way to Play Office Politics from the New York Times notes: <S> These are the negative and stereotypical examples that help give office politics a bad name. <S> Certainly, there are many unethical and unprofessional ways to be political, said Marilyn Puder-York, a psychologist and executive coach based in the New York area and author of “The Office Survival Guide.” <S> When it is done ethically, though, no one loses, and you’ve “enhanced your reputation with the right people,” she said. <S> To Dr. Puder-York, office politics is a balance between cooperation and competition. <S> There are times when it causes harm and dysfunction, and other times when it motivates and inspires employees, enhancing productivity and creativity, she said. <A> The organization's behavior is the best indicator of your status in the organization. <S> Your focus on the bottom line is probably keeping people from getting to know you on a personal level. <S> Set aside some time to visit around the office, offer your expertise to the people you can truly help. <S> NOTE: <S> I said expertise not advice...that is for a reason. <S> Show them how to do XXXX instead of telling them how to do XXX. <S> Then, step aside so they can repeat what you showed them how to do. <S> Be a consultative coach as they step through the process. <S> Finally, have them teach you how to do XXX. <S> You will be able to assess how well they understand the process. <S> Direct reports may also use you as a sounding board for personal problems. <S> Make time to listen, and use active listening skills to help them clarify their thoughts. <S> At a peer level, ask them for their opinions on actions you intend to take. <S> Most managers will appreciate the chance to opine. <S> The way I usually do this is to get the work 80% complete then tell them you are having trouble making XXX satisfactory and ask for their opinions to make it work... <S> I've use this stratagem several times myself and taught it to others to successful outcomes. <A> Politics is the art of managing conflict. <S> People decry politics as impure and inglorious and the source of crass compromises <S> but I'll take that any day over bullets and shrapnel whizzing toward me. <S> Politics is also the art of building coalitions to getting something achieved that you and others couldn't do by yourselves. <S> Again, people's motives may be pretty crass <S> but then, you have to take the attitude that it is betterto <S> do the right thing for the wrong reasons than to do the wrong thing for the right reasons. <S> Finally, politics is the art of getting someone else to do the work for you. <S> Of course, it's going to cost you. <S> You have to know what you want and because you won't get everything you want, what you can live with. <S> You have to decide what you are prepared to give up and where you are drawing a line in the sand rather than give up. <S> You have to decide how much you want to demand, and what unmet demands you can live with. <S> You have to learn to be an accomplished opportunist with a keen eye for timing, opportunity and circumstance. <S> Bill Clinton is a master politician. <S> So was Lyndon Johnson. <S> Read everything you can about their bios. <S> They should give you pretty good pointers on how to be effective at politics. <S> Politics is one subject where books can give you guidelines, but you really learn by living it and doing it.
| Observe their unique work styles, priorities and communication preferences in order to best adapt your approach. Stay true to your values: There are those who’ll do anything to “win,” but on the whole, character and credibility will eventually prevail.
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How can I stand out in an interview when I have 0 years of experience? I have an interview for a software engineer intern position. The person who is going to do the interview is an engineer with over 20 years of experience, and I do not have any, so I do not know how can I impress him, or at least stand out. Any suggestions? <Q> A few suggestions: Research the company. <S> Could you know how the company makes money? <S> Could you know the executives of the company? <S> Could you know what kinds of big things are happening with the company? <S> Seriously as you may be asked, "What do you know about X? <S> " in the interview as a question that if you go, "Uh, you guys have this opening," you may well stand out but not in a good way. <S> Research key words from the job description. <S> If you were given a description, couldn't you research the terms used. <S> What methodology may you be using? <S> What tools would you use? <S> Do you know the Software Development Life Cycle? <S> Do you want what Test Driven Development is? <S> "What's the company's website?" is likely to be a poor question while "What is a typical day in this position? <S> " may do much better. <S> Consider what in your past may make for useful stories. <S> You may be asked, "What is the hardest programming challenge you've had?" or "What got you started in learning how to program?" <S> that are should be simple stories to remember as your history while not having professional experience may have other stuff to contribute here. <S> Those should be where you could spend more than a few hours in being prepared to talk about the company and what is used so that you can have an idea of what you are expected to do. <A> The interviewer knows that you don't have any experience, so he's not expecting you to. <S> What he'll be looking for, is to see that you're smart, reliable, that you communicate well, that you use your initiative etc. <S> In order to make an impression - engage with him - answer his questions. <S> IT interviews typically involve some technical questions, so it's good to be able to answer them. <S> For example, you should be able to say what the difference of between a linked list and an array is, and the advantages of each. <S> They might give you a problem solving exercise, even if you can't solve it, they're wanting to see how you go about solving these problems, and how well you communicate through it. <S> Remember, they're looking for not just technical skills, but your interpersonal skills as well. <S> All the technical skills in the world aren't going to help if you're difficult to get along with or are unable to communicate. <A> Are you sure your experience is zero? <S> A lot of kids start programming in middle school or high school, so you might have more than 'nothing' in your background. <S> While it may not be much, the question is whether you made anything work. <S> If you were given programming assignments, did you complete them, and how well do they work? <S> Quite likely what the interviewer is trying to figure out is whether you can do anything at all. <S> If you've been through two years of college, for example, you have to have done some projects. <S> In such circumstances you would describe the projects, the language features you've used, what you got stuck with and how you fixed it, whether you look things up (I notice in your profile you're rooting around on StackOverflow). <S> Ask questions about what they want you to do. <S> If it sounds like stuff that isn't too far from what you've done on your own, you'll be OK.
| Consider what questions do you want to know about the internship to demonstrate interest and enthusiasm.
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Can my lack of credit history harm my chances for getting a job? I have no credit card, no credit history, and no debt. My resume is not lacking for my life stage (young adult). However, this answer to a personal finance question claims that employers check credit. Will I have difficulty finding a job with no credit history? <Q> In most cases the purpose of a credit check is to see if there is evidence of character problems. <S> A thin credit file is not the same as demonstrating an inability to handle credit. <S> There are some positions where having credit could be important, but that is not the case for most jobs. <S> If you want to get a job working in bank as a loan officer, then not having any experience with credit could be an issue. <S> In some cases the employer will use your credit file to get a credit card for travel, but that might not be the case for most positions. <S> Most employers hiring young people expect that you would have a thin file. <A> In the United States, it is unlikely that a lack of credit history will keep you from your first job (or entry-level types of jobs). <S> Not all employers check credit as part of a background check, and when they do, it is not for all levels and types of positions. <S> In general, employers tend to check credit to verify that you do not have liens against you/bankruptcies/foreclosures ( potential sign of irresponsibility or bad judgement), that you aren't using all of the credit you do have or aren't late on your payments ( potential sign of bad budgeting) and other reasons that could speak to your financial abilities and/or character as a potential employee. <S> If you are looking to work in banking, finance, accounting, or similar industries/positions, you should probably think about establishing a credit history of some sort sooner rather than later, and also just in general you might think about it (but with a less urgent time frame) -- perhaps talk to someone at your local bank or credit union for the best way to go about this for your personal circumstances. <S> Also, note that you do have a credit history: it says you have no open lines of credit, but (presumably) you also don't have any liens, bankruptcies, foreclosures, student loans, auto loans, or late payments on anything! <A> What you're thinking of 'credit' is credit cards and bank records. <S> If you're renting an apartment, you own a car, and you're paying utility bills you have more on your credit history than you might imagine. <S> Rental history speaks volumes. <S> If you're living with your parents with no car, no checking account, and a family-plan cell phone, then you're 'off the radar'. <S> If you've been paying bills by check for over a year, you're leaving footprints. <S> If you have contractual obligations as part of an apartment rental, for example, it's possible to find out your history of late payments. <S> This is as much 'credit' as a credit card. <S> If your employer is checking, your history with property rental will be as important as anything else. <S> This comes with a caveat. <S> I had someone run a credit report on me when I moved from an apartment to a house. <S> The real estate agent showed me the report, and I realized that the apartment complexes I'd been living in for the last seven years hadn't either checked or reported anything. <S> Your employer (or their reference checking service) would have to call your apartment directly to get status. <S> It's quite likely that, if you've been living in large complexes, they're taking your money for credit checks but not actually running them. <A> The answer you've cited doesn't cite any resources, and the question is tagged [united-states], so <S> it's <S> validity doesn't mean it's valid somewhere else. <S> While in third-world countries you can expect companies to do any dirty tricks to pick people who are in weaker position and can be easily blackmailed (having credit for a house is a good reason to fear job loss), in the EU <S> the anti-discrimination laws are quite advanced. <S> Checking your credit history means not only spying on your private sphere, but also getting some information about your financial status. <S> You know if someone is wealthy or not, does he/ <S> she consumes compulsively or is a saver type. <S> It's a dirty thing , because many countries, like the Hungary, have implicitly listed financial status on the list of anti-discriminatory laws, and many others, like Germany, forbids discrimination on "any other ground", not explicitely listed (1) I wouldn't expect any serious company in EU to spy on your credit history. <S> If you suspect them discriminating you because of lack of excessive expenses, you can sue against them. <S> http://www.migpolgroup.com/wp_mpg/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Developing-Anti-Discrimination-Law-in-Europe-2012-EN-.pdf <S> s. 11-13
| Unless you're looking to break into banking, finance, accounting, or jobs of that nature, the lack of a credit history isn't likely to harm you whatsoever.
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How do I go about asking my employer about the salary range for a position? I want to know what the salary ranges are for different levels at my workplace. Is it OK to ask HR that sort of question? Is it common? I'm curious because a position that is similar to mine was advertised, but with a higher salary. <Q> I'm assuming that this is for the company you currently work for. <S> Yes, it's OK to ask. <S> But you may not get an answer. <S> Some companies have a highly structured salary system, where everybody is assigned a grade, depending on the job they do, and there is a defined salary band for that grade. <S> Governments and large companies are usually of this type. <S> It's usually OK (but not always) to know what the salary bands are for different grades. <S> You won't be able to find out what grade any given person is is, but that isn't difficult to deduce. <S> At the very least you should be able to find out the band for your grade. <S> Some companies don't have anything that structured, in which case everyone's salary might be different, and you will not be able to find out the salary for any position. <A> Some don't. <S> Some allow management to share this information with their staff at their discretion. <S> There are various ways (salary/statistic websites, friends in the industry, recruiters, job listings) to find out a standard range of salaries for your position in your area. <S> If your company is not willing to discuss what they pay (remember: base salary is only the most basic part of your compensation, and you need to consider the rest of the package) for your skillset and experience, you may want to look elsewhere. <S> In the past, I've gone to my direct supervisor to ask what the salary range is for my position (and the levels above and below me), and this person was happy to sit down and discuss the topic with me. <S> A healthy workplace will be willing to make it clear to you how they will compensate you and why, and how you can earn more or be promoted (since higher earnings and promotions are directly tied to performance that benefits the employer). <S> I would be hesitant to trust a company that is not willing to discuss how they compensate their employees. <A> Always keep in mind that salary is just one part of a compensation package. <S> The other position may be in a different sector (where profit margins are higher) or require frequent travel. <S> Maybe they are searching for somebody with special skills, who is more difficult to find. <S> Maybe they need someone urgently, and that is why they are offering higher pay. <S> There are a lot of factors at play here. <S> Before judging your own salary, be sure that you are comparing apples with apples. <S> Between the lines, your question seems to be <S> "I saw a position similar to mine with higher advertised pay. <S> What do I do with this knowledge?" <S> There will always be people who are paid more than you are. <S> These people may have worn a shirt in a color the CEO liked on the day of their interview, they may have joined the company at the right moment, or they may have negotiated better. <S> Accept this and move on. <S> Now, if you feel you deserve more money (based on thorough market research, not just 'a job ad on LinkedIn'), read these excellent questions: <S> How should I properly approach my boss if I'm feeling underpaid? <S> I just found out that I am the lowest paid on my team. <S> How do I negotiate a raise without revealing this knowledge? <S> Are there humorous, less-confrontational ways to negotiate a starting salary? <S> Why is discussing pay such a taboo? <S> How can I get people to talk about concrete figures?
| Some companies actually publicize (within the company) what the pay range for a particular job is. This is absolutely an acceptable topic to discuss with either HR or your direct supervisor.
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How to encourage a culture where people don't shout all the time? I am a manager from a European company and recently was promoted to an American branch. I am not sure if this is cultural (geographical I mean), but it really appears that most employees here are used to speaking out loud for the whole room to hear their voice, even if the matter is solely related to their own team or department. I feel like this disturbs the focus, mine for sure - how can I address this issue tactfully, without offending anyone in my team? My aim is to keep the environment more calm and where people can focus on their work rather than hear other people's conversations. Also any insights as to why some company cultures seem to have grown this way (where people show off and talk loud) would be appreciated! <Q> Americans, in general , are louder than Northern Europeans. <S> We (yes, I'm an American) just talk louder. <S> I've personally seen it when visiting or having meetings with colleagues who are based in Europe. <S> I have to consciously think about lowering my volume to match theirs. <S> Not a published research paper, but a reference from the Divsersity Council: <S> Baseline speaking volume is generally lower among Asians and Western Europeans. <S> American tourists in these parts of the world are often seen as rude and thoughtless. <S> Americans also have greater personal distance. <S> Two American colleagues will stand farther apart than two European colleagues. <S> That will also tend to raise the volume. <S> Edited to add a reference and to limit comparison to Northern Europeans. <A> Everything explained above carries its all meaning and clarification of Americans of being loud but still your problem will not solve as its not just your personnel <S> will you want to make the environment to change altogether right!! <S> You can try few of these methods to actually do it, <S> Posters saying good office ethics have a large impact without even uttering and harming anyone's feeling again this trick should be done in a proper style. <S> Tough not very practical <S> but you can your team can start up office a bit early and can wrap up typical things of daily work in first silent span as,major calls and meetings that are the actual noise starts in second time span of office time. <S> Personalisation of you and your team work space in between the company work space,which will make others not to ponder in your area and only your team will have a altogether different aroma inside the big floor. <S> If possible try above ones and please let us know how it worked. <S> I have actually tried the third one in my office worked well for us. <A> I would suggest that as a manager, the best thing you can do in this circumstance is get rid of the open space offices. <S> Once you have your team in a more enclosed space, you can ask that they lower their volume. <S> You could set up some silent hours where conversation of any type is discouraged for productivity reasons. <S> You can ask people to move to a conference room if they are having a long conversation. <S> You cannot do anything about the people in any other team.
| You coudl set a good example of speaking lower and moving any long conversation to a conference room. I don't know if this is the case in your workplace, but I could see Americans more likely to talk across a cubicle wall (or two) or "shout" across the hallway.
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How to get information out of secretive recruiters? About six months ago, I quit my job and turned to freelancing. I am content and I have enough work to go by, but don't rule out that I would like to have a day job some time in the future, when the right opportunity arises. Currently, I am pestered with recruiters, who want to hire me for full-time or extended (up to a year or more) freelance gigs. I should be flattered about all the attention, but my issue is, that they don't want to disclose any information about the job. Very often it also seems like a standard message, that they've likely sent out to everyone in my field – and when I ask around, that's exactly what it is. When I ask the recruiters to elaborate on this incredibly exciting, but vaguely described opportunity, they simply respond with something like "it's for a big company" and ask to meet me in person. I have also tried asking specific questions, but to no avail. At this point, I kindly refuse and wish them good luck in their search. How do I get the recruiters to cut to the chase and give me more information, without wasting time on pointless meetings or phone interviews? <Q> A recruiter's livelihood depends on three things: not giving you information you can use to "go around" the recruiter (they can mitigate this a little because they can tell the client they spoke to you) or worse, give to someone they don't even know about and let that friend "go around" the recruiter giving their clients discretion about hiring plans, and protecting their clients from being pestered by eager job hunters telling you enough to get you to engage in discussing a possible position and being presented for it <S> It sounds like you're hearing from recruiters who care far more about the first two points than about the third. <S> Probably you're in a market where jobs are thin on the ground, so job hunters are passing tips around, pestering people who they've heard are hiring etc, and when a recruiter says "I have an opportunity" they are leaping up and asking to be considered without needing much more information than that. <S> If you don't want to work with recruiters at all, just tell them that when they contact you. <S> If you do (for the right kind of recruiter) then meet with them once. <S> It might ostensibly be about whatever opportunity they claimed to have, but it's really about you and <S> what you're great at, what you're looking for. <S> They may then realize that whatever they contacted you about isn't a great fit, but they happen to have a perfect opportunity with someone else. <S> Or they may have nothing now, but contact you with something far more targeted in a few weeks or months. <S> On a cold call you're never going to get the details you need to decide whether to meet this recruiter for the very first time. <S> But if you take a chance and meet one anyway, it might lead to something good. <S> Of course, they could just be quite useless, spamming every developer they can find and wildly connecting people to opportunities that are wrong for them. <S> So you might want to screen the recruiters a little to decide who to meet. <S> Just don't base it on what they tell you about the job, because that will rarely be anything useful on a first call. <A> Look at it from their point of view. <S> You are a freelancer. <S> If you get ahold of the name of a company who is looking to hire for freelance gigs in your area of expertise, what is to stop you from contacting the company directly and soliciting them, thereby cutting out the recruiters? <S> You have made yourself their competition, and they need to protect themselves. <S> If you are serious about wanting to use their resources to find yourself work then you should at least be willing to spend the time to sit down with them and go through the proper channels. <A> Even if you don't want to meet in person, you can take the time to take a phone call from them. <S> They'll be much more conducive to talking over the phone, at least in my experience. <S> It takes a relationship to build trust. <S> You won't get a relationship from two emails, and you won't get details from a recruiter without trust. <A> Since you're not actively looking, take the time and pick one or two and go through the process until you find one you like, trust and respect. <S> Connect with them on something like LinkedIn, <S> so you'll know if they're with another firm. <S> They'll want to have a personal meeting/interview. <S> It's important for them to know you are presentable to clients. <S> Keep in touch with them. <S> Follow their websites to see if any appealing jobs pop up. <S> When you are ready, you can take the next step and eventually find the name of the company. <S> All the other recruiters, you can just ignore in the mean time or make knowing the company a requirement. <S> They should be sending a list of people they've contacted about the position and would get compensated if they hired you. <S> They make contracts and agreements with their clients so they can protect themselves. <S> The company probably would have to wait up to a year before they could hire you without paying the recruiter. <A> The recruiters will have to learn to trust you - I think part of the reason they are secretive is that if they disclose the name of their client, you might apply directly to the client and screw them out of their commission. <S> They are especially vulnerable to you going direct if they have taken upon themselves to introduce you to a company which is not a current client of theirs, and they are hoping to use you and your quals as a can opener to build a relationship with that company :) <S> For whatever reason, the recruiters who have contacted me have no problem disclosing the name of their client. <S> Either they trust me, or they have taken precautionary steps in conjunction with their client to make sure that I don't screw them :)
| Until you actually develop a relationship with the recruiters, you won't get them to "cut to the chase". The more they know about you, the more they will tell you when they contact you.
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I run an Amazon Affiliate site which brings in ~$5k per year. Do I include this on my resume? If so, what numbers should I disclose? I've been running an affiliate site for a couple years now, and it has definitely helped me pay my bills throughout college, and I'd like to show it off on my resume, as I will graduate later this year. I have a few questions: Should I disclose how much I personally profited from it? (~$5k per year) Should I disclose how much money I generated for Amazon from it? (~$70k per year) What should I call myself? CEO/Founder/Creator of xyz.com? I'm the only person involved. If I were to sell my site, should I keep the site on my resume with an appropriate end date? Should it go in my job history section, or some other section? Projects? Experience? Should I mention that it's all on autopilot? I don't want employers thinking I'll be spending their time on my project. What sort of accomplishments should I put down? I didn't answer to any higher-ups, so I didn't have any performance reports or goals to meet. I just developed it, launched it, marketed it, and made money. My only real metrics are traffic and money. I realize that none of this is anything groundbreaking, but I think employers might like it. If you disagree, please let me know! I don't want to turn off any potential employers. Thank you for any help you can give me. :) <Q> Definitely put it on your resume. <S> It's an important project (to you) that has been successful (which will be important to potential employers). <S> I'm assuming you've also learned quite a bit from it. <S> To answer your specific questions: Do not disclose the financials. <S> If you're asked in an interview, maybe say something like "it's been profitable, and it's helped me cover some bills while in school. <S> " Your potential employer isn't buying this site, so the details of the financials shouldn't be a consideration. <S> Call yourself the creator, owner & sole operator of the site. <S> If it's incorporated in any way, use an appropriate title based on that status (if it's a Sole Priorietorship, label yourself as the Sole Proprietor). <S> If you sell the site, use the date of inception through the date you sold it. <S> It could go into both Projects and Job History. <S> Maybe mention it in both places, but in different ways (under Projects, maybe get into details of what you used to do it; Job History, just that it existed and was profitable). <S> Don't say "it's on autopilot". <S> Call it "profitable and self-sustaining." <S> If the metrics you have are traffic & money, call out the traffic and money. " <S> Serves 30,000 unique visitors per month and has been profitable for X months/years. <S> " <S> Again, don't go into specifics of how much you're making on it - just <S> that it's profitable. <S> Now, something you didn't ask about: continuing the site after you're hired. <S> They may not allow you to keep the site once you take the job. <S> You definitely should not do anything pertaining to the site <S> while on the clock - don't take a phone call, don't check email for it, don't log onto the Amazon affiliate control panel & check your stats, <S> don't market it to your co-workers. <S> For all intents and purposes, once you get to the office, your side project doesn't exist. <S> You do not want to create a conflict of interest anywhere, and you don't want to have any appearance of working on/running that site using company resources (including time). <A> Well, disclosing that you set up and are running a successful website while in college shows that you have some self-employment and e-commerce experience. <S> You don't need to mention numbers but you could whet some prospective employer's curiosity by stating that the revenues from your ecommerce site were large enough to help you pay a substantial part of your college bills in return for a minimal commitment of several hours a week once the site was up and running. <S> Your ecommerce experience is interesting enough and stands out enough that you should set up a separate category for it in your resume i.e. separate from the "Work Experience" category. <S> You should describe what you are selling on your site with enough specificity that a prospective employer would conclude that your activity presents no conflict of interest. <S> If you designed the site yourself, that's a plus and be sure to mention it. <S> Since you are interested in being a web developer, I'll add that understanding ecommerce operations is a vital part of being a successful web developer and you should make it a point to state that you acquired a fundamental, hands-on understanding of ecommerce operations by running this website. <A> How relevant is this to the positions you are applying? <S> If you're applying to be an accountant in a large firm, then having this site running isn't likely to be meaningful. <S> In contrast, if you plan on working for a company building web sites and generating leads this may be quite useful. <S> The key is to note what would be useful for your perspective employer since it may matter to them what kind of traffic are you producing, what sales go through, etc. <S> Not to downplay this too much but some may view your accomplishment as a way to get your family and friends to use your site. <S> My second paragraph isn't about gaining anything as much as explaining things. <S> To rephrase the second paragraph, could someone think that the sales are coming from friends and family out to help your site grow? <S> If it helps, imagine the sales of a child at a lemonade stand that sells to his family at a reunion to make money. <S> The sales are coming out of a duty and thus aren't that impressive.
| Depending upon the company and what its line of business is, you may be required to disclose the site, the fact that you make money off it, and how much time you spend working on it.
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How should I list working for a subsidiary company on my LinkedIn profile? If I work for a subsidiary company, should I say that I work for the parent company on my LinkedIn profile? <Q> I think it depends largely upon how the company is branded. <S> If the primary branding is just ScissorCo, and the "we're a subsidiary of MegaSlice Cutlery" is on the "About Us" page only, list it as ScissorCo. <S> Look at the LinkedIn profiles of your colleagues as well, see what they've done. <A> On Linkedin, search for the name for the subsidiary. <S> Then search for the name of the parent company. <S> Read several profiles at random. <S> See for yourself how the authors of these profiles handle the subsidiary/parent company relationship. <S> There is most likely a de facto consensus there and you should be able to identify it. <S> Then go with the flow and do whatever everybody else who works for the subsidiary is doing to represent their employment at the subsidiary on Linkedin. <A> Based on the use of present tense in your question why don't you just ask your employer. <S> They may prefer one over the other. <S> They may want to be able to link your profile to their official presence on LinkedIn.
| If the corporate website, logos, etc. of the company you work directly for is branded with "ScissorCo, a division of MegaSlice Cutlery" then I would use that on LinkedIn.
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Discretely interviewing during lunch break - is it acceptable to forgo dress code? I am starting to interview and I don't want anyone at my current company to find out. I also have a very short window during lunch break to do so, therefore it is virtually impossible for me to change clothes. A few companies have specified that I need to dress smart. If I dress different than usual, everyone in my current company will notice (I normally wear my sport shoes and training-like clothes to work - in the best case, I wear normal, with a shirt under a blazer). Would it be acceptable if I dress as neatly as possible and explain to my interviewer why I cannot all suited and booted? <Q> I usually tell the interviewers at companies that are known to be more conservative that the dress code at my current employer is homeless casual and that dressing any better will telegraph to the current employer that I am desperately seeking. <S> Which is why I am not going to show up at the interview in a suit. <S> No interviewer at any of these more conservative companies has ever pushed back in the last 14 years, especially as the dress code became gradually more casual over the years. <S> That's in NYC. <S> Your mileage may vary in other parts of the country or even in other countries. <S> Safest way to proceed is to call and notify and explain. <S> You want the interview to be a non-event in terms of surprises. <S> No "shock and awe" - this include making sure that your showing up as-is to be a non-surprise :) <A> It will vary from person to person. <S> Some will not require an explanation of your attire at all. <S> Some will view the explanation as acceptable and think nothing further of it (at least consciously - some will continue thinking of it subconsciously, which can still be to your detriment). <S> Some will view the explanation itself negatively (making excuses) (but would've been fine <S> had you said nothing). <S> Another point to consider - how comfortable would you be sitting there in your training clothes with everyone else wearing suits (for example)? <S> Is there a possibility that you'll get the feeling that you're being judged (for your choice of attire) and that will make you (even more) nervous? <S> Some options I can think of: <S> Take a longer lunch to change. <S> This is a good option <S> if lunch breaks aren't too closely monitored, or occasionally taking a bit longer lunch and working a bit later isn't frowned upon. <S> Changing should just take a few minutes, assuming you don't have mobility issues. <S> Take the afternoon / day off. <S> Giving even a somewhat vague reason (e.g. 'admin') <S> shouldn't be too suspicious, assuming you don't go for interviews too often (if you do, you should probably focus more on roles you're a better fit for anyway). <S> If you're not comfortable with giving a somewhat vague reason (or lying), you could always plan to do some actual admin task during the afternoon or day as well, as to use that as the reason instead. <S> Would sport shoes, formal pants and a formal shirt hanging out <S> look like you're overdressing? <S> From there it should be a really quick change. <S> Start dressing up to work (most days / every day). <S> As mentioned in the above point, you don't have to wear the full interview attire, nor does it even have to look particularly formal, it just has to be some bits and pieces to make changing less effort. <S> Incrementally dressing up could be a good idea - wear formal pants with your current attire for a while, then change the shirt, etc. <A> If you have the opportunity to plan in advance, I would advise gradually starting to dress smarter, up to the point where you just dress like that all the time (there's nothing wrong with dressing smartly for work). <S> If anybody asks, say your SO was nagging you about how you dress, then when you have your job interview you don't have a problem. <A> You can dress formally and mention you're going to the theatre or other formal event after work. <S> " <S> Yes, I'm all dressed up. <S> My sister will bring her fiance's parents for dinner and my mother said I absolutely had to look good, you know mothers..."
| Wear half of what you plan on wearing to the interview to work. Some will view it as either you not taking the interview particularly seriously, or perhaps as a sign of disrespect. Try to wear as much as possible of the clothes which you're going to wear so changing can be done really quickly.
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How do I deal with have having had a personal meltdown that's affected my worklife? The background context is: First job since graduating, been in an IT role for almost 18 months. Had a pretty rough time I work, IMO I was mistreated. I was put on a PIP within six months of starting for 'Asking too many questions before thoroughly investigating the issue'. There was also an isssue with a senior who I work most closely with, could be described as a bully/micromanager. After about 12 months I earned their respect and was given a decent payrise. This was after a few people had left and I wrote a email to my manager about the situation. At this point I had been seeing a EAP (employee assistance program) psychologist, about work-related stress regarding my situation. I was just not enjoying it and looking to get out. But, since then I've been having a meltdown in my personal life, mainly staying inside and playing computer games, watching videos, sleep deprevation etc. So I've been turning up at work late, and not been focused at work. (This is on going issue that has existed before I started working. When I'm good I run 1/2 marathons, swim, am social, and am generally a really cool person, etc). What set it all of was I attended a job interview, it seemed to go well, but I did't get the job. I've recently attended another IT interview, and that one also seemed to go well, but I didn't that job either. They said it was the technical skills rather than the people skills - I don't have working experience with the technology I was going for. So this behavior has been noticed, and I've talked to my team leader about it, and informed her that I've been seeing EAP about it. Work haven't been on my case about it though. Another thing is that there's currently not a lot of work to actually do, so I haven't been doing much. Mainly browsing and posting on stack-exchange. So that's the situation. My credibility is a bit shot, and I do still want to get out of this workplace. One of the big problems is getting a reference out of this. I have a couple of references from other guys I've worked with, who have since left, but I really need one from a boss or senior. So it seems like they listened to my email, and have given me the space to come up with stuff myself, at least while I look for a new job and I've kind of wasted it. So question: How common is this kind of meltdown in a workplace, and how does management like to deal with it? What would the most professional way forward be? <Q> You are already doing many of the right things to get yourself in order. <S> Working with a mental-health professional through your Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) is a very fine choice. <S> Your company obviously cares about employee success: they have an EAP. <S> Your manager sounds like she's invested in helping you. <S> Think of them this way: they want you to succeed <S> and they're working hard to make that happen. <S> Here are a few strategies that might help you more. <S> Get enough sleep. <S> Make a point of doing something kind for somebody once a day, and twice a day when you're struggling a lot. <S> Be patient with yourself and your workplace. <S> It may or may not be pleasant, but it's not dangerous. <S> Your best way to turn this into a good reference for yourself is to get through this rough spot honorably. <S> Keep in mind that the micromanaging colleague may have been tasked with training you, and tried to do that to the best of his ability. <S> It isn't easy. <S> It sound like you have some downtime at work. <S> Use the downtime to learn some new area of tech. <S> Ask a mentor (maybe this supportive manager of yours, maybe someone else) for suggestions about something new to learn. <S> Maybe they're getting ready to deploy some new systems, and you can get the jump on learning them. <S> Another suggestion for the downtime: ask if you can have a part-time assignment involving some customer contact. <S> Customer help-desk? <S> Go along on some sales calls as an observer? <S> Help tabulate some surveys? <S> There's nothing that's quite as energizing as understanding how your company helps customers solve their problems. <S> Did I mention, get enough sleep? <S> You'll get through this. <S> Making the transition from school to work isn't easy. <A> Did I miss it in there? <S> You didn't say what was causing this "personal meltdown". <S> Was it just being turned down on two job interviews? <S> If that's the case, I think you need to adjust your expectations. <S> I don't have any statistics handy, but I think most people are turned down at the majority of job interviews. <S> Any time that I've been involved in hiring people, we normally try to bring at least 3 applicants in for an interview for each position. <S> We might then hire one of them, or we may say none were sufficiently qualified and bring in more applicants. <S> So on average I'd say less than 1 in 4 people who are interviewed get the job, so the "average" applicant gets turned down at 3/4 of interviews. <S> I think you just need to accept that you'll have a pretty high rejection rate, everybody does, and not worry about it. <S> If you go on 50 interviews and get zero offers, then maybe you should start examining what you're doing wrong. <S> But 2 rejections? <S> 2 rejections is no big deal. <S> Are you having serious problems in your personal life? <S> Like did you just go through a divorce or break-up, or had someone close to you die, or something like that? <S> I'm not saying you have to tell me, just looking if there is some specific cause. <S> If so, there are always periods of despondency after such losses. <S> It's a matter of picking yourself up and moving on. <S> Are you unhappy with your life in general? <S> That's far more important than any job. <S> Of course it's easy to say, "Don't let your personal problems interfere with your work. <S> Just buckle down and get the job done. <S> " Not so easy to do in practice. <S> Like, "Hey, you want to lose weight? <S> Just eat less and exercise more. <S> " It's simple, but not easy. <S> Or if there are underlying issues, whether medical, psychological, or spiritual, maybe you need to deal with those. <A> The goal is not let your personal life affect your work life. <S> This is easier said than done because you need strategies for tackling it when it does creep in. <S> Try meditation, which at its most basic is learning to focus and to stop your mind from wandering. <S> Notice your triggers and have a strategy ready. <S> Ask your therapist for some behavioral modification strategies, too. <S> Delve deeper into work projects, if that is feasible so that you are not spending too much time at home in a problematic environment. <S> You might also want to consider why you wish to move on from an employer that has been so understanding and has invested in you. <S> If you want to leave just because of embarrasment, reconsider. <S> If you feel your future career growth is forever stunted at that company because of this incident, then you are right to want to move on. <S> Structure <S> your down time and try to change the circumstances of your personal life in a positive way <S> : volunteer for causes you care about, take up a sport, foster/adopt a pet, etc.
| If something happening at home is emotionally upsetting you at work, you need to get your mind off of it. Maybe you can just make a force of will and do it. Maybe you need to get your life straightened out with God. It never hurts to think of what you could have done better, but the answer in that case may be "nothing".
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Onsite interview and hiring Does an onsite interview indicate that a company wants to hire you? How is it different from a technical phone interview? <Q> An onsite interview indicates nothing more than the prospective employer wanting to interview you onsite. <S> Hiring is the end result of the interview process. <S> And until the hiring process plays itself out and you get an offer <S> , you can't really say anything more definite than the prospective employer is still interested in talking to you. <S> The most obvious difference between a phone interview and an onsite interview is that the onsite interview takes place face to face. <S> Although the fact that Google hangout is now available is that phone interviews can actually face to face video interviews. <S> The phone interview is the first screening interview. <S> If you don't pass the phone interview, you don't get to the next stage, which is the onsite face to face interview. <S> And obviously, the onsite face to face interview is more in-depth and involves more interviewers than the phone interview. <S> Again, the only way you get hired is when you complete all the steps. <S> There is no such thing as getting an offer after having completed all the steps except one :) <A> Does an onsite interview indicate that a company wants to hire you? <S> Yes though I'd argue depending on what happens in the interview and how many others are being interviewed, that want may change. <S> This is generally the third step in the recruitment process for technical positions where the first two are the sending of the resume and the second is the technical phone interview. <S> How is it different from a technical phone interview? <S> The phone interview is done first to check some skills. <S> There can be multiple people in an onsite interview and the process can be much longer in some cases. <S> Some onsite interviews I've had would last a few hours as I'd spend an hour with each of 3 people so that each knows a part of me and can each contribute to an overall sense of "hire" or "no hire." <S> Generally, the onsite interview is looking again at skills but also for fit in terms of how well would you work with others in the company. <S> These are also more costly as there is a greater time commitment to each candidate <S> and so the company may be more selective at this stage. <A> Does an onsite interview indicate that a company wants to hire you? <S> Every stage that you pass means you were in top x% of the candidates, or if there weren't many candidates, your skill set was good enough to pass the interview. <S> Companies like Google have hiring rate of 5% after their on site interviews. <S> How is it different from a technical phone interview? <S> This really depends on the company, some companies might only ask your technical knowledge such as what does finalize do in Java, and then invite you to their on-site to do coding interview, some others might do the both and on site might involve talking to managers or vice-versa. <A> Only times I've ever had job interviews that were NOT on site with the hiring company was when it was more convenient for both of us to meet somewhere else (e.g. I was on location in another city, and the people I was to meet had a meeting with a customer in that same city). <S> There's no guarantee or even hint <S> you'll be hired the moment you're invited for an interview at the company offices of the company you're applying with, no. <S> It just means they don't think your resume is good enough <S> they're interested in talking to you. <S> And many companies will call up dozens, sometimes hundreds, of candidates, depending on the job, number of open positions, and size of the company. <S> Even the people you're meeting with are not an indication. <S> I've had first interviews with the CEO of medium sized companies, simply because he wants a personal impression of every candidate and not bother the actual domain experts with having to interview people he's not going to let them hire anyway. <S> Ditto with phone interviews. <S> If you're invited over after one of those, you're no closer to a job than you would have been had <S> that phone interview not taken place (or at least not a lot closer). <S> Usually those merely are intended to clear up some points people are confused about, such as specific details about skills <S> they want you to have that are hinted at but not specified deeply on your resume or cover letter.
| The onsite interview is the next step that can include more technical questions, example problems, a tour of the place as well as give the candidate a chance to ask more questions as this is often the step before making the decision on who to give an offer of employment generally.
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Is this a breach of confidentiality or should my employers not have been so nosy? Both my partner and I work in the same company, same building, same floor, different rooms. As such we very occasionally email each other about semi-personal things (e.g., What time are you planning on leaving?, Have you been for your lunch yet?, Do you want to come to the pub later with our department?) along with more professional emails. I work as a code monkey, he's a analytical chemist. The other day my department had been discussing impending staff departures and mentioned that somebody in my partner's team was leaving. As it was the first I'd heard of it I later sent a p.s in an email to my partner asking whether he knew that Joe Bloggs was leaving. Later that day I got a verbal warning for sending confidential data to my partner over email. I am currently unsure whether to challenge it as I'm not sure whether I'm in the wrong or not. Do companies also generally monitor emails to this extent? Edit: The guy was leaving due to retirement and the other team had already been made aware. Given that it was already being discussed in the open plan office I didn't think it was a confidential piece of information. Edit: Spoke to my supervisor who has said it wasn't an official warning. He rolled his eyes and grumbled about management trying to make a point. He suggests that talking about other people is off limits within the realms of email conversations (along with the obvious of inappropriate personal conversations etc). The majority of staff here have family members/partners within the company so this must be something that crops up occasionally. <Q> Yes you are in the wrong. <S> Notice of layoffs should not be sent unofficially to friends. <S> All emails are subject to monitoring as the email system is a company asset, so there is no expectation of privacy ever on anything sent through a company email. <S> When you are in a relationship with someone at work, even someone in a different department, it becomes easy to cross the line and get far more personal than is appropriate at work (people have been fired before for emails with sexual content sent to people they were having a relationship with through a work email system) or to share information that should not be shared. <S> Clearly your company does monitor and you should be aware that having had one warning they will be looking at what you do more closely in all aspects of your performance. <S> Since you said the news was already being discussed in public, you would have a talk with your supervisor and ask for guidance on how you know what is confidential and what is not. <S> You don't want to cross the line accidendtally again. <S> But really start by not gossiping on company email at all until you better understand what is acceptable and what is not at this company. <A> Partner or otherwise, you should not have "gossiped" the information. <S> I would take this as a lesson learned. <S> As a general rule of thumb it is not advisable to share information with others at work that do not have a need to know. <S> Additionally, the email system is a tool that belongs to the company <S> and it is their right to snoop, <S> so don't assume anything there is confidential. <S> You are probably fine with casual stuff, but <S> anything of a personal nature or company politics or is this case staff decisions should be kept for in person or on personal email. <A> Yes this seems a little harsh to be singled out, although I would find your supervisor's support encouraging. <S> I think management are warning you in case <S> this ever happens with a scenario where the data is actually sensitive. <S> Imagine if your partner hadn't already known and accidentally let something slip. <S> While this may be a casual sounding company from their IT policy, don't get too complacent. <A> You shouldn't share confidential information with people you have private relations with. <S> However, depending on where in the world you work, it might be a breach of privacy when your employer monitors your email, especially when it's done systematically. <S> You might want to do some research about how work email confidentiality is handled in your specific jurisdiction. <S> But note that no matter if the email monitoring was legal or not: two wrongs don't make a right. <S> It does not change the fact that you shared confidential information you were not allowed to share. <A> Don't use your work email account for anything other than work. <S> If you're allowed to use mobile phones at your desk, you can always use that for messaging or have private conversations only during breaks. <S> Keep in mind, if they're monitoring your email this closely they probably have CCTV running as well, so they might pick up bits and pieces through that too. <S> It probably is best if you keep personal topics off the workplace. <S> Seems like big brother is watching you closely...not uncommon these days.
| Personally I would take this as a clue that you should not be using company email for anything personal at all at this company. What you did was indeed wrong.
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How to deal with unrealistic deadlines as an intern in a startup? I'm working as a software engineer / web developer intern in a start-up. After discussing with colleagues, I just realized that I am given unrealistic deadlines by my intern supervisor who is also the developers' manager. He asked me to do a gantt planning to balance the workload in May but it had to be done by the end of the month. However, I just wrote specs last week (after he asked me to schedule) and I realize now that it's not realistic. In 17 days worked, I am supposed to do : a complex back-end, which involves deploying resources while leveraging git history to a specific store, while using several external services. a simple front-end for users to interact with this back-end. I am not giving too many details about the project as this is very specific but it is worth noting that it's an important project for the workflow of the company (correctness of data is crucial). All should be thoroughly tested and deployed. How do I know when deadlines are not realistic and how do I deal with it? <Q> The job of you manager is to make demands and manifest expectations. <S> This is the reason why he/ <S> she's your superior. <S> What happen to you happens to many. <S> This because managers are not always aware of the implications at micro-level. <S> And, if you give it a think it's easy to see that the person who needs to bear the responsibility of informing your manager about what can be realistically done is you. <S> Carefully plan your work. <S> Start implementing for a day or two and see where you find yourself after this period of time. <S> When you are ready, go to your manager and help him/ <S> her understand why what was asked from you is humanly impossible to achieve in the previously specified time frame. <S> Keep doing your work at a realistic pace. <S> If your manager asks for the impossible just because he/she wants to squeeze the best of you that's fine. <S> Best of luck! <A> I'm waiting for the "so what?". <S> Will they not hire you if you fail or give a poor recommendation because you couldn't do the impossible? <S> Is there a bonus involved? <S> Take you behind the office and beat the crap out of you? <S> If there were dire consequences that they thought would give you the motivation/fear to complete this task, they will let you know. <S> It's a startup. <S> You're their only hope (Obiwan). <S> Maybe you will get it done. <S> Maybe it may not be quite so robust <S> so they have to be careful how they use it. <S> They're taking a risk on you. <S> Forget about failing. <S> Do your best. <S> Most people leave an internship and have learned nothing nor built anything. <S> You will have something to put on a CV. <A> In 17 days worked, I am supposed to do : To complete that sentence: <S> “The impossible.” <S> Realistically, you should take what they want you to do and divide it up into realistic chunks. <S> Project manage your own tasks. <S> Meaning, after 17 days what can you realistically present of the larger project that is viable even without completing the whole project. <S> This to me is the best tact. <S> Because realistically you—or anyone else—will not be able to complete the goals as outlined within 17 days. <S> But if you can build a solid foundation that can then be built on, then while the formal deadline is not met you at least have a solid… Something… That can be built upon when reality hits the team 18 days from now. <A> He asked me to do a gantt planning to balance the workload in May <S> Have you actually done this yet? <S> This is how your manager can see what is and isn't realistic. <S> When creating it you need to stick to the following. <S> For 17 days, I'd go with 3 day max limit for item. <S> Anything over 3 days has to be broken down further. <S> The Gantt chart should show what feature is dependent on another (ie. can't start before another is done, or can't be removed without removing other parts). <S> Don't under estimate. <S> Your boss will hold you to those numbers. <S> You can pad some of the tasks, but don't over pad the numbers. <S> Your boss will not believe the whole thing otherwise. <S> If your manager is experienced, then they may pad the numbers internally (as few people believe a developer can correctly estimate how long a task takes. <S> ;) <S> You should detail stuff you may not think relevant. <S> For example, machine setup, training, etc. <S> Do not factor weekends/out of hours in your chart. <S> Once you have that, give it to your boss. <S> It is up to them to drop, delay or get more resources (or discuss you working unreasonable hours). <A> So the general answer to this is twofold - addressing the actual scoping and delivery part and the communication part. <S> Don't over-engineer it, the goal is to get just enough working to get users on, and then change it based on their feedback. <S> Your specs may or may not be 'right' <S> and it's that user validation and refactoring that will reveal that. <S> So limit your scope of work to delivering the minimum required with just enough go-juice. <S> Ideally you would have broken your specs down into stories and tasks with some granularity and have worked with someone to rank them in priority <S> so you'd know what could slip. <S> And, of course, as others have noted, as an intern at a startup you're pretty much expected to churn code 20 hours a day. <S> This brings us to the communication part - if you're even bothering to talk to use first, there's not enough communication going on between you and your supervisor. <S> You should be talking daily and expressing concerns and asking for guidance as you go. <S> You may be overthinking it and he may say "look just slap something minimal together in dropwizard, put a bootstrap front end on it, you're done. <S> " I don't know if they have testing and deployment for any of their other bits or if you're the first to cross that chasm, but if not I'd certainly just adopt whatever framework they already have in place. <S> But these are great questions for him. <S> He may well be simply watching to see if you can develop the good judgement to not stick to some perfect plan in a time/resource limited environment <S> - I have certainly let employees dig a hole to see if they can effectively recover or not.
| As for scoping and delivery, make sure you are limiting yourself to the absolute minimum viable product that will accomplish the task. No item should be over 3-5 days (depending on length of project). If he/she asks for the impossible in a passive aggressive mode, then it's time to start searching for a new job.
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Is it normal to have so little human interaction in R&D? Being employed as a fresh CS graduate for a few months now, I started to introspect the atmosphere at our company which seems lacking human interaction. I know that main task of computer engineer is to develop stuff and solve problems using computer, but in our R&D department, we sit mostly all day being away from the computer only for lunch and when going to the bathroom. Same goes for talking, which is a few sentences per day (since everyone is working on their problem). I can't imagine being like this for next 5 or 10 years. The company I work for is dealing with embedded systems and it has about 40 employees. The R&D departemnt consists of 15 developers being in two offices, our being smaller with 5 developers. Honestly, I imagined my job as a software developer would be more engaging. Is this atmosphere normal for R&Ds around the world or am I just being part of a weird team? Did I have wrong expectations of my career? I have no experience with any other company which makes it hard to compare. <Q> In my experience this is definitely a growing trend in the IT industry generally, not just <S> R&D. Occasionally you will bump into people who are friendly and personable, but the vast majority seem stressed and oppressed by job insecurity, micro-management, skills gaps or other work issues, or they are just naturally introverted. <S> I suspect this is the root cause of your anonymouse down-votes - I'm bracing myself to cop a few with this answer :-) <S> Once you have found something it can be the thread for a series of brief conversations with them, that break up your day. <S> Most workplaces will tolerate a limited amount of this but be careful to carry on any lengthy conversations "off the clock" e.g. on a break or out of office hours. <S> I stay well away from any contentious topics they might raise, no matter how strongly I might feel about them personally. <S> Long-term, these human connections will become your network of people who mutually help each other to progress their careers. <A> Different companies operate differently. <S> You need to ask more questions about the copmany culture when you interview to find a better fit for you. <S> In many businesses the ability to interact with users and management is valued and <S> i nmany places devs are expected to get together and brainstorm. <S> Some places like total quiet and others like a lot of give and take. <S> You might also find that the type of atmosphere you prefer tends to happen more at places that do not specialize in software but where it is a cost center not a profit center. <S> So ask about the culture when you loook for future jobs and find a place where intereaction with others is common and you will be happier. <A> No this does sound very unusual. <S> RnD is by its nature a corroborative endeavour <S> when I worked at a world leading RnD organisation (ranked no 1 in the world) based on an elite university campus, there was a lot of interaction between staff. <S> I still recall some of the fun brain storming sessions we had in our office discussing solutions to problems <S> “how do you measure the efficiency of a toilet cistern in order to save water “ being one example. <S> Also do you not discuss interesting articles in the industry magazines/publications you do all have general science magazines like New Scientist Scientific American and Nature plus <S> industry mags on your office distribution list. <S> I would suggest to management that there are regular lunchtime seminars (with lunch provided) <S> given by staff members and outside guests on the area of their work.
| My main strategy is to try to find something in common with co-workers that has nothing to do with the current work - it could be sport, family, hobbies, travel - whatever. You might be happier in a place with an open office plan as there is typically more interaction and noise.
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Etiquette on loud boardroom meetings? What is the etiquette on dealing with a boardroom meeting that is exceptionally loud? I work in a building that has several meeting rooms, each can hold up to 10-15 people and are all configured for voice and video conferencing. Unfortunately, one is located within 15 feet of my desk. There are meetings being held in the rooms every day, most of them are reasonable in terms of noise levels. Every once in a while though, there will be a meeting where the participants are almost yelling into the conference phone or speaking quite loud in general. To the point where it interrupts my work flow. My question here is asking what is the correct way to deal with this? The meeting rooms all have doors, which are never closed. Can I simply get up and close the door? To note, I am an intern and am located at the very bottom of the totem pole (if I'm even considered to be on the pole). I would not want someone to take my actions the wrong way, as quite often the people involved in these meetings are management personnel. Putting on headphones or using ear plugs is not an option. I have not witnessed another person taking action on this, but many fellow employees have mentioned how loud they can get. <Q> While not an intern, I've been in the "way lower in the pecking order" position to nearby noisy meetings. <S> There's a big difference between slamming a door and gently closing it. <S> When I do this, if I'm at all uncertain about how it's been received, I seek out the meeting organizer later to say one or both of: (a) <S> I'm sure you didn't realize how far your voices carried; hope you didn't mind, or (b) <S> I know you guys discuss sensitive things in these meetings <S> and I was trying to help. <S> Even if people are oblivious to bothering others, they sometimes care about broadcasting, say, that discussion of an upcoming staff change. <S> Unfortunately this doesn't always work; some people have good intentions but are loud, and others don't care. <S> I've never heard of anybody objecting to closing a door, but closing the door doesn't always fix it. <S> In that case, your next step should be a discussion with your manager about how you can mitigate against the problem. <S> Maybe you can move desks, or at least go work elsewhere during noisy meetings (if your work is portable). <S> Ask your manager for advice. <A> At that point, it's up to the supervisor to find a workable solution for you. <S> Perhaps you'll be allowed to use headphones, or maybe you'll be moved. <S> Or perhaps they'll make a rule that the door needs to be closed whenever there's a meeting in the room. <A> Having loud meetings with the door open is rude and inconsiderate. <S> There's two ways to handle this. <S> One is to overthink it, ask permission, and use up your boss's time asking about it. <S> The other is to recognise that the people are so involved in the meeting that they don't realise what a noise they are making, or even that the door is open. <S> Note that it's even possible they are discussing things that you're not really supposed to know about. <S> Just get up, close the door, gently, quietly and non-aggressively, and see what happens. <S> I wouldn't even bother to ask, because you will interrupt their flow. <S> If you want to say something, a simple "excuse me" with a smile as you slowly begin to close the door is the briefest way to show your intention. <S> I once got a round of applause for doing this to a man who was shouting at a supplier on the phone <S> (I was new in the building and didn't realise it was my new boss's boss's door I was closing.) <S> Nothing was ever said about it. <S> I even went on a business trip with him a few months later (where he shouted at the supplier while I took minutes.) <S> If someone tells you off, simply say "oh sorry it was disturbing me <S> and I was trying not to listen to your private conversation. <S> " Then don't do it again. <S> (Of course, if you get a round of applause as I did, you might want to mention that ;-) ) <A> It is entirely likely that closing the door, maybe with a "hey, mind if I close the door, it's mighty loud in here?" is an acceptable response to the noise. <S> Asking your supervisor or the other employees around what they'd do/if that's OK would take 60 seconds and perhaps make this real simple. <S> If not, come back for the complicated laundry lists of options. <S> But in most places I've worked, that wouldn't be remarked on in the least. <A> You'll have to meet with your supervisor and the two of you will have to brainstorm something. <S> Alternatives that come off the top of my head: <S> You move to another part of the building that's more congenial to you <S> You do some other task or go out to lunch while this particular loud meeeting takes place <S> You move yourself temporaerily in one of the empty meeting rooms and close the door while this particular loud meeting takes place Your supervisor request to management that management mandate that doors be closed during meetings <S> You suck it up and learn to get work done no matter how loud it gets.
| Since you specifically mention you can't use headphones or earplugs, I would mention it to your direct supervisor that sometimes the meetings in that room get loud and make it difficult for you to concentrate on your tasks. I've found that closing the door can be just fine, so long as you're not showing any aggression.
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How to advise subordinate that second job is not in his long-term interests? A junior member of my (small - 4 staff members) department has been with us full-time for almost three years. However, he has also kept a job working in a restaurant for three nights a week, and I'm concerned that it is affecting his ability to advance. As his line manager, I'm happy with his work in general - he gets work done, and is at work for the 37.5 hours a week he is required to be. However, there are times when he is obviously tired, and while his work is solid, he never seems to push beyond the minimum effort (other staff will put in extra time as required and then recover it as TOIL later) - mostly because he has to go to this other job. At the moment, I am not able to point at his contributions and make a case with my managers that he deserves anything more than a standard increase - whereas a jump in grade would easily cover the money he's getting from the other job. We have nothing in our contracts that prohibit second jobs - and I'm aware that I'm not in a position to force him to quit the other job. How should I approach him with advice that by working the second job, he is actually hurting his chances of promotion and more money within his primary career? <Q> The way you explained it here should be perfectly ok for your subordinate as well during a one-on-one meeting. <S> However, there are two other things worth taking into account: <S> Before promising a raise you need to be absolutely sure that the raise can actually be accomplished. <S> Otherwise you'll risk to break your subordinate's motivation. <S> Your subordinate might actually love his job at restaurant. <S> If that is the case, the extra money he earns there isn't really the important factor. <S> So be prepared that he'll refuse to leave his second job for this very reason. <S> In this case you could consider explaining the benefits that the higher grade can have. <A> As his line manager, I'm happy with his work in general - he gets work done, and is at work for the 37.5 hours a week he is required to be. <S> So he performs as should be expected... <S> However, there are times when he is obviously tired, and while his work is solid, he never seems to push beyond the minimum effort <S> (other staff will put in extra time as required and then recover it as TOIL later) - mostly because he has to go to this other job. <S> The tired part is not germaine. <S> The question is whether he is doing the assigned work; which it sounds like he is. <S> So one potential option is to just leave it alone. <S> Your statements seem to imply that over time is very common in your company. <S> If this is the case, the I'd suggest talking with your managers about how to be properly staffed. <S> Regardless, there are many many reasons that people won't normally do overtime such as strong desire for family/personal time, etc. <S> There are also many reasons why people keep part time jobs. <S> At 37.5 hours a week, it sounds like he's only part time. <S> If this means he doesn't have benefits like health insurance then it's entirely possible <S> he's keeping the restaurant job for those items... unlikely but possible. <S> How I'd approach this: <S> If I felt that he would be a stronger employee then I would contact my manager and get prior approval to bump the guys pay to an amount that exceeded what he's making in his part time job. <S> If he is considered "part time" then I'd also see if moving him to full time, with all the associated benefits, was possible. <S> Once secured, I would approach the employee and let him know that if he is willing to quit the restaurant job and focus on this job full time then he'd get this raise. <S> His reaction at that point will tell you everything you need to know. <S> However, if I couldn't secure the above from management first then I would drop the issue entirely. <S> His work appears to be acceptable as is which is far better than a lot of people out there. <A> We know you have knowledge about his/hers second (part-time) job <S> but otherwise an employee can be also tired after a week-end or a night-out with friends. <S> The fact that you know about the second job, biases how you rate your subordinate's job performance. <S> Anyway, the best way to handle this situation is to have a talk with your team member, to inform him/her that his/hers job performance ratings are declining and that you would like to help either by increasing (permanently) <S> the base pay if the cause is in fact <S> the need of a higher wage (and implicitly to work part-time) or by doing something else if the reason for low performance is determined by other factors (obviously you know the cause but you need to give the other person a way to feel at ease, if not, he/she can choose to quit or lie to you). <S> On the other hand, if your employee (team member) does his/her job well and you just want the extra effort for which the other employees (team members) are not rewarded but makes you happy (because you like seeing people they dedicate all their resources for you <S> cause) <S> well, this is another discussion. <S> What if this employee in fact is more effective and more efficient than (or as mas as) the others or what if his/hers interest is to work the extra hours somewhere else? <S> If this is the case, it comes to what you expect from your employees. <S> If you want people who put extra hours of work regularly for your company and individuals that keep only one primary job then, maybe you should search for someone else to replace your current employee (it is obvious that in this case there is a misfit).
| Focus on the new and more interesting aspects/perspectives that a jump in grade could open to him rather than the higher pay. I believe it is best to asses the performance of your subordinate by strictly considering his/her on the job performance without taking into account the second job.
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Should I include my Github page on my resume? I am looking to become a developer and while I have been studying I have made a Github page and have filled it mostly with scripts or simple games that I have made plus a couple basic web applications. Simply put, should I list my Github page on my resume as it is, or should I only include it if it contains something impressive (for example, consisting of many classes and/or being measured in the thousands of LOC as opposed to the hundreds)? I guess I want to show that I do script and program in my own time, but I don't know if the simplicity of these scripts/apps are expected, or if they'd be a negative. <Q> I'm a hiring manager for engineers, and even if the project isn't impressive, I'd like to browse it to get a sense of: If the engineer has enough internal motivation to publish sideprojects <S> If the code seems to follow most best practices. <S> I won'thave to teach the engineer best practices if they join my team Looking for <S> good clean well tested code. <S> If you're proud of it, include the link! <A> You should. <S> Your github repository is the only evidence that's available to them that you can write or design anything. <S> Yes, your github contents could use improvement. <S> I put mine up as a motivator to me to improve on my software engineering capabilities. <S> My github is woefully out of date <S> but I get a kick out of seeing where I am compared to where I was. <S> Showing something is better than showing nothing, as long that the something that you show is a positive, like your competence :) <S> Plus, your github link is your way of saying that you know how to use github. <S> Actually, I had to learn the github internals to do that but that'sanother story for another day. <S> At the very least,publishing your github account should motivate you to learn as much as you can about github. <S> There is no uch thing as being too good at github :) <S> Being a good software engineer is a process not a termination point to a process. <S> As you improve and get to be wylier as a problem solver, your github contents become more sophisticated. <S> And no, the process doesn't have an end point :) <S> In terms of what to publish, code that highlights your grip on the fundamentals is fine. <S> Junk is not. <S> The line between good stuff and junk can be blurry. <S> My standard is that I don't publish anything that I cannot justify as publishable. <A> If you were interviewing at my company, we'd ask you if you had a github account (or some other public code repository) quite early in the hiring process. <S> Depending on your responsibilities we'd then look for specific traits (actually more the absence of undesirable traits) so that we'd get a feeling of <S> your actual capabilities versus your claimed experiences how much training would be necessary to integrate you into a project team <S> So, along with my predecessors, I strongly recommend including it. <S> Edit 04/2016 <S> : re Undesirable traits <S> Happy coincidence ... <S> just a few days ago I came upon this piece , which nicely sums this up for the "programmer" side of employees. <S> On the "personality" level ... difficult to say without getting into a lengthy monologue. <S> Recently one of my clients complimented me on how I always manage to project calmness and listen to them, think about problems before presenting a solution, while other consultants "just want to do their thing" and charge heavily. <S> To which I replied "I left my ego tied up in the trunk outside in the parking lot". <S> They have also heard "I don't know, I have to look it up", "Interesting problem, let me experiment a bit, no charge", "I could do that <S> but if you just buy X, you'll be better off" from me. <S> TL;DR: rock stars, code ninjas, <S> pure tech wizards: no. <S> Generally Competent Human: yes. <A> I say yes. <S> As a technical lead who also does interviews, I like to see people's code and honestly, I'm not looking for quality code, though that would be noted if it was the case. <S> It's more about: Can you get better? <S> Can you learn? <S> Can you grow? <S> For me, the ideal repository is a one that starts with a really old, poorly done calculator app <S> and then the latest commit being some personal passion project with multiple layers of complexity. <S> It doesn't need to be perfect or good. <S> I just need to see if you can grow. <S> The ideal candidate is a candidate who is extremely responsive to change, and isn't afraid to learn new things.
| If you are happy with the code, then it always helps to publish it.
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I have two bosses to work with. How to work when both say conflicting things? I report directly to the owner of a company, say A, but for directions and help I have to consult a senior, say B. B also reports to A. Now A has assigned me some work and wants me to outline the entire work. B at the same time wants me to deliver a specific part of the work first, which can be done separately without going through the other elements.I am now at crossroads so as how to satisfy both my superiors at the same time. <Q> You throw the conflict back to them to resolve. <A> So A tells you to do something, and a few hours or days later, B gives you different instructions. <S> You need to make sure right then and there that B knows you were given different instructions. <S> Do not say this: <S> But A told me to outline it first! <S> It implies that B is wrong, and that you won't be following B's instructions. <S> It sets up an argument. <S> Instead, ask questions: <S> Is A ok with waiting for the outline until this part is finished? <S> I only need another two hours to finish the outline; is this part really too urgent to wait that long? <S> Has something changed since A told me to outline it all first? <S> Notice you're not disagreeing. <S> You're not refusing. <S> You're not sending one superior off to work something out with another. <S> You may get answers like "yes, A is fine with it, we discussed it a little while ago" or "none of your business, I've told you what to do" but either way you learn something. <S> You may get "yes, something has changed, 4 days has gone by and A expected the outline the next day. <S> There is no longer time to wait for this subtask. <S> Get it done and then go back to the outline. <S> " That's a bit of a reprimand, but at least you understand that the conflict isn't a conflict, it's a change in priorities based on events that have happened since you got your instructions. <S> Any number of possible explanations may exist for this apparent conflict. <S> Clients call with emergencies, people have to be pulled off things, people change their minds, you misinterpreted what you were told and B has come to clarify, etc etc etc. <S> By asking questions instead of arguing, you can learn what's going on around you and get better at your job. <S> If all this happened a little while ago, what have you been doing since then? <S> Does B think you're doing what he asked? <S> Does A? <S> If you have been paralyzed since you got this instruction, get the clarity you need in order to move forward, and get it now. <A> How long will this outline take? <S> Can you write the outline, showing that the specific part that B wants done will be done first, and then give the outline to A to approve? <S> Then, if he has a problem with the order of the tasks being done, you can bring up that B wanted you to do it first and let him decide what your priorities should be. <S> It doesn't sound as if there is a conflict here. <S> A wants an outline, B wants a task order. <S> If the outline is going to take so long that you feel B will become impatient waiting for the task to be done, mention to him that you won't be able to get to it until you finish the outline for A.
| It is best to surface this conflict immediately. Write an email addresed to both descibing what each has asked you to do and ask them to set the priorities on the tasks.
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How to "go the extra mile" without making trade-offs in one's life and general well-being? We are all told that commitment, dedication and good performance are only part of the formula for being a valuable asset to the company. We must always "go the extra mile". I consider myself an excellent performer and have often been awarded for being an outstanding employee. I am young and quite early in my career, but have noticed that "going the extra mile" has, in different ways, affected my general well-being - including some recurring health issues and new health issues from time to time. I tried becoming "smarter" about how I work, working less and delegating more, leaving work on time; but I feel that puts me back in terms of performance.The managers chat and make decisions informally after hours. I would not even have time for networking. I am not sure whether others have been in my situation, but right now I feel that "going the extra mile" - in the long run - is hurting me very badly. I don't even know if some of the health conditions I have developed will ever be reversible. So, do you think it is possible - and how - to be a great outstanding employee and performer without negatively affecting my general well-being? To climb in the corporate career ladder without making trade-offs with health? <Q> First off, you have to live with your body long after this job has been relegated to a distant memory. <S> Your health is far more important than this job and under no circumstances should you sacrifice it to get ahead. <S> Now to answer your question, I think all you really need to do is simply give it your all in the time you have, and excel in other ways as Garrison Neely stated. <S> If you giving the extra mile is involving endless hours of staying back and restless nights, cut back to your contractual hours and only stay back if there is absolutely no alternative (i.e. to meet deadlines). <S> If you find yourself forced to do this often, once again your health is more important and you need to find another job, or another career. <S> As a personal anecdote to illustrate what I mean by giving your all in the time you have: I use to work for a large, well known company where many of my coworkers would "go the extra mile" by staying back. <S> I never once stayed back for more than a few minutes, but I was a hard worker and it showed. <S> I spent time automating repetitive tasks our team had to do through scripting, recommended then implemented software to help us improve efficiency with our tasks and worked on developing our online knowledge base as it was neglected by most of our team. <S> When a new position opened up in the team, I was the one who was promoted and not the guy who was always in the office. <S> Reason why? <S> When upper management were looking at documentation, or asking how we managed to do a task faster than normal - it was my name popping up and not anyone else's. <A> When your peers work long hours, it's difficult to stand out above them without pulling the same long hours. <S> If your dept has a training budget, work on getting your employees to take advantage of it. <S> If your engineers are stifled by a large amount of meetings, set aside a period every week where heads-down work can be done (we called this "No Meeting Tuesday Afternoon"). <S> Ask your boss what s/ <S> he needs help with and do your best to perform those duties. <S> Your boss may be taken aback at first, but it will show initiative, and help you stand out w/o having to be seen late at night. <S> It is good you are trying to limit your overwork. <S> You won't be able to cut it out completely, but working late isn't the only way to shine in a workplace. <A> Endurance athletes are taught that if they push very hard -- if their exertion gets ahead of the their respiration -- lactic acid builds up in their muscles and causes discomfort. <S> So, they're taught, plan to push hard only for short periods of time, and then give time for the lactic acid to clear out. <S> Pace yourself! <S> they're taught. <S> Sometimes in the workplace there's a need to push very hard. <S> Many kinds of office-based knowledge work has "crunch time" when a lot needs to be finished quickly. <S> If this might be your situation ask a more experienced colleague "how do you pace yourself?" <S> Keep in mind that "you go the extra mile" for somebody. <S> It's a New Testament metaphor: The Roman occupying soldiers in Palestine in antiquity used to conscript random peasants to carry their packs for one mile. <S> Jesus suggested that his followers surprise the soldiers by "going the extra mile" when this happens. <S> It's a way for peasants to get the oppressing soldiers to rethink their oppression. <S> It's a visible way for a low-power person to say "I am somebody and so are you! <S> See? <S> I can actually help make your life a little easier!" <S> For whom are you going the extra mile? <S> If it's for your department's or your company's customers, and you're surprising and delighting them, that's great, and it's most likely worth doing. <S> Somebody needs to benefit from your extra mile. <S> The extra mile you go helps build relationships and mutual trust. <S> If your extra miles are not doing that, they are pointless. <S> Try taking a short break instead.
| Some options I can think of: Come in later: If the important stuff happens after close of business, come in late so you can have these discussions while still on the clock. Find other ways to shine.
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Are French cuffs interview-appropriate? Is a cufflinked (French-cuffed) shirt appropriate for a man for an interview for a white-collar (say, academic or office) position? Assume a suit and tie will be worn also, and this is in the United States. I'm worried that cufflinks may be viewed as more elegant and less businesslike than is appropriate. <Q> I’m worried that cuff-links may be viewed as too formal. <S> So if you are saying that you feel cuff-links are too formal for you in this situation <S> then they are too formal. <S> It’s really that simple. <A> I think your question got downvotes because many people view the decision of "cuff-links" vs "french-cuffs" vs "no-cuffs" as a trivial detail that should not take more than a second of consideration. <S> The important thing however, is that if you're not comfortable with how you look you might project that discomfort to the interviewer as awkwardness or inauthenticity. <S> If you want to make a good visual impression, focus on having a well-fitted suit and get advice from clothes-saavy people so you don't make a fashion gaffe. <S> Cuff links are just a little bit old-fashioned to be honest, but not nearly as severe as showing up with a bow-tie or vest or fedora. <S> Some people can get away with almost any kind of accessory, but if you have to ask, you should not do it and should error on the side of simple and classic. <S> Here's a pretty comprehensive explanation about cuff-links . <A> The answer is very simple. <S> Dress to that standard. <S> I work in a very casual office. <S> If you turned up wearing a suit and tie while I was in shorts and a T-Shirt, I don’t think it would help your chances of getting a job with us :) <S> Your dress standard should (in order of importance): <S> Fit in with other employees. <S> Make you look good when dealing with clients / customers / students. <S> Help you feel comfortable. <A> If you know little about the place you are interviewing, then you should probably opt for safe. <S> You want the interviewers to focus on you rather than your clothes, so choose clothes that are not likely to draw attention one way or another. <S> Having said that, I had a candidate apply with tattoo showing because she did not want to accept a job only to have us tell her she was going to have to wear long sleeves every day. <S> I admired her forthrightness, and she was hired.
| Assuming good faith, you need to dress appropriately & to your comfort level as well as what you feel is required of you for the interview. That said, if you are wearing a shirt that must have a cufflink it won't hurt to put on an inconspicuous silk-knot cufflink . A few days before your interview, go to to workplace / campus / office and observe what people are wearing.
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Why are German employers so reluctant to hire part time software developer? I am in the lucky situation as a 24h/week (3 days) software (web application) developer. While my working hours is the last thing I'd like to change, my current employer became now one of the first things. My recent interviews gave me the impression that employers don't even consider hiring a part time developer (e.g. two 20h/week instead of one 40h/week). While I know only my side of that story I'd like to have insights of the other side. One reason I might think of are costs which are a function of the number of employers (e.g. a laptop or accounting) which would increase by 50%. I would like to get an idea of the significance of such costs in order to adjust my target salary during negotiations. Next to further valid reasons I'm also interested in possible fears or uninformed opinions (e.g. two part timers produce more facility costs). Unfortunately I didn't ask the question to one employer yet (as I didn't want to make myself unattractive in the first round). I guess I will have to sacrifice some jobs to get more informations. But let's ask this question here in the first place. My primary interest is about the situation in Germany. But I think the answer to this question might be globally the same, as one of those interviews was in Kuala Lumpur. <Q> There are many things that are different with working part-time. <S> Experience. <S> Somebody working 3/5 days for 5 years only accumulates 3 years of experience Focus: your focus is probably somewhere else than work. <S> Direct Cost: <S> Having two people working part time means you have to pay double for all their costs: <S> Lohnnebenkosten, things like parking lots, office space, heating, light, support personel, accounting etc. <S> Indirect Cost: <S> Having two people doing the job of one person means you have to spend double the man-hours on organisation. <S> If meetings to organise the project cost 4 hours a week, having two people attend them will cost 8 man-hours per week. <S> Organising the meeting so that both can attend will cost, too. <S> Reliability: <S> With two people working, the chance of making no progress on a project because of all developers being sick or having days off is decreased. <S> New perspective <S> : with more people on the job, you may get more diverse solutions Companies maximize for easy profit. <S> It comes down to only be profitable if instead of a full-time developer with 3 years experience the company can find two part-time developers that have 5 years experience each, but are willing to work for 3/5th of a position that pays 3/5th of their perceived experience. <S> So they need to pay you less than half of a full-time developers <S> salary and employ you more than half the hours <S> the full-time developer works per week. <S> And then it may be profitable. <S> Chances are, you don't get people that work more than half the time for less than half the money. <S> Mostly, that works for companies that employ people that need the money so much they will take bad conditions as long as they can get a job. <S> In Germany there is a law governing part-time work (what else would you have expected from Germany?). <S> The Teilzeit- und Befristungsgesetz <S> states that once you did work full-time, you are entitled to a job working part-time if that is possible with your employer. <S> I have not seen instances where this did not work out if you ask nicely, especially for parents. <S> However, this is mostly seen as "temporary" even though temporary may well mean for the next 18 years. <A> You have more administrative overhead on both business and the technical sides. <S> Last time I did the math social security deductions were more expensive, too, but I can't find the details on that anymore, sorry. <S> Also, web application might be a special case. <S> Not every company needs permanent web-app development, but those who do tend to hire full-timers. <S> You might have better luck freelancing. <A> There are already a couple of excellent answers. <S> I'd like to elaborate a bit on the "organisation" aspect. <S> In a Scrum process, developers will need to attend planning sessions, reviews and retrospectives (and things will be similar in other processes). <S> Developers need to attend trainings. <S> There are all-hands meetings. <S> You will need to deal with the email background radiation. <S> All these place a constant demand on each employee's time, whether he works 20h per week, 40h or 60h. <S> Suppose these things consume 4h per week, and that's a very conservative estimate. <S> 4h are 20% of a 20h/week employee, but only 10% of a 40h/week employee. <S> Put otherwise, two 20h/week employees only yield 2*16=32h total productive time, whereas one 40h/week employee yields 36h, or 12.5% more. <S> (If you believe a 12.5% differential in productivity is no big deal, try negotiating for a 12.5% pay raise without a compelling reason.) <S> Part-timing is certainly possible, even in very large German software companies. <S> But it will almost always involve people who have been with the company for quite some time and who already have a lot of specialized knowledge. <S> For a beginner, part-timing would first of all mean that he will take six months instead of three to learn the ropes.
| Two part-timers are sometimes way more expensive for a company than one full-timer.
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