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How to negotiate a higher salary for temp to hire position where I'm being hired full time from being a temp? I got hired as a marketing coordinator at a company through a recruitment agency with a contract to hire position. I got offered a full-time position the very last day of my trial period, and on my contract, the offer is 10% lower than the salary I was getting from the agency. The current offer includes medical, dental, and travel insurance and PTO. So, my question is that if it's normal to get a lower pay rate if you are hired full time because of the benefits you get, such as: 401(k) saving plan, insurance, etc. I did some research as well, and the salary range based on the zip code and experience start at 5% higher than what I have been offered, by not taking into account bonuses, incentives and other forms of compensation. Is it possible to ask for a higher rate, and how can I do so without looking desperate? <Q> Of course it's possible. <S> Everything is always negotiable. <S> The only question is how the negotiation will be received and if you ultimately get what you want. <S> Of course there is equally nothing wrong with the company deciding not to agree to that higher offer. <S> Employment is a voluntary agreement between both parties. <S> If it doesn't work for you, don't accept it. <S> If you can do better, go do better. <S> If you can't, then it was a fair offer and that's all you're worth <S> and you can't complain. <S> This is the free market at work. <S> Both the seller and the buyer can make whatever offers they want or try to negotiate, and they can walk away any time they feel <S> the chance of a acceptable deal is too slim to bother with. <S> This works for you and them. <A> It is not uncommon for a company to offer at the low end of the range because they expect you will want to negotiate. <S> It is certainly fair for you to say that the salary offered is less per hour than you were making as a temp, and that you wondered if there was any room for negotiation. <S> If they say no, then you have to decide if you want to take the offer. <S> They might say yes, they could stretch to another $200 per month (or whatever), and you won't be the first person to ask. <S> The value of benefits is considerable, as you note, so it is also not unusual for a company to pay less for a regular employee than they pay for a temp. <S> The temp not only is cheaper benefit-wise, but the temp arrangement also gives the company the flexibility of ending the employment at any point without the expense of separation. <S> So you get a little bit more security than you had as a temp, which has value. <A> Normally, it has been my experience that the salary companies pay you as a temp is going to be higher than what you could expect as a full-time "permanent" employee. <S> This is because people expect to be compensated for the fact that the job is temporary. <S> Contractors can have anywhere from one to two months of downtime between each job, so they need to make that up with a higher hourly rate. <S> Technically, temp-to-hire isn't a contract position, as you expect to continue with the company, but there is the uncertainty factor to consider. <S> I've had several temp-to-hire situations that didn't turn into full-time positions. <S> In this case what you essentially have is a short term contract position. <S> In my field (programming), at my experience level, I expect to be making about $55 /hr for a contract or contract-to-hire position. <S> For a full-time position I'd expect <S> about 90K. <S> That's about a 22% cut in pay. <S> You are getting a 20% cut. <S> I'd say it was in line with what you should be expecting. <A> The told you there was a range (40-45K), but didn't mentioned the criterion used to determine where? <S> Were you speaking to someone who was talking off the top of their head and didn't know the exact amount? <S> Did it depend on the financial stability of the company? <S> I would find out why you got the lowest end of the range because this initial impression is going to follow you the entire time you are employed until you can prove otherwise. <S> It could be lack of previous experience, but your trial period should account for something. <S> It would have been assumed the number you were given included benefits. <S> I can't imagine indicating a possible offering without benefits and then include benefits later on without explaining this upfront. <A> Weighing in quite a bit late here, but hopefully this will be of some value. <S> When folks discuss the potential for a difference in pay between the contract-to-hire phase and permanent employee phase, they rightly point out that YOU, the employee, will likely be gaining better benefits. <S> What they don't point out is that the employer is probably paying roughly the same amount for you. <S> The agency that placed you is getting more than you are, but in addition to paying you, they have to pay all the payroll taxes on you. <S> FICA taxes, workman's comp, unemployment, etc. <S> On top of that, they have to actually run their own business. <A> I was in this exact situation in my first job out of college. <S> I was interning for a company, and upon graduation, they offered me a job. <S> The offer was disappointing, but I really liked the company. <S> I did research, talked to my career counselor on campus, and put together a document outlining where I thought the salary should be (about 7.5% higher) based on market rates for my area. <S> I talked to my hiring manager, who knew the original offer hadn't excited me (my poker face wasn't developed yet!), and presented him with the document and explained my reasoning. <S> He went to his boss, who approved the rate I requested in the document, and I happily accepted my first full-time job. <S> -- <S> Were I you, <S> I'd follow the same steps. <S> Keep in mind everyone else's points: contract will not always translate directly into salary due to the non-pay benefits that come with salary. <S> But , if your market supports a higher range, your previous contract rate will have less weight here. <S> Do your research, negotiate. <S> All they can say is "no, original offer is firm". <S> I wouldn't expect they'll rescind their offer just because you tried to negotiate.
| You think you are worth more, you think the market rate is higher--do your research and give it to your boss as the beginning of the salary negotiation. In this particular case of a job offer, there is absolutely nothing wrong with turning it down but saying you'd accept a higher offer.
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How do I report the improper use of social security numbers at work? At my workplace, my employer has a web based timeclock. At each location, we have a shared computer at the counter that employees use to clock in. The user ID that each person is assigned is their full social security number. To clock in, you must enter your full social security number in cleartext along with a universal password. I feel that there is a big security risk in entering your social in cleartext. Anyone standing behind you can simply write it down. The higher ups don't really seem to see the security flaws. How and where can I go about reporting this in an appropriate manner? If it's at all relevant, I live in the US (hence the social security numbers). <Q> I am always amazed that in this day and age someone out there still thinks using a SSN as an ID for anything is a good idea. <S> A little light reading: <S> US government report on why you shouldn't do this: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d051016t.pdf <S> Another list of reasons why you shouldn't do this: http://privacyguidance.com/blog/please-dont-tell-me-youre-still-using-ssns-as-ids/ <S> Depending on where you live, using SSN's for time clock entry might be illegal. <S> You could certainly read the above links and have a nice conversation with management letting them know that they are possibly violating federal and state laws by doing this. <S> However taking this tact is difficult as you want to appear to be on their side, and not as someone who is about to get litigious with them. <S> When a company starts going down the wrong path sometimes those who point that out aren't treated very well. <S> Regardless, you might consider consulting an attorney just to make sure of where you stand and you need to continue letting them know what's wrong here. <A> It's clearly a bad idea for an employer to do this in an age of rampant identity theft. <S> There's no doubt about that. <S> May I suggest that you say something like this to your employer: "I am concerned about having my identity stolen. <S> I'm concerned about using my social used so much. <S> May I arrange to have my ID in your system changed from my actual SSN to some other identifying number?" <A> Advising on the handling of sensitive information, such as PII in this case, is something I do as part of my work as an IT auditor. <S> Most decent sized companies have internal policies over confidentiality and data protection, specifying how sensitive data is to be handled and protected if distributed. <S> You should consult your IT Security team, or IT in general if a dedicated Security function does not exist. <S> I feel that there is a big security risk in entering your social in cleartext Correct. <S> The two biggest risks I see are shoulder - surfing and sniffing, the latter depending on how the web environment is configured such as whether encryption is enable (Ex: TLS) or SSH in the case of remote access. <S> Given that the password is universal, (and probably not masked) and the User ID is your SSN, the is very vulnerable to shoulder surfing. <S> To summarize, this seems like a ID theft waiting to happen...
| You might also let them know that continued use of SSNs in this way might be opening themselves up to lawsuits... I would suggest you first consult any official company policy, if they exist.
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Why do some recruiters ask for Word format resumes? This question is partially answered here: Protecting resume against recruiters, double-presentations, and MS Word? But I'm looking for a more specific answer about why recruiters do this. Some ads by recruiters request 'Please submit resumes in MS Word format only'. Why do they do this? <Q> Also, we would add our own notes and bullet points above the resume, change any details we considered unnecessary, write a nice summary etc. <S> i.e. we never sent out the resume to potential employers without heavily reviewing it. <S> PDFs are not easy to edit in the original style (or at all, with most traditional Office studios) <A> The simple answer is that it makes their life easier. <S> Imagine <S> you're a recruiter. <S> One half of your job is to grind through hundreds of resumes every week and organise them somehow. <S> It's easier to do that if you can use the same program to view every resume, and most businesses{1} use Word. <S> Back in the day this was a defence again people using specific versions of specific programs ("can only be opened using AbiWord 2.1 or earlier"), but these days it's as likely to be a defence against cryptography (signing or encrypting). <S> Remember that in more graphic-oriented industries people will submit everything from "video resumes" to flash files. <S> It's not uncommon for architects, for example, to be asked for a "resume" that's A3 or larger as well as a portfolio. <S> Submitting that digitally as well helps everyone a great deal (although it does raise the question of whether people even know what the word "resume" originally meant. <S> Viz, a summary document) <S> Inevitably there will be a database somewhere <S> (at worst, the MS-Outlook email "database"), but more likely some kind of recruiter tool. <S> Many of those can only import a limited range or file formats, and a lot cannot cope even with password-protected Word files, let alone the various encrypted and signed formats offered by PDF and other, more capable file formats. <S> {1} for some value of "most" that varies with location and industry. <A> At least for one particular manager I knew, she insisted on Word <S> resumes so that she could look into them and see how well you knew how to use Word and uderstood setting up styles and the like. <S> If you used a few global styles: good. <S> If you used the default style and applied local modifications to each paragraph: bad. <S> This would be inappropriate for a lot of positions, but she was hiring mostly tech writers, so I can sortof see a point to this. <S> Head hunters want Word so they can edit your resume before presenting it to their clients. <S> At best, they only edit out your name and contact info since they don't want the client cutting them out of the loop. <S> However, the sleazy ones will try to "enhance" your resume. <S> I didn't realize this early in my career, and had some awkward moments in a interview until we finally discovered that the interviewer was asking about things I never wrote. <S> I then made it a rule to always bring my own copy of my resume with me if I got introduced thru a external recruiter. <S> In general, try to avoid third party recruiters. <S> At best they are a last resort. <S> This does not apply to recruiters specifically hired by a company to fill a particular position, but those have no reason to obscure your identity. <S> Nowadays I keep my resume on-line in HTML format. <S> I also keep a PDF copy on-line, but that is just the HTML printed to PDF by the browser. <S> So far one of the two has always been acceptable to any real hiring company. <A> Some ads by recruiters request 'Please submit resumes in MS Word format only'. <S> Why do they do this? <S> Because as open-minded and creative as the real tech world is, the world of recruiters, offices & that kind of bureaucracy is based in using the whole Microsoft Office suite on Microsoft servers using tools that either can only open Microsoft Word or can only parse Microsoft Word. <S> That said, if you are sending directly to an employer that will not even accept a PDF as an alternative, that should be a red flag. <S> I can understand recruiters, head-hunters and the like being mired in the Microsoft world, but most employers directly accepting resumes for now should at least be capable of handling PDFs. <S> The level of “red flag” is up to your larger career goal, but it’s 2014 <S> and there are alternative ways to present documents. <S> Any place that doesn’t accept at least a PDF has issues. <A> I was a recruitment consultant, the reason they want your CV's in word format is that the office in general is not very technical. <S> They want to just change header using word and remove any other bits and send the cv forward. <S> They dont have the tech to convert or modify a pdf. <S> At the agency i currently work for, no matter what format a cv comes in. <S> They are all converted to .txt files using python programs, and then added to a template that has like summary, main body and technical skills.. <S> everything in the same font. <S> The boss says it makes our brand consistent and enables clients to know where they are with our cvs, and makes them feel at ease rather than jumping around all over the place.... <S> the client gets used to our consistent format. <S> that said... <S> the format we send to the client is always word... <S> apparently that is the most widely accepted.
| I have personally done a few weeks of convenience work / summer jobs at a recruitment agency and the main reason we asked for the Word format was simply so that we could cut out the contact details and name, and anything else necessary to keep the candidate confidential until they actually met the interviewer.
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Internal audit on the same department - useful? Is it useful to perform an audit on the same department as a part of a preparation for an external audit - I mean assigning two or three employees to conduct an audit on the same department where they work. We are having a debate here whether it's useful. What would be arguments for/against it? <Q> Is it logical to perform an audit on the same department as a part of a preparation for an external audit. <S> When I say a same department audit, I mean assigning two or three employees to conduct an audit on the same department where they work. <S> Yes, as the internal audit would ensure that the documents would be ready for when the external auditors come. <S> Consider the question of what are the external auditors wanting to see and is that already prepared or not by the internal audit. <S> Can such a thing happen? <S> We are having a debate here about it. <S> Yes, as I'd imagine finance departments would likely want to double check their work before the auditors come and may be more costly to the business if the auditors have to make multiple trips if things aren't ready when they first arrive. <A> This is not only useful, it is a golden opportunity to propose change and get it implemented in order to pass the audit. <S> It is very rare to have such an opportunity when change proposals are going to be looked on so favorably. <S> Further, it educates the employees doing the internal audit about the internal controls etc. <S> that are part of a good financial structure. <S> By doing the internal audit, assuming you do it well and not treat it as a joke, the people doing the auditing will have a chance to look at the details of what is happening with their systems and to get very knowledgable about the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) that the audit will likely be based on. <S> One of the most critical things that they may learn is about the importance of internal controls to prevent fraud. <S> It is especially important if the people who are being audited are not professional accountants themselves and thus may not really understand the details of the GAAP. <S> In smaller companies I have seen many places where the people who set up the orginal systems had no concept of internal controls and thus their systems would have been ridiculously easy to steal from. <S> (I should point out that I used to work for a government audit agency <S> so I tend to notice this stuff even though my job no longer includes an auditing component.) <S> I would suggest that the internal team consists of multiple people and that no one internally audit his or her own direct tasks and that all work is reviewed by multiple people. <S> The one caution I might make is that you do not want to be assigned to do this if management just wants to find ways to "creatively" cover up any problems you find especially any illegalities. <S> Always remember that the alternative term for creative accounting is FRAUD. <S> People who help cover up illegal activites can go to jail with the peope who set up the illegalities in the first place. <A> Is it useful to perform an audit on the same department as a part of a preparation for an external audit - I mean assigning two or three employees to conduct an audit on the same department where they work. <S> Yes. <S> Your department’s work is being audited <S> so who would better know the state of that work than your department. <S> Also, since the act of performing an internal audit will naturally focus your department on the needs of auditing, the process can lead to overall proactive efficiencies. <S> Let’s say you have a process that works well for you, but at the end of the day needs to be tweaked for auditing purposes. <S> Well, now you know you have to alter your process moving forward & other team members do as well.
| Having these people do an internal audit before the financial audit might help them close those gaps before the real auditors show up. You might even find some actual fraud that way.
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Answering a question about last performance review if you don't have any? An interviewer asked me how my last performance review in my current job went. My answer was "I don't have any performance reviews because my current company doesn't do performance reviews; but my supervisor said I was doing a good job." I think the interviewer wasn't satisfied with my response. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my supervisors opinion about me. It sounds like I am praising myself. What could have been a better answer to this interview question? <Q> My answer was "I don't have any performance reviews because my current company doesn't do performance reviews <S> but my supervisor said you are doing good job. <S> " <S> I think that interviewer didn't satisfied with my respond to the question. <S> Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned my supervisors opinion about me. <S> It might sounds like I am praising myself. <S> What should have been the correct answer to this interview question? <S> Why could my answer be wrong? <S> If you didn't have a performance review, then you can't answer that you did. <S> And adding what your supervisors said about you gave the interviewer the feedback that took the place of a formal performance review. <S> Well done. <S> As MJ6 correctly indicates in his comments, you can even frame your answer in terms similar to those which would have come out of a formal review process, had one existed. <S> Try to remember feedback and/or praise you received regarding deadlines, leadership, positive attitude under stress - these can all make your answer even more powerful. <S> I suspect you are over-thinking this. <S> Perhaps the interviewer was hoping for some sort of formal review, but I can't see how the lack of one could matter much. <S> Either way, it's done. <S> No need to worry about it now. <A> Personally, I think asking about details of a past performance review at a different company is not a good question for the interviewer to have asked. <S> What are you going to say, <S> "The boss told my I was the worst employee ever, <S> so that's why I'm here." ? <S> Here is a suggested answer for your circumstance: <S> "We didn't have formal performance reviews, but my boss has always given me positive feedback. <S> However, I have included him in my list of references, so you can check with him directly." <A> I think others have answered well here, but I wanted to give a bit a "general rule of thumb" answer here. <S> Like others have said, I don't think what you said was wrong, but it does awfully sounds like one of those questions where you have to read between the lines to find the intent of the question. <S> A common question of this sort is "What is your greatest weakness?" <S> but they come in many forms. <S> When I was first starting out in the IT industry I often got asked questions which I couldn't answer because I had not encountered those situations and the question was not a hypothetical. <S> So instead of asking "how would you go about trying to fix a syncing problem with a PDA?" I was asked "name an example of an issue you had with PDAs (showing my age a bit, maybe!), and how you determined what was wrong". <S> I believe these questions are a part of what is called "behavioural interviewing". <S> What I learned then, and what I think is applicable to you is basically a twofold process. <S> If possible, answer the question as is. <S> In your case unfortunately, that wasn't possible. <S> Others here have already offered examples of what could have been said so I won't repeat it here. <S> Basically, if they're asking questions about troubleshooting product A and you never used product A, answer theoretically how you would troubleshoot it. <S> If they ask about how you've dealt with unhappy customers, answer how you would deal with unhappy customers.
| The right way for the interviewer to get information about your past performance is by following up with references. Assuming your answer was honest, there was absolutely nothing wrong with it. Try to determine what they're looking for, and give an alternative.
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What should I do if I think I'll fail a drug test? I have recently finished my latest year of college and am planning on taking an entry level (minimum wage) job for the summer to build up some cash. At the end of finals I was offered a joint in celebration and elected to smoke some of it. My college is in a state where recreational marijuana use is legal but not permitted at the workplace. Smoking marijuana isn't something I have done before or plan to do again. I had not been expecting to need to take a drug test, and in fact had not considered it at all. I've since learned that the job I have applied for has in the past chosen to drug test some, but not all, of its applicants. After some research on the internet I believe that I have decent odds of failing this test. At this point I'm left with two options (that I can see). When asked to take the drug test I either: tell them up front admit if confronted after As an employer which would you prefer? If an employee were to admit to having used a drug once but swore that they hadn't used before and wouldn't use again, and volunteered to take as many drug tests as required in the future, would you hire them? Why or why not? If you have another take or opinion on what could or should be done I welcome that as well. Note: I'm not looking for condemnations of my decision to smoke - I understand that actions have consequences and I'm fully prepared to face the consequences of mine. I'm also not looking to find a way to cheat or get out of the drug test - if that is what I wanted to do the internet has already provided many options. I just want to know what you, as an employer, would do in reaction to the two scenarios. <Q> Most of the time, if the company is drug testing applicants, the hiring manager has no discretion-- if you fail the test, your application is rejected. <S> It wouldn't matter if it was a truly one-time event, it wouldn't matter if you offered to take drug tests every day for the rest of your life. <S> The majority of the time, the drug test is required either by the government or by the company's insurance carrier so the company itself has exceptionally little room to alter the testing protocol. <S> Given that, it makes little sense to admit anything up front. <S> Even if the hiring manager believed every word you said, they'd still be bound by company rules and a positive test would cause your application to be rejected. <S> The only possible effect would be to potentially cause the company to ensure that you're in the drug-testing group if there are multiple groups or to give the hiring manager reason to reconsider you. <S> The fact that you happen to live in or visited a state that has "legalized" <S> the drug is irrelevant. <A> This does not directly answer the question per-se, but I wanted to provide potentially useful. <S> It's important to find out the following information for calculated risk: - How long the time is from when you last smoked to when you're tested. <S> - How much you smoked. <S> - How often you smoked. <S> - Your BMI. <S> - What kind of test they're doing (mouth swag, blood, urine, hair). <S> We can already deduce that you smoke only once, and (assuming you smoked a partial joint) likely around a gram. <S> This means that the THC won't take long at all to metabolize in your system. <S> As long as it's been 24-48 hours, then you don't need to worry about a mouth swab test. <S> Urine tests are the most common, and typically it will stay in your system for maybe a week. <S> With so little in your system to metabolize, it will most likely be under the limits set forth by the time you test as long as the test is 5+ days out. <S> However it is important to note that the fat content in your body makes huge different. <S> For example, I am fat. <S> I would be concerned taking a test 1.5 weeks after smoking a bowl (0.3-0.6 grams) or two. <S> On the flipside, one of my best friends is around 6ft tall, and weighs maybe 120lbs. <S> He smoked relatively often and passed a urine test 3 days afterwards. <S> Though it does depend largely on your fat content, genetic makeup does also play a difference. <S> Note: For the purpose of this discussion, I would estimate a bowl to be 0.5-1 grams. <S> Hair tests are rare for employment, and I doubt that they'll be testing it. <S> Even if they did, I doubt smoking a joint once would cause anything to show up. <S> Based off what you've said so far, I wouldn't worry about the test. <A> TL/DR Don't lie . <S> But you have right to refuse to answer any question. <S> Leaving apart the fact, if making drug/alcohol/tobacco/peanut tests on the work candidates makes any sense at all, if you company makes such tests, they probably are legal (the tests, not the company) because no big company is likely to risk allegations of "discrimination based on arbitrary criteria". <S> But from you post, you've learned, that the company is likely to do such tests from some "unofficial" sources. <S> Unofficial sources are, well, unofficial, and there's nothing unhonest in not saying something <S> you were not expected to say . <S> However, it would be probably better not to lie if asked, if you had taken any drugs in last X days. <S> If you suspect some legal consequences, just refuse to answer and refuse to take the test, but unless confronted with it, it should be assumed you acted in good faith (not telling any facts from your private life you were not asked for). <S> As a potential employer, I can't imagine any rational reason for willing to know if my workers drink alcohol or smoke joints in their free time, as long as it doesn't affect their work performance. <S> As for addicts, you can be addicted to computer games or SMSes as well. <A> You might consider declining the job (and the test). <S> I would not want to have a positive drug test in my history. <S> I know that confidentiality rules should prevent any one from learning the results (other than those in the specific chain that are expected to learn the results). <S> But information has a way of spreading. <S> Could someone at this company talk to someone at another company and jeopardize your chances there (not legal, but if they aren't caught, how would you know)? <S> There will of course be consequences for this job, but it would end there. <S> You don't have to disclose your reason for withdrawing from consideration, so rumors of drug use would not follow you beyond this point.
| If I thought there was a possibility that I would legitimately fail a test, I would not take it. For the truly paranoid, use some mouthwash and you'll be fine.
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How to discuss a skill, technology or method on my resume that is superior to the standard one required on the job specs? Let's say the majority of companies in the industry adopt a specific strategy, technology or method X to achieve their core business targets and it works just fine and is recognized as the industry standard. I spent most of my recent career working on (and with) method Y, which is known to be much more advanced, but which only a handful of companies have tested, because most are still wary/scared to adopt it. My experience with Y is also proof that Y works and even multiple times better (more efficient, productive, profitable) than the standard method X. Few good industry experts are aware of this , as well as only the most up-to-date hiring managers. I am also convinced that method X will be obsolete within very short time and it would be in the best interest for companies to switch to Y ASAP. I am sue many will decide to implement innovations soon, and I have strong experience in implementing the system, rather than just operating it. However, the majority of vacancies in my field/function still require experience with method X as one of the core aspects of the role, and it is extremely unlikely that HR people and average hiring managers would be able to tell the benefits of Y over X - let alone recruitment agencies! In other words, in addition to selling myself at the interview, I need to sell this skill/method/technology/strategy in order to meet the criteria. How should I best approach a situation like this? Should I persuade with numbers and benefits? Or focus on how my experience matches with the job spec?Should I keep the topic until the end of the interview or elaborate on it on the resume? Edit: My current company also used X in the past and I was an employee long before Y was implemented. Thus, having seen and evaluated the results of both, and the changes thereafter, returning to X is truly like a return to the Stone Age :) I am absolutely confident that Y will work in any company. It does involve change; heck, it involves reorganizing not just one team but several business units, but I have managed that process and feel that going back to X would also be a downgrade to my own career. Maybe I could rephrase my question as: How can I find jobs that involve business-wide innovation, or which are open to such innovation? <Q> Your original question can really be phrased as: How do you convince a company to hire you to change their processes? <S> Businesses know that change is costly. <S> Not only that <S> but it's risky. <S> If industry experts won't agree with you right now then your method will be seen as carrying a tremendous risk to them, which most managers try to avoid. <S> Quite frankly it's probably far easier for you to become proficient at method X than it will be for you to convince a business owner, who is making money in this field doing X, that he needs to abandon that and do Y. <S> Which, actually, brings up an interesting aside: How could you possibly know that method <S> Y is far superior to method X unless you are an expert at both? <S> If this is the case then getting a job working with method <S> X should be trivial. <S> That would allow you to advance your case internally which is still hard, but far easier. <S> However, I wouldn't personally go that route. <S> Beat everyone else to the punch and prove the superiority of Y. Bearing in mind, that "better" must include being a cheaper/more lucrative alternative. <S> Look at how to patent certain aspects of it - if possible. <S> While at it, get some venture capital. <S> That part alone will force you to figure out if Y is really better than X and the real financial benefits involved. <S> Along the way you're likely to figure out exactly why the current experts aren't keen on it. <S> If you can convince guys with money to back you, then you are probably on the right track. <A> The first thing you need to know: Over qualification exists and it will cost you landing that job. <S> Do put it on the Resume, but do not over sell it. <S> Do, however, sell yourself on the items they want. <S> Employers do not want someone who is worth more than the position they are attempting to fill. <S> If your skill goes past it, and they know your very versed in the skill, they will feel discouraged in hiring you. <S> Because then at which point they feel obligated to pay more. <S> No company right now wants to do that. <S> Your focus should be what the Employer wants. <S> Most Interviews, while most do not say this, are really set talk points of what they want to hear. <S> Hearing about change that goes against current policy is another one. <S> In short sell yourself to the company, the way they want. <S> Research into companies via employees and other failed interviewees to find out which job positions require certain skills. <S> What not to say and what to say. <S> That being said, be current to the company interviewing for. <A> Your question is: How to discuss a skill, technology or method on my resume that is superior to the standard one required on the job specs? <S> You can discuss it on the outset. <S> But ultimately, you are being hired by them to work for them within their process . <S> So you would have to work in their process at least long enough to then explain how your process would benefit them more. <S> And you have to be ready their response to be ambivalent to negative at best. <S> And be thrilled if they decide to follow your process so easily. <S> You generally cannot just ride into a new job & expect the world to change. <S> But you can expect that after 3-6 months you will be respected enough to bring new ideas to the table. <A> focus on how my experience matches with the job spec <S> This is always better. <S> Your knowledge shows you have broader experience and would be a benefit <S> should they choose to make the switch. <S> Here's my argument: I have a massive code base with dozens of developers who know language X and have to make corrections and slight enhancements ASAP. <S> My customers don't care about Y. <S> Have you really considered what it will cost this company to make the transition? <S> Of course you can save a lot of money if you buy a 50kg sack of flour, but is it really worth carrying it to the car and up to a one room apartment? <S> Context is everything and until you understand how any company or business really operates on a daily basis, your suggestions can be tailored to the situation and get the best response.
| If you are an expert in a methodology that you truly believe the entire industry is going to move to, then you should consider starting your own company in that industry. The answer is that you have to show them a serious financial reason to change. Don't get into, "this is so much better" type of claim/debate especially during an interview.
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Bring treats for coworkers to work on the first day? So I got an internship and we had the orientation and everything. I am going to my actual workplace tomorrow and thinking of taking a box of doughnuts for everybody. Would that be okay? <Q> I am going to my actual workplace tomorrow and thinking of taking some donuts in the morning. <S> Would that be okay? <S> You mean for yourself, or others? <S> If you are thinking about just getting a box of doughnuts for all, go for it. <S> But for your first day, don’t bring your own food for lunch or snacking. <S> You might be stuck in meetings and they will give you food there. <S> Or your manager/supervisor could take you out to lunch. <A> There are some risks to bringing snacks for everyone: <S> There may be a few people who don't eat certain things, whether it's for allergies, diabetes or religious reasons. <S> There may be an unspoken rule that no-one brings snacks for everyone in consideration of those who may not eat it. <S> Worse <S> yet, there may be a spoken rule to only brings snacks conforming to certain requirements, and perhaps due to a lack of judgement or obliviousness to the fact that it was brought by a new employee <S> , someone may eat something they're allergic to and end up in the hospital, or worse. <S> It may be seen as sucking up. <S> This certainly varies between cultures though. <S> You may not bring enough. <S> It probably won't come across particularly well if you just bring enough for half the employees. <S> On the other hand: Despite any of the above, it could be seen as well-meaning. <S> Bottom line: <S> There are risks either way. <S> Based on the factors mentioned above and any knowledge regarding them you might have, you should decide whether it would be a good idea or not. <A> You're asking if it's okay to do something nice for your coworkers? <S> Definitely! <S> Lots of people like doughnuts, and it definitely doesn't hurt to be the nice guy in your office. <S> When I started working at my current job, I brought in mini cupcakes for my birthday. <S> People stopped by my desk to say thanks and happy birthday, and so I was able to meet people and learn some names (and they all remembered who I was). <A> I wouldn't do it, particularly on the first day. <S> It gives the impression you're barging in like a bull in a china shop, and that you're a kiss-ass. <S> Bad idea. <S> After you've been there for a few days at least, you've learned some of the customs and habits and culture of the place, seen what other do, etc, and you still feel bringing donuts in for everyone is appropriate, then OK. <S> However, I caution that it's unlikely to be viewed positively when the lowest guy in the hierarchy brings donuts for everyone else. <S> Given no other information, my first reaction as a more senior co-worker would be being slightly insulted that you think so little of us that you expect buying us off with donuts to actually buy you any favors. <S> Of course I'd never tell you this, I'd just quietly think less of you and maybe laugh at you a little with others behind your back. <S> When you're the intern, act like the intern. <S> It's somebody higher up's job to do little surprise favors for the staff on occasion. <S> By doing it yourself, you are essentially pretending to be more than you are. <S> I really don't see any upside here. <A> I think it would depend on how you bring the doughnuts. <S> Also a bit presumptuous. <S> Once you have worked with these folks for a while it might be okay, but give it a month or two. <S> Also, you didn't mention your gender but on the off chance that you may be female I'd be doubly cautious. <S> Bringing food, (especially food that you have baked yourself, btw), may lose you professional respect. <S> Sad, but reality often is. <S> If you don't want to pass them out anonymously because they are intended as an overture of friendship or camaraderie, there are better ways to do that. <S> Give it a few days, then inquire around and ask about the office culture. <S> Do people go out to lunch together, or generally bring their own lunches? <S> If you ask around, that lets people know that you are open to going to lunch with them. <S> Leave it to them to invite you, at least until you get to know people. <S> If you have been there a few weeks and no invitations, you might casually say "I was thinking of going to lunch at (pick someplace with wide appeal, not too expensive, but not fast food) and was wondering if anybody wanted to go with me?". <S> Best to invite in a group of at least two or three; if you extend individual invitations people are likely to feel you are trying to get too personal with them. <S> Especially if you are inviting someone of a different gender.
| However, if you bring them in to a meeting or pass them out to people in such a way that they are certain to know exactly who brought the doughnuts, it might get you labeled as socially needy. Perhaps some are on diets and may not appreciate the temptation. If there's a lunchroom that you could just leave them in, I doubt anybody could take exception to that. It might be seen as a fairly standard (i.e. expected) thing to do in some cultures [speculation]. You have no idea what kind of politics you might be stepping in, who this might alienate or cause to resent you.
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Multiple positive interviews (maybe offers), how to keep in mind for future? I’m in a personally rare situation in my job hunt where I have multiple positive interviews occurring, for 3-4 companies that all seem quite interesting. I've got one official offer, through a company I’ve been talking to for multiple months, and the others in their final stages where I’m still hoping for offers. Ideally I’d like to finish all 3 remaining interview processes and make an informed decision based on that. There are no guarantees of any more offers of course. How can I effectively defer/time the interview processes to allow for this? The single offer does not know I'm interviewing elsewhere, but it could be useful to negotiate salary still, as that needs to be discussed. I’ve asked for time to review the papers on that one, as I don't want to start final negotiations on something I can’t commit to immediately. The potential start date is also rapidly approaching. If any other offers occur from the positive interviews, I’ll end up negotiating and choosing one. Is it reasonable to pass on the others, but express interest if opportunity presented itself again in the future? Or generally would I just thank them, and potentially reapply at a future time and start over from scratch? <Q> I've actually been noticing this occurs more often (in my personal experience) now that the economy is getting better. <S> Generally, what I find works best is to politely keep all interested parties informed of my current state regarding other serious parties. <S> This last time around (I'm a contractor, so I have a lot of turnover) <S> I ended up on a third interview with a company I really wanted to work for, and a same-day-as-first interview offer from another company (really nice folks <S> but I wasn't thrilled with the type of work), as well as a "what would it take to get you to work for us?" from a third company. <S> I gave the third company an honest answer, outlining how their offer would have to change before I would accept it. <S> I told the second company that I couldn't give them an answer until I knew if the first company was going to hire or reject me. <S> The second company reaffirmed the offer, even knowing that if the first company wanted to hire me I would accept. <S> I am still working for the second company. <S> The headhunter who'd gotten me the interview with the first company kept stringing me on for months ("They say you are at the top of their list, they are just forced to interview this internal prospect first") and eventually he just stopped calling. <S> To be honest, if they had gotten back to me after the first couple of months and said "we want you now" I'd have told then they had to wait until my current contract had finished. <S> IMO it would have been unprofessional to do otherwise. <S> But I was curious at to what the final outcome would be, and now I know. <S> and if you don't get a serious offer within a couple of days take the first one. <S> It is very rare that a company who is serious about you will not make you an immediate offer if faced with the prospect of losing you. <S> That wasn't true five years ago, but, at least in my profession, it is now. <A> The single offer does not know I'm interviewing elsewhere, but it could be useful to negotiate salary still, as that needs to be discussed. <S> Do you have any ETA on when other offers will come through? <S> If yes, then simply tell a white lie. <S> Tell them it’s <S> summer & something came up <S> can you get back to them in a few days or weeks? <S> But if you have no idea when other offers will come in, it might be in your best interest to simply tell another white lie: Tell the first company you already have another offer so you can’t commit right now. <S> They will most likely ask if there is a salary difference & you can then play that by ear. <S> I would err on the side of saying the salary is slightly better from company B, but there are aspects of company A you <S> really like <S> so that is why you are on the fence. <S> Then you say this: Is it reasonable to pass on the others, but express interest if opportunity presented itself again in the future? <S> 100% fine. <S> The reality is that saying something like that is really a rote & expected part of the process. <S> Depending on the culture of the organization you are saying this to, they might actually seriously consider you in the future, or they might simply discard your application entirely. <S> If you apply in the future just mention the past offer & take it from there. <A> Coming from a recruiter, I'd try to be as open as possible to the recruiter or even the hiring manager. <S> We can only work with you if we have all the data. <S> Given that they don't know you're interviewing elsewhere indicates that either 1) They don't have a recruiter or their recruiter isn't very good or 2) <S> You're hiding this from them for some unknown reason. <S> Either way, just be up front with them and let them know that you're looking at other opportunities. <S> Why is there a need to even tell a white lie? <S> Yes, it's easy <S> but it also prevents them from being able to get in a position to win you as a candidate as they're effectively in the dark. <S> Bringing something like this up late in the process is a big headache. <S> Here's my advice. <S> Put compensation aside. <S> Determine <S> which opportunity you are most interested in and close on that job. <S> Give them the chance to woo you. <S> Regarding staying in touch, that's just part of business. <S> I've had many candidates decline my offers and come back telling me they made a bad choice. <S> It happens <S> but if you pull a quick one and at the last minute tell them you have other offers, that's tough to swallow. <S> Better to be up front about it!
| The rule of thumb that I try to follow these days is: If you get an offer that you would have taken if there were no other prospects, let the others know
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How to nurture an active relationship and involvement with your company or organization after leaving it? Outside my normal full-time job I also work as a volunteer for a charity with no specific hours but professionally set goals, service levels and processes. It is indeed like a flexible part-time job. I am extremely committed to the cause of the charity, however I realize that as my day job is getting more intensive I just cannot keep up with the charity work. The best way I can sum up my problem is: I just have no time, I need to get sleep. I am starting to postpone things a lot, not doing many things, even ignoring e-mails, and starting to get complaints from my superiors at the charity. I want to step down but still stay involved to a certain level with those who run the organization. In a case like this—or any other where you bail out for no adversarial reasons—what are the best things one can do to nurture a good relationship with former colleagues and the whole company? <Q> I know EXACTLY where you are. <S> I was heavily involved in a non-profit organization for a while. <S> Even served on the board at the state level. <S> It is something you can't keep up indefinitely. <S> It waxes and wanes, and experienced directors and board members know this. <S> They should have seen it coming, honestly. <S> The best thing to do, in my opinion, is be honest and frank to whom you report. <S> Tell them you cannot continue at the level you have been, but wish to continue to support them with "X" numbers of hours per month (make it realistic). <S> Tell them to find someone to hand over your responsibilities to, and help the transition to the best of your ability. <S> You are not abandoning your convictions by stepping back. <S> A burnt-out worker is a useless worker, whether it is in a professional or volunteer setting. <S> Stepping aside for "fresh legs" is not only good for you, but in the long run is also good for the cause. <S> It's like being a hockey player. <S> No one skates the whole 60 minutes. <S> They skate two minutes, rest four or six (depending on the league) then skate again rested and refreshed. <S> The units may be months or years in charity work, and not minutes, but the concept is the same. <A> I am starting to postpone a lot, not doing many things, even ignoring e-mails, and starting to get complaints from my superiors at the charity. <S> I feel sympathetic to a point. <S> When when I read, “starting to get complaints from my superiors at the charity.” <S> I start to wince. <S> While you see what you are doing as charity work, it seems to me this charity is offloading a lot of real work into your role. <S> Even worse, now that you are working full-time they seem tone-deaf to the reality of the situation. <S> That way you wind down your role, they get someone else to fill in the gaps & all should be happy. <S> But that said, I would also broach the topic of seeing if there is any way for you to be compensated for the work you are doing for the charity. <S> Meaning, you don’t have enough time in the day to do work for them anymore. <S> But would they be able to use you as a consultant? <S> Or perhaps they could pay you some competitive wage that would make doing work for the charity truly a part-time position? <S> In general, it seems like you just have to wind down your role at the charity for now. <S> And offering to train others backfilling your role is the best thing you can do. <A> you take a lot of the stress away from the person who now has to replace you. <S> They are always really grateful. <S> If you are general when you leave by saying "Oh I will help out here and there" it can become problematic. <S> Have formal quarterly contact : I have found that setting up quarterly lunches with my ex-manager really helped keep the relationship going. <S> It may not mean lunch but <S> some way you continue to see people will be a big help
| The best suggestion I can give is to simply tell the charity that you don’t have the time, but you would be happy to train others to take on your role. Clarity on the specific items you will continue to be involved in : If you want to continue to be of help, be very specific on those items so there is no confusion or hard feelings. Here are some best practices when leaving organizations on good terms: Give plenty of notice : By giving sufficient notice (definition of sufficient could be a wide range, depends on the role, function etc)
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Asked to speak to prospective employees about a company I'm dissatisfied with My boss and I are the only people currently working at my company's new branch. We are in the process of hiring new employees in the area and my boss has stated off-hand that he'd like to arrange for me to talk face to face with prospective employees about the company. I gather that he wants me to do this to give the prospective a better idea about the day to day work at the company. It seems that he also wants me to say, as an employee, how great the company is. The trouble is, I'm not particularly satisfied with the company and I don't think I would be able to recommend it to a prospective employee. I'm not vindictive enough to directly tell the prospective not to apply, but I also don't want to lie and say it's great when I'm not happy with it. If there were more people at my branch, I could say something like "I don't think I'd be the best person to talk with prospectives. Have you asked John?" However since I'm the only person aside from my boss, I don't have that luxury. I'm also not willing to voice my dissatisfaction to my boss at this time lest it interfere with my future job prospects. Concrete plans have not yet been made, but I believe he intends to follow through with this and expects a commitment from me. So how can I deal with this request to speak to prospective employees about a company I'm dissatisfied with? <Q> First, remember your "I don't want to work here" may be someone else's ideal workplace. <S> It is up to them to decide from what you tell them. <S> You don't have to be a Pollyanna all excited and cheery. <S> Just be professional and stick as much as possible to the facts about what you do. <S> If they directly ask you if it is a good place to work, then you can honestly repeat whatever positives there are and point out that everyone has a different idea of what is a good workplace, so what the place is like may or may not be what they are looking for, but this is what it is like. <S> Strive for friendly, neutral and professional. <S> If you are not a naturally extroverted sort, you could tell your boss that you don't thimk you make the best salesperson for the job because you are introverted and don't think well on your feet in a pressure suituation. <S> Tell him you feel you might inadvertly drive folks away <S> and you don't want to do that to him. <S> This of course will not work if you are extroverted and do think well on your feet. <A> Focus on the Positive : Hopefully there are some positive things you can focus on. <S> The Industry, the product, the fact it is a new branch, the manager, etc. <S> Present things that need work as an opportunity for new employees to make an impact . <S> In the past when I have been unhappy about a situation in the organization I worked for I made a point of saying "we don't do XYZ well <S> but here is your chance to come in and help us do a better job." <S> I would obviously try and be honest as possible with any prospects, but not come across as negative. <S> In addition, I would certainly bring up with your Manager that fact that there are areas of the workplace that need work and does he have suggestions on how you should deal with it if it comes up in the discussion. <A> When I signed up for a short-term assignment with this client, I did not realize that his staff was bailing on him. <S> And I was not aware of the reasons his staff was bailing on him either. <S> His key person walked me through my responsibilities with not a hint of the baggage. <S> I was also focused on my responsibilities because I had to take over from her, and I had to keep the existing systems running while the CTO was starting and completing the migration of all systems to a new, untested platform. <S> The skeletons spilled out of the closet within less than a week. <S> I was certainly not upset with the key person nor with any of the staff for not telling me why so many were bailing out. <S> I found out for myself easily enough. <S> I know of no other working environment where you had to bring your own toilet paper if you wanted to use the bathroom. " <S> Nough said. <S> My advice is,just stick to the objective facts. <S> Walk them through their responsibilities. <S> Don't pass judgement. <S> They are smart enough to make up their own minds and see for themselves when they get in. <S> And who knows? <S> They might thrive in that environment.
| So keep it professional, talk about what is expected, where this new group is planning to go, and tell them about what you perceive to be positives and do not be negative.
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How do you avoid interviewing for the company you work for? On online job portals, I can see a few positions that match my skillset and pay at par with what I get now. I’m quite OK with the current position I have, but my interview skills are getting rusty at best. I was planning to brush up my skills and see if I can at least clear the tech screens. In a worst case: I get to the AA, ask for 20% more than what I'm earning now and they'll reject me. The thing is that the company name is confidential. And looking at the tools used, it just might be the company I work for currently (they are continuously recruiting to keep up with attrition). As you imagine, this could end up being awkward. How is such a scenario usually handled? <Q> The thing is that the company name is confidential. <S> And looking at the tools used, it just might be the company I work for currently <S> (they are continuously recruiting to keep up with attrition). <S> As you imagine, this could end up being awkward. <S> How is such a scenario usually handled? <S> I initially commented that I could not think of a good way to avoid a situation like this, but I think I have a possible solution. <S> The key is not your resume, but your cover letter. <S> Basically, in your cover letter you are supposed to articulate why you want to leave a current position. <S> Instead, perhaps you can spin the cover letter to say something like, “I really enjoy the position I have right now. <S> And feel confident in the organization I am in. <S> But I would like to informationally explore what other options there are for me in this field.” <S> By phrasing it like that you are basically stating, “I like my job. <S> I like what I do. <S> I like who I work for. <S> But I am also curious about the larger world.” <S> Now mind you <S> this might all backfire. <S> Your current employers could simply see the act of you applying for any position as a sign of your desire to leave the company. <S> But I think this way you reseat the concept of wanting to interview because you are “rusty” into more of a curiosity angle. <S> Where you are simply interested in the larger world of your career to begin with. <A> If your employer objects - and it shouldn't because it's none of its business, tell your employer that you've always done it as part of due diligence to make sure that your skills are relevant, that you want to find what new skills to acquire and that much as you like your employer <S> , your employer can't guarantee you lifetime employment. <S> As for making sure that you don't inadvertently run into your employer when you initiate contact. <S> the best thing is to get your hands on their actual job ads, so that you can recognize them from a mile away from the way they're written. <S> Recruiters, at least on Craigslist, tend to use an impersonal form such as "a firm is looking for..." and a few use "our client is looking for...". <S> Hitting a recruiter is pretty safe because they understand that part of their success derives from confidentiality. <S> In fact, you should consider working through recruiters precisely because of that guarantee of confidentiality. <S> If you are doing your own leg work, the safest thing is, of course, to contact only those who have identified themselves or to directly check the websites of those companies you are interested in. <S> Recruiters have contacted me on Linkedin and at least in my case, Linkedin itself does a pretty good job of forwarding to me who interested in filling what positions. <S> The catch, of course, is that you gotta keep your Linkedin profile up to date. <A> The company name isn't something that can be made "confidential" in the official/binding sense. <S> It's recorded in public records, and any applicant for the position will learn the actual company name as a matter of course. <S> So I think what you mean is that the company name is "not listed as part of the job posting" rather than "confidential". <S> So it's likely that if you were to submit an inquiry asking to know what company you'd actually be working for if you were to get this position, they'd simply tell you. <S> You could set up a free e-mail account using just your initials (or a pseudonym, if you really want to take it to extremes; or a pseudonym and do the whole process using Tor , for the truly paranoid), and submit something along the lines of: <S> Hello, I noticed the position that you had posted on [wherever <S> ] andbelieve based upon my past experience and skillset that I would be avery strong candidate for this role. <S> However, as a matter of personalpolicy I do not submit applications without knowing the full detailsof the job I am applying for or the company I am applying to. <S> Can youplease provide some further background details about this position andthe company I would be working for if I were to receive this job? <S> At worst, they'll just ignore your inquiry. <S> And at best, you'll get sufficient details to conclusively determine if the posting was put up by your current company or not, so that you can proceed accordingly. <A> If it were me in this situation I'd just use headhunters (who are usually responsible for putting up most IT jobs on boards anyway). <S> Just contact whoever posted the job and find out what company they work for. <S> Odds are that they are a recruiter. <S> Then you can just explain that you don't want to apply for a job at xyz company, which is where you already work. <S> If it turns out that the job was actually posted by an internal recruiter for your company, ask a few questions and them politely terminate the conversation. <S> Problem solved.
| Put your resume up on the job boards, keep it regularly updated and let them come to you instead of you coming to them.
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How does billing by hours work as skill increases and time to completion decreases? If I start a new job and I'm asked to do some work for a client. The company bills the client in 15min increments, I spend time learning my companies' setup, where things are, etc... I end up billing the client for "2 Hours". Now as I improve my skills each subsequent time I do the same or a similar task for a client it should take me less time. But this means as time goes forward I would be able to bill less hours for the same work. Now, I have to do more tasks to fill in the empty space created by the shorten work time. Do I continue to bill clients for 2 hours for that same/similar task? It seems like billable hours punishes those employees who are "faster" If I can do 2 hours of Bob's work in 15 minutes, I should be able to A. Leave for the next 1:45 B. Bill 2 Hours, and spend the next 1:45 working on other billable work <Q> First, I am assuming you are an independent contractor. <S> If you are not, then @JoeStrazzere's comment is the correct course - defer to your employer. <S> When businesses hire contractors, they know that you are not "tailored" to their business. <S> They hire you because you have most of the skills they need, and can develop the ones you are missing. <S> As your skill base builds, so does your efficiency. <S> Eventually your skills reach the point where an increase in your rate is warranted, because you can now do in 10 minutes what used to take 30 minutes. <S> Also, don't worry about Bob. <S> Put in your best efforts and bill for them. <S> The client is the one to make the decision as to whether or not it's worth what you're charging. <S> Again, if you're an employee, then all of this is moot and you should defer to your employer's instructions. <A> If the bill sent out by you (or your company) is based on hours worked, then it is at least unethical. <S> IANAL, <S> but I believe in some jurisdictions this is also illegal, deemed to be fraud. <S> If your contract is to deliver a product or finished project and the tracking of hours is for internal use, that is a different situation and is an internal matter. <S> Let's take your example, suppose you are so good that it takes you 30 minutes to what would take someone else 2 hours. <S> So you take the extra 1.5 hours and do the same amount of work for 3 other clients. <S> If you bill them all for 2 hours based on your theory, you will bill for 8 hours. <S> If you extend that thought, you will bill for 160 hours that week. <S> Interesting, since there are only 168 hours in a 7 day period. <S> Hopefully, this will demonstrate why this practice should not happen. <S> tl;dr <S> Part of your question is asking us whether you should lie to your clients. <S> Hopefully looking at it in that light <S> will give you some direction. <A> In general, your company will realize that you are more awesome and start charging more for your (more awesome) time - though it's decidedly not guaranteed that you will actually see any of that. <S> It's generally frowned upon to bill for more hours than you work. <S> That can end up on an invoice to the client, who can be upset when things don't add up. <S> And it can end up on your internal reports which leads to questions about how you're billing 30 hours in a day... <S> But different companies have different standard practices. <S> When in doubt, ask your boss.
| As your skillset and expertise grows, you or your company should adjust your billing rate to reflect that.
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Is it ok to put the courses that I have self-studied in my resume? what should be the wording? Is it ok to put the courses that I have self-studied in my resume? what should be the wording? I'm going to compose a CV as a network engineer I need to know if it's OK to have self-studied courses in resume and what should be the wording like? For example, I have studied Cisco CCDA course by myself, I mean that I have attended no class, just got some free online training like video training or stuff like that, studied books on that topic, and spend doing lab and I'm sure that I have covered almost every aspect about that and I'm fully comfortable with that, I mean I could do interview on that and answer related questions. <Q> Is it ok to put the courses that I have self-studied in my resume? <S> what should be the wording? <S> Sure. <S> That way, you indicate all these things you have studied on your own, apart from the other more formally-attained knowledge. <S> However you express it in your resume, make sure you don't write it so that it looks like you have actually attended a training class, certification course, or college course. <S> Nobody wants to hire someone who is lying or trying to mislead them. <S> And of course be ready to answer questions about the courses. <S> An interviewer will likely want to probe the depth of your understanding, since "studied on my own" could mean anything from "skimmed a web page" to "spent 52 weeks in intensive study". <A> The first thing potential employers want to see on your resume is experience and degree or certifications. <S> If you have those, specific classes taken just take up space, and aren't mentioned. <S> If you have no formal education and no experience, then you'll need to put on something to catch their interest. <S> In that case it could be worth listing: partial but not yet finished formal education or specific classes you've taken, if they are pertinent to the applied job. <S> However, you're probably competing against people who do have certifications, degrees, and education. <S> Your cover letter will have to say why you're also worth their interest, and in a more than compelling manner. <S> Because, if you're reduced to listing classes you've taken on your resume, it's still pretty weak. <A> As others have mentioned, if you have done self study make sure it is labelled as such. <S> Be aware that watching some online videos for a CCNA course don't mean much. <S> Have you downloaded Packet Tracer and experimented with it? <S> How about having a test environment at home where you purchased some old switches and/or routers? <S> If so, say what you did. <S> Further, if you've studied the courses behind getting certain qualifications, back up that knowledge by getting the certification. <S> Otherwise if you can, focus on doing study through options like Coursera or edX where they have options for some courses which show that you passed their exams in an exam like environment and essentially have more credibility behind them because the experience you gained from them is more quantifiable.
| Put it somewhere near your other skills, perhaps under a heading of "Self-Taught Skills". You don't want to mislead the resume reader - that could lead to outright rejection if discovered.
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I code better at home, what does this say about my work environment? I currently work (as a developer) for a company where I am involved in pretty awesome projects. In general, I have fun and the projects are challenging enough, so nothing wrong there. We currently have an open-office setup and everybody sits in a single room, including product management. In total this is about 6 people, 7 including myself. Product managers are loud, picking up phones, having small meetings, and people constantly walk in. The overall setup is pretty good, we all have 2 screens and powerful computers. The problem is, that lately I been having trouble concentrating during the day. I really like to be productive and be in the zone and stuff, but I just can't get into it. Our team is under constant pressure and I would really like to get some work done. Because I am having trouble concentrating, I slack off during the day. When I come home, after dinner I just sit behind my computer and suddenly I am on a rampage and shooting code out of my fingertips and I finally get some work done. The problem is, of course, that this is eating up my spare time and I am tired the next day because I have been working hard in the evening. So, my question is: Should I ask for more silence in the room, by for example moving out product managers? Or should I ask to work more from home? <Q> You are potentially putting yourself in a vicious circle: you are tired and can't work in the noise, so you work at home and then get more tired. <S> One option is to try to get to work very refreshed. <S> Skip working at home for a few evenings, so that you can get plenty of sleep. <S> Then, see if you are able to concentrate better, in spite of the noise. <S> That will allow you to continue not working at home, and not getting so tired. <S> If you used to be productive and the working situation itself has not changed, then this could be the reason. <S> If the working situation used to be quieter or has changed in other ways, it may be way off base. <S> Nonetheless, it is often harder to concentrate when you are tired. <A> Although wearing ear plugs, or a headset with music is a way to treat the symptoms, I would also try and start a discussion at work. <S> Explain how for you to be efficient at programming, you need space to concentrate. <S> This effectively makes the hours you get paid to work useless. <S> I think good management should be inclined to listen to this, if not for your sake, then for their profits sake. <S> Try not to turn this into a he-is-always-talking-so <S> -I-cannot-get-anything-done shouting match, but into a constructive discussion. <S> Some options you could discuss during this discussion: <S> Company provides ear plugs / headsets. <S> Separate spaces for calling / teleconfs are created, this no longer happens in the general space. <S> Product managers and programmers are put into separate offices. <S> Programmers are allowed to work from home some part of the week. <S> They stay in contact via chat and skype. <S> This discussion might not lead to anything, but you can surely give it a try. <S> Fixing the situation sure beats working every evening to pick up the slack (which you should stop doing by-the-way, working more than 40 hours doesn't really work in the long run). <S> Note: I work a lot from home, and my boss supports that. <S> He is happy when I get work done, not when I fill a chair in the office. <S> Sometimes there is no replacement for being at the office, but being there for all 40 hours is not needed imo. <A> If it's the noise that bothers you, get a good set of headphones and some good music. <S> If it's people walking around too much, turn your workstation to face the wall side. <S> If those don't work, then ask for work from home. <A> Some people thrive in a noisy environment and if you ask for silence or the product managers to leave, it may harm you. <S> What about getting headphones and listen to white noise?
| Not being able to concentrate because of noise seriously decreases the amount of work you can get done. A separate meeting room is set up for people to meet, this is no longer done in the general space.
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How to address my manager's sudden reluctance to communicate? My manager for the past two years, who also promoted me to deputy manager a year ago, has suddenly stopped communicating with me since the last time I took a holiday. I tried to organize catch-ups, requested 1-on-1s and sent multiple update e-mails but all was ignored for the past three months.The only times he briefly talked to me was in department-wide remote meetings. Note that his office is in a different country too, so we have very few ways to communicate. What worried me is that he didn't even reply to quite urgent matters. The only other line of communication is another senior manager with whom we all work cross-functionally, and I get to speak with this latter one much more often. I have read elsewhere that this kind of behavior may signal upcoming redundancies or reorganizations; however, I have been seen as the top performer and the company and team are both doing very well. This also makes me fear about some kind of unknown underground politics. I have been trying very very hard to communicate, send e-mails, phone, distribute team- and company-wide communications - but I literally have heard no feedback from my manager for all these months. What can I do? <Q> My manager for the past two years, who also promoted me to deputy manager a year ago, has suddenly stopped communicating with me since the last time I took a holiday. <S> Assume <S> good faith: Perhaps your manager simply has more duties since being promoted & the weight of it only hit him in the past few months. <S> Assume it’s an honest issue & perhaps he is not responding to you because he actually trusts you & does not think any direct involvement is needed. <S> I have read elsewhere that this kind of behavior may signal upcoming redundancies or reorganizations; however, I have been seen as the top performer and the company and team are both doing very well. <S> This also makes me fear about some kind of unknown underground politics. <S> Have you talked to human resources about this? <S> It could be an honest issue that has nothing to do with politics. <S> And it’s human resources job to help clear the air. <S> But if you are able to talk to a senior manager without issue, maybe they would be the best one to talk about this with. <S> But as I said, assume good faith & assume that the silence is connected to the change in managerial duties & increased truest in delegating duties to you. <A> While it may have nothing to do with you at all (your manager may have hit a snag in his own professional or personal life), you should not ignore a sudden change in behavior. <S> First, you should probably attempt to address this specific issue with your manager, in a way that expresses genuine concern for improving communication and any issues he may have with your performance, for example: "I have noticed lately that a number of my emails to you have gone unanswered. <S> I wanted to check in with you about whether there are issues with my performance or the way I am communicating that I should be aware of. <S> If there is anything I should be doing differently, I would really appreciate knowing so that I can improve." <S> If this goes unanswered, then you probably need to go over his head, maintaining the same level of concern, for example: "In the past few months, many of my emails to Manager have gone unanswered. <S> This is a change in his behavior toward me which I have tried to address (see email below) with no response. <S> I would like your advice about what I should do next. <S> I really would like to know if there are issues with my performance, and I also need help in improving the lines of communication with Manager." <A> He is obviously not able to or is not wanting to talk to you too much - for whatever reasons - and haranguing him too often might be counter - productive. <S> Its in your best interests to accept this change and disengage to the minimum required level. <S> About politics/redundancies - my approach to that is to do everything else that can work to improve the situation. <S> And this approach of trying to communicate with him more often clearly doesn't seem to work. <S> Try other things. <S> If you are worried about losing touch with the individual - it happens many times when you are away for a while, somebody else takes prominence in their daily work because the Org setup changed, a project changed etc or maybe they just found somebody else to spend more time with. <S> And when you come back, the equations might have changed - from my own experiences, I feel its best to acknowledge that and let go. <S> Things will work out in the long run.
| On a professional level, as long you can get the responses you need from somebody else / any other source and it is not affecting your performance, the best thing you can do is to scale down your keenness to communicate with this particular person.
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Should you be honest about your passion for the job even if it's potentially unethical? I got interested in hardware programming by reverse engineering commercial programs. I then got interested in security by working with keyloggers and RATs. If I were applying for a programming position, what should I be saying if they ask "What got you interested in programming?" <Q> If I were applying for a programming position, what should I be saying if they ask “What got you interested in programming?” <S> But you have to realize something: How exactly do you think people protect systems from intrusion other than to see how the intrusion tools work? <S> “White hat” hackers are a valuable commodity. <S> And—like I mention—age plays a factor: Most school courses on programming are not cutting edge even if they are good. <S> It’s a good sign if you interview for a job & show a natural curiosity. <S> Heck, I learned more typing in BASIC programs from magazines like COMPUTE & SoftSide back in the day than I learned in any course. <S> Past all of that <S> , it’s almost expected that you explored computers via hacking: This field changes so much from day-to-day it makes more sense to explore the world on your own—and reverse engineer cool new tools—than wait for some stodgy book to come out a few years later. <S> You know that Steve Jobs & Steve Wozniak where phone phreakers back in the day , right? <S> Even before Apple started, that didn’t stop them from getting work or have respect shown to them for their skills. <S> I never read one story on Apple where someone looked at Jobs and Wozniak and then said, “Hmmm… They are hackers! <S> Can’t take the risk!” <S> So yes, if you feel it is appropriate, you should mention your hacking exploit past. <S> But be sure to put it in the context of the past. <S> And why you were doing that at the time. <A> I used to work at a security consulting outfit. <S> While we were ethical hackers ourselves, we would not even think of hiring a cracker i.e. a hacker who cracks into systems for fun and/or profits. <S> Our job was to probe our clients' systems for vulnerabilities with their knowledge and consent and at times, we broke through as part of our probing. <S> If we hired a cracker and a client complained that someone on our side had broken through and done something improper, we wouldn't have the benefit of the doubt and our business model would have been at risk. <S> And that would be before the client took us to court and the client's lawyers started to work on our backgrounds, <S> No, the fact that we had a former cracker on the staff wouldn't look good for us in court. <S> As for reverse engineering commercial programs, some of it may be out of bounds as per Federal law. <S> I would say, sanitize your narrative. <S> Employers can find plenty of people who don't make them nervous. <S> In fact, I'd say that if an employer had to choose between a talented individual who makes the employer nervous and a clearly not so talented individual who doesn't make them nervous, they'll pick the individual they don't have to worry about. <S> Nowadays, assembling and disassembling Open Source programs is a totally safe and acceptable way of making your bones. <A> I got interested in hardware programming by reverse engineering commercial programs. <S> I then got interested in security by working with keyloggers and RATs. <S> If I were applying for a programming position, what should I be saying if they ask "What got you interested in programming?" <S> So, the first time you ever programmed, it was reverse engineering? <S> Really? <S> It wasn't looking into how do computers do things and wanting to understand how to control the machine? <S> Reverse engineering commercial programs would send off some yellow flags to my mind. <S> Understanding how programs worked and wanting to drill down into the lowest level would be a bit more elaborate on some level without mentioning some of the phrases that could cause trouble. <S> Working with keyloggers and RATs could be seen as exploring what can programs do. <S> While you could try to go down the road of claiming to be an ethical hacker, there would likely be more than a few companies that may not care to consider the explanation. <S> So you didn't learn a programming language as a starting point? <S> How did you reverse engineer without having any programming knowledge? <S> I'd call Assembly a programming language and while it may not be learning it thoroughly <S> , you did understand at least some of the code in that language. <S> If you want to not think of Assembly as a programming language, that's your choice <S> but I suspect a lot of developers would call it that.
| Depends on you age & experience when you did what you did. If you are applying for security work, don't mention key loggers and RATs, you're making me nervous.
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Behaving professionally when there's nothing to do I don't want to go into detail, but I'm contracted to maintain a large amount of computers. Every now and then I'll end up with 20-50 minutes of downtime where all the computers are working autonomously at the same time. Do I stand around, look pretty? <Q> Every now <S> and then I'll end up with 20-50 minutes of downtime where all the computers are working autonomously at the same time. <S> Okay, do you realize that—for the most part—repairing a computer & just sitting around a computer <S> looks pretty much the same, right? <S> Welcome to everyone’s work day! <S> The reality of any job is—in most cases—you are not hired to be 100% busy all the time, but rather be there so if something does happen <S> you are ready to act. <S> That is basically every workplace: You come in, do work, and if the work stops it’s not the end of the world. <S> Take advantage of the slack time to wind down a bit. <S> Like maybe organizing your notes or review things you have repaired. <S> But all work days are filled with downtime. <S> Don’t get too hung up on it. <A> Catch up with your email. <S> Coordinate with your colleagues and manager. <S> Do a little light professional reading. <S> Work out your tasks for the day or the week. <S> Get yourself some coffee. <S> Check up on tour systems from time to time. <S> And don't forget to look pretty :) <A> There is really nothing <S> you can do while the computers are doing something that takes a while? <S> I don't believe that. <S> For example, don't check your emails first thing in the morning in such a way that it displaces other work. <S> Even if you have no other immediate job tasks to perform, there is surely always something more to learn. <S> There must be a manual to read about this new software you're not really up to speed on, new product announcements to look over for relevancy, forums for IT people to check out and maybe pick up a few pointers from you never thought of before, or even just cleaning up your desk. <S> There is always something better to do than just sitting there. <A> They might assign you some extra work for these situations or they might not think it is important to do so. <S> In case they say it's OK to do whatever, the most professional thing is still to look for ways to add value in your current job (improve processes, improve yourself as it relates to your job, etc...).
| And if you want to feel productive engage in some kind of pro-active work. If you regularly have this down time, then arrange other tasks to take advantage of it. Get the computers cranking, then check email while you're waiting. The most professional thing to do is to tell your supervisor that this is the case so they can be aware of this 'problem'.
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Should I include my current job, which is only 4 months long, in my resume? I landed myself in my first job pretty quickly soon after graduation. However, in to my second week, I knew this job wasn't for me. I convinced myself to stay longer, for at least a year, thinking that I shouldn't leave too soon, as I may look like a job hopper in my resume. But I can't stand it when I just don't see myself in this job in the future. I'm on my fourth month now, and I'm planning on leaving again. I started looking for a new job, but am having a dilemma deciding whether I should include my current job. There are going to be a lot of questions whether I include it or not. If I don't include my current job in my resume, I can expect questions on what I was doing in that half year and why I need a month notice period before I can start work . If I include my current job in my resume, I may appear flaky to potential employers or an immature brat who hops too soon. And because my current job has little to do with the new job I'm going to apply for, I'm not sure I get more questions on why I even accepted my current job if I knew I didn't like it . How should I deal with this problem in the best way? Should I include my current job in my resume? <Q> Well personally I would just be honest. <S> List it on your resume, in interviews one of the most common questions is "why are you leaving your current employer?" <S> (and with a four month stint it WILL be asked) Fresh out of college <S> it's not uncommon to have a misstep in taking your first job, and frankly so long as you can convey things clearly in the interview will generally be forgiven. <S> Your resume only starts to stink of a job hopper when it becomes a repeat offense. <S> Of coarse you should still prioritize relevant work, skills, projects, etc. <S> just don't go out of your way to not include this job. <S> I typically only recommend not listing jobs when they aren't the most relevant, or if you cut your losses within what's typically considered a probationary period (first 90 days) <S> It's also worth noting, <S> if this is your first job in this career path you might need to do some homework on what's normal in your field. <S> Some fields have a huge variety of opportunities that fit any personality, others are extremely narrow and you're going to have to accept it or adjust to another career path (which can be done with only minor tweaks <S> no need to get another degree) <A> Honesty is the best policy when it comes to your CV. <S> Always list every job you've worked, never list more than you've done. <S> Most employers will forgive someone for not getting it right with their first job. <S> The fact that you're fresh out of school will help you there as you don't have the life experience in the working world that helps you identify the warning signs that a job isn't a good fit for you. <S> Other things that can help are if you're applying for jobs that are in the same field. <S> It shows you're committed to your chosen career, you just don't like working where you are at the moment. <S> Know why you're leaving; do you not like it because of the work? <S> What specific thing(s) is it that you don't like about your current job? <S> Then prepare to answer the question of why you're leaving so soon in interview. <S> Whatever you do, don't bash your current employer. <S> No one likes to hear someone gripe about how bad they have it, or how unfair something is. <S> Be professional and keep it short and relevant. <S> If you'd like an example of what to say please let us know specifically what it is that you don't like about your current place. <A> I would definitely put the job on the CV. <S> You say it's your first job <S> and you're concerned you'll look like a job hopper. <S> Let me just tell you not to worry about it. <S> If you had 4 or 5 of them, then it would be a problem. <S> But if we're talking about just one... believe me, anyone who would label you as a job hopper would be totally wrong.
| Job hopping can be recognized only through a pattern of jobs that lasted a short period of time.
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Will not disclosing that I worked as a contractor not an employee count against me in a hiring decision? I recently accepted a job offer for a job that I really want. However, I did not include on my resume that I work as a contractor in my current position, nor I did in the application. However, I put it down in the background check papers. I am really scared I will lose the job because of my stupidity. I just didn't feel that working as a contractor affects my skills, so I did not mention it. Am I likely to lose the position? If it is brought up how should I handle the questions? <Q> Usually the reason employers want to know about your previous jobs is to know what your expertise and skills are, not <S> what type of employment it was. <S> In the UK I'd see no difference between hiring a contractor vs a permanent employee. <S> I'm not aware of this type of thing varying from country to country. <S> I'd recommend just relaxing and seeing what happens with the background check, but it'll probably be fine. <S> Don't raise it unless someone else does - unless you have some other specific reason to feel worried that you didn't mention in the question? <S> If they do raise it, just apologise and say you didn't realise it was important. <S> But I'd be very surprised if they did - the difference amounts to how you were paid and what your rights / hours were, and does not really have any bearing on your work ability. <A> Relax. <S> First, I'd be very surprised if you were actually a contractor. <S> Most likely you were actually a contract employee. <S> Did you provide your own hardware and software? <S> Did you quote a price based on a job, and not get paid by the hour? <S> Did you have your own business (even as a DBA) and send invoices? <S> If you answered "No" to those questions, you were actually a contract employee, not a contractor. <S> It's an important distinction, and you can use that to your advantage. <S> You likely used the employer-provided systems, worked in their offices, at their direction, and filled out timesheets, not invoices. <S> Am I correct? <S> You're a contract employee, not a contractor. <A> I have to disagree with this answer . <S> Particularly if you used the name of the company you were working for <S> but you were never an actual employee of that company. <S> Lying on a resume can get you fired even years after you were hired. <S> It is good that you told the truth in the background check, but for the future never put anything on your resume that will conflict with what you will put on the background check or with what they will find if they do one. <S> For right now, I would come clean with their HR. <S> Tell them you put the full information on the background check because it wasn't until you saw the form that you realized that it might be important. <S> In such situations, it usually is more in your favor to admit the mistake before they catch you in a lie. <S> And if it isn't at this company, you get the bad news faster.
| What concerns people is not that you were a contractor or not but that you lied on your resume.
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How do explain to my boss that I need time off for interviews, and why I am leaving? I have been going through a transition period. I was looking after an elderly family member while working part time. He has now gone into a care home and I no longer receive anything for his care. I have looked into my situation with great care because I love my current employer and wish to progress with them. However, I have come to the conclusion I will have to leave and have already started applying elsewhere. This is because: Opportunities for progression or full time work are limited with my current employer My salary does not come close to covering outgoings despite cutting back and I do not qualify for benefits to allow me to stick around and wait for an opportunity. I work in a very small team so if I get called for any sort of interview, it is highly likely I will need to request time off for it. This is also the first time I am applying for a job while already in employment. So: How do explain to my boss I need time off for interviews? How do I explain why I am leaving to them and my prospective employer? <Q> Don't tell him that you're planning on leaving until you've accepted a job offer and are handing in your notice. <S> Telling your boss that you're planning on leaving before that can cause issues for you, such as being marginalised, or replaced. <S> Regarding how to explain to your prospective employer why you're wanting to leave, the reasons you've listed are pretty sufficient. <S> Think about it from the employers point of view - can they satisfy these shortcomings, and are they going to get good value from you? <A> Alternate view: I always found that "open & transparent" seems to be the best policy. <S> I think it's perfectly okay to talk to your boss and tell them something like: "Due to some changes in my personal life I need a full time job now. <S> I really do like it here and would love to build out my career with you. <S> What can I do to make this happen? <S> What expectations would I have to meet? <S> If for some reason we can't do this, than I need to be looking for alternatives. <S> Although that's not my preferred option, I really don't have much of a choice here. <S> If anything develops I will let you know so we can discuss again". <S> I coached one of my sons through a similar situation. <S> He got hired as a temp at a start-up with the potential of getting converted to a permanent position sometime in the future. <S> In the first week he gave his boss the speech as outlined above. <S> His boss wasn't super happy at first, but it was a reasonable ask and he appreciated the openness. <S> The final outcome was great: about a month later my son got a really nice offer from a different startup. <S> He talked it through with his first boss who decided that the timing wasn't great to keep him there. <S> So they parted as friends with a nice good bye party and the intent to stay in contact for potential future opportunities. <S> By being open upfront, my son managed to set realistic expectation and paved the way for an amicable departure. <A> How do explain to my boss I need time off for interviews? <S> You don't. <S> You simply say that you need to take the time off. <S> If they ask, you simply say that you have personal business to attend to. <S> You are not actually lying since going for an interview falls under the classification of taking care of personal business. <S> Just don't volunteer any info to the effect that you are going for interviews, and you don't volunteer that info no matter how hard they push you. <S> It's none of their business. <S> How do I explain why I am leaving to them and my prospective employer? <S> You say that you are looking for a position with a career path, and you'd very much like said position to give you a stable, predictable income stream and sick days when you need them.
| You don't need to tell him that the reason you're taking time off is for interviews. Just tell them that you have an appointment you need to keep.
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Should I give thanks privately? I recently had a conversation where I was discussing praising, or thanking a member of my team. Of course, the team gets credit in public, but that's good for team wide praise. But personally, I find individual public displays in front of the team to be... staged. They often feel less about thanking the person in question and more about the boss saying "look at me, I appreciate you" and/or "I wish you were all more like Bob". So I tend to give a fair amount of thanks in private. "Thanks Bob, I really appreciate you putting in that extra effort last week." There are times when the public praise is appropriate (for the reasons above, among others) but honestly, my team deserves more of my genuine thanks than is appropriate in public (in my opinion). Which brings me back to my conversation. A colleague of mine disagrees with this approach (to be kind). They don't see the usefulness of private thanks and well, I don't know. So, is there any sort of common guidance for individual thanks along the lines of "praise in public, criticize in private" for the team? <Q> In general, industry advice on recognition says that there are advantages of public recognition. <S> This article (which includes a comprehensive study on recognition practices performed at IBM) notes the reasons: <S> Some (but not all) <S> people enjoy being recognized in front of their colleagues. <S> Of course recognition can always be done badly (the rest of the article and study investigate several of those missteps in depth). <S> Some people are shy enough they don't like being praised in front of others, and some others (you, sounds like) don't like being given normative guidance in this manner. <S> The main message here is "people's preferences vary." <S> But you should never give recognition according to your preferences. <S> You should give it according to the recipient's preferences. <S> Adapting your approach to the individual, team, and company above your own personal preference is Management 101, and should be applied to everything besides recognition as well (coaching, performance feedback, etc.). <A> There are pros and cons to both approaches. <S> Private praise is more personal. <S> It builds relationships. <S> However, it may not be as satisfying as praise that is openly given in front of witnesses, and you have to be a little careful as to how you deliver it. <S> Some people are not comfortable with even small intimacies in the workplace. <S> Public praise can boost self esteem but may also give rise to jealousies and embarrassment. <S> It is not a good team building practice, IMO. <S> It might be used as a motivational tool in some cases (Employee of the month, MVP, etc) <S> but I've never heard anyone express the opinion that it motivated them at all personally. <S> It satisfies the competitive urge, but sometimes at the expense of team cohesion. <S> Of the two, I think the latter would be more valuable to you as a manager. <S> Personally, having a manager who occasionally tells me that I am doing a good job is a real morale booster (as long as I feel that he isn't just doing a rah-rah job on me and he is praising me for something I know I've done well). <S> However, public recognition just makes me uncomfortable. <A> I give thanks to the team in public and in private - They get the same version from me. <S> I am opportunistic and spontaneous. <S> I don't need to wait for a formal staff meeting to express my appreciation and in fact, the team members appreciate the spontaneity as proof of authenticity. <S> Again, when I thank the team as a whole, the team members get the same story from me. <S> The fact that the story is consistent makes what I say in terms of appreciation authentic no matter what weasely and fakey smile I plaster on my face as I say it :)
| Public praise is only a reward if you desire the admiration (or envy) of your peers. Public recognition communicates a message to all employees about the priorities and function of the organization.
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How to ask for a raise as a software developer purely based off accomplishments? I'm a young developer with a couple years experience. It's not much but I'm always striving to learn more and doing so I know more than many of the senior developers I've worked with when it comes to current technologies and practices; however, that is not always the case.Out of 4 developers in a project, I've implemented about 30-40% of the infrastructure and functional requirements in our system. I would like a big raise (15%+) because it bothers me that I'm getting paid roughly half of what the other developers get with 6 figure salaries. How do I convince my manager? He knows the value I bring in to the team but he comes from a large corporation where years of experience is a key factor. I would like to get compensated based on merit and skill rather than experience. <Q> Collect some facts! <S> Get some facts about what you did for your current employer. <S> If you asked previously what you would have to do for a raise. <S> Compare your performance to what you should have done for a raise and look if you qualify. <S> If you do qualify, get a meeting with your boss and present those qualifications and what else you did <S> that's showing extra effort or more performance. <S> If you didn't ask what you would have to do for a raise. <S> Collect facts about how you perform well <S> and you about you putting in the extra effort as opposed to your job description. <S> Keep it personal! <S> You don't want to say: "Hey, I am doing better than X, so I deserve a raise.", because you do not know for sure what his qualifications are. <S> Tell him you think you deserve a raise because of your performance. <S> If that's not enough ask him what has to be done in order to qualify for a raise. <S> Doing this will at least give you the information needed in order to qualify for a raise next time. <A> Convince your boss that you are worth 15% more salary. <S> You say he comes from a large corporation. <S> Promotions and salary raises in big corporations don't come from the years people worked there, you have to list accomplishments outside of the scope of your role. " <S> Because I earn less than my colleagues" is not a good argument. <S> Numbers are important here. <S> How much time is saved by your implementations? <S> Were your implementations expected from you, or did you go that extra mile to make them better. <S> Was it your initiative, or did you get the task from someone? <S> Does the company earn more money and can you prove that your changes caused that? <S> Was there a quality/cost improvement for the customer? <S> Can you show that you used the resources given to you effective, including your team members? <S> Can you show that you are a team player that can get into a "flow" with colleagues, and therefore be much more productive than working alone? <A> As far as I know the salary is depending on the work employee has done for his company and not base on his past experience. <S> Most of the time much experience workers have to do much work load and have much responsibilities thus they are getting higher salaries than new workers. <S> Let's turn back to your issue. <S> I think it is depending on the system that you have developed. <S> For example if it is not much complex system I think it is better to wait until your team and supervisor find out that you are valuable worker for the company. <S> If they already understood you are valuable for them do not hesitate to talk to your manager about the matter. <S> For example I think it is good time to talk about it, after your supervisor appreciate any of your work. <S> As d'alar'cop suggested above you can try higher salary job offer and after you get any go to your supervisor and discuss about the demand.
| Tell your manager that you think you're an asset to your team, you fullfilled the qualifications your boss set in order to qualify for a raise and that you'd like a raise.
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How to ask manager to stay for an intership? Together with 2 classmates I have an intership at a company A. After this internship we have to look for another internship. I haven't found a company to do my next internship at. And one of my classmates said to me that our manager from the company said to them(my classmates) that if they needed an internship it's possible to do it at company A. I would like to do my next internship at company A. I'm just not sure how to ask it. Should I say that I have heard what my manager said and that I would like to stay for the next period? Or should I ask and act like I haven't heard it before? / ** edit ** / So I asked my manager if I could do my next internship at the company. And after 4 days he came to me with a project, so I can do my next internship at that company. Thx for all the answers. <Q> Just ask as if you had not heard that as your friends probably should not have shared it. <S> But be prepared that they may not decide to keep you. <S> If they told the others they could come back and not you, that is often an indicator that they think you are the weaker performer. <A> Act as if you haven't heard a thing through the grapevine, and simply send an email to your manager stating that you enjoyed working at Company A, and that you'd very much like to stay for another internship. <S> If you don't ask, you don't get. <S> They are not mind readers <S> so it's up to you to tell them what you want from them. <S> The worst thing that happens is that they say "no". <A> Honesty is always easier to keep track of when possible. <S> The only question is: is it possible that the conversation they had with your friend was priveliged and intended only for your friend? <S> If so, be prepared for there to possibly be only 1 spot available which may already be taken. <S> If you think the offer was open to anyone interested, just ask to book a chat with the manager. <S> Say you really like the company, you've heard there might be internships available in the future, and ask if it would be possible to apply for one. <A> Make sure they are aware that you are looking for another internship and would like to do it at company A if possible. <S> Your friends should give you some indication that what they were told was to be kept in confidence. <S> Unless you feel there are negative feelings about the quality of your work, you should just be open and ask. <S> The conversation may or may not get into whether or not you heard about the offer to your friends. <S> My guess is whoever is in charge of interns would rather not have to go <S> find/review new people if he can avoid it, so think of it as doing him a favor.
| If they do turn you down, talk to the manager about what you can do better in your next internship and fix that at your next company.
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Are there examples of workplace politics that are not dishonest or deceptive? I have read a few questions here about politics and wanted to ask more about a topic that caught my eye from a conversation. Is it possible to engage in company politics while being fully honest and never engaging dishonestly/deceptively? Are there specific examples of clean "political tactics"? <Q> Of course there are examples of entirely positive workplace politics. <S> There are thousands of examples (so many, in fact, that the Workplace moderators will probably close this question because it's so broad). <S> Here are two: <S> When you hire a new colleague, take her around and introduce her to your management and your team. <S> As you introduce her, use a few words to say you expect good things from her. <S> When you're working with people in other departments, get to know them. <S> Ask them what their goals are and how you can help them achieve their goals. <S> What's going on here? <S> You're building relationships, expectation, and loyalty. <A> Absolutely. <S> "Politics" is nothing more complex than manipulating people and situations to advance an agenda. <S> If your methods are positive, and your agenda is positive, you have "Positive" politics. <S> Example: <S> "Hey, Bob (new sales guy). <S> I hear you're meeting with Bill at XYZ Corp next week. <S> Did you know he was the customer who came up with the RazzMataz feature idea on our Multi-Dimensional Widget product line? <S> You should take Steve (engineer) with you, as he's the specialist on that feature." <S> "Hey Sara (Boss) - I asked Bob to take Steve with him to see XYZ Corp next week, since XYZ Corp really uses the feature Steve made last year. <S> BTW - Steve hasn't had a raise in a while. <S> Is there anything we can do for him?" <S> With that little maneuver, you got the new sales guy to "owe you one," you got a good bit of recognition for one of your team (which pays off big, later), and maybe even set the stage for one of your team getting a raise. <S> You now have two people who are grateful for your efforts, and <S> a boss who knows you aren't a credit hog. <S> That's building political capital that you may need, later. <A> Are there specific examples of clean "political tactics"? <S> Of course. <S> Every time you take extra care in a project for an important person or department - you are playing politics. <S> Every time you decide to include key members of the company in a decision - you are playing politics. <S> etc, etc... <S> There's nothing inherently dishonest or deceptive about politics. <S> It only happens when you choose to make it that way.
| Every time you make sure management is aware of your accomplishments, and the accomplishments of your team - you are playing politics.
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How do you incentivise developers without upsetting testers? Our office is mixed with a dev-to-tester ratio of about 1:1.5 - and we're in a dilemma of providing perks for developers which could be too costly to provide for the entire office. Up to now, we haven't really been treating our developers the same as other companies in the industry, and due to this, we've seen some really talented people leave for companies that do offer these types of perks. One example is we would like to provide dual-widescreen monitors for our developers; however this isn't as necessary for our testing teams, and would incur an extra 150% cost increase. Software developers see dual-widescreens as a necessity , while other types of roles see them largely as little more than a perk . I'm not saying these wouldn't increase productivity across the board; only that the performance increase for developers is larger than that of testers. This is just one example of perks we're trying to roll out for our development teams to make them feel more appreciated, while at the same time avoiding any hard feelings from the non-devs in the office. How do other organizations do this? Surely Google, Facebook, and Microsoft have overcome this situation somehow. <Q> You're worried about the price of a second monitor? <S> Really!? <S> This is a no-brainer. <S> $300 for a second monitor is nothing compared to the cost of keeping a employee around. <S> I would simply get a bunch and give them to all software developers and anyone else that you think will actually benefit from the second monitor. <S> Shame on you for not making this standard in the first place. <S> If any other employee asks for a second monitor, just give them one. <S> Don't argue, just do it. <S> By the time you make the employee justify how they need the second monitor, you have caused them and you to waste more than its cost, and created negative feelings in the process. <S> Even if you're pretty sure someone doesn't need a second monitor and wouldn't know how to use it if he had it, give him one anyway if he asks. <S> The feeling of support from the company and better all-around moral is worth a lot, versus $300 and employees griping on company time about how only the elite got second monitors, and the overall decrease in moral. <S> Unless someone is asking for $1000 gizmos, not just getting equipment for employees that ask for it is short-sighted, penny-wise, and pound-foolish. <S> For engineers that work for me, I give them a credit card and tell them to not even bother me with anything that is only a few $100. <S> Of course they will be eventually evaluated on how wisely they used this freedom, but I haven't had anyone abuse it yet. <S> I think that is in part because I gave them the trust and freedom to use their own judgement. <S> Your employees know better than you do what is causing them to waste time regularly. <S> Let them make the decisions, with you only stepping in if it seems well out of line. <A> Testers and developers have different needs, so don't always think treating people the same is treating them equally. <S> Maybe there is something more important to them instead of dual monitors and might cost less. <S> It could be as simple as altering some of your processes that negatively affect them. <S> Unfortunately, you waited until developers started leaving before you listened to them. <S> Don't make the same mistake with testers. <S> They may not leave, but stay with you and not make their best effort. <A> I'm with @Olin on the monitor issue - first and foremost, know the impact vs. the cost. <S> In the case of monitors, it's generally deemed such a low cost vs. the efficiency gain that people don't overthink it. <S> But on the greater scheme of incentivizing people differently. <S> My thoughts would be: 1 - Just do it. <S> Developers need different tools than QA - and it varies from tool to tool. <S> QA may use automated test tools that are crazy expensive, Developers may ask for software development environments that are crazy expensive - just evaluate each request in terms of cost vs. value. <S> The most demoralizing thing for anyone is to have a company that won't give them the tools they need to do their job... regardless of the job. <S> 2 - Realize that unspoken differences are already happening - typically different roles get different pay and it gets more diverse the wider <S> you look - <S> for example, sales people are often incentivized monetarily on deals closed and profit earned, while dev and QA get incentive on productivity in a more holistic way with raises and bonuses rather than sales targets. <S> 3 - Find a way to equalize - for example, give everyone an equipment budget or give a budget to heads of the specialized areas and let the the individual contributors work out the parts of #1 with their direct management. <S> 4 - Do take the time to figure out if the incentive is right for your company. <S> Extra monitors are a loose if all the computers are too old to accommodation them (ouch!) and monetary incentives can backfire if not carefully linked to the actual desired outcome. <S> Plan the money before spending it, although plan much, much less when the money is small. <S> It's not wrong to say "this part of the company has more value". <S> Often being clear is better than trying to hide it. <A> I have colleagues at both companies and have visited Google's offices several times, and from what I have seen and heard do not believe that either company distinguishes between developers and testers for equipment or perks. <S> At the various companies I have worked for, I have not seen developers given privileges or equipment not enjoyed by QA staff. <S> In fact, I can think of several cases where QA staff got better monitors and computers because it was required for their testing. <S> If you exclude "perks" from your testing staff, you will very likely eventually lose your best testers to other employers who will treat them better.
| If you want to give special incentives to particular types of employees, then pay them more or give them bigger bonuses. Google, Microsoft and others do not generally give special perks to developers and not to testers. The key is for someone to take the time to ask, listen and make an effort to improve their situation.
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Is inclusion in a 401K program negotiable? I believe that companies can't offer more favorable options for 401Ks - say, a higher match, for some individuals over others. They have to follow their plan documents, so that's not a negotiation point. What I'm wondering is if inclusion in a 401K is something that is possible to negotiate. Say a company offers a 401K to all full-time employees, but I am working 32 hours a week. Could I negotiate with my employer to be offered inclusion in the plan? Or is this also a non-starter legally? <Q> Technically anything legal is negotiable and I have worked in companies where 401ks and 403bs are available to non-full time employees. <S> (I'd actually be impressed by someone fighting for 401k access, that implies they're going to try and stick around long term and are financially sound enough to set retirement as a reasonable priority.) <S> Of coarse whether they are willing to offer the access in negotiations depends on how much they want you, but hey only one way to find out... <A> What I'm wondering is if inclusion in a 401K is something that is possible to negotiate. <S> Say a company offers a 401K to all full-time employees, but I am working 32 hours a week. <S> Could I negotiate with my employer to be offered inclusion in the plan? <S> Or is this also a non-starter legally? <S> Yes. <S> It is negotiable. <S> My wife joined a company of 4. <S> One of the terms of employment she insisted upon was immediate inclusion in their 401k plan. <S> She also works 32 hours per week. <S> After a bit of negotiation, it was granted. <A> Tricky part is to make your benefits match your efforts. <S> I've seen a company advertising "full time, part time and 0.8 positions are available". <S> I assume that as 0.8 == 80% position (32 out of standard 40 hour week) you will get 80% of the benefits: 80% of your match for 401K, 80% of company match, 80% of accumulation of paid time off etc. <A> If the company has a policy that says that automatic deposits in a retirement account are only for 40-hour personnel, you can probably assume they have that policy for a reason. <S> For example, the plan as set up with the investment firm may specify a minimum number of hours and also a minimum tenure for employee eligibility. <S> Or maybe the company views this as a perk for full-time employees, since it requires some administration and accounting on their part. <S> It is likely spelled out in an employee policy manual, which makes it even less likely that it is negotiable, since making exceptions to the policies in a company's employee manual would affect its effectiveness overall. <S> There is nothing to say you can't ask, though. <S> And there is also nothing keeping you from setting up your own 401K and moving money from your bank account into it every month. <A> I would strongly suspect you will have a lot more traction if you are the first part-time employee ever to work for them (or to work in a given role) vs. the 200th. <S> If you are setting the precedent for how a part time person gets paid, you probably have some leeway. <S> If a certain pattern has been set, then changing the pattern is likely to be more expensive in some way than the value of hiring you, specifically, vs. finding someone who doesn't care about the 401K program. <S> I doubt there are any straight up legal issues of "we simply can't compensate part time people this way", but there could be issues of "if there is a blanket policy for how people are compensated, then you cannot treat people out of alignment with that policy without revising the policy for everyone". <S> There's always a provision for variance in pay (to a point) <S> but it's likely that many companies have written blanket policies of "we give part time people at x hours these Y benefits".
| Therefore it's safe to say there is no legal reason to deny you access to the 401k which means it's entirely a negotiable point. A lot may depend on the type and size of the company for which you work. I'd say it never hurts to ask, but be prepared for a "no".
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Is it ethical to ask for a big raise if it's to adjust my salary to the average? I started working at this company a year and a half ago at 15$/h as a programmer. I had just finished a 3 month internship at another company so I would put my total experience at ~2 years. Since then I honed my skills and learned very much. Recently I was going through average programmer salaries and I am way below average so I would like to negotiate a better salary. I am wondering how ethical would it seem to ask for 5$ more. Since I am paid 15$, this is a 33.3% increase, this makes it sound like a crazy amount even though it's not that much and would much better match my skills in the field. Even then all my friends are doing more but I shall be modest. How would I go about it ? <Q> It's not a question of ethics. <S> It's a business negotiation. <S> Ask for whatever amount <S> you think you are worth, or even more <S> so you can actually get what you are worth. <S> What you made last year has no bearing on what you are worth this year. <S> If you made $15/hour last year, and this year programmers are in very tight supply, you could be worth $30/hour this year, or even more. <A> An average of salaries contain both the high end and the low end of your industry. <S> Simply telling your boss I am below average <S> I deserve a raise, doesn't make any sense. <S> Lets say he does listen to it and he gives you a salary raise for the average of your industry. <S> Now the average is (slightly) different than before. <S> Now what if everybody did this who is below average for your industry and every boss would give them a salary raise, your average salary is suddenly below average. <S> Would you ask for another raise because you are below average? <S> What you should do is go to your boss with facts about you . <S> How much do you add too the company <S> How many new skills have you learnt during your employment and how is it profitable too the company. <S> Etc. <S> Present those facts to your boss and tell him <S> you know you are being paid below average and you would like to get a salary raise. <S> Do not name a number. <S> If your boss thinks you deserve one, he will name a number and negotiate from there. <S> If you do this it is about you deserving a raise , not about others making more than you. <A> I'd say yes, it's ethical. <S> When you make your request, you'll need to be armed with more than just average salaries though. <S> You'll need to demonstrate that your value to the company matches what you're asking. <S> You didn't mention what kind of company for which you are working. <S> This may make a difference. <S> A programmer working for a restaurant company may make less than one working for an IT company (I was in such a situation)
| The only way to know what you are really worth is to put yourself on the job market and see what you are offered.
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Should I followup after 8 business days, interview went so well? I gave a interview at a great company on 21st May so technically its been 8 business days. The interview went great. I gave 2 interviews: one phone interview and final in-person interview. The first interview went really well that it went from 1 (it was suppose to be 1 hour only) to 3 hours of technical questions (problem solving interview questions) and 2nd round (final round) went about 4 to 5 hrs where each person from team or associated team took 1 hr each. The interview went really well and got a feeling at the end of it that I will get the job. The tech lead with whom I communicated throughout the process asked me if I had other job offers and also mentioned that I was even confident interviewee than himself. I was able to reply with all tech questions along with behavioral. I also knew the 2nd interviewer as she seen me won in events as I interned with the company before. After the first interview and before 2nd interview, I was asked to fill the employee application form and get 2 ID's for CRC [criminal reference check]. He mentioned that if they decide to move forward with offer then they dont want to call me again and save my visit hence I filled everything. I wonder if they do with all candidates as CRC is only done if they decide to give me a offer. What do you guys think? While leaving, I asked about getting back to me and he said it would take may be 1 or 2 or 3 weeks. It depends on management. This doesnt tell me anything but I am wondering if I should follow up and what do you guys generally think. The company and the team was so great. All of them were great with me and aspire to become such great developers like them. <Q> As with all job searches, until you have something in hand, you should move on and continue your search. <S> Assuming you have done that, I would at least wait until the beginning of the 4th week, before contacting them. <S> Since the indication you were given was up to three weeks, contacting before then is unnecessary, unless you have another offer in hand, and would prefer to work for this company. <S> Then a single contact call, asking on timeline as you have another offer but really like this company and the position, could be in order. <S> Until such time, go on about your day, nothing to see here. <S> Even the best interviews don't always end up the way we would like. <S> (experience talking here :D) <A> I gave a interview at a great company on 28th May <S> so technically its been 8 business days. <S> The interview went great. <S> I gave 2 interviews: one phone interview and final in-person interview. <S> Was this in the U.S.? <S> Or in the U.K.? <S> Or elsewhere? <S> The reason being is in general I would say yes, you can touch base 8 days after an interview even if they say “1 or 2 or 3 weeks.” <S> But that said, last week—beginning on May 26th—was Memorial Day week in the U.S. & there was a banking holiday in the U.K. Not to mention it is the beginning of summer <S> so things naturally slow down. <S> Meaning, calling back now in the middle of all of this holiday shuffling might be way too soon. <S> The 1-3 weeks might come from people simply being away on vacation & such. <S> I would recommend waiting until next week—Monday specifically—to play it safe. <S> Best to play it cool & contact after 2 weeks in my humble opinion. <S> If they will get back to you in 1-3 weeks you need to wait for them. <S> If they like you they will hire you. <S> If you just call all the time, you actually muddle your chances. <A> The benefit of this approach is that you get to establish contact again, hopefully putting yourself back at the top of someone's mind again, while not seeming to ignore that you were told it could be several weeks. <S> You aren't contacting to directly ask for information, but you may receive information as a benefit of reestablishing contact. <S> On a related note, I had several "sure thing" interviews before landing my current role (5 years ago), and none of them panned out. <S> I would definitely take Wren's advice and continue to act as though you are in need of a job.
| My general course of action in this type of scenario has always been to make contact, but only to express your thanks for the consideration and the interview, and your excitement at the prospect of working for their company. Also, if they are telling you 1 to 3 weeks, in general you are not going to speed up the process by contacting them to ask what is up after a little more than 1 week.
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How to gain greater management skills and experience when my employer fills the ranks with more experienced managers? My company is growing - fast - and has more funding than ever before. We can afford to attract talent from top brand world famous companies to head departments that were previously run by college graduates. The problem for me is that I was one of those college graduates. I worked my way up with a strong spirit of self-training, learning on the job, evolving from specialist to first time manager and figuring out how to be a good leader. Now that external managers are entering the stage, how can I ensure that I don't get pushed aside? Can I still turn this into a growth path? What opportunities can I find now that there will be more people telling me what to do instead of me having the autonomy to try and fail/succceed by myself? I don't want to be a specialist anymore. I don't want to do hands-on work. I want to learn to be a great business manager. Could my scenario be one where it may be better to leave in order to not lose the momentum for leadership growth? <Q> Well, I wouldn't leave unless you feel your career is stymied, here. <S> From what it sounds like, you have a very good opportunity. <S> First, accept that in this growing company, another layer of management is being added above you. <S> It's not a demotion, it's a restructuring. <S> Now, assuming the new director you are reporting to is qualified and willing, ask him to mentor you. <S> Tell him straight-up that you want to learn all he can teach you, and that you would like to be prepared to take his position in 3 to 5 years when he is promoted to V.P., and not have him replaced with another external recruit above you. <S> Then, follow through. <S> Ask him questions about how things are done and why when it is appropriate. <S> Learn from him all that you can. <S> You don't necessarily have to agree with everything, but you can understand what he is doing and why it is being done that way. <S> Help him accomplish his goals. <S> A good lieutenant is worth their weight in gold in most fast-paced companies. <S> Be that resource to him. <S> I'm not talking about blindly "sucking up" to him. <S> I mean be a genuine source of help. <S> Ask for responsibility. <S> The more you help him accomplish, the more likely he is to get promoted, and he'll want to keep you as a direct report when he does, thus you'll get promoted as well (hopefully). <S> Leaving for another company would only reset you to "Zero" wherever you end up. <S> You have "street cred" here. <S> Now you need political capital. <S> This is a huge opportunity if you play it right. <A> One of the best pieces of advice that I live up to is to surround yourself with people who are better than you . <S> If you are the best of the bunch, then you'll have ample opportunities to shine, but you won't learn much from people who are better than you, because there aren't. <S> Another piece of advice is to not reinvent the wheel. <S> There is a lot you can learn by your own experience, but you can learn much faster by drawing from the experiences of others who may have been in your situation before. <A> First things first. <S> To become a senior manager, you are going to need really strong political skills. <S> Start reading books on office politics and start practicing the techniques they teach you. <S> Get your immediate boss on your side and get him to mentor you. <S> Next senior managers in most businesses have an MBA. <S> If senior management is what you really want, then you need to get the education to make that possible. <S> There are some programs from really good schools that take place in intensive weekends. <S> Where you get your MBA matters, so look for the best you can find. <S> It is likely the company will pick up some or part of the tab. <A> Now that external managers are entering the stage, how can I ensure that I don't get pushed aside? <S> Can I still turn this into a growth path? <S> What opportunities can I find now that there will be more people telling me what to do instead of me having the autonomy to try and fail/succceed by myself? <S> If there is someone above you that you trust and respect, ask them their opinion. <S> Otherwise all you can do is perform the best you can and satisfy management's expectations for your performance and conduct. <S> The corporate culture may change due to all the new people. <S> Keep in touch with it and adapt appropriately. <S> If your education is an issue, consider going to school at night. <S> Some companies even pay for this. <S> Putting in the extra effort for the company like this will impress people. <A> I don't agree with this practice/strategy, but there may be other managers in the company that would prefer to keep you as a programmer. <S> Good programmers are hard to get <S> and they don't want to go to the trouble to replace you and get someone else up to speed. <S> Too few companies offer enough growth paths to stay in development, but still move up in rank, salary, etc. <S> The key here is what you are looking for in your career and it doesn't seem like anyone in your company knows or has bothered to ask you about it. <S> Take some time to have a discussion with your boss and see what he thinks. <S> Find out what the criteria are. <S> Maybe they could put you in charge of a small project as a trial to see if you can handle it and whether or not you really want to be in management. <S> You may find you don't like it. <S> Going somewhere else should be the last resort.
| Get it from the best school you can find. This all depends on your company's corporate culture, your boss's personality / perspective, your relationship with your boss and upper management, and management's perception of you. If you can muster the humility to acknowledge that other managers are better than you, and be willing to work with them, then you will be able to learn from their experience and become a better manager than you ever could without their guidance and inspiration.
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CEO Wants to hire his girlfriend? Our CEO wants to hire his girlfriend to do some design work. Our company (~15 people) is located overseas, and the CEO spends about half of his time back in the States, but he’s going to be here for a while this time. His girlfriend is coming over to visit, and I just found out he wants to hire her to do some part-time design work. Since she’d be re-doing the design of a system I’ve made, I’m naturally concerned about being put into a position where I can’t disagree. We normally have a strict & involved hiring policy, and I’m concerned that she’s going to be going around that. Even if she does go through the normal procedure, I’m concerned that nobody will have the guts to say no, since the CEO will know who it was that stopped her application. I’ve already mentioned that I think it’s unusual & inappropriate to hire girlfriends of employees, but things seem to be progressing anyway. What can I do? I’m willing to make waves about this, but it would be great if there were a well-respected / well-written explanation for why this is bad practice. I haven’t been able to find any really convincing and clear explanation I could use to make this point. <Q> First you say this: His girlfriend is coming over to visit, and I just found out he wants to hire her to do some part-time design work. <S> Then you say this: Since she’d be re-doing the design of a system I’ve made, I’m naturally concerned about being put into a position where I can’t disagree. <S> She’s part-time. <S> And she’s your boss’ girlfriend. <S> And what else? <S> The reality is family & friends get hired in different gigs all the time. <S> You shouldn’t fear her for being the girlfriend of your boss unless she proves herself to simply be riding on nepotism. <S> I’m willing to make waves about this, but it would be great if there were a well-respected / well-written explanation for why this is bad practice. <S> You should be open minded, assume good faith & let her work with you. <S> You cannot presume you will change her hiring & a “well-respected / well-written explanation” adds up to not much. <S> Assume good faith. <S> But document all encounters. <S> And you know what? <S> For all you know, she could be very open minded about your work & can actually be an advocate for you when talking to your boss. <S> So don’t assume the worst of a case like this. <S> This could work in your favor. <A> You assume that she is a competent professional, unless the facts point to a different conclusion. <S> It is still incumbent on you to work effectively with her in the redesign of the systems. <S> Because you'll have to live with the consequences of her redesign after she leaves. <S> If she is competent, enhance her competence. <S> If she is not competent, work to mitigate any damage she may produce. <S> As a professional, I don't let myself be intimidated by management including the CEO <S> let alone the CEO's close relations including the CEO's girlfriend. <S> I suggest that you hold your fire, size her up and assist her in the successful completion of her task to the utmost of your ability. <S> You may end up having both to train her and to educate her on why you designed things the way you did. <S> I suggest that you act with restraint, self-confidence, good cheer and with every intention that you will support her in the successful completion of her task,and that you don't take the easy way out by automatically dismissing her <S> , her capabilities and her intellect simply because she is the CEO's girlfriend. <S> Because if she fails and her failure can be traced in any way to a failure on your part to back her up, the blame will fall squarely on you. <S> Capice? <S> You work with what you've got. <S> The propriety or lack of propriety of her selection by the CEO to carry out this task is irrelevant. <S> On the more positive side, she may very well enjoy the experience of working with you and may become a valuable ally in your dealings with the CEO. <A> Since she’d be re-doing the design of a system I’ve made, I’m naturally concerned about being put into a position where I can’t disagree. <S> It is a problematic situation, you are right, but let's see the facts: <S> She didn't prove herself yet, she might be good workforce, flexible and negotiable. <S> She will be your collegue just like anybody else (except you shouldn't woo her). <S> The good attitude: Be polite with her. <S> Assume she is not different than anybody else. <S> Give her a chance. <S> Same applies here. <S> If she makes mistakes, tell her how to improve, and help like you help to anybody else. <S> Be honest with your boss if she is doing series mistakes, and she doesn't improve. <S> I would like to stress out, <S> if you don't say it, you support bad deceisons and living together with them. <S> If your boss gets angry, and punishes you, that is a good sign to look after different job. <S> It is the boss' job to hire or apply right people to the right places in his project. <S> The worst case scenario is his fault, and you can find an another job if this is the case. <S> Better to get into a conflict with your boss than just passively suffer from incompetence. <S> On the other hand if the boss listens you and you have facts to talk about, then you are getting ensured about you have a good and objective thinking boss, and that is a very good moment put a lot of faith in him.
| The fact that she is the girlfriend of your boss don't qualify her in any way or form.
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Should I inform my potential employer about a bug in their application? I applied for a web developer position, and they called me back for a phone interview. Everything went well, the interview lasted for over an hour and they asked me to send them a code sample and a portfolio. While researching the company and their products, I found an error in their application. Should I tell them about the error and how to fix it? Will I blow my chances if I do? <Q> Usually the last section of an interview is devoted to answering questions from the one being interviewed, so you could ask it there. <S> In my opinion, this should show them that you have interest in what you do and that you can spot the bugs of others, which I think is important when working on Teams. <A> Get the job and in one of first days, have a chat with your boss: <S> Hey, I just tried our app, but "describe gently the bug" happened and I couldn't do "expected behaviour", <S> can you help me?(boss will try it as well <S> and he'll figure out it's a bug) <A> I would say yes. <S> Tell them, put it right context, and be polite, since your bug spotting should be beneficial. <S> Remember, a software is not a piece of ... just because it has bugs. <S> The only developers who don't make bugs, don't work at all. <S> There can be two main results: <S> As Guy Schalnat said, you might not get the job. <S> I would say, it is a good warning. <S> Personally, I wouldn't go to a company where critical thinking and problem solving are flaws. <S> On the other hand, you can see their reactions when they approve your bug research. <S> It shows effort from you to check out their product, and shows that you do care about code quality. <S> That is a good sign of the right type of thinking inside the company. <A> I once tried that and didn't get the job. <S> I'd say no. <S> You don't know if someone interviewing wrote that code and would take it badly to be told their code wasn't right. <S> Let your work speak for itself, but be positive. <A> Depending on the nature of the bug I might tell them. <S> Most people would appreciate being told that you were on their website and went to this screen and got an error message. <S> Just like they would prefer any other user to tell them. <S> I am sure I would not be interested in working for the kind of person who would be insulted at reporting an error message you saw. <S> I would think many people would like to know you took the time to go into that depth. <S> I would think I would prefer to work for those kind of people. <S> If you spent a lot of time trying to hack into their system and got in, that may be a better thing to tell them later. <S> Unless this was for a job where those kind of hacking skills were needed and even then I might be careful. <S> But your mileage may vary. <S> Maybe you only want to work in a place when hacking into stuff <S> you shouldn't be into is acceptable or encouraged. <S> Then telling them this stuff might knock you out of some postions, but improve your chances of ending up in a compatible place. <A> This is what I call a two edged sword and potential gamechanger. <S> Handled well <S> , it might get you a job you might not otherwise get. <S> The first thing to do is to evaluate your chances. <S> If you appear to be a favorite, don't rock the boat too much or otherwise jeopardize your chances. <S> You might point it out, but in a diplomatic manner suggested by others, and ask for the purpose, or if it was intentional, rather than an error. <S> If it is a crowded field, and you are otherwise a long shot, I'd take this opportunity to show what I could do, and point out the error. <S> Again, a diplomatic approach is best, but not as crucial as in the first case, because you have more to gain than lose. <S> One way or another, it will set you out from the "crowd," and one of these ways is a positive way. <S> I once read of a situation where the interviewer (and prospective boss) handed job applicants what was purportedly a company "package" with a deliberate misstatement. <S> One of the applicants spotted the error and got back to the "boss. <S> " <S> The others didn't. <S> I don't need to say which applicant got the job. <A> I think it is good point to show your interest about the company. <S> So it is better to tell them about it. <S> But beware they may be not willing to know their fault from outside even the coders are not in interview panel. <S> They would take it as a shame. <S> You can tell them as a suggestion for their application. <S> For example say you have interest about their application and you have some suggestion about it that you think it will improve the application performance. <S> Do not say it as a bug or error. <S> Just say it as a suggestion to improve their application in good manner. <S> I think it will add some positive marks to you at the interview. <A> Personally, I'd really respect a potential candidate for pointing out a bug. <S> It shows that they pay attention to detail, and also that they did their homework and researched the company. <S> However, be prepared for them to ask you how you might fix it!
| I think that you should inform them, but rather than telling them that you spotted a bug, you might want to rephrase it and say that you found something on their website which you could not understand. If the bug was one you found by really digging in the HTML or the URL line, it is a gray area. Handled wrongly, it could cost you a job you would otherwise have.
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How should I follow up (or not) with the recruiter after an internal referral? I have been thinking about switching careers from a junior role in academia to private sector, and got into contact with a senior guy at a tech company I really like. We had an information interview which went well; I think I convinced him that my backgrounds and relevant experiences are more than qualified. He prompted my CV to the company's internal recruiter, and asked the recruiter to put me into the standard interview pipeline. But the recruiter has not followed up so far in 3 days, so I wonder about several things: Is it because the recruiter think that I do not qualify? Should I follow up with either or both of them at all? When following up, what is the most appropriate thing to say in the message? I feel it is kind of odd when an internal recruiter does not respond to a qualified internal referral, so should I follow up with the senior guy or/and the recruiter at all to find out what happened? How can I maximize my chance of getting an interview with this company, in the most professional way? <Q> In addition to thank-you email ass suggested by @Wren you may consider also asking your contact person in the company about customary timeline for hiring in that company. <S> Quite likely it is weeks not days. <S> Did your contact person suggested to apply for a particular position (which should progress faster), or just apply in general? <S> Quite often newly opened positions are visible on company intranet for first few weeks to internal candidates only, so you may ask your contact person to do that, if you feel comfortable asking for such favor. <S> Also, if such 'soon-to-be-public" position does exist, and you are comfortable asking for it, you may ask your contact person more info about the position, department and hiring manager. <S> No lies or cheating, just put your best foot forward, so people reading it do not have to guess, and your resume uses language <S> /terminology they use internally. <S> The more customized is your resume for the position, the better chance you have. <S> But again, no lies or cheating. <A> I would say a thank you e-mail would be in order for the person you met with, if you haven't already done so. <S> If you have, then only the last line of this answer relates to you. <S> I'm not wholly sure how things work with recruiters <S> (I have never worked with one), but perhaps a line about looking forward to hearing from said recruiter is also appropriate. <S> Then move on and look at other potential companies. <S> If this company is truly interested, they will be in touch. <A> I would suggest waiting out for at least a week before you follow up with the recruiter directly! <S> I am in the process of applying to jobs too and through experience <S> I learned that if I tried following up with someone too early, they started considering me to be a pest. <S> So I changed my strategies and now they are nicer! <S> Hope that help pal! <S> Cheers and goodluck, may both of us get what we are looking for!
| Your goal should be to update and customize your resume, to highlight skills/experience relevant to the target position. Thank him for the meeting, perhaps reiterate your strengths in relation to the company's work in a way that shows that you would be a good fit, without saying it (show it, don't tell it).
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Lack of communication causing weird working atmosphere during Intership .... I started an internship as a technical researcher in computer science field a month ago and the things are obviously much different then what I was learning from books. But I was prepared for that, so its okay I guess. But one thing that I was not expecting is that the employees dont really have a very friendly attitude not only towards me but also among themselves. They dont talk. For example my supervisor sits infront of me and he sends me email whenever he wants to say even the un-important things. Is this usual behavior ? since its my first time working in any company and I am not aware much of working ethics. Secondly, the situation is that in the beginning for few days my supervisor was not sure of which tasks should I be doing during my internship. Anyways he gave a presentation, defining my tasks and the manager changed and removed some of them by saying that it would be too difficult for an intern to have them done in 6 months . By the way, my supervisor is doing Phd from this company and is at the end of it. This is my 5th week going on. My supervisor is on holidays since last week and will be back on this coming Monday. He gave me a task to be done until Monday and he said you can contact me if you find any difficulties. I did contact him but it did not solve the problem. Actually the problem is, there is one file missing and without that I can not make use of the tools, the way I want to use them. I have spent 2 days looking for it everywhere I could, but was not successful.Now he will be back on Monday expecting that I will be done with the task. I asked my manager and other colleagues and they said, contact your supervisor for technical details and problems. So, should I give him a pseudo-solution and tell him that because of that missing file I was not able to implement it ? OR should I use some other tools to give him the solution and explain him that because of that missing file I was not able to do it the way you wanted me to do ? Actually the atmosphere is a bit weird under the roof of company and I see myself standing no where after 5 weeks of internship. Though after coming here I learned a lot new things but I dont feel it as a comfortable working environment and I dont want to waste my rest of internship period. Can some one tell me that, am I just being stupid to think like this way ? or things are like this in the begning ? what should I do ? any suggestions ? comments ? <Q> During my internship a lot of things were new too me. <S> Of one of which were communication. <S> We all communicate via skype/e-mail instead of talking in an open office space. <S> This is because we have all different specialties and a conversation disturbs the workflow for others. <S> So unless you need direct help, you skype/e-mail. <S> This is something you should get used to if it's the standard in your company. <S> As for your other problem. <S> Document when you tried to reach your supervisor and if you really cannot continue without the one specific file, try to work around it and ask for it when your supervisor is back. <S> It shows you are willing. <S> So do it the other way and tell him you can do it with the file if he pleases, but you worked around it for now, because of the missing file. <S> Noone's stupid for listening too his feelings. <S> Things might be different everywhere. <S> The key is to communicate well with your supervisor. <S> Tell him what you're thinking and what you are doing. <S> Get a day of the week where you and your supervisor can talk (even for just 10-15 minutes) to tell him what is on your mind. <A> You may ask why email is preferred on your 1-on-1 meeting with your boss. <S> Also, try to determine your own http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator and read books about how to communicate with other (not your own) personality types. <S> You may be surprised what you learn, i know I was. <S> There are many other ways to improve your inter-personal communications. <S> Simplest one is to invite your colleagues for a lunch. <A> No way my friend, that behavior is not the usual! <S> I worked at a lot of places at diferente countries and most of time people talk. <S> In Belgium for exemple, people used to make fine jokes, Portugal too, people are good mood. <S> So its not normal not talking.
| First, you need to get used to the style of communications which is customary in your company.
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Is it ethical to give source code from a previous employer? Many organizations ask for sample code but one is actually asking for source code from previous projects. Unless the previous projects are owned by the engineer, isn't this unethical? Isn't that code owned by the previous employer? <Q> As far as I can tell, keeping (let alone sharing) source code from a previous employer is illegal, and you can get in big trouble for that. <S> In fact most contracts of employment are well rigged against theft of intellectual property, and once you've signed such a contract, then you're screwed big time if you are caught violating it. <S> I'm not sure whether this organisation is asking for source code from a previous project (as your question states) or from a previous employer (as your title states). <S> If they're asking for the latter, I think that's very unethical. <S> On the other hand if they're asking about a previous project, then you could probably show them something you developed in your spare time. <S> Hence why maintaining public projects (e.g. on github) is an advantage because it gives you something to show - a portfolio of sorts, if you will. <A> IANAL: <S> This is covered under Trade Secret copyright protection in the US (and most countries): <S> A trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers. <S> It's not just unethical <S> , it's illegal, and you can be sued for it. <S> This is assuming you were a full-time employee being paid a salary to write code full-time for your employer. <S> Some freelancers work under contracts that allow them to maintain rights over things they do. <S> If you do not have this, you have implied that you are relinquishing rights to anything you write to your employer. <S> Read your employment contract for more detail. <A> Other answers have addresed the legality aspect, but from another point of view the question is, is this code you wrote yourself? <S> If so, why do you even need to keep a copy of it? <S> Wouldn't you be able to write code to achieve the same functionality if asked to do so again (and it would probably be better if you have learned other skills since)? <S> If not, then what exactly do you expect to happen? <S> The code would need to be tweaked and changed anyway to fit with your new employers specific use case, and you didn't write it in the first place so that isn't going to be easy. <S> Not to mention that you don't fully know what it is actually doing. <S> It may be 'phoning home' to your previous employer in a class/module <S> you aren't even aware off, or have serious vulnerabilities in other ways. <S> The bottom line is if your new employer needs a program that does thing X, and you have the skills to write a program that does thing X, then you don't need the old code. <S> If you don't have those skills, then either learn them, or find a job more suited to your skillset, you still don't need the old code.
| Giving your old employers code to your new employer can only end badly.
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How common is a Scent Free workplace, and how can we clearly define the policy? I am a member of the Joint Health & Safety Committee in the company that I work for, and we are currently looking at some Air Quality complaints stemming from the overuse of Cologne and Perfumes. There was some discussion back and forth between the members of the committee revolving around whether or not a policy like this could be clearly defined, as much of what could be defined by the policy is subjective (e.g. How much is too much, are favorable scents OK, who determines which-is-which, etc) Some of these questions have straight forward answers. For example regardless of the pleasantness of the odor, if the workplace is scent free it is prohibited. Others are much more subjective. Without going into too much specificity, the air quality complaints have been all put forward by an individual with a sensitivity to odors. We've gone directly to people who have had a negative impact on this employee but the issue is not resolved. When the individual in question is exposed to a strong odor, he needs to leave the area immediately and return after it has dissipated. We cannot pursue further action in any regard until management signs off on a policy relating to the matter... but there are concerns relating to the subjective nature of the problem. We have looked online for resources, but most of what we have found are part of the Americans with Disabilities act, and not subject to our organization as we are in Canada. How can we create a definite policy for something that is inherently so subjective? I was hoping someone who has a similar policy might be able to come forward and offer some insight into the steps necessary in the development of a policy. <Q> Strong perfume is a real problem with people with allergies and other respiratory ailments. <S> Hospitals often have signs such as: http://lindasepp.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/ccohs-scent-free-zone-poster1.jpg . <S> Perfumes can trigger asthma attacks which are very unpleasant and even life-threatening. <S> It is easiest to just have a policy that says something like "no perfumes or colognes are permitted" or maybe "Outside of residual laundry detergent, shampoo or bath soap, no perfumes or colognes are permitted" You could also go the route of "No unprofessional attire, body art, hairstyles or fragrances are permitted on site." <S> You then can decide if the rule is absolute with no exceptions or if you want some leeway: Maybe look the other way if someone has a very slight fragrance but take action if it is strong to the point your eyes water or otherwise think it poses a risk to someone. <S> No makeup and perfume policies are common and strictly enforced in the medical device and pharmaceutical industries as they don't want them adulterating products that get implanted or injected into people. <A> Scent-Free Policy for the Workplace would be a link from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety site that should be where I'd start. <S> A sample policy: <S> Sample: Scent-Free Policy <S> Policy: <S> Definitions: <S> In addition, all materials used for cleaning will be scent-free. <S> A list of locally available scent-free products is available from the health and safety office. <S> Procedure: <S> Visitors will be informed of this policy through signs and it will be explained to them by their host. <S> This policy is effective on 01/01/13. <S> The Lung Association of Canada also has a document for developing a Scent Free Policy in the Workplace for another resource. <S> Ontario Human Rights Commission also has a page about "A scent sensitive workplace" that could be useful. <S> I'm aware that hospitals will have "Scent-Free Zone" areas that could be useful if you want a place that actually does implement these. <A> How can we create a definite policy for something that is inherently so subjective? <S> Are you sure you need a policy, other than "discuss it with your manager"? <S> It's very hard to legislate everything in the workplace. <S> And when you try, you invite the inevitable "country lawyer" responses both for and against such a policy. <S> (For example, everything has an odor. <S> Some of the odors are faint. <S> Some of the odors are so neutral that most people cannot detect them, yet dogs can.) <S> In addition, you open the door for everyone with a condition (or everyone finding something "objectionable") to expect policies on their behalf as well. <S> (For example, some people would react badly if coworkers don't use deodorant at all.) <S> In my experience "less is more" applies here. <S> Find a way to have the individual and the individual's manager work out an accommodation where possible, and leave the general policy unstated. <A> Make it part of the dress-code policy. <S> I don't think wearing a lot of cologne or perfume is very professional. <S> How much is too much? <S> Hard to measure, but it shouldn't be highly noticable when shaking hands. <S> Body odor would fall into this category as well. <S> Your clients aren't going to want to smell it either. <S> I don't think you can post it like some sort of no smoking policy. <S> What do you do when a client walks in with too much purfume? <S> Tell them to go outside? <S> Another part of the management policy is to let this person with the hyper-sensitivy know he should continue to excuse himself when an area has an odor. <S> There are polite and discrete ways to do this. <A> Would you let an employee who never showered continue working without at least talking to him about it? <S> No, probably not. <S> What's the difference? <S> Societal expectations are just about it. <S> For something subjective like this, I would say follow a policy similar in determination (perhaps not in repercussion though) to sexual harassment; It's just too hard to pin down where a line is because everyone is different. <S> If it comes to it, just have a sit down with the offending employee and ask them to tone it down or stop using cologne. <S> If it persists, attempt to reduce contact with the two employees (move them to distant cubicles).
| Due to the health concerns arising from exposure to scented products, ABC Company Inc. has instituted this policy to provide a scent-free environment for all employees and visitors. Employees will be informed of this policy through signs posted in buildings, the policy manual, promotional materials and will receive orientation and training. If an individual is bothered, it's up to them to decide (with "review" by you of course). Talk to your legal department / attorney and see if the complaining individual can litigate if they suffer an asthma attack or they believe they are being subjected to unreasonably poor working conditions. The use of scented products will not be allowed within the building at any time.
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What is the custom around asking for a signing bonus in the United States? I'm currently pursuing a job in New York city and want to know what the custom is around asking for a signing bonus. At the time of this post, the fiscal year for my company is about half over and I would expect a substantial bonus at year end (~20%) if I stay on. I would like to ask this potential employer to include a signing bonus when (if) they make their offer to compensate for the bonus I'd be giving up. Is this common? If so, how do you suggest I go about it? <Q> Typically if I'm saying I'm considering an offer but not biting and they really want to clinch it they might offer me a sign on bonus to get me to agree to it... <S> I've never seen the person pursuing a job ask for one successfully, it's always been the person offering trying to swing someone over in my experience. <S> Of course everything is negotiable... <S> I would just ask. <S> Say "you know, I'm interested, but I was kind of looking forward to my end of year bonus, <S> I mean I guess I could live without it"... <S> you want to show them you're interested <S> , don't kill the offer over this unless it's a deal breaker, but you can suggest the bait that'll make you bite (i.e. what they need to do to ensure you'll agree to the offer). <A> I wouldn't say that this is common, but depending on the company, the level of the position, and the desirability of your particular skill set, you may be able to get some traction. <S> I have negotiated similar bonuses for management positions in the past. <S> As a hiring manager, I would consider the length of time remaining before your bonus award date to be a factor when determining whether to offer a signing bonus to compensate for loss of annual bonus. <S> If that date is one month away, I would be much more likely to offer a signing bonus than in your case, where it's six months away. <S> A lot of things can happen in half a year. <S> If I really wanted you on my team, I might instead offer a review after six months instead of at your anniversary date, with the possibility of an "annual" (not pro-rated) bonus at the six-month review. <S> If you are really interested in the position, you may consider taking a similar approach rather than asking for a signing bonus; it involves less risk for the hiring organization by deferring the immediate payout, and it also provides you with a performance incentive for your first few months. <S> It should make no difference to you, as you would get your bonus at around the same time anyway, and this approach has better chances for success in my opinion. <A> I have received a variety of "signing bonus" offers. <S> In all cases it was offered in the original offer. <S> That doesn't mean you can't ask, but if they don't have to give you one either. <S> If offered you could also attempt to negotiate on that point. <S> I was able to get a much higher sign on offer by asking for it. <S> Another option, depending on the company and their compensation plan is stock or stock options. <S> I have received both in offers. <S> This is higher risk to you and lower risk to the company <S> so you while you might be able to negotiate a cash signing bonus, a stock based one might be worth twice as much. <S> That said, stock bonuses usually vest over a period of time (mine vest over 4 years). <S> You are also taking a risk on the company. <S> The highest risk bonus is stock options. <S> These are just the option to buy at a certain price and will only be worth something if the stock goes up in value. <S> They can also be very lucrative if the stock goes up a lot because typically you will receive a large number of options. <S> I once got a sign on bonus of something like 5000 stock options. <S> The stock went way up, but then went down the toilet before they vested, so while it initially looked pretty good, in the end it was a worthless bonus. <A> If switching jobs would mean you are out of pocket by some amount, then it's entirely reasonable to ask for that amount from your new employer . <S> If you go to the new company and say "I was expecting a $10,000 bonus at the end of the year. <S> Will the company bonus scheme pay me that amount, and if not can you pay it as a one-off?" <S> that won't offend them. <S> (Which is not to say you will always get it, of course).
| From what I've seen with signing bonuses in the South East US, they tend to be given primarily as a means of swaying someone on the fence of an offer.
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Phone interview from a Developer? I am expecting a phone interview for co-op from a company. I will be interviewed by a Software Developer for the company, not someone from HR. I've never had a phone interview ever. This might be vague, but I would be glad if someone could guide me through the kind of questions I might be asked! <Q> I've worked as a Web Developer for the past 16 years and have had more than a few phone interviews. <S> Here would be my expectation: <S> Technical questions - If the position is for say a C# Software Developer, you may be asked questions like the difference between a struct and a class? <S> What is the difference between an abstract class and an interface? <S> What Great .NET <S> Developers Ought <S> To Know (More .NET Interview Questions) has more examples of questions though they may be a bit advanced to some extent. <S> Part of this is about knowing some technical stuff and part is about handling if you don't know, will you guess? <S> Will you explain how you would find the answer? <S> Would you just say, "I don't know. <S> Sorry, dude," that may leave a bad taste in the interviewer's mouth as it isn't showing any kind of work to find the answer. <S> Background - What is the biggest project you've done? <S> What is the biggest failure you've had? <S> What is your greatest achievement? <S> Questions where the idea is to get a picture of you over the phone to determine who is worth having an in-person interview. <S> General problem solving - <S> This is where you may be asked what would be the approach you'd take in building a sample web site, solving a riddle or writing a simple method for a relatively trivial task like reversing a string. <S> This would be where you'd have to tell what you are doing rather than have a whiteboard in front of you though the key here is what are you communicating and how thorough is your thinking/what assumptions do you make about things. <S> Alternatively, you may get a coding assignment after the phone interview is done to submit some code. <S> Think of this is as where there may be 5-10 people getting screened over the phone to determine who are the 1-4 people to get that in-person interview where things may get a bit more intense. <S> There may be technical questions about platforms, processes, technologies, and so forth just to see what you know and where you are. <A> As a developer giving interviews over the phone <S> I really do not care if you know the difference between a struct and a class <S> - you could have that printed out in front of you or have a laptop open to find the answer. <S> Then I can target my questions more to your experience. <S> If you developed a front end then I'll ask you about JQuery for example. <S> If you don't know the answer then be honest and say so. <S> If the interviewer marks you down and decides not to hire you because you don't know which HTML tags have been deprecated or the difference between boxing and unboxing then you really don't want to work for that person. <A> Phone interviews from other developers is by far the easiest way to get a job as a developer. <S> In my experience it's like a shortcut for the highly skilled. <S> You will probably be asked a lot of technical questions, so there's nothing you can do here <S> but answer to the best of your ability and let your years of experience and expertise shine! <S> That means, answer the question to the best of your knowledge, then stop talking! <S> It can feel tempting to keep talking without visual cues from your interviewer, but long, rambling answers can detract from your credibility. <S> If you don't know the answer, state clearly that you don't know. <S> This should be kept to one short sentence (no one likes long-winded excuses.) <S> This isn't the end of the world, though, since sometimes developers will ask you about skills which are nice-to-haves, but not as important as the core skills of the job, which you might have a lot of. <A> Here are some generalities: They're not good at interviewing. <S> There will be very little chit-chat or words of encouragement. <S> If you feel uncomfortable, quickly tell yourself that you're doing fine. <S> You'll get no indication of how well they think you're doing. <S> They'll ask questions and hopefully write down your answers to possibly score later. <S> Their idea of what things are important will vary. <S> You may feel like you're playing Programmer Trivia. <S> You're not going to get to write code over the phone. <S> Ask if there will be another interview where you get to write code. <S> If not, ask why not just to spread the word that programmers programming during an interview really makes a lot of sense when you think about it. <S> Make sure you ask questions about the way things are done. <S> Do programmers have any say in projects, tools, estimates, hiring, etc. <S> Hopefully the programmer can give you an idea of what it is really like to work there. <S> Other than that, few have anything in common that I've been through.
| I am more interested in how you work, what things you have developed (tell me what you did and why you are proud of it), show me that you are keen to do development. Specifically, If you do know the answer to a question, answer clearly, confidently and concisely.
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How can I stop my coworkers from teasing me with another coworker? Some background: I am a software programmer and is responsible for a whole system that is being used by mostly the girl from another department. Since she mostly use a system that I alone handle, we mostly work together on data fixes and maintenance for this system. We were both single and on the same age-range and we are mostly seen by her colleagues together, and that's were the problem starts. Her colleagues tease us (making high pitched noises and say things like we're going out together) whenever I go to her station. At first I just ignored it, but now it affects our professional relationship to the point that we now try to avoid meetings that include just the two of us. Our work environment have a close relationship (almost family-like) atmosphere, and as much as possible, I want to avoid being a kill-joy to them by being too professional minded. Is there a way to salvage my professional relationship with this girl without being a 'librarian' to her colleagues? <Q> Really simple answer : tell her exactly what you told us. <S> I've been in this situation : has a woman in a man world, I get tease a lot and most people don't understand that some time, they are actually hurting us. <S> I had a coworker that teased me more than he should have. <S> We were really good friends and just like you, I didn't want to be a kill-joy <S> so I kept my mouth shut for a while, but then it became too much. <S> I just asked him to have a talk in private, and explain to him how too much teasing was affecting me. <S> He understood and the excessive teasing stopped immediately. <S> I don't think this woman wants to hurt you, so if you tell her how she is affecting your professional life, I'm pretty sure she will understand and be sorry of what she did. <S> If you don't have the courage to talk to her directly, write her a email. <S> Try not being agressive or accuse her : try the good old trick of using the "I" instead of "you" (i.e. "I fell bad when you .." instead of "You make me feel bad..."). <S> This is way easier for the person to not feel attacked when you talk this way. <S> If a situation is affecting your work and that you tried to solved it and it didn't work, then your manager needs to know and needs to help you fix it. <S> Update <S> I made a false assumption that the person teasing you was one woman, when your post states "colleagues", meaning the people teasing you can be one or many man/woman. <S> My advice to you stay the same. <S> Chances are, when this person stops, the others will too. <A> The whole point of a successful tease is to get the other party to overreact so that the overreaction entertains them with uproararious laughter. <S> It looks like they've succeeded brilliantly in playing your minds - yours and hers - like a violin. <S> Fact is, they don't even care whether it's true that she and you have a relationship. <S> But they do love the fact that their saying it drives both of you bonkers. <S> If you go bonkers, then you are providing them with the entertainment they are looking for. <S> You could say that this entertainment is a lot like me pulling the wings and the legs off the flies when I was seven, but we are not discussing which entertainment is moral and which entertainment is not. <S> I take it at your word that your firm has a family-like culture. <S> If so, they're probably not bad people and if you take a couple of them out to lunch <S> and you explain to them <S> how their teasing is causing her pain and suffering, they might just stop because they're not a bunch of sadists, they're reasonable people and they intuitively understand that the teasing stops when the pain begins and they're not the type of people who get their enjoyment from inflicting pain. <S> You probably don't want to escalate to your management and to HR just yet, as you want to give them an opportunity to connect to their better selves and make sure that this sort of thing dies down. <S> You are not looking to punish or to retaliate, but you are looking to make it stop. <A> I would let this woman know that the teasing bothers you and you plan on doing something about it. <S> Hopefully, she won't get in the way or be too upset. <S> Ask the other people to please stop. <S> You may have to say it a second time. <S> Emphasis that you asked politely. <S> For the third time, they need to know you're going over their head. <S> That could include your boss, HR, their boss, it really depends on how the company is structured. <S> Some people play around and don't know when they're really bother someone, so you have to tell them.
| I case the teasing came from multiple people, try to find the one that speaks the louder or the one that tease you more often and have the habit of starting the teasing. If she don't stop and don't care, then the next step is talking to your manager/boss about the situation. I every case, be prepared : explain calmly and prepare your arguments.
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New manager immediately after performance review period, how to preserve previous promise of a promotion? So I just had a great performance review, and my manager indicated he wanted to promote me (verbal commitment) . However before anything was official, he suddenly resigned and my new boss has other plans. I've let him know about the circumstances, but he's indicated we will need to re-evaluate. It feels like an entire year of positive results was for naught. Starting from scratch. My goal is to convince my new boss that I'm worthy now of the promotion I earned. Should I ask for some of their time and pitch myself, or is it better to be patient and establish myself more strongly with this new leader? <Q> So, first, let's keep it in perspective. <S> If you had a great year last year, then it impacted more than just your potential for promotion - you've probably got a good rep around the office, people know your work and like it, and your new manager hopefully got a good impression of you - so it's not for nothing <S> and it's not starting from scratch. <S> Also - you learned good stuff, and got good stuff done - which puts you ahead of those who didn't, regardless of how the promotion goes. <S> It's unlikely you can find a way to force the new boss to promote you right now. <S> The best thing you can do is to be as excellent in working for him as you were for your original boss. <S> Help the guy get into his new role, and be someone he can trust and rely on, and it's likely that the promotion will come sooner rather than later. <S> As he's settling in, it's worth it to try to get a sense of his overall picture and goals for your team - he is likely to have a different take than the last manager, and anything you can do to get to know his style and his initiatives will only help you. <A> I'v been in this exact situation. <S> I was told I was getting a raise and a promotion by my old manager. <S> She then moved on to a different position within the same company. <S> My new manager then informed me four weeks later that "because of business reasons" the raise/promotion would not go forward "at this time". <S> Fast forward six months. <S> I had protested up to the CIO level. <S> Copies of emails were attached from the original manager stating the raise & promotion. <S> I never got the promotion. <S> I was laid off. <S> However (and this was the strangest thing about the entire situation) <S> I was given a 8.5% raise (2x what was promised) which was in effect for the 12½ months of my severance. <S> I found another job (which paid even more) and got two paychecks for 9 months. <S> Tread carefully here. <S> Getting on the wrong foot with your new boss could have consequences. <S> In my case it worked out but this is not normal. <A> Hopefully your old manager made the recommendations and provided your good reviews and promises about your promotion to the proper channels. <S> A good manager would have left this information to HR, and other figures of authority - unfortunaly they might have left this with your new manager during the transfer. <S> It sounds like your new manger is someone who leads from the back and is not a good manager. <S> While outright insubordination or mutiny is not advisable, I would find a way to get rid of him - I'd work to rule, forget the extra help, give your new manger enough rope to hang themselves and if necessary look for a new job (or just cause enough trouble to have HR provide you severance and not get fired) <A> If your new boss wants to re-evaluate you can tell them that you feel disappointed that due to the circumstances your efforts for the previous year have not been recognized. <S> It might not make any difference in the end, but you can at least register your complaint and use it as a reason why you feel you are underpaid when requesting a raise.
| What I think is going on is that it could be the case that this promotion puts you closer on the level with your new manager.
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Is it typical for an employer to pay to break a new employee's lease if they need to relocate? I have six more months on my apartment lease. In order to terminate it I would need to pay off the remaining balance- something like $9,000! I'm starting to look for a job. Would it be typical (or at least not unusual) for an employer to pay that $9,000 if I relocate to work for them? Or should I just say that I'm unable to relocate? <Q> It is not atypical, but in my experience, relocation packages (which include payments to break a lease) are offered to experienced high-demand professionals, and higher-level management employees. <S> In particular, I know of a high-level manager who was asked to move during the bottom of the housing crisis, and the company wrote him a check for the difference between what he paid for his house and what it sold for (think over $100k). <S> $9000 is a drop in the bucket compared, but even then, most companies aren't willing to pay that when they have other options which don't include paying for an employee to break his/her lease. <S> Can you wait 6 months at your current job until you think about moving? <S> You'll be much more likely to receive offers when they aren't contingent on paying you to break a lease. <A> During the end of last dotbomb (mid 2000s) I was offered a nice relocation package by a company that made video gaming machines (gambling oriented) to relocate. <S> This package included moving costs, some cash for new apartment costs, and costs for lease breakage. <S> However, the remaining length of my lease was only 2 or 3 months <S> I don't recall exactly, but it wasn't 6 months. <S> After taking the offer and moving to South Florida, the company restructured itself after only 2 months. <S> They were cutting people from the division that I had just joined, and moving everyone to Rhode Island. <S> This was a red flag for me. <S> I had been in the middle of my BS degree in Math, so I asked (nicely but firmly) that they also foot the bills for me to quit and move back so that I could continue with my BS in Math, and they agreed to do so. <S> This was back when software engineers were in very high demand, so you may be able to pull it off if you are in high demand in your field, and there are no local candidates similar to you <S> (Thanks Joe Strazzere). <S> The answer is yes, some companies are definitely willing to pay moving costs, including lease breakage costs, but Depending on your field, your demand, and your skill set; YMMV. <S> You will probably have to ask for it. <S> Another option is to negotiate breaking the lease. <S> Some states (in the USA) have laws that govern lease breakage under a changing job context. <S> You can also tell the landlord that you are willing to negotiate something amicable to both parties. <S> Finding a new tenant and suing you to get a judgement on the lease breakage is expensive, and may leave the landlord with lost income overall. <S> If you are up front and negotiate in good faith with the landlord, you can attempt to find another tenant, or negotiate some kind of agreeable payment (like 2 months instead of 6 months). <S> Many landlords are willing to do this. <S> Google landlord’s duty to mitigate damages and lease job relocation . <S> If you do negotiate something with the landlord, please make sure that everything you agree to is in writing. <A> A few different options: Check out sub-lease options <S> Totally a matter of locale conventions, <S> but I find it unusual that you would be stuck paying the bill for breaking a lease - in cases where you are locked in, you usually have the option of subleasing. <S> Relocation Packages <S> It's always fair to ask. <S> It's also fair to tell recruiters that you won't consider moving without one. <S> In many cases, however, the relocation packages are a standard offering - $10K for example, was a going rate a while back in my career and area (Boston, MA, Engineering). <S> The deal was "It's your money - if it costs you $200 to move, keep the other $9,800" - the idea was to make this a flat fee to avoid paying all kids of nickel and dime incidentals. <S> All things are negotiable And relocation is actually an easy one - it's one time, cold hard cash. <S> You may, in turn, be asked to sign a commitment to work for the company for a year or more, so they are not at risk of loosing the outlay of money. <S> If you decide to leave before then, you may have to return some of the money. <S> The total tradeoff is whether they can find anyone as useful as you in the local market. <S> This is totally a case of your skills vs. the market conditions in your target destination. <A> The short answer is: <S> YES BUT. <S> In this case it should be the included given that it sounds as a rental agreement which would impose a significant enough burden to justify reconsidering relocation. <S> Basically it looks like a deal-breaker. <S> HOWEVER <S> the golden rule is that everything is negotiable . <S> Bring it in the conversation and ask if the company can cover it or at least provide assistance. <S> You might also want to look into internal policies regarding relocation which may cover this kind of situation and "offer guidance". <S> One more thing, regarding your leasing agreement. <S> In my experience every time you mention that you leave the country the standard restrictions are lifted regardless of what the contract mention providing you give enough notice. <S> It a conversation worth having with your landlords.
| Companies are more willing to pay for things like lease breakage if your salary is not above market (my salary for the above offer was at/to slightly below market). They may require documentation, which should be available in the form of your lease contract which should outline your terms and conditions. If you are in an industry that has standardized this way, asking a few employers may give you the going rate.
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Does ruling out ESL candidates constitute legal discrimination? We're currently hiring for a software engineer position and I've been charged with advancing candidates to the in-person interview stage. We've gotten a number of applications from people who have strong development backgrounds but are recent immigrants from India and China and are very clearly English-as-a-Second-Language speakers, ESL. We're a really small company and our successful candidate would be the lone developer. In addition to programming, they'll also have to occasionally write content as well as make themselves clearly understood to non-tech people. As such, I'm leaning towards disqualifying anyone whose English comes across as not being totally fluent. Just a note, I'd disqualify native speakers who wrote poorly as well, but for some reason the fact that most of the applications that would be disqualified on these grounds are non-native speakers feels a little wrong to me. I'd love for someone to weigh in on the legality of disqualifying obviously ESL applicants. <Q> I am not a lawyer, but I'd say you should make sure that it's not the ESL <S> that's the issue but the ability to write well. <S> There are plenty of people who can't write intelligible English despite being raised in the UK or US. <S> There are also some/many people who don't speak all that fluently, but may still be able to write well. <S> (I, personally, have a noticeable accent when speaking English and occasionally stumble over words. <S> Hearing me speak, you'd probably know that I'm ESL - but my writing rarely garners that reaction.) <S> So don't focus on whether they're "obviously ESL", instead focus on their written language abilities. <S> A lot of places will have some form of programming test for developers. <S> You could just as well have a test of asking them to write the type of documentation you want, and have a non-technical user at your company review it. <S> (If you avoid giving the reviewer any information about the applicant, you are further limiting the risk of accusation of discrimination.) <A> ESL - English as a Second Language <S> Having cleaned up my share of poorly written, poorly organized posts from native as well non-native speakers on this site, my attitude is pretty much "a pox on both your houses". <S> Since you are mainly interested in the applicant's ability to communicate clearly, request a writing sample. <S> You need not request a writing sample from those who sent you poorly written resumes and cover letter. <S> I am not going to answer your question as to whether it's legal to discriminate against ESL applicants. <S> I am not a lawyer. <S> but they do outlaw discrimination on the basis of national origin. <S> In addition, IRCA (Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1996) doesn't say anything about discriminating about ESL either but specifically outlaws discrimination against non-citizens with proper authorization to work . <S> Related story: John Jay Accused of Bias against non-citizens . <S> In my case, English is not my second or even third language, it's my fourth - being born as a non-European in a Western European country will do that to you :) <S> And it's obvious from my name that I am foreign-born and not so obvious that I am American. <S> Talking to the candidates would allow you to do further filtering. <A> I'm not sure legal questions are on-topic here. <S> The answer will vary by time and location. <S> As for the "correct" way to screen candidates in this situation, I'd suggest adding it very clearly to the list of requirements and duties, such as: <S> The candidate will have very strong written/spoken English skills, as they will be required to write and create content in English, with little to no supervision. <S> I don't think anyone could get upset over discrimination in this case as you've clearly stated that in addition to the normal technical nature of programming, the job will also require effective non-technical writing. <S> And there are some ESL students I've seen who probably could meet or exceed your requirements! <S> Requesting a writing sample (either with the resume or after you've seen their resume and want to test them before an interview), as others have suggested, might also work. <S> You could ask them to do something simple, such as write a brief (no more than 0.5 page) summary of the last movie they saw, or what they did over the weekend. <S> Or if they have a blog where they write, they could provide a link to that. <A> Like other posts you should focus on requiring effective communication in English both written and verbal to perform the job, but be careful you're not going beyond the job requirements. <S> If you set requirements too high or aren't really required for this job that can be perceived as discrimination, you could get into trouble. <S> Yes, they need to speak so they can communicate and be understood, but if you indicate that an accent is annoying or "rolling your r's" is unacceptable, that could be trouble. <S> Of course no one says this to the person's face, but someone may notice a trend. <S> There were times when practices to keep females out of the work place <S> were applied like requiring applicants to pick up heavy boxes or other test of strength/endurance for a purely office job.
| I think you should sidestep the whole discrimination issue/minefield by requiring a writing sample from the candidates you are interested in. The US civil rights statutes say nothing about discriminating on the basis of ESL
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Career advice - wanting a mentor I'm a designer with about 1.5 years experience doing solid commercial work. I work hard and can present and prototype my own work. I'm in a fast growing design team - 6 at last count. The guy heading the team (my boss) is a well seasoned UX consultant and has produces the kind of quality of work I aspire to, and has good design selling skills. Ideally I'd like this guy to mentor me. Being relatively young and inexperienced means I have a bit of difficulty choosing the best path sometimes and would like to have someone close I can bounce my ideas off and get a recommendation as to which is the best course of action to follow, why its the best, and why the others are not. Someone who I can trust will not just advise me to work harder because it is in their best interests, but because they know it will make me a better designer. Without telling a story, I don't believe my boss will do this. We don't have a great relationship: I receive very firm, curt direction when I'm under him on a project. No discussion. There is no-one else there that has the skills I aspire to. (Of course, I'd also like that warm, fuzzy team feeling from sharing & growing together.) I know its hard to give specific advice here as there is so much about my personal situation that would need to be communicated in order to make it clear; however Am I being a bit of a wet blanket and expecting too much from my superiors? Being honest in my next interviews at other companies about wanting a bit of mentorship, do you think I have a chance of finding someone like this or is it less likely I'll find someone who can mentor in a design team? If so, where have others looked and found? <Q> I don't know this person, but try not to confuse his behavior during meetings with how he may be in other settings. <S> Some people like to "put on their game face" and stick to the meeting agenda and get things done because time is important and meetings suck. <S> This is what he does for a living, so working with you in his area of expertise shouldn't be too aversive (Although he may want a break from it occasionally.). <S> Be extremely respectful of his time. <S> Ask about being a mentor or just getting feedback, but strongly suggest you are willing to work with his schedule. <S> You're not going to just drop by his office and have a chat. <S> Scheduling in advance may be preferable or he has a block of time where he is available but can't be specific until the last minute. <S> Be prepared. <S> Have specific questions and limited pieces of work to look at. <S> Don't just come in and ask him to review your entire portfolio. <S> If he truly is the best person to learn from, you may have to put up with some unfriendly, blunt, terse and limited feedback. <S> In the long-run, this may be better than spending hours with an incompetent person. <A> I don't think you'r a bit of a wet blanket. <S> Every person is different in what he <S> / <S> she wants/needs. <S> Not only in your private life, but also in your professional life. <S> You're saying that your supervisor is giving you very firm directions from him. <S> It could be <S> it's just 'who he is', but it could also be that he gives you this kind of directions because he thinks that you need it, and that it works for you. <S> The only way to be sure of this is starting the dialogue. <S> You can do this directly to your supervisor, but you can also start with talking to your direct colleagues about it, to test the temperature of the water. <S> If I read between the lines a little bit, I get the sense that based on the experience and skills you want your supervisor to be your mentor, but based on the kind of person he is, you don't feel to sure about it. <S> You can also look somewhere else for a mentor. <S> Try (online) designer-societies, and just start talking about what you do and join discussions about what others do. <S> Not only does this enlarge your knowledge and insights, it also lets you connect to other people which increases the change to meet experienced people that could act as a mentor. <S> Being honest in a next interview about wanting a bit of mentorship is not wrong, just be careful about it. <S> If you really want the position and you're willing the give up (some of) <S> the mentorship part, don't emphasize it to much. <S> But if the position, and the team, allows it, it is not wrong to tell them you'd like it if the more senior designers could mentor you a bit. <A> I'll add a vote to the "different bosses are different" platform. <S> And also the "people are different in different contexts". <S> I'd like to think that for just about every boss, being a mentor should be part of the job description. <S> In practice, it varies wildly from situation to situation, but every boss should be capable of: Giving honest feedback about your work <S> In many companies, the idea of a 1 on 1 is set up for every employee to privately touch base with their boss to get feedback and talk about the work. <S> I'm a huge fan. <S> Specifically Mentorship <S> Formalizing a mentorship relationship (as opposed to just getting guidance from your boss on a regular basic) can be another thing, and it is within your boss' purview to say "no" here. <S> Asking for mentorship is to ask for focused guidance on growing your career, and it has to be a case where both you feel that the person has sound advice, and the mentor feels they have a relationship where they can give you this advice. <S> He may also feel he doesn't have the time to be a decent mentor. <S> It never hurts to ask, but realize there are multiple angles to this and that he may turn you down as a formal mentor, but you can still ask for and expect some more guidance than just a curt response in a meeting.
| While mentoring you on some level should be a part of your boss' job, he may feel that giving you more feedback than he gives to others is special treatment. Showing you places where you could grow your skills and suggesting opportunities for doing so Being a sounding board for ideas.
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How to dodge the question when someone asks your salary? I've been asked my current salary by colleagues, friends and relatives. And usually, I don't want to disclose it. I would like to know how I can dodge answering that question. <Q> Do not dodge. <S> You can distract, change the subject, make a face, say something vague, but they'll just ask again anyway the next time the thought pops into their head. <S> I suggest you choose one or two stock answers. <S> One is for people who are just plain nosy, say your old neighbours who say "you've really moved up in the world haven't you? <S> How much do pilots make these days anyway?". <S> For them, try: No offense, but I make it a point never to discuss salaries. <S> (Word that however is natural for you, but it is deliberately a little more formal than normal speech. <S> Don't say "pay"; say "salary" or "compensation". <S> For people who might actually want to know if your job is something they or their children should consider, one of these: I can't complain, that's for sure. <S> It's [hard/dangerous/unusual/challenging] work, with a long training period, but you're well rewarded for that. <S> I suppose it's like any other [office/outdoor/seasonal/skilled] job, it pays what you expect it pays. <S> I'm sure not in this for the money! <S> We get by, and I love what I do. <S> Again word these however is natural for you, and use informal words like "pay" and "money." <S> For a colleague, you need to step really carefully. <S> Nothing good ever comes of open salary discussions at work. <S> (See <S> Should I encourage my coworkers to share their salaries with each other? <S> ) <S> Try: <S> These conversations never end well, in my experience. <S> I discuss my pay with [our boss] and nobody else. <S> Hope you don't mind that. <S> After your one sentence, if the person pushes, asks for details etc then whichever answer you gave, try: Sorry, but that's really all I'm going to say on the subject. <S> This should stop the repeat askers and save you from having to lie or say anything you don't mean. <A> In fact, the work contract that they made me sign me included this clause. <S> I'd use this as a dodge: "Salaries are a confidential matter, which I am not to discuss with anyone. <S> I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you first :)". <S> The British actor Christopher Lee (of 1960s vampire movies fame) was asked a number of times about his activities as a WWII commando. <S> Each time, he would conspirationally ask the interviewer "Can you keep a secret?" <S> "Yes!", the interviewer would practically shout with excitement. <S> And Christopher Lee would reply with a smile " <S> So can I !" <S> :) <A> Tell them "I have signed a non-disclosure agreement in the company according to which I am not supposed to disclose my salary", or "I think and feel sad about my salary only on the 1st of every month <S> and I hate to think of it for the rest of the days. <S> Please leave that topic dude!"
| The management policy at my previous workplace is that salary matters are a confidential, personal matter and that employees are not to share their salary info with anyone including other employees. The thing about dodging is that while it may keep you from "having to" answer the question this time, it does nothing to stop the question being asked again.
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How do I turn down a professional challenge from my boss? I've been working as a programmer at my current company for about a year and a half. Recently my boss asked me into his office and asked me if I wanted to be the champion of a new set of features that we're adding to our web app. It would involve plenty of research, which I've been pretty good at in the past. He's offering me this as a challenge, something hard but possibly rewarding. The problem is, I am planning to leave the company in a few months. My boss doesn't know this, and I don't want to reveal that I'm planning to leave until everything is lined up. How can I turn down this challenge without telling him that I plan to leave? <Q> "it would be a bad work/life balance for me right now" The extra challenge is certainly going to have a potential impact on your family life. <S> Also: <S> "My family is likely to be going through some changes in the next few months <S> and I don't want it to cause an impact on something so important" (your boss asks - oh? <S> what's up?) <S> "I'd rather not talk about it yet - too much is up in the air right now for any reasonable guesses <S> and I'd like to keep private about it." <S> This is not a lie. <S> You and your family will be going through a job change in the next few months if everything works out. <S> And you don't want to talk about it. <S> It could, however, be just as likely that you and your partner are growing the family, participating in a lawsuit or doing just about anything else - so it doesn't immediately signal "Job change!" <A> Any reason why you shouldn't just do the research until such time as you give notice? <S> A few months is a long time and you might have accomplished a lot by then before you pass the baton on to someone else. <S> You shouldn't disclose anything about your plans to anyone at work until you are in a position to execute i.e. until you have that job offer in hand, you're taking up the job offer and the only thing you've got left to do is give notice. <S> Because, until you have that job offer in hand, you've got exactly nothing. <S> Follow-up comment from @NeilSlater <S> : If the OP is feeling slightly conflicted on thinking long-term with this, maybe he could relax about it if he decided part of being a "champion" was writing stuff down and/or presenting findings to rest of team. <S> Such assignments are usually flexible and open-ended, and the OP would get a fair bit of control over what work was required Over several weeks, maybe. <S> Over several months, not so sure. <S> The idea is not to do anything that breaks the routine and somehow telegraphs an intent to leave to the management before the notice is officially given. <S> Follow-up comment from @HLGEM <S> That includes taking on any new challenges. <S> You are being paid right now, you owe the work to the company paying you. <S> Hell, I could be working on a long term project and get iced by an ice cream truck tomorrow :) <S> If we all pushed off on working on long term projects on the possibility that we could be departing this vale of tears at any minute, the world would grind to a halt :) <A> First, decide whether you really want to turn the work down or not. <S> It might be enjoyable or give you skills that will help you to land the new job. <S> If it's already landed, it might make you better at that job. <S> Assuming you've given that a good thought and really don't want it, the good news is that it doesn't matter how you turn it down. <S> You could be intensely rude, and you wouldn't be fired for it, and what the heck, you're leaving anyway. <S> All that really matters is that you are polite. <S> Do not give a reason: giving reasons only invite argument and questions. <S> I suggest something like: <S> Thanks for the opportunity to take on [that challenge] and for giving me the option to decide about it. <S> I've given it some thought, and at this time I think it's not right for me to take it on. <S> I hope that doesn't cause a problem for you. <S> If your boss presses for details, tell the truth. <S> Not "I'm leaving" but "I don't think I would enjoy doing it [all day, for so long, instead of what I do now]. <S> " If your boss says "but it would be a feather in your cap" you can say, "I know, and I gave it long thought before deciding. <S> It's not right for me to take it on now. <S> " Do not offer more details or get drawn into an argument.
| I believe that you should do your job to the best of your ability whether you have decided to leave in a few months or not.
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How to suggest that faults in my work also exist in my colleague's work, but are undiscovered? My situation is as follows, I am an entry level programmer having been assigned my first real project. I'm supposed to be part of a 3 man team which develops a new part of the application, the others being a fellow new employee I was partnered with during the training and a senior programmer who trained us. The problem is that during the first stages of the project the senior was pulled into other projects and we juniors had to do things as we knew (it's a new technology for the firm, and that's why we juniors were "apprenticed" to this senior). And we made mistakes in the code, in our workflow and we didn't progress at a good speed. What is causing me stress and trouble at the workspace is that I feel I'm being singled out for errors both we juniors did. My junior colleague works only part time due to still being a student, yet our supervisor only comes to check the code when he is away and I end up taking the blame for shared problems in the code and his own problems in the code. There's only so many times I can say "This is X's area of code, but I'll try to fix it!" then fix it,eventually I just silently note down the problems whether they are in mine/his/shared and get to fixing it. Yet I am the face the supervisor sees when the code is found faulty and I'm right now solidly established as the "slow and sloppy" worker. To add insult to injury after fixing the errors in my and his code, I still put in the hours to add new features to the project. These features get tested first and problems are found. Meanwhile, my colleague's work sits there untested, accumulating fixes I already figured out, resulting in work which seems faster and more error free than mine. How can I explain my point of view without looking like I want to throw my colleague under the bus ? Edit: Just wanted to add some clarifications, yes we are using source control for the code, but using the blame command to show the errors in my colleague's code raises the same problem it shows that as a programmer my code is not uniquely flawed yet it marks me as the coworker who is trying to share the blame. <Q> You are the full time employee and a code base is a shared responsibility. <S> There is a method of fixing the bug without being blamed for it. <S> I would listen to the manager and say you'll take care of it. <S> Honestly; before adding new features I suggest fixing as many bugs as you can - bugs derail projects quickly. <S> Assuming you're using the DCVS or some form of source control the managers can track whose code is whose. <S> They may just be telling you about the problem because you're the main employee. <S> Look at it as an exercise to test your managerial skills and delegate tasks down to the intern. <S> If QA is finding the bugs in your code - be ok with it. <S> That is QA's goal. <S> Programmers tend to do a base test and assume something is "good enough" and ship it. <S> This is where new programmers fall into a bit of a hole due to academia being more of "proof of concept" and less defensive (production) coding. <S> Learn to extensively test your product - especially for negative or bad input, not just the "good" input. <S> I was in a similar situation as an intern programmer. <S> If you're both "new" to this and he only works part time <S> I encourage you to try Pair Programming. <S> That way you have collective ownership of the code base and the problems are both yours and you won't be able to assign blame to him. <S> Overall; stay positive! <S> Try to avoid excuses and take as much constructive feedback as possible. <S> Even if you're fixing his mistakes you're still becoming a better programmer. <S> You're gifted with a tremendous opportunity to prove yourself and the first few months as a programmer are rough and humbling; I know you can pull through! <A> A good strategy for you is to think about this from the point of view of your manager and your customer (the one who will use the code your team is creating). <S> Your manager is in a risky situation. <S> Think of it: a new technology stack, one junior full-time employee, one junior part-time employee, and <S> his more senior employee abruptly reassigned. <S> From your manager's perspective, this looks like potential trouble. <S> It's possible your manager is giving you extra attention simply to do his best to avoid disappointing your customer. <S> If so, who could blame him? <S> He's doing the right thing. <S> Can you have a conversation with him where you establish some common cause? <S> "Sir, I feel like I'm falling behind on my work because the two of us are still learning, and because I have to spend a lot of time debugging and integrating our part-time colleague's work as well as my own. <S> What can I do differently to help make sure this project succeeds even though it's just the two of us working on it?" <S> See how this goes? <S> (1) You state the problem from a business and management perspective. <S> (2) you express understanding of a team development process (3) <S> You ask for advice. <S> Managers LOVE IT when employees ask for advice. <S> He will surely be happy that you see the problem from his point of view. <S> Don't be overly worried about bugs in your new code. <S> All code has bugs in it, and the good news is that your development process is finding your bugs. <A> Don't worry about how your colleague is perceived. <S> Take this opportunity to get the credit for fixing everything that needed to be fixed, it will only make you look better for taking it in stride and just getting it done. <S> Don't worry about the quantity of bugs at this stage. <S> Every bug that qa finds is a free learning experience for you, and money the company saved by not having the problem in production. <S> Given that your colleague is not full time, it is highly likely that you will be looked upon to shoulder a greater burden, which is a GREAT thing at the beginning of your career. <S> This is an opportunity. <A> To a large degree, welcome to the world of work <S> I'm afraid. <S> Things aren't "fair" and if you keep on complaining on that basis you will perhaps trade the mantle of "sloppy and slow" (is this what your senior colleague has said, or a label you are applying to yourself because you're taking their oversight personally?) <S> for "complains all the time" which is worse. <S> Instead of worrying about blame you need to take charge of fixing the root cause of the problem. <S> It sounds like you and your fellow junior are overwhelmed and not managing time well yet. <S> Do you have bug tracking systems? <S> Can you implement one (even if its just a spreadsheet)? <S> Can you take responsibility for noting all the bugs and then assign the ones that are down to your co-worker back to them to fix? <S> Using a tracking system, and sharing it with the senior dev when they mention faults should start to push back against the negative impression others may have of you. <S> Also speak to the senior dev and (without getting into 'blame games' talk about what their expectations are of you as the person who is there all the time vs. the one who is not, and also what their expectations are for producing new code vs. fixing bugs with old code.
| I suggest simply taking note of the problems and fixing them. Another suggestion is to improve some aspects of your coding practice.
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How can I politely ask a coworker to stop forwarding emails to the company distribution list A coworker of mine has recently started forwarding all sorts of newsletters, community event details, and promotions to the company-wide email distribution list. None of the stuff she forwards have anything to do with the company or business in general, they are just things she thinks are interesting. These are distracting and they clutter my inbox. I've talked with several other coworkers, and nobody finds these types of emails useful or informative, so we're trying to figure out a way to get her to quit doing it. I would just block all of her emails, but things like payroll information, vacation scheduling, and other important workplace related emails also come from her. Am I being overly sensitive to this? Should I just keep quietly trashing those emails, or is there a polite way to resolve this for everyone? <Q> Since you are a peer, not a manager, you can't very well address this for the sake of everyone. <S> For her to comply will make a lot of extra work for her, because she'll have to either quit using the company distribution list, or carefully remove your name after the fact. <S> She might find it easier to just quit. <S> Or, she might find it easier to ignore your request. <S> If others are also objecting, you can recommend that they also talk to her and ask to be removed. <S> A reasonable person will see that several people prefer to not get the emails, and will either figure out a way to not send it to those few who speak up (not easy) or will quit sending them (easy). <S> An unreasonable person will ignore the requests. <S> If she is unreasonable, then the next step is to go to your manager. <S> Point out that the extra emails makes it hard to find the legitimate ones, and ask how he would like you to handle it. <S> If he doesn't want to handle it, then you're stuck with combing through the emails for the ones you need. <A> While the other answers deal with the interpersonal aspect of this particular instance, I think it's pertinent to mention that there are technical solutions you can implement so that similar situations do not occur in future. <S> It's possible to set restrictions on who can send to a distribution list. <S> This is usually handled by your IT administrator. <S> While each email service handles this slightly differently, the basic premise is to maintain a whitelist of 'trusted' employees who are allowed to email the 'All Staff' distribution list. <S> For example, you may only want your department heads (Head of HR, Head of Finance etc) & Board members to be able to use this list, so you add their names to the list of allowed users. <S> This doesn't just stop at the 'All Staff' list either - any distribution list can be restricted in the same manner and allow for different 'whitelists' of approved mailers. <S> There are helpful guides on the internet for configuring this for your specific email service (e.g. Office 365 , Exchange ), but your IT administrator/team should investigate which solution makes the most sense for your setup. <A> If this is a small organization speak to the person directly and inform her that company email should be reserved for company business only. <S> In a larger organization you may be able to go up the chain too, if she initially does not respond. <A> How about setting up a separate distribution list that people can then add themselves to if they're interested in that sort of thing? <S> Selling it to her shouldn't be too hard, as it's very little work for her. <S> (Just using a different address) <S> I'm not sure how much trouble setting up & maintaining a distribution list is, but I'm guessing management doesn't especially like the misuse of their list too much, so they should be on your side.
| However, you can approach her and tell her that the extra emails are overwhelming you, and ask if she could please not send them to you.
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Is it reasonable to set up a hidden camera in one's office? Someone I know --not me and not in my workplace-- has noticed a number of incidents of vandalism and petty theft in their office and in the offices of colleagues in nearby offices. Given that all offices are locked at night and that the whole area is behind another lock, the obvious suspects are cleaning staff and security staff. For obvious reasons they don't want to bring it up with security. My friend and their colleagues have considered setting up a hidden video camera to find out what is going on. However, it strikes me that there is an ethical and perhaps legal barrier to this. The cleaning staff and security staff are in a sense also in their workplace and entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy. Is it reasonable to set up a hidden camera in such a circumstance? Would it be reasonable, given the permission of their manager? <Q> Given that serious offences have been committed, it seems a reasonable approach. <S> I suggest the following: <S> If this is done, it MUST be done as a company action and notindividual employees freelancing. <S> The cameras must be removed after the investigation witnessed by employee representatives. <S> If you're a small company without an internal security operation (ie most companies), it might be better to hire a reputable private investigator to do this, as they can protect the chain of evidence required by law. <S> Of course, dependant on your local legal situation, if it can be proven that the offences where committed by the cleaners/guards, you could just sack the cleaners and guards – this is the case in the UK. <A> Putting up a hidden camera could be illegal and get you into deep, deep legal trouble . <S> I am almost positive that this would be the case in Germany. <S> Any recordings may not be admissible in a court of law against the thieves. <S> If you sack someone because of such a recording, you could be sued for wrongful termination. <S> Ask a lawyer first! <A> From an ethical and practical point of view, it would seem that bringing it up with the people involved is the most obvious course of action. <S> Presumably, even if you do put up cameras, advertising that fact should be more effective in preventing further incidents (beside potentially being legally required). <S> You mentioned the fact that your friend does not want to involve security “for obvious reasons” <S> but I don't quite follow what those might be. <S> It would seem that preventing theft and vandalism is their responsibility. <S> Even if some part of the security staff is in fact involved, bringing it up would give a serious warning to everybody and might prompt the guilty party to stop (isn't it precisely what you are trying to achieve?). <S> What you need is a lawyer or perhaps an audit of some sort that should help you find out the best ways to achieve that goal. <A> Usually, there are 3 conditions that must be fulfilled: 1) <S> 2) <S> You must put the written warning in the visible place that the area is monitored by the camera (usually on the entry doors) - however, some legal systems may not require that. <S> 3) Placing a camera in that place may not be against the legal system, for example, in most (western) countries placing camera in the toilet would not be acceptable under any circumstances
| Now, if your concern is that you don't trust the manager, security company or whoever is in charge of the security staff to deal with this properly or want to identify the culprits to sack them or press criminal charges then a camera is at best a small part of any solution. The (written) permission from the property owner/holder (your company).
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How can I deal with inappropriate content appearing on my Twitter feed at work? On Twitter, I follow 138 people. All but a few use their Twitter accounts in a professional manner. There are 3 main categories: Game company employees, people who use YouTube professionally, and online content authors. However, one of the accounts I follow is an Afterdark Alt account of someone else who only posts once or twice per day in a public manner but nearly always inappropriately. Most of his posts are explicit texts referring to his recent escapades, which at a glance are similar to non-explicit tweets. However, a few weeks ago (luckily when I was already home) he retweeted very explicit pictures of something not work appropriate. There are other accounts that I follow, which occasionally share inappropriate images during the day. So far I have been lucky that these images weren't noticed by anyone else. A moment ago, I activated the explicit content filter on Tweetdeck, which should filter these out, but the risk remains. My boss doesn't mind me using Twitter at work as long as it does not affect my performance, but I'm not sure that flag will fly if a batch of furry porn manages to get past the content filter. But I also don't want to stop using Twitter at work because it keeps me updated about important news and developments, both internationally, locally, and related to my job. How can I deal with inappropriate content appearing on my twitter feed at work? <Q> If need be you can even protect your personal account. <S> There's no reason not to follow many / most of the same people with both accounts. <S> This is my personal approach to maintaining a 'respectable' work profile, but still feeling free to be expressive when I would like to be... <A> When I want to check social media at work I use my phone. <S> It's very unlikely that somebody will see my screen, the interface is just inconvenient enough that I'm not going to spend a lot of time on it (but can still see what I need to see), and corporate IT policies/proxies/etc aren't relevant. <S> For your Twitter case, if you want to follow up on stuff (e.g. linked articles from those IT bloggers) using your computer, you'll know if it's safe to load Twitter out in the cube farm in front of everybody because you'll have just seen it on your phone. <A> My answer will address social networking at work at a larger scale. <S> Even when your boss gives you the green light to be on twitter, facebook, etc you still have to manage your time and ensure this activity is not disruptive to your productivity or the productivity of others. <S> In this case the concern of potentially wildly inappropriate posts is a very big concern in the "impacting others" category. <S> There's always that risk someone in your feed could post something genuinely offensive completely derailing a coworker. <S> Separation of work and home <S> Based on what I've seen in the past their are two solid approaches to dealing with this. <S> Create Separate personal and professional accounts or create separate personal and professional feeds. <S> The idea is simple all your games, late night, comedy, etc. goes into your personal set. <S> This should never be opened at work. <S> All your profession related stuff Tech groups, productivity stuff, etc goes in your professional feed. <S> This is the ONLY feed you should ever open at work. <S> Separate accounts is preferable for purposes of networking and keeping your personal life personal.
| I'd suggest maintaining two accounts : a personal one for things that interest you that might be work-inappropriate, and a second work-related one for things that are always work safe.
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How do I quit a job when my manager is at a distant location? I work at a large company and after the most recent "management restructuring," most of the employees in my department have managers at various other locations. While my manager used to sit about 30 feet away from me, my new manager works at the corporate headquarters about 900 miles away. Around the same time as the management switch, I found a much better job opportunity that I intend to pursue. I would like to give my two week's notice, but with my manager so far away, I can't think of a way to do it besides email or an after-hours call (we no longer have conference rooms, another initiative, and cannot use our cell phones during work hours). While trying to be as polite and professional as possible, is it acceptable to quit a job over email? <Q> While trying to be as polite and professional as possible, is it acceptable to quit a job over email? <S> Since face-to-face doesn't seem practical, you should call. <S> If you really cannot find a convenient location to call from, you could call from your cubicle, and tell your manager that you need to speak with him privately for a few minutes, and ask the best way to do that. <S> He/ <S> She may suggest an after-hours time, or may suggest that you call during lunch, etc. <S> This way, you aren't speaking about a delicate situation in public, but are getting the attention of your manager in a timely fashion. <A> can't think of a way to do it besides email or an after-hours call (we no longer have conference rooms, another initiative, and cannot use our cell phones during work hours). <S> Why would you need a conference room? <S> Do you not have a desk phone? <S> Do you really have no way to contact him that doesn't involve email? <S> Are phones of any sort not permitted in your company? <S> 900 miles is less than 2 timezones away (no matter which direction), so it should be possible to reach him via telephone during your common office hours. <S> Call first, speak with him directly <S> (don't leave a voicemail saying "this is my 2 weeks' notice"), then follow up with an email restating that you are giving notice, your final day, and thank him and the company for the opportunity, experience, etc. <A> It's far better to deliver important messages, like a resignation, in person or by phone than by email. <S> Email is impersonal and easy to overlook. <S> You say you cannot use your cellphones during work. <S> However I think this is an exception to that rule. <S> Start with an email or phone call, asking if you can call your boss at a specific time. <S> Tell him you need a private conversation, so that he will be somewhere private too. <S> At that time, get yourself to a place where you can be private - a vacant office with a closeable door will do, but if you don't have that, leave work and find somewhere to make the call. <S> A coffee shop would do - <S> it's not 'private', but at least you won't be overheard by your colleagues. <S> Alternatively leave a bit early and do it from home at the beginning or end of the day. <S> Tell your boss the news. <S> Then, when the conversation is done, follow it up with an email summarising what you told him. <S> This is to make sure that there is a record that you have resigned, so that your notice period can start from that time. <S> You might also want to send a written letter, possibly to HR. <S> Your boss will have a better idea of what is needed. <A> Is there a human resources office on your site? <S> If so you can ask them for the use of a private telephone to talk to your manager about an employment-related matter. <A>
| You could, but these sorts of sensitive communications are far better handled face-to-face, or at least over the telephone, rather than by email or snail mail. Write your boss a short resignation letter and send it via the postal services - use registered delivery if you need to prove the date for notice periods
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What should a candidate do when a start date keeps getting pushed back? I had a recruiter work with a client who liked me, but due to various things the start date was almost always presented as within a day or two but kept on getting pushed back for weeks. After I was stood up ( the recruiter set one start date, and didn't notify me even though I called both the individual recruiter and account manager that my start date was pushed back again; I showed up, called to ask which party to request with security, and was then notified of my start date being pushed back further ), I emailed them asking for help, and then wisely or unwisely gave an ultimatum, requesting that the job either start for sure that day or the next day, or else treated as "This might happen and it might be really nice, but I'm free to look for something else," the client was not impressed and revoked the offer. The biggest area where I'm wondering "What might I have done differently?" is in negotiation where the start date keeps getting pushed back even though it sounds like it is only one or two more business days more to wait. I'm wondering if after the first week of the start date being pushed back I should have said, "I need something to crystallize." Maybe I should ask: If a start date keeps getting pushed back, when is it time to shift negotiation style, and how should it be changed? What is effective negotiation? I am in a way glad that the client was "not impressed" I tried to get a specific start date to crystallize; if he is "not impressed" about that after weeks of the start date being delayed, I'm glad I found out this as a candidate not a new hire. But I'd love to know if I should have recognized signs and perhaps been freer to look for a better fit after one week's delay rather than a few weeks. When is a delayed start date (portrayed as just around the corner) something to accommodate, and when is it a red flag? <Q> I think anytime a company pushes back an established start date (and especially one they didn't even bother to tell you about) <S> it is a big red flag. <S> I would have continued my search from the first delay. <S> I can't think of any reason to push back a start date that was agreed on (and I certainly would not quit my current job without a start date) <S> that doesn't indicate a company in trouble; often it is in financial trouble which you don't need as it is nice to actually get your paycheck after you have done the work. <S> Other possibilities are a disorganized company (you don't want to work someplace like that) or a boss who doesn't care about jerking you around (you really don't want to work there). <S> The only legitimate delay I can think of is a family emergency on the part of someone who is needed to get you in the system (like the only HR person have a spouse die) and a short delay until that is resolved. <S> And even that would seem suspicious if they couldn't find an alternative person in 1-2 days. <A> I was in your situation, when a prospective employer strung me along with a series of start dates for months. <S> Unlike you, I never gave an ultimatum. <S> I just looked for something else and continued to upgrade my skills set - I have this thing about stacking as many of the odds on my side as possible to the point that it looks like I am smashing egg shells with a sledge hammer :) <S> I knew something was up when the weeks were turning into months. <S> I was not totally grown up, though - I unfairly blamed the recruiter for this funky business and never did business with him again. <S> My loss. <S> I should have been fully dispassionate and objective and stuck with the fact of the situation, which is that the recruiter was being jerked around, too, rather than let my pent-up frustration do the talking. <S> Had I allowed my frustration to rise to the surface so that I could deal with it in a straightforward manner rather than remain submerged and pent up, I would most probably reacted in the right way and not blamed the recruiter. <S> Pent up frustration is submerged, and to my detriment, harder to fight because it is not visible to me. <S> And because I consciously repressed it, it manifested itself in ways that were not apparent to me at the time. <S> Next time, don't give out ultimatums. <S> Simply continue the job search. <S> If there is blame to go around, make sure that you apportion it fairly and not let your pent-up frustration do the talking. <S> As for me, it was a case of "live and learn" :) <A> Always keep looking until you have an offer in writing! <S> If you had one and they kept pushing the start date back, then alas, it wasn't meant to be :( <S> I really hate these situations because there's really nothing you can do, and it's worse if they're jerking you around like this. <S> I've had a case where I was given an offer, accepted it, but it did state <S> it was contingent on passing a background investigation. <S> I believe it was <S> 1.6 months later they gave me a start date. <S> First day on the job, the manager told me she was very worried that my investigation wouldn't go through. <S> She was actually more worried than I was! <S> It turns out that 3 previous candidates who accepted the job offers did NOT make it past the investigation! <S> Another case, some woman who specializes in a type of nursing went through 5 interviews. <S> She got called in for a 6th, but she told them "nope, I'm done here". <S> She can hear the other person's jaw just drop over the phone. <S> However, she was in a much better position as her work was in demand <S> and she has solid skillsets. <A> This is not legal advice, but in my naive opinion, if you accepted in writing an offer of a job to start on a specified date, then you were employed by that company as of that date. <S> If I had shown up at a place expecting to start work and they weren't ready for me <S> I would have been very explicit that they entered a contract and that I expected them to keep it, and I expected to be paid from that day. <S> Starting from where you are now, I would at very least ask to be paid as if you had been terminated on that date. <S> If you wish to follow it up, consulting a lawyer would probably be a good idea. <S> But in reality the cost of a lawyer may be more than the money you get back.
| Make it clear to them that you quit a job on the basis of their offer.
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What are tools/resources I can use to check a company for transphobia and sexism during a job search? Background: I'm a transgender data analyst/software developer. In my jurisdiction (Massachusetts), gender identity is protected under anti-discrimination laws, but most of the companies I'm applying to are startups that may not handle HR matters as well as they should. I'm not interested in going to work for a company where casual (or not-so-casual) sexism and transphobia are an accepted part of the culture, and I'm really not interested in only discovering this after I'm hired and ending up in a situation where I feel like I need to stick it out for a while to avoid looking like a job-hopper. What I'm looking for: tools, resources, or communities I can use to vet companies for problematic culture before or during the interview phase. For instance, are there particular Twitter users who stay on top of sexism in tech/STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)? Are there inclusive tech/STEM groups (for Massachusetts specifically or the US generally) where it's possible to quietly ask about a company's reputation? Are there questions I can use to delicately probe this in an interview? What I've already found: Joblint , which evaluates job postings for potential warning signs (take results with a grain of salt, obviously). Potential complications: I'm not a woman and I don't want to be a jerk by inserting myself into a group that's specifically for women, like PyLadies (but if you know of such a group that might be willing to give pointers toward a more appropriate group, I'm all ears). Also, I'm new to the industry (fresh off a STEM PhD elsewhere in the US) and don't yet have a local network of developer friends to consult about what they might have heard through the grapevine (otherwise this would be my first port of call). <Q> You are going to go through some awkward reactions probably and lose some opportunities, but those are clearly the ones you don't want and it is better to find out in the interview. <S> But remember there will be some who react awkwardly just because they have never (knowingly) encountered a transperson before and when they go back and discuss whether to hire you, they will have had time to think about it and the impact on the team. <S> So give people the benefit of the doubt a bit if they come back with an offer. <S> On the other hand, you probably have a pretty fine sense of whether people are reacting in surprise or dismay (or worse), so pay attention to your intuition. <S> I would also look to see if they seem to have a mixed team. <S> In my experience a team with no one person who stands out from the rest tends to have more sexism, agesism, genderism, racism etc. <S> Certainly the many times I have been the only woman <S> , I have seen this pattern, since until they hire someone who is different they don't even notice how offensive much of what they do or say is. <A> Twitter users to start with: Julie Pagano : writes about minorities in tech. <S> Shanley (currently locked down due to harassment) <S> : writes about minorities in tech, and most recently started the online publication ModelViewCulture . <S> A recent issue was titled Queer and contained, amongst other things, a couple of articles written by transgender people. <S> Julie Ann Horvath : <S> worked at GitHub and quit due to harassment, is vocal in support of minorities. <S> (The GitHub mess was written up at, amongst other places, TechCrunch .) <S> Tim Chevalier : a transgender man who has worked at Mozilla, been active on Wikipedia and written about his experiences with both places. <S> Skud : one of the women who started Geek Feminism . <S> (Incidentally, she was also kicked off Google+ <S> for not having a good enough name, which led to her legally changing her legal name.) <S> Anil Dash : <S> blogger and entrepreneur, who has written a fair amount on racism and sexism (though not, to my memory, about trans- or homophobia — but <S> that may just be my faulty memory). <S> This list is by no means exhaustive; it's just the ones I can bring to mind at this particular moment. <S> I'd also like to recommend my go-to place for advice on how to handle pretty much everything, Captain Awkward . <S> It's an advice column blog which has an amazingly good commentariat, and I've rarely seen a letter that didn't get a thoughtful response there. <S> I don't recall seeing a question about this specific issue on the blog, but I'm certain that there will be people in the forums that will have a lot more ideas than I have. <S> Oh, and of course Geek Feminism ! <A> There's a growing list of feminist reviews of tech companies on the Geek Feminism Wiki. <S> Another page it links to is the Micro-Activism Wiki, which lists recruiters' responses to being asked about whether their company has trans-inclusive health insurance. <S> This may or may not be a good proxy for how non-toxic a company is. <S> I think when somebody at the company uses the term "meritocracy" to you in describing it, that's definitely a warning sign. <S> You can also just outright ask "what is your company doing to improve diversity?" <S> or "how well a job do you think you're doing at diverse hiring? <S> " -- you might think you would just get a pat answer, but in my experience, the answers can be pretty revealing. <S> That's one suggestion question from David MacIver's list of questions for employers , which I also recommend. <S> A colleague of mine who was interviewing people recommended asking candidates, "Tell me something about a team you worked with before" -- this seems like a very broad question, but he said that it was often a good test of whether someone was racist or sexist: some people would answer with something along the lines of, "Well, you know there was one of those people on the team, so I had to do all the work for them. <S> " <S> Perhaps there's a way to turn that question around and use it as an interviewee? <S> Also, it may seem obvious, but pay attention to who your interview panel is. <S> If you have a typical tech interview where you talk to six developers, and all of them are white men, that says something about the company's diversity. <A> I'm from Germany and not sure how things work at different companies, but there is usually a section with their workers on every website. <S> I try to check them out and see what they like on twitter etc. <S> This gives me a hint of how well we could get along. <S> Also, checking out pictures of work events (if online) helps to form an impression. <S> In doubt there is always the opportunity to have a 'trial day' where you go test the environment for a day. <S> This is usually perceived as a very senisble move; it shows motivation and interest in their workplace. <S> I understand you want to avoid being classified as a job-hopper so showing some extra-interest might do the trick.
| Since this is critical to you, I think you should directly tell them you are transgender in the interview and see how they react.
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Under what circumstances can workplace silos be beneficial to the company? I have some of the greatest managers and colleagues I have ever had in my working life. Yet one thing that seems to be highly enforced at our company are workplace silos, i.e. information should not flow between different teams/departments unless the managers want it to. Most business and management books/articles/blogs seem to demonize the workplace silos... but since we are a very successful company (market leader) and have some very qualified staff, I imagine that there can be situations where it might be beneficial and productive to the company's purpose. I am personally not offended by the silos, but would simply like to understand what drives and motivates their existence. An example reason that comes to my mind is: a very new strategy that shouldn't be leaked anywhere, and thus is held secret even to internal staff. <Q> In my experience, silos work well in companies that highly value security and privacy. <S> I have mainly seen this in companies whose primary business is contracted out to other companies. <S> The customer will often require that their information be compartmentalized and separated from other parts of the company, particularly if you also work with one of their competitors. <S> Companies that work with government customers are also often under strict security regulations and must keep all of their information compartmentalized. <S> Only certain people at Coca-cola have access to the secret recipe, and not everyone at Apple knows when the latest iGizmo is being released. <S> So silos are not in place because they are an effective management strategy that fosters innovation and growth. <S> They exist as a successful means of securing highly valuable information and preventing it from being leaked to the wrong people. <A> I think silos seem to be an over-correction for companies or organizations that do not have a good communication strategy/plan and established processes. <S> In enforcing the silos, it helps to keep information and personnel focused on tasks at the risk of not cross-skilling employees as well as making use of efficiency gained from information or skills existing in other areas of the organization (which also results in duplication of effort). <S> There are organizations that have very defined (or distinct) departments with self-contained projects and teams that do work very well together. <S> But if this is the case then you could argue why the same process doesn't apply everywhere else to allow people to jump into any other roles or projects as well. <S> So I think silos are just a stop-gap or quick-fix to long term solutions of establishing a really efficient and effective work environment. <S> A self-governing team may even be able to do without managers! <S> Imagine the outrage that would cause :D <A> I'm going to lean on my own organization and my experience with silos. <S> Under what circumstances can workplace silos be beneficial to the company? <S> Not a single circumstance that I can think of. <S> I jest, <S> but I can see the silo model working well if those at the top of the silo have an understanding that they're part of a company and may potentially need to work with another silo to get things done. <S> Bridges need to be built between the silos in some sort of analyst capacity to evaluate and bring the groups together in ways that don't interfere with the point of having a silo, because the are benefits of the structure. <S> That's just an observation from my silo'd organization. <S> I needed both the physical infrastructure team and security team to help me with something and it ended up looking like two groups going through a bad divorce. <S> I needed someone from above to tell them to play nice. <A> I've worked in several different industries and there were few intentional requests to "silo" our data. <S> Even a payroll system gets linked to other benefits and healthcare tracking. <S> Any by that <S> I mean having no need to move data in or out of a particular data store. <S> This is different than security which should allow the access and flow of data "as needed" and rarely needs complete isolation. <S> It's a matter of degree. <S> Silos get created because different parts of an organization need apps for specific tasks. <S> During the growth of the business, many of these come in at different stages. <S> A simple accounting system is put into place. <S> The one person doing any sales has all the clients in his or her contact manager. <S> Different industries have apps specific for their needs (building houses, managing stocks, insurance policies, scheduling deliveries) and then there are off-shoots like, inventory, project management, payroll, document management. <S> The need to integrate or connect the silos doesn't happen right away. <S> Few companies will take the time and cost to prepare for this early on. <S> Sort of a premature optimization. <S> If you close one sale a week, it's not that hard for everybody to manually enter that in their system, but along with the increase in volume, comes other complexities. <S> You need to avoid duplication. <S> How do you cross-reference <S> the same customer when no one even managed to spell the name the same? <S> A silo can be the most cost-effective choice to offer the security you need, but in my experience, they usually occur because of a lack of need, planning, technical expertise which all boils down to time and money. <A> One example of isolation of part of the workforce: You can have a skunkworks project where a small and loosely structured group of people research and develop a project primarily for the sake of radical innovation. <S> The idea is to not let external influences hold them back. <S> One reason for that could be avoiding copyright claims: <S> if you let your group develop product X which look exactly like the competitors' product Y, you don't want them to use any knowledge about the internal workings of Y. (There a specific name for this, but I can't find it; please edit if you know). <S> Essentially, this is a form of Mushroom Management : You keep people in the dark, "feeding them shit, and watch them grow." <S> That is, isolating the design team from outside influences and, instead, using the fear of the unknown to motivate the team. <S> Tracy Kidder, in the book "The soul of a new machine" describes exactly this method of operation.
| I could also see silos being effective in companies that must keep valuable information from being leaked to the public. The less people who know something, the less chance there is for that information to end up in the wrong hands.
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When should you tell your current employer about a new career path? Background information: I'm a software developer and project manager. I started my employment with this company straight from college. The company has paid for my apprenticeship, however there is nothing in my contract about giving time back. I have worked through a few positions in the company, and am now a main source of information for both internal and external support requests. Due to lack of time to create documentation, the last two years of projects have all the functionality knowledge stored in code and my head. EDIT I've been in my current role (Developer and Manager) for close to 3 years. I have been at the company for 4.5 years in total. EDIT2 I have only just (last month) completed the apprenticeship. This has been delayed by my employer as they prevented me attending college. I'm starting to feel like the company has a once the apprentice, always the apprentice attitude. Due to this, I have started applying for jobs and have been approached by a few head hunters. I currently have an interview booked in the next couple of weeks, working for a family friends company, so I am pretty sure I will get the job. I currently have a one month notice period, and I feel obliged to tell the company before I hand my notice in. I don't know why, I just do. The question...Should I? Why? Why not? <Q> But, it's not clear whether you hope to be able to stay in your current company with increased responsibility. <S> If you do hope for that, there is no harm in asking your supervisor for a conversation about the "once the apprentice, always the apprentice" issue you raised in your question. <S> Most companies are delighted when employees ask supervisors about what it takes to get more responsibility, and to move beyond a trainee role into a respected professional role. <S> This conversation is especially appropriate now, because your apprenticeship has recently ended. <S> Note: this isn't a conversation about what will keep you from leaving <S> : don't bring up that issue, because it's confrontational. <S> This is a friendly conversation about how the company and you can benefit from your training and your work. <S> If they react negatively to your request for this discussion, that is important information for you to consider as you plan the next move in your career. <A> You should tell your current employer as soon as you have a written offer (or email) from the new one - and not any sooner. <S> Let the new employer know you have a notice period to serve - this is pretty standard. <S> You might get a counter-offer from your current employer - but make sure <S> when you give your notice you address the root cause of why you're leaving (you don't feel you're progressing along a career path). <S> Then again, if you're ready to leave, I wouldn't consider the counter-offer anyway. <S> With regards to the other things (documentation, time served for training) - they're irrelevant. <S> If your employer doesn't allow time for that kind of thing, and doesn't actively encourage you to do that, then they'll reap what they sow, and it's not your problem. <A> The company paid for your apprenticeship, but do feel reassured that they got back the money they paid for your your training, and more. <S> They invested into your training and the investment more than paid off. <S> If you're feeling really grateful, say "Thank you!" <S> to them :) <S> Don't feel guilty about leaving. <S> You more than returned their good will in the form of high quality work over the years. <S> Give the notice at the time you're supposed to give notice. <S> Not one minute earlier. <S> And don't even think of giving notice until you have that job offer in hand. <S> Telling them earlier than you should may make the remainder of you time at your firm more painful and awkward than it already is <S> and than it needs to be, both for you and for them. <S> You can help ease the transition by being available to answer questions (within reason) after you have left. <S> Of course, if they choose to work you to death before you leave and they leave you hardly any time to carry out the documentation effort, then it's their problem if things fall apart once you are out the door. <S> You cannot support them forever after you leave :)
| When you have a solid job offer from another company, you should give notice to your present company. You should not give formal notice until you know exactly where you will go, because of the possibility that they will ask you to leave immediately.
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10% raise is not being honored because I submitted my two weeks' notice shortly after paperwork was signed. What do I do? Here's what happened: I received a 10% raise from my employer. We signed the paperwork. The next day, I submit my two weeks' notice because I've landed a better job. Today, two days before my last day, my boss tells me that they never "implemented" the raise, even though we already signed the agreement stating I would get it. This seems illegal. Please give me some solid advice and a direction on what to do. I know I'm leaving, but I earned the raise, and still feel that I should get paid accordingly. <Q> From a strictly legal standpoint, do they owe you the money? <S> Probably. <S> From every other standpoint... just drop it. <S> Its almost certainly not enough money to be worth your time going after, let alone any litigation. <S> And its almost certainly not enough to offset the damage to your reputation if you do go after it. <S> Do you really want to be known for being so petty? <S> Personally, if I was in your boss's position, I may not have wasted time with the paperwork, either. <A> The paperwork is likely just a request from you with the endorsement of your supervisor/manager for an increase in the rate of pay. <S> It would still require the approval of senior management. <S> Normally something like this is basically a formality <S> but there are many things that can interfere with a raise or promotion. <S> The raise was pending assuming you would retain the same status and availability. <S> I knew someone that had a promotion signed and approved <S> but he was injured in a car accident(hit by drunk driver) <S> the weekend before he was supposed to start and unavailable to start the new position as assigned. <S> As a result that person was not promoted, and since they had filled his old position he ended up being let go when he returned from FMLA. <S> He challenged it with the help of a good lawyer but ended up with nothing but thousands in legal bills. <S> It is possible that you could go after the company for the money you were supposed to get. <S> Lets do some numbers being generous, say its 4 weeks pay at the new rate. <S> And, lets pretend it was a raise of $10/hour over 160 hours (40h/w x 3 weeks) <S> thats 1600 before tax. <S> Unless you can find a lawyer to take this case on Contingency then you will have to pay most of the legal fees up front. <S> That is probably going to be more than 1600(which <S> I would guess is way over the real number). <S> If you are successful you might also be awarded those fees. <S> But, my bet is that you are not going to be successful. <S> You changed your availability before the raise was finalized. <S> The company reconsidered and chose not to give you the raise. <S> So you are risking all the legal fees, plus what would be a considerable amount of time preparing for court and in court over a relatively small amount. <S> And if you lose you could also end up paying their legal fees which will probably be considerably higher than yours. <A> Well, it's not illegal. <S> No crime was committed. <S> It might be a civil tort, but realistically, you're talking about, at most, a few hundred dollars. <S> You will be in small claims court, and the burden of proof is on you. <S> IANAL, but to me, your chances of prevailing are pretty slim. <S> You will effectively have burned all bridges, and you will be remembered as "that guy" and no one <S> you know there will ever provide a positive reference for you. <S> Employment is a business transaction, not a reward system. <S> Employers pay what they must, not what they should. <S> If the supply / demand ratio changes, adjustments are made, and that's what a raise is for - either your service is more in demand (as your skills and efficiency improve), or market forces have made demand for your existing skill set higher. <S> A "raise" is to keep you as an employee with the changed business climate. <S> You have declined that offer. <S> The raise was not sufficient, as you took another job, so why would the employer expect to pay more when you have not met your side of the bargain? <S> That "Paperwork" is probably just a collection of HR forms for your supervisor to approve and you to acknowledge the new pay rate. <S> Trying to construe that as a contract, especially when you are no longer wishing to remain as an employee, is a longshot at best. <S> Hire a lawyer and sue if you wish. <S> You have that right. <S> You're trying to ice skate uphill, though, IMO. <A> Personally, I'd let it go. <S> I don't think 10% for one pay period (of which the government will get a good chunk) <S> is worth burning bridges over with your current employer. <S> It's certainly not enough to hire a lawyer over. <S> The most I would do would be to mention to your boss that you feel it wasn't in good faith for them not to pay you your earned raise for your final pay period, since you have a signed agreement stating that your new salary would be in effect as of 06/02. <S> Considering that they just gave you a 10% raise, they're presumably pleased with your work, and unhappy that you're leaving. <S> So there may be a little passive aggressive thing going on there. <S> Or it may just be that they didn't think it worthwhile to do all the paperwork for a pay change for a single pay period. <S> But since you've landed a better job, I'd just smile and go on my way.
| Its not worth the fight, get a good reference from your employer and part ways.
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How to inform your boss that you don't have work? I work in the software industry. I have been released from the project which I was working on previously. I have not been allocated to a new project and I have had no work for the last 10 days. I have already talked with my reporting manager 2-3 times but not sent any emails. Do I need to send an email to my manager? What should I include in the content of email? <Q> I've been in the "project ended, next one not starting yet, gotta do something" situation. <S> You do <S> not want to look like you're expendable, so it's important both to be doing something and to communicate clearly and unambiguously. <S> On the first, if you have no assigned work and haven't been able to make progress with your manager, you should be looking for productive things to do that never seem to get done because "we don't have time". <S> You have time -- <S> great, use it. <S> I've used times like this to document things that aren't written down anywhere, to refactor work that's "safe" to refactor <S> (don't do this in the upcoming release's branch...), to add automation, to organize things better on the wiki, to improve test suites... <S> what you do depends on what your team/company needs, but look around <S> and you'll surely find something. <S> Now it would have been better to send email earlier, but you are where you are. <S> Send email now to your reporting manager and, if different, the person who makes decisions about your performance reviews, salary, and continued employment. <S> This email should do three things: Refer to the previous conversations and outcomes. <S> Include here your understanding of the current situation, particularly anything you've been told about your next assignment (or in your case, that you don't know what and when that is). <S> Explain what you are doing now. <S> You want this information to be in people's hands before anybody starts wondering "hey, Hitesh doesn't have a project... has he been goofing on on the Internet or what?". <S> Pre-empt that thought. <S> Ask <S> if these are the right priorities -- is there something else you should be spending the time on instead? <S> To the reporting manager this is not news, but it might be news to anybody else who's involved (depending on how functional communication at your company or in your group is). <S> The person who decides your fate needs to see that you're being proactive, that you're trying to do something about it, and that you're asking for guidance. <A> You should go to him the first day you don't have work not the tenth. <S> I would also have a list of work-related projects I would work on until there was something new to do. <S> Things like refactoring or small projects the office could use but no one has had time to do, or writing documention or even cleaning up you files on your computer or clearing old stuff out of your email. <A> Perhaps it would be best to send an e-mail, expressing your concern that you are not spending your time in the most efficient way. <S> Are there any internal projects you could work on? <S> Is your documentation up to date? <S> Can you improve your working environment? <A> In addition to asking your manager, here are some other thoughts: How familiar are you with projects that your fellow coworkers are currently focused on? <S> Are they in need of a particular skillset that you happen to be proficient with? <S> Does a certain project happen to be of special interest to you? <S> The reason I ask is that I feel it is something that can be useful in a conversation you have with your boss (or whomever <S> you report to). <S> E.g.: "Hey [Boss], upon completing [last assignment], I have been looking into other ways to lend my skills to other projects. <S> Is it possible <S> I could offer a helping hand to [Joe Schmoe] with [project X], because I noticed he had some concerns about completing his project. <S> Alternatively, can I help [Jane Doe] with [project Y]? <S> Because I have a great deal of experience with [thing], I would be capable of supporting her project." <S> This would show a few things about you: <S> First, and most obvious, it shows you are looking for a way to stay productive . <S> It shows your awareness of the going-ons in the company, and have an interest in their interests . <S> It shows you have <S> communicated with your coworkers, and have an interest in being involved in their success , and you know you are capable of doing so because of [inset your skills/talents here].
| I would send an email first and if I did not have work within the hour, I would go talk to him in person and stay until he gave me somthing to do or told me why he could not give me something right now.
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What to do when blocked by reviews and the team is busy? I am a co-op at a company. Sometimes, I find myself in situations where I am making many pull requests for my project for review, but the team is busy with understandably more important matters. If these pile up it does tend to lead to a blocking problem where I am not sure what else I can do to make productive use of my time. In this situation, what would be the most appropriate course of action? <Q> In addition to the other talk-to-your-boss answers: you need to communicate early whenever possible. <S> Don't go to him and say "I'm blocked, what can I do now? <S> ", say "I'll have my code in for review tomorrow <S> and I'll be blocked after that" <S> so he can plan the rest of the team's time to deal with your reviews in advance <S> you've given him some advance notice that he'll need to find work for you tomorrow because you'll be blocked. <A> In this situation, what would be the most appropriate course of action? <S> When your work is blocked, and you aren't sure what to do next, talk to your boss. <S> Ask her/him what you should do while waiting to be unblocked. <A> There is almost always something you can be doing for a few hours while waiting for reviews. <S> Start looking at the next piece of work you are going to be tackling. <S> Read up on libraries or tools that you are not completely familiar with. <S> Read good general programming books or blogs. <S> However I'll assume you have done all those things, or that the delays have got longer than a few hours, and you;ve run out of things on your TODO list. <S> As Joe Strazzere says. <S> talk to your boss. <S> Ask two things: What should you do when waiting for the reviews More importantly, is there a way of getting a faster turnround on your reviews. <S> Faster turnround on your reviews <S> has several benefits, as well as not blocking you. <S> You will better understand the feedback on your reviews if they turn round fairly quickly. <S> You also have to 'context switch' less if reviews come back to you sooner, improving your productivity. <S> There is also less chance of change conflicts. <S> It varies between companies, depending largely on how detailed the reviews have to be, but reviews generally shouldn't take more than a day or so, and less is preferable. <S> Ask your boss what turnround is expected, and if there is anything that can be done to reduce it. <S> Also note whether it is a few people who take longer than others to do their reviews. <A> If you can take a little work from them it will help things move faster, and it looks good as well.
| The other answers make a good point about communicating with your boss, but another thing you can do here is to talk to the person who will be reviewing your work and ask them if there's anything you can do that will help them get to your review faster. Study code you might be working with in the future.
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How do I get technical answers out of a non-technical person? Our group works with a fairly complicated application that routinely has bugs crop up, meaning we have amazing job security, but also have to constantly be helping our users resolve these bugs. One user, working in the field off their laptop, reports not being able to access the application at all. We made a request for more information via email ticketing service. Our requests for more data on the way they are accessing the application is met with very little response. We ask if they are using the proper url, including the proper one in our response, and they say nothing in return. We ask if they are using a browser, naming the ones they might be using, and they tell us they are using "Windows XP". They completely ignore our request to tell us what sort of error they get when they try to get to our application. I don't mean to put the blame on our user, but getting real technical information feels like pulling teeth, and the user seems always eager to provide us with minimal detail about their problem. So maybe the fault is in me trying to ask them for information in too technical terms. How then, besides an in-person meeting, can I get more information out of a user when looking for answers to a technical question, when the user doesn't have much technical knowledge at all? <Q> It sounds to me like you are trying to communicate by email in a situation where telephone would be more appropriate. <S> On a phone call, if the user doesn't understand the question, you could immediately clarify, and not worry about them not responding to the query or misunderstanding and giving a non-helpful reply. <A> How then, besides an in-person meeting, can I get more information out of a user when looking for answers to a technical question, when the user doesn't have much technical knowledge at all? <S> Customer support for non-technical users can be a challenge if you haven't thought out the situation from their end. <S> Some companies provide support folks with a script, using language that is comfortable to the users. <S> Think of the cable company - "Is your television turned on? <S> Is your cable modem plugged in? <S> How many lights do you see on now? ... <S> "). <S> You could do the same. <S> In some cases, that can help in the problem debugging. <S> Some companies provide software that aids in customer support. <S> For example, you could install remote-support software on their machines, guide the end user in granting permission to "take over" their computer, then you can see the problems and get the answers yourself. <S> If using Windows 7, the Problem Step Recorder can be very handing for this type of situation. <S> Some companies have their end users ship the laptop back and swap it out with another while they are fixing problems. <A> This is more of a software answer, but perhaps you should put some local logging into your app? <S> On startup, write to a text file & log all the particulars, especially regarding network connections. <S> Be sure to manage the size of the file - either wipe it out every time the program starts, or delete lines that are too old, etc. <S> When users have a problem, have them email the file to you. <S> If necessary, put a button in your app that copies the file to their desktop to make it easy to find and email. <S> On your support web site, include a video showing how to push the button and how to email the file. <A> Fortunately, there is software available that if installed on the user's computers, allows you to take control of their terminals (with their permission) and see for yourself what's going on. <S> Alternatively, you can get them to send you snapshots of their screen. <S> Your ticketing service seems to be worthless. <A> I don't know if this falls under: too technical, not enough detail, <S> reluctance to type a lot of information or the user just making assumptions that you know how they do things: Corporate-wide browser usage rules, this person has been doing it the same way <S> , of course I'm connected to the Internet, etc. <S> Don't assume users know how to give good information when there is a problem. <S> You have to train them. <S> Provide steps to solve basic problems. <S> Give them a list of information to provide when making a request. <S> Push the request back when they don't. <S> Don't be arbitrary and expect everything including the kitchen sink. <S> (so you know what works) and maybe another file of reported failures. <S> Maybe you need to get out into the field and see how they do things? <S> It seems like there may be time issues that you assume everyone has nothing else to do but deal with this problem. <S> Everyone manages their work differently and some things are being put in front of this problem. <S> Just because it is at the top of your list doesn't mean it isn't at the bottom of theirs.
| If you are going to ask the users for data on their issue,it is incumbent on you to tell them in terms that they understand how to get that data to you. Some companies ask for screenshots. If you can't look over the user's shoulder, and you can't remotely connect to his or her computer, at least using telephone would allow real-time back-and-forth discussion to help you extract the information you need from the user. Have your app create a log file of important information when they use the app successfully You'll probably need to provide them with training and as a group, you'll need to have a conversation with the manager of the ticketing service.
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What things determine a reasonable pay raise? I just got an email last night from my boss asking me to give him an hourly rate that would make me stay for the next six months. What reasonable figure or range should I give? Background (you can skip this part): I just graduated last year and am now working as a home-based software developer earning a "more-or-less average" salary at an hourly rate. I've been with the team for about 6 months. Needless to say, I somehow find the job enjoyable. I haven't seen my boss, nor my team's members, and I honestly don't have any idea about how and what they earn from the products we make. All I've heard is that we're receiving good funding. However, I recently moved to another country with my parents. It was their decision and although I had objections, my arguments weren't strong enough to convince them to stay. The standard of living is very high. My current salary is only 15% of the minimum salary that people earn here. I have applied for more than 20 job positions. Two weeks have passed and I still haven't gotten a single call. It's frustrating and depressing at the same time. I always find myself waking up in the morning feeling utterly useless. I have told my employer about me applying for jobs in this country, and I've told him about my situation. He's been very understanding and supportive, but I honestly do not know if it's a good advice to stay for the next six months while I'm still looking for a job. Back to the question Assuming I decide to stay, what makes a reasonable figure? Is it something like 105-120% of my current salary? How do I know if I deserve the range I'm giving? Should it be an amount instead of a range? If you're gonna ask me what I honestly want, it's twice my current salary, but I doubt any employer would want to hear that. I'm also sure I'm overestimating myself. <Q> I honestly do not know if it's a good advice to stay for the next six months while I'm still looking for a job Since you've applied to 20 jobs with no call backs, you should definitely try to keep this job. <S> However, you're in a tough spot, because the job will certainly not pay anything resembling a reasonable salary relative to your new location given the huge difference in salaries between the two locales. <S> So committing to it for 6 months is tough. <S> That said, I would lean strongly toward making the commitment to staying. <S> 6 months will give you time to get better settled in your new home, meet people, develop a network of contacts that will make it more plausible for you to get a new job in your new country. <S> And at least you'll have some income in the meantime. <S> What you need to do is research what the job you will be doing is worth in the country where your employer is located, and be sure that what you ask for is reasonable in that context. <S> Consider this thread for good information about how best to make that determination: <S> How can I determine a reasonable salary to ask for? <S> It sounds like your employer is anxious to keep you on for another 6 months, so you're in a decent position to ask for more than you are being paid now, but I wouldn't ask for more than a 10% raise unless <S> (a) you learn that you were being drastically underpaid before, or (b) you are taking on a much more involved role, that commands a higher salary <S> They may make a counter-offer, so you should ask a touch on the high side, but not outrageously high. <S> Good Luck! <A> I just got an email last night from my boss asking me to give him an hourly rate that would make me stay for the next six months. <S> What reasonable figure or range should I give? <S> You should determine what rate you could get elsewhere - now, and over the next six months. <S> Then compare the two and make your decision. <A> Most important question to ask: are you eligible to work legally in new country? <S> If not, you need to decide between working illegally (for presumably less than minimal salary) or working legally on your old job (if you can do it legally from different country). <S> Another question: do your parents expect you to contribute to family budget <S> RIGHT <S> NOW, or can you survive somehow on your father's income until you can land better paid job? <S> Because if you accept minimal job now, you may have harder time to improve skills and land better paid job later. <S> To elaborate on @Joe Strazzere answer: Your old company pays salaries reasonable for low-expenses country. <S> It was your/your parents decision to move to higher expenses country, and you cannot reasonably expect your company to match much higher minimal salary of your new country. <S> But apparently your boss values your skills and wants to keep you. <S> From which we can deduct you do have marketable skills, which might be of value also in new country, and you should continue to develop them. <S> And to develop your skills, it might be in your interest to work on improving your skills and become more marketable, even if you work for less than minimal salary. <S> You can tell your boss what minimal salary is in new country, and that you are willing to work for less than minimal salary to gain skills. <S> And that you will be looking for a job using your skills in new country, if it is legal. <S> And that you keep promises: If you promised to work 6 more months for X, you will. <S> So it might be in your interest to lock yourself in shorter contract in your old job. <S> Obviously, best for you is to find better job ASAP, while keeping some income, and keeping promises. <S> Only YOU can decide how your current and future needs compare.
| Then determine what non-monetary value you get out of this job (experience, work culture, travel time, etc), compared to other positions you could get elsewhere over the next six months. As to how much to ask for, you noted in the comments that they're asking you to take on a more active role, so do take that into consideration. When you do respond, state a specific figure, not a range.
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How to write a "thank you for the interview" after a tough interview to convince them to hire you? I had a big internal interview for promotion yesterday (yes, the one I previously asked a question about.) It did not go as well as I hoped. Instead of the one person interviewing me, there were four as the interview had brought along other regional managers and instead of asked me competency based questions, they focused on highly hypothetical. It really threw me. I was hardly able to bring up my prior and relevant work experience up. It wasn't a total train wreck but there was more I could have said so I want grab the bull by the horns in my Thank you letter and bring up my past experience to convince them I am right for the role. How would you approach such a letter in terms of content and structure? <Q> I think you are trying to focus on the wrong thing. <S> You already work for this company and the people making the decision probably already know about what you have already accomplished and have probably talked with your current manager, as well as some of the people you have worked with at the company. <S> They already decided to interview you based on your history, so they are already sold on that part. <S> What they are interested in is what you can do going forward. <S> Instead I would take some time to think about the questions you were asked in the interview, try to figure out what skills and abilities they are valuing based on those questions. <S> Then focus on those abilities and explain how you can use them in the new position. <A> I don't think you're going to be able to win a job with a post-interview letter; in fact, you run the risk of being pushy and causing the interviewer to rethink a position that they were going to hire you for. <S> People do send out post-resume letters, but for the following reasons: To be polite. <S> It may not win you anything but sending a follow-up email that says "hey, thanks for the opportunity to interview with you" is a nice thing to do and as such all the things that go with being nice go into that (i.e. they might remember your politeness the next time they interview you for another position, being nice to people is its own reward, etc.). <S> To get feedback as to how you can do better in interviews in the future. <S> I have absolutely done this myself. <S> The trick here is to simply ask for advice and then, when you get the feedback, send back nothing but "thank you" as a response. <S> Do not send a second email arguing your points, or even clarifying something. <S> The interview is over with, and the interviewer is already doing you a huge favor in responding to you at all . <S> To advise the interviewer that you do <S> not wish to be considered for a job. <S> I know, this is the exact opposite situation from the one you're in <S> but, well, SE is about giving complete answers. <S> Outside of those 3 reasons, there really isn't a reason to send a follow-up letter. <S> Again, they've already interviewed you and all you can really do from here is lower your chances of getting that job. <S> I know it sucks to be in a position where you think you can do a really great job somewhere <S> but you muffed the interview - been there, done that - but the most you can do at this point is use the situation as a learning experience. <A> Your unfortunate experience is a relevant reminder to me that while experience is important and often enough a prerequisite, it is not an end in itself. <S> Mentioning experience is only a means to an end and means are more or less optional. <S> Thinking back over my career(s), in my most successful interviews, experience was hardly mentioned by either the interviewers or by me. <S> I sold the interviewers - and in fact, the interviewers wanted to be sold - on ability and potential. <S> I sold them on my ability and potential by impressing them with my ability to think on my feet. <S> It appears that you tried to use your experience - don't ever, even think of using your experience as a crutch - as a can opener. <S> They were probably not interested in your experience because they either read all about it <S> or they knew all about it from your immediate bosses. <S> What they really wanted to gauge was your ability, potential and possibly, ability to think on your feet, and this is the part of the interview where you fell down on the job. <S> I don't think I can tell you more in terms of specifics, as I was not on the scene at the interview <S> and I don't know you. <S> However, you were at the scene and you know yourself. <S> So, follow the Disney's "Lion King"'s advice "Dig deep!" <S> within yourself, and go for it :) <S> Next time you interview, give it everything you've got and go for it, win or lose :)
| I suggest that your thank you letter includes some indicator of ability, potential and ability to think on your feet that at the very minimum, will keep them interested in you as a candidate in the near future.
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Taking on multiple clients in the same niche - conflict of interest? I'm one of the directors of multiple digital marketing and creative design/development agencies in the UK. This doesn't happen particularly frequently but this week, I found myself in this scenario. We have one existing client which are a local business to us. They sell a type of product which they design and manufacturer themselves. We designed, developed and branded their responsive eCommerce website and currently host it. Let's call them client X (x for existing). This week, we received a referral within the SEO industry and another eCommerce business selling the same type of product but not exactly the same because client X design and make their own. This business is ready to start work with us, has a starting monthly retainer budget and wants to proceed asap. Let's call them client N (n for new). The only revenue we currently generate from client X is monthly hosting and perhaps the very infrequent off job here and there on their website. They do however want to start doing some marketing/SEO at some point soon (no idea when this may be though). Client N however is ready to start working with us immediately and has a budget at the ready. If we were to begin working with client N, there would, at present, be no conflict of interest as client N would want great visibility for their products on the web whereas client X don't currently hire us for this particular service however if they were to start this up in a few weeks, then conflict of interest becomes very likely and we'd find ourselves with two clients that want to be found on the web for the same products and would essentially be competitors. Originally, I was going to instruct our team to turn down the new enquiry explaining that we already have a client in the same niche and wouldn't be able to work with them as well but I'm now thinking why shouldn't we take them on as a new client - as it stands, our existing client don't pay us for marketing their business - but we did play a huge role in their online presence, brand and business growth. Is it a conflict of interest to take on multiple clients in the same niche? <Q> All of our clients are in the same niche. <S> The main thing to do is to meet their concerns that their proprietary information will not get shared with other companies. <S> We have done this through written assurance, through having separate teams, through database design (and sometimes through the separation of data onto different servers), through our security and qa policies, though signed non-disclosure agreements (especially when we are aware of certain new things coming into the market) and once even through creating a separate subsidiary company in a separate building with separate equipment (this was for a very large client). <S> I would suggest that you think of how you will keep the information separate and propose this to both the clients in writing. <S> Then ask them what additional actions you might need to take for them to feel comfortable with the situation. <S> In pricing your work, make sure that you consider the need to silo information may cost more. <S> When we have had clients who insisted on on separate data servers for instance, they had to pay for the additional equipment. <S> Once you know what their concerns are and have been able to meet them, you are better prepared with what to propose to the other and if the current client will not accept the idea, then you know you have to evaluate which one will bring in more business and let the other go. <S> But by being proactive in bringing up the subject, you will likely alleviate some of the concerns. <A> I used to run the IT Security Practice of a high tech marketing consulting firm. <S> One strategic marketing analysis that we did for a client firewall manufacturer somehow found its way to the Internet <S> - no, we were not the source of the leak - and fell into the hands of a competitor. <S> Competitor was so impressed that they scheduled an immediate interview with us for us to do the same work for them and of course, the first thing that came up was how we planned to manage the relationship with both the current client and the prospective client i.e. the competitor. <S> We told the competitor that we would assign a different team to work for the competitor and that we would create a Chinese wall between the teams to make sure that all confidentiality would be maintained and that each team would be 100% dedicated to their client's success. <S> The competitor's concern was met. <S> Since we were not a big outfit, I was planning to split my team in half, draw resources from other Practice Areas within the firm for each team, and place the arrangement under the supervision of the CTO <S> - I recused myself from the supervisory role because I wanted to take sides :) <A> Like other answers indicated, you can have two isolated teams working on both projects simultaneously. <S> With the service you are providing, it is very easy to see which company is in the lead. <S> The company that falls behind, is going to blame this failure on the fact that the team you assigned to them is not as good as the other team. <S> Or worse, they could accuse you of taking sides. <S> Maybe the other company is paying you more? <S> Maybe they will request a discount in their fees. <S> What is going to be your response? <S> You may want to address this ahead of time and in some type of contract explain you are going to make the best effort, but the competitor could be ahead at some point. <S> Odds are they won't be in a tie.
| I would consider coming up with a plan, then discussing with your current client before you accept the next one.
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How can I recommend that a colleague be excluded from my team? Background My colleague and I were hired as leads on a new data warehousing team. She does great in meetings, knows the right questions to ask and appears very competent in customer-facing situations. Back in the bullpen, however, its another matter altogether. I have over 15 years of experience in data warehousing and I've worked in every role on an EDW team, and it didn't take long for me to realize that she's totally unqualified to do what she was hired for. Hers is a very critical role and I've tried to mitigate her incompetence by helping her when asked. I've tried to steer her away from bad decisions, and offered suggestions privately so as not to embarrass her. But we're on different branches of the org chart, so I have no authority over what she ultimately does. In addition to her incompetence, she's shown herself to be very vindictive, untrustworthy, and disloyal. On more than one occasion, she's disparaged team members to end-users in other departments, one of whom was a director. And her vindictiveness along with her incompetence over the past 18 months has resulted in the director of our department getting fired. Current Situation We've been going through a departmental re-org and now the team is under a different director. He recently asked me to put together a .ppt deck defining my ideal warehousing team, with all the roles I believe are necessary, in order for us to succeed. He asked me to place people on the team in the roles I believe they should be, and to augment the org chart wherever I believe there is a need. He also asked me to include in a separate document, commentary about my decisions. My issue I'd like to exclude her from the new team entirely. She's not loyal to the team. I don't trust her, and I don't see her as an asset. But would that be appropriate? Or is it more appropriate to place her in a different role? I can't in good conscience keep her in the role she's in when I know she has no business being there. I will be managing this new team, and I have good reason to believe that whatever I define will be established exactly as I've asked for it. And I do not want to manage her. I don't want her on the team at all , to be honest. Latest Update My dtr carefully and methodically observed and evaluated everyone on the team. Then reorganized our department and fired my toxic colleague . I have since learned that examples of her incompetence and disparagement of fellow colleagues were brought to my director's attention by several people. And when it was announced that she would be leaving, people I didn't know from other floors came by to say "good riddance" . I was surprised that so many people knew about her. We're all amazed at the diff. in the team dynamics. We're much more productive & the environment is peaceful. <Q> Speak to this new director privately. <S> Ask him for permission to speak confidentially. <S> Say something "I have a hard time working with Priscilla, and I don't think I'm alone in that. <S> Honestly, I am concerned that she'll weaken our team because of her difficulties in dealing with people one-on-one, her ability to work independently, and her problems staying on-message with our user departments. <S> What advice can you offer me about placing her on this new team?" <S> Then the conversation can go one of two ways. <S> In one direction, you leave her off the team and you're all set with buy-in from your director. <S> In the other direction, the director says you should keep her on the team. <S> If that case, you can push back a little, and explain the risks of including her. <S> Ask for his advice about how to mitigate those risks. <S> And, if it makes sense in your company, ask him to suggest somebody from HR who can coach you on dealing with her. <S> You won't be on your own in this, and the director will haver some forewarning of trouble. <S> That way, you'll have asked for advice, received it and gotten help managing a high-maintenance person. <A> Here is the deal, as I see it: <S> Every member of the team has to carry their weight. <S> The minute you have to second guess an individual team member's every decision, the expense in terms of time and energy negatively impacts on your ability to give direction to the team and your ability to give the logistical support that the team needs to accomplish its mission. <S> That individual's inability to do their job will extract a price from you in terms of your ability to do YOUR job. <S> She has shown herself to be a disruptive person in the past and there is no indication that she won't be a disruptive person in the future. <S> She may be the person who will send up in smoke your vision of your team as a smooth, top functioning machine. <S> There is no question that you must get her off the team, unless you are curious to find out what it's like to manage an employee from hell. <S> Because you can't make a case without documentation i.e. date, time,location, description of the incident, outcome, participant and witnesses - we're talking specificity here. <S> If you haven't documented any of these incidents properly, I suggest that you devise a technical test for her to pass, which she will most likely fail. <S> At this point, her lack of fit for the team will be obvious. <S> Whether she belongs in some other part of the firm or not at all anywhere in the firm - that's not your problem nor your concern. <S> It's hers, and it's up to her and the company to work it out. <S> The only thing you care about is that she is not on your team. <A> You were given a job task as the impending "new manager" in which you were asked to put together your preferred Team; I presume you must gather the team from existing staff. <S> Then you were required to comment separately about the team as to who and why for positions. <S> Just get on and do it. <S> You should not have created, in the past, any expectations by other staff of allegiance or other reasons for not naming and commenting about the "best people for the job". <S> That is your job role now!
| I hope that you have documented instances of both her technical incompetence and poor interpersonal skills to make it obvious to your management why she does not belong on your team.
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How to decline after signing when I get a new good offer I have applied to company A on 1st June and give them a joining date of 23 June (today). company A called me on Saturday Morning 22 June (yesterday) for a confirmation that I am gonna come on Monday or not so I said yes because I wasn't having any interview / offer in my hand from another company and said my current company will relieve me too. Now I get an interview call from company B on Saturday Evening (22 June) itself and got to appear on Monday, I gave an interview today and it went well and now I need to appear for HR round. Now my confusion is, I got to join company A on 24 June so what should I do if company B offers me some good package? How can I say no to company A in that case? I can't even say that current company is stopping me because on Saturday I have already informed them my current company had given me relieving letter. I haven't sign anything with company A but I need to sign it tomorrow. My question is, after joining company A if company B is offering me something good then how can I say no to company A because I got to sign it tomorrow and as I am gonna recently join company A so how can I decline? And I am not in a position to extend the joining date for company A by giving some excuse. I got to sign papers with company A and company B will gonna offer me that I am sure and company B is better too. But just in case company B won't offer (worst case) then I don't need to mess up with company A also. <Q> Something like this happened once where I worked. <S> We interviewed a really good candidate after a long search and extended him an offer which he accepted. <S> On what was supposed to be his first day, I find out the guy had called, apologized, and said he was reneging his acceptance because he had just gotten a much better offer in another city closer to home with another company. <S> We were all disappointed, but moved on. <S> If you turn around on company A immediately before your start-date, or worse, start working for them and then promptly leave it will make a bad impression. <S> If you do this, you really have to be able to say that Company B is MUCH better for your career. <S> In other words, if the job at company B is only marginally better than company A, it really isn't worth it. <S> They won't like it, but they will understand. <S> The risk here is that someone will remember your name and later-on or in future business dealings hold a grudge about it. <S> That is a low risk for an entry position, but something to think about. <S> And you definitely want to avoid making a habit of reneging on acceptance. <S> The sad reality is employers are practically asking for this kind of trouble whenever they get too pushy about demanding a start-date from candidates immediately upon receipt of a verbal offer. <S> Really good candidates who are worth having are frequently pursuing multiple opportunities. <S> The timing of offers is never perfect, so candidates are forced "hold-off" offers that come early so that other potential offers can be considered-- <S> this is really hard to do in practice, so sometimes people have to go with the "bird in hand" until something better materializes. <S> That said, if the position at company B is REALLY <S> worth it, you should consider jumping if company B makes a firm offer. <S> It is not a nice thing to do, but then corporations are NOT nice to begin with <S> and anyway they will find someone else (The phrase "everyone is replaceable" cuts both ways). <A> Depending on when Company B makes a concrete, written offer to you, you will either have not yet started with Company B or possibly started and be within your probationary period <S> You will not be popular with Company A but subject to any clauses in your employment contract with Company A (disclaimer - me no lawyer, take advice if needed) <S> , it would be just like resigning from any company <S> I've worked in a few places where people have signed contracts but never started due to better offers and also people who started and then left after one or two weeks due to a better offer. <S> It's not nice and always feels a horrible thing to do but the possiblility of an offer from Company B shouldn;t stop you from signing with Company A <S> In this questions - How to renege implicit verbal acceptance of a job offer - the key phrase in one of the answers is "A BIRD IN THE HAND" <A> First questions: are your skills rare and in high demand? <S> If yes, you may play "hard to get" for limited time: <S> Days, not weeks. <S> If no, go with A. if you have deadline from B, ask company A for more time to consider your options (with the same deadline) <S> Accept whichever offer you like more. <S> Be prepared that exactly like you are considering other options, <S> company A might reconsider other candidates, who were almost as good match as you, but more ready to start. <S> When company has open position, they want to fill it reasonably soon - because they need it. <S> I wouldn't advice making such demands unless your skills are really up to snuff. <S> If the difference between jobs in A and B are small, you are risking your good name for little gain. <S> Edit: <S> You have only interview from B. Not even job offer. <S> You don't know if B is even interested in your skills. <S> You don't know if they are willing to make fast decision for your deadlines. <S> Sounds like first job, so <S> your skills are likely not stellar yet. <S> (not worth making exceptions just to accommodate your peculiar deadlines) <S> My advice: Go with A, do best job you can, and in a year or few try for B again.
| Ask company B if they are willing and ready to make really quick decision about hiring you, and when whey will make that decision. The best way to tell company A that you're not starting or that you're leaving after a short time is simply to apologize and explain the situation.
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Bad coworker work reflecting on me Similar to How to deal with a bad coworker but my case is not about behaviour but rather about incompetence. Context: Our team is charged of designing and developping reports for the finance department. I am wondering how to deal with all impacted stakesholders regarding this situation at work where a coworker has done a significant amount of very poor quality work and now I have to use his work to produce reports for our colleagues. That coworker is still in our team but he is not in charge of these reports anymore. The other departments are aware that the work was previously done by my coworker and that he did a poor job. Now this is a great opportunity to show that I can greatly improve this tool but since this is a very large amount of work it will take some time and for now there are issues of formating, data integrity, the overall process and the amount of time it takes to both maintain and produce the reports. How can I appropriately deal with this situation so that the other teams know the issues I am currently facing but cannot fix right now are not the result of my own incompetence but rather of my coworker's. TLDR: How can I make sure that poor quality work from a coworker does not impact my reputation without going around and telling everyone he did a poor job ? <Q> Talk to your team lead. <S> Go over the format of the reports your colleague designed, the issues with each format, the changes you want to make. <S> Make sure that your team lead is aware that changing the format of the reports will take time. <S> By time the meeting is over, you and the team lead should have worked out an action plan including deadlines to fix the report formats and in what way. <S> And this action plan should include deadlines. <S> As long as you and the team lead agree on what is to be changed, the team lead could assign other people to work with you to fix the problem. <S> Because anyone who thinks that you did the poor quality work, only to knowledgeably go over each issue that contributes to the work being of poor quality - that individual would have to have a lively imagination :) <S> I suggest that you talk to the team leader ASAP. <S> Because the buck just stopped at your desk. <S> Discussing the poor format of the reports now, before they are actually produced, is optimal in terms of preserving your professional credibility and the good will you get as a result of having that credibilty. <S> Don't wait until the puppy in your arms poops and stinks up the place before you start saying that the puppy is not yours. <A> Lay out how the issues limit your productivity and development options, and what you could do to mitigate these issues, what you could do to correct these issues, and what time requirements each option would have. <S> Your team lead should then take this to the project manager (privately, of course), and you should be prepared to make this presentation again to the both of them. <S> Then let them decide what to do. <S> DO NOT trash your teammate's work in front of others in your team or other groups. <S> If your team lead and project manager are responsible, they will adjust your and others' workloads to compensate. <S> Eventually, everyone will figure it out, and if what you says is correct, you will have built some serious credibility up with your teammates. <A> Badly designed inhouse reports are fairly common in corporate IT, so don't exaggerate this problem. <S> It's only if the reports present misleading views of their subject matter (finance in your case) that bad reports present an urgent problem. <S> For example, an aged accounts receivables report that didn't include accounts over six months past due would seriously mislead your collections people and possibly damage your business. <S> That would have to be fixed quickly. <S> On the other hand, poor presentation isn't quite such a serious problem. <S> Here's what you do, in conjunction with your team lead, to improve things for these users. <S> Announce to your users a "continuous improvement" project to make their reports more user-friendly. <S> Ask your users which reports are the highest priority to upgrade. <S> Ask for commitments from your users, in one-on-one time and possibly in meetings, to review the improved reports as you create them. <S> Finally, generate improved report programs one by one, starting with the highest priority reports. <S> Review the new reports in detail with your users each reporting cycle. <S> Keep generating the old reports as well until the users tell you the new ones are better. <S> This way you'll turn this situation around. <S> You'll convert it into an opportunity to serve your users really well and give them exactly what they need. <A> By doing your job. <S> As a report writer your job is to provide an accurate document that displays the data in a manner that is understandable by your target audience. <S> If there are bugs and problems with the original code that prevent you from doing that then report those bugs through what ever mechanism you have for doing so. <S> If the problem is that the data is inaccurate again that is a bug and should be reported through your bug tracking process. <S> If the problem is the structure of the data itself that is a problem for you and the DBA to deal with. <S> You need to be able to write your report to display the data as your customer is expecting it. <S> For a poorly designed program that may mean a lot of extra work for you. <S> But it is your responsibility to get that report out. <S> How to get that done is probably for your case is probably a better question for Programmers or Stack Overflow.
| I would encourage you to go to your team lead, ask for a private meeting, and lay out exactly what the issues are, and what impact they will have. I would not obsess about other people not knowing that the poor quality of the work is yours.
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Is it ethical to put a job title representing the work I actually performed instead of my given title on a resume? I recently received a phone call from the HR department of a company I applied to, who were interested in interviewing me. I was caught off guard however, when the job they wanted to interview me for was a lower level role than the senior one I had applied for. The HR representative explained that looking at my resume it appeared to be the appropriate role. After a brief discussion of my experience, she agreed that the senior role I applied to was in fact the correct position. This made me realize that my resume is not representing my experience well enough. I believe it relates to job titles. My work experience on my resume reads in brief like so: Software Developer at Company A lead a small team Software Programmer at Company B lead a small team Software Engineer II at Company C lead a small team None of my "official" job titles have contained the words "Senior" or "Lead", but I make it very clear when I describe my experience that my position was a more senior one. I am now under the impression that HR departments may skim over job titles to perform a quick screen rather than to bother reading the details. Is it ethical for me to change my job titles on my resume to more accurately present my experience? <Q> You have to be careful with this as when they contact the companies you worked for they may tell them a differnt title. <S> What I did was use my offical title and then follow it in () with the real title of the work I was actually doing. <S> I had to do this because my offical title in one company was not even in the same general profession as the actual work. <S> I usually explained this in the cover letter or interview if anyone asked. <S> That got the key words out there for the HR filter and was not lying. <A> Yes, HR departments use software to do their initial searching/sifting these days. <S> Using the right words is definitely an overall part of your resume-writing strategy. <S> I would be cautious when using words like "Senior". <S> It's my impression (which could be false, either in whole or in part) that the Senior programmer/dev/etc. is the one with the most experience on the team, and is responsible for some longer-term/larger project scoping and possibly some mentoring. <S> If you did some of that, AND you have lots of years' experience as the leader of the team, it might fit. <S> If you change your title to be something like "Lead, Software Programming Team" that lets people know that you were in a leadership position, you were a main coordinator for day-to-day stuff or weekly scrums, but may or may not fit their internal idea of what a "senior programmer" is in terms of length of experience and/or project management. <S> If you do change your job titles, be sure to include in your description that you actually did do some hands-on coding (if you did.) <A> Ideally (but not always) anyone reviewing your resume should be looking at the work description and not just titles. <S> Since an HR person is looking at your resume, it would seem you got past any buzzword filter. <S> I would guess that your description of your work over the phone gave a better picture of what you have been doing than your resume did. <S> Titles change from company to company and really have no correlation. <S> Even if you had "Senior" in your title, senior means different things to different companies. <S> FWIW, if you just looked at my 25 year job history by title only, it would approximate a sine wave of responsibility. <S> That has never been a problem for me in looking for a job. <S> For my company, that is one of the few things that would actually be verified if someone in HR called for a reference.
| I would stay away from mis-representing simple verifiable facts like job title, this could really blow up on you.
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Should I go through recruitment company or apply directly? I sent my resume to a recruitment company last week and the recruiter called me and said that at this moment they had no job vacancies related to my IT skills. Yesterday I saw there a job ad advertised by the company related to my IT skill. I was planning to apply directly once I had some more details in my resume, but then I got called from my previous recruiter who said "if you have not applied yet for the mentioned job then I will pass your resume to higher management" and then he sent me a email saying that: i) You have not provided your authority to any organisation other than the recruitment to be represented to the client for suitable position(s). (ii) If you are seeking representation for a permanent vacancy, you have not been represented to the client or applied directly to this organisation within the past 6 months. I returned mail and answered 'Yes' to both. But I'm still confused about (i) and especially (ii) Is it OK to apply directly with out letting the recruiter know?(the job was advertised by the company not the recruiter) What are the risks of doing so? Are there benefits to going through the external recruiter? <Q> It all depends - did you sign anything saying that the recruitment agency would be the only one to employ you at company X? <S> (That is not usual - usually, it will be something like " <S> Agency 1 will be the only agency to submit Person at company X for position Y.") <S> If you signed anything like that...1) don't ever sign anything like that again 2) don't work with that recruiting firm again and 3) look elsewhere for jobs. <S> Do not ever apply for the exact same job that any recruiting firm has already submitted you for. <S> That's called a "duplicate submission" and many companies will disregard any duplicate submissions. <S> But - if you have Agency 1 submitting your resume to Company X for Position Y, you can apply to Company X for any -=other=- position with no problems. <S> (This is why it's often helpful to keep records of who has submitted you to which role at what company/ies. <S> It lets you apply on your own, it lets you work with other agencies if you so choose, and it lets you advise any recruiters when you've already been submitted for a role, so that they don't cause a duplicate submission.) <A> (i) is true: <S> you have provided your authority to the recruitment company. <S> (ii) is true. <S> It means that you no-one other than the recruitment company introduced you to the company you want to work for (an introduction would be, for example, sending your resume to them or ringing them about you), and also that you haven't applied directly to the company in the past 6 months. <S> However, it's also true that you intended to apply directly before your recruiter contacted you. <S> If you want to apply directly for some reason, you'll have to be able to convince your recruiter that you had seen that job ad already and were working towards applying directly. <S> Since you already agreed by email (which makes paper evidence), that's difficult to prove. <S> It's OK to agree to (ii). <A> Once you have told a recruiter that they can send your resume to a company for a job, there are two common scenarios: <S> The recruiter is doing what they have said, and your information has been passed to the company. <S> Often, if you also apply, the company will just remove you from the consideration list. <S> The recruiter is lousy, and the company doesn't have your information. <S> If you don't apply, the company won't know about you. <S> There are all sorts of side scenarios in either option. <S> If you think the recruiter is decent, then you've already made an agreement, and you should let them do their job. <A> Ask the recruiter about his/her relationship with the company you are interested in. <S> If the recruiter has a good relationship with the company it benefits you to let them present you rather than apply into the black hole that can be company job portals. <S> A good recruiter can present you directly to the hiring authority and market you in a way that should help you land an interview.
| Unless it's a significant advantage to apply directly, you may as well let your recruiter handle that (perhaps tell them about your revised resume).
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Would adding humor to my CV hurt me? I'm applying for an internship position as front-end engineer, and I'd like to make my résumé stand out a bit. I'm not going to add colors or drawings, I'm not even a designer, I'd just like to leave it light and not too formal. It's a Google-y type company in the sense that they provide video games for employees, free snacks and the like. It wouldn't be a CV filled with bad puns, I was just thinking of adding "If I could make this PDF responsive, I totally would" type of jokes. I would still list my qualifications formally and present all the usual data you see on a regular résumé. <Q> I personally put statements like that in the cover letter, which is customized for each company/position applied for. <S> It's just a personal choice, based on my perception of what a cover letter does, and what a resume does. <S> The cover letter summarizes the high points of your resume, but also mixes in a little bit about you. <S> Your cover letter can be what gets your resume chosen to be read. <S> Your resume lists off: this is what I can do, this is what I know <S> , this is a more complete list of my skillset and past experience. <S> Your resume can be what gets you interviewed. <S> (Also: if the company website has some humor/casual content, then you will definitely be putting yourself on their wavelength by including a comment like the one you mentioned. <S> But if the company site, and in particular the careers/about section, tends to sound more formal...try and go closer to that voice.) <A> Humor is subjective and it is all about context : what one person considers funny, another will find dull, questionable, or an attempt to attract attention. <A> Choosing a very unconventional form for a resume is a very risky move. <S> There are two possible outcomes: "How unprofessional, not even worth reading" <S> "How interesting, I want to know who that guy is" Which reaction you will get depends solely on the mindset of the person who reads it. <S> I know that our staff manager hates to read a hundred applications which all look and sound exactly the same. <S> Whenever she gets one which falls out of the norm, she invites that person just because they seem interesting. <S> But I also met other staff managers who put high value on formality and professionalism and would immediately reject a candidate who violates conventions. <S> In the end it depends on what kind of person the company is looking for. <S> Do they want a creative freethinker who comes up with new ideas, or formal professionals who make a good impression with customers and fall in line with company doctrine? <S> When you think that you have a very low chance anyway because all other applicants likely have much better on-paper qualifications than you do, a creative application might be the only chance to get the opportunity for a personal impression. <A> I'd stay away from leavening my resume with humor, especially when every word counts. <S> The only thing that matters is your work experience and your skills set and how relevant they are to your prospective employer's needs. <S> And for whatever reason, my prospective employers are pretty humorless about their needs. <S> If a prospective employer is looking to fill a position, the prospective employer is on a mission and the prospective employer most likely wants to be looking at a document - your resume - that they don't have to spend more than 20 seconds to read. <S> And they will most probably not be too fond of distractions such as humor that increase their reading chore. <S> So, work with your prospective employer and make sure at your end that it won't take a prospective employer more than 20 seconds to go through your resume. <S> I've put in plenty of humor in my own Linkedin profile and the humor has been well received. <S> However, I had made a point to say in my Linkedin profile that my Linkedin profile was not a resume but my take on my work experience and that they should be asking for my resume. <A> There is standing out in a good way and standing out in a bad way and this will fall into the latter category in most places. <S> If you want to truly stand out, then accomplish something that will make you stand out. <S> Have an interesting personal project for instance. <S> Double major in Programming and Finance. <A> In large part it depends on the organization's culture. <S> A large corporation, for which I have worked for two, won't get the humor and won't be able to apply the yardstick to it to decide if you're an appropriate candidate. <S> Once you get that phone screen, you may get a chance to reveal more personality. <S> In a face to face you'll know for sure if humor is appropriate. <S> However in startup culture there tends to be this desire to emulate other successful startups, and often times that involves a bit of quirkiness. <S> When I worked for a small tech company, the job posting itself made mention of the need for a candidate who cold "move mountains" and "dreams in code" and "wants to use C# as the hammer for every problem nail". <S> The Zappos and Google startup concepts have been emulated by many other small outfits and it might work. <S> Instead of using humor to distinguish yourself, you might make a slightly more persuasive plea for why you'd be a good fit in the culture of the place where you're applying. <S> Really zero in <S> on what you know about the organization, how your skills align to its market / strategic / operational challenges, and that alignment of your abilities to their needs will serve you better. <S> I've only interviewed 3 times in the last 13 years. <S> But each time I got the job by selling myself as the candidate they need on the cover letter and in the resume. <S> You can sell your team alignment and good spirit in the face to face. <S> Best of luck.
| If you don't want any humor in your Linkedin profile, you can put your humor into your own website page and provide a link to that page. I would recommend a creative resume mostly for long-shot applications. From that perspective I would not add humor to my resume; you cannot predict which person is on the receiving end.
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Conflict of interest for job interview I'm struggling with a potential conflict of interest regarding an upcoming job interview. I'll state it in terms of the two conflicting interests: Interest 1: I'm a software engineer (15 years commercial experience) and previous to my IT career I was a primary school teacher for a few years. I've recently been job hunting, still in IT, and was contacted by a recruiter regarding a job which sounded attractive on many fronts, at a small company making software in the education space, mainly for teachers, school administrators and parents. The company is about 5 years old, 20ish employees, recently been publicly awarded with some big contracts so are expanding. I understand part of what they require is to increase their mobile development capabilities. I met with the recruiter, impressed him with my iPhone app DriveTime Traffic and we're heading towards an interview with the client. Interest 2: I have had for quite a while what I think is a very good and original software idea which sits somewhere in the "school administration" area. My wife is a teacher and I regularly witness the frustration that a particular problem causes for her and her peers, and I have a potential solution which I believe could almost eliminate this frustration entirely. I know how large a project it is likely to be, requiring app servers, database, web and mobile front ends. To that end, I'm not currently in a position to implement this myself as I work full time and don't have the financial ability to risk setting off on the grand adventure of quitting & forming a team & getting investors etc. It's the sort of software that would be a PERFECT fit for this potential employer's current suite of products. Soooo....on the one hand given that I can't really ever see myself being able to implement it myself, I'm tempted to discuss the idea with this company - it would show interest/motivation and perhaps if they took both me and the idea on I would be able to help drive the project somewhat. On the other hand, I'd be just giving them the idea and if they did go anywhere with it then all I get out of it at the most is my salary. And a job interview is not really the place to talk about any other sort of motivation I might have for this, e.g. having a financial stake in the project over and above the role of employee. My gut feel is that I probably shouldn't mention it, but then if I don't get the job and nobody implements this idea, I'll be left wondering. What should I do given this conflict of interest? <Q> The chance that they are enthusiastic about your program idea and that they are willing to spend resources on it, are slim. <S> They have their own agenda (and plenty of work, judging from your post), so they are unlikely to start anything additional coming from a newcomer. <S> Bringing your idea up in the interview can increase or decrease your chances: <S> They see this as a great opportunity (increase). <S> You're bringing complications into the interview process that they don't want to deal with (decrease). <S> Since my first paragraph essentially says "Don't bet on 1. <S> happening", you'll probably lose. <S> Together with your own doubts about them 'taking the idea', I would not bring it up. <S> Do you want that job without your idea coming into play at all? <S> Your project is not going to happen (yet). <S> Sour, but that's the way it is. <A> This is not a conflict of interest in the usual sense of the term. <S> As long as you don't attempt to create and run your 'great idea', you're not in conflict with your (prospective) employer. <S> Conflict of interest is working for the Air Force and quitting and getting a job with a big Air Force supplier - a situation where your objectivity in requisitioning might be compromised by the prospect of a job with one of the vendors. <S> Under the circumstances, there is no other organization to which you might or should have loyalties. <S> Do not mention this during the interview. <S> It would leave them with the impression you are distracted. <S> In other words, you aren't fully on-board. <S> If you are hired, rather than simply show up with the most senior person you can reach, do some homework. <S> Create a sample app, interview some teachers, do something that shows this isn't purely your 'blue sky' thinking. <S> Also make sure it hasn't been done already. <S> Then make your case to your employer. <S> If you aren't hired, then consider your idea your job. <S> Pursue the startup until you start getting 'downvotes'. <S> Many angel investors will ask for followups if the idea passes initial inspection. <S> Don't assume that it can't be done until all other interested parties drop out. <A> This is definitely not a conflict of interest in any ethical sense. <S> It sounds like you're joining an emerging startup at a point when they have a whole ton of work to get done. <S> That's a great place to be for you: they need to focus on that work, and so do you. <S> If they do it right, they'll get to the next level as a business and you'll be part of that. <S> When you sign on, there may be an intellectual property and non-disclosure agreement to sign. <S> Read it carefully. <S> You may even want to seek legal advice. <S> Satisfy yourself that you can work on your idea on your own time at home without giving up your rights to it to this employer. <S> So, in your interview and in your job, focus on getting the company's work done well. <S> Those contracts you mention need to become cash cows for the company, without maintenance or support nightmares. <S> You can say in your interview that you're always thinking about ways to improve the lives of educators and students, and that you like to pay attention to their unmet needs. <S> If they say, in the interview, "say more about that", toss out a couple of observztions about your spouse's workplace needs. <S> This shows you to be a thoughtful product developer, not just a code monkey. <S> But emphasize that you understand their need to get their work done. <S> But they're still small enough that the founding team remembers their early days. <S> You'll be in an company with an entrepreneurial spirit and perhaps even some early-stage investors still around. <S> That's a good environment for you to be in. <S> As you do your part to make this company successful, you'll also develop the relationships and skills to get your idea off the ground. <S> Many entrepreneurs consider it a badge of honor to have their best employees move on to their own businesses after making them successful, and investors love it. <S> From your relationships will come your choices about your big idea. <S> Focus on the relationships for now. <A> A job interview is not the place to bring up your own ideas, no matter how impactful they may be on the company's bottom line. <S> Just interview for the position and let that be the current concern. <S> When it comes to your idea, once you're in place, you can always slip it into conversation with your boss or manager that you've had an idea. <S> Put a bug in their ear about it. <S> Note: You may likely not be able to push something like that on your own once you present it to the company. <S> That would be competing with them directly, and most positions have Non-Compete agreements (as I'm sure you know). <S> Once you have the job <S> and you think the position is stable and see how you fit into the culture there, you can work on presenting it to your superiors as a "new" idea you've had, with all the bells and whistle presented in that format. <S> Who knows, going about it this way might net you a trophy or a raise. ^_^
| Nothing you do at this point could deprive your potential employer of anything in which they have a stake, so don't sweat the ethics. For now, just go for the job, period.
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How to deal with colleagues scolding/taunting me for my sniffles, rhinitis, hay fever? Those of you who are located in the Northern Hemisphere surely know that it's the season of airborne pollen, which in some people can cause serious allergic hay fever, rhinitis and asthma. I am one of the victims of this epidemic and in addition to sneezing (which I can control to an extent), the most audible symptom is sniffling (reflex of drawing air through nose multiple times to try clear the airways - happens also when you have a cold or runny nose!). Unfortunately I cannot switch these symptoms off when I am at work and some people who are not affected by the illness seem to not understand this and are quite irritated. Two such colleagues whom I work with in different teams were really stern about this and said into my face remarks such as:"Stop that, it's really annoying.", "Can you please stop that? It's getting on my nerves!" My reaction was to try and forcibly repress the sniffling - but that worsens the symptoms... and I start all over again.(FYI for those unfamiliar: unlike colds, you cannot just "blow your nose" and all... hay fever is an allergic reaction i.e. the body thinks you are under attack and tells all of other body parts to work together to compensate). How to deal with such people, especially in the heat of the moment, as soon as they direct the criticism? Honestly, I felt a bit hurt as they were essentially asking me to do something I had no real control over... which is almost a bit like torture.In general, hay fever is a torture, and medicine doesn't always help. What to do in situations like these? P.S.: The symptoms can last for months, so I cannot simply take holiday when everyone else is missing, too. <Q> You simply have to educate people the minute you meet them, even if it's between sneezes. <S> The first thing you should say is that "it's not contagious". <S> The second thing is that it's allergies, you have strong allergies, you have an absolutely miserable time of it and you apologize in advance for the sneezing and snifling. <S> Ask for a somewhat more isolated cubicle space, if that's doable. <S> Assuming that you get this isolated space, if possible, limit your contact with others to telephone - you can always put your hand on the speaker half of the phone to muffle your sneezing and sniffling - and IM. <S> And then, there is the nuclear approach - working remotely :) <S> Good luck to you :) <A> My son had a similar problem (allergic to more than just pollen) and I can attest that having to listen to sniffling for a period of time really, really, really does get on your nerves. <S> And I love my son very much <S> and I knew it wasn't his fault. <S> Yet, you can't help that it gets on your nerves. <S> Your co-workers don't love you (if they even like you), so I can imagine their tolerance is much lower than mine with my son. <S> So their being shrill with you may not be intentional, just that having to listen to it over time can make one really irritable. <S> Knowing that your allergies do indeed have a negative impact on your co-workers (I know much more so on you, <S> but you asked what you can do) <S> then I think it really rests on you to resolve the issue and get it under control. <S> Even if it means seeing a dozen different doctors until one helps. <S> That's what we did. <S> We had to drive 1 1/2 hours each way to see this particular allergist <S> and he finally got not only the sniffling but the "raw skin" from scratching under control. <S> He had to be at least the 12th doctor, if not more. <S> My wife would not accept the <S> "we can't do anything more, just wait for him to outgrow it" for an answer <S> and it paid off. <S> The end result was a couple of core medications, but when those didn't work we had 3 or 4 different backups including a nasal spray, and when that didn't work it was time for the steroid medication. <S> Thankfully, my son has outgrown most of these problems. <S> But the bottom line is if the doctor you are seeing isn't helping then go see someone else. <S> There's someone out there who can help; you just need to find them. <S> I really don't think you can hold it against them that they are irritable from having to listen to sniffling all day long. <A> I'm allergic to pollen as well. <S> I handle it using a variety of ways: <S> "Don't worry, I'm not sick. <S> I'm allergic to pollen". <S> (I don't use the phrase "hay fever" because people hear "fever" and freak out.) <S> Minimize symptoms. <S> This has the added benefit of making you feel better. <S> I find drinking cold water from a cup to help. <S> Granted <S> it doesn't help for long periods of time, but it helps a little. <S> Take more breaks. <S> Walking around helps me. <S> Probably just psychologically, but it does. <S> Also breathing through my mouth minimizes symptoms. <S> I'm not saying minimize symptoms is always the solution. <S> But sometimes you have to. <S> Beyond that, ignore them. <S> Or ask if it is ok to turn on the radio <S> so you aren't the loudest thing around.
| When in a meeting where sneezing would be especially inappropriate, I lick the roof of my mouth. You should really see your doctor, if you haven't already, and ask for prescriptions that ease your symptoms. So what you can tell your co-workers is that you are aggressively attempting to get this under control and you are sorry for it annoying them.
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How can I politely ask a recruiter of a start-up firm about on-time salary? I have received an offer from a firm which is more of a start-up nature. Since they are willing to make a good offer I am a lil' apprehensive of the credibility of the same. I continue to wonder whether they would be punctual in crediting the salary on time. Since I believe in talking things in a forthright manner, I would like to ask the recruiter whether the salaries would be made regularly. Please suggest how can I clarify my concern with the HR in a polite manner without sounding crude. <Q> It is both polite and professional to request a contract before starting work. <S> You say something like "Great, I'm really excited to work on this project. <S> Before we get started, let's formalise the relationship." <S> The contract should list: <S> Your salary <S> When you will be paid (monthly in arrears, weekly, etc.) <S> Your notice period <S> etc. <S> I've worked for start-ups which haven't paid me on time. <S> Sadly, all you can do is remind them of the contract and let them know you won't be working until you've been properly paid. <S> If the client is unwilling to sign a formal contract, you have to assume that they can't afford to honour their agreements. <A> Joe has it right. <S> Don't worry about sounding "crude," as you put it. <S> Just ask. <S> These questions may best be answered by a business person, not an HR person, but that depends on the people. <S> This is business, and startups are risky business. <S> It will help your case in your interview process if you ask questions that show you care about the company's situation. <S> You can say something like this. <S> "Please tell me a bit about your company. <S> "Where are you getting the cash for payroll and other expenses? <S> Please tell me a bit about your investors. <S> How long is it until you need another round of financing?" <S> You can even ask these questions: <S> "Who are your competitors? <S> Do you have any key customers lined up? <S> What are the critical success factors in succeeding in your business? <S> What do you expect me, personally, to do to help make the company successful?" <S> The "what do I need to do?" <S> question is important: it shows you understand that you're a part of the company's success. <S> Don't be the slightest bit embarrassed to ask these questions. <S> You won't annoy any serious entrepreneur by asking them. <S> Quite the opposite. <S> If you get evasive answers, especially about the company's investors or financing plans, you need to be very careful about the job. <A> Please suggest how can I clarify my concern with the HR in a polite manner without sounding crude. <S> You engage in a conversation about the startup that goes something like "Tell me a little about the funding for this company..." <S> You explore the source of the startup's funding, if additional rounds of funding are planned, and what is the run rate at this time. <S> Your intent is to get a sense that the startup is well-funded, and well-run, and thus less likely to run into the kinds of problems you fear. <S> (This is as opposed to asking "Will I be paid on time?" which could only elicit a less-than-useful answer of "Certainly.") <S> Ultimately though, it comes down to a matter of trust. <S> Things can go south quickly in a small company, and you must trust that management will do the right thing. <S> That's one of the risks of joining a startup that you must be willing to accept. <S> Otherwise, a startup probably isn't for you.
| You may also choose to talk with one of your potential peers, where you can chat about how well the company is run, and probe a bit about finances and paychecks as well.
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Handling excessive absenteeism due to genuine illnesses I'm on the board of an organization that has recently hired a new employee in a position where attendance during particular set hours is fairly important. The employee used up all her paid time off during the first 2 months of the year due to illness. We revised our PTO policies to allow her to earn comp time during other hours under certain conditions (such as, we have a need for someone to help with an event outside of her normal hours) rather than always having to take unpaid leave, but we really need someone in the office during her set hours, and we don't have anyone else on staff who can fill in. Assuming that the illnesses are genuine, is there a good/respectful way to handle this? (The person's direct supervisor just sent her an email while she was again out sick, stating that her "excessive" absences are "unacceptable" which I don't consider a good or respectful way of handling the situation.) As much as I'd like us to be considerate of the employee, whose absences are beyond her control, it is true that her absences create a hardship for her supervisor and for the organization as a whole. (I am in the U.S. and I tagged "disability" although I don't know whether or not the employee has a documented chronic medical condition or whether she has just been unlucky with her health this year.) This is a small non-profit organization. It does not have an HR department. It has a board of directors, which are all volunteer positions. And it has 4 paid staff members, two full-time including this one, and 2 very part-time. There is no other role this employee could fill, nor anyone else who can fill her duties (other that possibly other volunteers, but that is unlikely as most are not available during the workday either). For what it's worth, we really don't want to have to terminate the employee. If it's a temporary situation (unlucky with health the past several months) we'd want to just ride it out. If it's likely to be a chronic situation, we may have no choice. And of course we can't exactly ask directly. <Q> Consult an attorney who specializes in employment - this is something you do not want to get wrong. <S> The size of your organization may affect which laws are applicable, and whether or not this is a disability also affects the proper way to proceed. <S> Your state may also have laws that apply. <S> This person is a third of your workforce, so you are probably looking at moving toward a separation, and you will want to do this legally, ethically, and kindly, and in a way that protects your organization. <A> Is there absolutely no way that she can work from home part of the time? <S> Is there another role in your organization that would be able to handle someone who works from home or works more flexible hours? <S> First, ask the employee what's going on. <S> See if this is a chronic condition, or if she is indeed just having a Very Bad Year. <S> Next, see if you can find ways to let this person have a more flexible schedule, either for a short trial period or for a long term, depending on whether or not the condition is chronic: check with HR to see if you already have policies in place that will address this issue of not being able to work onsite as frequently (possibly telecommute 30% in a given month, or two days a week, whichever comes first) <S> look for other internal roles that will let the employee continue working for the company/providing value, but will allow for more flexible working situations <S> That, for a start. <S> Telecommuting won't work for every position, and it can introduce other needs that your organization will have to address (VPNs, policies on remote work, logging, maximum telecommute time, who can and cannot telecommute, et cetera) <S> so if your company still has a role that will allow her to telecommute and doesn't yet have a telecommuting policy, your HR may want to consider this a test case for creating and implementing those various policies. <S> EDIT: <S> @Hilmar brings up the very good point that asking an employee to provide the specifics of an illness may get your company into legal hot water - so it's best to approach this carefully. <S> Figure out what you can and cannot ask, under which circumstances, and when approaching the employee, let them know that you want to find something that's going to work equally well for both parties, if at all possible. <S> I didn't consider that aspect, but... <S> yeah, if there are interview-questions that are verboten, then surely a conversation like this would have some potential "can't-legally-ask" areas too. <A> Tricky. <S> Since this is in the US you have to tread exceedingly careful since this is all tightly governed by HIPAA http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/ . <S> I strongly recommend involving your HR department AND legal help that specializes in employment law and knows HIPAA inside out. <S> Disclaimer: following anything I say here can expose you to legal risks. <S> Don't take my words for it :-) <S> Anyway: you have an employee with a medical issue and that interferes with hes/her work duties. <S> You can absolutely NOT inquire about the nature of the medical issues. <S> However, you can inquire about what accommodations the employee need to be able to work. <S> That is in general a legal question to ask. <S> Now it's possible that the employee doesn't really know what accommodations are required. <S> In this case you can suggest bringing medical experts to assess this. <S> Once you have agreed upon accommodations you can assess these against the job requirements. <S> If the accommodations are "need to be able to take one day off per week with no advanced notice" and the job requirements "needs to be in the corporate lobby during all work hours" than you have a mismatch. <S> The mismatch than can be resolved by changing the job requirements, nature of the job, being creative, reassignment or potentially job <S> termination is all fails. <A> Can she be redeployed to some other position? <S> Keeping her in her present position is cruel to her and a hardship to your organization. <S> Either hire someone to carry out her duties, or assign one of the existing employees to her position. <S> If it can at all done, have a healthy employee who can do the job and her swap positions, even if the swapping will result in reduced compensation for her. <S> My logic is, better take a pay cut than a job loss. <S> Note: <S> your edit of your post pretty much makes my answer inapplicable in this instance - <S> However, for whatever it's worth,my answer may be applicable to an employer with more resources and more employees than your board. <S> I wonder if she knows of some volunteer or part-timers who can fill in for her on short notice. <S> The other thing I can think of is, how close are you to a university? <S> May be you can have a pool of students that you can call to fill in for her. <S> I acknowledge that spending a couple of hours to line someone up from one of the pools for her every time she gets sick - that's not a great productivity idea. <S> If your state's health services safety net is pretty good, you might have to consider biting the bullet and letting her go.
| find ways to change her job so that she's needed in person/on-site, less often, but so that she'll still provide concrete value to the organization Or you could advertise in your state's Department of Labor's bulletin boards for a pool of people who can step in for her. You are legally required to provide reasonable accommodations, but you can't do this unless there is some agreement of what these accommodations are.
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I think I may have been terminated, how can I find out my status? Today I resigned. My boss did not take it well. He locked me out of my company email and informed me that he wanted me to work strict office hours during my notice period of 1 week. (9-5 is unheard-of at my company and this is obviously just to inconvenience me). He also sent me a letter to my other email informing me that I'm being fired, and sent it as well to the recruiting company that originally placed me. Because I sent my resignation from my company email, it's difficult to contest the facts as he's presenting them since I don't have access to that email (In retrospect I should have sent it from, or cc'd, my personal email). The only other co-worker who regularly works in the office is about to start a holiday that will run through my notice period. To be honest, my boss' reaction is such that I don't really feel safe working alone with him in the office for a week. How can I find out my status and if I am expected to come in next week? The letter already states that he won't provide any recommendation OR verification of employment (which I'm pretty sure is illegal), but given his reputation and my industry I will not need his recommendation to find other opportunities. EDIT: I am in the UK, in case that affects anyone's answers. <Q> This sound like retaliation to me. <S> I would contact the HR department of your company immediately. <S> Did the recruiting company believe you or your boss? <S> I would contact their HR department as well, possibly. <S> I would also consider finding an employment legal advisor. <S> I have never heard of being required to work after being locked out of a company's resources (physical or digital). <S> In my experience, either you are expect to leave immediately (happens when you leave for a large competitor, usually) or you work a notice period. <S> The only scenario I can think of where you would not have access is if you are being let go with notice, but 'free to go' - in the sense that you don't have to come in and you collect pay as a form of severance package. <S> I see this most often in mass-terminations, or countries where you legally are required to give notice. <A> You have written evidence of libel and threats of giving a bad reference which you could use as leverage. <S> You could also risk going to work if they do strike or threaten do not retaliate call 999 (911) and report an assault - note any break in the skin makes it GBH <A> Do you have a contract that you signed? <S> If not, and assuming you're in the States, the whole "two week notice" thing is just a courtesy. <S> If you feel threatened at work or if you are skeptical that you're going to get paid, by all means don't go in to work. <S> If this person has that kind of reputation otherwise, perhaps you can have the recruiter verify your employment instead if that becomes an issue? <S> Otherwise, it doesn't sound like you have a particularly large amount to lose in your situation by no-showing your final week, and potentially a pretty decent amount to lose. <S> As a side note, you appear to have figured this out for yourself approximately one step too late but you always want to make sure that you've cleaned out any personal data or vital information from your workplace (meaning your email but also potentially the actual desk that you sit at) before you provide notice because unfortunately sometimes bosses react like this. <S> This doesn't mean you have to literally pack up in anticipation of stuff, but if you're keeping your 15 year Rolex at your desk and you 100% want to keep it, make sure you tuck that away before you hand your letter over to your boss. <A> They'll just pay you for the time of the notice period. <S> You're with a small company, so <S> I doubt they have any types of policies in place. <S> In defense of your boss, one week is short notice. <S> Obviously there's little trust, so he wants to make sure you're actually working, thus the 9-5 requirement. <S> This whole claim of firing you is odd and sounds like an ego thing. <S> You can't quit, I'm firing you. <S> Keep the recruiter as your reference. <S> You've been a good candidate for them <S> so why not? <S> It doesn't sound like you need this boss. <S> Make them as the employer on your CV along with the other company. <S> The recruiter can verify your employment contract there. <S> You don't need your present employer. <S> Any future contact will just be miserable. <S> Send a letter with the date you are leaving and sign it. <S> Keep a copy. <S> I know it is late, but it's better than nothing. <S> I don't know if there are any agencies that he is required to file when firing an employee. <S> You could try and check there.
| I would go and see the Citizens Advice Bureau or preferably your trade union if you are member and suggest that they get a lawyer to set up a compromise agreement. Some industries lock employees out of all company access when they give notice and ask them to leave immediately.
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Office flatulence is getting out of control We work in a small office with only male developers, so it's not such a major issue if someone lets one rip every now and then. Big deal. However, there is one work colleague who has taken this to a whole new level. Please, I am being serious about this. He can literally fart the whole day and I am beginning to wonder if he has the ability to fart at will . Oddly enough, it does not stink that much and sometimes I wonder if he is just using a phone app, in some weird joke that only he gets. It has not been bothering me that much until recently. Seriously this did happen and I am kinda pissed off about it. So everybody had left the office and he was preparing to leave. I was in the middle of something with my headphones on but noticed in my peripheral vision, him making a fart gesture (he moved his body into a fart type position ) and then waved the air that he just let rip into my direction. I was so shocked, I literally just sat there thinking .. "wtf just happened?" Then just last week after a few hours of farting he gets up and walks out the door (my desk is near the door) and lets one go as he is leaving the office right by my desk. This is seriously not a joke. This is happening and I don't know how to deal with it. I am not one for confrontation and he is the lead developer on our team. We don't have an HR department. I have actually talked to him about, I told him he might have a problem and should go see a doctor. I said he might be lactose intolerant. Now, every now and then when we lets one go, he saids "oh it must be the 'lactice'" I think he is a fan of Terrence & Philip from South Park. This is getting to the point where I actually want to leave this job completely, Although I am not qualified and was kinda lucky to get this job in the first place. <Q> If you're not willing to talk to your manager and don't have an HR department, your options are probably limited to living with it or moving on. <S> I don't understand why you aren't willing to talk to your manager, though, these are exactly the sorts of things that managers sign up to deal with. <S> Sure, it won't be a fun discussion to have. <S> But I'm sure your manager will be more tense if you quit because of the behavior rather than airing your concerns. <S> If you're really adamant about not involving your manager, your long-shot options are to have another conversation with your coworker or to try to organize the other folks in your group to have a collective conversation with the coworker. <S> If you were at all unclear in your discussion with your coworker that you were seriously bothered rather than being concerned about his medical status, you could try having another conversation with the coworker. <S> You're already wearing headphones so that, presumably, takes care of the noise. <S> You've said that there isn't an aroma problem. <S> So it seems all that's left is learning to ignore whatever a "fart type position" is. <A> Seriously?Is this a workplace or a primary school? <S> He needs to grow up, go to the manager about it, if they do nothing I would leave the company as working for such idiots <S> is just as bad IMO. <S> In our line of work a reasonable level personal hygiene is expected is it not? <S> At the very least he should be told he aint funny! <S> EDIT: <S> Because my alternative option got deleted but here it is ... <S> Every time he farts spray him with air freshener. <A> Well this answer is most likely going to be downvoted for being unfriendly, but I think anger exists for a reason <S> and it is to protect yourself from tolerating other people treating you badly. <S> It is the driving power behind standing up for yourself. <S> So get angry at him. <S> Next time he does it, tell him to stop. <S> Do some yelling. <S> This is generally the way to solve problems when there is no HR. <A> Have your wind powered colleague see a doctor since he is open to the idea. <S> Like ASAP. <S> Request to him <S> specifically that he not fart in your direction. <S> On the other hand, do your part and don't look in his direction unless you have to. <S> ASAP. <S> Same day appointment if that's possible. <S> And that he stay away from whatever it is that he is intolerant to <S> that's causing him to fart. <A> Assuming he has any kind of sense of humor himself, which if he really can fart on demand, he does: Print out this question Tape it to his monitor after he goes home <S> Buy a package of "Bean-o" <S> Let shame do its thing.
| If others are bothered, you could all have a conversation but that involves more confrontation than simply bringing the matter to the attention of your manager. After a couple of hours consistently large numbers of farts the whole office will smell great and our serial farter will be so annoyed by being sprayed all the time he will likely give up finding farting funny. You're willing to bend backward and overlook his problem to the extent possible to you, but he needs to do his part to make the problem manageable and that means, see the doctor.
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Is it appropriate to interview a candidate for the role which is senior to me? I am working as lead developer for my current client. My client is planning to build their own in-house software application. I believe my skillset and experience level is not sufficient for this, so I raised my concerns with my management. They considered the issue and created a new role in the IT department, then decided to recruit a suitable candidate. This person should be covering what I am lacking to execute the project, and should mentor and train me to reach new levels. But my management are asking me to participate in the interview process with those candidates and would like me to provide feedback. Is it appropriate for me to interview those candidates? <Q> You'll be the person who can check they'll be capable of covering the things you aren't comfortable in doing yourself. <S> In addition, if senior management have invited you to participate, why are you worried? <S> They're the ones with the final say, and if they say it's ok, it probably is. <A> You need to ask yourself WHY management is asking you to participate in the interview process. <S> Here, AT THE MINIMUM, what you can contribute to the interview process: You can ask questions based on what you know to make sure that the candidate and you have the same base line of knowledge. <S> If you know more than the candidate, the candidate has a problem. <S> You can ask questions about knowledge needed to successfully deliver the project -knowledge that you don't have but that you expect and want the candidate to have. <S> While you are not in the position to know the answers, you still know enough about the problem domain to determine whether the candidate's answers make sense. <S> And here is the most important part <S> : can you understand the candidate's answers at at all? <S> If the candidate knows their stuff but they can't communicate it to you in a way that makes sense to you, then having to work with that candidate will be an exercise in frustration to you. <S> You are the one who is best placed to make the determination who can work most effectively with you. <S> You are an extra pair of eyes and ears. <S> In the give and take of the interview process, you may look at things a little differently than everyone else and think of questions that no one else in the interviewing team has thought of asking. <S> There is a downside to participating in the interview process: if they make an offer to a candidate that you signed off on and the candidate bombs out, fingers will be pointed at you. <S> As a key member of the interviewing team, you have to actively participate. <S> you can't afford to be a potted plant. <A> To add to point #3 in Vietnhi Phuvan's response: you said that the new person's responsibilities will include mentoring and training you. <S> This means that personal compatibility is very important: you want a person who you are comfortable being around, whose style of explanation you find easy to understand, who doesn't make you afraid to ask "stupid" questions, et cetera. <S> It may even better to have a mentor with slightly worse technical skills but who you get better along with, than the other way around. <S> All the technical knowledge in the world is useless if the other person can't make you learn it. <S> Because of this, it's very appropriate for you to be interviewing the candidates, because you're the best judge of how well you personally get along and communicate with someone else. <S> Getting along with you is a vital requirement of the position that you've described, which makes you irreplaceable as an interviewer for this position. <S> This should also influence the way you choose your interview questions: for example, you could ask the candidates how they would explain some relevant concept to a person who has a basic technical background but isn't familiar with this particular part the domain. <S> That will be a big part of what they will be doing with you, after all. <S> If you still feel uncomfortable, you can always just tell the candidates right in the beginning that they're probably more technically competent than you are, and that you're looking for someone who can teach you their skills. <S> This also has the added benefit that you're lowering yourself from "scary authority figure who's conducting this interview and judging me" to "someone who respects me and hopes to learn from me", which may make the interviewees feel much more at ease. <S> Job interviews tend to be stressful situations, and admitting your technical weaknesses may actually make the candidates feel more comfortable than if they thought you knew more than they did. <A> As others have mentioned, it can be quite appropriate. <S> Your opinion is being sought and (hopefully) will be valued. <S> However, I want to warn you of a potential political land mine. <S> Be very careful of how you voice objections or a down vote. <S> I was in a similar situation, had serious objections to hiring a particular candidate, who ended up being hired. <S> My objections did not remain confidential and the new employee found out that I had voted against them. <S> It was a very uncomfortable situation. <S> Had that person now been my boss, the uncomfortableness would have been job-limiting. <A> You may be able to assess at least two things during the interview (which could help them to remove any unsuitable candidates): <S> Whether the candidate knows even less about the subject than you do <S> Whether you understand the candidate, when they answer a technical question <S> If the candidate is meant to work with you, then your being there will also help to answer a question which the candidate would be asking, which is "Who will I be working with?" <A> "Hire your own boss" is an uncomfortable job function, but one that needs to be done from time to time. <S> In this case, since you were the person to suggest the new role, and some of its key parameters, you need to be at that interview. <S> The company is looking to you for guidance. <S> "Leading from behind" is not the easiest skill in the world, but is necessary, if junior people are to contribute to their organizations over and above their "job grade. <S> " If you learn to do this well, you won't be "junior" much longer. <S> There are some people that hired their own bosses up to chairman, until they became the chairman.
| Not only is it appropriate, since it was you who identified the skills gap, surely you're the most important person to be at the interview .
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As a computer engineer, is being assigned to testing bad for my career? My company hired me for developer's position. However, as they don't have a project, I was moved to Testing. Is this a bad move for my career? <Q> No, getting another skill in your resume is not bad. <S> It never is. <S> Testing is an important part of the software development process and even as a programmer, you will be helped by knowing these skills. <S> If it turns out you're stuck as a tester for a long period when you really want to program, then you should talk to your boss. <S> If you both agree that this is a short term situation, then embrace it and make sure you learn as much as you can. <A> Let me dissent with the other answerers - assuming you don't want to be a tester, this is horrible for your career. <S> But his means that your resume now has a gap where you didn't actually create software. <S> HR will look at that and not count it as the always desired "years of experience". <S> Hiring <S> managers (and your peers!) will look at that and wonder why you got moved to testing, was it because you couldn't write code? <S> Worse yet, you're not gaining the experience actually designing, writing, and troubleshooting code . <S> This experience more than anything will make you a better software engineer. <S> And the skills you do have will quickly grow obsolete, even if you do enough to keep them from atrophying. <S> The opportunity cost is too high. <S> And then there's the work itself. <S> Being a QA engineer of any sort involves a lot of mindless repetition. <S> Oh, there's a new release candidate. <S> I get to run through my thousands of test cases again. <S> Or I get to extend this automated test framework to handle UI widget 4033. <S> Most software engineers I've known have found the work itself to be maddening. <S> Not only are they not good at it (since they're not engaged - or thrive when creating things, not breaking things), but they quickly look for new work - derailing any momentum in their current job (though it could be argued that the job shift did that already). <S> And that's all before considering pay. <S> Fair or not, QA Engineers make about 15% less than software engineers. <S> Sure, you're keeping your current salary for now, but the new work will guide your raises, which in turn will influence your salary for years to come. <A> It depends: Is being moved to Testing better than sitting around all day doing nothing? <S> The consequence of inactivity is unemployment. <S> Is testing an essential part of the development process? <S> Is it necessary for senior developers have to understand the Testing process well enough to work with the testers? <S> If you determine that the answer to the questions above is "yes", then being moved to Testing is good for your career. <S> If you determine that the answers to the questions above is "no", then you are wasting time going to work. <A> Proper test design can be a highly skilled field of its own, and requires a fairly deep understanding of programming to predict what usage patterns will be edge cases/stress tests. <S> Arguably, every programmer should be writing testcases for their own code as they go, but that rarely happens... and there are sometimes emergent properties that can only be provoked when testing the system as a whole. <S> If they have you designing tests for a while, consider it a good learning experience ... <S> just as working customer support, while frustrating at times, is a good education in how customers are using and thinking about the product. <S> If you do a job well and cheerfully, it can only reflect well on you. <S> If it isn't what you want to do or <S> where you think your skills are best used, remind management of that periodically (not more than four to six times per year) and they'll eventually move you back to development. <A> Don't regard this assignment as a season in jail. <S> Instead, treat it as a rare opportunity. <S> Seriously. <S> What career trajectory do you hope for? <S> Most careers in the world of software creation require a deep knowledge of the lifecycle of software. <S> That lifecycle includes many phases of work other than the cutting of new code. <S> There's specification. <S> There's detailed design. <S> There's unit testing. <S> There's usability testing, system testing, integration testing, and load testing. <S> There's deployment support, ongoing support. <S> There's maintenance and defect correction. <S> Real world experience in software quality assurance will improve your skills at every single one of these phases of software creation. <S> For example, in specification: you'll be able to understand "how are we going to test this system?" <S> In detailed design, you'll be able to design for testability. <S> This is especially challenging for system that will scale up and require load testing. <S> So, talk to your manager and say you hope to learn all you can from this temporary assignment to a software quality assurance team. <S> Talk to your software-quality professional colleagues, and get to know something about how they think. <S> Find a copy of the classic book "The Mythical Man Month" by Dr. Fred Brooks, and read it. <S> It explains the wide difference between code-creation and software product development. <A> Testing is pretty vague. <S> Writing automated tests is a valuable skill. <S> If your organization is manually testing, can it be automated? <S> In short, if they are stuck on you executing manual tests, I suggest you find something else to do.
| Sure, having the experience doing testing is a new and valuable skill that you can use to do a better job creating software. Executing manual tests is a poor practice, and will retard your technical advancement. The answer depends a lot on what you are doing.
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How to divide commission for sales involving multiple staff? I'm asking in the context of a small female clothing and shoe store of 2 owners + 3 employees. Define staff as either an owner or employee. Situation: More than one employee may be needed to "master" a transaction. This and this don't help. What do I mean? For any particular customer, staff A might generate revenue of $100 on her own. However, if staff B enters the exchange between staff A and customer, then staff B may generate another $150 for the same customer. So total revenue = $250. Question: How should the owners share/formulate commission for a sale needing multiple staff? The sample numbers above show that it's unfair and naive to divide total commission by the total number of employees. I fear problems like: A may respond indignantly to B's interference, if B didn't increase revenue in the end. Then A might interpret B's interposition as greed to split commission (depravedly). Per contra, A may actually need B's intervention, if the customer likes B more. Moreover, what if these two intercessions are separate? It has transpired that after A had finished, a few remarks by B, at the till, resulted in further purchases by the customer. Commission might instigate a fight for the customer, but how can fray be reduced? <Q> Looking at your profile, mathematics doesn't seem to be your weak area. <S> If this is a real question at all, then what you are trying to find is a way for your employees to be most productive and be compensated for it. <S> Splitting commissions is almost always a nasty business. <S> One of the ways I can see fit is to set up store/department targets instead of individual targets. <S> For commission, after setting the store targets, set a bounty in place. <S> Track the numbers on a board. <S> A row on the board can, for example, look like : A' contribution | B's contribution | C's contribution | Store target | Winner <S> The winner gets 50% of the bounty and the rest is divided between the other two employees and owners. <S> If the other employee's contribution is 0 <S> then its a simple 50/50 split between the other two employees. <A> I tend to think that shared commissions will lead to friction no matter how you slice them, so your best option may be to divide the shop based on your product line. <S> Basically split the responsibilities and commissions into departments. <S> This will hopefully reduce the direct competition between the two employees in any given day and offer clear lines on who gets what commission. <S> So, "employee A" may sell the customer a dress and get the commission on the dress alone and then send the customer to "employee B" to get the matching shoes and "employee B" will get the commission on the shoes alone. <A> As mentioned by another answer, splitting commissions is a nasty business. <S> By avoiding it altogether, you'll save yourself and your employees from complication. <S> Here's my suggestion: <S> You've got 3 employees working in the shop. <S> If you were to divide the employees responsibility to three different sale types, you're heading into more complication: <S> What if you don't have three separate categories of items to assign the 3 employees to? <S> What happens when 2 different customers come in requiring assistance in the same area? <S> There are ways to deal with both issues, but with only three employees, I suggest a simpler solution. <S> Use a queue system. <S> Employees take turns assisting customers, and only one employee per customer is allowed to assist. <S> When an employee finishes assisting a customer with a sale, he/she is at the back of the queue. <S> Skipping is not an issue. <S> If employee A finishes assisting 2 customers before employee B finishes assisting 1, employee A takes the next spot in the queue, behind employee C. <S> With three employees, you may not need to keep track of the queue on paper, but if you wish to do so, it shouldn't be difficult.
| Given that your shop sells clothing and shoes it may be best to make "employee A" responsible for selling clothing and "employee B" responsible for selling shoes and rotate them as needed.
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How do I ask my former boss for back pay when I've been grossly underpaid? I worked for a chocolatier restaurant for barely above minimum wage. After a year, I quit due to the low pay. Since then, I've done some research online and with other professionals to find that I was grossly underpaid, even for my age. How do I tell my boss that I want her to pay me the difference between my wages and the standard wage? <Q> "How do I tell my boss that I need the money back that she never gave me?" <S> You don't. <S> As far as the law is concerned, she is in the clear: she paid you the wages she paid and you implicitly agreed to these wages by staying on the job and cashing these wages without a murmur( <S> *). <S> The only way you can claim any money back is if she paid you below the legal minimum wage, but that's not the case here. <S> If you ask and she gives you anything, that's because she wants to. <S> Yes, you need the money but that's irrelevant because she has no monetary obligations to you under the law. <S> I congratulate you for doing your research, but the time to price your services is BEFORE you execute the exchange of labor for wages transaction NOT after. <S> However, be cognizant of the impact of competition when pricing your services. <S> You may deserve every dime of the money you ask for but that's not the point. <S> The point is that someone may be willing to do the work for less money than you are asking for and that someone may get the job simply because the employer doesn't want to pay more. <S> Wishing you better luck with another employer. <S> (*) <S> Quoting directly from FindLaw: Employment Contracts and Compensation Agreements: <S> Getting Help with an Employment Contract : "Sometimes there is no written or oral agreement, but the behavior of the employer and the employee can be viewed as an "implied" employment contract." <A> when I turned 16 I started working for a chocolatier restaurant for barely above minimum wage . <S> In most jurisdictions, 16 years is old enough to work part time. <S> You were paid above minimum wage which means the employer is 100% within their rights and responsibilities. <S> If you can prove that you were paid less than an equivalent employee at the same time/ location/ shift for clearly discriminatory reasons (female, black etc.) <S> then you may have a legitimate complaint. <S> Being paid less than other employees that have 10 years experience and a relevant college degree doesn't count, they are not "equivalent" to your position. <S> You mentioned that you compared your pay to "other professionals". <S> At 16 you are not a professional - you are barely qualified to answer the phone. <S> Employers have no obligation to pay any "going wage" - they have a legal requirement to pay the minimum wage. <S> Employees have the right to not work for that employer. <S> You appear to have exercised that right by quitting. <S> How do I tell my boss that I need the money back that she never gave me. <S> That's quite a sense of entitlement. <S> Unless your boss agreed to pay you $15 / hour and withheld $7 for questionable reasons you get nothing "back" as it was not yours to begin with. <S> Your employer offered you a job at a certain rate, you accepted. <S> That this rate was below market is your failure for not researching what that job normally paid for a person with your qualifications. <S> Again, you don't compare yourself to a trained chocolatier, you would be looking at the entry-level zero-experience wage, and I'll bet that's right around the minimum you received. <A> You don't. <S> You accepted the job offer back then. <S> You negotiated a contract and accepted upon the then present terms. <S> Beyond the technicalities of your situation, what you are trying to do is also unethical. <S> In short - you were free to turn the job down. <S> Any wage is better than no wage, be grateful you were given an opportunity to work! <S> (And remember, the most valuable things from a job are intangible - experience and training). <S> Good luck with University! <A> The time to negotiate your salary is before you are hired, or when you are still working there and looking for a raise. <S> Your boss paid you for an agreed upon salary so the transaction is complete, the agreement fulfilled. <S> You can only sue for overtime that wasn't paid, because that is an illegal practice, not paying overtime if you are an hourly employee, not salaried which is exempt.
| You are not entitled to any specific wage other than what you agreed upon.
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How to decline a colleague's requests for a drive home? I have a colleague that asked me for a ride home once because he had to get home in a hurry, so I gave him a lift. Now yesterday he asked for a ride home again, and while I did give him a lift, I decided it's the last time. (Generally, I don't like driving people around, and on top of that this guy is a bit disrespectful in that he does things like slamming the door, getting fingerprints on the windows, stepping all over the frame while getting in/out, etc.) So, given that we work together, what's the best way to tell him no, next time he asks? I'm not afraid of saying no; in fact if anything I have a tendency to err on the side of being too blunt. However, given that we work together, I'd like to decline his request in a tactful manner, so is there a better response than my natural reaction of telling him to "walk, get a taxi, or buy your own car" ? <Q> " If this brings follow-up questions, e.g. "why?", or complaints, e.g. <S> "But it's not that far out of your way", then you just repeat " <S> I'm sorry, it doesn't work for me." <S> You do not need to give a reason. " <S> No." is a complete sentence. <S> The coworker may well get upset, but there is literally not a single word that they can object to. <S> They have nothing to argue against, no way of explaining that you are able to do what they want because Reasons. <A> "Sorry, it's nothing personal, but I prefer to drive home alone." <S> The OP wants to kill this without hurting the relationship. <S> The OP isn't afraid to be direct. <S> The answer is direct but "tactful enough". <S> If the colleague presses the issue, just offer the non-personal reason, since that's more tactful and anyway the primary reason. <S> For me it would be <S> "It's the only time during the day I get to be alone and veg out" and I suspect for a lot of other introverts the reason is precisely the same. <A> You mentioned that you don't mind saying no. <S> Then say no. <S> I get this at my workplace as well. <S> I gave a male colleague of mine a ride home one time and after that, he would keep asking. <S> So I politely told him no, and said that this is the only time that I get to myself to de-stress from work <S> and I'd like to keep it that way. <S> We had a bit of a laugh about it (the stress of work) and he was fine. <S> I then occasionally offer to give him a lift home if the weather is shitty <S> but he has never asked for it proactively again. <A> I'd like to add another answer as someone who does have a difficult time saying "No." <S> Rather than turning someone down, I would more likely give them a ride the next time they ask but say, " <S> But this is the last time. <S> " <S> This way I don't feel guilty by turning them down, but I prevent them from asking in the future. <S> If they press you on the reason, you can tell them whatever you like - for me personally <S> it's having that alone/decompress time on the ride back. <S> Whenever you drop the person off, you could even add a "Good luck with getting your car fixed," or whatever fits your situation. <A> I assume you'd like not only to refuse the next time he asks but also stop him from asking again. <S> That's why in my opinion excuses like being busy won't do. <S> I mean since the guy is being disrespectful he might not get the hint. <S> Since you two work together <S> it's even more important for the guy to know he shouldn't use you or anyone else for that matter. <S> It's likely that this kind of behaviour won't be limited only to someone driving him home. <A> "I'm sorry. <S> I have other commitments to take care of tonight <S> and so I'm unavailable to give you a lift. <S> " would be one of a few ways I'd phrase my response that says no with enough explanation that the guy shouldn't push things. <S> The key is that you likely do have plans that you want to get done and so being this person's taxi service <S> is what you have to decline though I'd think having some explanation is handy though "No" can be a sentence unto itself. <A> I had the same problem with someone who is literally a user. <S> This person always ignored me and she started to be nice just because she needs a ride. <S> I really have no room in my life for such people. <S> My excuse is actually the truth: I decided to go to the gym to lose weight <S> and so I have an appointment with my personal trainer at LA fitness and cannot be late <S> or then I will be home too late! <S> My babysitter will leave, and really that would be a total mess for me! <S> so really I gotta run! <S> Sorry! <S> So excited to start my gym session! <S> Wow!I am sure you'll find someone else to ride you home! <S> Bye! <S> (big smile) Problem solved. <S> (and User dumped). <S> LOL;) <S> By the way, guys let me clarify something here: usually who asks for favors like that over and over are people with whom we have almost none or almost none relationship at all <S> , did you notice?It will be different if the person in need is someone with whom we talk often and who will do the same for us!But usually is not! <S> Usually, the person asking is a total stranger that after taking our time and effort will just disappear from our horizon in a bit!Let's be honest here, those people are USERS. <S> Period. <S> And don't feel guilty by saying no! <S> Just in order to avoid problems and gossip (those kinds of people always gossip you if you don't help them!) <S> in the office just make up the story I told you.- <S> and maybe you can go to the gym for real! <S> is so much fun than riding home users! <S> LOL -
| I'd recommend a polite refusal without any room for argument: "I'm sorry, that doesn't work for me tonight. Next time he asks you can just say "sorry I can't" and then politely suggest "but you can take a taxi over there".
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How do I handle my last name changing after marriage? Though I'm not currently getting married, I've always wondered how I should handle my last name within the workplace when I do. In the workplace, your name is directly attached to your work. When you get married and change it, and people are unaware of your new marital status, you can end up needing to start from scratch in your reputation. Though it's somewhat clear within your own place of work, customers and potential future employers who may have known of you prior to marriage may not realize you're the same person. I'm a woman asking this question for down the road, but the question equally applies to a man who chooses to change his last name as well. What are ways to handle name changes within the workplace without losing your prior reputation and link to your past work? <Q> I've had several coworkers change their names upon marriage (including one man). <S> In most contexts they either used both names ("Jane Oldname Newname" or hyphenated) or just made the switch. <S> People got used to it <S> and they didn't seem to have problems with remote coworkers, customers, etc. <S> Email -- which is how most of this kind of communication happens -- offers some additional options, assuming the common corporate practice of addresses like "firstname.lastname@example.com": <S> Some changed email addresses with the old one forwarding to the new one. <S> The first time they replied to a forwarded message they mentioned the change. <S> Some modified the email name (not the address but the text that appears in a From line): "Jane (Oldname) Newname". <S> This has the advantage, over other ways of using both names, of conveying that the "real" name is Newname <S> but you're providing a hint. <S> I'm talking here about what to do when interacting with other people, since that was the concern brought in the question. <S> From a paperwork perspective (HR, payroll, etc), it's best to make sure that the name in their records matches the name you use for legal ID, taxes, etc. <A> This is what many people who have a reputaion outside their current workplace do such as women who have publications in their orginal name, women who are known professionally such as doctors, women who do a lot of professional presentations at conferences, women who are book authors, etc. <S> Depending on the company you may need to have your work email updated. <S> If you have outside contacts that you deal with a on regular basis, you may also want to let them know that this is your new email address. <A> I am a lawyer. <S> I went to law school, clerked and practiced for 7 years using my first husband's surname, call it Smith. <S> I have a number of Appellate and Supreme Court decisions published using that last name. <S> I got married and chose to use my second husbands last name; we will call him Jones. <S> I used the former surname as a middle name but did not hyphenate it because it was not my maiden name <S> and it felt uncomfortable to link two husbands quite that way. <S> Thus my business cards, letterhead and my formal attorney license uses Piquet Smith Jones. <S> After a few years people just called me Piquet Jones. <S> Some people and even old clients who I knew before I remarried still call me Smith. <S> We laugh about it because I have been married 31 years now. <S> As you know, some women choose to adopt their husband's surnames and some do not. <S> Now that US society is learning to deal with gay marriage, women's surname choice is no longer a hot issue. <S> My advice is to make an announcement, get HR/IT to change your email address if it contains your old name and be gracious when someone forgets because someone will do so at a most embarrassing moment. <S> I guaranty that. <A> I have been told it's not really a problem, but that is from women who were fairly well established before getting married, so the papers and so on that they were associated with still contributed to their reputation after one (or two) name changes. <S> One wrote some documents that were used as the basis for legislation that is still in force years later, so when people make the connection, it's like "of course it's you". <S> When you announce the name change, it acts as an attention-getter for you personally as well. <S> Social media such as Linkedin should allow you to be searched by your maiden name. <S> Linkedin, in particular, has a spot for it . <S> Of course you have the option of keeping your maiden name, and many women do that (especially those from other cultures such as Chinese), and not always for positive reasons. <A> My answer is based on US law, other locations will need to review their local laws. <S> The thing I've seen work best for those who DO change their name is continue to use their madden name professionally, but use their new name socially. <S> In most states (if not all) you can legally refer to yourself by any name (referred to as alias on legal paperwork) regardless whether or not that is your legal name. <S> So long as your use of that name is consistent and not malicious or criminal in intent. <S> I did a lot of research in this topic when my wife and I got married as she was concerned about the career implications as well (of which after the fact there was none, even though she did decide to use her new name professionally.) <S> Exception <S> In the state of Florida a man cannot assume his wife's last name without first posting an article in a "newspaper" for three weeks consecutively stating his intent at assuming her name. <S> (this law does not apply to men who are not taking their wives' last name, nor does it apply to women at all.) <S> we have really dumb laws here
| The vast majority of us only have a reputation internally to the current company to worry about, and everyone will get used to your new name rather quickly, so just change your name and let HR know about the change. If you feel you have a professional reputation to preserve, then you do not change your name professionally (you can use one name socially and another professionally or simply don't change your name, it is not required that you do so most places). If you're listed elsewhere, you should add it elsewhere in your profile to allow searching.
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How do you ask for more salary when you just asked for a number on phone? Say, I was offered a position for $25,000 per year over the phone and I know that market pays $20,000 to $30,000 for it. Out of desperation, I requested for $28,000 instead of $30,000. The HR agreed to try for $28,000. I feel that I acted too soon. It’s just been an hour since I did this call. I think that this is over, but there any way I can still call back real quick and request for 30 instead, without loss of face? Would it be okay to say/add that I just got a competing offer at 30? I am not being greedy. I just acted out of desperation and really undervalued myself due to my limited experience. <Q> Would it be okay to say <S> /add that I just got a competing offer at 30? <S> I am not being greedy. <S> I just acted out of desperation and really undervalued myself due to my limited experience. <S> It’s not that you are being greedy. <S> But you will sound flaky & possibly desperate. <S> If you asked for $28,000, then that is what you have to deal with. <S> But if you truly did get a competing offer it is worth mentioning only if they get back to you and want to hire you. <S> Any contact you make now asking to pump the salary up to $30,000 will only make your chances worse at this stage. <S> At this point your whole job should be to sit back, be cool & wait for a response. <S> The waiting game sucks, but that is how this kind of stuff works. <S> Also, if you have competing offers & the other offers are truly better, then don’t sweat it. <S> Take what works for you & move on. <A> Will the sky fall in if you take $28,000? <S> $28,000 is not even guaranteed as HR stated that I would try for $28,000. <S> You could try for $30,000 but asking and getting are two different things. <S> In other words, you missed this bus, you'll take the next one. <S> It’s not the end of the world. <A> There is always room for negotiation until both parties have signed a contract. <S> Be honest <S> Immediately Be prepared to walk away <S> Be Honest <S> Did you offer 28k because you really wanted the job? <S> Because you're young and felt uncomfortable asking for what you really wanted? <S> Because you expected that to be a starting point? <S> Whatever the reason was, you're clearly now unhappy about the 28k, so if you want to reopen discussions, I would be honest about why you are doing it. <S> For instance: <S> Hey hiring manager, when we just talked on the phone about salary I gave 28k when asked for a number. <S> All the research that I've done says that market range for this position should be upwards of 30k. <S> I know that I should have said that on the phone, and I apologize, but I want to make sure that however the final decision and negotiations go, that I feel comfortable about where we started from. <S> Time is of the Essence <S> Depending on where you are in the process, they may have to get the authorization of someone to give a salary offer at that level. <S> If you want to discuss it, do it now, call up or e-mail sooner rather than later. <S> Be Prepared to Walk Realize that what you are doing is saying, <S> "I was not prepared and misinformed you over the phone. <S> Regardless of that, I strongly feel that I should be paid more than when we discussed." <S> This is not going to go over well with all companies, and it may very well reflect poorly on you as a candidate. <S> Consider whether or not you are willing to walk away if they offer you 28k. <S> Make sure that you are willing to sacrifice this chance for a shot at an extra 2k/year. <S> Some companies want employees to be happy with their salary, and are more happy to make considerations for the best candidates. <S> Is this one of those companies, and are you fine with walking away if they aren't?
| If they've already gotten the okay from their bosses for 28k, and you ask for 30k, it will be far more difficult to change (and make them less likely to want to help). Think about if you are the best candidate for the job, and worth paying an additional 2k for. I’d say, take whatever HR comes back with but as you take the offer, ask for a salary review within 6 months.
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What is the best way to present to a boss an idea of group of us leaving for a startup One of my coworkers and I have decided that we'd like to go part ways with our current employer and start up our own business. Currently we are in a small IT company with their software development department. Without us the department will collapse and the main company will not be able to quickly recover from the loss (we are department managers and rulers). We don't want the main company to suffer, so we plan to continue to work for them, but on a contract basis. Basically we'd like to change our employment contracts into a business contract and be able to take on our own customers, and hire our own people. We are afraid that once we lay out the situation to the boss, he may become resentful and accuse us of a conspiracy. What do you think would be the best way to put it, so it does not look like a betrayal? p.s. have to hide behind a new account for reasons above. Update: seems like a many people are concerned with legal side of things. We have a lawyer and she is overlooking the process, making sure we don't do anything stupid. We certainly are not planning to steal customers from our old company, unless they agree to give them to us. <Q> Personally, I would just give notice just like you would ordinarily do. <S> Tell him that you are forming your own company if you wish. <S> It really isn't up to you to ensure that the prior employer's work gets done any time you leave. <S> It is theirs. <S> If you are counting on this business to help launch your new company, I would rethink that idea. <A> It's best to be clear about what you're doing before you announce it. <S> You're taking some key people from the current company. <S> You're asking for your startup to be partly financed by contract work from the current company. <S> It's possible you're planning to compete with your current company; you didn't mention that. <S> Presumably you've decided with good reasoning not to try to take this boss with you to the new company. <S> You're right that your boss may not be pleased with this plan. <S> I've done this. <S> Some colleagues and I walked away from hardware company "p" to start software company "v". <S> The intention was to create software to compete with their hardware. <S> It was vitally necessary to walk away, because the hardware company's infrastructure and power structure made it exceedingly hard to sell software in place of their hardware. <S> So we made our plans, worked out our pitch to our old bosses, and announced our departure in a disciplined fashion. <S> We served out our notice periods (as were were requested to do) and left. <S> The part about consulting didn't work out due to circumstances at the time. <S> We had a straightforward and well-rehearsed elevator pitch (15-word mission statement) for the new company, which we gave to everyone including our old boss. <S> We were very careful to avoid saying anything that sounded like "if you don't let us do this project, we will quit and do it on our own." <S> Our employee agreements with our new company explicitly forbade us from using any of the old company's intellectual property, including technology as well as lists of customers and distributors. <S> We stuck to that. <S> It also forbade us from recruiting people from the old company. <S> A couple of colleagues resigned, then asked us for jobs. <S> When the old company came after us, we agreed with them to avoid hiring anybody else. <A> This is tricky... <S> The biggest issue I see is this... and be able to take our customers in many ways this IS stealing from the company and likely against company policy you agreed to when you started. <S> Best I can recommend is put in your notice period, but perhaps offer to extend it on a contract basis to cover their needs. <S> The big thing though is what you do for your old company for vs your new one needs to not qualify as a conflict of interest (Which from the sounds of it, it does) and you can't snipe / steal clients unless your old company offers to hand them off to you. <S> (What you might consider is offer to give them a "finders fee" to effectively buy the clients, essentially any clients they provide your business you offer them a cut of the profit) <S> All in all I'd put in my notice, and THEN negotiate. <S> But be very careful to not land in a conflict of interest situation. <S> In many places that could potentially open you up to legal consequences.
| The key was presenting the whole deal as already settled. Let him float the idea of providing some support until he can get a new staff up to you instead of proosing it.
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Recruiter said they'd put me forward for a job, but I'm skeptical. When/how should I apply directly? I was browsing a job listing site and found an anonymous posting for a job I was perfectly qualified for. I applied for the job through the job posting site. Immediately afterwards I googled some of the copy in the job posting, and found a very similar listing on the company's actual website, which further reinforced my belief that I was perfect for the job. Apparently a headhunter organization was running the posting, because I was contacted by an outside "recruiter" a few days later. We talked for about 10 minutes on the phone where he asked general questions about why I had applied, why i was leaving my last job, and then he asked me to explain my work experience. This didn't go well because the guy was completely clueless of what I actually did. Somehow he'd never even heard of C or C++ (which I have 13 years experience coding in)! The recruiter told me that he'd discuss with his coworkers "how best" to put me forward for the job. I got off the phone and felt that there was maybe a 50% chance the company would actually see my resume. I had no idea what the best way to handle this situation was. I was tempted to apply directly, but I'd heard that was a guaranteed "no" if they also got the resume from the recruiter. All I had from the recruiter was a phone # (I never caught the guy's name or company), and honestly, I was getting a ton of random phone calls from recruiters and I didn't even know which was his. This really seemed like my dream job, so I decided I'd give the company 7 days to contact me (they were reasonably sized so I figured it might take a little bit of time), and then I'd apply directly through their website. On day seven I pulled up the company's website and saw that the job posting had been pulled down that morning. I'd checked it the previous day and it had still been up. How should I have handled this to maximize my chances of getting the job? <Q> There's quite a few issues in this question. <S> If your recruiter genuinely didn't know what C++ is, that's a sign that they are not a 'high-tech' specialist recruiter. <S> As a high tech worker, you don't want someone not familiar with high-tech work handling your applications. <S> It's possible that this is a general recruiter filling in for specialists in the same company, who will handle your application properly, but it's also possibly not. <S> You absolutely should have got the name and company of the recruiter who talked to you. <S> Call them back now and ask, and make sure you never omit this again. <S> The recruiter should have told you the name of the company you'll be applying to before you let them put your name forward. <S> Don't let anyone do this without telling you the company in the future. <S> If they haven't formally told you, call them back and ask them. <S> Seven days is not a long time for an employer to acknowledge your application. <S> Many companies will take much longer than this. <S> However it is more than enough time for the recruiter to decide if they are going to put you forward. <S> Call them back and ask if they have done so. <S> At the same time ask when they would expect to hear from the employer. <S> Describe what happened and ask if the job is still available. <S> Companies tend to leave their job postings up longer than the job is available, rather than take them down early, so I wouldn't be too optimistic. <S> If this is a big company, other openings will come along. <A> Why didn't you follow-up with the recruiter as well as make sure you know which jobs recruiters are applying you since there can be multiple firms all submitting you for the same opening that could cause a problem. <S> My suggestion would be to have a spreadsheet of who is applying you, where and when so that you can have sufficient records to know whether or not you were applied where I think you may or may not have been. <S> Something else to remember is that recruiters are likely not technical people and so <S> while you may be shocked that they never heard of these languages, it could well be that a good chunk of the general population don't know those languages either. <S> So what? <S> You need to recognize what are your key values, what do you want and how well you can communicate that in all the firms you work so that you don't wind up getting scratched off of a lot of interview lists for being applied multiple times. <A> You can always tell a recruiter not to submit you for a position. <S> Unless they are a specifically retained recruiter instead of contingency, getting resumes from them isn't all that much more impressive than getting them from a candidate from the company's POV. <S> If you ever talk to a recruiter and get a bad feeling, just say "I would prefer you not submit me to that position. <S> " You don't have to explain why, but if you want to say "I don't feel like you understand my background enough to represent me effectively" <S> it's not the end of the world. <A> I would always tell every recruiter to email me the details about a job before I allow them to submit me. <S> That way you have some written record of (A) who the recruiter is and (B) what the position is. <S> That said, if the recruiter never definitively told you that you were submitted, then it's safe to assume you were not. <S> Just like you, the recruiter does not want to "double-submit" your resume and if they have a shred of competence, will double-check with you that you have not already applied or been submitted to said company in the past. <S> If this happens again, I would suggest to get something in writing (email) before doing anything else so you could go back and make sure the recruiter has not and will not submit you, and then you'd apply on your own. <S> At this point it might not be too late to reach out to the hiring manager, let them know you're interested <S> , it's a perfect fit <S> and you'd like the opportunity to meet with them about it. <S> Worst case they'd have your contact information in case the current hire doesn't work out.
| If they didn't put your name forward, or if it turns out that the employer they put you forward to isn't the one you thought, immediately email the employer and apply for the job you want.
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Adding hobby projects to resume? I'm a developer (edit: I should clarify I also do SysAdmin, game design, etc) and hobby projects are a huge part of the industry. Should I add my hobby projects to my resume, and if so how do I format/word it? For example, I've: Running and developing a MUD for 10+ years Contributed code to reddit Run my own LAMP server for specific users Developed a Spiceworks plugin And if I'm to list these, am I expected to link to the project? For example, the MUD is based on an existing IP I don't have rights to so I get dubious in that regard. (I don't make money off it) <Q> 1'd create a github repository and store the code there <S> (*) <S> In the README.md file, I'd list the apps and give a short description of each app as well as instructions on how to run it. <S> I'd create a link in the resume to the github. <S> Done. <S> (*) <S> In response to the OP's comment that the MUD game is not open sourced: Exclude the MUD from the github. <S> You can mention it in your cover letter and in your interviews in the same breath that you say you are not outsourcing it. <S> However, you should be able to come across as knowledgeable about MUD implementation issues and trade-offs. <S> And coming across as knowledgeable would establish your credibility without you having to disclose your source code. <A> In general, treat the projects as jobs. <S> time range of contribution <S> Any reference you can provide to it - URL, github respository - what ever options you can give to let a reviewer access it. <S> As a resume reader, I don't generally look for examples of the work when we're talking about paid-for job - because I realize that so much of a person's work may not be publicly available. <S> I have, however, googled for the company to see what the business is about. <S> But personal projects are both under the applicant's control, and also wildly variable. <S> So if I think of the project as a great example of good work, I actually go and look at what I can. <S> Which means that good code, either in execution (like when I visit the MUD) or in a repository, will leave a good impression. <S> And bad code will leave a negative impression. <S> My strongest recommendation is - don't share a work in progress that will leave a poor impression. <S> For example, getting a tech writing sample from a writer with poor/inconsistent layout, bad grammar, and bugs in the HTML will be worse than no sample at all. <S> Same goes for code - if your website is buggy, if your code is a horror to read, <S> etc... <S> I'm going to be concerned about your judgement. <A> From my experience hobby projects are not really counted as professional experience, or even experience at all, by employers - at least in Finland, where only professional work is counted. <S> Maybe the requirements are less strict in other countries. <S> So I would say it depends on the general views in your region. <S> There can be differences even within a given country but different locations. <A> That's something you should definitely do. <S> Hobby projects shows you are considering development as more than a job, not someone constantly checking the clock to pack up and leave at 6 PM. <S> You enjoy what you are doing and you are open to learn new technologies. <S> That's the number one thing both hiring managers and Development <S> Team Leaders are looking for, even comes in front of work experience on so many occasions. <S> In fact, you should create a professional website or portal which shows all your hobby projects, at least demos of them, with code samples.
| On the resume, create a section for personal projects, and include: Name of project or software product Organization (if applicable) that the project was for Description of the project and your work on it. I'd call the link "Contributions to Open Source" or something like that.
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Should I Include Tips / Gratuities on Expense reports? I am running a small company. We have a fairly liberal expenses policy - for example: €40 maximum per day for meals away from home Taxi fare home if working extremely late Pre-booked hotels when working abroad When people submit their expenses, should I allow them to include their tip / gratuity? For example, on a €30 meal with a €5 tip on the receipt, should I reimburse the employee €30 or €35? I've paid upfront for the hotel, can the employee expense a tip for housekeeping? On the one hand, the employee has spent the cash, on the other hand the tip is for a service received by an individual - not for a service received by my company. I'm specifically talking about a UK/EU company, but I would be interested to know what other countries / cultures / companies do. <Q> If your people are travelling to countries where it's culturally expected to tip, you should re-reimburse them for this. <S> The employee is travelling on your behalf and really doesn't have much of a choice. <S> The easiest way to deal with this is to set a clear policy that states the rules for every country and occasion. <S> Example "In Germany we reimburse tips on restaurant meals of up to 5%", in the US we reimburse tips on restaurant meals of up to 20%, hotels 2$/day and taxis and other services for up to 10%". <A> The country by country policy is a nice approach - it's certainly accurate. <S> In the US tipping is largely expected in restaurants, cabs, and hotels. <S> But it obviously varies quite a bit. <S> My rule of thumb would that: A tip is warranted if natives of the country would generally do the same thing. <S> There are books like "Bow, Kiss or Shake Hands" that do a relatively good job of describing the culture of various nations, and a book like this would work well for figuring out the baseline. <S> My thought for an actual policy would be to try to keep any document on this down to some level of sanity. <S> Have a set policy for places your people travel to most frequently that does a good job of describing the conditions under which tipping should be done and can be reimbursed. <S> Then require receipts for any tips over a reasonable amount. <S> For example, it's not unusual to throw $1 US into a tip jar not have any sort of receipt for that. <S> But it's not normal to take a taxi or eat a nice dinner <S> , tip $10-$20 US and not have a receipt for that. <S> So companies that I've worked in had a policy where tips under some minimum amount didn't need a receipt. <S> One company was a UK owned company but with a big US employee population, so they accommodated the fact that UK folks traveled to the US quite frequently. <S> All of that doesn't negate the value of human judgement. <S> Hugely expensive meals with huge tips, crazy transportation choices, and other grey areas are well within your rights to say "we'll pay for X but not for this exorbitant version of that". <A> In the US, you will usually tip the housekeeper at the hotel - in Europe, rarely so. <S> In the US, you will tip 20% to waiters, taxi drivers etc. <S> In Germany, you will usually tip, but to a lesser amount. <S> In Switzerland and the Netherlands, you will often only leave a nominal tip with no hard feelings. <S> In Korea, you will very rarely tip at all. <S> (These examples reflect my understanding - please feel free to comment on where I committed faux pas .) <S> Since tips like these are really expected by the people working for you, the posted prices for hotel rooms, taxi fare, restaurant meals will usually be based on the expectation that people will be tipped. <S> So a hotel room in the US will be a bit cheaper than the same room in Europe, all else being equal. <S> If you are working and living in Switzerland and get sent to the US, you will suddenly be spending much more money on tips, even if you don't eat more at restaurants than at home. <S> It seems unfair to me to leave your employee with this added expense. <S> My recommendation would therefore be to factor tips into expenses and reimburse your people for them. <S> However, a case could be made for including them in per diems - which should of course also reflect which country people are sent to. <A> At a large company, the answer is almost always either "no" (administrative costs and controls are too high - including, for example, making sure the company doesn't run afoul of bribery legislation) or, less frequently, "use a fixed tip policy" (ie, tips are always assumed to be 10%). <S> Tips are usually not counted separately from other expenses; usually, daily expense reimbursements are fixed roughly based on the continent the employee is travelling to, rolling the cost of tips into them. <S> You're at a small company, though, with liberal expense policies, and probably little accounting overhead - and i'm guessing you want to stay within that spirit. <S> So I would say, more generally, it's entirely up to you. <S> More specifically, yes, allow employees to expense tips, just as they would any other expense. <S> For example, if you require receipts for all expenses, for example, then only the tips that they can provide receipts for will be reimbursed.
| Any tip that is warranted should be reimbursed as it's not as much a factor of personal opinion as country norms. This should really depend on the country - not so much of your company, but the country the employee travels to.
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How to request colleagues not to celebrate your birthday Many organizations and teams try to organize something for a person's birthday as a sign of showing care and interest in their employees. If there is a particular reason that a person doesn't want their birthday to be celebrated (e.g. it might coincide with a sad event), is there an appropriate way to do so without offending or appearing to be unappreciative of this gesture? <Q> If you'd rather your birthday not be celebrated, either don't let the date be known or, if that information has leaked, simply tell folks "I really wish you wouldn't; it makes me uncomfortable. <S> " There's nothing offensive about making such a request. <S> You don't have to explain what the issue is, though if you can do so that may help convince people that you're serious about it. <S> Care and interest in employees includes respecting their right to privacy. <A> As keshlam says, the only way is to actually tell people that you don't want it celebrated. <S> If you don't want to tell everybody, you can talk to your boss and maybe one or two more people that you trust, to make sure they can squash any attempt at celebration as soon as they hear of it (which they will but you might not). <S> You don't need to give a reason other than <S> "I know that everybody means well <S> and I truly appreciate it, but I'd really prefer not to have any type of celebration". <S> This is another instance where "No." is a complete sentence. <S> They don't get to judge whether your reasons are "good enough"; only you can make that judgement and you already have. <S> If it turns out that your boss and coworkers would prefer to pretend to care (by doing something you have told them you don't want), rather than actually care (by listening to your needs and not pushing something on you against your wishes), it's a clear signal to start looking for a new job. <S> If they don't accept your boundaries on such a personal matter, they won't respect them on other issues either. <A> Some offices will pick one day of the month and use that as a celebration of all birthdays in that month with breakfast brought in for everyone (bagels, muffins, breakfast pizza, etc. <S> - depends on the season). <S> This can end up being cheaper than individual celebrations, with the side benefit of being all-inclusive and not putting an awkward spotlight on individuals. <S> It also makes for a good opportunity for members of different departments in the office to mingle in a more relaxed setting as they collect their monthly free food. <A> There's usually someone in the office who takes responsibility for buying a card, ordering a cake etc. <S> You don't need to go into all the details if it makes you feel uncomfortable. <S> Depending on where / how you work, see if you can take the day off, or work from home, etc. <A> Please consider that office birthday celebrations are an opportunity for everyone to take a break, have some refreshments, etc. <S> In some ways, we just use them as an acceptable excuse to party. <S> Even after considering this, you still feel it is too hard on you, find the organizer and ask them to skip yours. <S> Hopefully, they won't pry into your personal business too much, but you are making an exception to something that everyone else sees as normal. <S> Still, no one should feel forced to participate.
| Find them and politely explain that you don't want a fuss made. Personally, I always book my birthday off as holiday - that way I don't have to be in the office for it.
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How to put newly learnt skills on Resume In my current job, I have recently learned new skills and technologies. When looking for a new job, I see that prospective employers are asking for those skills, which is great. How do I strike the balance in my resume and/or interview that I neither sound a newbie to the technology nor sound like a pro who can solve all the problems out there. <Q> List the skills/technologies in your resume. <S> Don't volunteer anything else in your resume. <S> Don't volunteer anything else about these skills/technologies. <S> Caveat: <S> If you are not prepared to discuss what you can do with these skills/technologies at the interview, then don't mention them either in the cover letter or in the resume. <S> An interview is not the place to introduce awkward moments. <S> Because awkward moments have a way of denting your general credibility. <S> At the interview, redirect the conversation from how many years of experience you have had with these skills and technologies to what you have done with them. <S> If you don't have a track record of having done anything with them, redirect the conversation to what you can do with them. <S> If you cannot do anything substantive with them, you just introduced an awkward moment at your interview. <S> Work to correct these deficiencies on an ongoing basis. <S> Start with strengthening your abilities, continue with building a track record of achievements with these abilities and over time and with enough exposure, these achievements become your experience. <S> I usually put new skills and technologies in my resume, with the express purpose of putting pressure on myself to be up to speed with them as quickly as possible. <S> Because I don't like awkward moments at interviews either :) <S> Good luck. <A> First of all, there is something to be said for different kinds of learning. <S> If I'm learning the state capitals of New England, I'm pretty sure I don't need to visit each one to remember them. <S> Thus, beware of what context you have as some information can be learned without any hands-on stuff. <S> Second, how much experience are you claiming to have with these skills and technologies is going to be the important point. <S> Do you have a couple of weeks, a couple of months or a couple of years? <S> Each is a different threshold as there is something to be said for something you explored but ultimately didn't use and something that you used for a number of years. <S> If you recently learned the technology, how are you not a newbie to the technology? <S> Seriously consider how you'd want to answer the question as if you were exposed to it for a couple of weeks <S> , I'm pretty sure you'd still be relatively inexperienced with it unless you are working 16 hour days everyday using it all the time. <A> Many people list their technologies at the top section of their resumes ( sometimes even with years or months of experience) and then expand on how it was used under them jobs/employment section. <S> We can tell from those details your basic level of skill. <S> If you list 17 skills on an 8 month assignment though ( we do see this a lot) <S> we know you didn't use them equally or to an expert level.
| If relevant to the position you're applying for, mention that you have learned or are learning these skills/technologies in your resume.
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What should I do when an employee threatens me? My friend is a manager at a store and he fired a man for bringing his own stuff to sell in the store, which is prohibited. He also gave a warning letter to the other guy who helped that man selling his stuff. Later, my friend found out that the guy who got a warning letter threatened him behind his back. That person posted on his Facebook that he wanted batter my friend. (My friend is not his friend on Facebook, but he got the info from one of his staff.) What my friend should do in this case? Just let it go, or talk to that man? <Q> If an employee is threatening someone with violence, this is a serious matter. <S> Your friend should not continue to employ someone who threatens violence, but he needs to take measures to ensure safety during the dismissal process. <S> Your friend should try to get a screenshot of the Facebook post or a transcript to take to authorities or an attorney for advice. <S> If authorities or an attorney are not an option for some reason, your friend should not talk with this employee without a witness present. <S> Letting it go is not really an option. <S> Your friend must be concerned not only with his own safety, but with the safety of customers and other employees. <A> Your friend is a manager. <S> They means that there is an general manager, regional manger, owner, or corporation above them. <S> There may even be an HR department. <S> This needs to be escalated within that structure. <S> If the threat was made to his face, then there would be reason to call the authorities directly, but they will need to follow the corporate procedures for documentation and they will need corporate support. <A> Neither. <S> In many countries threatening someone is a crime. <S> And of course be extremly careful until the issue is dealt with one way or another.
| Your friend should take a screenshot of the Facebook post (or have it done by the person who reported the threat) and go to the authorities.
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Handling low quality work from a senior This is a question regarding the software industry, but would apply equally to any industry in which teams contribute work to a final product. How do I handle having to completely rework the work of my team leader? Recently, I was undertaking some pair programming at work with a peer (actually my senior developer, but closer to a peer than a senior) in which we decided that the work done by our team leader in the previous weeks would need to be re-done. Briefly: there were absolutely no tests and the methodologies and the approach taken was not maintainable in the long run. As it happens, he has been on holiday in this time; though I believe we'd have made the same decision were he in the office. How best can I\we handle telling him what we've done? I can defend the technical decisions we made, but I'm not confident that he'll accept the reasons for the genuine technical reasons they are (i.e. the actions taken were not intended as any kind of personal attack or reflection). Update to answer questions in comments. What triggered the code changes? A bug report from QA (the feature has yet to reach production) Has anybody else has reviewed his code? No. There is a code review tool and process in place, but it's rarely used and followed. <Q> I assume if you're doing paired programming, there is a code review methodology in place as well. <S> Where I'm currently working, all code gets reviewed before it can be merged into the master codebase. <S> This is the place where issues can be raised and discussed with the developer in a non-confrontational manner. <S> Raise your issues during this process with your coworker and offer what you think is the better way. <S> If it's a matter of just following coding standards (not a matter of which way is better--just which way is "accepted"), explain that standards are important for ease of maintenance. <S> If you're not doing code reviews, definitely institute them. <A> How best can I\we handle telling him what we've done? <S> Ideally, by not telling him what you've done, but by asking "Wouldn't X be better?" beforehand. <S> Going behind someone's back (senior or not) and undoing their work is on the border of unprofessional. <S> It gives the impression that you think they are incompetent, and that they're so bad (either as a person or professionally) that you don't even want to work with them to make it better. <S> For software engineers, I would focus on the problem the code is solving. <S> Pretty much all software engineers love to solve problems. <S> By focusing on what the code is trying to solve, you're focusing on that problem, not the problem you have with their code. <S> You're being a good team player and presenting a better solution for that problem. <S> Then you can debate the relative merits versus the problem rather than criticizing their code. <A> There are many paths, the best one depends on the environment. <S> Given you have already done the deed, the best way to present it is "Jane and <S> I were using your code, and as we used it we came up with some ideas to improve it. <S> Can we review these with you (e.g., in a code review) and see what you think? <S> " Now the senior is in the authority role, if not the actual expert, and the discussion can be about the technical changes. <S> Hopefully you can have that discussion in a healthy engineering way, and the senior can be pleasantly enlightened. <S> If there's likely to be bad karma -- e.g., your senior has a history of writing bad code and being defensive about it, and isn't there when you need to decide what to do -- then you have to choose the lesser of evils up front: make the changes silently; don't make the changes at all; or make the changes to allow you to go forward, then trash (and rebaseline) them before merging into the visible code base. <S> Each of these has obvious consequences, but you will be in the best position to guess what they are.
| Code reviews are the answer.
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How to state in cover letter that I don't fit one of job requirements? I have an interesting job offer (robotics engineer with Android/Java) and I match most of the requirements except for work experience in robotics (however I'm not totally noob in that area because few years ago I graduated in field of robotics). How to state in cover letter that I don't fit one of job requirements? <Q> If you got your degree from a good school with a decent academic average, I expect that you'll have to beat off prospective employers with a stick :) <S> Having said that: @FionaTaylorGorringe comments "don't ever be negative in the cover letter, emphasize what you DO have". <S> I second that: you're trying to convince them to give you an interview where you can make your case. <S> Don't walk back and forth with a placard around your neck that says "Kick me!". <S> Please. <A> Last year I learnt of an opening in a company that asked a C# developer. <S> I have done a few "hobbyist" stints in C#, but I am mainly a Java Developer. <S> Since the company looked interesting (developing comercial software, instead being a part of a bigger company), I sent a CV. <S> I added to it a a note recognizing my lack of experience in C#, but that I was a very good and experienced Java programmer; that learning new languages was never a problem to me and that their job offer was interesting enough to worth the extra effort in my part to get up to level quickly. <S> And I immediately started reading a good C# manual. <S> I did not get the job (you will have to assume that you begin with a handicap), but I got through several levels of interviews, so they saw me as a potential candidate. <S> In short: be honest about it, but try to put a positive spin to it by showing interest and ability to learn. <S> Anyway, assume that it will be a disavantage for you. <A> Imagine, for a moment, that you're writing a letter to a prospective lover. <S> I am an amazing cook, I love pets, and I've got beautiful blue eyes. <S> I don't have a car though - so please don't ask me to drive anywhere. <S> I mean, I've got a fairly crappy car, but it's really embarrassing to drive. <S> Would you date this person? <S> No! <S> Why date / hire someone who has such a low opinion of their own ability. <S> You do <S> not need to emphasise your weaknesses. <S> If the employer has any qualms, they will ask you directly. <S> Your goal is to communicate all the ways in which you are right for the job. <S> If, however, you don't think that you can do the job - don't apply. <A> As someone pursuing a job you are both salesman and product. <S> The potential employer is your potential customer. <S> Am I what they need? <S> This is the single biggest question. <S> It's fine to not have certain requested certifications, degrees, experience, etc. <S> so long as you are capable of fulfilling the role in which they are hiring you. <S> (note: <S> some certifications are legal requirements) <S> I don't want them to "consider me <S> " I want them to "desire me" As a salesman you always push the good, you avoid the bad as much as possible without treading into what could be considered cagey or dishonest. <S> You don't want your potential customer juggling the your pros and cons on whether they even want to hire you, you want them to think "if I hire this person they are going to make me money". <S> You want the only thing standing between you and a pay check is your competitors (other potential hires) potentially having a better offer. <S> Cover Letter Think of your cover letter as your opening pitch. <S> You want to intrigue these people, you want them to see the best you have to offer and why they NEED you. <S> Think of this like you when you're buying a car or computer. <S> You give the bird's eye you tell them why they need you specifically, and why you are reliable <S> (IE that you want to work for them) <S> Resume/CV Think of this as a tailored spec sheet. <S> You're still pitching yourself, but if you didn't get that hook in already odds are they'll skim over it with little thought. <S> If you have them excited they're going to look over this carefully and if everything is in order want you even more. <S> In your CV you want to highlight the best you have to offer, what you've done to help your past employers (experience), what skills you offer (self explanatory), <S> what documentation you have (certs/degrees) to confirm you're legit. <S> You want them to finish your CV thinking you're a solid option. <S> Where the only thing that could stop you from getting the job is if someone simply out sold you both on their pitch and what they backed up on paper. <A> Generally education in a specific field can substitute for a few years of experience. <S> If they read your resume, they know that you have been working in a different field than your education. <S> This may or may not be a plus to them. <S> But it is their decision, not yours. <S> Apply, try to sell what you think you bring to the table that would make you a good candidate and let them figure out if what you sent them is what they want. <S> Depending on the positon and the hiring manager, they may well be happy to get someone with a degree and no expereince, they may be happy only with the expereince or they may actually like some combination. <S> You don't really have way to know what is in the hiring manager's head.
| Simply state in your cover letter that you got your degree in robotics and leave it at that.
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Should I contact HR before job start date? I signed a job contract with an August 1st, 2014 start date back in April, 2014. I haven't received anything from HR regarding background check, drug testing, orientation, etc. Though I've already signed the contract, I'm still a little worried. Anyone in the same boat or have experiences/advice with this? Any help is appreciated, thanks. <Q> You need to follow up, pronto(*). <S> It's a matter of due diligence, and it's a sanity check that you are indeed starting on 1 Aug 2014. <S> If the reason they didn't contact further is that they're waiting for some document on info on you that you are not aware that they wanted you to give them, the joke is on you. <S> Unfortunately, it's the kind of joke that will make you want to cry. <S> Again, make sure that you are starting on 1 Aug 2014 and line up whatever of your ducks need to be lined up. <S> (*) @RossAiken comments that if you send an email, you have to be cognizant <S> their reply could end up in your Spambox instead of your Inbox. <S> So, if you haven't received a reply from them in your Inbox, check the Spambox and follow up as well with a phone call. <A> Contact the HR. <S> I started my current job several months ago. <S> Before the start day I sent an email to the HR (the HR person who was present during the interview and who posted me the contract) and asked who I should be looking for <S> when I go there (one can't enter the building without an electronic pass), shall I be there at 8:30 (the beginning of the working day), do I have to bring any documents with me. <S> It turned out to be not just a sanity check but useful questions as she advised me to ask about her at the reception, so she can introduce me to the directors, to come later because everybody were going to be busy early in the morning, and to bring an ID so she can make a copy. <A> An email asking politely about an update doesn't hurt. <S> Things that might be good to add to that email would be : <S> How are my tests? <S> Do you need anything else from me? <S> (additional tests, or copy of some certificates or anything) <S> Make sure your tone in the email shows that you're contacting them to let them know that you're willing to help in case there are missing documents or anything as well as letting them know that you're interested in being updated of the tests you've been through. <S> Another good thing to do is to reread your contract for anything that might be of use.
| Although generally since you already have a contract, things would go smooth and there's nothing to worry about regarding if you will really work or not.
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Can I be forced to cover for a colleague? I work for a tow company where we have set schedules. Previously, another employee has made threats about cutting my brake-lines or poisoning me and my dogs. Management was made aware of the problem they told me it was over with and that she would be talked to about it. Now it's a few months later. She has asked for time off, and the company asked me to cover. I told them I don't want to, and that there are other people that can cover her shift. Now a week before she is to be off they tell me that I have to cover it. I told them I don't want to because of all the threats, that it would make me work 13 days in a row without a day off, and that it would have me at work until 11pm then back in the next day to work a 15 hour shift. Can they make me cover? <Q> There is no way we can answer your question. <S> Consult a local lawyer. <S> However, please note that if you field her previous behaviour as a reason you don't want to cover for her , it may not be in your best interests. <S> You are not doing her a favor. <S> She doesn't gain anything from it. <S> You would be doing your company a favor. <S> It's your company that needs someone to cover for her. <S> It's understandable that after what happened you don't want to work with her. <S> However, working her job if she is absent is something different and has nothing to do with her behaviour. <S> If you don't want to work those shifts because they are too long, say so and ask a lawyer if you can get around it. <S> Do not mention her name because that would look like an excuse. <A> Yeah, they probably can make you cover this mean person's shifts. <S> It isn't about your problems with the mean person, it's about serving your customers. <S> But they do (in the US) have to pay you time and a half, at least, for overtime hours. <S> You could make the case that you've been working too long without a day off and you need a break. <S> It sounds like you have a good case there. <S> Or you could just take the overtime pay to the bank. <S> What the heck, milk it! <S> It's not like you have to ride around in the truck with the mean person. <A> There have been lawsuits in the field of towing. <S> Some tow companies incorrectly classify employees as independent contractors when in fact they are treating them as employees. <S> As an employee, you are covered by FLSA, so you should be paid overtime for extra hours. <S> Having to pay overtime might make them find a different solution to their need to cover shifts, so if you are not paid overtime, you should consult an attorney. <S> Unfortunately, neither FLSA nor OSHA set limits to how much you can be asked or expected to work. <S> If your employer is paying you legally and operating within the law, they can ask and expect whatever hours they need. <S> This is extremely poor management on the part of your company, however. <S> They did not handle the threats well, and the amount of work they are expecting is unhealthy. <S> You should probably look for a better employer. <S> Sorry.
| They can ask you to cover anybody's shifts.
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Can you lose admission/job offer due to few day delay in passport? I was recently admitted at a university in Netherlands. I got admission into the Phd program, so I am considered as the employee of the university with salary and every other employment benefit. I have sent the university all my academic documents. A few days ago, the university contacted me for my passport for visa preparation. I told the university that I am expected to receive my passport on a certain date but there could be a delay of a few days. The supposed passport receive date came and the passport office did not give me my passport saying that the passport office have not yet received it and I should come after two days to get it. On the same day I got an email from the university asking me to send the university my passport as the university want to finish the process as soon as possible. In the absolute worst case the passport office could take 5 more working days but the passport office usually delivers two or three days after the expected date. Can I lose my job offer due to this delay? I currently told the university that the passport office has asked me to come after two days but what should I do if the passport office doesn't give me my passport even after two days and further delay giving me my passport by a few more days? The passport office doesn't usually delay giving a passport that long but what should I do if the passport office does create a delay? <Q> Keep the lines of communications with university open. <S> Since the university knows (or should know) that you are waiting for your passport to arrive, make sure to notify the university of any delay. <S> Make it clear in your phrasing of your communication to the university that the passport office is responsible for the holdup and any corrective action arising from the holdup. <S> For example, don't just say to the university "wait five days", say "I checked with passport office and the passport office told me to wait five days" You want to put the accountability where it belongs, you want to make it clear to the university that you are monitoring the situation closely and that you are doing your best in a bureaucratic situation that is out of your control. <S> If you are worried about whether you could lose your job/admission over this delay, contact the university directly i.e. phone or show up, ask them the question and get the answer straight from the horses's mouth. <S> I am fairly sure that as far as the university is concerned, you are not nor will you be the last individual who runs into this type of bureaucratic hiccup and that the university will be pretty chill with you about your predicament. <A> They want to receive your passport to finish the paperwork as soon as possible, just contact them (email or phone) and tell them that you're waiting for your passport to arrive to you since there was a delay in the production. <S> Tell them that you'll send it to them as soon as it's finished and that you're sorry for the delay. <S> It's the best (and only) thing to do. <S> If they're professional then this won't be a problem, as long as you tell them the reason you haven't fulfilled your part of the process. <S> Just waiting and not telling them nothing might have bad consequences, however. <S> It's more likely than not that they'll be cool about it, the real life doesn't come with no speed-limit barriers. <S> You shouldn't worry too much about this. <A> It really depends on the university or organization. <S> At my current workplace, we have someone who was supposed to start over a month ago, but hasn't arrived yet due to similar issues. <S> We're still holding that spot for him for whenever he arrives. <S> Contact the university and tell them everything that's going on. <S> People can be very understanding if you're forthcoming, but if you aren't, it can be very frustrating.
| That depends entirely on the organization you're dealing with each time.
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How do I recover from using a fake resume during my career? I'm currently working as a contractor as a software engineer for a technology firm for the past 3 months for which I have faked my resume. This happened due to some unavoidable circumstances, so please don't be judgmental about this. I understand that this is very unethical and I had sleepless nights doing this painfully obvious thing. Now, I'm planning on applying for a full time position, with a genuine resume. Is there any way the future employer will know about the fake experience that I presented on my resume? If yes, how can they validate this information? What are my options to make sure that I achieve my career goals before it's too late? <Q> They may find out, they may not. <S> Padding, "careful editing", or outright lying on resumes seems to be more and more commonplace... <S> I have gotten recruiting companies ask to manipulate my resume, and I always pull the plug on working with those groups. <S> I wouldn't have been totally surprised to find out that some of them "doctored" my resume without my knowledge. <S> If you ever apply for a position with this same company, they may compare past and current resumes and notice the discrepancy. <S> If that happens, explain why you faked it, and why you never intend to go down that road again. <S> I honestly have no idea if a future employer (that is not this company) could ever see that faked version of your resume, unless that resume is posted someplace online and you don't have the accesses to edit it. <A> I guess it is good that you are feeling remorse. <S> (Not judging. <S> I have my own list of stupid stuff I've done) Not to validate your "fake" résumé - <S> but I've interviewed 1000's of engineers and it is not that uncommon unfortunately. <S> Are you applying for a full time position with the company that you are subcontracting with? <S> If it is a different company, provide them with an accurate résumé. <S> You do need to make sure all online versions of your résumé are now correct plus any online profiles (linkedin etc) as good recruiters will check all of this for consistency in their processes. <S> Dates and skills that don't match or whatever, are big red flags when selecting for interviews or offers. <A> Somewhere along the line you have realised that whilst it was easy to manipulate your CV information, the future could well be a life of agony, of worry that you will be challenged about it. <S> You have already realised that the truth has a shining value of it's own - far more precious than any falsehoods and far more dependable for any employer. <S> But now you are worried about losing your reputation and your business contacts. <S> Well, the truth is that an employer quickly looks at a CV - then it is more than likely forgotten about in your first few days of employment. <S> Also a recruiter has many people like you looking for jobs. <S> More than likely they will not dwell upon a changed resume, rather than looking at your genuine self in a new light. <S> I think that the answer is to write the truth right now with as little as possible padding. <S> Replace these falsehoods with your own dynamism, your sincerity and willingness to work for the good of the company. <S> This means a committed CV which truly shows your personality and attitudes. <S> But for now, swallow your pride and make a new shining CV which may be humble but will hold the attention of your recruiter and your employer. <S> You then recover and start work with nothing to fear now - or in the future.
| Your CV is your Bible - it is your mirror of your future and should in time be filled with true and genuine work experience.
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How to document that I work irregular hours every day based on business needs and on-demand situations? I have been the curator/manager of a small historic building for 10 years and a change in management now requires that I document my working hours and processes, presumably to determine a change in my salary. Specifically I am asked "from when to when do you work?"I have never been required to document my processes before, and this place has been generally neglected until I brought significant changes to its bottom line. I live on site (my workplace is also my home) and my basic duties have been to look after it, manage maintenance (external workers/contracts) and handle visitors or anyone who wants to use the venue for other purposes like events. Firstly, visitor inquiries (and visits) could happen at any time during the day and all other duties around maintenance and care for the building happen ad hoc around the clock - from when I wake up to when I go to sleep. Beyond that, I was able to build major partnerships and bring more visitors, groups, events, etc. than all its lifetime put together. Also by attending conferences, traveling, etc. I significantly boosted the visibility, image and quality of the place. The former owner of the place knows this but my achievements were never reflected in any formal review; I enjoyed full ownership and independence in how I worked and developed the place until it was noticed and is being taken over. As someone who looked after the place almost like its owner and was dedicated virtually the entire day, I am not sure how to quantify my working hours, or how I could explain that I work based on "business needs" like an entrepreneur/owner would do. Any advice appreciated! <Q> Start logging every time you do something work-related. <S> Probably the easiest way is to install a suitable app onto your phone, so that you can just press a button to start the clock running when you work and to stop it later. <S> Most of them will be able to send the complete log as an email or in some other format that you can forward to your management. <S> One thing to remember is that you are in effect being on call at all times, so that even during the times that you are not actually showing visitors around, you are still not able to leave the place because someone might come. <S> That time should also be noted, though possibly separately from the times that the visitors are there. <A> Look for time reporting software/project management software <S> e.g. Quickbase from Intuit. <S> This software includes a time stamp for any activity that you report into it. <S> Report your time in 15-min increments like the lawyers <S> do e.g. a lawyer may charge 15 minutes of their time for a 3-minute phone call. <S> Don't be too shy about reporting it as 15 minutes, because by the time you finish reporting it, the time will be closer to 15 minutes anyway. <S> Report shortly after you finish your activity, especially if you have short-term memory issues like mine. <S> Don't write more than one or two sentences for each activity. <S> You want software that can add up your time on its own for any particular project such as organizing a specific event and drill down to your various activities e.g. you called 15 people, made two trips, received three visitors, had a working lunch with so and so, etc. <S> You want that software to give printouts on-demand including printouts in PDF or Word format so that you can send them to whoever is asking for the time reporting. <A> It shouldn't really matter if you are working irregular hours (unless there's lots of night and weekend work involved) <S> - by this, I mean that just because you answer a call in at 5 am that takes a couple of hours, and then nothing happens until 3 pm <S> and you get stuck until 9pm that day, then you've worked 8 hours - <S> you have not worked 16 hours. <S> Of course, the extreme times do need to be considered if they are a regular occurence as some consideration should be made that it is hard to plan a day with call times. <S> What really matters is if all those irregular hours add up to a reasonable time on average - for example, staff in my organisation are generally expected to do 75 hours a fortnight (on average), but we're not stuck at 7.5 hours each work day. <S> Even on a fortnight to fortnight basis, we can do 80 hours and then 70 hours... <S> If you really find yourself working 98 hours a week, then it is very likely that your new managers will order you to cut back as that probably breaks quite a few rules in most jurisdictions.
| Simply log each time you start working and stop working - get into a habit of doing it.
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I'm the new boss, the old boss is now a part-time employee under me My boss was recently forced to retire. I have taken their position. Now they are coming back part-time with me as their boss. I have made some changes in how they did things before but I know this person is probably not going to like them. Also, I need this person to perform duties that they haven't done in years. How should I go about getting this person to understand that they are not as "powerful" as they were months ago. I respect this person but I do not think they will respect me as their boss. How can I start off on the right foot given the reversal of roles? <Q> Have a private conversation as soon as they arrive. <S> Say essentially, <S> "I appreciate having your expertise to bounce ideas off of you. <S> As you can see, I'm doing things a little differently. <S> If you see something going wrong, I'd really appreciate it if you would talk to me privately and let me know. <S> I may not always agree, but I will always listen to you and consider what you're saying. <S> " <S> Let him know his knowledge, experience, and opinion are valued, and I doubt he'll be upset if it isn't always done the way he would prefer. <A> Well, it COULD go well, but... <S> This was a terrible decision on the part of your company - my condolences! <S> It is really difficult to establish oneself as the leader when the old leader is still there. <S> This should be a period of establishing your own vision, which takes time, and that process may be unduly influenced by this person's presence. <S> You will likely need to establish firm boundaries and reinforce them over and over. <S> Go over the job description, and let the person know that, though they may have suggestions for helping you do your job, you prefer to learn the job on your own and to find your own way. <S> Then defend this boundary you have created. <S> Expect some hurt feelings at the beginning. <S> Boundary enforcement is often successfully achieved with a broken record technique. <S> For example, every time the former boss offers a suggestion that is contrary to the way you would like things done, be prepared with your response: "I appreciate the thought, but I prefer to do it a different way. <S> " You may have to say it over and over and over. <S> Don't get drawn in to defending your way of doing things. <S> I have been in a similar situation, and I found that opening myself up to the other person's help just one time meant I had to spend months trying to re-establish the boundary I had created initially. <S> You may also find you have difficulties with this person influencing your staff, in which case, you have a disciplinary issue on your hands. <S> Good luck! <S> Maybe it will go well... <A> They will forget that they don't call the shots anymore and presume to give you orders from time to time.
| Treat them with the dignity they deserve and defer to them for their experience but don't let them encroach on your authority because they won't ever respect you if you capitulate under their bossy wiles like the minion you once were under them. Your old boss now having to work under you may find it difficult to adjust to seeing see you as anything more than a subordinate. Start with an initial conversation about what role you expect this person to take.
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No salary increment so want to relieve within a month I am working as a software engineer with a 2 year agreement.HR said that I would get a salary increment after 1 year of the joining date, but I didn't get any salary increment. HR said after the financial period only we will start the increment process. So i waited another 3 months. When the financial period came, the company still did not give the increment. Again I asked HR. They said company is in loss so the company is not ready to give increments for anyone. So still I am at the same salary and still I have 8 months remaining in the agreement. I want to relieve from the company (quit), but management said you are still in an agreement, so they are not relieving me and not giving increment. My family is in need of money. What shall I do next? Can anyone provide me some suggestions? <Q> What shall I do next! <S> Can any one provide me some suggestion. <S> It sounds like your contract requires you to stay for another 8 months. <S> Do the best you can until then. <S> Be the best employee you can be. <S> At the end of the 8 months, discuss your desire for a raise, and be prepared to leave at that point if necessary. <A> At this point this is entirely a legal questions which shouldn't be answered here. <S> You will need the help of a lawyer. <S> However, since many lawyers are more interested in their fees than your well being, it's probably a good idea to do some homework before engaging one. <S> Read you contract very carefully. <S> Take notes while reading it. <S> What exactly does it say about the length of your employment? <S> What does it say about your payment? <S> What does it say about your increase? <S> Does it spell out exactly the timing and amount of increase? <S> Are there any clauses that impact the other paragraph? <S> Are there easy loopholes for the company, etc.? <S> Network locally (internet, friends, colleagues, professional organizations, unions etc.) <S> and try to find people that have had similar problems. <S> Did they engage a lawyer? <S> Did it help? <S> How much did it cost? <S> Can they recommend a lawyer? <S> Figure out exactly what you want, what you are willing to settle for and how much money you are prepared to spend on it. <S> Is it okay for you to spend $1000 to get the relieving letter or would it be better to just slug it out? <S> If you still feel, a lawyer is a good idea, go and talk to one. <S> Make sure you have a written list of questions <S> : How does the lawyer get paid? <S> What does he/ <S> she expect the whole thing to cost? <S> What happens if the cost runs way over? <S> What's the chance of success? <S> Has he/she done similar cases? <S> What happened in those cases? <S> If the first consultation is free, than talk to 2 or 3 different lawyers and check whether the answers to your questions match up or are wildly different. <S> Pick the one that makes you most comfortable. <A> There is an agreement for your 2 years of work, so you can't break that. <S> However, if it is also stated in the agreement that you should have been given a raise/salary increment after your first year, they should have given that. <S> If you want, you can ask legal advice there, although it might be counter productive as you would spend money there as well. <S> But if your supposed raise was just in saying, that's pretty hard to use as an argument. <A> This sounds like you've been meeting your obligations up to this point (working) but they haven't been meeting their obligations (paying you and giving your salary increment at stated intervals.) <S> This incremental increase was something written down, not just something stated verbally, correct? <S> If that is correct, I strongly advise you to talk to your local labor board, or a lawyer - someone or some group that can advise you what your options are, and how to go about getting the monies owed to you AND/OR avoiding a black mark on your employment history by breaking your contract ahead of time. <S> If you have signed a contract which allows the company to not give incremental increases if they are losing money that quarter/year, then there may be some information that they have to provide, to prove that they are losing money. <S> I don't know all the details - but a lawyer will know. <S> (You may want to make sure that you take any employment contract with you, so that they have a reference.) <A> The company is losing money you say? <S> They're not giving pay increases to anyone? <S> That's a reality of business sometimes. <S> There are no guarantees. <S> I suggest you stay with the company (if you can afford to do so). <S> I suggest you ask your supervisor this: "I am already giving up my pay increment to help return the company to profitable operation. <S> Do you think there is any way I can do my job better to help the company make money? <S> Is there anything our department can do to help the company make money?" <S> Your supervisor will probably say, "we need to keep doing our jobs with excellence. <S> " The point of this question is not to actually do things differently, but formally to express your concern for the company's welfare and offer to help. <S> Being in a company when it has business difficulties and being part of solving those difficulties is usually considered excellent experience and a sign of loyalty. <S> It's not fun, but if you can survive it you will learn a lot and gain respect.
| Unless there is something written into your contract that guarantees you a raise, there's nothing left to be done.
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Older employees refer to me as an intern, how can I let people know I'm a permanent employee? I work in a branch of a company that has 30 people. One week before I was hired, 3 college students were brought on as interns. As a result, three times in the past couple of weeks I've been referred to as an intern (making me think multiple people than that believe I am one). I am not as concerned about the title, but I want people to think of me as a permanent part of the team. Additionally I'm almost 30 but look like I'm 21, so that doesn't help the situation. I've been correcting people but I don't want a reactive approach or to have to wait it out for months. Does anyone have any advice? *I've been here for 5 weeks. <Q> I've been correcting people <S> but, I don't want a reactive approach or to wait it out for two months to be the solution. <S> Does anyone have any advice? <S> Handle it with humor. <S> If you have a nameplate on your office or cubicle, print a picture of your face with the phrase "NOT an intern" beneath it, and hang it up under your nameplate. <S> As Amy Blankenship points out - you could have a T-shirt printed! <S> That would be memorable. <S> Perhaps your shirt could have the word "Intern" in a red circle with a backslash across the front ( the universal "No" symbol ). <S> You should get a laugh, and people will get the point. <A> Additionally I'm almost 30 but look like I'm 21, so that doesn't help the situation. <S> Enjoy that while it lasts! <S> Seriously, what can you do other than correct them? <S> Just don’t take it personally & let your work reflect your permanent status. <S> Not much else can be said or done to force perceptions to change. <S> Also, unclear on how this is being conveyed, but for all you know they could be screwing around with you. <S> Perhaps it’s a light form of hazing. <S> If so, don’t sweat it. <S> Just roll with it. <S> And perhaps figure out creative ways to convey <S> they fact you are not an intern that will maybe win you over with the rest of the team quicker. <A> Send an email to your group and say "Hello, I am Jeff [Whoever], your new full time colleague. <S> Some of you have already met me. <S> I am sitting at the desk <S> [identify location(*)]. <S> I started on [Date Whatever] and I am looking forward to getting to know and working with all of you - Feel free to invite me to lunch :) <S> (*) by the restroom, by the coffee machine,next to Jennie Muller's and Jane Sanchez's, etc.
| You could also consider hanging a sign around your neck for a day or a large lapel button that says "NOT an intern".
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Is it inappropriate to spend personal resources for the company's benefit? Background: I am in charge of a code which I've written for the office (at the direction of my manager). Our office just merged with another office a few states away. The plan is to eventually have them be able to use the software. As it states my software cannot meet this requirement reliably. So now I'm scheming up a solution. The Problem: One such solution is to use a online server which will allow reliable access anywhere. The issue arises because this service costs money. Its fairly trivial ($5/month), but I am 100% sure that it would not be approved (business is not booming in any sense of the phrase). I would just sign up for it myself and just not mention that I'm paying for it personally when I distribute it, but I have a sense that this is wrong. My question: Is my gut feeling justified, or can I (appropriately/ethically) use my personal money for company benefit? Sub-questions: If I do get it, should I mention that I'm paying out of my own pocket? Would it be unethical to deliberately hide that I'm paying out of pocket? If I do this without manager approval, could it conceivably get me punished? Important Clarification: The issue isn't necessarily that $5/month is too much money for an international engineering firm to afford. We could afford if my manager wanted to spend it. The issue is that he doesn't, partially because he isn't very fond of my program (for a variety of reasons). This is part of the reason I feel pressured into just making sure it works regardless. But, based off the wonderful accepted answer, acting independently from management and taking control of a company resource is a poor decision <Q> There is nothing unethical about spending your own money for things that benefit the company. <S> I have no problem, for example, buying the occasional cable or adapter that makes work easier without bothering to ask for reimbursement. <S> But it does not seem like a wise decision in this case. <S> First off, if the company wants to use a piece of software at the other office and there are additional resources needed to make that happen, the company ought to pay for those resources. <S> Maybe the company would choose to buy access to an online server. <S> Maybe the company would choose an alternate solution (including not giving the new office access to the software). <S> Merging offices has costs-- <S> surely the company is incurring more than $5/month in costs from merging the offices. <S> Spending your own money on subscription services is particularly problematic. <S> Down the line, what happens if you decide you want to move on or are let go? <S> Are you going to continue to pay to host the software indefinitely? <S> If not, then you're in the rather unfortunate position of saying "I quit. <S> And, by the way, this piece of software will stop working at the end of the month unless you pay a fee." <S> Even if this was properly the company's responsibility to pay from the beginning, it is hard for this not to come across as blackmail particularly if the company was unaware you were paying the fee. <S> Those sorts of impressions, even if they aren't accurate, can really damage your reputation. <S> Then there are the ongoing operational issues. <S> You'd have company information and resources that are on some server the company has no idea about. <S> The company would be dependent on whatever service level agreement the hosting company provided but they'd have no idea that there was even a relationship with the hosting company. <S> This sort of thing would raise alarm bells for any sort of security audit, if someone in IT decided to analyze network traffic and found company information flowing out to unknown hosts, etc. <S> Explaining that the software is unavailable because the hosting company your company had no idea they were using is down <S> would probably not go over well. <S> Nor would explaining to the auditor that you've got information flowing out to a service that you, not the company own. <A> If you're working for a tiny startup or family business where nothing is formalized, sure. <S> In those environments, any ad hoc solution is usually welcome. <S> However, since you say that you have a manager and you're merging with another office, it sounds like your company has grown far beyond that. <S> A completely different set of considerations apply. <S> Surely, the money ($5 per month) is not the problem? <S> If your company cannot afford to spend $5 per month on an important business process, you're probably wasting your time working at the wrong place. <S> So, for whatever reason, you believe that your request would be denied. <S> Yet, you made that statement using the conditional mood, not indicative past tense, suggesting that you haven't actually asked and been rejected. <S> Why haven't you asked? <S> Is communication in your organization dysfunctional in some way? <S> Are you afraid of the management (or the IT Department) finding out that a skunkworks solution exists? <S> Either way, I find that troubling. <S> If I were a sane manager in charge of the business, my primary concern would not be the $5 per month expense. <S> Rather, relying on an employee to provide a poorly understood business process is a risk factor. <S> There's no continuity plan, should you need to take a vacation. <S> The code lives on a server that is not controlled by the company — especially if only you hold the master password. <S> I also suspect that you may be either skirting some policies or that communication/management at your company may be dysfunctional. <S> You expect your proposal to be rejected, and I don't think that the reason for the rejection is the cost. <S> If they say "no" now, and you go ahead with the scheme anyway, expect an inquisition when they find out later. <S> If you haven't said no, because you are doing this secretly, that's equally controversial. <S> You have nothing to gain personally by being a "hero" and "solving" the problem your way, against company procedures or against your manager's instructions. <S> If anything, it could likely be a career-limiting move. <S> Your proposed arrangement sounds fishy to me. <S> Don't do it. <A> You are paying for a server for this software to run on. <S> If something happened to you (fired, died, sued for all you've got, etc), the company would either need to (1) transfer that account to their name and start paying or (2) perform a migration or come up with an alternative. ... <S> Therefore, if you don't tell them that this setup relies on your own private account and money, then you are exposing them to risk without allowing them to plan for it. <S> Also, you said the person isn't very fond of the solution. <S> Therefore, you spending money on the server out of pocket is a practice that gets really tricky. <S> Now, you're using personal wealth to tip the balances of decision making in your favor. <S> ... <S> That's called bribery. <S> It's probably best not to do it. <S> At the very least though, to get around the two above points, make sure you make it perfectly clear what you are doing. <A> Your proposal would make your company reliant on another company, with which it has no contractual relationship. <S> That alone is an unacceptable situation and your company wouldn't even know it was in it! <S> I'm sure your employer wouldn't object to the gift of $5 per month; the issue is that you'd be secretly putting the company into a situation it cannot control.
| In summary, acting unilaterally to solve a problem without company approval is not beneficial to the company.
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Reneging on the same job offer twice I just moved to a new city and started job hunting. I got 2 offers (Job A and Job B), and accepted Job A. I had second thoughts and told Job A that I would not be joining them, and joined Job B instead as I thought it was the better choice. After working at Job B, I realized it wasn't what I had expected, and left Job B. I called Job A again and asked them if I could have the job back if it hadn't been filled, as well as applying for Job C at the same time. Job A offered me the position again and I accepted. In the meantime, I went through the interview process at Job C (which I would prefer), and was just told that they would offer me the job. I am scheduled to start Job A in a few days. This will be the second time I inform Job A that I will not be joining in favor of another offer after having accepted the offer. What is the professional way to handle this conversation with Job A? <Q> This will be the second time that I do this to company A... <S> any advice, suggestions of what to say? <S> I feel terrible to do this. <S> They have been so nice. <S> There's little you can say to Company A that will do them (or you) any good. <S> Just say "goodbye". <S> Tell them that you are sorry, but you really won't be joining them. <S> Be professional about it. <S> Don't contact them again, even if Company C turns out to be terrible. <S> At best, they will think you are confused and indecisive. <S> At worst, they'll think you are a jerk who took advantage of their good nature. <S> I mostly feel bad for the hiring manager. <S> He/she will probably lose some political capital over this. <S> It doesn't matter much now <S> - it's time for you to move on, and time for Company A to move on without you. <S> Try to learn from this going forward, and not commit to a job without intending to stay. <S> Do your homework before accepting a position. <A> Contact company C and tell them that you have another offer pending (firm commitment from their side) and that you'd really like to accept their offer... <S> but you need it in writing. <S> Once you have the offer from company C in writing (and not before) check it to make sure it meets the terms you thought you were agreeing to. <S> If the agreement does outline what you thought you were agreeing to, and it still sounds like what you ultimately want, THEN it's time to decide what to do about company A. How to deal with Company A is tricky. <S> They've offered you a job, you've found other opportunities twice now, it's NOT a calm or easy situation. <S> If company A offered you something different - more flexible schedule, slightly more money, a slight change in job duties - would that make company A's offer more attractive than Company C? <S> If so, counterpropose those new terms to them and see if they're interested in keeping you on. <S> Start negotiating, and have a definite idea of what you'll accept to stay with Company A. <S> If nothing that Company A says or does will entice you to stay with them...explain to them that you've been offered a fantastic opportunity, it really offers you better career options and lets you do what you love (or whatever your reasons for taking that role are,) and if possible - let them know of any people you know, who are both looking, and who might be a good fit. <S> (And, a slightly related question: which group of people did you get on with better? <S> Company A, or Company C? <S> Working with people whom you genuinely like personally and professionally, can make ALL the difference in the world. <S> It can make a job with that's otherwise very good <S> but NOT your ideal job description, into a much more positive experience. <S> That might also factor into your considerations: do you really want to go with Company C over Company A? <S> Why?) <S> Also: if you don't get an offer in writing from Company C...start the job at company A. <S> I have had jobs offered verbally, with a start date and scope and everything...only to have them suddenly vaporize because of some unforseen internal factor. <S> Do not count on Company C's offer as firm until it's in writing. <S> Then look at all factors, and decide whether or not to take it. <A> As for the rest of it, you just burned your bridges with that employer and that employer not unreasonably may feel that you jerked them around. <S> Live with it. <S> It's not the end of the world for them, though - They'll just have to make the offer to their second best prospect.
| Repeating this mistake is not good for your career. The professional way is to let them know that you are not intending to take the position offered.
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Getting Policies Changed and Implementing Standards While Being Ignored Note: My apologies for this question being so long, but I feel it necessary to explain the situation in full detail to provide maximum understanding. There is a TL;DR summary at the end for who just want to know the basics of the question. Introduction For nearly three years (three as of July 27, 2014), I have been working as a Web Developer at a small development agency specializing in PHP-based Web sites based in the USA. During that time I have seen our workforce grow significantly from just two developers (myself included) and an owner to five devs, a project manager, a marketing manager, and an account manager for a total of ten people now. Reasoning Due to our rapid growth, I see the need for us to standardize our development practices so that our code is consistent and well-maintained no matter who writes it or what project it is written for. To that end, I want to come up with a proposal to start using the FIG Standards (mostly PSR-2) along with parts of the (PHP QA Toolchain)[ http://phpqatools.org/] . Another area that I want to see improved is our usage of Git to manage our source code which includes changing to a better host with more code collaboration features and placing any and all work under version control. Roadblock The problem with just going to the owner to discuss these changes, however, is that my opinion seems to carry no weight as my suggestions and concerns are almost always ignored. Unfortunately, there is a more senior developer in the company that has been there longer than anyone else excluding the owner (around seven years) so he always has the owner's ear for everything and therefore has the last say. Example Conflict In March of 2013, I began a push for our company to adopt Git as a standard for maintaining our source code - we had been using SVN here and there because that is all the owner knew. After about six months of pushing, I finally got our then project manager to finally entertain the idea. Another month went by before he even considered bringing it up to the owner. The senior dev caught wind of it and was vehemently opposed to using Git because he did not know it. Instead, he either wanted to continue using SVN or start using Mercurial. To resolve this issue, the pm asked us both to create an outline of the reasons and benefits for our chosen system as well as disadvantages and comparisons. We both submitted our proposals fairly quickly (within 1-2 weeks), but we had to wait another two months before he made a decision. He told the owner that we needed to switch to Git because it is industry standard and then presented him with my outline. Because the idea came from a member of management (the pm), the owner finally agreed to it. I was quite happy to hear this, so I gathered all of the notes, research, and ideas that I had been developing for the prior nine months into an implementation plan. My hopes were crushed, however, when I went to present that plan to the pm and owner. Unbeknown to me, the owner had already asked the more senior developer to come up with his own plan for implementation which I had very little feedback on. As a result, we are barely using a repository host that has very few features and costs way more money than the host that I chosen in my plan. By "barely" I mean that less than 10% of our projects and the code we write for them is version controlled. This is definitely not how I wanted to see this happen - we need to be at 100% in my opinion and anything less is a liability because of the thousands of dollars that we bid for our projects. Summary Unfortunately, the project manager, who was my best advocate, is no longer there and the new one seems to be ineffective so far at getting things changed. I am likely going to have to go straight to the owner if I want anything changed, but I am afraid that he will not listen to me. I tried to discuss my ideas with my fellow developer, but he completely brushed me off by saying that he "does not care and does not want to talk about it." How do I best bring my ideas to the table and at least get a discussion started? Should I try going through the new project manager, or try going directly to the owner? If I go directly to the owner, how I can I get him to listen to and respect my thoughts? TL;DR I want to start implementing some new policies at the development agency I work for, but my ideas are not respected and often ignored or handed to someone with more seniority for a half-assed implementation. How can I present my thoughts in a convincing-enough manner that will at least be entertained and discussed? Edit I was just thinking more about this situation as I was doing the dishes and I came up with what I believe to be the root of the problem: The owner is so afraid to lose the senior developer, so the owner listens to anything he has to say to keep him happy. The senior developer, though, is so used to doing things his own way that any change is likely seen as "why bother, it works for me" or maybe even perceived as a threat. I fear that this attitude will hinder our growth and make it harder for us to collaborate as a team. Solution I have drafted a document containing my suggestions and the rationale behind them. I am going to e-mail it to our new project manager, the senior developer, and the owner later today. I figure it is probably best to hit all three targets rather than focusing on a single individual. Hopefully someone will listen to what I have to say and open up the discussion. <Q> I am afraid that you are banging your head into the wall: the senior developer - effectively the CTO, is not listening to anything to say and the owner defers 100% to the developer. <S> You caught a break when the PM was around and could advocate for you but unfortunately, it would have been a case of the light at the end of the tunnel coming from an oncoming train. <S> Because the senior developer, if given the responsibility to implement the plan, would have set up the implementation for failure - and the only question up for debate would have been whether he did it deliberately or not. <S> The rule of "do not ascribe to malice what could just as easily be attributed to stupidity" is of no relevance because the outcome would have been the same: a good change idea doomed by poor planning and execution. <S> Further, I expect that the senior developer is busy dissing your idea to the owner, conflating poor planning and execution with poor concept. <S> I don't expect that your career will be helped by such a move. <S> And that's easily the most important part: that you get little to no credit for whatever you do. <S> I hope they pay you well for showing up to work every morning, and that they otherwise treat you well. <A> You have done just about everything right in your work to implement change in this matter. <S> You came up with an idea; you built a business case for it; you secured buy-in from a member of the management team; you patiently waited for the idea to be approved. <S> And now you're discovering how hard it is to do a good job of implementing change. <S> Rationality is rarely the driving force. <S> Instead, egos and relationships are the driving forces. <S> This is the reality in $500 projects and $500 billion projects both. <S> (Look at the US weapon project called the F-35 for example.) <S> Human systems like companies resist change; they coalesce to prevent change. <S> And now you have had first-hand experience of how these company antibodies work: they glom on to good ideas and weaken them. <S> Often the harder you push for change the more powerful and irrational the company antibodies become. <S> Your professional attempt to implement change is incredibly valuable career-building experience, even if the change did not happen effectively. <S> At this point you should decide whether it is worth your trouble to keep trying to implement this change in this company. <S> Possible choices: back off on your pressure. <S> give the change time to take hold. <S> move to another company like your project manager did. <S> keep pushing, using rationality, to promote your idea. <S> At any rate, be patient. <S> Be prepared for the long-tenure developer to say, "hey I have an idea, why don't we use a good Github server and put everything we do into it!" <S> When he says that, don't say the truth ("that was my idea!"). <S> Say, "good idea!" <A> Defining the new policies is obviously not your responsability. <S> It was good that you had the initiative to propose them, but do not take it as a personal insult that they are not followed. <S> In that aspect, an statement like "If I go directly to the owner, how I can I get him to listen to and respect my thoughts?" might be undesrstood as saying that you only feel respected if they follow your ideas. <S> That would be a very bad attitude. <S> So, first of all, take a deep breath and relax. <S> If after all, you still think your ideas have merit, go to that senior developer (who is the person who can change your boss mind) and talk to him. <S> Since he has a technical background, you can discuss your different opinions in a strictly technical plane and try to convince him of the merits of your idea (and conversely, he might be able to convince you of the merits of his ideas). <S> If you do not agree and he does not change his mind then, <S> well, you did all that was in your hand. <S> If you convince him and he goes to your boss saying "hi boss, MagentoDev has some good ideas that we should implement", then it is a good thing. <S> If you convince him and he goes to your boss saying " <S> Hi boss, I have some great ideas that we should implement" <S> then it is a good thing, too (because your ideas get to be implemented, and that is all that you want, right?)
| I don't expect you to make a dent in the way the software engineering is managed at the firm, unless you manage to convince the senior developer that your idea is his idea and unless he sees you as a partner he can rely on to make the change happen, with you receiving little to no credit for it.
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