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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, t...	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.
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 en...	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.
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 on...	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.
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...	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.
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 th...	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.
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 wh...	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.
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 ...	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 especial...
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 donu...	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 do...
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,...	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
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 extremel...	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 h...
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 e...	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.
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 c...	Put your resume up on the job boards, keep it regularly updated and let them come to you instead of you coming to them.
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 ...	As your skillset and expertise grows, you or your company should adjust your billing rate to reflect that.
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 shoul...	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.
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 sin...	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.
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 w...	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.
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 th...	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.
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...	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...
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 ...	Job hopping can be recognized only through a pattern of jobs that lasted a short period of time.
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 b...	What concerns people is not that you were a contractor or not but that you lied on your resume.
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 ...	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.
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 a...	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.
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; how...	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.
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 classmate...	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.
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? A...	Every time you make sure management is aware of your accomplishments, and the accomplishments of your team - you are playing politics.
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 co...	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...
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 pos...	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".
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 muc...	The only way to know what you are really worth is to put yourself on the job market and see what you are offered.
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 ...	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 proces...
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 gradua...	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 ...
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 wa...	The fact that she is the girlfriend of your boss don't qualify her in any way or form.
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...	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 cou...
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 t...	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).
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...	First, you need to get used to the style of communications which is customary in your company.
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...	Giving your old employers code to your new employer can only end badly.
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 b...	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 ori...
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 ...	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.
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 mig...	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.
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...	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 a...
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...	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.
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 a...	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 ...
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 fr...	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
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 qualit...	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.
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...	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 ...
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 resea...	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.
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 emplo...	I suggest simply taking note of the problems and fixing them. Another suggestion is to improve some aspects of your coding practice.
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 compa...	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.
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 an...	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 ow...
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...	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.
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 he...	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
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 d...	Make it clear to them that you quit a job on the basis of their offer.
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 th...	Since this is critical to you, I think you should directly tell them you are transgender in the interview and see how they react.
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 unles...	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.
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 ha...	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.
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 la...	Its not worth the fight, get a good reference from your employer and part ways.
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 e...	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.
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 ...	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.
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 ...	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 a...
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-ba...	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 cons...
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...	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.
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 busin...	I would consider coming up with a plan, then discussing with your current client before you accept the next one.
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 alto...	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.
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...	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.
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 situ...	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.
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...	I would stay away from mis-representing simple verifiable facts like job title, this could really blow up on you.
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 a...	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).
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 pr...	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 en...
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 ...	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.
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 an...	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 ar...
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 s...	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.
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 revis...	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 ac...
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 inconveni...	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.
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 far...	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...
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. ...	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 .
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 p...	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.
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 m...	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.
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...	You are not entitled to any specific wage other than what you agreed upon.
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 peopl...	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".
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 m...	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 professiona...
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 so...	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 ...
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 depart...	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.
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 ...	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.
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...	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.
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 allo...	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.
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...	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.
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 techn...	If relevant to the position you're applying for, mention that you have learned or are learning these skills/technologies in your resume.
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 let...	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.
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...	Code reviews are the answer.
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). Ho...	Simply state in your cover letter that you got your degree in robotics and leave it at that.
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...	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.
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...	They can ask you to cover anybody's shifts.
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 f...	That depends entirely on the organization you're dealing with each time.
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 ...	Your CV is your Bible - it is your mirror of your future and should in time be filled with true and genuine work experience.
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. Specifi...	Simply log each time you start working and stop working - get into a habit of doing it.
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...	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...
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...	Unless there is something written into your contract that guarantees you a raise, there's nothing left to be done.
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...	You could also consider hanging a sign around your neck for a day or a large lapel button that says "NOT an intern".
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 stat...	In summary, acting unilaterally to solve a problem without company approval is not beneficial to the company.
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 w...	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.
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. Introd...	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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