source stringlengths 620 29.3k | target stringlengths 12 1.24k |
|---|---|
How can I get my colleagues to stop interrupting me? I am the youngest and the least experienced member of my team of eight. Everyone else has at least six years' experience. I have been observing that, for a long time now, whenever I try making a point in my meetings or want to share something, my team members won't let me finish. I am very aware of the fact that somehow whenever I am talking - whether my points or views are relevant to the topic or not - somebody in the team cuts me off and does not let me finish. I really want to know how to politely stop them again and tell them that I was making a point and to let me finish. This keeps happening over and over again. What can I do? <Q> When you are interrupted, speak up and say "Excuse me, could I please finish what I was saying?" <S> I don't know if you're a woman, but this commonly does happen to women in the workplace (and outside of it), as described here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/soraya-chemaly/10-words-every-girl-should-learn_b_5544203.html Male or female, if you're being interrupted regularly, it's important to learn to speak up for yourself. <S> And the best way is really just to call attention to the fact that you were just interrupted, and you'd like to finish your statement/recommendation/thought. <S> Most people don't realize they are doing it until you call them out. <S> Politely, always, of course. <A> Go straight to the point, avoid long introductions. <S> Try to express your opinion in a single sentence. <S> This way you have a better chance to attract your colleagues attention. <S> After that you can explain what you mean but again keep it to the point. <S> Another thing you might want to check is your tone. <S> Record yourself - imagine <S> this is your last meeting and record what you wanted to say. <S> Then listen to it. <S> Do you sound confident? <S> Is it boring and making you sleepy? <S> If your tone is too flat you might want to work on it. <S> Restructure your speech if necessary. <S> For example, if you say "There are 3 problems we have to solve" and then state the problems briefly, it makes it easier for the others to follow what you are saying. <A> Be aware that this can sometimes be cultural. <S> The length of pause indicating an acceptable break-in point can be anywhere from zero-to-negative (in New York) to 2 seconds (in the Midwest), and folks may be completely unaware that they're doing it. <S> The rudeness of interrupting also varies. <S> Standard recommendation for Deborah Tannen's book, <S> That's Not What I Meant! , <S> which provides some insight into this kind of variation and suggestions for dealing with it. <S> And as others have said, if you're interrupted that's implicitly permission for you to interrupt back, including to say "hey, I'm not done; let me finish." <A> You don't need to figure out which one to solve the problem. <S> Back in the days of newspapers, reporters would submit a story and then editors would decide how much of it there was room for. <S> So a 12 paragraph story might run as 12, 11, 7, 4, or even 2 paragraphs. <S> Editors didn't have time to rearrange the story either, so it had to be written in a way that still made sense no matter how short it was cut. <S> You can take this approach in meetings. <S> Start with the conclusions - "I can do that", "it will take 3 weeks", "the client hasn't told me yet", "it's all on schedule" and then add details in bite size chunks, pausing occasionally to see if that's all your teammates need. <S> If they then pick up the thread of the conversation, it doesn't mean they interrupted you, it just means your turn served it's purpose <S> and now it's someone else's turn. <S> Saving your best point or conclusion for last leaves you frustrated when your turn ends before you got to make your best point or conclusion. <S> Turn that around and you won't mind so much when someone else starts talking. <A> Pick one of the 6 and ask them one on one. <S> They might not be aware they are doing it. <S> Or they might have advice on how to deal with it. <S> Or the person you ask might be willing to look out for you on this issue for a little while to help make things better. <S> Repeat as needed until you get to someone where it works.
| Do your speech again, modulate your voice, stress on the important things. Lead with the important thing, then add details, any of which can be chopped. Given that all your team-mates do this, it is likely either triggered by something you do without knowing it, or has become a cultural norm in the team.
|
Work involves tasks that require waiting - Am I obliged to juggle tasks to spend my time well? My job often involves tasks that puts me on hold - running 10 minute commands for searching, or restarting the server, or generally, any tasks that require me to run a single command then wait for it 10-20 minutes after to finish in order for me to move on with my work. Now, in this 10-20 minute idle time, would it be bad to just wait ? Meaning, I choose not to actively work while waiting, not hunting down tasks I could cram down in that 10-20 minute idle time. Sometimes, I spend that time reading up on my current task. Sometimes, just surfing the net. What's in my mind is "Yes, I'm working. There's just this background task doing that for me for a few minutes" I guess it's important to bring up that I am a contractual and am paid hourly. This might be an ethical issue so I don't expect hard answers. <Q> But to just wait all the time? <S> It could look bad to your boss, but it could also - bluntly - get boring for you. <S> On the one hand, waiting means that you will have a percentage of downtime every day, and it isn't time that can be easily allocated to other tasks because of the scattered nature of this downtime. <S> There is also the issue of managing client (co-worker/superior) expectations: if a task takes you five minutes of focussed effort, but that five minutes is broken by a fifteen-minute period waiting on the processing, you can't tell people that the task takes only five minutes or you could wind up on the road to burnout-from-overwork. <S> There's also the issue of what happens on those rare occasions when something goes wrong with a task, you come back to it, and the task has to be restarted. <S> On the other hand, if some task has an extremely low probability of failure and you don't have to watch that particular pot boiling, you can easily work on other short tasks (checking the email queues is a biggie, at least for me) while those "background" tasks are going on. <S> This lets you stay ahead of things without trying to overbalance your own plate, and it will require you to be familiar enough with each task that you can take a fairly good guess at whether or not it will require close attention and possible operator intervention. <S> The trick will be finding the balance that works for you, uses your time as efficiently and effectively as possible (ie, NOT cramming it chock full of stuff to do, because sometimes five minutes of mental downtime can boost a day's productivity more than reading an answering just two more emails) and gives the client what they expect/need. <A> You are not a Batch File <S> If someone has allotted these tasks to you with a cost, it is considered that time frame X minutes is related to the current task only. <S> If you, through multitasking, end up completing all tasks in an hour which was estimated of 3 hours, you will probably be at loss. <S> Also, let us assume you start a task, and in the waiting time you try multitasking with another job. <S> What if the command fails? <S> What if the server restart process fails? <S> It would be tough for you to manage the failed job and the new job you have started. <S> In few conditions you can work with the new tasks in the waiting time - <S> You have a lot of pending work and you are running behind schedule(provided the tasks involve low risks). <S> The waiting tasks are low-level, low priority or not inter-related. <A> The real question is, if another employee came along and did do their work in that downtime would they outperform you? <S> If so, your behavior is making you expendable. <S> The fact that you sit waiting for a machine to do your job so much of the time is emphasis to how much of your labor has been automated away. <S> You're being paid for outcome, rather than labor, which means that another person could realistically come along and offer to do twice the work in the same time/salary as you. <S> If and when your employer finds this out, it'd make sense to come up with another solution. <S> If not, then don't do anything. <S> It may be that the reason you aren't doing things on that down time are because it's impractical. <S> Maybe the sequence of actions is important. <S> Maybe the other tasks are in different physical locations. <S> Maybe the context switch of going between tasks is too much to yield a benefit. <A> Now, in this 10-20 minute idle time, would it be bad to just wait? <S> Meaning, I choose not to actively work while waiting, not hunting down tasks <S> I could cram down in that 10-20 minute idle time. <S> This is a question for your manager/supervisor. <S> You understand the "what" of the job you are performing, but not the <S> "how". <S> In some shops, it's appropriate to sit around and wait 10-20 minutes periodically. <S> In other shops you would be expected to be doing more than one thing and switching between tasks. <S> In my shop, I tend to hire fairly senior folks. <S> Here, if you had frequent idle periods of 10-20 minutes several times each day, the question would be "why aren't you finding a better way to get this task done? <S> " You would be expected to use your experience and intelligence to find ways not to be so idle. <S> In your shop, perhaps you aren't very senior and/or you are expected to do all your work serially and are just expected to wait around. <S> Your mileage may vary. <S> But nobody here can tell you what you are obliged to do - that's something only your boss can determine.
| I don't think it would necessarily be bad to just wait occasionally. So, you should concentrate on the current task only.
|
Should you preemptively explain the reason for your short employment in the cover letter? I will start applying for jobs soon, but my experience will have a recent 3 month long work in a single company (which from what I have learned, is a general bad impression). Should I preemptively explain in my cover letter the reason for having such a record? Or should I wait for them to ask? Or is it better to straight up include it in the resume that it is a contractual job? If I don't, would it hurt my chances? In other words, would some employers immediately not consider a resume which has a history of short employment times? <Q> Should I preemptively explain in my cover letter the reason for having such a record? <S> Or should I wait for them to ask? <S> Or is it better to straight up include it in the resume that it is a contractual job? <S> If I don't, would it hurt my chances? <S> In other words, would some employers immediately not consider a resume which has a history of short employment times? <S> No. <S> Your resume and cover letter are for selling yourself, highlighting your strengths, indicating your eagerness and capability to do a great job with the role you are seeking. <S> Don't include or try to explain away negative information in your cover letter or resume. <S> Save that for the interview - just be prepared with a good response if asked "Why was your last position only 3 months?" <S> It may never even come up as an issue. <A> Working a 3 month contract then leaving is very very different from hiring on full time then quitting or being fired after 3 months. <S> The former is "just business", while the latter can raise questions about your personality, fit for the position, etc. <S> As others have noted, don't make an issue of it. <S> Eventually you'll consider 3 months to be a 'rounding error' and may elect to leave it off your resume entirely. <S> If asked during an interview, you have nothing to hide - you were brought in for 3 months to work on a project. <S> You did so, & the project's finished. <S> No big deal. <A> I would leave this for the interview, and only bring it up if you are asked. <S> Try and concentrate on the positives (e.g. what you achieved and the skills you developed) during the experience, instead of drawing attention to the negatives. <A> It should be about why you're a great fit for the company and the position. <S> Being defensive in the cover letter wouldn't help you and would be off-topic anyway. <A> I agree with what others have stated. <S> I would leave it off the cover letter and instead focus on the positives. <S> If you have the right skill set they are looking for <S> it will not prevent them from responding to your application. <S> If it was contracting it shouldn't be a problem, perm jobs are a little harder to get away with but not impossible. <S> Make sure you bold and valid keywords in your resume as well to help bring out those areas to catch the interviewers eyes, this will make it easier for them to overlook your 3mo of employment :). <S> The recruiters will normally hit you up and let you know if they have questions about your employment time and if you speak with them a head of time they can also proactively counter concerns if they are brought up so make sure if you are using one they know the situation. <S> Good luck!
| Leave it off the cover letter. Just make sure you are ready to speak to it when asked.
|
Are workers in Japan expected to work overtime daily? I was considering a job offer from Japan as a senior software developer when I contacted a Japanese friend of mine (a customer service agent) who warned me of few things. He told me that in Japan people are expected to work for not less than 10-12 hours daily. Your managers expect you to stay late everyday because that's how you show your respect to the work. I'm a 9am-5pm guy. I'm very worried whether this will cause a problem for me if I accepted this offer. I don't want to look like slacker although I'm spending the required 8 hours at work. Do Japanese companies expect their worker to work for extended hours daily? Is this very common or is it just a special case?Are there any companies that value a 9-5 guy like me? How do you recognize such a company? <Q> Yes - generally , historically , male workers in Japan are expected to work very long hours. <S> Female workers, less so. <S> But your exact scenario may vary. <S> If you're considering a major move for work, you owe it to yourself to do some serious due diligence in considering the offer. <S> You really should talk to the company and your future boss about: <S> The language barrier. <S> How many foreign developers are in the office? <S> How often is English spoken? <S> The culture. <S> Go ahead and ask directly about expected working hours. <S> You can explain that you're just exploring a new situation. <S> Ask what time everyone went home last night - past data points do make great indicators. <S> Housing. <S> Will you be provided with on-campus housing? <S> Will you be expected to use it? <S> If at all possible; try to visit the office and meet your future team. <S> Ask each of them how they would get along with you. <A> Unfortunately it is generally true. <S> Me and my Korean friend (has Japanese friends - btw. <S> Korean situation is even worse) discuss this issue all the time. <S> I think that for European person this might be an issue. <S> Because this is about (as mentioned above) respect. <S> You might end up feeling really unproductive and frustrated. <S> As you would be peer pressured to stay late even though your productivity would not matter. <S> For European people this is usually very hard to accept and understand <S> as most of us would try to work-smart, be productive and go home. <S> I would discuss this matter with your potential employer as well as the other points mentioned by KatieK. <A> I think it is important detail that you are applying for a job as a senior software developer and the person warning you is a customer service agent . <S> You don't need to go as far as Japan to see cases where workplaces expect their employees to work longer than 9-5 hours. <S> However, the more senior and less replaceable you are, the less this happens. <S> I would say if a company is willing to hire you from Japan they probably badly need the services you offer, and would probably welcome you discussing it with them rather than not accepting on the basis listed above. <A> In my experience working in Japan, Europeans/Americans (ie "Gaijin") tend to not work as long depending largely on the people around them. <S> If you work in a majority-foreigner working environment then it generally isn't a big issue. <S> For example I know recruiters and English teachers in Japan that work on teams consisting almost entirely of foreigners and this doesn't become an issue. <S> On the other hand I had a Japanese colleague in Ireland for a year <S> and she generally worked until 8PM despite nearly all other staff leaving on the dot. <S> So it's not just a matter of the employer <S> , it is a cultural thing for the Japanese employees as well. <S> If you are doing good work and have in demand skills, you can put your foot down and leave on time. <S> You will likely feel guilty if all the Japanese employees do 12 hours every day but you have to do what's best for you. <S> As in every country you may face repercussions from employers who want to maximise their ROI from you, but there is an onus on you as the employee to stand up your best interests.
| Like others have said I would recommend talking to your potential employer about realistic working hours but also bear in mind the following: If you work in an office with mostly Japanese people, overtime has has become an issue for two of my foreign friends living in Japan. Summary: you have nothing to do by discussing the work arrangement with the prospective company in advance and getting the expectations of working hours in writing.
|
Job jumping has happened, how do I save face? My work history is starting to look a bit jumpy. My longest employment is less than a year and a half. I feel like I have good reason for leaving each of these jobs (see below), however it's not that obvious from my resume (first impressions). My question is, am I hurting myself in the long run? By jumping jobs I have been able to raise my salary from something criminally small (small town USA) to a competitive level in a more urban area. I ask because I have been at my current position for about 6 months and now the project manager / one of the main developers is leaving, which is OK, but I don't think they plan to get another project manager. Instead one of the owners (not technical in any way) plans to step into this role. This person, according to coworkers, is a notorious micro manager that gives customers unrealistic expectations (Read: "Sure we can get that to you in a week" but it's really something that will take a month or more). On top of this, we are already understaffed with a development team of 6. To prepare for the upcoming loss of of a senior developer the owner has all but removed flex hours, and asked that I begin working 50 hours a week. No mention of compensation for this, of course. So I'm kind of thinking of getting on a life boat instead of staying with the Titanic.... However this will just make my resume look that much more jumpy. Also because I end up jumping every year or so anyway, I'm thinking about becoming a consultant / doing temporary contract work. Would this be a solution to my problem? Here's my rough job history timeline for career related jobs (I also worked retail and waitressed in college but no one cares about that). Programming - 1 year 4 months (harassing coworker lead to bad work environment) Programming - 1 month (bad fit for my skills, didn't realize until I got there, told them it was bad fit ASAP) Programming - 11 months (company went under :( ) Programming - 1 year 4 months (poor work environment, boss lived in office... so I moved 2 hours away for my next job) College Lecturer - 1 year 4 months (was part time and had to stop to get my next job) Programming Freelance - 2 years 8 months Programming - 8 months (couldn't cash paychecks, company unstable ) The newest job is at the top, and the oldest job started about 5+ years ago. <Q> Wow, where to begin. <S> Your work history to me (with the exception of the shorter stints where you had a legitimate excuse to leave like not getting paid or not being a good fit) screams that you are the type of person to turn and run at the first sign of trouble. <S> The Project Manager leaves and your immediate instinct isn't to try out the position or deal with some crunch time, it's to run. <S> If I were a hiring manager, this would be a real red flag. <S> You can overcome this by providing examples during the interview of projects that you have followed through on and perhaps explain how you overcame some adversity. <S> On my team I want people who can overcome challenges, not run away from them the second they are presented. <S> With such a job history, how do you have any references that can speak highly of you? <A> My question is, am I hurting myself in the long run? <S> And it has nothing to do with saving face. <S> I know when I am interviewing candidates, I strongly prefer to hire folks who have shown that they aren't job hopping. <S> I like to invest a lot (salary, training, confidence, choice projects, etc) in my team. <S> That only pays off for people that are going to be around for a while. <S> I likely wouldn't hire someone who I felt wouldn't be around in 2 years. <S> Based on your list of short-term positions, I suspect I'd be reluctant to hire you. <S> Everyone who has been in the job market for a while experiences a job or two that didn't last as long as hoped. <S> It happens. <S> It's not unusual. <S> But if it happens repeatedly, you are establishing a pattern. <S> From a prospective manager's position, something is missing. <S> Perhaps there's something missing in how you choose jobs, or perhaps you intentionally hop quickly to the next job, perhaps something else is happening. <S> Either way, sooner or later potential employers might notice, and you may end up with fewer job offers than you would otherwise. <S> You get to decide if you care or not, how much you care, and what you want to do about it. <S> I'm thinking about becoming a consultant / doing temporary contract work. <S> Would this be a solution to my problem? <S> Perhaps. <S> But your professional reputation will suffer greatly, if you choose to duck out of contracts early because "project manager is leaving", "poor work environment", "bad fit for your skills", etc. <S> Perhaps you should seek only very short-term contracts. <S> It might be very hard to get a contract if you have a reputation of not completing them. <A> Well this is not "great" <S> but it's still not horrendous... <S> first, your next job you land needs to stick, or you need to consider contracting where fast switches are considered normal. <S> Remember your resume isn't meant to be your entire career history, it's a document meant to sell yourself to a potential employer. <S> Any jobs under 3 months just leave out. <S> (unless it's something insanely awesome) <S> list your best jobs, <S> likely your lecturer, Freelance, and two recent 1.4 year jobs are the best candidates, but you'll know better than me. <S> I'd probably leave out the job that didn't you <S> reliably it's way back, and pretty short, more negative than positive at a bird's eye. <S> So this leaves you four jobs to explain. <S> The job that closed is easy, you stayed to the end, it closed. <S> No one will hold that against you (unless you were a CEO or something) <S> The lecturer won't be easy... <S> you left for better opportunity which is fine, but could be seen as a negative. <S> The real challenge is those two 1.4 year jobs... From the outside perspective <S> it looks like you are easily made uncomfortable in a role due to the trend. <S> (which is a totally unfair assumption, but being honest to how it reads) this is the hurdle you must tackle. <S> You want to avoid bad mouthing your last employer, but at the same time you need to demonstrate the work environments became hostile <S> and you did your due diligence to resolve the issue unsuccessfully. <S> If I was interviewing you and you can demonstrate you did everything that could reasonably be expected of you in regards to preventing a hostile work environment than I wouldn't hold it against you... <S> but if you just say "it sucked, I left" you're not going to get far... <S> If you didn't do diligence to try and mitigate/improve the situation than really your job flipping isn't the problem... <S> I would focus on the issue with the coworker situation... <S> people understand there's not much you can do about a crappy boss. <S> I won't lie you've got an uphill battle, but it's not doomsday or anything, but the flipping has to stop unless you switch to temp or contract work <S> otherwise this is only going to get worse.
| Certainly there is the possibility that your run of short jobs will hurt you in the long run.
|
Applying for 2 different jobs in same company? I have registered with 2 recruiting companies few months before. Now I have been called from both recruiting companies for 2 different vacancies, but same Employer. For 1 vacancy my CV has shortlisted & called next week for the interview. For other still result is pending. If I have been called for both interviews on same day what I can do? Do I have to inform this to recruiting companies? Or should I remain silent till I receive 2nd vacancy notification? As I’m so confused with the situation, even I have an answer I’m afraid to take it. Therefore please advise your opinion. This the first time I’m facing this type of situation. <Q> You are going to tell both recruiters that they are targeting the same company on your behalf. <S> Right now, the situation is manageable because the vacancies are different. <S> I don't think anyone is to blame for this state of affairs. <S> You don't know who the recruiters are targeting because they are not telling you until they arrange the interview. <S> And each of the recruiters has no way of knowing what the other recruiter is up to. <S> Again, no one is to blame and don't accept any blame. <S> It's just that situations where there will be conflict will pop up occasionally, and they must be managed. <S> If the recruiters call you about the same position, go with the first recruiter to mention that position and tell the other one that you are operating on a first-come, first-served basis, and that you are wishing both well. <A> It should be obvious to any company where you apply for a job that you will be applying for other jobs as well. <S> And since you are applying for other jobs, it is obvious that you might apply for two jobs at a company that offers more than one job. <S> It happens. <S> You can't split yourself in two, so you tell the second one that you have an interview at the same time (which is actually good for you, because it shows you are at least competent enough to get two interviews). <A> If you sign a "right to represent" form with either or both recruiters which reads as follows: <S> I agree that that I will neither permit nor authorize any other staffing company or individual to submit me as a candidate for this position . <S> This Right to Represent Agreement pertains to this assignment only and does not prevent me from being submitted to other positions by other staffing agencies. <S> I understand that this agreement does not guarantee placement and is neither an offer nor a contract of employment. <S> I further acknowledge that if selected for this contract position, that I will be an employee of Recruiter A. <S> Then you are operating in a politically, ethically, and professional manner... <A> You do not need to hide the fact that you are using multiple recruiting companies. <S> When a recruiting company contacts you for a job in a company you already got a reaction, just say that. <S> I am sorry <S> but I am already in touch with that company. <S> As an additional note, I do not think the employer cares, probably all they care about is whether you are the one they want to hire or not. <A> Generally speaking, you shouldn't work with more than one recruiter in the same geographic area for the same type of job. <S> Exactly these types of situations or worse can happen. <S> Imagine recruiter A sends your resume to Company A for a job. <S> Not surprisingly, recruiter B sees the same opening and sends your resume to company A for the same job. <S> Now, if company A is even willing to talk to you after seeing your resume twice from different recruiters (they may not want to deal with the hassle), they won't care who gets paid and likely will pay the first recruiter's agency. <S> This is not fair to recruiter B who has a reasonable expectation of getting paid for a job they posted you for and you actually got. <S> In past job searches, I have had recruiters tell me they would not work with me if I was using another recruiter, for exactly this reason. <S> They don't want to the work unless they know they will get paid. <S> Seems reasonable. <A> I would try to find out if the positions are in the same department. <S> If they are not, then no worries. <S> If they are, you may want to mention this to the recruiter that calls you for the second interview. <S> ("I just wanted to be up front, but I already have an interview scheduled for _ position. <S> I am not sure if this is with the same manager that you are working with, but I thought I would let you know just in case) Recruiting companies work on the same (as recruiting competitors) and different (exclusive openings just worked on my one recruiter) all the time. <S> If you don't get called to interview on the second opening - then there is not any need to disclose.
| If both ask you to come for an interview at the same time - that's the same as applying to two different companies and they ask you for an interview at the same time.
|
How do I deal with a spat between coworkers that impacts me? So, I work at a smallish company as a full-stack web developer with several other people. The guy who has worked here the longest (" Mark ") has been here for six or eight years, and developed the initial database and system to maintain information related to advertising sales and the companies who advertise with us. Another guy has worked here for about three years (" Jim "), and was put in charge of developing a database and system to manage subscribers to our company's publications. Over time, Jim's system has kind of grown out of control and exceeded its scope. It has gotten to the point where it is partially duplicating data from Mark's system. Jim's system is the source of data for several different applications, and is growing more and more difficult to work with. It is affecting several people's ability to work on these "satellite" applications. I work on a few of these applications. At a recent meeting, it was suggested that some of these applications should rely on Mark's database rather than Jim's, despite them currently working . I agree that logically, these applications should rely on Mark's database. Unfortunately, our company has a very flat structure, where everyone works right under the president. There are no projects managers and no one has any authority to tell one another what to do. Thus, we're in a constant stalemate and it feels like tensions are rising between Mark and Jim. It doesn't help that Mark has grown to despise Jim for years because of Jim's project's encroachment on his system. Again, I agree that many of these applications which rely on Jim's system should instead rely on Mark's, but that involves a coordinated effort of several people to switch over. I spent the last two months overhauling one of the applications, and now I may have to do it all over again. While I agree with Mark in theory, he's getting kind of crazy in practice. He started secretly recording meetings so he could prove that the boss actually suggested the switch-over. He's telling me to start looking into switching over, despite him having no role power over me or the other people who would have to coordinate. He takes every opportunity to complain about Jim, and complains about even the nice things he does. Jim says hello to Mark in the mornings, and Mark ignores him and complains about it. It's getting personal and pathological. While he may be right, he's still losing it and getting emotional. All in all, we have problems and I don't know what to do. This is not good for the company or us who work here. Jim's scope creep is, without a doubt, causing problems and making life harder for everyone. Mark's reaction will, at least in the short term, create more work, more headaches, possibly cause more tension, be unnecessary, and make several months worth of work moot. Our boss, the president of the company, is essentially the manager of ~40 employees, and cannot possibly stay on top of all of this. I don't want to be in the middle of this. I'm currently working under contract, but they've extended me an offer to come aboard full-time. It's a great place to work, but you can see there are problems. So, what do I do? Do I tell the boss about the tension between my coworkers? Should I suggest different roles, so we could actually have project managers? Do I just switch over to Mark's system? Do I confront Mark and Jim and make them sort it out? I feel trapped in a big pissing match. Thank you for any advice you can give me. <Q> Your company is wasting money. <S> Secondly, discuss your position with the owner. <S> With over forty people in the company, a flat organization will not work. <S> He needs to elect a director or two in general, and certainly an IT Director is required. <S> His first job (it may be you doing it) is to move forward on a consolidated system. <S> Quickly develop a new system to accommodate the needs of the user, not the ego of the developers; you may need to use outside resource to do this. <S> You should also recommend to the owner that a review is done on the two developers - because after the system is built, only one developer (if that) will be needed. <S> From your notes, I can see which one I'd pick (clue; who do the users work best with?) <S> The problem, in essence, is not one of a computer system. <S> It's a problem of the owner abdicating all responsibility for his employees. <S> THAT'S the issue which needs to be addressed, because otherwise it will be a festering pustule in the company for a long time to come. <A> All in all, we have problems and I don't know what to do. <S> I don't want to be in the middle of this. <S> I'm currently working under contract, but they've extended me an offer to come aboard full-time. <S> It's a great place to work, but you can see there are problems. <S> So, what do I do? <S> Your basic choices are - come aboard full-time, or reject their offer and move on to a more under-control company. <S> Nobody can actually tell you what you should do in that regard - that is solely a choice you must make on your own. <S> If you do choose to stick around, you should do whatever your boss tells you to do. <S> That means ignore the Mark/Jim drama. <S> You are not in charge here. <S> You don't supervise Mark. <S> You don't supervise Jim. <S> From your description, it sounds like your boss (the president) needs to do a better job of supervision, or delegate it. <S> You said that you don't want to be in the middle of this. <S> So don't. <S> There is absolutely no need to make this your problem - just do your job and let your boss do his. <S> Or decide that your boss is hopeless and move on to a company that knows how to manage such a team. <A> I faced an almost identical situation years earlier. <S> I worked, as a contractor, at a company with two other developers. <S> One was a young kid, absolutely brilliant, but with the political skills of a dead carp. <S> The other was a little older than I, very politically astute, but with the coding skills of a dead carp. <S> Needless to say, their architectures were of opposing views: <S> Innovative vs. anachronistic. <S> All of us reported directly to the President. <S> In the end, it fell apart, as the young kid <S> and I worked on newer approaches that worked well, while we were politically sabotaged by the other. <S> The company ended up having to rebuild their development department from scratch. <S> It was expensive, but they survived. <S> Also, the secret recording is an issue. <S> If you are in the US, it varies from state to state whether that is legal or not. <S> I'd be very surprised if your president didn't fire Mark if that were discovered. <S> TL;DR <S> Your president needs to pick a leader, and back him, or he will end up with a dead carp. <S> [Edit]It seems I was less than clear. <S> My apologies. <S> You need to tell your president to pick a leader. <S> You can't fix it. <S> You don't have the authority. <S> He can. <S> You need to tell him (president) to fix it. <S> Both approaches are valid (isolating concerns versus all-encompassing database). <S> What you have now is what I refer to as the "Competing authority anti-pattern." <S> (If someone knows the "real" name for this, I'd like to know.) <S> Two systems hold the same information, but neither is guaranteed to be current because they are being maintained separately. <S> However, I would shy away from backing Mark, as it seems he's on a self-destructive path. <S> At least he was smart enough to know the law on recording conversations, though.
| Ignore the two developers, and talk to the company stakeholders - the people who actually USE these two systems, and find out what is important to them. Firstly, refuse to come on board permanently until this particular issue is handled.
|
How to react to a co-worker who tries to be funny, but isn't? We have a new guy at our office who several times a day makes a funny remark or joke. Unfortunately his jokes are about as funny as small talk is interesting and I am not sure how I should react. I surely don't want to encourage him to go on with his jokes so I wouldn't want to pretend being amused. However, ignoring him or even telling him to stop would be very rude. From the reactions of my other co-workers I can tell that they feel much the same way but with everyone ignoring his jokes he only tries harder. I am of course aware that his joking is mostly due to being the new guy. It is really obvious (to me) that he is trying hard to be well-liked. But that doesn't go very well. The jokes make me feel uneasy around him, which creates a distracting environment that interferes with work and creates tension between him and others. I need a respectful but firm way to speak to him and ask him to change his behavior without alienating him. <Q> Is there anything worse than being taken aside for A TALK by someone who has been saving up their grimaces and objections for days or weeks? <S> With a speech about how, without exception, all your jokes fall flat and ruin the atmosphere in the group room? <S> I never think this is the right way to go. <S> Instead, I encourage you to put some time into some on-the-spot rejoinders that are polite and unequivocal. <S> This is reasonably difficult, so work on it. <S> Some examples from the top of my head that you will need to improve on: what? <S> sorry [name], but that's not funny. <S> [on repeating or escalating a joke that was ignored.] <S> I heard you, I just didn't laugh. <S> no offense, <S> but I'm trying to concentrate on something here. <S> can you save that sort of thing for another time? <S> It's just distracting me. <S> I bet this feels kind of mean. <S> So at the same time, try to really ramp up the positive feedback you give him on other things. <S> When you ask him to do something for you (test a fix, for example) say please. <S> After he's done it, say thanks. <S> If he gives you a phone message or tells you about a meeting, look as pleased and happy as you can while thanking him. <S> He may find a level of joking that you can live with. <S> He may stop trying to tell jokes. <S> He may get better at jokes. <S> He may tell you that your jokes don't work either. <S> You may end up having a long private conversation about humor in the workplace and "lightening up" vs being able to focus on hard things. <S> But don't start with that. <S> Start with shooting down the distracting thing instead of ignoring it or pretending you like it. <A> I think you identified the crux of the matter in your statement: "... <S> his joking is mostly due to being the new guy. <S> It is really obvious (to me) that he is trying hard to be well-liked..." <S> So, how about you take him to lunch -- if that's not an odd thing to do in your workplace -- and at lunch ask him how things are going on the job, etc, and after you've listened to him, ask if you could offer a tip for him. <S> Odds are he'll accept, and you can tell him that it seems to you that he is trying a little too hard to fit in, and it's coming across as strained. <S> I think if you identify the issue and help him to find a better approach, you won't have to say, "Oh, and you're not funny," which really isn't the main issue. <A> Find a quiet time to talk with him individually. <S> Explain how his jokes make you feel. <S> Ask him to please stop, at least around you. <S> Conversation should almost always be the first step in resolving issues like this.
| I need a respectful but firm way to speak to him and ask him to change his behavior without alienating him. Give him a tip for fitting in -- think about what might be most appreciated/good in the eyes of his coworkers -- and basically be helpful to him. If he tries to make small talk like asking about your weekend, join in and participate for a few sentences to help him feel accepted and to have a connection to you. And hold your ground on the "jokes".
|
Should references in a resume be upfront, or upon request? I've read several posts here about advising NOT to put references in resume, but when I see "Furnished Upon Request" or "Available upon request", it gives my sixth sense a queasy feeling. If I was on the hiring end, I would like to see references right then and there instead of making me go through the extra step of looking for them. Am I correct in my thinking? Perhaps there is something else I should say next to "References" section. <Q> When I've been on the hiring end, I ignore "references furnished upon request" as it is unnecessary. <S> If references are needed, I would ask the candidate to provide the list of references, whether they mentioned "available on request" or not. <S> If references are not needed, then there is no need to mention them at all. <S> and I am fairly deep into their hiring pipeline. <S> I have also been at in person interviews where the hiring manager requested to see my references, glanced at the reference sheet, then promptly handed it back, as it was more of a "Does this candidate have references" check box on their evaluation sheet than anything else. <A> I have never put references on a resume, or even "references available upon request." <S> Most people will look at your resume for your experience, and the references (if needed) will be asked for later. <S> This also allows you the time if your references are requested to give those references a heads up and let them know that a phone call will be coming (as a courtesy). <A> The reason I don't put references directly on a resume is because if that resume gets put into a company's HR database (which they all do) and gets resurrected in, say, two years, the company won't run into any of these scenarios: some of your references' contact info may have changed you may have some different references (more recent) ... <S> or you'd just like to let your references know that someone from Acme Widget Company may be contacting them in the next month <S> I also will not list any references on my resume, and often not in my cover letter either. <S> If a company is interested in pursuing something further, they can reach out to me to get references - which is also an excellent way for them to confirm my current availability/interest. <A> You are obviously not at the hiring end. <S> If you were at the hiring end, you would know that for many people, it would be very bad if their reference got contacted unless they already had a job offer. <S> My current boss would probably be my first reference for my next job - if someone called him today and asked for a reference for me, that wouldn't be exactly good for my position in the company. <S> I know that, and any employer knows that, so nobody will name references in their CV or expect references in their CV. <S> If you think I should supply references in my CV, that gives my sixth sense a queasy feeling, so your company isn't going to pass my side of the interview.
| I would never include the contact information for my references in a resume because resumes tend to get sent all over the place and I would not want my references to be contacted unless it is by a specific company
|
How does one tactfully express concern over a team member's capabilities? I'm a developer and the person I'm describing has been with us for over a year as part of the Quality Assurance team. They've been trained up by a true veteran of QA and while they aren't exactly the most software literate, they're capable of producing decent test plans and thoroughly testing pieces of functionality if they're given sufficient explanation as to what it is and what it needs to do. However, this requires quite a degree of hand holding; explaining some relatively simple shell commands*, database queries used to validate results**, and the general meaning of certain stack traces that really shouldn't be brought to development's attention as something urgent. This sort of situation has been going on for a while; it did slow down while they were being trained and mentored by the veteran QA member, but since they announced their resignation, the person in question has needed more hand holding. This afternoon I was helping them with a typical RESTful request, with query parameters attached. I explained to them that the resource needed to be written in a specific way and that it required two specific query parameters. They seemed confused at the notion of query parameters even though they had been testing our RESTful application for about seven months. I'd like to raise my concerns with my manager. I'm not known for being blunt or confrontational, I'm normally a peaceable developer who looks to help the team out when they need it. However, I feel that this issue does need to be brought to their attention. I'm not sure how to go about it tactfully. In communicating this concern to my manager, what should I seek to avoid saying, in addition to expressing my concerns? I don't want to sound panicked in an already panicked situation (the testing needs to be wrapped up in a relatively short time frame). *: The person in question has been using these commands most the entire time they've been here, and they involve things like tailing logs, listing the contents of a directory, and changing directories. **: These were queries that they requested that development author, which seems strange all unto itself. <Q> I suggest that you focus on what you are trying to achieve here: your goal presumably is not simply to tactfully express concern, but you are trying to express concern for a wider purpose. <S> What is that purpose? <S> Are you trying to get better training <S> /mentoring for this person? <S> Are you trying to get them to not do certain things that they keep doing? <S> Are you trying to improve communication? <S> In summary, I would avoid saying things that summarise as "I am concerned"; I would avoid talking about characteristics of the person; instead focus on specific technical/communication problems that need to be solved. <A> I would say this is partly dependent on how much the 'hand-holding' is affecting your work and that of others in the office. <S> It is also worth considering what it is about this person's work that they are finding difficult - for example <S> is it the concept of query parameters that they find confusing or perhaps just the terminology that you are using. <S> Personally I would reccommend first discussing this more with the trainee if possible before going to the manager. <S> Next time you have to explain something you can pause periodically and check that they are still following you or <S> you could just generally ask them in as friendly way as possible how they are finding the work. <A> You said yourself that the QA team is capable of doing a thorough job if they gain a sufficient understanding of what your software does. <S> Anyone who tests something needs to understand at a fairly detailed level <S> how it works even if they themselves aren't developers. <S> This requires a certain level of interaction. <S> The amount of interaction is what is causing you concern, right? <S> You have to be careful about making assumptions about what you think the tester should know. <S> For example, you mentioned that the meaning of a certain "stack trace" should not be brought to the attention of developers as something urgent. <S> Well, how would a tester KNOW <S> if one stack trace is a real problem and another one is not? <S> You simply have to explain this and take it seriously every time. <S> You also mentioned problems with shell commands for listing/changing directories. <S> I find it hard to believe that the tester can't perform these. <S> Perhaps their questions are not really about the form of those commands, but more about WHAT they are looking for. <S> Developers often get caught up in answering each question to them literally without being mindful about what the asker is getting at. <S> Maybe questions about changing directories are really questions about the file structure of your application? <S> That said, it might be that this person really can't do their job. <S> On the other hand, it is far more likely that this is fallout from having just experienced the removal of a senior lead. <S> You should expect to have to interact more with this department as a result. <S> Depending on the complexity of the application, you may need to specifically allocate more time for this. <S> That's normal and if I were in your shoes that's what I would indicate to my manager.
| If you focus on what you are trying to achieve, and try and be constructive about it (i.e. don't just bring your boss a problem, try and bring suggestions too), this is probably a good way to approach your boss.
|
Should I attend a job fair even if I'm not currently looking for a new job? I was recently sent an invitation to a local job fair. I am always interested to find out what companies are out there and what they are doing, so I am tempted to sign up for it. My thought is that it is good to get a sense of who I might want to work for in the future even though I am happy in my current position, and that it might be good time to network. However, I'm wondering: if I don't take any résumés, will it actually do me any good in networking? But what if I do take résumés and give them out but afterwards just have to decline a bunch of interviews; how can that be good for networking? Will I just confuse companies if I attend but am not looking for a new job? How can I make it clear that I am there to network, not to find a job at this time? Is this kind of thing even done, or is this totally a bogus reason to go to a job fair? <Q> Here are a few reasons you should consider to attend. <S> You are right on the future skills. <S> It is good to be proactive as there are always changes in the market. <S> Going there you might get to know what skills people are looking for. <S> Through this you could shone your existing skills or plan for gaining new skills. <S> You would meet new people. <S> Get some contacts, exchange ideas,market yourself. <S> That could lead you to a better position or may be even a dream job. <S> This would also motivate you to have an updated resume :). <S> Many would forget where the document went. <S> Notify your friend or refer him later if you are not interested. <S> It is nice to give:) <S> Get some goodies ;) <A> Yes, it's still good. <S> Networking is a very important part of building your future career, so this kind of events can be a good place to go even if you like your current position. <S> And who knows, maybe you will find a open position you'd love to apply to :) <A> In most career paths these days networking is your single greatest ally. <S> A job fair is an excellent place to network even if you aren't looking. <S> You can introduce yourself to various potential employers, learn the movers and shakers in your area as well as get your name into their minds. <S> Strike up a few conversations, learn about different people, ideas, the good and bad happening in your respective industry going on right now, hiring trends, etc. <S> Doing research of what people are hiring for is all well and good, but an even better source is the people who are actually hiring. <S> (what's better? <S> A blog saying now is the time to learn X or someone saying "if you know any who knows X we're really struggling to find qualified people") <S> Knowing people also can serve you in unexpected ways. <S> I've made connections that resulted in getting sniped from my job to a MUCH better position, I've also recommended and hired people that I met networking. <A> Yes! <S> See what is going on. <S> See who is doing what. <S> Meet new people in your industry. <S> Relationships always have value - but the value may be in the future. <S> People that you find interesting - be sure to follow up with them later. <S> Linkedin Invitation - with follow up notes from time to time. <S> There is not really any value with meeting new people - if you are not going to get to know them more so that they move into your 'real' network.
| You might see what others companies are up to, meet new people and make contacts you may need for your career in the future.
|
How to be successful under a very very hot tempered & impatient boss? I am incharge of a regional office and trying to set up a production unit for garments. I need more staff under me to carry out & maintain the office & production tasks. My boss is a very impatient and short tempered person. He is the direct owner of the organization and I report to him. I keep employing new candidates. Every one of them take time to get oriented to the new environment before starting to give an effective contribution to take some work load off me.. But my boss gets very impatient and irritated with them. He expects the new comers to work efficiently from the first day, asks them to report to him every one hour. He speaks very fast and most of the time the newcomers don't get to understand him properly.. And when his temper goes up (which is most of the time), he does not care who is around and shouts at me (or anybody for that matter, whoever upset him). This scares the new comers more. They leave the job as quickly as they join. He blames me that no one is sticking around. I am currently working for 15-16hrs a day, 7days a week and am still unable to satisfy this person (my boss) as I am doing the work of 5persons at a time. I am not getting enough support from new staff as they are never lasting for more than a month at the most.Please can someone guide me how to create an effective team?? (I have tried that the new joiners report to me and me in turn to my boss, but he never likes that as he says it delays the process and subsequently he calls them directly and gives instructions.) <Q> First off I am currently working for 15-16hrs a day, 7 days a week <S> That is just insane! <S> Stop doing that immediately. <S> No salary and no job in the world are worth doing that. <S> I think your problem is not so much your boss but that you don't seem to distinguish between you, your boss and your company. <S> What do you mean when you say "successful"? <S> Do you want your company to be successful? <S> Do you want to please you boss? <S> Or do you want to be successful? <S> You are not your company and your company's problems aren't yours. <S> Ask yourself what's best for you <S> and your career <S> and then go with that. <A> Am not getting enough support from new staff as they are never lasting for more than a month at the most... <S> Pls can someone guide me how to create an effective team?? <S> Then you should get your boss directly involved in the interviewing/hiring process. <S> That way he can help choose candidates who won't leave when his hot temper appears. <A> To be honest, and I appreciate this is difficult, but the people who are leaving are doing the right thing and you should probably do the same thing if you cannot get this person to change. <S> People who are staying with this guy, including you, are teaching him that being bad tempered with employees all the time is ok. <S> And it's not. <S> It's not the right way to treat other people and it's bad for the business too. <S> If you are not doing so already, as the manager of the new staff you need to tell him (not allow it to turn into a 'discussion') <S> that the reason people are leaving is because of his temper, and that he needs to respect you as a manager by going through you to speak to your staff and respect whoever he is speaking to by not raging at them over the slightest little thing or else <S> you will leave. <S> And I would also (regardless of whether the reason for this is your boss or something you've just done yourself) start working more sensible hours. <S> Quite aside from the impact on your life, it is again better for the business for its people to be well rested and have a break from the environment instead of being burnt out due to too much stress or overwork. <S> And then once you have told your boss all of this you need to stick to your guns even if that means you end up leaving. <S> Whether things improve and you stay or things stay as they are <S> and you leave <S> then you will feel better for it, and I suspect the business itself will do better too.
| You should talk to your boss (when he is calm) and explain your difficulties in pulling together a good team.
|
Told that I qualify for a promotion, but have to wait until January for promotion schedule I had a meeting with my supervisor that I am on a "list" for January promotions. I meet all the qualifications, and do my work as if I already have this title. Other people I work with are sometimes surprised to learn that I do not yet hold that senior title. I don't mind waiting 5 months for a title. It's just a title. The pay and RSUs, however, I'd rather not wait for. I have a few interviews lined up in the next few weeks for this senior position at other companies. I want to tell my supervisor, "I don't mind waiting around for HR's promotion schedule, but it's silly to be underpaid now for the work I do." but I'm not sure the best way to ask. If they can't give me the pay raise now, I should have competing offers on the table within a few weeks. Is this a shortsighted approach? Are there any specific things I can say to my supervisor to convince him to give me this pay raise now even if HR doesn't want titles to be conferred until January? <Q> Is this a shortsighted approach? <S> It does seem rather shortsighted to me. <S> You were told that you qualify for a promotion in January, and you turned that into an expectation that you should get a raise now. <S> I'm not sure why you expected that. <S> (It's also not clear what "qualify for a promotion" or "qualify for the promotion now" means in this context. <S> Perhaps you have a union contract that specifies when you reach certain milestones you must be promoted immediately. <S> Barring such a contract, it would be unusual for there to be some formal definition of "qualify" followed by an immediate promotion and raise. <S> Perhaps in your company it's different, in which case you could talk to HR.) <S> From the phrasing in your question, it sounds like the norm for promotions at your company is "January", so it isn't like you are being singled out as far as I can tell. <S> Would you have felt better about the company if you were told about "the list" until January? <S> Are there any specific things I can say to my supervisor to convince him to give me this pay raise now even if HR doesn't want titles to be conferred until January? <S> Perhaps your threat of "should have competing offers on the table within a few weeks" would do the trick. <S> If, however, your supervisor is just following standard company policy, that might not work. <S> Everyone gets to decide what sufficiently upsets them such that they want to leave. <S> In this case, based solely on what you have said, it appears to me that you are being shortsighted. <S> Presumably there are other things you like about the company, since you have remained there until now. <A> A promise is not a guarantee. <S> Things change. <S> If you take the interviews and get an offer you could always take it to your current employer. <S> Be open and honest. <S> If you are as valuable to them as you seem they will be silly to not match at least the pay, if not the title immediately. <A> I would ask your supervisor if there is any way that you can get an increase in pay before you get the promotion, even if it's not the full amount. <S> Don't expect him to say yes, especially since it might be out of his control. <S> If you can't get the pay raise now, then you need to ask yourself if you are willing to leave the company because of it. <S> Yes, you can get an offer from another company to bring to your supervisor and hopefully get a counteroffer. <S> However, don't do this unless you are actually willing to leave if he says no. <S> If he turns you down and you stick around anyway, you'll damage your relationship and be viewed as if you are ready to leave at any moment. <S> So think about how much this 5 months of pay increase is worth to you. <S> If not getting it is a deal-breaker, then definitely look for other offers. <S> If you don't actually plan to leave and just want a bargaining chip - don't risk it. <S> Five months is not a long time to wait in the long run.
| My advice would be to stick around, work hard, and get your promotion and raise in January. I would not wait, especially if you have a competitive offer and are willing to join another company.
|
Intern - how to deal with situation when my current project is on hold and I do not have more tasks to do in software industry? I'm currently a software development intern, and I've been in this company for almost 2 years. I really enjoy the office atmosphere here. My supervisor gives me a lot of space and freedom in terms of making implementation decisions, and I really appreciate this freedom he gives me because it helps me grow tremendously. However due to some upper project management issue, quite often new projects that are in the middle of development gets interrupted and put on hold by the project management team. Since most projects my supervisor assigns me are these new projects, my work is often interrupted and left with nothing to do at the moment. My supervisor understands my struggles, but he couldn't do much about it since he's not part of the project management team. When this happens, I usually go to my supervisor directly and ask for other tasks to work on. However, lately it's become a problem for him because he couldn't seem to find more tasks for me to do. And on the hand, I do not want to bother my supervisor too much since he's really busy with his own work. I've asked around my family and friends for suggestions, and they all say I should just not worry about it. Personally I feel really "guilty" to just come in and sit there with nothing to do. So my question boils down to this: How do I deal with the situation when you are out of tasks for a period of time? If I'm not phrasing my question correctly or it needs more clarification, please let me know. I appreciate your help and input. Thanks! <Q> I know you already have asked and don't want to bother him too much, but from my experience people don't mind a short disturbance like this (especially when you are just trying to be more helpful). <S> You can also ask if there is anything you can do to give her/him a hand. <S> Invent work <S> When I have gotten confirmation from my boss that there is nothing to be done, I go looking for some way to be helpful. <S> I have written up documentation on what I have learned to help future interns, automated systems which use to be manual, etc. <S> The best thing about this is you get to pick something that you find interesting, learn a bunch and if you finish you can even get bonus credit (which could be a better evaluation or reference). <S> Learn something <S> If all else fails, pick a topic which will be both good for you to know and potentially good for the company. <S> By doing so, you get to learn something new <S> and maybe when you can get back to work <S> you will be more productive. <S> Final note, even when I have no work, I try and stay away from Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, etc. <S> because it's too easy to pick it up as a bad habit at work. <A> Go to your supervisor again and ask your real question, which is: What should I do when there is no task currently assigned? <S> Before you do, however, note that you have a chance to influence your outcome . <S> For example, if there are some technologies you'd like to learn more about, you can go to your manager and say I've noticed there are fairly regular periods of downtime lately, as you know. <S> I was thinking of using this time to work on learning (some technology). <S> Would that be all right? <S> Not only will this allow you to adjust the work environment to your liking, but it also shows that you are taking your career development seriously (or whatever other task you want to fill the time with). <A> How do I deal with the situation when you are out of tasks for a period of time? <S> You talk with your supervisor again. <S> This time, instead of asking for a task to work on, say "What would you like me to do in the future when I find myself with no tasks to work on?" <S> That way, you'll learn how to handle the situation on your own, instead of interrupting him each time. <A> 2 years is quite long, given your dissatisfaction with the company. <S> If you don't mind, can you tell us if this is a paid internship ? <S> If its unpaid, then you might have to consider leaving this company for another one. <S> I have some suggestions for you: 1) <S> Ask your boss for more work or if any teammate needs help. <S> 2) Try to learn something new that could be of value to you and/or your company. <S> Ask your company if they provide access to anykind of training, coaching, online libraries etc. <S> 3) Don't finish your work too quickly. <S> If you do this too often, then they might think that the position is not needed if its a paid one. <S> 4) quite often new projects that are in the middle of development gets interrupted and put on hold by the project management team. <S> This is a huge red flag about mismanagement. <S> Often, projects are not cheap $10 movies that you can pause and restart anytime you like . <S> So, if your company cannot even manage projects properly most of the time, then your career and future is at stake. <S> What is going to prevent them from ending your projects prematurely and maybe laying you off when you least expect it ? <S> Only because of this reason, I suggest that you quit this company. <S> 2 years in this kind of position is too long, especially if you are working for no or little pay. <S> As an aside, don't really feel guilty because they don't have much work for you. <S> There are times when I had to put in a couple of extra hours <S> and I did not even ask for overtime pay because I had some slack earlier. <S> So, it gets evened out more or less. <S> If the guilt is too strong, then get another job and quit.
| This has happened to me on a couple of my past internships this is what I have done: Ask your boss Be aware of the job roles they hire for and try to learn some skills for those roles.
|
How to handle co-worker's leg shaking? A recently hired co-worker has the habit of almost constantly shaking their legs. My desk is located rather close to said co-worker, and the almost constant vibration is wearing on me. I have tried to separate my desk to minimize the effect, but to no avail. I am considering politely pointing out that the leg shaking is annoying to me (and I suspect others). Suggestions? <Q> I recently moved my seat to an area of raised flooring and experienced similar problems. <S> I politely informed my co-worker of the leg bouncing and he tries to keep it under control. <S> That's definitely the first step to take. <S> However, the bouncing is likely somewhat habitual/involuntary. <S> What I ended up doing is buying a Mario-themed bobble-head doll and putting it up between our desks. <S> I explained to him that "I have a tendency to tap my foot to music I listen to, and this will hopefully help me notice and keep from bothering you." <S> That way I was calling attention to it while putting the onus on me rather than him. <S> Now we both use it to inform us when the bouncing is out of control, and it is a bit of an inside joke:) <A> Your coworker might have restless legs syndrome . <S> Although for many people the leg-shaking is simply an annoying habit or a treatable condition (such as ADHD), for others it may make as much sense to ask them to stop as it does to ask a snorer to stop snoring. <S> If simply asking him to stop doesn't work, or only works temporarily, or he says he actually has a medical condition, then I would inquire about putting up some ornament or piece of furniture so the sight of it doesn't distract you, and dealing with the noise as you'd deal with any other noise issue in the office (usually headphones, but maybe you can get yourself moved). <A> I used to share a small room with two other coworkers, one of which had this annoying habit of repeatedly shaking his leg up and down (even while not listening to music), to the point where the noise was really irritating and distracting. <S> My solution was to simply politely ask my coworker to refrain from doing this . <S> After I informed him of this, he would stop shaking his leg so much, but still occasionally did it anyways <S> (it must have been habitual, after all). <S> So when it continued, I simply tried to do my best to ignore it <S> (sometimes my work was so interesting and engrossing that this was easy). <S> If you work in a larger office, or otherwise have the option of moving to another location <S> that's far enough away that you won't be distracted by your coworker <S> , I would consider that an option. <S> I could see that some people might suggest escalating the issue to a supervisor if your coworker won't listen when you inform him that the leg shaking is distracting. <S> It's definitely an option, but it's only one that I would take as a last resort. <S> I would much prefer to just find another location in the office to work, personally. <A> I have pinched nerves and other damage to my lower back. <S> I generally use a wheelchair. <S> My leg shacking is a result of these injuries. <S> I wish I could control it. <S> I can hold my legs in place with a LOT of effort, but it is VERY painful. <S> In fact, I get charlie horse from the effort and will break out into sweat. <S> People often ask me to stop and even get mad at me when I do not. <S> I have had bobble heads put on my desk, and complaints to HR. <S> Please understand for some people there is a medical condition that causes it. <S> Trust me the majority of us do not want to be a bother to the rest of you that do not have such issues. <A> I have restless leg syndrome <S> and I am a habitual leg shaker, although I don't absolutely know the two are connected. <S> I think of RLS more in terms of how I find it hard to sit still in confined paces, or when I'm tired, and it's hard to control. <S> What I do at a desk is in my control, but often starts subconsciously. <S> Some offices make this effect more obvious than others: wooden floors carry it better than concrete if we use desks with monitor arms, the monitors are supported less stably and are more likely to amplify vibrations <S> Some co-workers are more sensitive to it than others. <S> I will always stop at least temporarily when asked, but it's certainly not uncommon for a sensitive co-worker to have to ask a few times over the course of a day. <S> I don't ever do it deliberately around a sensitive co-worker, but ... <S> it's rarely something I consciously start anyway. <S> Not putting my desk near a sensitive co-worker is probably a good start, if that's possible. <S> I'd be curious to try vibration damping pads under the desk legs. <S> Under my legs too, if they'd work under a task chair. <S> In essence -- in my experience there hasn't been a great solution. <S> I'd love it if someone were to find one. <A> I was shaking my leg like i do on occasion at workand was shaking the table and didnt realise. <S> A co-workersaid hey mate could u stop shaking and i did, no offence takenat all on several different occasions. <S> So moral is just ask,even have a laugh about it, dosnt have to be a serious thing.
| Other times, when I simply couldn't focus, I would politely point out to my coworker that he was shaking his leg again, at which point he would stop again (at least for a few hours, or the day). Finding ways to have very stable desks with shock absorption would be great, although I haven't seen products that do this well that I'd recommend. Asking is certain a totally reasonable and sensible approach, but whether you will be able to get relief on this path without feeling like you have to ask constantly is a question that only you will be able to answer.
|
Should I include Cover Letter if not asked I am applying for a job, but they don't ask for Cover Letter. Should I include a cover letter anyway. If I was on the hiring end, I would look straight at the applicant's resume, and if I am interested, invite them for interview. <Q> I use the resume as a general purpose document. <S> I customize the cover letter to specifically state in what ways <S> my work experience and skills set fit the prospective employer's requirements. <S> The alternative to writing a good cover letter would be for me to create a different resume for each position I am applying for, and I am not about to drive myself crazy doing that. <S> You can send your resume as-is without a cover letter <S> but if I were the recipient, I'd throw your resume in the trash. <S> I'd figure that if you won't take the time to make the argument as to why you are a good candidate, I don't have to make the time to read your resume either. <S> I am not about to squint through your resume and make for you your argument as to why we should see you for an interview. <A> I am applying for a job, but they don't ask for Cover Letter. <S> Should I include a cover letter anyway. <S> A cover letter lets you expand on your fit for the position. <S> It's less structured than a resume, and allows you to highlight specific areas that make you a great candidate for that specific job, in that specific company. <S> It makes sense to put some extra effort into your attempt to land a good job. <S> Write a cover letter specifically for each individual application. <S> Include it whenever you can. <A> A good resume is like seeing that a smartphone has a 4GHz processor and 8GB of RAM. <S> A good cover is letter is like seeing the first cell phone or smartphone...seeing those pieces in action to spark a narrative in your head that can excite you about concrete possibilities. <S> It's good to have the second ready to follow up if not to lead in. <S> More formally... <S> Transition Cases: Converting "Resume and Cover Letter" to "Resume" = <S> when closing thumb and forefinger to grip paper, do not catch front page between fingers. <S> Converting "Resume" to "Resume and Cover Letter" = <S> look up contact info, contact person, express what you want, wait some time, return to communication medium, download item, open item. <S> Option #1 puts them in an easy position to correct to the state they want. <A> No, don't provide a boilerplate cover letter unless there is something you truly need to share. <S> As of 2018, more and more recruiters are making the cover letter optional and in my opinion they recognize that in some cases it's just a noise, making life just a bit harder for both the candidate and for the recruiter. <S> Nowadays these positions that explicitly require cover letters have an obligatory field in their online application form; these where it's optional have an optional field. <S> No field? <S> Assume they probably don't need a (boilerplate) cover letter. <S> If you need to share thoughts that are specific to your fit for that job/company, I am sure every recruiter will be happy to read your letter.
| Unless you are applying through a forms-based website that prevents attaching a cover letter, or unless the job posting specifically mentions "no cover letters", then Yes - include a cover letter anyway . Not all positions are special snowflakes, a good part of openings can be sufficiently covered by a well-written generic resume.
|
Patent after leaving a job During my postdoc I work at a large company. This year I came up with an algorithm, and they wanted to patent it. Europe doesn't allow software patents, so they made one of these "it's a hardware device that [insert software patent here]" patents, which is essentially a software patent that they've tried to sneak by the examiners. After it was submitted, I found a publication from before the patent was submitted, which describes a highly similar algorithm and should invalidate the patent (as "obvious"). When I told my employer (even though I get a bonus and a percent of revenue from products using the patent, I wanted to be ethical, and not to put my pride above being a good employee), they said that they didn't care, and that getting a patent awarded was the most important thing, even if it wasn't enforceable, because it would still make competitors afraid to working in that area. But I was surprised when they also said that they would try to use an invalid patent as leverage for little start ups and academics to work exclusively with us and not with any competitors. When I asked who would continue that line of research if I was ever fired or left the job to move back home, they said they didn't care as long as it wasn't used by competitors. I see where they're coming from, but unfortunately, no one else at the company is remotely knowledgeable in the area. First question: Is it good for me / good for the world to withdraw the patent? Should I just add it to my C.V., take the bonus and not worry that it was a (sort of) waste of money for my employer / bad for the world? There may be a chance that I can convince my employer to withdraw the patent, and if I am given this choice, my choice would be to withdraw it. But I would like to hear if you think I am being naive. After all, it is acknowledged by patent experts that we've employed that the patent wouldn't hold up under litigation (there are a couple of reasons it's invalid: it is a "dressed-up" software patent and not an actual "device", prior art/obviousness); so if it isn't withdrawn, I could still list it on my C.V. and receive the bonuses without worrying that it would inhibit my ability to continue my academic research if I were to leave my job. I realize how absurd this is, but I can't help but wonder if I am naive to try to avoid working within the broken patent system. Second question: Do I have (ethical) options to withdraw it / remove my name from it? The European patent examiner left an email address where he/she could be reached if we become aware of any additional prior art. To the best of your knowledge, am I allowed to write to the patent examiner from home to confidentially disclose this prior art? On one hand, my intuition says that I should be allowed to email the examiner myself because the patent has my name on it and I am disclosing nothing confidential; however, I worry that this may be unethical / that I could get into trouble from this. And to be fair, the examiner emailed me (through the submitting attorney) to ask questions regarding prior art, questions that led me to find the invalidating prior research. After finding prior art, I immediately showed the lawyers, at the cost of my own bonus. In my opinion, a dubious patent only hurts the world (does not protect employer, but prevents future innovation by others, including myself); I only ask whether there is an ethical mechanism to withdraw it since it has my name on it. If it was a valid patent, I wouldn't ask.I am concerned with 1) not being part of the patent trolling machine and 2) having other people (inside the company or out) steward and work on the idea in the future (in addition to myself). It is an elegant idea, and it would be a pity for others to be afraid simply because of a useless patent. If the patent was useful for litigation I would completely understand and respect the company's control of the idea; in that case they would profit and it would even look good on my C.V. <Q> Undisclosed prior art is an extraordinarily good way of invalidating an issued patent. <S> You've left it to them -- specifically to their patent agent or patent attorney -- to decide whether they're going to spend the time and money to pursue this patent, and whether they will pass on your disclosure to the patent examiner. <S> Don't worry about the problems your patent might create for other entrepreneurs. <S> If they know what they're doing they will also discover the prior art you discovered, and they'll know what to do. <S> In reality, these big patent portfolios are used by bigger companies as currency. <S> If, for example, IBM goes after ABB for a patent infringement, ABB can respond saying "we'll license our patents to you in return for you licensing our patents to us." <S> Your patent will simply be one of those cross-licensed patents. <S> As for whether you want to participate in software patent efforts in future, that's a decision you can make. <S> If you decide not to, you probably should avoid employment with companies that like to play this patent-portfolio game. <A> I don't know how to answer the first question (can or should you contact the EU patent examiner with the knowledge that you have regarding prior art). <S> I suspect there are legalities involved, and a company may have certain rights to work you performed during your employment - which could get you into hot water if you violate them. <S> I would suggest talking with the EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation) and ask if they can direct you to any lawyers who could competently answer your question, who would give you a very low-cost initial consult. <S> For your second question - yes, unfortunately, I think you're being naive. <S> Amassing a large patent portfolio and building in a fear of costly legal reprisals is how a lot of biomedical and technology companies operate, primarily because they are areas where visibly profitable discoveries are still being made, and because a few companies haven't already established themselves as the 800-lb gorilla who will squash anyone else who dares to try and enter the field. <S> Even the companies who aren't out for world domination will want to amass any patent they can, and if it's invalidated later... <S> pff, they'll have gotten several years or even decades of "this is our territory, better not try and innovate anything because our patents will mean that you can't profit from it because we got there first" out of it. <S> Businesses are Not About Playing Nice. <S> They're about figuring out the rules of the system at any given time, and then bending those rules in their favor as aggressively as possible. <A> The European patent examiner left an email address where he/she could be reached if we become aware of any additional prior art. <S> That pretty much answers your question. <S> The determination as to whether the invention is patentable is the examiner's prerogative not yours. <S> I would send her the info and let her make the determination. <S> You want to make sure that the info could not be traced back to you. <S> You could arrange with her to give the info through some third party that she trusts. <S> You want to build some deniability in case your employer goes after you. <S> I doubt that your employer is going to focus al that hard on you since their own experts have declared your invention non-patentable. <S> There is more than one suspect in this case and don't take any high profile action or make any high profile statement that would cause the employer to zero in you as the prime suspect. <S> As for your second question: Your employer's mind is already made up, and you have neither the power nor the influence nor the ability to build coalitions within the company to change their minds. <S> Don't take any high profile action that points to you as the prime suspect if and when the application gets denied. <S> You could mention in your Cv that the company is filing for a patent as a result of your work, and leave it at that. <S> If an interviever pushes you about it, say that filing for a patent was your employer's idea, that it's a long way from filing for a patent to getting one and change the subject back to whatever else you were doing for your current employer. <A> So let me get <S> this right <S> you have a disagreement with your employer or with software patents in general <S> and you seem to want to find way of damaging you employer by invalidating a patent? <S> Its up to the patent examiner to do this <S> this prior art may or may not invalidate the patent <S> its nit your job to decide this. <S> You do have a duty to your employer to be a good “servant” <S> what you suggesting is very dubious and is in my opinion unethical – note I am a Union activist in the largest European union that represents scientific and technical staff <S> I do not take the employers side lightly in this.
| You've met your basic ethical duty as an inventor by disclosing to your employer this prior art you discovered.
|
How to effectively reject a new project assignment? My boss recently asked me to prepare for an interview that will be on a new custom software framework developed by a client. If I pass the interview, I will be deployed at the client's location. I am a project leader and am looking forward to developing my career in project management rather than on the technical side. I've been doing both the project management as well as the technical tasks on a 60-40 split, but this assignment will make me work on technical tasks 100%. So far, I've gotten good ratings for what I've been doing. How can I decline this new assignment without losing reputation? <Q> What is the duration of this deployment? <S> assuming it to be fairly long.. <S> Best approach will be to discuss your apprehensions with your boss. <S> Its very important that to you take up only those assignments which fall in the path which you have chosen to shape your career <S> but you should also provide for little flexibility. <S> Do not try to resolve the issue by botching up your interview. <S> EDIT <S> Initiating <S> Communication:- <S> You should start with an email to your boss with a clear subject mentioning that you have some concerns regarding client side deployment which you want to discuss. <S> After that a face to face discussion can be arranged. <S> Even if you do not get your way this time, it will be a factor in future decisions on subjects of similar nature. <A> Depending on your relationship with your boss and your current track record, you should be able to directly approach your boss on the matter <S> Show some effort in the direction of the new task: <S> I would imagine your manager would not be impressed by offhandedly declining a task. <S> You should have carried out some (somewhat verifiable) research on the new role, it's range of responsibilities and the job requirements, vis-a-vis your current role and career goals. <S> This should present a view of an employee that's willing to make some kind of effort. <S> Be upfront and eloquent about your misgivings: <S> Prepare to state as clearly and professionally as possible, how this new role will defeat your career goals. <S> I don't think I'm the best fit for this, given my current task balance . <S> Your manager would likely counter with reasons why he thinks you're a perfect fit for the gig, wherein #1 above would come in handy. <S> You need to be able to give a tenable reason for not taking the position, as against <S> I don't want it . <S> You should have(or prepare for) some form of compromise. <S> You can come with a recommendation of a colleague, who you feel might be a better fit for the position. <S> It's advisable that you discuss with the colleague first, so you don't inadvertently set anyone up to fail. <S> Recommend your colleague as a viable alternative and if there's no escaping this gig, you should try to come up with an arrangement in which you still get project management responsibilities. <A> 1 - Know the other options Get a sense of the pipeline. <S> If this is the only job coming in the door this year, it's this, or find a new job. <S> If this is one of 20 jobs, 19 of which are more interesting to you than this, it's a vastly different story. <S> Also - know the duration and the options for switching a consultant midstream. <S> If you take the not-great gig, and a better-for-you gig comes in, can you switch? <S> Similarly - know your relative ranking compared to others in your team. <S> If you are the guy with the least experience in project management, and this is a dry spell for project management, you may not have many options. <S> 2 - Know the tradeoff from your boss' perspective and be willing to adapt. <S> Know both how frequent project management comes in, and it's billable advantage/disadvantage with technical work. <S> If you are asking that you get work that is less profitable for the company, then are you prepared to take a pay cut? <S> What I've seen is that it's hard to substitute project management for technical work if technical work is what's called for, so be aware of the business case involved in pushing for the one kind of work. <S> 3 - Assuming the odds are in your favor... <S> Unless you are willing to look for a new job, don't deliver the ultimatum <S> "I simply will not do this job"... <S> voice it more as a question and concern - <S> "this job is a poor match for my career goals of project management, are there other options? <S> What is the option to get experience later in my actual interest if I am a team player now?" <S> Your boss won't be able to guarantee a future opportunity, but he can give you a sense of the options.
| Once you know that project management is an advantage for the company as well as your personal interest, have a talk with your manager about how this job is not inline with your career goals. Try to not paint the situation as I don't want to do it , rather as a Be prepared to compromise/have an alternative recommendation
|
Asking a potential employer about internet restrictions In an interview, how can I ask the question (without significant negative effects on how the interviewer views me) "Do you restrict and monitor internet access of your employees, and if so, in which ways?" The idea behind that is that the answer will give a clear idea about the level of trust that is given to me. After all, just asking "Do you trust your employees" can lead to very empty and unfounded answer, while this isn't something that could be lied about. On the other hand, I clearly see a possibility of this looking like I'm planning slack-time already. I obviously want to avoid this. <Q> In an interview, how can I ask the question (without significant negative effects on how the interviewer views me) "Do you restrict and monitor internet access of your employees, and if so, in which ways?" <S> It's certainly reasonable to ask "Tell me about this company's Acceptable Use policy?" <S> That is basically a non-confrontational way to get much of the information you are seeking. <S> At least for me as a hiring manager, there would be no negative effects. <S> I can't speak for all other hiring managers, but in my network of friends, none of them would hold that against you either. <S> That starts the conversation, and you can judge for yourself where you want to take it. <S> You might want to probe deeper and ask specific questions about restrictions, monitoring, etc. <S> Or you might sense that this line of questions isn't well received, in which case you can graciously back off. <S> As @bethlakshmi correctly points out, not every manager will have a lot of details on hand about how employee internet use monitoring is done. <S> In my experience, there is usually a written policy. <S> That may not have lots of details, but often gives you the broad warnings about what the company expects, and what they may choose to do. <S> If challenged and if you are feeling nervous, you can always follow up with something along the lines of "I like to do some work from home after hours. <S> I'm basically wondering if I can use my own computer to access the corporate network, or if I'll be required to use a company-provided computer?" <A> "Do you restrict and monitor internet access of your employees, and if so, in which ways?" <S> Don't ask this. <S> You are going to give a very bad and wrong impression. <S> Most people will, for better or worse, read this question as, "I want to do stuff at work <S> I don't want my employer to know about. <S> " <S> Ask something like: <S> What sorts of ways does the company show it trusts its employees to do their work effectively? <S> This gets at more fundamental questions. <S> It also forces an answer other than yes <S> /no. <S> If you really want to know the internet question, frame it like one of the following: <S> Does X allow employees to use their computer at home for personal use? <S> My current employer does. <S> Do you have a technology use policy I could look at? <S> What sorts of technology does X give its employees? <S> Laptops? <S> How does X protect its systems - I assume you have some monitoring programs to ensure people don't install viruses, etc? <S> Both these will get directly at your question but in a far better manner. <A> It's a mildly risky question to ask. <S> You could say something like, 1) "At previous jobs, the focus was on getting the job done so if we took a little bit of down time to browse the internet, we were just expected to make it up at the end of the day. <S> Do you have a similar policy here?" 2) <S> "Is it alright if I surf the internet on my work computer on my lunch break or do you have a policy against that?" <S> Just be sure to pair it with (1) <S> it's when I'm not working or (2) <S> it's downtime <S> I'll make up ASAP. <A> Since employers usually want to provide, with or without the prodding of state laws, a safe and non-hostile working environment, providing controlled access to the Internet is part and parcel of their tool kit. <S> It is not about trust or the lack of it,it is about providing a safe and non-hostile working environment. <S> And of course, there are securities issues involved, as when a user points their browser to a site that turns out to be an attack web website. <S> If you point your browser to an an attack link and the result is that you downloaded a bunch of zero-day malware into your machine, the malware infects the files and folders that you uploaded into our shared filed and directories on our network, you will have probably made yourself a few more enemies than you can kill, and who are a lot more powerful in the organization than you are. <S> Your conflating into an issue of trust our desire/requirement to provide a safe and non-hostile working environment and to manage serious security issues relating to your access to our network and to the Internet - that conflation reveals a profound ignorance of the working environment that we want to maintain, and the fact that you would want to ask that question reflects poorly on your judgement as a prospective employee. <S> The fact that the conflation is adversarial in tone does not help. <S> If you were asking that question, I would ask you why you are asking that question, And your interview with me goes downhill from there. <S> Especially since I am an Information security specialist and part of my job is to clean up after someone else' security messes.
| You are most likely opening the door to a world of troubles for yourself by asking that question.
|
How to bring up a bad GPA in a interview Suppose in an interview somebody asks you about your undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) . If it is very low what should you say? Also suppose your graduate school GPA is very high. Could I somehow use this to answer the low undergrad GPA? <Q> You can always try: <S> I don't feel that my undergrad GPA accurately reflected my abilities, and here's how I fixed that in my graduate studies... <S> You will eventually make mistakes at work, but gracefully recovering from those errors is a much more valuable skill than never making the mistake in the first place because it impresses clients and/or management. <S> In terms of businesses and customer service, this is called the Service Recovery Paradox . <S> The other nice thing about a bad undergraduate GPA is that it eventually doesn't matter on your resume , and chances are it won't come up in interviews after you are out of school for a few years. <A> I had a pretty good grad GPA in engineering, and I can't remember a single prospective employer who did Oooh's <S> and Aaah's over it. <S> Don't volunteer anything about your undergrad GPA, unless you like coming across as defensive, apologetic and possibly pathetic. <S> The more explanations you give, the more you look like you're making excuses. <S> If someone asks about your undergrad GPA, mention it with a pained grimace and immediately refocus the subject by saying that your grad GPA is a lot better. <A> You tell them your GPA. <S> That's it. <S> Never start defending yourself unprompted, because you're actually attacking yourself. <S> "My GPA was 2.5 [and my further silence indicates that this is a total non-issue that has no relation to my ability.] <S> " <S> Or: <S> "My GPA was 2.5, and now I will nervously talk about how bad of a student I was and make revealing excuses." <S> Now of course if they prompt you to explain, you can answer in about two sentences, using your grad GPA to definitively prove that you improved and grew. <S> If you spend more than two sentences, it really only raises the question of why that wasn't a sufficient explanation. <A> For example, a bad GPA score may reflect that you are not good at exams if you can back it up with good practical knowledge and work experience. <S> Alternatively, a good GPA score may reveal some lack of practical knowledge but at least shows dedication to learning and commitment to achieving to your potential. <S> So the important thing is to bring out the positive aspects no matter what the score is, and address the concerns that the interviewer might have with any perceived shortcomings as reflected by the score. <A> You don't. <S> But if the interviewer brings it up, you have to tell him, and your silence after that should underline that the GPA doesn't matter. <S> But still, there are few companies obsessed with GPA. <S> In this case you must have good student projects, or any other experience in your resume to vouch for you. <S> I mention my great graduation project, for example.
| I think regardless of the actual GPA score, the important thing is to provide some explanation so the interviewer can put it in the right context. Everyone makes mistakes, the important thing is to acknowledge that it happened and explain how you fixed it going forward. Usually, the grad school GPA counts for a lot more than the undergrad GPA, assuming that you can make the case that your grad education is relevant to the field you work in.
|
How to stay in the loop when senior managers go above you in external relations? I manage the relationship with one of our key vendors e.g. an enterprise resource planning software such as SAP. As such, I initiate and look after negotiations, issues, new products, opportunities and everything surrounding our work with "SAP". Our new senior managers (CTO, COO, etc. level) have started meeting these people without me to discuss strategy as well as just socialize - reportedly also because they have some common contacts in college -, but never keep me in the loop - they just fleetingly mention a joke or two about them and some decision they made together. What happens thereafter is that whenever I communicate with "SAP", they know something about us that I didn't know, or a new product or strategy we are going to implement... about which I didn't know. The communication is quite embarrassing. While I find it slightly degrading in itself that they initiate communications without even informing me, I think it would be beneficial for all parties to at least keep me in the loop on whatever decisions were made, what information was shared and what new information we know. Ultimately, since I am responsible for the relationship with "SAP", how can I ensure that I am always in the loop in such circumstances? Clarification: note that I was hired specifically to manage this relationship and and the ERP/software delivery (it is an exclusive relationship - we use only one type of software platform) - there are other vendor relationships but in completely different business functions; I couldn't change to them and there are people managing those relationships already. In essence, I am an "SAP"/ERP "expert" or "super user" as well. <Q> You cannot ensure. <S> Since you mentioned that your seniors have college time contact with the vendors then naturally vendor will also feel safe/comfortable communication with your seniors then with you. <S> Reasons <S> 1.They have a personal touch in relation so vendors will place more trust on them. <S> 2.They are your seniors so they are in a capacity to roll out more concessions and perks <S> then you do. <S> Suggestion <S> you can bring it up some time during chat and request your seniors to keep you in loop. <S> These vendors must not be the only account which your company has or which you handle. <S> Every vendor wont be your bosses college time buddy. <S> Let it go and concentrate on new ones/others. <S> You can raise the quality of service you provide to this vendor so that you become a better option to them. <A> For your ERP vendor, this is an account-management dream come true. <S> They now have what sales people call "C-level" access to decision makers at your company: a good-old-boy network, no less. <S> This is how many large-ticket enterprise sales relationships work. <S> Why is this good for them? <S> No longer do they have to be diligent about ensuring the things they do and <S> the things they sell you actually benefit your company's ongoing operations. <S> I imagine when they work through you they find your company focused on "make ERP work for US" rather than "make quota for the ERP sales guy. <S> " That's fitting and proper, but inconvenient. <S> In other words, you have a tough problem. <S> Communication and decisions are now being made without you. <S> There's not much you can do about it: you're up against organized people (college buddies) and organized money (ERP account management strategy). <S> These new executives have probably succeeded in past jobs by doing this kind of thing. <S> They were probably hired because they are BSDs (look it up on Urban Dictionary). <S> So, what can you do about this? <S> Here are some brainstorming possibilities. <S> Get them to rein in their good-old-boy behavior. <S> Not likely. <S> Better to try to make elephants fly. <S> If your boss and her boss support this, you can probably succeed at it. <S> But it will take a couple of years. <S> Ask your boss for advice on how to continue succeeding at operations while all this "high-level strategizing" is going on. <S> Figure out how to compartmentalize the C-level futures away from today's production, so today's production can continue to be excellent. <S> Swallow your annoyance for a while at having a big part of the relationship with this vendor taken away from you. <S> Ignore rumors about new deployments until they turn into implementation plans. <S> Soon enough, these guys will either come up with something that needs doing, or they'll move on to chasing other shiny objects. <S> Trust me, when something needs doing, they'll ask you to do it. <S> Maybe: conclude that you've finished your work this company hired you to do. <S> Start grooming a couple of successors and start looking for the next assignment. <S> If you are subtle about asking, YOUR contacts at the ERP company will be able to help you. <S> Good luck. <A> You have to send a note(*) to the senior manager reminding them that you are responsible for managing the relationship with this client unless you are otherwise told, and that it it is difficult for you to do your job of managing the relationship effectively if the client is receiving information from other channels than you - and in fact,information that is not available to you at your level - You are effectively telling the senior manager to step back because they are encroaching on your responsibility and that they have to let you do the job you are paid to do. <S> @leigh comments further: "Another tack he could take: if he is fully aware of all options they've discussed or issues they've brought up, he can better do his job, which is to leverage his expertise to help them and the whole company. <S> (Put it to the SrMgmt in "help me help you" terms, and maybe they'll be more inclined to keep OP in the loop.) <S> " <S> (*) @enderland strongly recommends that this communication happen in person and not over email
| Try to become one of the good old "boys" yourself; develop a personal strategy to become part of the ERP strategic team yourself.
|
How to portray responsibilities that are unusual for my title on my resume? To put it very briefly - I am a vendor relationship manager working with software/IT service providers, but our company decided that I and others like me should be heavily involved in areas of IT solutions and programming so that we are more proficient and informed when making decisions. Coming from a purely business background, this is unusual for my role. I essentially spent a very significant amount of my time in this role (more than 50%) on projects that normally a junior database or business analyst would perform (according to what I heard from other companies). When applying for other jobs, how can I portray this... a. if the vacancy is purely in the same business area of my job description? b. if the vacancy is more technically oriented like business analyst or solutions architect? <Q> Many companies really want people that are deep in the technology but can also understand the business. <S> That is pretty rare. <S> I would be sure to include that information in your summary (resume and online profiles) "equally skilled in Vendor Management as well as Database Business Analysis functions......" <S> Also be sure to add the appropriate tools/technologies/keyword associated with the technical work that you are doing. <A> Resume/LinkedIn <S> When applying for other jobs, how can I portray this... <S> On your resume/LinkedIn, list the responsibilities you did under your job title. <S> You could also add the position you were also doing in parenthesis. <S> Vendor Relationship Manager (Business Analyst) <S> VRM item 1 BA Analyst item 1 VRM item 2 BA Analyst item 2 <S> Vice versa for the more business side. <S> I recommend having a "master" resume where you list everything and then remove the lower importance ones as needed for each position you apply to. <S> Cover Letter <S> A cover letter is a perfect place to add something like: <S> "My responsibilities are official vendor relationship management, however I also do work more closely affiliated with business analyst responsibilities such as A, B, C." <A> Sometimes companies/managers give more responsibilities to prepare them for a subsequent role - maybe what your company envisages is a type of hybrid, more tech savvy role. <S> I think it wouldn't be wrong to include some sort of hybrid specification as part of your job title on the resume. <S> Example:Vendor Relationship Manager & Business Analyst
| If you are applying for a more tech heavy position simply put more emphasis on the tech responsibilities you had. I agree with including it in the cover letter - but some/many recruiters don't read them (sorry but true - they are a 2nd file in our systems), so be sure to blend that information in the resume itself.
|
Followup after a phone interview? I had a short phone interview with the head of a small company this morning, it was more of a "see-who-this-person-is" type of call prior to meeting in person. The call ended with us agreeing to meet as early as tomorrow morning for a proper face to face interview. He said he would forward me the office address via email. A few hours went by and I have not received any email.My gut feeling says I may have said something he didn't like during the phone call, but maybe he simply forgot?The interview is tomorrow and I'm not sure on how to act right now. <Q> Most managers have a very, very, packed schedule. <S> He agreed to the meeting. <S> Don't worry about it, yet. <S> Chances are that he simply forgot or it's on his to do list for today. <S> If he he hasn't contacted you within the close-end of his office hours just give him a call back and tell him that you didn't receive an email <S> but you'd like to know where and when the meeting is due. <A> A few hours went by and I'm not receiving any mail. <S> My gut feeling says I may have said something he didn't like during the phone call, <S> but maybe he simply forgot? <S> The interview is tomorrow, I'm not sure on how to act right now. <S> If you actually said something he didn't like, he most likely wouldn't have agreed to meet you tomorrow morning. <S> It is odd though that he didn't simply tell you the office address on the phone during your call. <S> Let's assume for a minute that he still does want to meet with you tomorrow morning. <S> The most likely reason is that you simply haven't waited long enough to receive the email. <S> Wait until an hour or so before the end of the work day. <S> If you still haven't received the email you can do one of two things <S> Show up at the agreed-upon time. <S> If you don't know the time of your meeting, call the company head, ask him if you are still on for the morning meeting, and get the office address that way. <A> Forget about your gut feeling. <S> You need to follow up. <S> Since it's pretty urgent, call them and leave him a voice email if they are not picking up the phone. <S> Follow up that voice mail with an email communication. <S> If you are not getting a response, try again the next day early in the morning. <S> The ball is in their court. <S> Whether they choose to go after it or not is their choice and prerogative. <A> Personally, I would phone back and ask to speak to the person who interviewed you and make a casual "I just wanted to check that you had my email address correct" or <S> perhaps "I've been having problems with emails not coming through and wanted to check I have not missed one from you" (less preferable) <S> Make it not about chasing but just that you are confirming they have the correct information. <S> If they have genuinely forgotten, it will hopefully prompt them to send the email through with the details. <S> If there is another reason why the email has come through (as per your gut feeling), they will simply confirm the email address is correct. <S> If you then do not receive anything, your gut was correct
| If you are not getting a response of any kind from them as the next day progresses, forget it. If you know the time of your meeting, but not the office location, then simply check the company website for the address, or call the office, speak to someone at the front desk and get the office address that way. Remind them that you are following up because they agreed on a face to face interview the next day.
|
Reason for leaving question -- when there is uncertainty? I've been furloughed now for two weeks and this is until further notice. My boss has encouraged me to look elsewhere given the uncertainty. On the application, the question asks "Reason for leaving" but I'm still technically there. Do I write, "still employed," "furloughed," "temporarily unemployed?" <Q> Just be honest, it is what it is. <S> Potential Employers know that things happen throughout a persons career and that during economic uncertainty people who thought they had job security get laid off all the time. <S> Ask your employer if you can get a good reference. <S> The sooner you get another job the less risk they have of having you take unemployment. <A> The moment they furloughed you you should have started looking, the big hint from your boss was to tell you I can't save your job. <S> Always answer this question honestly. <S> In your specific case you will not have to hide the fact you are looking from your employer. <S> They expect that you have been looking since the first furlough notice went out. <S> Every company realizes that a significant number of people look while they are still working. <S> So the question really means "for your current employer only, why are you looking?". <S> They will typically also ask if they can contact your current employer. <S> You should tell them yes. <S> I would interpret that the message from your boss, is that they won't give you a bad review, or that they never give a bad review. <A> On the application, the question asks "Reason for leaving" but I'm still technically there. <S> Do I write, "still employed, <S> " "furloughed," "temporarily unemployed?" <S> You haven't actually left yet. <S> The most accurate and honest answer is probably "Furloughed". <S> That's probably what you should write. <S> Think this one over thoroughly, before you are interviewed. <S> Be prepared with solid answers for the questions likely to arise based on your answer: <S> Do you think this furlough is only temporary? <S> If your current employer ends the furlough, would you go back? <S> How many people were furloughed, or was it just you? <S> You want to reassure a prospective employer that you have decided to move on from your current company and get a new job. <S> You don't want a new employer to think that you'll join them until your former company ends the furlough and asks you back.
| You should just write "Furloughed". People answer this no when they haven't told their employer they are leaving, or they are afraid a a bad review.
|
Is it normal to have 4-5 hour interview for junior programmer position ? I have been to a few interviews and the max they have gone is 1.5 hours. But there is this one interview that could take 4-5 hours. I wonder why companies need to interview a junior developer for so long. I would understand if it was a senior position. (sarcastic : Do they want me to code their entire app in those 4 hours or know my life history ?) <Q> The concern is that it might feel threatening to the interviewee when 5+ people are firing off questions one after the other, and it is more difficult to carry a conversation - which is something that you want to do to really get to know the candidate. <S> In my experience, long interviews involve seeing different people that you will work and interact with. <S> Most of the conversations will involve the same things, and you may start to feel that you are repeating yourself to different people. <S> This is fine. <S> The idea is that everyone needs to make sure that they can work with you. <S> Alternatively, they could be expecting to you to complete a programming task, and are allocating 1-2 hours for it with another couple of hours for face-to-face interviewing. <S> I suggest you inquire ahead to of time to know what it is that you have to prepare for. <A> There are a couple of different categories that could explain a 4-5 hour interview: <S> Psychology profile - I remember when looking for my first job out of university, that some HR people may spend some time collecting enough information to give a profile of who I am, how I think and where I would fit into things. <S> This included the questions like, "What kind of tree would you be?" <S> and "What is the greatest challenge you ever overcame in your life?" among others. <S> Multiple technical interviews - Other times there may separate hour long interviews with one at the beginning and end along with a few in the middle just to have people review my technical skills. <S> In this case, I may be coding a priority queue or doing basic tree traversals on a whiteboard. <S> This is about seeing how well can one communicate even on something as simple as FizzBuzz . <A> The interview I went through to get my first software engineer job after University lasted 3.5 hours. <S> The first hour was a one-to-one interview with the head of the department. <S> Mainly behavioral questions. <S> The second 1.5 hours was a one-to-many interview with the head, the software engineer manager and a senior software engineer. <S> Very technical questions and project demos. <S> The last hour was programming tests. <S> So yes it can take that long. <S> With that in mind, the interview to get my next job only took 1 hour (one-to-many + short test). <S> So I guess every company is different. <A> Depends on the company. <S> The process would be multiple interviews with different people. <S> The reason this was done was:- Multiple technical interviews, to cover different aspects and make sure multiple people agreed that the candidate was skilled.- Interviews with hiring manager, <S> and/or hiring managers manager to determine team fit, 'soft' skills and more.- Room for non technical interview to have people in other positions the candidate would work with give feedback. <S> This approach would also help determine 'team fit' - multiple persons on the team talking to the candidate.
| There is a school of thought in interviewing that you don't want to have too many people in the room at the same time. I have worked for a major software company, and even college hires and other junior positions are usually whole day interviews.
|
Big company or small company for career growth? I did some research in this site to find something similar to my "problem" and I found relevant just this . My current situation is quite similar. I'm working in a small company ( 7 coworkers ) as software engineer since November 2013. I feel very lucky cause, living in Italy, find a job is just like find a needle in a haystack. Yesterday I was updating my Linkedin profile and I found out how my University mates are working for big quoted companies while I'm not. I tried to apply, of course, but I have not ever had an email back, even to tell me I didn't fit he role I applied for. Actually I would have done something wrong, I admit but this is another ( ugly ) italian story.. So, I'm asking: Is it worth to work for such a small company regarding career and salary expectation or should I try to find a better ( higher pay, better support, better teamwork ) in a bigger one? Right now I'm struggling because I'm the only one who works developing software. As you can imagine, finding a bug is frustrating and fix this by myself could be painful in term of time and clearness of the code. Coding everything on my own, I find really difficoult to quit the pattern I used and refactor everything, so I think the fixes I made are just horrible patchworks which hide worst bugs! :( Anyway, when I accepted this job, I knew it but I think it could be better find a bigger company with a bigger team to work with and, maybe, an higher salary. On the contrary, if I overcome this moment and the company i'm working with grows in next few months as our boss promised, maybe I could be in a good position to lead a software team as he told me when I was hired - He images to triple the employees as soon as he can, giving me some cool guys to work alongside me. So, according to your opinion, which is the option you would choose if you put in my shoes? <Q> I would take a slightly different approach to answer your question. <S> Are you more comfortable in a large, bureaucratic organization that has defined policies for everything, and where you have a narrow role? <S> Or are you more comfortable in a small organization that may not have as many written rules, and where you may be able to do many different things? <S> If you don't like at least some regimentation, you're not comfortable at all with playing politics, or you have a very strong sense of ownership of your work, a small company may be a better fit for you. <S> On the other hand, if you want to be more specialized, work within a larger framework, and/or you enjoy the political aspects of building your career, you may enjoy a larger company. <S> Either way, you're likely to be happier - and thus more successful - at an organization that is a good fit for the way that you want to work. <S> Don't worry quite so much about money at the start of your career. <S> On the other hand, if you're in an organization that you can't stand, it's very difficult to advance (and taking on more responsibility in an environment that you dislike may not be attractive anyway). <A> I'm not exactly sure what you're asking. <S> I'm going to give you the two perspectives of working at a small company and working at a rather large company. <S> Here's some context though. <S> Over the past 10 years of working in the Web Development industry, i've been developing code for very small companies, startup and now a rather several large billion dollar company. <S> The following are some of my observations: Small Company Characteristics of working at Smaller Companies / Startups Flexibility to do what it takes to get the job done Lack of clearly defined roles <S> Creativity and experimentation is expected Inability to provide training Positives of working for a small company or startup Fewer levels of management Immediate ability to implement change Potential for higher productivity with fewer managers <S> Project has larger impact Negatives of working for a small company or startup Lack of benefits <S> Lower pay <S> Job security / stability can be an issue Lack of mentorship <S> In positions of leadership, taking time off is almost impossible Lack of resources <S> Fewer chances for promotion Large Company Characteristics of working at Larger Companies <S> Many layers of management Highly specialized roles <S> Tendency for more meetings <S> Change is top down Positives of working at a Larger Company <S> Many more benefits: Health, Retirement, Paid time off <S> Job stability <S> Tools and training are readily available <S> Increased Collaboration <S> Negatives of working at a Larger Company Inability to change direction or ways Tendency toward lower productivity or outcomes <S> Too many processes inhibit progress <A> No company will stay small forever. <S> A small company will become a big company or merged into a big company if its business is successful. <S> A small company will disappear from the earth if it fails. <S> You seem to have a not so good workplace. <S> I would try to improve it if I were you. <S> If you work for a big company, it's hard to change the environment. <S> But, it's a small one, it should not be too hard to change. <S> If, for some reasons you are not able to change it, then you can safely assume this company will fail sooner or later. <S> I would change job in this case. <S> If the company improves and keep improving itself, you know its business will expand and eventually it will become a big one. <S> Then you don't need to find a big company to work for because you already work for a big one. <A> Give your boss the months he promised things would get better and bigger. <S> In a big company you are just another developer, in this company you have the chance of becoming a senior developer, or a CIO, who knows. <S> There are lots of opportunities in the right small companies. <S> If after the months are gone by and nothing changed, then you should definitely consider your options. <A> I think you are looking at this in the wrong way. <S> Big company or little company doesn't really matter until you start getting more towards the management side of things, and they start looking at how many people they have reporting to you. <S> Instead, what is your eventual employment goal? <S> Are you happy in a 7 person group, or do you want to be working in a large multinational? <S> Where do you want to be in 1, 5 or 10 years? <S> Pick out your "dream" job, and find some job descriptions for places that are hiring for it. <S> Go down the list of requirements (And realize that often these are more laundry lists than actual requirements, but the basics are there) and see how many you already have, and then how many you would need to acquire. <S> If your current company offers you the opportunity to get these skills, stay. <S> If they don't offer that opportunity, it may be time to find a company that does. <S> You want to keep a stable job history, but you also want to work places that offer you chances to learn what you need to know to land that dream job in the corner office.
| If you're in a good work environment and have the right opportunities for growth - ones that match your skills and interests, and that allow you to advance in an organization that you like - the money will come, and maybe sooner than you think.
|
How to create workplace refrigerator rules when rules did not previously exist? So at my office, everyone had been using the refrigerator responsibly and considerately for as long as I have been there. All of a sudden this year, at least one person has started storing raw meat in the fridge, sometimes in opened containers and sometimes, on the rack with no container at all, and sometimes even letting it go bad. The refrigerator now smells all of the time. How can I institute rules for the workplace refrigerator, given that I am only a lowly employee (although everyone is, there is one owner/CEO about 50 or so employees with no middle management, so I want to keep this as democratic as possible)? Note there are two companies on the floor that share this fridge, so it would be difficult to form a meeting between both sets of employees. <Q> Recommendation: Get approval from management in both companies to post a sign saying "Everything in this fridge must have a name and a date on it. <S> Anything that does not will be thrown out. <S> Anything that has a date later than "now" or earlier than "one week before now" will be thrown out." <S> But realize that by doing so you've just volunteered to be the primary enforcer for this, which means both doing the gruntwork and having to do the "don't argue with me, your own management approved this" discussion repeatedly. <S> If you're extremely lucky, the slob will get the idea after losing something they wanted to keep. <S> But that isn't likely. <S> They're leaving stuff because they don't care enough about it. <S> If someone else will clean up after them, that's probably a win from their point of view. <S> EDIT: <S> I'd suggest adding to the policy <S> "Fridge will be emptied at the end of every month." <S> (Or every other month, or every quarter, or whatever.) <S> That gives you a chance to do a clean sweep and to wipe it down if needed. <S> But again, unless one or the other company is willing to pay their cleaning staff to perform this service, you may be assigning yourself that job. <S> And it's not unlikely that you'll have to do it on your own time rather than being paid for it <S> -- your boss isn't going to want to pay expert prices for grunt labor. <S> This isn't perfect. <S> But it's possible, it's been used in many workplaces and at least it gives you a defense for tossing anything unreasonable... while defining "reasonable". <A> At places were I've worked, we were fortunate enough to have a dedicated person to handle all the logistical nuances of making the office more comfortable for employees. <S> Aside from typical office managerial duties, we've had office managers who, twice per week, would clean out the refrigerator by throwing away any unlabeled or out-of-date food. <S> With that said, if you don't have such a person, and there's a problem with sanitation in the office, that falls under the umbrella of "safety", which would fall under the domain of human resources. <S> Thus, approach the human resources department with your concerns. <S> Finally, if your workplace is in the United States and covered by OSHA, they may be responsible legally to ensure a safe environment for all employees . <S> In places where I've worked, HR is delegated the task of complying with such regulations, but this could be different in other places of business, such as small businesses with a small or nonexistent HR department. <A> It's simple, if it is unsafe or left too long, it's going to get thrown out immediately. <S> Leave a note indicating they can find their meat in the trash. <S> I don't see it as being any different as finding a fire, put it out now and don't wait to ask your boss. <S> I know this sounds too brutal, but someone could get killed by this stuff or get very sick. <S> If they want to complain about their food being tossed, it will be a great opportunity to give them a health lesson.
| You don't necessarily have to mention specific names of people or get into specific details, but if you mention to HR that you feel there could be a food safety issue in the refrigerator, they should hopefully be able to take it from there and implement solutions to the problem, whether that be hiring someone or just simply clarifying the policy in a more official manner.
|
How do deal with a very profitable client whose project is doomed (by his own decisions) I have this client that pays me very well for working in a project that is clearly doomed. I tried to communicate my concerns in the most positive way I could, but he is unable to see the writing in the wall. I can't do more without sounding like a Negative Nancy. He is filth rich and is more than capable of paying for any failure, but yet I feel bad about the money he is wasting on me. Sometimes I consider leaving the project, but I'm unsure about the benefits: client will just hire another guy and I would loose 150k/year income. I reached a point in my career where I'm cynical enough to not be burned-out, but my moral compass is tingling. Any adivice? <Q> Be honest. <S> Then, depending on how your client responds, you can decide what to do next. <S> You might also think about asking your client how they define 'success' for this project. <S> That will help you understand a bit more of what's going on, and how to make suggestions to contribute toward the project's success. <S> (Your client could be defining "success" for this project in very different terms than you - or most people. <S> He could be using this as a tax writeoff. <S> Or the front in a money-laundering scheme. <S> Or a financial distraction from smuggling war-refugee children to safety. <S> Or 'success' could just be ' <S> this is a hobby of mine, I personally don't care if it's financially successful, this lets me plan things on a large scale and I'm having a great time doing that.') <A> Summarize your concerns in writing to the client. <S> Having done that, your filthy rich client is entitled to make the same mistakes and to be as hell bent as anyone else <S> and you are not his nanny. <S> I'd probably feel better that the client's projects be in your hands than in the hands of someone far less scrupulous than you are. <S> Perhaps, as the project moves along, you'll be able to convince Mr. Filthy Rich that the project can be modified into a version that is at least doable. <S> Whereas someone less scrupulous than you are would just collect the money. <A> To add to the other excellent answers here: Keep the longer term in mind. <S> If you have been working on this exclusively for three years, then this project is your number one reference for later clients. <S> Suppose this project fails in a grandiose manner, as you seem to be sure it will. <S> "What have you been working on recently?" <S> "Product X." <S> " <S> Oh. <S> That's the one that blew up so spectacularly everyone in the field will be using it for years as an example what not to do? <S> Thanks. <S> Don't call us, we'll call you." <S> So I would suggest that if you decide to continue working on this project, make sure you can point to a specific contribution of yours that stands out in a positive way, so you can answer instead: <S> "I was responsible for major functionalities Y and Z (in product X)." <S> Alternatively, think about possibly reducing your time spent on this project so you can take on alternative projects in parallel, as better springboards into the future.
| Tell your filthy-rich client why you think the project is going to fail, and have a (or some) courses of action to suggest, to keep the project from failing.
|
Should I continue looking for jobs despite having signed a contract? I am a new graduate in engineering. I'm based in the UK and recently applied and was accepted to a job. I've signed the contract and the job begins in a month or two. However, I've been told to apply for multiple other jobs in case the offer is rescinded. My situation is that the job required a medical and I am concerned the company could rescind due to my disclosure of said medical condition. I've been advised by relatives and others to keep looking and applying to see if I can do better/ as a backup, ideally outside of my field (elec engineering). I am concerned about the ethics of the thing, and I also feel I do not want to go through the whole job hunt, research, apply process again. Could someone please advise on my situation, it would be really appreciated? Regards, R <Q> You're concerned about the ethics of what "thing"? <S> All the prospective employers'd be doing is invite you in for interviews. <S> In return, all you're doing in showing for the interviews, introducing yourself to them and making the case as to why you should get an offer - There is no commitment from them to you and vice versa at this point. <S> Yes, an employer made you an offer and you signed a contract with them, but the relationship actually moving forward hinges on them not rescinding their offer to you. <S> Everybody's playing several games at once and looking out for themselves, and so should you. <A> This is really a matter of perspective. <S> Your personal ethics probably tell you that keeping your prospects open in some way betrays your current employer. <S> It doesn't. <S> You should always keep all options open. <S> If you've accepted an offer, you're right, they can always rescind it, or circumstances with the company may change (like bankruptcy). <S> I personally know of companies literally on the verge of bankruptcy, laying off employees, and hiring people in other divisions. <S> It happens, protect yourself. <A> You might re-frame the situation like this <S> : Are you the only person capable of doing the job you applied for? <S> In the majority of the cases there are lots of people who can replace you , so there is no major reason you should be bound to a particular company. <S> Besides, having people change jobs open possibilities for the company you signed the contract with as well as to the company which may offer you another job , so let the chance play its role. <S> Keep on looking for jobs, there exists an small possibility that you find something interesting, while you keep opened the door to start working in a month in the case your current offer doesn't get rescinded. <A> I'm 66 years old, and CEO of a small company. <S> The last few years we've done very well. <S> I still couldn't go to sleep if I didn't have "Plan B" in my back pocket. <S> Keeping abreast of who's hiring <S> and for how much elsewhere in the industry <S> is an important thing to know, throughout your career. <S> Just graduated with an Engineering degree? <S> You've got an exciting time ahead of you. <S> Best of luck.
| Just looking doesn't mean you're moving, or in your case not taking the job. You surely shouldn't stop looking after one offer, especially when it's as tenuous as yours seems to be.
|
Must I list a previous company in my resume? I was hired for reputed Company A as a fresher from campus recruitment.After five months, I was asked to resign (not terminated or fired) as I could not pass the tests they conduct during their training. Luckily I got into Company B. I chose to ignore my five months with Company A and go in as a fresher. I don't want to list anything to do with Company A on my resume at all in the future. Will Company B or future employers be able to find out about my time with Company A from a background check? <Q> The time line in your resume must be complete. <S> For instance (not yours), if there's a gap, have a reason for it, and be ready to explain why it was, and what you did while you were idle. <S> " <S> Tutored kids on spreadsheets at the Library", or something. <S> Dates on a resume are easily and usually verified. <S> If there's a problem (Company A), you can survive if you're honest. <S> If someone discovers a problem without your admitting it up front, your resume won't even hit the edge on it's way to the circular file. <S> Everybody stumbles sometime. <S> Myself, many times. <S> I used to ask potential vendors for 6 references. <S> 3 where thing went well, and 3 where they didn't. <S> I wanted to know how they reacted when an installation wasn't going well. <S> If they were honest, and capable, I got all 6 references. <S> If I didn't get all 6, they didn't sell to me. <S> I'd suggest you do the same. <S> If you had a problem with Company A, explain it; explain what you learned from the experience, and why you're now better for the experience. <S> People respect honesty, it's not that common. <S> Keep at it, you'll find a place to shine. <S> Best of luck to you. <A> You were lucky because of a small timeline gap. <S> It is possible to find out by background checks. <S> You could come up with a good reasons to answer this question if you were asked in future why you left A to move to B, instead of pointing out the actual reason. <A> Will Company B or future employers be able to find out about my time with Company A from a background check? <S> Yes. <S> A thorough enough background check would be able to determine that you worked for Company A for 5 months. <S> An extremely thorough check would be able to determine the circumstances under which you resigned/were asked to leave/was fired. <S> That said, many companies don't conduct very thorough background checks. <S> So yes, future employers are able, but many won't bother. <S> You have to decide how lucky you feel, and what you would say if your omission was discovered.
| It is appropriate for you to mention company A in the resume for your future prospects as there would be a timeline gap in your resume. In the US, with the privacy laws being what they are, one of the few things a company can ask a former employer, and one of the few things they can answer, is your dates of employment.
|
Job offer via email, no need for signed contract? I am in the process of accepting a job offer and instead of sending out a written contract that needs to be signed, everything is done via email. Is this legally sound and normal? In the past I have always had a written letter which I signed and then mailed or faxed back. (The new company has behaved impeccably and explained that this their normal procedure and counts as a contract. Additionally they offered to look into getting a paper copy. They are a UK based start-up.) Update Found this https://www.gov.uk/job-offers-your-rights , basically confirming what the comapny have said. <Q> Signing contracts over email is totally legitimate. <S> A lawyer <S> I spoke to about this <S> said that it's very rare for someone to deny their own signature, even when that signature is typed. <S> He also said the only legal difference between a contract and an email is that a contract is carefully written to unambiguously lay out the responsibilities of both parties. <S> If you email someone "I'll make you a logo for $500," and they email back " <S> Okay", that's a contract, and you can collect in court if they don't pay up. <S> Now there may be some disputes about when they pay, and whose intellectual property the logo is, and other details that a well-written contract will iron out, but email is just as good as paper for getting something in writing. <A> Free legal or medical advice on the Internet is often not worth what you paid for it. <S> But if you have ANY doubt, you owe it to yourself to either pay a lawyer to give you a proper answer, or to take the simple step of asking for a paper copy for your own records. <S> Remember that the company's HR policy, and their lawyers, are concerned with protecting the company only; it's your responsibility as an employee to take whatever measures are needed to protect yourself. <S> In fact, they will generally respect you for making the request. <S> If they do object, that tells you something about them that you probably need to hear, even if you don't want to hear it. <S> I am not a lawyer, but my best understanding is: There are ways to do defendable electronic signatures. <S> Plain e-mail is not one of them. <A> Get a paper copy, and sign it. <S> And keep a copy. <S> It might all be normal, and it might count as an electronic contract, and all will be well. <S> Or the company could hit difficulties and suddenly everything changes. <S> If it's not written down, it hasn't happened - much better to be formal now than regret it later. <A> I'd say proceed with caution and if you trust them, then carefully move forward without a contract. <S> I've worked with contracts and without, and I found that having a contract doesn't really help collect money from clients who don't feel like paying. <S> Assuming you do have a contract, if it's only for a few thousand dollars, the legal expenses of forcing the company to pay are often greater than the value of the cheque. <S> In conclusion, if this company is well known to pay all its bills on time <S> then it's fine not to have a contract. <S> If they're not, I wouldn't work for them with or without a contract.
| Nobody should ever object to your request for signed paper.
|
What is the best position to keep monitor? The programs work on monitors day in and day out for near untraceable period to time. What is the best position to keep the monitor? <Q> The US Government's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides ergonomic recommendations for computer monitors . <S> There are a number of factors to consider, especially: Monitor distance: <S> Sit at a comfortable distance from the monitor where you can easily read all text with your head and torso in an upright posture and your back supported by your chair. <S> Generally, the preferred viewing distance is between 20 and 40 inches (50 and 100 cm) from the eye to the front surface of the computer screen. <S> Monitor height: <S> The center of the computer monitor should normally be located 15 to 20 degrees below horizontal eye level. <A> What is the best position to keep the monitor? <S> Since people are not the same (and in many companies monitors are not the same), there is no one best position. <S> Some people are tall, some are short. <S> Some people see close objects well, others don't. <S> Some people have small monitors, some have large monitors, some have more than one. <S> Some monitors are attached to laptops, some are independent, some are touch-screens. <S> The best thing to do is to allow individuals to adjust their monitor(s) <S> (and all other office equipment) to best suit their individual needs and preferences. <S> You can send around the government/OSHA recommendations as a starting point, but they are just recommendations. <S> Use what works for individuals. <A> As a developer, this topic is near and dear to my heart. <S> I would recommend the following: A non-glossy "matte" screen. <S> Tilt + height adjustable arm for your monitor. <S> If possible ask for and articulating mount: <S> These are height, reach, and tilt adjustable. <S> Place the monitor such that <S> : There is no glare on the screen. <S> Just out of reach for your arms. <S> This is a good estimate of the distance from your face. <S> Make sure there is lighting at the back of the monitor, this will help reduce the strain on your eyes. <A> I consider it obvious that human body is made for movement and human vision for relatively long-distance seeing. <S> Thus, I infer that: a) the best position for a monitor is one which is changing over periods of time. <S> In this respect (at least) a laptop is ergonomic because it allows you to change its position easily. <S> E.g. you could work one hour sitting, then one hour standing and so on. <S> Another, less flexible option is to use a "monitor arm". <S> The arm does not allow for frequent change of the position of the screen indeed, but it allows you to try different positions of the monitor until you feel comfortable. <S> In the same manner it lets people of different heights place the monitor in the best position for themselves. <S> b) a big screen, with bigger scale of displayed content, viewed at a longer distance is better than the opposite - a small screen, tiny scale and short distance. <S> (More about about bigger scale here: https://superuser.com/questions/698121/bigger-picture-on-a-computer-display ). <S> Ideally the best screen would be a pocket projector with a perfectly stable image and very high brightness. <S> The problem is that projectors are not bright enough to be usable in a sunny day.
| The top of the monitor should be at or slightly below eye level. If you can reach out and touch the screen without tilting/rolling forward in your chair, the monitor is too close to your face.
|
Is it OK to ask colleagues to leave if they're sick? I can't stand it when someone that sits near me comes in when they're sick. All day long I listen to them sniffle and cough and I just sit there and wonder how long until they pass their germs on to me and I get sick. What do I say to this person? <Q> If anything your co-worker is doing makes you uncomfortable or is potentially dangerous for you <S> but yet it would make you very uncomfortable to talk about <S> then you should bring it up with your closest manager. <S> Some people are too afraid to ask for a day off when feeling ill, bringing it up with the manager might just as well be a relief for the sick person if the manager brings it up to that person. <S> However, this is not an easy situation, that person might have important deadlines to handle or he might have been at home for a long time but is now simply recovering; neither feeling ill nor being infectious but obviously not looking so good. <S> In those cases you simply have to deal with it. <S> If it makes you feel any better then I can tell you that people who appear to be sick are usually (depending on whether it's a virus or a bacteria but nevertheless usually..) <S> no longer infecting other people with what they have caught, they already spent a week doing that before they appeared to be sick. <S> If that person is not sick enough to be at home you'll have to deal with it, be happy that they're probably not infecting you and plug some music in your ears and focus on your work. <S> Best of luck. <A> Regardless of the circumstance, if you have a problem with your coworker you have two ways of dealing with it: <S> Directly - Ask the coworker to take a day off. <S> When someone is sick it is in the company's best interest to send them home. <S> After all, the company doesn't want everyone that comes into contact with this person to have to take a day off - that could be a big loss to productivity. <S> As a manager, I've sent people home on many occasions both because I noticed the problem and when others have brought it up to me. <S> It's really not a big deal. <S> For hourly employees I generally have a way for them to make up the time. <A> For sure you have no power over your colleague (as long as you are not the boss!) <S> but you can tell the colleague that you would rather keep your health than their company (hey, say this with a smile, it is a joke (right?) ). <S> Of course if you are seriously concerned and after a soft approach with the colleague they do not go home, then you should speak with the boss. <S> Your health is important , so if you feel like it is at risk, do something about it.
| Indirectly - Ask your boss to tell the coworker to go home.
|
should I put my work experience that is not related to software development on my resume? I graduated from a university 2 months ago with a BS in Computer Science and I made my resume for an Entry Level position in software developer. I did include other jobs I did in the past(retail). Should I include my retail jobs in my resume or just replace them with my projects I did while I was attending school? <Q> If you want to indicate that you worked your way through uni rather than twiddling your thumbs or partying nonstop after hours, then you include your retail experience. <S> If you want to convey that you are not afraid to work your way from the bottom up and to take your lumps from the mistakes you make, then you include your retail experience <S> You always wanted to work in IT. <S> Your retail experience is proof that nobody gets what they want every single time. <S> It should take a lot more than that to discourage you, so proudly include your retail experience :) <S> You never know - some day, you may be an IT consultant for a retailer, or <S> your high tech consulting outfit has clients in the retail sector. <S> At which point, your experience with retail becomes an asset to your employer Nothing like working in the retail sector at near slave wages to teach you the value of a dollar, so include the retail experience :) <S> Your retail experience indicates a level of familiarity with the world of work, including such basics as showing up on time. <S> So include your retail experience. <S> As your career advances in IT, you may consider glomming your retail experience with various employers into one blob, but you'll cross that bridge when you get to it. <A> Should I include my retail jobs in my resume or just replace them with my projects I did while I was attending school? <S> That way, you can show you have basic work experience - something that not all new graduates can say. <S> If you only have part-time positions in your background, you should probably be more selective, as they would add less value. <A> It depends. <S> If the projects you did while attending school were part of the general curriculum and weren't particularly outstanding, I wouldn't list them. <S> Virtually everyone that gets an undergraduate computer science degree builds a compiler, for example. <S> Unless your compiler won particular praise or you did something unexpected for an undergraduate like taking a couple graduate classes in compiler design, I wouldn't bother putting that on your resume. <S> Of course, you'll want to be able to talk about the compiler you built in an interview or in a cover letter if you happen to be applying for a job where that would be particularly relevant. <S> On the other hand, if you were doing freelance software development while you were going to school or you made some interesting open source contributions, by all means include that. <S> At the same time, I would probably still list your prior employment experience on a resume. <S> Your prior retail experience almost certainly gives you skills that transfer over to the jobs you're after. <S> You demonstrated an ability to show up on time for an extended period of time. <S> You probably learned to work with people you might not have particularly liked. <S> You learned how to deal with a boss that might not always have been particularly concerned about your feelings. <S> You learned how to do work that was less than fun when it needed to be done. <S> Those are all things that future employers value. <S> As time goes on, you'll want to remove those older jobs as you accumulate more software development experience but right out of school, they're very useful. <A> Yes, you should put your other jobs on your resume. <S> If you feel you learned anything distinctive in those jobs, you should mention that. <S> If these jobs contributed significantly to paying the cost of your education, you should mention that. <S> It shows commitment and diligence. <S> This is a resume . <S> Its purpose is to get you an interview and help guide the conversation during the interview. <S> Don't mention anything you're not prepared to speak intelligently about. <S> Also, don't say anything that isn't true, duh. <S> For example, 2011-2014 Stock clerk and cashier at [[retailer]] Learned to use [[retailers]] point-of-sale and inventory systems, and helped train newer employees. <S> Chosen to work the express checkout because of my speed and accuracy <S> Given two merit raises during my time. <S> Financed 35% of my university education with this pay
| If you are right out of school, and have little to no experience in software development, then it would be best to include your prior, non-software, full-time jobs. If you want to indicate that you acquired customer facing experience and that your learned store operations from the bottom up, then you include your retail experience
|
Are there circumstances where a company could rescind a job even after I accept their offer letter? I had a question about not getting a job even after I sign the offer letter and the company accepts it. Let's say that I accepted the offer letter in emails and they even replied, welcoming me to the company and telling me that they will soon be emailing me the documents for completing the process (background, ssn, degrees etc.). Is it still possible for them to not give me the job at this stage? If yes, what could be justifiable reasons for doing so ? <Q> It's quite possible for a job offer to be withdrawn at this stage, yes. <S> Imagine a company that makes an offer in good faith, but then goes bankrupt or undergoes a massive restructuring program that makes the position redundant. <S> Or for that matter, offers might be made subject to a good reference, and then obviously might be withdrawn if instead, the references they receive are poor. <S> Equally, from the company's point of view, they may be expecting you to start but you could win the lottery or get hit by a bus. <S> There are always risks, no matter what. <A> Is it still possible for them to not give me the job at this stage? <S> If yes, what could be justifiable reasons for doing so ? <S> I'll assume you are in the US, and don't have any sort of signed contract or live in a jurisdiction having specific laws about this, and aren't in a union with specific rules about this. <S> In general, the company can back out at any point, and so can you. <S> You could even arrive the first day, and they could say "Sorry, this job is no longer available. <S> " They won't need to give you any further reason. <S> I could imagine that new data about you comes to light, and they decide they no longer want you. <S> That said, for all intents and purposes, this pretty much never happens. <S> Once you reach that stage - unless the offer is contingent on some other action (like a successful background check that hasn't yet been completed, for example), or unless something far out of the ordinary happens - you should be good to go. <S> The closest I have seen is what happened at a former company. <S> An individual was hired right out of college, with a starting date 2 months out. <S> In the interim 2 months, layoffs occurred and all unfilled positions were closed, but the individual was never notified. <S> He showed up for work as planned on the first day and only then learned what had happened. <S> In this case, the company did the right thing by bringing him aboard anyway. <S> They made a position for him in a different group. <S> Eventually, he made it into the position he had originally hoped for. <S> Anything can happen - even after an offer is accepted. <S> But usually there's nothing to worry about at that stage. <A> Unfortunately, this is a possibility and I have seen it happen before. <S> At a previous firm, I extended a formal offer to a data architect. <S> He turned in his notice and accepted the position, but before his start date, my organization announced a hiring freeze - effective immediately, and including hires in progress. <S> I lobbied very strongly to allow this hire to go forward, but the decision was made at the highest levels of management not to honor the offer. <S> I felt terrible that I had put someone in this position, and the situation was a contributing factor in my decision to leave that organization shortly thereafter. <S> If something similar is happening to you, you should take at least a bit of comfort that you won't have to work for an organization that treats people that way. <A> Are there background checks? <S> If you fail them, eg you have bad credit history when starting work at a bank, or they catch you lying on your resume (thanks, HLGEM) <S> , then obviously you wouldn't be suitable for employment. <S> Other likely reasons are the same types of things that might get you fired once you have started working there, <S> e.g. Gross misconduct or breach of contract terms.
| I could imagine that company conditions change and they no longer need your services.
|
I scored low on the Technical Test, but they offered me a Job? I interviewed for a PHP Developer's position earlier in the week, my experience is in C#, so my knowledge of PHP is extremely limited. But I went for the position anyway, because if I didn't turn up I'd never have the opportunity to at least have a go at getting the job. It turns out that as expected I failed miserably on the technical test, However they said they loved my attitude towards learning PHP, my work ethic and also that my previous experience in C# means that PHP wouldn't be difficult to pick up, so they offered me the Job there and then, in the Interview! (Which I was told has never happened). So my question is, could this be too good to be true? I'm having a few doubts about the position considering they heavily rely on a language I don't know very well, am I going to be out of a job within a few months of starting? I'd just like some opinions please, it would help greatly <Q> I think it's quite possible that they are being perfectly honest with you. <S> I would never hire someone or not based on the particular technical skill needed for the job today, as what will be needed tomorrow might well be something different. <S> I want someone who's a fast learner, and has a great attitude and aptitude for learning new things. <S> Are you a quick learner? <S> Have you worked in languages other than C# before? <S> I think they've giving you a chance to put your money where your mouth is. <S> If you are interested in the job, go for it. <S> But do your very best to come up to speed quickly (possibly including spending time outside of work hours developing your skills). <A> I think you are lucky that you found a company that doesn't simply look at test scores but actually the potential of the employee . <S> They saw your potential to succeed with them <S> and that's why they hired you. <S> From a technical standpoint, picking up PHP if you are fluent in C# is a very easy task, and I'm sure they understand this. <S> I would rather hire a resource that is quick to learn new skills (not a trivial task), than someone who is a superstar but can only do one thing. <S> What if tomorrow I need them to do something else? <S> The cost of hiring (and on-boarding) is the most expensive part of any business, so they don't want to do this often. <A> So my question is, could this be too good to be true? <S> I'm having a few doubts about the position considering they heavily rely on a language <S> I don't know very well, am I going to be out of a job within a few months of starting? <S> So you were offered a job, given great reasons why they like you - and you are still worried. <S> If you have confidence in your own abilities, stop worrying so much! <S> As they indicated, they feel you will be able to learn PHP. <S> This is an indication that this company gets it, in my opinion. <S> They understand what is important, and are willing to help employees learn the attributes they don't already hold. <S> Unfortunately, not every company is smart enough to understand this. <S> In the software business things change rapidly. <S> Programming languages come and go fairly rapidly. <S> It's important to be a lifelong learner. <S> You are being offered a chance to show that you can be more than just a "C# person". <S> If you take that change and do well with another language, you'll be able to show yourself and all future employers that you are more than just a one-trick pony - that you are someone who can learn and adjust. <S> I think you should view this offer as "a really good chance", rather than "too good".
| They are correctly saying that in the bigger scheme of things, knowing the specific language is far, far less important than being a great worker, with a great attitude, a great work ethic, and being able to learn. I say go for it!
|
When are hugs acceptable in the workplace? As someone who has had a job before, particularly one in the office, it is my understand that physical touch is high risk. However per the votes on this answer it seems to be enthusiastically received from the workplace.SE community, so I was wondering what the more nuanced guidelines are for when you can hug a coworker. <Q> This probably varies by culture, but in my experience (in the US in the software industry), hugging in the workplace would generally be considered weird. <S> For example, I have seen all of the following kinds of interactions, and in none of these cases were hugs offered or solicited: <S> Someone well-liked is being laid off. <S> Someone has had a melt-down. <S> Someone has just lost a loved one. <S> Someone has achieved something special (promotion, new parent, etc). <S> A team has had a major success (or failure). <S> I have seen hugs -- generally mild, not big bear hugs -- in cases where the people involved were close friends, whether those friendships developed in the workplace or outside of it. <S> In those cases, the people involved already know if, <S> and if so what kind, of hug the other considers appropriate. <S> Also, be aware that in some cultures and religions, there are restrictions on this kind of thing between men and women . <S> If you don't know it's ok to hug this person <S> , it's best not to try. <S> As for the question you linked to, note that the suggestion is fairly sarcastic. <S> It's precisely because hugs like that aren't normal that the answer is humorous. <S> If you actually did that, it would be quite awkward. <A> Rules: <S> "No" means no. <S> No unwanted contact or touch. <S> Observe how the person hugs - That should give you a pretty good idea how that person wants to be hugged in return. <S> Some women have perfected the art of hugging with just the arms touching :) <S> Know your boundaries. <S> If in doubt, explicitly ask for permission first and wait until permission is given. <S> Otherwise, what's the point of asking for permission? <S> :) <S> Don't rush into the hugging. <S> Give the other person plenty of time to say "No" at the last second. <S> Watch out for context - where you are, what you are doing, who is with you, what they are doing at that moment. <S> If you happen to be at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the company, initiating the hugging of the CEO is probably not the greatest idea. <S> And people probably don't want to get hugged on their way in and out of the restroom either :) <S> The biggest context of all is, of course, the workplace culture. <A> We classify people into different groups all the time, but we can consider them a hierarchy as to how close we feel to them. <S> Co-workers are people we work with, occasionally see socially and if we leave the company may never see them again. <S> Friends are people we see frequently socially, may work with, and would see them regardless of where we work. <S> It may be that you meet someone at work, become co-workers and through interacting become friends. <S> So if you consider someone just a coworker don't hug them , stick to hugging friends. <A> This is highly dependant on culture, both the culture of the coutry where the business is and the individual culture of the company. <S> In the place where I currently work, hugs are common and we would never consider not hugging someone when a death in the family occurs for instance. <S> Nor would I want to work in a place so cold that a death in the family did not produce a hug frankly. <S> It is best to observe how things are being handled when you are in a new place. <S> And never hug someone who clearly doesn't want it. <S> Be especially careful of hugging across gender boundaries and cultural boundaries.
| If you want to play it safe: never initiate a hug, look around you and see how well hugs are received, and observe how an individual person goes about hugging others before you hug that person. No exchange of bodily fluids at any time, especially if you have the flu :)
|
When should graduates start applying for jobs? I'm a Master's student in Computer Science, hopefully graduating in October (3 months from now). I'm currently living in Ireland, and I'd like to take advantage of this opportunity to start looking for a job over here or at least have a good idea about the offers over here. I don't know if it's right to actively apply for a job position, since most of them are for immediate availability. On the other side, if I don't apply, I feel like I'm missing a good opportunity to get in touch in person with the companies over here and I will never know if it's really worth it moving abroad. As a student about to graduate, should I apply for jobs now or wait until I graduate? <Q> Yes , you should apply for a job right away. <S> It's not unusual to take a few months to find a job that suits you <S> , take advantage of this time period. <S> Applying just before you graduate or right after graduation is too late, it will most likely result in a few months with no paychecks or you'll settle for a less-interesting job just because you really need it. <S> There's nothing wrong with applying for jobs while not being available, just make sure to bring it up in every interview that you're not free until you've graduated in X months <S> , companies will not look down on you for wasting their time, it's not a waste at all to get to know you too early when it could have been too late. <S> I graduated in June last year <S> but I started applying in January, the time period gave me 3 job offers and roughly 4 times as many interviews, one of which I accepted roughly a month and a half before I graduated. <S> I took one week off after the graduation and then started working for the company. <S> Some students waited with the applying part until a month before graduation, in many cases it lead to stress, unemployment for a while after graduation and so on. <S> Worst case scenario: <S> The company needs someone right away (so you wouldn't have missed anything by waiting anyway, no harm!) <S> and you get experience from the interview. <S> They might even keep your resume for future job openings. <S> Best case scenario: <S> You get a job offer you like within a decent time period, giving you time to focus on your graduation. <S> Good luck. <A> Since the companies that attend these events know that they're recruiting people that will start in a few months once they graduate, that obviously simplifies the availability discussion. <S> Your university's career office or the computer science department's office should have information about upcoming career fairs and/or recruiter visits. <S> If for some reason your university doesn't have recruiters come on campus to talk with graduating students, you can still apply for other positions, you'll just want to indicate that you aren't available until after you graduate. <S> Most companies prefer people that can start immediately but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in people that have other obligations. <S> Most employed people, for example, will need to give a few weeks of notice to their current employer or will need to finish their current contract before joining a new company. <S> Since it often takes months for a company to find the right candidate, companies may be quite willing to make you an offer to start in a few months. <A> Talk to the university office that helps students find jobs. <S> For undergraduates and grad students they help find internships. <S> For students approaching graduation they help them find jobs. <S> Some universities even allow recent graduates to use their services for 6 months or a year after graduation. <S> They can help with resumes, arranging interviews either on campus or at company locations, they might even coordinate job airs. <S> They can even arrange for practice interviews. <A> You should always apply for jobs in IT before you graduate. <S> Many employers recruit graduates specifically and therefore will be accommodating to your graduation process and in general with larger employers, take a long time to complete the hiring process relative to SMEs. <S> Intake for graduate schemes within large companies usually occurs in August-September to get all the graduates at once and accommodate the various graduation ceremonies as they are all on different days and months. <S> Even without this, you will likely receive many phone calls from recruiters with job timelines that do not suit you. <S> I certainly did when I first graduated and in my experience, the start date can be negotiable.
| Most universities have career fairs where company recruiters come to interview students that are about to graduate.
|
Can/should I use a personal business card on which I may or may not put my current employer? I've recently started attended seminars and events for my career. The problem is, I don't have a business card to give or to show every time someone asks for it, because my company doesn't issue business cards to temporary employees. Is it an issue to make my own personal business card on which I may or may not put my current employer? EDIT:Some of the event invitations were forwarded to me from my co-workers/manager and some are emailed to us employees. I think my manager doesn't want me to attend some of these events, that is why i go there personally for my own professional growth. <Q> Are you representing your employer at these events? <S> Is your employer paying for you to attend these events? <S> If yes to either of these, then I would suggest asking their approval to put their name down on a card that you'd pay to get X copies made as I'd see the company having some say in this. <S> On the other side, if you are doing this for your own personal growth, then I'd suggest making cards that don't list your current employer that are a way for people to connect with you and build your network. <A> Is it an issue to make my own personal business card on which I may or may not put my current employer? <S> Presumably, you are attending these seminars and events on your own, not as a representative of your company, nor on company business. <S> Thus it's perfectly reasonable for you to hand out your own personal cards, containing your personal contact information. <S> That's a very reasonable way to network. <S> However, it's not perfectly reasonable to include your employer's information on the card, without their permission. <S> You could always ask your boss if it would be okay to put company information on your own personal card. <S> If they wanted you to have their business cards, they would have provided them for you, so most likely the answer is "No", but the only way to know for sure is to ask. <A> It's no problem to make your own business card. <S> There are plenty of companies that don't even issue business cards for their full-time permanent employees. <S> You need a way to give your contact information to people you meet at these seminars and events, and the business card is the easiest way to do so. <S> I think it'd be a good idea to put your employer's name and your title on the business card, that way people know you're employed and that information could help them to remember who you were when they look at your card. <S> You can also include your company's phone number and your work email address, but since you say you're a temporary employee, it'd be a better idea to include your personal phone number and email address. <S> That way people can still contact you after you leave your current employer. <S> EDIT: <S> Your manager doesn't have a problem with you attending those events that he forwards to you (otherwise he wouldn't forward them to you), and it wouldn't hurt to ask him if the company can make some business cards for you since you would like to attend those events.
| Also you can have two sets of cards if you prefer (one business and one personal), but only give one of those cards to anyone you meet, otherwise they might be confused about how they should contact you.
|
What should I answer when an interviewer asks to say something "about yourself"? I am a software professional. I have attended many interviews , in 99.99 % of them started with a question like "Tell me about yourself" I start with my name, where I'm from, what I've studied (personal info) etc., then talk about my hobbies, interests and sometimes about my current working environment. As everybody knows the first impression is the best impression? Which is the best way to impress an interviewer by telling "about oneself"? <Q> The "tell me about yourself <S> " question is usually just used by interviewers to gauge your social/conversational skills. <S> There really isn't a right or wrong answer for it, but since you are seeking a job at the company, use that question to your advantage. <S> You can tell them about about what you studied in school, what skills you have, give them a brief summary of all of your previous jobs, and then tell them how your skills and experience are a good fit for the position. <S> Remember what skills and other requirements they mentioned in the job ad, and if you have those skills, be sure to mention that. <S> I wouldn't bother with mentioning any personal hobbies or interests, unless they are relevant to the job. <S> For example if you like to work on open-source software projects in your free time, then definitely mention that. <S> But don't waste the interviewer's time by mentioning that you like to go horseback riding or anything that's not related to the job. <S> It's the best question you could ask for in an interview. <S> I've interviewed many people and asked that question, and a few people seemed intimidated by the question and didn't know what to say. <S> They really blew a golden opportunity to tell me why we should hire them. <A> I usually resolve this for the candidate by saying "tell me about your self ,more on the technical side". <S> What i expect him is to provide me with information which might be of interest to me. <S> Name qualification experience and projects. <S> According to me good approach is to start with your name, qualifications, experience and gradually move towards the information which will help the interviewer in evaluating you. <S> Guide him towards the projects which you are most comfortable explaining. <S> Tell me about your self is the opportunity which should be used to take control of the flow of interview. <S> Note : I take care of the technical part only. <A> Before you answer a question in the interview, it may be good to think why it is being posed to you or what the interview might be expecting as an answer. <S> Here are a few things they would want to hear for a "tell me about yourself" question. <S> Your accomplishments which would be suitable to the current position <S> Your work in the past that is relevant to the current position <S> Your passion or interest: Is your interest aligned to this job?. <S> If you say your interested in philately. <S> It may not what the interviewer would be interested to hear in a tech interview. <S> If you could you get things done? <S> Your work values. <S> What do you value most in your work environment. <S> Does it align with the positional requirements? <S> Culture fit <S> Try to chip and blend in these aspects in your answers. <S> So it would be a good answer for these kind of open ended questions. <S> I hope this helps you. <S> Good luck for your interviews. <A> "Tell me about yourself" is one of the questions that show that you don't have 30 minutes to make an impression to the interviewer, or ten minutes or even five minutes but 30 seconds. <S> In fact, you have to be credible the moment you open your mouth. <S> They say you don't get a second chance to make an impression but often enough, the first impression you make could be the last impression you make. <S> A question just as this one will allow you to set the tone of the interview going forward. <S> How does "I am an Infosec specialist. <S> I do third level sys engineering in Linux and Windows Server. <S> I know my way around routing and switching. <S> And I am a full stack javascript demon and python fiend <S> " sound? <S> Four sentences. <S> Fifteen seconds. <S> Shock and awe :) <S> You'll have to find your own formula.
| "Tell me about yourself" is such an open-ended question that it's a great opportunity to tell them your skills and experience and to sell yourself for the job.
|
Code Tests as part of the interview Recently I applied to a company that I was really excited to work for. They, like many other companies, gave me a simple take home code challenge. I made sure all my code was clean, had comments, and even included Java Documentation. When they first sent the test, I noticed a few possible problems with the Challenge, which I immediately addressed with a polite email stating that I had reviewed the question and was about to begin, but had a few questions regarding the requirement... mainly that they were referring to an Int where it seemed more appropriate to use a float (as it was a currency exchange calculator). They didn't reply to those questions, so over the weekend I went ahead and completed the challenge making assumptions around my questions and documenting those assumptions and why I made them when submitting for review. As soon as they received my submission they replied saying that my assumptions were correct and they were not sure why they referenced an int and in fact they were changing it to a float. They also stated that they received my submission and would contact me soon to set up a Question and Answer Review of my code. A week later, I wrote a checking in email. And now another week later I have still heard nothing back. Is it common to just not call a candidate back if you are not satisfied with the result of the test? It was so simple, i don't know how I could have flunked it. In the past I have always received an email pass or fail from other companies. <Q> It's really hard to say. <S> They should have sent you some sort of reply. <S> That's pretty common <S> but I suppose they don't have to. <S> They may not be in any hurry to hire someone. <S> They could be fielding a large volume of qualified people. <S> People can react very negatively to being corrected too, you can't control that. <S> There is a possibility that you're overqualified. <S> Recently a group of my classmates all applied for the same software job. <S> We've all taken the same classes together <S> and I've worked with each of them over the years and <S> in my assessment the least qualified one among them got the job. <S> The top two didn't even get an interview. <S> Sometimes these software jobs are companies looking for people who can put code into the computer, without having to pay for a 'developer', I make that statement very cautiously and wish not to sound pretentious. <S> You can keep politely following up but at some point you may have to face the music that you didn't get it and continue to look elsewhere. <A> Keep following up. <S> You have a positive relationship with them. <S> They know that they not just a good programmer but that you are a case where good help is hard to find. <S> They almost certainly have other stuff on their plates. <S> Give them the benefit of the doubt, keep following up but take no chances - keep floating your resume and going to interviews. <S> No putting all your eggs in the same basket. <A> I have interviewed for hundreds of jobs, and been accepted for dozens, but not ever have I got a call back to let me know <S> I was not chosen. <S> It sounds like they have not gotten back to you for a while. <S> This means that they are not going to hire you. <S> Odds are, as amazingly well as you did on your exam, someone else did better, or was a better fit over all. <S> The appropriate action to take at this time is nothing . <S> Move on to the next interview. <A> This sounds like a very good start. <S> Management can be very busy though, and decisions are sometimes required to be chained between multiple layers of management. <S> There's HR, sometimes a manager over the team you'd be working in, a manager over that manager and other managers within the work space unit and then there can be a manager over that manager and so on, sometimes a permission from everyone, including some specialists, are required. <S> Also, let's face it <S> , It's summer time, it's common that things take way longer than they usually do due to summer vacations. <S> It's happened to me that I've been having a good experience with a potential employer, but I didn't hear anything for weeks until suddenly I was offered a job in that company. <S> I had already accepted another job offer but that's not the important point <S> , the important point is that sometimes companies are not rushing to offer anything due to many reasons. <S> If you don't hear from them within another week try to give them a call, direct contact is usually the best way to go. <S> Just don't give up. <A> I've recruited several candidates before, and I think checking in once a week to say simply "we're still interested" or <S> "management is reviewing your application" is acceptable, but to not send anything for a week or longer is not professional. <S> Companies will not necessarily provide constructive feedback, there are some good reasons for this and some silly HR reasons for this. <A> I'm a software developer, too. <S> The situation that you've described is, from my experience, very common. <S> As someone else noted, it's very rare that you receive a response informing you that you were not selected for the position. <S> And though you may have done well on the test, there are several factors at play in the hiring decision that a company makes-- technical skill, personality, availability of an established colleague, etc. <S> Your best defense is a good offense: <S> Ambiguity regarding a job application is easier to handle when you have several irons in the fire, so to speak. <S> Good luck!
| Continue applying for more jobs, continue going to other interviews, and continue working on side projects that will boost your confidence.
|
If I want to emphasize leadership experience, is it OK to highlight jobs outside my functional area where I was a leader? I am applying for middle/senior management positions at younger companies (avg employee age 30) in a function where I am manager since only 2 years. Is it OK to give a lot of weight also to roles I had in the past that were not in the same functional area - so that I can emphasize my leadership experience rather than my technical experience? e.g. 2012-2014 IT Analytics Manager(write many details) 2011-2012 IT Solutions Assistant 2010-2011 Junior Analyst 2008-2010 Business Development Manager (write many details) 2006-2008 Customer Care Team Manager (write many details) <Q> Of course. <S> Your CV is meant to give an overview of what you have realised during your life, but you're free to stress certain aspects <S> (things you did really well, things you want to continue doing) over others. <S> Focusing on your last job is a logical consequence: if you liked that job, and you want to continue doing it, that job is "more relevant" to who you are and what you do, then the 6 months you spent waiting tables when you were 18. <S> Do be prepared for the question during the interview why you stressed certain aspects more, but there are many good answers: <S> I really enjoyed that particular position (because I like managing complex teams / because I like taking responsibility / because I like long-term thinking...) <S> That's the job where I picked up many different skills / my most recent skills, which I'd like to use in my further career ... <S> The default advice for a resume is still valid here: let your CV show what you accomplished, your "added value" for your employer. <S> Work with concretes: how many people were in your team, did you report to the CEO, how much million dollar was your project, ... <A> You've earned the right to mention it. <S> When it comes to management experience, nobody is too particular about where you got it from, as long as it is legit <S> and you can talk about it as if you learned something valuable about it. <S> Management is anything but genius work and in fact, it's not supposed to be genius work. <S> Because if management were genius work, we'd all be in serious trouble since maybe 1 in 1000 people is a genius, and that's too few geniuses for our management needs. <S> Having said that, good managers who actually get things done are still hard to find. <A> This is where the cover letter is your friend. <S> While those prior jobs may not get as much page space as more recent positions in your resume, your cover letter should help the interviewer understand how that other experience demonstrates qualities that would be beneficial for the company in this position.
| If you have acquired the experience, by all means, mention it.
|
Is it normal not know minimum pay until the end of the interview? More and more often I am being contacted on various professional social networks by HR people with mail like this: Hi (your name), I'm interested in your profile so I would like to know if you are intersted for an interview. We are (info about the company). Since I'm currently happy with my job and since, in cases like this, I always think about trawling, I usually start to ask something like: what pay should I expect (where I intend the minimum pay)? what benefits should I expect? what type of employment contract should I expect? But usually they answer: This will be explained after the interview. Is this normal or is this smell for a penny-pinching company? <Q> Have to disagree with the other answers here. <S> You should always know the rough salary before you interview. <S> Can you imagine preparing for an interview, booking time off, doing it, only to be told that the pay is several thousand less than what you're currently on? <S> Now - you won't get an exact salary out of most companies. <S> That will depend on what they think you're worth. <S> Most reputable companies will (depending on sector) say: Base salary £9,000 - OTE £35,000 (on target earnings / bonus etc) <S> From £22,000 <S> (This is the minimum they'll pay - maybe you'll get more.) <S> Up to £33,000 <S> (This is the top they can afford. <S> You'll probably get less.) <S> Between £19k - 24k <S> Depending on experience (This is their range, you're unlikely to go outside it) <S> In line with experience. <S> AVOID! <S> Their idea of experience is unlikely to be the same as yours... <S> In any case, before interviewing let them know your salary expectations. <S> If they won't give you their expected salary range (or any other details) <S> I'd be very wary. <S> Now - all this is slightly dependent on your experience and the industry you're in. <A> But usually they answer: This will be explained after the interview. <S> Is this normal or is this smell for a penny-pinching company? <S> This is completely normal, and not necessarily the sign of a penny-pinching company. <S> Companies often don't want to discuss salary and benefits with someone until they are sure there is at least some level of mutual interest. <S> In particular, they are often reluctant to hand out this information over social networks. <S> Salary and benefit information and negotiation often take place in the last stages of interviewing. <S> If you are interested in the company, you can often get a sense of their benefits by looking at their company website. <S> Many companies have a page or two about "why you should work here" that mentions benefits as well. <S> If you really need to know more specifics, and don't worry about coming across as someone who cares more about the money than about the specifics of the work, you can always say "I'm not interested unless this job pays at least $x". <S> Then, you can decide your next step based on their response. <A> This is normal since payments vary between people. <S> They want you to impress them before they start to offer you anything. <S> Just because you say you know <S> something doesn't mean that you actually know it, they need to get an insight of your knowledge and perhaps there are some issues with you; maybe you're very bad in socializing with your co-workers and so on. <S> Some companies give you a reasonable range but <S> the interview and your experience and set of skills will determine where you end within he range, but usually it's not provided. <S> And in my experience you'll be the one asked how much you want and if they're pleased with you then they either give you a direct job offer or a counter offer so you must make sure that you know how much you deserve for the job. <A> Generally employers like to keep as much control as possible over their hiring processes, which includes the discussion on pay and benefits. <S> It's also fashionable for employees to pretend that they're not working in order to get paid but rather because they love their job. <S> For both of these reasons it's become the norm that questions regarding pay and benefits don't come up until late in the interview stage. <S> Asking these questions before an interview can come across as strange to many interviewers which is not something you want when actively searching for a job. <S> When you're in this situation you should have a general idea of your value as an employee as well as the average pay range for the positions you're looking for in your area. <S> If you're then asking these kinds of questions too early in the interviewing process you signal that you either don't know the value of your skills or don't trust the interviewer to make a market-appropriate offer. <S> However, this changes when you're the one being contacted for a position. <S> It's entirely reasonable to request details on the position as well as the pay range when you're being cold called by a company or recruiter. <S> This saves both parties valuable time when either has certain requirements that they can't budge on. <S> Reasonable recruiters shouldn't balk at discussing the pay range for a position they're trying to fill prior to an interview. <S> I should note that I've gotten the impression that in some regions and cultures recruiters are more likely to be unreasonably attached to controlling the interview process. <S> No matter who initiated the conversation, the tone in which you ask these questions is important as even reasonable questions can rub recruiters the wrong way if you come across as overly blunt or self-concerned. <S> Now, if recruiters won't even answer a question as simple as what kind of contract you should expect, that's a pretty big red flag for either the recruiter or the position. <S> It could be that the recruiter doesn't have any actual positions available but is looking to build up a collection of profiles.
| It's never a good idea to go to an interview without an idea of what the remuneration is - be it salary, stock, free meals, etc.
|
How to decline participation in team building activities I have this situation where I can't figure out what to do. Big team building event is coming up and it is happening at place where my girlfriend loves to go few times at summer time, it is really beautiful place. I asked person, who is responsible for event, if my girlfriend can come too. She kindly responded that budget is really limited for this event, and that it's limited to only company workforce only. So I ask about expenses for one person and asked if I can cover for my girlfriend. I got strange response saying that its not that person responsible has got anything against my girlfriend, but that it would be weird that she is there, even if she does not participate in activities. I just asked I would like to have her by my side while i am there, because i know that she loves that place. And I got again this weird response that I should spend more time with colleagues and not make any excuse to avoid that. The thing is I am not making any excuses I just want that my girlfriend is besides me while we are there, I would participate in all activities and all. It just don't feel right that I would go without her to this place. Last few month I have skipped some activities with my team and colleagues, because of personal projects. I really want to go but at the same time I don't want to if can't take my girlfriend with me. I feel like not going it would somehow damage my relationships with team members, because there will be some kind of game activity and I have been placed in on of the teams, so if I won't go there will be team without one member. But in the same time, I feel that if I go I will damage the lovely bond I have with my girlfriend, because we mostly go places together, especially if one of us really likes that place. How could I resolve this without any damage to both sides? I have few options, but I want to hear other people ideas and answers. <Q> How could i resolve this without any damage to both sides? <S> You have been told that girlfriends are not invited to these events, so even if it's a really pretty place, and even if your girlfriend likes it a lot, stop asking if she can come along to this company event - you've already gotten your answer. <S> Instead, bring your girlfriend on your own time - perhaps immediately following the team-building event. <S> Find another time that works well for both of you where you can pay attention to her. <S> Separating work life from home life is something we all need to learn to do as we grow up and mature professionally. <S> Use this event as an opportunity for both you and your girlfriend to learn how to accomplish that without damaging any bonds. <S> (As David Mulder points out in the comment below, some cultures separate work life from home life more than others. <S> Based on what you wrote about your discussion with the activity coordinator, I'm assuming you work in a culture that permits such a separation.) <A> Team building activities are just that: team building activities. <S> The idea is that you spend time with your team away from your normal office and work. <S> You will spend time and attention on your girlfriend (otherwise, why bring her along?), so you will naturally spend less time and attention on your team. <S> Your employer is sponsoring this event, and this happens on company time (or should, at least). <S> Who pays the piper calls the tune. <S> Your employer is very much in the right if they want you to concentrate on the team during these activities. <S> You twice call it "weird" when your contact person tries to gently hint at this. <S> I suggest that you think about this attitude and try to change it. <S> In addition, you mention that you already skipped some team events. <S> I recommend that you be very careful about the image you project at work. <S> Do your best to communicate that your team is important to you - at least during work hours. <S> Frankly, pressing this exact issue is not the best way to make a good impression along these lines. <S> Finally: I'd recommend that you take your girlfriend to this place some other time. <S> This will be more fair to her, too, since that way you'll be able to concentrate on her, without having to divide your time and attention between your colleagues and your girlfriend. <A> A team building event is a professional event, however in a casual setting. <S> This is still "on-time", it can be either during official working hours, or outside working hours. <S> Although the location is different, the tone is more fun, and people behave in a more relaxed way. <S> However, don't confuse official teambuilding events with your own free time. <S> This is different from the occasions that you spend with your girlfriend, friends, and family, or with the times when you go for a beer with colleagues after work, which is also your own free time. <S> Not "doing your job" during the team building event could the same way end your career, as not "doing your job" in the office/workplace. <S> I recommend to be professional. <S> Give your best the same way during the team building event as you would do in the office/workplace, independently from the location. <S> Note:When significant others are welcome, this information is usually explicitly given. <S> Like a business dinner where husband/wife are also required, or a fund raising event. <S> However, these are still "part of the job", and family members are expected to behave accordingly - i.e. to support you in your work role.
| Explain to her that this is a company event, not a family-and-friends event, and that you need to pay attention to the team building activities for a while. If you take along your girlfriend, you will change the dynamics heavily.
|
Is it okay to use an office printer to print personal documents? How bad is it to print personal documents using an office printer? I would do it maybe once every six months, printing around 100 pages on average. <Q> 100 pages? <S> What, are you printing a novel? <S> Every office I've worked in has turned a blind eye to the odd bit of personal printing. <S> Paper confirmation for a ticket? <S> Letter to the Tax Inspector? <S> Sure, go ahead. <S> , I can't imagine anyone caring about 1 or 2 pages. <S> But 100 pages? <S> That's taking advantage of your company's good nature. <S> Honestly, a cheap laser printer is under £50 new. <S> If you're going to be printing a lot, invest in one. <A> Regardless of the amount, using office equipment for personal stuff is 'not done' (formally/officially). <S> I would not be surprised if that is written somewhere in your contract/agreements/company rules. <S> Just ask. <S> Usually, for small amounts, companies don't see a problem and give you permission. <A> In my experience, printing a few things infrequently is fine - just like making infrequent, personal phone calls is fine and taking care of banking or something using your work computer is fine. <S> 100 pages might be borderline, since that's enough that it can disrupt actual work for other people that need to print. <S> As long as you're getting your work done, not preventing others from getting their work done, and not using up hundreds of dollars of paper... <S> it's usually fine. <A> It's not bad per se, many companies allow their employeed to print their personal stuff on the printer, such as tickets etc. <S> When it's goint to the Master's thesis, it's in interest of the company to have worker higher qualified, at least usually. <S> It's often considered as a kind of benefit. <S> Of course, the company is free to forbid you doing so, and in that case, you must simply obey, no matter if you agree or not. <S> If you have any doubt on that matter, you should ask your management if it's OK or not. <A> I have seen people getting into issues because they printed personal documents. <S> Usually printers are shared between offices and an employee from a different department will not be pleased to find out that they can't get their documents because someone is using the printer for personal purposes. <S> Talk to your supervisor and justify the cause. <S> In case anything goes wrong, it is good to know that you talked to someone about it.
| The costs are, be honest, minimal, so there's no really good reason for the company to forbid workers to print private stuff. It's really rare that the workers will have so much stuff to print that it would generate significant costs. Ask your boss ahead of time I justify it by telling my manager how long it will take me to go to a local print shop and getting my documents.
|
What to do when my boss explicitly says he has nothing for me to do? I work in a small office (three people usually) and I am fairly new (here less than three months). In general, I have things to do or can pester my boss to either give me something to do or make the judgement call to send me home (I'm part time). On the few occasions I've tried to do things on my own, he's usually come down pretty hard about doing things on my own without confirming with him first. (Even when they were things he approved of, he would rather I come to him first.) So today, I finished up with my project pretty early (it's been a slow week), and my boss and coworker were going out for a meeting. I told them I wouldn't have much to do, because I was wrapping up. They told me to stay and man the phones. Unfortunately, in this case, I was kind of at a loss for what to do. I've run around the workbenches and put all the tools back in place, I've wrapped up all the spare Cat 5s (it's that kind of office), put them back in the bins and I've vacuumed. I know rummaging around on the Stack Exchange network probably isn't what my boss intended, but I thought I'd ask The Workplace if anyone had had an experience like this. What should I do when my boss explicitly says he has nothing for me to do? <Q> Train yourself! <S> Think of something you'd like to know how to do and learn it, whether that's a technical skill or a workplace process of some kind. <S> It'll keep you engaged and make you a more valuable worker. <A> What do do when my boss explicitly says he has nothing for me to do <S> He already told you to "stay and man the phones", so that's not "nothing". <S> You clearly must stay and you clearly must man the phones. <S> While you are manning the phones, there is almost certainly something you could do <S> that wouldn't cause your boss to come down hard on you. <S> Perhaps, more cleaning? <S> Perhaps reading work-related items? <S> Perhaps some self-training? <S> Perhaps create some documentation (for yourself or for others)? <S> In the future, you can be a bit more proactive. <S> Next time, you could say something like " <S> No problem, I'll man the phones. <S> Anything else you'd like me to do to fill the time?" <A> It sounds to me that you are in the first phase of the new job (S1), when you need a lot of direction and information. <S> This is not because you are not intelligent enough, this is because you are new. <S> Good bosses know about it, and keep the information/direction flowing for new hires. <S> However, some superiors don't know about it, and let new hires swim alone in the deep, without giving sufficient direction. <S> See this summary about the Situational Leadership II model here . <S> Otherwise, when you are in S4, workload usually varies over time, busy and less-busy periods alternate each other. <S> These can be days, weeks, or months, depending on the nature of the job. <S> The main uses of the less-busy period are: Recover emotionally. <S> Use this period of less stress intentionally, as this is a natural time to recover and charge up for the next busy period, when your emotional stamina is needed again. <S> Work ahead. <S> Training, long term projects, organizing, creative work, to create buffer for the busy period. <A> I worked in a company that resulted in us having some down-time. <S> Sometimes it was after a busy period <S> so we used it to work on "nice-to-get-done" tasks. <S> Other times, we used it for training. <S> Your circumstance seems a little different; you're new so a good place to start would be writing up a plan for when you have down-time. <S> As other users have suggested, training is one of the best places to start. <S> If there is anything in the company you've notice could be improved, draw up some possible solutions on how you could improve them. <S> It doesn't even necessarily need to be overly formal <S> but when you've done this, present it to your boss. <A> There is always things to do, even if you think there is not. <S> I have had few slow days even weeks in my not so long carrier. <S> I always find something to do, help others, read some documentation, actually ask if there is something to do. <S> Even when there is none of listed abow possible, you can educate yourself and self learn something. <S> Always train your brains, of course on actual work matter. <S> If you have the luxury of learning something that you need in other matters than even better. <S> Here is some motivational quite: <S> Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning. <S> Winston Churchill <A> Keep a journal. <S> Note things that might need attention, and then start listing potential fixes. <S> You'll either be asked what you keep logging <S> or you'll take the list to your boss to ask if you can implement things from the list. <S> I've rarely been in a position with nothing to do, but I always have at least one list of "things that possibly should be done". <S> (Don't make a list of "things wrong in this office"! <S> Especially when you're 'the new guy'.) <S> In a time when simple conversation is happening, ask if you can have some semi-regular informal time to ask about and learn about how the office functions. <S> Use your journal for subject matter. <S> I don't recall any 'small office' environment that didn't have a couple procedures that no one liked. <S> Maybe structuring time sheets; maybe filling out an expense report; maybe making travel plans. <S> There's always something that needs attention and that everyone wants to change. <S> (Large offices can be even worse.) <S> Use those to ask if there is some back-end process that is addressed by doing the onerous front-end process. <S> If not, then maybe you'll have suggestions that'll make everyone. <S> And if there is a back-end reason, maybe the front-end can be improved. <S> Your coworkers won't be upset if you ask the boss about things that they also dislike (but might not have felt comfortable complaining about). <S> We don't know what minute-to-minute activities are in your office. <S> But your journal can keep a lot of things easily available to you without our suggestions. <S> Use your daily experience.
| Write yourself a training plan of things that could/would be useful for your role. As one of my previous bosses said to me, "Don't come to me with problems; bring me solutions." Never stop thinking and brainstorming and never think there is nothing to do.
|
What to do when previous boss is asking to help finishing failed project? Recently, about 2 month ago, I stopped working to this side project which was planned to launch about now, but because the Mother company stopped financing the project it closed. And few days ago the man who i was creator of this project wrote me if i could now help him finish this failed project. Before we said good-byes to each other he asked me if i would like to help finish it for a smaller salary and in my free time. I replied that i would love to but I already got offer for another project so I said no. We really closed and went our separate ways with good relationships. Now he is asking about finishing this project, and i don't know how to feel about it. He said he can't pay me because he is almost broke, but he promised that he would finish the final product and give it to the Mothers companies manager who was responsible for the project. I would really like to help him, but my time is really limited, so I have to say no. But this person taught me a lot and helped me when no one else did. How could i say no to him without dealing critical damage to our relationship. So i would like to help him, but it probably takes much more time than he is saying and that would mean sacrificing some projects where i get payed developing in them. I would like to know peoples thoughts about this. Is it worth sacrificing really good developers and business mans relationships for a decent month pay for a project? What would be the best scenario here? I am in agony, because i had plans for other own projects, this would set me back, but i feel that this person could really help me in future. Eh I am at crossroads. <Q> If you're going to say "No", do it as you're doing here. <S> People can be understanding especially when you show them that you're not just immediately rejecting their request for help. <S> You've expressed your gratitude to us and explained the reasons why you'd like to, but can't. <S> Being upfront and honest, showing gratitude but still being firm can go a long way. <A> You laid out the pros and cons neatly and comprehensively. <S> Regrettably, you will have to be the one to balance these pros and cons according to your priorities, resources and constraints and make the decision yourself. <S> Consider some other alternative, such as your paying someone else such as a college kid to do the job. <S> If you decide to turn him down, tell him what you just told us From your experience, The current time estimate is unrealistic. <S> It will take much more time and much more effort than he thinks it will. <S> You are working on several projects off-hours that suck up all your free time. <S> These projects come with tight deadlines and tight milestones and your only way out is by finishing them, and your finishing them is one thing that's not happening any time soon. <S> You could add that you are being straight up because it would have been totally unfair to him to tell him that you are going to help him when you are not in a position to do so, and you like him too much <S> and you owe him too much to want to do that to him. <A> Are you sure that saying "no" will sacrifice a good relationship, as you say? <S> Perhaps it wouldn't. <S> On the other hand, if you politely say "no" and the person takes offence, then they're not respecting you and your time, and I'd question the value of that relationship in the first place. <S> If you have a good relationship with this person, I'd expect them to respect your decision to say, "Really sorry, but I just don't have the time at the moment". <S> A third option is to propose that you could help a little - in a way that doesn't impact your life - but only do what you're comfortable with.
| Explain to him the reasons why, at this time, you can't help but if/when your circumstances change, you'd be more than willing to in the future (if this is indeed the case, which I suspect it is). Express to him how grateful you are for all he has taught you and helped you in the past.
|
Showing Gratitude for "Free" Carpooling in Germany I grew up in the United States and am still pretty unfamiliar with German customs and social interactions. I am currently working as an intern in a moderately large company in Germany. It's about a 40 minute commute and I usually rode together with a family member who has a very high position in the company. Due to external circumstances my family member took two weeks off and I asked to carpool with a group of coworkers that were close enough to where I live. It has been fine for the most part since 1 or 2 would be missing consistently, but today it resulted in one of the coworkers taking his own car to work citing lack of space as a reason (it's very cramped if all 5 of us are in the car). I asked at the beginning of the carpool relationship how I could contribute to gas costs but my question was completely brushed off. I would very much like to show my gratitude and appreciation for their patience and willingness to take me along (they may also have felt that they could not refuse due to my family member that has a very high position in the company), but I am unsure how to express that and what kind of gift/action would be appropriate to convey it. Any advice is greatly appreciated! <Q> Ask your co-workers. <S> Say something like this: "In the USA, it's our custom to contribute something towards gas money when riding in a car pool. <S> Please tell me what the customs are here in Germany. <S> I would hate to make a social mistake." <S> I believe, having lived in several cultures, that it's almost always appropriate to ask this kind of question about cultural customs. <S> It's most appropriate when the situation is immediate, not abstract. <S> That is, ask your carpool mates this question. <S> You also can ask the fellows at the local gym, but the question won't be as meaningful to them. <S> Even if your carpool mates still refuse your offer of payment, you have started a conversation about social customs and you (and they) will still learn something. <A> You already did the right thing and asked to share the gas costs. <S> That's definitely the polite thing to do, but it's not unusual that those costs are not shared because quite frankly, the cost of actually collecting the people in terms of time spent for the driver is way higher than gas prices, even in Germany. <S> Be someone people like to have in the car. <S> Be nice, be friendly and above all in Germany: be on time. <S> A perfect passenger is already waiting when the car arrives. <S> For two weeks, you don't need to do anything special or costly. <S> Make sure you offer your thanks. <S> Showing appreciation goes a long way and is worth more than anything you could buy. <S> You cannot go wrong with a box of chocolate though. <A> As an intern, you likely make a lot less than the others, and they know that. <S> In addition, it's only for two weeks. <S> Not really a big deal. <S> Of course, a little present would be appreciated. <S> Perhaps a medium-priced bottle of wine for each of them (assuming they all take turns driving), which might set you back more-or-less exactly the price of one tank full of gas. <S> Or chocolate. <A> I can't speak specifically for German customs (hopefully another user can do that) <S> but in a case like that I'd write a "thank you" note and purchase a gift card - especially one that can be used at bigger chains; this has the benefit that they can use it for fuel or something else if they like. <S> I'm a fan of gift cards especially because a lot of people I know wouldn't be comfortable about asking for/accepting cash for doing someone a favour. <S> Your colleagues brushed off your offer so it's possible that they don't expect it to be a long-term arrangement. <S> If it turns into a longer-than-expected arrangement you might want to raise the subject again. <A> I'm actually mildly confused why you just don't ask your family member? <S> Surely they would know German culture and customs. <S> Perhaps it's something along the lines of social etiquette says to always refuse help with gas but that the other person should always insist and give it to them anyways. <S> If I were the one driving <S> (mind you <S> I'm from the U.S) <S> , I wouldn't tell you to give me gas money <S> (I know you asked <S> but it's always awkward to say "yes, give me fifty dollars) but it certainly wouldn't be out of place for you to insist and give me some anyways. <S> I agree with everyone else that you asking <S> originally was the polite thing to do, and as they don't live very far <S> and it's a temp arrangment, they perhaps generally don't mind.
| "Danke für's mitnehmen" (thanks for giving me a ride) would be appropriate and a normal saying whenever someone takes you somewhere. Don't sweat this overly. The fact that you're grateful for the efforts they've gone to could go a long way.
|
Is "company culture" just a set of personal preferences of leadership rather than a professionally developed institution? As a manager with some say in the boardroom, I am interested in proposing a few changes to the company culture for the benefit of the overall company performance. What is still unclear to me is whether the culture is generally just a set of personal preferences by senior management / founders of the company (it seems so to me), or whether it is chosen carefully, professionally developed and made into an institution through calculation. If it is more of the former, then I guess I will need to learn how to coax the senior leadership... if it is the latter, I could start creating reports and facts to make a case for some cultural changes! <Q> What is still unclear to me is whether the culture is generally just a set of personal preferences by senior management / founders of the company (it seems so to me), or whether it is chosen carefully, professionally developed and made into an institution through calculation. <S> Since there is no one "right" culture, the answer to this question is a bit of both. <S> In some organisations (particular small ones), there is no active development of a culture - it simply evolves over time as the company hires staff, and since owner/managers do a lot of hiring, their own personality and values eventually produce a filter on the kind of culture that develops. <S> This accounts for a lot the high-churn, low-pay groups out there. <S> But, depending on the hiring selection, it can stumble upon an effective professional culture. <S> Organisations that have been about a bit, have at least a few staff that have been around for a few years, and have a broader management structure than a simple head at the top, will probably start to foster a culture in-line with certain values that the top-level management want - so the culture is still personality based, even though there's a more intentional direction here. <S> Every suggestion about changing the culture will be filtered by the decision makers and rated against the decision makers values. <A> A lot depends upon the size and structure of the organization, and the person or people in charge of setting company-wide policies and their general disposition (i.e. are they dictators, or collaborators). <S> If they're despotic, then the culture will be whatever they decide, for whatever arbitrary reasons they feel like (and trying to enact change from within will generally be futile). <S> If, on the other hand, they want to set up a more egalitarian kind of environment you'll get something that's influenced by the ideas and preferences of everyone involved. <S> You may even get some rationality in terms of which features are picked and for what reason(s). <S> The latter case is relatively common with tech startups. <S> In larger organizations you'll see less influence in terms of individual preferences and both 1) a greater tendency to simply enact the conservative/pragmatic/"safe" option (nobody wants to leave themselves open to taking the blame for a well-meaning policy-change that has unforseen, disastrous consequences) and 2) a much stronger resistance to change/new ideas. <S> As you get more people you run into issues like "'Bring your dog to work day' seemed like a good idea, but John is allergic and Sue keeps saying that 'if dogs are okay then cats should be too', and Pete wants to bring his snake, so the simplest way to solve all those problems is to not have 'Bring your dog to work day'"; <S> so policies/cultural aspects that might actually enjoy popular support even amongst the leadership may be decided on the basis of practicality/fairness as opposed to anyone's personal preference or rational argument. <S> So at the end of the day, it depends . <S> And it's not always one or the other. <S> In any organization there may be some cultural aspects that the leadership (rightly or wrongly) considers of critical importance <S> and so they mandate accordingly in those areas. <S> And there may be other aspects that they don't really care about (or notice/think about), which then get decided by popular opinion, rational discourse, or similar mechanism. <A> This will depend greatly on the company. <S> In some large companies in the tech industry, at least, culture is a little bit of column a and a little bit of column b. <S> It tends to be cultivated and grown, carefully managed and part of the brand identity. <S> But it comes from somewhere and the seeds of a corporate culture often start with the founders and board members. <S> Some companies hire specialists and teams whose entire purpose is in the fostering and maintenance of company culture. <S> A successful culture will start at hiring - hiring surly employees and trying to have a culture of happy, hugs won't work. <S> Having a culture of innovation and hiring individuals based on their willingness to follow rules probably won't work. <S> Additionally, healthy corporate cultures cannot be a ground-level(or 'grunt' level) only attitude. <S> In order for a corporate culture to be successful, self sustaining and healthy it needs to be embodied at all levels. <S> Employees being asked to be part of a open and honest culture, for example, will be unimpressed if their management is duplicitous or shady. <A> A savvy business is very strategic about its culture development. <S> It does need to align with the core values of the folks in charge, so a complete shift in culture would be difficult to pull off. <S> It sounds like you are close, though, and there are oodles of books out there supporting different cultural styles. <S> Find the one that most closely approximates your ideas, and borrow the research from it. <S> Some suggestions from recent management literature: <S> Leaders Eat Last (Sinek) <S> Hacking Leadership (Myatt) <S> Quick and Nimble (Bryant) <S> To Sell is Human (Pink) <S> Start with Why (Sinek) <S> First Break <S> All the Rules (Buckingham) <S> You might also look at the Harvard Business Review and anything by Seth Godin. <A> No culture develops over time and is overwhelmingly derived from the grass roots and the employees that make up the company modified by the culture these employees come from Senior management can attempt to change/modify culture but this is hard and can backfire. <S> Sounds like you have been reading to many MBA case studies by HR professionals trying to make their role seem more important than it is.
| In smaller organizations/startups a great deal will depend upon the founders' personal preferences and overall approach.
|
Handling unreasonable demands from other departments I don't want to reveal the field I'm working in, but hopefully my question will be general enough that I don't need to. I've been at my job for a couple of years now. The team I'm on has to work closely with other departments. While I love working with the people in my office, the other departments are making my life (and virtually everyone else of any standing's life) sheer hell. They ignore any and all planning we do to try and accomodate the needs of everyone we work with, bombarding us with "urgent" issues that they need addressed immediately. Recently a couple of my teammates have experienced the next level of this- essentially being required to do work for the other departments (and when I say "do work for", I mean actually doing the tasks the other teams are supposed to do). Deadlines are subject to change for the worse at any moment; last year a project we were originally given two months to do (and would have been difficult to complete in even that amount of time) suddenly became required in two weeks when one of the departments decided out of nowhere they needed something ASAP. It should be a measure of my team that we did, in fact, complete it during that span, but I feel like we lost a few years off our lives in doing so. Needless to say, the stress is getting ridiculous, and I'm starting to get burned out. Upper-level management is as frustrated as we are, but there's nothing that can be done, for reasons I won't explain here. Some of my coworkers have the (possibly healthier) attitude that we can only do as much as we can do and we have to let the chips fall where they may, but I'm not the kind of person that can do this easily; I identify with my job, my performance, and the performance of the team I'm on too much. Do I need to learn how to do this, however? Or- and I realize my description is brief, because I can't reveal too much about any of this on a public forum- does it sound instead like maybe I ought to start looking around? If so, how do I deal with the guilt I'll inevitably feel over leaving my coworkers with even more work to do once I'm gone? Will prospective employers understand my reasoning for wanting to leave my current job? <Q> Upper-level management is as frustrated as we are, but there's nothing that can be done, for reasons I won't explain here. <S> This is exactly your problem. <S> Of course something can be done about this, but upper management is choosing not do anything about it. <S> Through that choice they create a corporate culture and environment that discourages accountability and encourages a "whatever" attitude. <S> Unless management acknowledges the problem and commits to fixing it, your only choice is to "live with it" or find a different employer with a culture that's more compatible with your own values. <A> This is exactly the kind of situation that you and the team as a whole should be escalating to your manager and your manager's manager. <S> Either the requests need to be redirected elsewhere, more resources need to be allocated to the team or procedures need to be changed to give your team time to plan optimally. <S> Note that every one of these managerial responses is above the team's pay grade. <A> This is a big issue, yet a common issue in our industry, and I work in a big company as-well where this has been a issue. <S> They should not contact you directly unless cc-ing your closest manager as-well. <S> Features should only be requested by your manager. <S> At the same time you have to make it clear to your manager that if he chooses to put more tasks to you then other tasks will not be completed within the previously defined time-frame. <S> If your manager says that this is up to you then you should simply reply to the ones requesting the service with the message that they'll get serviced after your sprint (i.e. after your current tasks are over). <S> An exception would be in the case of bugs that are system critical , they should always get prioritizes, no matter what. <S> If you receive complaints from doing that, well, look around. <S> It (usually) never hurts to look around. <S> Good luck.
| The solution is to redirect EVERY SINGLE REQUEST to your closest manager and you tell the people requesting the service that nothing will be done unless directly requested by your manager.
|
Why is that in some companies being above-average efficient is considered "out of place" or weird? I just started working for a big, international company that has branches in every state. I am in the Italian one. It's my first job after leaving school. In the past months my job consisted of consulting on behalf of my main company in another equally huge company (can't really mention names as it would break some confidentiality agreement). Let's call my main company A and my client company B . What I noticed in the work environment of company B is that when you do something that is not common, but makes you more effective in your work, this is seen as "weird" and "out of place", and I have the feeling that they want me to respect their methods, even if my is way more efficient in producing results. A specific example of what happened: As part of my job I have to constantly check an internal website which is really just a front-end for accessing a database containing information. To get this information you have to make a simple, text-based query with what you are looking for (just like Google). Now, when you have 1 or 2 things to search, no big deal, you just go to the website, log-in, enter your keyword, wait for the result to appear and copy/paste the result for future use. Caveats: The website has an insanely small session time, so you have to login every second. If you have 100 queries to perform, you have to: copy the keyword to clipboard or write it directly -> paste it into the form -> click search -> wait for the answer -> copy/paste it in Excel or whatever -> repeat 99x times. No text export, so you have to copy the text to Notepad because otherwise you catch it with the link if you paste it in Word/Excel/etc Now, since I do not like to do repetitive things which can be somewhat automated, I used my background in programming (currently I am in the networking field / data center side) and made a Python scraper which takes my written query or a text file full of words to search -> logs to the website -> does the query and caches the result for future use + prints it on the screen of my terminal + adds it to a file for export. So, if I have to do 100 queries, I am 95% faster than any of my colleagues . When my boss in company B found out, he remained astonished and asked why I was doing it, was it really necessary for my work, and in general he gave the impression of not approving it, but without saying it out loud. In the past weeks, since my time in company B is at the end (they hired me for X days) I am coaching someone else to teach what I do, and this person reported to my boss in company B that "he does strange things with the computer" and "he programs and I don't know how to do it! Is this required for the job?" . The boss in company B came to me saying what this person told him, saying that he would prefer me to only use standard, "everybody-knows-to-do-it" , tools. My question here is : Is it correct for him to ask me to "fly low", even if my additional skills (not required for the job) let me be more efficient? <Q> It's dangerous to be right when everyone around you is wrong. <S> Let's look at it from their perspective. <S> With this simple script you have... <S> Eliminated 95% of the work. <S> That's great! <S> Except... <S> They may have to lay people off. <S> A smaller team means less prestige. <S> They may charge the client per hour / person. <S> You've just cost the company some serious money. <S> Other employees get nervous that they'll be fired because they can't understand what the new kid is doing. <S> What happens when your script fails? <S> Are the session times short for a reason? <S> Will your script break something? <S> You're off on holiday and the script does something odd - who can fix it? <S> In general, you are right to try new things and find ways to be efficient. <S> But you also have to consider the human cost as well. <S> You've just made your boss look stupid. <S> He's been employing all these people and telling his boss how great the team is. <S> Now a teenager has come in and said "you're all idiots, this can be done in 5 minutes using stuff that was invented after you got out of university." <S> So, how should you approach this? <S> Start by explaining to your boss what you're doing and why you're doing it. <S> There may be very good reasons to do it the old way (the law may require an audit trail, for example). <S> Show your boss the benefits. <S> Don't say "we have more time" - do say "we've saved money and can pay more attention to XYZ." <S> Finally - your boss may not be interested in doing things better. <S> Some people just like working the same way they've always done. <S> In this case, you can either subvert your boss and try to convince other people yours is the best way - or you can speak to the client directly and ask what they want to do. <A> Never do this at any large company without approval. <S> They don't know what your program does and thus they could be worried that it may do more than what you are telling them it does. <S> There are security reasons why you never use unauthorized software on someone else's network. <S> The larger the company the more prior approval is a requrement. <S> What you can do at a startup is vastly differnt than what is allowed at General Motors for instance. <S> That is because the risk of something going wrong is consequently greater. <S> Suppose your little program had a bug and it put things into an infinite loop (I am presuming you didn't have a dev environment to test on). <S> You could have shut down everyone in the office with a mistake on your part. <S> I have seen that happen before. <S> The person who did it got fired too. <A> Terence has made some very good points and suggestions. <S> In addition to this you have to consider that you are a temporary addition to the workforce and that the manager's priorities are therefore going to be with the more permanent people. <S> It seems that your use of your skills has caused some confusion for the person that you were coaching and they are probably trying to prevent further confusion and unrest. <S> The fact that the manager doesn't seem to fully understand your reason for doing this does not help. <S> (The phrase "People are afraid of what they don't understand" comes to mind here). <S> His response is possibly correct in this regard but the situation could have been handled better, for example asking if there was a way this time saving tool could be used by other people working there. <S> I would advise you to stop using your custom tools for the rest of your stay or until you've managed to resolve this conflict with the manager.
| It is fine to be innovative, but there is a time and a place and you need prior approval.
|
Customary to ask for references from new grad with no work experience? Is it customary for entry-level software engineering/tech jobs to ask recent graduate for references, even if they have no work experience? If references are required, I am assuming that academic references would then be the only option available -- is this correct? I'm asking because as a recent grad, I want to make sure I have references available if necessary. Unfortunately, I had assumed references would not be requested in this situation and as a result I never really developed many meaningful relationships with professors. <Q> Many companies do ask for references, but some don't. <S> I have seen more of the former type. <S> I assume that you did not create trouble in class and have a decent record as a student, meaning getting things done properly, no cheating, maintaining proper decorum in class, getting decent grades etc. <S> If this is true, then you can request your professors for a reference. <S> I suggest that you meet your professor and request them for references. <S> Its always better to do it in person since you could get a better idea of how the prof responds to your request. <S> Then, you can follow up with a thank you e-mail. <S> However, if you have antagonized your professors, then try to avoid references. <S> I know cases where people got a negative reference from their previous employer. <S> Keep looking for other jobs as well in case references are a deal breaker for this one. <S> Alternately, you could give solid references of people you did college projects with, if you did your duties well. <S> If you were a slacker and did not get along well with your teammates, then it could be tough. <S> As an aside, if you really want this job and think that you will get lukewarm reviews at best but surely not bad ones, then still give the references to the company. <S> Sometimes they don't even bother to check in case of new grads. <S> You could slip through the cracks if you are lucky. <A> Yes, it would be typical for companies to ask for references. <S> There is something to be said for if you had any part-time jobs during your schooling that those could be references to use as the key is demonstrating that you can be professional and responsible in showing up and getting work done. <S> I remember being in a co-op program in university where I collected reference letters from high school teachers I had just to be prepared. <A> In every company I've worked in, references have been absolutely required. <S> It's part of the work of "due diligence" in hiring. <S> The purpose is to get an independent view of your abilities and personality. <S> Reference check conversations for entry level jobs usually don't go into detail about your professional qualifications. <S> They cover questions like, "How well does he work as a member of a team?" and "Did he usually show up for work on time? <S> " I always used to ask, "I will be his supervisor. <S> Do you have any advice for me?" <S> They may ask for three references to include one direct supervisor. <S> You can satisfy the supervisor reference request by naming a professor (maybe your university advisor) or the crew chief on some low-level job you did to earn money. <S> For other references you can give the name of a fellow student who knows you and your work well. <S> It is a good idea, when asked for references, to say "I will get back to you first thing tomorrow with a list. <S> " <S> Then call or write your references to tell them they may get a call. <S> Then send the list. <S> In this case, you should write to the professor (by email) saying <S> Dear Dr. Whatever, You may remember that I was in your xyz class (or whatever) in the spring semester of 2012 (or whatever). <S> I happen to need a reference, because I am applying to Abc Company to work as a Software Engineer. <S> I believe I am qualified for this job. <S> I'm eager to put into practice what you and the rest of the (whatever) department at (whatever) University taught me. <S> If you have time to have a conversation about me with a manager at Abc Company, I would be grateful. <S> That person will call or email you. <S> Thanks for helping me take this next step in my career. <S> Sincerely, Your Name B. S. (or whatever degree) <S> 2013 (or whatever year) <S> (your telephone number) <S> By doing this you're respectfully asking for the reference and reminding the professor who you are.
| One of the things university professors do for work is answer requests for references from students, so don't be embarrassed about asking for a professor's reference. Yes, it is customary to ask for references when hiring for any full time job. When they ask for references, they should spell out who the references should be from.
|
Should I put an internship I left unceremoniously several years ago on my resume? I'll be a freshman in college this year, and I'm looking for a computer science internship. I've had 2 CS internship experiences in the past, one this school year/summer, which was very positive, and one the summer after my freshman year, in which I misunderstood the flexibility of choosing what to work on as "ask to switch projects whenever you want, even if you've spent a while working on something without explaining it to anyone" and I was let go. My resume looks a little barren with only one experience listed on it, however. Should I include this internship from several years ago? [the intervening summers I've taken classes at a local university. <Q> Just mention the internship you were successful at. <S> Let sleeping dogs lie and don't mention the other internship unless you learned something valuable and relevant there. <S> Yeah, the resume is a little thin but most interviewers would expect that from you, given your age and the fact that you are still far away from graduating :) you were only a college freshman and you've got three more years to flesh out your resume :) <A> Congratulations on having your first "bad job" - I wouldn't list it on your resume though. <S> Many of your fellow students will be interviewing for internships and jobs without any previous experience, so you're already ahead in the game. <S> You'll likely be able to find an internship every summer (you've got 3 more before you get your degree). <S> Pad your resume that way. <S> Also, learn from the failed internship. <S> Think back to the interview and try to figure out the red-flags. <S> Was there a cube farm? <S> Did everyone dress up for work? <S> Was it a family business? <S> A start-up? <S> Figure out what questions you should be asking, and know warning signs so that if you interview with a similar company again you will know to say no. <A> You have to remember what a resume is: a means to sell yourself by listing your relevant skills and accomplishments. <S> It's not a bibliography. <S> BUT be prepared to explain that gap in your work history.
| If you think putting an internship there would harm your chances of getting hired, then don't do it.
|
why do employers want you to fill out an employment app after they have your resume? Often times when I interview for a job I provide a resume and am often asked to fill out an application for employment wherein I pretty much transcribe my resume. Sometimes this only happens after I've been given an informal offer. My question is... why? Why isn't the resume sufficient? <Q> They just want to spare their time and effort and have you (rather than HR staff) enter all your data into their database. <S> Also, you are (hopefully) more motivated to check your input and <S> make sure that it is error-free than the HR staff. <A> Another point is that the application would standardize where everything is. <S> Resumes are rarely standardized in the same way as different applicants my use different formats. <S> By having a physical page that re-arranges the data to be standard, this may make it easier to compare applicants and know where to focus on the interview possibly as someone with more work experience may get questions about how things were handled in past jobs that may not be the case if someone is applying for the first adult job. <A> You can format your resume any way you want. <S> For example, none of the references you give matches your boss's name, they might want to know why. <S> The application includes you having to provide your reason for leaving each position. <S> That's info that you might be reluctant to give. <S> The application includes a request to explain any and all gaps in your employment history - that's something that your resume would not cover. <S> The application, unlike the resume, is a LEGAL document, where: you attest that everything you wrote in the application is true, to the best of your knowledge. <S> you give your prospective employer permission to sick the Pinkertons aka private detectives on you to investigate your background including your criminal history. <S> You also give your prospective employer the right to check with the college registrars that you attended the schools you claimed you did. <S> The resume, in comparison, is nothing but an unsworn statement. <A> Employment applications can ask for a variety of things of interest to the company that wouldn't be on a resume. <S> These can include the following: <S> Your desired salary <S> How you found out about the position <S> If you have any friends or relatives at the company <S> If you have ever worked at the company before If you have ever been fired before Your citizenship or resident status <S> The date you can start working <S> If you have ever been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor <S> Your high school and college GPA Information about previous employers including address, phone number, your salary, the name of your manager, and reason for leaving Names of references, their phone numbers, and their relationship to you
| By making you fill in your info in THEIR format, they hope to bring out inconsistencies and information that you are not volunteering in your resume.
|
Negotiating relocation compensation after starting work I live in a major UK city, and accepted a graduate job offer from a company in a tiny town 25 miles away. As it is a graduate job, I thought relocation packages are not normally offered and didn't even ask. At the moment I am commuting by train but it costs plenty of money and takes a lot of time, and I am considering moving to the same town as my job. Not a cheap thing to do but I thought it would be a good investment in terms of saved time and money. And then my colleague accidentally mentioned, that he asked for relocation packages before signing the contract and they gave him without hesitations (£1000, he lives a little bit further than I do). d'oh. I didn't even ask. So my question is, is it professional / ethical to ask HR for relocation package after I started working? Because apparently the package is fairly standard in this company, and it's a cash rich, large (1000+ employees) company, not a tiny startup in early stage. On one hand, some financial aid would be very nice as I just graduated. On other hand, I don't want to look unprofessional or anything like that for a chance to get a couple of weeks wage. My plan was to ask HR if they do offer relocation packages (straight to the point). If the answer is no, I am not sure about any counter-argument. Saying that 'it shows my commitment' (there are hardly any other jobs in that town) sounds a bit unprofessional. And saying that 'I know some employees of the same level as me received' might sounds like I'm into gossiping and drama (not great either). Thanks a lot! <Q> If they gave your coworker relocation assistance, they might consider giving it to you too. <S> I will suggest how you can request them. <S> However, for jobs like these which are far from home (between 20 to 50 miles), I have a rule of sorts which might benefit you. <S> Rule : <S> Do NOT relocate for at least a month, maybe even more. <S> Commute from home. <S> Reason: <S> People can get laid off in the first month itself due to budget cuts and such. <S> You might not like the work there and might get better offers close to home. <S> In the first month, you get to see if there is a chance of that happening. <S> Search this forum for posts with scenarios like these. <S> Trust me, they can happen to anyone. <S> You could request for relocation like this: Manager Borat, As you know, I have accepted the position of scarecrow at boltok farms. <S> I am sorry to bring this up so late, but I was wondering if you could consider offering me relocation assistance. <S> I live 25 miles away from office and it takes 2 hours to commute. <S> Reducing the commute would improve the quality of my life, my productivity and would give me the flexibility to start work earlier or end it late, should the need arise. <S> I'd really appreciate it if you would consider offering me relocation assistance at this time. <S> Sincerely, SickOfCommuting <A> If you ask, you may get but if you don't ask, you don't get. <S> Of course, if what you are asking for is reasonable, your chances of getting it are that much stronger. <S> " <S> As you know, I just started working for you. <S> I am thinking of moving to [name the town] to be closer to the office. <S> Is it OK if I ask you whether the company is making a relocation package available? <S> Thanks in advance" <A> You are always welcome to ask for something like that after being hired. <S> Ask very politely - "I heard that relocation assistance might be available and I'll be moving here for the position, is that accurate and what are the details?" <S> Since it was not part of the initial negotiation, however, they are entirely entitled to say "no. <S> " If they do, that's basically the answer you need to accept - unless you are prepared to risk the job entirely over it. <S> If you find out someone else asked for more salary, or for more vacation <S> (pro tip: <S> once you're senior, always negotiate for senior vacation not "new to the company" vacation, <S> it's pretty easy to get) <S> and you didn't - well, they're not just going to give you everything everyone else asked for. <S> It's possible that they upped your salary offer since they wouldn't have to pay relocation (very likely in smaller companies where they know they have X amount of money total to get someone regardless of what it's spent on...). <A> You can ask but asking for relocation for 25 miles might raise some eyebrows - relocation is normally offered for cases where you have to move a long distance and 25 miles <S> isn't a long commute.
| You can ask for almost anything, as long as you ask in the right way.
|
Letting employee know he's too comfortable ("cavalier")? One of our more senior workers is very comfortable at work. So much so that a lot of very small mistakes are being made that when they cascade turn into pretty big issues. Other workers are starting to get a bit angry or annoyed since this one worker is causing more work for everybody. He has been talked to about this and it doesn't really change anything. Are there any constructive ways to tell this person they need to be less comfortable and a bit more conservative? To clarify, I think if a person needed to make a big change that could have a big impact to a lot of people. Usually there would be some levels of anxiety involved. It varies based on person. An overly comfortable person is cavalier. A uncomfortable or conservative one would still be worried even when they are pretty sure they did it right. They're the type that would double check their work. This worker is cavalier. <Q> I really don't care how comfortable he is, as long as he doesn't make mistakes. <S> The point is, he is making mistakes. <S> Each of you needs to call him up on each one of his mistakes and have him fix them. <S> Eventually, the senior worker will figure out that he has a problem with everybody, and that he needs to have more respect for his work and for other people's time. <S> If he is still cavalier/oblivious about it, then this means that he is not feeling your pain. <S> Set his butt (figuratively) on fire and don't think twice about it. <A> A managers primary job is to remove obstacles to their subordinates ability to successfully complete their assigned tasks. <S> If one of those subordinates is hindering the team, then the manager should attempt to reform the employee and, barring that, remove them from the equation. <S> If the manager is incapable of, or unwilling to, take the necessary steps then there really isn't a whole lot you can do other than to continue letting the manager know the problem exists. <S> At some point even a somewhat lousy manager will recognize the issue and finally take action. <A> This is partially a behavior problem, but largely a process problem. <S> Often as people become more senior, their understanding of the big picture improves while their ability to concentrate closely on detail weakens. <S> Contrariwise, for less senior people, they may have great ability to concentrate but do not know where to focus attention. <S> The solution to both these problems is to have changes reviewed before they go into production. <S> Code changes should be reviewed in two ways: via automated testing, and via manual review. <S> Configuration changes to production systems should always be done by a pair of people working from a prepared and validated script. <S> Working from the script, one person enters commands and a second person reviews the entered command and gives approval before the command is executed.
| Make a point of cc:'ing the manager on each of his mistakes and the impact of that mistake on your time.
|
How are tough introspective or behavioural type interview questions assessed? An example of a tough introspective question must be the classic "what's your greatest weakness?". Behavioural style questions can also be tough to answer: "tell me about the worst coworker you've ever had and how you dealt with him or her". There must be a by-the-book way of assessing these types of questions or they wouldn't be so frequent. What is that way? <Q> I don't think these questions are tough. <S> They are tough if you are obsessing about ways to spin the answers to make yourself look good. <S> And it can turn out that they have less latitude in making a range of decisions than their subordinates. <S> My greatest weakness is also my greatest strength. <S> My greatest strength is that I don't know when to quit, and I have orchestrated many a turnaround that way. <S> On the other hand, there is a lot of value in quitting and stop throwing resources that could better be allocated elsewhere, and since I am not really well wired to quit, I have to manage that weakness 7x24. <S> One of the worst coworkers I ever had was a junior who was working for another senior. <S> He asked for my assistance 24 hours before the report was due and just after I had spent the previous 24 hours with no sleep, handing my own reports to the clients on time. <S> I was utterly exhausted when I looked at the kid''s report at 4 PM <S> and I realized that a total piece of garbage that had to be rewritten from top to bottom. <S> To add insult to injury, I had expressly told him two weeks earlier not to wait until the last minute before asking for help. <S> We finished the report between 4 PM and 4AM the next day and throughout the night, I tore into the kid for his begging for help at the last minute when I had expressly told him not to wait until the last minute. <S> As for the senior, he had bailed out and quit the firm the week before. <S> I am certainly not coming out of these stories looking like a saint or the epitome of perfection, but those employers who hired me weren't looking for one. <S> And most likely, they didn't want one. <S> Because they had real problems to solve and real issues to manage. <S> Try to come up with your own, real answers - The interviewers can spot canned answers coming at them from the horizon. <A> I don't know if there's a "by the book" answer. <S> Interviews, by their very nature are a bit scattershot and biased towards the... biases of the people asking the questions. <S> Personally, when I ask these sorts of questions, it's because I think you can't be critical or honest. <S> I dislike canned answers. <S> I dislike "I don't have any weaknesses" or <S> "my greatest weakness is sometimes my awesomeness makes people uncomfortable" - everyone has weaknesses. <S> In short, I want to hear you own something bad about you, or the fact that a bad coworker was just bad. <S> I don't want to work with someone who is too scared to give me bad news, or ignorant of their own flaws, or who pushes their mistakes on to others. <S> Other people I've known want to see how well you tell a story. <S> How can you take the bad coworker and tell a story that puts you in a good light - since you'll often need to tell a good story to customers/managers when things don't go smoothly. <S> Others still want to see what you consider a weakness or a bad coworker. <S> you'll probably not get the job. <S> In short - it depends. <S> The fact that these questions are common doesn't mean they're any good . <S> It means that many interviewers, when thrown into doing an interview think "oh, what common questions should I ask?". <S> Since these questions can apply to everyone, they proliferate. <A> These are standard questions to get an idea about your personality and your ability to work with other people. <S> Some of these questions are useful and some are not. <S> IMO, questions about team work and conflicts are okay. <S> If you are a new grad, then you can share your experiences about the college team projects you did. <S> Mention all the conflicts and how you resolved them. <S> IMHO , the weaknesses part is just a silly question. <S> Who likes to mention their weaknesses unless it can affect their ability to do the job ? <S> Eg. <S> If Billo has frequent seizures and insomnia he cannot be a commercial pilot. <S> On a light note, example of a weakness: I have a weakness for seeing cute cat videos on youtube while working. <S> But this is a strength because it helps me to refresh my mind. <S> How to get a list of such questions and answers to them ? <S> Search google and or ask your friends who have some years of experience. <S> They will tell you how to play this game. <S> You could also get a book for this. <S> Here are some links for such Q/A: <S> http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-answer-greatest-weakness-interview-question-2014-3 <S> http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2014/02/11/how-to-talk-about-your-biggest-weaknesses-in-a-job-interview/ <S> http://www.collegegrad.com/jobsearch/Mastering-the-Interview/Ten-Tough-Interview-Questions-and-Ten-Great-Answers/ <S> Here is a link which has a funny take on such interview questions: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/interview_questions
| If you answer these questions in a way that shows the real you, the answers will be nuanced,more realistic and give the interviewer a level of comfort about what you are as a potential team member and coworker - Yes, managers are team members and coworkers, too. If you spell out traits that mirror things they value as strengths...
|
How can I make meetings more interesting? While we were presenting our Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, the head of the department seemed uninterested in the details of the system. This resulted in a boring meeting and lead to the rejection of the ERP system. I believe that this is because the system seems boring, even though it was the meeting which was boring and not the system. How can I make these meetings more interesting and increase the possibility of systems I am advocating be adopted? <Q> Identify a portion of the meeting for the manager and then make it shorter. <S> Focus on what is important to the manager. <S> Cover broad areas. <S> Don't be technical unless the manager is technical. <S> Avoid the details. <S> Schedule any other meeting for those who need more details and/or something more technical. <S> You're trying to sell the manager on this system. <S> Find out why he/she needs it. <S> If the manager wants absolutely nothing to do with any new system, you could be in trouble, but you're better off with shorter and to the point presentations instead of long and boring sessions. <A> Everything else are details that they probably don't really care about. <S> Except the charts. <S> Managers like charts. <S> We used to take an hour to do demos for our software. <S> Along the way we trimmed out nearly all of the actual technical stuff, leaving just the parts showing how it's going to make their lives easier. <S> Demos now take about 15 minutes and sales are up. <S> Every so often we run into those highly technical people that want the details and we'll gladly dive into them. <S> Show some nicely formatted reports with pie charts and graphs. <S> Cover the benefit and implementation time frames. <S> Go over how your product pays for itself in X number of months/years <S> /whatever. <S> Keep the presentation down to 30 minutes; 20 is better. <S> If a manager is disinterested, then that amount of time doesn't feel like a complete waste. <S> If a manager is interested (s)he will likely start asking questions while forgetting about how long you guys are talking. <S> Make sure you give concise answers. <A> This is most likely different from what is interesting to you. <S> Give them real-life examples of how the system can help them in their work. <S> In one sentence: Focus on the benefits for them and treat it like a black box unless they ask specific questions. <A> immediate management - how the department can use the new product to do their jobs better upper management - how the product will save cost, raise revenue, improve customer experience, etc. <S> One simple tactic that can help (the point about asking them what they want to see) - approach your potential audience first and have a discussion about what they want to get out of the presentation, what they want to know, what aspects to focus on. <S> This is collaboration instead of one-way information flow. <S> Your management might not be used to it.
| The key to presenting to management is keeping it short and to the point. Make the content match the audience need oh, and ask them what they want to see For example, when presenting a new system to: devs - you might go into detail on APIs, Storage, Function calls, etc. Find out what is interesting for your manager (and the audience in general). The topics you need to cover are cost, benefit, time to implement.
|
Under what circumstances should you try to bypass a 3rd-party recruiter's rejection? I would like people to tell me under what circumstances, if ever, it can make sense to bypass a 3rd-party recruiter who has rejected you for a position and try to contact the hiring managers directly.It would be particularly relevant to hear from someone who saw this happen when they were the hiring manager, or from someone who did that as the applicant. Below I describe a case that happened to me, just as a concrete example from which to start a risk-benefit analysis. I found an ad for my dream job (at least seemingly) and applied for it. The company's website says they recruit only via a recruiting agency, so I applied with the assigned recruiter.She rejected me because I have never worked before with the software XYZ, which the company makes. She added the company has already hired 2 people with no XYZ skills in that same team and now wants to balance it. After doing my own research, I am prepared to make my case for why I could fit anyway, so here I am not interested in how you can overcome missing a skill in your CV. I am also interested in when / how to bypass the 3rd-party recruiter right from the start, but not here: Those are other questions. Update: I did not to try to go around the recruiter and a few months later she contacted me about a 2nd role that is a prerequisite for my "dream job". Now I am working at the company in this 2nd role. PS: I added this update believing it is useful info. If it is not, please explain why in a comment. Of course, this outcome is just 1 data point: it would be interesting to hear from others who did or did not try to bypass the recruiter. <Q> It is unlikely that going around the recruiter is going to work out well for you. <S> I wouldn't suggest it. <S> First off, there are reasons that companies use recruiters as the front-end of the hiring process. <S> One of those reasons is that it allows the hiring manager to avoid getting buried by resumes that haven't gone through a reasonable level of vetting. <S> Second, the explanation the recruiter gave you seems quite reasonable. <S> Hiring managers are often in the position of needing to balance out the skill sets on the team. <S> Whether you could do the job well in general may well be less important than whether your particular skill set happens to mesh well with the skill sets of the other folks on the team. <S> If this is the case and you go around the recruiter, you'd just annoy the hiring manager who has already told the recruiter that he needs someone with expertise in XYZ to balance out some other new hires that lack that skill. <S> If this is a dream job for you, it makes sense to take the long view. <S> It sounds like this team hired two people recently and is now hiring a third. <S> That implies that it is rather likely that the team will be hiring again in the future. <S> When a new position does show up again in the future, it's very likely that the hiring manager and the recruiter will be the same. <S> If the primary objection is how your skills would mesh into the team, time will likely fix some of those issues as well. <S> And if you know that your dream job wants XYZ experience, you may be able to find ways to gain that experience in the interim. <S> If you annoy the recruiter and the hiring manager today, you won't be doing anything to overcome their objections to bringing you on today. <S> You will, however, make it very likely that they'll look less favorably on you in the future when you want to apply for the next open position. <A> I'm going to go against the current upvoted answer and say it can't hurt to at least try. <S> If its something you think is a dream job, at least give it a chance. <S> Companies will also often say things like they require X years of experience or a specific degree too, yet many are willing to bypass those requirements on occasion if an appropriate candidate appears that they really like. <S> The point is, you never know until you try. <S> It depends on the company, their formal policies, their relationship with the recruiting agency, and many other factors that cannot possibly be known in advance by the regular everyday job seeker. <S> In your specific case too, it seems like you weren't rejected due to any failings in your qualifications, but rather because the recruiter is trying to balance out their job candidates. <S> It sounds like <S> if you had been faster to apply, you may have been one of the two already-selected candidates. <S> Just keep in mind that if a person from the company specifically rejects you under that rule, or just redirects you back to the recruiting company, then it's time to try your luck elsewhere. <S> You don't want to be harassing them and possibly killing any future opportunities with the company. <A> I would say you should not for several reasons: Not following procedures is a big red-flag. <S> If you've been with a company for 10 years and demonstrated what a superstar you are, you may get away with ignoring procedure and process. <S> An outsider ignoring the process does not make a great first impression. <S> The fact that you really believe you can do the job <S> well doesn't matter for much, <S> if they have a dedicated recruiter, I would wager that the recruiter is a much better judge of your suitability for the job than you are. <S> The recruiter will likely know much more about the job and the hiring group than you can glean from the job listing. <S> By your own admission, this is "a small country of 8 million rule-loving inhabitants." <S> Do you really believe that breaking the rules will make you look good to these people?
| If you go around the recruiter, you'll probably only end up annoying the hiring manager. If its your dream job then I think you should at least try. If the team is hiring again in a year, the two XYZ newbies will likely be up to speed so the team may be in a position to put less emphasis on XYZ experience and more emphasis on the things you can offer.
|
How do people typically arrange health care coverage for the weekend between two jobs? I am not sure if this belong here or on personal finance. I am leaving my current position and starting a new position with a different employer. There is a two day gap (Saturday, Sunday) between my last day in the job and first day in the new job. I am eligible for health insurance from the first day in the new job. What should I do to bridge such a small gap in coverage? I could ask my spouse's employer to add me but it seems like this is kind of a lot of effort to make everyone go through (all that paperwork) just so I can be on his policy for two days. What do people in my situation typically do? <Q> The best part of COBRA for these small gaps is that it takes them weeks to send you the paperwork to register; but it is retroactive to the day the old coverage ended. <S> So if you don't get sick during that weekend, you can ignore the application. <S> If you do get seriously ill use the same doctor's and hospital you would have with the old plan; then purchase the COBRA coverage knowing that you needed it. <S> The COBRA coverage sill keeps the continuous coverage going. <S> The two day gap you are worried about is less than the 63 gap that will cause a break in continuous coverage. <S> Note: make sure you understand any deadlines for submitting bills to the FSA or HSA, or insurance company. <A> Are you sure that your current coverage stops the day you leave your current position? <S> Most health insurance runs monthly so if you're leaving in the middle of the month, it's pretty common that your current company would already have paid for you through the end of the month. <S> If you are sure that you'll actually have a gap, your options for covering a 2-day gap are pretty much the same as they would be for a 30-day gap. <S> You can potentially get added to your spouse's plan. <S> You can go purchase an individual policy for a short period of time. <S> Or you can elect to go uncovered for 2 days. <A> First thing is to take care of any known expenses (such as prescription refills) before the old coverage expires if you might need them over the two days. <S> Most of us, I suspect, just hope to not get get sick those two days. <S> Check with your current HR. <S> There is also COBRA coverage which your HR should explain to you . <S> It is meant for covering gaps <S> but I believe you would have to pay a whole month's premium. <S> If you have a serious illness or are pregnant where you know you have a strong possibility of ending up in the hospital over the weekend, it is probably worth it to get this coverage if your old insurance doesn't go to the end of the month. <S> You have 60 days to get Cobra, so check with your HR, it is possible you could sign up on MOnday if you had a problem over the weekend and have continuous coverage. <S> You could also consider taking your spouse's coverage now and then changing it to your own when open season comes up in a couple of months. <S> Some places charge extra for spouses who could get their own insurance. <A> As others have said, your current insurance may not actually end on your last day. <S> If it does, have you talked to your new employer about starting your covereage early? <S> Several years back I worked on a fairly large contract which was given to a new company. <S> The termination date for the old company was the end of the month, which happened to fall on a Friday. <S> In order to make sure we would all have health care coverage, the new company started everyone's health care on the 1st of the month, even though (nearly) all of us started work on the 3rd. <S> I mention this just to point out that if the employer wants to make it happen they can.
| Some employers pay premiums at the beginning of the month and you may be covered until the end of the month which would cover those days. If you're in the US, you would generally have the option of using COBRA to continue your current coverage.
|
What is the professional thing to do with money I found at my new desk? I moved desks and now I sit in a desk that previously belonged to a contractor. The desk had been vacant for a few months, since the previous employee was fired. While rummaging through the drawers, I found some money - about $50. Should I present this money to my manager, the contractor's former manager, or my bank? Please explain why as well. I do not wish to put myself in a negative light, or to strain my relationship with my employer or coworkers in any way, however (obviously) I would like to keep the money. <Q> Definitely report this to your manager. <S> He should make an effort to contact the previous employee/contractor and return it. <S> If he is unsuccessful and returns it to you, I'd do pizza for your team, rather than pocket it, but it's your decision if it is returned to you. <S> {Edit for Enderland} <S> I can't believe I actually have to say this, but here goes: <S> The reason <S> WHY <S> you should do this <S> is that just because you can touch something does not make it yours. <S> Taking what does not belong to you, even if you cannot determine proper ownership or locate the proper owner, is still theft. <A> I would expect you'd get to keep it. <S> On the flip side, if you decide to pocket it without telling anyone, on the off chance that someone comes around looking for it, you'll be stuck either telling the truth <S> ("I pocketed it") and looking bad, or lying ("I never saw any money in there") and being potentially under suspicion. <A> If there's one thing that I've learned from working 15 years in an industry that has had some wild ups and downs in job availability <S> it's that you can never have too many networking contacts who are willing to point you in the direction of a good job opportunity or who are willing to give you a great reference. <S> You never know when you might gain a contact that will save your butt when the downsizing axe at your current company takes you out. <A> To maximize global utility, overhead incurred from reuniting the money with its rightfully owner would be a dead-loss. <S> I would argue it would be best to spend it on either a high impact ethical cause (Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) or invest it in an industry enjoying incredibly high money multiplier effects (spaceflight or genetics). <S> Of course, that's what you should do with all your money, and no one does that. <S> If you're optimizing in reputation, I'd mention it the manager and clearly state your intention to donate it to your company's charity of choice as ownership is unclear.
| If I were you I would try to track down the former contractor through social networking websites, explain the situation to him/her, and offer to mail the funds to them. Tell your manager that you found money in your new desk.
|
What is the point of a video call interview as opposed to a telephone interview? Why is it some employers want to do video calls, such as Skype, for interviews instead of just a phone call? The only reason I can think of is so they know how you look, but what difference does that make? <Q> Lots of reasons. <S> First, they want to make sure you aren't cheating on the questions by having someone else feeding you the answers or looking them up on Google. <S> There are some unethical people who do the phone interviews and then are not the people who show up when they get hired. <S> So they want to see you to see if you are actually thhe person they hired when you get there. <S> This is especially true if the hiring offical has been burned in the past by having a very knowldgeable phone interview result in a totally incompetent person showing up for work. <S> Will some people be assessing you on irrelvant factors like race or weight? <S> Yes. <S> But those same type of people may be assessing you on other irrelvant factors on a phone call like your name or your accent. <A> Why is it some employers want to do video calls, such as Skype, for interviews instead of <S> just a phone call? <S> Body language. <S> You've probably noticed that you have more information conveyed to you when you talk to someone in person, rather than on the phone. <S> The look on their face, the tilt of their head, the shaking or nodding their head - these all indicate what the person is thinking as much as their words do. <S> This is what employers are trying to gain (at least to some extent) by using video rather than just phone calls. <A> Video calls give them a better look at you in a number of different ways. <S> The audio quality is clearer than phones provide. <S> They can check that you're able to dress properly and groom yourself. <S> They can see your body language, and you can see theirs. <S> If both parties have computers with webcams and microphones, why wouldn't they want to use them for something as important as a job interview?
| They want to see your body language to assess your reactions to the questions beyond just your words. On the whole, video calls provide a much better experience and clearer communication between both parties. And depending on the job, appearance might be important as you might have customer contact and they want to ensure you are someone they would want to see as the face of the company.
|
How to handle last minute work deadlines that I cannot meet due to personal schedules? Scenario/Background: I have two bosses, with one of whom I manage variable daily processes (priority 1), while the other one gives me longer term projects (priority 2). Due to the extreme variability of the daily processes workload, I am normally free to work on the projects whenever I am not busy with the daily processes - in fact, I have no deadlines on the longer term projects as long as I complete them within reasonable time. If at any time the project boss asks me by when I can finish something, I normally state an estimated time with an ample buffer and often finish before that. Recently, however, there have been entire weeks during which I was nearly 100% busy with the daily processes and thus had no time for the projects. My project boss noticed this and started setting deadlines - however, this meant that I often need to work after normal hours. The problems started when the project boss started becoming impatient due to his own superiors' deadlines. On one day he came and asked me to finish something on the very same day, because the CEO needed it ASAP. I had other personal appointments scheduled on that day (it doesn't really matter what type of appointments, or does it? It could be anything, doctor, kids, an old friend, a trip!) but canceled them out of fear of being fired if I didn't finish by the new deadline. However, I now think that it's time to stand up for my... time, and thus I would like to ask what is the best, most diplomatic course of action to refuse sudden, last-minute deadlines - especially if they are in conflict with other commitments I have already made! <Q> I might be tempted, in your situation, to start with an email status update to BOTH bosses giving your status tasks, your ETA on tasks due and reminders of any time away. <S> Then they are informed and if they don't like the status, you can tell projects boss that he/she needs to talk to daily tasks boss about freeing up time for x project. <S> That said, there ARE occasionally things that must get done asap <S> and I do allow for occasional crises but again try to get the two bosses to sort out amongst themselves what time is spent where. <A> If you have a previously scheduled personal commitment, then you say that you have a previously scheduled commitment - <S> That's the price they have to pay for telling you at the last minute. <S> If they want something from you, they don't wait until the last five minutes before they tell you. <S> I hate it when I have to bail out someone for their inefficiency. <S> Don't jerk me around and don't yank on my chain. <S> Having said that, I usually do whatever it takes to get the job done and beat the deadline. <S> After I take care of my personal appointments. <S> If you let your boss make extraordinary demands and you are complying without a murmur, you are not negotiating. <S> You are bending over. <S> You need to push back as you have only so much time available during the week to take care of personal business. <S> Make them use these options. <S> The process of assigning work above and beyond should be a process of constructive negotiation, accommodation and mutual adjustment. <A> My project boss noticed this and started setting deadlines - however, this meant that I often need to work after normal hours. <S> When you have work-related tasks that you cannot do because of other work-related tasks, notify your manager. <S> It is his job to ensure your tasks do not conflict with each other (i.e. "manage" your tasks). <S> This means, if you have two (or more) managers asking for your time, have them fight it out between themselves. <S> When the second request comes in, tell the manager you will be able to get to it only after he confirms with your first manager (and lets you know), or after he tells you the responsibility for the first task not getting done, will be his. <S> I had other personal appointments scheduled on that day (it doesn't really matter what type of appointments, or does it? <S> It could be anything, doctor, kids, an old friend, a trip!) <S> but canceled them out of fear of being fired if I didn't finish by the new deadline. <S> It kind-of does matter (not because anyone else gets to decide what you should do, but because you may decide to reschedule); if you can afford to cancel your personal appointment, offer to do so (preferably notifying your manager that you will take your time off, later). <S> If you cannot reschedule/cancel your time (or simply do not want to), point it out ("I'm sorry <S> but I cannot be in office this afternoon <S> - I had notified X of this yesterday through email and he said it was OK"). <S> what is the best, most diplomatic course of action to refuse sudden, last-minute deadlines - especially if they are in conflict with other commitments I have already made! <S> If the other commitments are for company interests, have your managers decide your schedule. <S> If they are for your own interests, decide for yourself (and once you get a confirmation that it is OK to get time off, that means it is OK to get time off - no matter what happens in the company).
| Your bosses have options available to them at their level such as assigning someone else, getting more people assigned to projects, de-escalating less urgent priorities. One of the only ways I've found to deal with having two masters is to make them sort out the issues between themselves.
|
How to handle aggressive, negative, incorrect criticism in a positive way The company i work for has a customer that we provide several software solutions for. They run various events and we provide them with an admin system for them to run their events and a windows application for them to keep track of things as they happen at their events. While working with them I have noticed that they have are extremely hostile. Examples of this are: Placing blame without attempting to identify a root cause of software failure unique to thier environment, and Approving incomplete and inaccurate requirements that later cause system failures. The focus of the criticism from the above issues appears to be directed to me, which includes many senior managers. My boss is being supportive but there are others in the company who are more focused on the customer's negative experiences. What are some strategies to handle negative criticism based on inaccurate information? My immediate desire is to return thier aggression in-kind, but would appreciate it if someone could suggest a more constructive strategy. <Q> my immediate desire is to be just as aggressive and belligerent back and point out the many failings in their organisation that lead to these sort of issues <S> You need to suppress this immediate desire - no good can come of it. <S> Have you spoken to your boss about how to handle these sorts of customer issues? <S> In general, "the customer is always right" (even when they aren't). <S> Put yourself in their shoes and imagine how it would feel to have the software you depend on to help with your event just fail completely. <S> Remember that without happy customers, you don't have a job. <S> Also remember that unless you own the company, you don't get to decide which customers can be discarded/dismissed. <S> Try to brainstorm additional ways to debug their system. <S> Perhaps once you solve their issues, you'll be able to show them that the problems had nothing to do with the software you wrote. <S> If that happens, you'll have converted them from a negative, blaming client to a grateful, happy customer. <S> That can pay off big time. <S> Strategize ways to avoid or be able to quickly diagnose this problem so that it doesn't happen to another valuable customer. <S> Ask you boss how you should react if a similar situation occurs in the future. <S> You could rise above their negativity and be the hero here. <A> Other than upsetting you, so far, nobody has punished you; it could be worse. <S> The customer paid for the software to work and <S> it doesn't, what do you expect them to do? <S> If the programmer throws-up his hands and can't solve the problem, they will go over his head. <S> There's is nothing they can change to fix the problem. <S> Other breakdowns in communication on their part on other projects is irrelevant. <S> They're paying your salary. <S> Based on what you have posted, there is something wrong with this particular customer's installation. <S> You can blame it on Windows or the Internet Gods, but you need to fix it regardless. <S> Remote to their system and watch it fail on their side. <S> Get on a plane and go to their site directly and fix it. <S> It has nothing to do with blame. <S> You're the only one who can help them. <S> Suggest everything to the Seniors in charge and see how far they will let you go to solve this specific problem. <S> EDIT: <S> If this client is taking up a disproportionate amount of support time compared to other customers, Senior management needs these data. <S> Regardless of their technical expertise, they're not going to want to throw more money at this client if they are not paying enough in return. <S> If they have not technical, business or accounting skills, they're a lost cause. <A> Take a deep breath before reading any of their emails or answering the phone. <S> There is absolutely nothing to be gained by getting into an arguing match. <S> Log everything. <S> Every request, every call, every email and every system action. <S> Then politely ask them how they really want it to work. <S> If they waffle more than 2 times on a particular item, start increasing the cost for the change. <S> I had one client change their mind on a particular feature every three months. <S> Every time they made the request, I brought up that they had changed it before. <S> Finally I started escalating the cost of the change and it reached a point that their upper management stepped in, they made one last decision and those requests stopped. <S> If some data goes missing and they are raging about it, give them a screen shot of the log showing who did it and when. <S> This is at the heart of logging all system actions. <S> If you can't tell them who, when and what then your application will always be at fault . <S> Make damn sure that your application works. <S> Test it every way you can and fix it quickly. <S> Know how it can fail and make sure that's documented. <S> The app should also be pretty verbal with the user about exactly what isn't working right; and must have a rock solid logging system. <S> Not being able to transfer data across the network should be an easy one to identify the root cause. <S> If you can't, then as a 3rd party who was never seen your app, my first thought is that you are doing it wrong. <S> Schedule regular calls with them. <S> In our case, if we haven't heard from a client in 30 days then the account rep calls them. <S> We have a pretty good feel for which clients need more communication and which need less. <S> Ones like this need more. <S> You might even need to be weekly until they start feeling comfortable.
| Being defensive is unlikely to help things at all - try to be helpful instead. Work with your boss to determine what to do next. Increase the logging and error trapping on the app, so you can get more information. When they call asking why things don't work the way they want, politely bring up the requirement from a few months prior demanding it work the way it does.
|
Send resume when not fulfilling the requirements Is it ok to send a resume for a position when I have half the working experience the position requires, although I believe I could be a good fit? I understand if I don't get a call back, but would it harm any future attempts for other positions in the same company? Update I wanted to keep this general, but it's true that it differs greatly as years increase. For me is 3 years on the ad with 1.5 actual experience + some projects I did while being an undergrad (if I can sell that). <Q> Absolutely! <S> Many managers will create job descriptions for roles on their team which reflects the perfect candidate. <S> What they actually get is about half of what they want. <A> Please tell us the exact years of experience required. <S> Half or percentage does not give an accurate picture. <S> Eg. <S> Job = 2, you = 1. <S> No problem you can try. <S> Job <S> = 10 years, you = 5. <S> Maybe don't apply. <S> If its the former case, then I suggest that you request the employer to consider you for the job. <S> I'd say it like this in my cover letter: <S> Sir, I am applying for the position of scarecrow at boltok farms. <S> I have xyz skills <S> and I did abc challenging projects. <S> I am very eager to work in this role because... <S> I know that the position requires 3 years of exp, but I have only 1.5. <S> I was wondering if you could still consider my application for the position. <S> If there is a possibilty, then can we setup a phone call to discuss the position futher ? <S> Thank you for your time and consideration. <S> I look forward to your reply. <S> Sincerely. <A> If you honestly are capable of doing the work, then by all means submit an application, and I would recommend directly addressing the fact that you don't meet the minimum experience, something that gets across the points below. <S> I acknowledge that I do not meet the minimum years required, however, <S> my experience is particularly relevant, I am very interested in the subject matter, and am hard working/a quick learner so will be able to handle the work. <S> I am willing to be flexible on salary in accordance with my limited years of experience. <S> If you don't directly address it, it looks like you either didn't read the job description properly (application goes in the bin), or are just one of those people who puts in applications for everything (again, bin) <S> If you do address it, you can make it sound like you really want this particularly sort of job, which is why you are applying. <S> You can present yourself as someone who is capable of getting the job done cheaper than those who meet the criteria. <A> Maybe... <S> The ad should also be specifying a list of core skills, and maybe some other optional skills. <S> Do you cover all (or almost all - maybe missing at most one on a list of 6-10?) <S> the core skills? <S> Do you think that you can demonstrate that you would have as much ability in those core areas as someone with that extra time in industry? <S> If so - submit your resume, with a cover letter detailing how you match the skillset they're looking for (do not say "I realise I don't have the required experience, but" - simply say "I complete projects using skills X, Y and Z, and have strong experience in A, B, C"). <A> I think it is perfectly fine, that is how i got my first career defining job. <S> After 6 month of relevant experience, I landed a job in big company just like you described. <S> I sent my resume to a vacancy which stated that required experience was from 2 to 3 years. <S> I got the call and showed that I knew some things needed for the position and got the job. <S> So if you are good and willing to go the extra mile to learn something new and what is needed for company you are applying for, than why not. <S> Most of the time the experience factor is to scare off inexperienced developers who are not sure about their skills. <S> Because most of the time they need someone who can do the job and willing to learn something new to do it even better, not someone who have done something similar for few years and claims that he have the experience but can't do anything. <S> This may not be the true for higher ranked positions, like managers or directors. <S> but would it harm any future attempts for other positions in the same company? <S> That depends what you actually tell about yourself, if its all true and you are competent, and did not get the job I really doubt that it can somehow impact applying for others jobs in that company. <S> If you don't get the job, that does not mean that you are doomed. <S> That means you did not get the job, that all. <S> It completely different case if you mess up an interview badly, than it actually can impact further applications in that company.
| So, if you like the position, and are technically qualified, send a resume, follow up, and let your positive exuberance be the reason you get the job.
|
How to gracefully decline your own farewell party? I have quit my job due to various reasons, including office politics and overall inadequate reasons. Because of this I am not interested in having a farewell party or celebration for my leaving. How can I gracefully say "no" to this sort of event? <Q> Funerals aren't about the person who is dead. <S> That person is already dead and they're unlikely to get any deader. <S> Similarly going away parties, or farewell parties, aren't all about the person going away. <S> They are about preserving connections and showing that there are 'no hard feelings'. <S> To you your quitting may be intended as a statement against what you perceive as a bad environment. <S> But your coworkers and peers may not see it like that. <S> To snub a farewell party isn't a way of 'sticking it' to the company. <S> It's snubbing those peers and coworkers. <S> You can, of course, do this. <S> You're free to burn as many bridges as you like on your way out. <S> But don't delude yourself, that is what you are doing - Burning bridges. <S> And not only the bridges of those who you disagree with, but with many if not all of your coworkers. <S> To decide to do something like this <S> you should ask yourself: <S> Is there no one at the company you respect? <S> What are the chances you will run into these people again? <S> Will you need any of them as a reference? <S> Will you work with them in another situation? <S> If the answer to all of these is some variety of 'nope' <S> or you just don't care then just simply state " <S> I'm sorry I won't have time to attend a farewell party. <S> " There's absolutely no benefit in you attempting to explain the politics behind why(that will salt the earth after you burn those bridges) so I would keep the refusal short and simple. <A> How can I gracefully say "no" to this sort of event? <S> It would really be awkward to decline such an event after it has already been planned, and folks have already accepted an invitation. <S> I assume not everyone at your company receives a farewell party anyway. <S> Something like this might work: "I'd really rather not have a farewell party. <S> While I appreciate everyone's thoughtfulness, it would be very uncomfortable for me. <S> I hope you will understand and respect my feelings." <A> I'm about to retire after 8 yrs here, and have told bosses I refuse any sort of farewell party. <S> I have no reason other than my personal inability to be in the spotlight for any reason. <S> It is far too uncomfortable for me, and at age 67, am not likely to change soon. <S> I've learned to avoid the spotlight my whole life, and am perfectly comfortable with that. <S> I do plan to go around the office and visit briefly with various individuals so to at least be polite and say goodbye, and maybe will send a few individual emails. <S> That's it. <S> No party, thank you. <S> I also assured boss that no 'surprise' party would work, either, as I simply would not attend. <S> I think he got the msg. <S> I see nothing wrong with this. <S> There was no party when I got here <S> and I don't need one when I leave. <A> I worked for lots of politicians and they deal with this just about every day. <S> How they handle this is to wait until it was almost too late for the organiser to pick a new date, but early enough so that no other expense had been incurred, then they'd call the organizer and say, "Sorry, <S> but I forgot I have a longstanding prior commitment," (like a family event). <S> If you can make a real commitment, all the better. <S> Or worse case, if you still have to go, "peak it" by showing for about 15 minutes -- long enough to say goodbyes, and then leave early for you "prior." <S> If you overstay, all the more "kind" of you... <S> a win-win way of doing it.
| Therefore, you should try to contact the person who is most likely to arrange such a party beforehand, and let them know you would rather not have one at all.
|
Is it common for a (small) software project teamleader to receive a profit participation? I think it is necessary to explain my current situation here in general, because the context is probably important: I am the youngest (25) employee in my company (a small IT consulting company with ~15 employees). I got a bachelor's degree in computer science and I started working in this company about 2.5 years ago as a Junior IT Consultant. I was working for more than a year in a (pretty big) external project as a developer/programmer with no leadership responsibilities. However, because of the very big distance from my hometown to that workplace I switched to our "inhouse" software product team. This team consisted of 2 developers, one of them being the "team" lead with more experience than the other. They were both working on this project for about 2 years now. Pretty soon after I joined them, the less experienced guy left the company leaving only me and the "team leader" behind. I was doing a pretty good job by bringing in my experiences from this big project I was before, combined with my good technical knowledge and thus received a promotion about a month ago to "IT Consultant" (no Junior anymore). The software will start to be in production in about 2 or 3 months from now, but the development will keep going after that. It could be pretty successful since we already have a few hundred potential companies as our customers. Now the current "team leader" has quit and in three months he will be gone. Because I got the most insight and experience in this software project now, it was obvious that I will take his place. Since the project is probably going to grow soon, there will be about 2 or 3 new employees soon and I'm supposed to lead them within this project. Since my responsabilities grew a lot lately, and will also in the future, I want to negotiate some further advantages (money-wise) with my boss. I'm most interested in some kind of profit participation, since this project could really become pretty successful. However I'm pretty new within this company and the team is small. Is it common for a software project leader to receive a profit participation from the sales of the product? What else could be an alternative to ask for, in exchange for taking more responsabilities? <Q> Is it common for a software project leader to receive a profit participation from the sales of the product? <S> I've never worked at a company where software project leaders received a portion of the profits from the sales of a product they worked on. <S> I don't know of any companies that work that way. <S> Perhaps it's different in your company. <S> Did the prior Project Leader get paid based on product profits this way? <S> What else could be an alternative to ask for, in exchange for taking more responsibilities? <S> Most people who get promoted also get a raise. <S> If it hasn't already been offered, that seems like something reasonable to ask for. <A> I know I personally always prefer a pay increase to profit sharing, but if that's what you'd prefer I'd encourage you to talk to your superiors about it. <S> Personally, I would lay out a business case for a raise. <S> Present why you are a crucial team member, how you've grown rapidly as a employee and now offer a greater value to the company, and how you'll likely have to work more or harder to train the new hires. <S> Keep in mind that your pay is just a small portion of the cost to your company of you working there <S> , improved pay doesn't cost them more for workspace or benefits or licensing fees. <S> Perhaps seek out other opportunities more suited to your unusually high degree of experience per year and see what the going rate for your skills are <S> (your company can be reasonably be expected to value you even more because of your direct experience with their project). <S> If you want to go a profit sharing route, the numbers and the logistics are messier, but you'll make want to make similar points with an additional consideration for your increased degree of dedication to the project and company. <S> Keep in that, unlike the method I suggest for asking for a raise, you'll only be able to do profit sharing once <S> and then you'll lose a lot of career mobility and negotiation potential in the future. <S> You should probably get more in the short term from profit sharing for these reasons. <S> Key words: business case, team member. <S> Use these a lot. <S> Your employer is in the business of making money, and risking losing crucial employees through pay practices is not the way to do that, but you'll have to get around the knee jerk reaction of fiscal conservatism. <A> That's not uncommon at all - if the company is doing well, numbers are green and revenue is growing, there's no way (unless *greedy b*st*rds*) <S> the company would say no to that. <S> After all, you and your team will be motivated to reach the goals proposed in the document, and the company will benefit of that as well. <S> Take advantage of your position - you are the only one that knows about a product they have been developing during the past few years... they can't afford losing you. <S> Basically, if you leave, they loss money.
| Maybe you can convince them to sign a document with goals for your team, and depending on the results expected vs what you have achieved then you can negotiate (for you and your team) a performance bonus .
|
'Failed' take home coding test - should I resubmit? I was given an opportunity to apply for an internal Junior dev position within the company I am working at (they would not have considered me due to my degree otherwise) I come from a non-CS/SoftEng degree (but related) thus no exposure to C++. I 'passed' the interview/written test through pseudocode and was granted the opportunity to do a take home test, which I managed to 'complete', albeit I did not interpret one of the requirements correctly which resulted in wrong algorithm. I believe my code was ok and I tried to implement many C++ features to show my understanding. I was told I had potential but the difference in experience expectation was the main factor for rejection. I spent 2 days learning a lot of C++ to complete this, and hiring knows. Do I have a leg to stand on if I spend some more time to implement the correct algorithm or should I just accept this rejection? (I do not have a lot of free time to complete until later this week). Thanks <Q> When I set coding tests, it's because I want to see whether a candidate has a good enough working knowledge of a language. <S> I want to see whether they understand the standards and pitfalls of the language. <S> I want to see that I won't have to spend too much time teaching them the basics. <S> You spent 2 days learning C++. <S> Here's what I would do if I were you: <S> Check the job requirements before applying. <S> If they specify you need to know C, Java, Python etc - consider whether the role is right for you. <S> If you're interested in a role which involves programming - find a reputable school near you and invest some time and money in learning to code. <S> Always ask for detailed feedback from a rejection - then act on it. <S> Here, you've been told that you don't have enough experience. <S> You don't. <S> There's no argument you can make to <S> give you more experience. <S> A job rejection is usually final. <S> Work on getting more experience and then apply again. <A> Do I have a leg to <S> stand on if I spend some more time to implement the correct algorithm or should I just accept this rejection? <S> It probably doesn't make sense for you to resubmit the corrected algorithm. <S> The judgement appears to have already been made. <S> Instead, continue learning on your own. <S> Gain more C++ experience. <S> In another 6 months or so, apply for a position should one come open. <A> I wouldn't bother. <S> Though I would work to broaden your knowledge of internal systems if C++ is going to be the language you're tested on for an internal job posting. <S> It would be one thing if you had some coding error but picking the wrong algorithm to implement is a very big flag to a technical review. <S> Algorithm selection, by and large should not depend on the language (though there are some cases where it could). <S> If you knew what one you were supposed to pick, but implemented poorly from lack of depth in the language, well that's different than picking the wrong one altogether.
| Either apply for roles to which you're more suited, or spend more time improving. I'm sorry to say, it sounds like you should accept this rejection. It seems that your lack of experience was the main factor, rather than the incorrect algorithm, and that won't change overnight.
|
I'm helping interview for a technical position for which I don't have direct experience; what to ask? My company is hiring for a technical specialty which is quite different from my own. I really can't speak to candidates' specific skills, but I can ask more general questions about preferred work environments, methods of approaching problems, etc. What should I ask that will have the greatest possible value, given that it's a technical position but discussing technical matters won't be possible? Similar, though I won't be managing the people hired: How can I manage technical workers when I have no experience in their position? <Q> What should I ask that will have the greatest possible value, given that it's a technical position but discussing technical matters <S> won't be possible? <S> When I set up interviews for folks I'm trying to hire, after an initial phone screen, I usually have them meet with several people during their visit. <S> I talk to these interviewers ahead of time, assign a "role" and give them an idea of what I'd like them to learn during the interview: <S> Me first (since I'm the hiring manager) Someone to discuss and assess technical fit Someone to discuss and assess domain <S> fit Someone to discuss and assess <S> company culture fit <S> Me last <S> Sometimes, I'll handle the technical/domain/culture assessment myself - depending on the nature of the role being filled and the availability of others to help. <S> If you aren't in a position to assess technical fit, and you aren't the manager, you might be better suited to fill the domain or company culture role. <S> If you are in the domain role, you ask questions related to the domain in which your company works. <S> For example, you might be hiring a DBA to work in a Pharmaceutical company. <S> In this role, you would talk to the candidate about the pharmaceutical industry. <S> You would be learning what the candidate understands about the industry, if it is of interest, and if it fits the candidate. <S> If you are in the company culture role, you ask and answer questions as to the candidate's fit into your company's culture. <S> For example, if you are a startup company, you might problem to see if the candidate is comfortable in a startup environment (where perhaps not everything is pre-defined, and it might be necessary to pitch in and work in areas outside your comfort zone). <S> Also remember that these interviewers are there to answer questions, as well as to ask them. <S> Hiring is important, particularly in a small shop. <S> IMHO, a good hire is well worth a few hours of extra work. <A> I think you should discuss this with your manager to find out what they expect of your involvement in the interview. <S> Our answers are just going to be guesses at their intent. <S> You mentioned that 3 other people will be conducting the interview as well. <S> To be frank, your involvement sounds like a complete waste of everyone's time. <S> If this is a small company (less than 10 people) and you will likely work with this person on a daily basis then I could see having you involved to make sure there isn't a personality conflict. <S> At which point you should stick to general office questions and stay away from anything in the field. <S> This only has value if the position requires a technical person to explain those things to non-technical people. <S> If it doesn't then does it matter if they can explain it or not? <S> At the end of the day I stick to "go / <S> no go" questions in interviews. <S> In other words, the only questions I ask are those whose answers will directly lead to a job offer or a polite "thank you for coming in." <S> Having someone sit on the interview who can't solicit that information isn't helpful. <A> Do not shy away from asking technical questions. <S> Perhaps ask them to explain specifically what work or problems they've solved on their last job, or in hobby experience. <S> Even if you don't understand the jargon they use, if you fake knowledge, and they are forced to use jargon correctly, and actually explain themselves, you'll be able to see just from how they answer it if they are right for the job. <S> If they seem to have no idea what to say, or their answers seem vague and clueless, then they probably aren't as experienced as you'd like. <S> Don't use it as a knowledge test, but as a test to see if they actually know the field they are entering. <S> Asking personality based questions when you need a skilled worker won't be as useful as seeing if they know their field. <A> You don't need to know everything. <S> You can ask questions about fundamentals, as long as you can tell a viable answer from a b.s. answer. <S> My MD doesn't know everything I do <S> but she keeps me honest because she has a phenomenal b.s. detector :) <S> You don't even need to talk. <S> But you need to know how to listen. <S> Listen for the b.s. <S> And when you hear something that feels like b.s., keep digging until the truth comes out one way or the other. <S> Hopefully, as you learn your trade as an interviewer,you learn that listening is at least as valuable as talking. <S> Listen also to what the candidate is NOT saying. <S> If the candidate spins, make the candidate cut it short to the nitty-gritty. <S> Learn to trust yourself and your instincts. <S> Also learn to lean on your fellow interviewers for expertise that you don't have. <S> No one knows everything and can know everything.
| If you have been in the company/department for a while, you may be able to provide answers to the candidates that will show them what a great company you have and why they should want to work there. Listen to what the candidate is saying. Someone suggested that you ask the candidate to explain something about their technical background to you.
|
How do I sell to the company I'm employed something I have previously made I am a software developer and as such my productive output is easily repurposed. Some background A few years ago, long before I was employed at my current job, I made a piece of software in an attempt to persuade a client to upgrade their business processing system. That client didn't buy my software for various reasons unrelated to the quality of the software itself (competitors' bids were all scrapped as well). Today one of my managers approached me and wanted to see how feasible it would be to make a moderately complicated piece of software - mobile app to collect data in a wizard-like manner and produce printable reports. There are some gotchas in the project that make it less-than-trivial: hundreds of data points reports customizable per client, per region and per user rules about the points that are needed can change at a whim ... all of which were features of the software I had previously created, along with some tools that help manage the system after it's up and running. The current situation It took me some 6 months to create that system and I could deploy it at my current employer's within a couple weeks (modifications/plugins will be needed), instead of the 6+ months it would otherwise take to create it from scratch (longer than my personal effort due to corporate overhead). I have been at my current employer for about 8 months. I fully own the rights to my previous work. I would like to sell or license the software I've made to my current employer but I'm not sure how to approach that or how to raise the question - I wouldn't want my employer to think I'm holding back on my effort if they decide not develop from scratch in-house. It's also difficult to put a price tag on software and I wouldn't want my management to think I'm trying to rip them off. How can I approach my current employer about buying my past work? <Q> I've been down this road a couple of times. <S> Some things you want to make sure are absolutely clear, and in writing, for both sides: <S> Scope of the License - What is the license you are granting your employer? <S> Is it something they can resell or repackage as a value-add component? <S> Is it to be limited to one location only? <S> Can they "re-brand <S> " it as their own product? <S> How far can your employer deploy this software? <S> Source code - Are you supposed to deliver a software product, or deliver source code? <S> Continuing development <S> - Are you to be allowed to continue development on this as your own product? <S> Or is the company essentially "buying" the product from you in its entirety? <S> Are all potential conflict of interest issues addressed in the agreement? <S> (Thank you @ColinPickard.) <S> Upkeep <S> - If bugs are found, or the software needs to be customized to your company's environment, whose responsibility is that? <S> Do you do that on the clock or on your own time as part of the purchase? <S> As always, everything is negotiable, but these are items that can cause pain points afterwards if you don't get them clearly defined up-front. <S> As to how to approach your employer: <S> Don't wait - <S> The longer you wait to bring this up, the more it would seem that you're "sandbagging" on the project. <S> The sooner you bring it up, the better. <S> How to Propose it <S> - Try, " <S> Boss, you know you asked us to make a utility to kerfluffle the widgets. <S> It so happens I made a Widget Kerfluffler application as part of a pitch I made to another organization some time back. <S> I think it handles everything you're looking for, and takes care of a couple of things you may not have thought of, yet. <S> Would you be interested in evaluating my Kefluffler App before we dig in to making our own?" <S> It can be just that simple. <S> If he says no, put it back on the shelf and don't bring it up again. <A> Yes you can, but you should consider a few points: Since it will take you approximately six months to rebuild it <S> you'll be lucky if they will perceive it's worth six months' salary. <S> You "product" is not a tested one and maybe doesn't adehere to all their requirements. <S> They will test it, open some bug tickets, expect you to fix it, etc. <S> (Oh and wait for the "can you add this feature pls?") <S> You can take other alternatives like: OK, boss, I'll refactor my "product," but I need a few coworkers, a coffee machine, etc and can you raise my salary and promote me to the project team leader? <S> OK, boss I'll do it <S> but since it's almost done, I can finish it faster at home. <S> (Yeah few weeks of home office!) <S> The alternative routes are a good thing if this product will require continuing development. <A> Doing what you are told is nice, but taking initiative and offering something useful is even better. <S> First, calculate how much money they'd save. <S> What's 6 months worth to them?Give them a discount, of course; I doubt anyone wants to pay an outrageous price on something already finished, so charge them 3 months worth for it, not including your 6 weeks. <S> That's what I'd do, but I recommend making your own decisions as far as price goes. <S> Second, do not give them your price you calculated. <S> Show it to them and tell them you'd be willing to implement your own software in less time. <S> You have the high ground in this barter. <S> Your company is a free entity, and will likely take the route that saves them time and money. <S> It'd be madness on both your parts to not discuss this.
| If it makes their life easier and speeds up development, then yes, you should. Say you'd like to be compensated for it for a fair price, then negotiate.
|
Dressing for an interview based on who is interviewing I am currently going through the interview process with a digital agency. The role I am interviewing for is that of a Lead Developer/Analyst whose core responsibilities would be to: Represent the development team by acting as a liaison with the internal design team and clients Contribute to development and mentor junior developers Report to the Chief Operating Officer with regards to expected project milestones, etc. The interview process is composed of: Round 1 (complete): interview with COO to discuss general product development and business skills Round 2 (upcoming): interview with the CTO to discuss technical skills For round 1, I was in business formal wear. As per their body language, the interview went well. Because the second interview is more technical, I am considering dressing a little more casually as I would if it was a day I planned to spend with fellow developers. My thinking here is that I want to be dressed for the situation- business formal with the business folk and casual with the tech folk. I am conflicted though because it is usually advisable to err on the side of overdressing. Thoughts? <Q> Because the second interview is more technical, I am considering dressing a little more casually as I would if it was a day I planned to spend with fellow developers. <S> My thinking here is that I want to be dressed for the situation- business formal with the business folk and casual with the tech folk. <S> I am conflicted though because it is usually advisable to err on the side of overdressing. <S> Thoughts? <S> I think you are over-thinking this. <S> The situation is that you are interviewing with a second C-level executive. <S> Thus, it's perfectly appropriate to dress similar to the first interview (in a different outfit, of course). <S> You would certainly be dressed for the situation as I see it. <A> If you saw others during that first interview, even just passing them in the hall, you should have a reasonable idea of the general dress for that business. <S> If you felt overdressed during the first interview, it would certainly be acceptable to dress a bit more casually for the second. <S> If you did not see anyone else besides the COO, and your dress appeared to be in line with his, or if you did see others, and they also appeared to be dressed at a business level, then it would be better to err on the side of formality, and dress at least nearly as well for the second interview. <A> I will add my 2 cents here, because although I am not a developer, I have been on my fair share of interviews. <S> Unless someone says to you directly that you are overdressed for the interview, take it as a sign you are dressed accordingly. <S> Always dress for success. <S> At an interview wear layers, in other words, a suit, a proper shirt, a tie, and the correct apparel. <S> If you notice that people are more buisness casual dressed take off the jacket. <S> If you notice they are dressed casually still take off the jacket, and don't be afraid to show you can be expressive. <S> I know it sounds odd, but sometimes people are looking for personality conflicts or matches by second round. <S> It is easier to train someone you like than someone you don't. <S> Just remember, first impressions are the most important. <S> It is better that you are seen taking the interview process seriously than as a joke. <S> A way to bypass all the second guessing, write a letter/email thanking for the chance to interview. <S> From there take the oppertunity if you are asked back if that what you wore was appropriate for this round of interviews or should you dress buisness casual? <S> Those are my suggestions, take them or leave them, but remember this, first impressions are never able to be done over after the first handshake or smile. <S> So make sure whatever you wear you are professional and have your A game to bare. <S> For if you don't, some kid trying to get his first job will. <A> If it's worth it to you, call your contact and simply ask what kind of clothing is acceptable. <S> Why go through the agony of guessing when you can just ask? <S> If you don't want to call or simply don't have the time to call, show up in a suit. <S> You will be hired on the basis of your skills and personality anyway not on the suits you happen to wear. <S> It is suits who are picky about you wearing suits not everyone else. <S> You can rationalize your wearing of a suit by saying to yourself that you might run into a suit that day and that suit might be the Director of IT and their compadres and comadres. <S> Having said that, Hell will freeze over before I show up at an interview wearing even business casual.
| You can always relax your dress if you notice everyone else is wearing a more relaxed attire once you get the job. Some people are old fassion, if you know everything, but don't dress the part (as an interviewer), you won't get the job.
|
How to apologize for and address failures in areas of responsibility I have moved on from ages ago? Recently a manager at my company started uncovering some critical mistakes in projects I had supervised a very long time ago. I have since advanced in level and taken on more teams/projects in higher areas of responsibility. The mistakes were from a period in which I had barely started my very first supervisory role and thought I could fully trust everyone working under me.However, I am still not 100% sure why and how those mistakes happened as I feel I had done everything to the best of my ability back then... Either way, while I feel my overall and current contributions outweigh the impact of those mistakes, they are still relevant to the overall business and may add a black mark to my otherwise good record. Firstly, what is the best way to apologize for something that went wrong so many business cycles ago, especially considering that it was at a time when I was still inexperienced - and I partly don't even know what went wrong?Secondly, how to tackle those failures if I know what to do about them, but currently have way too much on my plate already? i.e. solving them is critical but not urgent; I am already overbooked in my current day-to-day work and need to focus on performing on that as well. <Q> If they need help from you, let them ask for it. <S> No need to mention that you were the guilty party - they know it anyway. <S> Help only if asked or told to help. <S> Separate the fact that it was your fault originally from the fact that the responsibility of the manager is to fix your mistakes. <S> Again, let them do their job and help only when asked or told to help. <S> But remember, you are only helping not doing the manager's job for them. <S> Acknowledge that it happened on your watch and leave it at that. <S> If the higher-ups want you to fix it, let them tell you to do it. <S> Personally, I trust more the manager to be able to fix it more than you. <S> Again, they look pretty good at their job, so let them do it. <S> Especially given that you're not even really sure what went wrong :) <S> This is your homework assignment for extra credit <S> : take the manager to lunch from time to time and pick their brains as to how they went about detecting what went wrong - it should be a fascinating story and you should be able to learn quite a bit from this impressive individual :) <A> You have no need to apologize. <S> As you said it was a long time ago and the project has gone this long without finding them or needing to fix them. <S> I would not worry too much for this reason. <S> I doubt anyone will say anything to you about the issues. <S> It is even possible that the problem that exists now did not exist back then. <S> Business processes change and that changes the requirements of existing programs. <S> The problem could be that the process changed but the software was never updated, due to this there is now a bug where the program used to operate correctly. <S> Its also possible that a recent fix or change else where in the program created the issue that is being found now. <S> If at some point you are called on to explain why, then explain you are not sure what the issue is, explain that testing at the time indicated that everything was working properly. <S> Programming is not an exact science and only trivial programs can be expected to be completely bug free. <A> First - don't get into a defensive mode about a "black mark" - if this is a set of mistakes made a long while back, it is a team effort in the mistake-making. <S> You didn't know better, your team wasn't perfect, and no one noticed for quite some time <S> - that's not just on your head, it's you, your manager, your team, and any processes (or lack thereof) that should have caught such mistakes. <S> Taking the blame for all of that is beyond the scope of what's reasonable. <S> Next - it's always nice to learn what you can from past mistakes (yours or other people's). <S> It'd be a fine approach to go to the mistake finder and <S> say that you heard of these mistakes, and would like to know more about the details. <S> You can offer, in return, to provide historical knowledge of the original context of the project, and depending on the situation, you may be able to help with fixing the situation (depends on your role and workload now). <S> At least being interesting in learning is the sign of a responsible person. <S> Last - it may be worth a chat in the next 1 on 1 with your current supervisor. <S> It's the mark of a responsible person to think "what could I have done better?" <S> and to be worried about making things rights. <S> It should be OK in a decent trusting relationship to say something along those lines and get a sense of whether your boss thinks of this as a serious failing on your part and why. <S> Until you know what those who currently assess your performance thinks, you can't really figure out whether there's any career related impact.
| Let the other manager do their job and if their manager is that good at uncovering your mistakes, have faith that they will be more than competent enough to fix them. Not sure you should apologize. What you did is done and is no longer your area is responsibility.
|
Should I report to HR and involve others if I am being wrongly accused of theft? Today something weird happened to me at work - I was accused of stealing a ring by my company's security personnel. Of course, I didn't do it; I even helped my colleague to try to find the ring. My question is at the end, but first I want to tell the whole history so you can have the full context before posting your answers/opinions. Today, after lunch, I went to the bathroom. When I entered there, one of my colleagues was washing his hands. When I was ready, after drying my hands when I was about to leave the bathroom, I saw another person entering there. Everything normal, I went back to my cube to continue working, when some minutes later my colleague (the one I found in the bathroom) came next to me and ask me if I have seen a gold ring in the bathroom, next to the sink. I tend not to notice stuff like that, and I don't have good memory for that kind of things (I can't even remember what I ate for lunch), however I thought that I could have remembered who entered to the bathroom after me, so I told him to join me in searching this guy through the second floor, but sadly we couldn't find him. I told him to ask the security personnel, as they have cameras everywhere, so they will be able to check on who entered the bathroom during the same time lapse - at least, that way we can have one more person to ask if they saw anything in there. The funny thing was that, closely to finish my shift, one of the security personnel guards came next to me and told me to follow him to a meeting room close to my cube. I followed him, we entered the room, and he told me to sit down, that we need to talk. The conversation was something like this: (I'm not an English native speaker, so excuse me if something does not sound right) Guard: Let's do this quick and simple - give me the ring before everything turns out worst. Me: Sorry, I'm not following. You are looking for XXXX (my colleague's name) ring, right? Guard: We have a video that shows you entering the bathroom right after him. We now you have the ring. Give it to me. Me: I entered the bathroom when XXXX was in there, and I know he lost his ring. I even helped him searching the ring. This is the first time someone says to me something like this. Are you accusing me of having stolen the ring? Guard: We checked the video, and when you came back to your cube, we saw you doing a weird movement with your hands, and putting something in your pant's back pocket. Me: Ok, what pocket? The right one? That's where I keep my badge, look (and I showed him my badge ID Card, which is required to enter to every place in my company building) (Just in case, the guard had one of those microphones/earphones bodyguard-style in his ear, so I guess the rest of the security personnel was listening to our conversation at that moment) Guard: Wait a second, seems like we had a mistake. My colleagues are checking the video again and effectively there's a second person entering the bathroom right after you. Seems like this was a misunderstanding - ok, and they are reviewing the video and seems like the thing you put in your back pocket was indeed your badge ID Card. Me: So, what do we do from here? I mean, you were accusing me of stealing just a moment ago. Guard: Yes, I'm very sorry - we have to take action quick, before the end of shift, because everyone goes home and it's hard to identify suspects if not in the same day. Do you remember how the other person was dressed? Me: Not really, I don't pay attention to those details - but you have the cameras, right? I mean, you can check that yourself, don't you? Guard: Yes, you are right. We are very sorry. After apologizing again, we came out of the meeting room and I got back to finish my work. At first, it was funny - I thought "LOL, they thought I was stealing... how funny is that!". But then, I spoke with a couple of colleagues (included my team leader), and they were really concerned, because accusing someone from stealing to another colleague (or just stealing, for that matter) is a very hard offense. I didn't take it that way by then, and I think the guard's apology was sincere. But then, at home and after telling my wife about this story, she told me that the best way to go was to leave a formal statement of what happened in HR or with my Manager, so it's clear for everyone what the accusation was all about. I think my wife is really wise, so I probably will follow her advice and leave a formal communication tomorrow with my Manager, but I wonder what do you think? Is this an incident that I should report to HR? If not, as stealing is a criminal offense, is a good idea to report this to my local Police Department? In addition, Is it good to involve other parties at the very moment you get an accusation like this? . For example, should I have called my Team Leader at the very moment the guard accused me of stealing, so he could have been there during the interrogation? <Q> Should I present this formal communication/statement as a For Your Information to my Manager, or should I formally complain (verbally or through a letter) to HR regarding this situation? <S> When in doubt,follow what eve says :). <S> Is it good to involve other parties at the very moment <S> you get an accusation like this? <S> You need not involve others, but notifying your manager that the incident had occurred would be appropriate. <S> Hope it helps. <A> Presumably your HR department already knows about this incident because the security team has filed a critical incident report with them. <S> (If HR doesn't know, that's cause for serious concern about your company's security policies, but that's not what you asked.) <S> If I were you I would file a critical incident report. <S> That is, write a memo very similar to what you wrote in this question, but put in real names, real locations, and real dates and times to the extent you remember them. <S> Try to confine your memo to facts. <S> It's OK to admit that you don't remember details. <S> Mark it "confidential and sensitive. <S> " <S> Then hand a signed and dated paper copy of that memo to HR and to your team lead, and keep a paper copy for yourself at home. <S> The purpose of the critical incident report is to record what happened, in case anybody else asks. <S> As you write it try to refrain from judging what happened. <S> If a similar incident occurs in the future (heaven forbid!) <S> , I think you would be very wise to ask the security person to ask an HR person or your team leader to be a witness to your questioning. <S> In the meantime, tell your colleague to keep his ring on his finger or leave it at home if he's lucky enough to get it back! <A> I certainly would write something up for HR and your manager factually describing everything that occurred. <S> However,I wouldn't in this case assign malice to security... <S> Mr. <S> X lost his ring and when asked, you're the last person he remembered as being in the bathroom -- <S> so... <S> naturally, you're the first person anybody would reasonably question. <S> I don't think this was an illogical accusation of theft, but more of a you're the first and most logical suspect <S> -- you had at least 2 of the three things needed for a crime: <S> means, motive, and opportunity. <S> Ok, maybe, starting off the interview immediately accusing you of stealing and having the ring was a bad thing -- or maybe it was a deliberate tactic meant to unnerve you and possibly get you to confess had you been involved ...however, since, you didn't do it -- you kept giving them more and more information, which upon further review was corroborated. <S> Although, it also sounds like they were slightly unprepared -- not having fully viewed the tapes, hence their 'surprise' at there being another person there. <S> And, I agree, security had to be proactive and quick about looking for anybody involved before they went home. <S> At least now, everybody's wearing the same clothing. <S> So, maybe, since you were the last person seen and remembered, they went in with the theory <S> you were responsible... <S> and as you talked, they realized everything you said made reasonable sense (not the malicious motives they were assigning) and as soon as they found that there was someone else there, your explanations seemed more and more logical..and their new focus was on this new person. <S> In the end, I'd also believe that security was sincerely sorry that it erroneously accused you of theft...and, due to your answers are probably being looked at as a witness not as the offender.
| Report the matter to HR like she suggested notifying your manager. I'd do it just to make sure nothing could be used against you later.
|
Do employers really mean it when they say No experience? I have a 1 year cashier and customer service experience working in a coffee shop. Now I'm looking for a similar position in Tim Horton's or McDonald's. Some of the job advertisements say in the experience part: "No experience" but not "not required" afterwards, does that mean that I shouldn't have any previous experience? If it does, what should I write on my resume for previous work experience? I have only worked for this coffee shop - I don't have any previous jobs apart from that. <Q> Previous experience is not required . <S> They don't mean that previous experience is forbidden or that you're automatically disqualified because you have previous experience. <S> What should I write in my resume in my previous work experience? <S> I'd suggest including your 1 year of experience at the coffee shop. <S> It's relevant to the new positions that you're applying for. <S> The best-case scenario is that having the experience listed makes you look like a more desirable candidate than other applicants with no experience (you'll need less training, and 1 year is long enough to show that you're probably trustworthy and not a job hopper; not that job-hopping is much of a concern for these kind of roles). <S> The worst-case scenario is that they've stated 'no experience' because what they're really looking for are young candidates (i.e. under age 20) so that they can hire someone for less than the full minimum wage . <S> In which case your experience won't help you (or hurt you), since the deciding factor will be whether or not you're over 20 years old. <S> So either listing your previous experience will benefit you, or at worst listing it will neither help nor hurt. <S> That means the previous experience should be listed, in my opinion. <A> I am fairly sure that "no experience" is short-hand for "no experience required". <S> I can't guarantee that some prospective employers won't be pointy headed but <S> the worst they can do to you is say "No". <S> In which case, all you have to do is take your talent somewhere where it's appreciated. <S> Put your experience in your resume, especially if the implication is that you can provide a reference e.g. Maria's (1 Jul 2013 - 1 Jul 2014) Cashier and customer service person for a coffee shop <A> Some of the job advertisements say in the experience part: "No experience" not "not required" does that mean that i shouldn't have any previous experience? <S> There might be some offers that explicitly want people with no experience at all . <S> Reason for this can be varied: They don't want you to have better salary expectations than what you have today - <S> a.k.a. <S> we're going to pay you minimal wage. <S> They want to educate and form a fresh new mind, someone who doesn't have previous <S> (mis)conceptions regarding a topic acquired in a previous job. <S> They want very young people to join their company. <S> Regarding your question - What should i write in my resume in my previous work experience? <S> - I think you have to put all your experience in there , regardless of the fact that they indeed are looking for people without experience. <S> In that case, they won't even call you, so both parts do not loss time in interviews or alike. <S> If what they meant was no experience required , then you are in a privileged position in comparison with the other candidates. <S> So, putting all your experience in your resume looks like the best way to go for me. <S> Hope this helps!
| "No experience [required]" and "[Experience] not required" mean what they sound like.
|
How to respond better to criticism or challenge? My line managers are in agreement that I present a natural flair for sales, marketing and personal relationships. I can present engagingly to an audience of 400 persons or more and I can build strong rapport with stakeholders and team members and (dare I say it) am well liked across the company. That is right up until my work is challenged or I perceive a communication to be critical. I am a big guy, former military, 6 foot 1, 220 pounds, ex boxer so when I respond adversely it can appear quite aggressive despite me thinking I am just defending my work or department. If it helps, I imagine being an only child also feeds into the competitiveness of needing to win each engagement. How can I respond in a manner befitting the corporate environment and not approaching every confrontation as a zero-sum game I need to dominate? <Q> so when I respond adversely it can appear quite aggressive despite me thinking I am just defending my work or department. <S> First, you need to realize constructive criticism is not an attack. <S> It takes practice, don't expect this to become easy. <S> Simple steps: <S> Make your first response to understand what is being said Repeat this back to the asker to make sure you understand <S> This is not arguing, but simply repeating to understand <S> If you can't articulate what is being said to/about you, you need to continue to understand this first <S> Do not respond defensively. <S> If this means you need to think without talking, do this (but make sure to say something indicating you are just processing) <S> Make sure you keep an open posture and not closed. <S> This can be incredibly difficult to change, so if this is hard, practice practice practice! <S> There are also tons of books about how to handle interpersonal interactions. <S> How to win friends and influence people <S> is a classic <S> but there are numerous others. <S> Remember, people don't care what you say - they care how you make them feel. <A> How can I respond in a manner befitting the corporate environment and not approaching every confrontation as a zero-sum game I need to dominate? <S> When I was younger I had a similar problem. <S> E.g. agressively defending my position in every debate. <S> The problem with my approach is that in business it is often more acceptable to take a laid-back approach to the defense and to strategize your response in a measured way. <S> Here are some tips I've found useful. <S> Remember that everyone in a room/meeting/etc was asked to be there because it was felt they have something to contribute. <S> Respect this and never assume that you are the only person in the room who is correct. <S> There are usually a number of "right ways" to do something. <S> The debate is normally about the best "right way" and not why one person is completely wrong. <S> The more times you use aggressive behaviour to get your way, the less effective it will become. <S> If used too often, you become the "angry guy" and people will learn to accept that behaviour and ignore it. <S> Sometimes the only way to win a debate is to lose it. <S> If there are two equally promising approaches, but you know that your solution is the only one that will stand the test-of-time, capitulate and offer to assist the other side. <S> Eventually you will have enough influence "in the long run" to implement the best of both plans. <S> You can't fight everyone all the time. <S> Instead, pick your battles wisely. <S> To do that, sit down and craft a long-term strategy to implement, and rank your debatables based on whether or not they will further your long-term goals. <S> If they do not, gracefully let the other side win and save your energy for the debates that matter. <S> Listening well is a great debating behaviour. <S> But remember, listening doesn't mean crafting the next thing you're going to say. <S> It means paying attention, being an active listener and then asking good questions based on what was said. <A> Developing a thick skin doesn't come without being exposed to conflict. <S> I used the early days of the internet to get that ownership of an idea or results out of my blood. <S> Those were the days of real flame wars, where people were GOOD at it. <S> I'd suggest exposing your ideas to ridicule and harassment to learn to manage your physical response. <S> A good course in debate teaches you to defend both sides of the issue. <S> This is to see the perspective they are coming from to object or confront your ideas. <S> There are Socratic Method questions I would use to understand their perspectives. <S> Since you come from military, you can treat all as a commanding officer. <S> Outside the military, the power dimension of hierarchy drops away. <S> It is influence. <S> I am sure you've read it, but if not, The Art of War by Sun-Tzu is worthy of some time. <S> Non-verbally, you can sit down to reduce the aggressive or intimidation factor associated with your size. <S> Lower height = lower status. <S> By choosing this tactic, you are giving up higher ground, so to speak. <S> To close, I am going to share with you my non-committal go-to phrase for complaints. <S> Good to Know. <S> It is the singular best phrase to deflate a perceived attack. <S> Use it, retreat, consider a way to negotiate a solution for both sides and re-package to accommodate other's line of reasoning.
| Anger and aggressiveness are valid debating strategies, but only if used very sparingly. The more you listen the better your chances of prevailing. So, one deflecting tactic is to ask for their remedy to the issue/problem/obstacle.
|
How to be taken seriously when presenting recommendations to senior colleagues Tl;Dr As an intern, if your recommendations are being ignored should you try a different approach or give up? If yes, what is the best approach? Context I'm an intern for the summer in a small high-tech business. It's my second internship with them and I have been given a complete project to manage and realize despite my lack of experience; therefore I know they do trust my judgment and professionalism. The thing is, I feel like I'm not taken seriously during discussions and my recommendations for the business are being ignored. Given that I'm leaving at the end of the summer should I: Push harder as I know some of their practices are bad and cost them lots of time and money Try to reserve some time at the end of the summer to write down everything I observed and give a copy to the relevant people (whether they read it or not) Mind my own business and just do my best - I tried, it's their problem now Instead of talking about technical merits with the other engineers go to the bigger boss and switch to money talk on how these practices are costing him. <Q> Honestly - you're an intern. <S> I don't doubt that you understand a great many things, but there are two dominant factors in play here: <S> You probably aren't familiar with the more subtle aspects of the business (politics, legacy support, contractual issues) and the 'obvious' thing to do <S> might well contradict a lesson learned by people who've been around longer than you have; <S> It may well be that your colleagues are disinclined to listen to 'the intern'. <S> There's not a lot you can do about the first except listen and ask questions. <S> For the other one, follow the path of least resistance. <S> That may mean still asking questions, but ones with a very specific intent in mind - open questions that lead the other party to realise the same thing that is obvious to you. <S> Suppose that something is done in a way that to you seems inefficient, wasteful or prone to error. <S> Rather than pointing out this 'obvious' problem, instead ask the people doing it why it is done this way. <S> By understanding what they think of the situation as it stands, you can target your arguments to the most persuasive course. <A> Well, why don't they take you seriously? <S> Did you ask your boss during your one on one ( you have them, right? )? <S> There may be entirely justifiable reasons that the company is spending time and money, that seems wasteful to you from your perspective. <S> There may be a false perception on your end, and people are talking about your ideas in other meetings a lot. <S> It will likely be worthwhile to you to ask for that feedback to adjust your perceptions, but if you're leaving in a few weeks I would recommend that you not press the matter. <S> If people didn't listen before, they won't listen to a lame duck. <A> I feel I should weigh in on this topic as I was in the exact situation <S> you were in until I managed to make my voice heard. <S> I had a recommendation for company wide software engineering practices. <S> Obviously beyond the scope of what you'd expect an intern to advise, but nevertheless scientifically demonstrated as necessary. <S> Fortunately, we were expected to make an end-of-summer intern presentation <S> I poured my heart and soul into the presentation. <S> It was concise <S> , it was backed by evidence, it was hilarious. <S> People started asking me to give my presentation just for entertainment value. <S> Our intern committee invented an award to give me for my presentation. <S> Of course, there was just this little teensy slide toward the end of my presentation that talked about how powerful this change could be. <S> And eventually, as more and more people started seeing and talking about my presentation, I started to get questions. <S> "Hey Calvin, what's x do?" <S> "Have you gotten x to work yet?" <S> "Wow, sounds like x has been used on a lot of exciting projects. <S> " <S> Of course, most leadership structures respond to what people are talking about. <S> In big companies, changes can take ages, even just in little projects. <S> But I can leave my company now, at the end of the summer, not worried that my idea will fall through the cracks. <S> Because people are talking about it, and it makes their job easier, <S> and we all know <S> it makes our jobs easier. <S> And there's a lot to be said for that. <S> So: Don't appeal to traditional leadership hierarchy. <S> Don't follow standard practice. <S> Do get the word out. <S> Do be likable. <S> Don't be confrontational. <S> Don't give up. <S> Do model personal excellence. <S> Will it always work? <S> This worked for me, and got me a job offer at the end of the summer. <S> I wouldn't be surprised if it does for you too. <S> Best of luck! <A> The trick here is to remember that, while you are a college intern, they are still working hard to develop you as a potential future employee. <S> Where I work, we strongly encourage our interns to show us what they are capable of doing. <S> The company you're interning with clearly takes this approach because they gave you a project to run during the summer. <S> You can leverage this, and the next time you and your boss go to lunch, talk about it. <S> Remember to keep your sales-pitch small and impactful, and be prepared to talk numbers (resource hours, license costs, hardware, connectivity, etc.
| It may be that people are ignoring you because "I've been doing this forever, so I must be right" or because "change is scary". No, but you're probably going to have to canvas the entire company for someone that will listen to an intern, and then canvas it again for someone who is actually will to change.
|
Interview: Should I admit to a typo on my resume? I realized I made a typo on my resume after submitting. Instead of writing: Engineer in Training I wrote: Engineering in Training Luckily the typo is on the second page of my resume so it may not be caught. Unfortunately, the online application process doesn't allow for updating resumes. So far I've corrected the typo on my copies. If I receive an interview, should I: hand out the updated resume admit to the interviewer about the mistake, but explain it has been resolved or: don't hand out the updated resume hope the interviewer doesn't find out about the typo My gut feeling is telling me to hand out the updated resumes and admit to the mistake. What's StackExchange's feeling about this? <Q> You're overthinking it. <S> One small typo isn't going to rule you out as a candidate. <S> And if it did, it would rule you out before you get to the interview stage. <S> If you do get an interview, your performance during the interview will be weighted much more heavily than what's on your resume. <S> The point of the resume is to get you the interview; once it's done that there's really no need to revisit it or to hand out fresh copies to the interviewer while discussing the various mistakes and typos that you found. <S> That's not what you're being brought in to interview about. <S> My suggestion is that you should: <S> Update your copy of the resume. <S> It sounds like you already did this. <S> Bring an updated copy (or copies , if you'll be meeting with multiple interviewers) with you to the interview, in case you are asked for it. <S> And don't bother giving it to anyone unless you are asked. <S> Chances are they'll have much more relevant things to talk about. <S> Focus on doing well in the interview by providing professional, thoughtful and intelligent answers to the questions that the interviewer asks. <A> If I receive an interview, should I: <S> hand out the updated resume admit to the interviewer about the mistake, but explain it has been resolved or: <S> don't hand out the updated resume hope the interviewer doesn't find out about the typo <S> While all resumes should be as perfect as possible, this is an extremely insignificant typo. <S> You should always bring additional copies of your resume with you on every interview anyway, in case one of your interviewers needs a copy. <S> Make sure the resumes you bring are corrected, clean and have no typos at all. <S> Be prepared to hand one out if the need arises. <S> Otherwise, simply don't worry about it. <S> In the extremely unlikely event an interviewer notices and mentions the typo <S> , you smile and quickly say "Good catch! <S> I noticed that just after I submitted the resume online and unfortunately the site has no way to correct it. <S> Would you like a fresh copy without that typo?" <S> And if needed, hand over a corrected copy. <S> And of course submit a typo-free resume to the next online application system. <A> During the interview for my current job, my employer pointed out that I'd typed the end of my last employment as being 31st of February (of course there is not 31st of Feb). <S> He realised I meant the end of the month <S> and we had a laugh about it. <S> It may have actually helped my case. <S> If it comes up, justify it as briefly as possible and try to laugh it off, if you think it's only a small thing, <S> he/she will too. <S> Find confidence in your errors. <S> It's how we learn. <A> Forget about it unless someone asks. <S> I would be surprised if anyone cares. <S> They will care about your experience, and the general quality of your writing. <A> It's a trivial typo. <S> You'd hand out an updated resume if there were a significant change in your situation <S> e.g. you gained experience in a key area or you acquired a hot skill. <S> If you hand in resumes over every typo, you'd be wasting everybody's time including your own and far from being a constructive act, your handing out of resumes is actually a distraction for everyone including you. <S> You're better off using your time on working and studying to make yourself a more compelling candidate at interviews. <A> I wouldn't worry about. <S> I can think of only 2 ways this can cost you a job, all else being equal: <S> If you applied for a job that focuses heavily on grammar and correctness, like an editor at a publisher or news provider (which I very much doubt, given you have engineering on your resume); If the person interviewing you is extremely pedantic about grammar and wants everything perfect, in which case, count yourself lucky that you don't have to work under someone with demands like that. <S> So don't sweat it. <S> It's fine to bring along a spare resume with the error corrected, but there's a high chance that there are more pressing matters for the interviewer. <A> This typo is much less relevant for your job than how you deal with it. <S> If you turn this typo into a problem, chances are that you are going to turn small matters into big problems in your job, too. <S> You are an engineer, not a mathematician. <S> "There's always one more bug". <S> A typo does not invalidate your resume like <S> a logical fallacy invalidates a proof. <S> Compliment him on his good eye. <S> If you want, you can mention that you discovered this, of course, right after submission. <S> Whatever story you choose: any resumes you have with you need to match it . <S> If you act all surprised, the resumes you have with you need to have the mistake in it. <S> If you say you found out yourself already, the resumes you have with you need to be fixed . <S> Nobody expects you to never make mistakes, and nobody expects you to rub your mistakes all over the customers' faces. <S> But once you discovered a mistake, you are expected to deal with it with due diligence and a proportionate response. <S> If you got your date of birth wrong by 10 years, you need to bring it up and ask for the resumes on file to be updated.
| It's unlikely to be noticed, and most likely isn't fatal even if caught. Don't mention anything about typos on your resume unless the interviewer brings it up first. If someone brings this up, you can immediately admit it.
|
Two onsite interviews, how to handle travel expenses? I have been invited for on-site interviews by two companies, A and B, in different but not too distant countries. I don't really know how to take care of the travel expenses. Should I explain to both that I will be visiting two companies and only request one way ticket from both? Another possibility is asking A to pay for a a return ticket from B's country which feels wrong in some sense. <Q> Get round trip tickets from both, do not discuss your interview with the other company at all, and schedule them so that you have time to do both. <S> The reason is that you never know what will actually happen when the day gets here. <S> If necessary schedule them <S> so you have a few days to recover from travel from the first before departing for the second. <S> One company could decide that they no longer want to interview you and decide not to send you a ticket. <S> This could leave you in the uncomfortable spot of having to go back to the other company to now purchase a round trip ticket on short notice, or purchasing a leg on your own(on short notice). <S> Requesting the change is not going to make points with either company especially since it will cost them more money. <S> Paying for the ticket yourself is probably not something you are interested in either. <S> Another reason is a company may be less willing to fly you out for an interview if they know you are interviewing with a different company in another country. <S> You could end up with no interviews as a result. <A> You could pay extra for open or flexible tickets, in case you need to make sudden changes. <S> In the event that they should ask about your weird itinerary, simply explain that you had personal arrangement in that nearby country anyway, so it made much sense to do it that way, in order to save you some time <S> and them some money (since presumable a round-trip is more expensive). <S> You don't have to tell them you were at a job interview. <S> You could then make company A pay for the trip out, and company B for the trip home. <S> The trip between the two could go to whoever you like the least. <S> :) <S> If you want to, you could even mention this when you schedule the interview. " <S> Oh, the 15th? <S> I'm actually visiting my buddy <S> "Raccoon Ramblin' Randy" in {nearby country} on the 10th. <S> That means I will have to change my return flights ..." <S> Another thing you could do, is to ask for a one-way ticket, and pay for the ticket between the countries out of your own pocket. <S> Explain that you would like to take this opportunity to take a personal vacation, and learn more about their wonderful country! <S> Immediate plus points with the interviewer! <A> The countries aren't too distant, but there will still be travel between them, correct? <S> And do you know that there won't be an overnight stay involved? <S> I would propose that the first-interview company pay for your ticket to their country, and that the second-interview company pay for your ticket home. <S> And if there are any on-the-ground expenses in country (hotel, coach or train between the two countries), that the companies split that cost between them. <S> If they have another suggestion, or policy, let them suggest what they'll do. <S> Your suggested solution is more fair, but if a particular company's internal policies are that much of a bugbear, they may just find it easier for one company to pay for your round-trip airfare from your home country to, say, Company A's country; while Company B picks up travel between the two countries and any other expenses. <A> When I have had on site interviews for which the company is reimbursing me for expenses, they have required submissions which mirror employee expense reports. <S> I needed to itemize expenses and scan and attach receipts. <S> As long as the costs are within general expectations they don't question you. <S> For example, I am in Chicago. <S> I had an interview in Los Angeles. <S> At the time my daughter lived in L.A. <S> I stayed at her apartment and used her car. <S> I could have rented a car at the company's expense. <S> Nonetheless they only reimbursed me for local mileage for my "personal" car because that is the expense I could document. <S> If you submit a one way ticket for reimbursement, the company need not know if you were splitting the cost to visit your family or if the other part of the ticket was being reimbursed by a different company. <S> Just don't "double dip".
| One thing you could do, is to order the tickets yourself, and have them reimburse them later.
|
how to deal with a colleague who doesnt tell me about my mistakes in person, but always does it in front of other people I have a colleague who has one year more experience than me and probably from other bigger companies. When she joined our team, I thought I would learn a thing or two from her. When I told her that she must point out to me if she sees I can do something in a better way or if she thought it needs improvement. She agreed. There have been a lot of instances when she had easily the chance to come up to me in person and tell me where I could improve and she did not. Instead, she happily does it in front of other team members and in fact my seniors. For example, when I ask her what she thinks is missing in it, she tells me "nothing" or "I just wanted the documents to be in one place" whereas she earlier spoke to my teammates or colleagues that "the documents need to be rewritten". There is a very big difference between having to rewrite a doc, and the need to keep them in one place. Obviously, her goal is not to correct or improve me, but to come up better than me in front of others. How do I deal with this? <Q> It looks like you're going to have to learn from everyone but her. <S> Not the end of the world. <S> If she's trying to prove that she's better than you, she is not telling anything that everyone else knows since she's got one year on you. <S> Shrug it off and let her play her pointless mind games. <S> You've got better things to do, like improving your existing capabilities and potential. <S> Line up your ducks, hand in your deliverables on time and since you don't have the answers yet, learn to ask some sharp, pointed questions. <S> If you are going to ask her questions, don't ask generalities like "how can I improve?" that she can wave off with one hand and with the other hand tied behind her back. <S> Ask specific, pointed questions like " <S> this is how I am thinking of accomplishing this particular task. <S> Can you think of a better way to get it done?" and ask the question loud enough loud enough that everybody can hear it including your manager. <S> Make it awkward for her to be non-cooperative. <S> And if you cc: the manager from time to time, you're making it it hazardous for her to be non-cooperative as well. <S> She wants to be non-cooperative <S> but if she doesn't want to be seen as non-cooperative, that's your pressure point. <S> And again, I repeat: use her and pick her brains as much as you can but don't depend on her for your learning. <A> Your work colleagues will not be blind to what this woman is doing. <S> There is nothing to gain in pointing it out to them as they likely already know and (potentially) are not interested in getting embroiled in a very personal situation. <S> You -could- <S> go toe to toe with the woman, drag the situation into the open and even perhaps do to her what she's doing to you <S> but that way, everyone loses. <S> What you need to do is to act professionally, keep your composure and remember the golden rule - if you act in the best interests of your employer, you're in a strong situation. <S> Basically, fake objectivity. <S> :) <S> You're grateful to your co-worker for highlighting issues within the team and want to work with her to prevent mistakes from being made. <S> Suggest a bi-weekly or monthly team meeting where everyone can talk frankly about how the past period has gone. <S> What mistakes were made and what can be done to prevent them happening again, or even salvage some benefit from them. <S> These sessions should be honest but non-judgemental <S> as, after all, you're all professionals working towards the same ends, right? <S> You'll (probably) come across as open, honest and professional, dedicated to process and departmental improvement. <S> We can get more benefit out of it that way". <S> Which allows you to effectively say "I know what you're doing" and "If you have something to say, say it to my face" whilst -also- being a positive influence on the team. <S> I work in an Agile Development environment and we do just this. <S> Every few weeks, we have a retro meeting where we talk about what went well and badly. <S> Due to the personalities around the table, we're able to talk frankly about problems and have made considerable improvements over the past year. <S> It's worth considering. <A> There could be a couple of things at play here. <S> Either your co-worker truly believes that her suggestions will be taken seriously, and she is doing you a favor for pointing out their problems, or she is trying to one-up you in front of everyone. <S> I would start with the assumption that she's oblivious to how her behavior is affecting you. <S> The next time this happens, pull her aside afterwards and explain that her behavior isn't professional, and is undermining you at this company (give specific instances, but avoid naming others). <S> If the above does not work, you've got to assume that she actually IS undermining you. <S> Likely your coworkers and boss have already figured this out, but you may be able to mitigate the problem. <S> You will draw attention to her behavior by doing this, and hopefully she with either change, or find another position. <A> Ask for clarification of her criticism in front of the others. <S> If she says "he documents need to be rewritten", ask straight away for more details - what is wrong with the document, what is missing, ask for an example what should be changed and how. <S> This is your best chance to expose her in a professional manner. <A> Hmm, lots of either confrontation or avoidance in both question and answers. <S> Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. <S> Don't approach it as "you must tell me when it's wrong", engage her. <S> "can I ask you a favour? <S> I'm not sure about what I've written for this doc, would you mind having a look? <S> Thanks, that sounds a good idea" etc <S> If the boss comes back and says whatever was great, give credit to your colleague if they contributed. <S> You'll soon have an ally on your side, and the best way to get on is to make others look good. <S> As Abraham Lincoln said"I don't like that man, I must get to know him better"
| If your co-worker continues to talk behind your back, you then have a perfect opportunity to talk to her about it and say "Let's not waste time talking about it secretively, let's address it as a team. Never argue with her - ignore what she says, and if she tries to start an argument, say "I think we should take this offline" or change the subject.
|
How do I put into a resume if I left/fired under probationary period I would like to know if it is a good idea to put on my résumé a job I had for two or three month and for which I was fired or resigned from during the probationary period. If so, how do you include it on your résumé or cover letter? If not, would it make me look like a liar if they found out? Would it be good if I leave it out because it is not related to the new job I am seeking? I am fresh grad by the way. <Q> It'd definitely look like you're lying if they find out. <S> I would suggest put it on your resume, because otherwise it looks like you were doing nothing for 3 months. <S> Instead you approach it at a different angle. <S> Just say you tried the job out and didn't like it and ended up leaving due to a difference of opinions. <S> The employer isn't stupid, they'll probably know what that means. <S> It's not what you/ <S> your previous employer did, it's how you handle it that'll define you. <A> It's up to you which way you want to go. <S> In this cae, say you weren't a good fit and leave it at that. <S> Not being a good fit is not ideal <S> but it's better than leaving under an ethical cloud or being fired for cause. <S> Most probably, a lot better. <S> You can choose not to disclose the job. <S> It's unlikely they'll find about that job <S> and if they ever find out, simply say that you weren't a good fit and if that's the truth, their investigation reaches a dead end. <S> A three-month gap in a resume is nothing remarkable, not in this economy and peobably,not for young people starting out their careers. <A> Especially, if it was during a probationary period. <S> This will make you look bad, as if there's a possibility that you will skip out on them. <S> Besides, how will they find out if you don't tell them?!
| If it was only a 2-3 month job, I wouldn't disclose it. If you choose to include the job, you'll have to disclose why you left.
|
What benefits do companies gain for hiring contract employees instead of hiring directly? I was told that some companies usually seek help from manpower agencies (and in particular when it comes to hiring programmers). However, I wasn't able to ask why. I also noticed in some companies that for some specific teams, the programmers are contractual. Why do many companies prefer to hire contract employees instead of employing them directly? What benefits would the company gain by doing that? <Q> It's a business decision. <S> Some companies prefer to have a highly variable workforce. <S> This allows them to grow/shrink the teams rapidly based on project needs. <S> It also relieves them of having to pay a "bench" of workers. <S> Having a mostly-contracted force of programmers means it's far easier to bring in new people, and it's easier to get rid of them. <S> The problem of attracting talent is shifted from the company itself to the manpower agency. <S> The problem of letting people go (and any subsequent severance obligations) is also removed from the company. <S> Particularly when the company's core competency is not software, this seems to be a growing trend. <S> Some very large companies in several business sectors have taken this approach. <S> I happen to work in the financial services sector and have seen this happen more and more over the years. <S> I'm <S> not saying that I think this is a good idea, or that programmers are anywhere near as fungible as some companies seem to believe these days. <S> I'm just answering your "why they do it" question. <A> Joe Strazzere's answer is very good, but there is another non-trivial point that needs to be mentioned. <S> The reality that a lot of project managers face in large non-IT companies is that it is frequently much easier to hire contractors. <S> Given that the budget for a project is already approved, to hire a full-timer there are usually many more hoops that you have to jump through to get approvals from different people, HR paperwork, etc. <S> Since hiring a full-timer is a decision that will impact more than just a given project and a single team (after the project is over - they will probably go on to work somewhere else?), many more people need to be involved. <S> All this is much simpler when bringing on contractors, whose term of employment is conditional only on the budget of the project (assuming you're going through an approved agency that already does business with the organization). <S> For a full-timer you need to go through many rounds of paperwork, and there are legal dangers lurking if you make a mistake in the process. <A> Budgeting can play a factor. <S> In my last job I couldn't hire FTEs (full time employees) because there wasn't a budget for it <S> but I could hire contractors. <S> The company felt that allocating funds to a budgeting bucket was more effecient - especially offshore contractors. <S> In some cases you can also terminate a contract for a contingency worker much easier that you can for a FTE if the person doesn't work out.
| Additionally, hiring a contractor is safer from a given manager's perspective - if you've made a mistake and you are unhappy with them you can get rid of them easily.
|
Renewing contract/employment, when should you ask for a raise I'm currently working as a programming and developement coop student for a large FI in Canada. At the end of the month my contract will end and I will be 're-hired' as a part time employee while I finish my degree. When should I ask for a raise? For example: Right away When deciding the new work schedule When the official offer is presented (counter offer) For this question to help as many as possible please assume that I do deserve the raise. Im currently between examples two and three, we have a rough schedule, and Im waiting on documents from HR. Should I run over to my boss and ask now before the documents can be finalized? Or wait and counter offer? <Q> Normally you renegotiate as part of the new contract (temp or perm) negotiations. <S> The fact you say you will be "rehired" implies that the deal is already done as it sounds like they've already agreed terms for you to stay on (possibly implied by <S> you not saying anything) <S> You should raise it now, but be prepared, it could change the deal, and you might not be hired to the part time role if your request is outwith their plans. <A> Certainly the explicit renegotiation should be part of the new contract negotiations, prior to agreeing to the contract. <S> However, you should take steps to ensure that both your request is not a surprise to them, and that you fully understand the financial terms of the employment arrangement. <S> In particular, if you were a contractor before and not an employee, do not be surprised if the employee rate is actually lower than the contractor (as the benefits/taxes may be higher for a full employee, even part time). <S> (Note, this is true in the US, not sure about Canada.) <S> Either way, you should do what you can to ensure both you and your boss know what the other expects in an informal environment before you get to a formal negotiation, especially if that negotiation is with a HR recruiter rather than your direct boss. <S> In addition to not surprising him/her, you also give your boss a chance to make sure the budget has room for your salary increase. <S> On your end, perhaps prior to talking to your boss, you should find out if there are other employees who have been similar situations in the past, and whether a salary increase was automatic, or even possible. <S> (Your coworkers may not feel comfortable talking numbers, but likely they will at least be willing to tell you the possibility of an increase.) <S> Given you're at a large company and in a common role there, it seems likely there should be some past history available to you to help guide your expectations, and to give you some ammunition (but don't name names unless they give you permission to do so). <A> Assuming that you have a good relationship with your boss, run over to your boss and ask them the same question you are asking us. <S> And ask how your boss how to go about making that request.
| Further, ask your boss to suggest a percentage raise that you could request - the accent is on 'request' not 'demand' and have a fair chance that the request will be well received.
|
Under what circumstances is it OK to tell your colleagues where you will be going after a resignation? Is it ever a good idea to tell which company you will be moving on to? to your boss? your colleagues? Many of them will know soon via social networking (I.E. linkedin), but those aren't the ones that I would be concerned about. I realize that it's also a bad idea if there is any sort of non-compete agreement (even if it does not apply) or open hostility between the companies, but many times changing jobs within in a particular industry means going to a rival company. If so, to whom do you share this information - your boss? your entire team? HR (if they ask during an exit interview)? edit: on a related note, when is it OK to ask a colleague where they will be moving to, or is it assumed that they will tell you if they want you to know? <Q> Is it ever a good idea to tell which company you will be moving on to? <S> I always tell my friends and colleagues where I am going. <S> Even if I have a non-compete agreement, I tell people where to find me and how to get in touch with me via my personal email and phone number. <S> If they later contact me asking for a job or referral, I remind them that I signed a non-compete prohibiting me from hiring them. <S> But if I think they would be a good employee at my new company, I either pass their name along to someone else who could do the hiring, or I give my friend the name of that other person. <S> Unless there was some reason why I didn't want others to know my new employer <S> (and I haven't ever had such a reason), I know of no reason why it's not always a good idea to continue your professional network. <S> when is it OK to ask a colleague where they will be moving to <S> I usually say "If you don't mind sharing, where are you going? <S> " If they choose not to tell me for some reason, I'm not offended. <A> The patterns I've seen over 20+ years in the software industry in the US (generalization beyond this is left as an exercise for the reader) are: <S> The official announcement that you're leaving almost never says where you're going -- just "so-and-so has decided to pursue another opportunity; his last day will be $date". <S> (In my experience these announcements are usually made by somebody in management or HR, not by the departing employee directly, though I've seen the latter rarely. <S> If so it follows the same pattern.) <S> It's also pretty normal to send out a "goodbye" message on your last day and include contact information (email address, URL), inviting people to stay in touch. <S> Use a personal email address, not you@new-job.com (which would come across badly to some). <S> My previous employer also had an "alumni" page on the wiki, which was usually updated by somebody else after somebody left to say where that person had gone. <S> It was rare for a departing employee to update that page himself. <S> I suspect that such company-public lists aren't common, but if you have one, you can use it. <S> As for asking, the "if you don't mind sharing, where are you headed?" <S> approach suggested in this answer <S> is what I've seen most often. <A> This is a subjective issue, really. <S> I've worked with people who've got to work for "The Enemy" over the years <S> and it's never been a problem. <S> No one in your current company need to know where you're going <S> and there's no reason why you couldn't walk out the door and disappear into the sunset. <S> I think you should just tell whomever you want and not worry about it.
| The answer would be determined by the personalities of the people you work with and the relationship with the company you're moving to. It's pretty normal to tell the people who you're close to where you're going, one-on-one. I am of the opinion that it's always okay to ask .
|
How to deal with a rude and bully Boss? I work as a software engineer on contract basis for a big IT company in London. Couple of months back our team manager got changed. Our new manager is very rude and impolite. Her reputation as being obnoxious is well known within the company and I don't know why the higher management doesn't do anything out it. Anyways, she seems to be particularly harsh toward me. I don't want to leave the job as of now so I want some advice about how to deal with her. It appears to me as if she treats us like students and she being headmaster, punishing us for every small mistake we make. I may ask for a team change but being a contractor I don't think they would consider it. <Q> Others have suggested ways of preparing a unified confrontation with this person. <S> That may, or may not, improve your workplace. <S> I suggest doing something on a more personal level. <S> Keep in mind that this is business. <S> I would say it's "just business," but it's also your working life so it isn't "just" anything. <S> But dealing with difficult clients is a highly valuable soft skill for contractors. <S> (I don't know why people call it a soft skill. <S> It's hard! <S> :-) <S> When you receive anger or anxiety from her, reflect it back, but mildly. <S> Don't be defensive. <S> For example, suppose she says "What's the matter with you? <S> Why didn't you finish that TPS report by noon? <S> Are you stupid or something?" <S> You can reply, "Thanks for the feedback. <S> I'd like to do my best to make your job easier. <S> I was working on the ABC account earlier today, and I will do the TPS report now. <S> Is there anything special <S> I should know about it?" <S> The point is to always make a reference to helping this manager succeed. <S> Don't say "you know I want to make your job easier," because she will hear that as "you are supposed to know I want to make your job easier, but you don't." <S> You can even say "It seems like you're concerned that the department's work is not going well. <S> What can I do to help improve it?" <S> Doing this is hard. <S> But the mindset you need is to remember that none of this angry / anxious behavior is about you personally. <S> This particular manager doesn't have the soft skill to take her personal anxiety about her job and her team and use it constructively. <S> You, as a consultant / contractor, can help her learn to do that. <S> The first step for you is to teach her you're working to make her successful. <S> Now, this may not work with this person. <S> Or it only may work very slowly indeed. <S> People don't change in the blink of an eye. <S> In the meantime, do your best. <S> When you can't stand it any more, complete your contracting engagement and move to the next one. <A> If you have any other connections to the business, I would bring this up with them immediately. <S> Being bullied in the workplace is no way to go. <S> Depending on the laws in London and workplace rules you also may want to try and record your interactions. <S> There are some places where recording is illegal without consent of all parties. <S> There's a chance she was moved because she acted this way with another team and instead of firing her they gave her new people. <A> Someone in your company is managing this contract and may not be aware that this manager is driving your developers away. <S> This is probably hindering the project and at least making someone's job more difficult by having to find replacements. <S> Have a conversation or let someone in your company know this is the reason. <S> They can choose to work within the relationships they've developed to land this contract and know whether or not they should or could do anything about it. <S> If you try to work this out on your own, you may find yourself in trouble with the account manager within your company. <S> They may not see your complaints as valid. <S> Some people may think of you as a hired-gun and should just to what your're told because that's what you get paid for. <S> Ever notice they didn't install a Foosball table for your team?
| You should be able to get into contact with her boss and discuss your concerns. Getting your workmates together to corroborate on these issues would also help. It would also behoove you to start making a point to communicate by email whenever possible and archiving 'over the line' conversations to a flash drive because these things often boil down to your word against hers.
|
Listing 'soft skills' on a resume I have been told a number of times that it is important to list some soft skills on your resume especially since, as a software developer, it is really easy to fill all the space with hard skills. While I do have soft skills I think I could list, I always feel kind of silly listing thing like 'strong leadership' because it feels like anyone can say that and everybody does! Is it as important a people have been telling me to list 'soft skills'? If so is there any way to list them to make them seem legitimate? <Q> I've always found it best to include soft skills with an example. <S> Strong leadership List here <S> why you think you have 'strong leadership'. <S> Have you lead a team? <S> Do you recall a specific instance where there was a difficult situation for you to navigate? <S> If you put it on there, you have to be willing to demonstrate that you you actually have this quality. <S> Communication Skills Is another popular one. <S> Personally, I was appointed the role of communicating technical bulletins that affected the business because I translate business to IS very well. <S> Maybe you have something like that you can put on there. <S> I think you always have to be thinking about 'What is going to make them believe I have these attributes?' <S> because as you stated, everyone puts those on a resume. <A> I am a software developer / computer scientist and I make sure that about 25% of the skills bullet pointed on my CV are soft skills. <S> No job is purely technical, you will have to communicate with people, so soft skills are important. <S> You may have to mentor and lead people, so leadership skills are important. <S> You may work on your own initiative for much of the time, so time management and project management skills are valuable. <S> Problem solving skills are particularly relevant to software development. <S> You are correct that "anyone can say that" and so you should always be prepared to back up everything you put on your resume. <S> If you quote soft skills, you must be able to talk about scenarios (e.g. specific projects) where you have demonstrated those skills. <A> In the resume workshops I've been to, they always say to be specific about your soft skills, and to give concrete examples of you performing these skills. <S> The example they gave (for a head waitress job) was "can stand for long periods of time;" instead, one should write "had several shifts at X where I stood for eight consecutive hours." <S> Just listing a skill is something anyone can do, and since "strong leadership" is impossible to quantify or double-check in itself, anyone can write things like that. <S> If you're able to get more specific, do so. <A> As a software development manager, I will say that I would take a list of "soft skills" on a resume with a grain of salt. <S> It's far better to list your experiences and how you demonstrated the soft skills using specific achievements and/or responsibilities you had. <S> Also, playing to your soft skills is possibly better addressed in the "Objective" (or whatever intro section you have at the top), or in the cover letter. <S> Say what you want to be doing, why, and why your soft skills are important for that roll there. <S> Keep in mind, the goal of the resume is just to get you an interview. <S> That's where you'll show your soft skills. <A> This answer is based - although I am a software developer - on my experiences in looking at other people's resumes. <S> Technical CVs tend to be highly technical, and remarkably unreadable to the average person. <S> I think this is because, as technical people, we often just don't understand that the general person doesn't have a clue what we do. <S> Soft skills, then, <S> while viewed in the technical theater as "unverifiable" are something that a non-technical audience, be it a recruiter or an HR member, can identify and relate to. <S> This will help you a lot when it comes to job hunting. <S> More interestingly, putting something like "Likes", and populating it with things <S> that you actually like - say, swimming or travelling or what have you - will also make you a relatable person. <S> This will, again, improve the odds of you being called in for an interview, all other things be equal. <S> As to "verifiable leadership" - why not start a local meetup group, or volunteer mentoring children from disadvantaged backgrounds? <S> That way, you can both improve your leadership skills and provide an identifiable and verifiable expression of said soft skill.
| I think it is good practice to list some soft skills on your resume. So, don't put skills on there which you don't have! How about detailing a project where your leadership led to a positive outcome.
|
New Manager Starting - What Should Be My First Questions? I've been working in my current Company for about 5 years. Over the course of that time there has been a lot of staff turnover - including in managerial positions. There's a new manager starting soon - what questions should I ask that will: Get off to a good start and make a good first impression? Find out their credentials and their approach to management and the role? Find out their sense of humour? <Q> Start off by saying that you would like to get to know each other better, introduce yourself and your responsibilities briefly, and ask them to do the same. <S> Ask some open-ended questions about their past projects; these usually give you clues to her approach to management, but feel free to ask more targeted questions as needed. <S> Keep in mind that as much as you are curious about them, they are equally curious about you, the new colleagues and environment, their new roles etc. <S> so make sure your discussion is not one-sided. <S> You don't mention your current position but from your post <S> I assume you are going to be their supervisor. <S> In this case make sure there is someone to help them with their questions and daily problems, and mentor them throughout the first weeks / months - it may be you or someone else - and let them know who that person is. <S> You may also want to walk around the office to introduce them to their new colleagues - this gives plenty of opportunities to chat and get to know each other better. <A> What can I do to help? <S> I hesitate to write any more about this. <S> I mean it's not very complicated. <S> New managers are new employees too, and will need some help getting up to speed on where to find the bathrooms, what the processes are, who to avoid pissing off. <S> When your first step is an offer of help, you show that you understand that - but more importantly, that you want to work with them. <S> They'll in turn want to work with you instead of seeing you as an obstacle or dead-weight. <S> It's also a great ice-breaker to open the conversation towards their approach to their job, as well as them learning what you can do to help. <A> Get off to a good start and make a good first impression? <S> Say hello, be friendly. <S> And keep your powder dry. <S> Find out their credentials and their approach to management and the role? <S> Your new manager will introduce themselves, so you'll find about their credentials sooner or later. <S> In the meantime, you could collect some info from those on your team who actually interviewed that manager. <S> You should know at least the manager's name and the last place they worked at. <S> You can use that info to look up their Linkedin and Facebook profiles. <S> You'll find out about your manager's approach within a week, as they listen to what the team has done and start distributing assignments. <S> Pay attention as to how the management convey their expectations - Do they talk straight, or do they talk elliptically? <S> Do they speak their minds, or do they expect you to read their minds? <S> You could google for any report involving the manager's activities at previous firms. <S> Let your manager do the talking until you're confident that you can read your manager. <S> Find out their sense of humour? <S> Let the manager (or somebody else) crack a joke first. <S> My sense of humor has gotten me into hot water more than once, so I am quite alert to the possibility of having my sense of humor being misinterpreted, as in badly misinterpreted.
| I think the best may be simply to sit down to a friendly chat with the new hire.
|
How to politely change what people I spend lunch break with When I started working at this company, I was told the person who normally is in my position plays cards with a certain group of people at lunch. I have been doing so for the past several months and it has become a very regular thing. For example, if one of the normal people is not present, everyone waits for him and if he takes too long they find him and ask when he will be joining. I no longer wish to "hangout" with this group, as I find all they do is argue and pick on each other. Honestly it seems like just one gets the rest of them all fired up. What is the best way to approach this? I work closely with these people and won't to remain on good terms with them. <Q> I'd suggest giving a reason that (a) is true, although it may tactfully leave some information out, and (b) covers an indefinite time period, <S> so you don't have to make up new excuses all the time. <S> Something like "I've decided to take a break from playing cards. <S> " You can add that you're getting tired of playing cards, want to get to know the other employees better, catch up on your reading, or whatever it is you want to do instead. <A> If you can, I suggest you take up some exercise activity to do for the first part of your lunchtime. <S> For example, going out for a run. <S> You can have your lunch afterwards when you get back. <S> Your co-workers are likely to be respectful of this fitness/self-care choice and to see it as a much gentler let-down than simply saying you don't want to play cards, which would look like you had something against them personally, which you do: you don't like the arguing and picking on each other. <S> So hopefully you will remain on good terms with them. <A> In my opinion, it is perfectly acceptable to take time at lunch to: <S> Buy a sandwich and read a book, Explain that you are not feeling well <S> and you have an headache, <S> Go on some errands around the block. <S> I'd rather not play cards today". <S> This is not an excuse but just the simple fact. <S> (Edit Suggested by @Brandin) <S> All in all, it should not be very difficult to come up with some excuses, to split from the group and do your own thing. <S> You may even want to go for lunch a little bit early so the rest of the group understand that you are not available. <S> After a while, they will realize that you are less available and are not that interested in playing cards. <S> Everybody changes and it is perfectly natural that you want to have lunch with a group for some time and then decide to mingle with others or be on your own. <A> Intrapersonal dynamics are a rough sea to navigate. <S> To help here, lets break down what we know about the situation:1) <S> When you arrived it was strongly suggested you have lunch with a specific group of folks.2) <S> This group of folks is tightly knit, and have accepted you. <S> The question is, if you don't personally want to spend your free time with the group, what do you have to lose by dis-engaging them? <S> Do you work with them on a daily basis? <S> The fact someone suggested you lunch with them, and that they are tightly-knit suggests you do, and it is a good idea to keep on friendly terms with them. <S> Who do you have a problem with? <S> Is it the one person, or the entire group? <S> What is it <S> you don't like about the group? <S> Are they too critical, or do you not like it when one person gets the rest fired up? <S> Coming out and telling them your real issues can potentially have dire ramifications for you. <S> Rather, I would use other professional events to OBE (overcome by events) your time with them at lunch. <S> Working from your desk, meeting with the boss, talking to you spouse on the phone are all great excuses. <S> Then after some time, let them know you can't contine to be a regular at their table. <S> Personally, I have made the mistake of confronting similar issues, and its never worked out well. <S> Good luck!
| I would simply pick up other habits for lunch. If you decide you have no practical use for them professionally, and that your disgust outweighs any real benefit you could gain, then you'll need to break-up with them.
|
Accepting a job offer without paper documentation? (with final update) FYI: The person to whom I refer is a recent college graduate. Someone who is close to me is currently pursuing an Administrative Assistant position at an unnamed company. She had a first interview with one of the "office manager[s]" of this company less than a week ago and was asked if she would be willing to "come on board." The manager then proceeded to give her some basic, vague details on pay and benefits, none of which was in writing . The pay was determined by the manager asking her "what's your bottom dollar;" she bypassed that question and did not give a specific figure. It is not clear to her whether or not this situation meant that she had an offer. She has requested documentation containing details on benefits from the manager and the manager, again, has not offered any documentation outlining benefits or pay, not even an offer letter or a contract. Should this be a cause for concern? What would you suggest that she do? She has had interviews at other places and the manager seems, to her, rather desperate to hire her. Update : Apparently it was an offer. The manager has now asked her to do a drug test, and she will start training next week. If anyone has any further commentary on this, please feel free to comment. <Q> Should this be a cause for concern? <S> The first impression is one of an unorganized manager (or even company), maybe worse. <S> What would you suggest that she do? <S> She should write an e-mail or a letter to this company in which she thanks them for the interview and for their interest in hiring her. <S> asks them for a written offer and contract states that she has other opportunities, so she would be glad to get their offer within one week (or so) <S> Then she should wait what happens. <S> If an offer comes within the week, she should examine that offer. <S> If no offer comes within the week, she should forget about this company. <A> What would you suggest that she do? <S> It's not at all uncommon for a verbal offer to be given. <S> If a verbal acceptance is returned, then the written offer should follow. <S> Some companies don't want to spend time writing up the formal details of an offer, until they first get a verbal acceptance. <S> Assuming it's true, she should say "I really like what I'm seeing and would love to work here! <S> If you can send me a written offer with the details, I'll review it quickly and get right back to you." <S> Once she receives the written details, she can accept, reject, or negotiate changes in the offer as warranted. <A> I once got a verbal offer in an interview. <S> I was told they couldn't wait to have me on board and to wait for my offer letter. <S> Over a week later I received a rejection email. <S> Nothing is a sure thing until it's in writing. <S> In your friend's case, I feel she should keep interviewing. <S> If all of a sudden she does get the paperwork/offer letter for this job, then all is right in the world. <S> She should not start working there without an official offer letter though. <S> If I was in your friend's shoes, I'd contact the manager and the hiring manager and say that I'm still waiting on the offer letter and benefits documentation and ask if there is anything that is holding up the process. <S> Sometimes hiring communities are in the way, or maybe getting the budget for a new person hasn't been approved yet. <S> That being said though, what does her gut say? <S> If she's already feeling sketchy about this place, is it really some place she wants to work? <A> I suspect you already know the answer, but let me write it for you. <S> Your friend does not have a real job unless she has it in writing. <S> In the best case scenario, she may have a position with a company so immature it doesn't know the rudiments of human resources. <S> In the worst case scenario, your friend may end up "donating" a week or more of her time working for a position that doesn't exist for an employer who has no legal obligation to pay her. <A> Being asked if you are willing to come on board is in no way a job offer. <S> It is seeing if you are still interested in the job. <S> It indicates you are one of the people <S> they are interested in, but it does not commit them to choose you. <S> Job offers come in writing with actual salary numbers attached.
| She should talk with the manager who made the verbal offer, indicate if she tentatively accepts the offer or not, then ask for the written details.
|
Dealing with a noise-sensitive co-worker One guy in my office seems to be extremely noise sensitive. He is an older man and I suspect may be starting to suffer from poor hearing, which is known to make people more sensitive to general noise (it's harder for them to pick out individual sounds, and sudden noises are more startling). He has now taken measures to reduce noise in the office to such a degree that it is so quiet it is distracting. Every little sound, even people typing, is jarring. Before there was enough ambient noise for the brain to tune it all out, but not any more. I have considered using headphones with white noise. Is there any other way to deal with this? I find headphones uncomfortable to wear for long periods, and I need to move about a bit at my desk so the cable gets tangled. This guy is higher ranking than I am but approachable. <Q> It seems like his quiet requirement is to the point where it is hindering the productivity of everyone in the office. <S> It's time to suggest that he wear the headphones and let everyone else get on with their work. <A> Be honest. <S> Say <S> I think we may have gone a little bit overboard with the noise reduction. <S> I am now almost afraid to make noises, and it prevents me from working effectively. <A> I can tell you what works on many companies I worked for - white noise generators for the whole office. <S> It does reduce the level of distraction and it doesn't take too long to get used to. <A> In the early stage the ear is still hearing good enough, so it can adjust to the new situation, if he waits too long the ear will forget how to listen and even the hearing aid won't help. <S> Also it is important to get hearing aids for both ears, often insurances pay only one because that's good enough. <S> Informations are how I remember them from my lecture "physiology for engineers", there's probably links somewhere to back that up. <S> Personally I find waterfalls or quiet background music less distracting than noise generators of any kind. <S> Also working full or half time from home might be an alternative for your manager.
| I would talk to your manager and explain him that loss of hearing needs to be caught early and counteracted with a hearing aid.
|
Cannot enjoy working for any company Basically, I am a developer with 5 years experience, and I am 25 yo, I have worked for a big companies and for a small company. When I am at home I use to work on personal projects. The thing is no matter what kind of company, salary, etc., after let's say 6-8 months, I lose all my motivation and going to work is really a nightmare. While if I am working on a personal project I can work for hours, days without getting tired. So my question is, have you ever had this feeling? How did you get motivated every day? <Q> The only motivation that I need to get things done is that they need to get done. <S> Whether or not I like what I am doing - that's irrelevant. <S> I have cleaned up and finished enough on behalf of individuals who lost or misplaced their passion somewhere that I am cynical of the word "passion", and of those who have it. <S> I am a professional <S> but I do have my limits. <S> The sort of things that would motivate me into putting my foot down and refusing to do any further work would be a boss's busting my milestones and deadlines because of his habit of changing his mind just as soon as I am almost finished, and his habit of demanding last-minute last-minute additions to my work. <A> You say "I loose all my motivation and the fact to go to work is a really nightmare." <S> However, you don't seem to have gone any further with your train of thought: why are you losing motivation? <S> In a new job, everything is shiny and new and unknown, and it's natural for that to fade over time and leave you with a less rosy view of your job - but that shouldn't always mean that you don't enjoy it at all. <S> You need to stop and ask yourself honestly: What is it about your office, team, project or other that makes you not want to go to work? <S> The answer is not "I just don't like it" - you need to understand what it is that you don't like. <S> Once you've clearly identified those things, work out what an improvement in those things would look like. <S> If you don't like the technology being used, perhaps bringing newer technology to your project would help. <S> If you don't like the commute, is that because of the distance , or the particular time that you commute? <S> Whatever the problem is, be proactive in finding a solution. <S> If you really find that you can't solve these problems in your current role, then find a new role - but be aware of any of these things that might affect it once the shine wears off. <A> I have experienced the same issue and for me it was to do with what I was being asked to develop. <S> Finding somewhere you can work on the bleeding edge or with new methodologies may inject some excitement. <S> Subscribing to something like Pluralsight and throwing yourself into learning can be good too. <S> You will most likely find new useful patterns, technologies and ways to work which might improve your situation at work. <S> If you tend to be quiet and develop what you are told, maybe change tact, be vocal and make suggestions of technologies and ideas. <S> When you are working on your ideas, you will be more motivated.
| The difference between a professional and an amateur is that the professional gets the job done no matter how bad their morale is, and the amateur quits as soon as the passion is gone. Once you know how you would like things to change, work out how you can begin to affect that change: see if you can propose a useful new technology, or see if you can change your working hours to make your commute easier.
|
Is it professional to take a job offer with a competitor after receiving a promotion and a bonus? I have been working at the same company for the last two years, and although I have generally enjoyed it, I feel that I need a new challenge. Since I was recently promoted and given a bonus for my performance, and as the company has been pivotal to my development, I still feel a strong sense of loyalty. Today, I was offered a job at one of the company's competitors. The money is slightly better, but it would give me the opportunity to take my career further, as well as to apply my skills in a totally new environment. I really want to take this offer, but I don't want to damage my relationship with my current employer. Is it professional to leave just after receiving more investment, or would I be burning bridges? <Q> Your company has an obligation to do what they can to retain their talent. <S> It doesn't seem like your company really understands what you want <S> (Maybe change for the sake of change?) <S> or they're not capable of providing it. <S> When things go bad for them and they have to let you go, they'll say, "It's just business: nothing personal." <S> so you can take the same approach. <S> If they're going to hold bettering your career against you, you're better off taking another opportunity while you can. <S> There's no relationship to maintain in this case. <A> I really want to take this offer, but I don't want to damage my relationship with my current employer. <S> Is it professional to leave just after receiving more investment, or would I be burning bridges? <S> If you hadn't yet received the promotion and bonus, would your current company feel any better about your leaving? <S> Things happen. <S> Circumstances change. <S> Opportunities for growth arise. <S> Employers understand this. <S> While employers would like to keep most people around forever, most employers realize that this just doesn't happen in the real world. <S> If your leaving burns any bridges, it most likely won't be due solely to leaving soon after a promotion+bonus. <S> And if you give your notice professionally, and work with them to help in the transition, they most likely won't view your leaving as less than professional. <A> Depends on any agreements. <S> Different companies approach maintaining their talent and intellectual property differently. <S> Non-compete agreements and non-disclosure agreements are the territory of lawyers and outside our scope - if you have signed these, see a lawyer. <S> Typically non-disclosure is far easier to work with as it is about sharing what you know... <S> the only tricky area is if you are asked, after your job change, about intellectual property of your old company. <S> The more cogent question is the personal level. <S> People take their work personally. <S> Normally it's a good thing - it's what inspired dedication and camaraderie. <S> But it can also inspire spite and vindictiveness. <S> How it plays out in the mental processes of your bosses and colleagues is anyone's guess. <S> Normally the amount of irritation is somewhat related to the elegance with which you leave - don't leave when it would kill a huge effort that comes due very soon, don't leave without doing appropriate closure activities with your boss, don't be so gleeful about leaving that you are hard to be around. <S> All of that is true whether you leave for a competitor or for a new type of business. <S> My thought is that leaving for a competitor tends to amplify negative emotions in some folks. <S> This improves your ability to feel at home on day 1, but decreases the likelihood of a drastically new work experience. <S> If you are leaving because you know that you'll work on brand new technology <S> --today-- <S> then maybe you get the change you want... <S> but if you are leaving because "the new company would never force me to let my skills deprecate the way my current company does" - think again, that kind of long term cultural value only exists when there's profit in the competitive space from having that value... <S> if these two companies are competing they are optimizing for the same thing.
| Unless both you and they believed that this promotion+bonus was designed to keep you around for a long time, the answer is probably "No." You didn't ask, but I'll point out, that my experience in different lines of business is that competitors in a locality often optimize for the same basic outcome, which makes the working environments more similar than different.
|
Colleague not working the hours he's scheduled I work in end user support at a very small company (less than 10 people). We have 1 supervisor for everyone, who is also the owner of the startup. Another end user support agent is scheduled to come in from 8:30-5:00, but always comes in at 10:00am and often leaves at 5:00 anyways. He will schedule client meetings at 8:30, not show up, and then the other agents have to improvise and make the meetings work. This has been happening for months. We are technically paid hourly but there's no time clock, so our boss just assumes we work 40 hours per week. His tardiness has put a great stress on the rest of the agents, because early in the morning there is always a lot more work. Our boss knows about this, and has talked to the employee several times about it. But the boss is very busy with tons of projects all the time, and so hasn't really taken any punitive action. What is the best approach? We don't want to rat out a fellow agent, but he is making our lives harder. Is there a nice way to approach it? A few possible solutions: Implement time tracking (no other employees really need it, however) Tell our boss that he is negatively affecting our work (what kind of punishment can even help in this case?) Provide some kind of incentive for coming in on time <Q> Setting up appointments at 8:30 AM and not showing for his own appointments, letting others who are unaware of the details to scramble to cover for him? <S> There are several words which describe this kind of behavior, three of which are "high handed", "irresponsible" and "inconsiderate". <S> There are no telling what the client thinks of the organization when they are at the receiving end of these no-shows <S> no matter how well the rest of you improvise. <S> Because you are necessarily showing up at these meetings unprepared while the client have done their homework in preparation for the meeting. <S> This individual's behavior is, in my opinion, a fireable offense. <S> As a member of the team, he is clearly a burden to the team. <S> You, as a team, need to schedule an 8:30 AM with the owner and make the point that this individual's services are no longer required and that this individual's presence has not added anything in terms of effectiveness to the team. <S> Quite the contrary. <S> The meeting should adjourn shortly before 10 AM at the latest, in time for him to collect his walking papers. <S> As a colleague of mine used to say: "Non-performing assets get liquidated". <A> There is a much bigger issue going on here. <S> Your co-worker is quite likely damaging the reputation of the company by his handling of client meetings. <S> Even if your boss/owner doesn't care enough about the imposition on your team to take action, (s)he certainly should care enough about the company to be motivated to action. <S> Present this as an open concern about the company when you talk to your boss and you may get more of a response. <A> Our boss knows about this, and has talked to the employee several times about it. <S> But the boss is very busy with tons of projects all the time, and so hasn't really taken any punitive action. <S> What is the best approach? <S> We don't want to rat out a fellow agent, but he is making our lives harder. <S> Is there a nice way to approach it? <S> Since your boss already knows about this, your best approach is to let him deal with it (or not deal with it, as the case may be). <S> Going over your bosses head to rat out <S> someone isn't a good career move. <S> Your boss will certainly resent it, and it's likely your bosses boss won't be happy with you either. <S> You could consider talking with your boss privately, and pointing out in what ways this is "making our lives harder". <S> Don't just complain that it's "unfair", since your boss clearly knows that already. <S> Instead, point out specific instances where this tardiness means yor <S> and/or the team cannot get the required work done, and ask what your boss would like you to do (if anything). <S> Be prepared for your boss to just say "I'll deal with it" and then having your boss move slowly or not at all. <S> He may just wish to wait until review time to deal with it. <S> Like it or not, that's often how these things play out.
| He is showing disdain and disrespect for the efforts and the priorities of the team, the firm and the firm's clients.
|
Is it ethical to run benchmarks on the clock? In the spirit of these questions : I work as a research assistant on a few projects for PhD candidates at my school. One of the projects involves optimizing a piece of code that does some of their analysis. I record my hours and get paid a wage on completion of the project. I'm often faced with a substantial chunk of downtime: at this stage, I need to run benchmarks on "realistic data" that can take anywhere between 10 minutes and 2 hours. I have my own unit tests and they run quickly, but there is a point where more time-intensive runs are necessary. When I have other work to do for this client, I do it while a benchmark runs. Sometimes I run out. Is it ethical for me to record time spent passively monitoring benchmarks (keeping an eye on memory and CPU usage, checking for errors, applying fixes and restarting when necessary) on my hours? I can't let them run entirely unattended, so I am "at work" to some degree. If I were in an office, I would consider it perfectly reasonable to record the hours at my desk doing the same thing on the clock, given that it's the only thing that I can do right now. I worked in QA in the past, and it was normal for me to spend hours waiting for the test harness to complete while debugging it. However, since I'm responsible for tracking all of my own time, it seems wrong to consider time that's 70% StackOverflow as billable hours. What's the right thing to do? <Q> I thing it is reasonable for you to bill this time. <S> This is part of the job since your duty is to optimize the code. <S> I appreciate that you mention doing all the work you can while waiting until you run out. <S> You may consider doing some research on work related topics while waiting. <S> This research may enable you to provide a better service to this customer in the future. <S> While it may be a stretch, asking or answering questions about areas specific to your work on Stack Overflow, is helping you acquire applicable knowledge. <A> Have you talked to your manager/supervisor at the client about your situation, and if so what did they say? <S> While you may think that you've run out of things to do, it may well be that either a) they can think of some things that you've missed or b) they can find some other tasks for you to do in the meantime, even if they're not directly related to your current project. <S> Once you've talked to your client , if there's still nothing else for you to do for them, then by all means sit back and post to SO / play WoW / whatever, but I think there is a responsibility on you to explain what's going on before doing that. <A> Performance benchmarking is really intense work, unless you've set it up <S> so it's entirely automated, runs overnight, and emails you a spreadsheet containing the results. <S> If I were you <S> I'd treat the hours you spend on this task as billable. <S> Vigilance -- keeping watch -- is real work. <S> The only exception: If you have another client, and you do work for her while you're waiting for this benchmark to run, I suggest you refrain from double-billing. <S> That is, only bill one client for each hour of work. <A> You're not getting paid a fortune as a research assistant. <S> The inefficiency in your job is most likely built into your piddling compensation rate. <S> If you spend time on Stack Overflow to be better at what you are doing on the job, it's most probably time well spent because they are not asking you to do anything more urgent at the moment. <S> Think of yourself as somewhat on standby at the moment. <S> You still have to be at the worksite on time. <S> You still have to do what they tell you they want done. <S> And you still have to fix things when they go wrong. <S> You could volunteer to do more but from your question, I am guessing that you would have already volunteered for doing more if there were more to volunteer to do. <S> As an undergrad student, I would look for the type of job such as library front desk assistant at a no-customer traffic library such as the Philosophy Library where I was essentially paid to study my butt off for my classes :) <S> Nothing unethical about multitasking.
| It's work no matter how you look at it.
|
How can I deal with senior colleagues constantly getting my name wrong? I work in the UK and I have a fairly normal "British" name. Having worked in my company for three years with my name plastered all around my desk, my person and my email, some senior colleagues still don't get my name right. This has led to serious problems when, for example, a group email gets sent around with actions for "Jill Bloggs" when my name is actually "Jane Doe", or worse, for "JB". Mostly I just shrug it off and ignore it, maybe quietly changing my name to be the correct one where I can, however the most recent occurrance has led to a client being upset that (as far as they could see) a different resource was working for them than had been promised. How should I gently remind people what my name is? When should I do it; immediately or quietly at a later date? I don't get much face to face contact with the majority of my colleagues so it's difficult to physically pull them aside. <Q> This carelessness about your name has gone from affecting just you to affecting your firm's business. <S> So it has gone from just rude to entirely unacceptable. <S> When someone gets your name wrong, you should immediately intervene, using the medium in which the error was made, saying: <S> With respect, my name is Jane Doe, not Jill Bloggs. <S> If the error is made over email, you should do it, with a reply-all, like this: <S> On Tuesday, Joe Mgr wrote: We are assigning Ian Smith and Jill Bloggs to the TPS account. <S> Joe: <S> With respect, my name is Jane Doe, not Jill Bloggs. <S> You may recall that the people at Acme Rocket Sleds were annoyed by this confusion over my name. <S> I would appreciate your use of my correct name. <S> " <S> In any case it's wise, and by no means offensive, for you to be assertive about correcting this. <S> What's at stake? <S> Your good name! <A> I think a lot of the other answers sound too aggressive for my tastes, especially if this has been going on for a couple years and just now you stir up a big fuss about it. <S> I would just casually notify everyone of the issue with the client and ask that everyone call you by your specific name so that there aren't any more issues like that. <S> I'd imagine that most people would find the situation humorous, and that would help them remember. <A> I would remind the sender of such an e-mail immediately after I recognize their error. <S> You could for example write back: <S> "I would like to kindly remind you that my name is Jane Doe, and <S> not Jill Bloggs, as you have written. <S> Spelling my name wrong has already led to misunderstandigs with a client once. <S> Please help to avoid this. <S> " <S> If you have the opportunity, talk directly to this person, instead of or in addition to the e-mail. <A> This is a misunderstanding that was created by the senior colleague, and thus should be resolved by them. <S> You have done your part by bringing it up to them - you could even suggest hiring in the next person named "Jill Bloggs" to do the job and keep the customer happy. <A> I am incredibly terrible at remembering names, mostly with new people I am working with on a team. <S> I had a similar situation where I went to a customer and indicated that John Smith would be working on a customers project, when in fact it was George Doe. <S> Of course this also affected the customer, and as a result George Doe was upset etc. <S> He contacted me via email and indicated that I had forgotten his name and had incorrectly introduced him to a customer, cc-ing my manager. <S> Of course this was not intentional on my part, however i now make a mental note to always make a proper note of the new guys name. <S> Perhaps its would be best to take a similar approach, if you have a team meeting, bring it up in the meeting and indicate that it is affecting clients. <S> Also ensure that managers are aware that it has become an issue. <S> Once clients are affected it should be regarded as serious. <A> I'd suggest taking a humorous tact. <S> Make a "My Name Is" card with your photo (a funny one would likely be best), and the name you'd like to be known by. <S> Print this out on something sturdy that can be placed on a desk, and hand them to everyone with whom you work regularly that gets your name wrong. <S> Hand this out in person, you can explain it as "Some clients have been really confused due to people messing up my name - here is something to help you remember." <A> Most answers here are way too aggressive. <S> You should correct the error but in a calm and easy going manner. <S> Just reply-all with: <S> Jill Bloggs? <S> Be sure that your email signature has your full name in it <S> and you are done.
| If the error is made in person, speak up right away. Please do your best to get my name right from now on. You might even go for the over-the-top humorous approach, and wear a large tag for a few days saying "Hello, my name is Jane Doe. I would forward the client's e-mail that requests Jill Bloggs to the person who sent it originally, and ask them who this Jill Bloggs person is.
|
Smoking with the front door open I work in a relatively small office. It's got a main room which has the call center, and a bunch of little offices with their own doors, and I have one of the little offices. The front door to the office is in the call center room. All of the call center employee's smoke, while myself, and the boss do not smoke. Now while the boss is there, they go outside to smoke, or do not smoke at all. When the boss leaves, they go outside to smoke and leave the front door to the office cracked, and their cigarette smoke literally stinks up the entire building. I believe the reason they do it is so they can smoke together and still hear the phone ring so they don't miss a call, but I haven't bothered to ask. (The boss gets an e-mail when there are missed calls automatically.) Then after they are finished they leave the door cracked to let the office "air out", which acknowledges that they know it stinks up the office. Sometimes they do it multiple times in a day, and all of them leave the door cracked while they smoke within a foot of the door. Now I have only been here for a short period of time, but I'm planning on being here for years. Most of the call center people have been there for years. I don't want to make waves if I can avoid it, but every time it happens, even if I close my office door, I can still smell it. I want to tell them that they need to go outside to smoke and not leave the door open. It's actually a violation of Florida's state law to do it, and I believe it's a misdemeanor to even smoke right outside the door with it closed. Leaving the door open where I can smell it is definitely a violation of the law. My problem is, I refuse to be a snitch to the boss. Plus, even if I did snitch, they would absolutely know it's me because I'm literally the only other non-smoker other than the boss. I also don't want to mention it to them, because I will probably end up being a jerk about it, because it really aggravates me to say the least. I always go out of my way to have excellent office etiquette, and they know I don't smoke yet they still do it. So I just wanted to see what you guys thought about their office etiquette, am I right to tell them they need to go outside to smoke and not crack the door? How would you handle the situation? Would snitching make me a dirty rat? <Q> I would think about sending a polite email to everyone, except the boss, and be upfront. <S> Don't mention the law or any of that, just spell out that when they smoke in front of the entrance with the door cracked, it stinks up your office and makes it difficult to concentrate on your own work. <S> Ask them to please always smoke as if the boss were there, even when she isn't. <S> Start out with the non-threatening and polite request and see what happens. <S> I would not go to the boss first thing. <S> I don't think anything that disrupts your own ability to work is something to avoid, after all, if you are unable to perform your job to your fullest ability, you are depriving your company of whatever it is you do, AND it could, in the final tally, cost your job. <S> It's your issue, and their cause. <S> Take it up with them, first. <S> If you don't get anywhere, <S> then take it to the boss, and let her quote the law. <S> Or you can mention it in passing to your boss (hey, it's hard to concentrate on work when they leave the door open to smoke <S> , did you know their actually supposed to smoke way over there?). <S> Another thing you could recommend, depending on where your office is, is an external phone buzzer on a timer, so that when the office is closed it does not ring. <A> FL law definitely restricts smoking in the workplace: <S> Practically the only place where smoking is allowed is dedicated smoking rooms, which your management has made no provision for. <S> You are clearly exposed to second hand smoke. <S> Have your boss display a "NO SMOKING" sign in the space outside the main office - Your company's rent includes that space anyway. <S> Have your boss comply with the law. <S> Compliance with the law is bigger than you, your boss or your smoker colleagues. <S> Being aggressive, I would ask the boss to notify everyone that I am in charge of enforcing the "no smoking" rule while the boss is not in the office - The thought that I am hardly winning any popularity contests does not trouble me. <S> If I were the only non-smoker in a place, I can choose to see myself as either at the wrong end of a consensus or a majority of one. <S> Since the law is on my side, I am a majority of one. <A> Probably you can ask the boss to display a message in the office about the Florida state law you mentioned, preferably on the door itself. <S> It won't be obvious if it is a result of you snitching or boss did it on his own. <S> (who won't straight away consider you a jerk!) not to continue the same practice. <S> Other than that <S> , I cannot think of a polite way. <S> Anyway, it is the law, and company can enforce and should enforce it whether or not someone likes it. <S> If your boss won't do it then move straight to step 2, start convincing your friends first on keeping the doors shut.
| Your smoker pals are in violation of the state law just referred to, and the law requires your boss to enforce the "no smoking" provision. Then you can start asking from people who are closer to you in the workplace I still wouldn't go 'snitch' to the boss, first thing. This would alert the smokers that the phone is ringing from a distance. If one or two people start following the law, it may bring a change in behaviors.
|
Advancing to a senior position in my software career This is admittedly a pretty short post asking a pretty big question. I'd be willing to provide some details if that would help to stimulate some discussion, but hopefully the following can at least get things started. I am experiencing a "career midlife crisis" in the sense that I've been a software engineer for approximately 10 years, and I'm feeling that with my knowledge of programming, higher-level design issues and sense of perspective I should be able to transition to a senior position. At the same time, I've taken some cues from my current employer that for me to make that transition with them would be a fairly extensive undertaking, and I should not expect it in the near term. In a sense I feel they are under-rating my accomplishments thus far. I also think I look a lot younger than I am and this, too, colors their perspective. So I've been thinking of presenting myself to the larger software market as a strong candidate for a senior-level position. Thus far, I have never held a job with the word "senior" in the title; I don't know how great an obstacle that would be. I don't think there is an expectation in the industry that one becomes a senior engineer by way of internal promotion only. In fact, I've had some interviews in the past where the interviewer would first establish the candidate's "level" and would then conduct the interview at the "level" appropriate for the candidate, as if to say, "Here we are face-to-face, now show me your level and we'll talk about the possibilities." Am I being realistic? Thanks to everyone for your advice. <Q> Promotion path Advancing in the software industry is a pretty weird thing, and entirely inconsistent here are the common ways people get promoted to senior level these days. <S> Work for a company for X years as a software person (typically 5 or 7) <S> Demonstrate a level of expertise appropriate to being a senior level <S> Wait for the Senior person to quit Become important to a company <S> then demand the title <S> Why are these paths all over the place? <S> Because the title senior is all over the place. <S> Senior is a bankrupt word Generally speaking <S> Senior used to mean you had the expected expertise one would achieve working that job for 7 - 10 years. <S> Of course some companies offer no challenge others offer tremendous challenges, so the number itself isn't as important. <S> These days senior can be: Someone who has X years in the field Someone who is really good at their trade <S> Whoever sucks the least out of my immediate staff Someone who is a good negotiator <S> The boss's drinking buddy <S> The title typically meaningless <S> It doesn't necessarily reflect your skill level at all. <S> Most companies will do something to assess your technical know how. <S> As someone who hires, when I look at a resume I see Junior Developer, Developer, and Senior Developer as the same title. <S> The only time I take further merit between those is if I happen to know the previous company bases the title on technical expertise. <S> Even then, I still assess technical skill through various means. <S> (I've seen some really lousy people come from decent companies. <S> Some people are really good at "Fake it <S> til you make it".) <S> This is a common problem <S> Look at the titles out there... <S> Sanitation Engineer <S> yep, this used to actually be a real thing regarding to waste management, now it also includes Janitors. <S> Food services engineer <S> yeah, this also used to be a real job, now it includes the guy working the deep frier. <S> So "Engineer" is a pretty worthless word as well now. <S> Since titles are just all over the place, people hiring generally only care if it was related to your field. <S> Otherwise the company is more important than the title. <A> You are absolutely realistic. <S> Titles do not mean much and hiring managers should be able to evaluate you adequately regardless if your title includes the word "senior" or not. <S> Details in that résumé should describes the work usually done by a senior developer. <S> To assist you in crafting this résumé, you may want to research "senior developer" job descriptions. <S> If you are, by experience rather than by title, a "senior" developer, you will have no issue convincing your interviewer. <S> Per your question I don't think this is the case <S> but if your current title contains the work "junior", such as "junior developer", I would simply state "developer" on the résumé. <A> taken cues from my current employer that for me to make that transition with them would be a fairly extensive undertaking, and I should not expect it in the near term <S> Of course they tell you this! <S> You're doing a good job <S> and they really don't want you to do the same job with a "Senior" title because they expect you'll demand a raise to reflect the new title. <S> Plus, your market value may rise, which may make you more likely to leave. <S> Bottomline: It's understandable, though not fair, that your current employer does not want you to progress in your carreer. <S> Try to negotiate harder to get what you deserve, or consider leaving. <A> Different software companies have different overall levels of skill for their developer. <S> A junior developer at an extremely elite tech house (Twitter, StackExchange) would probably be as skilled as a senior developer in a place that doesn't have as high a level of skill. <S> So if you would like the better title, simply go work for a worse company, and you will appear more senior simply by context.
| I would focus on building a rock solid résumé that highlights your experience as a senior developer.
|
What is a professional way to stay in touch? I am just about to finish an under graduate work placement that I have been on for the last few months. During my time I have been working on a project with someone as a supervisor (he was not my line manager though) who is quite high up. It is a large company (about 1,500 employees) so this is quite significant. Anyway to cut the story short, I finished the project and in an email he wrote that I had done an excellent job and I should stay in contact with him after I leave. I have one more year of college before I receive my bachelors degree and I would love to get a graduate job at the same company. Therefore I need to keep up conversation albeit not regularly but enough during the year so I'm not forgotten. I cant really say 'Hey whats up? Hows it going? Did you watch the match?' etc.. What do I say that is professional? Edit: I think it is important to note that I did not have anything else in common with him while I was on work placement other than this one project. He was just a supervisor to me for the project. Like I said he was in a completely different department. <Q> In the past, as a matter of keeping in touch with people that I don't know very well, I have sent them articles, blog posts, on topics that I am interested in and that they may also be interested in. <S> I would usually start with something like: <S> Hello, Have you seen this article ( http://example.com ) on the Sumaprotolargon module? <S> This is kind of interesting. <S> I am wondering how they managed to get those results. <S> By the way, how have you been doing, I often thing about the interrnship and what I have learned there. <S> I am looking forward to graduate next summer and join the work force... <S> This way, you are showing an interest and you have a way to start a conversation. <A> For starters, ask him to connect on LinkedIn. <S> That platform exists especially for business relations. <S> Then see if you can contribute to the group, so that you stay in the picture. <S> (That may not be the case, but then nothing is lost) <S> You can even ask him if he recommends any groups that you might both be interested in. <S> Also, investigate if there are other online platforms that you can connect, that you both like. <S> Facebook may not be appropriate (that's more for 'friends'), unless he suggests it. <A> Before you leave, exchange email addresses and add him on LinkedIn; that's one of the most useful things about LinkedIn. <S> Regarding how to stay in touch: First of all, there is nothing unprofessional about saying "Hello, I hope you've been well! <S> I thought I'd drop a quick line to say hello. <S> I've been busy working on XXX, starting my own company, I got married and had a baby, etc. <S> How are you? <S> Are you still at YYY?" <S> Then if he replies, you can invite him for a meal or a coffee. <S> If he doesn't reply you can try again a while later, but you most likely have a dead connection. <S> To avoid a dead connection, it helps to have something to talk about. <S> It's a bit too late to establish that now, but for the future, when you make friends with someone at work that you would like to stay in touch with, make sure you have some conversational reference points that you can refer back to. <S> For example, if you have a conversation with him and he tells you about a personal project he's been working on or that he just had a baby, you have an excellent topic to bring up when you email him later: Ask him how his project or baby is doing. <S> Finally, if you really want to ensure that he replies to your emails, it helps to extract a subtle promise that he will stay in touch. <S> For example, ask him " <S> If I have a question about XYZ, can I just email you"? <S> He will almost definitely say "sure, of course" (because nobody will ever say "no I won't have time to reply to your email" to your face). <S> After that, if you email him he will be more likely to reply due to the fact that he has already promised to do so. <A> You have to take the trouble to put yourself in the other guy's shoes, and ask yourself why he wants you to stay in touch. <S> He clearly said that you did an excellent job on the project. <S> If he immediately followed up by saying that he wants you to stay in touch, it means that he is a prospective employer with a strong interest in hiring you? <S> The follow up question is what information would a prospective employer with a strong interest in you want to have from you? <S> Are you still on track to graduate by the expected date? <S> So let him know how many months you have to go before you graduate, and that your expected graduation date still holds. <S> Are you looking for a part-time or summer job? <S> He might help you with that, and possibly help himself in the process if he can get his hands on you. <S> If you are looking, let him know because it might be very relevant to him. <S> Are you going through the campus interview process? <S> If you are doing so, you should let him know that because he might have something in store for you. <S> If you are about to graduate and you are still looking for a job, you should let him know that because you are letting him know that you are available.
| You can also check (ask) in what LinkedIn groups he is active and join those as well.
|
Is it bad to offer alternative solutions without recommending them? Sometimes in a meeting where a problem is being discussed I'll say something like "Perhaps we should consider frobnigating the widgetron instead of hexterpating the frampilator. I'm not saying that's the right solution, just throwing it out there for consideration. " Does it reflect badly on me to propose alternatives without necessarily recommending them? Is it likely to be perceived as wasting my co-workers' time, being too wishy-washy, or lacking leadership qualities? <Q> No, it does not reflect badly. <S> Your idea may be the thing that spurs some other idea that is percolating in someone else's head. <S> This is how collaboration works. <S> Additionally, if you want to be a leader, you want people on your team to not be afraid to toss ideas into the ring. <S> You demonstrate this by doing it yourself. <S> This is a strength. <A> Does it reflect badly on me to propose alternatives without necessarily recommending them? <S> Is it likely to be perceived as wasting my co-workers' time, being too wishy-washy, or lacking leadership <S> qualities? <S> It depends on the goals of the meeting. <S> If it's a brainstorming meeting, then it's usually most desirable to generate many alternatives quickly before trying to judge their worth. <S> In this case you wouldn't be wasting time. <S> If you are being asked to come up with alternatives without regard to your recommendations, then your reply wouldn't reflect badly on you. <S> But if this is an urgent "what should we do about this problem" sort of meeting, it seems to be implied that you are being asked for your recommendations. <S> In that case, generating a bunch of alternatives that you wouldn't recommend might be considered a waste of time. <S> Additionally, consider your role in the meeting. <S> If you are the team leader, then you might be tossing out a bunch of ideas soliciting feedback from your team. <S> But if you are the sole technical expert for a technical question, then it may be implied that your specific recommendation is being solicited, not get a list of possibilities. <S> And it also depends on the overall viability of your solution. <S> Tossing out solutions like "first we boil the ocean (not that I'm recommending that, I'm just throwing it out there)" isn't likely to be received well. <S> Context is everything in meetings. <A> Depends First, it depends. <S> The purpose of the meeting really dictates the appropriateness of this sort of thing. <S> In brainstorming meetings this can be invaluable as often bad ideas only need the tiniest adjustment to be good ones. <S> In meetings where you've already established and developed everything and are doing fine tuning this may not be as appropriate. <S> When to suggest ideas Typically project meetings break down into three types, Brainstorming , Planning , Review <S> A brainstorming meeting is the perfect place for this. <S> You bounce ideas back and forth until something sticks <S> and you agree it's what you want to go with. <S> (this can span multiple meetings) <S> Planning alternative suggestions that are reasonable isn't a terrible idea, but you also don't want to get over the top with them either. <S> Small adjustments in planning are fine, major adjustments cost time, your suggestion needs to merit that use of time at this point. <S> Review meetings happen periodically to check the progress of a project as it goes along. <S> While your plans are never in stone until they're done, at this point the plans are pretty solid and only minor adjustments are worth discussing. <A> Non-technical managers tend to want solutions delivered to them with confidence. <S> There is a communication gap in these cases. <S> An engineer is not going to say "I'm sure I can do it. <S> " if he really thinks he's 90% certain. <S> Most managers would show confidence at 75% or less. <S> They don't live in a world of absolutes. <S> Is your job to come up with suggestions or make decisions? <S> There is a big difference. <S> If you are in a room with other qualified people, they shouldn't need you to "sell" them on your idea or for you to take a leadership role. <S> Among technical peers, a good idea should stand on its own without any strong persuasion. <S> Do you find yourself giving ideas to people who just don't get it?
| If you think your suggestions might be viable, but you need the group's input to reach your recommendation, then your approach is reasonable.
|
Are verifiable MOOC program's of study recognised by employers? I've recently started a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) specialisation track with coursera. This is related to building upon my existing skills to take me to another performance level. I'm already a qualified professional at masters level but this study is a little off field. It's 9 modules + project - I'm paying $50 per module to get verified. This does help to keep me focused but over the course of the program $450 makes me think if updating my LinkedIn profile with verifiable links is worth anything extra? It's hard slog, 9 months of study, tests, assignments. Personally, I value the programme. I feel reinvigorated as I'm learning new things that will bolster my repertoire. Will my next employer recognise value in me from completing the program? I'd like to think so but they are so new I expect the response will be 'what is a mooc?' <Q> As an employer, I rarely value any kind of software language education as highly as software language experience . <S> If you know C# because you were taught it, that's not as valuable as you knowing C# because you were paid to use it all day. <S> Don't get me wrong, it's still better than not knowing it at all, but learning isn't doing, right? <S> However, I value commitment to learning and improvement tremendously. <S> Recently I helped a client interview for a senior dev, among other help I was providing to their team. <S> When I first showed up I offered the team lead a handful of Pluralsight free-month cards (disclaimer: which I have because I record courses for them), and he wasn't super enthusiastic, having never heard of Pluralsight. <S> Then he noticed that all the best candidates, when asked about how they kept up to date with new tech, replied that they bought their own Pluralsight subscriptions. <S> After the third one he said "I think I need to check into this Pluralsight thing!" <S> If you list your verified completions, an interviewer will know this about you even before the interview, and I think that has value. <S> Not so much because it proves your skills in C# or Java or jQuery or whatever, but because it proves that you will keep yourself trained no matter what else is happening around you. <S> ps: if you think it would be cool to claim to have a subscription you don't have, be careful you don't find yourself sitting across the desk from someone you clearly have never heard of who in fact recorded the courses you said you liked. <S> Just sayin'. <A> Will my next employer recognise value in me from completing the program? <S> I'd like to think so <S> but they are so new <S> I expect the response will be 'what is a mooc?' <S> Unfortunately, I believe it's too new for most employers to have encountered applicants supplying such background for it to be considered of much value. <S> I think you need to value the learning you gain mostly for what it gives to you personally - the new things you know and the vigor it instills. <S> I do think it might lead to a great interview conversation when you inevitably are asked "what is a MOOC?" <S> and you provide an answer that shows how much it has added to your skill set and energy. <S> I'm sure interviewers will like to hear that. <S> If you are asking if it is worth $450 to be verified, that's harder to say. <S> And if you are asking if MOOC-acquired knowledge is the equivalent of a degree or traditionally-acquired knowledge, then at this time I think the answer is "No". <S> I suspect that could change as this form of education becomes more common. <A> Of course you should update your Linked In profile and mention this training in your resume! <S> It cannot hurt, and it very likely will help you get the interview for your next job (which is the purpose of your profile and resume). <S> You're already trained at a Master's degree level, so you are expected to know a lot of stuff. <S> Completing this MOOC shows that you're committed to continuing to learn new things throughout your career. <S> That commitment is a priceless asset for you and your employer. <S> Completing a nine-unit MOOC on your own time at your own expense shows serious initiative and dedication on your part. <S> Because it's new, it also shows you to have an innovative approach to learning. <S> When you go for interviews, be prepared for a critical conversation about your MOOC experience. <S> For example, somebody might ask "should we ask other people in this company to do MOOCs?" <S> In a conversation like that, offer some wisdom about the pros and cons of your MOOC and MOOCs in general.
| I suspect there are employers who value verified MOOC-acquired knowledge, although I don't know of any.
|
How do I advise my boss about my colleague's work, which I don't believe is useful for the company I work at a small startup company, comprised of mostly technical people. Our company is currently undergoing a tough time (we just had to lay off 3 people) and we're under a lot of pressure to finish off our product and start selling it. There are not many hands to work on it and a lot of work still to do. One of my colleagues was hired by my boss to do 'research', as in investigate other avenues in which we can expand and make use of other types of technologies, hardware, etc. He knows little about our platform and has never done any work which has had any impact on our platform or resulted in anything useful. I understand that it's not up to me what the focus of my colleague's work should be but it does not make sense to me to have someone working full time on these sorts of projects when we're in such a critical time, when we could direct more resources towards core activities. How can I bring up this issue with him? <Q> You probably can't (or, rather, you probably shouldn't). <S> Unless your boss is completely divorced from the day-to-day operation of the company, he's presumably aware that there is a lot of work to do and not as many people to do it as you'd like. <S> He's also, presumably, aware that he has one employee whose primary job appears to be looking at future strategic direction rather than working on current tactical challenges. <S> That may or may not be the right business decision <S> but it's your boss's decision to make. <S> If you think that your boss is unaware that the timelines are tight, by all means bring that up to him. <S> If you think that your boss is unaware that there aren't enough developers, by all means bring that up to him. <S> It's highly unlikely, however, that your boss is unaware of these things. <S> Now, potentially, when you are talking with your boss about project timelines and workloads, you might suggest that would be helpful to you if your colleague was redirected from strategic work to work on some of the current pressing tasks at least for the next few days/weeks/months. <S> That's a reasonable suggestion to make. <S> Don't be shocked, however, if your boss prefers that this colleague continues working on these future-focused tasks. <S> If he does, you realistically need to accept that decision. <A> Your colleague may not be familiar with your platform but that issue was most likely acknowledged in the interview process and found to be manageable. <S> Your colleague was most likely hired on what he knows rather than what he doesn't know. <S> So your evaluation of HIS output based on YOUR responsibilities might be totally off the mark; <S> It looks like you are objecting to the existence of the position itself, which is 'research', not just your colleague being in that position, <S> The decision whether that position should exist is most likely above your pay grade; <S> Right now, you're conveying to us the impression that you know more than the boss and that you know enough about how to run the business to tell him what to do. <S> I don't see much good for you marching into your boss's office with that attitude. <S> You could be right, and the chances are that you may be punished for being right. <S> Or you could be wrong and you may be punished for being wrong. <S> Either way you are punished. <S> Right now, it looks like your responsibility and the rest of your group's responsibility is to get the product to the point where it is in salable condition. <S> And it looks like his responsibility is to figure out how to sell the product - that's a very different responsibility. <S> And it looks, given your evaluation that he has not contributed much to your team, that your product is not going to fly off the shelves by itself and that he's got a tough row to hoe. <S> Maybe the problem is with your product rather than just him? <S> You may find in retrospect that you may have the easier job of the two of you. <S> Because his job is most likely to help generate revenues for the firm. <S> From a product that may be quite a challenge to sell. <S> You should hope that he is successful. <S> Because if he is not, your firm closes its doors and you are all looking for a job. <A> How do I advise my boss about a colleague who I believe should be let <S> go <S> How can I bring up this issue with him? <S> Unless you are specifically asked to evaluate others, or unless your role typically involves this type of advisory capacity, then you shouldn't bring up this issue with him. <S> Workers do the work. <S> Managers manage. <S> This colleague was hired by your boss. <S> Thus, its extremely likely that your boss knows what this individual's background and familiarity with your platform is. <S> You probably wouldn't be telling him anything he doesn't already know, and would risk coming off as a whiner. <S> In tough times, you don't want to be the whiny one. <S> Instead, you could talk with your boss privately and indicate that you feel that your team needs more hands-on help. <S> Focus on what you believe need rather than <S> what you believe your company doesn't need. <S> It would be up to your boss to decide if he will bring on more help or not, and if so how to fill the position and manage his budget.
| If you think that your boss is unaware that there is a lot of work to do, by all means bring that up to him. Don't talk about who you feel is redundant - that's not your job. ; Your colleague is obviously not doing the same type of work that you do, but then he was most likely not hired to do the same work as you.
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.