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Dealing with co-workers who don't want anyone to use sick days I recently started a new job in a small office. My company offers sick days, and in theory, anyone who's sick is supposed to stay home and recover. In reality, this doesn't happen. Only one of my co-workers has been sick this year, but he has never taken a day off. In the office culture, taking a sick day seems to be frowned upon by just about everyone because the rest of the team has to cover for anyone who's out. Unfortunately, I get sick a little more easily than the average person. There's no reason for it besides just luck of the draw. I don't have any medical conditions that make me formally immunocompromised, but colds seem to latch onto me at the drop of a hat, they always have. Spending several hours a day in a small office with a sick person is practically a guarantee of getting sick for me. I've been sick a few times this year, always after that co-worker was sick first, and it's been bad enough that I had to take sick days (even if I did drag myself in, I wouldn't have been productive at ALL). Now, other people in the office are complaining about it. It's bad enough that my co-worker in all probability gave me his colds by going to work when sick. But what really bothers me is that the general opinion in the office is that my co-worker did this awesome thing by working sick, and that I'm not a team player because I followed the rules and took time off, when he's responsible for causing the problem. In other words, he did the bad thing and I'm getting punished. Punished twice, if you count being sick separately from work complaints. I feel like I have legitimate points, but I don't know how to raise them, because who wants to listen to the unpopular person? I'm afraid that anything I say would be considered whining or an attempt to use the rules to deflect criticism. How can I bring this discussion up with my team constructively? Or am I out of line here? <Q> You have a legitimate concern here, and your co-worker is trying to mask this in order to make themselves look good for never taking sick days. <S> You aren't going to win any points by confronting him openly or aggressively - so don't try. <S> Instead, take this up with the people who are complaining to you, one-on-one. <S> There is a legitimate reason for not coming into work when you are sick, and it has nothing to do with you being too sick to work - it has everything to do with you getting other people sick at work, which your co-worker is probably doing by never taking a sick day off. <S> Point this out to your co-workers who are complaining to you - that your concern is not just selfish, but that it is for them as well. <S> This is a much easier pill to swallow. <S> This may make your co-worker who never takes a day off even when sick look bad, but that's because there are legitimate reasons not to come into work when you are sick. <S> Edit: <S> This is especially true if you are in a lab environment as you say, where cleaniless is important. <S> Even if you're only working with industrial products, there is a strong chance that your sickness will pass on to whatever you're working with - <S> it's especially dangerous if you happen to be be working at a medical lab, or with food. <S> And, as has been mentioned in previous answers , you can also point this out to your boss. <A> The great thing about company culture is that it is defined by the mindset of everyone involved. <S> Everyone includes you . <S> One thing that I've noticed to be fairly common is the perception of "me vs them" with these kind of issues. <S> What I have found is more "me vs each individual". <S> What I mean by that is that each individual is going to have his/her own gripe about you taking a sick day. <S> Then each individual starts voicing their opinions to the other individuals, and it becomes a group issue. <S> Find out what they have against you taking a sick day off, and attempt to address it. <S> By making it on a personal level with the individual, you're giving off the idea that you do care about how it affects them. <S> I also find it easier to deal with these kind of things when you have a friendly relationship with other people. <S> People are more willing to complain when it's about someone they don't like. <S> However even a "good acquaintance" generally turns into " <S> I hope he <S> /she is doing alright". <S> I would imagine that these people might be upset about something else. <S> For example, causing extra work for another individual will get some people upset at you. <S> Missing appointments and getting people angry at your team would also get some negative attention. <S> If this is the case (and what it really sounds like to me), you can take some extra steps to help reduce the impact on your team. <A> First of all, the sick leave is regulated in labour law and/or your work contract and it has nothing to do with what your co-workers want. <S> If your co-workers want you to dance on the desk, how would you deal with them? <S> They have no rights to do that! <S> Second, your co-worker was completely irresponsible for coming to work sick, because he have made others sick (just curious, could you in U.S. sue them for that?). <S> Just make your point clear. <S> You don't want to be sick, you have made nothing to be sick, your co-worker have probably caused your sickness, and it's not you who should be ashamed now. <S> As for communication, you shouldn't respond to any personal accusations. <S> If it causes your collegues to personally attack you (for example blame you for missing the deadlines etc.) <S> it's probably a mobbing and unfortunatelly, you have very little options there. <S> Namely, run away or try to talk with management (wish you luck). <S> But the health is the most important thing, and there are enough jobs out there, so there's no point in dying because of your current one :)
| Be calm and say you're doing your job correctly, and you can't responsibly work when you're sick, and there's absolute no point in coming to office sick, since in can cause more damage (making others sick). The real way to solve this is to talk with each individual that is voicing a complaint.
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One-on-One's at New Job, Is This Common? I just started a new job a couple weeks ago. I just noticed that my boss scheduled some short weekly meetings with me for about the next five–seven week (or, how ever long they're needed). Is this common practice with new employees or should I be concerned that I've done something to cause concern? <Q> I think that you are lucky to have a manager who chose to invest her/his time in one-on-one meetings. <S> Use them to create a relationship with her/him, try to understand what her/his values are and how she/he works and these 1-o-1s could easily be an asset. <A> Is this common practice with new employees or should I be concerned that I've done something to cause concern? <S> I always have weekly one-on-one meetings with individuals on my team. <S> I do this for new employees as well as for employees that have been around for many years. <S> For me, it's a way to better connect with them individually, to make sure they are getting what they need to succeed, to hear what they want to say that isn't appropriate in a group setting, and to talk about how they are doing. <S> For newer employees, my focus may be more on how they are acclimating, adjusting, and coming up to speed. <S> But that's normal for someone new, and nothing to worry about. <S> If one-on-ones are common in your company/department, then you certainly shouldn't be worried about yours. <S> If one-on-ones are the exception, then don't worry. <S> During your next one-on-one ask for feedback. <S> You'll likely find you are worrying unnecessarily. <S> Or, you'll find out what you need to do to stop worrying. <A> I'd likely wait until the first one before passing judgment here. <S> A few reasons for these meetings: Ensure a good start. <S> High Performance option. <S> Perhaps you were identified as someone that may be put onto a track for management or leadership positions. <S> Could be grooming being done in this case. <S> Performance Improvement Process. <S> This is similarly to 1 except that there are some specific concerns to be worked over the next month and a half or so. <A> Since I normally have a weekly one-on-one with my boss, I'd say that generically, no, they are not necessarily an indication that anything is amiss. <S> If no one else ever has one-on-ones with the boss, it might be a problem, but it also might not. <S> Your boss might be trying to start doing one-on-ones with everyone <S> and you just happen to be the first chosen for it. <S> Have patience in trying to figure it out and be grateful for the opportunity to communicate with and learn from your boss in this environment.
| If one-on-ones are common for new employees in your company/department, then you certainly shouldn't be worried about yours. The first couple of weeks are likely to be where someone is getting initially set up and so after that could be the time to check-in and see how things are going and make sure the next month or so is where things get done.
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Connecting on Linkedin with people from other companies you work with Say your company works for others. In a certain moment, you are involved in some of these businesses, by being present in negotiations and setting up the final product in the client offices. There, you get to know some of the people your company works for, so you start wondering if it would be interesting to connect with them on Linkedin. So, how good is it to connect with the people in the other firms you are dealing with? Do you have to wait until contracts are closer or it is also possible to do it when you are under negotiation? Also, can this affect somehow? Either by strengthening the links with the new company or by making them feel a bit "pressured" to do deals with my company. <Q> If you've worked with them enough for you to have an idea of how each other acts professionally, by all means add them. <S> LinkedIn is a network of peers and colleagues, not links between friends and companies. <S> All you're doing by adding them is saying "We've worked together, would you like to connect our professional networks?" <S> I don't think it adds any conflict of interest, because LinkedIn doesn't server any real commercial or business function. <S> Don't use it for direct inter-company or business communication <S> : it's a connection between you and somebody you've worked with, nothing more. <S> Personally, I tend to do it once I've worked with a person enough to confidently endorse some of their skills, and that's my main motivation for adding them. <A> This could also be the case with business partners/vendors and large purchases. <S> The competition may begin to wonder why your people are connecting to their competitors. <S> Otherwise, this really isn't any different then you exchanging business cards and contact information. <A> When you deal with a person who is representing his organization you are not actually interacting with the person alone,you are actually interacting with "Position + person" combination. <S> When you choose to interact with them out side your operation its interaction with the person. <S> But in reality neither the person nor the position is zero at any given point of time their weightage vary. <S> In operation you interact more with position and out side you interact more with person. <S> The outside interaction will definitely increase your responsibility towards each other as you create a collective personality. <S> A man is partially judged by connections he has professionally. <S> It will go positive for both of you as it does create a sense of "Known" element even if you are just a thumb image on the social network. <S> Go ahead connecting wont do any harm.
| You can endorse each other's skills, may gain some knowledge in what are presumably shared areas of professional interest, and possibly communicate outside your professional relationship. If your company deals in secret negotiations such as mergers and acquisitions, they may prefer the employees don't all start 'friending' with one another all at once.
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Manager departure kept secret until it actually happens? Uncommon? My boss's boss just left the company and I asked my boss how this is normally handled in the context of any company. He responded with this explanation: After the departing manager hands in his/her two week notice, one of three things will happen. Management will call in his/her team for a meeting, let them know that the manager is leaving, and ask that all loose ends be tied up including getting all required documents, files, and knowledge transferred. I was told this is not ideal as it distracts the team for two weeks and may cause needless disruption in the company as now there is a possible promotion opportunity that may distract even more people. Management will escort the manager to his/her desk and then off the premises immediately. This is obviously not ideal as there is no time to tie up any loose ends and a replacement must be found much faster (unless the position isn't in high need of being filled) Management will not discuss the matter with anyone, tying up some specifics but trying not to alert anyone of the pending departure of this manager. After the end of the two weeks, the manager will leave and at that point it will be noticed and announced. #3 is what happened in the case of my boss's boss and it seemed really odd to me but I'm told this is not uncommon. Is my boss correct in his explanation and that #3 is not uncommon? <Q> Your third described option is not uncommon at all. <S> In the cases I've seen it used, it was used to combat the "rumor mill" regarding discontent at the upper levels. <S> If there is a period of notice and the entire company is aware that someone fairly high up is leaving soon, it sets tongues to wagging idly. <A> I've personally been part of all three solutions. <S> They all have their pros and cons you could basically replace manager with any person of influence in a team and the effect is mostly the same. <S> Typically I've found the following... 1: is typically for people who are rather respected or loved in your team. <S> People whom a sudden departure would not be well received. <S> This tends to be a very rare approach and usually is done only in cases the individual is retiring or otherwise taking a role that is seen as a charity or public service, etc. <S> Or in some cases the position is simply too public or distributed to be able to keep their departure quiet. <S> 2: is for high risk positions or personalities. <S> If you're working something that requires a high level of security expect a swift departure when notice is served. <S> Or if you're perceived as someone who might be a risk to keep around you'll usually be escorted out. <S> You'll be surprised how much damage a person can do if left at their desk for only a few minutes even with someone watching them. <S> 3: <S> Generally this seems to be the most common. <S> You keep things quiet until the last day or two. <S> Then bring everyone together and explain what's happening. <S> Usually a close team will have lunch together to wish the person well, etc. <S> (#2 is actually pretty important sometimes. <S> We had a rather unique case where a developer was being let go after it became known they were taking a new job. <S> During the meeting that he was terminated we disabled his login and disconnected his computer from the network. <S> He was to be escorted out, but instead bolted for his desk and used a secret secondary login he had made to get on his computer then fired off a script that was intended to completely hose our databases and the locally accessible backups, fortunately since his network was disconnected the script failed. <S> While most people wouldn't do this sort of thing the risk is just too high to keep some people around for the notice period) <A> You'll find that many company operate under the philosophy of information is given out on a "need to know" basis. <S> They don't think there is anything you need to know about this, so why bother telling you. <S> You'll find out soon enough. <S> Depending on how high the manager is in the company, they may not want investors or clients to worry about it, so they delay making it public. <S> In your case, what difference does it make. <S> Did you want more time to say goodbye?
| Often leadership will choose to "gag" this information until the manager has left so that it can be addressed singularly before rumors become legends and legends become "facts".
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Is it ok to ignore messages from recruitment officers on linkedin? I have a profile on LinkedIn, that I use whenever I am looking for a new position. When I am not, well, I tend to neglect it. However I still receive tons of invitations and messages from recruitment officers, to the point that it starts to feel like spam. Is it OK if I ignore some or all of the messages? Can it damage future job searches? <Q> Yes, it is ok to ignore them because they most certainly are spamming you. <S> They are not your buddies. <S> They are not your family. <S> They are looking for product to resell to their customers. <S> That product is you. <S> Any recruiter in the business more than an hour and a half has a pretty thick skin, and will not be crying himself to sleep every night because, "you never write, you never call!" <A> Otherwise, the 'ignore' button is your best friend - as they are more interested in mining for your connections than anything else. <A> It is ok to ignore them <S> but what I do is have a paragraph stashed away <S> I just copy/past <S> change the name at the top and respond back. <S> A small sample of mine is outlined below. <S> I would NEVER consider this spam or a pain to deal with. <S> As a software developer I am fortunate to be 'Head hunted' as my GF calls it for a job. <S> All of my jobs have been found on linked-In. <S> What else is it for if your going to shoot down or ignore people? <S> You never know if your going to need something from them. <S> Dear Recruiter Name, Thank you for your interest, at this time I am not currently looking for a new opportunity... <S> (Insert more as needed) ... Thank you for your interest and please do not hesitate to reach out to me regarding future opportunities in (some technology your interested in)... <S> Insert more as needed .. <S> Blah blah. <S> Thanks, <A> I'm a recruiter <S> and I get spammed by recruiters! <S> Just last week I got a message asking if I was interested in a developer opportunity! <S> If they're pinging you for a role that is clearly not a fit I actually will mark it as spam as this can hurt them if it happens too much. <S> If it's a company you might be interested in working for at some point in the future it won't hurt to send a quick "Thanks for thinking of me <S> but I'm not looking right now" note. <S> LinkedIn Recruiter will keep track of any responses and a recruiter can see your responses when they see your profile (think about that before saying anything rude or unprofessional!) <S> If I see someone was contacted a couple of months ago and wasn't interested I'm going to apply common sense and not ping that person again. <S> Sadly, many recruiters - especially those at large companies or at agencies - seem to think volume is the only way to drive results so they just spam everyone who matches their keywords. <S> I've worked for large tech companies and seen recruiters who send over 1000 InMails in a single week. <S> Sorry <S> but there is absolutely no way that person bothered to look at all those profiles. <S> As a recruiter I detest these people! <A> I have the same problem. <S> However, based on my area - these recruiters all stem from about the same half dozen firms or so. <S> I usually will keep one good contact with each firm, and if someone else from the firm messages me I will forward them to the good contact that I have at the firm (this shows my, albeit lazy, loyalty towards this particular recruiter). <S> There are a couple of reasons for me doing this. <S> They will build a profile for you, and watch you more closely if you keep in contact with them. <S> This will allow them to see/know your current employment, the length of that employment, and any future promotions you may gain while in contact with them. <S> I let them know that I am currently not looking for a new company to go to. <S> At this point, they will usually ask a question to the point of "What will it take for you to leave?" <S> - I set the expectations really high. <S> Much higher salary <S> then what I'm currently getting, and more senior position. <S> That way, if they do ever contact me with a position meeting this description <S> I know it's going to be an offer I can't refuse. <S> Another, more selfish reason, for staying in contact with a few recruiters is most will take you out to lunch or dinner for free every month or so - and I don't know anyone that doesn't like free food. <A> Depends on how well the recruitment firm remembers you, <S> how much demand they have for someone with your skills and how many other applicants are around. <S> Technically, you are already ignoring these messages when you aren't looking for a new position and depending on what kind of relationship you have with these recruiters, the damage could be minimal if the recruiter is known for following up only when there is something right in front of them.
| For the firms you have enjoyed working with, I'd consider sending them short replies if they are sending you messages as perhaps they are doing blanket e-mails where replies aren't that meaningful in a sense. Yes, totally OK to ignore them. Only accept connections from recruiters if (1) they have taken some time to look into your LinkedIn profile, and (2) they have sent you a personal invitation message.
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Is it a good idea to mention number of git commits in performance review? I'm having a performance review soon with my manager. Would it be a good idea to mention the number of commits I've made since started working here? I know that the number usually doesn't say much because it doesn't say much about the quality and some people might make a lot of small commits while others make few big ones. But the reason I'm wondering is that I've started working on a really old project (more than 10 years old) and during about a half year I've made about as many as some developers who have been working on the projects for a couple of years. Of course, I'm only mean to mention it casually and not as a main point. <Q> No the number of commits is irrelevant AND dangerous. <S> If it counted, Ted over there would start doing 20 commits a day (for every line of code he writes in a day) and would be the superstar by that metric. <S> (I had to bring up a teams velocity once <S> , we just multiplied all the estimate points by 10, we were instantly 10x as productive), it's about what you have improved. <S> So if you mention something it should be: Details of the actual improvements to the 10 yr old code and why they are better (resiliency/performance/maintainability/re-usability) Details of improvements you made to the performance of yourself and the others in the team (processes/ideas/better ways of working) Details of where you've brought something new into the company/team or done something that's saved the company money/increased revenue <S> Where you've gone the extra mile for customers/brought in new business by being great/kept the customer happy <S> Mention these things <S> and you'll deserve to get more money/responsibility/opportunities etc, if the best you can say is "I made more commits than anyone else" <S> , I'd say you're struggling to justify your role. <A> No, it wouldn't be a good idea. <S> And you give the reason: "the number usually doesn't say much because it doesn't say much about the quality". <S> Reading between the lines, you feel you need to convince your manager you're doing a better job than your colleagues. <S> From his point of view, that correlates to the value of what you produce for the team and the business as a whole. <S> So you need to show the ways in which you create value, not quote metrics that could be gamed. <A> It depends. <S> Does the Git commits say anything about the value you are generating for the company? <S> In other words, is it better for the company to have 100 small commits instead of 10 large ones? <S> Is that measurable or just a gut feeling? <S> I think you could sit in a cubicle and commit the same line of comment for days without generating value, so the plain number of commits says nothing. <S> Personally, I think you should come up with something more aligned to the business. <S> Did you close tickets? <S> Work on open issues? <S> Satisfied customers by fixing bugs? <S> Did you help other people with their code? <S> How many problems did you solve for the company? <S> That's what is interesting.
| Commits/velocity DON'T count to how useful you are
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Giving Presentations with live Content from the Web I'm working in an internet tech company. So I often have to give presentations where I have to switch between Powerpoint and my browser for a live presentation. Any time I'm switching the audience gets distracted. And often the projector takes several seconds to adjust to the new resolution the notebook is sending, just making the distraction even bigger. To reduce the amount of switching I mostly work with screenshots shown in Powerpoint, a solution that doesn't work for all situations. I came across two possibilities so far: Use the Liveweb plugin for Powerpoint. This plugin just works for Windows systems and I'm on a Mac. I could use a Windows notebook for my presentations, but this would be cumbersome. Get rid of Powerpoint and use an HTML-based presentation solution like reveal.js or deck.js. Thus I could open two browser tabs and easily switch between both of them. Are there any other solutions for my problem? How are you giving presentations where you have to show live web content? Update: This question is not about specific software! It's about how to address a problem I often encounter at work. I'm also interested in answers like "Just show the live content and get rid of a presentation program at all" or "Just split your presentation in two parts: first do the Powerpoint show, then the browser-based live presentation". Update 2: Of course I've tried to play around with the display settings, but there has never been a setting, that works with any projector and doesn't distort both the browser nor the Powerpoint image. So my experience told me to find a non-technical solution. <Q> Any time I'm switching the audience gets distracted. <S> Find a way to keep their attention during this transition. <S> This will require practice and may require a change in software or hardware,or even assistance from a team member, but it is primarily a presentation technique. <A> I really like John's answer, there are "old school" techniques you can do to mitigate awkward transitions. <S> I have found that it is best to make the powerpoint merely a background item and to use my own presence as the focus. <S> This is worthwhile not only because it is good practice <S> but it also helps when things don't go as planned-- which is highly likely if you're doing a live demo. <S> In addition to that if you have an environment which you can control, I would suggest deliberately practicing these transitions in advance with the actual equipment you use in your presentations. <S> Nothing will frazzle your train-of-thought more than fussing with AV/laptops/microphones/cables during a presentation. <S> If you can practice it enough so that it becomes second-nature <S> and you don't have to "problem-solve" on the stage <S> , it will make everything go smoother. <S> Its not just the time you spend, it is also the cognitive load of the fussing that can damage your presentation. <S> Finally, if the presentation is high-profile it would be worth it to dedicate someone to help you with AV. <S> The most high-quality, high-stakes presentations in conferences always use an AV guy to make everything "just work". <A> When I do this I use the browser for my presentation too, so there's no switching between applications (and one less moving part). <S> I haven't used fancy plugins for this <S> so I can't speak to options there; I just write my presentation as one or more HTML pages, possibly organized into multiple tabs. <S> For example, I recently gave a presentation where I needed to be able to show presentation materials, a spec, and a few different types of live content; I lined that all up in tabs before the presentation and all went smoothly. <S> One caveat, though: plan ahead for live services not working. <S> Networks, DNS, and web sites have a remarkable ability to fail at just the wrong time. <S> If not having access to the live content means you can't do your presentation at all <S> then there's not much you can do, but often a locally-cached copy of the content you would have shown from the web site -- or running your own local web server if you need server-side functionality -- will do the job in a pinch.
| If you stop talking and bury your head in your laptop, the audience will fill that time with something. If on the other hands, you use that time to ask the audience a question, give them a thought experiment, or find some other way to engage them while you are making your technical transition, you are more likely to keep their attention.
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How could I have better handled this problem project? I was working on a project with two other people, one of whom wasn't putting in any effort at all. Since our modules were different, I didn't care about his work at first. After finishing my modules I went home for vacation, since I had been away from home 9 months and my vacation was a long time coming. When I returned, the project was in its last stages and only the deployment was pending. Due to a crunch in resources I was asked to handle the whole deployment by myself. Soon after I took it up I realised how badly the project was done. For example: Riddled with bugs. No naming conventions, just the default names generated by the IDE. Bizarre deployment approach. A terribly long document riddled with grammatical errors and nonsensical language. Soon I was putting in extra long hours trying to fix the project. The other people in the project were just citing excuses to not help. The deployment used to take 3 hours; client talks: 2 hours; trying to tell my manager - who handled it terribly - what I talked about with the client: 1.5 hours; fixing the bugs found after last deployment: rest of the hours. I was working more than 13 hours a day. During this time, the deployment approach was changed at the behest of the client. The client also changed the requirements multiple times. This went on for almost two months, after which the project was scrapped. I was asked to write a report on causes and actions taken which of course no one else could have written. Is there something that I could have done differently from the start or in the middle that could have improved things earlier? Could something during the deployment have been done differently? <Q> There are a whole stack of issues here: <S> No leadership lack of standards over coding/design patterns etc No QA or testing No code review <S> A lack of concern, the person's lack of effort didn't bother you until you had to clean it up. <S> The team has fundamental issues, in fact you aren't a team at all. <S> The person's bad input is just a symptom, not a cause, the root issue is at the team level, and your employer needs a leader to come in and address it, someone needs to set standards and ensure people meet them, everything else is just symptoms. <A> Whoever was responsible for the whole project messed up massively. <S> So if I understand this correctly, for nine months three developers worked without any oversight, one (you) did a good job, another one put in a good effort with unknown outcome, and one did a rubbish job. <S> The person responsible didn't notice anything. <S> You noticed that one person visibly didn't put in any effort. <S> Assuming that you were not the one responsible for the whole project, but responsible for your part, the lesson should be that if your project fails it doesn't help much if you did your job. <S> The project failed. <S> When that happens, your whole team could get fired including you, and nobody cares who worked hard and who was lazy. <S> Or the person seen as guilty could get fired, and if that lazy colleague is much better at office politics than you, then you might be seen as the guilty person. <S> Or try to move to a project that will succeed if yours is going to fail. <S> You should never ignore things that will make your project fail, because the outcome will not be good for you. <S> So you should have raised concerns when you saw problems and not ignored them. <S> At a level which is really irrelevant to the workplace, but relevant to software development: Code reviews are absolutely essential. <S> You wouldn't have been in the mess with code reviews. <S> Unit tests are really useful to make sure that your code works (and they need to be reviewed as well, to check that they test something useful). <A> Communication is the key for any project with more than one layer of responsibility overall. <S> This would have put a clear line of succession from previous leadership and you. <S> After that, logically, you had to create a plan for each issue point in your previous report, perhaps even with estimated timelines for fixing it. <S> As per client requirement:How did communication go?Did you have a dedicated analyst to communicate with him?
| So the rule is: Do your job, but also do what you can to make the whole project succeed. A team collaborates and takes care of each other and doesn't leave the other members in trouble like this. First thing you should have done when getting a new role after vacation, is to analyze and report the current state of affairs.
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Posting warnings and thank-you letters in public Sometimes, some of the employees over perform while others perform very badly.for those who work very hard, thank you letters and raises are motivations for them. As CTO, I have a case that one of my senior staff members is not performing well. I have had a one-to-one meeting with him, I sent him encouraging emails, and finally tough emails telling him that he is under performing and should do better. He is not changing! This is starting to affect the morale of the team he is in - the argument (from mainly for intermediate and junior level employees) being: How is he considered senior when we are performing better than him? It is not fair that he is paid more than us. Now, honestly, I am thinking of terminating him, but I don't want to leave a chance for anybody to explain, justify or predict the reasons behind termination on his/her behalf. Do you recommend publishing Appreciation Letters for those who perform well and warning letters for those who perform badly using email to all or by posting these letters on bulletin board? What is the best way to let everybody know that the company is appreciating the work of hard workers and punishing the negligent ones. <Q> Praise in public, punish in private, for anything short of an immediate-firing offense. <A> Absolutely not. <S> No matter what your role is in the organisation, posting "warning letters" about sub-standard employee performance on a public bulletin board is obviously entirely unacceptable. <A> Shaming employees in public is a real dick-move. <S> It will not just kill the motivation of the one you sanction, but also of all other employees. <S> When verbal and written warnings do not help but you don't want to fire them outright yet, there are other ways to express your disapproval: <S> Use their inability to improve as a reason to deny them a raise the next time one is due Ignore them when it comes to promotions or other special perks <S> Take away responsibilities they are unqualified for and give them new responsibilities nobody likes doing <S> By the way, public praise isn't much better either. <S> It gives no tangible benefit to the employee. <S> But it makes everyone else jealous of the employee and segregates them from the rest of the team because it gives them a reputation of "Boss's favorite". <S> So it can do more bad than good. <S> When you want to give public praise, praise the accomplishment of the team as a whole. <S> This improves motivation while also improving their team spirit. <A> Firstly, are you sure the problem is motivation and not the knowledge that the entire department is doomed? <S> You really need to think about what constitutes motivation , because right now your workplace sounds like a bad skit from a parody on office life. <S> It is insulting to assume that thank you on its own <S> is motivation enough . <S> Thank you <S> is the bare-minimum. <S> If thank you is the sum total of your motivation, even if you throw in some posters of an inspiring eagle you're not just losing the battle - you're losing the wrong battle. <S> The senior member probably realised that he/she can get paid better somewhere else, and/or that hard work here isn't meaningfully rewarded to be worth the effort. . <S> All cut, your revised question indicates you pay more too. <S> Sending out demeaning emails isn't going to solve this issue , it is just going to compound it. <S> Not just in this senior member, in others too. <S> You might get some harder work out of everybody - but it will be the wrong kind of work. <S> The kind that means you no longer have a reason to fire anybody, but nobody is soaring either. <S> That's the kind of work that builds a mediocre company, full of miserable people. <S> Incidentally, It is not ok for management to blame an uninspired employee for poor team morale . <S> Morale and culture come from the top, from the leadership shown. <S> Is the poor morale coming from one non-management person, or management's decision to lead by <S> thank you and demeaning emails? <S> If you are in dire straights, this will probably work in the very short term . <S> After that, the rubbish work being produced and the outflow of talent will bring the company down. <S> Thinking a company should punish bad work shows a terrible, feudal-style understanding of modern corporate culture . <S> Please don't do it. <S> You will just cause an exodus of talent and morale. <S> Instead , focus on meaningfully inspiring your staff. <S> Low pay isn't inspirational, nor is thank you . <S> Providing leadership training, or opportunities to grow technically, or ownership of key items, or business understanding, or, and this is a novel idea - providing the training to leave to go join a better company - is inspirational. <S> Please don't start sending out demeaning emails, and at least use honest, accurate motivational posters this time . <A> I am writing this on the assumption that you are the line manager. <S> If you are not then the correct thing to do is feed back your concerns to them initially and if that doesn't elicit a satisfactory response, to their line manager. <S> i tried to discuss it with him by one-to-one meeting, by encouragement email, and finally by tough email <S> Did you try to have a discussion one-to-one or did you actually have a discussion? <S> Did you make your expectations clear? <S> Did you both come out of it with more understanding of expectations and why they're not being met? <S> What did you agree between the two of you? <S> What did you not agree on? <S> Your company should have a policy for managing performance. <S> Follow it. <S> If it doesn't, ask HR to produce one. <S> Local laws or union agreements may require you to follow certain minimum procedures so that people are protected from bullying and have the opportunity to engage with constructive feedback. <S> In most cases performance management is done privately. <S> However, if people complain about someone's performance focus on the listening. <S> You need only one of two answers: <S> "Thanks for letting me know, I'll talk to X about it" "Thanks for letting me know <S> , I've already spoken to X about it <S> and we're working on improving that" (In this case it's a good idea to make sure <S> X knows that you'll be saying that). <S> Don't go into details, don't complain about other things X has done, work on the assumption that X is able to improve and give them the support and direction they need.
| Certainly document serious problems in writing, but writing a 'tough email' is not an assertive or effective way of improving the performance of someone working for you. You should arrange a meeting between yourself and the employee in which you can discuss the problem, ask why things weren't done how you'd expect, and work out a plan for how to support them to meet expectations (and, if necessary, for you and others to communicate their expectations)
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Deleting the start of my work history Should I leave irrelevant jobs out of my CV, Linkedin, job board profiles, and/or application forms, even if that takes 8 years off the start of my work history and implies I am much younger? To explain, I am a high school dropout. I got my bachelor's degree in my mid-20s, by distance learning. While studying it I was able to change careers into a field related to the degree, where I am working now. The jobs I did beforehand are in a different field, unrelated to anything I'm doing now or would be interested in doing again, and they are very junior with no achievements to speak of. Basically just clutter and a waste of time. However, leaving them out gives me a profile that suggests I am still a 20-something, when really I am 34. It also avoids mentioning the three years from age 19 to 21 when I was mostly unemployed, except for a couple of very short jobs. Would doing so come across as dishonest? <Q> Your resume is your sales brochure. <S> While you shouldn't tell any untruths, there is no need for it to give every piece of information you have. <S> If that leaves a gap in your employment record, you are going to have to account for that at some stage. <S> A thorough recruiter will ask what you were doing in that time, and you should answer honestly, but the time for that is in an interview. <S> However the jobs you describe don't sound like they would help you at all. <S> This is true especially if they were done before you got your primary qualification in your current field. <S> Nobody will assume that you are trying to hide a criminal record or anything like that. <A> I think that you should have an "additional work experience" section in your CV, where you can list additional positions and smaller jobs that contributed to your professional development. <S> Warehouses, fast foods, call center... everything will contribute to showing that you worked hard to get where you are and that makes you a responsible person by itself. <S> Before that, in the "work experience" section you can list the relevant work experience. <S> Gaps will be explained in the "additional" section. <S> At the interview you will be able to explain what happened in your life to cause career stops or gaps. <A> And many people start careers late because it is a second career, or that it took them a while to find the first career. <S> And when I was a hiring manager for a software development team, I mostly didn't care about what people did more than 8 years ago, no matter how old or experienced they were, or whether they were flipping burgers or working in rocket science (I saw both). <S> And a couple of failed career tangents, and a couple of really bad tech jobs are not there either. <S> My resume has gaps, because I was let go a lot. <S> Why? <S> Number one reason..... <S> start-ups run out of money, and fire people to control costs. <S> Number 2 reason? <S> We have had 2 major multi-year tech recessions since the year 2000. <S> (2002-2004, and 2008-2010). <S> Number 3 reason? <S> My skills didn't match the market demand for a while. <S> People will have gaps. <S> There is no shame in having a gap. <S> And in spite of gaps, I kept getting hired back. <S> You will too. <S> Your resume is you telling your future manager a story of how your past performance is going to predict how well you'll work for him. <S> What you did more than 8 years ago is usually irrelevant. <S> And if there are big gaps, don't list them, but be prepared to confidently declare what you did and how it helped you. <A> Leave the graduation year off your CV. <S> That will solve the problem of the possibility of HR extrapolating your age from your experience. <S> Once you've done that, just put the relevant work experience in. <S> That is, excise all the stuff you did that is in a different field <S> Note that it is not "dishonest" to keep a CV short, hiring managers like that. <A> You should be proud of these jobs. <S> they represent an indicator that you are militant, combatant and defying all difficulties to reach your goal. <S> you dont have to list these jobs in detail. <S> just saying "Handicraft Job while studying" is a good point and indicator that you are self-motivated, hard-worker and eager to learn
| If you don't think listing something you did would help you, then don't put it on. If you have a degree, your status as a "high school dropout" is irrelevant, just as nobody begrudges the former CEO of Microsoft for being a university dropout. All of my high-school and university jobs are not on my resume. Given your age, nobody will care what you were really up to when you were 19-25 anyway.
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How to explain issues of momentum I am a Web Developer, full-time, but that isn't so much important. At my current gig, and at previous jobs really, there is this issue of not dividing up work and planning for it far enough ahead of time so that you don't lose the ability to focus. For example, I've been working on one project for almost 5 months now, and the approach is inappropriate. I'm given free-reign on how to do, but not when, in what order, the length of time committed, where I work etc. Management, getting to juggle multiple things at one time, likely doesn't see that a decrease in productivity and focus are inevitable(not just in my case) when there is no diversity in work. How do I explain that throwing raw effort into something is inefficient, and is only reduces project momentum until a wall is hit. <Q> Different things make differnt people happy and more productive. <S> You are assuming that what you want to do is the most productive way to do business, but many people would envy you for the chance to concentrate on one thing. <S> You also have to remember that productivity is only one factor in how projects are managed and not generally the most important one. <S> Your manager can't afford to have you working half a day on Project C which is due in November rather than all day on Project A which is due on March 15. <S> It sounds as if you are bored with your current project. <S> That is not an issue of productivity so much as one of communication. <S> You will likely need to compromise as his priorities and yours are likely different. <S> But you never get what you don't ask for. <S> Since you like the breaks in routine, you might comsider looking for that in your next job and looking for a place where you will be assigned mulitple projects or where you do production support as well as new dev and thus have lots of changes during the day (I often work on 9-10 different projects for 4-6 different clients in one day.) <S> You might consider also a role where the project involvement in any one project may be less than the dev role. <S> Something like a data analyst who is a shared resource for many projects might suit your personality better. <A> The best answer would be for you to ask someone at your company why they do the things they do. <S> Doing one project at a time may be their philosophy on how to do things. <S> There may be other resources that they cannot make available, so there they don't see the need of you getting involved on those projects prematurely. <S> Things change all the time. <S> How productive would you be if you worked on aspects of a project in advance that changed later and your work is not irrelevant? <S> I admit, I hate it when someone mentions a future project to me, but they then tell me not to do anything about it. <S> My nature is to start thinking about how to do it, what hurdles will be in the way, the time-frame will be along with putting it someone on the scale of: "how much fun it will be" to "how much this project is going to suck". <A> Have you used Asana before? <S> It is a multifaceted tool that could be used to manage projects, teams or even team meetings. <S> I had a similar problem at my current job where all our projects were executed in 5 week phases. <S> All projects were written down on a spreadsheet and it was upto you to keep track of the project status. <S> I usually ended up spending my weekends at work. <S> I convinced my teammates to use Asana to determine how we spend our time in one particular phase of the year. <S> We write the number of tasks involved to execute the project and determine how we divide the team resources. <S> We also use Asana for team meetings. <S> This ensures that all projects are discussed within a reasonable amount of time. <S> We found it useful in identifying if a team member is spread too thin in terms of their time while contributing to different projects. <S> We manage to provide updates every Friday. <S> This has really helped us get better in tracking our projects in a month-to-month basis. <S> Asana is free to use for upto a team size of 15. <S> I suggest that you take the Asana tool for a test drive and pitch it to your team members.
| You need to discuss with your boss what is happening with your project, what else you would like to be doing and how you prefer to work in order to be more productive.
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Should I tell my boss about my coworker possibly leaving? One of my coworkers just told me he's put his resume out there and just had a phone interview - he did this on site, at our office! This is not a duplicate of Should I raise concerns about a co-worker possibly leaving? ; in that post, the poster had already told their immediate supervisor and it seemed not to be getting up the chain. I work in a much smaller office, and, my coworker has told me he is scared of being fired - for reasons which are not reasonable - but I have repeatedly told him (truthfully) that everything I've heard strongly suggests his boss has no plans to replace him anytime soon. This is also not a duplicate of Should I inform my manager that a colleague is looking for another job if I was told that in confidence? because I did not promise that I would not say anything to anyone. The highest voted, accepted answer to that question says: Don't tell your boss that your colleague is looking for another job. You explicitly state you told the colleague that is leaving you would not say anything. Just on general principle you should not say anything. Let the managers manage, and keep your honor intact. This is a conclusion based on premises that are not applicable here. Anyway, I am in an uncomfortable position now. I don't know whether I should: Keep this to myself - it was told in confidence; he didn't explicitly say it but he did basically whisper it to me after both of our bosses had left for the day. Say something along the lines of "<coworker> seems really worried lately and had made some off-hand comments about you being unhappy with his work. You might want to give him some encouragement because he seemed really worried about things" if it comes up, but don't go out of my way to say anything Go out of my way to tell my boss As far as my relationship with this coworker goes, we've hung out maybe 4 times outside of the office in the last year (he's only been working here a year); I consider him a friend but by no means a close friend. But now he's forcing me to decide between loyalty to him and loyalty to my company. What should I do? Update: I took @JeffO's advice and pulled my coworker aside this morning and told him that he can't be talking to me about his own interview process and why it's a conflict of interest for me. He understood, agreed, and said he would not discuss it with me anymore. <Q> It really isn't your place to say anything. <S> What do you hope to gain by saying something to your boss? <S> If your co-worker is already on the path to a new position with a different company it doesn't seem <S> like there's much you can do to stop them. <S> And if you aren't that close anyway, why would you want to? <S> Regardless of how close you are, I'd start with talking to him. <S> Let him know how uncomfortable this makes you and how you feel now that he has entrusted you with a "secret" so to speak. <S> If you say anything to your boss, even the round-about method, it's going to raise red flags. <S> I would keep this one close personally. <A> I think you need to get some things straight with this person before you can make a decision unless there is more to it than you are telling us. <S> Your "friend" should have kept his mouth shut and completed his personal business away from the office. <S> He intentionally has put you in a bind. <S> Ask him to explain the following: <S> What is your friend going to say if you boss wants to know if he told you about this previously? <S> Is your friend going to lie? <S> How hard is your friend going to work to help you with the transition? <S> Will he take the time to do extra documentation on his projects? <S> Is your friend going to give ample notice? <S> Will he hold off for a more convenient time? <S> You may be required to pick up the slack in his absence. <S> This isn't just about the two of you against the company. <S> No one wants to be a tattle-tale or burn bridges with a coworker, but it is a two-way street (enough of the cliches). <S> Maybe after this conversation, you can decide how much you want to protect his privacy compared to protecting your situation. <A> I had the same situation before, we were two seniors in the same company, and the CEO was planning to promote me to be Technical Manager. <S> my coworker found another job and he told me that he is going to submit his resignation today!! <S> and he asked me to not tell the CEO, because he wants to think for how to do that. <S> indeed, for me, i smelled a dirty game in this. <S> Once the CEO arrived to the company, I told him the whole story, and that X has asked me not to tell you . <S> The CEO was shocked about his request to hide this, but he said that is fine. <S> after less than an hour, he visited the CEO in office and told him that he is going to leave the company and that he told me about this already to arrange for handover from him!!! <S> The CEO phoned me directly, and asked me to join them in the office, and he asked me CEO: <S> did X tell you that he is going to leave? <S> ME: <S> Yes CEO: do you have any arrangement for his resignation Me: <S> Yes, I know a good replacement for him <S> CEO: <S> Great,, X, Good luck! <S> and this case promoted me instead of being backward point for me with my CEO
| The boss may want to know if he needs to inform you or not.
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How to deal with a coworker's lack of motivation due to them retiring in a few months? (This is an education setting, not a business per se, so keep in mind some things work differently) My coworker will be retiring in a few months, but is driving me crazy. Her personal tasks are becoming increasingly apparent on the job and she has done a few things that very much bother me in terms of ethics, in addition to the daily countdown of working days left. (I'm happy for her, as we have been friendly, I just find this annoying) Underlying this is an (awkward for me) relationship with our dept of 3 people. Her and our other coworker have similar values (including both misusing sick time) and while they came more recently to the dept, feel that we have responsibilities in our workload that we shouldn't be doing. I am the dept head, but since it is an educational setting, it's different from being a "manager" in some ways. She is an assistant and so will help the other coworker very willingly on anything they ask but appears to delay the few requests I have. (She is an assistant in name although we call us a "team"). I have tried to maintain a friendly work environment for the sake of it, but have let her know when I think she has crossed the line (e.g asking if it's ok to leave work early for a clearly non-acceptable reason) My question is - do I just suck it up for the remaining few months, or do I call her on it. She has been very adept about having "allies" at work and is very savvy about doing things strategically so she is shown in good light to those above. I think she is doing this because she is frankly "done" and also that she senses she can get away with things because I "need" her around and has a "good reputation." <Q> She has been very adept about having "allies" at work and is very savvy about doing things strategically <S> Sounds like it's not worth getting into a war with her, she will be gone in a relatively short space of time, and you can use her leaving to set some new rules amongst those that are left. <S> If she does anything, just remind yourself how good you'll feel once she's gone. <A> She's leaving, any action you take now will be: <S> Entirely ineffective Damaging to morale <S> Potentially damaging to your own relationship with remaining colleagues <S> As such, I see absolutely nothing positive which can come from bringing this up now in any "calling her on it" way, and several negatives. <S> I think your focus needs to shift from "she's slacking" (she's going to <S> , there's nothing you can do to prevent it, suck it up), to "completing my own workload". <S> She's leaving, you're annoyed that she's slacking, but you should only focus on it to the point of her helping you with your own workload. <S> If you need a little more help, ask her for it, but may I suggest that phrasing it as a favour will do you a lot more good than phrasing it as a chastisement. <A> How will this affect your ability to manage the remainder of the team going forward? <S> Do any of these people that choose to take her side, want to be the next assistant? <S> Anyone asks for time off that is inappropriate, say no. <S> If you let them, you're just as unethical as they are. <S> Suggest <S> she change her ways or you're going to use whatever disciplinary action is at your discretion. <S> Stop using "this is an educational setting" as an excuse. <S> I realize other industries may have it easier when it comes to disciplining people, but that doesn't mean it is impossible. <S> They are still paid to do a job and should suffer the consequences when they don't. <S> Go through the proper channels. <S> Document the infractions. <S> Do your job. <S> You choose to take on the responsibility as the department head. <S> The others may not like it, but this isn't just a popularity contest. <S> You have a job to do, so stop rationalizing it and finding excuses not to. <S> It's no different than someone who thinks they get to slack of their final days because they think there is nothing you can do about it. <S> She's leaving and is obviously going to be replaceable.
| I'd see this as a hand-off period - see her inactivity as a way to transition tasks away from her, as she won't be there to do them soon anyway, and her replacement won't be immediately up to speed.
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Specify 'Paid/Unpaid' Internship On Resume Cover Letter I read this post which deals with openly paid internships, but I don't think it fully answers this specific question: When looking for a paid internship only, is it a good idea to include this in your reusme cover letter (in a non-chalant way) such as "I am seeking a paid inernship..." as opposed to "I am seeking an internship..."? The answer should apply to both soliciting you resume (sending it out to companies who have not placed a hiring advertisemnt) and also to those who have advertised but not specified whether it is paid or not. I'm not sure this is the appropriate place, or wait until the interview (if you get one). I can think of a reaons for both: Specifying that you are looking only for a paid internship may turn off potentional employers who have not requested a resume (in the first place) from first considering you, but could save you (and them) the cost and time of inteviewing for no purpose. <Q> Be honest and upfront and you will save yourself (and prospective employers) time. <S> They will respect that. <S> Being unclear and having to decline something later after they have made you an offer due to something you could have told them right off the bat will not earn you any points. <S> Also, be sure you understand recent changes in the law regarding what qualifies as a true unpaid internship vs. a paid one. <S> Basically, if you are doing work of any value to the employer, then you should be paid. <S> See: http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm <A> Make your intentions clear from the very beginning. <S> If you only wish to seek paid internship, then say so. <S> If you'll not, then you'll end up wasting a lot of time communicating with companies who are not going to hire you and at worst you'll burn a few bridges after wasting theirs. <A> As the responses that you would otherwise have gotten would mostly have been for unpaid internships though, these would not be a good fit for you. <S> I would still send in my résumé to internship positions that do not mention whether the position is a paid one. <S> When it comes to the actual compensation, I would refer to the guidelines in the question you linked, first establish that you want to work for them <S> and they want you to work for them and try to agree on the amount of compensation you will receive.
| If you specify that you are looking for a paid internship, you will get fewer responses, that is true.
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How can I help a new manager settle in without being patronising? I have, up until recently, been the only member of my team after the team leader left a few months ago. The new one has just started, so naturally, part of my role is to help him settle in. I'm still fairly new to the company and indeed to the workplace (recent graduate), and strongly feel that I need leadership while I'm finding my feet in the industry (however, since he's new, I'm obviously not expecting anything straight away). He has industry experience. I want to welcome him to the company and point out the things that he can start changing, or processes that he can start implementing, but I don't want to be seen as telling him how to do his job. I'm also unsure of how to judge what he already knows, so that I don't come across as patronising (things that seem complex to me may be self-evident to him) or as missing things out. How can I explain things to a new superior without seeming bossy or patronising? <Q> You can ask him if he's interested in you describing/showing how you/your group have been doing things before he got there, and perhaps offering your opinion regarding areas that can be improved - not necessarily what those improvements are, but asking him how he might improve them for the benefit of the group. <S> Honestly, the short period I had in a group where our manager was dismissed and before they hired the new one was when our small team banded together, and decided on some process improvements on our own which were presented as a fait accompli by the time the new manager was installed. <S> Saved a lot of discussion and arguments. <S> I have on several occasions <S> helped a new manager learn the ropes. <S> Introducing them to key people who he should work with, giving a head's up about specific "politics" between groups/managers, providing historical context about why things are done a certain way, and who might be stakeholders in changing processes. <S> There is information you can provide your boss that his boss may not have. <A> Start the dialog with the new boss, and let them come to you. <S> If you can identify their management style, you can somewhat anticipate the best approach. <S> If a boss is not as technical as their subordinates, it will make more sense to acknowledge this and let them ask questions to see how deep they want to go. <S> My advice boils down to: be outgoing and helpful. <S> Let them know you can help them with whatever questions they need. <S> As other have said, let them settle in. <S> If you never get asked questions regarding processes, etc. <S> then it may make sense to be more forthright with your opinions and suggestions. <S> I would say a lack of questions is a red flag for a new manager. <A> How can I explain things to a new superior without seeming bossy or patronizing? <S> Provide them with a written description of your roles, responsibilities, and goals. <S> Also provide them with a list of your ideas on how things can improved. <S> Finally, take time to listen to them, find out what their goals are, and have fun collaborating with them, and volunteer to do whatever you can to help out - as long as it doesn't conflict with your current responsibilities or goals; if there is a conflict, work with them to adjust your responsibilities so you can focus on what they believe is important. <A> I am in this situation. <S> What I have found is that others have come to me with observations (problems) that they need help solving. <S> Usually what happens is that they describe something from their point of view and ask me to work with them to solve those issues. <S> At the same time it really depends on the type of manager you're working with. <S> Some like to be approached in this aspect (me), while others seem to act otherwise. <S> I am not sure how you can find out what kind of manager he might be, but it might be better to find out now.
| A good manager should be able to figure out what questions they need to ask to manage a team. Introduce yourself and let them know you are happy to do whatever you can to help out.
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How to negotiate pay without much experience? First off, I've read a number of related topics, but I'm hoping asking for case-specific advice isn't considered off-topic here. I'm interning as a junior developer at a software development and consulting company. The internship payment is rather standard (compared to alternative offers) and I'm happy with the terms. However, the internship is due to end in the near future and I believe both me and my employer are looking forward to continuing working together. Therefore, I can assume to hold salary negotiations sometime in the future. On one hand: I'm very interested in staying (the collective is very open, friendly etc.) and I think the employer is aware of this I have little work experience (~ 2 years) On the other: I'm currently the only expert on my specific field in the team that I work in The company has invested considerable amount of time into me (courses to get up-to-speed with the specific software they use etc.) (Personally I believe) I perform well (meeting deadlines, good communication etc.) The work is considerably more complex than I assumed it to be when I applied, but I've risen to the task (see above) I've never negotiated a salary for a long-term position before, so I'd like to ask: what's a good manner to approach these negotiations? <Q> Start interviewing at other companies so you can get a feel for the going rate and get some practice negotiating. <S> If you really want this job and a good salary, don't make it your first. <S> Ask what you can do to get to that level. <S> Unfortunately, they may just say you have to wait <S> x number of years. <A> Aim high . <S> As an intern already working there, you've actually got pretty good leverage here: <S> You're a known quantity to the company, and thus much safer than hiring a random person based on an interview or two. <S> It's much easier for the company to hire you, even if it costs a bit more, than to restart hiring from zero, pay recruiters, use up staff time for interviews, etc. <S> All that said <S> , you are most likely still replaceable, so don't go completely overboard. <S> To set a target, I would ignore your intern pay completely and aim for the higher end of the junior developer range in your market. <S> As for the actual negotiation, there's reams written on this topic, including lots on this very site . <S> Personally, I like the Kalzumeus guide . <A> Most important part of salary negotiation is being prepared to walk away if the offer is too low. <S> I have done this before , had a job offer <S> and then we start discussing $$$ <S> told them my bottom line , the highest they could go was below that without "authorisation". <S> I suggest that they attempt to get it , because unless they could offer that minimum both of our times were being wasted they were not able to or they found a candidate who could survive on that lower rate . <S> If they know you have no other options <S> then they can low-ball <S> you knowing that you will most likely accept.
| If you don't get the salary you want, ask why.
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How do you get salary raises in big, structured companies? I recently moved to a new company. I got a 5% pay cut from my previous job, and including commuting and other costs my yearly income will decrease by 10%, not considering inflation.I accepted because the job was very interesting and it's a nice move from a small start-up (1-10 employees) to a bigger company (100-500 employees). However, I am wondering when my new salary will catch up. There is high request of developers with my background in the area, but I don't want to appear as a job-hopper. So I plan to stay here 2-3 years. But, I don't want to lose too much money. So, my question is: how do salary increases work in bigger companies, when you are not getting promoted and there is high demand for your skills? <Q> Your mileage may vary but I've found the only way to get a decent pay raise in this industry is to switch jobs every several years. <S> At company A despite amazing performance reviews and hitting every mark given and doing great work - the raise was always ~ 1% with different excuses every time. <S> Jump to company B and snag a 15% pay jump. <S> Lather rinse repeat <A> You need to talk to HR. <S> I went through this process last year and I ultimately decided to change jobs. <S> When I graduated with my Master's, I went to a smaller company (150 or so employees) and I asked for a high salary. <S> They told me that I was being paid more than some people who have been there for years. <S> This was the first big lesson on negotiation I ever learned, but that's off-topic for this. <S> Anyway, not only did I not like the work I was doing, but I had the feeling that I would barely ever get raises or move up at the pace that I wanted, since I didn't have experience and was already being paid more than most of the other people on my team. <S> Shortly after (5 months) I got recruited by a bigger company (2000+ employees) and not only do I make more money here and do more interesting work, but I am the lowest man on the totem pole, so that means my raises will be more substantial. <S> Ultimately, it depends on where you are on the ladder in comparison to your team. <S> The lower you are the higher your raises typically. <S> 3% to someone making 30k more than you is much more than at your pay grade, so it tends to normalize. <S> In addition, most big companies have yearly performance reviews. <S> I asked HR at my company how raises work and they had no problems with the question, so do that! <S> Oh and piece of advice...never take a pay cut. <S> Ever. <A> You should be asking this question at the HR department of your firm. <S> This shouldn't be an eyebrow-raising question for them and if you don't feel that you will be able to obtain a raise and/or promotion within a reasonable timeframe, you may be better off looking for a position with a new company. <S> Unless you have an excessive amount of short duration positions back-to-back, you won't immediately get the 'job hopper' red flag, or at least not to the point where it can be a deal-breaker.
| It depends on your skills, the context of your job, market pay, and how much work you do.
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My coworker left his garbage in my cubicle. How can I get him to remove it? I currently work in a room with two others. The room is a little cramped and my coworker got a new table six weeks ago. The table came in parts and was self-assembled. Once assembled he failed to make use of the new table, prefering his old one. The new one mostly just took up space. He also failed to get rid of the packaging cardboard that came with it. Today when I arrived at work I found he had finally switched tables and placed the old one in my corner instead of keeping it in his own, limiting my space. What further infuriates me is that he has not even managed to dispose of the cardboard packaging yet, tucking it instead in my corner between the old table and the wall. The local recycling points is outside, one floor down at the side of the building and he has access to it. The coworker has so far ignored two requests to at least take out the cardboard. It feels like the space alloted to me in the company is the others' garbage dump. How should I act in this situation? <Q> I would remove the cardboard from between the old table and wall in your area and place it on his desk bringing the issue to the forefront. <S> I'm assuming the requests have been polite? <S> Verbal/written? <S> If he has chosen to ignore these and if he isn't your superior/manager, then I would simply place them on his desk forcing him to move them <A> There are two options. <S> Escalate the problem to your next common superior. <S> This might force your coworker to remove their garbage, but it will reduce both yours and your coworkers standing with your superior, as they now have the impression that you both lack the social skills to solve your conflicts yourself. <S> Your coworker will be more careful with infringing your rights in the future, but might now hold a grudge against you. <S> Remove it yourself. <S> That way you avoid a conflict with your superior and your coworker, but your coworker might now believe that they can get away with ignoring reasonable but inconvenient requests from you. <A> As Philipp said, escalating to your superior risks getting your supervisor to regard both of you more negatively. <S> So that's not an optimal choice. <S> And removing the garbage runs the risk of your coworker learning that dumping crap on you is a viable way of getting rid of it without trouble for himself, so that's also not an optimal choice. <S> Instead, I'd go for a cooperative solution that still doesn't mean you get used as a garbage man: <S> I'll grab that thing and you take the other. <S> " Make sure he does grab the other thing, then go with him to throw them away. <S> You'll have shown him that you don't accept working in a dump; you'll have done so without being either confrontational or passive-agressive about it, and if anyone notices, they'll see that you're being helpful but not being used as a janitor. <S> Plus you'll have a clean office. <A> I was in a similar situation in the past. <S> My team accumulates a lot of furniture and other pieces of "space occupying hardware" that is usually dumped near my desk. <S> I work on a mezzanine floor and since it is difficult to move them downstairs, my team mates and other people in the company found it convenient. <S> One fine day, someone decided to leave furniture that had sharp edges blocking where I sit. <S> I had to navigate around the desk when I arrived in the morning. <S> My team has a mailing list and I decided to send a polite email saying that while I don't mind the furniture being near my desk, it has sharp edges and blocking access to other furniture. <S> I asked for help to find a new home for the same. <S> We had a meeting and immediately discarded it. <S> My manager also mailed the concerned asking not to dump stuff in my area(This was happening for a while when I sent that email). <S> People stopped treating my workspace like a warehouse. <S> I think you have to discuss this with your team mates and manager to resolve it. <S> It is important that you are comfortable within your workspace. <A> Assertive communication usually works better than being submissive or escalating. <S> In this situation, I would have walked up to him and said: Would you be handing over the cardboard boxes to the recycling point today? <S> This is different from you doing it yourself or bringing in big brother (Boss) to bash him up. <S> By doing this, you are gently nudging him to act while also letting him save face. <S> Most people would take the hint, respond with, " <S> yeah, <S> sure, I will do it today", and then do it. <S> If he agrees but doesn't actually do it, you ask him again next day, perhaps a bit more firmly. <S> It is never a good idea to escalate trivial issues to the boss. <S> Regardless of who was right or wrong, your manager would see both of you as being immature. <S> Such perceptions contribute to your career progress. <S> Typical scenario could be: <S> Boss's boss : <S> Hey, I hear Steinin has been doing a great job. <S> Do you think we should consider him for a leadership role? <S> Boss <S> : Uhm, well, I don't know about that one. <S> We probably have to give him more time. <S> The other day he complained to me about some cardboard boxes left at his desk. <S> As for the table though, I don't know if it could be "recycled" in the same way as cardboard boxes, and if the desk belongs to your company, neither you nor your colleague should dispose it on your own. <S> On that one, it is okay to ask your Boss what to do. <S> Boss, there's an old desk in our room, which we no longer have any use for. <S> Could we move it out somewhere to reduce the clutter? <S> Notice how this is better than, <S> "Boss, my coworker got a new desk, but he isn't getting rid of the old one. <S> What should I do?"
| When your coworker and you are both in the office, say "How about we get this stuff out of here.
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How do I handle friends asking for second chance at an interview I set up that they refused? Recently a kickass tech company offered internships when they visited our campus. Everyone applying for the internship was to go through the campus' screening process before they would make it to the company. However, since I got along with them well, they extended me the privilege of skipping the campus' screening and also let me pick a few of my friends who would also get to skip the screening process. On the day of visiting the company for final selection, everybody chickened out. I made it in. Now a few days have passed and those who chickened out want me to talk to the company again and see if they would schedule another interview. I know that from a professional standpoint, this is beyond question. It also puts my neck on the line. How do I handle this situation? <Q> On the day of visiting the company for final selection, everybody chickened out. <S> I made it in. <S> Now a few days have passed and those who chickened out want me to talk to the company again and see if they would schedule another interview. <S> I know that from a professional standpoint, this is beyond question. <S> It also puts my neck on the line. <S> How do I handle this situation? <S> Your friends made their choice, you made yours. <S> You should tell your friends you are sorry, but at this point they will have to approach the company on their own. <S> You aren't in a position to offer them any more help at this point. <S> You don't have enough influence in the company yet. <S> Doing any more might make you look bad. <A> You have no power to negotiate for them. <S> They had a 'take it or leave it' offer and chose to 'leave it'. <S> You cannot stick your neck out for them now, not without undermining your own standing with the company. <A> I'd just tell them that you'd really like to help <S> but there is nothing you can do. <S> You're new with the company yourself and have zero influence. <S> I don't think it's even necessary to lecture them about having missed their chance. <S> Under the circumstances that's completely plausible. <S> There are times when you have to get tough with people and tell them that they screwed up <S> and now they have to suffer the consequences. <S> But if you don't want to be the bad guy, it's nice when you can blame someone else. <S> In this case, it's not your fault that the company won't listen to you: it's the company's fault. <S> Blame HR. <S> I've often told my kids that when they don't want to tell their friends <S> no on something, they can say, I'd love to <S> but my father won't let me. <S> Then someone else can be the bad guy. <S> Do I care if my kids' friends don't like me? <S> No. <S> Does HR at this company care if your friends don't like them? <S> No.
| If they want to have the interview after all, they should contact the company directly, but if they were a no-show for the earlier interview there is almost no chance they will get a second chance. Just say that there is nothing you can do.
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Where do you draw the line between working at one company and working at two when listing work experience? So some time ago I switched jobs between two companies. Or maybe I didn't. What actually decides if you need to list a work history as one job or two? In my case I switched between what are basically two companies owned by the same parent company, except that in both cases the parent company was the one actually signing my paycheck, determining benefits and retirement, determining job classifications and pay ranges. Each child entity hired me and had their own HR department and budget, and could determine pay and raises within the pay range, but the money for the positions would go to the parent company and then be paid to me. When I switched, I kept all accrued benefits as if I stayed at the same place, but at the same time I had to fill out all the paperwork as a new hire (but I wasn't actually allowed to make choices, for example the insurance option I had selected when I was hired by the first child company was the one I had to put down when I switched to the second child company). As far as taxes go, I received a single W2 that held my wages from both positions combined during the year I made the switch. If asked where I work(ed) at, I could honestly answer either "I work for parent ." or "I use to work for child1 but now I work for child2 ." So in work experience, what should I use to determine if this should be listed as two separate employments or one employment that spanned two positions? <Q> If the jobs were essentially the same, you could just list the parent company. <S> So, list them something like this: TitleB at ChildCompanyB (owned by ParentCompany) from April 2012-present responsibilities and tasks TitleA at ChildCompanyA (owned by ParentCompany) from Sept 2009-April 2012 responsibilities and tasks <S> In other words, list both. <S> That way when they call for references, it won't matter how the call is answered. <S> It will be clear that the names are interchangeable. <A> [W]hat should I use to determine if this should be listed as two separate employments or one employment that spanned two positions? <S> It sounds like there is no material difference. <S> Use whichever company sounds better on the resume. <S> This is similar to mergers/acquisitions, where you may start working for one company but that company changes over time. <S> Which ever you choose, you may want to add a single sentence to each position saying you worked in the subsidiary but were employed by the parent company. <S> Vary this depending on the company size. <S> For example, if you are applying for a job at a larger company and want to show experience at larger companies, use the parent company in the OP as the employer. <S> If you are applying for a job at a smaller company, use the two subsidiaries. <S> Some employers like someone with experience in that size of company. <S> If the time at the subsidiaries was relatively short, you may want to use the parent company. <S> Some employers are biased against "job hoppers" that spend short periods (less that one year but varies between different industries) in positions. <S> It may indicate the potential employee is hard to work with or has trouble deciding what type of role <S> he or she enjoys. <S> If you are going for a position that requires experience in a specialist area for one of the subsidiaries, I would use the subsidiaries instead of the parent company. <S> For example, say the parent organization is a bank but one of the subsidiaries you worked for is their international markets/foreign investments arm. <S> If you are moving into a new company in a position dealing with foreign investments, use the subsidiary on the CV. <A> This may be one case where you can be entirely honest, while presenting the facts to your best advantage. <S> As long as the two companies aren't clearly distinct, but are two separate entities, you could tailor it either way. <S> If you've had a few short jobs and think it would be advantageous to add some consistency and show an ability to grow within a company, list it as a single employment with a transfer/promotion with the company. <S> If you think your resume could do with a little extra breadth and variety, list it as two distinct jobs. <S> As long as you can honestly state it either way, this is an area of ambiguity which you can use to frame your experience in whichever light would be most positive to your career. <S> Just be careful to make sure that it is ambiguous, and that whenever you're claiming is a reasonable way to represent the real situation.
| But you could also list each job separately, and probably should do so if the jobs were different or one was a step up from the other.
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What's a good job title for one who has worn all the hats at a software start-up? I recently left my job and I'm trying to figure out what title to put on my resume. I was somewhat of the technical co-founder, but not officially so. As a lot of folks who have worked in startups know, you don't really do as you're asked, you do as is necessary. These roles include, but are not limited to: Front-end design Back-end design Deciphering legacy systems Product design Product architecture Selecting software stacks Developing documentation, terminology Unit testing, release engineering Supporting the sales team Supporting the clients directly for technical issues Hiring staff, training staff, managing staff Designing databases Project management Working with third party vendors for integration DevOps Etc, etc. I can't really think of a title other than "4-year start-up survivor." What can folks like me call ourselves? <Q> I had a similar experience. <S> I worked for a single company for 10 years+, starting in an office of ten people and leaving a company of 10,000+, and had a similarly varied experience. <S> The problem is recruiters and hiring managers want to put you in a box <S> but when you have such varied experiences, boxes can be limiting. <S> If someone cannot understand that you can have a variety of skills, it says more about that person than it does you <S> but I digress. <S> If you are going for a senior developer, development lead or architect role, I would go for "Senior Principal Software Architect". <S> The architect title is sufficiently nebulous to cover a variety of skills. <S> Everything sounds better with the "Senior Principal" prefix but dial it back to "Senior" if you feel that is over the top. <S> Emphasize your design, development, mentoring/training, support and reverse engineering experience. <S> If you are going for a consulting role or a mix of development and infrastructure, go "Senior Principal Technical Architect" or "Senior Principal DevOps". <S> Emphasize the cloud server infrastructure work, vendor interaction, client interactions and support along with a summary of the architect points above. <S> If you are going into management, say "Head of Development" (with permission from the co-founder and your development peer). <S> Emphasize your client and vendor interaction, hiring and managing other employees, prioritization and roll out plans. <S> Do not deny your development experience but focus on the tasks a manager needs, e.g. planning, evaluating employees, juggling priorities. <S> If you are going into another startup role, I would seriously consider using "4-year start-up survivor". <S> If someone is starting a new company, they need someone that can handle multiple, simultaneous roles under pressure. <S> It sounds like you have achieved that. <S> The only downside is larger companies may be biased toward startups, thinking that you are undisciplined, cannot work in a large team or will leave for your own startup as soon as you have sufficient savings. <S> If you need a single title across multiple CVs, consider the "Senior Principal Technical Architect". <S> It sounds senior but is sufficiently vague to prompt people to ask more about the role, meaning you can sell your wider experience and hopefully create your own box. <A> I think this question should be along the lines of how to select a title and not just what the title should be. <S> Focus on why you were hired. <S> I worked as a programmer and changed a light bulb one day, but no one called me the electrician (Someone may have as a joke.). <S> The other thing I would focus on would be what job do you want. <S> If you want to be a programmer, then say you were the programmer. <S> Some companies like people who have a specific skill set and others will like the fact that you're willing to do what is needed. <S> You don't need to itemize everything you did. <S> Eliminate things you were not that good at and don't want to do. <S> You don't want to be hired for the wrong reasons or get stuck doing things you don't like. <S> You can vary easily get tracked into a particular path in many companies with no way to get out. <A> I agree with akton's answer , but I would like to add that job titles aren't universal. <S> I mean, they do not directly correlate to what you are actually doing and what you think a job title means at company A <S> may not be the same as what the role does at company B <S> and you don't want to hinder your job prospects by boxing yourself into a role that may not mean the same thing everywhere. <S> This is especially true of knowledge workers (not so much so of strict management, where titles are long established and quite formal - sometimes, even controlled by a regulator). <S> Thus, I would not concentrate too much on the job title itself; concentrate rather on your experience and as others have mentioned - you need to tailor your resume to the job you are trying to apply for (there is no one universal resume). <S> I have also seen resume's where someone with experience like yourself has given their title as "Employee Number 2" or similar (highlighting that they have been there from the start and have worn many hats). <S> Above all else, avoid the temptation of coming up with a job title for yourself - this might end up firing back at you due to the negative connotations attached to such "self serving" job titles. <S> I'm talking about things like "Code Ninja", "Growth Hacker", and my personal favorite - "Social Media Enabler". <S> Here are some other tips on titles to avoid. <S> In the end, concentrate on your experience.
| I found the key is to pick a title that emphasizes the experience the hiring manager is looking for .
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How do I deal with a co-worker who is constantly late, leaving early, or taking long lunches, forcing myself and my colleagues to cover for her? I work in a preschool, and I have one co-worker who is consistently late coming in to work, leaving early, calling in "sick," or taking lunches that run long - to give you an idea, she is classified as a full-time employee but has not worked a 40 hour week in 4 or 5 weeks and 3 out of 5 her lunches last week were more than an hour long. The problem with this is we have a very specific teacher:student ratio that we have to uphold for safety and childcare licensing reasons, meaning that my colleagues and I are consistently having to find ways to cover for this co-worker when she is not in her classroom. I have tried talking to her about this to explain that we're having a hard time finding coverage for her when she's out and it is really stressing all of us out. However, she ended up rolling her eyes at me and walking away, refusing to have a conversation with me about it. Do I go to my supervisor about it or do I approach her about it again? Do I get a group of my colleagues together to all have a conversation with her about it? I don't want to seem like a whiny co-worker and I certainly don't want to throw her under the bus with the supervisor (I don't want to make a bad situation worse), but it puts us all in a stressful position, and in this industry, puts children at risk by causing us to be understaffed when she is out. How can I handle this situation? <Q> You go to the supervisor. <S> That's their job. <S> You tell them specifically, "We are not able to take our legally-protected breaks because of this employee's attendance. <S> This is creating a safety issue for our children. <S> This needs immediate attention. <S> " <S> Edit - As @nhgrif said, if there aren't time cards being (accurately) kept, you and your colleagues may need to document the absenteeism, noting exact arrival and departure times over the course of several days. <S> Then, let your supervisor deal with it. <A> You did the right thing by approaching her and attempting to understand her reasons and inform her of the additional stress her behavior is causing you and others. <S> It's unfortunate that she has a don't-care attitude. <S> However, there may be a reason for her to be so callous about this situation (political connection, <S> unfair link with someone higher up etc), or she may be thinking that you will likely just keep doing what you're doing. <S> In any case, you should bring this up to your supervisor, but before you do so, you should inform the coworker in question that you are unhappy with her behavior and if she does not fix things herself, you will notify the supervisor and escalate the issue. <S> Preferably do this in an email <S> so you have a written record of your action. <S> Give her a chance to explain herself or change her ways. <S> If she still doesn't, then you should escalate this. <S> You would have done all the right things, been fair, and followed the protocol for escalating, thus solidifying your position and ensuring that your supervisor has to take action. <S> Because if he/she (supervisor) doesn't, then you have grounds to further escalate the issue to higher ups. <A> Do not do it yourself again. <S> IMO, you should have not done this yourself in the first place. <S> If only you tell her and then escalate to the boss because she is still not cooperating, then you will be the "bad guy", even when the whole team has a problem with her. <S> Given your current situation, you and the rest of your team could request your boss to speak to the erring coworker on their behalf. <S> Your boss needs to make it clear that everyone is suffering and not just you, but being very gentle in the process. <S> Maybe she has a genuine problem and is afraid to share it. <S> Your boss could say it like I have said below. <S> You can say these words to your boss so that she/he gets an idea of what to say, without insulting your boss's intelligence. <S> Tell the boss that you spoke to her already. <S> She is important for us and we need her help <S> (--to make her feel important and hopefully receptive to your concerns). <S> I see that she is not present for the time we need her. <S> As her co-workers, we would like to help her as much as possible. <S> We can help for some time, but not for too long. <S> Could you please share the team's concerns with her? <S> BEWARE - There is one danger though. <S> Some employees just shirk responsibility and are lazy. <S> They have no genuine problems. <S> These people can wrongly sue your organization/boss for discrimination on the basis of religion, gender, color, sexual orientation etc. <S> when you fire them or reduce their hours. <S> If you don't mind, can you please give us a rough idea of what you told her? <A> Also, you can ask your supervisor to implement an ActivityTracker system , in which all employee have to update the activities which they did on a particular day. <S> including lunch,breaks,.. <S> etc.(Assuming total recommended working hours perday has to be >=9 hours including lunch,breaks). <S> You can either make use of a SOFTWARE which is available in market or follow old school(note <S> book Records) Coming to your scenario <S> ,this activity tracker will make your problem easliy to go away, as you will record you activity that you have covered the other person's job and the required person to do the job cannot put an entry like that as she was missing during that time. <S> Even though she lies in entry, she will be caught red handed, There will be no hard feeling's between any of your collegue's too, if you implement ActivityTracker system, no one can be blamed, they can blame the system, but the ActivityTracker System is not a human to have feelings. <S> We have to supress/ignore our feelings if we need to survive <S> but, If you are not implementing Activity tracker system then, this can happen, like lets say "omg, you framed me to my supervisor"(though <S> what she did is wrong and illegal, but it will not pop in their mind, <S> only thing that will pop is that you are a judas,) <S> else this cant be the case. <S> She can be reasonable/understanding too. <S> we cant confirm any thing on humans.
| I now agree that its best to deal with the erring employee along with the entire team and not just yourself, before escalating it to the boss. If you can get several of you to go as a group, it lends a lot more weight to your cause, as it's no longer a "You vs. her" discussion, it's now a "The team has a problem" discussion. If she has any problems or concerns, then she could let us know.
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How does one deal with an unresonable change in resignation policy? When I came on board at my current employer some years ago the resignation policy was very fair. It was detailed in the employee handbook as well as at orientation. Simply you should stay for two weeks or for the amount of vacation time you have left whichever is greater. I thought this was a fair policy and considering everything else was OK you would leave under good terms and would be considered a rehire. Though about one and a half years ago there was an undocumented HR policy change that is always spoken about when somebody resigns. It's always spoken about by management and people always so follow the new guidelines even if the meet the specifications above. The new undocumented policy is You must give 30 days notice. Failure to give 30 days notice willresult HR flagging you as a non rehire no matter the standing ofemployee. The company also has a strict policy that all reference forpast employees cannot be given by management but must be given by HR. Given that previous employers can only legally say whether they would or would not rehire the employee makes for quite the conundrum. Employees are now essentially forced to give 30 days notice if they want to use this company as a reference and may lose potential future opportunities (some companies may not want to wait 30 days) all because of an undocumented policy. How does one deal with this? <Q> How does one deal with this? <S> While changing the rules like this is really bad form, employers are not required to give references at all. <S> Thus, it appears that you need to decide how much you value this reference, and if you trust this employer to stand by their (newly revised) promise. <S> Most will wait that long for a good employee. <S> Or you can choose to give a lesser notice, and either not depend on this reference, or get this reference some other way. <S> In general, if you are in good standing with someone within the organization, you can often give a specific individual as a reference, without regard to the corporate "undocumented policy". <S> Many folks <S> I know will gladly give a good reference for a friend, without worrying about corporate policy. <S> Your mileage may vary. <A> It suggests that the company is getting desperate - leave now before the rush. <S> My partner worked for a european company that was taken over by a large US competitor, the resulting drop in working conditions resulted in such a rush for the door that they introduced a new contract. <S> 1, 3 month notice period for all staff <S> however junior. <S> 2, No days off allowed during the notice period (so you can't attend interviews) <S> 3, Staff were told that new agreement was confidential and couldn't be shown to union or legal advisers. <S> There was a happy ending. <S> Lots of babies were born as staff combined their maternity leave with their notice period. <S> The company closed within a year. <A> Please note that I am not a lawyer. <S> It may be worth consulting with a legal professional knowledgeable in your local state and country employment legislation. <S> It would be interesting to ask why the change in resignation policy was made. <S> It sounds like the company got burnt. <S> For example, key staff member left without sufficient hand over time or the a company manager gave a reference that turned out to be so woefully inaccurate that the company was threatened with legal action. <S> How does one deal with this? <S> If no one is resigning, you need not do anything. <S> Sometimes it may be best to let sleeping dogs lie. <S> If you or someone you know is resigning, there are two issues here. <S> First is the notice period. <S> While 30 days may seem high, many countries require 4 weeks or so notice (e.g. Australia, some countries in Europe). <S> They key is to work with your management and your management to work with you to ensure there is sufficient hand over time. <S> Assuming no country or state laws apply, your employment contract trumps any company policy changes <S> so, if your employment contract states two weeks notice, then there is nothing legally the company can do to force longer notice. <S> If you must leave without the 30 days notice and get blacklisted (assuming the company actually carries this out), is the company a place you would consider going back to? <S> It sounds like there are other issues there. <S> The second issue about only HR giving references is, unfortunately, increasingly common in larger companies. <S> Afraid of getting sued for giving favorable references, companies now give out a statement of employment, merely listing your employment start and end dates along with your final title. <S> If you are afraid of getting a reference that states "will not hire again", ask for a statement of employment instead. <S> However, if you build a good relationship with your manager, chances are he or she may be an informal referee (someone that can provide a verbal rather than written assessment).
| You can choose to give a 30-day notice (or whatever happens to be "required" at that point in time), and let your next employer know. However, unless this stops you from moving to a new position, I would just give the longer notice, work through the period then happily leave.
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How can I post controversial material without hurting my professional reputation? My problem is, that I am a pick-up artist but also a teacher. However, I'd like to share my knowledge on how to meet women via e.g. YouTube. I do not want to teach how to manipulate women into bed, but how to improve oneself to be less anxious to meet women. How to approach, behave during dates, how to text them. What mistakes one should avoid, etc. I fear that it would negatively impact my reputation as a school teacher. How can I share some of my passions in my personal life in a way which does not negatively impact my professional reputation? <Q> I believe being a teacher is being one of the visible figure of the society. <S> As much as being a mayor, priest, celebrity, etc. <S> As a visible figure of the society, EVERYTHING public will be connected to your job. <S> I would suggest therefore to think in term of public relation for anything you would do in public (and in a certain extend in private). <S> To answer your question, with your particular case, I think it's a no go. <A> There are a lot of people with an axe to grind against PUA, as you can probably just by looking at some of the other answers. <S> I'm not saying there is anything wrong with PUA <S> , it can be seen as manipulation, but then so can taking a woman on a date and buying her dinner. <S> Personally I don't see one as being worse than the other. <S> Unfortunately reason and fairness do not play a part in this. <S> Mob justice is what will cost you your reputation and probably job <S> and you can't reason with a mob <S> , just don't make yourself a target to begin with. <A> You could try concealing your identity, but wearing a mask and using a voice changer would probably degrade anything you tried to creepy. <S> If you only used a pseudonym parents/students/peers would be readily able to recognize you; with likely disastrous affects to your career.
| I wouldn't advise posting the videos, it probably will harm your career.
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Can I decline an offer after signing the contract, when the company hasn't signed it? I've signed a contract with a company, but said company has not signed the contract themselves to confirm that I'll be hired (I'm going through background checks at the moment). I have been asked to interview with another company, B. Am I acting in an unprofessional way if I accept B's offer? I've looked at this , and it's similar but not the same. <Q> From a legal point of view: In a contract between two businesses, if only one side signs, parts of it may still be enforceable: http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-a-contract-valid-if-only-one-of-the-two-parties-423043.html <S> However if you are being hired to be an employee, then in fact most of the power rests with you, not the employer. <S> Employment law usually dramatically favours the employee not the employer. <S> So there's really no legal problem with declining the job. <S> From a professionalism point of view: Since company A has not yet said that they'll hire you, then you don't have a contract yet. <S> You have offered to work for them, but they have not yet accepted. <S> Offer typically have a time limit expressly or implied. <A> Because you don't have a signed offer back from Company A, you should continue to apply for other positions, and even go on interviews. <S> Until Company A accepts your offer, you still don't have a job. <S> Applying for a position, and even going on interviews is not a commitment to a company. <S> You are hedging your bets in case the expected position with company A falls apart in the next few days. <S> Imagine if you turned down scheduling an interview, and withdrew all outstanding applications; only to get word from company A that they will not be able to start you for 90 more days because a customer has delayed the contract. <S> You would have to re-start your job search from scratch. <A> Another way to look at it is to see what would happen if the contract was valid. <S> If they hire you and you simply don't show up, normally they won't be able to claim damages, but they will fire you pretty quickly. <S> Depending on the country you're in and the excuses you come up with, they might still have to pay you up to a month's salary for not showing up. <S> This is the worst case scenario for the company. <S> Because of this worst case scenario, a company will not enforce a contract unless the contract you signed includes no show penalties - but I can't think of any such example, except for contractors. <S> Normally if you tell a company you want to annul an employment contract before it started, even if both parties already signed it, it's in the company's own best interest to let you go. <S> On the topic of professionalism: Looking out for your career is professional, although it's not always nice, and not always ethical. <S> The people who wanted to hire you might be disappointed with your actions, and file you under "don't ever make an offer to this guy again". <S> Anyone else won't hear about the story, and even if they do they most likely won't care.
| If you want to display exemplary professionalism then tell Company A that they have a certain amount of time to make up their mind otherwise you are withdrawing your offer to work for them.
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Should I stay or should I go? Problems caused by coworker with anger management issues I hope that this is the right place to ask this question. I've only used SO for programming questions so far. Update : As per the feedback comment, to clarify, I am not asking a general "What should I do?" question. Given the situation outlined below, where I am explaining the difficulties I have with a coworker's anger management issues making my work unduly difficult, I would like to know whether these difficulties are so severe that I should leave and seek a new job, despite my reasons stated for wanting to stick around. So literally "Should I stay or should I go?" That is, are these difficulties insurmountable, or am I overreacting, meaning I should accept this as a challenge and just do my best despite the difficulties? I can not see any solution to the problems by my sticking around, other than simply doing my best. But maybe others will see a solution where I fail to. I am a senior c# developer working in a very small company. (Only two developers.) I have been here about 9 months, while the other, whom I shall henceforth refer to as my colleague, has been here for about three years. He is my immediate and only senior (apart from the company director who isn't a developer) - every line of code I write is reviewed by him. He also reviews every decision I make, and he sits right next to me. Henceforth I'll also refer to the company director (and owner) as "the boss". My colleague has OCD, is a workaholic, and tends to lose his temper every day. When others we have worked with externally don't meet his stringent and often unrealistic expectations, he takes it personally. He takes a slow response as a personal attack, even when it obviously isn't so. He sends totally unprofessional, angry and sarcastic emails, sometimes resorting to personal attacks on individuals while copying several others, and often alienates them, risking destroying the business relationship completely. The latest angry mail nearly destroyed our relationship with the electronic banking head of a major bank in this country. To save the relationship, I have been tasked by our boss with handling all correspondence with them from now on. We (myself and the boss) also had a conference call regarding outstanding issues with that bank, which was difficult as I am not familiar with all the systems and services relevant to my colleague's questions (going back a year). Earlier on today, I tried to approach my colleague after the call, to ask him some questions. He mumbled something unintelligible. I have a meeting at the bank in two days, to find the answers regarding issues we have with their account CDV algorithm. When I asked him about this a few minutes ago, his response was "Shhh". It's OK, I can read his code, but dealing with the man is becoming increasingly difficult, and I have to deal with him every day. In addition to the extra responsibilities, I still have my development tasks and deadlines. My deadlines don't move. It seems no use speaking to our boss, who is hardly ever here, and very close to my colleague. (They studied together and go back many years.) The bottom line is that he will lose money if my colleague messes up business relationships, so he's content to push the problems onto me. He tells me that I must see this as a challenge and step up. However, I am becoming extremely uncomfortable working with these people. Today I dare not even ask him to review some code so that I can commit it to source control, for fear of a violent retaliation. If I believed in karma, which I do not as an atheist and skeptic, I'd say I was getting my just deserts. For 7 years I was a methamphetamine addict. I burned a lot of bridges in my active addiction, and left too many jobs too soon. This means my resume looks bad - "job hopping" as they call it. I really need to stay in one job for a long time, but being in this position, caused by the instability and substantial anger management issues of my colleague, is making me so uncomfortable, it is effecting my sleep and my family life. I have enough problems to deal with in my personal life, and another one caused by a coworker is quite unnecessary. I like my colleague as a person, and I can often see the source of his anger; but his responses to certain situations seem many times exaggerated. So I empathize with him, but that doesn't make his behaviour acceptable, especially when it affects everybody around him. Back in the day, I was considerably less aggressive and temperamental even when I was high on meth and awake for several consecutive days. For years I was always notoriously bad at communication so I find it extremely ironic that I have to communicate with 3rd parties rather than him. What should I do? They pay me well but this isn't about money. Should I take my boss's advice and see this as a "challenge", or get the hell out of here? Another issue - since the company is so small (5 employees), I won't be able to seek alternate employment without being noticed. (I found out after I started that the boss has fired the last 3 developers before me.) <Q> Whether you ultimately or not is your own decision. <S> I think it depends on how long you can stay in this toxic environment. <S> Does the company have a handbook of rules and procedures? <S> If so, is an unsafe workplace addressed? <S> If you attempt to stay, you are going to have to communicate with your problematic colleague directly. <S> It seems your boss is enabling him (permitting him) to vent to the rest of the employees. <S> Try to find out if the other developers were really fired or if they quit (or if they got themselves fired to get out of there). <S> Read up on communication techniques: <S> The Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense by Suzette Hayden-Elgin (and other books in that series <S> - she's written many over the years), is a handbook of "how to communicate with angry people" and could help you alter your working relationship with angry guy over time, or at least let you survive it. <S> Influencing with Integrity <S> (Laborde) is another really useful book - a crash course in NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) which will also help you deal with angry guy. <S> I also think that you should seriously think about moving on as soon as you can. <S> Work environments like this are not healthy, and you've already stressed your system with the drugs you were doing in the past. <A> I think you're undervaluing yourself in this situation. <S> The boss and your colleague go way-back to college friends and he still pulls him off of a deal and has you represent the company. <S> Obviously he values you in the face-to-face aspects of the business. <S> This is very important. <S> The boss isn't around, so you have no choice but to stand up to your colleague. <S> There is no law that says you have to sit there and listen to his little fits and tantrums. <S> Just get up and go take a break. <S> If you get an email with an insult, respond that you want a version with the insult removed. <S> Document everything. <S> I don't know where you're from, but in many places there are laws against this. <S> The boss is more aware of the situation than you may think. <S> He's trying to make the best out of a bad situation (your colleague has the technical skills but zero people skills) and you are part of the solution. <S> You're too valuable to think you need to leave when you are in good standing with the boss. <S> Your colleague may not like you standing up for yourself (most bullies don't) and could possibly go to the boss, but he's going to look pretty foolish. <S> With his bad reputation going around the industry as someone who doesn't get along with others and is extremely unprofessional, he'll struggle finding another job. <S> He's working for his friend for a reason <S> and I doubt it is because of the high wages. <A> Thanks for the great answers. <S> This is just an FYI to say what I am going to do... <S> Yesterday my colleague may have felt bad and hurt after being excluded from the conference call. <S> Maybe he thought he should be given a chance to make amends. <S> After all, it was the legacy of his work and his questions that were being discussed. <S> Of course this made him more angry, so in a way the director is enabling him to continue. <S> So this sorts out the issue of our business relationship with the bank, but the situation in the office is even worse. <S> With retrospect, I do not know why the other developers really left, but I do know that even the recruiter who got me this position refused to deal with him, because he is so difficult. <S> But I really do need to stay in one position for a while. <S> I've been through a lot of difficulties in my life, and I'm not going to admit defeat because of one person's destructive anger management issues. <S> I'll stick around and see how this goes. <S> I'll do what I need to do to understand his code and work with 3rd parties to improve the relationship that this company has with them. <S> I'm going to give it six months and then rethink my decision, but if the everyday working situation deteriorates, if it doesn't improve and working with the man <S> continues to be so stressful and difficult, then I will move on.
| Yes, this situation may be toxic, but after going home and thinking about it last night I have decided to stay for now, and see where this goes. If you feel threatened or actually are threatened, report that to the boss.
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Acceptance of job by email: to "dear" or not to "dear" I have received a formal job offer and have been emailed a pdf formal offer letter to sign and return. Everything's in order, the letter has been revised to reflect negotiated terms, and I'm prepared to accept. Every form I find for accepting says I should begin "Dear Mr/Ms _______" The job offer letter opens with "Dear [first name]" I'm thinking I should begin my reply with "Dear [first name]" as well, and keep it more formal, but a friend said that it would be better to say "Hi [first name]" as all previous emails (well, all 2 of them) to this person already began "Hi." The email in which this person attached the formal offer letter also began "Hi [first name]." I suppose this detail is not terribly important in the big picture, but I don't want to come off sounding either too casual or too stuffy. At the moment, I think "dear" is the safer way to go, but wanted to hear others' thoughts. I already checked out this related question: How do you send a job acceptance email? Thanks for your help! <Q> I think you're overthinking things. <S> They already know they want you, so anything from "Dear" to "Hello" to "Hi" is probably fine (though probably not "Hey" or "Yo wassup"). <S> When in doubt, I usually take the example of whomever emailed me. <S> So relax, and celebrate the fact that you have an offer! <A> I rarely use Dear in business correspondence. <S> I like to give a time-based salutation like "Good Morning X!" <S> or "Good Afternoon X!" <S> If I don't know which way to address the person I'm emailing, I will leave out the name and instead say only "Good Morning!" <A> Use whatever greeting is in the offer letter.
| If they opened with "Dear", then I would open with "Dear".
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Manager asks to spy on others, should I agree to help? One of my managers told me he had no time to actually keep an eye on what is going on in the team. He asked me to be his "eyes and ears". I think "snitches get stitches" and don't want to ruin my relationships with the colleagues.What should I do? <Q> Literally "spying" on your colleagues and running back to your boss with complaints and reports of misbehavior is sure to cause problems, much like you already suspect. <S> Instead, take it as an opportunity to be a leader. <S> When you see a colleague doing something that you know should be done differently, talk to him/her yourself, and try to fix the problem without involving your manager. <S> That is certainly in the spirit of your manager's instructions to you, because you're helping operations run smoothly. <S> At the same time, you won't be considered a "snitch" because you're handling problems at a lower level without involving the manager. <A> You'd be happy to accept his official promotion to Supervisor/Team Leader, of course! <S> Now, let's talk about the pay rise commensurate with this new position and attached responsibilities. <S> And of course, your official title which will be obvious to your colleagues, who will fully understand the role and avoid any implication of spying. <A> Use the opportunity to bring process and policy issues to his attention, and make a point to discuss areas where the team as a whole could use more support from X department. <S> Focus on areas for improvement, and give credit where it's due when the team or an individual does something worth recognition. <S> Avoid mentioning interdepartmental conflicts or going the gossip route. <S> Really though -- a manager who doesn't have time to follow what's going on within his team? <S> That's what managers are SUPPOSED to do. <S> That's the primary job duty of someone in that role. <S> If he's spread thin with meetings and other deliverables it's time to promote someone to a senior/supervisor role so that it's clear to the rest of the people on the team <S> there is someone "officially" in charge of handling day-to-day operations, who's a known throughput to the manager.
| Suggest that in addition to you bringing issues to his attention, a biweekly or monthly department meeting be scheduled so that other employees also have time to bring their concerns or suggestions to his attention with feedback from the entire group.
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Contacting Colleagues outside of work hours I would like to know what is the consensus regarding etiquette on contacting coworkers outside work hours, for example in the evening on a work night (Mon-Fri). If one is working collaboratively on a project and is communicating project related information, without which risks the project being completed late or diverted, how should an employee go about the contact? The team is small, with under 10 team members. No company policy explicitly addresses matters such as this. IM is frequently used among members at work. Several members have remote access to company intranet. Within the team, contact information is available to all with each persons company's email being used. A related question is here <Q> Unless something is burning or you have explicitly been informed that it's expected to be available outside of business hours don't contact your coworkers outside of business hours. <S> If you have concerns about the project being late, bring it up with management and actively try to identify solutions. <A> If one is working collaboratively on a project and is communicating project related information, without which risks the project being completed late or diverted, how should an employee go about the contact? <S> Context is key here. <S> Every company is different. <S> Every project is different. <S> This is something you should specifically address with the team (during an in-office meeting). <S> In some companies, the culture is such that after-hours communication about work happens frequently. <S> In several startups where I have worked, this was the case. <S> In many companies, critical projects occur once in a while. <S> The teams may decide that the project is so critical, that after-hours work is expected. <S> Such teams often establish a protocol (either formal or informal) for communicating among team members. <S> In my current company, after-hours discussions are not the norm. <S> Here, if there is a "production emergency" people are paged or called - but seldom otherwise. <S> If you bring up the subject ("Should people be calling each other after hours about Project X?") at work, you'll soon learn your company's expectations. <A> If it is an actual emergency: call, and compensate. <S> This should rarely occur If not: it seems like you already have communication channels for work questions (IM, email, and so on). <S> These are perfect for sending out a question which would require the recipient to make a conscious choice to be "at work", for example checking the email. <S> You've then left it up to them to decide
| In other companies, it would be very unusual (and perhaps considered odd), for work communications to occur after hours.
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Resigning while being trained as a replacement for someone who is resigning I work at a software company and I am about to resign from my job due to getting a better job offer. The only problem is I was informed today that another member of our team is leaving and he will start training me as his replacement. To make matters worse this member who is leaving has a very specialized, but very important, role which I am completely unfamiliar with. In reality I am not a good replacement, I am essentially "all they got". Our team originally had 6 people but two of our team's senior developers left earlier this month. After myself and the other team member leaves, there will only be two team members doing the work of 6. One of these remaining team members started 2 weeks ago and is fresh out of college. Believe it or not, management is actually not bad. All of us are not leaving due to work problems. The timing is mostly a matter of coincidence. How should I deal with my resignation? I generally like the company and I feel that being "professional" and simply giving a two weeks notice would be a huge kick in the nuts. Is there a more graceful way of resigning than a strictly business and formal approach? Also, should I even be concerned about this? Update: Well, I followed the advice given. I am sorry to say that my boss was visibly hurt when I gave him my resignation. He is a nice guy and I have always been a real team player (staying late to meet deadlines, volunteering to train others, being the informal team lead, etc.) So I think he was expecting me to ride this out. Anyway, me and my co-worker will be documenting everything we can about our jobs for two weeks. To end on a positive note, they will be interviewing new people next week. Hopefully it works out well. <Q> Kevin's answer will be good in most situations but provided you already have the signed contract from the new company and could afford to go without the money from your old company if push came to shove <S> and you think your boss would value your help in transitioning and the company doesn't usually walk people of the premise the moment they resign <S> then you can take a different approach. <S> Tell your boss in an informal 1 on 1 that you're planning to resign but would like to wait with your notice till "date <S> x" so you can finish project y and help colleague z to get up to speed on topic w. <S> I did this and my boss appreciated the heads up. <S> He did tell his boss in the same informal manner <S> and I stayed at my old job and finished my projects and helped with the transition until the day before starting my new job. <S> I got a great reference out of it, too. <A> No, you should not be concerned. <S> You are resigning because you got a better job . <S> You write that "management is not that bad" but they have a staffing problem. <S> You don't have a problem. <S> Just do the usual. <S> Turn in your resignation and let them figure it out. <A> Informing them early is the first help you could do for them. <S> You mentioned that you feel you are not the best replacement. <S> So they could replace you with the fresher and start their training at the earliest. <A> Proceed as usual. <S> Giving early notice is a bad idea for a host of reasons already covered on this site. <S> In your particular case: it's unclear whether your offer is solid offer yet. <S> What would do if it fell through <S> and you had to remain at the place you've essentially already resigned from? <S> No. <S> Terrible idea. <S> Your notice should be enough to handle any subsequent handover, that's what it's for. <S> Perhaps you could encourage your colleague to document things (or document things yourself) rather than just teach you, to make it easier for the next guy to pick up.
| Lay down your cards : Tell your manager about your new offer. During your time at the current company offer help and train the replacement to the best of your knowledge.
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Should letter of resignation be honest or formal? Should I be honest and write about why I know it is time to part ways in the resignation letter. If I do that, how long should the resignation letter be, for it not to be too long? Should I write about things I dislike in the company culture? Or should I just be formal, clear and polite: Taken from another question on WP.SE : I regret to inform you that I will be resigning my position with [company], effective on [date]. Please consider this note my official [number] weeks' advance notice. Let me know if there are special duties, such as helping to train my replacement, that you want me to spend the remaining time on. Adding the next bit could make it more personal: I have family issues that take time/I want to focus on my thesis/health issues and I can't work at full efficiency anymore. I am thankful for the time I worked at company X... I wish you all the best Mentioning what I dislike about the company doesn't feel like a good idea, intuitively. I am inclined towards a formal resignation letter with no reasons mentioned at all. I found a resignation template on intranet site, it is close to the first fragment I posted. <Q> Stick to your initial suggestion. <S> You should be having the discussion with your manager when you actually resign , <S> the letter is just to document what you are doing (in some locales it isn't required), you don't need to go into details. <S> By all means discuss the reasons with your manager if you feel it is appropriate. <A> Mentioning what I dislike about the company doesn't feel like a good idea, intuitively. <S> I am inclined towards a formal resignation letter with no reasons mentioned at all. <S> Your intuition is correct. <S> Stick with the "form letter" approach. <S> Letters of resignation are just a formality, and not even required in many companies (in my part of the world at least). <S> The intent of such a letter is simply to start the ball rolling on closing out your current job, with your boss, with HR, etc. <S> Keep it short, quick, and to the point. <S> Leave out personal issues and feelings. <S> Perhaps even wait until your exit interview. <S> (You should probably search through the Workplace and look for questions/answers concerning whether or not you should talk about your dislikes at all, before you decide to broach that subject. <S> That question comes up occasionally here. <S> I've pretty much consistently recommended keeping those feelings to yourself in the past.) <A> The purpose of the resignation is to start the process of separating from the company. <S> In some companies the letter is used by a manger to contact HR to make sure that all the steps that the company requires are started and completed on time. <S> Depending on the company this goes way beyond the needs of your direct supervisor. <S> If there will be an exit interview, and the format of that interview will depend on the company. <S> How you tell your coworkers is not a part of the resignation letter. <S> Your offer to help train a replacement, or to help finish a task is not a part of the letter. <S> Negotiating s set of tasks to complete before leaving can be handled in other communication with your manager. <A> One thing that nobody here appears to have mentioned so far..... <S> Don't go burning your bridges and telling your soon <S> -to-be-ex-employer how much they stink if there's going to be the slightest chance that your future employer(s) or other people with a need to investigate your past might approach them for a reference. <S> Tell your employer how much they stink, and you might find they either refuse to give a reference when asked, or otherwise they might just write a nondescript one phrase boilerplate that just says "we can confirm X was employed by us between dates X and Y". <S> Believe me <S> , I've been there, in the employer's seat... <S> those employees who left on bad terms were always the ones I just happened to be "too busy" or "unavailable" to provide references for !
| Also listing what you dislike is completely inappropriate, so keep it out. The letter should be short, and tell them only what they need to know: you are resigning, and here is your last day. If you really want to convey your personal reasons for leaving, have a private conversation with your manager, and potentially with your HR rep.
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How to find the motivation to continue working when you already know you're leaving in 5 months? I'm currently working for a small software development company. I don't love it, but I don't hate it either, and up until this point I've gotten far in the company by working very hard. I've recently been accepted into a couple PhD programs, and depending on which one I go to I'll either be leaving my job in 3 months or 5. The rest of my career will be in academia or research - this job was and continues to be little more than a way to pay my bills and put away money for when I go back to school. The problem is, I've hit a brick wall. Since I got my first acceptance letter, all motivation has been sucked out of me and I haven't been able to focus or care since. I won't be telling my boss that I'm leaving until I give 2 weeks notice. I know the situation at my work well enough to know that would be a big mistake. I realize that there may be no answer and this may be off topic, but I don't suppose it can hurt to ask. What do I do in this situation? Is there any good way to motivate myself to perform better? Is there anything worth doing in a 5-month lame duck period? I'm not worried about losing my job, but I feel bad because when I sit at my desk for 8 hours doing 3 hours of actual work, I'm wasting client and company money. <Q> That's what is called being a professional . <S> It doesn't matter if you know you have a winning lottery ticket, if you are going to continue getting paychecks for your work, you must continue to give them what is expected. <S> Either you do what needs to be done or you are honest and quit right now. <S> But until then, you have the moral and professional obligation to continue providing them the agreed results. <A> Part of being a professional (and a decent employee) is earning your paycheck. <S> If I'm to pay you 100$ <S> I expect to get 100 <S> $ (or more) <S> worth out of you. <S> Unprofessional behavior means no job <S> Since job retention isn't a major motivator let's take a different angle. <S> I also worked in education for a good 6 years or so. <S> Started in IT, started teaching classes, etc. <S> I will say from being the "fly on the wall" schools take your past and present professionalism VERY seriously, in addition to this they also are very well connected and they always tend to "know a guy, who knows a guy, who knows you" <S> That said if you flake on your current job and just waste money and time it'll probably find it's way into the hands of whomever is ultimately going to hire you. <S> (which means you probably wouldn't get hired) <S> You're not hired til your hired <S> Okay, so you're leaving this job to further your education. <S> No problem! <S> you can leave this job on excellent terms, be the professional, and probably count on a good reference from your peers. <S> That said you have a plan, get the PHD and work the world of education. <S> (It's a VERY fulfilling career path, one I miss at times) <S> Problem... you don't have a job until you have a solid offer, and between now and completion of your PHD ALOT can happen <S> grants can be pulled, plans can change, and you could be left with no job. <S> By not burning that bridge you might be able to have a "plan b" just in case. <S> I personally try to always have a plan B and while I pursue plan <S> A <S> I more or less assume it's a 50/50 plan <S> A won't pan out. <S> That said you should assume the same, if you don't shape up now you might not have a plan a or plan b when it's all said and done. <S> (so retaining this job now isn't the only issue, it could also make or break your job in the future) <A> It should be easier as no matter what happens <S> you know you'll be leaving so it doesn't matter. <S> Use the time to finish off what you're doing and leave it in a good state to hand over, and, as it doesn't sound like you're busy, find something else to do that benefits your soon to be ex-employer. <S> Build some stuff to automate some of the boring tasks you need to do/paperwork you need to collect etc. <S> It'll fill the time, you'll feel better and the employer will miss you when you go (you never know when you'll need a reference). <S> Take the high road, and you'll feel better.
| If you slack off or in any way reduce the quantity or quality of your work, that may come back to haunt you in the future.
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Whens should we respond to recruiter messages on LinkedIn? Is it rude to not reply recruiter messages right away on LinkedIn when you are not actively looking for a job but might start looking in 4-6 months? <Q> It is just about as rude as not responding to senders of spam that arrive in your email daily. <S> They have a list of hits from the linkedin database and spam the same email to all of them. <S> In short, no it isn't rude to not respond if you are not interested. <A> It's up to you <S> and I agree with Raze that they are probably expecting a fair amount of non-responses. <S> What I do is provide a response that is commensurate with the level of professionalism I receive. <S> If there is a request to connect from a total stranger that has only the generic LinkedIn message, I assume it's one of the following: <S> A recruiter that's not very serious and is just looking to mine my contact list based on hot job skill matches A recruiter that might or might not have something but didn't want to tell me anything or couldn't take the time to explain why he/she wanted to connect Someone that is contacting me in error <S> In those cases I would ignore the request. <S> But if someone trying to contact me has made an earnest effort to introduce themselves in a professional manner and put some information in, then I would be more amenable to responding. <S> If you're worried about losing a professional contact, don't be. <S> LinkedIn will keep the invites in your inbox and if you ever need to contact them again you can, assuming they are still recruiting (recruiters in my experience are fairly transient; I've worked with very few that more than two years later were still recruiting). <S> And if you should want to contact them later, and they have something you're a match for, they'll happily work with you because at that point you're not a human anymore, you're a chunk of bloody meat in the water. <A> You should always respond, even if only to say you aren't looking at this time. <S> Only takes you a few seconds, and could result in future contact that may interest you. <S> Why not take the opportunity to set yourself apart? <S> It's easy enough to cut/paste a nice courteous response, right?
| Most recruiters that are "cold calling" people on linked in expect a lot of non-responses.
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How should I handle colleagues with very different work ethic? I prefer to work intensively for eight hours with complete focus, then leave relax in the evenings - work hard, play hard. My colleagues on the other hand, prefer to be in the office for 10-12 hours of the day, but spend a lot of their time goofing off - trading funny pictures via chat, telling jokes, etc. We get the same amount of work done, but have very different attitudes towards it, neither of which are better or worse. But, it does make me feel very uncomfortable sometimes, when I am intensively focussed on something, and the rest of the office is lounging around chatting. If I try and change my attitude to fit in with everyone else, then I would either have to work longer hours, or get less work done. I'm not going to work longer hours, because I really value my time outside the office, but doing less work grates against my sense of professionalism. So I can either keep working intensively, and continue feeling like an outsider because I am excluding myself from the social activites of the rest of the office. Or I can relax, fit in with the rest of them, and instead sacrifice my professional integrity by doing less work than they are paying me for. It all feels very awkward, and I really have no idea what to do. I wonder if there's a third option I missed? <Q> Do you have lunch? <S> I'm also one of those people who likes to focus on work when it's time to work. <S> But hopefully you're not so heads down that you skip lunch. <S> That time is a great time to socialize with coworkers and help combat the possible perception of you as an asocial buzzkill. <S> For the rest of my time at work, I focus on work (and random internet things...). <A> You would fit right in... <S> Germany :) <S> I can relate to what you are saying as I am basically doing the same thing: <S> focus on work when working, once I leave work I am using the time for myself. <S> There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. <S> That being said, the way each individual works is unique. <S> At the end of the day, what matters: you deliver results <S> you are able to communicate with your colleagues on work related stuff <S> A thing you can do, not to appear "weird" is to occasionally goof off. <S> That would allow you to better fit in, without major impact to the amount of work you can get done. <S> The key word here is occasionally. <A> I have experienced this at my workplace. <S> When I started working as a junior programmer, my work ethics were excellent (have worsened slightly over time ). <S> For the first year, I did not check Facebook, news sites or other non-work related websites. <S> I did not go to the kitchen to chat with my colleagues without a valid reason. <S> I was the youngest one and the only employee to do this. <S> Everyone else was openly checking Facebook, messaging or having phone calls, having small chit-chats in kitchen etc. <S> The difference was showing in productivity. <S> I was performing really well right from the start, chewing through bug tickets. <S> I realized I am left out from the "goofing off" though. <S> So I made a habit of talking about work and completely unrelated subjects as well, such as, fitness, repairs of my flat, my studies in University etc. <S> I do it once a day max, during lunch time or close to that, for ~10-15 minutes. <S> I believe that distractions remove my focus, and I need 20-30 minutes to get back to working at full speed. <S> For a few months I was just sitting at my table and working, with no "goofing off" at all <S> and I felt left out. <S> It is great if "goofing" off is sometimes initiated by manager, so employees can go to a game room and duke it out in table football, table tennis, pool etc. <S> Then it is not "goofing", more like team-building. <A> Firstly I would ask myself: "why does it make you feel very uncomfortable?". <S> Because there is nothing wrong with people working differently. <S> Secondly, it's not all black and white. <S> If you want to fit in more, try to compromise. <S> Give yourself very brief pauses to goof off with your work colleagues. <S> Then return to work. <S> Everyone will respect that. <S> It's good to be a bit social. <S> As well as getting things done. <S> This will show that you are flexible and can work and fit in in different environments as well as being self-motivated hard-working. <S> (And short breaks are actually good for you.)
| However, I believe "goofing" once in a while helps the team spirit and atmosphere. Just because something is working for you does not mean everyone can do it.
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How to remain focused and professional in the face of layoffs? My company recently announced they will be performing some layoffs over the next 12 weeks. My area of the company will be affected, so I have no choice but to assume I will be let go and am starting to look for a new job now. I've never been through this kind of thing before. Not once in my life have I been in the position of maybe not having a job tomorrow. So, needless to say, I am a bit unfocused right now. That's a problem for me, because I take my work very seriously and even though it is likely I will be let go, or find another job before I have a chance to find out, it is extremely important to me that I remain focused and professional while I'm at work. Does any one have any tips/advice for how to accomplish this in the face of such uncertainty? I read this Q & A , but all the answers all just said to start looking for work. I already know to do that. I need to know what I can do to help keep myself focused and my quality of work high. It's both a matter of self-preservation and my own morals and values for me to do so. I think people have mis-understood my question to some degree. I am not actually very concerned with "saving my skin" so to speak. What I am concerned with are techniques I can use to maintain a high level of focus and professionalism. It's a matter of principal, not saving my job. <Q> It is hard to be positive with your job on the line. <S> But it is important not to let yourself get down. <S> If you focus on what you can't control you will get depressed. <S> Despite your best efforts you may be laid off. <S> Don't worry about that. <S> There is nothing you can do. <S> You can focus on keeping your performance up, that's it. <S> Focus on what you can control: <S> Looking for new jobs, keeping your work at your current job up to snuff, being positive with/around your co-workers and bosses. <S> It takes true strength to be positive in times of trouble. <A> You need some sort of motivation to finish strong. <S> Here's one possibility that may or may not resonate with you. <S> Whenever you leave a company (voluntarily or no), you leave behind an impression on those with whom you worked. <S> People remember former coworkers who were good. <S> Working hard in the couple months preceding your termination allows you to leave on a good note. <S> If you work hard and are laid off, it may leave a good impression on people. <S> This will be helpful if you run into some of your former coworkers in future jobs/companies and when asking people for references. <S> So you may be able to motivate yourself by working for your reputation, and the effect it may have on future business opportunities. <S> Think of it as a long term investment. <A> Well, you're doing the right thing by starting to look for a new job. <S> Obviously, keeping this quiet will be important if you wish to keep your current job. <S> Fact is, you have one huge motivator for keeping busy with your job; your job depends on it. <S> If there are any responsibilities up for grabs, I suggest you grab them, or volunteer. <S> Usually, you can keep your job pretty certain by making yourself part of a low bus factor . <S> That is to say, gaining expertise and knowledge that very few people have. <S> It increases your value to the company, and letting you go would come at a higher price. <A> Far from being a definitive answer, but here's what's working for me so far. <S> 1. <S> Establish Cognitive Dissonance From "9 to 5 <S> " convince yourself that you are safe and will not be let go. <S> This allows you to focus on your work and get the job done. <S> After you punch out, convince yourself that you will be let go, and spend your time accordingly. <S> 2. <S> Talk About It but not with your co-workers. <S> Your co-workers are as frightened and uncertain about the future as you are. <S> DO NOT discuss this with them. <S> Negative energy builds in abundance this way. <S> No, you need to talk about this, but with someone who is minimally affected by the situation. <S> Obviously, discuss this with your significant other, but someone even more objective is preferred. <S> If you have a mentor, call them. <S> It's likely they've been through this before and have a few words of wisdom. <S> 3. <S> Stay Positive By any means necessary. <S> Get an extra workout in. <S> Go for a long walk in the woods. <S> Whatever you do for you, do it. <S> Now is the time to make a little extra time for you. <S> Remind yourself that this is not the end of the world. <S> Your not the first person to ever face a layoff and civilization is still here. <S> Yup. <S> I just checked. <S> The whole wide world is still outside my window. <S> 4. <S> Perhaps this is a good time to make a big bold career move. <S> You've nothing to lose, so there is no sense of potentially lost security holding you back. <S> Seize the opportunity to do something new or simply bigger than your current role. <A> Another motivator is being laid of today, doesn't mean no job tomorrow. <S> I don't know your company's situation other than if they are facing layoffs, it's probably bad. <S> But often bad it a temporary thing. <S> Case and point. <S> Our company had to lay off ALOT of people about two years ago because a company we were working with / competing with managed to trap our money in escrow. <S> (AKA we earned the money, they just kept it from getting to us) when we finally got through that we hired most of the people we laid off back. <S> So even if you are laid off, that doesn't mean they won't hire you back later. <S> Keep up the good work and if things don't pan out else where you might be able to come back when things stabilize. <S> (Also you want to have a good rep as a professional when layoffs happen. <S> Often another company will try to hire up a chunk of people who get laid off. <S> Such as if I'm looking to spin up a new team for a new project at my company, and the decent office next door is letting 8 developers go <S> I'm going to hire the whole lot as they already know how to work together.) <A> If your priority is to stay professional and focused, you need to balance your effort between your immediate duties versus looking for new work. <S> There is no "prize" for being laid off after working extra hard. <S> The reputation you built as a diligent worker isn't going to evaporate in a few short weeks. <S> To make it even worse, being laid off will be a strike against you when looking for new work. <S> If at all possible you're better off landing the new job before the ax comes. <S> The best thing you can do is to put a modest amount of effort into your current work while conducting a job search with some intensity.
| Being positive and confident may be the difference you need(in your current job or the one your are looking for). If you know you're going to be cut, there is no point in going above and beyond. Focus on what you can control and worry about that View the Situation as an Opportunity
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Are candles appropriate at work? I've recently gotten back into drinking tea, and have increased my volume of consumption significantly. I sometimes make tea 3-4 times a day. It is getting tedious to make it seperately each time, so I was considering getting a teapot for my desk. However the teapot would quickly get cold, unless I also bring one of those small stands that use tea candles to keep your teapot warm. However this introduces the need for candles. Would this be considered appropriate at your office? The candles would be unscented of course. The only objection that I can think of is that it may be a fire hazard. <Q> There are other ways to keep a container of liquid hot. <S> There are USB mug heaters that draw power from your computer, there are electric hot plates, and if your office has a microwave, you can reheat a cool tea in that. <A> Fire hazard indeed. <S> I would be shocked if you employer's safety office -- or insurer -- approved this. <S> It's hard enough getting permission for an electric heater; most companies will insist that it be a pre-approved model (if any have been approved) . <S> I recommend (a) asking your own employer, and <S> (b) seriously considering a vacuum-insulated container to keep things warm, rather than a heat source at the desk. <S> It's not peffect <S> but it's good enough to reduce trips for refills. <S> Or think of the trip to get another cuupa as a chance for a break and a stretch, rather than an inconvenience. <A> Would this be considered appropriate at your office? <S> No, it wouldn't. <S> And I've never worked in an office where open flames would be permitted. <S> In my office, we have an instant hot water system, and the tea-drinkers rely on that. <S> Check with your office manager (or someone else in charge at your site), for specifics for your office. <S> Have you considered an electrical equivalent, so that you don't need a flame? <A> People come and make a cup of tea at a time and refill it as needed. <S> Perhaps you can get something like that for your office.
| In our office, we have a water boiler that can keep water hot enough to make tea all day. I think open flames in an office would be discouraged.
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Tips on getting people not to talk about work during work lunches or gatherings It is interesting to find that many social events that are organized by managers or teams for the purpose of getting employees to socialize outside of work hours (e.g. lunchtime or after work events) end up being seen as another opportunity for people to complain/discuss/gossip about work related topics. I think constructive discussions about work outside of the work environment over a meal or an activity can help generate new ideas. However, the type of complaint or gossipy type of conversation usually seems to contribute to the build-up of frustration may not be particularly productive. For example, if there is a farewell lunch organised for someone leaving, having that person talk negatively about their experiences at work, or even positive things at work (if people know it hasn't been as pleasant as is being politely described) can be awkward. Instead it is much better to direct the focus away from work-related topics altogether. In jobs where there are particular political or organisational issues there is a tendency for people to become a little bit too focused on talking about these topics, and it doesn't serve the purpose of getting people out of that head space so they can actually relax and try to get to know people better. Are there strategies that have been successfully employed to help people focus on topics other than work related matters at these events? Or is it just difficult to do this since it is still a work related event? <Q> Forget it. <S> Folks who are enthusiastic about what they're doing like to talk about it, and that's OK. <S> The evening hike group sorted itself out happily into subsets: the serious hikers up front, who don't want to talk; the middle group who wanted to talk about work or related topics, and the folks at the back who wanted to talk about anything but work...and everyone was happy and could pick who they wanted to socialize with that day, or that minute. <S> Let folks work out a solution for themselves. <S> It may not be the one you're expecting, but it will work better for them than anything imposed would. <A> Are there strategies that have been successfully employed to help people focus on topics other than work related matters at these events? <S> Or is it just difficult to do this since it is still a work related event? <S> The challenges here are (1) people have usually come from work and so are thinking about work, (2) sometimes finding the right person to talk to is hard and having the person there is often too good an opportunity to pass up and (3) work is something everyone has in common. <S> To focus on things other than work, identify interests people have outside work. <S> Parents of similar aged children or those that watch or play the same sport are good places to start. <S> Do some research beforehand and either use people good at small talk to "break the ice". <S> If you want people to focus on an event other than work, consider some activity that most people can participate in, such a light physical activity like lawn bowls. <S> While spending sometime out of the office together can be helpful, it needs to be at a time and place that people want. <S> For example, doing late nigh events with a company full of parents of small children is asking for trouble. <S> Events at work are the easiest to attend but proximity encourages work conversations. <S> For example, I was part of a lunch time running club at a previous workplace and it was great to see things from a different point of view, both to solve issues and learn about new ones. <A> If I may be so bold, <S> you're asking the wrong question. <S> The question you should be asking is: Why do people feel they need to talk negatively about work? <S> If they don't do it at an organized event, they'll do it informally at work, over happy hour, or some other way in their off-time. <S> I have worked many places, some great and some not. <S> The culture of the team is shaped by the environment that the employees sense. <S> If there are issues that cause insecurity, fear, frustration, etc. <S> address the real issues . <S> Also, it is critical that management give employees a constructive outlet to voice their concerns . <S> Getting them to not talk about work at a work event is as pointless as trying to optimize workplace efficiency by having no bathrooms. <S> People will need to relieve the pressure somehow. <S> The best way I've found to do this is by having one-on-one meetings between employees and their supervisors where the employee is free to discuss anything they wish. <S> This will also give manager's insights into what the real issues are that need to be addressed. <S> If managers are new to one-on-one's, <S> the manager-tools podcast is a good resource for learning how.
| However, sometimes talking about work at these events is beneficial, particularly if you bring together groups that rarely talk. Also consider the timing and location of the event itself.
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What's typical dress code for an interview with a medium-sized tech company? I'll soon be attending an interview with a medium-sized tech company (in the hundreds of employees) in Australia that has its product based on Ruby on Rails. So a situation more casual than working at a global bank . What's the typical dress code for interviews with such companies? I'm happy to dress formally, but I don't want to dress too formally, and I'm wondering if not wearing a T-shirt from a Ruby conference will put me at a disadvantage. <Q> So if you would use a pair of jeans and a (t-)shirt to work, maybe go with your finest pair of jeans, a button-up shirt, and a nice sweater for the interview. <S> As far as the Ruby-conference t-shirt goes, your attendance at this get-together should be a point in your résumé anyway. <S> There's no need to showcase this by wearing apparel from the event. <S> Now, for my subjective opinion on the t-shirt, I would likely disregard it as "trying too hard to impress" rather than "wow, this guy is really good at Ruby". <S> Because at the end of the day, the t-shirt says nothing about your professionalism or prowess in the field. <A> The general rule is simply: Ask! <S> Dress code varies a lot between companies, and depends on many aspects, such as company culture, local culture, culture of the business sector (banking vs IT vs manufacturing), job description... <S> So in general it is perfectably acceptable to ask about the dresscode. <S> Typically you'd do it during the phone screen (if there is one), or in response to the interview invitation. <S> Asking should not be counted against you, on the contrary, it shows that you want to be well prepared. <S> That said, here is my personal rule of thumb for a "compromise outfit" for a man. <S> I'm from Germany, but this should be ok at least for most of Europe. <S> nice leather shoes (but not shiny) <S> fancy trousers (like you'd wear with a suit) dress shirt in a standard color (white or light blue) <S> To make it slightly more formal, add blazer or suit jacket <S> This outfit is nicely in the middle between informal style (jeans and t-shirt) and formal (business suit with tie). <S> That way, it will not look hopelessly overdressed in a jeans-and-tshirt place, and will still at least show you made an effort to dress up, even if they expected a proper suit. <S> Still, the best option is to just ask. <A> I would say that the general rule for all job interviews is a suit, if the company seems informal then drop the tie. <S> The way that I see <S> it is that you are effectively going into a room with people and asking them to give you $XX <S> , would you give that amount of money to a guy in jeans and a t-shirt? <S> I guess for me <S> atleast <S> I <S> I have a number of tattoo's going down my arms <S> and I would rather that their first impression of me is not distracted by those. <S> Note: I also am a software developer with 13+ years professional experience.
| A general rule-of-thumb is to think about the dress-code you would use on a normal work-day if you get the job, then dress slightly higher than that for the interview.
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Career start at a firm with older colleagues I just graduated and had entry interviews at a company. I noticed (not so surprisingly but still new to me) that most employees there are around 30-50 years old. As I am 26, I think I cannot relate well on a personal or friendship level with much older employees and that I would not feel well there for this reason also. Did someone had a similar experience and how to deal with the situation? <Q> You have to be able to work with co-workers of any age, sex, sexual orientation, religion, race, etc. <S> You don't have to be friends with co-workers, just be polite and friendly. <S> You should never expect that only people your own age are in a workplace. <A> I am currently working with people in their 50s, which for technology is almost ancient (I'm 26). <S> I find it enjoyable to work with them. <S> They have a lot of experience and are really good programmers. <S> At this point they know what works and what doesn't <S> and I feel that I am gaining much better experience than every other programmer my age who is just going after the new shiny technology that will be replaced in 3 years. <S> Like HLGEM said above, just be polite and show a willingness to learn. <S> You don't have to be friends with the people you work with, and in fact I would advise against it. <S> You have to separate business with pleasure. <S> It's just healthy. <A> You prior experiences with people in this age range may have been parents, older relatives, teachers and professions. <S> The dynamic is very different when you work with people. <S> Although you'll be in a position to receive some training and mentorship, they're not your parents. <S> You're going to be expected to grow-up and act professional. <S> They're not as rigid as you think. <S> You expand your view of things. <S> I think it's better than being around too many people who are just like me. <S> Give it a chance. <S> Soon, there will probably be more people your age. <S> In a few years, you'll turn 30. <S> Are you going to be able to work with someone who is 26? <S> I hope so. <A> I'm early in my thirties now and remember having to fight for acceptance as a young and successful person in my area of expertise. <S> (I was teaching college courses at the age 19) <S> Now actually developing a connection with your peers is a totally different thing. <S> Even in an office of people your same age this can prove difficult. <S> (Think of highschool, you probably had a handful of real friends, the others may have been nice enough <S> but there just was never that connection there.) <S> Now consider how many students were in your highschool and that you spent years growing up together. <S> Now compare that to your new office. <S> Likely there are less than 10% as many people you interact with daily now, in addition you have not grown up together. <S> So real friendships here take a little more time. <S> (but do happen) <S> You should just be friendly and relate as able. <S> We all have our hobbies and interests and you'll probably find tons that overlap between you and your older coworkers that you'll discover over time. <S> (If you want to up the odds of finding these ques try to invite them to lunch or tag along when they go. <S> Outside the office itself it tends to be easier to get to know people better.) <A> As I am 26, I think I cannot relate well on a personal or friendship level with much older employees and that I would not feel well there for this reason also. <S> At work, I interact with my colleagues on a purely professional level, focusing strictly on the the tasks as they pertain to the job at hand. <S> It is entirely possible to enjoy what you do without having a good personal or friendship connection to your coworkers. <S> At my current place of work, there are colleagues within my department for whom I am not personally fond of, but as a professional, I have the self - discipline to put aside my personal ill - will and interact in a respectful manner. <S> To summarize, I would advise you focus on professional interactions over personal relationships and not let anxiety of being out of place interfere with doing quality work.
| You do not have to relate well or even like your colleagues on a Personal level to perform well at your job location. Most people when they started out probably worked with at least some people in this age range if not most. Short term though just try and be a friendly coworker, eventually you'll catch ques of common interest.
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Being asked to abandon personal projects for a position in a startup I've been in talks with a startup founder who has decided to hire me. I've been studying web development for the last couple years and put up an ad for a part-time job, not expecting much. I cited a project that I've been working on in the ad which the employer took particular interest in. I've just been sent the employment agreement, and they've asked that I shutdown the project, and cease any further work on my projects. I have no interest in competing with this company's work. I'd like to know, is being asked to abandon personal projects a common request by employers? <Q> Different employers have different stances regarding personal side-projects of their employees: <S> They encourage it, because that way employees train skills which are also beneficial in their day-job. <S> They don't care what their employees do when off the clock, as long as they do not directly compete with them. <S> They discourage it, because when the employees have side-jobs they no longer focus completely on their day-job and their performance might suffer. <S> Also, there is a risk that when their side-projects become successful, critical employees might leave to focus on their project full-time. <S> Your local work laws and court decisions might also have something to say about which of these stances is considered reasonable in your jurisdiction. <S> But that would only be of interest when you are fired because of a side-project. <S> When starting a job, starting it with threatening a lawsuit is not a very good idea. <S> When the company you currently negotiate with is in the latter category, then you have to decide for yourself how much money your personal project is worth to you. <S> When the wage they offer doesn't cover it, you don't have to take it. <A> So they took an interest in you because of this project and then stipulate you need to shut the project down. <S> It is not reasonable for a company to tell you what you can do on your spare time if it does not compete with or conflict with the company. <S> Their fear is probably the product might be successful and you will leave to pursue it. <S> But it is still not a reasonable request. <S> I had a start up <S> say the same thing to me <S> and I asked them what next - I cannot play in a softball league? <S> I pointed out that 2 of the partners currently did private consulting and even conducted business in the facility during work hours. <S> The same company then tried to hired me as a contractor and asked me to sign a non-compete and at the same time said the rate would be lower for the first few months while I was learning the business (I already had the all the software skills). <S> I said you cannot have it both ways - learning your business is of no value to me with a non-compete. <S> They hired me at the full rate. <S> Start ups will get full of themselves. <S> You just have to hold your ground. <A> Startups are notoriously greedy with the time of their employees, this is just one example. <S> All employers, but especially startups, want you to be minding their business as much as possible. <S> Legally, you must mind their business for a pre-agreed upon span of time, usually Monday to Friday, 9-5. <S> The remainder of your time (evenings and weekends) are not yet spoken for. <S> If possible, your employer would like you to be minding their business during all this time, which could include Staying late at the office Attending the office on the weekend Spending personal time thinking about or resolving work issues <S> Spending personal time learning new skills that are mostly applicable at work <S> The problem here is that if you are spending all your time minding your employer's business , then no one is minding your business! <S> In my opinion it is not a good deal because, regardless of how much you get paid, if you have no time to take care of your business then you will never get ahead. <A> The only way I would see this as legitimate is if this particular personal project would be in direct competion with what they are building and you could take what you learned working for them and apply it to a project that is directly competing with them. <S> For instance if they are in the business of building an application for realtors to do a better job of helping prospective customers find what they are looking for. <S> Then if you are also building a real estate app, they have a legitimate concern that you will take their proprietary knowdlege and use it to dsteal their customers with your personal project. <S> If however, you are building a fancy new game, well that's a different story.
| So, in short, yes your employer can ask you to abandon your projects, stay late, or otherwise "mind their business all the time", but you should be careful about accepting such a deal.
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How to respond to boss who wants to move regular meeting time due to daylight saving time? I manage a team that has a brief meeting scheduled every day for the same time. My boss is invited to this meeting and is a valuable participant. However, my boss is in another country and the recent daylight savings time change has put the meeting at an inconvenient time for him. He wants to move the meeting so the time stays consistent for him, despite there being 5 other people in the meeting who are unaffected. Am I wrong to thing this is unfair and sends the wrong signals to my team? How should I approach this with my boss? Clarifications: This is a temporary change The meeting is currently first thing in the morning, to setup the day. The new time would position the meeting more in the middle of the day. I think it would be more disruptive this way. The boss is not an essential member of the meeting, more of an observer. <Q> Is the new time inconvenient for you or your team members? <S> If not, then you're making too much of a fuss about it. <S> If the time is inconvenient, however, aside from not being consistent (convenience is more important than consistency, although I understand the comfort of consistent meetings) then you need to determine whether the presence of your boss or your other team members are more important, and act accordingly -- or simply reschedule. <S> You should not be afraid to simply ask whether the meeting can be rescheduled to a time that's more fitting for everyone, since the new time is inconvenient. <S> Talk about it with your boss - if you can't talk to him about scheduling meetings then there's probably something seriously wrong. <A> There are some important factors to consider: <S> Who is the meeting for? <S> The boss is not an essential member of the meeting, more of an observer. <S> Obviously the meeting is for your team, which means that your teams schedule comes first. <S> Does the change adversely affect your team? <S> The new time would position the meeting more in the middle of the day. <S> I think it would be more disruptive this way. <S> Sounds like a "yes" to me. <S> A single hour difference doesn't seem like a big difference, but interruptions are bad for productivity . <S> What kind of meeting is it? <S> If it's a stand-up meeting where the purpose is to jump-start the day, then it's vital that it remains the first thing your team does, otherwise you might as well throw out the first hour of their day. <S> With all that said, the only correct answer is to push back politely . <S> Explain how it's important that the meeting stays at the same time, or that your entire team's schedule would need to shift to match your boss' schedule. <S> If you'd say "no" to someone who wasn't your boss making this request, then you should say "no" to your boss. <S> That doesn't mean being impolite. <S> Be open, be honest, and use facts to back up your argument. <A> What do you mean, "fair"? <S> I always bend backwards for my team. <S> If making the change that the boss requests poses no hardship to the rest of your team, make the change - I would not be doing any of this to please the boss but because I care for everyone on my team. <S> A hardship for one is a hardship for all, so far as I am concerned - assuming that the hardship can be taken care of. <S> And the boss is part of my team, so far as I am concerned. <S> You WILL find that compromise time, if necessary by making room for that time, if the priority on that meeting is high enough. <A> Equally important to consider is how inconvenient this may be to your boss. <S> Would moving the meeting time adversely affect his work day more significantly than it affects your workflow? <S> Would it put him in the awkward position of working past business hours where he is? <S> Does the change in meeting time compromise another meeting that he must attend during the day? <S> Find out how flexible he is, and if there's no way around it, consider taking his offer- <S> it's a reasonable temporary compromise - if the timing of the meeting is not completely essential to your team. <A> You are a middleman. <S> You are defending your team, and the adjusted meeting time, because that works best for them. <S> Good on you. <S> You agree to your boss's meeting time because you respect his authority. <S> Good on you. <S> It is the middlemans job to do the work necessary to keep both sides happy: <S> meet the team at their preferred time and hear their issues and assign their tasks meet the boss at his time and convey the days issues and assigned tasks; receive his feedback and, as necessary, update individuals with any modified instructions—individually. <S> By meeting both sides separately you actually gain both more authority over the team and a greater confidence with the boss. <S> This problem is an opportunity. <S> Trouble gaining consent? <S> With each objection respond that: this is a temporary situation <S> your responsibility is to the other party and it is your job to accommodate their requirements first. <S> you're on their side and are bending over backward to accommodate their preference;
| If making the change that the boss requests poses a hardship to someone on my team, then we'll have to find a way to accommodate by finding some other compromise time. Accept your position and use it to exhibit your value (and exploit your station).
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How to, and whether, to avoid telling manager embarrassing reason for one-time lateness I'm sure everyone has had a day where something came up which caused them to be late for work. Of course, you let your employer know as soon as possible and then you arrive. The question comes up, asked directly or indirectly, "why were you late" ? I admitted that.. "I wasn't feeling well this morning." Which is kind of a strange reason to be only about 45 minutes late. The next question is probably just meant to see if I'm okay now, and whether I should be at work, "You have a stomach-ache or...?" It felt wrong to admit to that, because I may be sent home, but I also was fairly embarrassed about the reason for being late. I decided to tell the truth, though I really didn't want too. "I had diarrhea." Should I not be uncomfortable sharing that kind of information? How should I have responded in the most professional manner? In general, how do you avoid having to tell your manager an embarrassing reason for being late? I could have stated, "I had a personal issue," but in my opinion that leaves too many questions - like whether it will affect my work and whether this unknown issue is going to continue. <Q> " If you're vague, your boss is likely to assume you just slept in or were hungover or something. <S> Therefore being specific, even when it's embarrassing, is appropriate. <S> You can, however, use a euphemism while being specific. <S> I want to know why you're late for a bunch of reasons - are you getting fed up with this job and <S> don't like coming to it? <S> are you likely to perform below par today and is that something I need to react to? <S> are you likely to infect the rest of the team if I let you stay? <S> is this a chance for me to treat you like a human and show some compassion, increasing my "retention" of you? - and alas " <S> I didn't feel well" or "it was a personal thing <S> " don't help me on that front at all. <S> So take a big breath and get your situation across to me, <S> either using a medical word or in some other way ensuring I understand what you dealt with. <A> Nobody really wants to know the details. <S> Sorry <S> I'm late, I wasn't feeling well. <S> That should normally be enough to not invite any further questions. <A> Saying that you had diarrhea could be embarrassing, although there is not once of us who hasn't had diarrhea. <S> We've all had food poisoning, we've all have eaten something that we should not have eaten. <S> Once, a colleague casually mentioned to me that I was 45 minutes late that morning. <S> I said "that's because I was pushing my head into the toilet bowl at 4 AM and spending the next two hours throwing up", And I said, twisting the knife "Thanks for asking" To which he replied with a smirk, "Thanks for sharing this with us!" :)
| I would probably have said "upset stomach" or "touch of stomach flu" or "a bad reaction to something I ate" rather than naming the symptom, but more importantly added "but it's all fine now. Believe me, you don't want to know the details.
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How to find a job I want to apply for when all listings seem to be 'Mystery Jobs'? I'm wanting to move on from my current position, but I'm very discouraged that the majority of job listings I see in my area (Software/web developer) seem to be from recruitment agencies that give very little info about the company or job. Finding an interesting, stimulating, positive place to work is the most important thing to me. Is there anything I can do beyond simply applying for everything, and then finding out later that it's not what I'm after? <Q> If you tell them specifically what you are looking for they may be able to find that for you. <S> If any of them brings you interviews for positions that don't meet the established criteria then you know not to deal with the recruiter again as they are unable to follow instructions. <A> Keep in mind that recruiters are paid to find talented people to fill roles, and they get paid more when they supply the candidate who gets the job. <S> In this way, it is in both of your interests for you to get the job and in my experience recruiters have been instrumental in finding roles <S> Im interested in pursuing. <S> Don't be discouraged that job postings are by a recruiting agency, instead apply with the mindset that you're working together to find a position that you'll do well in. <A> Is there anything I can do beyond simply applying for everything, and then finding out later that it's not what I'm after? <S> Certainly. <S> Linkedin can be a good resource in this regard. <S> Certainly you have college friends or old coworkers who work elsewhere - or who know people who work elsewhere. <S> Send a few nice emails asking about the company in question. <S> You might need to read between the lines, but this can help. <S> You need to take things with a grain of salt, since a site for anonymous ragging on companies (usually by recently departed employees) is going to paint a pretty terrible picture. <S> But it provides a window into a company. <S> If everyone says that bureaucracy interferes with their day to day work, then it's a pretty safe bet that it is. <S> These days, I actively avoid recruiters. <S> Many of the job postings aren't for real jobs - they're for the sort of jobs that the recruiter usually fills, fishing for candidates to populate their database. <S> Many of the rest have very specific requirements because of idiocy or to "fulfill" H1B requirements. <S> They are a waste of time and effort.
| It may be worthwhile to give the recruiters a shot. The best thing you can do to learn how a company works is by asking honest trusted people internal to that company. Glassdoor is also fantastic for this sort of thing.
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How do I attend Skype interviews while being employed? I have to attend Skype interviews for new positions. However, I am still employed. Would it be best to work at home to be able to attend these interviews? <Q> From home and on your own time. <S> Take a half-day of vacation, or use your lunch break, or flextime. <S> Just as you would if interviewing locally. <S> (@JoeStrazzere makes a very good point. <S> Any company interviewing by Skype or similar should expect requests for after-hours calls, so there's no harm in asking. <S> In fact, they should understand that your not wanting to do this on your current employer's timemeans <S> you'd show them the same respect. <S> And if they say no, that may tell you something about their corporate culture.) <A> Three guidelines: Have control and privacy over the space you are in. <S> Coffee shops can have spotty wifi. <S> You may be able to find a private room in your office <S> but I would be leery especially if you are trying to be highly discreet. <S> Home is best. <S> Do not dishonestly take time away from work. <S> If leaving your desk for a phone call, lunch, coffee with a friend or colleague, etc. <S> is routine <S> then you can leave your desk for this reason. <S> Expect your interviewer to cooperate with you. <A> You could choose a location near your work (a coffee shop) with Wifi access preferable in a quiet section. <S> Do a mockup Skype call from the location ahead of time to eliminate any access problems or noise related issues.
| Always use your own equipment for the interview. However when it comes to a half-day interview you will definitely want to take a vacation day or otherwise take a personal day, not a sick day. If circumstances are really untenable, there's after-hours or you can knock it down to a phone, video-less interview.
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At what stage of the interview process do I negotiate a title change? I just started the interview process with a large corporation and after spending 20 minutes on the phone with the HR recruiter we both thought I was a good fit for the position and I have a phone interview scheduled with the hiring manager tomorrow. One issue that just occurred to me after reading the job description carefully is that the position is for Software engineer III and not senior software engineer. I am currently at a principal level . (not software). I would be whiling to step back one level but not 2 levels. Do I bring up this issue now or work with them through the point that I get an offer (if I am a good fit for the position) and then negotiate the title with them? <Q> The corporation offering the job are probably best placed to judge the job title. <S> A job title will normally bear a direct relation to the level of responsibility. <S> Have you looked at the job description? <S> Do the tasks and responsibilities look congruent with what a 'Principal' or 'Senior' engineer would do? <S> If the job title seems a 'step back' then the salary probably will be as well. <S> Two other possibilities are that your previous title was inflated , or that your previous salary was too low . <A> What is Software Engineer III for this company? <S> Do you know? <S> Job titles are not some universal standard from some sanctioning body. <S> They are an HR construct to manage the organization and each organization does its own thing. <S> Maybe they only have three levels that equate to junior, senior and principal, but they use numbers instead of different names to make things simpler for them. <S> If you don't know their full organizational structure, you may be reading too much into this. <S> If the money meets your needs/desires and the job description is appealing to you, why would you get hung up on a title? <S> I'll speak for myself, but I've never cared much about titles while I was recruiting new staff. <S> I care infinitely more about your skills and what you can do for my company than I do about some label some other company has attached to your job. <A> So did you agree to a price already? <S> If so, then only raise the question of Job Title if you are so unhappy with the agreed price—to the point of being ready to walk away—only use it if you need another go at negotiating the price. <S> Be prepared to settle both issues in the one conversation. <S> If the price is not set yet, then raise the question of Job Title straight away. <S> The title itself means nothing to the recruiter <S> but the fact that you are defending your title suggests you are a confident candidate and so are perhaps more likely of success. <S> The title does mean something to the employer <S> so it can be worth fighting for. <A> If you want to negotiate salary now, then when what are you negotiating about - a job offer that you don't have? <S> You haven't even convinced them yet to hire you <S> and they sure as hell haven't decided yet to hire you. <S> Until the interview process is over, what's uppermost in their minds is the decision whom to make an offer to, if anyone. <S> Once they have decided on the candidate, the other aspects such as the background check, the salary figure and the start date come to the forefront.
| In my experience a recruiter will nail down the price as early as they possibly can: thus they lockdown their margin and avoid exhaustive give-and-take haggling.
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Why do job listings often not have salary (or salary estimate/range) listed? Understood: The salary can vary greatly, depending on experience, qualifications, talents, skills, etc. But surely it would save everyone a whole lot of time if employers simply posted a ballpark estimate of what the salary would very roughly be like? What are the main reasons for why companies tend not to state the salary estimate/range in job listings? <Q> They don't want current employees to know. <S> They don't want to attract too many candidates if some people see 100K and figure why not go for it? <S> They may say things like competitive wages and benefits. <S> Bottom line, if they still get a reasonable number of qualified candidates (i.e. it works) why not keep doing it? <A> It's because they can, and in the end they are the ones who profit from not doing it. <S> It's kind of the same reason why companies ask you how much salary you want in job interviews: they want to get away with paying you as little as possible, and they get that chance by asking you first, instead of you asking them. <S> If they give a range, i.e. x ... n , then they'll never get away with paying anyone x-1 salary, but someone might ask for <S> x-1 or less once asked, but that's never going to happen if they tell you upfront that they'll pay at least x . <S> Note that some companies do post a range, but it's rare. <S> They probably have higher standards (just maybe) so that they'll not feel bad about paying you at least the lowest number in the range since you qualify. <S> Also, magnitude is a key here. <S> If a company were to hire 1000 employees in one day, with only a small amount of people taking care of the hiring process, then they'd be forced to throw out a number which people would simply have to accept or deny. <S> But when a lot of time is giving to hire a few individuals the company can afford to take things slowly and try to get away with paying as little as possible. <A> Because it tips their hand in the game of let's pay you as little as possible poker. <S> If there is no salary range listed then if they happen to find a qualified candidate who for whatever reason is willing to accept 30k less than they thought they would pay <S> then this is a additional 30k in their back pocket every year . <S> Plus it also means that the people that already are being underpaid won't know that management is willing to pay $x more for their skills .
| Also, people would not feel good accepting a very low number in the range, knowing that the company was actually ready to give a greater amount to someone else. They don't want the competition to know.
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Is there anything that I shouldn't include in my CV? I've worked a lot of random jobs; bike mechanic, bus driver, warehouseman, theatre technician, systems support specialist II, web developer, plus more. I've only ever prepared specialized resumes in the past. When writing up my CV, should I include everything I've ever done, or should I leave out things like being the district public skating supervisor/first aider when I was 15, and working in the Photo-electronics department at Superstore when I was 18? <Q> As a hiring manager, if I look at the resume of an experienced engineer I'm generally not interested in roles held before graduation that are unrelated to the field or position. <S> For someone still starting their career, additional jobs can be interesting, but if I'm looking at a college graduate, I'm likely to gloss over anything in the pre-college era. <S> Continuity of employment is important after graduating college, but I won't question gaps that might appear during high school and college. <S> Your focus should be on your education at that phase of your life so gaps are easily understood. <S> If you did something noteworthy in one of those early jobs, or they highlight application of skills important to the position, then maybe include them. <S> But the further in your past they are, the less relevant they become. <A> If I were interviewing a candidate for a web developer position, say, the fact that the candidate waited tables or taught skiing or whatever as a teenager is noise that I ignore and might as well not be on the resume. <S> I would much prefer to see a resume tailored towards the job. <S> That said, I've in the past included one weird job on my resume. <S> (Monkey boy; I chased down escaped monkeys when I was a teenager.) <S> That sort of thing can be a nice way to have fun / start a conversation / be memorable / etc. <S> But a whole long list of them seems excessive. <A> When I worked in theatre the Props Master (my boss) showed me his CV, it was comprehensive. <S> It detailed ever position he had ever held as well as every production he had ever worked on. <S> Maybe this helps for "Fine Arts" in that it shows you have had experience doing <S> X <S> so you have an understanding of that part in the real world. <S> I was encouraged to make CV the same way when taking my portfolio class in University. <S> Likely as you only had these "bit parts" to work with. <S> When writing up my CV, should I include everything I've ever done <S> Are you continuing in the "Fine Arts" area? <S> If so ignore me, I have no exposure to that space. <S> Otherwise I do not think having a "comprehensive CV" will ever give you value for the time you spend on it. <S> I take it <S> you currently have a direction in life? <S> Write a reasonably "comprehensive" CV for that direction (which will serve as the bases for the CVs/Resumes sent out). <S> Anything that does not show something that can benefit you in that direction remove or reduce to a line. <A> A lot of companies like to see a contiguous list of jobs on a CV, and questions are often asked about any gaps, so I'd suggest putting it all in, albeit briefly. <S> If there is something relevant to your current application in one of those jobs, make a point of calling it out. <S> Otherwise I'd suggest a single-line description of the role <S> and/or why you took it and save space for the jobs they'll be interested in.
| The answer depends in large part on where you are in your career.
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Too many Charitable causes in the workplace I am very happy in my current job however I have one annoyance: Every week there seems to be at least 2 or 3 different charity causes that we are asked to give to. This usually comes in the form of a jiffy bag and paper being passed around. The problem is not the charities, invariably they are great and worthwhile, and ordinarily I would have no qualms about putting a couple of pounds in the bag. However over recent months this has got (IMO) excessive and to give to them all would require something in the region of 5 to 10 pounds a week. This is money that I simply don't have. This is not a "company thing" (although the company does occasionally run fundraisers) but these are usually sponsorships and charities that colleagues are involved with. (although it often seems to be the same people doing the events). Donations are solicited publicly so everybody knows who did or didn't contribute, which is uncomfortable for those who don't. To a lesser extent this also occurs with birthdays, and other events where we are often asked to have a whip round. I am convinced that I am not the only one who feels this way, but I don't know how to broach the topic without damaging my reputation. My question is, how can I broach this subject without being treated as miserly and uncharitable in the workplace? EDIT today is Red Nose Day and I have so far (12:30) had no fewer than six requests for a grand total of around £14 I have decided to take the advice offered and I am going to HR this afternoon as I have decided that enough is enough Thanks to you all for responding <Q> "But its only a pound, surely you can afford a pound" <S> When I was a teen, I used that same reasoning to a teacher, and she pointed out that she supported a lot of other causes too, and that money added up. <S> That is a completely rational argument, and if someone pushes back on that, it is them being rude. <S> So, simply point out that you support other causes already, and can only afford to give x pounds per year to work causes, which you will dole out. <S> This cause might get 1 pound, but several others during the next weeks you will simply not be able to support, even though you agree they are good causes. <S> Turn them down pleasantly, and don't worry about them trying to shame you. <S> The number of worthy causes would take more than all of the money of Bill Gates, which is why even he only supports some of them. <S> You have a right to choose which ones you support and for how much. <S> You HAVE to choose which you support and for how much. <S> If you wish to push back harder, you might point out that while you can afford a pound, others may have financial obligations that make it even harder for them. <S> And this pushing can be making the workplace unpleasant for people who don't want to admit they can't afford it. <S> Perhaps they should tone it down, to spare embarrassing people or pushing them to bad financial decisions. <A> No matter how you broach the topic you run the risk of looking miserly and uncharitable. <S> A couple of points to mitigate this are making sure this conversation is a private one with your boss and approach it from the angle of <S> there is uncomfortable peer pressure created which is hurting the workplace atmosphere and perhaps the company can replace this activity with a company fund that employees can apply to. <S> Not a direct answer to your question but <S> another option would be to decline to contribute or contribute less than you have been. <S> Depending on the circumstances of how this hat passing is executed this may not even be noticed and in most offices it would be very bad form for anyone to call you on this. <A> A previous place I worked actually banned this sort of thing because of the combinatoric explosion -- <S> each individual thinks "I'm only doing this once" but a hundred people asking a hundred people each adds up. <S> I'm assuming you don't want to go that far. <S> The best approach to your problem is to look for a win-win solution -- something that makes it easier on reluctant donors and also easier on the people doing the soliciting. <S> Right now you have somebody walking around and asking people and taking names. <S> That's kind of a hassle. <S> If the important part is to support the cause , and nobody's kicking in enough to generate tax records, <S> then why not make it easier for all involved? <S> (You don't want the jars to just sit around forever, so tell people when they'll be taken away.) <S> People who want to donate can donate. <S> Some might argue that passive collection jars will reduce the "take" because people aren't being pushed. <S> (One could ask them why they think being pushy with coworkers is ok.) <S> On the other hand, the jars will catch people who didn't happen to be at their desks when you came 'round collecting, so that should count for something. <A> Another spin on this: don't give to anyone. <S> My policy is that I do not donate to anyone's charity/cause at work. <S> I donate on my own to causes of my own choosing. <S> This policy is consistent. <S> And over time, people stop asking because they know you won't give. <S> Which means I quickly stopped getting asked to buy Girl Scout Cookies by a teammate. <S> By being consistent in my policy, nobody is hurt and I don't have to worry about "you gave to X, but not Y". <S> I do give for "life events" (baby, marriage, death of a family member) or parties. <A> Similar to Monica's answer but with a different twist: I would talk to HR and management. <S> While well intended it can create tension and anxiety in the work place. <S> The asked feel pressured and miffed and, if denied, the askers feel unappreciated and get the sense that they work with insensitive and cheap clods. <S> That's actually a lose-lose if it gets out of hand <S> so it is in management's best interested to but a policy in place. <S> I have worked in a few companies where this was specifically outlawed by HR. <S> This can be done very nicely and augmented with something really nice the company does. <S> Say a once-a-year fundraiser for a broad charity with full company match, undisclosed individual donation amounts and an employee raffle.
| Designate a place, perhaps in the lunch room, where people can put out collection jars clearly labelled with the charity being supported, which employee is organizing it, and the date the money will be collected.
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In USA, what benefit does a degree from a more prestigious university hold when searching for IT work? Here in USA I currently work as an IT Consultant at a large Massachusetts-based retailer. Looking at the demographics of the IT personnel, about 50% of them are from India. The vast majority of these have a degree from some Indian University (such as University of Lucknow) that an average American has probably never heard of. Besides that we have some random people from Europe and some of these have a degree from a university located in Antwerp or Tampere. So here in America we also have this mentality (or maybe this is just an impression that marketers or Hollywood likes to promote) that investing into a degree from some high end University (e.g. MIT, DeVry, etc.) is better for ones career than some lesser known University (say, University of Oklahoma). But looking at what kind of people are doing the IT work, and where their degrees are from, I am curious to know whether there is much difference? Here I would define "IT work" as all work dealing with the "server side" support of a large enterprise, including (but not limited to): Software development (COBOL, Java, C#) Enterprise architecture Administration of server farms Enterprise security (maintaining, configuring, planning security architectures) Above categories are all examples of IT work where the demographics are as explained earlier. How much value do HR people put in a degree from a prestigious university, as opposed to some less known American (or European, or Chinese) university? (This question is of interest especially considering the cost of studies at some more prestigious university in USA vs. some of the other universities.) <Q> I'd be surprised if HR were the ones evaluating a person's competence for the job based on their institution. <S> Actually, I'd be surprised if HR were the ones evaluating a candidate's technical expertise period , but I've heard of stranger things. <S> The long and short of it is, <S> it's going to do. <S> The main factor of whether or not someone actually gets the interview nod is if they actually fit the requirements of the job. <S> The prestigious college may get one a few extra looks during the interview process, and it may also set some predispositions about how they're meant to perform as well, but the main qualifier for whether or not they're competent and capable to perform isn't going to lie in the college alone. <S> As an example, I worked with, then for, a person that didn't have a Bachelors in Computer Science, whereas I do. <S> Irrespective of that, this person was brilliant at their job. <S> They opened my mind to a lot of programming techniques and practices that I most certainly didn't know, and this developer has my absolute trust and respect. <S> There's someone else that I'm familiar with that <S> didn't fare so well in the IT industry, and they've got a few graduate degrees to show that they went through the paces. <S> They're brilliant, but they lean very heavily on pre-baked solutions from frameworks and other places, and are not ones to go out and attempt to remedy a need that the framework simply can't provide for them. <A> I attended the University of Waterloo which would be a prestigious Canadian university where Microsoft is known to get a bunch of their interns as well as being the home of Blackberry that has seen better days. <S> The advantage of this kind of school can come in a few forms: <S> Networks - Some companies may actively seek out grads from those top schools as MIT, Stanford, Berkeley and other big name CS schools in the US may be where relationships form. <S> My first job out of university was in Seattle, Washington for a dot-com where the CEO had gone to Waterloo <S> and they put the job ad there rather than at other schools to find developers in 1998. <S> Familiarity - If I'm talking to a fellow Waterloo grad there can be references to courses or places on campus that may not be true of people from other places. <S> Thus, it can be how I trust someone by knowing what school they attended. <S> I have co-workers that would say similar things of SAIT which is a polytechnic school here in Alberta. <S> Fame - Last but not least, for some places the name alone can bring a some respect that can be hard to get otherwise. <S> This would be where Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale can work more on reputation of the institution than the greatness of its grads where some tech companies were started by grad students like Yahoo! <S> and Google. <A> There is a big difference in applying for a job and being directly recruited. <S> These universities have a lot of money because their alumni can afford to make large donations. <S> There alumni are successful and put a premium on their academic background. <S> I'm sure there is some hiring bias as well. <S> You would have to do the math to compare the cost of a lesser university with any potential difference in wages. <S> It's also not the cost of the loans you may have but the stress that comes along with it. <S> When many graduates get their first paycheck, they feel a need to break-away from their poor college student status and spend their money. <S> Factor in your ability to manage finances before taking on the risk. <A> I am an employee of a large defense industry company and am on a contract to provide IT services to a large government defense agency. <S> I've been a contractor now for 18 years in various companies. <S> All of the companies I've worked for fit what I'm going to say below, to a T. Note that I've never worked in a pure civilian-side position (non-defense, non-government) in any of my last 30 years of employment. <S> All of that aside, I can only speak for my division of my company and the requirements we get from our government customer. <S> There is only one no heck requirement: <S> Security+ <S> or an equivalent from a short list of certifications. <S> That's it. <S> As far as education goes, every single IT job (not counting upper management, of course, which aren't IT as much as management) requires a Bachelor's Degree (of some kind) or anywhere from 5-9 years experience. <S> Recognize that no where in that last paragraph did I say anything about where <S> the degree is/was from. <A> It's worth noting that by early 2014 Google had stopped seeking top grads from the best universities, because Google's own internal research concluded that top grads made poor employees. <S> Their new stated preference was for self-taught individuals, who were consequently better at problem solving, more humble, and more accountable than their prestigious peers. <S> I don't know how far that idea has spread, but as it has been two years since this became public knowledge, it seems likely that anyone worth their salt will probably be aware of this when they look to hire new graduates. <S> Also, many employers do simple programming tests like Fizz Buzz, to weed out the weakest candidates; so it doesn't matter what university you went to unless you can perform or evidence your competence.
| while attending a prestigious college can definitely help propel one's name and/or standing amongst other qualified candidates, that's about all There are companies that will directly recruit the graduates from the top universities and offer signing bonuses.
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Work required activities as holiday or work day What is a logical/rationale method to implement for deciding when activities required for work are needed to be done by an employee to be considered as holiday or work day. For example: An international employee that is employed on a contract renewal basis. The employee is currently employed by the company that is renewing the contract and must go to immigration to renew a work visa on time of contract. Given that immigration is only open during working hours of the company, what would this time away from work be considered. Is this day a vacation day for the employee or is it considered a working day? Considerations: 1) Employee needs car to go to work. Getting a license renewed is a holiday. 2) Employee needs to take a legally required medical exam for company insurance. Going to the hospital for exam is not a holiday. 3) Employee needs to take mandatory sexual harassment training. It is not a holiday. 4) As it is a work visa, not everyone in the company will need to do this. 5) As DavidK points out in comments, some activies are required by the company, some activities are required by the government of the employee, and some are required by the government of the company. <Q> Is this day a vacation day for the employee or is it considered a working day? <S> Don't be surprised, however, if they tell you that you need to take time off to deal with the issue. <S> For the sake of comparison, consider driver's licenses and automobile registration. <S> Many people need to drive in order to get to work, and that often means that they need to visit the local Department of Motor Vehicles during business hours. <S> Except for cases where such visits are actually part of the job (doing tag and title work for a car rental agency, for example), most companies that I know of would consider those chores to be your own personal business and would expect you either to take time off or to make up the time you missed. <A> In this case, it's up to your company to decide how they want to handle this. <S> They may need you to to have a visa in order to continue your employment, but it is your responsibility to arrange the extension of your visa in time. <S> All you can do is talk to your boss and your company's HR department and ask them how they want to handle this. <S> In my experience, companies will require you to take time off for this sort of thing, but since you are unable to continue your employment without solving this issue, they won't make a fuss about approving it. <A> It's possible to establish a company policy that pays people for activities away from the office that are not billable but are required, such as the medical exam you mention in your question. <S> There's no particular law or rule that demands companies do so. <S> Any given company might choose to deem immigration paperwork as a valid use of company time, or as a personal matter that should dealt with on your own (personal or vacation) time. <S> It's pretty easy to construct arguments either way. <S> If your company has a policy, follow it. <S> If they don't (and I assume you're asking because they don't) <S> I would recommend not forcing the use of vacation for this. <S> The employee will feel supported and will probably contribute back the time in happiness and increased productivity. <S> To reduce the chance the other employees will be jealous, the employee should try to do other work while waiting if possible, should return to the office as soon as the process is done, and should not run other personal errands as part of the trip: in other words, treat it as a working day.
| When in doubt, ask your friendly HR representative about your company's policy.
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Is it normal to exaggerate your current salary when recruiters ask? I am under the impression that most people lie when stating their current salary to prospective employers. I recently increased my actual salary by approximately $10K when asked my current salary during the salary negotiation process. Is this expected by recruiters or am I completely off about most people doing this? I'm a little worried that it may cost me the new position but I also don't want to leave my current job for the same money. Is it normal to exaggerate the current salary when recruiters ask? <Q> There is an excellent article about how to answer the salary question on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20131217070749-52594-how-to-answer-the-question-what-was-your-last-salary <S> Basically treat your salary as confidential information (which, in fact, it is) and refuse to disclose it by saying <S> "I'm not comfortable sharing that information" and only discussing what your salary requirements are for the position for which you are applying/interviewing. <S> The article goes into a sample conversation where the recruiter is pressing strongly for this information, and the applicant is deflecting the question until he has to answer it directly. <S> (a partial quote from the article) <S> IVO: ... <S> I definitely wouldn't be comfortable with [telling you my prior salary]. <S> Like I said, I'm not asking [new employer] to tell me what he pays my prospective co-workers or what he pays the contractors who work for him now. <S> That isn't any of my business, and I feel that my past salary information is confidential too. <S> I'm sure you understand. <S> CAROL: <S> You're not the first person who's shared that point of view with me, and I do understand. <S> Some of our managers are pretty old-school in that respect. <S> I will pass on the information to Josh and confirm that he wants to do a second interview, and my gut says that he will. <S> No one is going to overvalue your services, but plenty of people will undervalue them. <S> You have to value them first, and valuing yourself includes knowing when to say "I'm not comfortable with that request. <S> " <S> When you find your voice, your muscles grow. <S> When you cave and cower and pretend that going along with any off-the-wall request or demand is the safe -- and therefore best -- option, your flame will shrink. <A> An outright lie is never a good idea. <S> Obviously you like to put yourself in a good position of negotiation so just giving the actual number is not a great idea either. <S> There are various ways to deal with this: You can state a range, you state that a single number is too simplistic because of the "package" which includes 401k match, benefits, bonus, stock etc. <S> , you can turn it around "what did you have in mind for this position" or you can simply state "why don't we first focus on finding out whether there is a good fit" etc. <S> If I see it in an employment form as a single number, I just leave it empty. <S> If a company really gets hung about that, it's their problem. <A> I would suggest you tell the recruiter what salary range you will consider, rather than tell them your actual salary at the present time. <S> You could be underpaid at the moment - go and check the markets. <S> You could state to the recruiter that you earn "around $X" where this is your current salary plus a bit more. <S> Essentially, determine how much you will consider for the right job and let them negotiate with any potential employers. <A> As a recruiter myself I have to say that inflating your salary (at least here in the UK) is a very silly thing to do. <S> As an example: You, as a candidate tell your new employer that you are earning £50k. <S> But in fact you are earning £40k. <S> When you leave your job you get a P45 (unsure if this happens elsewhere) <S> detailing all of the payments you have been made over the course of that financial year. <S> It's therefore totally clear that you've lied about your salary <S> and I've known companies withdraw job offers on the basis that if you lie at an interview you cannot be trusted. <A> Is the company offering you the job prepared to make a signed affidavit about the maximum they were willing to offer? <S> I would be careful if this is in writing and the job is accounting / legal /auditing / SEC regulated where any provable untruthfullnes can be an issue later. <S> I would say something vague - "with the benefits my current package is worth around $x" <S> (x being your current salary + $10K) After all only you can value the benefits of your current job - perhaps the view from your cubicle is worth $10k to you ;-) <A> I have never lied about my salary at interview, i would consider this to be very bad practice to do so. <S> Before interviewing you should just state the salary that you are after to the recruiter and the interviewer, if they offer you less than your stated figure then your within your rights to turn the offer down. <S> A employees value isn't always what they are currently paid, most employers know this and will understand why you might be asking for a higher wage then you currently earn.
| You're under no obligation to tell recruiter an accurate figure, though lying to a potential employer isn't advisable for reasons stated above.
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How do I recommend friends that I haven't worked with? I recently had two good friends start looking for jobs, and as the tech scene here is tiny, future employers that are also friends asked me to recommend them. The thing is, I don't have any work experience with those friends and can't really comment on their technical skills. The conversations with the employers are always kinda awkward to me as I try to recall various things the friends told me about previous jobs and give examples, but I don't really want to stake my reputation if their skills aren't at the level I perceive them to be. What can I do in a situation like this? Not talk about technical skills of friends? Talk with the friends for concrete examples of their work or suggest they put it on Github? <Q> But you can speak to the character of the person and basic skills. <S> Are they honest, good communicator? <S> I ski patrolled with a guy that told me he was interviewing at my company <S> and I knew the guy he was interviewing with. <S> I reported I don't know what Joe knows about this job <S> but I patrol with him and he has never been late and works a mountain as good as anyone. <S> He is fun to work with and taught me a lot about ski patrol and first aid. <S> But speaking to someone's character is not worth much if the person does not know you. <S> If the person does not know you and feel you are person of good character they may <S> not value(trust) <S> your character reference. <S> You might have other friends that something as basic as making dinner plans is difficult <S> and they are typically late. <S> For them just say I don't know anything about your technical skills and can't be a reference. <A> I have recommended friends whose work is very different from my own with no qualms. <S> I tell the person who is asking for the recommendation how I've interacted with the friend -- we've done things together, like played in a band, or worked on a home project or just socialized. <S> There are things about character and personality that you can speak honestly about <S> are they always punctual (or if they're late, do they let you know)? <S> are they honest? <S> Trustworthy? <S> (do you let them watch your kids? <S> Pets?) <S> are they smart? <S> Can they communicate well? <S> have they done things in the community? <S> The company isn't necessarily looking for a verification of their skill set. <S> They may be more interested to know if their new hire can be trusted with proprietary information or that they won't go home with office supplies. <A> I would not ask for technical examples, as it will look like as if you are interviewing them (and, if they are not called to an interview, they will assume it was based in your assessment). <S> As you mention in the question, you could focus in the non technical aspects ( soft aptitudes ). <S> They are still very important: <S> say if they are honest and dependable people if your friends are easy to get along with if they enjoy working in IT and learning (v.g., if they read technical books or articles or do some hobby programming in their free time). <S> etc. <S> Of course, you should make it clear that you are refering to what you know about them "off-work". <S> Some people's attitude may change a lot between working for themselves and working for somewhere else. <S> I would add that, <A> You should not call your friend "the greatest programmer ever to walk upon this Earth" simply because he is your friend. <S> A statement like the following should usually work: <S> John has been my friend since 2008, and he is a pretty nice guy. <S> However, I haven't yet had the pleasure of working with him, so I am not in a position to comment on his technical skills. <S> If you are interested to know about his personality, maybe I could be of help. <S> If I want a friend to give me a reference, then it is my responsibility to ensure that the friend has all the relevant information required to give me a good reference. <S> It can never be the friend's responsibility to figure out what I do and how good I am at it. <S> However, I would suggest you ask your friend to provide you the required data in case someone contacts you for reference in future. <S> That said, however, the future employer should probably not be asking you about your friend's technical skills in the first place, if they know that you haven't worked with him. <S> They are much better off asking your friend's colleagues or manager. <S> Most companies ask the candidate for names of people who could be contacted for reference. <S> Even if they don't, your friend could perhaps tell them that they should contact their current colleagues, and not a friend, to obtain a reference for their technical skills. <A> If these qualities apply, I would suggest you mention some positive, near universal skills useful in a workplace such as as a good team player, willingness to learn, and good work ethics. <S> Soft skills are getting more emphasis when an employer evaluates a potential hire. <S> Technical skills and the ability to get the work done is highly important, no doubt, but so is the employee's ability to fit well into the environment and support colleagues. <S> As for technical skills, you can let the employer make their own judgement as to whereto the degree of technical ability qualifies the candidate for further consideration. <S> My two other questions may help you further: Declining to recommend a friend for a position Recommending a friend known only on a personal basis
| You can observe their work ethic doing minor non work tasks. If you have been asked for your opinion on their technical skills, and you don't have enough data, then simply state that. Your friend's future employer asking you for a reference is a "business transaction", and you should not mix your friendship with it.
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Coworker keeps asking to see the baby My daughter is now 7 months old and since I came back from maternity leave my female coworker keeps nagging at me to see the baby. I live over an hour and 10 mins from my work so to bring the baby in would totally disrupt her feeding and sleeping schedule (2.5 hours of travel for a 10 min visit). I've politely explained this to her but she keeps persisting. I'm getting annoyed because it happens every 2 weeks or so. I feel like I can't talk to this person without her nagging at me about seeing my baby or my choice to take a short mat leave indicating that the bond won't be there (how would she know she doesn't have kids?). I generally don't like to talk about my personal life at work and don't ever bring it up either. How would you handle this situation? I've already told her I live far away and don't have a car. In addition to this, we are not personal friends. I did not even know who she was because she was hired while I was away on mat leave. No gifts were given or anything like that either. I did show her a photo but she still keeps asking. <Q> You already told her it can't be done for any number of reasons that are relevant to you <S> e.g. you don't have a car and it would be a hardship to Baby <S> let alone Baby acting as a powerful distraction from work not just for you but for your coworkers and management around you - it's unlikely that you'll be able to do a stitch of work that day because whenever you are with Baby, Baby comes first. <S> Rinse and repeat the rationale until she gets the point. <S> And try to do it without getting irritated - <S> Getting irritated is gratuitous and the issue is too minor to even get emotional about <S> - You made your decision and as far as she is concerned, said decision sticks until further notice from you. <S> That's all there is to the issue. <S> She comes from the perspective that Baby is fun <S> and she can well afford that perspective because Baby is not hers. <S> You come from the perspective that much as you love Baby, Baby is a ton of work. <S> Because Baby is yours. <S> Your perspective has to take precedence, because Baby is yours. <S> You simply know better. <A> Tell your co-worker that its difficult to get the baby as it is tender in a public transport or travel due to dust and other inconveniences to the baby. <S> You can tell that its doctors advice not to travel long distances until its grown up. <A> Treat it like any other request to see your new house/car/whatever. <S> "If I bring her in I'll let you know. <S> " <S> End of conversation. <S> Repeat as necessary until they figure out that they're being annoying. <S> If they're completely unable to get the hint, start adding "For the twenty-seventh time, ... . <S> Now can we discuss something else? <S> Please?" <S> Remember that they think they're expressing a friendly interest. <S> If they're crowding you, either say so or find ways to deflect it. <S> (I've got a few friends who really don't take hints or read tone of voice very well. <S> Luckily, they know they're limited in this area and will accept being corrected when necessary... at least from me, since they also know I try to cut them some slack when possible.)
| Invite your co-worker to your house, if she is so interested to have a look at the baby. I've learned that I have to either ignore, or tell them directly.
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Job Start Dates, Graduation and Vacations I'm currently set to graduate in June 2015. And, I feel I'm a bit tied for jobs that don't have specified start dates. I want to start looking for work now, but I can't start working until September 2015 because I'm going back home for 2 months. I was wondering how to convey on my resume or cover letter that I'm looking to start in September? Or is that something that would be better discussed in an interview? Also, how likely is it that an employer would even consider letting me start working in September 2015 for jobs posted in March, April etc? <Q> There are two approaches you can take here. <S> First option <S> : don't book that trip home just yet. <S> Go through the interview process. <S> If and when you get to the "and when could you start?" part of the interview, be honest. <S> Tell them you would like a two month trip because you know you won't be able to go very often once you start working full time, but that it's not booked yet and you are open to a conversation about it. <S> Work with them to pick a good start date that you'll both be happy with. <S> Maybe arrange some time off without pay in the first year. <S> Second option <S> : you have to go home then - for a family event, or you've already booked the tickets. <S> As before, go through the interview process. <S> If they ask "when can you start?" you tell them. <S> (Back in my day, starting Labour Day was perfectly normal.) <S> If they don't like it, they can take that into account in their decision process and you might risk the job, but so be it, this trip is important to you. <S> If they don't ask, don't bring the subject up. <S> They might, but probably won't, rescind the offer. <S> Thing is, new hires straight out of university are rarely so critical to the operations of the company that they can't function if they have to wait a few months for you. <S> But bringing it up before they know you might give them an easy excuse to remove you from consideration. <S> So decide for yourself how movable the trip is, and wait as long as you can to tell them about it. <A> If I were an employer, I would be very reluctant to have you go through our hiring process because you'd be taking the place of some candidate/new hire we could deploy immediately. <S> Unless there is something that's so special about you that we'd want to lock you in. <S> Google could be patient with you <S> but then, not too many rockstar candidates turn Google down or bail out on Google, and Google has solid growth prospects <S> - Most employers would have no idea what happens to them six months from now, and six months is long enough for business conditions to change and for your job offer to be rescinded a couple of times over. <A> It is common practice for graduating students to be looking for jobs months before they are ready to graduate. <S> I work for a large tech company and routinely interview students just starting their final year of school. <S> When we hire the student it's common for the start date to be months in the future. <S> In one case the offer was extended in October and they didn't start until the following September. <S> During that entire time I kept in touch with the future hire, asking about school and keeping interest in coming to work for my team high by sharing what I could regarding our projects and expected assignments. <S> Be up front with your start date. <S> First clearly indicate your expected graduation month on your resume. <S> And then either via cover letter or other application materials <S> indicate that you will be taking some time after graduation so will be available to start in month <S> X. Clear communication is the key. <S> There are some companies that might not be willing to wait, others that will have no issue doing so. <S> It could be as simple as saying "Please note that while I'm graduating in June, I won't be able to start until September ". <S> The reason shouldn't be important, you could add that you have a visit home planned or whatever it is if you would feel more comfortable doing so.
| At some point in the interview with the hiring manager make sure the timeline is understood. If you get an offer with a start date you can't meet, write back and say you'll be out of the country until whenever and would be happy to start on [specific date.]
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How to boast not "sitting on the job" on resume? I'm a proactive engineer, always looking for improvement points, and giving support to my colleagues, and after running out of tasks, I ask for new ones I do classes and code open-source in my free time Furthermore, recommendation letters given from people inside the company are not usually written for employees in the firms I've worked for, because there's no value added for the company for employees leaving faster thanks to the recommendation letters from the managers... How do I make it obvious on my resume the fact that I am proactive and ambitious? I've three years of professional experience, but I'm good at what I do. The background of this is that three years doesn't seem a lot to some recruiters when searching for a software engineer. <Q> Everything on a CV or resume should be a fact from your professional history that is demonstrably true about you and sets you aside from the competition. <S> Then there will be examples <S> you can point to where you proactively found a possible improvement, improved something, and got a measurable outcome. <S> Something like "Proactively found improvements in [squirrel building algorithim] resulting in [30% increase in squirrel production]". <S> they could ask you about in an interview. <S> and giving support to my colleagues <S> - Great! <S> Be specific: <S> how many colleagues, how, and in what areas? <S> Something like "Supported three colleagues to [master squirrel training procedure], resulting in [project completing ahead of schedule]". <S> Demonstrable facts and examples. <S> after running out of tasks, I ask for new ones - Hmm, this is actually pretty normal. <S> I'd expect any decent professional to do this. <S> If someone boasted about this, I'd worry that they saw it as an effort and some kind of special favour. <S> I do classes and code open-source in my free time - Great! <S> Give examples, and link to an account where they can see your projects for themselves. <S> For everything in your CV/resume, ask yourself "Could anyone make that claim?". <S> If they could, make it more specific, or cut it out. <A> The problem is that everyone has those qualities, just ask them. <S> It's kind of like saying "I'm a great driver" because everyone thinks they are. <S> You have 3 problems. <S> Anyone can put anything they want on their resume, especially non-measurable qualities, and do. <S> There are no ways to measure such intangible qualities. <S> People doing hiring <S> really don't care about intangibles on resumes and are immune to their influence, because of 1 and 2. <S> One word of advice. <S> If you sound half as arrogant in person as you do on this question, you will do a great deal of harm to your chances of securing new employment. <S> This is intended to be constructive critique <S> and I hope you take it as such. <A> In general, the resume is an idealized record of the things that you have done, not necessarily how you did them. <S> It lists where you have worked, the projects that you have worked on, the tangible impact that you have had (e.g. "built a product that made $100m in revenue"), and the "hard" skills that you have developed. <S> The place to talk about your work ethic, proactiveness, quickness to learn, etc. is the cover letter. <S> Your cover letter is a valuable tool that lets the reviewer get a glimpse of the non-tangible qualities that you bring to the table. <S> As Christopher mentions in his answer, though, you should think about toning it down a bit - giving any sort of indication that you consider yourself amazing or uniquely talented will be a huge red flag to most reviewers. <A> When writing CVs, the guidance I've always worked to is use the STAR method <S> T ask - describe your task. <S> A ction - explain what you did <S> , how you did it, why you did what you did, and which skills you used. <S> R esult - Explain how that benefited your employer - <S> what value <S> you added to the process. <S> This should - as much as possible - be quantified. <S> If you can, quote money, because everyone understand that. <S> If not, relative improvement (increased throughput of process foo by 30%). <S> You are tactically boasting, but at the same time - offering concrete examples of why you're amazing. <S> You don't have to be overly verbose - but be prepared to be quizzed at interview. <S> What you're trying to do is make a case that "by hiring me, your company is going to be more profitable" because pretty fundamentally - that's what your employer is looking for. <A> I'm also a developer of 3 years and constantly get approached for new work and the reason is most of the things taught to you about CVs are wrong. <S> No one cares <S> if you're a hard worker no one wants to know if you got a swimming trophy at age 6. <S> Every software/web company has their own product and requirements <S> e.g. mine is that my employer currently uses symfony2, mysql, behat, redis, agile. <S> People will hire you for experience with certain technologies etc. <S> over general experience because a lot of the time the thing they need experience with might not have been around 10 years ago. <S> Be verbose about what technologies and concepts you've used. <S> If you get an interview ask if and what they might use, talk about how something you've used is similar and example that you have knowledge of things you may not have used but know it's purpose. <S> It shows you'll know how to adapt and suggest improvements from drawing from your own experiences. <S> Overall most programmers need to show some passion for what they do, a lot see that as doing open source at home <S> but it can just mean just showing an interest for learning. <S> Good employers send devs to conferences but if they think it's just a job for you <S> then they won't see the point in giving you chances to learn further.
| S ituation - outline the context of your accomplishment. So, if you want employers to see you have these qualities, you need to demonstrate them with factual examples : "always looking for improvement points" - Great! Keep it simple and factual, don't try to tell the whole story (that's what interviews are for), give just enough to show this is something real, concrete and provable
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New job: how to successfully transition from honeymoon to real world? I just started a new job. It took the company a while to find somebody with my background, and as a result everybody is ecstatic about having me. My colleagues take me for lunch, all senior bosses are full of smiles and are happy to have me, my initial ideas and suggestions make everybody happy and I am getting lots of support.In parallel, people keep stopping me by saying "great to have you, I have a project for you". I have enough projects for the next 12 months at least, and more are coming. Some are outside my field of expertise, but "there is only you" is the main argument used by my manager.I am confident that I can manage with my workload, but I am worried about my relationship with my colleagues. My manager will help filtering projects, but I am worried about the moment when the hard reality will clash with my colleagues' and bosses' expectations. There is only me, but my days are not infinite. So, my questions is: how can I transition out of this honeymoon phase without making enemies or making people angry? <Q> You have only two hands and one head, so work with your manager to determine which projects you are tackling first. <S> Be specific with your manager that you want him to notify you ASAP if the priority and deadlines of projects change. <S> And that he is the one who determines what projects you are working on. <S> Re-route all requests that you work on specific projects to your manager, and let your manager know that you will be redirecting these requests to him going forward. <S> - hey, that's what happens when there is only one of you and <S> when there are only so many office hours during the weekday. <S> They may not always be happy with you but they will always have confidence in you <S> - whis is exactly what you want. <S> Do not put in put more overtime than you can physically take over an extended period of time. <S> Be very careful about making promises that you can't keep or even worse, promises that you will only be able to keep with heroic, life energy draining efforts. <S> If you can keep these two factors under control, you will not be raising unrealistic expectations or even worse, expectations that you can meet only at huge physical and mental costs to yourself. <S> One last piece of advice: when you are given a project, always give yourself some time to think over what is the most effective and efficient way to get it done. <S> DO NOT rush headlong and start coding immediately - nobody wins marathons by starting with a sprint. <A> If that figure is vastly beyond what you as a sole employee can do or delegate informally, raise it early and raise it forcefully if necessary. <S> It may be that the business' conception of what's involved is wildly inaccurate, and in order to complete the work to a satisfactory standard, more resource is needed. <S> Normally that's a hard sell, but it's clear that they already consider you the expert, so that should lend weight to your opinion. <S> Being told that there's a very large bill incoming is preferable to a project failing because it isn't humanly possible to do the work. <S> My manager will help filtering projects <S> Because you know you're already busy, accept nothing without doing your own planning. <S> When someone tries to get you to do something for them, something like: <S> This looks like an interesting piece of work. <S> I have no spare time at the moment, but I'll confer with [Manager] about whether we can fit this in and get back to you. <S> Reassures that you're not just fobbing off and do consider their needs to be of value <S> Sets the expectation of a tangible response Reminds that although you're paying attention to scheduling, it isn't your call <S> How can I transition out of this honeymoon phase without making enemies or making people angry? <S> So to try and answer your question concisely: People become angry when they're given unexpected and negative news whose consequences cause them inconvenience. <S> You can avoid anger and move to a more mature working relationship by setting expectations and delivering news which might not be the receiver's preferred state of affairs as early as possible, so that they can plan for it. <S> Absolutely do not keep quiet about anything that would make a collague's life much more difficult if revealed later, rather than sooner. <A> Communication is the key. <S> Everyone shoudl know what order the projects are going to be worked on, how long is expected for each project and what support you will need from them (things like specific requirements documents, client files, logos or other graphics that need to be provided, etc.) <S> and when you will need them. <S> Then as things change (and they invariably will), you notify them that something esle has taken a higher priority and psuhed their proeject back or that a prjoect is taking longer than expected and has pushed thier project back. <S> As you are new to the company, you need your manager to set project priorities and he may need to have all the players work this out among themselves. <S> You do not have the specific company knowledge yet to even suggest priorities. <S> Everyone likes to think their peoject is the most critical. <S> But when you have more work that you can do in the short-term a formal priority list that is shared with everyone is a must.
| Gather some intelligence about your colleagues' and managers' expectations and use that to report how much work achieving those aims might entail. Work at a steady, sustainable pace. The more business-like you come through, the more confidence you will inspire although not everyone will be happy with you all of the time
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Project is due Monday but isn't finished because coworker didn't do his part. how do I explain this to manager without throwing blame on coworker? My coworker and I were assigned a website development project. My team consists of me, my coworker and 4 other full time workers. I was the lead on this project. My coworker's task was to design a few logos and my job was to put the entire website together and add on content etc. This along with other projects were assigned to me a month ago. When it was first assigned, it didn't have a high priority. I had lots of work and focused on my other projects which I believed had a greater priority. My coworker also didn't put too much priority on this task. I basically got 85% of the content done and worked on this project when I wanted to take a break from the other projects. On Wednesday, I got an email saying there will be a quick review of the website on the coming Monday. I took this email as a 'the team will review the website and its content on Monday'. So I went through the website and made sure all links were working properly and that there were no glitches and I made sure that whatever content I had was placed on the website. On Friday evening my team had a meeting (2:30pm) where I was calmly told by the manager that the layout of the site needed to be changed and the change needed to be done by Monday 9am. My coworker was told that he needed to complete the designs / logos by Monday 9am as well. Note that I said 'calmly' because everyone else on the team seemed to know about this Monday deadline except for me and the other coworker. My coworker normally leaves work at 4 and I normally leave at 5. We both believe that we were notified about this very late. I decided to stay a bit late on Friday and will be in early on Monday (5:30am) to finish up my task. However, my coworker (upset that we were notified so late) decided to go home when he normally goes home (4pm) and won't be coming in early on Monday to finish the task. So I'll be done my part but my coworker will not have the designs / logos done. My supervisor will ask my at 8:45am on Monday if the project is done. I will be done my part but my coworker won't be done his, and I don't blame him (we were notified very late that this all needed to be done by Monday and during the meeting on Friday, it seemed as if everyone else knew what was going on except for me and my coworker). I don't blame my manager because it was my team who was supposed to notify me about the deadline, not my manager. My manager normally just gets updates from the team (4 full time workers) and assigns the tasks to the team, who then assign it to me and my coworker. My manager just held to team meeting to make sure everyone was on the same page (and turns out me and my coworker weren't on the same page as the rest of the team). I've only had 6 months of work experience prior to this job. I don't want to put blame on my coworker because I don't blame him. My team members are really nice and I don't want to blame them either. I don't really know who to blame because I don't know where the miscommunication happened. I dont know who's fault it is that me and my coworker were not notified about the Monday deadline earlier when everyone else seemed to know about it. My manager will ask me if the project is done on Monday. I'm thinking about telling him that it is finished except for the logos and when I say that, he'll definitely know that it was coworkers job to get the logos finished by Monday 9am and he clearly didn't finish it. How do I make my manager realize that it really isn't my coworkers fault? The entire team except for me and my coworker knew about the Monday deadline. Note: the email basically said 'Hi, we'll do a brief review of the site on Monday', it didn't say that the entire project needed to be completed. <Q> I was the lead on this project. <S> So you were in charge of the project. <S> I don't blame my manager because it was my team who was supposed to notify me about the deadline <S> No they weren't. <S> As lead, you need to speak with the manager to make sure you and your team are aware of any deadlines. <S> If your manager needs to speak to your team and then they are meant to inform you there is something going wrong. <S> I don't really know who to blame because I don't know where the miscommunication happened <S> / I dont know who's fault it is. <S> Its your fault. <S> How do I make my manager realize that it really isn't my coworkers fault? <S> By clearly stating it is your fault , apologise and as the lead explain where the issues are and how you intend to rectify them. <A> Your task did not include the graphic assets (logo). <S> If these are not available in a few hours when you go in to the office to finish up the site, put placeholders (that are clearly marked "Placeholder graphic" or "Logo goes here") and don't say anything. <S> The manager who assigned the work will know who didn't do their bit by seeing what's missing. <S> Hopefully, this is not a "final" review, but a "progress" review and your coworker won't be in too much hot water. <S> If you are confronted with "the deadline is today" you can always say the first you heard about the Monday deadline was at the Friday meeting. <S> But honestly, you should have said something to your manager on Friday afternoon as soon as you heard about the deadline. <S> It's better to give management a head's up as soon as you realize a deadline is in jeopardy <A> Stick to the facts. <S> When the manager asks if the project is finished, simply say tht the project is practically finished, except for the logos. <S> Your coworker may be upset, but he still owes the project the logos. <S> It's not an ideal situation but if t won't take your coworker a huge amount of time to do away with the logos, the situation is manageable. <S> Don't point the finger at anyone. <S> If there is anyone to blame, your manager will figure it out. <S> On the other hand, it's absolutely important for you to find out how is it that both you and your coworker were out of the loop over the Monday deadline while the rest of the team was fully aware. <S> It's probably a situation where the team assumed that both of you knew and thus did not bother to notify the two of you. <S> You most probably will have to be clear to the team and to your manager that the information must be shared and if there is redundancy and duplication in the sharing of information, so be it. <S> You don't want a repeat of this episode. <S> I take the expectation that if I am the most affected by anything <S> , I am usually the last one to be notified and the last one to know. <S> This expectation motivates me to leave no potential source of info unqueried. <S> I have looked silly for doing the paranioa checks and stupid for failing to do them. <S> I prefer to look silly.
| If you were the lead on the project, and weren't on top of any upcoming deadlines, its your fault if they were missed. Let your manager work it out - that's his job.
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Do companies usually not reveal their benefit package until you sign the acceptance offer letter? I got a request from HR to accept an offer by signing a letter. It’s not a contract, but indicates I signed the letter. Does that mean I would have to accept the offer without knowing their benefit package? I thought that the company should reveal that when they ask you to sign the acceptance of their offer. Only the salary is mentioned in the offer, not the benefit package. What should I do next? Should I just ask HR about the benefit package I was offered together with my salary offer? <Q> Typically I will ask to see the benefits package and the employee agreement / manual before accepting an offer. <S> I am usually asked to sign an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) before that is provided, which I do. <S> I would respond to the company, "I have received the offer letter, but it appears to be incomplete. <S> Can you please include a summary or schedule of the benefits package so that I may review the complete offer? <S> " <S> I'd be wary of any company that won't at least share a benefits overview document beforehand. <A> There may be shame in not asking. <S> By accepting the job offer without knowing what your wages, benefits, vacation, work location, hours, company car... etc tells your prospective employer that you are not a very savvy negotiator. <S> As an interviewee, you should always ask questions. <S> Usually, benefits and compensation discussion is left towards the end of the interview, but you should always, always have this in your quiver of questions for your prospective employer. <S> He will respect you for asking. <S> Otherwise he will think, "Who is this dolt who doesn't care what the job pays?" <S> I like the term 'schedule of benefits package' Wesley Long used. <S> Also, who will I work for, who will work for me? <S> how large is the department, why did the previous incumbent leave, are good questions. <S> They may not be willing to answer all questions, but ask anything that is pertinent. <S> In a tough job seeker market, you may have to take whatever offer you can get, but you still should know, up front, what you are getting into. <S> Too, knowing the entire benefit package at the first interview, will help you make a decision should you be asked back for a second interview. <S> You may not want to waste the time. <S> I'm not sure why the HR folks have you sign a letter that isn't really an acceptance of their unstated offer. <S> Signing a letter that says you says you signed the letter is a bit strange. <S> Read carefully, and tread lightly. <A> I've been shown the benefits package in the interview as part of them selling the company to me . <S> The job interview should include you interviewing them to see if both of you (the company and yourself) are a good fit. <A> In I think every job I've ever been a serious candidate for, they have discussed benefits with me during the interview. <S> I don't think I've ever seen benefits mentioned in the formal offer letter. <S> That is, during the interview they'll say, "We have such-and-such a medical plan and you'd get 3 weeks vacation per year <S> and we have a 401k retirement plan", whatever. <S> But this is not normally listed in an offer letter. <S> Often the company gives me a sheet of paper with a summary of the benefits, but not always. <S> I suppose a shady company might try to trick you there, like tell you in the interview that you'll get 6 weeks vacation and then when you get the job say, "Oh no, you only get 1 week vacation, we meant that you get 6 weeks after you've worked here for 30 years." <S> But such a thing has never happened to me, and if the company was going to pull that kind of game on you, I'm sure it would be an awful place to work in general <S> and you'd be quitting pretty fast anyway. <S> If benefits were never discussed in the interview and they sent you an offer letter, I would contact them and say, "Hey, I received your offer letter, I'm very interested in the position, but before I can make a decision I have a couple of more questions" and then asking about benefits. <A> Because of long term health issues of my kid, I asked the new employer to send across the benefits docs over. <S> Studied it carefully before signing the new offer letter. <S> For family health issues (chronic difficult ones) - you are just one incident away from being bankrupt!
| There is no shame in asking about the ENTIRE compensation package.
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Handling the departure of one's immediate supervisor I unfortunately received the unpleasant information at work that my immediate supervisor will be departing the company for reasons unknown to me. I have a performance evaluation upcoming within next week, making the timing even more unfortunate. I have occasional meetings with the next level of management above my own supervisor but day to day concerns are handled by my direct supervisor who is leaving the company. The other members of management within my department is only slightly familiar with the projects I am working on, on a day to day basis.These people operate and run the company on a high level and rarely gets involved with the fine details of individual projects. A lot of what I am responsible for is assigned to me by my direct supervisor. I want to be evaluated fairly on my evaluation, but realize it will be difficult under the tight deadline and the hands off nature of higher management. Higher management is also incredibly busy managing the overall direction of our department. I am worried about the upcoming evaluation and also how to fill the void regarding concerns and projects going forward. How can I handle this situation in the most professional manner? How do I communicate my progress with other members of management? <Q> I have faced the same issue previous year. <S> So I am answering. <S> Regarding work <S> : If your team size is 2, I mean only you and your supervisor. <S> Yes you may have some extra work pressure. <S> If your team size is little more like 4 or 5, I think it should be fine. <S> You all should be in a position to handle the work. <S> But you all team members need some knowledge transfer to make sure the work deliveries. <S> And it is an opportunity for all of you to lead the work. <S> Regarding upcoming evaluation: Never worry about it. <S> You will get a chance to speak about your work. <S> Surely, your manager will make sure to get required feedback for all your team members from the supervisor who is on notice period. <S> This will happen for sure as it is your manager's duty. <S> At this moment, your supervisor will give 99% unbiased feedback for various reasons. <S> Being Professional: Just be cool. <S> Already your manager will be in tension to fill the gaps. <S> If you add your panic also for that, it's not good for you. <S> Speak with your supervisor(who is leaving), in person , about your situation, in a friendly manner. <S> Surely he will give some hints about coming developments in your work place. <S> This last point will help you more to take some decisions. <A> Find out why your immediate supervisor is leaving. <S> If he is getting canned, you might not want him to do your evaluation. <S> If your supervisor is still a respected voice in the company, ask your supervisor to push up the timetable and do your evaluation before he lives. <S> If your immediate supervisor can't help you, find out who your new supervisor is going to be. <S> If there is a postponement and the result of the rescheduled evaluation is that you are getting a raise, ask for your raise be retroactive to the time your current supervisor left. <S> Take the rescheduled evaluation as giving your new supervisor a chance to introduce yourself to them. <A> I am worried about the upcoming evaluation and also how to fill the void regarding concerns and projects going forward. <S> How can I handle this situation in the most professional manner? <S> How do I communicate my progress with other members of management? <S> It seems alarming that you are finding out less than 2 weeks before your sup's departure. <S> I am not sure what this means <S> but it signals the transition is a bit rocky not just for you but possibly for higher ups as well. <S> Look at the issue from the perspective of higher-ups. <S> A person is leaving who has direct reports with whose tasks and bandwidth they are unfamiliar. <S> This point contains part of the answer to your question. <S> One way to improve your evaluation may be to focus on what information would be helpful for them to know. <S> It may be helpful to prepare a one or two-pager bullet list or table of your projects (and specific tasks within those projects that you were responsible for), results to date, and next steps. <S> (this seconds @Mircea's suggestion re: " <S> In parallel prepare to give an overview of what you've been working on to your next boss"). <S> In other words give whoever will conduct your review some 'ammunition' that helps them first, and you second. <S> This will reflect foresight and the ability to see the transition from different vantage points and trying to be helpful. <S> The evaluation will also be a great opportunity to answer any questions you have about the transition. <S> Talk not from the position of personal concerns (what will happen to me now?) <S> but from the impersonal standpoint of business case - how to ensure effective communication and delegation of important tasks, how to ensure that the stakeholders of your work remain aware of any issues or results in a timely manner, etc. <S> That should help you come across as having group-level issues and concerns on your mind more than your personal situation. <S> Good luck! <A> Since you have a little bit of advance notice, you can take some steps (I've had a direct manager separated from the company on a Friday afternoon, after we all had gone for the weekend <S> and we didn't find out about it until the Monday following!). <S> Get your manager to write you a recommendation (if the 2 of you get along and he likes your work. <S> Otherwise, ignore this one). <S> Not only can you use it in your upcoming review (for which I'm assuming your manager won't be taking part), you can use it down the road if/when you're job shopping. <S> Find out if his position can be filled by someone on the team (i.e. YOU), or are they going to look outside the company to replace him. <S> You might be able to position yourself for a promotion (and a raise). <S> If they are going outside the company, take the opportunity to get together with the rest of your team and tweak any processes that you as a group have been unhappy with. <S> The new manager will likely see your new processes as the status quo.
| Tell your supervisor that you'd like the matter of your evaluation be treated as a priority item before he leaves. Your evaluation might have to be postoned either because the management decides to postpone or because you are asking for a postponement. In frustration, Don't show any disrespect to the person in notice period.
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They offered me a salary of x but the human resources company offered me y I will probably start a new job on Monday. During my work interview they told me that I would be temporary, and that they would employ me through an HR company, which is fine by me. I asked them about the salary, which was "X". Today I got a phone call from the HR company which told me that the company was interested in employing me and told me that the salary was "Y", which is lower than "X". I wasn't comfortable on talking about the numbers on the phone and told "Okay, let's discuss this further on Friday, when I come to sign the contract." My question is: should I accept "Y" because it's the HR company who gives me the salary (which is still higher then what I get at the moment) or should I try to negotiate? Thanks for your answers CheersBen <Q> This isn't the question you asked, but it is completely valid to tell them that you'd been offered X by the company, which is what you had accepted. <S> Ask (nicely) for the reason you are now being offered Y. <S> There might be valid reasons to offer Y. <S> It might be a mix-up <S> and they were supposed to offer you X. <S> If Y is what the offer really is, then you have to decide if you still want it for that amount, or if you'd rather walk away. <S> If the HR company is hiring and then providing people to another company, they do take a cut of the money for their overhead, for any benefits they provide to you, and for other business expenses they have. <S> That is normal and appropriate. <S> But that doesn't mean that there wasn't a mix-up, and it's quite valid to ask about it, just in case. <A> It depends who is paying you. <S> If the temp agency is paying you then the difference between x and y may be their revenue for your placement. <S> This would be the norm in Canada <S> but I don't know if temp agencies work the same throughout the world. <S> Bring it up regardless but don't be surprised if the actual salary is y. <A> If you're being paid by the temp company, then what the client said they'd pay is pretty much irrelevant: they're not the ones paying you. <S> That said, it certainly doesn't hurt to ask. <S> How hard you push depends on whether you are willing to walk away. <S> If you are willing to work there for Y, then you can try to negotiate, of course, but if ultimately you will accept Y, then that might be what you get. <S> If you are not willing to work for Y, you can tell them that you were told X and if they can't deliver X, you are not sorry but you are not interested. <S> I'm not a lawyer, but if your contract is with the temp company and not the client, then I doubt that anything the client says about salary is legally binding. <S> If I hire a contractor to paint my house, I don't decide what his employees get paid; the contractor does. <S> Any statement I made about how much I'm paying for the workers' services is pretty much irrelevant. <A> You should prepare yourself to negotiate, but first, get some clarification and see if the discrepancy is due to a lack of communication and whether or not it can be corrected. <S> They may just fix it. <S> Also, if they give you whatever reason why they can't/won't, be prepared to negotiate. <S> That starts with determining the minimum salary you will accept before contacting anyone. <S> If you want the higher salary, stand firm. <S> Let them know that is what was the agreed amount. <S> Usually when there is some sort of mistake, people honor the original agreement. <S> I've had one situation where someone indicated a firm salary amount during the interview, but offered a lower salary. <S> Let's just say accepting that job was a learning experience <S> I wish I could have obtained in an easier way. <A> The HR company is a third party company which handles hiring/firing, payroll and other human resource responsibilities. <S> In addition to collecting fees from a company to handle these business affairs, they earn money by taking a portion of the salary out of the wages of the people they place into jobs. <S> For example; The company AAA Pizza needs to manage their HR department externally, so they hire VIP Human Resource company. <S> AAA Pizza wants to hire a new driver for $25.00 an hour. <S> They tell VIP to find them a new driver. <S> VIP hires a new driver and offers them $13.00 an hour for their wages. <S> The new driver doesn't try to negotiate a higher wage so VIP gets $12.00 an hour taken from their pay. <S> So <S> .. Negotiate. <S> Ask for more and don't be afraid to tell them that you were already offered "X" and that you understood this was the wage you would receive for the position. <S> Don't forget that they are working for the company. <S> They are not in a position to oppose any arrangement or offer that the company made to you. <S> Stand you ground because most of those HR businesses will try to low-ball you in order to make the most they can off of you.
| If the people writing the paychecks say the most they can pay you is Y, then your choice might come down to accepting Y or not getting the job.
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Employment contract says the position is subject to credit check, background check, reference check, and drug test. Will they actually do all of that? I am a college student accepting an offer for a six month internship at a smallish startup. Their employment contract states "As standard procedure for all new hires, this position is subject to satisfactory credit check, background check, reference check, and drug test." Are they actually going to do all of those things? I'm unclear on what exactly a reference check is, but I know that I don't have references. (no prior work experience) <Q> Yes it is likely they will. <S> Most companies that state this is their practice actualy do these things which are all pretty standard employment practices after all. <S> You will likely need references; at this stage in your life, college professors will be fine. <A> The background and credit check are fairly standard and are just looking for anything really bad. <S> I wouldn't worry about these too much. <S> The drug test is pretty standard these days. <S> They will probably schedule you to go to some test center where you will have to pee in a cup. <S> Usually a reference check is done before a position is offered, so it is possible they might skip this part. <S> Even if you don't have any real experience you can use personal references such as teachers, neighbors, etc. <A> You need to assume that they will do AT LEAST two or three of those things, if not ALL of those things, if it is listed in the contract. <S> It is standard practice for HR organizations to do these things, and they do. <S> Different organizations have different standards of the detail to which they do these things, but here in the USA, I have had all of these things checked. <S> You may or may not be asked for personal character references, or reference letters as a college student, but you can be certain that you will be asked for a urine or hair sample (for the drug test) <S> if you have a formal interview. <A> Yes, typically they will do credit checks to make sure you are not in crazy amounts of debt, because this allows for competitors to "buy" you for company secrets. <S> Sounds crazy, but it does happen. <S> Background checks at this point for you will mean checking your University to make sure that you actually graduated with the degree you specified and with that GPA. <S> As for drug tests, they are usually pee tests. <S> Yes, they will require this. <S> Most companies do these days. <S> However, you need to read the contract to see if they do random screens during employment. <S> Most don't, but some do (especially government agencies). <S> Put down the reefer! <A> Well, if you are applying to a law enforcement agency such as the NYPD or the FBI, any one of the government security agencies such as NSA or CIA, a government public safety agency such as FDNY or EMS, or positions where you could have access to money such as a large bank or a Wall Street firm, you'd better believe that they'll check. <S> Not only that, but for some companies in some industries, these due diligence checks may be MANDATED by government regulation or by law. <S> If a company states to you that it's going to run these checks, it's safest to take them at their word. <S> References are individuals who will vouch for you in terms of your competence, spirit, initiative, team work, etc. <S> If you don't have any, do the best you can <S> : bearded professors who used to ignore you, grad student proctors who used to yell at you, the cop who arrested you at a demonstration - as long as they are willing to say on the record something nice about you <S> , that's fine. <S> You'll obviously get more selective as you gain more professional experience :)
| Yes they will probably do these all of these things.
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From contract to permanent (same company) - Is it absurd to ask "whatever you originally paid the contracting company" as my salary? I'm currently working for a contracting company (X) and I've been assigned to this other company (Y) that needs a web developer. However, I'm planning to leave X after my existing contract and work directly under Y. Regarding the salary, I want to be prepared to know what to say when the talk comes up. From what I've heard, X takes a pretty large cut so what I'm thinking is if I work directly under Y instead of X, Y would be saving money. Is it reasonable to ask as a salary from Y whatever they used to pay X, minus the monetary value of the benefits? Additional info : I'm planning to leave, in case I can't work under Y directly. So I guess that adds to my negotiating power. <Q> Is it reasonable? <S> No. <S> When companies use contract workers, they expect to pay a premium for the flexibility and simplicity. <S> With a contract worker, if they decide that this person is not working out, or they just don't need the extra staff any more, they can cancel the contract or not renew the contract and their obligation is over. <S> With a regular employee, most companies feel a moral obligation that even if the employee does not perform as expected, they must keep him on and try to work with him. <S> Or if he finishes a project and there is no immediate other work for him, they still keep him on until more work comes along. <S> Here in the U.S., if they lay someone off their unemployment insurance premiums will go up. <S> Regular employees require more paperwork and administrative costs. <S> Etc. <S> It's like the difference between renting a car and buying a car. <S> The cost to rent a car for a month is far more than you would pay on monthly payments to buy the same car. <S> So why does anyone in his right mind ever rent a car? <S> Mostly because when you rent, then when you no longer need the car, you return it to the rental company and you're done. <S> If you buy a car and decide you no longer need it, you can't just take the car back to the dealer and stop making payments. <S> You're stuck with the obligation. <A> That would be a bad move because in essence you're telling them you don't know how much you're worth. <S> You might as well hold your pinky to your mouth and ask for one million dollars . <S> X negotiated its own bed and slept in it as far as compensation goes. <S> Whatever they used to pay them is likely significantly higher than what they would pay a single employee, who has none the benefits of a dedicated contracting company. <S> Would you give that salary to someone? <S> No, it's best to treat this as any other job. <S> Figure out your acceptable range and make your offer in good faith. <S> The fact that you already know the product and the client should give you a small boost. <S> You should use that to your advantage, and that's as far as using the previous relationship should go. <A> I'm going to take a different tack - but the answer is still "NO". <S> Let me tell a story first, and then get to the answer though. <S> Back in '07 <S> I was working in San Fran , and I had two colleagues there, A and <S> B. They were poorly named colleagues, but it is their experiences that are important here, not their parent's non-conformist view on naming. <S> A & B were both contractors initially, and both brought on full-time. <S> B immediately took the perm position with minimal negotiating effort, and was consequently on a perm rate far lower than the contracting rate. <S> A did not. <S> A, in fact, took 3 months negotiating with the company - they still paid her contracting rate because they needed the work done. <S> After 3 months, A finally got across that she wanted the same wages as a contractor, only be a FTE. <S> They agreed, I think there was some deal with guaranteed bonuses to help overcome the salary-band problems. <S> ... <S> The point is this - if you don't need this job and are happy to look elsewhere, you are in an excellent position to negotiate. <S> Why? <S> Because you are taking a risk , in that they won't hire you and you will be out of a job. <S> Risk , happily, is actually the argument proffered for why a company can pay you $10/hour for a job that nets them $40/hour - the risk the company takes (it might fail, for example) is worth the $30/hour they skim off you. <S> I would strongly advise you to take the course of action you are taking - but you have to know what the rate you want is. <S> Do some homework - if it is worth the bump in pay you are implying, then do a lot of homework to work out what that rate is. <S> Do not just shrug and say you want whatever the other company was paid, that makes you an amateur. <S> Remember that you are worth a large portion of the money you are asking for , as it is your market-rate. <S> Good Luck! <A> You should approach this salary negotiation in good faith as you would any other. <S> You cannot expect the company to directly translate what they were paying to your temp company as your new salary. <S> The money paid to your temp company covered your salary, your benefits, profit to that company and possibly overhead like project management or infrastructure. <S> Your "new" company will now need to assume all those costs itself, possibly with better benefits, higher overhead and/or better infrastructure. <A> In the several instances when I have been converted from contractor to full-time employee, the employer calculated to the penny what the salary/benefits package was worth compared to the hourly rate I was getting and offered me something less than I was making as a contractor. <S> There was no opportunity for negotiation -- in other words, I tried negotiating, but the offer was firm and they were unwilling to be flexible about it.
| But perhaps do not gun for the entire rate - it is after all a negotiation, you are not trying to "prove a point", but create a win-win situation.
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Should i call back if no response after a successful Interview? I had an interview for Software Engineer. I answered the interview questions well and that person was impressed with the way i have answered. Now almost a week after the interview and i haven't got any call from them. Should i call back and ask whether i got selected or not ? Or wait until they call me ? <Q> There are two things here. <S> It can help to vaguely mention other things look like they may be moving, so you're keen to make sure <S> the one's you're interested don't get missed <S> (so you get the message to them you are keen). <S> After that it's a waiting game, you can touch base again in a week or so to keep showing your interest. <S> My second point though is to keep looking. <S> You may have had a great interview, great rapport with the interviewer(s), etc, but the cold hard fact <S> is that a million and one things may have happened: An internal candidate may be on a "promise" and you were there to make up numbers, <S> The budget could be canned, Someone may offer 90% of what you do, but only wants 60% of the money, Or worst of all, as well as you did, maybe someone did even better. <S> It can happen that you do nothing wrong, but you're still second (you may have broken the world record, but here comes Usain Bolt to smash your new record). <S> A week is a long time to wait with nothing, and yes, from experience I've had decisions that HAVE taken much longer. <S> Usually though, if you are in the frame for the role, there will be some kind of comms to keep YOU interested (even if only to say "we're still discussing it"). <S> If they have delays their end they will be afraid that their favoured candidate will pick up another offer, so they will usually keep in touch, even if they can't say why the delay is happening. <S> So talk to them, but treat it as a No until you get confirmation otherwise and keep looking. <A> The problem here is that there is no universally applicable answer to " <S> how long should I wait to hear from a company after an interview?". <S> I have interviewed with several companies, some of whom are ready with the offer letter right at the end of your interview, and some whom have notoriously long "internal processes" which take several months to complete. <S> I would suggest you get in touch with some other employees of the company to figure out how long it usually takes for them to roll out the offer letter (or invite the candidate for the next round of interview). <S> Glassdoor is often a good place for such investigations, if you do not know anyone in person. <S> If that doesn't work, I would suggest wait for maybe one more week and contact one of the managers who interviewed you to find out what's going on with your application. <S> In the meantime, if you aren't doing this already, I would also recommend you keep looking for other opportunities. <S> You can never be sure that you will get an offer even after an impressive interview, because departments go through "budget freezes", "job role fulfilled internally" and other problems all the time. <A> If you are courteous on how you follow up, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't follow up. <S> If you get that how you ask for something is as important as what you ask, there is little to no danger to you that something is going to blow up in your face. <S> We have had a couple of users on this site who spammed their HR contact at the prospective employer's HR every day within 48 hours of the interview and CALLED them, too. <S> And then asked us what they should do next. <S> Don't do that :) <A> It can be good to call them to check on progress. <S> That shows that you are interested in the job. <S> People who give advice on such things often say you should call or send an email after an interview saying you are interested, maybe ask a follow-up question. <S> The trick is WHEN to call. <S> Too soon, and especially if you make multiple calls, and you are just annoying. <S> Too late and they may give the job to someone else. <S> I think 1 to 2 weeks is the generally-recommended time. <S> If you do call and get a non-committal, "we're still considering all applicants" type of response, especially if they say something to the effect of "we'll call you if ... <S> ", I'd work on the assumption that you're not going to get this job. <S> No matter how well you think the interview went, they might have simply been being polite. <S> Or maybe they thought you were an A+ candidate but the next guy they interviewed was an A++ candidate. <S> MAYBE it will still come through, but don't sit by the phone waiting for them to call. <S> Apply other places.
| Firstly call them, thank them for the interview, ask if there has been any decision yet, and ask if there is a likely timeline if not. Contacting them too early might make you appear desperate, two weeks is usually a reasonable amount of time to wait for (though YMMV, as discussed in the first paragraph).
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Boss is sending me out of state for an 8-day class. Would it look bad if I asked for an extra day to do something fun? I'm being sent to California for an 8-day training course (8 consecutive days; I don't get a weekend off). I'd like to spend a day at a nearby Six Flags park for some fun while I'm in the area, but I'm a bit worried that my boss would look down on me for even asking about spending an extra day down there to do something not work-related. Is it common to get extra time during business travel to do some leisure? The company is paying for my airfare, hotel, and food while I'm there. I would understand (and expect, really) that they won't pay for the extra night at the hotel and the extra day of food. I'm still early in my career (Finished my degree in March of last year, got hired by the current company in May), so I'm not sure if making such a request would look bad. <Q> Is it common to get extra time during business travel to do some leisure? <S> This means, be prepared to put in a leave request or otherwise use a vacation day. <S> Of course, you also need to ask well enough ahead of time so that your other responsibilities are adequately covered in your absence. <S> Even if the answer is <S> "No" I don't think it would "look bad". <S> You might even find that your employer will pay for the extra day themselves - as compensation for being away from home so many days in a row. <S> That not something you can expect, but it might happen. <A> I used to travel over 50% of the time <S> and we did this sort of thing all the time. <S> I did it the last time I went to a conference too. <S> They key is to ask before the airline reservations are made. <S> Reservations can be pricey to change, but usually an extra day between the flights won't be more expensive; it is even less occasionally. <S> If it is more expensive, you will need to pay the difference and you will need to pay for your expenses on your free day and take vacation time if it is not a weekend. <A> If you cover your expenses then that should not be a problem. <S> I have even gotten my expenses paid if it saved money. <S> If you stay a Saturday the saving on airline is sometimes greater than the cost of food and lodging. <S> You might not get your expenses paid <S> but if it means a cheaper flight then just tell them as a bonus you actually have lower expenses. <S> If you are working two weeks then stay the weekend it is often cheaper than two airline flights. <S> If it is a contract where they have to pay travel time then they are trading for real work time. <S> I did this a lot. <A> I don't see the harm in asking if it's allowed. <S> In some places it is, in others, it may not be. <S> I've had the opportunity to do this when I've been on work travel, as have other coworkers, but that's because the policy allows for it. <S> It may also depend on costs - for example, pushing out the return trip by a day or two could increase the airfare, if you're expecting the company to reimburse you for both ends of the flight. <S> Ultimately, as long as you made it clear that you were willing to pay the expenses that were outside the bounds of your job <S> and you have the necessary leave and approvals for the vacation days, it's something that you should ask about. <S> It's a reasonable request and the worst that any reasonable person would say is "no" (and hopefully explain why it's not OK). <A> As others have said this is not uncommon. <S> Ask your manager or hr office what rules apply; they may be different for different kinds of trip. <S> Be aware that if the vacation becomes too large vs. the business part of the trip it may change the tax situation and you may have to treat the tickets as income; that's another good reason to ask in advance. <A> I have done this a couple of times at a large corporation so it is feasible <S> but I think it would depend on your manager. <S> There was nothing to say that it could or could not be done so it was up to my manager's discretion. <S> There may be a difference in the cost of the flight <S> but if you don't mention it, no one will think twice about it. <S> On another note, I used to work at Magic Mountain when I was in high school. <S> Unlike Disneyland, they don't open on the weekdays till around Spring Break. <S> It looks like they start full time next week this year, though, so you should be OK. <S> Make sure you're in decent shape - it isn't called Magic Mountain for nothing. <A> An ex-boss once had one weeks travel back to his home country (Germany), for business, and stayed the next week on holiday. <S> He payed half the airfare. <S> Totally reasonable and sensible as long as you're being asked to make the business trip independent of personal benefit. <A> In general this is ok as long as company policy allows it, you pay all your separate leisure expenses, and you take any necessary PTO (although some or all of Friday(/Sunday in lieu) would already have been dedicated to traveling anyway).So, if your company culture and policy allow it, no it wouldn't look bad; if they don't, it would. <S> Now from the cost point of view, if you need to make the case to management or the accounts dept for allowing this, one good technique used is to print off the airfares for a Friday and Sunday return and show them how much $$$ <S> you're saving them . <S> The Friday one will almost invariably be a lot higher, due to demand and the airline industry's trusty old Saturday-night-stay price structure.
| It's not uncommon to plan time off around business travel events like this - provided you do so on your own time and your own dime. It's a reasonable question, and I don't think it would hurt to ask.
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How to deal with jealousy after getting promoted? I am part of a software development team in a big corporation. The team consists of the manager, several developers and one senior developer. The senior developer position recently became vacant and eveyone wants it, of course. So I am applying for this position, and so does everyone else in the team. However, I believe that my chances to get that position are quite high. In fact, I have reason to believe that some of those people who make the decision about who gets the position have already decided to favor me. Currently there is a very good relationship within the team, but the direct competition situation we are now getting placed in is already showing some signs of strain on it. I am worried that when I get the position, the other teammembers will become jealous of me and our relationship could become much worse. Should I get the position, what can I do to prevent jealousy from the other team members from destroying my relationship with them? <Q> There are two possible, mutually exclusive outcomes: <S> The aggressiveness dies down as management announces the winner, and everyone reconciles with the outcome and goes back to the grind. <S> The rancor persists. <S> All you can do is make it clear to everyone that you'll work with the winner, whoever they are, way before the management hands the decision. <S> Keep up the team-oriented working style so that if the winner is you, the team members can see for themselves that the management decision to declare you the winner makes sense, even if they may not like the decision. <S> If the team members believe that you are the least qualified to be the senior developer, the rancor may persist for some time. <S> In which case, you'll have to look for ways to grow into the job and grow into the job. <S> Fast. <S> I am not sure that getting the staff to like the management decision to declare you the winner should be the goal. <S> Getting them to live with the decision is probably easier to achieve and the more realistic goal. <A> The short answer is that you have to be as dispassionate about the process as possible. <S> You're assuming they will be jealous. <S> With mature adults, that's not really going to happen. <S> What they will feel is disappointment, and you may even lose one or two in the following months as they see that there is no reasonable expectation of short-term advancement. <S> It will fade, though, as they realize that they haven't lost anything, but rather didn't realize a gain they might have had. <S> However, you are correct to concern yourself with jealousy. <S> Just remember, jealousy is an emotion, and any emotions you feed into the situation, even positive, only feed theirs. <S> IF you are promoted, accept it quietly and graciously with a "Thank you" and a handshake when the manager announces it, and don't dwell on it. <S> Don't fawn over them, but a few "Good idea." <S> and "Nice work. <S> " responses can go a long way. <S> There is one more thing in your favor, as well: <S> Senior Developer is kind of a weird position: You have additional responsibility, but not really any additional authority. <S> (Depending on your organization.) <S> Most of the time it works against you, but in this case, it can work for you. <S> You don't have to deal with the employee relations issues as a manager would. <S> Your manager still has that responsibility. <S> In fact, having a frank talk with your manager about where he wants you to "stop" managing and refer issues to him is very appropriate in the first couple of days after the promotion. <S> If you're in a large organization, there may even be formal training/documentation. <S> (In a previous company, all the HR policies for supervisors and managers were issued in a big purple binder. <S> We called it, " The Barney Book .") <S> Ask if something like that is available, and read it if it is. <S> Remember: Emotion feeds on emotion. <S> Don't feed theirs, and any jealousy that crops up should calm down quickly. <A> Jealousy is going to happen and that is not the problem to manage. <S> If they did not think they deserved the position they would not have applied. <S> Are they going to respect you as lead developer and work effectively <S> is what you need to manage. <S> If you are not respected in your current role then you will not be respected as lead. <S> As lead facilitate and communicate over making design decisions yourself. <S> Don't act like you expect to get the position. <S> That will not help harmony.
| If you notice any problems with others' reactions to your promotion, it is not your issue to deal with it. In your first few days, be sure to be obvious about your respect of your team's abilities and contributions, both as a group and as individuals.
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impact on resume if business fails I'm thinking of quitting my job and starting a business that might possibly fail within a year (I heard a lot of them do) Will I have problems getting hired again if the business fails? Will this be a huge stain on my resume? Would it say that I might have a problem with authority? I'm aware of this question , but the person who asked this didn't just tend to the business, which is what I will do I might also do some open-source development if I have any idle time, just as in this question <Q> Will I have problems getting hired again if the business fails? <S> Will this be a huge stain on my resume? <S> Would it say that I might have a problem with authority? <S> It might cause problems, but it might not. <S> Having a business fail isn't usually the problem. <S> Switching from being an employee to a business owner and back to an employee again is usually the main issue. <S> I have hired lots of people who ventured out on their own, then (for whatever reason) decided to become an employee again. <S> One thing that I always worry about when hiring someone in that situation is - what is the chance that they will leave soon to try again? <S> I spend a lot of time talking about that with candidates during their interviews. <S> I don't want to hire someone for a short time while they gather their thoughts, only to have them venture out once again. <S> I like to only hire folks who will be around for a while. <S> If you end up in that situation, you want to be clear in your own mind what you want to do - start another business eventually, or give up the idea and go back to being an employee. <S> If the former, you might consider being a contractor for a while, rather than a permanent employee. <S> As Joel Etherton wisely states in his comment: managing contracts and billables and invoices and all the other lovely things about it help prepare people for the business side of things. <S> If the latter, then you want to be clear in your own mind how you can convince a potential employer during interviews that you really do want to be an employee again. <A> Will I have problems getting hired again if the business fails? <S> This is quite unanswerable. <S> If the business fails but there is a huge demand for whatever you do then I'd likely think not. <S> On the other hand, if demand dries up for what you do, which you never state, then you may have problems. <S> Trying to isolate just to a business failing isn't likely a great idea. <S> There were likely lots of developers that worked for various dot-coms in the late 1990s where the business failed and yet the developers are still working. <S> Will this be a huge stain on my resume? <S> Probably not though it may be asked of "What would you do differently if you started a business again?" <S> or "What is the biggest lesson you learned in running your own business? <S> " that would be fair questions I'd give in an interview. <S> Would it say that I might have a problem with authority? <S> I wouldn't take it that way though others might. <S> I'd be more interested though in how you handle various hot seat questions I'd have about it and see what happens. <S> Do you have vague answers that don't go anywhere? <S> Do you have specific things that would be issues you could pinpoint now with the benefit of hindsight? <S> Course some may look at you and make all kinds of conclusions but somehow this may not be understood well. <A> What's the reason for failure? <S> If you're a technician who didn't understand the market, that shouldn't hinder you from getting a technical position. <S> However, if you had notions that you could "be your own boss" and work 4 hour weeks, so you failed due to laziness, I wouldn't want to hire you for anything. <S> What did you learn? <S> This is as much about running a business as it is about yourself. <S> You tried something different, but decided it is not for you <S> and you want to be an employee. <S> Sometimes people discover they're better at taking orders than giving them. <S> You need to be able to tell this story in your cover letter and be prepared to answer a lot of questions about it during the interview process. <S> Make sure you convince yourself first before trying to fool anyone else. <A> What I think is more problematic is your current mindset. <S> You have to start your business with the attitude that you're going to succeed, otherwise, you are dooming yourself to failure. <S> Worrying about how your resume might look in a year should not even be on your radar.
| If you are starting a business and planning for its failure before you even start , that doesn't say a whole lot about your confidence in your ability to run a business. It's not going to be a problem if you can talk about it in the interview.
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Job interview: Contact with interview officer. I am in a situation when I am looking for a job. I am invited for my first job interview. On the invitation letter I am informed the name of the officials to whom I will have to meet. I thought it might be a good idea to get some information about them for example their field of interest, expertise. But problem is, when I search them on the Xing or Linked in, they get the notification, will it make bad impression? Is it very unusual to contact with them before the interview? <Q> No. <S> People put the information on Xing and LinkedIn because they expect it to be read. <S> I'd be very surprised if they don't look at your profile(s) <S> as well, first. <A> But problem is, when I search them on the Xing or Linked in, they get the notification, will it make bad impression? <S> How far are you going here? <S> If you are going to try to add them as a LinkedIn contact before meeting them then <S> yes it would make a bad impression. <S> On the other hand, if you look through it to get some information that may be useful in the interview then it could be good. <S> Also, be aware of whether you are researching stuff on them or are you trying to have an informal interview before the interview that may well go bad. <S> yes as it would seem like you are obsessed and in need of medical professional help with this issue for another extreme example here. <S> Is it very unusual to contact with them before the interview? <S> I'd say it is unusual to contact them, yes. <S> If you are merely looking at their profile on the site, this isn't the same as contact to my mind. <S> At the same time, if you are at a networking event and run into a future interview person then this can be quite good to have an opportunity to get to know the person outside of the office to some extent. <S> Similarly if you run into someone that you had an interview a week or two ago, it can be useful to catch up on things. <A> I know this is old, but one way I get around looking at LinkedIn profiles without the profile owners getting notified is to use incognito mode in Google Chrome.
| If you sent them a letter declaring your undying love for them then it would likely make a bad impression
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How to negotiate as an entry-level developer This May I will be graduating from university with a computer science degree, as many people are. I have been on the job hunt for awhile, and have now received two offers. My first offer (at the place I'd prefer to work for) was lower than expected. I asked if the salary was negotiable and the recruiter responded with "I don't think so". The second offer (less desirable place) has a much higher offer. According to Glassdoor, the offer I was presented at the first company is about 18% lower than what that position pays at that company. Now that I have this second offer, am I able to go back and try to re-negotiate the offer with the first place? I would like to get paid the average salary for the position, but I also do not want the recruiter to be turned off. I'm not entirely sure the best way to approach this situation. The first company seems great to work for and has awesome benefits so I do not want to lose the offer, but at the same time I would like to be paid fairly. Note, I do have written offers from both of these companies. The first company's offer came about 3 days before the second company's offer. Time has already been discussed and both companies are fine with my timeline (3 more business days). <Q> First off, you shouldn't be expecting the "Average" salary as a fresh graduate. <S> You are, by definition, entry-level. <S> The average person in that role probably has between 3 and 7 years' experience, and you have none. <S> They're going to put you at the bottom of the range for that position. <S> You'll have to earn your way up to higher levels as you gain experience and prove yourself. <S> That being said, there's nothing wrong with comparing offers. <S> If you feel company 1's offer is too low, and you feel company 2's offer is better, then by all means take the better offer. <S> However, I would STRONGLY recommend that you don't decline company 1's offer until you have a SIGNED AGREEMENT with company 2 regarding salary and start date. <S> In the end, you have to manage your own choices. <S> Also - this question will likely get punted off of workplace, as "What job to take" is a specifically out-of-scope question. <S> However, I thought you'd like an answer. <A> To be completely honest, when you are at entry-level (graduate level), unless you have done exceptional work that puts you 'above the rest' in your education or spare time, you have little to no bargaining power ; which unfortunately makes a big difference when it comes to negotiation. <S> When you have been working somewhere for a few years and you have done some really awesome stuff, and then you look for another job - you have more bargaining power : <S> firstly because you have some evidence to show how awesome you are, and secondly because you already have a job so you don't have to take the new job. <S> You will have a much better chance of getting what you want when you have more of a track record and the knowledge and experience to back it up. <S> Yes, if you do end up being awesome, you can laugh at the previous companies who didn't take you onboard - but you're not there yet. <S> My advice: <S> Get your foot in the door . <S> Take the job which will give you the experience and the time to invest in your own mind (so not stressful, not an agency, not directly under a CEO whose only care is money and resource); somewhere where you can be nurtured to grow in along your path and then when you have been there for a year or so <S> , you can go where you really want to (or stay). <A> The answer is Yes, but... : <S> Although the offer from the company B can be used to renegotiate the terms with company A, you have to be very careful when doing so. <S> As Wesley Long's answer explains, firstly you should not attempt this negotiation until you have both offers in hand, in writing and secondly, a fresh graduate should not expect to make the average of what a position pays. <S> You are (by definition) at the entry-level for this position and thus should expect to make less than a more seasoned candidate would in the same position. <S> The fact that entry-level workers make less and more seasoned workers make more is why the average exists in the first place. <S> For this reason the chance of getting company A to make a better offer is lower. <S> At the same time, having a better offer in hand can be a valid but risky negotiation technique. <S> You can contact company A to explain to them that you've received a better offer X with pay Y and benefits Z and ask if they'd like to change their offer based on this information. <S> ( Never mention <S> where the better offer is, as that is highly unprofessional and may cost you both offers right there!) . <S> The risk here is that company A might retract their offer entirely and say "well then, good luck at the other company" instead of not changing their offer or choosing to match/exceed the other offer. <S> If you feel your preference weighs heavier than the pay increase, ask yourself if you would be fine with taking company B's offer if company A retracts theirs. <S> If the answer is no, you might not want to take the risk of losing the offer from company A. Your status as a fresh graduate <S> makes this negotiation harder. <S> Normally, when you and a company have established that you want to work for them and they want to hire you to fill their position, negotiating the compensation you will receive is mostly a formality (for more on this, try reading this article: http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/ ) <S> but in your case you don't really have as much value yet as someone with more real-world experience would have.
| In short, first you need to weigh your preference for company A against the higher pay company B offers. Unfortunately, you're unlikely to get anything for how great a job you will do in the future.
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Performance statistics to highlight for web dev work on a resume I recently launched a new Wordpress website for an organization I've been working for, and I'm wanting to update my resume as a result. I know "I made this website" isn't enough - a lot of people I've talked to in the past have recommended that I quantify my impact when describing the work I've done. So my question is - what metrics or tidbits do people hiring for technical positions (web dev particularly) care about with regards to any significant web development work? Reduced size key assets by 50%? Improved page load times? Usability/speed (e.g. PageSpeed Insights) metrics? Measured increase in traffic? I'm looking for the statistical, technical bullet points that will catch people's eyes on a resume. <Q> Well, if the performance of the website has noticeably been increased, it is sure worthwhile to mention it. <S> Also, in my opinion, stating you used Wordpress to do this project could be benefitial. <S> It adds to your experience of different development "techniques". <S> You not only know how to make websites using HTML, and PHP, but also Wordpress. <S> This could give you advantage over others who do not have experience with i.e. Wordpress. <S> For your resume, if you want to add stuff to projects that are worth mentioning, I would state using Wordpress, and i.e. an increasement of 50% with pageloading. <S> Project ARelaunched business website - <S> <Special framework/API used> - 50% faster pageloading after <reason-x <S> > <S> Keep it brief though: it's not a portfolio. <A> What problem did the new site address? <S> It's not just about how a web site performs. <S> How is the new site addressing the problems of the organization? <S> In terms of performance, if you did show an increase in some factor, that would imply you spent some time measuring before and after results. <S> What benefits have you observed? <S> Summarizing those would be the information to include. <S> But think beyond just page load times and look at things like improved conversions, streamlined business process, increased customer engagement, etc. <S> as long as you have data to back up the claims! <S> Don't make up, any stats! <A> Highlight: <S> Tools <S> you used to build or improve the website - both parts of the infrastructure (django, Hibernate, Spring, Angular, etc) Processes or communication styles - " <S> worked as part of an open source community", "work for hire using daily status updates, and weekly meetings", "agile", "waterfall" Test tools used - unit test tools, regressive test tools, etc. <S> If you are using metrics, make sure that you can meaningfully talk about them. <S> "It just happened to work out that way" is a pretty lame follow up answer - <S> if you spend a month improving the performance of a website, you should be able to tell the interviewer: <S> what was wrong with it, and what had to change to bring about the improvement <S> how did you test it - <S> what were the pluses and minuses to that type of test approach what it always true/ <S> under what circumstances did it not work <S> what did it mean for the business? <S> Did the business see a meaningful gain for your work? <S> If I see a metric and ask about it, I want the candidate to be able to answer these types of questions. <S> If they can't I'll figure they were just trying to pad the resume. <S> If they can't answer why the change was meaningful, I'll be worried that they can't focus on the most necessary work. <S> If they can't answer how it was fixed and tested, it makes me worry that the work was only happy accident. <S> I worked in the DoD where high quality testing was a huge deal, but usability was not a big deal. <S> In eCommerce, page load times and <S> people who can improve them is a big deal. <S> So some of "what metric?" is also knowing the business and what a given business will care about most. <S> When jumping between businesses, it's good to be able to explain "I did X because Y was critical to that type of business".
| For some businesses, some metrics will matter more than others.
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How to handle the situation where the scrum master is not supportive Recently I joined a software company, working in an Agile team of 6 people. The Scrum Master in my team has less software experience than me, but based on his project management and client management skill, the client has asked him to lead this project. Both of us share a common project manager who doesn't interfere in our team daily work. My Scrum Master is not very supportive. He doesn't like being asked questions, and has said things which actually hurt me. Due to this, I am actually feeling afraid, and I think multiple times before asking him any questions. This is actually hampering my work. Also, in the technology I am working in, I don't have very good hands on experience, meaning it takes time to complete the job but as I am experienced, he expects me to deliver it early. How can I handle this? EDIT : Example of discussions with scrum master :- If I ask if we want to add this feature, he will say "what did I tell you?", and when I respond, he'll say "If I said what you just told me, then why you are asking me?" Sometimes if I ask we need to change a certain functionality, he'll say 'of course you have to do this. This is common sense.' If I asked how to design a feature, he will tell me "think by yourself". and if I do tell him something that we can do this way he will tell me "OK, is that done? And what about if this happens, have you thought about it from this way?" Sometimes he will told me that I don't know anything, I want it to be done by today. <Q> Scrum master in my team has less software experience than me but based on his project management and client management skill client has asked him to lead this project. <S> That sounds like the organisation implemented SCRUM by having the same old boss-workers-hierarchy and just renamed the "boss" to "scrum master" and now thinks is using SCRUM. <S> It's not . <S> The guy leading the whole thing is called the product owner. <S> And that's not the same person as the scrum master, or that whole thing will go down the drain. <S> Only the product owner is talking to the client. <S> There is nothing the SCRUM master and the client could talk about. <S> You need to figure out what you want. <S> If you want SCRUM, there is 3 participants, the product owner (big boss), the team (guys doing the work) and the scrum master. <S> He is neither anyones boss nor a member of the team. <S> His job is to make sure that the scrum process rules are implemented properly. <S> You may want to read a book on SCRUM to know if it's set up properly. <S> Based on scrum, your questions were directed at the wrong person. <S> Anything related to software development should be clarified by your team if you have questions. <S> If you have questions about the process , about SCRUM itself, feel free to talk to your SCRUM master. <S> Maybe it would be a good idea to ask who the product owner of your product is. <S> If the scrum master steps up, run. <S> Fast and far. <S> He probably never read the book about SCRUM in the first place. <A> Read the book <S> The No Asshole Rule by Bob Sutton, and then decide if your are working for one. <S> If your boss is such a person: Short Answer : Find another job and leave. <S> Longer Answer <S> Because the company trusts your boss, and not you. <S> And the company obviously has no mechanisms to learn how the boss manages people. <S> If you stay, you are validating that boss' behaviour. <S> That is bad for you. <S> If Human Resources (HR) offers you an exit interview, document the typical interactions as you have done above, and then tell HR that those interactions left you feeling bad. <S> Do not call the boss any names or try to suggest his motives. <S> Just describe the interactions in factual detail only, and tersely state how you felt. <S> And do not accept a counteroffer to stay. <S> In Sutton's book he talks about a metric called the "Total Cost of Asshole", which measures the financial damage such bosses do to their companies, because employees become angry, depressed, and fearful, and the company suffers productivity losses as a result. <S> Your company cannot learn the need to measure such costs unless people refuse to work for this kind of person. <A> Sounds like a typical case of bullying to me. <S> You have to be careful in these kinds of situations. <S> If you have questions regarding functionality and/or features, write them down and give them to the SCRUM master. <S> If your questions regard (major) changes to the product, the product owner must be informed. <S> Sometimes if I ask we need to change a certain functionality, he'll say 'of course you have to do this. <S> This is common sense.' <S> From my experience, he'll probably say it in a way that makes you feel dumb, or at the very least insecure. <S> Point out to him that he doesn't have to act like a dick when you're simply asking for confirmation. <S> The SCRUM master is there to guide the team members and talk to the product owner. <S> He can be seen as a middleman. <S> Last <S> but not least, as written in other answers, it is possible to leave. <S> But keep in mind: he's making you uncomfortable, and there are a heck of a lot other people who will do just the same. <S> I'm not saying you shouldn't leave, but you can expect a similar situation in the next company (might aswell <S> you never meet anyone like him ever again). <S> It'll make you stronger, more secure, and more experienced.
| Anything that is a requirement from the client should be clarified by your product owner if you have any questions. : Find another job and leave. If it's your boss' words against yours you will lose. Do not immediatly walk away from problems, but rather try to deal with them.
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what recourse would milton from office space have had? So I was watching Office Space the other day and in it there's a character named Milton who's constantly being abused by his employer. Basically, he's never told he's been laid off and although he is no longer receiving paychecks he's still coming into work. When he inquires about his paychecks he's constantly being directed to someone else. Watching this movie kinda makes me wonder what recourse one would have if that happened in real life. Would filing an OSHA complaint be appropriate if you had gone for a sufficiently long amount of time without being paid and for the abuse he was subjected to? Is this something I should be concerned about happening to me in the real world? <Q> Milton is a character who is pathologically incapable of speaking up for himself. <S> It follows that he would have been unable to make a case to the department of labor (or OSHA or whatever). <S> His only "recourse" was to burn down the building and in a brilliant moment of poetic justice, opportunistically pick up the money skimmed by protagonists, skip town and live happily ever after. <S> From the point of view of "The Workplace" the interesting thing to think about is not what would a "Milton" do if this happened in real life, but rather to consider what Initech, Lumberg and the Bob's could have have done differently in regards to Milton. <S> Perhaps there's a price to pay for treating the meek badly? <S> I think that's the whole point of the Milton sub-plot in Office Space. <A> What does OSHA have to do with your paycheck, given that the initials OSHA expand to Occupation Safety & Health Administration? <S> I suggest that you review their website and get yourself acquainted with their mission. <S> Having said that, if for whatever reason, your employer is not paying you for work that you performed as an employee, contact the Department of Labor of your state as soon as you are not comfortable with the delay in you being paid - the worst that happens is that the Department of Labor of your state tells you to wait a bit longer. <S> Then it swings into action and starts quizzing your employer, assuming that your employer has not vanished into parts unknown. <S> An employer who lays you off and neglects to tell you they have laid you off is essentially preventing you from collecting your unemployment benefits - That's material for a tough conversation with the Department of Labor of your state. <A> Lets address the important question first: <S> Is this something I should be concerned about happening to me in the real world? <S> No. <S> If a company is going to lay you off they are not going to let you return to work. <S> There is too much risk in it for them <S> not the least being your making the poor decision to damage the company through your internal actions. <S> For this reason when a company lays you off they remove your access to the location and are not going to allow you to continue working. <S> When you are laid off(or any permanent termination type) there is a lot of paperwork that the company needs to fill out to comply with the law. <S> If they do not fill it out then you are not terminated. <S> For that reason it is incredibly unlikely that it will happen at a company that is solvent. <S> It does happen at companies that are on the brink of going under but that is a different question. <S> If the company did all that paperwork and still let you continue to work then it would still owe you for that time that you worked. <S> Of course if you do this in hiding and during off hours they can fight it <S> but if you were in a position like Milton where you work everyday like normal and the company just lets you continue then they have agreed to keep you on. <S> They would need to do all new paperwork to terminate you if they allow you to work. <S> So, No you do not need to worry about this happening to you. <S> If it happens to you anyway then you would need to get a lawyer, preferably one that is knowledgeable in employment law. <S> Lawyers that handle workmen's compensation claims usually will handle these cases as well or at least be able to refer you to someone who can help you.
| If they stop paying you anyway then you can sue them and not only get back pay but damages that result from their failure to pay you.
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Salary renegotiate after accepting the job offer I have been selected as a software Engineer in a company X and I have accepted the offer letter. After few days I got selected in company Y they are paying higher than company X but company X is very good and I still want to join company X only. My question is can I renegotiate salary from company X by showing the offer of company Y. Is it ethical to renegotiate the salary of accepted offer? Suppose If I join company X, will the salary renegotiation create any kind of bad impression in that company? <Q> HR typically uses the candidate's acceptance to initiate the rest of the joining process. <S> If you now go back to renegotiate the salary, they will have to restart the process, which is highly irritating. <S> In the extreme case, they would withdraw the offer, but more likely, they will simply refuse to increase the salary offer. <S> Now you have gained nothing from the adventure, but created a bad impression for yourself, even before you signed the papers. <S> Company X agreed to offer you a certain salary based on their assessment of your skills, experience, etc. <S> and also, based on how much they were capable of paying you. <S> Have any of those parameters significantly changed in the past few weeks warranting them to reconsider how much they pay you? <S> Unlikely. <A> My question is can I renegotiate salary from company X by showing the offer of company Y. <S> You are basically going back on your word. <S> Many hiring managers (like me) wouldn't be happy that shortly after you agreed to one set of terms, you are now trying to change them. <S> In some situations, the hiring manager can simply withdraw the offer. <S> You could ruin your chances of working for company X, and for working with the hiring manager ever again. <S> Is it ethical to renegotiate the salary of accepted offer? <S> Your personal ethics are unique to you, and something you must decide for yourself. <S> It's certainly not something I would ever do, or advise my friends and family to do. <S> But your mileage may vary. <S> Suppose If I join company X, will the salary renegotiation create any kind of bad impression in that company? <S> Quite possibly, yes. <S> As I indicated, you are telling your new employer that they cannot trust you to stand behind what you say (not to mention what you signed). <S> That's not an impression I'd want to leave with my company. <S> For me, trust is extremely important, as is my reputation. <A> If you accepted the offer, and then a few days later they called you and said, "You know, we've decided we really can't afford to pay you that much, we have to reduce the offer by 10%", I think you'd have very bad feelings about that company, regardless of where you went from there. <S> It works both ways. <S> Trying to change the terms of a contract after you've signed it is at best rude and technically illegal. <S> Something I figured out along the way in life: When you're considering taking a new job, making a major purchase, or any other sort of "big contract", make reasonable efforts to get the best deal you can, and then once you've made your decision and signed on the dotted line, DON'T KEEP SHOPPING. <S> Don't even look at any other offers or possibilities that may come up. <S> Because unless you got the best possible deal in the entire world, then there's a better deal out there somewhere. <S> And if you keep looking, sooner or later you'll find a better deal. <S> But as it's now too late, you're already committed, the only thing that knowing about the better deal does is make you dissatisfied and unhappy with the deal you made.
| If you have already clicked 'Accept' on the company's website, I would strongly discourage trying to renegotiate the salary. You could certainly try, but that approach has risks.
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getting up to speed in the highly technical environment I have accepted a job in the highly technical complex (should say "complicated") environment. We have over 1,000 servers a few networks, a lot of custom built applications - you get the picture. I have a lot of technical experience in the similar environments, but each place is very different - so my peers say to me that it take about a year (give or take month or two) to understand moving parts and why/how they have been put together. The most challenging part is that my boss sort of ignoring my on-boarding. He has set up a couple of initial meetings to show me the very basics: like we have so-so networks and so-so servers, but essentially I have to crawl myself through the incredibly over-complicated infrastructure. If I play defense (be very conservative) -it will take me a full year to sort of start understanding the infrastructure. And I am not expected to be sitting on the fence during all that time If I play offense (be aggressive and start digging into) -I may break thing here and there, because I may not know the entire process there. Essentially, before I can touch anything, I have to know everything. THat's the summary. My boss does not play an active role in my training, neither my peers. I do not mind asking questions, but sometimes I just do not know where to start. Is it normal? <Q> At this point, I'd focus on manage <S> what's expected from you , clearly defining productivity x risk. <S> As more / faster work <S> your boss wants you to do, as more risk he'll have to accept. <S> I assume he'll start assigning you tasks that may not break everything apart, so you'll have some freedom to fail here and there... <S> but at the same time, learning, since the fastest way to learn is by doing mistakes. <A> read as much internal documentation as there is available - i realise that that might not be a lot in some organisations, but it's a start. <S> read all the documentation from third parties (operating systems, applications, etc) <S> - there'll be more there dig away to the extent to which you are a) comfortable with digging and b) able to get yourself out of a hole and c) <S> getting your tasks done never be afraid to ask other staff for help when you are unsure <S> learn profit <A> Yes, feeling like that is "normal". <S> However, the important thing is that you don't have to "know everything" before you touch anything. <S> To some extent, you can use your newness as an excuse if you make mistakes. <S> It is better to make some mistakes during the next year or so than to sit on the sidelines until you think you're ready. <S> I work in a similar complex environment and can tell you that even the most senior people can't grasp the entire big picture all at once, all the time. <S> The good news is that most mistakes are reversible and you learn a lot from them. <S> You can rely on your boss and coworkers to keep you from making disastrous mistakes and help you recover from the mistakes you do make. <S> In a healthy workplace, this builds an empathetic relationship of trust between you and them. <S> Moreover, achieving a comfortable level of book-learning from documentation won't necessarily prevent mistakes from happening. <S> You'll never actually be ready if you have to wait until you're "ready". <A> I was in the same sort of situation. <S> I had been a DBA by Default at a very small company and got a job at a company with over 400 SQL Servers alone along with even more windows servers in general. <S> After a week, while I still did not have much knowledge of how to do things the "company way", there was lots of documentation and checklists for every thing that was commonly performed. <S> Once I knew where to look <S> I started tackling problems knowing where to look to get the information. <S> I was still looking and reading the documentation after 6 months (although at that point I was also helping to keep the documentation updated and documenting new processes). <S> There were some servers I was dealing with on a weekly basis and knew them by name but others where I rarely touched them, again these were all documented with how to connect to them and which network segment they were on. <S> As to my training, my manager was not very involved. <S> I relied on my team members and asked a lot of questions. <S> If I knew they were doing something I had not done yet I would ask to look over their shoulder while they did it and ask lots of questions. <S> It worked out great <S> and I learned a lot. <S> I also was able to teach my team members as well since I had a different perspective and strong points. <S> So in the end the TL;DR is jump in on the small stuff and know where to look for documentation. <S> If you have any down time, sit with other team members and ask questions. <S> Take a step back and see that even the forest is made of individual trees.
| Overall it was just getting in and working the small things first and slowly grabbing new tasks that other members of the team saw as routine.
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Basically unemployed for 5 years. How do I explain this to prospective employers? I’m 32, unemployed, and live with my parents in an expensive US city. In 2010, I finished a Masters Degree in Business outside the US, but I have suffered from depression ever since and have been unable to seek work since 2010. I have been seeking help for this but for all that time I simply could not motivate myself to look for work. Right now and since 2010, I’ve helped manage some accounting with my father’s business from home, but that’s basically it. I haven't done as much as I'd like with this. I have been seeking treatment for depression and I feel like it’s gotten to the point where I am able to work again. This is a bit scary for me. I won’t really know how to explain my time off, other than what I have said. I’m worried about being dishonest with the amount of work I was actually doing at home. I really like technological stuff but I don’t have much formal training in this. I was thinking about getting some type of certification before looking for work. I think this would help boost my confidence and be a decent thing to add to a resume. But anyway, I was wondering what people would suggest I do if I sought work? Should I go for a certification first or what? And how would I explain myself on an interview? The depression, living at home, and being without (proper) work for this long and at my age have really sapped my confidence levels. <Q> You should explain that you've spent the last 5 years taking care of some personal issues, and that you have been doing accounting work for a family business to stay up on things. <S> If asked whether whatever kept you occupied for all that time is going to be a problem going forward, express your confidence that things are under control and you're ready to start running again. <S> Look for work in an area where you have some demonstrable skills. <S> If you don't have any tech experience, yet, you can shape your career in that direction once you get going (take classes, volunteer for projects at work, volunteer in the community, etc). <S> Congratulations on getting back on your feet. <S> You've done an incredibly hard thing. <S> You can do this! <S> Good luck! <A> Eh, don't sweat it. <S> I would suggest that your living situation should not be mentioned. <S> You will might give your address on your CV <S> (I don't). <S> That is about it, I've never had a job ask about where I live. <S> An interview is about you saying how great you are, and how much you can bring, not a therapy situation of any kind at all. <S> On that vein, bringing up your emotions is also not a good idea (unless the emotions are along the lines of "I am so excited to work for you!"). <S> This isn't because depression is something you should be embarrassed and scared about (it is not either of those things). <S> This is because it isn't what you discuss in an interview. <S> It sends the signal that you will discuss your feelings at work, and typically companies don't want that - they want you to work. <S> Say you dealt with a personal issue - as @Kent mentions. <S> That's really all there is to it. <S> Stress what you are bringing - certification can be good, or not, it depends on your market and what the industry expects. <S> Talking to recruiters - they like talking to people, that is their job! <S> - will be very helpful here, as they will have suggestions. <S> Don't worry about which ones to speak to, they all want to sell you for profit <S> help you find the right job. <S> A recruiter will happily give you advice because you are a monetisable good and advice is free. <S> Confidence sucks, but it is one of those things that comes (and goes). <S> Just keep on trying to find a role. <S> The confidence will come, but it takes continued effort. <S> Don't worry about lacking confidence. <S> Everybody feels like a total fail whale sometimes (hell, I feel like one on alternate days ending in y!), so you're in good company (you're also in bad company and medium company, but focus on the good company bit, that helps!). <S> In a few years you'll have the confidence back and see this as a learning curve. <A> Hiring is about the future not the past. <S> A prospective employer hires you because they have a need for you going forward. <S> Since you have been struggling with depression in the last five years, you need to be convincing if you ever say that this episode of your life is well behind you and that you are ready and able to start work. <S> Whatever the employer wants from you, the one thing they don't want is your problems becoming theirs. <S> If you can't give them that confidence, neither will you get a job. <S> So give them that confidence. <S> To figure out how to do it is your problem not theirs. <S> While it is understandable that you confidence has been sapped, only you can really believe that you are able to move forward and get the job done. <S> None of us and certainly not any of your prospective employers can do the believing for you. <S> Nor are they under any moral obligation to believe in you. <S> You'll have to restore your confidence in yourself because no one is going to do it for you. <S> No one is under any obligation to believe in you when you don't believe in yourself. <S> Not believing in yourself and not having confidence in yourself are luxuries you just can't afford.
| There are always jobs, the trick is to find one you like that keeps you happy (both with work and with compensation). Do not under any circumstances say you live with your parents - not because that is a terrible thing, but because it is a weird thing to say in an interview.
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Should I take this new job? I feel guilty for leaving and obligated to stay. Currently mentoring new hire and working on a big project I've been working at a company for a year and 5 months and I'm considering an offer from another company. During my tenure at this company, I've experienced a lot of ups and downs that a startup, venture capital funded company experiences. I'm referring to a few lay offs. Also I'm working with an entry level hire who doesn't pull their weight and can't stay on track, because they're too busy online shopping or browsing Facebook. The "culture" of the company is okay with the internet use and I am too...only to a certain extent. If you're meeting your deadlines and keeping up with the workload, then fine. But I end up picking up the slack, because my teammate can't stay focused. The dilemma I'm having is leaving a company where I am in the middle of a big project and I'm also in the middle of helping to train an entry-level hire who I don't feel really cares about the work at hand. All things considered, I still feel guilty even considering this move. I feel like my boss and peers may look at me differently...like I'm leaving them in a pinch and leaving an entry level hire to their own vices. This project most likely will go on until mid summer and will be well beyond the timeframe I can give to help before I move on to my new position. Should I leave or stick it out until the project ends? And I should mention that I wasn't looking for a job despite my current circumstances. This job was presented to me by an old coworker a couple weeks ago. I'm also a highly valued person at my company. I just received an amazing review today and I don't think my employer anticipates me making this move. I just don't feel stable and I feel like I'm working day and night, because my teammate isn't held accountable by our manager. And now that I have this offer, the grass seems greener.... <Q> The Internet-surfing newbie should be let go for wasting time and not meeting standards (you're covering for his/her lack of accomplishment). <S> If you decide to leave, do it quickly. <S> Two weeks is plenty of time, given notice, to make adjustments needed. <S> Don't drag it out. <S> You'll find that being a lame duck is...lame. <A> This is actually common (the dilemma part). <S> The dilemma I'm having is leaving a company where I am in the middle of a big project and I'm also in the middle of helping to train an entry-level hire who I don't feel really cares about the work at hand. <S> Unless you had a direct hand in hiring this new hire; this is not your problem but rather the company's problem. <S> They are responsible for hiring people that are fit for the job purpose and can keep pace with requirements. <S> It is not your problem, and a general part of doing business (that is, bad hires happen everywhere and your situation is not unique). <S> If you are in a middle of a big project and you want to leave, this is also not your problem but the company's problem. <S> They should (as best practice) have a backup plan; in case you are unable to attend work for any other reason (god forbid <S> you were ill or had some family emergency, an accident etc.) <S> You having to leave is the same situation. <S> You should definitely not feel guilty. <S> A business relationship is a two-way relationship; you should explain your motives for leaving (be frank and honest) and put in your notice immediately. <S> Every person feels obligated to their work as a matter of ethics (some more than others), but you have to realize that you are performing work for which you are getting paid. <S> If you are not getting paid enough, or you are not satisfied, or (any other reason) <S> it is absolutely fine for you to leave to see another agreement that suits you and the employer. <S> Consider <S> if you don't leave and stay due to loyalty - would you still be as happy here as you would at your other job? <S> Your obligation to stay is directly related to the employer's obligation to provide you a working environment and compensation that suits you. <S> So if one is not matching, the other shouldn't. <A> Business is.. well, business. <S> But ultimately.. everyone moves on. <S> Every business has to deal with every employee leaving and being replaced. <S> You need to follow the course of action which best takes care of you, your loved ones, and your career prospects. <S> So, be sure that you're considered this move for the right reasons. <S> If the only problem is that your lazy new hire is causing extra stress and workload for you, and everything about your job is grand <S> , it's well worth having a heart-to-heart with your boss about it, rather than just leaving because it's easier than a confrontation. <S> But if this new opportunity that your former co-worker brought to your attention is genuinely an excellent next step in your career, then don't let yourself be held back by the fact that it will cause stress and inconvenience for your current employer to replace you. <S> Replacing good people who have been around for a while is always inconvenient. <S> It won't be any less <S> so if you wait until the end of your current project. <A> The sooner you give your two weeks' notice, the sooner they start looking for a replacement for you. <S> Your fretting about the company after you leave is irrelevant. <S> You are not being paid to manage, and you are certainly not paid to manage after you leave. <S> As for your intern who is not performing the work, let the company deal with him. <S> When I was a consultant at AT&T in the mid 1990s, the AT&T manager I worked for was a talented woman who was about as happy with her job as I was with mine: very unhappy, hard edge unhappy. <S> She told me that several years before, she had found herself another job and announced her resignation to her manager. <S> Her manager said that before he could accept her resignation, she had to finish a project. <S> Several weeks later, he gave her another project to finish and several weeks after that, a third. <S> He strung her along for months until she gave up. <S> She wanted a child. <S> Her biological clock ran out on her and that never happened. <S> Her manager eventually got a job elsewhere and he certainly did not worry about the loose ends he left behind or about the damage he had done to her. <S> I told her that, as much as I appreciated having her as my boss, she had made a bad mistake, he had taken advantage of her, treated her priorities with disrespect, and she should have dumped him after she had finished her first project. <S> If they don't survive your departure, then they probably didn't deserve to survive. <S> Let the CTO worry about making sure that your departure is not a destructive event; that's his job, not yours.
| If you mostly like your job and especially if you mostly like your boss and your co-workers, it's natural to feel a bit bad about inconveniencing them by moving on to another job. If you choose to leave the company, make your choice and don't look back. If stability is what you need, you should not feel badly about seeking it.
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What can I say in place of "Thanks" at the bottom of an email when it doesn't make sense? Kind of an oddly worded question, allow me to explain. Once I am finished running reports, I email my boss to let her know what needs to be changed in the system. My email typically looks something like this: [Boss's name], I've finished up with the report and it looks like [this is this, and that is that yada yada]. Thanks, Jaken Herman But what I am realizing is that I'm saying "Thanks" at the end of every email even when it doesn't make sense. Everyone else in the office seems to do it as well. Is there something else I could put at the end of my emails that will still allow me to "sign off", but actually make sense? <Q> There are more than a few: <S> Best Regards (Which could be shortened to "Regards" or "Best" in some cases.) <S> Yours <S> Truly <S> Sincerely Each can be useful to have as a way of signing off that depending on the situation may make sense. <S> The last couple are less emotional of course. <A> I usually do something like this... <S> Person, Blah blah blah blah blah. <S> If you need anything further let me know, <S> My name <A> My email client has a signature option. <S> I don't put anything at the bottom, I just let the signaure handle it. <A> I agree that " Thanks " tends to be a generic filler signature that most people use. <S> One of the things that bothers me the most is that it is so overly used that the meaning behind it is basically lost. <S> I even occasionally see people who type "Thanks" when it's already in their signature. <S> and I have yet to see anyone else where I work use it. <S> It's far less personal than "Sincerely" and is more fitting, professionally, than something like "Take care." <S> It may be just me, but it looks good when speaking to someone higher up and adds a equality feel when speaking to someone in a 'lower' position.
| Most of us in our office have something nice and generic like "Regards," for ours. Personally, I've used " Respectfully, " since it seems to be more open-ended in what it can follow
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Do you have to change your last name with your Alma Mater if you legally change your name? I am wondering if employers might try to verify that I attended a college and if I need to update them with my current last name as it is different than the one on my diploma. <Q> Most applications have a place for other names you have used. <S> If you want to be very clear, and you have space on your resume, you can indicate the name you used in the education section: BA Degree in Basket Weaving, Walmart University, 2004 <S> (Degree received using name Joe Cool, not Joe Schmoe) <A> If your university uses your Social Security Number (SSN), they'll be able to track your academic record regardless of what legal name you are now using. <S> From my recollection of the 1990s, every single university application I ever filled out including for admissions and graduation - that application included a request for my SSN. <S> Foreign students on a student visa are eligible to apply for an SSN, depending on which visa they have (*). <S> Fact is, students get married, divorced, separate all the time including with their professors - don't get me started on that one :) <S> (*) <S> Thanks for your comment, @BurhanKhalid <A> Your problem isn't uncommon. <S> Many people who marry change their surname to that of their partner, and in the 21st century this does no longer only apply to women. <S> So staff managers are used to checking references of people who were once known under a different name. <S> Just state your name in your résumé as "John Doe (born: John Smith)". <S> That way it should be obvious to everyone that John Smith and John Doe are the same person.
| You simply indicate the name you used when you were in college.
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I am scheduled to start a new job on Monday, but I just can't! What do I do? I am scheduled to start a new job on Monday (today is Wednesday), but as the date draws nearer I have realised I just can't. I have been working for myself for the past year, and was recently offered a new job with a very attractive salary. The company gave me a very generous two months to clear up my current projects and ready myself to start. I honestly tried my best to do so, but now, with four days to go, I still have too much to do to start on Monday. Even working non stop from now until last thing on Sunday night there is no way I can. I really need another couple of months at least. This company is a big one, and so they really don't need me. I am fairly active on StackExchange/Github etc and so that want me to work for them having spotted me online, but they really don't need me. My clients are much smaller and need me more. I am not irreplacable, I don't think for a second that I am, but they would certainly find replacing me painful (one month to find somebody, another month to train them up) and they each have a limited runway. Whats the best plan to tell this company that starting on Monday just isn't an option. I fully understand that starting in 3 or so months just wouldn't be an option for them. My goal here is to step on as few toes as possible. My current plan is to go by in person tomorrow and ask to speak to the person listed on my offer letter as my new boss, and explain the situation in person. Is this a good plan? Is this something larger companies deal with often? What would you want somebody in my situation to do, if you were the employer? Thanks <Q> By backing out on the job at this point, you are probably burning this bridge, and you won't be working for this company in the future either. <S> If your own work is more important and will continue to support you the way you wish, then go ahead and let them know you won't be joining them after all. <S> It's much better to do this now rather than quit after you've started. <S> If you will need this, or some other job, in a few months, then you perhaps should reconsider whether you want to burn this bridge. <S> They now have to go back and find and hire that someone else. <S> This will affect the hiring manager, others at that company -- people who you might run into in future job searches too. <S> They may remember you as someone who didn't turn out to be as good as they had hoped, someone who looked good initially but then didn't pan out. <S> You claim that they don't need you. <S> But they wouldn't hire you if there wasn't a need for what you do. <S> Just because they are a large company doesn't mean they don't need for jobs to be done. <S> True, if it's not done by you, it will be done by someone else, once they find and hire that someone else. <S> As for the manager, inconvenient as this is, it is still better than you starting and then quitting soon after. <S> So if you can't do it, telling them sooner is better than later. <S> There will be paperwork you don't have to fill out, supplies they don't have to get for you, training they don't have to schedule. <A> My current plan is to go by in person tomorrow and ask to speak to the person listed on my offer letter as my new boss, and explain the situation in person. <S> Is this a good plan? <S> Is this something larger companies deal with often? <S> What would you want somebody in my situation to do, if you were the employer? <S> Seems like a good plan to me. <S> Be prepared to answer the question <S> "Are you sure you really want to work for us, rather than remain self-employed?" <S> And be prepared in case your timing no longer matches their need. <S> If I were the hiring manager, I'd appreciate your coming by and talking to me face-to-face. <S> Honesty is almost always the best policy. <S> I still would probably be angry that you waited until less than a week before your expected start date. <S> That's unfortunate. <S> These things happen. <S> When you say "I really need another couple of months at least . <S> " it leads me to believe that your heart really isn't in changing. <S> Think it through before you talk with them, and deal with the results. <S> If you do this well, you may still be able to apply for a job there at some later date, when you are more certain, about your wants and your timing. <S> It's worth a try, as it sounds like your mind is already made up anyway. <A> You say your clients need you. <S> Do you need your clients? <S> Are you making money? <S> All this work that you have been doing, are you billing them? <S> The three months that you estimate you have to work to finish up everything, how much will you get paid for that? <S> But if you don't, go where the money is. <S> Sure, your clients might be sad if they don't get work done for cheap. <S> But you will be sad if you don't make money. <S> It's better if your clients are sad than if you are sad.
| If you have a good income from your work, by all means go ahead, tell the big company that you won't start for them, and make money from your clients. But it's always better to back out before starting, rather than quitting shortly afterward.
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Should I take business trips when I know I'm quitting? I got another offer and I'm about to leave my company in one month. The new contract has not been signed yet, so I haven't put in my 2-week notice. There is an extended business trip my team has been planning that takes place a week before my last day. The trip is essential to continue my current projects. Should I go on this trip even though I'm leaving? Or should I defer them until I put in my notice? <Q> While the job appears to be in the bag, until you have a signed contract it could still fall though. <A> As others point out, you should do your job until you leave it. <S> No notice given = haven't left it. <S> Although, if I worked for a small & underfunded organization, or close friends, I might bend that a little, and look for ways to reduce their expenses without tipping my hand. <S> But if leaving a decent sized company where this travel expense isn't extreme, this is just a normal cost of business to them. <A> Get on your new employer's case to get the contract signed, put in your two-week's notice and see how events shape up. <S> We have no idea how the management of your current employer is going to react and what decisions they'll make about you including your business trip. <S> Again, the minute you've got your contract signed - the sooner, the better - give them your two-weeks' notice and let them sort out what to do about you including your business trip. <S> It's less complicated to you that way. <S> And it's the management's job anyway to work this sort of thing out.
| Until you put in your notice, you should continue to behave as if you will be remaining at your current company.
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Is it bad form to apply with an organisation in the hope of later transferring? Suppose my dream job is with division Q at employer Y. Division Q is not hiring but division R at the same employer is. Is it bad form to apply at division R, with the hope that, when a position at division Q opens up, I will be in a good position to make an internal move? I always thought it was, but Eric Lippertin this answer writes I've had people show up for interviews who were intending on obtaining the given position as stepping stone to a completely different position. Those people are far more dangerous; they will suck resources out of your organization for no benefit in return. I thought that moving from one position to another within the same organisation would not be unusual or destructive. In fact, the organisation would already know me, and if I am competent, I don't see why this is dangerous. What am I missing? <Q> It used to be very common, that though the great areas of a company never hired externally, some of the less great areas did so you took a job in those areas with the unstated intent of transferring as soon as feasible to a better department. <S> One place near me this was very true for was Caterpillar. <S> It used to be very hard to get on because they paid very well and had some really great jobs, and benefits. <S> So people with decent amounts of experience would apply for jobs <S> they were way overqualified for knowing that at some point they would have the opportunity to transfer into a better job. <S> This benefited the employer because they would get some high quality employees working very hard and doing their best in positions that were not terribly popular. <S> It also meant that the company could just leave the under-performers in these entry jobs when they do not meet the standards for the more desired jobs. <S> If you are unwilling to give the position that long then you and the company would be better served by holding out for a position you would prefer. <A> I thought that moving from one position to another within the same organisation would not be unusual or destructive. <S> In fact, the organisation would already know me, and if I am competent, I don't see why this is dangerous. <S> What am I missing? <S> You are looking at it from your perspective and the perspective of the group you want to move into. <S> But what about the group that hired you? <S> That manager was trying to put together a long term plan with his staffing. <S> (S)He spent time and money looking to hire the right person. <S> Now you leave at the first opportunity to get into your desired position. <S> This team has now lost a member and needs to spend time and resources repeating the original exercise. <S> Seems costly and destructive for that team when I look at it. <S> IMHO, this is bad form unless you made it clear to the hiring team that you had other aspirations. <S> If you did <S> and they hired you anyway, then more power to you. <A> If you stay with the hiring team for a reasonable amount of time (one major project, several major updates, 4 years, something like that), it's certainly reasonable after that to move on to another product/project/division/whatever. <S> You'll want to work with management in both old and new departments to coordinate the timing of the move and make sure someone in the department you're leaving has captured all the knowledge about that product which you have and others may not. <S> Expect to be on call for some number of months after you move to help with that transition. <S> Be aware that internal hiring is not always easier than external, depending on what the hiring group is looking for and what the relationship between the two groups is. <S> Internal job change difficulty tends proportional to how many steps up the management tree you have to go to find someone who is responsible for both. <S> And remember that even Internally you need to pass the interviews and show that you have what they're looking for. <S> You do bypass the layers which can only say no, but you still need to get people to say yes. <S> If this is really your plan, you should try to excel in the first assignment so folks want to bring you on board for the second. <S> If you aren't going to be excited enough by tje first assignment to do that, the move becomes harder. <S> And who knows; after you've been in this job for a few years you may decide it's a fine place to stay for a while longer. <S> Or there maybe a reorg or a new project which changes everyone's plans. <S> Long term planning is a good exercise, but life is what happens while you were making plans. <S> (I was tempted to find out if the Watson group could use me when they started scaling up. <S> But i'd changed assignments recently and felt I owed my current group more time to pay back their investment in me. <S> Besides, Watson would probably have wanted me to move to NYC, and I'm pretty happily rooted where I am.)
| It's almost never a good idea to take a job you really don't like in the hope of upgrading; it's ok to take one that isn't perfect in the hope that the perfect job opens later. So long as you are willing to do the job you are hired into for at least 18 months then your employer is going to ok with your reasoning.
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What is the outlook for an older, recent college graduate to be hire worthy? So, I'm in my early 40s and I've recently finished my undergraduate degree in Mathematics with a concentration in Statistics. I achieved this while working a full-time job for a major tech company. I wonder if my age will affect my marketability or hiring potential. I should mention that I don't look anywhere near my age because I am very physically fit and have a youthful face and demeanor as well. Background wise, my credit is good and past is clean. I will gladly stay with my current employer if a new opportunity becomes available, but will also be scouring the job market for other opportunities - Actuarial science is an interest of mine. I wonder though, will I be scrutinized due to my age and overlooked for a much younger applicant? Are there any advantages to being a more mature applicant that I should be using during the interviewing process? <Q> Congratulations on finishing your degree! <S> In your 30's and 40's, interviewers will likely be expecting some level of relevant experience in your work history. <S> If the jobs you're looking for in the future have nothing to do with what you've done in the past, the interviewers are going to have an internal struggle: "Mature, experienced person says they're willing to take an entry-level position" versus "Mature, experienced person expects to jump career tracks and not lose any position/status." <S> To counter this dilemma, you will want to show how your work experience plus your recent education make you special. <S> In your 40's, you're not quite too old to hire, but you're getting close. <S> You just want to make sure you bring something special to their company. <A> Age Discrimination <S> Age discrimination is a real thing and a problem for older people in the work force, luckily though it doesn't start to real show until your 50s and later. <S> Basically I tend to only see people discriminated for their age when you're nearing retirement ages. <S> (because they figure you'll put in a few years then retire) Discriminating Companies <S> That said companies who try to snag kids fresh out of college on the cheap WILL likely discriminate based on age. <S> Not because you're old perse, they are trying to get their work force as cheap. <S> The normal strat here is to snag fresh college grads who have minimal experience, while you are a fresh undergrad, you probably some kind of experience you can bring to the table, so you wouldn't be passed because you're in your 40s <S> rather you're over credentialed. <S> Personal Advice <S> Play to the benefits of being older. <S> When you're interviewing don't try and come across as the kid ready to take on the world, odds are you've already made those choices, had them implode, and learned from it. <S> You've matured and won't make the careless business mistake every fresh out of school kid makes, the over ambitious project, etc. <S> It's a really good sale in regards to a know hire to get someone mature with a basic understanding of "business as <S> normal" someone who will try to align and work with the team rather not be abrasive in some righteous belief <S> they know better then their more experienced peers. <S> You'll do fine <S> All that said you'll do fine. <A> I live in NYC where city, state and Federal law prohibit discriminatiom on the basis of age , so an argument that you make in your favor on the basis of age is not likely to be well received there. <S> If you can argue experience including life experience, fine. <S> If you can argue skills, fine. <S> If you can argue education, fine. <S> especially if age is the only argument you can come up with. <S> I am older than you and unlike you, I look like crap, but I wouldn't take your age argument well. <S> I have seen smart young ones and old idiots <S> and I'd rather not work with idiots <S> no matter what their age is - The smart ones give me enough trouble keeping me honest, as it is :) <S> What I'd like you to do is come across as smart, fit, fast and capable - and single handedly bust a couple of stereotypes about age as you go through the interview process.
| If you argue age and you argue age with interviewers who are younger than you, they might not take to your argument well. The usual interviewing advice applies here: Be sure you research the company and have some ideas about how you might fit there. Lots of companies value some gray hairs (so to speak).
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Invited to site visit: do I have the job? I have been interviewing with a company that would require me to relocate if I were to accept the position (from Minnesota to New Hampshire). I have gone through 3 interviews and have given a code sample, and have been invited to an on-site interview. In the email scheduling the on-site, I was told that I will be given a day to look for housing in the area as well while they would pay for the hotel. Is this a sign that I may have the job, or is it still too early to tell? <Q> You don't have the job until you have a signed offer letter. <S> However, the housing situation could affect your decision, so they're giving you a chance to scout it out. <S> (Are there places to live that match both your needs and your finances? <S> Do you like the neighborhood? <S> How's the commute? <S> Etc.) <S> This is pretty standard practice in my experience; if they're flying you in anyway and it would involve relocation, they'll add some time for you to see the local area. <S> It's possible that they'll even have a prospective coworker show you around. <S> (I've never been the candidate in this situation, but I've seen this a lot from the other side <S> and I've been in the "coworker who shows the person around" role.) <A> I have been in this situation before, and would like to add an important point. <S> Others are right, you do not have the job until the contract is signed. <S> If the company invests in you and pays for your trip, it is a good sign. <S> And here is my additional insight: the site visit is an opportunity for both parties to have a better idea of the future. <S> Use it to see wether you would be happy working in that environment for that company. <S> Talk to people who already work there, have a look at your future desk, and so on. <S> I was selected for a job a few years back, it was a regional director position in Europe for 5 countries, it sounds really good. <S> During my site visit, however I saw how people are treated, and I talked to a few guys about the ways of the company and decided not to sign the contract. <S> Make sure that you also evaluate the situation. <S> Your future employer is giving you this opportunity so that you can make a sound decision and hopefully won't regret it (and complain) after. <A> * <S> Some types of jobs don't have written offers, but there is still some formal way of accepting the job offer.
| Until you have signed a written* job offer and have a start date, you don't have the job.
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working for much younger single manager I have been given an offer in a nice company: like the technology, package, salary and perks. There is one problem: my manager is 10 years younger than me and he is a single techno-geek who fits right into the Silicon Valley culture. Since I am a married man with two children , I am afraid that he just will "not get it" if I need to take a half-day/day off when my child gets sick or when I absolutely need to attend their piano concert. I have heard that young "Silicon Valley cyber-punk-type-managers" have no problem calling at 11:00pm on a weekday or at 6:00am on Saturday just because there is a hiccup somewhere. Is it a valid concern? <Q> People understanding older parents <S> I'm sure their are exceptions, but I wouldn't be surprised if your young manager has a number of people they know with families. <S> That said I'd just make it clear you do have an obligation to them, but you don't anticipate it being an issue. <S> After hours calls I've never dealt with this sort of manager, but getting calls after hours is something that's happened at many employers I've worked for. <S> Generally speaking if it's an emergency I have no problem with helping if able, but if it's not an emergency my response is usually something like "We can discuss this in the morning" or similar. <S> Essentially I make the call not terribly productive in a polite manner to try and dissuade this behavior. <S> (most managers usually get the hint pretty quickly and it's never come back to haunt me, fortunately most managers also only call me when there is a real emergency and not on a regular basis) <S> Summary <S> I wouldn't worry too much. <S> If your manager wants to work crazy hours that's fine, but make it clear you have family obligations. <S> You'll help in the event there's an emergency so long as you're able to do so. <S> (And unspoken this applies only to emergencies. <S> For non-emergencies it's fair to say "we can discuss this first thing in the morning" <S> so far I've not run into someone who takes issue to this, you've let them know it's on your radar, and you've set a time to resolve things in a polite and professional manner) <A> Is it a valid concern? <S> While it is a valid concern , people are not their stereotypes . <S> While it's certainly more likely that a younger manager does not understand family demands, being young does not preclude them having a family - or an elderly family member that they need to care for. <S> And while it's certainly more likely that a single manager does not value family demands, being single does not preclude previous knowledge of relationships. <S> In my experience, younger managers tend to be if anything more sensitive to these sorts of things. <S> The last thing they want to be is that young punk who doesn't get it. <S> And in my experience out in the valley, this sort of drive for off hours work is driven from upper management, not middle management. <S> If your company is one of those "every second matters" sort, either due to the nature of the business or due to company culture, it doesn't matter how old or understanding your boss is - someone's getting a phone call in the dead of night. <A> Is it a valid concern? <S> Instead of worrying about your 10-year-younger, single, [stereotypes-omitted] manager, worry about the company culture. <S> There are many Silicon Valley companies who have a hard-driving, work-all-hours, company-first culture - <S> that may not fit your current personal needs. <S> But there are also many Silicon Valley companies who emphasize family and/or work-life balance. <S> Companies tend to hire folks (including managers) who fit their culture. <S> It wouldn't make any sense to do otherwise. <S> So, if you understand the company culture, you'll have a better feel for how you will be treated - by this manager, or the next manager, or whoever. <S> Google searches, Glassdoor, friends, and questions and observations during your interviews should give you some insight in the company culture. <S> During your interviews, try to find a prospective peer who is in a family situation similar to yours and ask "What's it like to work here? <S> What's it like to work for my prospective Manager" <S> You'll probably learn a lot.
| I've actually found most young managers I've dealt with are fairly understanding of family people. Your concern may be valid, but I think it is misdirected.
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Team makes excuses about bad software and practices instead of fixing it. How to head in the right direction? At my new job I sometimes make mistakes. Usually these mistakes are because of assumptions I make based on other jobs I've had, other tools I've used, and other software I've developed on this very team. Inevitably when we talk about what went wrong, I ask "Where is this information written down?" or "How can I avoid this in the future?" and the answer is always along the lines of "Remember that X in context Y is different than X in most other contexts". The lack of standardization on any practice is hurting my morale, productivity, and perception among the team (I'm seen as negative, and I don't want to foster a toxic workplace). If we have to make a decision, we usually do a little of both; we also never completely roll off of old practices. The excuses I'm given for this go something like this: Why in this case things really did need to be different, but why we couldn't make a solution that was either documented or automatic. What team should've been responsible for documenting this, but were (inevitably) really busy or (my personal favorite) what obvious solution would've been better, now that I've hit one of the many edge cases in yet another poorly thought out solution. A stressful sigh, because I'm being unreasonable, thinking things should be standard in any way, and a phrase like "yeah, we really should work on that in the future" or "yeah, maybe we can fix that when [project touching that system] starts up" How do I tell my team: I'm tired of excuses; we're all adults, and we should be able to work in an environment that isn't held up by the whims of whoever wanted a quick workaround instead of doing their job. We shouldn't accept this kind of environment. Think of how many workarounds just one senior person knows. How are we going to continue to function if new employees don't stick around to learn them all, and senior employees retire? We're going to pay for this tech debt one way or another some day. We really can fix this. It will be tedious, and we might step on some toes (everyone around here is cool with just slapping some (metaphorical) tape on it and waiting until it falls off again to take another look), but if we put some thought and diligence into our solutions we can slowly pay up some of this tech/process debt. As an alternate solution, I see myself as having these options: Don't try to fix things. Make only the necessary changes. Try to document edge cases (either just for me or posterity somewhere), and avoid them. Go home and study and jump ship once the time feels right. Get on a team of people who solve problems instead of finding the workaround that requires the least amount of effort and just trying to remember that in the future. Work super hard to fix all these problems. Try to avoid pushback from people used to this way of working, and don't be discouraged when people that neither understand the problem nor have read your proposed solution say things like "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", meaning "if all we have to do is ask others to restart their servers from time to time, what's the big deal" or something similar. These "solutions" are not mutually exclusive. I don't feel like I can change this culture myself, and I like my immediate team, but it's super draining to constantly step in these mud puddles that real professionals would not tolerate. Edit: I can't comment, so my responses to the comments are inline below: Jimbo: that's a part of the third "option" I guess. Work diligently to document everything, make tickets so one day things might be fixed, and try not to get frustrated as the rabbit hole deepens. Vietnhi Phuvan: I have no authority over this team. I'm not sure what you mean by meddling. I don't have a responsibility for fixing the software and processes that we work with each day, but it affects us all, and it affects our output. I have not "build a coalition". Others feel strongly about certain things, but usually just accept them and go on with their day-to-day work, or try to get resources to fix them. I'm not the only one ranting, but I am the most discouraged on my team; part of the problem is that "problem with an acceptable workaround" is no longer a problem to most people around here, and "acceptable workaround" means "any workaround". I'm working on a plan of action. I'm going to research how other companies solve these issues, why it's more effective to solve these problems instead of live with them, and come up with a clear upgrade path. Alternatively I'm going to build my skills until I can leave. The credibility I have has to do with the kinds of questions teammates already ask me. Kent Anderson: Thanks for the thoughtful response. I'll try to stay positive in the future. The point that surprised me most was "try and understand how/why your teammates think like they do". Maybe I can figure out their motivations/process/intentions and be more effective.P.S. I'm not the one always speaking up in meetings, in fact I've stopped almost completely, choosing instead to try to help form a consensus instead of trying to put new ideas on the table. Finally I'd like to accept Kent's answer, but I've forgotten the first throwaway account's email :(. Thank you all for your comments. I'll work on this. <Q> This is going to seem like I'm picking on you. <S> I'm not, just trying to be objective... <S> It's not true, especially if they are veteran workers. <S> As the new person on the team, you are likely unaware of the historical reasons they do things the way they do. <S> Sure, there are unprofessional behaviors in the workplace. <S> Complaining and accusing others of being unprofessional is one such example. <S> Does every meeting contain an element of you vocalizing that things are not what you wish they were? <S> If so, there is some basis for your team to regard you as difficult or a complainer. <S> If this is the case, try to identify a solution and offer to implement it for them. <S> (Maintain a wiki page for the team, for example.) <S> I am sure you were much more positive when you first started working on this team, and now you are beaten down and fed up. <S> Try to recover some of that positivity and tolerance you started with. <S> You will be happier. <S> Take personal notes you can review if you get into one of these areas where you think you might be "stepping into a puddle." <S> Resist the urge to flash a page of notes as "proof" your team is being inconsistent or capricious. <S> That never makes things better. <S> If you get to the point of bailing out (either from the team or from the company altogether), remember, there is no such thing as a team that does everything right, all the time. <S> ( What does "right" even mean in this setting? ) <S> Leaving might help you feel better, and might be the right thing for you to do. <S> Just don't embark on a nomadic career searching for the perfect team. <S> You won't find it. <S> Again, I'm not picking on you. <S> I remember the frustrations I felt early on in my software development career because others did not measure up to my ideals, or to my "standard" of technical excellence. <A> In situations like this often the best solution is to simply find a new situation. <S> Not all shops run like yours. <S> There are development teams that strive actively for continuous improvement, that do not rely on individuals to remember obscure work-arounds or bizarre dependencies, that understand current best practices and follow them or have a very good reason to do something differently. <S> In my long experience, shops like yours eventually go out of business. <S> It may take a while, but eventually they will be overtaken by a smarter competitor. <S> Now that you know the sort of place you do not enjoy working, you can be more careful about the next offer you accept. <A> Put yourself in their shoes. <S> If the code base that you have to deal with is no good, they know about that. <S> It is quite likely not because your new colleagues are not decent programmers, but because there is pressure to deliver things quicker than possible while doing a job properly. <S> Things are not documented because someone couldn't hit a deadline and document what he was doing, and when he or she delivered at the deadline, new work came up before anyone could start with the documentation. <S> Some of them may have arrived at the company recently and had the exact same ideas that you have now, and then it turned out they couldn't do anything about it. <S> But what are they going to say if you say "your code is rubbish and needs changing"? <S> The same thing that you would do in two years time of the next new addition to the time says exactly the same to you. <S> They will be defensive. <S> Nobody wants to admit that their work (through no fault of their own) is not the highest quality. <S> If it is through their own fault, they will be even less likely to admit it.
| Be very careful about declaring everyone around you as unprofessional. Patience, tolerance, and offering to help fix things are the best ways to ease your frustrations and encourage changes to be made. Do what you can to try and understand how/why your teammates think like they do.
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Uneployment gap at resume because of army: how to indicate that? Should I put army years to the software engineer's resume? I'm a software engineer. My job history looks as follows: Company B, 2009 - present Company A, 2004 - 2006, 2008 - 2009. So, there is a time 2006 - 2008, during which I was in the army (There is a compulsory service in my country). This kind of activity has (almost) nothing in common with my profession, so, I don't think it's very good idea to put army years at my resume. On the other hand, it leaves the unemployment gap non-explained. I would be glad to hear suggestions on it. <Q> I'm struggling to understand your difficulty here. <S> You know you need to explain the gap and the gap is for a completely legitimate and normal/understandable reason in your country. <S> I quite literally can't think of a negative in putting it in your CV. <S> In addition, it seems like getting a job after would be the hurdle, but you've already done that and moved on to the tune of 6 years! <S> Put it in, take the positives you can out of it <S> (Any experience that would prove personal characteristics like leadership etc), but leave the focus on your relevant experience. <A> Include your time in the armed services on your CV. <S> While it may not directly relate to your profession, there are many skills you likely picked up (e.g. discipline, working under pressure) that could be broadly applicable. <S> It also fills the gap, as you say. <S> If service is compulsory, there is unlikely to be any stigma attached to it. <A> You might be able to say Company A 2004 - 2009 if you were on a military leave of absence. <S> I have reviewed resumes where reserve soldiers who were activated for six month to one year tours, they were still considered employees while on active duty. <S> They even had job protection rights.
| You will still note your military service as a separate entry on the CV/resume.
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Interviewing at the same company after accepting verbal offer I have received a verbal offer and have verbally accepted the offer for a new position within the same company where I currently work. The written offer is contingent on a reference from my current supervisor. This just happened Friday at close of business. Before this happened, I was already in the interview process for a different position, also within the same company (large company but same HR department). I had been given a technical problem to solve and am scheduled for the second round of interview to present the solution of the problem on Tuesday. So...can I still go to the interview on Tuesday or is that a no-no? I have already solved the technical problem and think I did a kick ass job on it. I realize at this point I am probably bound to taking the other job, but I want to at least present the solution and go interview for networking purposes as I think I'd definitely be interested in working for or even collaborating with those folks in the future. And in the off chance that the verbal offer from this other place doesn't turn into a written offer, I want to still have another option. But I don't want to risk upsetting the people who gave me my verbal offer and have my verbal offer rescinded if they find out that I went for this other interview after accepting the verbal offer. One solution I thought of is to call HR Monday morning and explain the situation honestly and ask them if they think it's acceptable to go to this other interview or what do they suggest I do? Is that a good way to go (calling HR) or is it even a bad idea to call them? Please advise on this sticky situation. <Q> Ask for written confirmation of the verbal offer. <S> The written confirmation has to include the position title you are going to have, the start date, your new location and the name and contact of whoever you are reporting to. <S> In the meantime, continue with the interview process for the second position. <S> Abort the process the minute you get written confirmation for the first position. <S> Since you already did the homework for the second position, you might as well hand in that homework. <S> Simply let them know that you are aborting the process shortly after you get the feedback for the work that you handed in. <S> Don't say anything to HR until events have developed, i.e. you have a written confirmation letter in hand about the verbal offer, to the point where you can give a straightforward narrative to give to HR - <S> that should take maybe a couple of days. <S> Say anything to HR while your status is still unclear and events are still in flux and you will have nothing but a frustratingly convoluted narrative to give to HR. <S> So just wait for the couple of days until you have your ducks lined up and then initiate contact with HR and get your communication over with. <A> I have been in a similar situation. <S> I applied to several open positions in my company. <S> Each situation develops at their own pace. <S> At some point one of them was ready to commit and I was told that I had 72 hours to accept the position and remove myself from consideration for the other positions I had applied for. <S> I would expect a large company to operate in a similar fashion. <S> Until they issue the written offer you can keep any internal applications open. <S> HR may not know the timeline for the different positions. <S> Some parts of the hiring process are under their control <S> others are fully under the control of the people you will be working for. <S> I have seen situations where steps you think can be done in a few hours <S> stretch our for two weeks because that is the way that manager operates. <S> Until that final offer is received you need to keep all options open. <S> I would not even hesitate to keep applying if new openings popup. <A> I think it's a good idea to discuss this with your HR department. <S> I'm sure that this type of situation happens occasionally in larger organizations and <S> your HR rep should be able to give you guidance. <S> Doing this also demonstrates to everyone concerned that you are trying to be up-front and honest when dealing with the problem. <S> If your interview is Tuesday, you should contact HR as early as possible on Monday morning to give them time to make any necessary contact with the managers involved.
| They should make a formal written offer with a deadline, and a set of conditions you have to meet.
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How do I highlight my best GitHub repos for potential employers? I have a few projects on GitHub that I'd like to be readily visible to potential collaborators and employers. But I also have a bunch of of public repos that I've used for one-off document sharing, or for courses where I was required to submit work by putting it up on my account. It makes my repositories page look cluttered. Is there a way to control the order that repos appear in, or to break them into subdirectories? Solutions I know about: I can bump older projects to the top by pushing a trivial update, but that seems clumsy and requires maintenance. I could pay for the ability to create private repos, but there are some that I'd like to have publicly available, just not near the top of my page. <Q> Create yourself a github organization to market yourself. <S> Put the flashy ones in there. <S> Still all free. <A> When contacting a potential employer use your covering letter to sell the projects you think are not only great examples of your work but also relevant to the position you are applying for. <A> Put the repos you specifically want to highlight on your resume, personal website, or account profile - usually you can reference just the repo. <S> Also mention your place within it. <S> Don't make the reader intuit the meaning of your contributions. <S> Give a description... <S> for example: <S> My Project ( link to project as hyperlink) - Key contributor and code reviewer - I reviewed 75% of all pull requests, and did the initial development on 3 out of 6 of our most vital features: feature A, feature B, feature C. <S> Also one of the top 10 individuals writing bug fixes for operational support. <S> I know of no employers who go to github directly for recruitment. <S> The times I end up in a github as a hiring manager looking for prospective employees <S> , it's because the employee has already been referred to me by a trusted source, and I have the employees resume and possibly also their cover letter in front me. <S> I may go hunting on my own - if the employee references an open source project or if I have reason to be curious - but I'm more than happy to have the employee highlight specifically cool things that I should look for. <S> What I may do w/out a direct reference is check the communication streams and see if the person is nice to work with.
| If you have a personal web page and you are pointing employers to that instead of directly to your GitHub page, use that to sell yourself, that would include links to GitHub repos and explanations about the project.
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How to properly ask for a reporting server? I took a new job to help with work place productivity. I am finding it very difficult to ask for more efficient methods to be enacted. The major issue is creating dashboards. Hours and hours are spent gathering data and placing the data in excel. With a report server those hours could be spent elsewhere. How can I request (nearly demand) something new (like a report server)? New job creates and stacks excel reports to create dashboards. Very, very unproductive. All data comes from SQL (SSMS). I have SQL and report buildingexperience (SSRS). We have SSRS and hundreds of servers, but no local report server to place the SSRS reports. How can I request a report server to automate some of these horribly time consuming excel reports? (they seem to be stuck in their old ways or possibly worried about something???) <Q> This is NOT simply a "dollars and cents" problem. <S> I think the other answers nicely make a case for justifying the expense of a server based on the amount of time it would save and ROI. <S> This is perfectly logical, but there is another thing you need first: some form of "approval" from users. <S> What I mean is that you are proposing a switch over from one tool (in this case, excel) into another tool (a reporting system) which is quite different in what it can do. <S> Before jumping into buying a dedicated server, you will need to convince the end-users that your new system will meet their requirements and be worth the effort needed to change. <S> You may not know what the users are doing with their spreadsheets right now and changing over to something different might interrupt a workflow that they've gotten acclimated to <S> (for example, they might have invested a lot of time in writing macros, pivot tables, or who-knows-what else based on your spreadsheets). <S> This is a change that really needs to be handled carefully, or you might face a lot more resistance than just the obstacle of getting a server up and running. <S> The core problem here before funding is how to tackle the Technology Adoption Lifecycle . <S> In practice, one way you can do it is the following: Find a very small number of "alpha users" who are open to trying a new reporting system as a "pilot program". <S> Implement the reporting system using their feedback to give them something that works for their needs. <S> Use this success as the basis for further dialogs about how the system would work and what problems it solves. <S> You can, of course, just put the SSRS server on a non-dedicated machine (or whatever works in you environment). <S> If the pilot program successful, you can then mainstream the system to regular users. <S> At this point the ROI arguments that the other answers gave will apply, and you can make a "dollars and cents" justification for the new reporting system. <S> Not all users will go along, and you'll likely need to support some "legacy" reports. <S> The remaining stragglers can then be addressed individually over a longer time span with gentle pressure from their management. <A> The simple answer is you have to justify the expense. <S> If there is a business use case where it will save money by improving your productivity then you can sell it and get the approval. <S> The first step is to compile all the time you spend making these reports. <S> The next is to identify how much that costs and what you are not doing because you compile the reports. <S> What follows is a quick out of thin air example of what would go a long way towards getting approval. <S> Lets say for example you spend 10 hours a week just compiling reports along with your other duties. <S> Lets also say your fully loaded cost is $100 per hour (a good rough estimate for an IT Knowledge worker). <S> That is $1000 per week they are spending for you to compile reports. <S> Its also 25% of your work week that you could be spending doing other things for the business. <S> Lets put the other stuff with a $500 opportunity cost (the cost of you not doing things.) <S> (your number may vary). <S> A new server will cost some where between $5k to $25K depending on software and such but lets take the smaller side and go with $7.5K for the new server. <S> In order to have the new server you will need to save 10 hours per week for 5 weeks to recoup the cost of the server (an ROI of 5 weeks on the hardware its self). <S> There are also more benefits, business users not having to wait on you to compile reports. <S> Lets say there are 10 users that wait 1 hour each week for you to compile your reports. <S> Add their time in as well since they can just log on to the server and get their report. <S> When you start putting numbers down the business decision becomes clear. <S> If the return is greater than the cost then it makes sense for the business to make the decision to buy something. <S> If after figuring out the costs is actually makes sense for you to keep doing the reports then thats what the numbers say. <A> The management team is interested in dollars and cents, so give that to them. <S> Show them the dollars and sense of a new set up (sorry, couldn't help myself). <S> Find out how much the current process costs the organization now, both quantitatively and qualitatively. <S> (Labor hours, labor dollars, organizing file structure for finding reports, etc) Find out how much your new set up will cost the organization (hardware, software, your time building reports and setting up the new report server) <S> Figure out how long it will take to pay off the new configuration. <S> (By saving $X per day, week, month, this will pay itself off in Y weeks, months, years). <S> The more details you include in your analysis the better.
| Pair up with someone who can create a cost-benefit analysis regarding your needs.
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Should I ask for silence in the office? I would like to know how to tell in a polite manner to two or three people in my office that I need silence to work. We are 8 eight in our office and unfortunately I'm the only one introverted person. I read in this forum that some people communicate via chat inside the office. It would be ideal for me but I'm sure people will laugh when hearing this suggestion. UPDATE: I finally end up asking the boss if could be possible going to library to write thesis. This way I will avoid modifying my colleagues habits and at the same time have the desired silence. I will also go to office in break time to talk a little bit! <Q> Been there. <S> Accept that a lot of other people's jobs involve talking to each other, and that the majority of people find speech (even sometimes non-work-related speech) psychologically necessary during their working day. <S> A demand for total silence is not likely to be perceived as reasonable. <S> Explain to management that sometimes you need a quiet place to concentrate on your work, and ask if it's ok for you to use a vacant meeting-room occasionally. <S> If you're in the same office as a really noisy team (e.g. sales teams tend to be particularly noisy) then ask to move to somewhere quieter, so that you can be more productive. <A> If your office doesn't have a chat system you could discuss implementing one, for sharing links related to work and to allow coworkers to discuss work with other people on their project at the time. <S> Frame it in terms of improving communication regarding projects if you are asking the boss. <S> Ultimately though a lot of people prefer to have some level of conversation or noise around during the day. <S> You might be better off purchasing some earplugs or noise-blocking headphones for your desk. <A> There's a couple of things here. <S> What noises are bothering you? <S> If it's discussion - is the volume at a tolerable level and you're just being a little irritable, or are they talking at a higher tone <S> and it's disruptive to everyone? <S> You've isolated the situation to 2-3 people - that leaves ~5 others that may have the same feelings as you. <S> Have you discussed with anyone else if they have a difficult time focusing when others are having conversation? <S> It's highly reasonable to have this talk with one of your peers, especially if it's interfering with your productivity. <S> Have you tried bringing headphones and listening to music <S> (It doesn't have to be music you hear on the radio. <S> It could be instrumental, for example)? <S> As for the chat piece of this discussion - there are plenty of companies that utilize this. <S> Whether it be Pandion, or any other vendor - these are common . <S> Do not feel shy or vulnerable for asking if people in your workplace utilize these. <S> and it's at a volume which disrupts your work. <S> Is there an option for you to be re-located? <S> Your manager should find a way to help you with the problem while keeping a balance in the workplace.
| At a point when you feel like you've expensed all other routes, I would discuss with your manager that your work is optimized when the atmosphere is less-noisy, and it has been hard to concentrate with constant discussion going on around you Get some noise-cancelling headphones. Your workplace might not think it fair to limit the actions of 7 people for the sake of 1 person.
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Professional Growth in a Startup courting VC's About 3 years ago I joined a young startup, one of first hires. I was brought in as the VP of Software (where I was the first/only software guy), and the company has really taken off (I was employee <#10, now we're over 200). Over the last 2 years, I've gotten bonuses, raises, awards, and accolades from everyone in management. I've also been demoted several times, to now I'm looking at returning to "Senior Software Engineer". It's almost a joke now that my performance reviews come back stellar, and then the next week I get replaced by a new hire. The only thing management has been able to tell me is that I'm not "famous" enough to warrant my positions. They keep bringing in people from outside that are industry veterans, which makes VC's and the board happy. How can I fight the "famous" argument? Comment (Since I can't comment, I'll post here). So far, I've built my team every time up to 3-5 people, then they bring in a "ringer" to take over the department and move me down a level and redistribute my team amongst the new organizations. I easily managed 15+ before I came here, so I don't think that's the issue. The only thing I've been able to get is that my name isn't industry recognized. <Q> You can't. <S> Your company isn't selling software. <S> Your company is selling the idea of software. <S> VC's are setting it up for a public offering to make their money back, and it's all about the image, now. <S> Stick it out, <S> and hopefully you got enough stock options when you started up to make this all worth your while. <A> Many folks who are early stage startup employees experience some version of this, though that doesn't make it any more fun to deal with. <S> Changing the management team's mind may not be in the cards. <S> However, if you do want to stick around at this company, here are two ways you could approach it. <S> Seek more respect as an individual contributor <S> One of the great things about working in software development is that sometimes individual contributors carry as much influence and respect as their managers. <S> For some, this is very fulfilling. <S> It can be great to be very knowledgeable about a few small pieces of the picture, concentrate on making it all work beautifully, and get lots of appreciation for it. <S> Would you be happy as an individual contributor if you had some new kind of recognition, or different working conditions, or a new area of focus? <S> Figure out if you might enjoy your current track with a few tweaks, and then ask for them. <S> or... Ask for help getting back on the management track <S> If you think your calling is in helping other software engineers do their best work, then speak to your manager about what it will take you to get on that path. <S> If your company is growing at the rate you say it is, that means there are probably lots of opportunities to act as a manager, even if your title isn't 'VP'. <A> You need some honest 3rd party advice from a friend or colleague. <S> It sounds like you might be a better engineer than leader, and the "famous" thing is just a tactful way for management to avoid saying it outright. <S> I don't really buy the "keep the board happy" argument. <S> People don't just replace a high performing team lead with an unknown unless something else was going on. <S> Either way, you are not going to talk your way out of this one. <S> Your experience at the company means they have had plenty of time to consider you. <S> They didn't choose you because of something you are doing or not doing. <S> You have to figure out what that is and change how you work. <A> I think you're missing the point of what is going on. <S> You are an engineer. <S> Seems like management has just shifted from having to give you a title to keep you happy to giving you a title to keep other parties happy. <S> Which raises the question: is your title part of your compensation package, and if so, how much salary and options did you give up to accept it? <S> If you have a good package and are gaining good experience, it may be worth sticking it out until the company sells or goes public or whatever. <S> However, it's also entirely possible <S> the real point of gaining all that experience has been to interview somewhere else and see what you've really been worth. <S> Sorry if this advice got off topic but this really jumped out at me.
| If the VP of Software spot is filled, maybe there's space for you to act as a team lead, or a Director of QA, or something else entirely. Something is amiss in your story and your management is acting fishy, so I would do yourself the favor of getting a third-party check on your worth in the relationship.
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Proper response after finding out that another team works on the project I am leading one of the software development teams in a company. We are completely responsible for a technical side of our product (development/QA) that we've been developing for ~3 years. My company hired IT consultancy services some time ago. I was informed that the consultant will be managing the project on a senior technology level, in order to replace the former technical manager who moved to another department. Recently these things happened: Consultants requested access to our source code. we noticed in one of shared calendars that our product was demoed to a third-party outsource company. We asked our management about it, received a reply that it was a sales demo a person with a generic Gmail address requested access to a QA document in our Google docs. We looked up that person's name at LinkedIn, two of the three matches work for the above-mentioned outsource company. Again we asked our management if this a security breach - no reply yet my team members noticed that somebody is using consultant's credentials to access our system, and the IP addresses match the ones used by - guess - the outsource company ( whois data) We were not explicitly communicated about any third-party companies testing/studying our system. I clearly realize that my company owns all of the source code and projects, and no one is obliged to notify me or my team about strategic decisions. Still, there is a conflict here between business interest (not letting people know so that not to undermine development progress) and team's interest (actually knowing in advance so that to e.g. start looking for another job). Now my question is: is it ethical/professional to explicitly ask the management about these activities, basically clearly letting them know that we are aware of it and would have preferred to have been informed earlier? <Q> That's a tricky one. <S> Perhaps the best way is to approach management with exactly the story but without conclusions or allegations. <S> "Hey management, we have observed <S> x,y, and z. <S> That has created the impression that there may be a plan to outsource the project. <S> This perception has impacted the morale and productivity of the team. <S> It would be really helpful if you could address these concerns" By using the terms "impression" and "perception" you are not actually calling management out <S> and you are not alleging anything. <S> You specifically ask management to address a real problem, which is the perception of outsourcing. <S> This is true regardless of whether outsourcing is happening or not. <A> is it ethical/professional to explicitly ask the management about these activities? <S> It depends on your locale, and your situation. <S> If your technical manager was there, I think it's reasonable to ask them what is going on. <S> At this point, the proper response I think is to quickly and quietly get your resume up to date and available publicly. <S> It might turn out to be nothing, and you stay there doing your job. <S> But having a consultant managing full time employees is odd, and usually a sign of further consultancy - especially if the new manager hasn't come in and done anything to allay your concerns. <A> For any question that starts with "should I ask management.." the answer is invariably yes. <S> As an employee you need to have faith and trust in your management. <S> This doesn't mean second guessing every thing that's going on, but when red flags appear then it is your right, and duty to your team members, to find out what's happening. <S> In my experience what you've described has three possible outcomes: <S> Management is considering selling the product to a third party and that group is starting to perform their own analysis of it. <S> If this is a core product that solves an industry wide problem then it means the company is just looking for an additional revenue stream. <S> Management is considering selling the company or seeking investors. <S> Again, if it's a core product then the company valuation might be based in part on how good a job <S> you're team <S> has done. <S> Management has lost faith in your team and their own ability to continue development. <S> Unfortunately, the only way you'll know for sure this happened is the day they fire your team. <S> Although you can get a clue depending on what prompted the previous manager to change positions. <S> If it was a sideways move and wasn't at the manager's request then this becomes more likely. <S> If #1, then asking management will result in good information. <S> If #2 or #3, they'll likely keep you in the dark. <S> That said, the fact that a contractor took over your boss's job makes me think #3 is the real reason - <S> but that's just a guess. <S> I'd update my resume. <A> If they are planning to outsource, they will keep this a business secret until the day they lay people off. <S> This is standard in any possible layoff situation. <S> No one will tell employees months ahead of when they are ready to lay them off. <S> From a business perspective, it would not be in the shareholder's best interests because they will lose people they need right now <S> and thus they have a fiduciary duty not tell you in advance. <S> There may even be legal issues involved in not telling you in advance of either an outsourcing or a possible sale of the comaany and they may not be sharing the information at an attorney's suggestion. <S> Managers have to be able to keep these kinds of business decisions secret until the official announcement. <S> That is what they are paid to do. <S> Some of you may be retained to work with the offshore group intially, but do you want to bet your livelihood on that? <A> A complement to the other good answers already here: <S> Your situation is a huge security risk, and you should report this to your manager. <S> It has become normal to see strangers trying and accessing company IP over the internet! <S> Attackers inside and outside the companies involved could take advantage. <S> A complete outsider may start to try stealing all your data and/or plant backdoors, and you'll just assume it's just another consultant doing legitimate secret work.
| Frankly, I would start looking for another job because this does indicate that something major is going to change soon and your job may well be at risk. Even though your technical manager moved departments, I think it's reasonable to ask - even though you're likely to receive a "no comment". There is no point in getting upset about them doing what is in the company's best interests.
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How to deal with company that doesn't set expectations or tasks for me? Several years ago I began working at a start-up software company as a post-graduate. I initially signed on as the web developer, but over the years my responsibilities grew and grew and now I'm essentially a full-stack developer and sys-administrator for my company. Initially when I started this job I got all my business requirements direct from managers and the CEO. For the past couple of years, however, management focus has been on solely on the software development on other projects of which I have little to no involvement in. There hasn't been a single day working at this job where I was actively working on something that I felt wasn't benefiting the company in some fashion, but the bulk of it was either self-invented work or a low-priority project somebody in some other department asks of me which may or may not ever be used. It's starting to get to the point where I sometimes have to ask myself "why am I even working here?". Nobody at my company seems to have any stake at all in my work and sometimes weeks will go by without me having to talk to another human being in my office about the work I do. There always seems to be discussion of big projects "on the horizon" for me, but it never seems to come to fruition. I feel extremely under utilized, and I'm starting to consider leaving and finding work someplace else. Is there anything I can do to improve this situation? <Q> Consider getting involved in those other projects. <S> If you don't have the skills, it's a great time to acquire them. <S> I spent a decade on a project, and tried to keep it going despite it being de-prioritized and raided for manpower... and drove myself half-crazy doing so. <S> (I know, "short trip!"). <S> Finally I had to accept that the company now had other priorities, and wasn't going to reward me for my efforts, and I bailed out to another project. <S> I still hate seeing all that work -- and some potentially games changing ideas -- being neglected, but manglement made their decision and all I could do was move to something they do care about. <S> Be flexible, or be broken.... <A> First of all, ask yourself if you really want to work for the company in the long run. <S> Do you like what you do? <S> Do you feel important? <S> Do you enjoy going to work every day? <S> If the answer is no, ask yourself if it's likely to change to the better. <S> If not, look for another job. <S> I've been in a similar situation myself and decided to leave, only to realize I should have done it much earlier. <A> Ask your manager to meet with you and say the following, <S> Initially when I started this job I got all my business requirements direct from managers and the CEO. <S> For the past couple of years, however, management focus has been on solely on the software development on other projects of which I have little to no involvement in. <S> There hasn't been a single day working at this job where I was actively working on something that I felt wasn't benefiting the company in some fashion, but the bulk of it was either self-invented work or a low-priority project <S> somebody in some other department asks of me which may or may not ever be used. <S> There always seems to be discussion of big projects "on the horizon" for me, but it never seems to come to fruition. <S> I feel extremely under utilized, and I'm starting to consider leaving and finding work someplace else. <S> Is there anything I can do to improve this situation? <S> You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish just by communicating with your coworkers. <S> A good manager will want to work with you to improve your situation – and thereby also improve their situation – by making you happier and more productive. <S> Worst case, you'll discover that your manager isn't interested in your happiness or productivity, and that information will help you make your decision about whether to stay there.
| If the company focus changes, you need to be prepared to change with it -- and ideally to help lead the change.
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Do I need to respond to a card (with a gift)? I got married recently. We tried to keep it as quiet as possible in order to avoid the drama that would typically come along with with such an event, but I had to eventually had to share it with HR in order to add my wife to our insurance plan. Long story short I received a card today with signatures from most of the local office (around 75 people) and a not insignificant amount of cash - roughly equivalent to two nice dinners for the two of us. Should I acknowledge this, or parts of this? It seems excessive to email-blast my local office with a thank you note for the card, and I'm not 100% sure who I would send a thank you for the money to - C?O's and VPs would be my first guess. <Q> I think the best answer to above question can be found by considering the opposite situation, Suppose someone else in your team got married recently and you all have given a card and some cash gift to that person. <S> In that case "Would like to receive a thank you card or mail from that person ? <S> Would you like it to happen in team meeting ? <S> or whatever ? <S> " <S> Understanding the alternate case gives you clear understanding of your workplace ethics and culture. <S> You can also take a clue from someone who faced similar situation recently. <S> like the one below.. <S> Hello All, I & (your spouse name here) really appreciate your wishes and gift. <S> Please stop by my desk and share sweets. <S> Thanks once again, (Your & your spouse name here) <S> Please note that above mail is just the simplest template, you can customize it with your own words. <S> You are right that people sitting at C?O positions may be too busy for these mails. <S> But if they spend few minutes on your marriage gift card (cash) discussions they too deserve a "Thank You note". <S> This will be a good gesture from your side and even if C?Os don't come just think that they are really too busy. <A> We have often had people just fill out one Thank <S> You note (Yes the paper kind) and post it on the refrigerator door in the break room. <A> Just send one or two sentence email thanking everyone for their support. <S> Try to send that email during the off-hours to minimize any stress on the mail servers. <S> And make sure that your email has text only - NO GRAPHICS, NO PICTURES.
| I would suggest a brief mail with some sweets (chocolates etc.)
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Should I include university education on my resume if I dropped out? I have already seen similar questions, like this one: How to explain that my experience makes up for my lack of qualifications? ,however I don't think that they fit my current situation. In my experience, some formal education in Computer Science could be too big asset to simply omit in favor of previous work experience. I started attending a 4 year computer science degree 15 years ago, but at the start of the fourth year I started working as a software developer. By that time, I had passed about 80% of the lessons required with good grades. The lessons that I hadn't attended were mostly unrelated with the field, like physics, advanced calculus etc. When I started working I didn't have enough time and motivation to complete my studies, since I decided that my time was better spent studying about the technologies that I worked on. I haven't regretted this decision and as I am continuously employed for the past decade and my lack of a formal degree was never an issue. However I understand that most of the lessons that I had attended at the university gave me a broader understanding of my field and are a valuable asset. Most software developers without some kind of formal education are usually lacking in some core areas, and it is one of the first things I ask the people I interview. On one hand I can explain my position at any interview. On the other hand I am afraid that it will have a negative impact on my resume and I may not even make it to an interview because of it. So my question is: Should I include my time at the university on my resume, noting that I dropped out? <Q> For a fresh grad, might be difficult to justify dropping out on the third year, but with more than 10 years of working experience, you should consider writing a CV instead of a resume. <S> In CV, focus on the experience you've gained and how you would bring those experience into the new job. <S> The degree should be written in a short and simple sentence. <S> If you can't explain why you did not complete in less than 3 sentences, don't explain at all as it tends to get very wordy and ruins your resume. <S> Instead, let them ask you on the interview <S> then you would have all the time to explain. <S> Unless the company have a strict rule of "Masters degree holder = <S> X position", "Bachelors degree holder = X-1 position", "Non degree holder = Ignore".... <S> you should be fine with some related working experience to show for. <A> It depends what positions you are applying for. <S> If you are a web programmer, you'll get away with not knowing a lick about data algorithms and theoretical computer science. <S> In fact, you'll get away with not knowing a lick about how to write code that scales. <S> In fact, when it comes to web programming, I am not even sure what you'll get away with not knowing - <S> No, I don't think highly of web programming. <S> For any other type of programming, this ignorance will kill your candidacy. <A> Don't waste much time with it but a line or two to explain what you were doing does avoid leaving a gap in your CV. <S> I was asked about a gap in employment ten years before and struggled to explain why i'd left university at that stage in interview. <S> I felt like if I'd just stated the name of the course and that I didn't complete the course I could have avoided this completely. <A> Like it or not, there are many companies that apply the "has a college degree" test as one of the first criteria for filtering applicants. <S> For such companies, you really don't stand much of a chance, unfortunately. <S> Your best hope is to know someone there who is respected and influential and can advocate for you. <S> Sometimes the red tape is flimsy and you can get past the first filter that way. <S> For other companies, you should try to find out their views on a completed education. <S> It's a part of the research you should to as you find out about the company. <S> You may or may not be able to find out much, but you should try. <S> For those who value education but do not immediately disqualify candidates based on lack of a completed degree, you should include your education on your resume, stating the area of study and the years you spent. <S> Note also any special projects, internships, awards, etc., just like you would with a completed degree. <S> If you don't know whether a company values a completed degree, then go ahead and include your education experience. <S> Let them make the call whether you meet their expectations. <S> Answer honestly the minute it comes up, even if it's when you show up for your first day of work.
| If you must submit a resume, put emphasis on the job and responsibilities you've had over the degree which you did not complete. Be sure to be completely honest, and never leave the impression that you have a degree.
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Should I share (weekly/fortnightly) useful articles published on web with my seniors/colleagues through email? I work in a large multinational company. My department is mix of around 60 young and experienced people. I joined around 3 years back. I often feel that there is huge scope to improve managing the department affairs. It may be in selecting the right projects, estimating the timelines, activity plan, managing meetings, review mechanism and so on. There is whole lot of material (from sources like Inc.com, HBR.org etc.) available on the web which can provide useful techniques to adopt. On one hand I wonder how my colleagues will feel if I email out these articles? Will it have a positive impact on my colleagues and seniors in the department? I remember last time when I shared one such article, my senior appreciated it, and even urged other youngsters to share such articles of general interest, but he also jokingly mentioned "Why do you have to point out the mistakes?" Edit: My intention of sharing is to stimulate the change, create debate on existing practices. <Q> Email comes and goes. <S> In addition, you'll be lucky if you can locate anything that's currently in your Inbox two weks later. <S> I suggest that you put up a wiki or a wordpress blog and put your stuff there. <S> If you host it yourself, it'll still be yours when you leave. <S> If you're having it hosted by your company, then it's subject to company policies and you no affiliation with your stuff when you leave. <S> If you get the company to host a company-wide blog or wiki for the benefit of all contributors to the blog or wiki, then it makes sense for the company to host it. <A> Be careful and selective in what you distribute; this can become annoying unless most items are of interest to most recipients. <S> For more than an occasional item, invite folks to opt in rather than sending unsolicited stuff they will just be annoyed by. <S> As said elsewhere making this a personal blog or wiki may be better. <S> Also be aware that "found on the web" or "someone mailed it to me <S> " do not excuse copyright violation. <S> If you're going to do this, summarize in your own words and tell folks where they can go to read more; that's both kinder to your readers and makes the copyright someone else's problem. <A> People can be weird about the sharing of external articles and blog postings in the workplace. <S> As you've already seen, sharing an article can be interpreted as a critique about the way things are done. <S> Depending on the context that could be perfectly OK, or it could be seen as someone trying to subvert decisions that have already been made. <S> I have found that it is best to share articles only between a very small group of highly trusted people as part of an ongoing discussion on a very specific topic. <S> This way, you know the article will at least be skimmed, but more importantly you know who is reading it and what the scope of their reaction would be. <S> Also, you can expect helpful and interesting dialog to occur in response. <S> Sending out a more general article from a place like HBR, to large group of people out of the blue is practically asking for mis-interpretation especially by more rigid/insecure folks who don't particularly enjoy circulation of knowledge. <S> These people could very easily also make incorrect assumptions about your intent and silently retaliate in response at some point in the future. <A> Your ultimate goal is to improve the way your department works. <S> Were the problems addressed or any action taken after your last email? <S> Let me explain how I see this based on the same experience in the past. <S> The point is whether you have a capable management team. <S> If you have, you can raise issues and improvement ideas with your supervisor, they take the lead, set up an action plan and assign tasks to people thus changing the everyday working practices in the department. <S> An incapable management team will tell you to send emails if you like, so that people can read them. <S> However no action is taken. <S> What I saw happen in this case is that other people start thinking that those smart emails are a new kpi for a good evaluation and everybody will start sending all the stuff they read online. <S> Your mailbox will be full of spam, no action will be taken and people get even more confused. <S> I suggest to address issues one by one in a measureable way with proper responsibility and action plan. <A> It's encouraged in most places to share opinions and knowledge around subjects that are important to the team's growth. <S> If you have already been commended to do so, then I would continue to share. <S> I just would approach the body of the email when sharing the article in a way that is emphasizing growth rather than emphasizing mistakes. <A> If you are the team lead, or in a position of seniority and respect, emailing articles to the team should be fine. <S> @VietnhiPhuvan's advice about a Wiki would work really well in this scenario. <S> it's value to the team. <S> Otherwise your emails will eventually become noise. <A> I would be careful not to send too many emails. <S> Sometimes this can turn against the person as it seems like they are always trying to educate someone. <S> More suitable option would be creating a "User Group" or a meeting where you present your ideas. <S> This will also make it more personal and will create the opportunity to mingle with your co-workers. <S> Sometimes you can find like-minded people that might be willing to present similar content in your next session. <A> Personally I use Google+ <S> for this: I created a circle for colleagues and post there only stuff I believe could be of interest for them. <S> So if they like it, they can read, re-share, comment. <S> If they don't, it's not intrusive at all, they would see only when/if they log on Google+ <S> (and for stuff you really want to make sure they see you can explicitly name the person or persons, in this ca
| If you are a junior on the team, or have not yet earned the respect of your team, a better approach might be to send the articles to your team lead and allow him/her to judge
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Recent CS graduate with no social media profiles. Am I suspicious? I'm a recent university graduate looking for work. For privacy reasons, I have never registered in any of the social media sites under my real name. I cannot easily be found on Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn, there are no pictures of me on the Internet. I really want it to stay this way. Now almost everyone I know has profiles in the above networks and a personal site with a link to their GitHub account. I know prospective employers tend look you up on the Internet and find it strange if you aren't there. Is my absence in the public space seriously detrimental for my job search (in Canada)? <Q> American by the way here. <S> No, you are fine. <S> And I don't think most employers look you up on social media; you aren't that interesting. <S> Most companies run a background check to ensure you are suitable to work there. <S> Background checks cover things like criminal background and debt (things you can't hide readily), but could be more in-depth depending on the employer <S> (FBI for example is much more thorough than McDonald's). <S> If an employer asks for your social media information, it is not a place you want to work as it shows they don't understand personal boundaries and are unprofessional. <S> The could be in the right to ask if you know how to use Facebook or Twitter if it is relevant to the position, but to ask to see your account would be a privacy invasion. <A> However, github is a great site to showcase yourself on for CS, and it doesn't require either a picture or publicly disclosing your real name (instead it shows your username, which can be whatever you want). <S> So, you get the best of both worlds. <S> Consider joining it. <S> Likewise, the main coding-competition websites. <S> (As the others say, if you were to apply for any sort of job requiring an online presence - even community evangelist, trainer or open-source maintainer, not just outright marketing - obviously those sorts of lines of work would require one.) <S> By the way, don't confuse "social media profile" with "professional profile" - you can't mention github and Facebook in the same sentence. <S> Twitter is different, depending on how you use it. <A> Not every human being feels a need to publicize their life. <S> Frankly, I consider not having a social-media profile a mark of good sense. <S> On the other hand, I'd find it useful if the candidate had some online technical presence -- open source participation, providing expert advice on systems like this one -- and I'd like them to at least understand the concepts behind implementing, supporting, and marketing social media since our products are used by many such systems and because intelligent curiosity is always a plus. <S> In a few, having one might help a bit -- or might hurt depending on how much they like what they see. <S> Most places probably won't care unless you've done something particularly good (in which case your resume should mention it) or stupid/embarrassing. <A> I'm a web developer in the US. <S> Your question was unclear on this point, but I think not having a GitHub (or something similar) would be a strong negative. <S> Every interview I've ever been on in this industry either asked for it or expressed pleasure in seeing I had one. <S> No one has ever asked for the rest (which I have, and am pretty strict with the privacy settings) <S> and I'd probably not accept a friend request from anyone I work with while we're both still here. <A> First of all, many social networking sites (Facebook in particular) have privacy settings for this very reason - you can control exactly what your prospective employers can see, and they are not legally allowed to demand access to any more than that (In America here). <S> However, I don't think you are in any danger. <S> For the very reasons you've listed and more, it's not uncommon to opt out entirely from social media sites. <S> Unless you're in a career that requires a lot of personal recognition and advertisement (like working in the social media business, or as a designer of any kind) networking is purely optional. <S> Though if you do decide to become more public with your social media useage, do be careful how you use it, because employers can and will find that information. <S> They may judge you on it, positively or negatively, or they may not, but it's better to be aware and be wary of what sorts of posts you make on any publicly visible website. <S> Including, for example, questions you've asked on SE.Workforce. <S> ;)
| Not having a picture online is fine, your privacy is your own decision. If you're applying for a job at Facebook, not having an online presence might hurt you.
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Is inquisitiveness a desirable trait for mid-level positions? If so, how do I express it during an interview? Firstly, I want to know: how much do interviewers value inquisitiveness in a candidate for a mid-level (technical) position? Secondly, I was told that the purpose of interview is to determine my fit for the job, and not to "broaden my own knowledge". So how do I ask questions to express my inquisitiveness without appearing ignorant and "trying to broaden my own knowledge"? Thanks a lot. === Edit The main issue I want to avoid is giving interviewer the impression that I'm wasting his time for my own (free) education. He may think that way if I ask a lot of questions (while that may be true to some extent, my primary intent is to express my inquisitiveness). <Q> how much do interviewers value inquisitiveness in a candidate for a mid-level (technical) position? <S> It depends on the position, and the culture of the company in question. <S> Personally, I find the drive to learn about things to be a vital component of a successful technical candidate. <S> How to express that in an interview? <S> Ask questions. <S> Since the interviewers (if skilled) are looking to find the border of your knowledge/skill, then you should inevitably encounter something that you don't quite know. <S> Asking about it shouldn't cause you trouble at that point since it should be clear to everyone (if skilled) that you're asking about something slightly beyond your capabilities. <S> No shame in that. <A> I would hope a mid-level developer wants to be an upper-level developer some day. <S> You'll need to keep coding and asking lots of questions. <S> Many of those questions you'll end up answering yourself through trial and error along with research. <S> Nothing wrong with this. <S> It's called learning. <A> Ask questions that would be needed for you to a good job and make sure you're the right fit for the job. <S> Ask about the tech stack, about how services interact with each other, about the company culture and who you would be working with. <S> Asking the right questions make you more productive and a good hiring manager sees this. <A> Use examples from your work experience where you have had to investigate a new technology or technique. <S> E.g. the initial proof of concept was to slow for production <S> so I investigated the possible solutions and taught my self node.js and rebuilt the system using that. <A> I think that the best way to demonstrate inquisitiveness is to describe past situations in which you have been inquisitive. <S> Trying to literally demonstrate inquisitiveness by asking wide, open-ended questions in a setting as focused as an interview may give a bad impression. <S> That's why the other answers are warning you about only asking questions which relate to the job/job-interview. <S> The thing is, by definition, "inquisitiveness" requires calling into question everything. <S> There are times and places where that is really valuable, but a strict time-limited job interview is not one of them. <S> Stick to describing your inquisitive behavior from the past rather than exhibiting it, literally, at the job interview. <S> Your questions should just be authentic, thoughtful questions about the job and the workplace.
| In other words, narrate your past work experiences and highlight the things you want to bring to the attention of the interviewer (like inquisitiveness) with concrete examples that have a positive outcome. But I've also seen places where such a drive is not valued, since it leads to uncomfortable questions about existing incompetency or because it would drive the candidate towards dissatisfaction with a role that needs to shut up, take orders and pump out mindless productivity.
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Employer has changed offer after I already accepted I got a job offer from a reputable company that I have accepted after negotiating with the technical manager who I will be reporting to. Strangely, I got a call today from the HR telling me that there was miscommunication between them and the technical manager: they informed him that I have 7 years experience rather than 4. Although they still need my services, they will have to reduce the offer. I requested some time to think about the new offer. Now it's okay for me to accept the new offer especially since it's a well-known company and I will gain a lot of experience, but this miscommunication makes me hesitant to accept it and I'm afraid that I will give them the indication that I'm cheap. Thanks to all; I really didn't expect all these answers and help. I decided to refuse the offer. <Q> Unless you misled HR during an interview about something that would affect starting salary, you need to take a long, hard look at this company. <S> This could be a bait-and-switch tactic used by the company to get applicants to agree to a lower salary. <S> Even if its an honest mistake, its a pretty egregious one - they extended an offer and you accepted, now they're reneging on their promise. <S> They've already screwed up the offer, what if they screw up the start date? <A> Mistakes do happen, but you should clarify how the change affects the job you've been offered. <S> If they are paying you as 4 years experience, does that mean a difference in the role, or are you doing the same job <S> but just being paid less? <S> If the role is different, get a new role spec and see if this is where you are wanting to go. <S> If it's just less money, I would be pushing back, you'll have the same expectations on you once you are in the job as if you had the 7 years to start. <A> I find their excuse implausible. <S> At least two people in the company screwed up: the HR person and the hiring manager. <S> Did the hiring manager not get a copy of your resumé and review it when interviewing? <S> Was the interview done carelessly, in a way that didn't let you adequately prove your skills or ask you about your experience? <S> It's not just a simple matter of miscommunication — their sloppy hiring process is also suspect. <S> Consider the awkwardness of working there if you simply accept their lower offer. <S> You'll be working for a manager who knows that you are exploitable, and that is an impression that can never go away for as long as you work for that manager. <S> If you want to work there, you must at least negotiate a salary that exceeds their reduced offer, or a signing bonus. <S> Were you interviewed by other team members? <S> Did you get their business cards? <S> (I usually ask for them.) <S> Consider asking other employees about the company culture (not necessarily mentioning this specific incident), to gauge whether this is a sign of a pattern of how they operate. <A> There are three approaches: Accept. <S> Mistakes happen, and it's still a good offer. <S> Reject. <S> If they screwed up something that important -- intentionally or not -- you don't want to work there. <S> Negotiate. <S> I suggest the last one. <S> You have a strong position, and can put the ball in their court. <S> Tell them "Your initial offer is closer to what I expected. <S> I can accept that, but not the new offer." <S> If it was intentional (a bait-and-switch), they won't do anything, and you dodged a bullet. <S> If it was a mistake, they may be willing to own up it. <S> They're a bit embarrassed right now, and a matter-of-fact "um, no" may work. <S> I'd be surprised if you couldn't get something out of this situation better than their second offer. <A> It's unfortunate, and highly unprofessional of them, but mistakes do happen. <S> You don't want to work in a place that plays silly games. <S> But if it is an honest mistake, and you really want this opportunity, you may not want to walk away from it over this situation. <S> Your question didn't say whether you agreed that the original offer was high and the new offer was more in line with what you expect for four years of experience (factoring in that working there, including pay, needs to still be an improvement over your current situation in order to be attractive). <S> Consider what might happen if you were to demand they honor their first offer. <S> They may rescind it, leaving you without the opportunity you seek to have. <S> Or they may honor the first offer, but will place high expectations on you, and very likely limit your pay increases for a few years to bring your pay back in line with your years of experience. <S> Large companies use formulas for determining pay within a certain band. <S> If you start at the top of a band, your pay won't be able to grow as much until you get promoted to a new position in the next band. <S> In the end, it's up to you to decide whether this is an honest mistake, and if you want to forgive them for it. <S> They will not think poorly of you for accepting the lower (more correct) offer if it was an honest mistake. <A> If they've already made you an offer, presumably they're satisfied that you have the skills they're looking for. <S> They should be paying you on the basis of your skills, not the amount of time it took you to acquire them. <S> A company that uses the number of years of your experience for any purpose other than pre-interview screening is automatically highly suspect. <S> Do they also give raises and promotions based on seniority rather than skill? <S> If you accept this offer, not only are you selling yourself short, but you may find yourself pulling the dead weight of a bunch of incompetents who are getting paid more than you.
| If it is not an honest mistake, then you should probably decline their offer and find someplace else to work.
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Is resignation date the last working day? The bonus policy at my company says: If an employee resigns or is terminated before the payment date, no bonus is given to him. This is my first job, and I am confused about the meaning of the word resign. Is resignation date the day when I submit my resignation letter or my last working day? My understanding is: resignation date is the last working day, and notice date is the day of submitting the resignation letter. <Q> Your company policy you quoted is unambiguous. <S> If an employee resigns or is terminated before the payment date , no bonus is given to him. <S> If you submitted your resignation before the bonus payment date, you are not eligible for the bonus. <S> The only case when resignation date is the last working day is when you resign with effect from the next day, and your manager/supervisor lets you go without serving the notice period. <A> This is slightly off topic, but if you are in a situation where you might resign close to when you get the bonus, you can ask the new employer for a hiring bonus to make up for the bonus you won't get. <S> Or you can ask them if you can delay your start date so that you can give notice after receiving the bonus. <S> You have to do this at the start of the negotiation though, not after you have agreed to the terms. <A> In most cases resignation is the day you put in the notice. <S> So I am guessing if you put in a notice before the payment date you will not get the bonus. <A> The day before that is your last working day. <S> (ex. <S> Resignation July 8; Last working July 7) Notice Period - no of days for turn over; based on your company policy. <S> Meaning you should hand out your resignation letter ahead of time. <S> (ex Resignation is July 8, notice period is 30days. <S> Then, your submission of resignation must be on or before June 7. <S> Note here that your June 7 is the start of notice period of 30days.
| Resignation Date - the date you will cease employment with the company.
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Got a job offer sent a counter proposal, got no response I was interviewed for a software development job. A position which calls for expert level skill. the hiring process was long and difficult , the final technical interview lasted more than a 4 hours.after this long interview, I was asked to wait for a few minutes and meet the CTO, he surprised me with the salary expectation question. After the long day I was tired & hungry so I asked what was the budget for this position. The answer he gave me was such a low ball I should have realized immediately this is a negotiation trick, But as I said I was out of focus and I blurred a number lower than I should have. On my way home they emailed me with request for references, once they spoke with them. they sent me an offer a few thousands / year less than what I asked. Afer pondering the issue I emailed back , thanked them for their offer and asked politely for the original target (which is in line with what they pay in this company from what I know). I made no ultimatum just stated the gap is small and it would be nice if they can up their offer a bit. that was yesterday morning. I got no response from them. I am at a complete loss of what to do now. Given their quick response time since I began this process (hours) waiting so long is strange. I would like to work there, but I think that calling them asking for a response at this point, might not work to my advantage. what are your thoughts ? <Q> that was yesterday morning. <S> I got no response from them. <S> Woah. <S> Chill out. <S> You asked them a question which likely requires both: Talking to HR Talking to the manager's manager <S> This will not be immediate and might take a few days (or more). <S> HR has a lot more concerns than just, "will Blue2Red take this job? <S> " Especially if your counter was outside the money that the hiring manager had to "easily" budget <S> Keep in mind that while this is a huge priority and matter of urgency for you, it's not the most important thing that the hiring manager and HR will deal with today and yesterday. <S> For all you know they had dozens of critical emails to deal with. <S> There are just plenty of more important things to most managers than some employee they are trying to hire... who might not even accept the offer. <S> If you don't hear back by maybe next Wednesday, send a followup that says "Hey, I haven't heard anything - let me know if you need anything else from me!" <A> You might have put yourself at a disadvantage by saying "it would be nice if you upped your offer". <S> I can't be sure, because I don't know the exact contents of what your wrote, but the company might be waiting on something more definitive and actionable from you. <S> It sounds to me like you didn't clearly reject the offer, so there might be some confusion about whether you're still thinking about it. <S> The other possibility is that someone is working to get the higher rate approved and it takes some time because of internal pressures that you aren't aware of. <S> I wouldn't ask for a response unless you have a pressing deadline. <S> Often just a follow-up to let them know that you're still interested can get things rolling again. <A> It's not clear from your question how did you respond to the low ball offer, that changes the dynamics. <S> If you haven't agreed with the low ball, it's totally ok to ask for more. <S> As long as your request was reasonable, they shouldn't change their mind regarding hiring you. <S> However, if you have agreed then changing your mind doesn't help you really. <S> In general, these questions are very standard (maybe except from junior positions at large corporations) and you should prepare for them. <S> Not getting a reply for a day is totally fine. <S> Many people receive well over a hundred emails a day and it might take them a while to get back to you. <S> Also, some people can't reply to this immediately (depending on who's the decision maker). <S> Anyway, you should wait at least for 2 weeks before pinging them again.
| I would write a quick note to just touch base and let them know that you're still very interested in the position and that you're available if they need any more information from you.
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