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If I accept an offer, but then my company counters with a big increase, can I negotiate an increase with the offer I already accepted? So I have accepted an offer. I was not expecting my current employer to counter with such a big offer. Can I bring that up to the company I accepted the offer from already to negotiate a better salary? <Q> I believe that using this as a leverage would damage your reputation from the perspective of the new company. <S> It would show that you can easily break your agreements (you have already made a mutual decision in terms of salary). <S> Also, hiring is expensive (training, adapting, etc) and the employer hopes that you'd stay for as long as possible. <S> If you would come back with new demands then chances are that you would be leaving them soon and cause them problems with replacing you, time spent on your training wouldn't pay off, etc. <S> I've been in this situation <S> and I know how tempting that is <S> but you are better off not doing that :) <S> Regarding accepting a counter-offer: Technically you can. <S> Is it a good idea? <S> Generally not. <S> See, your current employer already knows that you want to leave. <S> They are offering a raise not because they suddenly realized how great you are <S> but because they don't have a replacement right now. <S> Giving you a raise to stay buys them some time to find a replacement. <S> Once they have found it, they have very little reason to keep you there because chances are, you will try to leave again soon. <S> The only exception might be if you have expertise in some niche that very few people do. <S> At the end of the day, everyone is replaceable. <S> Also, you made the decision to leave them so probably there is something else other than money that was bothering you. <S> If it was only money and they rejected a raise, that just supports my previous point. <A> Generally it's not a good idea to bring it up after you have already agreed on something. <S> As an employer, people that go back on their word is a warning sign. <S> It might just lose you the offer from your potential new employer. <S> That just might get your new employer to raise their offer without you having to go back on your word. <A> If you have accepted an offer, you have accepted an offer. <S> The situation is that you will work for your old employer until the end of your notice, but you have mentally switched sides. <S> You are looking forward to your new job. <S> If your old company now makes a higher offer, that is just annoying, they should have offered it before you looked for a new position if they think you are worth it. <S> (And indeed it is a good rule never to go back and take the higher offer, because you will be a marked man. <S> Except if you are a marked woman. <S> Or just marked). <S> What you can do is carefully tell the new company exactly that, that you received a higher offer, and how annoying it is that they waited until you decided to leave. <S> No mention that you want more money, or that you are excepting more. <S> Be genuinely annoyed with your old company. <S> The result should be that your reputation with the new company will improve, and there is a chance of an improved offer. <S> Andreas' answer is very similar but a bit more aggressive, which increases both the chances of getting a better offer, and the risk of annoying your new company and losing out completely. <S> Your choice.
| What you could do, is mention that you did get a much better offer from your current employer but that you like the new company more and need a few days to think and talk things through with your significant other / a friend before you make a decision.
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Maintaining mentorship with a mentor who has a different problem solving style Background: I'm a recent degree graduate and software developer. The company I work at has a relatively small team with 8 members. I'm the newest on the team and have been here 10 months. I get along well with one of the senior developers whenever I'm talking about anything other than code specifics. I need to go to him for support frequently since he knows .NET quite well. When we are talking about the different ways of solving a technical problem I'm having trouble with there is noticable conflict and tension. This is because we both have different ways of doing things and a different fundamental thought proccess. Just one example (of many) where we think differently is that I was trained with more focus on object oriented design, using inheritance whereas he sees data by the way it would fit into a table and even questions why you would use inheritance versus just a plain reference to a parent object. Whenever I try to politely say something along the lines of "I see your point, but I still think this is the better approach because x y z" he doesn't see my point of view and even gets a little bit more insistent that the method he is recomending is better and this causes increased tension. I do understand where he is coming from and I can see the benefits of doing it his way, however I see more benefits from solving the problem my way. So, my question is how do I deal with him in a way that would see my relations with him improving or is the best approach to simply enforce some space between him and me when it comes to technical conversations and as a result inhibiting him becoming a valuable mentor? NOTE: How can I reduce communication gaps with a colleague who has different working style? <-- A similar question but more about communication which is not an issue. EDIT: This person is not my superior, he is simply a more experienced colleague, the boss of mine (I have 2...) that is in charge of my work works and thinks the same way as me when it comes to solving problems. This means that implementing a solution in the way this other developer is suggesting would result in me having to have the same discussion with my boss but me arguing for an implementation I don't really believe in. My boss doesn't know .NET very well however so he is unable to assist with the technical/implementation questions I have. EDIT 2: I changed the question and removed a lot of the technical detail as per suggestion in comments. <Q> Your determination to use OOP where it may not matter, and his determination to use a real database where it may not matter, are flip sides of the same coin. <S> You'll get along with him better if you remember that this is a craft, not a science, and two developers will often approach the same problem from different directions without either being wrong. <S> Picking the best solution depends on how it's going to be used, and on how much effort it'll take one way or the other... and that last varies from individual to individual. <S> And sometimes the right answer isn't the one that's best technically <S> OR that you prefer, but the one that'll be easier to maintain. <S> And if at all possible, don't fight over things that don't matter. <S> Who's right matters less than getting the job done. <A> I see your point, but I still think this is the better approach <S> "Better" in this sentence is a purely fictional measurement, at least to him. <S> You (both, as a team) have never set the standards of "good" so assuming something is "better" has no common base. <S> You have been taught that OOP is "better". <S> But if it was a good education, you have also been taught why . <S> So make a case. <S> What would your solution offer that his would not offer. <S> What could be done with your software, that could not be done with his? <S> If you present him with a likely business case that your solution would handle in less time or for less money, then he will see that it is indeed "better". <S> If you cannot come up with an example why your approach is "better", maybe it's not. <S> OOP and Inheritance are tools to solve problems. <S> Maybe this is not the right problem for the toolset you have? <S> It could as well be that you need a second (and third and fourth...) toolset. <A> Why don't want you to know why his method is better than yours by asking several questions on his method. <S> I think that it would be good to remember some relevant "Dale Carnegie's rules" here: 1) <S> Don’t criticize, condemn or complain (without trying a right approach -- I believe the above one that I mentioned is one of them); <S> 2) <S> Arouse in the other person an eager want (make him to think that he is also contributing to your project/solution). <A> If your OOP approach is better, present a couple of use-cases in your situation where the OOP approach works better than the database/table approach (which looks like delegation). <S> If the use-cases are important enough, it may help your mentor arrive at your conclusion. <S> Since he's the mentor, it might also behoove you to try his approach end-to-end. <S> You may learn that his way is better, or that your way is better, or that both ways are just 2 different ways of solving the same problem. <S> But your knowledge will be experience-based. <S> And if you learn both ways, then the next time you ask him for help, you'll be able to translate his preferred approach to your preferred approach without difficulty. <S> I had a situation where I wrote a chunk of code using the Ruby Enumerable library with cascading map/reduce blocks to do a painful data processing job on a data set. <S> My boss didn't appreciate the benefits of using cascading map/reduce (a more functional style of programming), and complained that the code was hard to read. <S> I countered by saying that if he could write the code more concisely using a more imperative coding style, then I would switch. <S> (I only said it because I knew that previous attempts at similar problems had triple the code volume, and it was brittle). <S> My approach has stood so far because it works, and because he has not yet produced code to solve the same problem in the imperative programming style. <S> In this case, I have tried the two different methods, so I was able to both articulate the differences, and write the code. <S> Knowing both methods and the pros and cons raises your credibility.
| Rather than getting caught up in who's right, focus on learning why a suggestion is being made and what the trade-offs are. I would like to suggest you to start the conversation with him in a positive mindset -- e.g., I might learn great things from this senior developer etc.
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What if someone claims to have a degree they don't have? Ok, so the title is not how it's suggested, I know the point of having a degree, I obtained two which I worked very hard to get. The question that I am trying to ask, or, the point that I'm trying to make is that, in the United Kingdom, at every possible avenue where I tried to progress into the industry (I'm a software engineer), they all asked for "Good degree", even at School / Colleges there were no chances of gaining a respectful job without having a degree. When I came out of University and started applying for these jobs, I put on my C.V. that I had just finished University, and I now have my degree. To which, no one asked for any proof or what my final grades were. They were just interested in what I did as my final year project and my programming ability, it was more like the degree did not matter. Here's the question: What if someone was to "wing" it, and, claim that they had a degree, just to obtain a job? Is the company likely to ask questions, once the probation period is over? Ok, granted if the person seriously lacked the technical skills or showed no signs of gaining any knowledge (like personal research skills etc..) then it would be obvious. However, for someone who had self taught themselves, and had the technical skills but lacked a degree, which was one of the main points. And if so, what would honestly happen at the company, would they fire this person, even though they have made an impact and brought value to the company? <Q> I help to hire people straight out of university. <S> There are two things you're missing. <S> To which, no one asked for any proof or what my final grades were. <S> No - they would have gone straight to your university and asked them. <S> Candidates can exaggerate, lie, or misremember - institutions don't. <S> They didn't bother asking you, because they'll do a background check if they want to hire you. <S> They were just interested in what I did as my final year project and my programming ability, it was more like the degree did not matter. <S> Yes, that's right. <S> I've seen people with degrees who couldn't program their way out of a wet paper bag. <S> Otherwise, you'd just show up with a degree certificate and be given a job without an interview. <S> People without degrees get hired all the time - people who lie about their degrees get fired. <A> This question is quite speculative. <S> You can't generalize how "the company" would react to discovering this, because every company is lead by humans, and humans are different. <S> However, discovering that someone lied about their qualifications for years is a revelation which paints their character in a very bad light. <S> It would seriously put the honesty and trustworthiness of the employee into question. <S> In most jurisdictions such a loss of trust would likely be reason enough for immediate termination of the work contract. <S> Depending on jurisdiction it might even fulfill the legal definition of fraud, which might give "the company" legal basis for pressing charges and/or suing for repayment of the wage they paid the employee over the years (look up your local laws and court decisions for details). <S> Whether or not "the company" would make use of this possibilities depends on: <S> Do they still trust the employee despite this breach of trust? <S> Is the employee so important and irreplacable that they can not afford to let them leave? <S> Can they live with the bad precedent it would set for new hires when they let this slide? <S> When word gets out, people will get the impression that it is apparently ok to lie about your qualifications when applying to "the company". <S> When "the company" can no longer trust the qualifications their candidates claim to have, it will make hiring decisions a lot harder. <S> "The company" will evaluate these points, and then make a decision about how they want to handle the case. <A> Not having a degree, yet claiming you do is fraud . <S> If you get caught, people might report you and eventually you can get arrested for it. <S> It's quite a severe crime, don't think too lightly of it. <A> Isn't it better just to tell the truth? <S> If you start fibbing, then you have to always remember which fib you told to whom, and one lie always seems to require more to lies to keep the truth from coming out. <S> It eventually becomes exhausting to maintain your appearances, and you slip up. <S> And doesn't it just stink to have a lie you told years ago <S> come back to sting you out of the blue? <S> Why risk it? <S> Lying about basic qualifications for a job is usually grounds for dismissal regardless of your contribution to the company. <S> While some companies do not make a formal check about your degree, many do. <S> My second job out of school required copies of my college transcript and diploma on my first day. <S> But that's the only company in my career that ever checked (that I know of). <S> If you're just wondering about the 'fairness' of someone getting ahead due to a lie they've told, don't get too upset. <S> Be glad you're not them. <S> It's their choice to do so. <S> It may not seem 'fair' to those without degrees, but it's the reality in many companies.
| If you're wondering why it matters to a company whether you have a degree, when it's the competency in the day to day skills that brings success, understand that many companies place value in having earned a college degree.
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What should I ask for when seeking a "more stable" retainer? I have been working on a month-to-month retainer for several years for the same firm, and have been asked to propose changes to my arrangement that would "provide more stability and predictability", partly as an acknowledgement of my contributions (which, it is agreed, warrant much more stability and recognition than an "at will" retainer), and partly to ensure that I cannot be easily terminated (e.g. should the work I do run afoul internal politics). What are my options in this case? I do not want (and I'm pretty sure my client does not want for me) to become an employee. Ideally I would like the changes to my existing arrangement to be minimal, or at least simple, with the primary goal of ensuring that I continue to make at least as much as I now do, doing essentially the same work, for as long as possible, without suddenly loosing my retainer fees. I assume I can ask for things like a few months' notice of termination, or a few months' fees following termination; but I'd prefer (and believe I can get) more. I've been working for my client for over a decade, and the client has recently been funded for at least another 5 years. Can I ask for a guaranteed contract for 5 years? <Q> A "guaranteed contract for 5 years" is a big commitment from a contract employer. <S> I don't know what country you're in, but in the US, there may be IRS rules that could prohibit things like that (you would be considered an employee by the IRS). <S> There is a lot of leeway between a 5-year contract and renewable contracts with shorter terms. <S> Would you be happy getting the same pay for the next 5 years? <S> Would you incorporate rate increases along the way? <S> Maybe you want a shorter renewable term. <S> The contract binds you as well as them (unless you have termination clauses built into your contract). <S> I think a 6-month or 1-year contract would be easier to negotiate than a 5-year term. <A> A five year retainer would not fit with the way most businesses are run. <S> Depending on your country you will need to be careful of rules as to what constitutes an employee but a decent lawyer will be able to make sure you are able to do things by the book. <S> Good luck <S> and let us know how it turns out for you. <A> You can always ask. <S> If there's no ink to paper <S> there's room for negotiation. <S> Ask for what you see as fair value for your services. <S> Write up your own contract and see what they say. <S> Maybe even make it a joint venture. <S> Draw up a rough draft for ideas you have and take it to them. <S> Ask them "Is this something similar to what you had in mind?"
| From what you describe I think you may want to talk to them about you getting a lawyer to draft a contract for an ongoing retainer from which # months notice is required from either you or X,Y, and Z company officials unless both parties agree to a shorter term with a penalty of $# dollars should the company initiate termination of the agreement without the proper notice.
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Handing in notice - do I need to tell my boss where I am going? Is there any obligation for me to tell my boss which company I am going to when I hand in my notice? I know that when the new company contacts HR for a reference they will know who is calling, but do I need to say to my boss who the new company is? I'm guessing not because I could have another offer come in and choose to join a different company, but I'm just wondering. Any thoughts on how to do this ("I'd rather not say at this time" (?)) You can imagine some reasons for yourselves (the reasons aren't important for this question). <Q> During the exit interview, you might get asked by HR about where are you going to work. <S> But I'd assume it's just for internal purposes, so that they could recognize if unproportionally many people leave for some specific company, or do something to improve employees retention. <A> No, you don't need to disclose where you are going. <S> Just don't mention it when handing in your notice. <S> If you boss asks, think about what you want to tell him. <S> Any answer that is not an outright lie is okay. <S> That's up to you. <A> In the United States there is no requirement to tell the employer who you will be working for, unless there is a specific work contract that would spell out that requirement. <S> As for the new employer checking on your current employment as part of the background check, that generally not a problem for most employees. <S> Many companies handle all employment verifications via a third party. <S> They will confirm dates of employment only. <S> (For loans they will provide income verification.) <S> You current manager will not be told about the verification check. <S> In my experience many employers do want to know, as do your co-workers. <S> They either want to know because they care about you, or they are looking for a future place to get a job. <S> But because some people can't be trusted most employees are under no obligation to tell them. <S> Now HR may ask about a way to contact you. <S> That is so they can send your final check, the tax forms in January or <S> if they find you left something valuable in your office. <S> Note: don't resign until you have a signed offer letter. <S> If you are still deciding don't resign yet.
| You can not tell anything or keep it vague or tell anyone everything. If you haven't made a final decision about which company you are about to join, you can simply say that.
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No responce for applied vacation I sent a vacation request a week a ago, and reconfirmed again via email on the 6th day by thanking the manager for the given vacation day, assuming they will be a response to my email either day is approved or not, but I did not get answer, so I took the said vacation on the 7th day anyway. Later at the end of the same day when I returned home after 8 Hrs, there was a voice mail on my home phone, by the same Manager stating that "your vacation is not approved and whether I am reporting to work" If email is a normal way to request vacation at my company, how should I have confirmed my vacation request? And now that the vacation is already over, what are appropriate ways to salvage this situation? <Q> You should have not taken that vacation since it was never approved. <S> Whenever there is a communication gap between you and your manager (or employees) always make sure that you close that gap as soon as possible. <S> In the future, you should walk to your manager and ask, give them a phone call or otherwise ascertain that you understood them correctly - sending two emails without getting a response is not getting a vacation day approved. <S> Making up excuses will likely make things worse. <S> Don't lie, these sort of things happen. <S> Communicate that this was a misunderstanding and work out with your manager how you can improve your communication in the future. <A> Apologize. <S> BUT: Have a meeting with your manager and find out what response times you should expect. <S> It is unprofessional of your manager to not have replied at all. <S> (Don't say that to their face though.) <S> You have the right to know what type of lead time your manager expects before you request a vacation. <S> You also have the right to not be ignored. <S> The lack of their response to your followup is especially bad; you were being diligent and it appears they were either especially disorganized or were (for some reason) intentionally ignoring you. <S> Neither can be allowed to continue. <S> Find out if they saw the emails. <S> If they claim they did not, ask if you need to submit requests on paper in the future. <S> (Also, see if your email system has a "read receipt" feature and enable it if it does. <S> Then you can refute them in the future if they claim not to have seen something you have a receipt proving they did.) <S> You have a right to take vacation days. <S> The company promised them to you and cannot prevent you from taking them just by ignoring you. <S> Be firm yet professional in making this clear to them. <S> EDIT: <S> I just re-read your post and had another thought. <S> Your manager went out of their way to say your vacation is not approved in their voicemail. <S> When you see them in person, ask them if you could see a copy of that declination. <S> They likely won't have it. <S> Then tell them "If I had received that, I would not have taken off. <S> " This will put the onus back on them with regard to the fact that they unprofessionally did not respond to you. <S> If they escalate this to either H.R. or their manager, this is your best defense; that you never received any reply <S> so how could you have known what their desire was? <A> The answers from Benjamin and Kurt give good responses as to what to do now, but I'd take a different tack: what could you have done to avoid getting into this situation in the first place. <S> reconfirmed again via email on the 6th day <S> In my opinion, this was the wrong thing to do - if you were waiting for a response to something you sent a week ago and needed urgently, walk into your manager's office, pick up the phone or any other form of direct communication. <S> Email wasn't working to get a response, so don't try the same thing again.
| What you did was unprofessional, and the best thing you can do right now is come clean to the manager - apologize for your behavior and think about how you can restore his trust in your professionalism.
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First job - how to ask to postpone starting date? I am a university student and I just received my very first job offer as a software developer in Germany. I wish to take a break (vacation) before I start my professional career so that I start all recharged! This means starting one month later than what is mentioned in the contract. How should I put forward my request without sounding "not eager" or awkward? <Q> Did they not ask you that how soon you can join? <S> Generally most of company when select candidate they ask that how soon you can join so at that time candidate can given his suitable date and if that date is too late <S> then company ask that can you please join early than that date? <S> If they did not asked you then its fine. <S> You can ask them [to HR] with your honest reason that you are going to complete your graduation and want little break before start job. <S> I don't think they will have any issue to give you break if they really do not need developer in urgent. <S> Also I would like to indicate that get Job offer during/just after study complete is really good. <S> It will help you in future career that you have no gap or idle status to find job after study. <S> So just ask to HR in terms of request about your one month break <S> , If they say yes then enjoy otherwise start job , do not try to convince them forcefully, that is my advice. <A> I used to hire a lot of first level helpdesk and technical positions at my company. <S> If I hired someone and they called me back needing a one month vacation before they started, I would tell them to take off as long as they need. <S> I would then rescind the job offer based on availability and move onto the next candidate. <S> I do not personally know you and you may have a great work ethic but given your question I would put the average person who has your problem in the "not going to work too hard" category. <S> You just got a job and you need a month off? <S> University isn't a job. <S> I know you are in Germany and not sure about the vacation policy there but in the US most jobs would give you a week the first year. <S> I just simply wouldn't hire someone that "needs" time off when just starting. <S> Seems like the same type that would "need" lots of breaks during the day and "need" to go home early with headaches. <S> Not trying to be negative towards you, just trying to convey how your reaction might be perceived by a hiring manager. <S> (also the accepted answer could result in you not having a job) <A> You can ask, but be aware that in this particular situation they would likely say no. <S> You gave them a start date, now you want to change it for what business is going to view as a frivolous reason. <S> The business has needs too and they likely want you to start on this date. <S> Since this is entry level, they may be starting a group together and providing some training or orientation that they want to do as a group. <S> Or they may have contractual reasons why they have to have you on board by a certain date. <S> This is a risky move. <S> It can work out, but you are taking a chance that they will decide against you. <S> After all there are lots of entry level people looking for jobs and they may have a second choice who would be willing to come when they want him. <S> At entry level, you have very little leverage in a negotiation. <S> So at least if you do ask, make sure they know you are still willing to come in on the originally agreed date to reduce the risk of them saying, "no thanks." <S> For the future, If you want a break between jobs, then state this at the time they ask you about a starting date. <S> Never tell them one date and then try to change it later unless a personal emergency has come up.
| Just asking for a later date after you have accepted an earlier one can get your offer removed in many places because you are now viewed as unreliable.
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Dealing with a medical absence and accomodations during a co-op work term Note: the specifics of the employer's policies and the university's workterm policies are not the subject of this question. They will be followed. As well, the immediate "I'm calling from the hospital I won't be in today I will let you know when I am released" has been done. A co-op student with three weeks left on a work term has just had an appendectomy (after a rupture) and will be unable to work for a week or two, and then unable to lift anything over ten pounds for a month. The technician job this co-op holds involves lifting equipment many times a day. Assuming the co-op returns and works a week or two before the term ends, what advice would you give about dealing with coworkers, setting limits on lifting things (for example, specific wording for asking others to help lift, or declining a task that might involve lifting), and generally sticking to "modified duties" in a very short term situation? This employer generally expects each co-op to "hand off to" or train the incoming co-op for at least a few days. If the university offers an opportunity to just stop doing the work and spend the last three weeks of the term recuperating, do you think that's a good idea, or that showing the gumption to go back to work after surgery is a good story to be able to tell later? <Q> As an employer, you have the duty to care for your employees. <S> That's why there are all those fire exits, warning signs and safety regulations. <S> The greatest risk is that the employee may feel the peer pressure to lift stuff although he should not. <S> If a colleague does it, he may feel the need to lend a hand and <S> if there's a beautiful female near by, the words of his doctor may seem very distant. <S> Do not let it come to this. <S> It's your job to make sure he keeps to his doctors advice. <S> Give him a direct order in front of his colleagues (or maybe in writing by email CC his colleagues) that he is not to lift anything whatsoever. <S> That way it's clear that he is not refusing to lift things because he's a wuss. <S> He refusing to do so, because you ordered him to do so. <S> Your order should not contain relative terms up to interpretation, like "heavy", because that only leads to the same situation: he will be under peer pressure what to judge as "heavy". <S> Your order should be very direct, not open to interpretation and non-negotiable. <S> For example: "Do not lift or carry anything for the next two weeks". <S> Although this is more work for the rest of the team, a smart team will be happy to know that you are protecting those that need protection. <S> This can happen to anyone. <A> As someone who has actually had my appendix rupture (and spent a week in hospital for it) and is currently working at a co-op job (although not at the same time), I think they are most likely better to take the time off. <S> When I had my appendectomy, I spent a week in hospital, lost significant weight and could barley walk. <S> While the student might be better off than I was, I can't imagine that they would be comfortable while working full time hours. <S> Afterwords I was taking strong antibiotics for a week or two and those would just wipe you out, while lifting things would be out of the question, even sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours <S> straight doesn't sound appealing. <S> Ultimately there are a couple key factors, <S> how do they feel and will both parties take away anything meaningful . <S> Using this information (or going off my experiences) and looking at the job, will the student and the employer benefit from them coming back for a week or so? <S> I don't know they full details of the co-op or of the students condition, so the answer might be yes, but they will have to be the judge. <A> I think it makes the most sense for the student to take a medical leave from the co-op position. <S> It sounds like there is a real risk of causing further injury or aggravating the situation if the co-op is put into a position where heavy lifting is necessary, or where there would be pressure (internally motivated or otherwise) to do the job normally. <S> Depending on the situation, the student may be still be able to train a replacement if it's possible to do so without strenuous activity. <S> This student has the next term to think about, not just this one. <S> He/she would be well advised to rest and recuperate fully while it's possible to do so.
| Only the student can answer the first question, so emailing them to ask them how they feel and whether they would like to come back to work would answer the first part.
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Turning down an offer that I knew I would never accept due to relocation I got a very good offer from a company I interviewed with recently, but I will turn it down since it implies relocation to a different city, and this is something that I did not want to do from the beginnining. So why did I interview? I believe that is a great company, and I wanted to get to know about it first hand The company is expanding, and there is a medium-high probability that it eventually opens up an office in my city. The interview was an excellent training for other positions that I'm applying for. In fact, it was my first interview in 4 years So here is the irony: I really like the company, and I really would like to work for them. Just not where they are located now. How can I convey this message to the recruiter? From his perspective, I probably sound rather contradictory: I'm telling him how much I liked his company, but I'm not taking the job. In addition, I do not have any competing offer, and I expressed my desire of leaving my current job. <Q> In the comments, you imply that it's a family decision. <S> So tell them that. <S> "I really appreciate the opportunity to apply for this position. <S> I am extremely impressed with everything that I've heard about both the company and the position. <S> However, after talking it over with my family, this is not the best time for us to relocate. <S> This was not an easy decision to make, and I hope you can keep me in mind if a similar position opens in my city." <S> This is one of those situations where honesty really is the best policy. <S> No need to embellish the truth - as @teego1967 says in the comments, people change their minds about relocating all the time. <S> An additional benefit to telling the truth is that, should they call you back in several years <S> , you won't have to try to remember what you told them. <A> I appreciate the opportunity and offer, but after further consideration, I cannot relocate at this time for personal reasons. <S> If a local position becomes available, please keep me in mind as I really do greatly like the company and what they do. <S> If they do come back with a " <S> but you knew it would require relocation!!!", reply with " <S> I did and I apologize. <S> After further consideration, relocating at this time is not right for me or my family. <S> " Either they will accept it or they wont. <A> Nothing contradictory about that. <S> Tell them but say it in such a way that you leave the door open to accommodation such as remote. <S> Example: <S> "I am declining your offer and it's killing me to decline the offer because I got to know the company through the interview process <S> and I really like what I got to know. <S> I don't want to move. <S> If you don't feel that the reason I am declining is a deal breaker and arrangements can be made to circumvent the requirement to move to [name the city], I'd be open to such arrangements - Again, I really like your company <S> and I really appreciate the offer you extended to me :)" <A> I think to keep a good relationship with this company you need to tell a small white lie. <S> You must convey to them that your relocation issues have popped up recently. <S> Surely a normal person that they want working for them would have been more forthcoming about this during the interview process. <S> Meaning only someone who just found out that they would not be able to relocate would ever be taken seriously. <S> People can react however they want <S> and maybe you are such a good find that no matter what you do will end up with you taking a job there. <S> However, I would not be happy with a candidate leading us on during the interview process. <S> I would not trust them with further communications, meaning they just wouldn't be right at our company. <S> So... <S> The only way out of this is saying that something (I would be vague) personal came up and you can no longer relocate. <S> I would then tell them that you would really still like the position and ask them if there are any alternatives. <S> At least if there aren't you might get pushed to a pile of good candidates in your area. <S> (Also note that the company could have 20 people better than you in your area, but none in other area) <S> [I really wouldn't be happy with this either as a hiring manager. <S> However this would not set me off compared to hearing that you just can't relocate or "after I discussed this with my family" or some excuse that conveys that you already knew <S> I would just find you a bit flaky or a waste of time.]
| The reason I have to decline is because the job, as I understand it, entails me having to move to [name the city].
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Is it reasonable to ask my employer to purchase a software License? I work in software development, and by personal choice (i.e. neither regulated nor required by my workplace), I use the text editor Sublime Text to write code on a daily basis. Sublime Text is free to use indefinitely, but occasionally prompts the user to purchase a license. It's a great program, and I believe the developer deserves compensation, especially because I use the software every day. I use Sublime for both personal and professional projects. Because I use it for personal projects, I'm inclined to simply purchase a license for myself. But, because I also use it for work, I'm also inclined to ask my employer for funds to purchase a license ($70). Is this a reasonable request to make? <Q> If the license terms indicate that the software is free for personal use but requires a paid license for commercial use, your employer should purchase a license and you could continue to use the software under the personal license clause. <S> Whenever I am working on an employer sponsored project (i.e. I am getting paid by someone who is also providing the equipment), I expect that anything I need to complete the project will be provided (note I say need and not want, I don't need a work station with 24 GB of ram <S> but I sure do want one). <S> For my personal projects (open source or otherwise) I make sure I purchase any required licenses or use an alternative that does not require a license (IE: Visual Studio Community Edition for personal projects compared to Visual Studio Professional and up for employer sponsored projects). <S> This applies for any software I use. <S> If it is something that is required to compete my work the company pays for it. <S> If I need it for a personal project I pay for it. <A> Is this a reasonable request to make? <S> $70 is a very small amount to pay for software, so if you need it for your work, I don't think it should be a problem, <S> provided that you are an established employee with a good track record and have a tech savvy boss. <S> If a tech savvy boss wants an explanation, I'm sure you can provide one. <S> If you are a new employee or your boss is not tech savvy and/or a cheapskate, you should foot the bill yourself rather than making yourself a target by asking for something outside of the ordinary: Your boss will probably think "Why doesn't everyone need this tool - is this employee so special? <S> " It's not worth losing points with your boss for $70. <S> If in doubt, you can probably find out how this is generally handled from other developers on the staff - but be careful they don't start thinking you're some sort of "prima donna" who needs special tools or perks. <A> It is completely reasonable to ask for your company to purchase a license for you to use at work. <S> Without justification, though, your company is liable to deny your request. <S> Put together a list of things that Sublime Text allows you to do faster or better than the other tools. <S> Be prepared to show the features and show the code that you have produced using the tool. <S> Mention that it is shareware <S> and you'd prefer to have a license to make the reminders to purchase the tool <S> go away. <S> You can continue to use the product indefinitely for free at home--I would take the personal use discussion out.
| If the request is for your employer to purchase the license for your work machine while at the same time you purchase the license for your personal machine, then yes, this would be an acceptable request.
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Is it rude to ask supervisors how an interview went? The management at my company have been doing interviews to fill a few positions, I'm curious to know how the interviews are going, is it rude to ask one of the management about this? <Q> Absolutely not, ask away. <S> It shows curiosity in the workings of the company beyond your immediate role. <S> I would hate to have someone working for me who was afraid of appearing curious. <A> In general it is not rude. <S> As a current employee its natural to wonder how a major potential change to the office is going. <S> The only time this might be rude is if a friend was interviewing. <S> If the friend did poorly, the boss now has to either lie or explain that your friend "isn't a good fit". <A> The answer depends on the corporate culture in your company and the manager you ask. <S> In many companies most managers will be happy that one of their charges is taking an interest in the issues <S> they are dealing with instead of 'only coming to them when you need something handled'. <S> Some managers however will feel that you're sticking your nose in business that doesn't concern you. <S> Personally, I would try to find one of the people from management in a more or less informal setting (at the coffee machine, after regular working hours, something like that) and ask the question at that time. <S> I'd say the risk of receiving a bad response is very low and the potential goodwill you gain from showing interest outweighs the possibility that you may annoy someone for a brief moment. <S> As HLGEM points out, you should keep in mind that they cannot share the specifics of the candidates for confidentiality reasons. <S> At most you'll get a cursory <S> "We have some promising candidates for position A but position B is proving harder to fill".
| If there are aspects of the interviewing process that the managers don't want to share with you, they won't.
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Discourage people loitering near my desk I have a desk next to an aisle, on a corner leading to a kitchen, toilets and a meeting room. For various reasons, this corner happens to be a place where people seem to have impromptu meetings, or carry on unfinished discussions after leaving the meeting room. If this was rare, it probably wouldn't bother me, but it happens several times on a daily basis and impedes my concentration when I'm trying to work. I'm thinking of making a sign to put up to express that this is not a meeting area, but think it might give a negative and even hostile impression of me if it isn't done tactfully. Does anyone have any suggestions of how to word it, firmly but politely, possibly even with a little bit of humour? <Q> I've been the unintended concentration-breaker in that situation. <S> In my experience it's not about "seniority privilege"; it's that people are really bad sometimes about noticing these things. <S> You intend to say "hello" in passing, the other person asks about that bug you filed, you say something, and before you know it you're having a full-on design discussion just outside somebody's cube wall. <S> That's no good. <S> You really have two goals: make this conversation stop, and help prevent the next one. <S> The same remedy addresses both: <S> politely point out the problem and ask them to move. <S> During a conversation, walk up to the group and say something like "I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you please move this conversation? <S> I'm having trouble concentrating". <S> After you do this several times you should start seeing the participants initiate the move ("hey, let's move this to a conference room so we don't bother Dave"). <S> In the meantime, remain polite and professional but don't be afraid of speaking up. <S> This won't work if your workplace has a lot of turnover <S> (so it's never the same people) or if you work with rude people who revel in this sort of thing, but for most of us it's the place to start, and it may be easier than moving desks. <A> Don't use a sign. <S> How senior are the people who meet there? <S> Is it colleagues, your immediate managers colleagues or more senior staff? <S> If it's staff members more or less on the same level as you then speak to your line manager about the practice and how it disrupts you. <S> They may well suggest you move, or they may have a word with people and ask them not to stand there. <S> Alternatively you could ask if any of your colleagues minds switching desks with you. <S> Unless you have assigned desks <S> I doubt any manager will mind if you swap desks with someone. <A> I think the bigger question is why would management put someone there and expect them to be productive all day? <S> At most workplaces I have been in we would normally put in a taller divider to limit the interaction between the heavy flow of people and someone sitting in a hub. <S> We have also used plants, shrubs, and other things too. <S> More often then not, we put the new guy/girl there or we turn the desk into something like a "printer area". <S> What can you do? <S> I would first ask to move if you think it is feasible. <S> If not there isn't much you can do other than trying to get an extension put on your cube to block sight lines. <S> Buying headphones works for some but not everyone wants to wear headphones all day. <S> I worked with a woman in this situation years ago <S> and she would act like she was on important calls until they left.
| If it's senior staff then the best thing you can do is put up with it or ask your line manager if you can move desk. I guess the biggest thing is to not engage in their conversation at all and look busy or in a hurry. It'll take several times (with different people) and some people will need repetition, but if your set of coworkers is reasonably stable, you can change the culture over time. Don't use a sign. No matter how you word it it's going to give a negative impression of you and will come across as passive aggressive.
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How to properly add a technology that I'm currently learning to a resume I am a web developer and am constantly learning new technology. Currently I am heads down on Angular.js but also the pending JavaScript release (JS.NEXT), Node.js and React.js. These technologies would take years to master and months to have a confident working knowledge of. How would you properly add these to a resume CV? <Q> I wouldn't want to see it labeled as a skill. <S> However I wouldn't mind seeing a section of a resume saying something like Currently Learning <S> (maybe this could be worded better) with those things listed. <S> I would be under the assumption that you are learning these things and have some small level of expertise on them. <S> You could answer very basic questions and maybe discuss why they are good technologies to learn. <S> It would put me off if these were things you have barely looked at or just read an article on. <S> If you can't have an intelligent conversation about why X is better to learn than Y then don't put it on there <S> (I don't necessarily have to agree with your perspective but want to see that you have perspective). <A> Personally, I make sure that on a resume I clearly distinguish between the things that I have mastered and the things that I am familiar with. <S> Things that I am only familiar with, I first decide if they are relevant to the position. <S> If they are completely irrelevant, I wouldn't even include them, as they are just noise at that point. <S> I hate when I have to interview someone <S> and I look at their resume <S> and it's just a comma delimited list of 30 different irrelevant technologies. <S> It also makes me question their implied experience level in all of these different things. <S> If I have done some research into a relevant technology, I would make it clear that I am familiar with it, but by no means an expert. <S> The language you use here can be important. <S> For example, if you said you are experienced with Angular.js, I would take that to mean that you are pretty competent and knowledgeable about it. <S> If you say you have experience with it or are familiar with it, then I would think you are maybe not an expert, but could get up and going with it fairly quickly. <S> If you are not confident enough to have either of these assumptions made, I would not list it at all, but maybe bring up the fact that you have been doing some personal research into it during the interview itself <A> How would you properly add these to a resume CV? <S> I wouldn't. <S> I might add them to a cover letter, if the technologies are particularly relevant for the job of interest. <S> And I'd certainly be ready to discuss what I was learning if the topic seemed relevant during an interview. <S> But what I happen to be reading and learning at an instant isn't something I'd put on my resume/CV.
| The things that I have mastered and are most relevant to the position, I make sure are at the top of my resume and stand out somehow (bold, bigger font, etc).
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Asking for permission to access my personal mails or any other website Will I be unfaithful if I access my personal emails in office free time or have no task to do though it is mentioned in HR policies that we should not use internet for personal use. I want to be very honest and don't want to breach the trust of my employer So, Is it good to ask for taking permission for accessing my personal email or browsing the websites for any other purpose which sometimes is of no use for our project in the office hour's free time or when have no task. and will browsing the stack-exchange sites will be considered as for personal use though it develop personality and skills that can be useful for the company and as well as for myself. Thanks. <Q> Even if you ask for permission then they will deny. <S> Because they will think that if they allow you then in future other employee can do same request and there will be no meaning of HR policy then so. <S> Specially for "stack-exchange" sites you can ask for permission if it is coming in way like you can get more knowledge in your job profile and can help you company also by growing your knowledge. <S> But in this case also you will have to explain then how it can help me to grow and how important it is for me <S> [I mean you]. <S> Also in other case , I agree that you are honest but they will think that if allow then it can possible that you spend more time on personal things rather than work. <A> Most organisations have an "Acceptable Use" policy. <S> As a software developer, I frequently work in bursts and not at a steady rate throughout the day. <S> If it's not excessive and you are meeting or exceeding milestones, you generally have a little lattitude with "down time". <S> If you are in a technical field, you most likely do not need to explain Stack Exchange or Stack Overflow as a valuable resource. <S> But as pointed out in Helping Hands' answer, check the HR policies for your employer. <S> It's certainly not something I would ask specifically. <S> It gives the impression you plan to spend all day doing that instead of doing what you are paid to do :) <A> Talk to your boss - there may be more flexibility in the day to day application of the policy than in the plain text of the official statement of the policy. <S> I check my personal email while at work. <S> People including family members may want to get in touch with me and emailing me is less disruptive to my workflow than calling me on my cell.
| If it is already mentioned in HR policies then you should not ask to access.
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3 month notice period in contract... better to negotiate to 1 month? I'm a developer about to take a new position, however the contract states the notice period on both sides in the event of leaving the company is 3 months. I am wondering if I should ask to have this reduced to 1 month, if possible. The role is not 'senior' in title but is in reality (my previous have been senior). The company is forming a new team to do some work that differs from the rest of the developers there. I can see that if this project goes belly-up and we were to be made redundant, then 3 months notice is beneficial to me as an employee. However in the event I should want to leave, I don't believe most employers are happy to wait three months for somebody to join. Is it worth asking for the notice period to be reduced? Or am I missing something, and 3 months is better for me in reality? <Q> This is becoming more common in the UK, but I'd hang fire as it works two ways. <S> If they were to fire you/cut your job/close down the office (assuming not for something like gross misconduct where it'd be summary dismissal), you would at least have 3 months to find something else. <S> Your next employer (after this upcoming one) won't be surprised by the three months notice (I've said "I have 3 months notice, <S> but I'll see if I can negotiate it down"), and these things are always negotiable <S> , I've managed to get out of them before, just make sure everything is tied up or ready to be handed over when you make the next move, it's really just a safety net for the employer. <S> Additionally asking up front <S> makes you look like your planning your escape before even joining, which may make your new employer jumpy. <S> Wait until you need to. <A> 3 Month it too high when position is not senior. <S> But It is depends on company policies and employee position. <S> Many companies set notice period like 2 - 3 months for senior positions and there are many reasons behind that. <S> Here As you specified position is not senior then of course you can request them to reduce it and set to 1 month or 45 days. <S> And you are taking new position so it is necessary to clear about notice period before set to position so in future it will not create any issue when you want to leave. <A> If you are made redundant then you will find somewhere else far easier when working out a month rather than 3. <S> And if you can't find another job, what difference is two months going to make anyway? <S> That's the least likely scenario though. <S> Most likely is you want to leave them, and when you want to go, you want to go sooner than 3 months. <S> And honestly if they want to get rid of you sooner, they can. <S> They could for example post you to some random office (look out for that clause in contract) and when you don't want to, they can negotiate an early departure. <S> I tried to negotiate this down in one offer from 3 months to 6 weeks, they said no, they can't make exceptions. <S> So I turned the job down. <S> Then they wanted to discuss it! <S> It's a risky game, but for me it's a deal breaker.
| 3 months only benefits the employer in this industry.
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Should I tell the client that I am not making any progress because my company didn't pay my salary? I work for a contracting company, developing an application for a client. The company is always late in paying my salary. I always have to ask them to send me the check, sometimes after a delay of a couple of weeks. I now put my work on hold until I get my salary, but my client regularly asks me about my work progress. So far my company has been deflecting my client's questions. Should I tell my client about my situation, or just be silent and let my company deal with it? I don't want to ruin my reputation but I don't want to work for free either. Edit: Thanks Kate Gregory offer a really good solution but I think it still my decision/fault to hold my work, so I'm going with akton in this case. <Q> This is unlikely to end up with you being paid and resuming work at the client. <S> However, one of the few things that might produce such an outcome is pressure from the client. <S> You can't reveal that you're not being paid. <S> I suggest: I'm sorry, but <S> some recent decisions at [Company] mean I can't work on your project right now. <S> I would really like to get back to making progress for you. <S> Perhaps if you tell [Client Contact Manager at Company] that you want me to be free to work on your project again, things can go back to normal. <S> This presumes that you've told [Client Contact Manager at Company] that you're not working any more until you're paid. <S> Somebody needs to know that or else they will just continue bumbling along paying you later and later. <S> I sure hope you're looking for another job with the time you have since you're not doing anything for your client. <S> Even if your employer recovers and is able to pay you, they won't pay you for the time you weren't working and they may fire you for not working. <S> You're also reducing the chances they will be able to recover since they can't get money from this client if you're not giving the client anything. <A> Should I tell my client about my situation, or just be silent and let my company deal with it? <S> Politely decline to comment further. <S> Anything negative said about your contracting company will impact poorly on them. <S> Regarding your position, you have not given any details about the situation so it is hard to comment. <S> There may be legitimate reasons why you are not being paid <S> but I understand your sentiment - you are not a charity. <S> Hopefully this is cleared up soon. <A> Radio silence is not an option because you don't want/need the client to view you as uncooperative. <S> Advise the client to contact the management of your company. <S> Having said that, if you haven't yet notified your company that you are suspending all work until you are being paid or the company is making significant progress in paying you what they owe you, then you are being remiss in your responsibilities. <S> It's OK to tell the company that you are doing no further work until you are paid, it's not OK to suspend work and not say anything to the company. <A> If your company doesn't pay you, then you have no future there. <S> You have no moral or ethical obligations towards them, so look for a job elsewhere. <S> As far as your client is concerned, you could blatantly assume that your company isn't paying you because the client is not paying them. <S> That's a very natural assumption, because the alternative is that your company is a bunch of scumbags (I know of a company that didn't pay its employees because the bosses wife needed a new Ferrari). <S> So when you tell the client that unfortunately you can't work until they pay your company, things should get interesting. <S> Most likely the client has paid and will be quite annoyed with your company. <S> This might make it quite possible to work for the client directly in the future.
| There will be a contract between client and the company, and if you don't work because you are not being paid, then the company is likely in breach of their contract with the client. While you think they may deserve it, it is more professional to leave discussions such as that to others. Request the client talk to your company for updates instead of you.
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Need Help Determining Employment End Date at Previous Employer to List on Resume Every resume, CV, and employment application needs to have the period of employment for each employer. My situation is a little unusual: On 9/30/2013, I was formally advised in writing by my last employer that my job was being officially eliminated in 60 days (11/30/2013). But instead of asking me to be "on-call" until the end of November, they asked me to pack up, turn in my employee badge, and leave immediately, so my final ACTUAL date of work in the office was 9/30/13. From 9/30/13 to 4/30/14, I was kept on the company's official active employee payroll until 4/30/14 receiving bi-weekly pay and benefits as if I were still in the office, and eligible to apply for preferred internal positions. If a future employer inquired the company about my last date of work, the HR records shows 4/30/14. My question(s) are, which job ending date should I use on my resume? Last date physically present in the office (9/30/13), date my job was eliminated (11/30/13), or date I was OFFICIALLY removed from HR records as an ACTIVE employee with the company? Obviously, it would reduce the gap in unemployment on the resume significantly to use the 4/2014 date but would that be "fudging" or dishonestly even though "technically" correct? <Q> Specify/clarify that you are asking them this question to make sure that your employment end date matches <S> whatever employment end date that they provide to anyone who wants to verify your employment start and end dates. <A> Put 4/30/14 and unless they asked you to clarify, that's your official end date. <S> What HR says is what goes. <S> Putting one of the earlier dates not only makes it look worse for you <S> but once they call HR to verify employment and they give a conflicting date, now you got to explain yourself and everything is gonna go downhill from there. <A> You should have documentation that tells you, but the company's HR should also know, so obviously you can ask them. <S> If you are laid off and receive money for time where you were not working (like you did), there are two ways this can be done: You can be on "gardening leave", getting paid, being employed, but not expected/allowed to come to work; that means you cannot actually take another job. <S> Or you can receive "payment in lieu of notice", where the company gives you the money that they would have to pay if you stayed working, but your contract is cancelled, and you can start work elsewhere. <S> You should know and HR must know which one is the case. <S> The way you describe it I would guess that you were on gardening leave and were an employee until April 30th. <A> This will reduce gaps in employment on your resume, so it will look better to those reading it. <S> And it's not a lie. <S> Take any advantage/option handed to you; this is one.
| Contact HR, ask them at what date your employment ended according to their records . Without the slightest hesitation I say you should list your last day of work as 4/30/14.
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Transitioning to a new position My company has two offices, one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast. I recently decided to move to the West Coast city, for personal reasons. I am moving in four months. Each office has different departments and at one point, I had not decided whether I would plan on transferring, applying to a different department or resign altogether. However, recently an upper manager, from the West Coast office, got wind of the move and approached me to offer a position in a different department, which is available now. I spoke with my current supervisor and gave her all the details and accepted the new position. It was then up to both managers to discuss the transition timeline. I expressed my desire to have an equal compromise and to spend the next two months training and preparing my successor here on the East Coast and the last two months spending that time training and working remotely until I move to the West Coast for the new role. Did I mention I am taking a pay cut for this new position? It is a compromise for me on a personal level as well. My new supervisor agreed the compromise timeline, would work well for the new department, they could cover something temporarily until I can start completely. Well my current manager does not agree with this compromise and plans to have me continue in my current role for the next four months. Actually, more work will be put on my plate and thus resulting in the reason why I cannot leave any earlier. It has not yet been officially determined, I half agreed to this four month business, during a meeting last week with my current supervisor and I have another meeting with my new supervisor on Monday. Part of me wants to give two weeks and just move on because I am angry that my current supervisor does not have my interests at heart, but I also don’t want to burn bridges either. Can I force the two month notice without jeopardizing my next steps with the company? <Q> You have the same dilemma that almost everyone has when transitioning between jobs at the same company, except that your issue is magnified by your move and the timing of the move. <S> Let's go over the good things. <S> You company thinks you are valuable. <S> Basically you have two managers fighting over your time. <S> This doesn't happen if the managers thought you were a bad employee. <S> What I suggest? <S> Move on from current supervisor. <S> Don't let them guilt you into doing more work or degrading your new opportunity. <S> Even if you have to backtrack a bit from a personal conversation, so what. <S> Also I would speak to your new manager and just go over your issues. <S> I wouldn't complain about what is going on but would be matter of fact - "I can only do one job, or 50/50 on two jobs. <S> My current manager wants me to do my old job at 100%." <S> Your new manager is your advocate. <S> Your old manager just wants an employee as long as they can get. <S> I don't blame your current manager for trying to hold on to you. <S> I would try to hire someone and let you train them a bit or hand over major things to them. <S> Your new manager will have to work directly with your old manager or quite possibly an intermediary in HR or upper-management. <S> The fact that you said that upper-management approached you for the new job bodes well for them getting their way. <S> The verdict? <S> You are fine. <S> You may have to deal with a crabby supervisor for a while. <S> Most of the time this is only for a few days/week after a decision about your time is made. <S> Talk to new manager, voice your wishes with both managers (don't go back and forth) <S> , let the managers/management decide, and live with it until you are on the west coast. <S> The biggest thing is just forget about current supervisor. <S> You are breaking up with them. <S> They are taking it hard and want to keep you as long as possible. <S> Don't get emotional with your current supervisor or get involved with any games. <S> Be professional and just move on. <A> There are all kinds of interests here at work. <S> You should get your two managers to meet, and work out a compromise. <S> Then you can simply execute that compromise. <S> This might involve people higher up, but that is up to your managers. <S> Managing these kinds of compromises is their job. <S> I would also not take the behavior of your current manager too personally. <S> He or she has obligations to fulfill, and counted on you being available. <S> You should remove yourself as the go between, and let the managers deal with this directly. <S> In addition, you can express your preference, but ultimately the company decides how this transitionary period is done. <A> This is a tough one. <S> I certainly don't have all the answers, but I can give a few thoughts: <S> First, I would start job hunting on the West Coast. <S> I believe your existing manager is setting you up for failure (intentionally or not; see below.) <S> When you're not able to meet the increased workload they just put upon you (not your fault) you'll probably get bad marks at the company. <S> This will affect your new position on the West Coast. <S> Have a plan <S> B. Second, I would schedule a one to one meeting with your existing manager and ask them how you are supposed to train your replacement if you have all this other work to do. <S> Study their response carefully. <S> Try to determine if they are doing this for punitive reasons. <S> If they are, you're in a tough spot and may need to leave the company. <S> If you determine that they are unintentionally messing with you, do whatever you can to work with them to ease your workload. <S> Again, I'm not sure there's a good way out of this one. <S> But at least try.
| In most companies HR will allow your current manager to start the hiring process now that you have accepted the new job. Make an honest effort to succeed.
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Putting down Current Job in job applications When applying for a new job when you already have one is it better to say you have a current job or to not specify? Would they be more likely to hire people that dont have jobs already? <Q> You should always be as honest as possible. <S> No companies want to hire people who hide the truth from them. <S> It lets them know that you will need to schedule interview time around a job. <S> It warns them that you'll likely have a notice period to work. <S> In my personal experience companies generally (depending on the type, my experience is in tech) quite like applications from people who are already employed. <S> It can show that you are applying for the job because you like the job itself, rather than being unemployed and applying to every job available. <S> Not saying this is the best way to think, but I've seen it a few times. <A> Prospective employers have a bias in favor of candidates who are currently working, so you are in luck. <S> Assuming that you disclose that you are currently employed when requested to disclose, that is. <S> This disclosure is not usually done in the cover letter but within the body of whatever application form your prospective employer provides you. <A> You should include your current job so that you have something to talk about during the interview process that references your most recent experience. <S> They will want to talk about what your current day to day workflow is like rather than from X years ago. <S> Also it gives you more negotiation power <S> when talking salary, it's possible that companies will offer lower salaries to unemployed people. <A> I will also point out that your current job often has the experience that is most pertinent to the hiring manager. <A> Other answers have already listed several reasons to list your current job <S> but I would like to add another one. <S> I think it's pretty well established that people who have been unemployed for some time have a very hard time getting a new job and that it only gets harder and harder. <S> There is even research showing that applications with a 6-12 months unemployment period at the end mostly get ignored, whereas nearly identical applications from applicants who left their previous jobs recently do get responses. <S> If you have been in your current job for more than a few months, not listing it is therefore simply not an option.
| I think you should always include your current job in your job application, for a few reasons:
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Personal problems between employees We are a technology startup, the problem i am facing is that my colleague(same designation as mine) Manager A and a member of his team (Coder A) have become incompatible.. it started out with sarcastic jabs.. i mediated once around two months ago and made it clear to Coder A that he has to improve in his professional relationship management. Coder A has just 1 yr experience and really does not know what/when to say... A few days back the problem resurfaced and Coder A came back to me with complaint that Manager A is demotivating him by micromanaging him and telling very petty details while explaining tasks to do. I consoled him and told him to take things like these as Manager A is his big brother. We are a small team and we cant have issues like this plaguing our productivity. I discussed with Manager A and he is like i was joking which i find trustworthy as he really is the funny guy of the team. Manager A has given up on Coder A and has asked me to manage him. This could work but i am a bit sceptical as the team is small and work load huge... we need everyone firing on cylinders... such problems unnecessarily damage the mood and productivity of people involved. One more problem is that Coder A's productivity is really low(from our expectation when hiring... he is from a top college). The other angle which seems plausible is that Coder A knows that since there are two people at top he can be safe if he is in good books of one... so he just comes to me and patronizes me.... i do not have any proof so i am not taking any action... How to deal with this so we have a good professional atmosphere between these two guys...Any ideas? <Q> There is no way you should take over this person. <S> This is more or less equivalent to a 2 year-old getting in trouble by dad and running over to mom. <S> He is playing you and it is working because you are actually thinking about taking him on your team. <S> Let's go over the issues: he can't get along with his manager his output <S> is subpar <S> he doesn't understand company hierarchy (why would he take an issue to you?) <S> he needs to be told petty details <S> he needs to be micromanaged (I made these last two assumptions based on managing a good 100 tech guys out of college - 30-40% of them fall in this category until they realize that they are at "work" and not play) <S> What you do? <S> Well you can fire him. <S> Why deal with someone who can't do the job and wants to bring drama to a small team. <S> If you don't want to fire him? <S> Sit down with him and other manager. <S> I would clearly explain to him if he doesn't get along with the team and other manager that someone will have to go, and it isn't the manager. <S> At the same time I would emphasize that he is being micromanaged because he is not doing quality work and not meeting expectations. <S> He should know that the micromanaging will continue until everyone sees long-term improvement. <S> Just having this conversation will scare most new guys straight. <S> I have had a similar conversation <S> so many times I couldn't give you a count. <S> If it doesn't work then you have an unproductive drama queen working for you <S> and then you know what to do from there. <A> Remember that even people who are fresh out of a top college are still fresh out of college . <S> They have barely any experience in the working life and often need help finding their feet. <S> Decide on a date at which point you will re-evaluate the performance and make sure he is aware that his job is on the line. <S> Make sure you explain that this is not a personal thing between you and him, illustrate that the start up needs to be firing on all cilinders and that currently, he is the weak link in the team. <A> This is just adding a bit to blankip's great answer: <S> The next time an employee, who does not directly report to you, starts complaining about their manager you need to stop them, refuse to listen and send them back to either their direct manager or that person's boss. <S> The only help you should be providing is to let them know what the proper channels are. <S> Also, I'm not sure what it is <S> you did to "mediate" a problem between those two. <S> Again, it was a mistake on your part to get involved. <S> If I were Manager A <S> I would have already fired the employee. <S> If I were Manager A's boss and I heard about all these shenanigans I'd probably fire the employee then put manager A on an "improvement" program because this is exactly the type of thing that a manager should be able to handle themselves. <S> If they can't then they shouldn't be a manager. <S> *to be clear, if I were Manager A's boss and (s)he came to me with this problem then I'd tell them exactly how to handle it. <S> However, if no one came to me and I heard about the OP's mediation from the grapevine <S> then I'd step in and solve it; although few people would be happy with that solution as at least one person would be out of a job and one or two others would be on notice.
| Unless we are talking about something illegal, it is not your place to get involved. In this case, in a start-up you don't always have the luxury of giving such a person a lot of space, so a more direct approach may be appropriate: Have a meeting with the employee, explain to him clearly and without emotional aspects what the problems are that concern him, and work with him to decide on a plan to improve the situation.
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How much weight is given to self-taught programming skills? I was an "IT drone" for about 14 years (tech support, then systems admin). I taught myself how to program, at first just to automate some of my work, then later producing some in-house applications used by regular users in my organization. So by the end of 2013, I had about 7 years of self-taught programming experience, although I would not really say I was a "good" programmer at that point. There was a reorg at work and things started to get ugly, so I quit my job and went back to get a 2nd Bachelors in CS (first degree was liberal arts). My goal was not to learn how to program, but to become a much better programmer, and "get the piece of paper". I just finished the degree a couple months ago, so now my question is this: In the current job market, is an entry-level software dev job the best I can hope for? Does my 7 years of self-taught experience before I got the CS degree count for anything ? <Q> In the current job market, is an entry-level software dev job the best I can hope for? <S> Probably. <S> Does my 7 years of self-taught experience before I got the CS degree count for anything? <S> Probably. <S> The fact of the matter is that hiring managers don't care about years of experience - HR people care about years of experience. <S> And HR people are the ones who will be vetting your resume, and they only care about professional experience. <S> Sorry. <S> Hiring managers though care about what you can do. <S> Hopefully, those 7 years were spent learning to do stuff. <S> Even hiring managers will have reservations about self-taught programmers - do they know how to use source control? <S> Have they developed bad habits? <S> Can they work in a team? <S> Did they actually learn anything? <S> Can they use an issue tracker? <S> Do they know how to work with business people to get requirements? <S> ... <S> and so on. <S> But the hardest skill to find is actual programming competency. <S> Can you take a problem and write (good) code to solve it? <S> If you improved that skill at all in those 7 years, they will be useful. <S> And in my experience, it is very common that you improved <S> that skill more in 7 years than your run of the mill professional did in 7 years at a company sitting through meetings rather than writing code. <A> HR wants to check the items on their checklist, other than that they do not typically care much. <S> The hiring manager will want to know what your experience is. <S> Talk about the great things you did. <S> While it might not have shown how to work on a development team, you did produce business value. <S> You had end users. <S> You fixed bugs. <S> You grew professionally because of it. <S> I worked for several years as a software developer before graduating with my B.S., and that experience counted for me. <S> I saw it count for other developers as well. <S> You may end up with a lower salary. <S> but that should correct itself in a few years. <S> Once the degree is two or three years behind you, it may as well be ancient history. <S> N.B. you will probably need to change employers in a few years if your current prospective employer lowballs your salary. <S> In your case it might not sting as much because you already had a B.S., just not in computer science. <A> Yes, your experience counts. <S> You may have trouble getting past the HR drones, but the hiring managers will want to discuss it. <S> You should phrase it as such: <S> You saw a business need. <S> You worked with your manager to define the business need and the requirements to solve it. <S> You developed a solution (explain why you chose the solution and tools you did). <S> You implemented the solution. <S> You worked with your manager to confirm the solution accomplished its goals, and that the users were able to implement it. <S> That's a software developer. <S> Now the other thing you need to tell your interviewers how much of your time was actually spent programming. <S> You spent 7 years doing some programming, but you didn't spend 14,000 hours programming (1 year at work = <S> approx. <S> 2000 hours, depending on overtime / sick leave, etc.). <S> How many hours did you spend during that 7 year stint on programming? <S> That would be something I'd want to know if you were sitting in front of me. <S> Also - you were wise to get a technical degree. <S> I would take you seriously with any college degree in a technical discipline. <S> It doesn't have to be CS. <S> Heck, my degree is in audio engineering <S> and I do software development. <S> I'd be comfortable if you came in with an EE, EET, or mathematics degree, too. <S> Any discipline that was built on a world of hard absolutes is probably going to be a good fit for software development. <A> If your seven years were spent puttering around with stuff that never got beyond "Hello, world", then it's not going to be that impressive. <S> On the other hand, if you can show the interviewer a complete application you wrote, with source code, and a history of updates for new features and bug fixes, and the application does something non-trivial, your resume is a lot stronger.
| The value of your time as a self-taught developer greatly increases if you have something to show to the interviewer for those seven years. Experience is experience, regardless of whether you have a degree or not (or the proper degree). In my experience as a developer, go ahead and list that experience. The fact that you proved you can make it through an educational program counts for something.
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Boss suddenly stopped giving me work, and I sit idle the whole day. What should I do? I have been working in a public sector company for the last 29 years. I have successfully managed all responsibilities for the department independently. Now my boss has got a co-worker from another department. All of a sudden, all the work is given to this newcomer and I sit idle the whole day. Should I complain to the higher authority or speak/write to my boss? <Q> This is most likely a simple issue of miscommunication, don't get so worked up over it. <S> Of course, they have to bring in someone new to take over the work you are currently doing. <S> The boss should have ideally communicated this to you already, but humans make mistakes. <S> Maybe he simply forgot to tell you, or he thinks you have other work to do and doesn't realize that you are idle, or he doesn't think this is critical enough to tell you now and plans to tell you later, etc. <S> I would strongly advise against bypassing the boss and complaining to the higher authority. <S> If it turns out to be something like the above, your boss will wonder, "Why didn't you just ask me first, if you were so worried about it?" and both you and your boss will lose face. <S> Tell your manager that you have been idle for a while, and ask him what are his plans for you. <S> No matter how much this frustrates you, don't drag the newcomer into your discussion or blame the boss, that is, don't say something like, "Hey Boss, why did you bring this new guy, and give all my work to him? <S> " <S> Focus only on your work, complaining about others (or even appearing to be complaining about others) doesn't help you in any way. <A> First ask to your boss with respect that why he/she is doing like this. <S> Is there any your mistake or other issue? <S> After that if you do not get satisfied answer/reply from boss then you can write/speak to higher authority. <A> You should plan a meeting with your boss and ask them "What are your expectations for me, short term and long term?" <S> and if he doesn't understand, say something like " <S> Well, right now I don't have a lot of work <S> so I wanted to make sure I'm meeting your expectations". <S> This way you should be able to find out what your boss has planned for you in a natural way. <S> It could be that they have dialed down your responsibilities in preparation of moving you to another role, or maybe he will say "we don't have a lot of work for you right now, but we have X in the pipeline that's coming your way". <S> Worst case scenario is that they will be evasive or intentionally vague, which would mean you need to start looking for new employment. <S> Throughout this process, maintain a positive attitude. <S> Chances are he had no intention of making you feel useless, he likely simply forgot to communicate his plans to you. <S> By going to him you also show that you are still motivated, which can never hurt.
| Don't ask them "why did the work stop coming my way" and avoid mentioning the new colleague at all cost, you don't want to appear to be accusing anyone of anything. Given your level of experience and good track record, your boss and the higher-ups are probably making plans to move you into a different role, where they see you would be valuable.
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My Old team are not happy with their new boss who reports to me I have changed roles in my organization, and in that process hired a replacement for my old role.10 sales people report into that role, and that role reports into me. The team have recently approached me, regarding the team morale and how they are not happy. it appears that several members of the team have decided to take advantage of a change in Mgt and start being late and/or sick. The New Manager is managing this well in my opinion but the team do not see or feel this way. They are feeling attacked and unloved. Now I understand Tuckman and the stages of team development, but we are coming up on 3 months and the issues are becoming more frequent not less. I feel the new Manager is doing the right things. Am I making a mistake in making myself available to the old team to complain? I have been telling them to bring their complaints to the New Manager as well as letting the new manager know there are issues. I sit in close proximity to the team and I wonder if that brings issues for the new manager and ease of access to the old team Would appreciate open and honest feedback on how to address this situation EDIT -Apologies, I was not clear in my original Post, Obviously I do not wish to tread on his managerial toes, but I always approach tasks head on, so the first words from my lips are to address the lateness issues. Obviously those complaining are not those being late and I did not wish to step in and speak directly to those being late as that would undermine the new Managers position. I have approached the Manger regarding the teams approaches and I have directed the team to him. I have been managing some time, this is the first instance of staying in close proximity to a team so I was interested in finding out if anyone had success in removing themselves from the situation or if there were other approaches <Q> I think your availability and your proximity is causing issues for the new manager. <S> You are too accessible <S> and it seems that the team is trying to reinstate you as a "pseudo" manager by forcing you to continue to manage them. <S> It seems that perhaps your new person is inadvertently being undermined. <S> I would strongly recommend excluding yourself from any unnecessary meetings or direct contact with your team. <S> Your new manager needs to be able to make his or her mark on the team, and with you still being so close, it is making that very difficult. <S> I would suggest talking to your management about relocating your desk so that you are not so visible to your old team. <S> If your new manager is going to have any hope at all of gaining control of your old team, you must be seen to be "letting go" of that team. <S> [Edit] To address one point I neglected to earlier, if there are issues with the manager and his ability to work with the team, that also will become apparent if he is given the space to manage the team. <S> There may well BE an underlying problem, but until you can disassociate your influence, it isn't really possible to identify what is the cause of the friction. <A> According to you, the new manager is doing the right things but the team is feeling attacked and unloved. <S> This is a situation that calls for mediation. <S> Did you get to the bottom as to why the team is feeling attacked and unloved? <S> How did this feeling arise and in connection with what issues? <S> What is it about the manager's responses that they objected to, the specific actions or is it the manager's style? <S> If you don't see any problem with the manager's actions, say so and say you would have acted the same way. <S> A complaint that the team has about feeling attacks and unloved most likely originates with the manager's style but you need to ascertain that from the team. <S> I have worked with managers who did the right thing but were brusque and abrasive. <S> Confer with the manager about the same issues. <S> Get the manager's version. <S> Relay the concerns the team has expressed to you. <S> Get the manager's response. <S> Ask the manager to work out what about the manager's response the manager should change. <S> One obvious suggestion is that the manager convey confidence in the team, convey it in tone and explicit language and convey it more often. <S> And that the manager believes in the team andas such, welcomes any feedback including questions and objections. <S> Invite the members of them who complained back to your office. <S> Tell them that you spoke with the manager. <S> Express confidence in the team and back up the manager where you feel the manager did right. <S> Tell them that the manager is taking steps to address the team's complaint. <S> Ask them to keep you informed as to whether the situation is evolving toward some kind of resolution and accommodation. <S> I am giving you this advice based on the presumption that it may be worth it to you spend some managerial time on this conflict, if only to prevent an avoidable conflict and an unnecessary escalation of that conflict. <S> Especially since, based on your post, I don't see any bad guys/gals in this conflict. <A> You're making the mistake of not telling them to get to work on time and that they should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of the change in management. <S> After that, I doubt they'll be bothering you any more. <S> Unless it is some type of abuse accusation, don't ever take anyone's side over their manager. <S> Cut off their complaint as soon as you recognize it is not an abusive situation and tell them to take it up with their manager because you're going to as well. <S> I noticed you didn't mention anything about decreases in sales or any staff turnover. <S> I realize you don't want to wait until it is too late, but when people want to claim they're not happy because they don't get to break the rules may need to go. <A> This is a leadership issue - if the staff didn't have any previous issues (you had gotten rid of the troublemaker before this) and new manager can't "rally the troops" so to speak, this is not a staff issue, it's an issue with the new manager. <S> I'd remove the new manager before their evaluation period ends.
| The other obvious suggestion is that the manager confer with the team and explicitly lay out the manager's expectations. I would at this stage stop making yourself available to your former team members and instead redirect them to their new manager.
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Tell customer politely that interruptions during meetings will not be allowed In previous business meetings with a customer, I mistakenly allowed the customer to leave to see to some task during our meeting and while waited for him. The customer now considers temporarily leaving our meetings to go do something and then come back an acceptable behaviour. I need to write an email telling the customer that in the future, interrupting the meeting will not be allowed any more and if it happens again I will have to stop the meeting and reschedule it for another time. How can I politely write this in an email ? [Edited to add] It's a meeting in person on the customer's premise We don't bill for the meeting (by the hour), the only bill is for the product we deliver I have to notify them with enough time before the meeting, because the customer has his own customers to serve, so they will have to do enough scheduling themselves beforehand to prevent such interruptions from happening <Q> If you are an engineer or product support I urge you not to attempt deal with this issue. <S> Instead refer the problem to your manager or the account manager. <S> Advise them of what is going on and how it is affecting your ability to perform your job. <S> If they agree this is a serious problem then they will address the issue with the customer or give you direction on doing so. <S> Be prepared to be told that the customer wasting your time is not worth risking a multimillion dollar contract. <S> In the event your company is not willing to address this issue with your customer instead look for ways to mitigate the problems created by these interruptions. <S> The reason I urge caution is that I have witnessed careless words by engineers and support people that have cost companies large contracts. <S> Support people especially find it hard to weather the storm following the loss of a customer because of something ill advised they said. <S> It may be in your companies interest to have your time wasted just to keep the customer happy. <A> My answer would depend a bit on what your role and the customer's role is, but I'd go with something like: "Dear Customer, Just confirming our meeting for (date) (time). <S> In order to make most productive use of our time, would it be possible for you to ensure that there are no interruptions during the meeting? <S> Many thanks, Me." <S> If this is the first time you're mentioning the issue to them, then I wouldn't take it any further than that. <A> I used to deal with this when upgrading financial systems at customer sites. <S> I would not email them. <S> It seems passive aggressive. <S> What I finally did worked great. <S> Customers that did this <S> , I simply scheduled my time in blocks at their site. <S> So I am there from 12-1 PM. <S> You want to leave for a half hour? <S> Cool then. <S> I am gone right at 1 PM. <S> It never took more than 2 times for customers to see that they were wasting their own time. <A> This sounds like an excellent way to lose a customer to me. <S> If the person left and didn't come back for an hour, yes you might be justified to let his secretary or some other person who is available know that you need to go and that the meeting will be rescheduled. <S> But over small interruptions, that is just plain unacceptable. <S> When you are providing training in their space, these small interruptions will happen much of the time. <S> They, after all, have to do their real jobs at the same time that they are attending your class. <S> The fact that the production database is down (or whatever the problem is) is more important than your training. <S> It is best to smile and pause for them if they are high enough or move on with the rest of the group and help them catch up later. <S> Most people are polite enough that if the emergency looks to consume lots of time, they will ask you to reschedule. <S> Frankly that this worries <S> you is an indicator to me that you have no business in a direct customer contact situation as you don't see the customer's needs as primary over your desires.. <A> After that, you can then charge for consulting. <S> They key is to convey that your time is important and only so much of it is included in the price of your product. <S> This way, they know in advance and can decide whether or not to do business with you. <S> If it was such a big deal (as in you had somewhere else to be), why didn't you leave and schedule at a different time?
| Consider including in your quotes an amount of time for client meetings. If there's a recurrence of the issue after you've raised the issue, that's the time to escalate the issue.
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Choosing professional name for mail address when the domain is "NameSurname.xxx" I am struggling to find the perfect form for my mail address when I have the domain => NameSurname.fr I currently have NameSurname@icloud.com and NameSurname@gmail.com but in my need to have something more "credible" I would like to use my domain name... however, the "basics" like "Hello@..."; "Me@..." or "Postmaster/Webmaster@..." doesn't look very professional to me. Any advices on how to do it correctly ? <Q> I have a site like this. <S> Just first name for main address. <S> Having both names is kind of repetitive therefore pretentious (unless your name is really really long and you include your middle name - then it might be funny). <S> Having admin/webmaster/postmaster makes people think they are emailing you about a problem on your website. <S> john@johndoe.com <S> relays I am talking to John on John's website. <S> It is easy for users to figure this out, nothing negative about it, and separates your email from admin type tasks. <S> I would email john@johndoe.com to tell him that his article was great, and admin@johndoe.com to tell him that the main menu isn't working right on tablets. <S> Only if you are this weight lifter from Madagascar <S> can you use your full name. <S> harinelinanathaliarakotondramanana@harinelinanathaliarakotondramanana.xxx <A> I would like to make another suggestion: "mail@NameSurname.fr". <S> Reason: <S> Because of the meaning of the at symbol this e-mail address reads as "mail at ..." what sounds kind of natural to me. <A> Personally, I use COMPANY_IM_TALKING_TO@mydomain.com <S> If I were to send a resume to Google, my email would be Google@RobP.com - if I were to apply to Yahoo, it would be Yahoo@RobP.com <S> Internally, it all goes to my primary mailbox; but this allows me to do all sorts of filtering and gives me more control over my mail. <S> For example, when I start getting spam mail, I can quickly see where it originated from because every e-mail address has a one to one relationship with companies or websites. <A> Another choice would be your initials. <S> ns@NameSurname.fr <S> or if your middle name is Middle nms@NameSurname.fr . <A> I would like to use my domain name... <S> however, the "basics" like "Hello@..."; "Me@..." or "Postmaster/Webmaster@..." doesn't look very professional to me. <S> Any advices on how to do it correctly ? <S> firstname@NameSurname.fr or nickname@NameSurname.fr <S> Only do this if you have a reasonably typical nickname. <S> (For example, I would use something Joe@JosephStrazzere.fr but probably not Wacko@JoeStrazzere.fr)
| The best ways I've seen it done would be to use your firstname or nickname.
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Charging for break time when you work outside of the office. Is it ethical? I just recently switch from working in the office to working from home. I found that I needed to readjust how I manage my time as I was adapting to the new style of work. The thing that seemed to have worked for me is something called the pomodoro technique. However I'm a little uncertain about how to allocate break times. Brief explanation of Pomodoro: Set a timer for 25 minutes and when it rings, stop what you are doing and take a 5 minute break; after four concurrent sessions take a 25 minute break. My gf pointed out to me that a 5 minute break every 25 minutes means a 10 minute break every hour. If there were none of the longer breaks then an 8 hour day would have 80min break and possibly an additional 30 min for lunch. Include the 25 minute break and the 8 hour work day is spent with 6 hours of work and 2 hours of break or some break down like that. I can attest that since I have adopted this time management technique I am far more productive than I have even been in the office. In the office I would get maybe a good 4 hours of work and the rest of the day was shot with distractions, things needing repair or attention (printers, phone, co-worker, internet) Here my production is much more focused and task oriented. Since I'm taking breaks I don't want to stretch my day out longer than it needs to be since it seems harder to set limits on when to stop. So the question is, as I understand the pomodoro technique, the breaks are taken during the work session, is it ethical to include that break on my time-sheet? I do feel that the breaks help clarify my focus and let me release whatever I'm holding on to enough to give me new focus. (PS. I'm aware that to ultimately get an answer to this question I must consult my boss and ask, but I'm asking from others who work from home and maybe even use a similar technique.) <Q> I am pretty sure that a number of the users of this site will be shocked at my advice but the bottom line is that you are significantly more productive at home and you are actually clocking two more effective hours of work at home than you are clocking in the office. <S> Either in the office or at home, you are not clocking eight hours of effective work anyway. <S> Knock yourself out during those six hours and keep the gory details between you, us and the walls of your home office. <S> As long as you're giving your employer more than their money's worth. <A> As you said, your ultimate answer would probably come from your boss. <S> That being said, my approach regarding the ethics would be: Do you charge for break time if you are working in the office? <S> If so, it would only be fair to do this while working from home, assuming your productivity, break time etc. <S> being approximately equal. <S> After all, in my opinion/experience, working from home is about working at a different place , not getting a different amount of work done. <A> The Pomodoro technique does not necessarily mean that you do nothing in those 5 minutes. <S> It means you step away from your current task and focus on something else (that could be nothing). <S> There are lots of things that people interrupt productive work with: going to get some coffee, answering a mail, going to the toilet, reshuffle some papers, ... <S> You would do these things also if you were in the office. <S> Also, if you have a job/task where you are deeply immersed in your work, it can be beneficial to ignore the occasional Pomodoro break: you implement the technique in a way that works for you. <S> I suggest you read <S> the many posts on Productivity.se about Pomodoro to see how other people work with it <S> - now there's another idea on what to use those 5 minutes for ;-) <S> Bottom line: <S> Don't bother, don't mention the breaks, if you do the work you're supposed to do, it's fine.
| If you are clearly more productive at home, then my advice is to let sleeping dogs lie and don't say anything to your management.
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If a phone call ends unexpectedly before everything's handled, who should call back? Suppose 2 people call each other for professional matters and the phone call ends unexpectedly without either of the participants ending the call (be it deliberately or accidentally). Who should call the other party to resume the phone call? Neither party isn't really an option, but if both parties call each other at the same time, you get a conflict and neither party gets through. I'm interested in 3 scenarios, since they might be different: A recruiter calls a prospective employee for a phone interview. Who should call back? A client calls a company for a support problem. Who should call back? 2 coworkers call each other for a business-related matter. Who should call back? Is there a difference if one of the coworkers has seniority over the other, either through years or through rank? <Q> It doesn't really matter. <S> Professional or non-professional, if a phone call gets dropped either party could call back. <S> Whether I'm talking with a friend over weekend plans or to my boss about a work emergency, I'm calling back just for the closure of the call. <S> The biggest issue here is of course calling each other back at the same time and hitting a deadlock. <S> In that case, wait 5 minutes or so and then call back. <S> If that still doesn't work, email them (if it's work) and decide on a later time to have the phone call. <A> In all cases, both should try. <S> Neither one should make assumptions about what happened on the other end. <S> I have had calls where my cell phone lost the connection, but the call did not actually end. <S> The person I was talking to just thought I had stopped talking <S> and they started to respond, not knowing I had disconnected. <S> When they saw my name on call waiting, they realized something had gone wrong. <A> I would say the first two are relatively easy. <S> The third one is the tricky one. <S> The candidate should call back if they have all the information they need. <S> It will show the candidate is eager to talk with the recruiter about the position. <S> Take care of your customers and show that they matter to you! <S> I would say here, an email would work better than rushing for the phone. <S> Figure out who is going to call first, then finish the conversation.
| The company should call the client back. This is not a situation that should have some formal protocol, you both should try to get the conversation going again.
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Including follow up salary information in a thank you email? During an HR interview over the phone (but this is well into the process, I've met with 7 people already in the past weeks I've progressed to the final round next week) I was asked point blank "what do you currently make?" I deferred and addressed the posted hiring range for the job and that I am very comfortable with that range + benefits. The HR interviewer responded that they understand me keeping it confidential but indicated that it would be helpful to disclose it and we moved along with the call. All in all I felt awkward about the exchange. The hiring range whether low or mid range is more than I make now but at the time of the call feared that would incentivize giving me the low end offer, but I'm still concerned about how I responded. Should I include in my thank you email my current salary or should I just let it go until since I have another interview follow up set up with the company and wait until negotiations to talk about it again? <Q> Should I include in my thank <S> you email my current salary or should I just let it go until since I have <S> another interview follow up set up with the company and wait until negotiations to talk about it again? <S> Just let it drop. <S> It sounds like you already told them their range is acceptable. <S> This is enough information for them to make an offer. <S> Some people will say you should tell them, but you are in a great position. <S> Consider: <S> HR knows their range is agreeable to you <S> You've interviewed with the actual hiring manager (who can fight HR) <S> You will get a raise from your current position if you get an offer Not telling HR will not prevent them from making you an offer (except in extreme cases of burecratic nonsense) <S> You have a really strong negotiating position right now. <S> No reason to compromise that for no gain. <A> Personaly you did exactly right. <S> If they were going to be bad about it, they woudl have terminated the interview process. <S> (Yes there are some companies which insist, not giving the information is a good way to weed out these companies as they are usually not so good to work for being overly bureaucratic and generally always trying to get something for nothing from you.) <S> My personal opinion is that my current salary is none of their business unless I want it to be (for instance if the offer is lower than my current salary). <A> You've already told them that their salary range is acceptable, and therefore in particular that the low end of their salary range is acceptable. <S> They'll make an offer accordingly, but they'd still like to know your current salary, since getting extra information from you doesn't do them any harm. <S> And they won't necessarily offer you at the low end just because they can, since they're interesting in keeping you as well as just getting you. <S> So, yes, let it go. <S> If they ask again you don't have to tell them, but you also probably shouldn't assume that not telling them gives you a huge negotiating advantage compared with telling them.
| Given the situation you describe, I wouldn't worry about it either way.
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Should I let my manager know I'm considering another offer? I currently have a full time job that is going well, but beginning to stagnate. I received an offer for another job that I'm very interested in, but still unsure if it's the right time to move on. Is there any benefit to sharing this information with my current manager? We have a good relationship, but not sure if I should put this on his radar. <Q> Short answer: <S> No, unless you intend to ask for a counter offer. <S> Now is decision time for you <S> , you can either accept the offer and move, or reject the offer and stay where you are. <S> Telling your manager of this classifies you as a "flight risk", and a risk to whatever projects you are working on. <A> No, but you can talk to your manager about ways to improve your current job. <S> Since you are "unsure if it's the right time to move on" but the job is "beginning to stagnate", it sounds you should talk to your manager about how your job could be changed to avoid that stagnation. <S> Perhaps you could ask for a promotion, raise, or a change of duties so that your current job is just as interesting as the new job. <A> It really depends on your relationship with your manager. <S> Usually the answer is no. <S> But if you have a very good relationship AND you've seen your manager react well when others have given a heads-up, then the answer could be yes. <S> Some questions to ask: what do you hope to gain by telling your manager? <S> Professional courtesy of giving them more warning is good, if you have seen they take that well. <S> Perhaps there are other options at the company you are at, and your manager might like the option of helping you grow, rather than your current stagnation? <S> If you think those questions would have positive answers, then it could be worth talking to the manager.
| If your manager is unable to improve your current job now , then it sounds like it's time to take the new job. So no, I would not tell him unless I had already decided to accept the other offer and give your notice.
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Apply through website or directly email director? I'm applying for a job with a large company that uses an online application system. I found the opening through a discussion group specific to the (small) field - posted by the department director himself, not HR. It had a description and said "Go to the website and search job number xxx." Not sure if that means 1) "There's more information there, and you can apply through it" or 2) "Apply there. It's a large company and it has to be done that way" I did apply online, but I am afraid of it getting lost or at least severely delayed in the black hole of HR. Would it be inappropriate to ALSO directly email my resume to the director? I don't want it to seem like I am directly ignoring his (unclear) instructions to (maybe?) apply through the website (?). <Q> Did you check on website? <S> At there, is option available to apply for that specific job? <S> If yes then you should apply from there. <S> You should not send mail directly to director because he has clearly mentioned steps to apply. <S> After apply from there , wait for 1 week <S> and then if you do not get reply then find contact no. of HR and call them and describe that you applied for X position etc. <S> Also tell that how you got information about that vacancy. <A> The director may still ask you to use the form but reaching out directly will likely get you noticed and, hopefully, accelerated through the process. <S> Otherwise, use the form or automated system provided. <S> Companies set these up to deal with the large influx of candidates, allowing them to be collated from different sources, sorted, distributed to reviewers, captured for equal opportunity statistics and, if unsuccessful, filed away for later referral. <S> However, feel free to reach out to HR or someone similar afterwards. <S> This can get you noticed and impress upon them how keen you are. <S> So saying, do not pester them or contact senior people without solicitation. <S> This will get you rejected very quickly. <A> "I did apply online, but I am afraid of it getting lost or at least severely delayed in the black hole of HR" If 10000 people thought like you and bombarded the directors of the company instead of contacting HR as they are supposed to, then someone in management is going to be very upset at being spammed. <S> One of my former bosses would spam my Inbox and then yell at me when there was so much junk in my Inbox that the important emails would go unnoticed. <S> HR exists for a reason, and thinking of HR as a black hole is self-defeating and gets you nowhere. <S> Especially if you have no strong qualifications for the position you are applying for, you are up against a small army of qualified candidates and HR filtered you out and never bothered to contact you. <S> When it comes to hiring, HR does not say "yes" - unless you are applying for a position in HR, that is - <S> but it can say "no" at several stages of the hiring process including the initial screening and filtering and the background and reference checks.
| Only E-mail the director directly if you have some personal relationship with the director, such as if you worked with the director previously.
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Unavailable for a phone interview and they haven't called back to reschedule. How to remind them politely? I could not attend a telephonic interview since I was in a driving class when they called. I have since sent them an email apologizing and provided a better time at which she could call me (at their request). It has been 3 days and they still have not called me. How should I politely remind them? <Q> Call the person who had called you for the telephone interview. <S> There is a fair probability that the person might not have come across your apology or hasn't read it for some reason. <S> Calling the interviewer in person, apologising for the mistake and explaining your situation might be a better choice than sending an email and waiting for the answer. <S> If your position and the reason for not receiving the call are explained politely in person on the call there is a fair chance for you, I believe. <A> It may possible that position is filled or she forgot to call you <S> or she did not read your apology mail by mistake. <S> So what you can do is call her directly and tell little bit your introduction so she can recall things that Yes this is guy to whom I called for interview <S> then you apologize if require. <S> I think she will definitely set interview timing for you and will take interview if position still available. <A> In my own experience, I once missed the call from my soon-to-be employer. <S> I checked my phone 15 minutes after they called. <S> I immediately called them back and apologized. <S> He was cool with it <S> and then we had a good discussion. <S> Go ahead and call them! <S> Good Luck!
| I would say do not hesitate, if you can call them it would also show you are genuinely interested and also consider calling them back which is always a nice gesture.
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How to quit when you are the last developer on the team? While my question is similar to this question , my situation is a bit different. I am part of a small development team consisting of two developers, my firend/colleague and myself. There is also a senior developer, but he is mainly focused on the database side, and does not write any code for the application itself. I was intending to find another job (for various reasons, like the fact that the current job has a fairly long commute time and I also wanted to try my hand at something different). However, my friend/colleague announces that he got offered a job somewhere else and submitted his resignation. This blindsided me, since I had no idea he was also looking for another job. However this leaves me as the only developer who knows the details of how this application is structured (my friend/colleague had free rein to structure that part of the application as he pleased, but I still understand how the majority of it is structured). Now unlike the question I linked to, I have no interest in figuring out what leverage I have over the company, I just want to know how to handle quitting without burning any bridges, since odds are I might leave before they can hire more developers for the project (they were already looking to hire developers before my friend/colleague quit). They are really great guys, but like I said, I am just looking for something else at this point so I would like to be as respectful of the situation as possible. <Q> This related question really address a lot of the issues you're dealing with. <S> I'm going to drop my two cents: 1. <S> Paid leaves <S> This does not mean submitting your leave notice 2 months ahead. <S> Say you're required to give 1 month of prior notice, and you have 10 days of paid leave left. <S> That means practically your leave notice is only 2 weeks. <S> It'd be nice if you work for the month, then ask your company to compensate for your 10 days by paying you two weeks salary. <S> 2. <S> Write things down <S> Here's the thing: if you write down any hidden tricks you used in your code, briefly describe the project structure, <S> things that are in progress, etc., you're doing a favor to both yourself and your next developer: he doesn't have to call you, and you won't be bothered with calls asking you to explain stuff. <S> 3. <S> You have the right to leave Any boss understands that running a small development team is risky, because the impact on the team is large even if a small number of team members decide to leave. <S> But that does not bound you to the team. <S> You are under employment to work for the company, and your contract has already addressed the issue of you wanting to quit (most likely, a notice before x days of leaving). <S> You have worked professionally and have already been compensated for that. <A> You haven't even started looking yet, so the prospect of your quitting is a bit premature. <S> If you find anything <S> AND you have that written offer in hand <S> AND you have conveyed your acceptance to the company who made you the offer, then you walk into the management's office and give your two-week's notice. <S> Add that you are willing to provide transitional support after-hours and during lunch time on a consulting basis at a rate that is commensurate with your current compensation package - You are good to them, they should be fair to you. <S> Apply the same rule to everyone you do business with unless you are donating your time: if you are doing work, then you should be paid for it. <A> If you really care about the team and don't want to burn bridges, then start documenting the basics of your job. <S> Create some cheat sheets on how to do various tasks and some things that explain how things work together. <S> If you left this is what a new developer would need to hit the ground running. <S> I also wouldn't mention that you are looking unless you want to be in a rather tense work environment. <S> One thing you could do if accepting an offer is try to delay the start date (4 weeks) and explain to the current company that you did this out of loyalty to them. <S> You need to get permission from your new employer before you start helping old employer if that is a route you want to go. <S> But since you know you want to leave for sure then just document, document, document. <S> And start training whoever you can on the most basic tasks. <S> Even if this is just where do I find the passwords, documents, how-tos, it is good to start doing this as soon as possible. <A> Your question sounded familiar, and as one of the comments noted, there are some other links that can help. <S> Ah, I found it: someone asked a similar question on Programmers.se , but of course the mods have labeled it off-topic so read it before it's gone. <S> In short, it speaks well of your sense of professionalism that you don't want to leave your employer in a bad situation. <S> However, it is also not technically your problem. <S> Management is responsible for succession planning and if they've not done this, it is not your responsibility. <S> However, you can indeed do things while you are still there that would help: <S> offer a two-week notice (or even a little more) on your resignation <S> publish a wiki or documentation that will help your replacement <S> As Vietnhi Phuvan said in his answer, arrange for post-separation support. <S> In my case I helped out with occasional phone calls for free but if issues require more time <S> then he's right that you should be compensated for your time. <S> Help in any way you can with getting your replacement. <S> It's already been mentioned to document the system and processes, but also offer to take part in the hiring and training process
| I would also explain the situation to the new company (whatever they choose on the start) that your old company may need your help for a certain amount of weeks outside of work hours. The fact that you are the only developer left has probably made management tense, and if they think you might leave they might start expecting you to work twice as fast - this has happened to me.
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Is it ok to not put job history in my resume? After I graduated from a university, I had one job for 18 months and quit it 2 months ago. Since I left on bad terms with the management of the company, if a prospective employer somehow contacted my previous company, he/she wouldn't get a positive reference from the last employer. I'm looking for a way to remove bad references so that people can evaluate me as objectively as possible. One way to do it is to just remove the company from my job history but still keep my skills and interests in my resume. My job history can be viewed as my private information, but I'm not sure if employers want to know my job history. Do you know a better way to protect me from bad references? Comment 1. Well, I think I can back up my work experiences if I was seriously participating in open-source projects or my own startup. However, I haven't had those experiences, and I can't fake such a large experience obviously. Comment 2. I don't like how most companies value job history which reveals either successful political influence or how subordinate you were rather than actual talent. When I found my company, I will tell people that we are not interested in your job history but your skills and interests and projects(personal, corporate, and academic) and advise people to hide job history for objective evaluation of skills and interests. Job history is very often a track record of how politically successful you were and not of how much impact you had had in previous jobs. In other words, job history is highly biased by political influence. Hiding job history is like a blind audition. You can read "The Impact of Blind Auditions on Female Musicians" on http://www.nber.org/papers/w5903 . It gives a chance to unfortunate job hoppers who have a lot of talents but were unlucky and to people who weren't on the job market for a while but were participating on open source projects or research projects. If I was an employer, I'd rather want to see 'project history' and current skills and interests than 'job history'. <Q> No, you're basically putting out a resume as someone with no work experience, so any skills are going to be nebulous <S> (you have no work history to back up your claims). <S> You might as well say you've been saving Mars from Ming the Merciless for the last 20 months (just as unverifiable). <S> Remember this though, many (or most) employers are afraid of a lawsuit so will likely be neutral (unless you did something grossly wrong like theft or violence). <S> Even if it is likely to be bad, pre-empt it by discussing it at the interview in a positive way (i.e. what you've learned, how you could have handled it better etc). <S> With the right thought and words you can turn a negative into a positive, no lying required. <S> Oh and employers ALWAYS want to know your job history. <S> In fact it may become a bigger issue if you leave a job off, then it's discovered in a background check. <S> Far harder to explain away as it looks like you're hiding something. <A> You are free to leave off any job that you feel would not cast you in a positive light. <S> Leaving a near 2 year hole in your resume is definitely bad light <S> If you are in the U.S. the company will probably just verify employment dates, and you will be free to give 2 good reference to any new company. <S> Especially the first few years after school, its expected that you will hop jobs a little, and 18 months of experience is better than none at all. <S> Finally, unless you stole something, maliciously hurt someone, or committed a crime on the job, you can pretty easily overcome "leaving on bad terms." <S> If the reason for your departure comes up, say something like <S> It wasn't a good fit, and I decided it would be better to look for other opportunities. <S> Never bad-mouth your boss or the company. <S> If pressed for details, stick to the facts, and don't seem vengeful. <S> Also, be ready to shoulder at least some of the blame yourself, and explain what you've learned from the experience. <A> I guess it depends heavily on how resumes and CVs are structured in your country. <S> Where I live, leaving a 2 year gap in your application means you did time in jail, were on drug rehab, had mental problems or something <S> similar akward <S> you don't want anybody to know. <S> You did work for 18 months. <S> As long as you did not get fired for something that counts as hard facts (stole from your employer for example), any reference is simply your former employers opinion after you left. <S> Yes, maybe it's bad. <S> So what. <S> As long as you are professional about it and don't say negative things, it will be better than having a gap in your history. <S> Hiding things is suspicious. <S> If you get an interview you will have to explain the gap anyway, not mentioning the time on your CV only gets you so far.
| You can request that an employer doesn't contact the former employer without your OK, and you can prep the prospective new employer in advance the reasons why the reference may be less than glowing.
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A recruiter applied for me without my consent. How do I handle this situation? Today, I received a mail from a recruiter about an open position at another company. 6 minutes later, and before I even read the other mail, I received another mail, from the company the recruiter mentioned, asking me to complete my profile on their website after "my" application. Evidently, the recruiter submitted an application in my place, without my consent and even without my knowledge. I checked out the position on the company website, and it looks like a job which I wouldn't apply for myself: the commute would take too long; the job description mentions thing that I am not at all comfortable with, like providing support and visiting the client (I'm bad at social conduct), willingness to travel to other sites (I don't have a driver's license) and planning and analysis (as explained in earlier questions, something I struggle with). the company sector (telemarketing/callcenter) is something I'm not too keen on. I currently have 2 problems I'm faced with: What should I do with the position the recruiter applied for? Should I notify the company that the application wasn't consensual? What should I do about the recruiter? Should I cut ties with them or give them the benefit of the doubt? <Q> Neither of these are your problem. <S> You can ignore both the recruiter (who clearly doesn't care much about individuals) and the company (who seemingly just received your details in an automated system, and your application will never be progressed, so you're highly unlikely to come to the attention of any real person who will remember you). <S> But depending on your appetite for crusading you may choose to take a bit of time to right some wrongs. <S> You may choose to tell the company that the recruiter submitted your details without your consent, which is unethical, and if they care about that then they should probably stop using that recruiter. <S> Someone at the company might do something about that. <S> If you do this politely there will be no negative consequences for yourself. <S> You may choose to tell the recruiter they have behaved unethically. <S> Personally, I doubt this will have much impact, but perhaps a steady drip-drip of such complaints may get through their armour one day in the future. <S> And it might make you feel better to have stood up to inappropriate behaviour. <S> As before, being polite is important - in this case to ensure your stance is unimpeachable. <A> Simply reply that you have no current relationship with this recruiter. <S> Explaining why they suggested you anyway is their problem. <A> Stop any cooperation with the recruiter starting right now. <S> If you don't sign the online application, the application process stalls. <S> Delete your profile from the company's website and while you are on the company website, delete any information about you from the company website. <S> The worst that happens is that the recruiter screams like a banshee. <S> That's OK with you as long as his cries fall on your deaf ears :) <S> Eventually, the recruiter will get it and annoy someone else, unless the recruiter is terminally clueless. <A> Contact the company and let them know your resume was submitted due to an error by the recruiter, and should not be considered; it's up to you how much detail to provide. <S> This recruiter is wasting your time, do not continue working with them. <S> Some background for my reasoning: <S> A few years ago a recruiter who I had previously requested to stop contacting me submitted my resume to a company without my consent. <S> (California, USA) <S> I told the company, who told me that because of this and other incidents they would no longer be working with that recruiter, and asked if I was interested in applying directly for the position. <S> (I told them that because of the uncertain legal status I would not be doing so -- in a situation like that it's not clear if a fee is owed to the recruiter. <S> In fact, I've been told that many companies have a policy to discard any resumes that are received from more than one channel, to avoid disputes over fees.) <S> The recruiter apologized and blamed it on a recordkeeping error, but the damage had already been done. <A> Dealing with recruiters is very cumbersome! <S> 99% of them only care about money they make from you. <S> You mention the recruiter applied without even consulting with you. <S> This is highly unprofessional. <S> Each company that I have ever applied to through a recruiter has been only with my consent. <S> This is very important.
| You should cut-off ties with this recruiter and notify the company that the application was started without your consent/notification so that the company is also aware of such activities by this recruiter.
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It is OK to leave a new job after 6 months for a new offer? 6 months ago I interviewed at two companies (Company A and Company B), heavily interested in working at both. Ultimately, Company B said I was overqualified, but they'd love to keep me in mind if a more senior position opens up down the line. Company A gave me an offer. The pay was a little less than my goal, but it was on the highest end of their scale and I had been in a bad job for several years. Company A has been a bit of a dream job since I was a kid: I love the environment, love the team, and love what I'm working on. The pay and benefits could be a bit better. I'm currently in the middle of a big project, but Phase 1 of it will be launching shortly. Today, Company B has reached out to see if I was interested in a FT job (I've been with Company A for about 5 months). I don't know the details of the job yet, but I'm assuming the pay will be a step up. How would you approach this? <Q> In my mind, it really depends on how much you value money. <S> Personally, being in secure employment in a place that I truly enjoy working is more valuable than a modest salary increase. <S> You likely spend almost half of your waking adult life going to work <S> and so if a job makes you happy then you cannot put a price tag on that. <S> As an anecdote, a couple of years ago I took a very large pay cut moving to a new job simply because I was miserable in my higher-paid job. <S> I worked hard and over those two years I became a key member of the team and was rewarded accordingly. <S> Even if I hadn't had a pay rise, I'd still be infinitely happier than I was before; I no longer wake up in the morning and think " <S> oh hell, I have to go to work today", which is an incredibly valuable thing to me. <S> However, if it's a substantial increase in pay or if you really need the extra to make ends meet, then there's plenty to suggest you consider the new offer. <S> But in this situation there's nothing to stop you, should you be offered the job, to speak to your current employer and let them know that you love your current position but cannot afford to turn down the higher salary. <S> Worst case scenario they'll be sorry to see you go and wish you well; best case they might increase your pay and/or benefits if they are keen to keep you on board. <S> Either way, you've shown that you appreciate the environment you're currently in. <S> you'd be as happy or happier than you are now (and whether or not the pay increase will add to that happiness!). <S> It never hurts to get more interview experience and, should they offer you the job and you decline, you've made a new contact that may keep you in mind wherever they end up in their future career. <A> Is it okay to switch jobs shortly after accepting a position? <S> Yes, but generally only once. <S> If you make a habit of jumping ship early that will be reflected in your job history and will mark you as a job hopper which is not the reputation you want. <S> Everyone can end up in a job that simply doesn't work out <S> but recruiters are wary of people with a pattern of short-term employment. <S> This also means that it's risky to leave a job early for non-pressing reasons. <S> If you judge the new role badly and find yourself going to work miserably when you've already wasted your hop. <S> You'd have to spend well over a year in that position just to avoid the job hopping stigma. <S> Should I respond to interviews or recruiters shortly after accepting a position? <S> It's fine to respond to interviews after you've just changed jobs <S> but there are some things to consider. <S> Advantages: <S> you might come across a great opportunity that justifies leaving your current job early these interviews are good practice since there's no pressure on you <S> you can build solid connections for future opportunities (as you saw with company B) <S> Disadvantages: if you're not honest with the interviewers or string them along for multiple interviews when you have no intention of accepting an offer you risk burning a bridge if your current employer finds out that you're interviewing they might think you're acting in bad faith. <S> Reasonable employers will simply ask you about it and accept that you're not actively looking to leave but are simply exploring options or connections. <S> Unreasonable employers won't. <S> as mentioned above, if you misjudge the new position you could be stuck in a miserable job for quite some time <A> Unless you have a term to which you agreed you don't have a moral obligation to stay with "A" beyond the standard notice period. <S> It's worth interviewing again with "B" and hearing what they offer. <S> This part is cut and dry. <S> At that point you are at a decision that only you can decide on: "Which job will make you happier in the long run?"
| Consider pay and benefits, how much you would enjoy the actual work, and how it will help you progress through your professional and personal goals. I'd say you should check out the details of the new position, go for an interview and do a little research on how they operate to help you decide if it's somewhere
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Explain that job uncertainty is affecting my ability to do work? Should I tell my boss that job uncertainty is affecting my ability to do work? If so, how best to explain? I am a developer working on a contract basis for an organization and manager I like and would like to continue with, and my current contract is about to expire. Unfortunately contracts go through a bureaucratic renewal process; while it's likely I will be renewed, it's not 100% guaranteed and the rate is not yet set. Given these uncertainties, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate at work and I feel it's affecting my performance. I'm typically a high-performer and don't want my boss to think I'm under-performing for other reasons, so thought I should tell my boss. <Q> To me, that would come across as "sandbagging" (delaying or slowing work in order to coerce an action or concession from an employer) and would likely make a manager reticent to extend your contract. <S> If you are going to work as a contractor, you have to manage the lifecycle of your contracts. <S> You have to find it within yourself to work just as hard with 6 hours left on your contract as you do with 6 months left. <S> As each contract nears conclusion, you need to be looking for your next opportunity. <S> Remember, you owe the client no more than they owe you. <S> You are both considering another agreement. <S> Neither of you is pledged to it. <S> They may decide to go another route, and you may, as well. <S> A well-run company secures the resources they need. <S> They don't dicker about and hope the resources they need are available later. <S> A good contractor secures work, and doesn't dicker about and hope work finds them. <A> That's an explanation that will blow up in your face if you ever voiced it. <S> It's like saying "I am falling apart because I can't take the pressure", which is an absolute no-no in the world of professionals. <S> If you are being distracted by the uncertainty, you need to manage such uncertainty by either eliminating the uncertainty or mitigating it. <S> You mitigate it by interviewing for other jobs - don't put all your eggs in the same basket. <S> Your cat cannot do anything about being thrown off the first floor of a building. <S> But it can do plenty about twisting and turning in midair until it lands on its padded feet. <S> You may not be able to do anything about being given the shove. <S> But you can do plenty about being able to land on your feet. <S> At a better rate than you are being currently paid as a consultant. <S> Or with a more stable situation as a full-time employee of your client - <S> Yeah, I know. <S> Your employer contract may forbid this but in the case of a former subordinate of mine, the client simply used its muscle as a buyer of services to "convince" his employer to release him from his contract so that the client could hire him full-time. <A> Although you're being honest about your lack of productivity, you haven't provided any solution. <S> You may want to start a conversation with your boss about your contract renewal. <S> I wouldn't focus on the lack of productivity, would mention it is something on your mind. <S> Knowing he's looking into it may ease your concerns. <S> In the future, you're going to need to learn how to cope with uncertainty. <S> All jobs have it to some extent. <S> Start ups run out of funds. <S> Projects get killed. <S> Cut-backs that results in lay-offs happen at the most established companies with full-time employees. <S> Continuously taking pride in focusing on doing quality work is what is going to keep you employed in the long-run. <S> This contract may not get renewed, but you should try to get a solid recommendation from this client. <S> They may have contacts at other companies that are looking for good programmers. <S> Slacking off at the very end is what they will remember the most. <S> That is not what you want. <A> Should I tell my boss that job uncertainty is affecting my ability to do work? <S> Given these uncertainties, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate at work <S> and I feel it's affecting my performance. <S> I'm typically a high-performer and don't want my boss to think I'm under-performing for other reasons, so thought I should tell my boss. <S> You are basically saying that you are a high-performer, except when you can't concentrate because of "uncertainty". <S> As a hiring manager, that's not something I'd want to hear. <S> I would interpret it as coming from someone who may or may not be good when everything is just right, but who can't handle the job when things aren't perfect. <S> In my company at least, as well as every other place I have worked, things don't always go well. <S> Stress happens, ambiguity happens, uncertainty happens. <S> Sometimes things go smoothly, sometimes not. <S> It's important to find a way to deal with the work as it is. <S> I think your best bet is to find a way to do the best you can even under these "uncertain" circumstances, and see what happens with the renewal process. <S> If you aren't renewed use it as a learning exercise for the next contract, and find a way to block out the "uncertainties" that are causing your under-performance.
| The extension of this contract is a possibility, but not a certainty, so you should be cultivating other leads, now.
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How to prepare for an interview for a different position than I applied for? A few weeks ago I applied for a junior position. Everything went great, from the group interview to the personal interview with the manager.Yesterday they contacted me and told me that they are offering me an interview for a better paying position which is different than what I applied for. I'm a bit nervous and I'm not really sure what to think about this, I applied for the more junior position because I had experience in it. Even though I like the idea of the other position, I'm not quite sure what to expect from it. The first position had a list of requirements but the new one does not. How can I prepare for an interview in a situation like this? Are there things I need to be aware of? I am unsure if I am qualified for the other position. <Q> "Dear HR person, Thank you very much for the offer of an interview as a Junior Informatic Security Analyst. <S> So that I can best prepare for the interview, would it be possible for you to forward me some information about the role? <S> Many thanks, Me" Or in other words - the best people to tell you what this role at this specific company entails are the people recruiting for it, not people on Stack Exchange. <A> You have nothing to lose here, it seems to me. <S> They already like you and will probably give you a position. <S> At this point it's just a matter of which one. <S> The most important thing is to be confident. <S> They think you can handle it -- and who would know better than they in the matter? <S> Don't worry so much about needing to know company-specific things. <S> They realize you are new and don't have all the answers. <S> They will probably ask you more of what they've already asked, or get specific about what <S> you and they have already discussed, so in that sense you may not need to do that much more to prepare. <A> This shouldn't be a position to be worried about. <S> Your potential employer has already known you well during previous interviews and may be they feel you are a better fit in the new position. <S> I guess, in the next interview it would be just that they will introduce you to the new position and ask some general questions or your opinion about it, nothing technical. <S> If you really need to know what the new role is about, just shoot them a brief email requesting the description. <S> They already like you! <S> So relax and get rid of all worries! <S> Good Luck!
| Know your resume, and practice telling your personal story about your skills and experience -- make a list of why they should hire you and not someone else. Try your best and just be yourself. I would do more research about the company if you can -- find the people who you are interviewing with on LinkedIn if possible and find out what they know and are likely to ask about.
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Need a vacation 6 months after starting, when to bring it up? For reasons explained in this question, I am currently looking for a new place of work. I have recently received a verbal offer from a hiring manager and have been told that a written offer will be forthcoming sometime this coming week, for a start date in early-to-mid June. I fully intend to take this offer; however, for personal reasons, I will absolutely need to take two weeks off in the middle of January 2016 (a mere six months after I join). It is unlikely I will have accrued enough days off by then to take that much time off (as I mentioned, I do not yet have a written offer, so I am unsure as to the specifics. However, from what I have heard from friends who work at this company, I will not have enough vacation time by then). When do I bring this up? Do I bring it up now, before the written offer is sent? That way, I can get an idea of their vacation policies up-front; on the other hand, I don't want to give off the wrong impression by asking about vacation times before I even have a written offer. Do I wait until after I get the offer and try to negotiate the time off then? Or even wait until after I've started? <Q> When do I bring this up? <S> Do I bring it up now, before the written offer is sent? <S> That way, I can get an idea of their vacation policies up-front; on the other hand, I don't want to give off the wrong impression by asking about vacation times before I even have a written offer. <S> Do I wait until after I get the offer and try to negotiate the time off then? <S> Or even wait until after I've started? <S> You have a verbal offer. <S> That means the company wants you to join, and presumably you do, too. <S> Now is the time to learn the specifics about the benefits, and to disclose your need for two weeks in January, and anything else you need that may not yet be offered. <S> Since you indicate that you "absolutely need to take two weeks off", I assume that this is a deal-breaker for you. <S> So there's no sense in worrying about a "wrong impression". <S> If you can't get the two weeks, you'll need to find a different job anyway. <S> That's something you want to learn now. <S> For many shops, this won't be as big a deal as you might imagine. <S> Six months down the road, you may have accrued enough time off, or you may be able to "borrow" time off. <S> Presumably, that wouldn't be a problem for you. <S> For some companies, in some positions, those two weeks may simply not be permitted. <S> In that case, you need to know that now, rather than being in a awkward position later on and having to leave a job after six months. <S> Don't wait. <S> Talk about it now, while you are discussing overall benefits. <A> You wait until you get the written offer and negotiate the time off as part of your package. <S> Most decent companies will be ok with you taking a planned vacation if you let them know then. <S> If it is unmoveable, you may find it easier to negotiate if you share the reason (this of course depends on the reason). <S> If you have unrefundable tickets, make sure they are aware of that as well. <S> You may have to take leave without pay or they may advance you the leave. <S> The worst action to take is to wait until you start . <S> Then it is less likely that you will get the leave. <S> Lots of people ask for this sort of thing, a decent company won't be upset by you asking and well a company that would, then you have dodged a real bullet and can turn down the offer. <A> I was in this situation, planning to get married about six months after starting with a professional firm, a small business. <S> I brought it up at my second interview. <S> My future employer was very pleased that I felt comfortable bringing up the concern, and agreed to give me time off. <S> In fact, in the offer letter, my employer clearly stated that I would be granted paid time off for my honeymoon. <S> Any experienced supervisor understands how awkward it can be to ask for something extra when a hiring decision is imminent; it demonstrates a certain bravery and confidence that your important needs will be considered. <S> You should not expect them to allow your time off, and if it is declined, thank them for your consideration. <S> Who knows, some issue may arise in the next six months which forces a change in your personal plans anyway.
| For other companies, you may need to take your two weeks off without pay. Bring it up now. Both you and the prospective employer deserve respect, and asking politely early in the process you are complimenting the company and manager, trusting they will not embarrass you or be dismissive of your honest concern about being allowed time off.
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Do I need a vCard in the business environment? I'm about a year away from graduating from university and am considering entering into the business sector, possibly attempting a startup or maybe freelancing as a writer, I don't know yet exactly. But I've read about vCards but I'm not familiar with how often they're actually used. Should I use vCards in my upcoming professional life, or should I stick to paper business cards? Would a combination be better? <Q> I'm in tech <S> and I've never swapped "vCards" with anyone, ever. <S> Regular business cards are likely to be around for a long long time. <A> You can leave a stack of business cards at a meetup, for people to pick up on their way in or out. <S> It takes less than a second to exchange physical business cards and there are no software dependencies/compatibility concerns. <S> Also, there's no risk of transmitting malware, corrupt data, or data you don't intend to share when you use paper. <S> For now, use conventional cards as your primary way to exchange contact information. <S> Certainly explore vCards, but IME people still use and expect physical, conventional business cards. <A> I have yet to receive a vcard from anyone; and I have held roles from consulting to sales and programming. <S> Traditional and creative business cards are still the norm. <S> A newer trend is to generate a qr code which when scanned can add your details in to the recipient's address book (or redirect them to your website, or a number of other things). <S> In fact, the only place I regularly see vcards used is when synchronizing two different contact databases. <A> There may be a platform in the future which popularizes them. <S> As a systems administrator, I am leery of email attachments. <S> I don't even appreciate images in signatures or lengthy signatures and legal disclaimers for that matter. <S> My desk drawer is full of business cards from the last five years. <S> I pin some important ones to a board behind my monitor. <S> Other important contact information for which I do not have a business card is scribbled on a slip of paper on that same board. <S> I think of vCard as a data exchange format like XML or JSON. <S> It even has its own mime type text/vcard . <S> In the event someone should ask you for your vCard, you can easily create one by creating yourself as a Gmail contact then exporting yourself as vCard format. <A> vCards are dead. <S> They had the problem of being way too robust. <S> You didn't always want to send a free/busy calendar feed to a vendor who was asking directions to the coffee shop you were meeting at. <S> Today, a well-crafted sig for your email and a crisp, simple business card are what you'd want. <S> In your sig, a LinkedIn button may be appropriate if you're a job-seeker. <S> Reference: <S> https://www.findspark.com/put-business-card-youre-student-recent-grad/ A business card should answer three questions: <S> Who are you? <S> What can you do for a potential employer / client? <S> How do they reach you? <S> You want to make sure it prominently displays: <S> Your first and last name. <S> (Culturally appropriate interpretation, of course) Your skill set. <S> (Be brief. <S> 3 or 4 words max) <S> Your phone (1 or 2 numbers) and email contact information. <S> A website to your own work or LinkedIn profile. <S> Everything else just distracts. <S> You can load them up with fancy graphics, but they just take away from your message. <S> A photo, perhaps, <S> but that's pushing it. <S> The goal of the business card is to make the person want to contact you, and that's it. <S> For a job-seeker, I'd say the same thing applies to email sigs. <A> Do I need a vCard in the business environment? <S> No, you clearly do not need one. <S> I have never required (nor accepted) <S> a vCard from anyone seeking a job. <S> Not even once. <S> I have accepted many well-done, professional-looking paper-based business cards (and sadly a bunch that were "less than professional-looking").
| Business cards still have their place, and are very "low-friction" - everyone is used to using them, they slip into a pocket or wallet easily and you can write (brief) notes on them (how to pronounce an uncommon name, why you should contact the person later, etc). I don't believe I've ever had someone ask me for a vCard, nor offer one to me. You also risk having your vcard attachment blocked by email servers. Today, I don't think you need a vCard.
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Is it a good idea to put a photo on your business card? Nowadays we have our pictures everywhere: in the email client, on the company website, in phone contacts, on Linkedin, etc. Would it therefore be in good taste to put a professional photo of yourself on a business card? After all most people tend to remember faces better than they remember names. I'm in software development/Central Europe, if the answer varies by region. <Q> I suspect this is incredibly regional. <S> Living in the New England region of the US, the only folks who have photos on their business cards are real estate agents, and there's enough of that that as soon as someone gives me a card with a photo, I assume that they are a real estate agent or at least in the business of trying to sell me something. <S> Given that I work in tech, sales-type people are something I generally treat with distrust, so this isn't such a win for me personally... but that's probably in the eye of the beholder. <S> If that's the branding you want - go for it. <S> My take on personalizing business cards is that first and foremost, I should be able to find ALL your contact info. <S> Next - I need enough info on it to remember why I would call you - in my world, that's usually title and division, although it may be some prominent qualifications (CISSP, PhD, etc). <S> The business cards I hang on to the longest are the ones where I've had a meaningful conversation and either the card owner or myself have jotted down something particularly important and relevant. <S> It may just be about a technology we talked about, or a particular restaurant they recommended - <S> but it helps me remember why I care to keep the card. <S> I'm not sure a photo would do that. <A> It depends a lot on your industry, brand and identity. <S> You say you are a software developer, but are you part of a team or a contractor? <S> If you are part of a wider team, it may be beneficial to just stick with the team/corporate branding. <A> There have been done lots of research into how faces affect behaviour. <S> The effects are hard to quantify, but overall economic and psychological research would point to: If you're beautiful - go for it. <S> If you're going to bargain on behalf of your client, go for it. <S> If you're beautiful - or physically stronger than average (as a male) <S> Culture has a lot to say either way and can drown out any effects <S> Otherwise I think the effect is negligible and can swing both ways. <S> Very strong males can have a face that promotes distrust, but it will also give them an bargaining edge. <S> References: http://press.princeton.edu/titles/9516.html http://www.cep.ucsb.edu/grads/Sell/PapersSite.html http://www.pnas.org/content/106/35/15073.long <A> I would go for it. <S> People remember faces and images better than names but ensure it is a professional picture with the real you and less photoshop/air brush - this is your personal brand logo <S> so let it stand out!
| If you are a contractor, then I'd suggest it is a good thing. It's probably useful in a setting where your audience sees a bunch of faces and intros all at once, and so your face helps them remember.
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Why is a company pushing me to start without results of background check? A company wants to rush a start date without having results of a background check. This is the second time it's happened to me. It makes me feel uncomfortable. They want me to put in my two weeks notice at my current job without knowing the results of the check. Could it be that they know the results, and just have not said? I don't understand. Would you not need the results before you start pushing for dates? Does anyone know why they might be behaving this way, and is this behaviour common? <Q> This is pretty common. <S> Most companies want you to start as soon as possible, and don't expect there will be a problem with the background check, and thus want to get a start date while the background check is still in progress. <S> As noted in the comments, <S> the only danger to them if it fails is they have to move to their next choice. <S> A reasonable company should respect that, recognizing the position they are putting you in. <S> Other companies will assure you the background check is just a formality, and the conditional job offer really is a strong one. <S> I've believed that and haven't had issues, but it doesn't mean that you should do the same. <S> The danger is if the offer is from an unreasonable company. <S> Some companies will withdraw an offer if there is any push back. <S> You probably don't want to work for a company like that anyway, especially since you still have a job. <A> HR probably requires a background check that takes X amount of time. <S> Manager Y can let you start without completion of the background check and manager <S> Y wants/needs you now. <S> If you fail the background check then you are out of a job but manager Y still has a job. <S> Manager Y does not really care if you are out of a job. <S> Me, I don't want to work for manager Y. <S> If you have nothing that would fail a background check then the risk is low. <S> If you have never been arrested, no drug problems, no financial problems, and are not associated with any questionable groups you are probably good. <S> I had a friend take a job and then lose it because she had a prior DUI <S> and they could not get (economical) professional insurance on her. <S> And yet they never asked her if she had a DUI. <S> So I would be careful. <S> Me <S> I would tell them then fine - you can wait for the background check to clear or guarantee me 12 months pay even if it fails. <S> True story. <S> I was doing consulting work for a US Federal agency and had card key access to a secure data room. <S> A year into it they finally got around to a background check. <S> I told them I was on site every week to come see me at work <S> and they said no has to be at your home. <S> So then like 4 months later I had a week off <S> and they did the background check. <S> I passed the check and the contract ended two weeks later. <A> It depends on what the "Background Check" is. <S> If it's just an HR formality, then I'd either insist on a guarantee of a certain amount of pay (6 or 12 months) IN WRITING , or tell them to just wait it out. <S> They're probably using a clearing house that takes a while, and don't want to pay an expedite fee. <S> These are really annoying, as there's very little assurance that the agency will "get it right" and it's just a thing they have for marketing, like cleaning services have. <S> If it's for a financial sector, or perhaps even a full SSBI security check, those can take weeks and/or months, because they are thorough. <S> Companies that play in the "Major leagues" with these know what they are doing. <S> They have a great deal of onboarding and training that you'll have to go through, and they also have non-secure work to do while waiting for these to complete. <S> These are the "Big boys," and would not have even extended you an offer if you hadn't passed an initial background check (which they can do very quickly). <S> If this is Raytheon, then they know what they're doing <S> and I'd proceed. <S> If this is "Ray and Leon's Software Consulting," I wouldn't jump until they make a firm, unconditional offer. <S> My opinion only, your mileage may vary. <A> From your point of view it is not about the background check. <S> It's about having an unconditional job offer. <S> Your only possible line should be "I will give notice when I have an unconditional job offer from you". <S> If they want you to give notice now, they can give you an unconditional job offer. <S> It's entirely up to them and you should say that. <S> Don't worry about upsetting your new manager. <S> If you do a good job, they will quickly forget about the 'late' start.
| Nothing is compelling them to wait for the results of the background check. You can push back, telling them that you don't expect any problems with the background check, but you'd still feel better waiting to give notice until there are no caveats in the job offer.
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How can I find out from an interview if the manager is a micromanager? I am about to go into an interview in a few days for a job in the IT field. My current employer is a micromanager and I am wanting to make sure this new employer is not. What kind of subtle questions could I ask that would give me the answer without flat out asking? <Q> <A> Here are a couple questions: <S> "Can you describe a project where someone reporting to you did particularly well on a project? <S> How did you help them be successful?" <S> If the manager responds that he guided them very closely and gave them a lot of feedback and direction, then be careful. <S> The manager is defining success by how much they listened to them, rather than how much initiative the person took. <S> " <S> Which of the projects your team is working on now are you personally most involved with? <S> What have you been doing on the project?" <S> Here, look for answers like 'I try not to get to into the details of their projects -- I hire good people and let them work!'. <S> Answers that go into minute detail could mean they can't let go of things at that level. <S> "What do you think my first project might be? <S> Who would I be working with? <S> Would you be involved?" <S> They should respond by saying you'll be part of a team and that the people you'll be primarily working with are your teammates! <S> Best of luck! <A> If you take the route of interviewing your future employer which I have done then it is really simple. <S> You ask during the interview, "Do you have team members that I could talk to about the team dynamics and office culture?" <S> It is much easier to ask members of the team how projects are managed and how things go. <S> As a hiring manager I wouldn't care if one of my senior people talked to a candidate. <S> (wait unless I am a true micro-manager and then I would have a set script for that employee) <A> My current employer is a micromanager and I am wanting to make sure this new employer is not. <S> What kind of subtle questions could I ask that would give me the answer without flat out asking? <S> You could say something like " <S> You know, the one thing I'm looking to avoid this time around is a micro-manager!" <S> That might work, although many folks don't recognize that trait in themselves. <S> Better would be to get to chat with some of your potential peers (other folks who work for this manager). <S> Ask "What's it like to work for X? <S> What do you like? <S> What do you not like?" <S> Before this, be very clear in your own mind what constitutes "micro-managing" and what does not. <S> Different shops have different views on this.
| I would just ask about the methodology for managing the projects - how is work assigned, how are deadlines determined, where do requirements come from, how much freedom to choose tools and problem solutions do individual devs get etc.
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Referring someone I don't know, but recomended by someone I trust One of my close friends has asked me to recommend someone for a position (posted online) in my company. While I do not know that person, his CV states that he has many of the right qualifications, and my company also has a referral policy. Also, I have enough trust in my friend (as well as confidence in his technical knowledge) to believe that the person is qualified. I'm thinking of inviting this individual for a coffee and talking to them before I submit the referral, just so I'm more comfortable about it. So my question is: is this a normal thing to ask? Am I worrying too much? I feel like in the worst case scenario, he will not pass the interview and that would be the end of it. But I wanted to ask for the insights of the community. <Q> Typically in these cases, you might just pass their name and resume to your boss, rather than really recommending them: <S> A friend forwarded John's resume to me for the open [X] position - he appears to have the qualifications we're looking for, but I've never worked with him, so I can't speak to his fit for the job. <S> There are potential downsides - if he comes to the interview extremely unprepared, or an obvious bad fit, then there may be people who will hold that against you, even if you explicitly stated "I can't speak to his fit". <S> As a result, having coffee with the candidate before forwarding their resume is a great idea, to ensure you screen out someone who might reflect badly upon you. <A> It isn't unusual, especially with referral bonuses, to recommend people you only have a passing knowledge about. <S> As long as your hiring process still does a good job vetting people during the interview process you should be fine. <S> If it bothers you put a caveat that you are referring this person based on your good friends recommendation that you trust. <S> Most places these days are desperate for good candidates and will pay more than 10x what any referral bonus you might receive to a recruiter who wouldn't know a good programmer from a hole in the wall. <A> Depending on company policy, you can get awarded for referring a qualified candidate who subsequently gets hired. <S> Yes, it's a good idea to meet the candidate for coffee and quickly go over his qualifications and "fit" into your company so you can at least claim that you "know" him. <S> If the candidate passes your muster, then you can forward the candidate's resume to HR for a more thoroughjob candidacy review process. <S> I made the mistake of hiring a friend of a friend based solely on the friend's recommendation. <S> I haven't repeated that mistake in 30 years.
| This is a fairly normal occurrence - people will often send their friends a posted position that might be a good fit for them, in the hopes that the friend will do the same if a similar opportunity occurs in the future.
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How to recruit an honest candidate? I am planning to start a retail business soon. As such, my business will have a shop, and a cashier for collecting fees from customers. I would like to recruit someone to open the doors each morning or lock the doors in the evening. This person would also likely be responsible for the cashier as well. I would come to the shop almost daily, but it isn't very practical to have me stay in the shop all day. Usually there are a few employees in the shop, but there may be quiet periods in the day when this person is alone. Of course, I can have security cameras in place, log the amount of cash in the cashier etc. I would also guide this person in the role in the beginning, but at some point I have to trust him/her, otherwise there is no meaning paying to someone for work. How should I identify an honest candidate in an interview? Should I offer an probation period? What are the signs that an employee is not completely honest? <Q> As davidjwest says, trust is something that is earnt and built over time so, to some degree, you have to make a leap of faith and hope you get the right person. <S> So, effectively, you're into mitigation and improving your chances <S> and I'd suggest that's what work history is for. <S> I'd personally be looking for someone with reasonably long periods in one place, is coming from another job and has had responsibility before. <S> Or, in other words, someone whose last employer trusted them. <A> You can look into criminology research to see why people commit crimes and then see which issues you can either interview for or directly control. <S> These are still not a guarantee though. <S> Examples: <S> Lack of bad credit. <S> Enjoys the work (see above). <S> Professional and personal references who consider them honest and trustworthy, especially if they were in a similar position of trust. <S> You having a system in place that will catch errors (both honest accidents or dishonest intentional mistakes ). <S> No criminal record. <S> Clean drug test. <S> Passes background check. <S> Please note, a person can still be honest meeting only some or even none of these and someone who meets all of them can still be dishonest. <S> Neither the courts, nor the military, nor the three letter agencies, nor the banks have a system that guarantees honesty. <S> You can at best copy the systems they have, realizing that it is imperfect. <A> You can do background checks but you need to "keep the honest people honest. <S> " There should be procedures in place to reconcile the drawer, deposits and inventory. <S> People need to know you care enough to monitor these things. <S> Put consequences in place if things are not accurate. <S> It could be due to theft, carelessness, etc., <S> but you just can't have this going on in your business. <S> I worked at a movie theater and we counted every cup and box of candy nightly. <S> It may not be practical to do this every night, but on some regular basis with a few "spot-checks" every once in a while. <S> It's just good business. <A> Unlike the pseudo-psychological "honesty test", I have at least heard of companies doing real honesty tests <S> : Let's say you refund a candidate his or her expenses for coming to the interview. <S> In case of a good candidate, you make a small mistake in the calculation of the expenses, say $100 in their favour - small enough not to hurt you, enough to be noticed. <S> Then you wait for the phone call of the candidate asking how to return the extra $100 to you.
| Benefits/compensation they are happy with (people who think they have a good job are less likely to do something that could cost them their job).
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Small Company Postpones Final Interview, should one be cautious? I recently had a phone interview, followed by an in-person interview and assessment with a small software development company (less than 20 people), the company itself is less than three years old. All of my interviews, according to my recruitment agent, went very well. The company's dev and work environments really drew me to them compared to my current position in a significantly larger company, a more friendly and flexible one.I had been contacted by my agent just a few days after, saying that the managing director would like to have a 'largely informal' chat with me. Upon asking if this was promising, the agent assured me that, according to the dev lead who interviewed me, this pretty much meant I would be guaranteed an offer. The agent backed this up by saying the previous two applicants had the same experience and were given offers in the past. After hearing nothing for a week, I politely asked my agent if there were any updates. He stated that my application had been put on hold without offering a reason why.Given the small size and age of the company, I am inclined to interpret this (possibly) as a recruitment freeze due to financial reasons, thus it does not inspire confidence in the company's longevity. I of course asked about this during the interview process (what future projects are going on etc) and they answered confidently that they had many things 'in the pipeline', but nothing specific. If a company unexpectedly goes silent or puts an application on hold in its final stages, should I interpret this as possible insecurities should an offer surface? <Q> There can be many reasons for a company to put an application on hold and most of them are not a cause for concern, especially in smaller companies. <S> Having said that, if you're really concerned about their financials, many countries have a 'chamber of commerce' where all companies are registered and where, for a small fee, you can request their financial records. <S> You could make such a request if the company you are interviewing with has been around for more than a single (financial) year to get an indication of their financial health. <A> This is a great example of why you should never put your job search on hold until you get a written offer . <S> -- And not even then. <S> As a hiring manager, when I get a resume sent in response to a job posting, I don't turn off the job posting while I'm reviewing one person and deciding whether to interview them! <S> If that one person doesn't work out, now I'm that much further behind. <S> Thus, while you have "turned off your job posting" while waiting to see if this one company has worked out, you have not interviewed at other companies, one of which might have been the one to offer you a job. <S> Folks often forget that interviews are two way streets. <S> The company is interviewing you, so you need to interview the company: <S> Does this company respect your time? <S> (no) <S> Are they communicative? <S> (no) <S> Do they follow through? <S> (no) <S> Do they act with honor and professionalism? <S> (no) NO HIRE <A> Cons of applying in a startup! <S> This happens mainly because of lack of funds. <S> Joining a startup is always risky. <S> Do a thorough study on how much and when the startup received funding. <S> Make sure they have enough in hand to atleast pay your salary for an year. <S> You can view the funding details for the startup on crunchbase.com . <S> Hopefully its there in the database.
| I wouldn't worry too much about financial trouble, if the company had the budget to hire an additional employee it's unlikely that their finances suddenly turn so bleak that this is no longer viable. It's much more likely that someone fell ill or things simply got a lot busier than expected leaving no time to complete the interview process right now.
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What makes an image safe for work? After reading Sexy desktop wallpapers in the office I was wondering what makes images safe for work. At my previous job, I used this image as a desktop background for a while: I didn't get any comments on it, although I did sometimes wonder myself how appropriate it was, with the Communist revolution reference, the skull and the general Gothic-lite appearance. I wasn't asked to stop using it, and after a few months, I switched to another image as part of the brand redesign of our company. What makes an image safe for work (aside from the obvious "no nudity or gore")? and is a SFW image also a suitable desktop background? <Q> I think there are some guidelines that could be applied: <S> Would you wear it on a T-shirt? <S> Does it have subject matter that you are not willing to discuss with collegues? <S> Do you have strong enough relationships with people at your company that they would feel comfortable telling you if it offended them? <S> And if so, would you take it down? <S> It's basically a know your audience type of advice. <S> I once posted in my cube "Select * from people where clue > <S> 0 <S> " My boss told me to take it down because it would offend others. <S> I would have been happy if anyone there would have figured out what it meant. <S> Not sure why anyone would assume it was aimed at them. <S> I was new and he had stronger relationships with people, so I figured he knew best. <S> Pay attention to what is going on around you before doing things outside the norm. <A> Check with your management that the image is non-controversial so that if someone complains, you can throw up your management as a human shield and say that they approved your image :) <S> Controversiality is a matter of context and context can be very specific AND slippery. <S> For example, one of my subordinates had a picture of a Ferrari as his screensaver but our management would take his head and my head off if the company's client were <S> Lamborghini and the Lamboghini rep were due to pay us a visit next week :) <S> If you were working for Nike, it would be gauche for you to put up <S> say a picture of Converse shoes as a screensaver :) <S> Never mind a picture of our beloved Maximum Leader and CEO with a dartboard in the background :) <A> Politics, sex, religion, racism, violence, swear words and references to these are to be avoided. <S> Your colleagues and clients look at your screen from the distance, so you'd better make sure that your background does not resemble any of the above from several meters away. <S> Clients and many colleagues usually don't ask you about your wallpaper, they just remember the first impression. <S> So it may affect your work. <S> Your image above looks a bit like political propaganda from the distance, I don't see the skull at all, just the word Revolution and the shape that looks like a washing machine in a red circle. <S> May look a bit dodgy considering the above, I think this is why you were also wondering if it's OK.
| Just don't use anything that may disturb others or may start an argument.
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Rejecting request to do work of different company I work in the technical division of an online business in India. My company got acquired by its direct competitor in last January. After the acquisition my ceo and another manager started a new company. The second manager already resigned from company and CEO is also moving from this company soon. The problem I'm facing is the ceo and other manager is asking us to do the work of new company, like setting up servers, designing web pages, developing android app which takes lot of time. After the acquisition we are not having much work and they are using this as an excuse to get their work done. I feel this is unprofessional and unethical. I plan to reject the requests, but I don't want to burn bridges. How should I handle this. I have no manager in current company. I reported to CTO of the company before the acquisition. Now CTO is no longer part of the company and I report to the CEO. <Q> If I understand the situation correctly, your former CEO and manager, who have started a new independent company , are asking you to do things for them in the new company, even though you still work for your old company after it was taken over? <S> If this is correct, your former manager has absolutely no authority to ask you to do ANYTHING for him unless you resign your position and work for them. <S> Just tell them directly that you don't feel that is fair on you as you don't work for them and are not being paid by them. <S> You can reject it with good conscience. <A> What company is employing you (paying your salary)? <S> That's the one you work for. <S> It sounds that that is now the direct competitor . <S> If your superiors at that company X ask/tell/order you to do work for another company <S> Y you will have to estimate if that is a legitimate action. <S> Ask their superiors to find out. <S> I do not understand your suggestion that there is no one you can ask this from. <S> If company A is bought by B, B will have people in high(er) places. <A> Your job is whatever your current management chain assigns you to do. <S> Dragging your heels will only get you a poor performance review. <S> If you can convince them, great. <S> If not your choices are to work on what they now consider important, or to seek employment elsewhere. <S> Being bought out is never fun, especially when what they're buying is the technology and experience and customer list rather than the product you have invested time and effort in. <S> But you need to make sure you know exactly what the new requirements are, and address them. <S> If you do so well enough they may be more willing to listen when you tell them something else is important too.
| Be aware they are asking something that is entirely unreasonable. If you believe something is important to the company, make that argument to the company, with as solid a set of supporting arguments as you can find.
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How to respond to internship compensation offer? I am a student who will be graduating this August from Carnegie Mellon University. I was offered a full time internship for the next 6 months with a big company. However, the compensation offer was really low.I really like the job and the work environment, however the salary is not even enough to cover my rent and transportation. I sent a counter offer stating that I need to cover my housing and transportation costs but I received a response saying this is our final offer. How should I respond back? <Q> Companies are rarely open to negotiation for entry level jobs and internships. <S> They have clearly stated that they won't be increasing the offer, so you only have two choices. <S> Either accept the offer and report to work, or reject the offer. <S> I am afraid they are extremely unlikely to change their mind no matter what you try. <A> Unless your are willing and able to work extra, borrow money or fall back on your family so you can afford to work there. <S> Even if this is possible, I would think long and hard about wether you really want to work for less than living wage. <S> Do you want to be in debt in half a year, with no guarantee of proper employment? <S> Do you want to bother your family (if this is an option) even after earning your degree? <S> Can you actually work full time plus another job to pay your bills? <S> Edit to add: If you want to go that route, ask your self what you will actually gain. <S> I don't know you, your field, your area, and what is customary. <S> It may well be that you work in a field where the only route to employment is via <S> an underpaid internship - journalism is like that, in some areas. <S> Even if this is the case, look hard for alternatives. <S> Als ask yourself, if you indepbt yourself or do whateer to work the internship, what then? <S> Are you guarantueed a permaent position afterwards? <S> In all likelyhood not. <S> Try to find out how many interns get permanent positions etc. <S> , if you're still focused on this position. <S> So how should you respond back? <S> Not at once. <S> Find a job that indeed pays and hopefully also fits with your career and life goals. <S> Once you have found one, you curse loudly about these non-paying, exploitative misers and then write a polite letter, or call politely, and thank them for their time, their kind offer. <S> Tell them you'll be pursuing other opportunities and you'd be happy to meet and talk again some time later. <A> Internships are frequently underpaid positions, with the understanding that the 'pay' comes largely from the experience in the workforce aiding your future job search. <S> Unfortunately, this means they're not a reliable source of income, as you've already found out. <S> You've already made it clear that their compensation isn't enough for you to make ends meet, so you have two options: Accept the low-compensating job and find another means to pay for your living necessities for the next six months - borrow from relatives, get a part-time job, find a roommate to share the cost of rent, or find some other way to reduce your living expenses. <S> Politely reject the offer, stating your reason clearly and leaving on good terms. <S> The company has already made it clear they won't be re-negotiating their offer, so these are the only two choices left to you. <A> I think you should be comparing the offer to market value, not your expenses. <S> I would expect an internship to be a little below the market value for a full time entry level position. <S> The company is going to make an offer based on their existing salary ranges and you likely won't be able to do anything about it. <S> Without knowing your specific situation, I would say you may need to re-evaluate your expenses. <S> Do you have a roommate? <S> Do you live in a more expensive neighborhood/town? <S> I am actually not surprised that an internship rate of pay is not enough for someone to live alone in a nice neighborhood, <S> that is just the state of our current economy. <S> Many people just getting out of school have to make adjustments to their "ideal" living arrangements to make there finances work for the first few years. <S> FWIW, where I live, even a full time entry level job would probably not be sufficient for you to live alone. <A> First of all that is really good that you got offer before complete graduation. <S> Like just after your graduation you will have internship. <S> It will help you a lot in your career that you was not idle after graduate. <S> Also for entry/fresh level position most of companies have fixed salary scale so no meaning to ask them to provide more salary at start. <S> Second thing is if company is big , you love environment <S> then you should not look at salary scale. <S> Once you get real work experience then on future obviously you will have salary as per your expectation. <S> so here you should give priority to this job. <S> I know its not easy to manage things when salary is too low but <S> some time experience is more important than salary, once you will have good experience and talent then salary hike will be always there. <S> And also according to your described things like you will be fresh graduate <S> then you should accept offer and give importance to internship opportunity rather than salary.
| I'd assume that is, indeed, their final offer and look for another job or internship.
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What is the etiquette for working with recruiters? A recruiter contacts me about a direct hire in city X. He is eager to move forward, but is difficult to work with. The next day a different recruiter from a different staffing company contacts me about the same position. I can now if I really want to work with 3 different entities. My choice of recruiter. Or I think it will not be hard to seek out that company in city X, and work with them directly. Provided I am looking to get hired, what can be my course of action? I am seeking an answer that will address both my situation and the general policy, philosophy, and framework, when coming in contact with and working with recruiters. <Q> Recruiters are a tool for you to use as you see fit - act accordingly, and use the tools that you want. <S> Know that some agencies hire exclusively through recruiters, so it may be in your best interest to use one of the two recruiters. <S> Recruitment groups are aware they are in competition with other groups, so it is not unethical for you to use another group if you feel they will give you a better chance of getting the job. <A> If you have not yet formally engaged one to represent you at the given opportunity, then you can select your preference. <S> The key threshold to be aware of is when one has presented you to the prospective employer. <S> If multiple recruiters submit the same person for a job it can at a minimum cause some embarrassment and in the worst case can take you out of the running for the job. <S> If you've already been submitted by one of the recruiters and you want to make a change, that can be difficult depending on the recruiter. <S> You could request that the recruiter withdraw you and if you are firm in that stance, the recruiter should comply, though it might sour them on working with you in the future (although anytime they have a chance to make money off you, they can indeed have short memories). <S> You'll also have some explaining to do if the preferred recruiter then submits you and the employer recognizes your name. <S> I would hope that in an interview most employers would understand if you told them you were not comfortable with the first recruiter, but it depends on who you're dealing with. <S> In summary, if you have not been submitted by any recruiter, you can do what you want. <S> If you have been, it becomes more problematic though technically not impossible to change. <A> Also be sure to remember that there are some unethical players floating about in this space. <S> I have been contacted by recruiters claiming to "represent a company" when in fact what they are hoping to do is to submit your resume unsolicited to a company and thus introduce themselves as unnecessary middlemen in the transaction. <S> My advice for vetting out the wheat from the chaff comprises of the following steps and indicators: <S> Good recruiters have no problem telling you the company that they are working with <S> I recommend searching for the recruiter and/or their company online to see if they have some notoriety. <S> Walk away from anyone who has a bad reputation <S> Once a recruiter has your contact information, you will most likely be subject to repeat unsolicited interruptions for the next hot opportunity. <S> I once encountered a wonderful human being who attempted to recruit me away from a company while he was searching for candidates for this very same company <S> I hope this helps you choose the right recruiter for this opportunity.
| If one has a better reputation with you than the other, it is perfectly advisable to go through that recruiter.
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Is having a resume with color/design ok if you are not a designer? I'm wondering if it's ok to spice up your resume up with a bit of color as someone who isn't a graphic designer, or will this make people take you less seriously? Of course it would have to be tastefully done; I was thinking something like... as opposed to ... <Q> 4 reasons spring to mind: Agencies - apply through an agency and they will inevitably change the doc into their standard format for sending, you'll be asked to redo it. <S> Job portals - apply directly and many use software to rip details out into fields automatically (and to screen candidates), good luck on it understanding your doc. <S> HR people <S> - Depending on the company, I may well get a pre-screened CV from HR copied and paste as text into an email/ multiple CVs in one attachment etc. <S> They will likely bin your CV <S> and I'll never be impressed as I'll never see it. <S> The doc itself - <S> In this day and age you need to customise <S> /tweak your cv for each role you apply to, good luck doing that in a heavily designed one. <S> I'd be more bothered about WHAT it said than how it looked. <S> So in my opinion, don't bother. <A> Graphic design is there to support the content or the function of a document. <S> To take a quote from Joe Sparano : " Good design is obvious. <S> Great design is transparent. " <S> Your resume is your strongest selling point apart from your cover letter and nothing should get in the way of presenting your profile optimally. <S> You could say that your second example is rather bland but looking at the lay-out and content it's practically perfect. <S> The sections are intuitive, bullet points summarise the experience, entries are chronological and it looks like a resume . <S> Hiring managers go through dozens of CVs and you're putting yourself at a disadvantage if yours requires more time or effort to process. <S> To answer your actual question: it's fine to add some color or very subtle design as long as you don't sacrifice content or readibility . <S> As others have mentioned that should include being readable in monochrome or by automated parsing software. <S> Some companies also force you to split up your carefully crafted resume into plaintex boxes on their electronic submission form which will involve a lot of effort if you're using a non-standard layout. <A> First you need to make sure that a CV reader can parse through your resume. <S> If there is too much markup it could seem incoherent to the person reading it. <S> but you can't lose functionality. <S> In your example I like the fact that it isn't too fancy. <S> You start adding a ton of graphics and stuff like that <S> then I start to wonder, <S> why? <S> I think is this candidate thinking they are a graphic artist, are they trying to use graphics to sell themselves instead of the content <S> , did they hire someone to do their CV? <S> But in your example what I really really dislike <S> is that your name is 1/3 of the page. <S> I want to know about you, I know your name. <S> Also I find the font hard to read. <S> So two really bad points there. <S> Adding color is fine. <S> Make sure it formats to different versions of Word and PDF correctly. <S> Also check an online job site to see how their parser reacts to it. <A> It depends on who's going to see it, and the exact nature of the job you're going for, but the cases where it will be beneficial are limited. <S> If there is any graphic design skill required for the job . <S> Otherwise, it's superfluous information that makes it look like you're trying too hard, and you should go with a more standard, more easily reproduced, more editable format. <S> And, for you personally, it will be less expensive to print copies.
| There is nothing wrong with adding color or making yours stick out As a hiring manager I'd say no, don't do it. If you know for certain that the hiring manager themselves will see the document, and you have reason to believe that this will impress them, then go ahead - but be wary that impressing them with your graphic design skills is only relevant
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Multiple interview dates offered. Should I choose one or let the company decide? I have been contacted for an interview. The company has proposed 2 different dates, and stated that they wait for my response to define the interview date. If I am available on both the days, should I tell them so and let them decide, or should I choose one and confirm? I know it may not have much impact on the overall hiring process, but what do the experienced guys here think about this? <Q> They are offering you dates they have available. <S> They really don't care! <S> It's up to you. <S> If you are available both dates, then arbitrarily choose one. <S> If you would rather get it out of the way, go for the earlier date. <S> However , in my experience, it's usually easier to be earlier in the process as the people on the interview panel often get a little "punch drunk" by the end of a good number of interviews. <S> But really, it is entirely up to you :) <A> Pick the day definitively and perhaps confirm it too. <S> It probably has very little impact, but it never hurts to show them that you're decisive about things. <S> I also agree with the other answers that choosing the earlier date is a good idea. <A> Some companies start screening you the moment they decide you're a worthy candidate. <S> Be firm and call them the first opportunity you get (only use email if no other option is presented), thank them for inviting you and agree on a date as soon as possible. <S> Unless this is an opportunity requiring very specific skillset, they'll most likely hire based on your character. <S> Also getting in as early as possible <S> might be beneficial as you could become the standard against which they are comparing the other candidates instead of being one of the 'other candidates'. <A> For tactical reasons, I would chose the first possible date. <S> There is always the possibility that something goes wrong and either you or the interviewer are not available at the last minute. <S> If that happens on the first possible date, there's a much better chance to arrange for a different date. <A> If you are available on both the days, rather than pick one and (implicitly) reject the other, I suggest you respond with your preferred date as the 1st preference, and the other date as the 2nd preference. <S> That way, it is less awkward for them to reschedule to the other date if they run into problems on the agreed date, while you don't lose anything. <S> A few years ago, I was asked to pick one of three dates for an interview (with those days being Monday, Thursday, and Friday). <S> I picked the Monday, only to hear from them couple of days later, that Monday is "not possible", and I should pick either Thursday or Friday. <S> I picked Thursday, and the next day, they called again to inform Thursday is also "not possible" and hence, interview is scheduled on Friday! <S> I was bemused by what I perceived as silliness at the time, and wondered why they even bothered giving me options in the first place. <S> Later, with more experience, I could see it from their perspective, and could imagine how awkward they must have felt to make those calls. <S> Listing those dates in the order of my preference would have made it less awkward for them.
| Simple answer: Just choose which one you prefer, and tell them! It will honestly make no difference.
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Do out-of-state interviews do drug tests on site? I've been unemployed and job searching the past few weeks. I have a medical marijuana card which I stupidly utilized during this break. Now that I have hit my final interview, I'm a little concerned. I've quit for a while but know it's still in my system. I know excuses don't matter in the workplace, and a failed UA means you're not getting hired. My question: So I'm flying out of state for this last interview and they mentioned they'll take care of the hr stuff there. Is it possible to have an onsite drug test or will they most likely order one for me in my home state when I return? <Q> In contrast to another answer, I wouldn't count on it, at least not while you're there. <S> They're going to fly you out to an interview and then say "oh hey go over here for this drug test before your flight back"? <S> I've actually had this exact situation come up... <S> 3 out of the 4 jobs I took were in a different area than I was living at the time (2 out of state, 1 in a city 2 hours away). <S> The drug test will probably come after you get an offer, and you can take it in your city. <S> In my most recent case, the company they contracted with didn't have an office in my city, so they had me go to another company that they picked. <S> This company sent the samples to their original company for the actual work. <A> I would count on it. <S> My company screens all candidates for certain positions. <S> And none for others. <S> I know for a fact that one of my colleagues has all "real" candidates take drug tests. <S> These people are dealing with multimillion dollar FX contracts and one mess up can be devastating. <S> Also there are state laws that add some variance. <S> A quick google will give you the state drug info on the state you are going to. <S> If this company was giving you a drug test I can't see it happening how you propose - when you get back. <S> No way I have an out of town employee coming in and give him a job offer while he completes drug test back home at some lab <S> I don't know. <S> My advice - since you are out of town and since this company isn't in a huge rush. <S> Stop. <S> Think of a good excuse to delay the interview. <A> It's really up to the employer how they choose to do this. <S> But you can bet that the chances are they will test you in a contracted lab in their area. <S> Are you sure you won't pass? <S> Heavy marijuana use will linger for a while up to 30 days if used very very regularly. <S> If you used it a few times a week, and don't use it currently you might be fine. <S> I suggest testing yourself to see if you pass. <S> You can order a home test at Drug Tests in Bulk <A> I'm going to take the opposite opinion of some others and tell you not to worry about it until it comes up. <S> Go to the interview as planned, and don't bring it up at all. <S> I would more likely expect that they require it within the first week of work, or that you schedule one with a testing facility. <S> If at some point they tell you that they will be giving you a drug test, then be honest about it. <S> Try something like this: <S> Actually, since medicinal marijuana is legal in my state, I have a medical marijuana card to help me treat some personal health issues. <S> I know that it can be detectable up to XX days after consumption, so there is a slight chance that I would fail that portion of the test. <S> I understand that marijuana is not legal in this state though, and I most certainly would commit to not using in the future. <S> If there would be problems with my test coming back positive for marijuana right now, could we delay the test until a later date? <S> You want to be as factual and informed as possible. <S> Know how may days it is possible to be detected. <S> Know the laws in both states. <S> Explain your illness if you feel comfortable. <S> Show that you are a responsible legal user, not just some "pothead".
| I would not expect them to surprise you with a urine test at the interview, but I wouldn't entirely rule it out either. The answer though is it depends on the company you are applying to and the state where you are interviewing. Some states are more lax on drug testing while others make employers give you a conditional offer before they are allowed to test you. Get tested at a local lab and don't go until you pass.
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Negotiate contract work during full time interview What's the most effective way to negotiate contract/telecommute work in a full-time job interview? Location is 3000+ miles too far from where I love living now (0% chance of me moving) The job is an awesome software designer position There are no obvious constraints requiring on-site work presence I didn't apply for the job, I was referred Hiring manager is old fashioned (telecommuting not familiar to his team) I want to be honest, but not sound disinterested or ungrateful for the amazing opportunity Should I angle my relocation argument a certain way? Should I make no mention of my location preference and then bring it up if I get the offer? <Q> The ability to perform the job at a high level and knowing the industry is paramount to this working out. <S> Since you are so far away <S> you can't count on team members holding your hand and constantly getting you up to date. <S> It just isn't good dynamics. <S> The remote worker needs to be better than the rest of the team. <S> Second you have to be willing to spend some time with the team initially on location and possibly a few times a year. <S> You can't just be some guy on the phone. <S> If you feel you are good on these things then go for it. <S> If not don't put yourself in a bad situation. <S> To proceed in the interview it is easy. <S> Just lay out everything on the table. <S> I am a great software designer and I can bring a lot to your team. <S> I am not moving but would be willing to come out to site a few times a year and work the hours you need me to work. <S> I really want this position and love your company. <S> I understand that you might want someone in the office <S> and I am hoping it isn't a deal breaker for you. <S> The fact is you aren't a telecommuter, you are on a different planet. <S> 3000 miles is not a 45 min flight you can hop on a couple times a month. <S> Be honest and show appreciation for the opportunity and their company and let them make the decision without you "selling" why it will work. <S> Focus on you and <S> what you can bring. <S> Bringing up location <S> a lot is making it seem like a big deal. <A> Should I make no mention of my location preference and then bring it up if I get the offer? <S> No, that would be a terrible idea! <S> Since remote work is a make-or-break factor for you, and doesn't appear to be an advertised factor for the position, it should be one of the initial topics of discussion. <S> It might not be a problem for the hiring manager, or it might be totally out of the question. <S> Either way, it's clearly most important to you. <S> For "old fashioned" managers, you might have to sell the idea hard - perhaps even consider doing it on a trial basis. <A> Your biggest issue is that you are going to have to be perceived as the best candidate even with the negative of working 100% remote. <S> Why is remote considered a negative? <S> If it wasn't viewed by them as a negative, they would have allowed for that possibility when creating the job posting. <S> If you also want to be considered a contractor and not as an employee, that also may be considered a a negative. <S> In some organizations getting a non-employee access to certain systems is almost impossible. <S> Even your referral may not mean much, because multiple people may also have referrals. <S> While you could wait to get the offer, they could then pull it back when you tell them, "by the way, the core hours to be in the office as 09:00 to 15:00, will not work for me because I will be living 3,000 miles away." <S> You may have to pre-interview where you discuss the situation, especially if they are requiring an in-person interview and have no idea you are that far away. <S> Unless you have sold them on your awesomeness before bring up the topic the risk is that they will terminate your application immediately. <S> But even if they think your are the best they may still reject you if they think you hid this fact from them. <S> I would be honest with them, and if they say it won't work, then nothing has been lost. <S> You may be better off focusing on either jobs nearby or ones where remote work is encouraged.
| Once you have established that remote work is viable for the hiring manager, then you can wow them with your skills, and convince them how you can be both trusted and effective working remotely. Make sure you bring up your need to continue to work from your current location in your first interview, so that you are not wasting their time and yours.
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I'm updating my CV and wish to omit some old and less respectable items. Should I? I'm about to begin working on my old résumé which has been gathering dust for some years. With a fresh look at the things I find myself willing to get rid of some of the old items I believe to be no longer of any value. I'd like however a second opinion on that. I'm planning to be looking for a position in Europe soon, so I'm primarily interested in the opinion of the people doing hiring for European companies. The question I have concerns my first three jobs after graduating from a university in Moscow, Russia over a decade ago. Those were relatively short and really inconsequential. I'm going to briefly describe them so that you know why I feel the way I feel about them. Job #1. Got hired by a small shop doing various web-related projects, mostly for the gambling industry, which has now been outlawed in most of the civilized jurisdictions, but was not at the time these events were unfolding. I spent some 4-6 months with them. During that period the company managed to change their location three times moving around the city, so that when I joined them it was the office #1 and when I was there for the last time it was already the office #4. From what I remember from those years, virtually all of the software shops were hiding their whereabouts from the authorities and also hiring strictly off-record, so as not to attract the wrong kind of attention and not to invite some thugs extorting protection money from them. So I was getting a small salary in cash, just only covering my commuting expenses. I did write some code and even built a small tool for them which they used in production, but on the balance I haven't accomplished anything there, haven't learned much (just some socket programming) and always considered this period to be a waste of my time. Also no official record of me being with them can be provided. Job #2. Got hired by a local branch of an American company which apparently outsourced its development work to a cheaper location. Was mislead by a hiring guy just about everything. Spent 2 months there getting increasingly frustrated with the reality not matching the promises. It ended with two senior guys having a feast fight over a disagreement about their attitude to doing work. Decided to leave before I would find myself on the receiving side of the blows. Got paid but from what I understand again off-record, with no taxes paid on my behalf. Very much doubt anyone would confirm me being there. Learned nothing there, accomplished nothing, but worked with the Fourier analysis, which did impress an interviewer later (on exactly one occasion). Job #3. Was definitely better. I got hired to lead a project development. Don't laugh just yet, Moscow companies have always loved exploiting students any way they could, to save on paying experienced pros. Worked for several months off-record then they pushed through paperwork and I got my first official experience recorded, for a duration of about 6 months. This latter part can be confirmed through official records. I did build something but not completely (was overwhelmed with the amount of work which should have been done by a large team) and finally got burnt out and left. Now come the questions. Should I even mention the first two jobs in my CV, given they are not verifiable and the first one would now seem almost illegal? And what with the third one? Should I mention the entire period of being with them or just the second, official part? I've already submitted this official experience to the authorities on several occasions so I'd like for the things to match. To understand why this bothers me now, you need to take into account my current position. After those brief jobs I had some respectable items in my CV. I studied and worked abroad and have currently grown to become the founder of a startup of mine (launching soon). When I look back at those first jobs, they now seem like a joke not worth the ink on the paper. I'd like my new résumé to be all respectable and official, so that any employment can be verified and confirmed. I can achieve that if I drop my first two jobs and leave only the second half of the third one. Except for one instance, I do not recall these temporary jobs ever being a point of a serious discussion, so I might just as well drop them, nothing will be lost. On the other hand, I'm going to mention my personal projects too and most of them are no longer publicly available (was a long time ago), so I can't give a proof for them either. But at least I won't be making a claim in relation to a third party which may or may not confirm my association with them and could potentially make me look a liar, which I wish to avoid. So what do you think? As a hiring manager would you be troubled if you saw a period of about one year after my graduation during which I was apparently doing nothing? I was thinking of mentioning studying some programming technologies and improving on my English skills, both of which I actually did, just not the entire time. Would it be a reasonable explanation for that missing time? Thanks for reading this through. <Q> In my experience on both sides of the interviewing process, employers generally want to go into detail on the most recent roles, and certainly only those that are directly related to the work you are interviewing for. <S> The discussion rarely goes back more than 4-5 years. <S> However, because employers look for unexplained gaps in employment history I merely "roll up" older or less relevant roles to a one-line entry on my resume under the heading "Prior roles", and include only the dates, the name of the company and the position I held. <S> This shows continuous employment and the nature of my career without getting bogged down in irrelevant detail. <S> When I get into an interview as the candidate and I am asked to summarise or walk through my resume, I always answer something like "Rather than walk through my entire career, I would like to focus only on the relevant recent roles and experience in order to make the best use of our time, however I am perfectly happy to go through the older jobs if you wish to. <S> Is that approach ok with you?" <S> - No-one has <S> ever said "No I would love to hear about your first jobs in some irrelevant industry"! <S> I feel this approach displays a professional and realistic attitude to the interview process and some empathy for the interviewers who really don't want to spend any more time than they have to hearing about someone else's experiences over and above what they need to make a decision on the current role. <A> In my opinion the worst thing to have in an CV are holes. <S> It doesn't matter if you regret some things in your life; they still happened. <S> If you learned from them or drew experience from it, don't be ashamed of it. <S> The description of job 1 sounds hilarious to an outsider, so if the employer asked me personally about such a job, I would use it to lighten the mood : <S> -D. <S> Don't take it too seriously, laugh it off. <S> Nobody will blame you for the sins of your youth ;-) <S> However, an CV is not an autobiography. <S> You don't have to go in great detail about everything. <A> In general, you should always go back at least 10 years (if you have that much experience) and never leave any gaps. <S> Gaps in the last 10 years are a huge red flag for me. <S> Also, if I even suspect a gap is being covered up I will personally call up the company (or school) to make sure the person was there the whole time. <S> Blatant exaggerations are a non-starter for me; I will just assume they are a liar <S> and I don't hire liars, no matter how good they are at programming. <S> If I can't verify something, like it is a foreign company, I will assume the worst. <S> In general, anything from a country other than Canada, western Europe, Hong Kong or Australia/ <S> New Zealand <S> I will regard with suspicion. <S> If the person has been working for 15 years and the resume goes back 10, I will want a general sense for what they were doing in the 5 years missing. <S> In the army? <S> In prison? <S> Dealing drugs? <S> Living in the parent's basement playing Counter Strike? <S> What was the guy doing for 5 years?
| Keep the stuff which isn't important for your current application short.
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Ethical to accept job offer I may not start Is it ethical to accept a job offer if I may accept another position before starting? A company extended to me a job offer; they offered median compensation for my field and area. I am also a candidate for a second position which would open new career opportunities and offer incomparably greater compensation. The search for the second position will be complete before the starting date of the offered job. If I am selected for the second position I would accept it. Is it ethical to accept the offered job even though there's a not-insignificant chance that I would retract my acceptance? Closely related: Leaving a job very early to accept another offer <Q> Personally, no, I wouldn't consider it ethical. <S> As someone who has been doing some hiring recently, theres a lot that goes on once a candidate accepts your offer - you start telling the second and third choices that they had failed to achieve an offer, and you start killing off adverts etc. <S> So if you later turn around and say "actually, no, id much rather take my other offer" and we have already let other candidates down <S> , that puts the company in a difficult position. <S> Dependent on how long the company may have to wait for an answer, they will probably be perfectly fine keeping the other candidates alive until they have your final decision. <S> Remember, the company probably has another choice, much as you do - you wouldn't find it ethical if the company offered the job to multiple candidates and after they have all accepted only then make an actual choice. <A> Unless the company has changed the offer, or there is a crisis in your life it is unethical to accept a job, then renege. <S> I've know a few people that did this, and <S> while they are all gainfully employed, I would not hire them. <S> You will be surprised by how small the world of jobs is in a city. <S> Don't burn a bridge this way unless you have a REALLY good reason to. <S> I believe a much better course of action is to write to the first company explaining the situation, and seeing how flexible they are when you accept. <S> Also inform the second company of your offer and they may be willing to speed the process up a bit. <A> What you are suggesting is accepting the offer on the contingency that you do not get this other offer, but telling the company that you accept it without reservations. <S> In plain speak, that means you're lying. <S> So, no, not ethical. <S> This differs significantly from the other question in that you are going into the situation hoping to leave within a week or so. <S> If things pan out the way you hope, you might get paid for a week of onboarding and knowledge transfer, and then leave, with little to no benefit to the company. <S> If you wish to be ethical, tell them that you accept their offer contingent upon not receiving this other offer. <S> You can do this in a diplomatic manner, tell them you want to wait and evaluate the other offer. <S> This risks their withdrawing their offer, and you almost certainly won't get paid by them in the meantime, but on the upside they may increase their offer.
| Its much more ethical to simply say "thank you, but I am waiting to see what the outcome of another interview is before I can accept or decline your offer".
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How to urge the top management about resolving washroom crisis in office This may sound funny, but in our country, this is a very common phenomenon, i.e. temporary shortage of water supply and the water supply line remaining closed for several hours. However, in a software firm, this scenario is not common, and in no ways desirable. For almost over a year, we've been facing serious problems while going to the washroom. There are in total 4 washrooms including 1 female washroom, most of the time 2 of them don't have water supply. Only one male washroom and that female washroom have constant water supply and due to this reason, the male washroom always remains occupied in every hours of the day. Whenever any male employee needs to go to the washroom, he has to wait for a long period of time to get a chance. This seriously reduces productive work hours hence affecting the productivity of our employees. Besides, most of our employees, me inclusive, are Muslims. We are to maintain common hygiene pretty strictly and also perform compulsory ablution 1 before every prayer. Since 3 out of 5 of our daily prayer times fall within our office hours ( Zuhr , Asr and Maghrib ), we need to go to the washroom at least 3 times a day to perform our ablution. The situation gets terrible when we see a huge queue in front of the washrooms before each prayer. Not only do our prayers get delayed, but also our work, our delivery and our meetings. A separate station for ablution (which you can find in almost all mosques) was set up for a brief period of time. Management themselves broke it. Since we have less number of female employees, and female washroom never loses water supply, there isn't any crowd in front of the female washroom. Some of our senior employees have already complained to the top management, but they did not pay heed to us. Now, I feel it is important to create pressure on the top management regarding this issue. Question is, how are we going to do that? Should we approach our HR and lodge a formal complain through them, or should we directly approach the top management and urge them to take necessary steps? Now this is crazy!!! Management accuses the employees of lack of productivity at the slightest of loss or lag, but they don't care to resolve the reason behind this lack of productivity. It is their responsibility to ensure a healthy work-environment for the employees, they can't just demand productivity from the employees without doing that. Edit: I forgot to mention one important point. There is actually 2 more washrooms in the 2nd building of our office and that is actually the management section. The washroom crisis I mentioned is in the 1st building which is the development section. However, it is very undesirable that employees are crowding the management section every now and then just to use their washroom, although, thinking of that, I have just got an idea this is exactly the thing we must do to wake them up!!!!!! 1: In Islam, a pre-prayer ablution typically needs the following activities to be done 3 times each - 1. wash both wrists 2. rinse the mouth 3. wash the nose 4. wash entire face including eyebrows, mustaches and beard 5. wash both hands from elbow upto wrists, 6. wash entire head and the earlobes, but only once, 7. wash both feet including the ankles, thrice. <Q> I think a strong business case is pretty easily made to management. <S> "With A number of male Muslim employees, B man hours are taken by call to prayer. <S> C% of B is spent in the washroom queue. <S> The washroom queue in this facility is costing the company $D per year and reduces our ability to meet deadlines. <S> Please consider solution 1, 2, and 3 as a way to increase site productivity." <A> State clearly that the significant wait times for access to the washrooms has an immediate and negative impact on the productivity of the staff. <S> Personally, thinking about the company's long term welfare - that's just about the last and least thing on my mind when I need to use the washroom <S> and I need to go now :) <A> I would suggest some sort of water tank be placed in your building. <S> It should hold enough water to cover the down time. <S> Think of it as some sort of buffer. <S> Ideally it will automatically fill as it empties to a certain level. <S> Make this a team building exercise. <S> You're all intelligent people, figure it out. <S> You may need to go to management for some plumbing parts costs (especially the holding tank). <S> In a professional office building, everyone should be allowed to maintain hygiene to acceptable standards. <S> It is not too much to ask for. <S> In a shared/public setting, wait-time must be considered. <S> Ideally, you shouldn't have to do this yourself, but your situation may require it unless you want to completely wait on the company to take action. <A> Does it have to be water? <S> In canteens and hospitals they have hygiene bottles mounted on the wall so you can clean your hands as you go in. <S> They have some cleaning solution in there. <S> You could even put water in these - one of those big bottles they have in drinking fountains - and have buckets underneath. <A> There is a very easy case to be brought to upper management here. <S> "The situation with the bathroom queues right now means X manhours are beeing wasted every day due to waiting times at washrooms. <S> This means the shortfall of washrooms is costing the company Y$ a day. <S> I propose to to reduce this cost factor for the company and increase overall employee satisfaction." <A> Simple answer: Just do not tell them. <S> It will take a little bit of extra effort. <S> Don't go into this thinking that you can fix it without working a few weekends here and there. <S> But eventually things will turn around. <S> Without knowing your family situation, it's a little hard to give specifics <S> but I imagine something along the lines of "No, and neither does my daughter. <S> Could you kindly leave this issue alone. <S> " will suffice.
| I suggest you all present management with a petition requesting that management does whatever it takes to make all washrooms 100% operational. If they keep on asking you about it then let them know gently that you are not going to come down to their level.
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How do I politely refuse to participate in smalltalk? I am not antisocial; I will happily say hello and have a conversation if there's one to be had. I am not interested in talking for the sake of filling space, sometimes I would be required to share the minute details of a boring week/month with a stranger just to answer "What have you been up to?" How can I limit the chances of offending someone when I really have no interest in sharing <Q> You are in control of the amount of information you disclose. <S> You can say oh nothing, watched some GoT and sat in my pajamas covered in pizza crumbs all day and be done with it. <S> Manners require you return the question but even if you don't some will let you know of their day regardless. <S> Whichever way you cut it, there's an amount of interaction you will have to face every day. <S> If you don't give any openings for follow-ups, you minimise the chance of said follow-ups occurring. <S> My example above is bad in that respect: it gives an opening to talk about GoT, pyjamas, and pizza. <S> Do not ask back <S> Some get the message and don't bother you. <S> Others don't. <S> I imagine most have no interest in your day whatsoever, but keep greasing the social atmosphere gears to maintain a pleasant environment. <S> Out of which follows: <S> Make allowances Have a threshold for social interaction each day. <S> If you are prepared to spend, say, 10 minutes every day talking about nonsense, doing so may stop bothering you so much. <S> Caveat: <S> Conversing on daily trivia is part of the human experience. <A> The other answers suggest deflecting the interaction in some way, and that's alright in scenarios where you really can't talk because you have something to do. <S> But you can't do that all the time <S> and anyway you're saying that you simply DON'T WANT to make smalltalk. <S> What I think you're missing, however, is that the smalltalk is not intended to actually probe what you did last weekend, or whatever trite subject the smalltalk is about. <S> The point of smalltalk is to develop rapport. <S> For many people it is important that they don't have the feeling that they're working with strangers. <S> The smalltalk is a way to make a human connection. <S> You don't have to try to precisely answer the questions or ask carefully considered questions (it is not like stackexchange). <S> All you have to do is demonstrate that you're engaged with and empathetic to the concerns of the people you're talking to. <S> When you're asked a question about what you did over the weekend, it is not expected that you literally describe what you did in any kind of detail. <S> All you have to do is say something nice or funny or interesting. <S> You have a lot of latitude in whether or not what you say has anything to do with last weekend or not. <S> Instead of finding ways to get out of smalltalk, accept that it is a reality of interacting with coworkers and perhaps don't take the smalltalk too seriously in terms of answering "the questions" in the dialog. <A> "Nothing much, same old thing. <S> " Unless you know they're actually interested and you feel like sharing, it's actually polite not to give them details. <S> (Also, practice saying "Sorry, I'm busy now; I'll catch up with you later". <S> And there was a period when my office was at a natural gathering spot <S> and I had to accept that sometimes i'd have to tell people "could you please step around the corner? <S> I'm getting distracted by the conversation. <S> " <S> Note that these make the issue mind rather than blaming the other party, so they're less likely to offend.) <A> When I have a person hitting me with small talk at work that I don't really know <S> well or just don't want to talk to <S> , I talk about work. <S> "How was your weekend?" <S> Answer: <S> "It was OK. <S> But now I have to get these three plugins created before noon and about 20 emails behind." <S> And even better if it is someone that you kind of work with... <S> "What have you been up to?" <S> Answer: "Been trying to get this new CMS out. <S> Hey, weren't you labeled as a part owner of one of the sections of the CMS. <S> Can you get me the top level categories needed by the end of day? <S> I will go ahead and shoot you an email right now. <S> I am so glad you stopped by, <S> I forgot to get to your section." <A> TL;DR : <S> You could wear headphones, but be aware that it can be antisocial. <S> In an office environment, you can often achieve this wearing headphones. <S> However, it is not something you want to be doing all day every day, or it's most likely to have a negative impact on your work relationships. <S> I know that if I see someone wearing headphones either at their desk, on the bus or whatever, they normally don't want to strike up a conversation at that time. <S> Of course, you should take them off if you see someone you DO want to or need to talk to :)
| One of the best ways to prevent people talking to you when you don't want to is to make yourself inaccessible. Failure to participate or reciprocate in a (culturally-dependant) reasonable degree may lead to your being branded as grumpy, weirdo, or indeed antisocial. Remember that most such questions are social noise, and neither expect nor require a real answer. It is entirely appropriate to give an empty response, if you are so inclined. Therefore my advice would be: Be as generic as possible in your response
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Should I mention programming skills in a resume? I'm a fresh grad in civil engineering, I have to apply to write my first resume. I don't know if I should add "Programming Skills": At first, it seems really irrelevant to the job and it is more of a "hobby". On the other hand, programming has reached all aspects of our lives and through my study I did benefit from programming in many ways. Also, if the answer was yes, then should I be specific to what programming languages I know or should I just mention that I have some experience in programming? <Q> Yes you should. <S> It can be very relevant in many cases. <S> For example Excel macros are widely used in any engineering field, and if you need to write a few for the daily work (management and follow-up for example), having programming skills will make you much more efficient than if you had to learn and program "from scratch", even if you don't specifically know the Excel macro language. <S> It will also show that you are a person eager to learn new things, that you're curious and well... it cannot hurt. <S> As to whether you should list the languages, I guess it depends on the languages and their relevance to the jobs you are applying to. <S> But I guess that it cannot hurt you, as long that you keep it short and simple. <A> Definitely mention them if they're vaguely related to what the position you're applying for involves. <S> Otherwise, for an engineering-related job, yes, they're probably worth mentioning under an "Other skills" section - list the languages used, what you created with them, but don't make too much of it. <S> If it relates to the job, your employer will be directly interested in the details, but if not, they're more a sort of " <S> And I can also do this!" thing which may or may not come in handy in a work-related setting. <A> As long as you feel comfortable and confident in your abilities in a work environment let the company decide if that can be helpful. <S> If you do believe you can accomplish the programming reliably and don't mind making that a decent part of your job responsibilities/career <S> I am sure you will be able to find a firm, with enough searching, that has a need for a custom application for their specialty.
| Extra office appropriate skills will (should) never hurt your resume.
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Employee seems to cut me off and talk over me I supervise a very small team of 5 guys. One of my employees seems to constantly talk over me or cut me off and it certainly gets annoying. This especially happens when I want to deliver a speech about a new or upcoming feature. For instance, I might say we've got X task to do and its going to require A, B, and...and immediately he begins talking. Sometimes, he will grab a marker and begin white boarding his ideas and thoughts while I haven't even finished explaining the new "concept". Its almost like he loves to hear himself talk. And his ideas are generally okay but it's almost like I don't really need the disruption as I want my team to understand some critical points. Sometimes I let him continue, other times I will just talk right back over him (which I know is not professional, but it's almost like he doesn't want to give others a chance). Now one other time I mentioned this to him and it seemed like he didn't want to talk to me for a few weeks..to me that's not a healthy work environment. What other options do I have to let him know that it's not so nice to do that? <Q> You have got a "Paul" in your group. <S> I managed a "Paul" for 5 years. <S> Greatest way to deal with a "Paul" is to make "Paul" feel important and most importantly give "Paul" something to do. <S> So next time he speaks up at your meeting, give him something to do that <S> is on topic. <S> In your example it would be really easy. <S> "Paul, we have to stay on task here. <S> But I can already see that you have some ideas. <S> Can you please schedule a meeting with your peers to go over your ideas <S> and then we can meet about it in [x number] days? <S> Thanks Paul for taking the lead on this conversation. <S> " <S> So you did two things here. <S> You made Paul do extra work. <S> He feels like he is the lead <S> but he is just a meeting organizer. <S> He will have to schedule something and take notes (you don't have to tell Paul to take notes, just make it matter of fact that they would be done later). <S> If Paul likes to do extra work then great. <S> You have an assistant to the manager for free. <S> The second thing is you are showing Paul that he is part of a team and not management. <S> You are not included in the first meeting. <S> His peers will be in there and Paul will clearly see where he is. <S> Paul will quickly learn that opening his mouth equals more work or he will relish that work and keep talking. <S> Just make sure if he likes the extra work that the team understands that Paul is an equal and not their supervisor or lead. <S> Make his extra work seem completely administrative. <A> I suspect this is an alpha challenge. <S> It probably frustrates other workers also. <S> You need to take control of the meeting. <S> If he starts a design on the white board tell him "I am not done going over the concept. <S> When I am done introducing the concept I like to get design input from everyone." <S> I don't know if you watch Survivor but Jeff Probst is great at taking control. <S> I remember one episode where a player said let's get on with the challenge <S> and he said we will get on with the challenge when I am ready bro. <A> I'm basing this a little bit on your comment, <S> Well I could do a written agenda, but we are such a small group that we usually have these types of meetings directly in our work area <S> Be a little more formal. <S> Include time for questions Determine <S> when and who will work on potential solutions. <S> i.e. We're not going to solve the problems at this time. <S> Maybe you can take volunteers at this time. <S> Take the markers away if you must. <S> This person needs to know that you will more likely to consider his recommendations once you feel comfortable he has all of the information. <S> Assume he wants to come up with the "right" answer and not just an answer for the sake of hearing himself talk. <S> Most programmers don't like to hear themselves talk as much as they like solving problems. <S> They don't leave the Sudoku puzzle half completed. <S> They think about coding in the shower. <S> It's a driving force for getting things done. <S> Your job is to make sure this behavior doesn't affect the others and that his is as productive as he can. <S> Have a private meeting. <S> Not everyone picks up on social cues as well as we hope. <S> Treat him alike an adult and let him know the consequences will get worse if he doesn't comply. <S> He may not be able to do it immediately. <S> Put in a reasonable time frame. <S> Give him a "Get out of jail free" card or two. <S> The goal is to keep getting his valuable input (if it's not valuable, you have a bigger issue) in a more appropriate manner. <A> As you are the manager of this guy(I understood), that behaviour should not be a problem. <S> Just ask him for short talk in private. <S> Even if you aren't the boss of that colleague, I would recommend this. <S> Keep the talk in a very friendly tone, but stress the fact that you feel bad about being cut off. <S> Bonus points if you find out WHY he always cuts you off. <S> Ask him about it! <S> You may learn something new about how he perceives you in your speeches. <S> If it happens again, you may just politely remind him of your discussion. <S> Or invite him to another private talk. <S> with a more strict tone this time.
| Have an agenda that everyone gets a copy in advance. Ask everyone to not interrupt.
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How can I address my boss's concerns about my abilities? I started a new job and from reading between the lines I sense a tension in that my manager is not sure if I have the technical skills. I didn't lie or misrepresent my abilities in the interview. My manager asked if I had used Python at work before to which I replied "I haven't, but I know the language and have used it for personal projects and for school assignments". He replied "you write your resume in a very tricky way (chuckles)". I find resumes to be a little bit paradoxical: on one hand you want to make yourself look as good as you can be but you don't want to mislead the reader (it would be immoral to trick them and probably wouldn't benefit you if you're doing a job that you don't have a skill for). The manager then asked how I know I'm a good programmer. What's a good response to this? I've only had one development role before and that was more as someone's assistant, so I talked about school and personal projects. He told me there's a steep learning curve and I'm going to need to learn quickly. Honestly at times I'm a slow learner, and would appreciate a little more info than, "You've got a lot to learn and not much time." I'm picking up tension. I've been hired and the interview is over. How should I start a dialog with my boss regarding this issue? <Q> You've been hired. <S> It's not as much about the conversations as it is about the quality of your code. <S> You're not going to be able to talk your way out of it. <S> Start with asking how your code is evaluated. <S> Many places don't have this distinction. <S> It will vary from a peer code review based on an established coding standard or they may be happy with "it works" mentality. <S> Find out what the criteria are. <S> They may have guidelines and/or examples of what they consider good code. <S> If he really knew what he was doing, he would have watched <S> you write code in Python as part of your test. <S> Who hires a chef without asking them to cook and tasting their food? <A> Having a Conversation over things that bother you is always a good decision. <S> That said, You have applied for that job. <S> Are you unsure if you can handle it now? <S> Learning is an integral part of working in Software, so you always will be required to learn new things, preferably fast. <S> For your soothing, it is alwaystricky to answer that question. <S> "Are you a good Programmer?" <S> That mostly depends on his expectations. <S> And he has hired you, so you can't be that far off. <A> You could have a conversation with your boss as to what is it about your description of your Python skill <S> that's tricky to him. <S> I presume that you were never out to trick anyone and if there was any ambiguity or anything that was misleading in the way you wrote your resume, you'd like to know what it is so that you can fix it. <S> Having said that, your boss asked for a clarification about your Python skill and you gave that clarification without beating the bush or saying anything incoherent. <S> At this point, the boss knows exactly where you stand <S> and nobody is misleading anyone. <S> Case closed. <S> How do you know you are a good programmer? <S> That's an answer you'll have to work for yourself over time and depending upon what you are specializing into. <S> For example, making sure that the code is scalable is not necessarily a priority if you do web programming, especially front end web programming. <S> On the other hand, writing scalable code is critical if you are doing heavy duty processing at the back end. <A> Right now you and your boss on a collision course for failure. <S> Your boss has the expectation that you are going to fail and you are concerned that you do not have the ability to do the job to his satisfaction. <S> The problem right now is that you do not have a measuring stick to even compare your progress against his expectations. <S> So no matter how hard you try and how much progress you make there is a real chance it will not be enough. <S> The truth is your boss probably has not even thought of it in those terms, and as such is setting up failure for you as well. <S> The first step is to talk to him and get some measurable goals that you can demonstrate growth with. <S> This will give both of you a consistent measuring tape to know if you are making the type of progress that is going to be needed for you to be successful with the company. <A> If you think you're a good programmer, tell your boss why you think that. <S> Personally I would describe myself as "proficient", based on my work history of delivering projects on time (usually) and with little need for rework, ie bug fixes etc. <S> Obviously you would need to find your own evidence to back up your own position of how you feel your skill level as a programmer. <S> Are there any projects or assignments you can use as evidence etc? <S> Saying you are "good" or "exellent" is difficult to prove and quantify, good compared to whom for example. <S> Your boss sounds quite inexperienced and is now worrying that he has hired someone who can't do the job, you can prove him wrong but it will take some time to gain his trust and respect. <S> I would lay my cards on the table and have an open conversation with him and say something like, if you aren't happy with my performance in 3/6 months time then I will leave and look for another job so you can hire someone else. <S> I would ask for weekly/monthly meetings to see how the boss feels I am doing and what concerns he may have, what areas I need to improve on. <S> If he isn't happy with any aspect of your performance then it is reasonable for him to let you know and how to rectify that. <S> If things don't go well <S> at least you will know beforehand and can look for another role, you don't really want to work for someone who isn't happy with your performance regardless of how "good" you are, or how good you think you are! <S> It may be that your boss doesn't like you for some personal or other reason and is using your ability (or his perceived lack of) as an excuse to get rid of you. <S> Your face may not fit for example, nothing much you can do about that, but having the open chats may bring this to light.
| Ask for some regular review of your code and get your boss to commit to an evaluation.
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Is it a violation of workplace ethics if employees do R&D and personal projects in their free times during office hour? Managers always put emphasis on R&D and technical competence. Normally, employees are expected to do R&D and personal projects for skill enhancement purposes outside office hours and preferably, in home. What if some employee got unexpected free time during his/her office hours, and instead of wasting time browsing social networking or other sites , h/she does R&D and to bolster skills, do some personal project. Unless warned or formally reprimanded, will this be considered as a violation of workplace ethic, given their engagement in activities which are more personal in nature than official? Or is it prudent or appreciable, in a sense that instead of wasting time browsing sites, employee is investing time in a productive manner to stay sharp to be able to contribute to the company in future? <Q> Short answer, ask your boss. <S> If you aren't comfortable asking then you probably shouldn't be doing it! <S> Longer answer, see below: <S> I don't think that "Workplace Ethic" is the correct term, you need to consider the company policy regards such matters. <S> This will vary from company to company and it should be documented if not you need to ask your manager. <S> If the "bolstering skills" is going to benefit the company by making you better at your job, then it's quite likely they will support you and be happy for you to do this activity at work as long as your work does not suffer. <S> If you are researching to set up a company to compete with your current employer, they may not be so happy to put it mildly! <S> Is you boss aware of this unexpected free time? <S> If they're not then maybe you need to let them know <S> so they can assign you extra work or get you to help your colleagues who may be struggling with their work loads. <S> Whilst doing your own thing in your own time may seem to be reasonable and even ethical, you are using company equipment so they have every right to prevent you from doings things they don't like! <S> Regards your edit, do they need to warn you: <S> The problem is that your definition of what is reasonable/excessive may differ from the company's definition so you should ask to get clarification. <A> If you can justify your activity exclusively in terms of the company's self-interest <S> e.g. I am on Stack Overflow because I am looking for a more sclable algorithm to accomplish a particular task or I am looking for a more theoretical understanding of what I am doing so that I can make my implementation more effective, then t's likely that your company will not query you very hard. <S> I'd stay away from mentioning doing anything personal on company time. <S> At best, the management ignores what you just said or queries you mildly on it. <S> At worst, they run an inquisition on you and put you through the wringer. <S> As long as you can justify your activity in terms of what the company expects you to either do or be able to do for them, the management is not enclined or likely to look further into what you're doing and saying. <A> I would think it is good practice to invest company time in own development. <S> As long you really do it only if you have not more important things to do (anything generating value for the company is more important). <S> Where I come from it is not expected to educate yourself in your free time, so doing it in office hours is the only education I get ;) <S> When you say "personal Project" please make sure that it is really close related with a skill or a knowledge you really need for work. <S> As your boss I would not pay you for doing some side project which does not add any value for the company or your knowledge of work-related things.
| No they don't - if what you are doing is considered "Gross Misconduct" then they can sack you on the spot for it, but most reasonable companies would give some kind of warning if what you are doing isn't excessive or unreasonable! If you are going to do anything that's related to your own personal projects, pick an activity, say within R&D, that you can justify to the company in terms of the salary they pay you. Make sure you are familiar with all company policies and check with your boss.
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What (if anything) is polite/customary to do when leaving a company in the USA? I am leaving a company where I have worked for a few years on friendly terms, as I got a job with another company. In the past I worked in the same kind of role in a couple of companies in the Netherlands and both had an 'office tradition' where a person who leaves the company orders pies (they are the size of small pizzas) on their last day, to be shared by their colleagues. I don't want to be ignorant about this, so here is my question: In the USA, are there any customs (or polite things to do), similar to that Dutch tradition, that a person leaving the company might be expected to do? <Q> There's not really anything specific or expected, other than giving 2 weeks notice prior to leaving formally. <S> Oftentimes a team might go out for a lunch, depending on circumstances of the person leaving. <S> Or bring treats/donuts/etc. <S> But there is nothing similarly traditional in the USA. <S> Each company/team will have its own culture for this. <A> If you have worked at this place for multiple years, some colleagues of yours probably have left before you. <S> What did they do? <S> Let yourself be guided by the traditions that have grown up at this particular place. <S> If nobody left on good terms before you did, you could simply ask someone with longer tenure than you. <S> And donuts are probably always appreciated. <A> If you are leaving on good terms a really good thank- <S> you email goes a long way. <S> You can even call out specials thanks to a couple key people you worked with and then thank others. <S> Leave a personal email address for sure <S> and if you are feeling really frisky, throw in your cell phone. <S> Going out for drinks, bringing in breakfast, group lunch are all norms but a great thank- <S> you email has the most impact. <S> I personally have a "Old Contacts" folder in Outlook and things like this go in there. <S> I have pulled from that folder quite a few times for job openings in our company. <A> The courteous (and possibly contractually obligated) thing to do is to give your employer your two-weeks notice before leaving your position. <S> You are also usually expected to hand over any company equipment, documents, and anything else they may have given you during your tenure. <S> Commemoration-wise, there's no national tradition for an employee leaving a company. <S> Some offices will host a party for the employee, thought that is more typical of a retirement than an elected departure. <S> Some employees will elect to bring in donuts for their co-workers, or a cake, or some other gift to the office to thank them for their time together. <S> United States businesses are very individualistic, and you'll find each company does things differently - in fact, even offices within the same company will do things a little differently from one another - there really is no standard. <S> As long as you're responsible in your departure, you've covered all your obligatory bases. <A> After your last day, you should be compensated for any earned, unused vacation time you have accrued. <S> If your employer does not pay you for unused vacation days when you leave, you may want to think about taking that time off before putting in your 2 weeks notice. <S> I don't know if it's legally required that they do so in the US <S> but I am in the US and the 3 companies I've worked for in my career all reimbursed for unused vacation time when an employee left.
| If you want a suggestion, you could mention to your current boss that you'd like to give the office a going-away present to thank them for the many happy hours you worked there, and they might be able to suggest something (baked goods, a new coffee machine, et cetera) but they're just as likely to say 'that's not necessary', and completely mean it. Saying goodbye to coworkers, perhaps leaving contact information. But it will vary from state to state, and from town to town, and from company to company. All the answers recommending giving 2 weeks notice are correct, but leave something out: you are expected to work those full 2 weeks, and not take vacation time during them.
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Is it illegal to offer my services to a friend for below minimum wage? I'd like to tutor my friend for $5 an hour. To me, this is a reasonable price because I'm getting more out of it than just the money (practicing my skills, spending time with a friend, doing a favor for my friend). Is this ok? <Q> Yes, you are fine. <S> Minimum wage laws were designed to protect employees of businesses. <S> You are offering tutoring as an individual, not as a company, so the laws do not apply to you. <A> You could offer to help your friend for a glass of water if that's all you wanted. <S> Assuming US laws here <S> - You aren't an employee of the friend <S> so minimum wage laws don't apply. <S> The business relationship is essentially a contractual one and anything of value can be offered for consideration in order for the contract to be . <S> For example $1.00 or even an offer to trade an old t-shirt for services. <S> Now, if the value you receive is greater than $600 then you need to report it on your taxes and you're friend <S> may have to issue a 1099. <S> But that's something you need to discuss with a tax advisor. <A> This is only an issue if you're going to be filing your earnings on your tax return this year. <S> Minimum wage laws are different depending on where you live (both in different countries, and in different states/regions of that country) so you will need to look up the specific laws for your own area - it's possible that tutoring positions are not even taxable, which would mean you don't have to declare those earnings. <S> But for a private agreement between you and your friend, you can more than likely keep all of your earnings under the table. <S> Technically you are supposed to declare these earnings, and your friend likewise is supposed to declare his purchase of your services, but rarely will you actually find people filing for such small amounts.
| If you are strictly concerned about minimum wage as a whole, you don't have to worry about that either - minimum wage applies to what you pay an employee , and as a tutor not affiliated with any company, you are your own employer, and you are not legally required to pay yourself a minimum wage.
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Is it okay to tell the preferred company that you have received other job offers? I have recently applied to Company A. I have gone through the 1st and 2nd interview and everything seems to be going well. In the 2nd interview, the senior manager told me that HR would get back to me in a week. After a week, I haven't received any news, so I sent HR and the Senior Manager a follow up email asking for the status of my application. HR replied approximately 30 mins after I sent the email saying that they would email me the status of my application next week (meaning this week) by the latest and should I need any further information during the time, I can contact her. Since my second interview with Company A, I kept applying for other jobs. I got 2 interviews with Company B and Company C and they both have offered me a job. I told them I will get back to them in a week because I need to consider the relocation, benefits, etc.. It's already Thursday and I haven't heard from the Company A. I emailed HR and asked about the status of my application this morning She hasn't replied. Is it bad if I send another email to the Company A that would read something like this? Dear Hiring Manager, I was very excited about the Designer position after talking with Mr. Senior Manager the other day. It seems like a great fit for both of us and I am eager to join your team! However, I have received other job offers which are competitive and I am considering them. I would rather work for your company; can you tell me what the status regarding my application? Am I a serious candidate for the position? (If so) Is there a way to move the hiring process along? I am happy to talk with you again this week (or sooner) if that would help. Thanks for your consideration! I look forward to talking with you again soon! Is it too cocky? Because you see, I am in a really tight time frame at the moment and I don't want to end up losing all offers the offers on the table. Any suggestions? <Q> The question that would guide your decision is, would you be prepared to take one of the other jobs? <S> If the answer is yes, then you have little to lose by enquiring and informing them that you have other offers on the table. <S> However, it can force a decision either way, so be prepared for a rejection or even more delays. <S> Take it before it expires and you end up with NO job! <S> You should also consider, if they are slow in the recruitment process, what else could they be difficult in other areas. <S> What could they be like to work for? <A> I just wanted to add in my two cents from my own experience. <S> I was offered two positions and was awaiting the official call to see if I had the actual job. <S> Both jobs were a great choice, but I was leaning towards company A over company B based more on location. <S> Well, company B called me with the official job offer. <S> Before accepting, I emailed company A's HR stating that I had been offered the job, and that I needed a status update before the next day (which is when company B needed their answer). <S> Turns out, that while company A did want to hire me, their hiring process probably wouldn't have been complete for another 3 to 4 months. <S> I absolutely could not have waited that long, so I gracefully declined my further candidacy and accepted company B not five minutes later. <S> The point is, you need to know exactly what's going on. <S> If they want you, they will grab you, if not, you're free to accept one of your other two offers. <S> If they are wishy washy and just want to keep tangling you along, well, do you really want to work for a company that will do that? <A> It seems pretty fair. <S> You have tried your best at contacting them twice earlier and if they still do not revert and if you are so keen on getting the job there and put in this mail. <S> There is nothing wrong in telling the company that you are awaiting their reply. <S> It shows your are interested in their offer and would prefer joining them. <S> Try calling if possible. <S> However, if they still do not revert, I feel you should consider the other offers and forget about this or maybe reapply in future after sometime of work experience.
| Do not jeopardize the offers you have if one is not forthcoming from your preferred employer.
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Accidentaly organized two job interviews for overlapping, how to communicate to minimize loss? Thus, the problem is that I mistakenly changed a week row in my calendar. And now, I have two job interviews (by different companies), on the same time. Unfortunately, I acknowledged soon my presence by both companies. What could I do now to minimize the face loss? Extension: They gave me multiple datetime proposals to let me choose, which is for me okay. This selection gone bad. Extension: Please don't sign this as a duplicate, because this question is focusing not on the organizing part, but on the face loss avoidance. <Q> You can't go to both of these interviews - it's impossible to be in two places at once. <S> You will have to reschedule one of them. <S> If they refuse, ask the other company if they can reschedule. <S> If neither company will reschedule, call and cancel the interview you will miss the least - or just don't show up for it, if you cannot handle cancelling the interview. <S> But if neither one of them will reschedule, it is the polite thing to do to cancel at least one so that you leave them on good terms. <S> Call as soon as possible <S> - it improves the company's ability to reschedule for you, and is much more courteous and convenient to their needs as well. <S> As for saving face, the effect of asking to re-schedule an interview is very minimal in terms of losing respect from your employer, both for the interviewer and for the HR department. <S> You should be courteous and polite in requesting to re-schedule, understanding if they cannot accommodate your schedule, and apologize for the inconvenience at most. <S> This really isn't a huge issue - scheduling mishaps happen all the time. <S> It's better to own up to it now and ask to reschedule than it is to stew over the mistake and make things more difficult for HR and your potential boss by not correcting the mistake. <A> You call the first company and say "I have an interview on Monday at 3pm. <S> Unfortunately, I received another rather important appointment at the exact same time. <S> I can come to the interview, but it would really help me if we could move it to a different time". <S> Then you see what the reaction is. <S> The person doing the interview might be quite happy doing it in the morning, or the next day, or the day before, and you are fine. <S> If not, tell them that you will come to the interview and call the second company with the same story. <S> If neither interview can be moved, you decide which one you'd rather go to, call the other and say that unfortunately you can't come. <S> You could not call them, in case the other interview is cancelled on the last minute. <S> If one can be moved but not the other, it is a judgement call whether this is coincidence or whether one company is generally more flexible and therefore better to work with. <A> The best thing to do at such a time is to try to reschedule one of them on different time or a different date. <S> You can request the concerned authority that you would need a rescheduling. <S> Show them that you are keen on taking that interview and if they could possibly reschedule at a time suitable to them. <S> Make clear that it is due to something that is urgent or something that has come up and needs immediate attention or simple state that you would be unavailable on the said date due to a thing beyond your control and request for a change in time. <S> Request such a change at the place you feel is more flexible, or where you are comparatively less keen.
| You do not need to mention that you are rescheduling because of another interview - just pick a company and tell them you have an appointment you can't miss, and ask them to reschedule.
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Should you announce you have a stutter before an interview? I've had a mild stutter/stammer since my childhood and occasionally it'll show during a phone interview. I can be completely calm & relaxed during an interview and still stutter and there isn't really anything I can do about it. Anyway, I'm wondering if it's better to announce that I have a stutter before a phone interview, or if it's generally regarded as "TMI". I'm afraid that if I do stutter during a phone interview, the interviewer might be weirded out and it could affect my chances at landing a new position. <Q> Unless you are interviewing for voice overs I wouldn't worry about it - at all. <S> What is important is what you are saying and that you don't let a little stuttering keep you from expressing your thoughts. <S> Also how you handle your stuttering says a lot about your character and your ability to control this (small) issue. <S> As an interviewer I don't want to hear about your stuttering ahead of time. <S> I don't think it would turn me off to you <S> but it certainly wouldn't add anything. <S> If we are in an interview and you stuttered, then make a joke about it or just tell me you stutter. <S> The fact is it isn't a big deal. <S> But if you make me feel uncomfortable then that is a factor. <S> And this doesn't matter if you told me ahead of time or not. <S> I have a good friend that stutters and <S> he is very light-hearted about it. <S> He handles it so well that I honestly believe he uses it to his advantage and he has a line of jokes (and women fall for this <S> so fast it isn't funny). <S> On the other side of this you could quit talking or act like it doesn't exist or seem upset and this could be detrimental. <S> As an interviewer I want to know that someone can communicate with peers and that peers will want to talk to them. <A> Mention that you are afflicted with a stutter before your scheduled interview, unless you want to produce your stutter as a surprise during the interview. <S> Letting you know that quite a few people don't react well to surprises. <S> And if they are distracted by surprises during the interview when they should be directing their attention to your suitability for the position, your chances of looking good may dim your candidacy comparative to other candidates. <A> If it is just a nervous tic, you can simply mention it and apologize for it politely if it comes up, and continue the interview from there. <S> It really depends upon how severe this is, and how much you feel it would impact your interview. <S> Since you mention that it is a mild stutter, this will probably do for you. <S> For anyone looking for more advice on a more severe stutter, I've written some advice below. <S> This could still hurt your interview, since a stutter can be very distracting, and if you feel it would be extremely detrimental you could ask for an IM-based interview, but only do this if it is a certified or extremely disabling disorder - and only if you know that the position won't call for you to speak publicly for the company. <A> If it will affect your performance in the interview, let them know beforehand (ideally when you're invited, either by email or phone). <S> I have a stammer and my wife is involved in interviewing in her company and both her and the main hiring manager <S> agree that it's best to let them know beforehand for a number of reasons: <S> It avoids surprises; they can plan in advance to put more weight on your non verbal strengths; it's just plain polite. <S> Keep it casual and light, it's a quick heads up, nothing more.
| If it is more than just a nervous tic, and you feel it would negatively impact your interview, it is better to be up front with it and let them know - if it is part of a general condition that they should know about, better still to let them know about that as well.
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Asked a raise, how long should I wait to hear back? Premise: The company I work for doesn't have an automatic salary raise policy (like x% each year) During my last yearly review I asked for a raise to my superior (I felt was the appropriate time, the review is a talk, nothing written, we simply discuss how was the previous year and future plans) and he asked me for a number and I gave to him. After he told me that he will discuss with his superior and back to me regarding my raise request. How long should I wait before reminding him again about my request? <Q> Do not wait for your manager to get back to you. <S> Politely and respectfully remind him/her in your weekly 1:1 meeting or in private otherwise. <S> Managers usually have lots on their plate and often focus on the "squeaky wheel". <S> Be prepared for your manager to say no. <S> If so, do not get <S> angry or resentful - raises are often determined by budget decisions than performance. <S> Instead, ask your boss what you would need to do to get a raise then deliver on that. <S> If the company consistently does not offer raises, other companies do and money is important to <S> you then consider leaving and joining a company that offers better pay. <A> This is impossible to give a hard number as it will greatly depend on company culture. <S> If he only needs to consult his superior the time frame is very different from if he needs to get 5 people to sign off on it. <S> The only way to know what the delay is is to ask. <S> How long this is will again depend on company culture. <S> For example this meeting will take longer to happen if there is a big time zone difference. <A> Why not ask your boss this question? <S> That seems the more sensible approach. <S> Hey boss, I was wondering when I might expect an answer about the raise? <S> Then rather than a bunch of random internet people guessing you'll have an actionable answer to work from.
| Wait long enough that he will have had a chance to talk with his superior.
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Are there tax breaks (U.S.) for hiring new university grads? I had my friend interview for a professional role on my team (software engineer II) - he didn't quite meet the expectations during the interview. Later, it was announced that we're going to start trying to fill SE-I positions instead. I brought it up that my friend is still super interested, even if it's a more junior role than he originally applied for. I was told by my manager that he'd definitely prefer to hire someone I know than someone straight out of uni. After not hearing back for a bit, I asked if there were any updates on potentially offering my friend who'd interviewed before an SE-I role. The response I got was along the lines of I'm forced to only hire new grads because of tax breaks and stuff. My hands are tied, sorry I'm not trying to call into question my manager's character - I'm just wondering if this is true, or if it's something he's been fed from above, with no real merit? tl;dr are there tax breaks or other benefits to an employer in the U.S. for hiring new university grads over an experienced worker? Or am I being given the runaround because management doesn't want to just tell me they didn't want to hire my friend for reasons x-y-z, whatever they may be. <Q> Tax breaks? <S> This seems dubious at best. <S> Many hiring managers will not have a full understanding to this sort of detail in the first place because for most positions, they don't have to care. <S> Someone else in the company handles this. <S> However, it would be tricky to fully know the answer to this question. <S> It will vary based on state and city agreements. <S> Companies often get tax breaks which can be very unique <S> and it's entirely possible something exists which is specific between your company and some governmental entity. <S> Is this why your friend won't be reinterviewed? <S> What is more likely though is that your manager doesn't want to hire your friend. <S> It's difficult to ever determine, "I really want to hire you, just not for this position" from an interview. <S> Your manager made the decision, "no, I do not want to hire you" already. <S> There may be internal policies in place preventing this too. <S> I'd suggest reading through this article , specifically around this section: <S> At the end of the interview, you must be prepared to make a sharp decision about the candidate. <S> There are only two possible outcomes to this decision: Hire or No Hire. <S> There is no other possible answer. <S> Never say, “Hire, but not for my team.” <S> This is rude and implies that the candidate is not smart enough to work with you, but maybe he’s smart enough for those losers over in that other team. <S> If you find yourself tempted to say “Hire, but not in my team,” simply translate that mechanically to “No Hire” <S> and you’ll be OK. <S> While not exactly the same it is very related to what you are suggesting. <A> http://www.irs.gov/uac/Two-New-Tax-Benefits-Aid-Employers-Who-Hire-and-Retain-Unemployed-Workers <S> But I'm fairly certain that expired in 2010. <S> Also, Oklahoma did give state tax breaks for aerospace businesses hiring recent college graduates. <S> If you aren't in that area you might look at your local (state) tax laws - it's possible that something else might apply. <S> More information: <S> http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/rpt/2012-R-0533.htm <S> Bear in mind that that web page is from 2012. <S> You'll want to find something a little more recent. <A> There may not be a federal tax incentive, but states and cities offer incentives all the time to attract businesses to their area. <S> Often the incentives are tax-based. <S> Some incentives may be targeted toward getting new grads into desirable industries. <S> It is impossible to know for sure what incentives are in place at your location without knowing what country/state/county/city you're in.
| There was a tax break for hiring workers who were previously unemployed.
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Addressing or greeting people in a rapidly growing email thread Some days ago I received an email from my business owner regarding an issue. She started with writing 'Hi my_name' then she described the issue, in response I wrote 'Hello her_name' and then I wrote the solution to the issue. She tried the solution and issue was resolved but she had a different issue now and she replied the same email saying 'My_name, another issues here...'. Now I was reluctant to reply like 'Her_name, here is the solution...' instead I replied like 'Hello her_name, here is the solution...' and this mail thread was growing and growing. Just after couple of hours all issues were resolved. I realised that I was replying in mail thread by saying hello again and again because of the fact that she is the business owner but at the same time I was feeling like there were too much of hello every time. What is ideal way to greet or address people in a rapidly growing email thread? <Q> I find a greeting line of some sort very important in exactly 4 scenerios in emails. <S> I almost never use them otherwise <S> I am reply to an email with multiple people <S> but I am directing comments/actions/responses at a subset of the group of people on the email. <S> Never assume the directed individual will know who the email is directed too, even if they are the only person in the "To" line. <S> I've seen far to many emails ignored because the intended addressee did not know who the email was addressing. <S> A reply to an email old chain that has not been replied too in weeks or months or someone has hijacked an old email and changed the topic, I will treat it as brand new. <S> But otherwise, I don't include anything. <S> If I am addressing a superior or key customer about an important topic, I may add another salutation line in follow up replies. <S> Sending an initial email. <A> Look at what more experienced folks are doing, decide what seems to work best, and copy their style. <S> That's how the rest of us learned. <S> Example: ........... <S> On Feb 14, 2015 6:03 PM, Fred Glank wrote:> <S> Here's a draft of language to go on the website: <S> Looks good to me, though I'm not sure Cloak & Dagger's address is right. <S> Dina: isn't it http://www.cloakmaker.com ? <S> ............ <A> I think the greeting is only necessary the first time you respond in the chain. <S> After that you are mid-conversation and to keep repeating hello seems odd. <S> Occasionally, you might start your subsequent additions to the chain with "Thanks, her_name" to indicate that you read her last comment and are now adding another: Thanks, Jane. <S> Would you like me to follow up? <S> If multiple people are included in the chain, preface your comment with the name of the person who is expected to respond. <S> If it is just one person, you don't need to keep repeating their name.
| My own preference: Generally in that kind of thread you are either replying to a particular comment -- in which case the a-few--lines-and-reply mechanism is enough to maintain context -- or you particularly want the attention of a specific individual, in which case you use their name at the start of a paragraph as an eye-catcher. There isn't any one perfect solution, but most folks evolve their way to one that works well enough.
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How honest to be in a resignation A similar question to this one , but obviously with different personal circumstances, I'd be grateful of people's ideas on this: The basic situation I've worked for around a year for an employer developing software for them, and recently the workload has at least tripled, with promises to hire extra people going unmet. In the last few weeks, it's become a very blame-cultured environment, with the pressure from management to deliver the product we had scheduled for 6 months time in the next 2 weeks. If I were to write a completely honest resignation, it would be along these lines: Dear [CEO's Name], I am writing to give you notice of my resignation from my post as [job title]. Since we recently received new deadlines, the work environment has been highly pressured, at a level that I don't consider maintainable. During the past few months, you've acknowledged several times our desperate need for more staff, but have taken no action to recruit these staff, leaving us overworked and underpaid for our efforts. As the newest addition to the team, in these high pressure times, I've been made out to be less competent than I am by my line manager, who admitted to me that his only option was to put blame on me, rather than take it himself. After a few weeks ago, it was suggested that we faced the possibility of termination if our new, unrealistic, deadlines were not met, I started looking for new work, and I have now formally been offered a job with a larger, more established company, as part of a team, rather than in a department of one. I wish you the best of luck in the future, and will work hard to make the transition ahead as smooth as possible. Regards etc. So, as the main question, how much of the above honesty should get through? <Q> In writing, I think you should amend your letter to: Dear [CEO's Name], <S> I am writing to give you notice of my resignation from my post as [job title]. <S> I have accepted another job. <S> I wish you the best of luck in the future, and will work hard to make the transition ahead as smooth as possible. <S> Regards etc. <S> The letter should also contain some indication of how much notice you're giving and what you think your last day will be. <S> It's also traditional to say something nice; "I have learned a tremendous amount <S> " is an excellent fallback when all you have learned is how not to do things. <S> The snipes at the line manager and the broken promises are gifts your company may not value as much as you expect them to. <S> If you feel you absolutely cannot leave without sharing this information, save it for the exit interview or the conversation when you hand the letter over. <S> Putting these complaints in writing cannot help anyone <S> and I don't recommend it. <S> Offering them unasked is also likely to result in them being ignored (making your effort pointless) or considered "sour grapes. <S> " If you are asked, in an exit interview or when you tell the CEO you're leaving, then perhaps you can offer them. <S> But do so with caution and not in writing. <A> If you have been in an unprofessional environment, the best way to handle it is to be the professional one. <S> Making things personal using such phrases as "you did" or "my manager blamed" serves no purpose and can be perceived as taking parting shots. <S> You may have decided you don't want to work for this company any more, but you don't know what the future will hold <S> , some of the people who work there may be at places you apply to in future. <S> Just state your resignation, and get on with your new job :) <A> There's no need to ever write anything inflammatory in professional communication. <S> Or, for that matter, to say anything inflammatory. <S> Whenever I'm on the verge of an emotional response, I ask myself the key question "what will responding in this way bring me?" <S> And the answer is always "zilch. <S> " You've already done the best possible thing in your situation, which is to find a new job.
| I would NOT vent my spleen, simply state in general terms why you feel the need to leave, do a clean handover and leave at the end of your notice period.
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Unclear how to interpret what manager says I started a new job where the main person I interact with is my manager. Sometimes I can't tell if he's mad, joking or asking a rhetorical question. For example he was showing me how to do something with the database and when I clicked on the table it said "permission denied". He always says things like "Tim, why is it doing that?". Does he actually think it's my fault, in the sense I have been missing instructions? English isn't his first language and there is a bit of a cultural barrier. In the example, as far as I'm aware, I can't just give myself permissions. I could see it being possibly my fault if he had expected me to try this table and if there were any problems contact the db admin, though this expectation certainly wasn't made clear to me. I think sometimes he's joking around - for example the computer I work at has 3 monitors but I usually keep the 2 smaller ones off and today he came up and asked me why the other two monitors aren't working. I just pressed the power button and turned them on. <Q> He always says things like "Tim, why is it doing that?" <S> Likely he's trying to get you to think about it. <S> It seems like he doesn't want to just tell you how to do every single thing - he wants you to talk through the problem with him, and what you think might solve it - sometimes we can figure out the solution to our own problem just by talking it through with someone <S> and I think that's what he wants. <S> He wants to know you understand the system and aren't just constantly asking what to do next without thinking about it yourself. <S> Instead of just saying "Boss X doesn't work" he probably wants you to call him over, explain the problem and why you think it's happening, and talk about how you think it can be solved. <S> The final example you give doesn't seem like a joke - he might genuinely be thinking that the 2 monitors need replaced, because it's uncommon in tech for people to use just 1 monitor when 2 are available. <S> Edit to add an example, for clarity: <S> "Boss, I'm getting this error when trying to do the task you set" <S> "Okay, what is the error?" <S> "It says permission denied" "Right, why might it do that?" <S> "Because I don't have access to modify that?" <S> "Why do you think that's the case?" <S> " <S> Because.... <S> [insert thinking here]" <S> "Okay, so how would we solve that, do you think?" <S> "I need to alter the permissions? <S> Or someone else has to?" <S> " <S> Exactly! <S> Go ahead and ask Sharon to do that now" <S> This way, instead of just "I have an error <S> " "Ok I'l fix it", he can see that you understand why the problem is happening and that you do know what you're doing <S> , you aren't just giving up every time you struggle. <A> Does he actually think it's my fault, in the sense I have been missing instructions? <S> There's no way for folks here to know what your boss is thinking. <S> But the good news is that you can easily do that for yourself - ask your boss. <S> Next time, try something like "Boss, I don't think I know what you are looking for here. <S> Can you help me understand, so that I can better give you what you need?" <S> Managers aren't trying to trick you. <S> There's something your boss wants. <S> And if you aren't sure what it is, your chances of delivering it to his satisfaction are significantly diminished. <S> Just ask for clarification. <A> It's impossible to give you the exact answer in this case. <S> Perhaps he told you what would cause this problem <S> and you have indeed missed it. <S> Perhaps he doesn't know the answer himself <S> and he's looking for suggestions on how to approach solving the problem. <S> In any case, what I think you should do here is to tell him your thinking process and see what happens from there. <S> If your response isn't what he expected, you should be able to read this from his reaction.
| Perhaps he is looking for an answer from you on how you would solve this problem so that he may see how your thinking process works.
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Master degree student with equal salary to bachelor degree - what should I write to my manager? I am a master degree student and I have been working in a company for about 8 months. I recently found out that the pay for bachelor's degree and mine are same. It's my fault that I didn't negotiate during my interview. Now how should I write a letter to my manager to increase my pay? Could anyone help in this? <Q> In general, the remuneration for a position is determined by: <S> The responsibilities of the position. <S> The financial impact of the position. <S> The number of people being supervised by the role. <S> The criticality of the business function being executed or supervised by the role. <S> The exposure of the position. <S> Reporting hierarchy (rare, but it some organizations this matters) Market factors <S> Degree does not determine salary. <S> It is just a requirement for the minimum requisite knowledge for the person to be successful at that position. <S> In many job postings, you will see "Masters Degree or equivalent experience" ; and in rare cases some job roles (especially in regulated industries) require the position holder have a minimum level of formal education and experience. <S> As far as your current situation - there is not much you can do about this now <S> but during your next review/appraisal you can highlight the work you have done, your responsibilities, execution <S> (ie, didn't miss deadlines) in order to negotiate an increment in your pay. <S> You are not supposed to know other's salaries (its confidential information in almost every organization). <S> You do not know the circumstances against which the other person is hired (he/she may have more relevant experience, or was specifically headhunted for the position, etc.) <S> Your overall impression with the organization may be affected negatively - as someone who believes they are entitled. <A> How should you write a letter? <S> You shouldn't. <S> A graduate degree may help you get a job. <S> It may help you get a better job, which may mean a higher paying job. <S> But the time to negotiate starting pay was before you started. <S> Having accepted what they offered, they have no reason to give you a raise until you earn one. <S> Put that additional knowledge to use, do things better/ <S> faster/more robustly than other employees, and show the company you're worth more than what they're giving you now. <S> There is no entitlement here. <S> You are free to put the dice back in the box and start another job hunt. <S> But you don't exactly have a good story to tell when they ask why you want to leave so quickly. <S> Personal opinion <S> : This sounds like a combination of not understanding the system and "buyer's remorse". <S> I'd suggest you stop worrying about what anyone else is being paid; it really is almost completely irrelevant right now. <S> Instead put your attention on getting a high performance rating so they can justify giving you a raise when the next review cycle occurs. <A> I do not know where you are from and in which profession you work / which masters degree you have. <S> In Germany where I come from, Most if not all companys in the electronics industry will totally disregard your masters degree when it comes to salary. <S> You may have a easier game when it comes to promotion, but initially you will earn the same. <S> If that bothers you, you should have informed yourself prior to applying for masters degree. <S> That said, The salary of anyone else must not be of your concern. <S> You even are not supposed to know about it (in my contract I am required to keep my salary secret). <S> If you feel underpaid, you can approach your manager and demand a raise. <S> But you should have a good reason for it, as you have accepted your current salary already. <S> And the manager has no obligation to follow your reasoning.
| Don't under any circumstances - tell your direct supervisor/HR that you found out that Bachelor degree position holders are getting paid more than you, for a number of reasons but the few that jump immediately to mind are:
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When talking with a client, what should I do with my hands? When talking with a client, what should I do with my hands? Should I put them in my back pockets? Let them hang? Put them over my pockets? This may sound stupid, but it is an important component to keep a professional look. Also, I don't want to look silly or weird or uninterested to the clients. I have no training whatsoever on how to behave with a client, and I never will. I learn a lot from here and by try-error-hear an angry boss. There's no HR, I can't ask my boss, Google doesn't have a satisfying answer and this is literally driving me insane! <Q> Short answer: carry a notebook and pen - <S> it'll give your hands something to do. <S> You can switch both items to a single hand for handshaking purposes. <S> You can also use them to make notes, so you'll seem (and possibly be ) well-organised. <S> Long answer: <S> Don't worry about it. <S> Kind clients will be understanding, average clients won't care, egotistical clients will be flattered that you're nervous of them. <S> If you just chill out and stop thinking about it then it'll stop mattering. <S> Read <S> (but don't take too seriously, there's a lot of pseudoscience in this field) <S> some articles about body language, e.g. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/spycatcher/201001/body-language-the-hands <S> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vanessa-van-edwards/how-introverts-can-use-bo_b_4578260.html <S> http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2013/08/21/12-body-language-tips-for-career-success/ <S> http://jamesclear.com/body-language-how-to-be-confident <S> Find something else to concentrate on e.g. the work itself. <S> This will help distract you from confidence issues and help prevent over-analysis . <S> ' Choking ' in sports is a related phenomenon. <S> Here's some useful tips from that field: Stay present - think about what needs to happen at that very moment. <S> Not about what has happened or what might happen. <S> Control breathing and energy - provides a sense of control. <S> Slowing down breathing and reducing muscle tension will allow the athlete to regain control of performance. <S> Let go of negative thoughts - move on without reacting to the negative thoughts. <S> If the problem is severe and you can't control it by yourself, consider seeking out a course of cognitive behavioural therapy with a focus on social anxiety . <S> This should help you put into practice some techniques for dealing with social anxiety in a work context. <S> Hope <S> that's helpful! <A> It generally depends, part of social interaction is building a rapport which means you're somewhat in-sync with them. <S> Copying their actions is a great way to do this (e.g. sipping a drink when they do), so copying how they have their hands is a good way of doing this. <S> This looks fairly natural, and because you're stood up doesn't feel like you're placing barriers + being introverted to the client. <S> You're also less likely to move your hands drawing attention to them <S> so will probably feel a bit less self-conscious. <S> I would be less inclined to do this if I were sat down. <A> It's a cultural issue. <S> Mediterranean peoples like to use their hands as a conversation enhancer. <S> Using your hands when talking is a lot less common in the US. <S> I personally like people who get passionate enough about a subject to start using their hands. <S> The only caveat about using your hands in a conversation is that you should allow some extra physical space between you and your conversation partner. <S> Keep in mind that some people do feel physically threatened when you start using your hands. <S> In the US, I'd say keep your hands use to a minimum but don't leave them stiffly hanging by your sides either. <S> I'd say, talk to the client, get the client interested.
| If I'm stood up I would generally have my hands to the side of me (which I don't always feel comfortable with) or clasped in-front of me like this picture If you are totally focused on communicating with the client and doing a thorough job of telling the client what the firm can do for them, the last and least thing you'll worry about is what your hands are doing and what to do about your hands.
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Should I get a reference from an employer with a negative reputation? I work as an intern at a large scale company and am coming to the end of my contract. I sacrificed a lot to take this placement so put a lot of effort into making a name for myself in the company. Some of the ways I have done this is volunteer to lead projects, training new members and always being prepared to put in extra hours when necessary. Due to this work ethic, I made a very good impression on a senior member of staff and have a positive, professional relationship with this person. I was thinking about requesting a reference from this individual but I have an issue: The majority of my colleagues have stated that this individual has treated them with very little respect and have mention numerous occasions where the senior staff member has been unreasonable in his or her requests. I have seen that at times the senior staff member can be very cut-throat but haven't personally experienced the behavior they have suggested. This may be due to the fact that I'm an intern and they want to promote the workplace program. My dilemma is that it would be brilliant to receive a reference from someone at such a senior level but I'm worried that it could have a negative effect if this bad reputation is also present outside my company. Does anyone have any experience in this type of situation or can provide me with some points to consider? <Q> The way I see it, a good reference is a good reference. <S> Even if the person who checks it knows that this guy is a bit... <S> meh, they will likely be surprised to see such a positive reference from them, and may consider you even more! <S> I can understand how you might not want to be associated with this 'jerk' in the eyes of a new employer, but I think your personality should speak for itself in the interview, and any suspicions that you are yourself a jerk will be quickly dismissed! <A> The only situation under which a good reference of a jerk hurts you is if the person checking your references knows the jerk. <S> Most people checking references will probably not personally know the person and will put more weight into their job title and what they say than in who they are. <S> If it is a small town or a niche industry you may want to consider someone else as there may be a much higher chance for the reference checker to know the jerk and disregard what they say. <A> Don't worry that this senior manager isn't the most well liked guy around - He has a high-powered job, so somebody likes him. <S> Unless the guy is convicted of insider trading, or some other serious crime, any hiring manager will appreciate a reference from a higher up, and will understand that sometimes being a manager can mean being the bad guy.
| A good reference from a boss is a good thing.
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New team commonly goes for a drink on Friday lunchtime - could attending this event negatively effect me? I have recently moved to a new team in my company and they often go out for a drink during lunch hour on a Friday. It's only a single drink, but I'm not sure what the rules are regarding this. In previous teams, I've never been for a drink during work hours (apart from Christmas lunches etc.) but this might have been due to the fact that my new team are friends and not just co-workers. I'm quite confident that the manager is aware that this is happening but he hasn't attending any of these social events himself nor has he condoned them. I don't want to ask the team if this is acceptable as I don't feel I'm in a position the question this routine event. I enjoy these events but also don't have a problem with going and having a soft drink or not going at all. I don't want to give up this luxury if its not necessary but on the other hand I don't want to impose a negative image on myself. Am I over-thinking this or is there a problem that needs addressing? <Q> This is utterly normal for the UK. <S> It would be an issue if: they're coming back in the afternoon drunk, they pressure you or others to have an alcoholic (as opposed to a non-alcoholic) drink. <S> Be warned that if the employer is a foreign company then the implicit rules may be different - in particular, American firms can be a lot more puritan about this kind of thing. <S> Whereas at a French firm (for example) the quality of the food and wine might be considered more significant than the alcohol content. <A> Mine currently says that alcohol during the day should only be at events where the company is serving it (which is rare but does happen) or when having a business lunch or dinner with a customer ... <S> but the rule also says explicitly that no real business may be done with that customer after either they or we have been drinking. <S> Your company's rules may be very different, especially if you're a research type whom the customers rarely, if ever, get to see. <S> ASK HR or read your employee policy handbook. <S> Note that there's always my solution: I don't much like alcohol's effects, so when I go on an outing of that sort <S> I'll generally just order soda or juice or whatever. <A> All your manager chooses to care about is that you all come back sober enough to do the work so your manager is not going to react unless one of you comes back drunk. <S> I don't drink, I don't want to drink - my father was an alcoholic among other things - and the best way for me to stop drinking is not to start drinking in the first place. <S> So I tell whomever that I am terrible at holding my liquor, that I don't drink because I know my limitations. <S> No one has ever argued with me in several decades and I can't recall any occasion where my non-drinking has hurt either my career or my relationship with colleagues and management <S> You are most likely over thinking this unless your working environment is like a 1950s or 1960s frat house, and I doubt that your working environment fits that simile.
| But if they're just going out for a drink and nobody is socially pressured to drink alcohol if they don't want to, then in most British workplaces this would be considered a good team-bonding thing to do. Check your company's policies.
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My ex-employer wants me back? My reporting manager never liked me Today my ex-employer asked me if I am can join company back. I am not sure how to evaluate. I was the second employee of the off-shore branch. I was liking the job and learnt a lot of technologies. I was growing with the company, until the new manager was recruited to head the off-shore branch and started showing disrespect and started manipulating. The reasons why I resigned from the company: I was not treated well. It was becoming a hostile environment. My immediate reporting manager was not respecting my presence and was unprofessional. He would constantly pass personal remarks. He was threatening me. If I go back I will have to work with them again and report to the same manager, my ex-employer is saying he(manager) has changed and it will be a different situation now. Is there anything redeeming for me to go back to work for him? Would they hire and fire me? How do I evaluate? More information: I am currently not working. <Q> Your ex-employer says that your reporting manager changed. <S> So your ex-employer is acknowledging your reporting manager's bad behavior. <S> It's up to you to do the leg work and find out for yourself whether the reporting manager actually changed and whether it has changed enough to matter to you. <S> I'd call the reporting manager and put him on the spot and under stress. <S> I'll note that if your reporting manager has truly changed, then he shouldn't feel under stress from your questions. " <S> [Fill in name of your ex-employer] wants me back in. <S> What do you think of his idea?" <S> Next question: "What was your evaluation of my performance back then? <S> " If you sense ANY hostility in the reporting manager's answer, you know what to do. <S> You could follow up with " <S> What do you think I could have done to improve my performance by you?" <S> Look for any hint of hostility or unprofessionalism on his part. <S> If at the end of your questioning, you decide that you still can't trust the reporting manager, say so to your ex-employer and don't look back. <A> You have to view this as you would any approach by another company - will you get a better package by moving than you will by staying? <S> That means weighing up the usual factors: salary work environment <S> scope for advancement <S> work-life balance damage caused by burning bridges <S> In this case you happen to have inside knowledge about the approach - that you will be working for an individual that made your last spell so bad you left. <S> How many of the above factors are good enough that they will compensate if he turns out to be as bad as before, or only marginally better? <S> People do not have complete personality changes - he may treat you more professionally because he's been warned about his behaviour but he won't suddenly like you. <S> Personally, it sounds like the employer is desperate for someone who can slot in quickly (has your successor quit, perhaps?), in which case he obviously has to convince you things have changed. <S> I would be very wary; if things quickly go sour again then it will be very bad for your CV. <A> Forget money, advancement etc. <S> This was a toxic workplace. <S> If you really want to consider going back, there are two linked questions to ask: <S> What was the manager's problem with you? <S> Who is asking you back? <S> It's possible the manager was going through something at the time, and they realise they were out of line. <S> But part of this depends on the second question. <S> If the manager wants you back and wants to build again, you might be ok. <S> If your returning is being forced on the manager, it will return to what was happening before. <S> Maybe not immediately, <S> but it will. <S> Also be sure you aren't being set up to take the blame for something by the manager. <S> If it was me, I doubt I could find it in me to return if I'd had no alternative but resign, even if they offered me a king's ransom.
| If you have some idea that you were just collateral damage (rather than the intended victim), you may be able to repair the relationship with the manager.
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Working overtime in Germany I am about to start my first job as a software developer in a well reputed company in Germany. I have heard plenty of times that one is not allowed to work overtime regularly unless its highly important. Even during my internship at another established company, my supervisor used to tell me that not only students but also employees cannot stay longer than 7 pm. Why is it so? What if somebody (especially new employee like me) actually wants to put in extra hours to get going and gather pace quickly? How does it affect me or the management? <Q> Why is it so? <S> Because we have rather strong unions. <S> Because it makes no sense to burn out your employees. <S> Because people make more mistakes and are less productive when they work long hours. <S> Because if you work more, your company will have to pay you more (or give you paid time off), and since you are less productive in those extra hours, they don't think they'll get their money's worth. <S> What if somebody (especially new employee like me) actually wants to put in extra hours to get going and gather pace quickly? <S> In some companies and with some contracts, you can put in extra time (as long as you still stay under certain daily and weekly limits) for a couple of month and then either work less for a couple of month or get paid extra. <S> Talk to your Manager or HR about this. <S> Learning new topics doesn't count. <S> However, you can always use your spare time to study the topics that come up at work. <S> Many companies will support you in that. <S> For example, one of the companies I worked for would purchase books and cover exam fees if their employees wanted to study a topic and get a certificate for it. <S> Keep in mind that they'll usually not start investing into new employees until after the probationary period. <S> How does it affect me or the management? <S> As long as you make sure to come to an agreement with your manager and HR about your work times, and those times are within the legal boundaries, there's no need to worry. <A> In addition to the strict employee protection laws in Germany (officially you are not allowed to work more than 10 hours a day) there are logistic reasons. <S> If you work longer than your colleagues, no one can check on you. <S> That is especially important as you are new and no one knows if you can be trusted. <S> Also, working overtime without a strong need may be a problem later. <S> Imagine you get your first project <S> and it gets stressing. <S> Now you need to work extra hours. <S> But if you already have many hours, you may not allowed by the company policy. <S> Policies regarding overtime are varying strongly between companies and departments. <S> A good thing for you as the "new one" is to listen to your boss and copy the behavior of your colleagues. <A> strong labor laws disallow workers from being 'forced' to work regardless if they are the ones who are doing the forcing or not. <S> the only way to change this is through the ballot (good luck). <S> I recommend taking work home with you if the country you live in doesn't allow you to work longer than 8 hours per day. <S> Whether this is actual work things (may be sensitive) or simply topics you can cover by independent study.
| Usually, management will only allow this if there is urgent need for you to work extra. Talk to HR to find out what kind of "Weiterbildung" they offer.
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Changing work shift from 9-5 to 7:30 - 4, will I be looked at as a slacker? I've been thinking of changing my shift times from 9am-5pm to 7:30am (or 8) to 4pm, to allow time to do yoga/therapy after work multiple days a week. My question is, will I be looked at as a slacker? I am trying to move up at work and the only advice I get from people is "come early and stay late". However, I would have to give up many healthy activities that I do around 5-6pm in order for me to do that. Is this possible? <Q> The linked question is great and it addresses the issue of being viewed as a slacker, but I want to address something you brought up which isn't covered in the answers <S> there(at least, not that I saw). <S> You said: I am trying to move up at work and the only advice I get from people is "come early and stay late". <S> However, I would have to give up many healthy activities that I do around 5-6pm in order for me to do that. <S> The thing is, this leads to burning out. <S> Which leads to undue stress and anxiety, and makes you less productive overall. <S> This is actually documented in studies and I'll leave that as an exercise for you to find more information. <S> Then you remove your healthy activities from 5-6PM(or showing up late at 5:10, 5:20?) <S> - so you're effectively taking a huge hit to your health. <S> The question is, is it worth it? <S> In some cases yes, in other cases no. <S> But I don't personally see this as a successful long-term arrangement. <S> You need to take care of your mind and body. <S> Some wisdom I heard a while ago goes something like this: When you interview, people ask about your work ethic, your experiences, and your drive to succeed. <S> They don't ask how often you burned the midnight oil. <S> The job description tells you how many years of experience you need, but it won't state hours of overtime. <A> Let me tell you a story. <S> About 10 years ago I worked in a role along with a co-worker. <S> It was a flexible environment and I could technically start between 7 and 10 and finish between 4 and 7. <S> I would usually start near 7 and leave around 4 to get my child from nursery, my colleague would saunter in around 10 and stay until late. <S> We had timecards <S> and I always carried the maximum 2 days over (as in I'd worked 2 days more than my contract time per month). <S> I would come in, spend the first 2 hours fixing production issues from overnight, then do my normal work. <S> My colleague would fire up the games as soon as the bosses left at 5 and play into the night. <S> If there were deadlines I'd stay when required. <S> Who would be greeted with "half day then? <S> " when I left? <S> Not the games master who spent 1/3 of his day on other pursuits. <S> The answer, I started over communicating what I was doing. <S> When I came into issues at 7 I made sure everyone was emailed <S> so they knew I was on it then. <S> When most people came in at 9 I made sure I was going for a coffee break as I'd been SO busy for the last couple of hours, took my lunch as soon as core hours allowed (as I had been in since silly o'clock, and it would be like going at 2pm if I came in when everyone else did!..) and then communicated about all my achievements at home time. <S> After about a month they got the message and I could settle down. <S> They never did rumble the games master though.... <A> The somewhat sad reality is that you could potentially be looked upon as a slacker. <S> But that would be less likely if the word spreads that you are an efficient worker, and it is well-known that you simply get a lot done. <S> someone may stay from 7:00 AM til 11:00 PM every day and just fritter away the time on chitchat and social media. <S> And someone else may manage to work super-effectively with a fraction of the time. <S> But in the end, alot of this depends on your specific workplace. <S> If everyone else stays from 9 AM til 7 or 8 PM, then probably you could be in trouble. <S> Many variables <S> Edit: Yes, the linked post is excellent. <S> Surely you can mention that you arrive to work 7:30 AM. <S> Maybe ask them "hey remind me again , what time did you arrive here today?" <S> As long as management is OK then you'll be Ok
| So "come early and stay late" leads to stress, anxiety, and less productivity just by itself.
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Volunteering for more responsibility: proving oneself vs being taken advantage of Similar questions have been asked, but none seem to be exactly what I'm looking for. I'm looking to move into management or similar in the relatively near future. My current position does not include any real supervisory responsibilities, but the next step involves a bit of a leap in that regard. A past employer took advantage of me for taking on additional responsibilities to prove myself: after successfully performing them for several months, I inquired about an open position I wanted to move into. I was flat out told that they were not going to pay me more to keep doing what I already was doing, even though the open position paid more with just a minor increase in total responsibility. In my present job I'm at that point again where I want to ask for some things to prove I'm ready for that next step, but I am not sure how to find the balance of proving myself vs being taken advantage of. All new tasks I've taken on that have been slightly outside the description have now become just another part of my responsibilities. I only have so much capacity (all of the "normal" duties plus everything I've added), but don't want to stay at this level, either. My thought is to try to find "one-off" projects I could do, but most of those in this field repeat at some point....and thus far, that repeat has just become my duty, not something "new" I had taken on. I could use some advice on how to draw that line BEFORE I feel like I'm being taken advantage of...while still proving that I am worthy of the promotion! <Q> Don't work as hard as your current position requires, but work as hard as your desired position would require <S> Don't work thinking in how much do you earn,but thinking in how much do you want to earn <S> If in 3 years you have not get the promotion, you'd better go to work for a different company <A> In these circumstances, direct communication with your manager is the best approach. <S> Research the exact job description and list of responsibilities, in order to know what is first expected of you in that position. <S> Once you are knowledgable about the roles and responsibilities involved, you can begin to take up some of these responsibilities and set a lunch or meeting with your boss to discuss your potential promotion. <S> This can often be related to your skills, your ambitions and your vision for what you intend to do if promoted. <S> Next, should be the time where you highlight your plan for the coming months where you will take on specific roles and responsibilities, in order to allow your manager to assess your strengths and weaknesses in the new position. <S> You should also highlight that your taking of the new roles, should help in reducing any friction that might occur with coworkers in your transition into the role. <S> This is because people do not generally complain if you are given a title to the roles you've already been doing. <S> The strengths of this approach is that you put your boss on alert. <S> This means that he understands why you are taking these roles on and that you will be expecting a decision. <S> This does not protect you from him simply leading you on for a long time with no answer. <S> It will however prevent you from your boss telling you that they don't intend to pay you more for doing what you've already been doing as he has been notified of your intentions. <S> I hope this helps address a few of your concerns <A> You are letting one bad experience limit your thinking. <S> The company who denies you the ability to move up because they can pay you less for the same job is telling you they do not value your loyalty to the firm. <S> This is not a good place to work. <S> Having said that, there are limits to upward mobility in any organization, and you are wise to be thinking about strategy to increase your chances. <S> Most organizations have a heirarchy pyramid, which means that there are potentially many folks wanting to move up and relatively few places to move up to. <S> The way to move up is generally just what you described - take on additional responsibilities, proving an increased value and suggesting future capabilities given the opportunity to grow. <S> If there is no growth path available, sometimes the way up is actually out and up - move to a different company into a higher position. <S> It seems ludicrous that a company that doesn't know you might see your value more clearly than the company you are working for, but it happens a lot. <S> If you are truly invested in your company, then you should be explicit with management about it. <S> Talk to your manager about your growth path within the organization. <S> Start by expressing your interest in being with the company long-term, and inquire about what you might expect in the future and what you might need to do in order to increase your value to the company. <S> Understand that these conversations do not imply promises on behalf of the organization, but if you want them thinking about a growth path for you, you need to introduce the subject. <S> While the additional responsibilities you take on may never be rewarded at your current employer, try not to think of the effort as wasted. <S> Every responsibility you take on grows your resume and skill set, which may lead to open doors when you least expect it!
| You should begin by explaining your interest in this position and why you think you are a suitable fit.
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Should I resign before or after an important meeting? I've decided to accept an offer of another job from a different software company, and have an offer in writing. Tomorrow, I hand in my resignation but also scheduled for tomorrow is a product planning meeting to discuss how we will progress with our program. Do I: Resign in the morning, and allow the CEO to know about it before sprint planning the next sprint, and product speccing the next release, but endure an awkward environment because of this. Resign at the end of the day, avoiding creating an awkward environment, but potentially having to take part in planning of things I can't possibly ever be part of. I'm leaning towards option 1, but I'd be interested to see if anyone comes up with perspectives I haven't considered. <Q> There are a few reasons for this: <S> In terms of leaving on good terms, you do not want your current employer to feel like they've wasted their time. <S> If they do a bunch of planning with the assumption you will be there when you know you won't be there, you've wasted their time. <S> Oftentimes, your current employer will counter-offer. <S> It's best to give them that chance before accepting the new role. <S> Even if you think there's nothing they'll offer you that will change your mind, giving them the chance is a show of respect for their position. <S> In addition, assuming they offer you something compelling to stay, you won't be in the awkward scenario of accepting a role from the new company just to take back your acceptance later. <S> This puts you in a position where you've potentially harmed your future chances at the new company. <S> Your hesitance toward not telling them immediately seems to stem from wanting to avoid an awkward situation where you are part of a planning meeting where people know you aren't sticking around. <S> The problem here is such awkward scenarios will happen anyway and are part of that 2 <S> + weeks of notice you give your current company. <S> Much of what you will be doing is teaching others, giving advice, and generally preparing the company for the fact that you won't be there. <S> The best thing you can do is face that head on and prepare them as much as possible. <S> This makes you look good and puts them in a better position. <S> Everyone wins! <A> Are you giving two week's notice? <S> Yes <S> The downsides of #2 don't matter much; you'll be working with a number of things during the next two weeks that you will not see the end of. <S> Resigning in the morning will be better; otherwise, your team may have to replan or adjust, and that will be more awkward. <S> No <S> This is a less common choice. <S> The morning is still a better time. <S> Imagine yourself in your teammates shoes. <S> I'd be perplexed that we just planned out everything and then after than one of my teammates quit in a premeditated manner. <S> Either way, unless your company is so toxic you can't stay there another minute, you should really give them time to make a counteroffer. <S> Companies optimize costs; they compensate you (salary and otherwise) <S> the least they think they get away with. <S> That's not malicious; that's business. <S> Likely, that value is quite a bit less than what they are willing to offer. <S> Even if you won't accept it, they'll want to give one anyway, and it really won't take much of your time to say, "No". <S> And you might be surprised what adjustments they'll make to keep you. <S> And in that case, you may have to wait a day anyway. <S> Might as well do earlier. <A> The time to resign is the latest you can wait and complete your notice period before your start date. <S> Don't tell them until you have returned the signed offer letter to the new company. <S> Don't feel like you have to give the current company a chance to make a counter offer. <S> The moment you tell them about the offer you are considered a risk to leave even if they give you a raise. <S> Any planning meeting between the decision to leave and telling the current will be bizarre for you, but telling them before you have to puts your income at risk.
| If you've made the decision to resign, the best practice is to inform your company immediately after you've decided to accept the new offer, but before you actually accept the new role.
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Can I bill the client for my time learning his system? I'm working on some bug fixes on web project for a client/friend. He has everything set up and working, but called me to fix a handful of bugs. I've never used his system, I barely know how it runs, how it's organized etc and how everything works together. I'm going to need some time to understand this. All this has to be paid for by him, generally how much time should be expected to understand his system? Is it uncommon to bill him for say a day or two if all I'm doing is understanding his system? <Q> If it costs time, it costs money . <S> The client should provide all the information needed to get started, including documentation of their system if it exists. <S> From experience, it doesn't usually. <S> There are a number of variables here that both the client and the programmer need to take into account, although this list isn't exhaustive: <S> Quality of the code base (inc source code comments) <S> The size of the system <S> Test Cases covered <S> However, if it is only small bug fixes, you shouldn't need to learn the system. <S> Your friend, who is in the business of managing a website, should definitely understand this. <A> All this has to be paid for by him, generally how much time should be expected to understand his system? <S> Is it uncommon to bill him for say a day or two if all I'm doing is understanding his system? <S> In order to fix the bugs, you need to understand the system. <S> (Or at least you should understand the system.) <S> In order to understand the system, you need to spend time. <S> You deserve compensation for that time. <S> You need to carefully craft your estimate/contract so that both you and the client understand these assumptions, and come to a mutual agreement on the compensation. <S> You need to do this before <S> you start working. <A> I don't see this anywhere but in comments, so I'll flesh it out: <S> You should bill for time understanding his specific system. <S> The installation, how the applications interact, etc.; things that are specific to his company or project. <S> You shouldn't bill time for learning general things - like, say, how to program in C#.NET - unless it's discussed ahead of time. <S> Things that you would normally be expected to know before being selected for the project, for example. <S> Since you say it's a friend, you might reasonably undertake to do something that's a bit outside of your normal skillset to help a friend out; I would consider then what things the average developer would know in order to be qualified to be hired for the position, and either make it clear to him that you're going to be spending time (and billing time) to learn new protocols or languages, or that you decide to consider it a learning opportunity and not charge for it. <A> So in my experience there are two parts to this: <S> This could be charged, but I'd maybe give this as a freebie. <S> Investigation time. <S> Agree a set time (say a few hours/half day) <S> paid, that you use to investigate the issues. <S> From this you can get a handle on how much KT/further investigation you need, so can prepare a real costing for rest of the work. <S> You could (if practical) fix small issues whilst doing this <S> if it's obvious which will show you aren't just charging time for the sake of it. <S> You probably won't need full KT for bug fixing (new work may be different), but don't be afraid to pad estimates for risk, unknowns, lack of tests etc, the cost is likely to be much higher to both of you if you get it wrong. <A> The answer is "yes", but how you charge that time is a more complicated question. <S> If you're charging them by the hour already, the simplest solution is to include the hours needed to familiarize yourself with the system. <S> Be upfront about this, and ask them for any documentation or help they can provide to make this part go more quickly. <S> Set up a schedule with your friend, with the understanding that everything on the schedule will be billed. <S> Document this as well - especially if you're going to be reporting it on your tax return for this year.
| I would discuss the complexity of using unfamiliar systems and explain that you would need to time to investigate and debug the code that you would need to charge for. Spend some time with the client, allowing him to take you through the bugs, taking as many notes as you can (steps to reproduce, functional areas etc).
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Should I provide my boss with a list of reasons why I'm quitting? I submitted my letter of resignation earlier today to my supervisor. He forwarded it to our boss and shortly after the boss wanted to meet with us for a discussion. Basically he wants me to provide a list of reasons why I/other people are leaving the company. A colleague in my department just left three weeks ago, so I can see why they are asking me this. But I really hesitate to openly state all the problems this company has which has led to the high turnover rate. I know I am leaving on good terms, but should I really be completely honest with this solicited advice or just play it safe? Edit: This question is different from others regarding appropriate discussion during exit interviews because this request did not happen during an exit interview, it occurred right after my two weeks was submitted. Also the fact that a coworker recently left just before my resignation seems to have a role in this, like the company is trying to figure out what they should do to hang on to the people that are left. <Q> Basically he wants me to provide a list of reasons why I/other people are leaving the company. <S> I know I am leaving on good terms, but should I really be completely honest with this solicited advice or just play it safe? <S> You aren't capable of providing a list of reasons why other people are leaving. <S> Only they can do that. <S> You could provide a long list of reasons why you think they are leaving, but that's the best you could realistically do, and taking those sorts of guesses isn't something I'd advise. <S> You can provide a long list of why you are leaving, should you choose to do so. <S> Again, not something I'd advise. <S> For me, I almost always stick with the safe, generic " <S> I'm leaving for a better opportunity" reasons. <S> In my experience, little good can come of a laundry list of "all the problems I see". <S> Venting (even if asked) might make you feel better, but won't do you any good in the long run. <S> And venting (even if requested) almost certainly won't make things better for the folks you leave behind. <S> If the boss' boss really wanted to know what was going on she <S> /he would be more tuned in with current employees, and wouldn't rely on an unhappy employee on their way out to open his/her eyes. <S> Only you can decide what you actually choose to do in this situation. <S> If it were me, I'd speak only happy thoughts, put this job behind me, and move on. <S> (The only times I've ever deviated from that practice are when I had a close personal relationship with the founder, or with an influential boss. <S> In those two cases, I gave my honest opinion and advice. <S> In both cases, it didn't matter in the long term as both companies went under within a year.) <A> You left for a reason and you probably weren't too happy about it. <S> There are other people now in that same scenario who are afraid to voice the very same reason due to a fear of unemployment. <S> You would be doing them a favor by letting your employer know what your reasons are, and so long as you give feedback in a respectful manner you should be able to maintain your good references. <A> The best advice so far has been to suggest that they discuss this with the remaining employees. <S> But from an employee perspective, the majority of remaining staff will be more than a little reluctant to share anything negative about their employment, much less let anyone know if they are looking for new employment.
| The best thing that you may be able to do is: at the exit interview, follow the advise of "leaving for employment that better matches my long term goals" or what every polit reason that you have; then after you have left - then send an anonymus note with issues that you experienced as well as those that preceeded you.
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Is it normal to ask for reading material before starting a new job I will be starting a new job next month and am a bit worried about the probationary period. I have never worked in this field (financial services) since I have done most of my life in academia (mathematics). Till now I have only met the HR people who hired me. Would it be considered as strange if I ask whether they can supply me with relevant material to read so that I can better prepare myself before I begin? This a Western (to some extent) culture. <Q> I've both asked and been asked this. <S> It's unusual in my experience (US, tech), but certainly not unheard-of. <S> But what and who you ask matter. <S> The HR person is probably not going to be able to field this request. <S> You really need to connect with the person who will be your manager. <S> If you already have contact information for that person, you can send email such as the following: <S> Dear $NewBoss, <S> I'm looking forward to joining your team on $date. <S> I'd like to get a head start on the technologies <S> 1 <S> we'll be using. <S> What would it be most important for me to read up on? <S> Is there anything specific that it would be helpful for me to review? <S> (closing, signature) <S> 1 Or domain, if that's more important. <S> This question is focused enough to be answerable ("such-and-such library is really important", "you might want to get an early start on this hefty legal thing", etc), but broad enough to let the manager steer. <S> If you don't have a way to get in touch with the manager, then you can ask the HR person to redirect you. <S> Something like: <S> Dear $HR, (some sort of pleasantries) <S> Would you be able to put me in touch with the person who will be my manager? <S> I have some free time before I start and was hoping to use it to get familiar with the technologies we'll be using, and I'd like to ask which are most important to focus on. <S> (closing, signature) <S> What you don't want to do is to ask the HR person what technologies you should learn, or what domain documents you should read, or whatever. <S> That's not his field, and you don't want to start off with the HR person telling people, including your manager, about the new hire who doesn't even understand basic job functions. <S> Your request to the HR person is for an introduction , or to have your request forwarded ; that's a reasonable request of an HR person and shouldn't raise eyebrows. <A> Would it be considered as strange if I ask whether they can supply me with relevant material to read so that I can better prepare myself before I begin? <S> I've done the same in the past. <S> If my experience is any guide, employers seem to appreciate an enthusiastic new employee who wants to "hit the ground running". <S> Asking for such materials helps to demonstrate that. <S> I once asked for a way to get up to speed prior to joining a company that had just hired me. <S> I was given materials, and asked to plan the layout for our new computer room two weeks before my start date. <S> That was actually a lot of fun to do. <S> If I were asked the same by a new employee, I wouldn't consider it strange at all. <A> Would it be considered as strange if I ask whether they can supply me with relevant material to read so that I can better prepare myself before I begin? <S> You're more likely to get information relevant to the company specifically by asking this, than you are to get material about the job you're entering, but you should ask anyway. <S> This information will be useful for going forward with your job. <S> You may ask about any useful books the office has on-hand. <S> I don't know about the financial world, but in the IT world books and documentation about programming practice tend to pile up around the office. <S> You could ask for those, though they might not let you have them until you actually start.
| You could also ask your to-be boss if there are any books they'd recommend for you - pointing out that you'd like to improve your skills as part of being hired onto the new job
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As a new graduate, how can I make myself a stronger candidate? As a new grad, I have nothing in my resume that anyone couldn't do and I feel like I will never go beyond average. My job and even money are just means to allow for a good life and I will never take it beyond that, but I still really care about programming and being "good" at it. I make web and android stuff in my spare time and I got one year of internship experience and I expect to graduate from college this year, but so far I have participated in 2 programming contests and I haven't won anything in any of them despite legitimately trying my best. What makes a new grad, with barely any working experience if at all, a "good" employee that can actually help with a project and teams would want to work with? Certifications? Internships? Hobby projects? Awards? <Q> Ways to make yourself more marketable, in roughly descending importance: <S> Demonstrated ability and capability to add value. <S> Companies hire people to reduce costs and increase revenue. <S> Not to be nice, not because they are in the business of job creation. <S> To reduce costs/increase revenue. <S> Did you save money or add value in anything below? <S> Highlight it. <S> Internship/work experience . <S> Build a portfolio. <S> As a software person, github can be a great asset. <S> If you are in graphic design, examples. <S> This will help provide employers evidence you can create value (see above). <S> Demonstrated team experience. <S> Almost no one works in vacuum. <S> Some people are terrible at working on teams. <S> Some aren't. <S> No manager wants to find out the new hire is the latter.. <S> Related extracurricular activities/hobby projects. <S> Someone applying for, say, a campaign management position who ran local campaigns during school will be preferred to someone who just took classes. <S> Bonus points if you have leadership roles. <S> This shows your interest in your field/craft outside just the required minimum. <S> Willingness and ability to learn. <S> You and everyone in the world will be continuously learning. <S> Being able to do so effectively, independently, and well is a very valuable asset for you in any career. <S> Interest in the career field. <S> If you don't have the above, try to find ways to make your interviewers understand this. <S> If companies have multiple otherwise equal candidates they likely will prefer the one who appears more interested about the field. <S> Relevant coursework/project work . <S> It's somewhat assumed you did meaningful and related coursework, but make sure this is highlighted. <S> In many fields certifications are marginally useful at best. <S> Plenty of average people get jobs. <S> In fact, most people who get jobs are average and about as many that do are below average. <A> Im still studying, but I recently got hires for a full time position in a multinational company as Junior Security Analyst. <S> I went through 5 interviews both with managers and directors. <S> Competing even with already graduated candidates. <S> What set me apart, and they told me so, was my, as they called it, "ability to start new things by myself and finishing them". <S> Which they told me that showed willingness to learn and initiative. <S> You are a recent graduated student. <S> They don't really expect you to be an expert in anything. <S> But they will expect you to progress. <S> And they want to know if you want to do so. <S> They will expect you to be willing to learn everything that they require you to learn. <S> If you can prove them that you are able of doing that. <S> Then consider yourself in a privileged situation. <S> Now. <S> How to prove them your eagerness to learn to grow to improve? <S> In my case I had 2 medium size projects I worked in by myself.- A client and reposition management software which I developed <S> and it's currently being used at my previous retail job.- A working website designed from scratch which I made into a kind of online CV/resume. <S> You tell us that you are in your last year of college. <S> You have time to start projects by yourself. <S> And remember to finish them. <S> There is a quote that changed my life. <S> "better good but achieved than perfect but incomplete" <S> I used to postpone the projects because I wanted them to be perfect. <S> But I realized they were never going to be. <S> There is going to be something to improve something to wait for. <S> A book helped me a lot with this change of perspective <S> and I recommend it for you if you haven't read it already. <S> "Do the work" by Steven Pressfield. <S> So put on your boots and start your own projects. <S> You tell us that you participated in programming competences. <S> That's great since it proves initiative and confidence. <S> But its necessary that we as professionals should be progressing and growing all the time. <S> Find a way to prove those points <S> and I'm sure you won't have any problem finding an entry level job in whichever industry you decide to work for!! <S> Good luck!! <A> Enthusiasm for the job, ability to learn new things quickly, attention to detail, general problem solving and determination would be some key things I'd want in a new candidate. <S> Recent grads have the upside of flexibility, enthusiasm and stamina that would be useful. <S> While you may think you are like a lot of other people, there is the question of how well do you know what motivates you? <S> Can you get things done? <S> Do you ask for help when you need it? <S> These can all be quite important in software development as well as looking for companies where the work environment suits you, e.g. do you want formalized procedures all around or more of a cowboy coding style? <S> Do you want projects that are more figuring things out as you go or where there is a formal plan and most things have already been analyzed and a solution designed? <S> Consider carefully what you think would suit you best as interviews are you interviewing them as much as them interviewing you. <S> FD: I've done Web Development for the past 17 years, so I do have more than a bit of familiarity here.
| Meaningful internship experience is probably the best way a new grad can show their ability to do the above.
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What can companies do to uncover fake diplomas such as those purportedly sold by Axact? So I was reading this article in New York Times about Axact, a Pakistan-based Company that seems to be in the business of selling fake diplomas. The case of Axact is also not some small operation involving diplomas with just one or a couple of (perhaps) easily recognizable names of educational institutes. Above article states that: Their websites, glossy and assured, offer online degrees in dozens of disciplines, like nursing and civil engineering. There are glowing endorsements on the CNN iReport website, enthusiastic video testimonials, and State Department authentication certificates bearing the signature of Secretary of State John Kerry. “We host one of the most renowned faculty in the world,” boasts a woman introduced in one promotional video as the head of a law school. “Come be a part of Newford University to soar the sky of excellence.” Yet on closer examination, this picture shimmers like a mirage. The news reports are fabricated. The professors are paid actors. The university campuses exist only as stock photos on computer servers. The degrees have no true accreditation. In fact, very little in this virtual academic realm, appearing to span at least 370 websites, is real This other article at New York Times , titled "Tracking Axact’s Websites" lists 132 fake universities and 16 different accreditation bodies that are referenced by Axact. Names of some of the accreditation bodies that they use according to above article: Accreditation Bureau of Online Education and Training Association for Accreditation of Business Schools and Programs European Accreditation Board for Online Education European Accreditation Council for Online Learning Global Accreditation Board for Distance Learning Global Doctorate Council Gulf Accreditation Council Gulf Bureau of Higher Education Some of the names of their "universities" are below: Ashbery University Barkley University Baycity University Branton University Brooksville University Cambell State University Camp Lake University Chapel University Johnstown University Kennedy University Kingsbridge University Pittsford University Port Jefferson University Queen City University Queens Bay University Western Valley Central University Wiley University Wilford University Above universities sport what looks like professionally made websites, such as the one below for Barkley University: Considering the scale of this operation, what can a company reasonably do to determine if a candidate has a fake diploma? <Q> I haven't had a prospective employer ask me to produce a diploma in several decades. <S> Companies will usually check your diploma claims by directly querying the university that you claim that you got a degree from. <S> I am a Columbia alumn and if someone produced a Columbia diploma, I couldn't tell the genuine article from a fake by looking at it. <S> That some Columbia diploma doesn't look like mine, that's meaningless - <S> It's not as if universities don't change the format of their diplomas from time to time. <S> It's a lot more straightforward and almost totally foolproof to just check with the university. <S> Checking that a post-secondary institution is legitimate is not hard, at least in the US. <S> The Higher Learning Commission , which accredits Columbia College of Columbia University, is one of the six regional institutional accreditors in the US. <S> Having said that, HRs of small companies and of startups probably don't know how to check - It took me one hour to work out how to check, but not everyone is like me. <S> This does not mean that these small companies and startups are defenseless. <S> They are sensitive to poor performance and if they don't catch up to someone's bogus education credentials, they will catch up to that someone's poor performance either at the interview or on the job. <S> And job candidates should know better than to play mind games with a fully staffed HR's like Walmart's or Goldman Sachs' <A> If it's a school you've never heard of, first step is to check their accreditation. <S> If they aren't recognized by some trusted third party, it almost doesn't matter if they're just a diploma mill or not. <A> Yes, in general it can indeed be hard to check whether a diploma was issued by a "real" college/university or not. <S> However, there are several simple ways to mitigate this <S> As keshlam pointed out, most countries have accreditation organizations (often run by the government). <S> For example, the Stiftung zur Akkreditierung von Studiengängen in Deutschland in Germany, or the University Grants Commission in India. <S> If they do not recognize the university, that's a big warning sign. <S> Just looking at the website and doing some quick Google searches will probably reveal a lot. <S> For example, the website of Barkley University mentioned does indeed look extremely glossy (almost too glossy for a university), but if you drill down, cracks start to appear. <S> If you look at the page of a specific major, such as the page for computer science there's lots or marketing speak, but almost no substance like research topics or teaching details. <S> Also, the faculty members only have master's degrees, and clicking them gives you a 404. <S> Finally, a diploma is no guarantee for qualification for a specific job anyway, just an indication. <S> If you have a thorough interview with a candidate (possibly with a phone screen first), I doubt someone clueless would manage to slip through. <S> Also note that it is possible (though difficult) to get a "real" diploma from a "real" university and still not be very qualified. <S> So just listen well during the interview, and as they say, trust but verify. <A> The presence of diploma mills and the fact that some people lie on their resume has forced many companies to use a 3rd party to conduct some level of reference check. <S> They go beyond calling the applicants list of references. <S> Regarding diplomas they will be checking for existence of the school and checking that they offer the major. <S> They know the difference between a real institution, a institution that provides very little knowledge/training for their students; and ones that exist only on paper. <S> They might even ask for a official transcript if they think the candidate may be lying about receiving a degree from a real school. <S> Some of thee firms can also check degree from other countries. <S> I have run into several companies that are required by their customer to do this level of checking using a 3rd company. <S> The customer was burned by contracting companies inflating the background and experience of their employees so they could charge higher rates. <S> the customer wanted proof that they were being sent people with the stated levels of experience. <S> This even resulted in situations where employees with a long history with the company, and with security clearances needed to be evaluated by a 3rd company prior to starting work for that customer.
| You simply find what state the alleged institution of higher learning is, you go on the appropriate institutional accreditor's website and you check the name of the alleged institution against their list of accredited institutions.
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Is my Linkedin profile for personal use or work use? My employer insists that everyone's Linkedin profile list their business email address, not their personal email address. Is this typical, standard, or generally accepted practice? <Q> As an individual who is not involved in the recruitment or hiring practices, beyond participating in phone screens and interviews, I would see this as an unreasonable request. <S> If I'm not using LinkedIn for my job, I don't necessarily want it tied closely to my company. <S> However, if you are in an HR, recruitment, or upper level management role, this may be a more reasonable request. <S> You may be involved in reaching out to people who are perspective employees or are candidates for a position and these people may be reaching out to you using information found in your profile. <S> I can understand the company's desire to make sure that information that could be related to staffing not be sent to personal email addresses and exposing a personal email address could make this easier. <A> If your company set up a profile for you, it's their profile and their rules. <S> If it's your profile, then they cannot force you to change anything about it. <S> This is what I would consider standard or accepted. <S> However, if you live in a country and state where your employer can fire you anytime for anything he feels like, I guess the word "cannot" becomes meaningless. <A> If your employer wants you to have a linked-in profile using your business email then why not set one up? <S> It isn't terribly unusual for someone to have two profiles. <S> This would allow you to send a specific "professional page" link to clients with business contact information, and two have two different sets of contacts, which would make more sense than mixing your personal contacts with business contacts. <A> It is not a practice I have encountered before. <S> Were your employer paying for your LinkedIn profile, and your work involved using LinkedIn, then I would find this appropriate. <S> But, based on this specific response from the poster: His position was that you would only have your personal email address on your Linkedin account if you were looking for another job. <S> This seems like a very poor management practice. <S> There are multiple reasons why someone might choose to use a personal rather than a work email. <S> I had my work email as my LinkedIn email for a number of years, because I had no intention of leaving my employer and it was more convenient for me. <S> I switched my email to my personal account more than a year before I departed the company (after 13 years). <S> I was primarily motivated by privacy concerns; not just with regard to potential job offers, but other communications, such as requests for background information or referrals. <S> I felt that it was more appropriate for me to deal with those as an individual than as a representative of the company, which using my work email implied. <S> With regard to your next steps, you have two choices: <S> Comply <S> The principal consequence, as outlined in other answers, is that all communications from LinkedIn will flow to your work email. <S> I have no expectation of privacy in work email (or on work hardware, for that matter). <S> You may also choose to comply if you like your job - as I mentioned above, I spent years with my contact email routing to work, because I was using LinkedIn for professional networking and my company was part of my professional identity. <S> Refuse to comply If you are comfortable taking the risk of losing your job, or of creating a confrontation with your employer, you may choose not to comply. <S> I don't know your employer or situation, so it's hard to predict what will happen. <S> Some things to consider: Is this policy in writing? <S> Is it consistently enforced? <S> Is it the policy of the company as a whole, or of some managers? <S> Was it communicated as a condition of employment in advance? <S> Have you signed something indicating that you will comply with this policy? <S> Good luck.
| If you feel that not complying puts your job at risk, or you simply don't care that much, you may choose to comply. All of my profiles, including LinkedIn, are representative of me as an individual and not as an employee of my company.
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Should I tailor my resume for each job application? I have skills as web developer and a graphic designer, and when advertising my strengths, traits such as "innovative" seem to be good for software design, but not really important for graphic design. Furthermore, my resume currently lists both my web development and graphic design history, experience, and capabilities, while only one or the other seems directly useful to the jobs I'm applying for. Should I tailor my resume to only include information about my skills and experience in the field that I'm applying for? Or should I include all of my skills, positive traits, and experience regardless of the job? <Q> It's impractical to write every resume from scratch specifically for each opportunity, but I would recommend drafting two basic versions of your resume: one for web development and another for graphic design. <S> I would include all your skills (it's rare and valuable for one person to have experience in both coding and design), but go into greater detail and emphasize those skills/experiences relevant to either coding or design. <S> Once you have those two basic resumes set, you can slightly alter as needed for a specific job, depending on what the company lists as requirements. <S> It's hard work to tailor your resume to jobs, but it increases the likelihood you will be hired -- you will stand above other applicants who have more generic resumes. <A> Yes to tailoring your resume. <S> In your case, you should have two resumes, a web developer version and a graphic design version. <S> The first one should read as if you are primarily a web developer, emphasizing the relevant skills, listing those jobs at the top, and mentioning that you have a little graphic design experience. <S> The other resume should be the exact opposite -- graphic designer who occasionally dabbles in web dev. <S> It's is really just a matter of the ordering, and how much detail you use, when you list your past jobs, skill sets, results, awards, etc. <S> You want the reader to think that your prior experience was at least 80-90% tailored to the job for which you're applying. <S> If they view you as splitting your time 50/50, they'll pass for someone more specialized. <A> I do feel that a similar answer can be found here: https://workplace.stackexchange.com/a/2973/29909 <S> but I can also see how it would not explain certain points about a person with a dual career path. <S> A few points that I think you will need to consider though Pruning Jobs vs Employment Gaps <S> you are going to want to create a balance between removing or diminishing jobs that are irrelevant and making your resume look sparse. <S> If you did 5 years in web, 10 in graphic, and 5 in web <S> you will likely want to include something about that 10 year job in a resume as not including it would look strange. <S> Lateral vs Irrelevant Skills Web development and graphics work are not necessarily mutually exclusive. <S> Your graphics work may have helped you understand optimal resolutions for images on the web and how to adjust those images to save bandwidth in an application. <S> You do need to trim the fat but be careful to leave in what could be considered a lateral skill in the field. <S> Also make sure to present the lateral skill in the context of the job you are applying for. <S> Focused Career vs Growth <S> Oriented <S> It is touched on in the answer <S> I linked but just to rehash it here <S> , you may want to show that you know more that just what the job calls for. <S> Obviously having the right skills for a job is important but mentioning other skills shows you have interest in your own personal growth. <S> Just make sure that it shows interest and does not eclipse relevant skills in your resume. <A> Short answer: <S> Yes, you should tailor your CV to each job you apply for, but instead change your cover page or executive summary. <S> However, I don't actually go through and modify each job that I have done. <S> The tasks I performed, the technologies I used, the skills it required are static and unchangeable. <S> Instead, my CV has an executive summary as a cover page, which I change and shift around to put focus on the relevant skills from my experience that best apply to the job I am applying for. <S> That way the amount of effort involved is minimal, but the first thing that a prospective employer reads is the information most relevant to them. <S> They can then go through my employment history for verification with a clear understanding of how my experience fits the role.
| The short answer is that it is always good to tailor a resume and trim what is irrelevant to the position you are applying to.
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Telling my boss I can't stand to hear him eat near me I suffer from Misophonia, meaning that certain sounds cause me to experience irrational irritability, anger, frustration and nausea. My trigger is the sound of people eating or drinking. Often my boss will sit next to and work with me, and often he will be eating his lunch at the same time in close proximity to me which I find unbearable. How do I professionally request him sit away from me while he eats? Can I expect empathy from someone who is unaware of my condition? <Q> Depending on the culture this may be an unusual request. <S> You should be open about your reasons, possibly focusing on the physical manifestations rather than the psychological ones. <S> "Hey boss, I've got this condition called misophonia. <S> It causes me some terrible nausea to hear people eating or drinking which in turn really affects my concentration. <S> Would you mind eating before or after we meet?" <S> While not positive neither of these things is the end of the world. <A> Even if you find them uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time you might just keep them around specifically for lunch breaks. <S> I keep a pair around for whenever my coworkers get a little loud <S> and I find it helps me even when I'm not wearing on them because I don't dread and hyper-focus on noises because I know I can make them go away whenever I want. <S> This may be awkward if your boss wants to talk with you as he is eating but you could try smaller, lighter headphones. <S> I use this technique when I want to listen to music but at the same time listen to what is going on. <S> If you put them not over your ears but in front of them the sound conducts to your ears but doesn't block outside noise. <S> I also sometimes wear just one earphone. <S> This may be distracting enough that the sounds of his eating will blend into the background. <A> Can you take your lunch or a break at the same time? <S> That would seem to be the easiest solution. <S> If you truly cannot change this situation, I would schedule a meeting with your boss to go over this. <S> Explain your condition, and remember that not everyone is sympathetic to unfamiliar conditions.
| If you choose not to disclose your condition and make this request you run the risk of being viewed as picky or eccentric. I don't know if your job requires you to be able to hear what is going on around you, but is there any possibility that you can use headphones (either with music or sound cancelling). Have a plan to remedy the situation, and ask for ideas from your boss.
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Working at home and breastfeeding When I get my PhD from college I will be working at home as a research scientist. This might require online conferences with my co-workers and my boss. Sometime in the future I am planning on having children. I want to exclusively breastfeed them until 6 months and continue breastfeeding them until 2 years. However with a newborn that gets hungry every 2 hours or even a 3 month old that gets hungry every 4 hours how am I going to be able to do research and conferences as well as taking care of my children and even of myself(making sure I eat enough and get lots of rest and don't get sudden urges that less to incontinence) during pregnancy? <Q> You have more options than you seem to realize at the moment. <S> First, as a general point, I'd recommend reading <S> Lean In . <S> (If you haven't read it and are skeptical, a lot of the press missed Sandberg's central point by a mile. <S> She is very pro-family.) <S> Sandberg makes an excellent point about "don't leave before you leave", where women will often plan their careers around the likelihood of taking time out of the workforce later (usually to have children), downsizing their work options early because they think they will ultimately have to. <S> Whereas in fact, the higher you get up the ladder, the easier it is to come back to a good role and pay, etc. <S> You'll be a more valuable employee and have more leverage. <S> So -- don't leave before you leave. <S> You can move to a more family-friendly job or location later (and more easily) if you make the career you want your priority right now. <S> But to, I hope, put mind more at ease, on a couple of the points <S> you mention: you can pump and freeze breast milk, so attending conferences won't mean you can't breast feed if that's what you choose to do. <S> But the bottom line is that the best way to give yourself the most options later is to give yourself the best career possible now. <S> Don't leave before you leave. <A> There is a huge difference between a newborn and a 1 year old. <S> While you might have to leave an online meeting early when your in-home caregiver signals you that the baby is fussing and needs to eat, by the time you have a toddler you can plan your meetings around the one or two times during the working day when you'll be nursing the toddler, and the rest of the time you'll be like anyone else working from home. <S> There is no single solution but there is a "first few weeks" solution (don't work, focus on the baby and recovering from the birth), <S> a "first few months" solution (in home help, be interruptible, probably don't do 40 hours a week) and a "years and years" solution (in home help, children keep to your schedule but get lots of your time, you're like anyone else who works from home) to use broad strokes. <S> Don't try to prove in advance you can do it. <S> You will have to solve some of it when you're in the moment. <S> But it most certainly can be done. <S> My oldest was born in the middle of my PhD (and we planned it that way) and I have worked from home in my own business her whole life - over 25 years so far. <S> (For some years we also had an office outside the home and went there, but we worked at home as well that whole time.) <S> Thinking on your feet and knowing your own priorities are key. <A> You should definitely look into taking maternity leave. <S> Top priority will be to take care of the children while they are young enough to require breastfeeding on THEIR schedule i.e. any time they want :) <S> Second priority will be to keep up with the literature of your specialty, which you should be able to do from home, assuming that this literature is available online. <S> You can, to an extent, be active in the research in the field through the efforts of your graduate students either as an adviser or a co-adviser. <S> You'll have to play this part by ear because being an adviser or a co-adviser may suck up more time than you have, given that you must take of your children and you must read up on the literature on whatever time you have available. <S> As @Mhici says, you're better off seeking maternity leave as a research scientist with some seniority and some managerial responsibility e.g. supervising graduate students than a random post-doc, if you can make it happen. <S> You're not the first nor will you be the last person in this situation. <S> You should seek to network with your female colleagues anywhere in the university and from other universities and pick their brains on how best to manage this situation. <S> If you are working for a company, then you need to make an appointment with your HR. <S> In fact, if you are working for a university, make an appointment with HR, too. <S> I have a good friend who was in your situation twenty years ago and her university teaching career at Cornell has been doing just fine <S> - She never missed a chance to demonstrate her higher IQ and EQ on me and at my expense when we were graduate students at the School of Engineering of Columbia University :)
| In terms of early days, when newborns need round the clock care, if maternity leave isn't an option, you can either move jobs before starting your family to a place that does have maternity leave, or take a leave of absence, or perhaps take a sabbatical where you can work more at your own pace. You need to know what your employer can do for employees who plan on having children.
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Are managers reviewed on their own performance or their teams? An employee who is not a manager gets reviewed on the work they produce, where very little of it is dependant on other people. They might be part of a team but usually they will have tasks that only they have been assigned to. Failure to complete their part of a project or completing it poorly might cause the project to fail but generally their individual performance is visible. Managers on the other hand have their own individual performance as well as the performance of the team they manage and the success of the projects they supervise. It appears that a manager's individual performance is less visible to their manager and that a bad manager can hide behind a successful team. E.g. A highly performing team gets a new manager. After two years the manager is still making decisions, that if implemented, would cause the instant failure of the project but won't listen to any expert objections. Their team silently "compensates" and the project continues to be a success. The manager is rewarded for running the project even better than the last manager (who was actually competent). There are two possibilities I can see: Upper management is only measuring the manager's performance based on the success of their projects Upper management is measuring the manager's individual performance as well, but genuinely believes they make good decisions When it comes time to review a manager's performance, how much is based on their team and how much is based on them? <Q> A manager relies a lot on his team, as does the team rely on him. <S> There are times where there's a strong performing team, with a poor performing manager. <S> That can still work - for some time - but eventually, the manager will be replaced. <S> Perhaps even by someone who informally took a managing role on himself during a project. <S> A very good manager can also have a poor performing team, ofcourse. <S> However, in that case, the manager most likely has quite some experience already and will get rid of people who are not performing. <S> He will then probably be part of hiring new people in order to get a stronger team. <S> Managers are reviewed on the basis of the team they manage. <S> The team, most of the time, reflects how a manager performs, because it's his job to steer people in the right direction and make sure they have all the necessary tools, experience, and information for their job. <A> When it comes time to review a manager's performance, how much is based on their team and how much is based on them? <S> The answer is really "it depends" (so I can see where this might be closed as company-specific). <S> Ideally (and very generally speaking), a manager is evaluated based on the goals set forth by their manager, which hopefully are in alignment with the goals of the group/division/company/etc. <S> For example, I just started a new job, and my 30 day goal is "get this core team to perform". <S> I'll be evaluated on whether or not the team performs, for some value of "perform" that my manager and I worked out. <S> If I cannot get the team to perform/meet that goal, I'm ultimately judged on that outcome. <S> However, my 60 day goal will then be to adjust in specific ways and still try to lead the team to meet that original goal. <S> I have longer term goals, such as 180 day goals that are "get the team to perform", "fix the deficiencies we see", "hire more engineers" and so on -- some are tactical, some are strategic, some do not map precisely to a list of actionable items, but ultimately as the manager I am evaluated on whether or not I meet those goals, which do depend on output of the team. <S> But it's not all on me, and it's certainly not all on them, either. <S> In the example you provide, in which a highly-functioning team inherits a bad manager but overcompensates for that manager such that the team goals (and their individual goals) are met -- <S> yes, that's entirely possible <S> and I've seen it many times. <S> Eventually, something tends to happen: the team mutinies, or people start leaving, or the manager leaves either voluntarily or involuntarily when it becomes apparent that their manager is finally catching on to the situation. <A> If the manager keeps giving the team shitty ideas which gets everyone together to complain about what a terrible manager they have and how hard-work will be required to compensate - if that translates to performance gains for the team, then the manager is by definition a good manager (as much as that might upset the team). <S> A manager is only really judged by two things - they're ability to come in under budget, and their key performance indicators. <S> If you dont like your shitty manager and think you could do EVEN BETTER than they could, tell upper management you'll do the same job, better, for less money, and they'll probably say yes.
| A manager's teams performance IS their performance.
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Do companies see having employees who live close to the office as an advantage? I was just contacted by a company whose offices are two minutes walk from my flat. Now let's assume that I am interested in the job and get to the interview stage. For me the location is obviously a bonus, but do they care? I don't know whether I should mention it. If they do care I would include it in the secondary motivations for the job, after presenting the primary ones, but if they don't, I wouldn't want to dilute actual reasons. <Q> I don't ask people where they live or how long their commute would be. <S> I also don't refrain from hiring people because their commute would be too long, though I wouldn't be surprised to hear that some employers do, worrying they would eventually lose you and the investment they'd made in you. <S> But even those employers won't distinguish between "lives two minute walk from work" and "lives within a reasonable commute distance for this culture" - say an hour of driving or public transit if you live in Toronto, presumably less in other places. <S> However if you want them to make that distinction, then show it to them yourself to make it a positive for you. <S> Some examples: when they ask "did you have any trouble finding our offices?" <S> as a typical conversation opener, you give a big smile and say " <S> oh absolutely not <S> , we're only two minutes walk from my home here <S> so I was already familiar with the location!" <S> when they ask "why do you want to work here? <S> " you use the typical answers about technology and why you're a great fit for the job, and you wind up with " <S> and I love the idea of having a two minute walk to work, that would be so great!" <S> if the conversation turns to overtime, on call, flex hours, working from home or the like, present your benefit. <S> "I don't mind coming in for 9 because I don't have to worry about traffic, it's just a two minute walk for me." <S> "I can stay a little late because getting home will only take me two minutes <S> , I don't have to run to catch a train." <S> That sort of thing. <S> Don't bring it up more than once or twice, but connect your lucky location to things that matter to them - your wanting the job, your availability at times when commuters may have problems being available, and so on. <A> If you have two candidates who are exactly alike in every way, and act the exact same way in the interview, then they will prefer the closer candidate. <S> However, if the closer candidate is even a little less competent or desirable in terms of skills, they will take whatever gets them the most bang for their buck regardless of how far someone lives. <A> I went for a job as a handyman. <S> "Can you lay bricks?""No <S> " "Can you plaster?""No" <S> "Can you do any carpentry?""No" <S> "Then why are you handy?" <S> "I only live round the corner" (With apologies to Ronnie Corbett) <S> Employers don't really care about how close you live, just how far. <S> If you have a long commute you may be late, have car trouble, call off due to bad weather etc. <S> Usually they only care if it's a perceived problem. <S> For example, I was interviewing 2 people for a role. <S> One had a 30 mile commute on busy highways, the other came from the local city a few miles away. <S> My boss (director level) urged me to discount the far away person as having an unsustainable commute (we didn't have flexible hours either). <S> It turned out that the nearer person didn't drive, and public transport was non-existent at the business park where we worked, so actually it would have been much harder for him to sustain his commute. <S> However the director saw the city name and assumed there would be no issue. <A> If I were a prospective employer, I'd take the view that an employee's commute is their own business <S> and it's their responsibility to plan for it. <S> Having said that, some companies do run shuttles to and from the office from various commuting endpoints. <S> Having said that, I am more likely to be on time if I have to take transportation to an office one hour away than if all I have to do is to walk to an office 15 minutes away - that's <S> because I am totally careless about the so-called 15 minutes walk, I do absolutely no planning, I am too comfortable flying out the door at the last possible second <S> and I sport a hypocritical grin when I show up late <S> and I get away with being late :) <A> I would view it as a small positive during the interview experience if a candidate is close to the office. <S> I've also seen cases where close proximity to the office leads to highly variable arrival times at the office. <S> Where distance from the office gets to be a serious concern for me is if a current employee moves to a new location that is (still) a significant commute from the office. <S> In this case, I expect them to start to have difficulty with attending morning or late afternoon meetings, them to work from home more frequently and them eventually looking for different opportunities because the commute is too much.
| I would say that living close to work is more of the employee's benefit than the employer. Being close doesn't really get bonus points.
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What to do if you're asked to break industry regulations? The company I work for has to comply with certain regulations regarding the software it uses, one of the terms being that a certain number cannot be higher than 3%. If it is the company can be heavily fined. Regularly this number is at 30%-40% and I am asked to use SQL to cook the books and make it look like it is below 3%. I don't know what to do, I don't want to do this any more, and the company would not listen if I voice my objections. How can I protect myself against future repercussions? <Q> Contact a Lawyer immediately. <S> You do not have a choice at this point <S> you are stuck in a legal conundrum. <S> If you change the numbers, and they get caught and you have not proactively protected yourself <S> then you are going to be the one and only fall guy. <S> If you try to go it alone you can expect to get similar treatment as Chelsea Manning or Edward Snowden (on a smaller scale probably). <S> If this number represents a health or physical safety danger to civilians you could be held personally liable to boot. <S> So you NEED a lawyer NOW. <S> Get a good one and realize that the money you spend on the lawyer is worth 100x its cost. <S> Find an excuse (even if it is you forgot) to avoid performing the task until after you have talked with a lawyer. <S> From there you will have to determine your next actions with your lawyer. <S> Realize that you are probably going to be out of work almost immediately, but better to be out of work and free than out of work in prison. <A> I would start looking for a new job immediately. <S> If your supervisors are unethical (and potentially criminal?) <S> actors regarding this regulation, they would have no problem acting unethically or illegally toward you. <S> Do not comply with their request -- you may be held liable for such action. <S> Keep a record of any email, notes, conversations regarding this in order to cover yourself. <S> While you make your inquiries, you may want to try to stall or avoid their requests as much as practically possible. <S> edit based on UPDATE 20/05/15 <S> I am not a lawyer <S> but I would not think it wise to collect evidence yourself. <S> The knowledge of the conversation and the recording might be helpful to an investigator. <A> I'm surprised that this hasn't been mentioned, but if there are rules and fines then there must be some kind of regulator. <S> You need to contact that regulator - anonymous, at least at first, and ask their advice. <S> You also need to call ACAS now <S> http://www.acas.org.uk <S> Most solicitors are either criminal defence, specialise in something like family law or conveyancing or tend to be corporate focussed. <S> I'm certainly not implying it's impossible, but I think the average "man on the street" will struggle to find a legal expert with the knowledge and inclination to get involved here. <S> With all that said - I'm presuming whatever it is <S> you're discussing is either criminal or morally outrageous. <S> I'm not saying it's fine, but I certainly wouldn't go full Snowdon over a company breaking some kind of contract with another company. <S> It's certainly indicative of their corporate personality <S> and I'd probably leave, but some scale is needed here and some fights simply aren't yours to worry about. <A> I don't want to do this anymore <S> Sounds <S> like you've already done it. <S> In many locales it's conspiracy to know of a crime but not do anything about it, actually taking part is even worse. <S> I'd move on ASAP, but be prepared, as soon as it comes out (and it will, it always does), you'll be pulled back into it even if you are working somewhere else. <S> Best thing might be to alert the authorities and admit your part, you'll likely get more sympathy from a judge.
| You might want to consult a lawyer, or perhaps contact the regulatory agency responsible for this, to inquire about whistleblower status. Although the top rated answer is fine (Contact a lawyer), I suspect that may well be easier said than done.
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My boss forwarded a confidential email - what is an appropriate course of action? Recently i sent a very personal email with a list of grievances to my boss. The start of the mail was a request not to forward that mail to anyone. My boss has not yet responded to the contents of the mail, although he acknowledged receiving it. But I learned by chance that he did forward the mail, despite my request, to one of my coworkers involved in the whole situation. I am not sure, but suspect he may have forwarded it to others as well. I find it impossible to simply accept this breach of confidence. How do I deal with this sort of situation professionally? I am not talking about legal recourse, i am just at a loss on how to respond to this in an appropriate manner. My boss is the only boss in our small company, and there is no HR department. We do not really have any other supervisors. How can I adequately deal with this situation (besides resigning on the spot, which is an option I am considering)? <Q> Proceed as if there were no breach in confidence. <S> The number one rule of email (and probably anything written down as well) is that you must only write things that you want the entire world to see, because that is a potential side-effect (see Sony Pictures Entertainment ). <S> You will have no leverage when looking for another job. <S> Start looking for another job immediately so that you have options if the time comes to resign. <S> Schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss your issues, but try to be diplomatic, and try to understand things from your boss' point of view. <A> Your purpose in sending the email was to cause some change to occur. <S> You will need to gauge whether the sharing of your grievances with others has helped start the changes you want, or whether it's making matters worse. <S> If matters are getting worse, I recommend dusting off your resume and looking for other opportunities. <S> If it looks like the desired changes might be on the horizon, be glad your boss took the action he thought would be the most effective. <S> Company emails are company property, and as the sole boss in a small company (he's probably the owner), he probably has the right to do what he wants with the data, so long as there are not local laws in place governing certain topics of information. <S> In general, email is the absolute worst way to deal with frustrations. <S> If voice to voice meetings don't help the problem, then a face to face meeting is the best way to go. <S> As always, if that doesn't work, then it's time for serious reflection: <S> Are you (part of) the problem? <S> If so, what can you do to make things better? <S> If not, and there's no remedy at all, find a new job. <A> I am surprised and disagree that the other answers do not take the relationship and the personal nature of the mail more into account. <S> While I cannot give an answer to your questions, I'm writing this reply to point this fact out in more detail, because I consider it extremely important. <S> A work relationship is not intimate, you don't have to be friends with your boss <S> and you don't need to trust him with your house key. <S> However, to enable any healthy and productive kind of environment, you need a basic level of trust. <S> He trusts you to e.g. do you job (somewhere around) to the best of your abilities and to not be a spy for a competitor (etc.). <S> You trust him to not e.g. give you life-threatening tasks or share very personal details with others (etc.). <S> If I put a request to keep a letter private to someone I have this basic trust relationship with, I expect it to be, in fact, private. <S> If the above fails to apply, then the environment is bad, and neither side can expect good results. <S> This should be fairly obvious. <S> So, in short, breach of trust is a severe issue, regardless of legal status. <S> As OP stated, he is working remotely and tried to resolve the problems earlier via phone, finally resorting to email. <S> This can be considered proactive, not unreasonable, as long as you have in mind how your message could be interpreted if the situation were to escalate (court) and word it accordingly. <S> Neither is it unreasonable to assume that basic privacy customs are adhered to, even though, or especially because, he's working remotely. <S> External influence (e.g. Sony hack) is and should not be accounted for in this regard. <S> If we did that consequently, society would break down. <S> It definitely must be addressed as an important general security issue, but it should have no influence on my decision what to write in an email - unless it is indeed highly confidential, <S> but then you would never write it in a mail anyway, but hand it over personally, probably in non-digital form.
| Do not quit on the spot. You can request that your boss not forward your email, but receipt of email is not a contract, and your boss is under no obligation to honor your request.
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Periodically taking time off work for awkward medical reason I recently started a co-op job through my university. My boss is the only one I report to and I don't work with anyone else. In the next few weeks I'm going to have to take some time off. I don't know how to put this but I've got to go see a psychologist (post trauma related). I've been trying to see one for months and it's unfortunate it happens now when I just started working. I've never seen a psychologist before but I think I'll be seeing them more than once and on a weekly or biweekly schedule. I've told the receptionist at the clinic that I work Mon-Fri 9-5 and she said she'll try her best to accommodate that but my first appointment is at 3 on a Thursday and I think it's inevitable that it will interfere with work. My boss is a strange man. He's asked (point blank) questions like if I have friends in this city, how long my parents have been married or if I "have trouble communicating". I don't feel comfortable telling him about this but I'm not sure what to do. I was thinking of being as vague as possible about the medical reason and if he demands specifics say physio therapy for my shoulder (as that would be something you'd have to go in on a periodic basis for and shoulder injuries would be hard to notice e.g. no limp). Of course I'd prefer to be honest. Any advice on what I should say to my boss, ask or request of the psychologist clinic? <Q> First, there is absolutely nothing wrong or weird about seeing a psychologist. <S> It's nothing to be embarrassed about, especially here in an anonymous forum. <S> And the second absolute: it is absolutely none of your employer's business. <S> This is medical care, and in most countries you have the legal and moral right to privacy & protection from intrusion. <S> Plus, in the United States and the Western democracies, your employer is legally obligated to "reasonably accommodate" your medical needs. <S> You don't need to tell them what your medical issue is. <S> Only that you must go to doctor appointments on a schedule, and that it won't interfere with getting your job done. <S> If your boss asks about the details, then politely and firmly reject all questions: "It's a private thing. <S> I'm sorry, but I'd rather not discuss it. <S> I'll be fine." <A> To add to @senior-dev's excellent answer, the way in which you can inform your employer that you need to see a doctor regularly without disclosure could be done something like this: I need to see the doctor to attend to an old injury. <S> It's getting better, but it will take a few treatments. <S> I kind of don't really want to talk about details, but I will be fine. <S> Factual, yet no detail that you do not wish to give away. <A> I have been in your position when on joining a new job, i had to take frequent time off to attend personal matters. <S> As such i do not believe it is an Employer's business to fiddle around your personal matters. <S> My approach to the situation was by offering to put in additional hours after working hours to compensate for the time off. <S> Your boss could take you up on it, but i believe at least you would have an agreement on it which would address the awkwardness you feel. <S> I do acknowledge that depending on the type of industry you work in, such a solution may not always be practical / realistic. <A> If the issue is missing work hours, and if you use timesheets to log/account for your time, then assuming you are accumulating sick leave, you should probably use those sick leave hours for absences during regular business work hours as it is defined at your workplace (typically 8-5 or 9-5). <S> That's perfectly valid and legal way of taking time off during regular workweek for medical reasons. <S> Alternatively, if the rules are less formal, then making up hours as suggested below is a good approach. <S> If the issue is boss's curiosity, then "I have regular doctor's appointments" is all you have to say. <S> Try to be polite and courteous but at the same time firm in your response. <S> You never know if you might need additional accommodation in the future, so being on good terms and reaching understanding with your boss on these issues is important. <S> Sometimes the boss just wants to have a certain level of understanding of the situation to be able to better adjust for such changes in employees' schedules and plan work effectively. <S> Try to see the situation from your boss's position and think about what you would want to know, then come up with an answer (as those suggested in other responses here) that meets that need for information without crossing the privacy line for you. <S> Not all people have the guts to directly address their issues in a proactive manner. <S> Suppression only works in the short term but might end up having a net negative impact over time. <S> Your approach is proactive and driven by a motivation to get better. <S> Whatever social stereotypes might exist about receiving mental health services, do not worry about it and continue on your treatment plan. <S> Your health is the #1 priority, so I encourage you to continue seeking and obtaining the care you need to get well. <S> Good luck!
| On a side note, I believe you are doing the right thing getting regular professional treatment for whatever issue you are working through.
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Is it normal to have to CC all emails to my boss? My boss does not allow the programmers and artists to communicate outside of email and without CCing him so he can keep an eye on it. I am new to Indian culture, is this normal? <Q> It is not normal. <S> "Not communicating outside email" would be normal if you work in a highly regulated industry, where your company has a legal requirement that any communication has been documented and can be produced if the company is taken to court. <S> That would apply to anyone, and it would probably be least important for software developers and artists. <S> "CCing the boss" would make sense in few situations: <S> One, if you handle something that is so critical for the company that the boss needs to be informed about anything going on. <S> Say you are negotiating a ten million dollar deal, I could understand this (I would then expect the boss not to interfere with anything, but communicate with me separately if he finds it is important). <S> Two, if during my normal day to day communication I run into a problem that my boss might need to solve. <S> Like communicating with a member of another team and not getting anywhere, and at some point you think that maybe your boss needs to talk to his boss to solve the problem. <S> CC to the boss gets my bosses attention (but isn't asking him for action), and gets the other team's member's attention. <S> Third, if you are absolutely brand new in the workplace with no idea how to write an email properly, so the boss can help you improve your email communication. <A> Frankly it depends on the boss, his work process and the situation. <S> It is especially useful in a situation where the boss has direct client contact that the employee does not have. <S> If he has all the communications, he knows what has gone on before the client contacts him or he can research a client question during a meeting and look better for having the answer quickly. <S> My current boss wants to be cc'd on everything not because he doesn't trust us but because he is often pulled into meetings with the client (and in our clase with the clients of the client) with no time to prepare and having a copy of everything makes it easier for him to respond on the fly. <S> This actually allows him to bother us less while he is in a meeting. <S> My previous boss only wanted anything we thought had potential to be escalated to higher ups. <S> I have had other bosses that didn't want to get emails at all unless something urgent is happening right that minute. <S> In an offshore operation, the boss has client meetings onshore that you as a dev do not have generally and probably wants the emails to be prepped in case any questions come up. <S> I kow our offshore people tend to be much more hierarchial than the US people. <S> It would be rare for me to get an email directly from the devs without his or her manager being copied. <S> I would suspect the reason why the contacts are through emails is to have a paper trail for resolving disputes about what happened. <S> This is often critical when you are in business where you contract to a client as Offshore dev often does becasue disputes can carry contractural penalties. <A> Your boss can give you three levels of power:- Level 1. <S> Do the tasks, but not take decisions- <S> Level 2. <S> Do the tasks and take decisions whenever needed.- Level 3. <S> Do the tasks, take decisions and use other team members' time when needed
| It's normal ccing your boss ONLY if you are doing something out of your current level of delegation, so she can confirm it. When I worked for a place where we were creating COTS (commercial-Off-The-Shelf) software, I only rarely had to copy my boss in communcations to other people.
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How to handle duration of my learning curve in new short-deadline project I am very experienced in the technology which I have worked on and finished in another project. But recently I have been deployed into a new project where the existing code is written in a technology that is new to me and I am taking time to understand the code first. But the deadline of the project is short. I know that if do not take the time to fully understand the technology then it will take much longer to finish my development tasks than I have been allowed. How should I handle this? Should I ask my Lead for more time to finish my tasks? If so then my project will not complete before the deadline. Please Help me with your suggestions. <Q> It is not enough to know (or be fearful of finding out) that you will miss the deadline, you need to know the extent of remedial action. <S> Having done that, inform your lead immediately . <S> The earlier he knows there is a problem and can act, the earlier he can identify and implement a solution, which could be any or all of: arranging training for you, getting an extra person on board, renegotiating the deadline with the client reducing the scope of the project to deliver an incomplete solution on time <S> If he does not know, he cannot act, and as the deadline approaches the remedial actions become more difficult and expensive to implement. <S> And if you are worried about being fired, you can be certain that the later you leave it, the more likely that option becomes. <A> The most important thing is that people around you are informed, so they can make their decisions. <S> Maybe the lead said "Time to the deadline is tight, I need someone who really knows X to help us", your boss said "Tricky knows everything about X, he'll help you", while in reality you know everything about Y and nothing about X at all. <S> Not your fault, just a communication problem, but the sooner everyone knows, the better. <S> Whatever happened, the sooner people are told, the sooner they can react. <S> A deadline is often not that rock solid, and if your boss is told today that the project will take four weeks or four months longer, it can be fixed. <S> If he is told when the deadline ends, that is a lot harder. <A> I'd do a quick eyeball overview of the code, then I'd contact my lead and ask him, in view of the short deadline, that he put me in touch with whoever worked on the project last. <S> If that individual is not available, I'd ask that the lead make available to me someone who is versed in the technology so that I can iterate to him for support as I get a better idea of what's going on. <S> As I bite the bullet and get on with the project, I'll get a better idea of the hurdles I have to overcome and a more realistic estimate as to how long it's going to take me to overcome then. <S> If it doesn't look like I'll be able to meet the deadline, I'll tell the lead as much and give him a time estimate as to long <S> it's going to take me. <S> Again, it's very important that the lead makes available someone who is versed in the technology so that I can get up <S> so speed faster and get this project done. <S> I don't want to struggle through the documentation and figure out what to do about the missing pieces if I don't have to.
| First, take a step back and make a realistic assessment of how long you will actually require to complete your tasks.
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Is it common to be asked to perform a 48-hour "development exercise" during the interview process for an IT job? In the early stages of interviewing for a web UX/UI developer position, I've been informed there will be a "development exercise" which is to be completed over 48 hours and returned to the company. I don't know what the exercise is but I was told I could spend as little or as much time as I wanted on the project; obviously more effort would be more impressive. I've taken small tests during interviews in the past, but two days of work seems somewhat substantial and unusual, so I'm curious: Is this a common practice? Are there any concerns I should be aware of? ...for example: who owns what I produce? (First-hand anecdotal answers are OK, but links to any stats would be awesome.) <Q> They should take an hour or 2 to complete. <S> Often I've done it to candidates who had a good resume but didn't quite shine during their first interview. <S> It's a great way to take off the pressure of having to answer on the spot. <S> If you have a portfolio you could also show that. <S> The things I look for are: 1) can you Google for a certain solution and explain it to me? <S> 2) do you have the right insights in the real problem, or do you get hung up on details too soon? <S> You often don't even have to finish as long as it is clear where you are going <A> I would not say this is a standard practice, but is not a uncommon one. <S> Whether you participate or not depends on your impression of the company and what you can determine about its reputation. <S> Personally I would not be concerned about ownership -- the type of work that can be accomplished in 48 hours is unlikely to have significant value aside from the cost of your time. <A> This is a fairly common practice in the start-up world. <S> Several companies use programming test as part of the interview. <S> If the test takes more than a few hours, feel free to politely decline it. <S> Its difficult if you're searching for a job, but <S> if a company is asking you to spend 2 days on a question, they are not being respectful of your time, and you need to cut ties with them. <S> Its tough, but simply explain you don't have 2 days to do the exercise. <S> Something like <S> I'm sorry, but I don't have 2 days right now to do this time consuming exercise. <S> Is there some other way we can continue this interview? <S> While the above will likely end the interview, spending 2 days on a "exercise" is probably not going to be worth the time. <S> If you are going to do 2 days of work, you need to get 2 days of pay.
| Reputable companies use these exercises to evaluate how you work on a real, extended problem. As a developer I've seen (and given) exercises like this. Unscrupulous companies use these exercises as a way of getting free work.
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What can I conclude from interview length? I've been interviewing for a couple positions lately. The industry is much in favor of the employee in my country: there are far more positions than specialists and wages are sky high compared to other industries. Out of the 5 companies, 4 interviews were about 45 minutes long, with one manager and one team member usually. One company stood out with a more than two hours long interview (HR warned me during scheduling), many in-depth questions, and two managers interviewing. I'm surprised a company is willing to invest 4 hours of employee time on an interview for an entry level position. I wonder: is there something I can judge from this, or is this rather standard? Clarification: I wonder what I can judge about the company/it's culture, not about how likely I'm going to get the position. Edit2: I wouldn't agree with the suggested duplicate, since none of the answers address interview length directly. <Q> In my experience, the quality of a company's hiring process reflects how well structured, disciplined, and organized a company is. <S> In one specific case, I accepted an offer from a company primarily because their recruitment was highly professional. <S> I would say that 45 minutes is closer to the standard, and the 2+ hours interview indicates that the company has a thorough process and/or their interest in you is high. <A> I wonder: is there something I can judge from this? <S> You might be able to conclude that they haven't yet rejected you completely. <S> But even that isn't assured. <S> Some companies conduct long interviews with many folks involved, some don't. <S> Some companies will immediately end the planned interviews if someone feels that the candidate doesn't fit, but most won't. <S> Some poor companies conduct extremely lengthy interviews, some great companies conduct short interviews. <S> The only way you'll know for sure is if you get hired, and get exposed to their interview practices. <A> Shorter than scheduled interviews are generally bad news. <S> Even if they are cut short because of a legit business reason that often is reflected in their opinion of you even though it was out of your control. <S> A longer interview only means 2 things for sure: <S> Talking with you is more entertaining than what they would be doing otherwise. <S> That doesn't mean good <S> it could be the interview is enjoying watching you squirm, or that they really just do not want to work on the task they have at their desk and watching bread mold would be better. <S> While you are talking with them you have the opportunity to create a good impression. <S> So even if it is going badly as long as they are talking with you, there is a chance to turn it around. <S> So do your best and keep trying. <A> If the person who is conducting the hiring process talks most of the time <S> Then a long interview means they are willing to sell the company to the potential hire. <S> They are interested on the candidate Else (if the person who talks the most is the candidate) a long interview only means they are just being polite <S> If the company is big enough(i.e. <S> +100), the cost in hours/employee will be smaller. <S> Then a long interview means only they've plenty of time, so it's not representative <S> Else they are a company with scarce time <S> so a long interview means they're trying to make the Best possible choice
| It is not surprising that companies invest a lot of time in the interview process, considering the high cost of a bad hire . In reality, the length of the interview might be significant, but it might not. They have enough people doing real work, and will have full-time H.R. people
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Is it reasonable to ask for an employer to pay off a student loan, and take a pay cut to compensate? I work for a small company. My salary is such that I can pay off a student loan in a year or two. But I'd like to pay it off now, to avoid interest and things of that nature. Is asking the company finance officer to pay off the loan, and decrease my yearly salary by the amount of the loan, unreasonable? <Q> No. <S> Unless your employer is a bank, they're not in that business. <S> If your employer is a bank, they would route you through the usual channels and then charge you more interest than the student loans already have. <A> Fact is, if it is possible for your employer to give you some financial or other advantage without cost to the employer, then any clever employer will do it. <S> (Because the employer wants to give you as many benefits as they can so you don't look for employment elsewhere; the employer just doesn't like the cost involved). <S> A $100 raise costs the employer $100 (possibly more depending on the country). <S> Doing something that gives you a $100 financial advantage without cost to the employer costs nothing. <S> Guess what the employer prefers. <S> Of course "cost" is also the cost finding out how to do this, how to stay within the laws, etc. <S> etc. <S> etc. <S> This may fail however if the tax office in your country says that the employer paying back your student loan is the same as giving you income, so it needs to be fully taxed. <S> And it may very well be that paying your student loan and not telling the tax office would be criminal. <S> In which case the answer will be "no". <A> No, it's not reasonable. <S> First of all, what you're considering is a roundabout way of making yourself unfireable. <S> If they've paid you in advance and they're only recovering that value by having you work for them at a reduced rate, they're stuck with keeping you working for them to even have a hope of breaking even on the deal. <S> Second, you're making it difficult for yourself to quit <S> /walk away <S> /seek new employment, since your employer would be out a lot of money if you do <S> and they'd probably want to be compensated, which you might not be prepared to do. <S> Third, it's utterly stupid as a lender to refinance student loan debt (which is what they would be doing) without careful risk assessment, since the original debt could not be discharged by bankruptcy but the refinanced debt may be able to. <S> Fourth, if there's any kind of formal debt which you're paying off by working, this is possibly indentured servitude, which is illegal at least in the US by the 13th Amendment. <A> In the U.S. some public service jobs will forgive your student after a certain period of service. <S> These jobs are usually not the highest paying, but if its in your field it might be worth looking at. <S> Realistically, if you can pay off the debt in a few years, I wouldn't bother asking the company to do it. <S> Most of the jobs that offer loan forgiveness slowly forgive the loan over 10 years. <S> You won't be paying that much in interest and fees, and any fancy financial magic like consolidation, is likely to generate more fees that you'd save given a 2 year payback window. <S> Remember, startups usually are running off venture capital, not revenue, so generally the money is all spoken for. <S> Any large 1 time payment would probably make the venture capital backed board not too happy. <S> If its really bothering you, a loan from parents or other family members would probably be the best option <A> I have worked for companies that allowed employees to purchase computers via a payroll deduction. <S> This was in the lat 1980' and early 1990's when the relative prices of computer was a significant portion of a typical salary. <S> The catch was that there was interest component. <S> They gave you 2,000 for a computer and you spent 52 paychecks paying it back with interest. <S> The rate was competitive compared to what a bank would offer. <S> Unfortunately I don't remember the tax implications because I never seriously considered it. <S> If your employer did pay off a lump sum for the student loan they would likely require you to pay it back via payroll deduction. <S> They will have a provision to recapture the outstanding balance if you leave the company. <S> This is typical if you receive money to pay for a move when you join the company, or for education benefits. <S> If they don't have these types of programs it may be hard to convince them to start with a student loan program, because they will need to have their corporate lawyer draft the documents to protect their money. <S> It may not save you a lot of money. <S> or any money at all, because of the interest portion, in addition to the tax issues. <A> Considering, you have mentioned that you are working in a small firm, i believe you should definitely give it a try, as policies and procedures may not be as stringent as in large companies. <S> Also i would encourage you to ask around and find any precedence that could help support your request. <S> If the firm has shown an open attitude to such/similar request from another employee, it could help your position.
| You'd be essentially asking your employer for a loan/advance to cover debt you incurred in good faith. It's always reasonable to ask; sometimes it's not reasonable to expect a positive answer :-)
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To interview at another company (B) after accepting an offer from company (A) I am in a little bit of fix. Recently I had been interview by a company "A", and received a job offer from them, which I formally accepted by signing. As with desperate candidates, I had applied to other positions too, before being interviewed at company A. My dilemma came after I got a call for an interview from company 'B', which is kind of better in terms of brand. I also like the job description. Personally I feel that it is ethically not correct, or unprofessional to get an interview at the other company. So, I have already informed company 'B' that I have an offer from company 'A'. However they are still interested in interviewing me. I am also not being greedy, as I am more interested in job description with salary being almost equal. So what do you suggest in this regard? <Q> Short Answer: <S> You have signed a contract to start work with Company A <S> , you should not break this contract unless you have a very, very good reason to. <S> You don't just "have an offer" from Company A <S> , you have a contract to start with them. <S> Legally and ethically you have committed to commence work with them, and they would have already put resources towards that happening. <S> Company B doesn't really care, as it's not them who will get in any sort of trouble if you decide to break your contract with Company A. <S> They are just fishing, and besides, have you told them <S> you have actually signed the contract, not just had the offer? <S> Ethically, legally, and professionally, I would strongly recommend taking your job with Company A. <S> If you decide you wish to leave at a later date, do it then. <S> But it may damage your professional reputation to cancel at this point. <S> It can be done, but think very carefully about it first. <A> My dilemma came after I got a call for an interview from company 'B' <S> So what do you suggest in this regard? <S> For me, there's no dilemma here. <S> Either you value your word, your reputation, and your personal ethics, or you don't. <S> I suggest that you think about which is more important to you - <S> the potential of the job at company B or your reputation, and then act accordingly. <S> Once I accept a new job, I'm all in. <S> I don't look back and inform other parties that I'm no longer interested. <S> My personal reputation is worth a lot to me. <S> Your mileage may vary. <A> All you have is an offer for an interview. <S> Go to the interview. <S> If they don't offer you a position then no problem you have a job. <S> Its only at the point where they offer you a job that you have a dilemma. <S> With an alternative job offer you will have more facts at your disposal to make a decision with. <S> Company B may make an offer that just makes it incompatible for you or they make an offer that makes it impossible to turn down. <S> Now if you do break the agreement with A their may be repercussions down the road. <S> But ONLY if you ever re-apply to A in the future and only during the application processes. <S> This is an unlikely scenario unless A and B are the only two companies in this sector. <A> You've already told company B that you've accepted company A's offer, and they still want to talk to you. <S> It doesn't hurt your reputation or violate any system of ethics that I am aware of to talk to them, as long as you continue to state your intention to work for A. <S> So talk to them. <S> Likely scenario is that you make some more industry contacts in a place you'd like to work in the future. <S> Best case scenario, they make you an offer you can't refuse.
| If B offers you 30% more than of what A is offering you, however, no one in their right mind would blame you for reneging on your intention to work for A. Personally I feel that it is ethically not correct, or unprofessional to get an interview at the other company. There is nothing ethically or legally wrong with going to an interview.
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