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Can I give feedback to a potential employer about their product? I am applying for a job these days. I found a company with an interesting product today so I checked their product. I liked the product overall but had some feedback on how it can be improved further and what usability issue I felt as a user. Is it acceptable to talk about my experience with their product in cover letter or during the interview? Can this be seen negatively as someone who is complaining even before joining? <Q> The problem with pointing out issues with the product is that you don't know the history, you don't know what they've already tried, you don't know a lot about the company. <S> You need to be very careful in pointing out issues with the product, so it doesn't come across as someone who makes suggestions based on ignorance. <S> A better method would be to ask questions in the interview. <S> That could show that you've thought about the product, and want to know more about it. <S> This won't go over well: <S> Candy hairbrushes made with caramel get all droopy. <S> I recommend you make them with a hard sugar candy. <S> The hard sugar also allows for a lot of different colors. <S> If you hire me, I can help make this a lot better. <S> This is a better approach: I was looking at the candy hairbrushes you make and wondered why you used caramel instead of a harder sugar candy. <S> Can you tell me more about that? <S> For all you know, they tried sugar candy and ran into license issues with another company. <S> Or the caramel hairbrushes sell a lot better because they taste better. <S> Or they've been having supplier issues. <S> There's a lot you don't know <S> , you can't know, and you shouldn't make recommendations until you do know more. <A> Utopian, This is a tricky area, and I think mannerism and tone become incredibly important for something like this. <S> Firstly, this should not be the highlight of your interview. <S> Focus on demonstrating that you are an appropriate candidate in ways beyond your apparent interest in their product. <S> Additionally, be sure that the changes are substantial and would lend significant value to their product. <S> Put yourself in the shoes of an actual customer and determine if that would help you use the product. <S> If not, do not mention these things just as an interview tactic. <S> If you do decide to mention these changes, let them stand as the "icing on the cake". <S> At the point when you feel that you have adequately shown your potential value, use this familiarity to highlight the value you can bring to the company. <S> Rather than saying something like: <S> This is bad because... , say something like: <S> I already have a few ideas for improving [SPECIFIC ASPECT] of [SPECIFIC FEATURE OF PRODUCT] . <S> This approach ensures that you are communicating legitimate and genuine feedback in the interest of the company, not simply leveraging an interview tactic to aggrandize yourself. <A> I don't think a cover letter would be a good place to discuss this. <S> In the cover letter I think mentioning you used their software is a good thing to say.
| Just don't put anything negative or how you would "improve" it as that can be perceived as a bad thing depending on how it is written. It seems more appropriate in a face to face interview when asked if you are familiar with their product.
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Am i to blame if member of staff leaves? I work in a very small office consisting of 8 people. We have 1 member of staff who is a little bit odd, comes out with random remarks and has a very different view on the world. I'm going to call her Trish in this post. Every person in the office has discussed her strangeness at some point, in no way is it ever put in a cruel or vindictive way. She had a mental breakdown a while ago and the company even paid for professional help as we did want to lose her as she is perfect at her job. Due to this we are all actually quite protective of her as she is very timid and child like even though she is older than me. So basically this morning I was pulled aside by one of my managers to say 'Trish' was crying earlier at another member of staff as she had been on my computer and seen an email that I had sent to a friend/colleague. We have little chats every now and again when working, silly things like today is going so slow or what you doing (we're not in the office) anyway this one particular email had a comment from me saying 'Trish is being morbid again, keeps asking me what she is supposed to do if her partner dies suddenly. Asked if there was something wrong with him but nope he perfectly healthy. It was just a random thought that came into her head. I explained to my friend that I was struggling to know how to respond to these types of comments as it a bit weird. didn't really think anything else of it. 'Trish' has said to the colleague she was crying at that I'm a bully, I'm cruel, and she's applied for another job as she doesn't want to work with me any more. First of all I feel bad for the comment I made in the email but it was never meant in a cruel way. Me and 'Trish' have often joked about the strange things that pop into her head and her compulsive worrying. She always comes to me to talk. secondly my issue is that this email is actually from 6 months ago so for some reason she has gone looking through my work emails which is not allowed especially since I have a lot of confidential items in my emails i.e wage information, vendor agreements, bank information/agreements. thirdly she said she saw the email this morning and she has also applied for a job this morning so has used company pc's to look and apply for different work. I don't know how to respond to the situation. Should I confront her about it or just leave it as she told the original member of staff not to say anything. But he did as the word bully got out in the conversation. In no way would I ever try to make someone feel bad but I also feel like she should never of seen the email if she wasn't snooping on my machine. I'm just very confused right now. <Q> I would just leave it alone. <S> I can't think of anything you could initiate that would make it better. <S> Some people just dramatise everything. <S> I'd wait until she actually approached me or there was a meeting called. <S> Most things like this fade into the past real quick as the next drama comes along. <S> Lastly, lock your machine whenever you're away from it. <S> It's her fault for snooping, and your fault for giving the opportunity. <A> I am really hoping the manager called you aside more to inform you and not to reprimand. <S> Yes that is not a flattering statement but to me it is objective and you are asking how to deal with her? <S> If she went through your email and did not have an approved business purpose <S> then her finding it is her problem. <S> Her reaction is her problem. <S> If she had authority to go through your email clearly you would not have done that. <S> Her going through you <S> email is a problem and you should tell your manager. <S> She has already called you a bully and will likely consider any approach by you as bulling. <A> She is hurt because of it. <S> So you either needs to make amends with her or... <S> your management needs to decide that she shouldn't be on your email, has gone way beyond normal guidelines, and needs to be fired ASAP. <S> And if you and your management really wants her. <S> I would talk to your manager and figure this out. <S> On a side note: If you have someone who acts like this you are egging on her attitude and behavior through your actions. <S> She doesn't act professional because you let her act out so much. <S> Those types don't have to be fired but they should be told no (like a 2 year old). <S> It sounds like a nursery not workplace. <S> Also keep your damn computer locked - thinking this person is not a hacking genius. <A> Though, from your description, Trish sounds to have some issues, I would venture to guess that the reason why she was a upset, was due to a breach of confidence. <S> She might have felt that she could talk to you about anything, anytime and that you would be there to listen. <S> But then she discovers that you don't keep her information to yourself but that you share it with other colleagues and/or friends. <S> Confidence expectation are always something complex, often expected but rarely outspoken. <S> From what you previously described of her, that realisation might have given her a feeling of treason. <S> And she reacts impulsively. <S> So now to your actions: <S> We all love some gossip, but they can be harmful to the subject. <S> While it's reasonable to ask some help to deal with it, I would recommend to avoid doing it in written form. <S> She may behave like a 3-years old child, but she's a grown up, you're not her mother <S> , if she decides to leave, let her do it. <S> It might even be good for her, for all we know. <S> Clarify with HR the whole situation. <S> But you're 8. <S> HR probably know how you behave usually, so I would not worry. <S> Never, ever again, leave your computer unlock when you aren't working on it. <S> Especially if you have potentially sensible documents on it. <S> I have heard/read about people being fired for exactly this. <S> (Even if, hopefully, rare). <S> Don't use your professional mail for personal discussions. <S> And your professional mails are often stored, meaning they might be fully accessible to your boss and/or the IT.
| Don't approach her. Yes you are to blame because you are her coworker/friend and she found an email where you were talking about her behind her back. Really this depends on your office culture and how long it would take to get another employee doing her job. While often tolerated, it is usually not allowed.
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Is it reasonable to ask for a cost of living raise If the company moves to the other side of the city and I move with it so as not to deal with traffic and just generally be more convenient for me, and if the rent/gas/other costs of living are higher in that section (it's a nicer part of town), can I reasonably ask for a raise since I am moving only because the company is? <Q> Normally I would think not, you're not moving because the company is, you're moving for your own convenience. <S> Plenty of people commute quite long distances and don't get paid more because of it. <A> You can certainly ask for a compensation for the fact that your commute costs more. <S> However, where you are living is completely up to you. <S> If you can still reach the company by normal transport, the company will likely write this off as "your problem". <S> So it cannot hurt to ask, but even if successful don't expect riches. <S> Expect to be reimbursed for the actual cost of the commute from your old home, not the fancy new house next to the company premises. <A> A location move by the company is not your choice, but there are lots of ways in which it could impact your life and finances including: Fuel costs, public transport costs Extended childcare hours (costs) Loss of personal social time <S> However, whether the company decides to give a pay rise to help offset these extra costs is a decision for the company. <S> There is one other area to investigate. <S> Your employment contract. <S> Most employment contracts will state the location you are to perform your duties. <S> Changes to this should also have involved an element of consultation with you,which is your opportunity to raise exactly these kinds of issues. <A> You can ask whatever you wanna ask. <S> But in kind, be prepared for your employer to give whatever answer. <S> If you move -- by your own words -- the company is not the only part that's benefiting. <S> It's in a "nice" part of town (your words) -- <S> but you are yet ungrateful. <S> Ultimately, you must pay for your happiness. <S> Relish in the good things on the better side of town, as you may benefit in ways you haven't even imagined yet.
| However it can't hurt to ask, since it would depend wholly on the specific companies outlook on such a situation. I work in a heavily unionized industry and when one of our locations moved to the other end of the city, everyone who was found to now have a longer commute got an upgrade to that distance on their public transport ticket paid by the company. Yes it's reasonable to ask the question.
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Should I give feedback to my manager's boss? A few days ago, during contract renewal, company's boss asked my honest opinion about what is wrong in the project I'm working at. This wasn't a part of any review or feedback procedure, neither it was along the lines of "tell me if you have any problems". I'm always vocal about problems I see and apparently he likes that attitude, so he asked a specific question. I replied that I need a bit of time to gather my thoughts, but I have a problem figuring out what would be professional behaviour here. It feels like going behind the back of my immediate manager (the project's lead), even though I do always forward my comments and ideas to her. Should I ask company's boss to follow the chain of management he established, or should I answer his question? EDIT:Updating with requested information. Yes, I believe there are serious problems and yes, project's lead is part of them. At least the failure of escalating some of my comments to her boss - which would make him less inclined to ask me directly - is an obvious problem on her part. But it's also obvious that I shouldn't be badmouthing anyone, so I'm always attempting to give criticism about the process, not the people involved. The problem here is between agreeing to report directly to her superior, which is bad, or refusing his request, which could be seen as rudeness. <Q> Your company boss probably know something is up - or they likely would not approach you as they have. <S> Present your feed back honestly, fair and objectively. <S> Document with emails and examples. <S> Way to many people are afraid of stepping on other peoples toes, even when change is needed for the organisation to prosper. <A> We don't know if there are any problems, or how serious they might be. <S> So ask yourself a question, what will complaining about XyX achieve for me personally, beyond possibly putting myself in the firing line? <S> The important part is 'me' not the project. <S> There is already a person who needs to worry about the project. <S> Pre-empting his/her responsibilities shouldn't be taken lightly, you're not getting their paycheque. <S> If you see an advantage in doing so, then by all means complain, if not, then be noncommittal. <S> If pressed I'd say words to the affect that I don't see the whole picture, team lead CCC <S> would be a better person to ask. <A> A manager has asked you your honest opinion. <S> Replying with your honest opinion is not complaining or badmouthing. <S> You can choose not to be transparent, of course. <S> It is not your "duty". <S> From what you explain I believe that this manager smells the problem (project lead), which is why he is asking you. <S> If you do believe your project lead is part of the problem <S> then I don't see why you should not say it. <S> After all we love to complain about our managers when they are bad. <S> So why not do something about when the opportunity arises?
| My policy has always been that unless it's my role to be doing so, I don't complain outside the usual hierarchy unless its an extreme situation.
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Workplace is starting to turn into a toxic environment. How can I improve it? I am a PM, the environment I am working in now is gradually becoming toxic, my Boss seems to be the main culprit. The situation: Briefly mentioned in another thread, he is now taking away flex lunch times. Thank you for your advice in that thread, but I am starting to realise now that the problem might be bigger and is more to do with the way he wants to run his company moving forward. I have decided from that thread not to mention anything to my boss, but let him mention it to the team directly for him to see the reaction he receives at the next team meeting. He is hard to please, and is always unhappy about something. To give an example of this, after getting the team to commit and deliver work for him on time, he will then complain that other pieces of work have not been delivered effectively changing the project scope without my consent and making me liable. This leads to a lot of heated discussions between us, where I have to remind him that the project scope has changed. The team he is primarily leading, sales, is very low on morale right now. They are under performing, one team member is actively looking for another job elseware. During lunch breaks, they are always complaining about him, complaining that he is too authoritarian in his approach. The team that I am leading, the development team are high morale and consistently deliver, they are however starting to get affected by my Boss's authoritarian attitude. He has a difficult time respecting work/life balance, we are a small company based in the UK where our contracted hours is 40 hours a week. However, the company does not pay well, and overtime is unpaid, yet he expects us to work 55 hours a week ideally, and says that we are not working hard enough despite delivering everything he has asked for on a week by week bases. Many of my team members have extra curricular activities and are in relationships. My partner has also been complaining that I am working too many hours a week, and would prefer that I switched off and spend time with her. I have made the decision to look for another job, but before I leave I want to improve the situation of the company, so that it is a more enjoyable environment for the rest of the team to work in. Right now, I am doing my best to protect my team, showing reports (burndown charts, gaant charts, cumulative flow diagrams etc), giving recommendations on how we can improve our processes better etc Even if initially he agrees, it is not long before he sets back into old ways. Any tips for anyone else that has been in a similar situation? If so, how did you improve things? <Q> In general it looks like you need a more confrontational and direct course of action against him. <S> You already decided that you will be looking for a new job, so you aren't constrained by this being a career limiting move down the line. <S> First of all: Stop working unpaid overtime. <S> This may be career limiting in your company, but you don't care for that since you're already looking for a new job. <S> There is no need to burn away your life for a company and a manager with no regard for you or your work. <S> Second of all: When HR asks you on your exit interview why you left, be honest. <S> Don't be insulting, but be honest. <S> If more people leave and say the same they may decide to sack him, too. <S> There are some people who aren't able to ever be satisfied, and have no regard for anything but their bottom line and bonuses. <S> Your manager seems to be one of them. <S> Stop trying to please this person who is obviously unpleasable. <A> You're looking for a job, that's the #1 thing. <S> As you said, it's damaging your relationship. <S> NO job is worth that. <S> First hand experience here. <S> As to making it less toxic, it's hard when it's the boss that is the source. <S> I recommend "booking him". <S> No more unpaid OT for anyone. <S> He wants to do things by the book, then by the book it is. <S> This can be done with the art of pushback. <S> Whenever he pulls his nonsense of trying to get you and your team to commit to something specific, ask what he wants to put on the back burner in order to get that done. <S> A project manager I knew had a whiteboard with everything he was involved in written on it. <S> IF someone asked him to squeeze something in, he'd say "sure, just tell me which one of these projects I should put on hold to get it done". <S> It made his situation very clear. <S> An approach like this also holds management accountable for any changes they make, with the added bonus of you not being in the position to say no. <S> You can even go a step further and create a scope-change document detailing how resources will be diverted and have him sign it. <S> If he wants to micromanage, the pushback is to overburden him until he backs off. <S> Any time he makes a change, send him an email, CC your team documenting it. <S> "As per our conversation, the new changes are X with a new estimated delivery date of Y" Later when he blows his stack, just hand him copies of the emails and ask where you went wrong. <S> Keep calm. <S> If you do all of this, his erratic behavior may get him removed from his position <A> I have been in a similar Situation, where our Boss didnt handle all the things so well. <S> You are being worked 55 hours on an 40 hours work week. <S> This sounds to me like your either getting 15 badly paid overhours or not at all. <S> You Need to draw the line here <S> , he cant expect you to work 15 extra hours for nothing. <S> Seeing as you and your team are getting relationship problems ask for freetime on a different date. <S> Make a list of priorities say we set hours on this <S> and we work 40hours a week <S> pp. <S> When you want someone else faster move it up the list we give an estimate of hours. <S> Thats how we work. <S> When you want us to work more hours, make it worth our while. <S> Do note you might wanna take this down a notch, but make sure you get him to understand that his demands are to big and simply not possible for your Team, when he disagrees say <S> then I need to hire more developers since we can't do this with our current resources. <S> The team he is primarily leading, sales, is very low on morale right now. <S> They are under performing, one team member is actively looking for another job elseware. <S> You yourself can't do anything about his Teams morale. <S> Perhaps it is time for fresh blood, but that isnt your call. <S> Try and look for improvements you might be able to make for the sales team. <S> My Situation might not apply or help yours, but when my Boss gave us more freedom we got things running again.
| The only thing you can do to limit his effect is to not get into heated arguments with him. Tell him how the office feels about his new Regime, he needs to know.
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Do I tell that a colleague might be leaving work, and how? A fellow manager-colleague is likely to quit his job in the next couple of months. He has mentioned this intention to a couple of people he works closely with. We are cooperating on a very big project with a deadline, and I am almost certain his departure will compromise the project's outcome. With a fair amount of warning something might be done in terms of succession planning, if no warning is given then it is almost certain there will be big issues for the client and the employer as well. How would you handle this from an ethical and professional standpoint? <Q> It's not your job to project the future, especially for another person at your work. <S> Unless he has offer in hand and has turned in his resignation you do not know what could happen. <S> Maybe he is looking to simply get a raise at current position. <S> Maybe he is the type that is always looking but never leaving. <S> People complain and so forth at their jobs, some of those people act on it right away and some don't. <S> And for personal reasons I wouldn't say anything because you are making yourself into a snitch/rat. <S> If you said something about colleague X, and I am coworker <S> Y - I am never divulging crap to you in the future. <S> So figure that into your equation - is being behind on this project a bit worth losing trust at the workplace. <A> If he has not mentioned it to you specifically you should ignore it. <S> Who knows what he told the other people and what state of mind he was in at the time. <S> I cannot count how many times I have turned to a coworker over the years and said "I am so out of this place" without meaning it. <A> As the other answers have stated, I agree that you should not say anything about someone leaving unless it has become official and is no longer conjecture or sensitive information. <S> Part of your question also asked, "How do you deal with it as a professional?" <S> I believe you can do other things to protect the team and project in the event the person does leave. <S> You can push for redundancy in that person's role by documenting his key processes or training a backup. <S> It can be argued that some of those things are good practices anyway, regardless of the threat of a departure. <S> If it is in your power to do so <S> If he leaves, your team has a bit less pain and is in better position to handle the transition. <S> If he doesn't, you can adjust the work accordingly. <A> Snitches get stitches. <S> He clearly told you in confidence as a courtesy so that you could personally prepare. <S> He might not leave and if you say anything it will compromise his career. <S> In the future you will need to work with other employees and they will know you compromised a person's career. <S> If him leaving means it will impact the project then he is contributing. <S> Your concerns for the project do not trump a mans career nor what he shared in confidence. <S> If he was withholding information to intentionally make a maximum negative impact and it slipped that he was DEFINITELY leaving then maybe. <S> Sounds like he shared what he considered confidential information in good faith. <A> Do I tell that a colleague might be leaving work? <S> You've stated in your answer that your colleague's departure will impact your project negatively. <S> Which do you value more? <S> Your project or your colleague? <S> It's a serious question, because if your project is more important to you than your relationship with your colleague, it's in your best interest to make sure that it runs smoothly. <S> On the other hand, you're likely to lose a friend if your colleague has changed his mind, or if your tattling on him results in his termination. <S> …and how? <S> I feel as though the majority of questions on the workplace can be answered with: <S> Have a frank discussion with the parties involved and determine the best course of action based on your situation. <S> How would you handle this from an ethical and professional standpoint? <S> I try to value people more than projects. <S> I've had varying degrees of success with many projects, and I can say that I'd much rather have an unsuccessful project than lose a friend. <S> In your situation it sounds like your coworker approached you in confidence. <S> If the same happened to me, I would approach the coworker privately to discuss how best to resolve the conflict. <S> As for words, I might say something along the lines of: Thanks [coworker] for letting me know that you'd planned on leaving. <S> I appreciate the heads-up. <S> I'm a bit concerned about how your leaving the project is going to impact our success after you're gone, and I'd like to be able to have some sort of plan in place before <S> you go so that we're not all struggling to get by without you. <S> Is there a way you can let <S> [project manager/relevant superior] know that you're leaving so that we can put a plan in place? <S> Of course, maybe they can't talk to the boss because that might result in their early departure, so I would consider options such as setting up a private and informal plan, or having the entire project team spend some time increasing the bus factor so that your project isn't negatively impacted by any other team members leaving.
| If he starts to behave in a way that is uncharacteristic and is endangering the project I would take him aside and ask how things are going, but I would never tell him that I heard gossip that he was leaving. and you believe the probability of a departure to be high, you can also adjust the tasking so that individual has fewer critical path items.
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Is it advisable to make my boss aware of a harsh personal situation? At the moment I am going through a very stressing situation which is definitely not work related. Let me say it, my workplace is great, and my boss is a cool and sensible person. I know the rule. That I should be professional and keep my personal life for me, but it is becoming harder and harder to separate the two. I feel like I have been giving less than I could do under normal circumstances. My boss never mentioned anything, but it is unclear to me whether this is because he understands there is something bad happening to me and does not want to double the pressure, or because he is actually fine with the work I have been doing. Do you think it would be beneficial to make my boss aware of this situation? <Q> I know the rule. <S> That I should be professional and keep my personal life for me. <S> That is indeed the rule, <S> unless it affects your performance Anything that affects your performance is a concern for management. <S> The function of management is to expedite matters to ensure successful execution of duties and removing obstacles to that end. <S> When I was a project manager, I would say to my people. <S> "Raise any concerns and come to me with any problems as soon as you discover them. <S> Remember <S> , before the deadline it's a "concern" after the deadline, it's an excuse." <S> The same thing applies to anything that affects your performance, and yes, this includes your personal life. <S> Things happen off the job. <S> People get sick, deal with cancer, the death of a loved one, finances, et cetera and it effects our performance. <S> When my uncle passed away, I went into work the next day and misspelled a coworker's name in a message. <S> Then I sent another message and misspelled the word misspelled. <S> Then I let my manager know what was going on and went home. <S> The time to approach your manager is now, and you can phrase it like this: <S> Hey, boss. <S> I'm going through some problems in my private life right now, and <S> I'm concerned that it might start to affect my performance. <S> Could you please let me know if it does? <S> I won't burdon you with the details. <S> I just want to keep on top of things. <S> Thanks. <S> Your boss may or may not inquire further, but you've made him aware of an issue. <S> This sets the tone. <S> He will likely let you know if he's already noticed something. <S> Taking this approach is very professional. <S> Remember, being professional and being human are not mutually exclusive. <S> Letting your boss know that you're having a problem is not unprofessional. <S> It's being responsible, and being responsible IS being professional. <A> Unless you feel comfortable telling your boss about your personal life and getting counsel from them, you should keep it to yourself unless it is relevant to your work. <S> The personal life/work life split is really a personal choice , and while it's usually not recommended, you're entirely free to discuss your personal life with your boss if you feel they are a trustworthy individual. <S> But , this is entirely outside of whether or not you should tell them about it as part of your work. <S> For a professional setting, there is only one situation where you should tell your boss about something in your personal life - if you know or anticipate that you will need time off for it. <S> Even if your boss directly asks if there is something going on in your life affecting your working conditions, you are not obligated to tell him - <S> you can cite it if you do wish to and trust your boss with that information, but it is not professionally advisable to do so. <S> All of that being said - if you are experiencing a situation outside of the workplace that is causing you significant enough stress that it is affecting your work, you should consider seeking help to deal with this situation. <S> If it is a personal issue that is taking up time and causing stress that is simply too much for you to handle at once, you could ask family or friends for help. <S> If it is a situation causing you sufficient mental stress as to impede your work and social life, you might want to consider psychological help. <S> But, whatever help you seek, it should be dealt with outside of your workplace. <A> I think it depends heavily on the specifics of your relationship with your boss. <S> The first thing to do is to analyze the real effect is has on the quality of your work. <S> I know you said you have been giving less <S> then you normally could, but is it making a distinct and substantial difference in your ability to contribute? <S> It is easy to inflate understood shortcomings. <S> In actuality, if you continue to approach your job with diligence and care, you will eventually return to a standard that you are happy with. <S> Unless you feel that your work under the current circumstances is going to cause an imminent negative reaction by management or the customer, it is best to keep the problem strictly in your personal life and continue focusing on doing good work. <S> Best of luck! <A> If your boss has not said anything about your performance, it may not be necessary to say anything. <S> However if you feel that it is having a negative impact on your work it may be good to have a conversation with your boss. <S> They do not need specifics about what your personal issues are, but instead I would make sure to acknowledge there is a issue with your performance and assure them that you are working on resolving it or making sure it doesn't get worse.
| Unless it somehow starts to affect you on the job (in which case, you can seek accommodations from your workplace to help mitigate the situation), or unless you wish to consult your boss as a friend and not as your boss, you need to deal with it yourself. I would say that, whatever your answer to this is, the actual effect is probably less noticeable than you think.
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How to politely deal with the "Huh? What'cha talkin' 'bout?" co-worker? I've got a co-worker in our group that sits one section over from the rest of the group. We're in an open office (ugh, I know) and so it is easy to have quick 1:1 conversations (work, and non-work related). But at the same time voices travel and people nearby can catch most of what we say. The separate co-worker often likes to jump in at the tail-end of a conversation and wants to be included. This is often after the conversation has run its course and a decision has been made. How do I politely say what I want to say: "We got this. I don't want to replay the whole conversation for you when it doesn't involve you."Or is this just another bad part of working in an open-office? I do want to say that when I do want their input/opinion, I'm sure to include them and they contributes valuably. <Q> Actually this is fairly normal, if you're going to have a conversation loud enough for others to hear, you're actually disturbing them and shouldn't mind if they butt in a bit. <S> If you dislike it, lower your voices a bit and let your neighbours concentrate on their work instead of your conversation. <S> It's a better solution than being rude to them or trying to get rid of them. <A> "We were talking about unbirfating the tertiary Demi-Oracle, and decided to quux the luudi." <S> Or something else that helps him learn who works on which parts of the system and maybe understand the direction that has been set. <S> He doesn't need a full recap; one paragraph is plenty. <A> This calls for you to be more courteous with the nature of your office. <S> You have an exclusive right to communicate with respect to other office users and neither exercise your right by infringing on others, try a more discrete approach to both include and exclude required and non required opinions respectively and more so when its non-work related.
| Arrange a meeting over breaks or after work when every he has left, i believe you will never have to deal with this co-worker
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I have no practical tasks as a new developer , is this to be expected? I was newly hired as a developer. The process took around 1 month and after signing the contract I was asked to report to work 2 weeks later. For several weeks now I'm only reading documentation (language features, frameworks...). Several days ago I was given the project to look through (study). I tried to look at some code, but I'm not exactly sure how I'm supposed to understand the project only by looking at the code. I'm bored because I don't get any practical tasks and I don't think all this documentation is doing me any good (seeing as I don't apply anything in practice - only tried some basic examples and I don't remember most of what I'm reading). The manager said they are setting up my accounts and stuff like that, but much time has passed already. Is this a normal practice? It's difficult for me to think of challenging tasks and I feel it's a waste being involved in nothing practical. Is my experience normal for a new developer? <Q> This happens all the time in govt and some companies. <S> They have a budget for 10 programmers, so they hire 10 programmers, finding work for them all is sometimes a problem, but that's another issue. <S> If they don't hire 10 programmers, their budget will get smaller next time it's reviewed. <A> Sounds like you are working for a big multinational. <S> Onboarding can be slow and complicated when there are ridiculous hoops to jump through. <S> It's boring trying to come up to speed without access to the right tools. <S> Any sane manager would like you to be brought up to speed as soon as possible however in many organizations (including mine) processes that take weeks to complete cannot be initiated until your official start date. <S> Relax <S> this isn't a huge red flag that they will never give you anything interesting. <S> It is a huge red flag that this organization is a bureaucracy and you should be prepared for dealing with red tape often. <A> When I first got into development, and I thought I was a hotshot but was actually really terrible at my job <S> (not saying this is you), I was hired into a company that did something similar with me. <S> The thing was that they knew I was new, and did not have many of the skills they were looking for, but they saw potential. <S> So, this company hired droves of developers based on this criteria on the cheap, kept them around basically letting us collect a cheque while training us and hoping that we'd improve. <S> Then roughly a year into it, HR walked through our department like lions on the hunt and dragged dozens of people who didn't make the cut out the front door. <S> Now, I'm not saying this is necessarily what you're going through, but this a reasonable explanation. <S> They're wanting to invest in you and develop your skills, while simultaneously making you familiar with their code base and tools, hoping that the potential they see will blossom. <A> It can be hard to onboard a new person into a project. <S> Typically you will be asked to read documentation until your accounts are setup. <S> You should remember a strong developer should be able to "read" code to gain an understanding of the existing implementation, but just reading the code for a large-scale project is very difficult even for skilled developers. <S> Given that you have read the documentation and the source code, I would write down a list of questions about the existing system you are trying to understand and experiment if you are able to answer the questions yourself. <S> If not, ask to work with a senior developer to answer these questions. <S> If the documentation is lacking, start with refining the existing documentation or writing new ones. <A> I do not believe this is normal, however I have heard stories like this happening from time to time in big companies. <S> Big companies sometimes seem to be able to afford this waste of resources and manpower to a greater extend than smaller companies do. <S> When a certain amount of budget becomes available, a department of a bigger company might choose to hire a developer even if there is no immediate work for him or her. <S> I think you have done the right <S> think to ask for a task. <S> I would do this again (in a polite way of course) if the situation does not change. <S> Perhaps you can look for another person to talk to. <S> A 'non technical' manager might no be the right person. <S> If this situation does not change over a longer period of time, think about joining a smaller company. <S> But they will have other pecularities which are different to those of bigger companies. <S> Ideally you join a company where someone works that you know, so you already have insider information so to speak. <S> But of course this is not always feasible.
| You have to pair the code with well-written documentation or mentorship. This can be normal, depending largely on the company and your experience.
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Did not meet with future reporting manager Received an offer for a job I interviewed for. However, the interviewer was the MD, not my future direct reporting manager. Kind of like skipping the first interview and straight to the second interview. Have never been introduced to or met my future direct reporting manager. Should I be concerned to accept this job? Would it be strange if I asked to speak to the manager on the phone to get to know him/her better? I wonder if it would risk a rescination of offer though. Maybe the reporting manager decided that he/she didn't like me or my questions. <Q> Depends on the size of the company and if you applied to a specific position or not. <S> If the company is a large company this can happen. <S> Sometimes a totally different division runs through candidates. <S> For medium and small companies this would be highly irregular since they have no need for the extra layers of bureaucracy. <S> Secondly if you applied to work at a company and not a specific position then you could end up in a general pool of vetted candidates that managers can pick from and skip steps in the process like directly interviewing you. <S> This is more common with entry level positions where managers are not looking for a specific experience/skill set. <S> Again if you did apply directly to a position and it was not an entry level position then it should raise a flag. <S> Your situation happened to me when I applied to a rather large corporation right out of college. <S> My interview was even in a different state than where I would be working. <S> I did not meet my supervising manager in person until my first day on the job (had only two phone call conversations before that). <S> The humor of it is I did not find out what I would be working on until after I accepted the offer (I was rather naive). <S> If I had known I likely would have not accepted, but it turned out that project was one of the best projects I ever worked on. <S> I got lucky, in these situations it is best to ask questions and see if you could talk to who would be your supervising manager before signing anything. <A> I didn't speak to mine or meet in person during the interview process, but I spoke with him on the phone after an offer was extended. <A> No it is a perfectly reasonable request to ask to speak with your direct manager prior to accepting the offer. <S> This person will likely have the power to make your work life pretty rough so you should make an effort to make sure that you are on the same wavelength. <A> Would it be strange if I asked to speak to the manager on the phone to <S> get to know him/ <S> her better? <S> I can't imagine accepting a job offer without even meeting my direct manager at least once. <S> I believe the relationship between employee and manager is one of the most significant factors in job satisfaction, and repeated surveys indicate that it is a prime factor for people's decision to quit a job. <S> I've never encountered a situation where potential employee and potential manager never met, so <S> I really can't say if the hiring company would consider it "strange" that you asked. <S> I think it's "strange" that they didn't even offer a meeting, and I consider it a red flag about the nature of the company. <S> If this is a job you want, I think it makes complete sense to ask for such a meeting. <S> If they decline, I'd think twice or three times if this was the kind of company where I want to work. <A> I would want me meet my supervisor, see the facility, see what my cube looked like, and meet some co workers. <S> I know this is like a worse case scenario <S> but it could be a toxic environment the MD does not want you to see. <S> Did the MD give an explanation? <S> An interview is also to sell the candidate on the company.
| If it is important to you, then ask to speak with your direct manager before accepting an offer.
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How to deal with IT help desk that does not acknowledge requests for help? Whenever myself or my colleagues contact the IT help desk, there are a series of systemic problems, namely: Not acknowledging receipt of the request Taking no corrective action and unilaterally closing cases with no explanation to the user This is what I've tried before: Speaking to the IT help desk in person. This is now impossible, as they are located in a different office which is infeasible to travel to Speaking to the IT help desk over the phone. Unfortunately there is a triage intermediary in a foreign country, which creates language barriers, so this is hit-or-miss Escalating the issue to my manager. This doesn't work as the help desk provides the same level of poor service across the business Escalating the issue to their manager. This doesn't work as the culture of the help desk function seems to be a protectionist one My question is how can an end user encourage the IT help desk to acknowledge and work raised tickets? Additional info: I'm an associate level employee. The help desk are in a totally different organisational structure to the users This is a massive organisation with tens of thousands of employees The company is UK based <Q> As always, document everything. <S> If you can get other employees to collaborate, do so. <S> Ask your manager if he can do the same with other managers and have them escalate. <S> What you need to do is make a case to the higher ups that this is costing them money. <S> THAT always gets their attention. " <S> X hours lost due to inaction of help desk" in front of someone who writes the checks is going to get results. <A> I have observed this HelpDesk behaviour from a system that was automatically closing tickets as soon as they were filed. <S> (The hardest thing to detect is a fault in the "report a problem" form.) <S> By "system", I mean online issue tracking software and multiple HelpDesk operators with one HelpDesk operator who pushed the "close" button on each issue after opening it and without doing any work. <S> This was not resolved until I started the following: <S> Track every issue for which you create a ticket. <S> Every time any online ticket you create is closed without resolution, make two phone calls to the HelpDesk: <S> The first call is to reopen the issue as it has not been resolved. <S> The second call is to report a bug in the HelpDesk system since the issue was clearly closed erroneously and with neither comment nor resolution. <S> (This is, in fact, two errors worth reporting.) <S> Every time a phone ticket you created is closed without resolution, make two online tickets with the HelpDesk: <S> The first is to reopen the issue as it has not been resolved. <S> The second is to report a bug in the phone HelpDesk system since the issue was clearly closed erroneously and with neither comment nor resolution. <S> (This is, in fact, two errors worth reporting.) <S> Recurse. <S> This created a few hundred tickets in a two day period, during which I was showstopped by the issue I was raising <S> so could not accomplish anything else. <S> (Managing this with a database can be handy.) <S> This had a number of interesting effects: <S> Ticket handling gained a new "is your problem actually resolved" step (with an auto-accept deadline of a few days). <S> HelpDesk personnel were retrained to not close tickets until they were actually resolved. <S> The HelpDesk person who had been closing tickets in order to get their closure rate up without actually doing any work became exceptionally visible. <S> Closure rate was de-emphasized as a metric. <S> (Which I'm fine with: <S> It's a largely useless metric since the inputs are not controllable by the workers and since it falsely assumes that the distribution of "task sizes" follows a unimodal distribution.) <S> Your mileage may vary. <A> Keep all ticket numbers - if you don't get one, contact the help desk again for the ticket number. <S> On the spreadsheet, record the progress of the ticket - e.g Solved, Closed by Support, No Response - and also record the users response - e.g Solved, Closed but not solved, etc. <S> After a week or so, you'll be able to show to your managers the real impact of a support function that doesn't provide support. <A> The answer is still to escalate the problem to your manager. <S> It should be possible to build a case that x didn't get done or was done badly, or that y went over-budget due to repeated failures of the IT function. <A> There are clearly no Service Level Agreements (SLAs), or, if they do exist, no one cares that they are not being met. <S> Sounds like the culture of poor performance has already set in, is being tacitly accepted and will be hard to change. <S> Quantify the problem as money <S> : Keep a record of time lost in your team (or wider if you can) so you can show the hard money cost of the current helpdesk's bad performance. <S> Investigate outsourcing the IT Helpdesk function to an external party, whose contract can have SLAs that they will have to meet. <S> Get quotes. <S> Calculate the total cost of using an outsourced helpdesk, including the savings made by firing all the helpdesk personnel (estimate their wage and at least double it to give actual cost to the company of an employee). <S> Assuming the actual cost of outsourcing is a saving , propose it to management showing all your assumptions and calculations. <S> It will show you have great initiative and are pro-active. <S> If it is not a saving, then still show your working to management, but just to show you investigate alternatives and they didn't stack up. <S> But it will still show that the helpdesk needs an SLA and they need to meet it and what the cost of not meeting it is. <A> Ideal answer is to get your help desk onto a proper ticket-tracking system, with visibility to their customers and metrics tracking latency, throughput, and quality/satisfaction. <S> But that is something their management needs to implement, so it's something for your manager to pass up the good chain. <S> Meanwhile, as others have said, implement an ad-hoc tracking solution for your contact with them, recording all contacts and what info was passed back and forth. <S> Making requests in e-mail is one way to easily capture this, though some support folks take questions that arrive by phone as higher priority. <A> If it was me, I'd become the local replacement of the help desk to your business unit. <S> If you can acquire the skill you have the ability to have exposure to your local management and become a really valuable employee. <S> Those kind of things tend to lead to really good things, like promotions and higher pay. <S> Given your stated level of associate that is the best way to effect positive change in your business unit.
| The fastest solution that will give you good service from your helpdesk is to replace them. They need to address this issue by speaking to their manager. Record all contact with the help desk - on a shared spreadsheet, or even on a timesheet (which makes it very visible).
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Should I be expected to answer client phone calls after work hours? I have a work phone for communicating with clients that was provided by my company, which I often forget to switch off after the work day is done. Clients also have this number. A client has just called me, well outside of office hours on my first day of annual leave, with an issue. Being put on the spot and not wanting to be rude to a client, I remoted into the machine in question from my personal desktop at home to resolve the issue which in the end was fairly trivial. I'm kind of ticked off that a client interrupted my personal time when I specifically tell anyone who has my work number the hours that I will be in the office, and to call then. Am I being unreasonable? Am I asking for this by not switching my work phone off? <Q> You need to understand that people will use whatever leeway you choose to give them. <S> Leaving your phone on is giving that leeway. <S> It's not personal, it's business. <S> You pretty much need to enforce whatever boundaries you set but don't expect anyone else to enforce them for you. <S> Also, you could have just sent the guy to voice mail and then called him back later to tell him that you're actually on leave. <A> You should not be upset that a customer called you. <S> YOU need to manage your communications. <S> When you're on vacation, change your voicemail greeting to explain that : You are on vacation. <S> You are not responding to messages until you return date. <S> When your return date is. <S> An alternative contact at your organization for immediate issues. <S> I recommend leaving the alternative contact number twice, as people may be surprised and need a moment to gather pen/paper to write it down. <S> And, as @DanPichelman reminds us: <S> Shut the phone off until you get back to the office. <A> Generally before I leave for vacation I make sure there is someone covering my work. <S> This often means several different people are covering different tasks I have. <S> I send out an email to my regular customers letting them know I will be on vacation, and who they should contact. <S> Then if I still get a call I let them know to contact who ever is covering for me as I do not have access to a computer to help them right now, even if I am sitting at my computer with nothing else to do. <S> Then if there is a problem that my coverage can not handle, and the customer can not wait, the coverage person can contact me. <S> Then I will get into solving the issue if needed, or direct them to escalate the issue properly if it is more effort than I can or am willing to give during my vacation. <A> Ultimately the answer to that question is between you and your employer but if they do expect you to be available, even when you are on leave, then they should be prepared to provide appropriate compensation. <S> My last job I was theoretically on call 24x7x365 <S> as all our clients had my cell phone number and we had a small support team that didn't have <S> 24x7 coverage. <S> I didn't really mind that because in the 4 years I was there I got a grand total of 1 call outside of business hours. <S> For the last 2 years my work phone was even my only phone so turning it off wasn't really an option. <S> As far as your specific example it depends a little bit. <S> This is the best thing to do for you, even when you aren't on vacation, and for your company too. <S> Clients can get used to things when you make exceptions and don't follow process and begin to expect that as the normal process. <S> Suddenly a simple one time quick fix after hours is an expectation of 24x7 support and they won't want to pay extra for that either. <S> so you don't have to remember to turn it off.
| Assuming they didn't know you were on leave and your company has some policy/process in place for handling those types of after hours issues I simply would have told them you were on leave and referred them to the appropriate avenue for getting assistance with their issue. Also check your phone's settings for a quiet hours setting to have it automatically take care of things for you
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What to do when my reference-givers ask me what should they write in references? My new boss wants references from previous jobs. So I asked my ex-bosses to write me them. And 2 of 3 of them asked me how do I want it to be written and what do I want from them to include there. Should I ask my new boss what do he wants in the references or this should be left for my ex-bosses to figure out or should I tell them what I want? (after all it's not me who wants those references) I never needed references and I've never seen any so I completely don't know anything about "industry standard". <Q> Short answer: <S> Simply, ask your old bosses to talk about the skills and experiences you had in that job that are relevant to the new job. <S> The best way to know what to ask is to look at your CV, and make sure that what you put in there for that position is covered in the reference from the employer for that position. <S> Your new employer just wants to make sure that you have done (well) what you said you have done and where you said you did it :) <S> So look at your CV, see what you said, and think about the kinds of questions you were asked in the interview process. <S> Cover those off and <S> you're fine :) <A> You definitely shouldn't ask your new boss what he wants. <S> He wants to know what your old bosses thought of you. <S> If your old bosses are asking you, then this is a good thing: <S> you have the opportunity to consider what made you shine in your previous role. <S> Your old bosses aren't going to put in anything they don't agree with, but they're putting the job of thinking back onto you. <S> Consider what you did well <S> - what changes did you bring to the company that are still around now? <S> What did people thank you for and compliment you on the most? <S> What do <S> you think you brought to your previous role? <S> Tell your previous bosses this, and providing they agree, you'll end up with an excellently specific reference that is probably better than what they would have written on their own :) <S> (I've even had a boss ask me to write the reference myself before, and have them sign it!) <A> They just don't want to spend a lot of time on it. <S> Nor focus on stuff not important. <S> Give more than they will need. <S> Marian worked on the follow: <S> Project: asdlkfja <S> Role: alsdjflasd <S> Performance: met expectation .... <S> Served on the following teams: <S> Team: <S> Get back the grape soda <S> Role: taste tester <S> Regular duties <S> ... <S> you get the picture Strengths - solid team contributor and can step in lead role as required - organized Weakness - show contempt to management - just kidding
| You ask them to write what you did (outlined in your CV), with emphasis on what is relevant for the new job. You don't have to ask your new employer, they'll probably be scratching their heads at such an odd request.
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Can I negotiate for a higher salary based on a higher offer I got elsewhere? I was offered a position from company A. The annual salary would be $75K plus they'd give me a $1,000 signing bonus to help me relocate. I was also offered a position with company B. It would also require relocating but they offered me the same salary I'm receiving at my current job ($60K) and no relocation bonus. When I asked for a small increase in salary ($65K) I was denied and told after one year, the pay could increase to $70 or $72K depending on performance. Should I try to renegotiate with company B and let them know I have another offer? <Q> Should I try to ask company B again for an increase <S> , that's not a faux pas. <S> I typically don't advise negotiating based on other offers but the scenario you describe is one where it's not a faux pas and bizarrely it can be more effective than arguing on proper reasons. <S> Do not mention the signing bonus. <S> It's largely irrelevant and risks confusing your message. <S> Some companies give them, some don't. <S> You can ask for one during negotiation but that you'd get one at A <S> shouldn't be a basis for comparison. <S> They may balk at renegotiating and simply withdraw their offer, but I'm assuming you wouldn't take it at that salary anyway. <S> If you would accept their offer due to other reasons (benefits, location, growth, ...) <S> then you need to be a lot more careful in your negotiation. <S> Don't ever believe "we may give you a raise to X in Y months". <S> If they make that point then you need to get that promise of a raise in writing from the hiring manager. <S> No "we'll evaluate your salary". <S> No "conditional on good performance". <S> It should a black-and-white "salary increase to X after 6/12 months". <S> Of course, if A and B are equally interesting I wouldn't even bother with this. <S> 15k is a pretty significant gap, even if they mentioned a number close to that as a possible raise somewhere down the line. <A> Each manager should like to be aware about the market prices, regardless if they buy it or not. <S> I would be thankful in they place, the information about salaries is valuable. <S> As you already have that another offer, I also think there is nothing to lose. <S> If they would like like to have you but do not want to pay that price (or cannot afford), they will try alternative promises that must be carefully evaluated. <S> In case you hear "we never hire people who attempt to negotiate on anything", I would say, strange company and not a good place to work anyway. <A> You should absolutely negotiate. <S> You are attempting to sell something (your time and skills) that doesn't have an set price in the marketplace. <S> Company A thinks your price should be $75k, Company B thinks it should be $60k and Company C (current) <S> thinks it should be $60k. <S> You tried to convince Company B that $60k is too low of a price. <S> They were unconvinced. <S> It is totally valid to say "I would like to work for your organization, however, another company has offered me $75k, and the 25% raise outweighs the general positives your organization offers. <S> Unfortunately, unless you're able to increase your offer, I am going to accept my other offer." <S> At that point there are 3 options. <S> They choose to stand firm and you accept the offer from Company A. <S> They offer to match and you accept the offer from Company B. <S> They offer somewhere between $60k and $75k and you have to weigh your options. <S> (You should probably decide what that number is before hand, though I wouldn't offer it up unless they counter lower - ex: " <S> $65? <S> If you make it $70 you have a deal"). <S> Also, congratulations on having 3 job offers (A, B, C)!
| If the salary they offer won't work for you there's no harm in negotiating. You can bring up that you got a higher offer
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Spending Project Money on Non Project Work I currently work as a software developer in a rather large company. I am currently working on multiple projects which each have their own funding pool & own project managers who monitor expenditure (mainly hours spent working). We had an intern "Steve" who was tasked with working on his own project, Project X. This is a project which has no budget but as Steve was not required log his hours against projects his work was considered "free labour". Steve is moving on from the company as his internship is almost over. However his project has not been completed as expected so I have been told by my direct manager "Bob" that I am required to familiarise myself with the Steve's work and finish the project. I asked Bob which project I should book my time against and he told me there is no project so I am to balance this out between the other projects I am working on. Bob has asked me to do this before (however this was the first time in writing) but this is significantly larger than any prior task (previous tasks have been 1 or 2 days, Project X will take much longer as the intern was still learning so his work is very messy). I know for a fact that the managers for my other projects would not want me to do this and it seems unethical to spend their project budget on a failed intern project. Some of my coworkers have suggested flat out refusing to do it, though I have been told Bob has bullied people out of the company who crossed him. Others have suggested to just do the work and if questioned by a project manager show them the email from Bob requesting I spend their money. I don't think this is a good idea either because I will likely be blamed for making Bob look bad. I am not really sure what to do, what is the best way to handle this situation? EDIT: The contract for the work is a fixed price contract and the customer does not pay for it. However as mentioned by @Anketam, the non project work hurts the profitability of the contract and makes the PM and myself look incompetent. <Q> Government contracts <S> This would fall under labor mischarging and it is a big deal. <S> Refuse <S> no matter what, you personally can be held responsible for this. <S> Private contracts Depends on the setup of the contract, but the customer at the very least would be displeased to find out that they paid extra for stuff that was out of scope of the contract and could result in a lawsuit. <S> Even when a contract is a fixed price contract and the customer does not pay for it, the extra work still hurts the profitability of the contract and the PM would not appreciate it, since profit margins are a measure of their performance. <S> Ask your manager if the PMs for those projects has approved you doing this work against their projects. <S> This will cover you in both ways. <S> The first, your manager asks or already has asked for their permission and they gave it the okay <S> and you are covered. <S> The second, the manager does not ask the PMs but tells you that they are okay with it. <S> Either way you have an email saying you were authorized to do it, and if you were lied to then that will come down hard on your manager. <S> Get everything in writing <S> Bob is telling you to do something that is either flat out illegal or directly hurts the contracts you would be charging. <S> As such get everything in writing, and be prepared to refuse or try and seek a third option. <A> The time-tracking category your company seems to be missing is "overhead", that bucket that includes intern projects, mentoring new hires, attending company meetings, finding and fixing that problem on your source-control server, and so on. <S> If you have an overhead category, ask Bob if that would be a better place to bill the time -- especially if you have government contracts. <S> If you don't have an overhead category, then Bob's "spread it around" approach is probably his way of coping with that, so you're probably stuck -- do it and keep a paper trail. <S> But you might also try to get a conversation about overhead started, so your company can address the problem systemically. <S> In your position I would raise the issue with my own manager (not project managers). <A> Forward that email to the top (make sure that person knows why you're sending it), and just stand aside. <S> Watch for falling rocks. <A> I can't find any situation where insisting on them creating an official project to track your hours against is not a better or equal option to doing what you were asked to do. <S> If your company doesn't really care about you doing this behind their back, then they also won't really care about creating a new project which you can track your hours against. <S> You merely need to insist on them creating the project even if it's inconvenient (maybe they are embarrassed that they don't know how?). <S> If your company doesn't like you doing this behind their back, you're in big trouble if you do this. <S> You will not be able to take any reward if the project succeeds and are guaranteed to take all the blame. <S> In this case you simply need to insist they create the project for you to track the hours and they will eventually let it drop. <A> You are in a really tough spot. <S> What your boss is asking you to do is wrong and he knows it is wrong. <S> You stated he has bullied people out of the company that have challenged him. <S> If you challenge him up front the problem is that you have no allies. <S> The hours have not yet hit the other projects and PMs. <S> So he may decide to just bully you out of the company. <S> If you are asked about it then tell them you were instructed to charge time from another project. <S> Pretend like you figured it was OK. <S> If they ask for proof then produce the email. <S> You won't be blamed for making Bob look bad - he did that to himself. <S> Now things could get ugly and you could be collateral damage. <S> But at least it is an open battle and would be harder for Bob to bully you out without making himself look bad. <S> Ideally you want to make this between Bob and the PMs.
| If these projects are tied to government contracts then it is flat out illegal to charge the project for work not done against it. I would charge the time to other projects and keep records.
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No topics left in a meeting with a customer I'm a software developer. We (our CEO, our project manager and me) currently had a two day project meeting with a client (their CEO, their project manager and two power users). On the second day the project managers and CEOs had to discuss some organizational stuff, where the user and I were not needed. So they proposed that we do some hands-on testing to improve usability details. They thought that the meeting of the managers would take about one and a half hours, but in the end took three hours. The hands-on was really productive and helpful for the user and me for about two hours, but then we ran out of topics. So we three were sitting in front of my PC for an hour, mostly in uncomfortable silence. We started talking about things like holidays and so on.I did not limit myself to any fixed schedule or topic. We covered issues in the current test version of the product, all questions I had regarding the next phase and additional features for current and upcoming parts. There were no topics left I could think of. But as neither me nor them are big small-talkers this felt really awkward. How could I've handled the situation, what do you do in similar situations? <Q> In addition to the comments above, you are now finding out that small talk is a useful skill. <S> I suggest picking one or two safe topics - not religion or politics - and practice getting into conversations about them with friends and colleagues until doing so no longer feels at all uncomfortable. <S> I'm English, so for me the weather is the default small talk subject. <S> The weather has to do something that can be discussed. <S> If it is neither too hot nor too cold, too wet nor too dry, talk about how nice it is. <S> It either prevents or permits taking a walk outside the building, which fits in nicely with taking a short walk-around break. <S> Of course, any time you think of something to tell or ask the users about the product, switch back to that. <S> The objective of the small talk is to free up your mind to find other relevant material to discuss. <A> If you could not because critical attendees were in the other meeting then do a preview of what will be covered in the afternoon. <S> If you can move even some of the discussion that would result from the afternoon topics/meetings to that morning it would help mitigate other portions of the day running long or could result in the last meeting ending early, and who does not like meetings that end early? <S> If you have absolutely nothing to fill it with, then as Brandin said in the comments take a break. <A> Since as you said, the first two hours were productive it is clear that there would be subjects adjacent to what you covered that could have been discussed. <S> For example you could have discussed some other aspects of the product that the user may have found interesting such as design tradeoffs that you had to make. <S> Similarly you could have asked the user what other features they would like to see in the product. <S> I have to say that you will go a lot further in what you do if you can stretch yourself beyond what the CEO and project managers told you to do. <S> The situation was only awkward because you let it be so. <A> Taking some time to sum up and make sure everyone is on the same page is usually time well spent. <A> "It looks like we're done early, so unless there's something you'd like to bring up I'll close up now and return the remaining time for you to to other things with. <S> See you (whenever the next meeting is)!"
| Since you had a firm fixed lunch time and a gap that needed to be filled, see if there are any topics you planned on discussing that afternoon or later in other meetings that could be discussed then. Outside of cultivating the ability to do small talk as was mentioned, you can also spend some time reviewing what you did and the findings that you made.
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Is it appropriate to mention how long you've been applying at the same company? In my city there's this large company employing several thousand people, at which I've already worked before during a small period, and where I'd really like to be employed again for a number of reasons. Since it's a renowned place, it attracts between 300 and 600 applicants for every single job opening they post. I've quite good qualifications and experience, and I've been applying for a large number of jobs there in the last ten years (*). I've mixed feeling as whether I should mention this in my job applications, or it would be better to leave it out, and whether it would make any difference. Would that sound as very motivated to work at the company (making me stand out among the other candidates), or just as desperate/pathetic? (*) So far I managed just to obtain a 1-year contract, long time ago. <Q> Either they already know that fact because they remember you as a potential recruit, either they don't and recalling them <S> you applied several times may make them think they had reasons not to hire you before. <S> Instead, use your knowledge of the company for a good, targetted cover letter. <S> Insist on your motivation and explain why you applied several times before. <A> I think it might be foolish. <S> If I were the HR person and you shared that with me, the first thing I'd do is to figure out why you kept being disqualified. <S> Just keep that information to yourself. <A> If that 1-year contract is relevant to the post you are applying to <S> and you then include it. <S> Including it will not make it appear that you are motivated nor would it make you appear pathetic. <S> From their eyes it is just work experience. <S> If you really want this position, the best thing you can do is make sure <S> your resume/CV is well polished and have several other people you trust review it. <S> If there is anything in it that would make you look desperate hopefully they would notice it and point it out to you. <A> You need not mention that you have applied on numerous occasions. <S> If the contract went well, I see no reason to not include the experience. <S> It shows they were willing to hire you before and you were of value to them. <S> Even if your past experience at the company was negative, you would need to include it, as having the company find out that you hadn't mentioned this previous experience probably would create an awkward situation and possibly put you out of the running. <S> Not mentioning having applied on numerous occasions should not carry a similar penalty, as applying for (but not getting) <S> a job by most would be considered a non-event.
| I don't think it is a very important fact for them to know, so I wouldn't mention it. In resumes you keep to relevant work experience. In a Danish context, one would have to include that you have worked there before as it obviously is extremely relevant to the current position.
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Am I being disloyal by jumping ship? I am a key member of the team being a project manager managing the development team. We are currently building an in house start up product. Despite my differences with my boss/CEO when it comes to managerial style, on the whole we get along, with my team consistently performing. They consistently on a weekly bases deliver work. My Boss on the other hand who is in charge of the sales team is struggling to generate leads into sales. The problem that we have now is cashflow. My boss has told me the following: a well liked member of the sales team is going to be let go from under performing Another colleague of mine doing QA hasn't been paid for the last 3 months. Based on this, I am not completely sure if I should move on, or if I should ride through the wave hoping that things will get better - a part of me feels as though I am being disloyal to the company during hard times. What do you think? <Q> Another colleague of mine doing QA hasn't been paid for the last 3 months. <S> This is a big red flag. <S> It is clear that the company is experiencing monetary difficulties, and you don't want to be in the same position of not being paid. <S> In this case, looking for another job is just self-defense. <S> To answer your original question: Am I being disloyal by jumping ship? <S> Just realize that they won't hesitate to fire you, for instance if they find a cheaper replacement. <A> There are people in your company not being paid. <S> This means it's very likely that you (and others) will either not be paid or be out of a job entirely in the near future. <S> In that situation, it's not "disloyal" to be looking for another job - it's what you need to do in order to ensure the bills are paid. <A> Are you disloyal to the company for jumping ship? <S> Absolutely. <S> But you might be disloyal to your wife and children, or your wallet, if you stay with the company. <S> And your wife, children, and wallet, are more deserving of your loyalty than the company. <S> Especially since the company has already proven that it is disloyal to some employees, and there is little evidence that it can stay loyal to you or even intends to be loyal to you. <A> I made the mistake of feeling the same way you do in a previous job. <S> Others have already mentioned someone not getting paid (for 3 months!) <S> being a big red flag and would definitely lead to me itching to leave myself. <S> Let me just add 3 months is a long time - a few weeks you could nearly live with - perhaps they needed to get one project over the line or having trouble collecting a cheque from a particular client. <S> But 3 months shows consistent inability to pay their staff - which begs the question why the QA guy is still there! <S> If you're just worried about feeling disloyal, think of it this way. <S> People leave jobs all the time. <S> It's part of running a business to have a staff turnover. <S> If they said tomorrow that they could no longer afford to keep you and had to let you go, how long could you live without a job? <S> Do you have a family/debts to support? <S> Because by the sounds of it this is a very real possibility and you wouldn't be getting much of a redundancy package. <S> Has your CEO given you indication of how the company is going to turn things around (other than firing the underperforming salesperson)? <S> If they can fire a staff member for underperforming, surely you shouldn't feel so bad for "firing" them for underperforming. <S> (As others have said if it was the other way around they probably wouldn't hesitate) <A> Another colleague of mine doing QA hasn't been paid for the last 3 months. <S> Do you really believe, if this is happening to somebody else, that it can't happen to you? <S> Wake up! <S> Sometimes we say, "the writing's on the wall". <S> But in your case, the wall's clearly being knocked down with the writing on it, and you're doing nothing. <S> Forgive my surprise, but <S> WOW!!! <A> Loyalty is supposed to go both sides. <S> After what you've written, do you think your employer is loyal to its employees? <S> If you work for an employer you have good reasons to believe is always loyal, and won't give you up, then be loyal. <S> Of course, the usual advice applies as well <S> : don't leave before having a firm offer elsewhere. <A> My one rule is when the sales force is being reduced, it's time to move on. <S> As companies like to say all the time, "it's just business". <S> you need to take the same approach. <S> Loyalty doesn't come into play here at all. <S> Loyalty is keeping trade secrets secret. <S> Loyalty is standing by in tough times. <S> However, loyalty is not staying on a sinking ship until you drown. <S> Loyalty is not having someone's back while they stick a dagger in yours. <S> Loyalty is not standing by your employer while they stab others in the back. <S> If the dagger hasn't found yours yet, it will. <S> You owe no loyalty to a company that is not loyal to <S> it's employees any more than you should be loyal to an acquaintance that has a habit of stealing from people simply because he hasn't found your wallet.... <S> yet . <S> This is a lesson I learned the hard way. <S> Hopefully you will be wise where I was not.
| If you work for an employer that has a recent history of letting people go and not paying them, then you are not supposed to be loyal anymore. Loyalty is refusing to be lured away to another company. Disloyalty has nothing to do with this situation.
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Is it appropriate to alter a timestamp? I wonder which response to this situation is best: You work in an IT department and one the user from your company (but not IT department) asks you to change a timestamp. For example: "please update the records to change the shipping time 3 hours earlier than it is" or "please update the database records from 'ticket treated on XX/XX/XXXX hh:mm' to the same time but the day before". Your (IT) managers told you to always fit whatever request the users are doing. What is the proper answer to this? If you do it then you are lying to end-customers and if you don't your hierarchy might not appreciate that you did not fit the users' request... <Q> You need additional information. <S> It happens a lot when the data being added to the system is wrong. <S> For example what if a device that logs package arrivals at a facility had the wrong date set on it and thus all the packages coming in got logged with bad data which needs to be fixed. <S> In an ideal world changing traceability data should also be traceable. <S> As in you have documents and logs detailing that you changed a value from X to Y, and those logs are auditable. <S> Those documents should also say why you need to change the information. <S> If you are not getting the why written down somewhere, then you should refuse to change it until it is. <S> If you do not then years from now someone could put you in the hot seat and ask you why did you change the information. <A> "Your (IT) managers told you to always fit whatever request the users are doing. <S> " <S> Your managers might not have anticipated that a user requests something that might be illegal or damaging the company. <S> "please update the records to change the shipping time 3 hours earlier than it is" or "please update the database records from 'ticket treated on XX/XX/XXXX <S> hh:mm' <S> to the same time <S> but the day before" - your database records should say the truth. <S> If the shipping date or ticket treatment date are incorrect then this can be changed; there are systems where a record of the change would be required (for example with a comment "fixing incorrect date entry"). <S> If someone changes for example a correct shipping time so they don't get blamed when the shipment arrives too late, then you should not change it. <S> It's up to your manager to decide and how to handle this; "do whatever the user asks" means your manager isn't doing their job. <S> So bring it to you manager, and explain that do to the nature of the request you thought you should check with them before completing it. <A> You don't know it is a lie. <S> You don't know if the original data is valid. <S> You are not in a position to certify the data and <S> I am suggesting you don't want to insert yourself there. <S> Even if you ask for a reason you don't know if the reason is valid. <S> This is something you need to ask your boss. <S> Boss, does always fit whatever request the users are doing include changing data? <S> I am getting numerous request to change shipping time. <S> It is easy enough to do. <S> My question is if that is something I should be doing. <A> Your (IT) managers told you to always fit whatever request the users are doing. <S> Working as an IT auditor, timestamps are one key piece of information I rely on when conducting internal controls testing. <S> It is entirely possible that the request is benign, but it is also possible that the request to you is in an attempt at collusion between business and IT as part of an illegal fraud . <S> If you make the change, when the changes are audited, your name will be (or should be if change management controls are working) associated with the change. <S> Albeit how unlikely the possibility, the possibility the motivation is unscrupulous exists. <S> You should find out the reason for the request, and if you suspect its questionable, don't make the change. <S> Ask yourself: "Do I want my name and reputation to be tainted as an accomplice to illegal / unethical activity ? <A> Are these requests made in writing? <S> i.e. So there is a paper trail? <S> I think with these kinds of requests I would do the following: <S> Get additional information as to why this should be changed. <S> Seek guidance from a manager (written if possible). <S> Ensure that these requests come through in writing/support ticket etc. <S> If you have written guidance from a manager to always change dates and you have written proof someone requested the date change, then you should cover your back should something arise from this.
| Your (IT) managers told you to always fit whatever request the users are doing. I urge you to be very cautious and to document fully the request in written form if feasible.
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What should I, as a Software Developer do when the product owner asks us to do her job, which involves BA work instead of coding? Our backlog ran dry and the one thing left, was this data-modeling task which involves dealing with huge excel spreadsheets and talking to various stakeholders every day. Neither the team, nor the product owner fully understand what that spread sheet is all about or who exactly the stakeholders are. What we do know, is that they have a bunch of spreadsheets that need to be filled out. However, the 3 developers on the team are frontend developers. What are we supposed to do? Should we simply do what the PO tells us or should we complain to upper management about the PO letting the backlog run dry and failing to effectively use her resources? Update : We have a BA / FA on the team and some of us feel that he simply handed off his job to the developers. <Q> You should eagerly seize the opportunity to learn more about the business side and develop personal connections with the stakeholders. <S> You'll probably be able to massively streamline or automate the process and gain kudos too. <A> First off, nobody will ever care much about your official job description. <S> Protesting about doing a job that's outside your job description will give off a negative impression, and you have to decide if that's worth it. <S> One might draw the line at having to scrub toilets, but I can see circumstances where even that might be acceptable to me (cleaning lady is sick, small office, good salary, and I prefer having clean toilets to not having clean toilets). <S> Instead use the opportunity to learn, and let your Scrum Master and PO know that you'd prefer better groomed stories in the future. <S> If this happens often in the future and you generally dislike the kind of work that gets your way, talk to your line manager. <S> If the PO is generally incompetent and is continuously harming your ability to work properly, that requires a different approach but that's outside the scope of this question. <S> You should not complain to upper management about the PO letting the backlog run dry. <S> It's their job to already know that. <S> If anything you'd need to talk to upper upper management about upper management not even looking at the backlogs of their POs. <A> This is my second answer to this question, which attacks it from a different angle: <S> The PO tells us that understanding it [the spreadsheet? <S> data modeling task? <S> story?] <S> is the goal of this sprint. <S> this isn't a proper sprint goal. <S> the PO can't unilaterally set the sprint goal, it's decided by the PO and the team. <S> taking a single story for a whole sprint is ridiculous. <S> taking a story that hasn't been properly groomed is ridiculous. <S> ... <S> Your Scrum process is broken. <S> Making sure what happened does not happen is one of the primary functions of a Scrum Master. <S> It seems like a law of nature that POs will occasionally try to pull stuff like that - that's why the Scrum Master is present in the sprint planning and has the authority to easily stop the PO. <S> Unfortunately, you say your Scrum Master refuses to take action. <S> No matter how nice they may be, this is their job, <S> even if they don't like it, it's what Scrum Masters get paid to do. <S> Make clear to your Scrum Master that this is an impediment <S> and you expect them to help you in getting rid of the impediment. <S> If they don't, they are the problem. <S> This is from the perspective of someone who used to be a Scrum Master himself a couple years ago. <S> You can mention this to upper management by focussing on the fact that the stories are not properly prepared. <S> Well prepared stories are understood by the team, estimated by the team, and small enough that the largest story should normally take less than half of the sprint's capacity. <S> Don't assign blame to the PO, because competent upper management will realize that this is a Scrum Master issue. <S> We have to assume you have competent upper management, because otherwise you're screwed, seeing how lower management isn't competent yet. <A> "Other duties as assigned" is in almost every employment contract. <S> If it is assigned to you by your manager, <S> it's part of your job until your manager says it isn't. <S> If anyone other than your manager tries to assign work to you, you are entitled to say "please make that request through my manager, so he can balance it against the department's other commitments."
| This is a problem that can easily be solved by a trained and experienced Scrum Master, who has various options such as delaying the sprint planning and use bug fixing as filler, or to convince the PO to start a Spike. If a task is outside of your official job description it often still makes sense to do the job at hand.
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Would employers look down on reverse-engineering a game? I have a hobby of reverse engineering games, specifically to make cheats for them. I want to document the process doing so on my blog, which potential employers will see. I will do so on an old single player game to hopefully avoid any negativity. Also, would the license on the game matter? I'm still a student, and this would be more geared towards internship applications. <Q> If you're dealing with a hard-core gamer like me, the word "Cheats" will make them see red, so be careful. <S> That said, reverse engineering is a skill that would pique my interest. <S> As @Paparazzi said above, give it more of a white-hat tone as you have an impressive skill that you want to market and remember that reputation is everything . <S> Case in point: I once exploited a security vulnerability to do a week's worth of work in an afternoon at a previous employer. <S> I don't phrase it that way on an application or interview. <S> Instead I say: <S> One time, we were backlogged with a weeks worth of work. <S> I found a way to expedite matters to reduce the time to four hours. <S> Use "reverse engineering" on an application or interview but never, ever mention cheats. <A> It's all about the phrasing (and the person you are talking to). <S> The way you are writing it here? <S> A few managers might think poorly but as a student most will be super excited to see you doing cool things. <S> Either way, imagine saying it like this instead: <S> "I have a hobby of writing enhancements to older games. <S> This often involves reverse engineering the game itself in order to be able to effectively make these enhancements. <S> This requires me to do X, Y, and Z and is something I love doing! <S> I also have a blog where I talk through an example if you are interested." <S> Focusing on the <S> how you are doing this rather than the what will effectively sidestep this problem. <S> The reality is that if you are applying for internships and can talk about your abilities in skills you have learned doing this you probably will be successful in applying. <S> A lot of intern applicants haven't done anything remotely interesting other than coursework (which... isn't that interesting most of the time) <S> so you are miles ahead of many (most?) <S> other applicants by your hobby work. <A> Be careful of the wording. <S> I understand that you still want to call them cheats to get more traffic for your blog, but if you use negative connotations, you may lead them to subconsciously view this in a negative light. <S> The work you are doing to accomplish this is significantly more valuable than any of the canned programming problems you have solved in your classwork. <S> Doing this and being able to explain how accomplished it should be a strong factor in your favor during the interview process.
| Maybe some negativity, though probably still pretty positive overall.
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Is it common for an external recruiter to break contact after a couple of applications don't pan out? This has happened to me a couple times last year and once this year. Overall this is what happens: Recruiter find my resume/profile on Monster. Finds one or more position for me. I go through phone screenings (more than 1) followed by an in-person interview. Until this point, I have active communication with the recruiter. emails every couple of days or phone calls. Company says no thank you and they move on to other candidates. Now there is hardly any correspondence from the recruiter. Now I am not super attached to the recruiting company for a job. But does this mean that my chances with this recruiter are over? Is this a common practice of "moving away quietly" so that the candidate will get the message? <Q> You don't mention what country you're in. <S> In the US, I've seen this happen a lot. <S> Remember, the recruiting company is working for the employer (not you). <S> They (the recruiting company) are looking to fill a particular position with that employer. <S> If the recruiting company happens to discover that you're a possible fit for another opening, they'll be glad to submit you for it. <S> However, don't expect them to hang onto your resume and try very hard to find that other opening. <S> It's far easier for them to just find you on Monster again. <A> As long as you are a prospect they will keep you in the loop, as soon as you are no longer in contention <S> it's common for them to drop you, often not even letting you know you are out the game <S> (let alone why). <S> As an example I went through many weeks of stages for an American company in the UK for a highly paid senior role, including interviews, technical/logic assessments and personality tests, culminating in them flying me at their expense across the country for a final day of face to face meetings. <S> Of those all went well, aside from one (peer) who could only meet me for 10 mins, and proceeded to ask me esoteric c++ questions (a low down skill and not one required for the job). <S> Got home, <S> did I ever get a response from them even when I (nicely) chased? <S> Nope. <S> So grow a thick skin <S> if you are in the job market, this won't be the last silent treatment you get, just count each interview as a no-hire until you hear otherwise, and move on, <S> you'll get there. <A> Every recruiter I ever used did this to me. <S> He would claim to have a job, ask me for a updated resume, then for whatever reason never seem to apply to the job or ask about a "new" job that is geographically far. <S> Several times recruiters post fake jobs then immediately contact me two minutes after applying asking about a unrelated job. <S> I have made it a rule to just not use a recruiter and assume they are spamming people to build leads. <S> After a while you start to know who the recruiters are and spamming the site and you can avoid them. <S> Advice <S> : Make a effort to get in contact with the actual company and not a recruiter. <S> As others said, they work for the employer developing leads and they make their money by filling the position with whoever they can find. <S> My experience tells me you'll be out of a job longer if you rely on recruiters. <A> Your mileage will ALWAYS vary. <S> I've used recruiters on and off for 20-some-odd years, mostly for contract gigs. <S> Some disappear after your interview. <S> Some will make a follow-up call if nothing positive ensues. <S> You may end up, at times, feeling like an a <S> ** -- even if you felt the interview went super well -- due to the treatment you receive. <S> Let it roll off your shoulders. <S> But then again, HR departments don't necessarily treat you any better! <S> The benchmark I've learned, with recruiters, is how long the company has been in business, and WHO they do placements for. <S> Companies that deal poorly with their candidates don't last very long because the word starts to get around to both candidates AND potential new clients. <S> Lastly, I hate to mention this, but it's worthwhile. <S> Watch out for companies that offer contract gigs and that push hard the fact that they can offer H1-B status to foreign employees. <S> Often, but not always, these are people that have been in the States only a few years and they do a lot of dirty business, even to their "own". <S> Watch out for these guys, EVEN if you're only looking for full-time. <S> Best of luck. <A> First and foremost, recruiters foster relationships with companies , not recruits. <S> They get paid by these companies to fill jobs requests. <S> Their time and effort is spent doing two things: <S> Finding companies with positions to fill Finding people to fill those positions <S> Now, as a recruit, you do not meet the requirements of #1. <S> If, for whatever reason, you do not meet the requirements of #2, then you are no longer of use to the recruiter. <S> Continued communication with you is keeping them from doing these two primary tasks; and that costs them time and money. <S> Take everything a recruiter says with a grain of salt. <S> Recruiters say they dont get paid till you get a job, but in reality its that they dont get paid till they fill a job. <S> You are not their priority, you are just a tool that they use.
| This is common in both North America and the UK at most levels, up to senior management (both from in-house and external recruiters). As soon as you've been eliminated from consideration, they no longer have a reason to talk to you.
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Should I refer someone to a job that I am technically leaving only after a couple of weeks? So I was a co-op for a company that I was working for more than a year and they offered me a full time job. Now I am leaving only after 2 weeks (I know this is not very good thing). There is someone I would like to refer as a replacement. I know this person from college and I think he would be a good fit. Now I am not entirely sold to the idea of referring someone versus him directly forwarding his resume. I think it might have a negative impression on him if I do refer him. I say this because everyone was pretty upset with me leaving( Which they should be :(). <Q> This one is a tough call here, on the one hand it could make the transition smoother since they have someone coming in to replace you. <S> On the other hand, as you have mentioned they can reject your friend outright since they are associated with you. <S> See if you can test the waters first and float the idea of giving them a list of prospective replacements, at this point don't mention who it will be, just that they will have a list. <S> See their reaction to it, if their fine with the list just refer your friend and tell them you feel they are the most qualified. <A> I am currently leaving my job. <S> I have a short period of notice and I've put my employer in a uncomfortable spot. <S> When I did this, he quickly asked me if I had a reference for him. <S> Refering someone for an interview, especially if it's a good fit, is something generally apreciated by employers and ease the tensions. <S> It is possible your employer is so angry that he may react irrationally (you have to figure this out) but most likely he will end up respecting your decision and accept that you help him to find a replacement. <A> You have one foot out the door, focus on where you are going, not on where you have been. <S> But you leaving quietly definitely will not hurt his chances and is less effort. <S> I'd go for that plan.
| Your referral might go down well, or it might go down badly for your friend, there's no way of knowing.
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Our team is already struggling to meet deadlines and i am planning to leave. What considerations should i take? I work in a relatively small team. Upper management has basically tied our hands to tight deadlines for the next year or so meaning basically all developer resources are fully booked for the foreseeable future (already a bad idea, i know..). Things are looking like they will get better after this period but i think i would rather not wait and see. I have an interview in 4 days which seems quite promising. Should they offer me the role i will accept. This will mean my team and the company as a whole will miss their deadlines and incur heavy fines, especially since we have already tried hiring additional resources which is proving easier said than done. I know it is not my responsibility to ensure the companies projects do not fail, but are there any considerations i should take upon leaving such an unstable environment? I would like to do my best to leave my colleagues in as good as a position as possible. <Q> I'd say in case you are accepted, just respect legal period of notice and politely say goodbye to your old team. <S> It's never easy to quit a job in this situation, but it's part of a company life to handle turnover. <S> I was in the exact same situation few weeks ago : working in a small team, quitting, lots of planned work etc. <S> but they found a promising replacement even though they had high expectations (finding quickly a cheap autonomous dev ready to work overtime). <S> It's advisable to finish in good terms, by extending the notice period as much as your next employer would accept and/or suggesting a competent replacement if you know any, but thinking about yourself is higher priority. <S> The company will recover. <S> Good luck for the interview ! <A> Basically the idea is to leave your work in a state where it is easiest as possible for someone to come in and pick up where you left off. <S> Good luck with the interview. <A> Once you have been informed in writing and accepted the job I would give your current employer notice in writing. <S> I would attempt to assist them as much as possible including: Sitting down with my direct manager and discussing anything specifiche would like documented to ensure they have adequate details. <S> Sitting down with a project lead / Manager to discuss priorities orwho you should catch up on your current progress. <S> Provide up to date personal contact information, with aninvitation to contact you with brief questions <S> Work diligently the entire notice period, don't change anythingabout your work ethic, productivity or behavior. <S> If they ask and you can provide set up contract hours with theunderstanding that you will need to work around your new primaryemployers needs but will be happy to finish up a few final items atx rate. <S> Again it might look like a money grab <S> so it is a situationby situation basis, they will ask if they want to. <S> In general do what you should. <S> Return equipment promptly, answer the phone when they call, give the proper notice window, and as always expect to be fired immediately once giving notice (It's rare but happens). <A> What you're really asking is how to quit without burning any bridges. <S> If you are the bottom most worker then you are not very important, even if you believe you have all these projects that entirely depends on you to succeed. <S> That is most likely untrue and your departure would only cause minimal disturbance. <S> With that said, just give your notice, and hope for the best. <S> If you give your notice in the timeframe required and in a professional manner, then all they can do is just be upset about your departure. <S> They may try to keep you on board, but reality is they'd probably drop you as soon as they can knowing you plan to leave.
| The best you can do is use your notice period to complete as much of your work as you can, and document what you cant complete.
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How do I ask for help with a problem that has gotten over my head? I'm well and truly in need of some help. For weeks now, I've been working on developing a new page for our application - I've been making good progress for a long time now, adding in parts and modifying them as changes come in, and carefully moving around problems I haven't yet got a solution to. Now, I've been hammering at a problem for the past three days and haven't yet solved - and it's truly time that it needs to be resolved. I've made my best attempt to work out a resolution, but there are kinks in it that don't quite solve everything I need them to, and the bottom line is - I don't know what to do next, and could really use some help. Now I don't want to come off as being clueless, especially since I've been at this job for over 3 years (long enough to be considered a core part of the project, not yet long enough to have a lot of clout). I've written up an explanation of what I've done and what I need help with, but I am afraid to share it right away, because I still want to solve this on my own, and I don't want to tear anybody away from what they're working on either. How can I present my problem, a problem that has truly gotten the better of me, without making myself look bad? <Q> It would be an extremely unreasonable employer that took umbrage with an employee, particularly one with several years experience, that had genuinely tried their best to overcome a difficult issue but required additional help to progress; certainly not an employer <S> I'd want to work for! <S> Realistically, the worst case scenario if you approach your superior <S> is that someone else solves the problem and you look a little silly. <S> As a software developer myself <S> I experience this regularly, when I get a bit snow-blind from working on a project. <S> I don't think you'd find many developers that don't sometimes get this. <S> The worst case - and more likely - scenario <S> if you try to hide this and sweep it under the rug is that it bites you in the butt later when someone discovers it. <S> Not only will you look incompetent for not solving an issue, you'll also look arrogant in that you refused to seek help. <S> And the longer you delay, the worse this will get. <S> Also, get on over to Stack Overflow and ask the helpful bods over there for advice. <S> There are very few technical problems in the world that nobody else has ever experienced; I think that's the entire purpose of this network! <A> It's far better to bring up issues/problems before the deadline. <S> You should say I'm stuck on x, y, z <S> and I did <S> a, b, c. Try to do it in a meeting setting. <S> Show what you did and where you are stuck. <S> Do this well before someone asks, "Why is this thing broken?" <S> And you have to explain. <S> You will look very bad then. <S> Maybe not fired, but potentially having your project given off. <A> Go to your supervisor, and say "I need help". <S> It's really that simple. <A> You need a 'fresh pair of eyes' on the problem. <S> Don't make it a big issue, just ask the person you feel has the best grasp of the system. <S> Probably by the time you finish explaining it to them, you'll have solved it yourself - or they may come up with a solution that works, or an alternative way of approaching it, or a business case for avoiding it altogether. <S> There are very few unsolvable problems in IT. <A> Ask for help. <S> Do it now and do not omit a single detail or question. <S> He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever. <S> In my years of experience, and certainly during the first few months during my current job, I learned quickly that one should never hesitate to ask for clarification. <S> Gather any and all research and progress you may have, set a time with your project manager or supervisor, and bring a list of prepared questions in order to make sure that you are clear about what you need. <S> You may not even truly be over your head once you begin preparing to ask for help, but I'm sure your supervisor will appreciate your candor even if it comes to the point where you hand it off. <A> In all seriousness what external resources have you tapped in order to find a resolution? <S> There is a wealth of knowledge on the internet <S> and I know that when I am faced with a issue that I just cant seem to resolve, searching for solutions online usually helps. <S> Even if you do not find the magic post with a step by step resolution, other peoples answers frequently stimulates a new avenue of thought about the problem and a new way of approaching it. <A> Even the best of us, sometimes get stumped for something very stupid. <S> Consider that, maybe the reason why you can not solve this problem is, someone, somewhere, has implemented an undocumented feature and it only gets disseminated as folkloric knowledge to those who ask about it. <S> Unless of course, the issue that stumped you is purely technical and a well worded google search can find the answer for you. <S> In which case you will look like a bumbling idiot. <S> But I am pretty sure this is not the case. <S> Without knowing what your problem is, it is very hard to say anything about it.
| I am a firm believer in admitting fault or making others aware of difficulties I experience in the workplace as soon as possible. There is no shame in asking for help, especially in tech where things can get out of hand quickly. Post the problem to the appropriate area of Stack Exchange! If you are on the same position for 3 years and tried everything within your power to solve the problem but can not find the solution, in my opinion, it is time to ask help from someone who has been around, for a substantially longer period of time.
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Finding a remote trainee a job About a month ago I was contacted by an individual who reached out to me because I offered people from a war zone free coding help. The individual was not from the war zone but from an African country and they asked that I help them learn coding. I was hesitant but I accepted under the condition they report to me daily with progress and put in at least a few hours a day into coding. I thought he would give up after a day or two but hoped he would put the work and effort in. To make the long story short, the trainee has exceeded all my expectations - in a short month he has covered a ton of ground that took other people I trained half a year. He has read complex material I recommended, asked good questions about them and made some smart remarks about the material. He submitted daily exercises increasing in quality, implementing all my code review suggestions. He has done all the work I assigned. I believe that in just a month or two he will be ready for an internship or even a job as a software developer. This brings me to my issue. I'm not really sure how to find him a job that on one hand will nurture him as a developer and on the other hand be financially rewarding. What criteria should I be looking at when I look for a first job for him? Sorry if there is an obvious answer, this is a first time for me. Other information that might be relevant: he's not particularly young (43), his nationality is Nigerian. <Q> He's in the third World, he'll need to break in to remote work on his own, and he obviously has the ambition and the smarts to do so. <S> Leave him to it. <S> The thing about being in the third World and having a skillset like that is that jobs are fairly easy to get locally. <S> Human resources are thin on the ground. <S> And in terms of remote work you can undercut everyone else because a pittance to them is well above what you'd get paid at home. <S> My country the minimum wage is just over $1 USD an hour, so if I can do some remote work paying me $5 or $10 an hour, I'm looking very good, and in fact for coding you can get a lot more than that. <S> But it's not up to you to get him the job <S> , he has to do it himself, you can recommend him but you don't want to be tied down with any responsibility. <A> I'm not really sure how to find him a job that on one hand will nurture him as a developer and on the other hand be financially rewarding. <S> What criteria should I be looking at when I look for a first job for him? <S> This is not your responsibility. <S> You have to back off and let him fly. <S> Let's look at this objectively. <S> You gonna show up and mentor him on the job, too? <S> You gonna deal with his boss if there's conflict? <S> He's 43, not 10. <S> You've done a great job, but know when to let go. <S> Stop taking it so personally. <S> Your approach (at this point) isn't very healthy. <A> I wouldn't necessarily become a recruiter for him - <S> that's above and beyond the role of teacher and mentor. <S> I would, however, be a ready guide and advocate. <S> That lets you give some guidance without getting into territory <S> you may not be qualified for - after all, you don't know the employment or tax rules of his country. <S> Here's some thoughts on things you could do that wouldn't step beyond the bounds of your mentorship: <S> Give him some guidance on how to do contract work - ways to build a portfolio, how to negotiate work, common expectations of international employers, and how to do a good job with work/life balance when you are working remote. <S> Show him some job boards for work that may be available to him - this may take quite a bit of net searching, depending on your experience with international work for hire. <S> Help him build a social media presence in technical circles <S> Help him with a basic package - resume, interview skills, reading a job description, etc. <S> Those are all in the "teach a man to fish" range and should be more helpful, long term, than simply finding him a job. <S> Also - make sure he knows it's his responsibility to be aware of how taxes and employment regulations work in his country - as a citizen, he's in a much better position to know the rules than you are.
| Offer to write him a reference, and make recommendations to contacts you have that you know may hire internationally.
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Must I limit my expected salary to a maximum percentage increase over my current salary? I am currently looking at switching jobs in Germany and plan to speak to recruiters soon. Is there a maximum percentage increase in salary that I must limit my expected salary to? Are there laws or regulations governing a salary increase in Germany? <Q> No , there is no such law and no other regulation. <S> You can state any number you seem fitting as your expected salary in negotiations. <S> Unlike other countries, your current salary is not a measurement of your future salary in Germany. <S> Most likely, your current contract contains a clause that makes sure you don't. <S> Although those clauses do not hold up in court, people in Germany are used to the fact that they are not supposed to talk about their salary and most would consider it rude even to be asked. <S> What you make now is irrelevant. <S> The only thing that counts is what you want to make in the position discussed. <A> Disclaimer: I am from Germany. <S> Your current salary is a protected private information. <S> That means your new employer has no right to know it, and you can lie if they ask it with no legal repercussions. <S> Its in the same category as asking if you have job unrelated chronic diseases or family plans. <S> Furthermore, there is no law governing how much of a salary hike you can get or limiting that. <S> Additional Source (Compilation of case law and interpretation from an attorney's website) <S> [in German] here . <A> For a example they clearly mentioned that this country engineers were paid 1/10 times lower than in USA. <S> Unless a situation like that, there is no point to declare your own limits. <S> It's about business, and you show know how to demand yourself with your skills and realistic.
| You are not required to give your current salary to anybody. In some jobs , there are regulations and policies.
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Company wants my termination after project completion I joined the company right after finishing college. I know both software and hardware design and they gave me a project which included both the software and hardware support. But I was instructed only to do the software part and hardware part was assigned to some other employee. I completed the software and gave them the demo but due to hardware problems the project was delayed, then finally closed. But due to this overall project performance was very low, but individually, for me it was good. We started the project again and I was responsible for both the hardware and software. Within 4 months I delivered 2 projects. My manager was happy and the project is now in production. But in a performance review meeting he told me to look for another job because the project was complete and there were no further projects. I don't know what to do. At the time of interview, they didn't tell me that they only have 2 projects to complete. Do I have any options besides accepting the termination? How can I extend my time with my current company? <Q> The company hired you to do a certain job, but after having problems with those sort of projects they probably decided against it in the future. <S> So now they no longer need you, which unfortunately happens from time to time. <S> Start looking for a new job, but ask your boss if he would be willing to provide you with a reference to offset the very short time you were with the company. <A> It's happened to all of us. <S> We get assigned to a doomed project and our reputations take a hit. <S> While your immediate manager may well like the results, in all likelihood, someone higher up asked a very pointed question: <S> Okay, if this guy made it work in 4 months the second time around, why didn't he make it work the first time? <S> I say this often enough that it is practically a mantra: Document everything . <S> It's too late to help your current position, but the moment you see a dependency delaying your work, raise concerns as high up the flag pole as you can. <S> That way you have a paper trail and, if an issue like this arrives in the future, you can go back to management and say: " <S> Yes, I know the project failed, as you can see, I raised many concerns during the process, outlining the risks and how they eventually ended up derailing the project. <S> I think if we implement these changes (list changes) we can resurrect the project. <S> " <S> You may want to sit down with your manager and ask if you can be reassigned, or if you have any project ideas of your own, bring them up NOW before you're out the door. <S> Update your resume regardless and spin the failed/resurrected project as you coming to the rescue and saving a dead project that now works well. <S> Even if you could stay at your current position, the management of your company sounds fickle at best. <S> They've proven to you that they do not value you as a person or as a worker, so think long and hard before dedicating yourself to a company that shows no reciprocal intent. <S> So, try to salvage your career at the current company or move on, but be prepared to move on with little or no notice if you stay. <A> It will be difficult to convince a company to continue to pay you if they don't need your skillset. <S> It's worth it to get as much information as possible on why they don't see future work for your skills... <S> for example, are they outsourcing the engineering elsewhere? <S> Are they getting out of the business? <S> Are they overstaffed? <S> It may give you some insight as to whether there are other job options in the company. <S> At best, you may be able to negotiate a layoff package, which gives you some time to job hunt. <S> And in your next round of interviews, it's good to be able to be clear that this was NOT a problem with your performance, but a change in business direction - it may also be helpful to have a reference letter from your boss to that effect.
| You could offer to do other work but that could meant the company will want to pay you less, since it means a job change, and the available work could be for a less expensive skill set.
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Senior employee negotiating more vacation time I have worked for 17 years in a small company where I report directly to the president. He is the only employee above me. One other employee has been here as long as I have, and two others are within a couple of years of us (three of us are senior-level managers, the fourth is a lower-level supervisor). Aside from we four, there are no other employees anywhere close to having our seniority. We are also the longest-term employees the company has EVER had. Our company policy allows for one week of paid vacation after one year, two weeks after three years, and three weeks after five years. I am trying to decide how to go about petitioning the president for an additional one week after 15 years (15 years = four weeks). Is 20 days of paid vacation after 15+ years unreasonable? And how should I go about it - should I do it alone? Should I involve the other very senior staff members (who I know would be interested)? What do we say? <Q> I am trying to decide how to go about petitioning the president for an additional one week after 15 years (15 years = four weeks). <S> Is 20 days of paid vacation after 15+ years unreasonable? <S> It seems very reasonable to me. <S> And how should I go about it - should I do it alone? <S> Should I involve the other very senior staff members (who I know would be interested)? <S> I tend to prefer to negotiate these sorts of things alone. <S> It's far easier for one person to be granted a benefit than to get a complete policy change. <S> If the names of the others comes up in your discussion, you could include them as well, but I wouldn't start there. <S> What do we say? <S> You should just remind the president how long you have been there and what the current vacation policy provides. <S> You should indicate the changes that you want. <S> And if you have information regarding the vacation policy for other companies in your domain that supports your request, you should mention that as well. <A> Is 20 days of paid vacation after 15+ years unreasonable? <S> Personally, I think less than 20 days paid vacation is unreasonable even at 1 year - but then, that's the legal minimum in Australia. <S> What you have to consider is what is normal for your locale and industry, and then negotiate from that. <S> And how should I go about it - should I do it alone? <S> Should I involve the other very senior staff members (who I know would be interested)? <S> Collective bargaining can be powerful - but I wouldn't get all of the senior staff members in a room with your president as that could be deemed threatening/intimidating. <S> Make sure your president knows your spokesperson is representing all the senior staff member. <S> What do we say? <S> Point out the work you do <S> - I assume that as senior staff members, you are salaried, and therefore end up putting in more than a minimum 40-hour week (I believe the term in the US is "exempt"). <S> Point out your loyalty and long service. <S> Maybe explain why you'd like the extra time (families). <S> Do not threaten - do not state it as an "or else". <S> If your president is a reasonable person, they'd probably award the extra week. <A> In many companies in the US, 20 days of vacation (separate from medical time off) is now the _ maximum _ that is being offered under the standard policy. <S> (I have 25 only because I acquired that last week before the policy change took effect.) <S> Note that a week of vacation is equal in value to a week of your full burden rate, salary plus benefits plus cost of your office space plus cost of delaying the project. <S> That can be roughly estimated as twice your salary alone. <S> Roughly approximating a work year as 50 weeks, this means asking for a week of paid vacation is equivalent to asking the company for a 2%-4% salary increase plus a week of unpaid leave. <S> That isn't a small request in today's climate, but isn't entirely unreasonable if you have shown that you are worth that much. <S> Find out what the policy is. <S> If you are capped at three weeks and the policy can't be changed, try to get a raise plus permission to take some additional unpaid leave at some mutually convenient time. <S> If you can't get that, ask what they would need to see from you before they would authorize that. <S> Good luck.
| I would talk to the senior staff members and appoint a spokesperson - define how far he can go in negotiating before having to return to the group to discuss. Simply say "we'd like you to consider awarding an extra 5 days paid vacation to the senior staff".
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How can I explain technical concepts related to business management who lack background to understand? I am an IT auditor. I am writing a report for a security review / audit that I completed of a business application used by my company. I have found weaknesses related to MITM (Man in the middle) and insecure hashing of passwords. This application stores and processes rather sensitive information which includes Personally Identifiable Information, including but not limited to social security numbers. Obviously, given the nature of this data, security and confidentiality are crucial. Without strong encryption through TLS version 1.3, information could be disclosed and or modified in transit. My question is, how can I explain to management this risk to business without explaining the technical details? My goal is to have management understand the risk to come to a educated decision regarding taking action on this point. <Q> You've pretty much answered your own question here: <S> How can I explain to management this risk to the business <S> You need to phrase your report in these terms: what would happen if a third party got its hands on those SSNs? <S> I don't know the precise answer to that, but it's a combination of "our customers lose all faith in our business" and "the regulators drop a ton of bricks on us from a great height". <S> Both of those are clearly bad outcomes, even to a manager without any technical background. <A> As this answer says, you first explain the consequences in ways relevant to the manager -- compliance, sales impact, bad publicity, ethics, or whatever applies in your case. <S> In addition, though, you should be able to explain the technical aspects, at least at a high level, to anybody from your peer to your manager to your Uncle Ted who still uses a VCR to watch TV shows. <S> For example, here's how Wikipedia's page on MitM attacks begins: <S> (Wikipedia is a good place to look for accessible explanations of specialist topics.) <S> Understanding that doesn't require any technical knowledge; you're explaining that there is, as the name implies, a "man" (agent) in between the user and the server he thinks he's communicating with. <S> You can then go on to use an example to explain what happens and how the attacker gains access (as that Wikipedia page does). <S> (If he does care, he'll let you know.) <S> The reason you are having this conversation at all is probably that you need him to make a decision. <S> Give him the tools to make that decision, be ready to provide additional information if he asks (or clearly needs it, e.g. because he's misunderstood something), but help him focus on his problem, not yours. <A> I've had the pleasure of talking to people of all levels of technical competency, from high-powered techies all the way down to people who literally did not know how to turn the things on. <S> The best way to talk tech to a non-techie is: Don't. <S> Analogies are the only way to get your point across translate the effects into terms they can understand. <S> For example, I once was asked what the difference between PC memory and HDD memory was, and what each did. <S> I used the analogy of a desk and a file cabinet. <S> I told the person that if you have a big desk, you can have plenty of things on it before you need to go to the file cabinet, but when you do, you need to stop what you're working on to do it. <S> The desk is your memory, the file cabinet is your hard drive. <S> The more memory you have, the less often your computer has to go to the HDD, and the faster it works. <S> It's the same as if you had to stop working and go to your file cabinet constantly. <S> Take a similar approach with the management. <S> Explain that Encryption is a lock and that the data is like the contents of their house (use a family member's house for a higher impact). <S> And just like you wouldn't want to put a cheap lock on the front door so that even an amateur could break in and steal or hurt a family member <S> , you don't want cheap encryption (lock) that even a script kiddie could break through and hurt the company or <S> it's customers. <A> First of all .. if you are such storing sensitive information, it is most likely that you must conform to some sort of external regulation regarding how to store that information. <S> In such a case you can simply say to management that you don't conform, and point out the penalties for non-compliance. <S> You shouldn't have to explain the nitty gritty to them as they are paying you to understand that part for them. <S> Secondly, if you aren't in a regulated industry (but it sounds like you should be) <S> then you can't teach management technical details as after all, if they found technical details all that interesting then they wouldn't have pursued management. <S> You only recourse <S> then is analogy, the simpler then better. <S> After steps 1 and 2, if management still doesn't want to listen then you have to make a judgement call as to how you feel about working there.
| Start high-level and let the manager's questions guide what else you say; he probably doesn't care about the details of encryption algorithms or DNSSEC or certificate pinning, so don't lead with the technical details. In cryptography and computer security, a man-in-the-middle attack (often abbreviated MitM, MiM attack, MitMA or the same using all capital letters) is an attack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other.
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Use of LaTeX symbol on a resume I've been using LaTeX for a couple of years as an engineering student, and I figure it's a worthwhile skill for my resume. Since I'm writing my resume in LaTeX, I'm tempted to use the LaTeX symbol (\LaTeX), which formats it like the logo, in place of normal text when I add it as a skill. Will this look forced, or could it be a nice touch? <Q> I do not think it will matter. <S> Probably gets lost in the photocopier etc. <S> The content is more important with a reasonable format. <S> Word is the defacto standard these days along with PDF. <S> Just focus on the content. <S> Make sure you have the following sections Personal objectives - and relate this to the role <S> Key skills and evidence for them <S> Chronological list of work/education in your life. <S> I guess you are a student <S> so I would imagine that this should be a page to a page and a half. <S> include hobbies etc if they are relevant as you are young. <A> Will this look forced, or could it be a nice touch? <S> It will look completely out of place and that's even assuming that formatting survives in whatever format your resume is in when it reaches HR or a hiring manager. <S> Since no one will accept a Latex format, you're not really asking " Should I use \LaTeX in my resume? ", you're asking " Should I insert a logo for a minor technology in my resume? ". <S> That question was previously raised and (in my opinion incorrectly) closed: <S> Should I include images / icons in my resume? <S> As an industry standard you need to submit resumes in PDF format and be prepared to send an editable Microsoft Word or RTF file. <S> To accommodate resume submission forms you should also have a plaintext resume or be able to easily convert sections to plaintext. <S> For more on this see: What digital format to send resume/cover letter in? . <S> Because of that, anything with fancy formatting or logos is non-standard and will often be invisible once it gets to the hiring manager. <S> Worst case scenario it will make your resume unreadable so it ends up directly in the circular file. <S> Don't rely on fancy formatting or gimmicks to do so. <S> There's a statistical correlation with trying to stand out for the wrong reasons and being a poor candidate. <A> It's a geeky thing. <S> Of course, if you are sure the target of the resume is geeky itself, then it can be a good thing. <S> But keep it for specific targets. <S> Said another way, know your target, and adapt in consequence. <S> But most targets will prefer more standard resumes.
| On most places, it will be as others say : useless, or even plain negative, for your image. Focus on the content of your resume and use that along with a well-written cover letter to stand out.
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How to deal with a constantly complaining coworker? As a developer working for a large company, we occasionally get together to discuss how our jobs could be easier/better. However, one of our coworkers has started talking about how much our development tools stink, which I could put up with for a time (as our dev tools really do have room for improvement), but after a while those complaints became more and more negative (such as inventing pejorative nicknames for those dev tools), and more and more directed at management (but not discussed with management), with little discussion of actual solutions. Lately, that coworker has even taken to complaining about our location in the midwest, calling it a "craphole" and "backwards". While I'm not from our city here, it came off as offensive to me as I've really enjoyed living here, and it really offended a couple of others that were born and raised here. Sometimes I've wanted to tell him that if he doesn't like it here, no one is forcing him to stay, but I feel that that would be a bit unprofessional. I know people like to complain, but this is starting to drag on morale. Should this be something I should bring up to my manager? <Q> So, although this person is a whiner, it sounds like there is room for improvement in your opinion <S> so I would work through a few levels with this person: <S> Start with: <S> So what do you suggest we need? <S> I'm not sure what you currently use, but there are plenty of shops still using 10 year old IDEs etc. <S> Now what they come back with will say a lot. <S> If they want lots of shiny, top of the range enterprise stuff cause it's cool, you can proceed to Simon at rcl's answer. <S> But if, for example, you are a shop using Visual Studio 2002 with Sourcesafe, and your colleague is saying "we could get VS Code and Git and a jenkins build", i.e. things that will make things better, but the only investment is in time ( <S> yes time costs money, but you can skunk works it at least as a proof), then you maybe want to probe further: <S> So how do we sell this to management <S> See how really keen they are, <S> if this is a real want and idea, they'll have thought of something. <S> If not GOTO Simon's answer, OR if the suggested alternative is a possibility think about it yourself. <S> If the sales pitch from your colleague is reasonable, work with them to fine tune it and see if the two (or more) of you can sell this to management. <S> Companies who won't spend money don't see the benefits, you need to make the case to them, usually in monetary amounts. <S> If they think they can make 200 by spending 100, they'll see the value. <S> Who knows, maybe it'll be the start of actual improvement, if not use this to start your own ideas. <A> (It might be if I was their manager but that's not the case here.) <A> Maybe, they are not aware of the problems/deficiencies in the process and they might fix at least some of them. <S> If not, I am going to go out on a limb and say, this chronic complainer person has some common sense and will not bad mouth the company/division no more. <S> And if he he continues to do it, maybe, just maybe, the management person involved in these discussion will hear it through the grapewine and do something about him/her <A> Beware of intrigants that wait you saying " <S> yes I also think so". <S> Then they may rush to the management to report how bad are you talking about the company. <S> Best would be just to ignore him. <S> If that whining distracts you from work, try to move to another room.
| Personally, I would have no problem telling them 'Leave if you hate it so much' or 'No-one's forcing you to stay', and don't think that unprofessional at all. If the majority of the people in your discussion group agrees, invite someone from management to this pow-wow sessions of yours and have them hear what is being said by this person and everyone else.
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Being offered a lot of interviews before starting my new job. Should I interview with them? I was offered a job a few months back and I took it without negotiating salary or looking elsewhere. I have not started my job yet and my first day will be in three months. Now when I see my colleagues(at my uni), it seems that I am the lowest paid among my colleagues. A lot of people have been contacting me for an interview and I have been denying them. Should I go for an interview with these people and then go back to my new company with their offer ? Should I wait a few months before interviewing with these people ? <Q> Even if you loved the pay and benefits the delay between you accepting the offer and starting work is very long. <S> Unless the contract has a penalty on them if they change their mind, I would as the start date approaches keep some level of job search going. <S> The risk you face is that if the week before your start date they say "oops we no longer need you to fill that position", you have no income and no recourse. <S> So having applied to other positions means that you can quickly jump on any interviews. <S> Deciding on the timing on when you change from applying; to accepting phone interviews; to in person interviews - is up to you. <S> If you do happen to get a non-conditional offer that you are ready to sign, then you need to decide if you want to reject the first company. <S> Please read all the documents that you were sent to see if there are any penalties you face by rejecting the first company. <A> It makes sense to interview with a few more companies, especially if you are worried you have accepted an offer below your market value. <S> If you do find that you want to take a better offer, you should look at anything you might have signed to accept your current offer. <A> Regardless of outcomes, an interview is always a precious experience in professional life: you sneak your nose in other companies, have a look at the people, see how they communicate, perhaps learn a new way of conducting the interview itself. <S> All of this without talking about salaries, benefit, not even the actual job. <S> Sometimes the option zero is handy --> silence.
| I suggest to accept and go to as many interviews as you can, even if you are already actively employed: just don't break rules, e.g. disclosing confidential info regarding your current position.
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How can you avoid being undervalued as a 9-to-5 developer while 90% of colleagues put in paid and unpaid overtime? Lets say: A company states that it does not require its employees to work overtime. About 90% of its employees work extra hours because they get paid for it, or they even work when they do not get paid extra. There is a worker who sometimes works until 4 AM, not because of some emergency situation such as a server crash, but just to meet a deadline and they do not even ask for extra money. Colleagues who work the most overtime are praised often and encouraged to race against each other in terms of number of hours worked. You are a person for whom standard hours are more than enough (the money earned is also enough). How can you avoid being undervalued as a 9-to-5 developer and seen as unproductive person while 90% of colleagues put in paid and unpaid overtime? One more condition: You want not only work maximum to standard hours, but also include in those hours learning. http://lifehacker.com/what-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-started-my-career-as-a-softwa-1681002791 see first point. <Q> In short, yes. <S> It means you can be counted on to do the bare minimum and nothing else. <S> It also sends the message that you have no ambition. <S> The old saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies here. <S> Since this is the corporate culture, you are essentially making yourself a "bad fit". <S> If you want to advance in this particular company, you need to fit into the corporate culture, that means taking some overtime. <S> not necessarily working 80 hours a week, but picking up a few hours here and there will get you off the "strict nine-to-five" radar. <A> The situation you describe is one where the culture is to do extra time, and not doing that will likely mark you as slack/uninterested/underachiever etc. <S> Of course what they don't get is a much more important fact here, they have no idea what their projects ACTUALLY cost, and ultimately this will be their undoing. <S> Given people are routinely doing overtime (mostly unpaid by the sound of it), means that they will not be factoring this into any budgeting of work. <S> So for example if you work 40 hrs a week, and a project/task takes 2 weeks, they cost you as taking 80 hrs, but of course you are working say 10-15 hrs a week off the clock, which means their metrics are now what, 25-35% out (your 4 am colleague is even worse). <S> What will happen is that each time these numbers feed back into the system (in estimations), they will drift further (compounding), until you get to the situation we've all seen where a project "mysteriously" takes twice as long. <S> Ironically this will get worse the more <S> the company/team achieves, my advice is look for somewhere else, you'll be undervalued unless you join, but ultimately it'll be pointless as they are on a collision course with disaster. <A> "encouraged to race against each other in terms of number of hours worked. <S> " <S> - Red flag for me right here. <S> Working a few extra hours when needed is acceptable. <S> You have been payed to do a job, do the job or agree you need more pay or a new job. <S> For me a strict 9 to 5 person is someone who does it regardless of anything else. <S> If you can get your job done in the time you have during normal hours that is not a sign of anything but an effective worker.
| Encouraging a bad work/life balance is bad for everyone. There is even a term for it that has been around for decades, it's called "A strict nine-to-fiver".
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Is it worth putting a skill that is a prerequisite of a lot of other skills on my resume One of the sections of my resume mentions a lot of different JavaScript skills I have. For example: AngularJS, React, jQuery, Node.js, Express, PhantomJS, Tape etc... That section just keeps going on about different skills and technologies I know in JavaScript and it's starting to get big. I'm starting to think that almost anyone searching for an employee with Node.js or React skills would know that you cannot have those skills without knowing JavaScript . So I'm asking is it a good idea to just remove JavaScript from that section? <Q> It should not be a problem to keep it unless perhaps you're really running out of space. <S> I think for some, JavaScript may be more recognizable than say, PhantomJS. <A> Another factor is automated screening processes. <S> You and any remotely technical recruiter/manager would know that Node.js or React implies JavaScript capabilities but if they never see your resume because the automated system filters out your resume it isn't going to matter. <S> It is always a good idea to make your that your resume specifically lists any requirements the job posting has and matches the way they list the requirement. <S> Don't abbreviate or use an industry synonym or some skill that is a super-set of the required skills. <S> If they want an expert in Widget 123 then list Widget 123 on your resume not Widgets 100-200. <A> So I'm asking <S> is it a good idea to just remove JavaScript from that section? <S> No, leave it in. <S> First, many non-technical recruiters look only for keywords given to them by the hiring manager. <S> Second, a lot of software used by recruiters and HR is keyword-driven. <S> So you want to match the keyword "JavaScript". <S> Lastly, leaving it off saves exactly one word. <S> Not worth the risk. <A> Not everyone who reads your resume will have the technical expertise of the hiring manager. <S> I'm starting to think that almost anyone searching for an employee with Node.js or React skills <S> would know that you cannot have those skills without knowing JavaScript. <S> That might be, if everyone that will read your resume is the hiring manager. <S> The hiring manager is probably only one person out of 5-10 that will look at it. <S> Scenario 1: HR clerk gets assigned the task of going and searching for resumes on the web, or a resume site like Monster. <S> Clerk reads your resume and says "This guy looks good, but he only knows React and jQuery, and we need someone who knows JavaScript. <S> " <S> Passed over. <S> Scenario 2: HR clerk searches Monster for "JavaScript", and your resume never shows up in search results. <S> Scenario 3: <S> HR clerk is the filter on all inbound resumes. <S> He knows only to forward on the people who know JavaScript. <S> Rejected. <S> Scenario 4 <S> : It's time for a group interview, so the hiring manager hands out your resume to her superiors, or other members of your team who aren't programmers. " <S> This person doesn't even meet the minimum requirements!" says the VP. <S> This applies to more than your JavaScript examples: <S> If you know Rails or Sinatra, then also say you know Ruby. <S> If you know Oracle or Postgres, then also say you know SQL. <S> If you know Debian or RedHat, then also say you know Linux. <S> If you know C++, and you also know C, then list them both. <S> etc etc etc <A> I think that it's best to leave JavaScript in for an additional reason: the answer implies that you are familiar with and can work with plain old "vanilla" JavaScript, which sometimes you do have to do. <S> Sometimes an employer for whatever reason isn't going to let you install an Angular or node.js framework on a site or even jQuery (I've seen it before, usually when the library impacts with something someone wrote for the site years before). <S> Sometimes the job might entail "middle end" work that's neither directly involved with creating controllers and views or working with the back end per se. <S> If you're familiar enough with JS, including its foibles, yes, you should list that. <S> The other issue here is that a lot of employers - maybe even the majority now - don't actually read your resume at first, they run it through a scanner looking for keywords and only come back to actually flip through it if the keywords are there. <S> It's entirely possible that someone who needs a JS developer didn't bother to put Angular or React in as keywords because, I don't know, they don't actually use Angular or React for instance. <S> If you don't say Javascript too you might miss out precisely because <S> a human isn't interacting with your resume at the first level. <A> Note: I consider this to be an excellent example of a more general principle. <S> In general, when communicating, you want to communicate in a way that will be understood. <S> That involves knowing your audience. <S> If you are applying to a local shop, with 6 current staff in total, named JavaScript Improvers, Inc., and you are customizing your resume which will be sent directly to the CTO, then you may be able to leave off certain information. <S> In general, knowing your audience is always helpful. <S> For most larger companies, as stated in other answers, you don't want to assume that your audience understands basic technical terms, pre-requisites, etc. <S> (They may be humans who don't know enough about some pre-requisites, or computer programs that may not have certain pre-requisites identified.) <S> As Joe Strazzere's answer mentions, you don't want to miss out on a common search term. <S> However, rather than just "leaving it in", and thereby mixing JavaScript with the other technologies, I have another idea: Removing JavaScript from that section might be a good idea. <S> At the same time, rename the section from "skills" to "other skills". <S> Then, separately, create another JavaScript section: JavaScript-Related Skills AngularJS, React, jQuery, Node.js, Express, PhantomJS, Tape etc... Other Useful Skills Infinite loops, buffer overflows, Heisenbugs, dividing by zero, off-by-ones, syntax errors, etc. <S> (The above example is just meant to demonstrate the basic concept. <S> Clearly you'll want to customize what is seen above. <S> Specific details on precisely how to do that can vary depending on other characteristics about your specific resume.)
| As many non-technical recruiters may be reviewing your qualifications, it wouldn't hurt to have it on the resume. If the manager specifies "must know JavaScript" you want JavaScript to be included.
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How to handle it when you didn't do ANYTHING So I'm an engineering student. I'm doing my master thesis project for a tech company. It started years ago, but I took a leave of sickness for 2 years due to depression. It was a pretty nasty story and involved a lot of things, eventually also my doctors getting burned out, and too sick to work because too many people in my home area got sick an they didnt have enough resources to help them, poverty, because no doctor could write the certifications and a lot of other things, but I don't need to get into that here.I'm now working my way back, and even though I'm still declared too sick to work at the moment from my current doctor, I have a deal where I'm allowed to finish my studies as part of a rehabilitation program. I've had a meeting with my new mentor where we drew up a plan of what I should do to finish the project. This was 4 weeks ago.Yesterday he mailed and asked if we could have another meeting where I presented what I've done so far since I restarted.Problem is I haven't done anything.I thought it was going to be hard to go back to school/work but I managed to go to school almost every day and sit until 9 PM in the evening. I have spent the time watching series, programming other stuff to try to get back into the way of thinking with programming again and watching videos about what's happened in the software industry since I've been gone. I've downloaded the package of the old project and loked around a bit, but I haven't produced anything at all. It used to be really hard for me just to be in school at the time where I took a sick leave, so I have been trying to do these things to easy my anxiety and associate the school environment with a good mood in my mind. It wasnt purely for slacking reasons. The negative feelings have kept me though from opening the folder of the project from the time I felt really bad. Every day I went to school thinking I could open it and start working, but I failed every day. This fills me up with immense shame and I dont know how to handle it. I mean, I have produced a couple of symbolic changes in the code and documentation but nothing even close to what can be excepted from 5 weeks work. Or even 1 week. I don't get paid by the company from doing this, so at least I don't have to worry about that. It's more of an internship situation where they can hire me if I'm good for them. They know I was sick for a long time, but not that it was depression. And I dont think they know how incredible severe it was and how much progress I've made just the last half year. I was wondering if you had any ideas on how to handle it? Maybe there are people who had previous experiences that they didnt do as much as the boss excepted and how to handle a) the meeting and b) the shame. I'm weighing in my mind the options of postponing the meeting a bit, how honest I should be etc... I dont need to hear I'm a bad person or should have done it or something like that. I feel incredibly bad about this and I'm making progress, it's just incredible slow and much more slower than an employer would expect. Any ideas? <Q> I'm not a health care professional, but it sounds to me that you are still suffering from depression. <S> I would see a mental health professional as soon as possible to discuss your options. <S> Attempting to return to work too early can worsen your situation, because as you describe, your inability to progress makes you feel guilty, which in turn weighs even more on your ability to work. <S> Get a recommendation from that person as to what your next steps should be, and then meet with your mentor and be honest, with the recommendation in hand. <S> I would be honest without getting into too many details. <S> Perhaps you need some time to do work that is less problem-solving, and more in lines with physical activity, where you accomplish something each day and can leave your work at work. <S> With that backdrop, you might feel more motivated to continue your programming work gradually. <A> That is not nothing. <S> Prepare to communicate that to your new mentor. <S> Then work together to figure out where to go from there. <A> I think it is very important that you start doing something, anything. <S> It seems like you are looking at things but not "Doing" anything. <S> You need to take just 1 step, do the very first thing they recommended in the first meeting. <S> You do not need to do the whole project, just take the first step, just remember you never have to finish if you start <S> but you can never finish if you don't.
| Make sure you review what you have done, and if you can figure out where you want to go. There is not the same stigma surrounding depression as there used to be, and many people can be understanding. Postpone the meeting until you can meet with a professional. You have not been doing "Nothing" you have been doing reading to get caught up and getting yourself back into programming.
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Employer has my signature on a blank form. Is this allowed? In the province of British Columbia, in Canada, we have many forms to get things ordered or to move along. One form I am responsible for signing and giving the yay-nay on has been copied with all the fields blanked out, except my signature. The purpose of this form is to prove I was consulted before the decision to purchase. Having my signature on that blank form means they can say I approved it, even though I don't know anything about it. The people with the form are my superiors in one wing of the organization. I am concerned that this will be used in an unethical manner. How should I address this with my company in a professional manner? <Q> We can't tell you whether it's legal or not. <S> But to answer your other question... <S> Yes. <S> Go to HR. <S> Don't delay, do it tomorrow. <S> Say you're just checking on if this is normal, standard policy and is it company policy. <S> I would also check with some Canadian privacy groups and <S> I'm sure there's a provincial or federal labor department as well. <S> Yes! <S> It defeats the whole purpose of requiring a signature if it's on blank forms and you'll be held responsible for what they do (possibly). <A> This is awful. <S> Not just for you, but also for the company. <S> Legally, it is not a valid signature. <S> It's only a valid signature if you sign a filled out form. <S> Changing the form after you signed, in order to make someone believe you signed the contents of the form as it is, will most likely result in fraud. <S> The problem may be proving it. <S> So if this signature is used internally (say for making purchases, or sign off for someone's holiday), that could mean trouble for you. <S> Now let's say your company sent out a bill to a customer, the customer thinks it's wrong, your company says "the bill is Ok, because Canadian Luke checked it all and signed it", and things go to court. <S> You would be asked whether this is true. <S> In court you say the truth, so you say "I never saw this document before, I didn't sign it, and I'm aware that my company has a blank form with my signature". <S> Your company would be <S> so deep in trouble, because the obvious next question is who in your company filled out the form and committed fraud. <S> I'd say the right thing is going to HR and / or your legal department, informing them, and insisting of a signed paper where they acknowledge the existance of this signed form. <S> They should most likely proceed by telling everyone to destroy all copies of that paper. <A> Working for a government entity a form like this opens you up to huge problems long run. <S> The people using this presigned form and those requiring that a form is signed/those judging you should anything go wrong as a result of the presigned form will have little to no overlap. <S> You are responsible for what you approve.
| To directly answer your question: Any use of that empty form with your signature by filling it out, unless it is filled out in a way that you would have signed anyway, would most likely be illegal.
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Not being able to understand someone Does anyone have any tips on understanding another person's reasoning, or when to give up? This is provided you're talking with them face to face. For example today I was working in a group and one person had made a slide that was completely wacky and didn't make any sense. I asked him (politely) several times to explain, but each time it was gibberish. I never did understand it but since no one else could understand, we deleted the slide. His English was poor. Does anyone have any suggestions? Especially when people are trying to communicate who don't speak the same first language, I find it can be a barrier when they just repeat the same broken English that doesn't make sense. Maybe asking "could you explain it in different words" would help, but that sounds a bit condescending in the work place. <Q> You could try changing the question. <S> Instead of telling them you don't understand what it means or asking them to explain it you could focus on a particular part and ask "What is this?", "Why is that thing important?", "How are this and that related", "Why is this an abomination from the depths of the early internet in neon colors and blinking?", etc. <S> A classic technique is to paraphrase back to them what you think it means. " <S> So to me this slide says that the sky is purple and water is dry. <S> Is that correct?". <S> Then they can either confirm your understanding is correct or provide corrections if your understanding isn't correct. <S> These two can work really well together. <S> Ask some small simple focused questions and then paraphrase your understanding of what you've covered so far. <A> You may try to breakdown the confusion into several sub-questions: <S> What is the problem or key issue you want to address with this slide? <S> What are the key elements that you want us to learn? <S> How can they be applied in the issue which you want to describe? <S> Which element do you think is the most powerful and critical? <S> Why do you have confidence in the information that you introduced to us? <S> What makes you believe it can work? <A> As someone who has worked in a customer service role with plenty of clients whose English was at times very hard to understand I'd do the following: <S> If you don't really need to understand, let it slide. <S> I've seen plenty of situations where both people are not understanding each other and the one trying to clarify is clearly just wanting to situation to end to avoid further awkwardness, if you get that vibe be gracious to them. <S> If you do need to know, depending on how poor their English skills are, they could be flustered and that's contributing to the problem. <S> Wait until you get a moment in private with them and ask them then. <S> It'll remove the pressure and you'll be able to work with each other to get to a mutual understanding. <S> If they say yes and then add some further clarification that you didn't understand, leave it at that as you got the gist and that should be fine. <S> Similar to the first point, sometimes they will answer in the affirmative to your clarification questions just to end it. <S> If you suspect this, speak with them in private to confirm or otherwise if you can, just let it go. <A> I assume that this slide was created with the intention of expressing a piece of information, and if you couldn't understand it that was a failure. <S> Your response depends on what your role is in relation to this person and how important that slide was. <S> As a supervisor/project lead/ <S> etc <S> I would ask the person to explain what they were trying to convey. <S> If you still could not understand a good way to approach would be " <S> I do not think your message is being conveyed clearly, can you suggest another way to put it" rather than "use different words". <S> As you said is not the best to use in a business situation. <S> From there it may be time to reevaluate this persons role on the team. <S> Perhaps doing a job where they need to express ideas in a language they do not know is not suited for them. <S> Good luck.
| Once again, wait until you can speak privately if it's critical that you understand exactly what they're saying. As others mentioned, repeat back what you understood and ask for confirmation.
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Is simply stating the salary I internally want too naive? An employer told me that he is considering offering me the job and he asked me first to tell him if I have any expectations regarding the salary. I told him the amount of fixed salary I think is legitimate, and that that I expect a bonus/variable part in addition (for which I didn't specify the exact amout). The salary I stated is the minimum I want, and it's is the fixed part of the salary already touched by someone working in the company (who touches a yearly bonus in addition to it). It does not necessarily make me satisfied, that's why I insisted on expecting an additional part. This is a small company, I didn't want to risk by giving a higher salary than what I know they already offer, and don't like haggling. I expect to be able to negotiate just the bonus/varibale part, and that would make me satisfied.The employer said he will contact me back to discuss it. Is my approach too naive? <Q> Yes, your approach is too naive. <S> The starting salary has a more significant impact on your salary 5 years down the road than the performance during the next 5 years, because raises are usually in percentages. <S> If you say money isn't much of an issue <S> and you know you can live a happy life at salary X, you can just ask for X. <S> But if you, like most people, like being paid what you're worth and dislike being paid less, then you need to learn how to negotiate. <S> There's loads of literature and even classes to learn that. <S> In a proper negotiation you never state how much you really want. <S> Instead you try to figure out how much they're willing to pay. <S> One of the ways of doing so is stating a salary that's higher than what you want and then start to haggle. <S> If you can negotiate a number that's equal or higher than what you wanted, you agree. <A> Giving a number figure to the hiring person, basically, limits your negotiation capacity at that number. <S> Let's say the position pays $50,000 to $70,000 per year and your friend said he is getting $60,000 + bonus and you used this $60,000 as your base salary figure, thinking he got it <S> and why shouldn't I ? <S> Right ? <S> At this level, if this company is competitively hiring in the market, they know they can bag you for $60K/yr. <S> And they will see how much lower you can go. <S> If you say I want $65K now, they will say, "oh at the beginning you said $60K <S> and we based your value on that" and it might cost you the job if you try to raise your expectancy at this time. <S> But considering this is a small company, probably a startup, you did not get much damage in my opinion. <S> If there already is someone gtting the number figure you wanted, you can probably get it. <S> But in the future, it is best to leave it to the employer to make the first move to have the negotiating power. <S> Answers like "I am flexible as far as the salary goes, but I am sure you know what my worth is, being in the market for such a long time" or "I am not going to haggle for $200/yr difference, but <S> I am sure you will not expect me to work for a salary less than what I deserve" All this language, puts the ball in their court, making them understand you made your salary research <S> and they should not low-ball you. <S> But no matter what, they will send a low ball offer to start negotiating. <S> At that point you give them a figure more than what you are willing to settle for and the haggle starts. <A> When they offer you the job, you can simply state: " <S> Oh! <S> that's great... <S> but.. listen I really really do want to accept, but I have another offer, its not as good a company, but is a bit higher salary... <S> can you give me time to think this over? <S> no I cant say what they are offering" <S> By then they have spent ages interviewing people and decided that you are the best, so they are bound to be a bit flexible on salary. <S> Also remember an employment agency will be taking a cut, and they wont look good if you pull out, so there is room for maneuver there as well. <S> "I'd love to stay, i really like working here <S> but I've been head hunted! <S> If only you could match their offer.. <S> no sorry <S> I cant say what they are paying I've signed an NDA"
| You can do negotiating tricks to get a better salary, but at the end of the day just keep applying for jobs that pay more. It is a bit naive, but someone has to start somewhere.
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Junior dev left with a project that's due in monday I'm a junior back-end developer. I'm currently working on a pretty big project that myself and two other senior developers have been working on which is due in on Monday at 10 am. The main bulk of the work is finished but the two senior developers haven't shown up. I've been left to finish up most of the work which is harder than anything I've ever done before and i'm not sure what I can do. Any help would be greatly appreciated. <Q> First, nobody can reasonably get angry at you for not finishing the work till monday. <S> Secondly, nobody can reasonably demand that you'll now spend all your weekend to finish this project. <S> The only thing you'll really need to do now, is to calm down and decide for yourself, if you want to put in the extra energy. <S> The main question here is: Are you working for a company where this commitment will be rewarded or atleast valued? <S> After all it's your boss job to manage the resources in the company. <S> If the project is in a critical state and nobody is there to fix it <S> , it's his fault and not yours. <S> You just owe the company what you are paid for; <S> (most likely) 40 hours a week and the expertise of a junior-dev. <S> So just calm down a bit <S> and if you think certain things are impossible to achieve in a given timeframe you'll just have to give this information to your boss. <S> By definition, it's his job as a project manager to find a solution to that and not yours. <S> If you get a snarky reply for passing this information (like "well it just needs to get done" ) <S> you just have to ignore it and stick to the facts, after all it's mainly important that you notice him as early as possible about serious problems like an unachievable deadline. <S> As soon as you have given this information to him you effectively freed yourself of the burden to find a solution to the problem solely by yourself. <A> Having a deadline can be stressful, you will need to make sure you do/did your best to achieve it. <S> However; the people that support you (your boss) will need to make sure that you can achieve this as well. <S> That is their job. <S> That can be done by throwing yourself at the work (if you have the confidence that you can actually finish it), but sometimes the best result is that you remind people of the agreements made when starting the project. <S> In scrum terms this would be called an 'impediment'. <S> If you are not sure were you're standing, ask your boss for assistance in validating it / determining what remains to be done, and give your estimate if it is possible to do so. <S> And on a personal note: chin up, take a deep breath, give it your best effort and try to have some fun while you're at it. <A> You had some senior devs just not show up and a deadline on Monday. <S> Is your boss aware of the no show? <S> CC your boss on the email. <S> Make a list of what is left and how long you think it will take if it is just you. <S> If you cannot finish then just tell your boss. <S> If you cannot finish then even less reason to stress. <S> Just take a task one at a time.
| If the agreement or understanding is that there will be 3 people working on the project, then your boss cannot reasonably expect you to finish on your own within the same timeframe. If you have practical concerns (I cannot achieve X within time or by my self), then state that to your boss, and expect to be helped with it.
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Is it appropriate to tell a supplier which of their competitors I chose instead? Recently I was obtaining quotes for language translation from several companies I had located online. Most of them are based on the East Coast of the US. The translation was required for the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) of a machine we were building for shipment overseas. We don't do many international builds so don't have much experience with translation services. It came down to two companies, one of which was about 40% cheaper than the other; both gave me the same sense of quality. While on the phone with the more expensive bidder, she told me she could come down in price but not that far, and I explained that I appreciated the time she had spent to talk through the project with me, but given we didn't have previous history with either company, I would have to go with the lower bid. At one point she asked me what the name of the other company was, and I declined to provide the name. The call ended courteously. Obviously, this question can apply to many different situations. When is it appropriate/inappropriate to disclose to a supplier the name of their competitor who you choose to do business with? My gut feeling is, in this circumstance it may not have mattered since there are thousands of translation companies out there and we don't have a relationship with any of them. Whereas, in our local market we are typically more careful about our relationships with our common suppliers (for things like motors, actuators, sensors, etc). <Q> If the industry you're in was very niche, again, competitors may end up in an intense race to win over customers. <S> However this situation is completely different, and I don't think you have anything to gain by revealing this information. <S> In fact, if the losing firm is unprofessional enough they may try to ruin your deal somehow (crazy people are out there). <S> In situations such as these you absolutely did the right thing, and should continue to do so. <A> I have been on both sides of this equation as a buyer and as a vendor and the answer, as usual, is a firm " <S> It depends". <S> The default of not telling the other vendor is perfectly fine, and they should appreciate that. <S> On the other hand, if the vendor is making an honest attempt to identify weaknesses in their product or pricing, then it can provide valuable information that results in an improvement of their product. <S> An improvement that you may find useful in the future. <S> It boils down to how much you trust the vendor and who you are talking to. <S> If it's a Product Manager or Senior Exec, that is typically less problematic than a sales person. <S> One thing I would never disclose is the pricing you were offered by the successful vendor. <A> Either the response will be neutral or negative. <S> You did the right thing. <S> I had a co-worker share which competitor got a bid and get a 10 minute rant about how the company we chose. <A> Unless there is some NDA preventing you from saying who you went with, it doesnt matter. <S> However, in my personal opinion, it is none of their business. <S> They do not need the information, nor giving that information benefits you in any way. <S> Although unlikely, giving the information can only harm the situation. <A> Lot of good answers that are all no. <S> And I agree 90% of the time. <S> Here is where it might help you. <S> They know the weakness of the competitors and will tell you. <S> It is something you can check out for yourself. <S> They may be more for good reason. <S> Some times it is a competitor they want to shut out and will match the price.
| While it may be in their best interest to know who you're going to, it's not necessarily in yours. If you were publicly pitting two major competitors against one another in order to get the best quote (assuming they were both desperate for your contract), it would be one thing. From my understanding nothing good ever comes from sharing this information.
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What is a good model for rewarding work on projects outside of contracted hours I work at a small company and we have a full schedule of work ahead of us. There are some internal tooling projects that would massively help some departments in the company but they never quite get prioritised to the front of the queue. I would like to offer my team the opportunity to work on them outside of work time for some sort of financial reward. but I'm struggling to find a model that won't cause resentment or promote conflict. Options I've considered are: Bounty for the team that delivers the tool. This has issues around who gets to be on the team Option to come in on saturday to work on these projects and get overtime rate. This potentially makes people feel like the extra work is required unless the idea is carefully delivered. Are there models I could use in order to encourage my team to put in extra work? <Q> Trying to get more work out of your employees without paying them what they deserve is wrong. <S> If you have more work than employee resources there are a couple options. <S> Authorize overtime with appropriate overtime pay/Comp time. <S> Hire more workers. <S> Anything else is simply trying to exploit your existing employees. <A> Also, I think there might be some legal problems in having people work more hours than is in their contract. <S> Only way I can think that people would work on a project outside their work hours is if they take full control and ownership of the project. <S> Most probably as open-source, complete control over used technology, frameworks, libraries, etc... <S> And you only provide requirements. <S> It could be good way for a programmer to build a portfolio. <A> Return some of the time to them. <S> After a major release goes out the door, management typically tells us to take the next month's Fridays as management directed time off. <A> One idea that has come up a couple of times on this SE is having a period in your development cycle devoted to self directed internal projects. <S> What I've heard before is usually described is a week or two after a release where developers will have time to work on improving (or building new) tools for the organization. <S> Long run it likely improves your velocity as this time lets your team relax and refresh a little bit and allows them to work more efficiently when they are working on regular projects.
| No, as long as people make enough on their main hours, money won't be incentive to work more hours.
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As an intern, how can I ask for real work? I'm currently a paid intern at a corporate company, and the only intern in my department. The team has been in the planning stages of a new project, so there hasn't been much I've been able to contribute since it's a big project with multiple 3rd party vendors. I go to all the department's meetings, even the all-days with consultants, but haven't gotten a chance to make something useful. I've asked coworkers if they have anything I can do, and they've suggested learning about technologies they're using but haven't given any sort of task to complete. I've also looked through source code from the old project they're redesigning, but there was little to no documentation. I've been learning a lot, but I feel guilty for not having anything to contribute since I'm being paid to work. The interns need to make a short presentation on what they've worked on, but the only things I can talk about are things other people in my department have accomplished. On the other hand, I'd feel equally guilty if my supervisor went out of his way to find some task that won't benefit anything. I mentioned that I'm available to help anyone at the last scrum meeting and a coworker said she'd take me up on that, but I didn't see her for the rest of the day. How can I find something useful to do? <Q> You have done everything you can do. <S> You aren't hiding in a corner trying to avoid doing anything, you are upfront and asking for work, and if they don't have anything for you that is ok. <S> Keep doing what you are doing, learning what their is to learn and making yourself available to jump in when needed. <S> When you looked through the source code for the old system were you able to understand it? <S> Maybe that lack of documentation is a project that you can work on. <A> It's rarely 100%. <S> Javascript tests can be a good target as devs tend to write them less often. <A> As an intern, I struggled with the same things as you've mentioned above. <S> Your first task is to get to know the workplace and environment better: Who's doing what in the team, what are their responsibilities, then you'll learn about the software they use, the projects they work on, etc. <S> When you can manage these confidently, the "meaningful" work will come. <S> While you're preparing for that, you'll be given tasks from your co-workers which might seem little to no use to the company: like doing small tasks, reading manuals, etc. <S> However, if you view it from another perspective, you free up the department's timetable from the mandatory, yet not so productive tasks. <S> When you gain enough experience doing these, another intern might come to take your place, and more importantly, you'll be given meaningful tasks, and projects. <S> Do not worry about the presentation to your supervisor, your object is simple: state <S> what've done then emphasize what you've accomplished with that. <S> Corporate companies have their "peak hours" and "downtimes". <S> The latter is nearby lunchtime, after a meeting, and close to the end of the day. <S> Use these times to talk to your co-workers about your concern. <S> Try to figure out if there are any discontinued projects, and why they were discontinued. <S> You might pick up one of those. <S> You might try to tell your co-workers that you can learn these technologies better in use than in theory. <S> I think there are some small tasks that can be done with these programs, and tools. <S> Reading codes all day is not so bad: you might notice things that any other, overbooked person might overlook while skimming these. <A> I'm assuming you aren't an intern anymore as this is almost 2 years later <S> but I started out in a similar fashion only doing mundane user testing for our developers. <S> Luckily one of them got me involved a few months later as I showed signs of being a competent and aspiring programmer. <S> She needed a small program that did x to help her complete a task quicker <S> and however I did <S> it was up to me. <S> After I did that, she gave me more and more little tasks <S> but they involved our main system <S> so I felt accomplished/beneficial. <S> In your case though, it seems you have reached out the best you could but taking an extra step on top of "learning their technologies" wouldn't hurt. <S> Since you have access to source code, I would read/run the code (if possible, point to a testing db if needed) and familiarize yourself with the existing product, which probably will function similarly to the new one. <S> Many, many of times, there is little to no documentation for code or other tasks involved in IT <S> and you have to be able to work around that. <S> If you cannot run it, try to break it down and write out what you think it does and ask one of them if that is what it does or google parts of the code to better your knowledge if nothing else for post graduation/job opportunities. <S> That way eventually when you attend meetings and see what has been implemented you could be familiar and say, "oh, cool. <S> Did you do this because x and y should do z? <S> I noticed in the old code it works similarly. <S> " It would make you more involved and potentially gain rapport with them that you are able to add code in smaller less crucial sections of the new or existing products.
| If you just want to write some code, check test coverage and improve it. Try to ask as many questions about the ongoing projects as you can.
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Would it be rude to ask for a phone interview instead of an in-person interview? I've been searching for a new job as a software developer in the last few weeks and have noticed that in every single one of the interviews there's a pattern. First, there's a "get to know you" interview with a HR representative, where I'm asked things like who do I live with, what do I expect of the position I'm being interviewed for, which were my past professional experiences and things like that. After this interview with HR, there will most likely be a techinical interview. The problem is that I'm searching for a job in a specific part of town. To get there, I have to leave earlier (and lose almost the whole afternoon) and come in later (and lost most of the morning), since my current company is kinda far from where I'm interviewing and I need to use public transportation. So, would it be unprofessional, impolite or come off as if I didn't want the job that much if I ask if there really is a need for an in-person interview or if we could use the phone or skype? Edit: I work as a web developer in Brazil. <Q> Would it be rude to ask for a phone interview instead of an in-person interview? <S> Yes. <S> Rude and presumptuous. <S> Like it or not, there's a power disparity when it comes to hiring which means that the hiring manager or HR get to dictate how their process moves. <S> There are many reasons for doing interviews in person and a lot of them are reasonable. <S> It's also not the company's concern that you are inconvenienced by being far away from their location, that's part and parcel of applying for positions that would require relocating or dealing with a long commute. <S> Now you can ask to do a phone screen in addition to and before the in-person interview. <S> Phone screens are also common for a good reason and it's reasonable to ask to speak to the hiring manager or HR before taking time off work to attend an interview. <S> Discussing the benefits of phone screens would take this post too far but suffice to say that their main goal is to save time for all parties involved. <S> A quick phone call can quickly identify deal-breakers that would invalidate an application. <S> Say or write something like: <S> Thank you for inviting me to interview. <S> Since I'd like to avoid wasting your time I was wondering if it would be possible to arrange a quick phone call to discuss the position and [pick one or more of]: <S> get aligned on the type of profile that you're looking for <S> see if I could be a good fit for your culture get an idea of the salary range [can come across as aggressive to bring up early but if you're spoilt for choice and especially if they contacted you this is fine to ask] ... <S> Note that this avoids mentioning anything about the inconvenience to you because that's really not the company's concern. <S> Good hiring managers will always try to accommodate candidates, especially in high-demand sectors, but the reality of job interviews is that they will always take a chunk out of a regular work day. <A> One thing I have learned over the years is that you can ask for anything, as long as you are willing the accept the result. <S> In this case HR may be fine with the request and give you a phone interview, however they also may decide that you are already making demands and being difficult so why should they bother to continue the interview process. <S> You don't mention where you are or what job you are interviewing for. <S> If you are in a high demand low supply industry you may be more successful in putting restrictions on the interview. <S> Good luck. <A> I'll try to make this short. <S> I'm a medical professional in the USA. <S> I've had many interviews via phone and video. <S> Technology today is best suited for this exact thing. <S> My CV speaks for itself, so when I get an interview and I am not in the same state, they do the phone screening interview first. <S> Followed up by a video interview. <S> Then, at that point if they really want me, THEY will fly me to them for the in-person interview. <S> When that happens, they pay for the flight, hotel, car rental, etc. <S> In other words, if they want you, they should have no problem in covering the costs of getting you there to meet face-to-face. <S> This is obviously more suited for either high paying jobs or high in-demand jobs. <S> One person here mention something and they are correct: "Good hiring managers will always try to accommodate candidates, especially in high-demand sectors." <A> You should phrase your response more towards "asking" in the sense of inquiring, rather than requesting. <S> English uses the same word of "asking" for both, which makes it more difficult to make this distinction, but many other languages have separate words, such as the Spanish preguntar and pedir respectively. <S> Ask something like "How flexible are you as far as in-person versus phone interviews? <S> " Your goal should be to come across as trying to find out what the company's needs are (they really feel like an in-person interview is crucial versus they don't really care and are just offering it as a default), rather than trying to get them to accommodate yours.
| If they skip phone screens and want to jump straight to an in-person interview then you can't really ask them to change the fundamentals of their process. That's entirely reasonable to ask and people with experience in hiring will generally be willing to do so.
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If asked, should I say that I have interviews in the next few days While reading the question Does interviewee demand influence employment attractiveness? , I was wondering what could be a good response to: Do you have other scheduled interviews? (if asked during an interview). I have been asked this once but at that point I had no other opportunities. So I answered a basic No, not at this time. I assume that if I currently have other scheduled interviews, I shouldn't show too many interest in the others as it could show that I am not really interested in the current one. But denigrating the others could show a bad side of me. Or I could just lie that I have no other interview scheduled? In the linked question's case, in the extreme case with two people: Candidate A : Tells you this is the first interview they've had for a while and have no others booked. Candidate B : You hear from your source that this person is receiving lots of interest, but they don't mention it themselves. I accepted Patricia's answer but the one with no other interview would also scare me a bit as Why is no one interested in him? How should I answer this question? Does admitting that I have no other interviews harm my chances? Edit: I never thought of lying, but it is still a potential answer so I included that option here. <Q> Answering the question <S> honestly won't hurt you, lying will. <S> When I'm interviewing a person, the question I am asking is never the question I am really asking. <S> This is true for most interviewers. <S> Now, here's why for this specific question: You don't know if they are asking to see if you are in demand. <S> If you answer "yes", that doesn't mean that it's a good thing if you are. <S> They could be impressed and want to snap you up, or figure that they can't afford you or just don't want to get involved in a bidding war. <S> A "no" can break both ways as well. <S> They could wonder if you're not pounding the pavement enough, or wonder if you're simply not a hot commodity. <S> By the same token, they may snap you up because they figure they can get you at a bargain price or that if you're qualified and don't have anything on the table, they can get you in the door with the least amount of pain. <S> Unless you know WHY they are asking the question, then it can only hurt you to try to guess at the answer they want to hear. <S> Tell the truth, it's less stressful. <A> What I want to hear from candidates is that they picked the company I work for on purpose. <S> If someone says he has two dozen other interviews lined up, then this means I am a random find in his or her job search. <S> I want our company to be one of the top priorities of this person. <S> Obviously, if somebody is currently out of a job, then having more applications out there is perfectly normal compared to somebody who applies to a better job out of a current job he or she is holding. <S> But even when currently unemployed, I want to know the person has a priority list and my company is with the top. <S> A good answer might be: <S> I have looked at all opportunities, made a list and applied to the #X companies I liked best. <S> So yes, I have a few other interviews scheduled, but not many. <S> What <S> a good #X is is subjective. <S> Personally, I would prefer somewhere between 2 and 6, simply because I think 6 is more than enough to handle at once <S> and I tend to not believe people that say that my company is the greatest thing since sliced bread and they only want to work here. <S> It's just a company, it's not Google or NASA. <S> However, the rule #1 applies: don't lie. <S> If you cannot honestly say this, you may want to check why before you do anything else. <A> I would always advocate being truthful. <S> I don't think answering <S> "No" hurts you, but lying definitely could. <S> In my (personal) experience, this question is actually more for setting the expectations of the hiring manager/team than evaluating the candidate. <S> I only ask the question if I actually like the candidate. <S> I've already formed my opinion and know that I plan to either move the candidate to the next step in the process or make an offer. <S> I am asking because I want to know how competitive the hiring process is going to be. <S> Do I need to make sure our process moves swiftly enough to present an offer in time? <S> Do I need to rethink where in the salary range I need to come in to get an accepted offer? <S> Do I need to sell my company/offered position more strongly? <S> I may have follow-up questions about the kinds of roles, the seriousness of those interviews (phone vs in-person or initial feelers vs serious contender), etc. <A> No isn't really that great an answer. <S> It hints at other employers <S> aren't interested in you, whether you're at the beginning of a job search or have been in the market a lot. <S> Rather than answer <S> No, answer something like: <S> "I'm working with a ton of other recruiters on potential opportunities, but I don't have anything scheduled at present". <S> This kind of answer says No, but avoids the potential negative view by stating that other people are interested in you. <S> Interestingly enough, thinking back, it's always the smaller shadier outfits that ask this kind of question, or the recruiters themselves (because they want to get paid). <S> Frankly, until I have an employment contract in front of me and have to make a decision, my business is my own in regards to who I'm interviewing for :) <A> I am going to answer because of the reference to my answer to a rather different question. <S> That question asked us to assume the two candidates had equally attractive resumes etc. <S> In that case, I would assume the difference in number of interviews relates to how selective the candidates are being in applying for jobs. <S> In the real world, in most cases, there will be differences in the resumes. <S> Maybe they have specialized skills that few employers want, but that are just right for my job. <S> With differences in the resumes, my choices would be driven by which candidate is the better fit. <S> That does not always mean the one with the highest qualifications. <S> Sometimes one wants a junior programmer who will grow into a job. <S> As far as the question is concerned, lying would be stupid, even if your ethics permit it. <S> It's a small world, and being known to lie in interviews would not help future job hunting. <S> The options, with shading between them, are to answer completely and truthfully or to deflect the question without giving a precise answer.
| You never know the purpose of the question, so trying to guess what the "right" answer is can be counter productive. Maybe the candidate with few interviews is applying for jobs that are not a good match for their skills and qualifications. Always tell the truth as the world is smaller than you think.
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How to respond to a meeting request with multiple times if I am indifferent If someone wants to have a meeting and provides a selection of times, ex: Monday 1:00-1:30 pm - ESTTuesday 9:00-9:30 am - ESTWednesday 2:00-2:30 pm - EST and I am completely indifferent as to the times, should I still pick one (to move things forward), or just reply that all the meeting times are acceptable (to give them the choice of time in case they have a preference)? Does the status between the two matter, i.e. who is more senior or a boss, or who is the one driving/initiating the meeting? edit for clarification: assume only two people are involved in the meeting <Q> Depends on how many people are in the meeting. <S> If this is a planning for a larger meeting (3 or more parties, basically) then it is often best to respond with an <S> "I am available at all of these times". <S> (Or, if you can do some, but not all, to respond with the ones you have available). <S> Since there might be other parties who still need to pick an available time and you saying "Let's do monday" might then result in "we can't do monday", whereas you saying "Any is fine with me" would immediately go to " <S> We can only do Wednesday". <S> When there are only 2 parties involved, the other party clearly is also available for all of these and is also indifferent, so just pick one. <S> Roll a die, or just go with the first one, or whatever. <S> If they cared, they would have emphasized their preferred date. <A> If the request is coming from your supervisor and it is something work related, such as a project status check up or a customer expectation etc, it is best that you choose the best time depending on the project's timeline. <S> Your supervisor might not be aware of your position on the subject matter project and deferring the timing to you, so that you can be more prepared. <S> If it is a personal matter, like your yearly or quarterly review, it is best if you choose a time which you know will be better for your boss, indicating that you are available for all the time slots offered but you thought it might be at your boss' best interest if you go with this or that time. <S> This will make you sound decisive, at the same time considerate of your boss. <S> And letting your boss know that you are open to all suggestions, gives them the chance to offer a different time, <S> should he/ <S> she feels another time slot serves better for his/her purpose. <S> On the other hand, if the meeting request is coming from a coworker or a project team member, it has almost always been my experience that, more flexible you sound, more irrelevant work you end up getting during the course of the project. <S> Choose one time slot, even if it is at random, and stick to it, and if necessary, resist the time change proposals, within reason of course. <S> If someone, who is not your boss, thinks that he/she can walk over you, this is not a good move for the rest of your time in that position. <A> Keep in mind that working for you means: You can be on time <S> You will have any preparation or action items for the meeting complete <S> You can be attentive and ready to participate <S> If you can't do all three, say so, and pick the time that is most likely to get you as ready for the meeting as possible. <S> If you have no part to play in the meeting, then ask why it's necessary and what value you bring to it. <S> The importance of being ready on all counts increases when the meeting is with your superiors or with other people of high importance. <S> If you are the higher ranked person, you may be able to waste the time of the other groups more or if this is a large meeting, it may be understood if you can't be 100% ready for the meeting.
| If you are having a small meeting, and all the times work for you - just say so.
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What does "Wizard-level knowledge of C#" means? I saw this in Microsoft job application. Is this means something higher than Senior or it's just a description? <Q> I can only assume it means an in depth understanding of C#, the .NET CLR and runtime. <S> In the same way that "Senior" doesn't really mean much - it doesn't tell me how competent someone is in a specific area, just that a company (or several companies) decided to give them that title. <A> Wizard relates to magic, so it's supposed to mean you can work magic with the language <S> , i.e. you have outstanding skills. <S> In some companies, Senior relates to years of experience, sometimes a mere 1-2 years makes you Senior . <S> Wizard is different and implies it only cares about skill, not time. <S> By asking for Senior people with 5-10 years experience you exclude some exceptionally talented graduates, and include some exceptionally untalented people. <S> If you continue that line of thought and consider that people with 0-2 years of experience are usually much cheaper than people with 5+ years of experience, such an ad is most likely targeted at young people with a very good grasp of the language (e.g. from open source projects) but little professional experience. <A> It's someone trying to be clever, funny, and/or cute. <S> The problem behind it is that anyone who calls themselves a "wizard" either still lives in their parents' basement, or is remarkably impressed with their own mediocrity. <S> Two concepts to be familiar with: Dunning-Kruger Effect and Expert Beginner . <S> A company advertising for a "wizard" is neck deep in the "bad" side of the Dunning-Kruger phenomenon, and likely due to the "Expert Beginner" mindset. <S> While this post references software development, this phenomenon is present in all vocations. <S> It just is (or rather was) tolerated in tech more often. <S> This is mainly because our presence in business is just barely out of its adolescence. <S> In the mid-90's, computers started to drop in price and development languages became "accessible" enough to let people with talent create systems that actually helped businesses work with far less expense and effort. <S> An example: Anyone old enough to remember Word Perfect? <S> It took a whole company years to build that software. <S> Today, anyone with Visual Basic and a long afternoon can produce a functional equivalent. <S> In a very short timeframe, all the "easy" tasks that could be handled with software were, and a lot of people became very valuable to companies even though they had what would rightfully be called "limited skills. <S> " <S> That's part of the reason <S> "Enterprise" software gets such a bad reputation, and a valid reason. <S> But we're 20 years down the line from that time. <S> Professionalism has taken root. <S> Skills are required and expected, not seen as exceptional, and people working in these fields have "settled down" to realize it is an actual profession, not a hobby, and a lifetime plan for skill development is required. <S> This company, or at least the person who wrote this ad, is still in the 1998 mindset. <A> What you are seeing is the term "wizard" used in slang . <S> used with a subject matter to refer to a person with deep, expert knowledge of that subject matter. <S> "We're looking to hire a Unix wizard." <S> It's a little unprofessional, but it's a way to refer to someone who's very skilled at something, and is especially prevalent in programming. <S> In short, it doesn't have an 'official' meaning, but the closest interpretation would be 'high-level competency'.
| "Wizard-level" is not an official thing, anywhere and would mean something different for different people. What they mean is that they want someone who can produce product quickly and appears to have exceptional skill.
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Seating arrangements face to face makes me stressed. What can I do about it? I had been rejecting jobs in the past which had tables with such arrangement like in the picture. I mean when there is no partition by which you could have privacy from another person seeing you constantly. But the problem is - I see many big companies, which might be good jobs have such seating. It is especially hard when I feel very stressed and feel shame to show I am so much stressed. And its bad when you have to give up good job just because seating arrangement. I usually avoid sitting that way in public transport also. Sometimes I try to sit for a bit - to train myself. Usually I get stressed after that, so when I know I need to feel relaxed, I avoid those training. This happens not with all people. Mostly happens with young, cool people. With old people its easier. Also with my family members its not big deal if its not too close face to face. Same is with girls, they are surprised why I avoid eye contact. But with some who I spend more time, I try to get eye contact and after long time I get used, also because I know that girl likes me the way I am if she is long time with me. Some say that I would get used. Maybe this is true. Maybe with some guys who like me I could get used. But if there sits a guy who does not like me, and is angry at me often, then I am really not sure. In some companies they state that monitor will hide my face and people are not staring at me all the time, they have work and they look at their monitors. Which is true. I might hide behind monitor, but I am afraid that I would not start to hunch. And also in the IT industry I believe I should not be alone who has problem with eye contact. So I do not get why offices are that way when they know that not all IT guys are good at social interactions. Update My question is - have you any suggestions how could I solve this problem? How to feel better? Or maybe solve it somehow technically? <Q> I have a seating arrangement like this (it isn't a problem for me), for other reasons I requested a 2nd monitor and two monitor stands. <S> My screen wall effectively forms a partition across the desk. <S> The person who sits across from me has three monitors <S> so we actually have to actively stand up to hold a face to face conversation. <S> In all honesty every job I have ever worked in has this style of seating (UK, cultures may vary) <S> so it is probably a very common problem and one you'll struggle to avoid. <A> Well, in my office the desktops are organized with the exact layout you describe (nice Paint skills!). <S> And I'm afraid it's the case in many, many organizations. <S> There's a wall of monitors between me and the guys in front, so all I can say about them is that they are too young to go bald already (meaning I can only see the top of their head). <S> As for the person next to me, I sometimes peek at her screen when something catches my eye (like when she starts a video, or something really out of the ordinary), but I sure don't stare at whatever she does. <S> And the opposite is true, I never caught her looking at my screen. <S> In the end, we all have work to do and way enough stuff to watch on our own screens. <S> I might be out of line, but you seem really shy, to a point it becomes harmful to you. <S> Getting stressed in the bus is one thing, having trouble finding a job is another. <S> Perhaps you should consider finding a therapist who could help you overcome this issue ? <A> The advice about getting multiple monitors is good. <S> If you need an even bigger screen, you could build one. <S> I use push pins to attach artwork. <S> This way, instead of people thinking I'm anti-social, they will just know that I enjoy having artwork around my monitor. <A> I really understand you. <S> I do not have a problem as much with people facing me, but I work with a door behind me <S> (it's an entry door from the street). <S> Even though it is usually locked, I am quite anxious about it being there. <S> This contributed to my leaving the job certainly. <S> I also hassle with the open floor plan, and even though we have mostly IT people in the room, our boss is on the phone a lot. <S> The proposed two- or multi-screen solutions might help. <S> I would talk about your problem. <S> If the company wants you, they might well adjust. <S> If the do not adjust, they might just not value or understand their personel. <A> Unfortunately this seating arrangement is fairly common everywhere. <S> The idea of cubes are long gone with developers mainly because a lot of times they want things to be open/social so that problems and solutions can be developed. <S> The open office arrangement can be unsettling with the idea that everyone can stare at someone else. <S> However, most people do not care enough to be sitting there staring at people all day. <S> So you can rest assure nobody is looking at you all day. <S> You bring up a lot of random points. <S> Social situations can be terrifying to some <S> but you're bringing up a lot of random, completely unrelated things. <S> I'm not even sure what you're really asking. <S> There is no way to go to a office place and <S> say you dislike the seating arrangement and demand a certain configuration. <S> You'll be passed. <S> Just as same you can't go into a office and build a artificial wall to seal you from others.
| I used black foam board to add a screen above my monitors.
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I was offered a manager role without additional pay or seniority after I recently was given a raise, should I ask for more? I started at this small software company (approx 100 people) about 2 years ago. I'm pretty early on into my career and I started as a base software engineer. About 6 months ago, my manager left the company. I was given more responsibility and called a "tech lead." I basically ran the schedules and lead the work but didn't get a raise or official title change. I absorbed a big chunk of the responsibility of my manager who left. I was managed by someone else who took over the team. Then, 1.5 months ago, I was promoted one level up to a senior engineer, after the review cycle concluded. I received a raise of 7.5%. I was told this was a result of my good work leading the small team in development. Now, 1.5 months later, a manager position opened up (there was some reorganization and someone left) and my boss' boss wants to know if I want to take it. He says my title will change to "software development manager" but otherwise nothing else will change at this time. I'll have 7 people reporting to me. He says the position is on the same level as the one I just received 1.5 months ago and that this is a lateral move to a parallel management track. The emphasis was on what a great opportunity this is for me and how much confidence the company has in me. I do want this, I've honestly felt like I've taken naturally to leading a team and I can't wait for it to be more officially recognized and to have direct reports. However, it feels like I should get another raise or some title that isn't at the "same level" as senior engineer, which is what I just received. My boss' boss who is offering this says that it's normal for this to be a lateral move and not a seniority or pay jump at this time. In addition, I feel awkward asking for more since I just received a raise and a title bump. Is this normal? Should I be negotiating this further? He said that if I want I can turn it down and they'll hire someone from outside to do the job, but I only have one day to decide. I just feel like it's not fair to get more respnosibility without more pay, but the timing is awkward right after the previous raise. I'm also afraid they could take it away and just hire someone else. Should I ask for more? <Q> Is this normal? <S> Yes. <S> Companies will routinely try to take advantage of their employees. <S> Should I be negotiating this further? <S> Maybe. <S> A 7.5% bump is pretty significant for most places. <S> If you're already fairly compensated, then negotiating further would not be wise. <S> Also, depending on the company, a manager role might not be more responsibility. <S> It will be different responsibility (doing managey things rather than coding things), but the same level of effort and risk involved. <S> It's perhaps uncommon, but possible. <S> One big thing to remember is that moving to a managerial position is pretty much impossible when changing jobs without experience. <S> The only way to make that transition is via internal promotion - and you're being offered that opportunity. <S> If you want your career to go that route, then the experience is going to be worth more than a few grand you might get by negotiating. <A> The idea that there are two tracks - one more technical and one more managerial - isn't that uncommon. <S> Depending on how deep your organization is will determine where exactly you fall. <S> At one company, the job positions were very shallow - you were an engineer, a senior engineer, or a manager (and there was 1 software manager, although the organizational structure could scale in different ways to support multiple managers if the team grew). <S> Another company was very deep - you had associate engineers, engineers, senior engineers, staff engineers, and engineering managers. <S> In a shallow organization, I can see the engineering manager being not much higher than a senior engineer, if higher at all. <S> In a deep organization, engineering managers tend to come after senior engineer at the lowest, if not a staff or principal engineer. <S> The workload also managers. <S> In one organization, an engineering manager simply manages engineers. <S> They are too busy with doing management tasks - hiring, one-on-ones, coaching, training, recruiting, budgeting, etc - to do technical work. <S> In another organization, an engineering management is responsible for the management work, but still has the time and capability to do software development. <S> I think you need to consider all of the factors here: <S> How does your current compensation (not just salary, but look at your company's benefits, too) stack up against other people in similar companies in similar backgrounds? <S> Will you be doing the type of work that you want to do, or at least think that you want to do? <S> If you find out that you don't like the position, what options would exist for you to move back to a more technical position? <S> How does this position help your career? <S> If you work a couple of years with "engineering manager" in your title, it will help you get a similar position on another company. <S> Being an "engineering manager" for a short period of time and stepping back to a non-engineering role is also possible. <S> Being an "engineering manager" for a long period of time and then trying to step back into a non-engineering role may be more difficult. <A> But you got a decent raise based on performance. <S> Trust <S> you will get another decent raise based on performance. <S> Now if you have been doing it a year and they don't pay you that is a problem.
| It is common not to give you the salary of the position until you prove you can perform the position.
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Should I let reviews on Glassdoor influence my decision about accepting a job offer? I am interested in applying for a couple of roles, but after looking at the company reviews on Glassdoor, they are extremely negative...Bad work/life balance, non supporting management etc These companies are large companies in their space. How accurate is Glassdoor for assessing if a company is a good place to work? Should I let the reviews influence my decision? <Q> How accurate is Glassdoor for assessing if a company is a good place to work? <S> Should I let the reviews influence my decision? <S> If you are like me, you'll find reviews all over the place. <S> And if you are like me, you'll wonder if they are actually reviewing the company you know. <S> As far as I can tell, they just reflect individual opinions and cannot in any way be considered an "accurate" reflection on how you'll perceive the company. <S> Reviews are individual and self-selected. <S> They aren't a random survey, nor are they a complete picture. <S> Often people with a bad experience are more motivated to complain publicly than people who had a good experience. <S> Additionally, a company where a few folks complain about "Bad work/life balance" (whatever that means to them) or "non supporting management" doesn't mean it won't be an excellent place for you specifically. <S> I never rely on Glassdoor for my assessment of a company. <S> My experience tells me that it wouldn't make any sense for me. <S> Instead, I read everything I can about the company (including anything on Glassdoor) before the interviews, and remember them during the interview process. <S> If something particularly gets my attention, I look for signs during the discussions, or ask specifically. <S> (Note: Search for "Glassdoor" here using the Search Q&A tool. <S> You'll see a handful of other questions involving Glassdoor, if the reviews are reliable, and if individuals should leave a review of their own or not. <S> It might help you decide if you should rely on such reviews.) <A> Remember that folks with complaints -- or folks who have been bribed -- are always much more motivated to post reviews than folks who are simply content/happy. <S> If all the reviews, over multiple years, complain about the same thing it may be worth trying to think of a way to ask about that topic during an interview. <S> But it's really not easy to determine rationale of past actions, never mind trying to guess what the future business environment will be and how management will react to it. <S> A few data points don't necessarily define a trend. <A> Try to confirm from multiple sources. <S> It certainly is a bad sign if ONLY bad reviews exist <S> but I would expect some number of negative reviews regardless of how good the company is. <S> Take into consideration the context of the reviews with the recent history of the company: was there a merger/acquisition? <S> A layoff? <S> These things will always generate bad feelings and do harm to some careers. <S> You can also do a search of court records for lawsuits that may indicate vindictive or unethical corporate behavior. <S> Finally with large companies, you can expect that different locales, departments and facilities may have completely different cultures. <S> Line workers might have completely different experiences than support staff, almost anything can vary across a large org. <S> Make sure you target your assessment towards the specific workplace that you are a candidate for. <A> You should treat company reviews like any other reviews. <S> Look at the overall number of reviews to see how likely it is that it's just a few people trying to promote or sabotage the company or if the reviews might be a good sample considering the size of the company. <S> Look at the language used in the reviews. <S> Is it really emotional or does it seem objective? <S> Also, as AndreiROM mentioned in the comments under Joe's answer, it's good to be aware of the limitations of the review system. <S> If the length of the comments is very limited, it's not possible to give a nuanced review and you should assume that no one review tells the entire story the reviewer hoped to tell. <S> Another limitation that can skew reviews is if you have to give a rating for each aspect and can't choose no rating/not applicable. <S> In this case, a lot of people will choose the middle rating, i.e. 3/5 stars which isn't exactly the same thing as "I don't have an opinion". <S> Read the positive reviews and think about if they were actually true would it make up for some of the things in the negative reviews. <S> What other people think can't tell you whether something is good for you. <S> It's just information that you can use to help you decide for yourself. <S> I find the Glassdoor reviews are good for deciding what sorts of questions I want to ask the interviewers about the company. <S> I've looked over the reviews for my current employer (and checked the "current employee" filter) and while I think some of the complaints don't apply to the organization I'm in, I can see that while they might be exaggerated, they weren't manufactured out of thin air. <S> There are some complaints about benefits that are absolutely accurate, and some praise for the company culture which is also accurate. <A> It should not put you off from apply but be aware in the interview. <S> Hopefully you will get to interview with your potential boss and get to see the work environment. <S> If the interview process feels like a non supportive environment then maybe Glass door is correct.
| Read the negative reviews and see if there are specific complaints that are common across all of them, then think about whether if this were actually true if it would matter to you. Read the Glassdoor reviews for companies where you have worked in the past. I recommend being skeptical of self-selected polls of all sorts, and online reviews in particular.
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Before applying for jobs, how do I filter out companies that have a reputation for sacking employees willy nilly? One of the companies I worked for, regularly let go of its employees for trivial or unknown reasons. Within a couple of months of my joining, my team lead was fired for having a 'bad attitude'. In a couple of months, two developers on my team were let go for being incompetent. A team lead of 15 years was let go suddenly for unknown reasons. I too was eventually fired for talking on my cell phone to a recruiter. Since then, I've worked for few other great end-clients who only let go of its employees for valid reasons; like lack of budget or change of strategy. But still, I'd like to avoid the first kind of company in my future job searches. What's a good way to find out if an employer has no regard for its employees? <Q> Glassdoor.com includes external reviews. <S> Some of the info should be taken with a grain of salt as people may post sour grapes on the way out the door or HR may try to use anonymous feedback to sell the company to prospective hires. <S> For large companies there will be enough data that outliers can be ignored and you can see general trends. <S> During the interview process you can ask things like: <S> What is the average tenure of people on your team? <S> Of the last tenpeople who left the team, how many left for other positions in thecompany versus left the company entirely? <S> Also during the interview process you should talk to your prospective new team. <S> With them you can likely be a bit more candid in describing the seemingly random firings at your old workplace and asking about their views on job security. <A> Remember, you are also interviewing companies. <S> Here are some things I've learned over the decades: <S> Company is willing to pay significantly more than the standard rate. <S> This can mean that they're having a tough time getting people in the door. <S> Sites like Glassdoor.com and others Word of mouth in the industry <S> Former or current employees Through your network Trade publications <S> Newspapers and back to the interviewing part.... <S> ask pointed questions such as: <S> How long have you been with the company <S> How long, on average have most people been with this company <S> Why is this position open (If the last person was terminated, that's a hint) <S> What are three things you like about working for this company <S> Where do you see the company heading. <S> Remember, you can, and should ask questions during the interview. <A> Glassdoor.com!
| If a company has a history of regularly letting people go for trivial reasons you can bet that those employees are out there letting everyone else know.
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How will having multiple undergraduate degree majors affect job prospects? I'm currently entering my third year of undergrad at a state university in the United States. I originally went to school for computer engineering but halfway through the past year I realized I was very interested in math. My school offers a program for a math major with an "emphasis in another field", so in conjunction with my engineering degree it will only require me to take a few extra courses I otherwise wouldn't have taken to get my BS in mathematics. The engineering/math double major was my plan up until a few weeks ago. I've spent the summer interning as a software engineer and have really enjoyed the work I've been doing. The college of engineering at my university requires us to pick an "elective focus area" and the area I've picked is software engineering. I was looking at the requirements for a computer science degree and realized that between my math major and careful selection of electives, it is very feasible that I could satisfy all of the requirements for a degree in engineering, math, AND computer science while still finishing school in four years. My question: how will having three undergraduate majors affect my chances at future job prospects? I've been warned that pursuing a Masters without any work experience can be potentially detrimental because employers believe they have to pay you more. I should mention that I believe my actual engineering degree will be an electrical engineering degree that may have some notation about a computer track of study (to be honest, I'm not exactly sure; I need to speak with my adviser about this). Having the computer science degree would help ensure that I'm able to find work in the field I want, but I don't want employers to discredit my education. <Q> I am not sure whether the multiple degrees will have any direct effect, but the choices you are making to get them may. <S> For example, if you want to go to graduate school, you should be taking the most advanced classes you can get in your chosen field. <S> Ideally, you will be trying to get into research in that area. <S> That is what leads to good recommendation letters for graduate school. <S> If you want to be a software engineer, you need to be giving a lot of time, attention, and thought to the computer science final year courses and related programming projects. <S> The combination of mathematics, computer engineering, and computer science gives a lot of flexibility, but the lack of focus may prevent you from being as outstanding as you could be in any one area. <A> So I have 2 master's degrees and 2 bachelor's degrees <S> and I can tell you that the thing about a master's simply isn't true. <S> Employers will pay you based on budget and experience regardless of how many degrees you have. <S> While it's good to get work experience while you're doing a master's degree I would caution against taking time off to get work experience unless you know with absolute certainty that you're going to come back. <S> Most people, once they're in the work force, can't imagine leaving. <A> The academic world, unfortunately, knows absolutely nothing(!) <S> about a thing that is intrinsic to business: <S> "competition!" <S> In the academic world, "your mission is to acquire accolades," namely "college degrees. <S> " <S> Then, if you have acquired the necessary set, "future doors open 'automagically'." <S> In the business world, however, none of these ivory-tower comfort zones exist. <S> Basically, you have a choice now: <S> either you must “ascend one more step, get a PhD, and thence disappear into Academia as your profession,” or you must stop spending more money on Degrees! <S> Frankly, the only academic-world value of "Master, " is that: "you, poor schlep, are not yet a Doctor. "
| You would need to impress professors in your field as either a student researcher or a student who is doing really well in their more difficult classes. It sounds to me like regardless of whether or not you get a master's degree you'll be perfectly employable - as long as you do well with the (honestly) really heavy schedule you've set for yourself.
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Negotiate last day of work My last day would be on July 27 due to 1 month notice plus holidays. However, I understand that the team is on holiday and won't return until August 1. I then propose to do handover on August 1. Still the management team asked to extend to August 2. As a good gesture, I don't want the management team to get a feeling that I'm not mindful to stay for another day, but I don't feel comfortable to come anymore. One of the reason is I'm not sure about my mother's health condition as she will need surgery. Could you please advise? Thank you. <Q> If your last day is the 27th, then your last day is the 27th. <S> Period. <S> If they want something from you, they need to make sure this happens before that date. <S> If they are away, that's their problem. <S> Anything you do on top of this is up to you. <S> If you want to do it, fine. <S> If you don't, fine. <S> Just make sure you stick to your word. <S> If you agree to do something, do it. <S> If you decline it, then don't do it. <S> As you did not mention why you left that job, there is little we can help you with. <S> You can decide to still help them for free. <S> Or for money. <S> Or not at all. <S> It's up to you. <A> Check the terms of the notice period. <S> If it's really one calendar month, their holiday break isn't your problem. <S> But it's often a specific number of working days, in which case company holidays are not counted. <S> If they want to add a day, they're presumably going to pay you for that additional day, right? <S> That may not be an awful thing, depending on where you're going from here. <A> Do you work in an "employment at will" state or country, or are you under contract? <S> The flip side is a company can terminate you at any point. <S> Do what you need to do to take care of yourself and your family.
| If you are employed at will, then you set the terms and date of your last date. Staying a few extra days at a job you are leaving isn't worth anyone's health.
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Do I have to live in a specific location to find a job there? Let's say I live somewhere in Pennsylvania. If I want to move to California, I want to find a job there first. Do companies in other locations generally respond to resumes coming from elsewhere in the US? <Q> There is nothing special about "companies in California". <S> There will always be some exceptions: small companies may only be interested in hiring locally, some positions may have a preference for those with local knowledge, etc. <S> In the case of my team, we recently had an opening for a short-term (6 months) contract position, and we only looked for local candidates because our company offers relocation assistance, and my manager didn't want to shoulder that cost for an intern position. <S> But in general, with large corporations in particular, where you currently live is far less important that where you will be living when you're on the job. <A> Do companies in California generally respond to resumes coming from elsewhere in the US? <S> It... depends: <S> How in demand the industry is is How hard the company finds it to hire candidates <S> How good the local job market is How good the candidate is Whether companies have ability to offer relocation <S> What this means is that if you are a software engineer, applying for a job in CA is almost assuredly easier than someone looking to work in a grocery store there. <A> What you're asking is if a company hires people who do not live in the immediate area. <S> The answer is it depends <S> and it's not particular to just California. <S> Is the position accepting remote workers? <S> Are you relocating? <S> Etc, etc. <S> Most companies would like to hire people who are actually in the driving range. <S> If you do apply be sure to indicate when you are moving in and whether or not you want relocation help. <S> Most companies, from my experience, would pass on fear you're asking for relocation cost. <S> It's best to move there and find a job than move there with a job.
| If you're willing to relocate to your job site, most companies across the US won't care where you currently reside.
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Should I put irrelevant jobs on my resume? I'm a fresh college grad trying to get into the IT industry. I graduated with an Information Systems degree two months ago. I worked as a sales rep, valet, software and hardware mobile technician. I do know Java, python, C#, SQL, and other languages but I only have in class experience. I couldn't afford to do internship, since most of the ones I could find were unpaid. I was basically paying my way through school, and couldn't afford to live without an income (though I did graduate with $0 debt!) I am looking into an analyst role and don't know whether to include my irrelevant jobs. <Q> There are two sets of skills that are needed: Job specific skills, such as programming languages General job-keeping skills, such as being where you are supposed to be, on time, appropriately dressed and equipped for what you are doing. <S> Until you have enough jobs in your field to show that, you should keep the "irrelevant" jobs on your resume. <A> Jobs are almost never entirely irrelevant - especially when you've just graduated. <S> Put relevant skills on your resume. <S> Find instances of teamwork, problem solving, working independently to achieve a goal, that kind of thing. <S> Try and get a reference letter written up pointing out punctuality and hard work. <A> Don't: <S> Job - ValetDuties - Parked cars <S> Do: <S> Job - ValetDuties - Responsible for safely and effectively moving customers vehicles, with a focus on making sure they were organized in a manner that would allow for fastest retrieval. <S> When in doubt focus on the customer service aspects of whatever job you were doing. <S> Regardless of the role, being able to communicate effectively with another party is always useful.
| At this point in your career there are no jobs that are irrelevant, but it helps to put in how the skills you learned there will benefit your new employers. Some of your jobs may not say much about your programming skills, but can still demonstrate reliability and willingness to work.
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Are corporate doors more open for incorporated contractors than unincorporated ones? I am aware that some bigger companies are reluctant to directly hire unincorporated independent contractors for shorter-term software engineering projects. What happens is that instead they engage the services of the staffing agencies, where they pay 100–200$/hour to the staffing agency, which in turn pays the people it finds more like 50–100$/hour. It is probably related to the fact that companies can be fined by the government for misclassifying employees as independent contractors, hence they may be involving a third-party agency for compliance reasons, since most talent out there is not actually incorporated individually. As a Software Engineer Consultant in The Workplace, would you have more corporate doors open up should you incorporate? E.g., does a manager in a big corporate entity has to go through preferred staffing agencies in order to procure talent without too much bureaucratic oversight that's usually involved in hiring a fulltime employee, or is hiring an individual consultant directly also always a possibility?Would being incorporated make any actual difference at this stage? If one is the President, Owner and Lead Software Engineer at XYZ LLC, will they magically be able to get some extra reqs from the top companies that aren't posted on the publicly-facing jobs/careers portion of the corporate web-site, and submit the services of their company for consideration in fulfilment of such requisitions? <Q> What happens is that instead they engage the services of the staffing agencies, where they pay 100–200$/hour to the staffing agency, which in turn pays the people it finds more like 50–100$/hour. <S> I'm not sure what agencies you work with, but the ones I work with don't get anywhere near that margin. <S> The ones I have worked with (as a hiring manager, and as a consultant myself), get around 15 - 18%. <S> Any decent sized company negotiates down the margin with their preferred staffing agencies. <S> As a Software Engineer Consultant in The Workplace, would you have more corporate doors open up <S> should you incorporate? <S> E.g., does a manager in a big corporate entity <S> has to go through preferred staffing agencies in order to procure talent without too much bureaucratic oversight that's usually involved in hiring a fulltime employee, or is hiring an individual consultant directly also always a possibility? <S> Would being incorporated make any actual difference at this stage? <S> Not likely. <S> The companies where I hired contractors always had preferred staffing agencies. <S> If we wanted to hire a particular individual, we steered them to one of the agencies and brought them in that way. <S> We would never hire a lone wolf - incorporated, not incorporated didn't make any difference at all. <S> If one is the President, Owner and Lead Software Engineer at XYZ LLC, will they magically be able to get some extra reqs from the top companies that aren't posted on the publicly-facing jobs <S> /careers portion of the corporate web-site, and submit the services of their company for consideration in fulfilment of such requisitions? <S> No. <S> Reqs aren't the result of magic. <S> They are the result of a written request that makes its way up from the hiring manager to the next level up, out to Accounting and HR, and up again to the higher pay grades. <S> They are the result of a budget, and approvals - not hocus pocus. <S> You could be CEO, President, and Chief Bottle Washer at your company and you wouldn't shake out a req that hasn't gone through the proper approval and isn't fulfilled by the preferred staffing agencies. <S> Sorry, your idea about becoming an "incorporated" developer as a way to snag more contracting dollars wouldn't work in any shop where I was ever employed. <S> Perhaps there are companies out there who might see value in your proposal, but I haven't met them. <A> Most larger companies have a well documented RFP/supplier intake process. <S> While individual companies may not allow a sole-proprietorship in and would rather work with an LLC or C-Corp, they are simply looking for you to go through the process and become registered with the company. <S> This process allows you the company to make sure you are on the up and up, checking things such as insurance, references, and finances. <S> Once you are a registered supplier with the company, only your work product matters. <A> I think you're assuming the wrong reason for companies to hire from staffing agencies rather than freelance unincorporated contractors. <S> The reason they do this isn't to skirt laws pertaining to contractor vs employee. <S> They do it because it's easier to call a staffing agency that they've used successfully in the past than it is to scour linkedin or advertise that a contract position is available which would only then require interviews. <A> You should know that the US Internal Revenue Service is now taking a hard look at "independent contractors," and finding that many of them are "statutory employees. <S> " <S> ... <S> I think that IRS is right, in most cases, and that it's been too-long in coming. <S> Quite frankly, I don't use my corporation (LLC) to do any contracting anymore: <S> "somebody has to hire me. <S> " That might be the company itself, or it might be a third-party. <S> (They can "contract" with the company, but they have to "hire" me.) <S> I expect to receive salary and benefits, and my employer does all the necessary tax-filing and payroll paperwork. <S> Funds arrive by direct deposit. <S> Ordinarily, I work from my home.
| I have personally seen very "small" companies and sole-proprietorships do a significant amount of work for large Fortune 500 companies because they were the best at what they do. Forming some form of corporation for yourself doesn't, in any way, solve the search problem, it just means they write your check out to your corporation instead of your name.
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Not on project team, but asked to make changes to code - how can I protect myself from becoming a scapegoat for any problems? I am working as contractor and developer at a client location in the client team. The work environment is politically sensitive. Another contracting company won the development work of the entire project, and I didn't get any development role in that project. When I asked project management they said that since they have won the project they have to do the development work, and that the manager will give me another role. As per my new role I need to monitor the application with the help of the monitoring tools, and report if I found any issues. Recently the tech lead asked me to fix issues that I have reported by making code changes. I am happy to take up that work. But my fear is if I start fixing the issues caused by the contracting company, and something bad happens, the contracting company will make me the scapegoat or blame me. I have experienced that the employees of that consulting company blame others without doing deeper analysis. I don't want to be blamed and become a scapegoat. How can I express my fear to the tech lead and insulate myself from potential risk of getting blamed? <Q> How can I express my fear to the tech lead and insulate myself from potential risk of getting blamed? <S> You should remind the lead of this: <S> When I asked project management they said that since they have won the project they have to do the development work, and that the manager will give me another role. <S> Your new role is to improve the quality of the product by finding errors. <S> So you are protecting your client by not doing this work. <S> If you do, it will become very difficult for them to keep the other company to their contract and it could be very expensive. <S> Last, you should emphasize that the role of "finding errors" is not the same as "fixing errors" and it could make the development process confusing or difficult, even if they are not concerned about the contract issues. <S> Quality assurance should not be development, and development should not be doing QA. <A> For your immediate problem: But my fear is If I start doing fixing the issues caused by the contracting company, When some bad thing happens, The consulting company makes me scape goat or blames me. <S> Get your fixes reviewed by someone from the contracting company. <S> Go to your tech lead and PM and have them find someone on the contracting company's team, as senior as possible, and tell them to make themselves available to review your code. <S> Make sure you get thorough reviews from them <S> , not just waving your fixes through, and that reviews happen in a timely manner - get your TL and PM to chase if not. <S> If anything does go wrong then the reviewer is on the hook as much as you. <S> Longer term: I have experienced that the employees of that consulting company professionally blames other with out doing deeper analysis. <S> It sounds like there's a toxic work environment in that team that needs to be fixed. <S> Again that's your TL and PM's responsibility. <S> In particular next time someone gets blamed unfairly get your TL to follow it up to work out what actually did happen, under the usual guise of making sure it doesn't happen again. <A> The simple answer is tests. <S> This is what an automated test framework is for, both to validate new/updated code and catch downstream errors caused by changes at integration. <S> Write tests on the current code (at least for the areas you are going to change) to demonstrate current functionality and/or highlight the current issue you are going to fix. <S> If there are known dependencies you have access to write tests for them to show it working before/after. <S> Now when you write the fixed/new code add tests to verify this <S> If something subsequently goes wrong you can show it wasn't your change. <S> You need to factor adding tests into any estimates, if you don't currently use automated tests factor time to add it. <A> Some simple steps: <S> Go to your manager ASAP. <S> From what you say, it looks like the company may want to cover up their mistakes. <S> Do not make any fixes until your manager approves. <S> If you get approval, document any changes and save copies of the code you write in case they make further changes and try to blame you.
| If you get approval from the manager, have someone from the company sign off and approve any changes you've made as "Tested, and approved." If you start doing development work that's covered under their contract, then it could make you liable and not them.
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Is it okay for my boss to answer my personal and/or work cell without permission? I go between my desk and the warehouse throughout the day and will leave my personal cell and work cell at my desk. Is it okay for my boss to answer either cell? <Q> I go between my desk and the warehouse throughout the day and will leave my personal cell and work cell at my desk. <S> Is it okay for my boss to answer either cell? <S> I think you are asking the wrong question. <S> The obvious naive answer is <S> no <S> it's not ok. <S> But why is your boss even in the position to answer either your private or your work cell phone? <S> Your private cell phone is private. <S> It should never be on your desk and it should never make a sound that can be heard by your colleagues. <S> Put it in your pocket, put it in a drawer or leave it at home. <S> Set it to vibrate or silent mode. <S> Don't leave it ringing on your desk. <S> That's very annoying. <S> Your work cell phone should never be unattended at your desk. <S> Well, maybe if you take a break in the restroom, but that's it. <S> If your company had wanted you to have a phone at your desk only, they would have installed such a phone. <S> But they gave you a mobile phone. <S> Leaving it at your desk on purpose is not only annoying all your coworkers when it rings, but probably directly against the intention of giving you a mobile phone in the first place. <S> The point of a mobile phone is to be able to reach you while you are not at your desk. <S> So when it does ring at your desk, you boss can only assume it's a call for work <S> and you forgot your phone. <S> Asking your boss to stop answering either phone will only point out that you fail to handle your cell phones correctly. <S> Instead, take care of your phones from now on. <A> I do not think it is really at all ethical for your boss to be answering your personal cell phone. <S> The company cell phone may be a different matter though depending upon company policy and any set agreements between employees and the management. <S> Now back to that personal cell phone. <S> If you want it left alone then, rather than having to poll on the internet for advice, use some common sense: Keep it with you <S> Shut it off and lock it in a drawer <S> Place it in an employee locker if one is provided Leave it at home <A> Yes, it's ethical. <S> You left a noisy, disruptive device on your desk; it's entirely reasonable for your boss, or anyone else <S> your carelessness is disturbing, to take polite steps to deal with the nuisance you have caused to your co-workers. <S> For a work phone I cannot see any issue at all. <S> (This assumes that your boss picked the phone up and answered in polite fashion, if he's picking up the phone and pretending to be you or answering in a "joke" fashion that's another issue). <S> If you don't want this to happen then switch your phone off, put it to silent and non-vibrating mode, or keep it on your person. <A> No <S> No No <S> Logically it should not be the case that someone else answer your call without your permission. <S> Because your cell is something which is to be not shared, in the same way your personal passwords are private. <S> In this case, if your boss sometimes answers the calls from your cell, then please keep your cell with you, at least your personal cell. <S> Directly telling your boss that " You don't have the right to answer calls on on my cell ", is a bad idea as it will make you appear rude in front of him and that will affect how he considers your attitude". <S> Adding a cell phone password will not solve your problem as you can answer a call without unlocking the phone <S> so its my personal point of view that the best course of action is to keep your personal cell with you.
| So the bottom line is: your private phone should be silent somewhere inaccessible to your boss, while your work phone should be on you, where you can answer it. No , I personally believe its not Ok to any one to access your cell without your permission until and unless you have given any one to access your cell. So yes, he has a good reason to answer it, he is covering for you .
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Is correct to meet your future company mates in the middle of selection process? I am currently in the middle of a selection process. The selection has several stages, and I am one of the last ones. I have a friend who has been working on that company for 2 years. Today the company is having a summer party at a pub and at that party friends and partners of the actual employees can attend. My friend has invited me to attend and so my questions are: Should I mention to my friends I'm on the selection process? Should I tell them my actual status on the selection process? Note that those responsible of evaluating my future interview will probably be at the party. <Q> I know you already have a friend there, but this is a great opportunity to see the kind of people who work there and how you will fit in to the group. <S> Talk to everyone. <S> I would not lead off with "Hi <S> I'm Javier <S> and I am interviewing for a job with the company" <S> but there is no reason not to mention it if the subject of employment comes up. <S> Who knows, you may get some insight into your future role and the people you will be interacting with on a daily basis. <A> I'm not sure what you mean by "correct", but it is far from uncommon. <S> This also gives you a chance to ask informal questions about what it's like to work for this company and as a member of this group that you might not ask during an official session. <A> This is an amazing opportunity to both feel out the company, your potential co-workers, start your professional network within the company, and make a great impression on the decision makers/hiring manager. <S> I would likely include the interviewing factoid in my standard introduction. " <S> Nice to meet you. <S> I'm Javier <S> , I'm good friends with FRIEND, and I'm actually pursuing ROLE in DEPARTMENT. <S> " Unless someone asks more probing questions, leave it at that. <S> Don't try to turn every conversation into an attempt to sell yourself to the company. <S> Be super positive with everyone. <S> Absolutely go, however, be aware that this is also a great opportunity lose the job. <S> Don't get drunk. <S> Don't be vulgar or offensive. <S> Be respectful of everyone, including non-employees like waitstaff, caterers, etc. <S> Good luck! <S> Have fun!
| Many (but not all) companies do want to get a sense of how your personality will fit with the rest of the team, and will include a chance to meet some of all of the group as part of the interview process.
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Appraisal Feedback for Another We have two teams under the same department and two managers Alpha & Bravo (manager Alpha is my manager for team Alpha). Manager Bravo has asked me to give some feedback for someone's (Charlie) upcoming appraisal in team Bravo. We work closely together and obviously want to say something constructive (I have nothing negative to say). It should be noted manager Alpha isn’t a huge fan of Charlie. I would like to be in Bravo’s ‘good books’ as it were, so I suspect I need to provide some kind of feedback. How should I handle this, should I ask my manager (Alpha) regarding this query, is it appropriate? <Q> This is very normal. <S> At my last company, for every program that you worked you had to provide a name of someone you worked with who could give feedback for your annual review. <S> This kind of feedback is critical for any manager who doesn't work with their employees on a day-to-day basis. <S> In my opinion, this has nothing to do with Alpha. <S> Charlie is not Alpha's subordinate, he is Bravo's. <S> You should not need Alpha's permission to give feedback on Charlie when you have been asked, unless it is expected to take up a large amount of your time. <S> Bravo should not be sharing any of your feedback with Alpha, as that would be a breech of Charlie's privacy. <S> Charlie should also never know what feedback you provided, as that would be a breech of your privacy, and your ability to give honest feedback. <S> If you want the respect of Bravo, give your honest feedback about Charlie, whether that be good or bad. <S> It sounds like you've had only good experience with Charlie, so all the better. <S> If Alpha doesn't like Charlie, then that should make no difference to you, and whether you have good things to say about Charlie should make no difference to Alpha. <A> You need to be very careful about the relationship matrix here. <S> It is like the riddle of "how you carry a wolf, a sheep and a bunch of lettuce, cross the stream, without letting an animal eat what comes naturally to them" First and foremost you should not upset Alpha as he is and most likely will be your supervisor in the long run. <S> You need to consider managers Alpha and Bravo, are likely to talk to one another and compare notes about evaluations at some point. <S> So, your good review of Charlie will be heard by Alpha at some point. <S> How much do you like Charlie to put a good word for him and risk your relationship to your manager ? <S> You can confide to your manager, Alpha, and without mentioning any names, can say Bravo is asking about peer reviews for his employees. <S> If it is appropriate to put a good word about them. <S> If he gives his blessing, you can hold him up to his word, although they tend to develop momentary dementia in such cases. <S> Beware. <S> I am not sure how much of what I said holds true in your case <S> but it si a delicate balancing game and nobody other than yourself can make this decision. <A> You definitely have a narrow path, here. <S> For feedback, stick with facts, and not impressions. <S> Say that you were impressed that Charlie accomplished certain tasks with skill, precision, and/or speed. <S> Say that you've appreciated his thorough documentation and communication. <S> (Assuming these things are all applicable) If you compliment him on things that cannot be disputed, there's little risk of "blowback" to you from manager Alpha.
| Say that you respect his abilities and knowledge in specific areas and technologies.
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When is it okay for me to do someone else's job? I work 9-5 in an office doing various Web Development tasks for various parts of the organization.We are pretty big and some of the projects span several groups. If I have completed as many of my tasks as possible but the rest of the project(including more of my work) is being bottlenecked by someone else in a different group, is it okay for me to knock out their work?What if they are in my group?What is a healthy alternative to doing their job for them, other than nagging them about the status of the task? <Q> Any other advice will be different from Country/State/Employer/Department/Team/Person to (same). <A> Unless you have the blessing of management, never <S> You have no idea how much trouble you could cause yourself. <S> Some possible scenarios: <S> You make a mistake, and then you get to explain why the project is screwed up by someone who had no business doing what you did. <S> The person is midway or even mostly through the task, and you end up undoing their work. <S> The person overwrites your work, and now your piece no longer works. <S> Explain that one! <S> In other words, you are exposing yourself to a situation where you cannot win if even the slightest thing goes wrong. <A> You walk a very fine line when you do someone else's job. <S> Here is some general guidance: <S> If you're looking to help out in a small way, or push a project over the goal line, then not only is it perfect acceptable, but it's encouraged. <S> Helping out a teammate in a small way demonstrates that your committed to your team and committed to your job. <S> It also demonstrates ownership. <S> Going above and beyond the call of duty is typically noticed by management. <S> Many times, it will help you earn bonuses, raises, recognition, and job security. <S> On the other hand, you don't want to do someone else's job full-time because you could breed moral hazard . <S> In other words, if a coworker gets used to the idea that you will come to their rescue when the going gets tough, then they may forever lack the incentive to work and do the job that they are being paid to do. <S> So in conclusion: <A> Normally there are already policies/practices in place which cover this. <S> But if there really aren't: Ask your manager if it's ok. <S> Then ask the other person if they want help; if so, work with them to coordinate who is doing what and, preferably, to peer-review each other. <S> If your manager says no, you probably shouldn't. <S> If the other person says no, you can talk to your manager about getting the work reassigned to you.
| The only real answer to this is ask your supervisor . It small doses, it's perfectly fine (and even encouraged) to help out teammates; but watch out for situations in which coworkers expect you to do their work for them.
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How can I best notify management of a toxic coworker? My workplace has been dealing with an extremely rude coworker and I'm looking for the best way to describe or document that behavior so I can escalate the problem to management or HR. This colleague has gone way beyond just being difficult to work with and his day-to-day behaviour includes things like: yelling constant cursing vicious remarks against homosexuals, minorities, or owners of pets, credit cards or import cars blaming others or the documentation for his own mistakes covering up mistakes by erasing logs, which only stopped after a written warning (telling him to stop had no effect) My colleagues share my concerns but I think nothing has been done about him because no one ever tried to document his behaviour or alert management about the extent of the problem. Our (Canadian) company is fairly small and doesn't have any policies for escalating things like this. How can I best document these problems and notify management that this is a real problem that we've been unable resolve internally? Note 1: Please note that my main concern about my colleague are mostly temper, anger, hate speeches, blaming others and back talking! Hope it clarifies the differences with What can I do to make a coworkers lack of effort more visible? . <Q> I've worked in Canada a long time, and your employer should be doing something about this. <S> Here are my recommended steps. <S> This is assuming you have already informally approached your boss and nothing has been done. <S> I'm only talking about his behaviour, The issue of his technical competence should be taken up with his manager, and separately. <S> Start documenting incidents. <S> Write down what happened, what wassaid, dates and places and who was there. <S> If you can remember pastincidents write them down too. <S> Try to get your colleagues on board. <S> I'm assuming they feel the sameas you do, so they should be on board with you taking actions. <S> Ifyou can get them to agree to a joint approach it will carry muchmore weight than if one person complains. <S> When you have enough documented incidents, make a complaint to HR.Give them copies of what you have written down. <S> Keep documenting once you have done this, and repeat the complaintif <S> there is no change over time. <S> However don't expect the behaviourto stop immediately or completely. <S> Retaliationlike <S> that will get him in more trouble and will not be tolerated. <S> When you are talking to HR, there are some key phrases that will make them sit up and take notice, and force them to take action if his behaviour really falls in those categories. <S> Read up about them, and use them if his behaviour fits the description. <S> Hostile work environment if you can show that he is making people uncomfortable to work there Unsafe work environment if anything he has said could be taken as a threat <S> Workplace bullying if he has ever tried to intimidate someone into doing or not doing something. <S> All of those go double if he has made remarks about minorities, especially minorities who are present. <S> Don't mention the stealing of office equipment unless you have good evidence that it is happening. <S> Making one false allegation damages your credibility, even if everything else you say is true. <A> Whether they are "mentally unstable" is (a) not something you can decide unless you are a mental health practitioner and <S> (b) absolutely irrelevant. <S> Don't diagnose, just work with management and HR to address the specific behaviors that are problems. <A> If he is making you uncomfortable in the workplace you need to go to HR and let them know. <S> At least in the US making hostile remarks about a protected group (homosexuals, minorities, etc) that is grounds for dismissal. <S> He very well may be a worker who accomplishes a lot and have a condition, but that doesn't forgive his behavior. <S> It sounds like verbal warnings don't work with him. <S> Escalating to HR should result in a written warning which as you describe he has responded to previously. <S> You can't be concerned with how he feels about being written up when he is making everyone that uncomfortable. <S> Good luck. <A> I have only lived in Canada for a year, which seems like a lifetime away now. <S> In my workplace at that time, I have never seen anybody acting like this. <S> But considering Canada being more liberal than US, I would assume them to protect these groups that he is cursing at. <S> And if your company is small and nobody wants to get in trouble, hence turning a blind eye to this piece of work guy, that might explain how he could hold his position. <S> Unless someone starts a process to write him up for his nasty remarks, if not for his incompetency, causing probably tons of money to your place of employment, still, nothing will happen. <S> If you really are fed up with him, file a formal complaint with HR. <S> Maybe, just maybe, they take him away from the environment which he spews his toxicity and put him in an office where you don't have to be subject to his world views as much. <S> And if the number of complaints reach a critical mass, may be it can be grounds for dismissal. <A> You have observed a fundamental problem at your workplace. <S> Your coworker should not even have the ability to be able to modify logs in the first place. <S> This practice violates the security principle of segregation of duties. <S> The work structure should be robust enough to make this possibility highly improbable, save for deliberate collusion. <S> This is a tangible problem you have and can proactively address with management. <S> If they are rational people, and have the slightest understanding of risk management , they will (or SHOULD) care.
| If this person abuses or threatens you or anyone because he thinksyou have complained about him, report that to HR too. Give them names ofyour colleagues who are prepared to corroborate this.
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Is it OK to add programming language logos in the resume? Is it OK if I add the technology logo along with its name in my resume to make it more presentable ? Like : Technical Skills: Java <Q> The resume may be OCR'ed into the employer's hiring database. <S> Graphics won't OCR. <S> Much more likely to hurt than help, I think. <A> No, in no circumstances do this . <S> Why, because a great number of companies, even when using agencies have prescreening as part of their ATS (application Tracking System) loading your resume/CV. <S> This will have a list of keywords to look for, if you don't have them you are dumped into the unsuccessful file (i.e. Trash). <S> These systems aren't good at working through complicated formatting, adding them to your keywords will make it hard to parse your skills and will see you passed over. <S> I kept my resume updated but based on a word template used by an old employer for many years <S> (looked really good in pitches), <S> about 18 months ago I found it dropping off in interest despite being an exact fit for roles. <S> I extracted the text into notepad, then back into a much simpler and cleaner Word doc, resubmitted and suddenly the companies that passed were interested in talking to me, nothing had changed content wise. <S> Now imagine what your little proggy graphics will do, don't do it. <A> Personal I think if a person put logos/graphics into a CV they are hiding the fact they have no substance to their experience. <S> Just keep to your abilities - that will shine. <S> Besides the CV is just an opening door to getting an interview <A> It's more likely to have a positive impact in a setting where someone knows you and is showing your resume to decision makers. <S> This type of setting bypasses the "generic database" of resumes (which more than likely ignores/discards graphics). <S> Logos are eye-catching, and may cause some easily impressed recruiters to take a second look at the document. <S> However, in this case, a picture is NOT worth a thousand words. <S> Your resume must still contain a textual explanation of your skills and work experience. <S> The logos, if used, should be small and should only serve to accentuate what is clearly stated in text in the document. <S> The more technical your recruiter/interviewer, the less impressed they will be with your use of someone else's artwork on your page. <S> You run the risk of them thinking you're just trying to fill up space. <A> The logos take up space, offer nothing that simply listing Java would do. <S> A person with programming experience is not going to be wowed by a logo, he/she wants to see what you know.
| Unless you have certification logos, I would not include graphical logos.
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How can I ask for my salary to match what the person I'm replacing got? In the next week or so I'll be having a meeting with my manager to discuss the promotion I recently got. I'm taking over the role of a work-mate who is currently serving his notice period. I know how much he got paid and I also know that the offer I'm going to get will be slightly less. How do I properly/ethically say "I know (Joe Bloggs) got £xx,xxx a year, can you match that for me?" I work for a large company with a huge budget, so that's not a problem. <Q> How do I properly/ethically say "I know (Joe Bloggs) <S> got £xx,xxx a year <S> , can you match that for me?" <S> Don't talk about what someone else made or makes - it's not relevant. <S> Would you take less if Joe Bloggs was making less than you? <S> No, of course you wouldn't. <S> While in some domains, a specific number is assigned to a specific role, for the most part companies typically assign a salary range to a particular role. <S> It's very common for folks promoted into a role to enter on the low end of that range. <S> You have 0 months experience in this new role. <S> Most likely Joe Bloggs had more. <S> It wouldn't be unusual if Joe Bloggs got raises during the time he held this role. <S> Concentrate on you, not others. <A> You don't. <S> What Joe Bloggs makes is no one's business but Joe's, and perhaps the guy who signs his cheques. <S> You're also assuming old Joe makes more than you, which might not be the case. <S> What you should do instead is research the average income for your new role and responsibilities, so say instead: <S> The average income of a Foo Engineer in the general area is <S> £x, given my experience in the company / expertise with the product / sunny disposition I'd like to see a figure of £x + y. <S> The only problem is, in a salary negotiation <S> the one who names a figure first loses . <S> The best tactic is to ask management how much they think you're worth. <S> So then, new job, new responsibilities, should I expect a salary increase to match? <S> If they respond with a figure below the market average you've already researched, you can use that as a lever instead. <S> If their figure is too low then maybe you should start drafting your notice letter as well. <S> Good luck <A> Some questions to ask to yourself <S> Do you have the same education as Joe <S> Do you have the same work experience as Joe <S> Do you think that you will perform at this job position the same as Joe, or even better <S> Has Joe earned this salary from day one <S> You have to compare same situations and don't get greedy. <S> You don't have to mention Joe's salary. <S> What I would do is I would allow some room for negotiation but not immediately, in like 3-6 months. <S> You can ask your boss during the meeting, that you know that it will be your first time for this assignment <S> but you are definitely sure that you can deliver even better results and <S> if that's the case ask if they will be willing to renegotiate salary in 3-6 months. <A> I would consider it improper for you to <S> know <S> what "Old Joe" made, and therefore I would not reveal any such knowledge. <S> You received a promotion (congratulations ...!) <S> and you are there to discuss an offer. <S> Do you consider this compensation to be fair and appropriate ("nevermind old Joe ... <S> ") <S> for you? <S> Effectively, the company is "buying a product," namely, "your professional services. <S> " Are they offering to pay an agreeable price? <S> If you seriously believe that they are offering less money than you would or should accept, then you should be prepared to present counter-arguments at the negotiating table ... <S> "nevermind "Old Joe!" <S> Joe's not the one who's negotiating, and he's not the one who's going to get the money ... <S> you are. <A> The discussion could go roughly as follows. <S> First, you state that you expect (suspect, know for sure) that Joe Bloggs was making more money than are being offered to you. <S> Second, you compare the value you would be producing for the company on your new position as compared to the value produced by Joe Bloggs. <S> This is where things get tricky. <S> If Joe Bloggs is moving to greener pastures (or higher up etc.), he might be worth even more than he was paid, and might have been producing that much of value. <S> So, you (a) propose some tangible performance goals that might be a bit less than Joe Bloggs' real achievements, but are in line with the salary he had. <S> And then (b) try to meet or exceed them. <S> Your position is strenghtened by the fact that they could not keep Joe Bloggs on this position for these money, so you don't have to be as good as him to be worth that much.
| Talk about what salary you feel you deserve and the value you bring to the company.
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What are the pros and cons of letting colleagues know about very good grades? I am currently employed as a working student in a German based company. We have mostly German employees but also quite a few international people working there. I think I have a good relationship with my colleagues. I like them and during friendly small talk they also ask me about my university. I was away for a little over a month in order to have more time to study for the exams and I am gonna start working again during the semester break. I invested quite a lot of time and effort into studying and got a perfect grade on every exam. When I start working again my colleagues will probably, maybe just out of courtesy, ask me how everything went and I don't know what the best answer would be and if I should mention my very good grades. Usually I would just say something like: "Yeah, it went pretty well. I am happy with the results." because I don't want to come across as bragging and I would be afraid to be labeled in a negative way (young know-it-all). This is because several times during my work there I was in the situation where I had technical questions that no one in the team was able to answer, which I suspect was a uncomfortable situation for them. I am afraid that talking about the grades will somehow worsen the situation. But at the same time I think that they probably don't even care because grades have no relation to achievements in the workplace and thus they would have no reason to feel threatened or become jealous. And on the contrary they might perceive me as someone who is a promising candidate for future employment. <Q> and I don't know what the best answer would be <S> and if I should mention my very good grades. <S> Unless you are trying to flaunt your exam results for some reason, a perfectly reasonable response is "It went well - thanks for asking" and leave it at that. <S> If you want to brag a bit you might say "The time off for the extra work really paid off." Don't go further than that. <S> There's no need to say "I was absolutely perfect in every way", particularly if you already suspect it might cause bad feelings. <S> I have never known nor cared about the grades of co-workers. <S> In my >40 years of working, I don't know anyone who has known or cared. <S> You may be the only one if you do. <S> How often have you discussed the grades of your coworkers during your friendly small talk? <S> Perhaps that's common at your particular company, but I've never encountered it. <S> But at the same time I think that they probably don't even care because grades have no relation to achievements in the workplace and thus they would have no reason to feel threatened or become jealous. <S> They probably don't care at all. <S> You have a right to be proud. <S> But trying to share that particular pride with others may very well come across as bragging. <S> What are the pros and cons of letting colleagues know about very good grades? <S> I see no real pros other than stroking your ego a bit. <S> If you are applying to a new job at a company where a top GPA is a requirement, then grades are important. <S> Even then, there is nothing to be gained by talking about your grades with co-workers. <S> Job applications and interviews are the correct venue for discussing your perfect exam grades. <S> The negatives are your relationships with your colleagues. <A> I was away for a few months in order to have more time to study for the exams and I am gonna start working again during the semester <S> break. <S> I invested quite a lot of time and effort into studying and got a perfect grade on every exam. <S> When I start working again my colleagues will probably, maybe just out of courtesy, ask me how everything went <S> and I don't know what the best answer would be <S> and if I should mention my very good grades. <S> People who don't care about you, or if they don't like you, won't be making small talk like that with you. <S> If they ask, they remembered why you were away, and what you were doing. <S> They do care! <S> Your company gave you a few months away to study for your exams. <S> I am sure the company was affected in at least some ways. <S> Some of the work that would have been yours was probably sent your colleagues' way. <S> You don't have to mention that you got 100% in all the exams <S> but you can rephrase that in a professional way and thank your colleagues. <S> I did very well in my exams actually, I was able to completely focus on studying and got A+ in all of my courses! <S> Really lucky that I was given time off, otherwise that wouldn't have been possible. <S> If your university/college has some sort of an award for students with high grades, you can mention that award in place of the grade. <S> They might perceive me as someone who is a promising candidate for future employment. <S> Perfect reason to actually mention doing really well! <A> Generally speaking good grades will get you in the door. <S> Most employers do not really care so long as you graduated with said degree. <S> With that said you can mention grades but imagine if your co-worker got the job while you're stuck with just good grades? <S> As a worker myself I known people with straight As in school who cannot do much of anything else at work. <S> I believe you should concentrate on doing well at work, understanding the material, and making a good impression with your bosses. <S> You'll be far more likely offered a job than just coming there saying you got perfect grades.
| Unless you feel the need to be the only one who cares about grades in the workplace, just keep it to yourself and feel good about your accomplishment without trying to brag. Otherwise, nobody really cares. When I start working again my colleagues will probably, maybe just out of courtesy, ask me how everything went
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Is it ok to resign a contract to hire position on in the first week? I just got hired on to be a developer (.Net) at an organization which uses a lot of smoke screens to make themselves look big and formal like IBM. On day one they set me up with a Win 7 machine and visual studio 2012. They also mandate suit and tie (first developer position I've been in that mandates developers work in a suit). I'm not feeling their culture or haphazard scramble to get me a dev machine using an OS no longer supported by Microsoft. Would it be poor judgement to tell my recruiter I'm not feeling this position or their culture? <Q> You've uncovered the reason why contract-to-perm exists. <S> Of course, resign. <S> If eHarmony matched you with someone that you knew on the first date that you would never marry, would you keep dating her? <S> When asked, I would just tell them that the suit and tie culture really isn't a fit for you <S> and you realized after a week that you didn't want to waste their time or yours. <S> I'm puzzled that you didn't seem to be aware of the dress code beforehand, at least during the interviews. <S> It's always a good idea to pay attention to how everyone else is dressed during the interview. <S> I would additionally prepare some questions ahead of time to ask during the interview. <S> Among them I would ask about the dress code (or work environment) as well as about what kind of equipment you'd be working on. <S> It's not snobbish to ask the latter one because it will also give you an indication of how important they see your position, something that you may have discovered after the fact. <S> The important thing here is to not burn bridges and leave as politely as you can. <S> If you used a recruiter, make sure he/ <S> she also knows how sorry you are that it isn't work and stress that you're doing it not just for you, but so that you don't lead them on and milk them for wages. <S> In short, use this as a learning experience. <S> Take note of what makes you want to not stay and then put that on your interview list so this doesn't happen again. <A> If all the signs you see are rubbing you the wrong way in this new position and you can live without a paycheck for a while <S> , I don't see any reason why you should stick around. <S> Obviously, this place is not for you. <S> If you drag it out, you will be miserable. <S> Your output will most likely suffer. <S> As a result, they might let you go with no chance to get a good reference from them. <S> So, leaving in your own terms seems to be a better approach at this time. <S> Just my opinion. <S> You and only you can decide what is best for you. <S> No one else. <A> Since nothing serves so well as a bad example..... <S> I stayed with a company long after I should have left. <S> They literally went to war with me, doing everything they could to make me quit(They didn't want to pay unemployment.) <S> They set me up with a PIP which was so unrealistic as to be laughable. <S> They did everything could to drive me crazy, right until I was carted out in an ambulance. <S> Don't be like I was. <S> If it's a bad situation, get out. <S> Worry about the rest later. <A> Gosh, why not try it for a while? <S> Maybe you'll discover that suit-and-tie looks good on you. <S> Maybe they've got a good reason for using that version of Windows. <S> And, so on. <S> Basically, I would be very offended if, after hiring you, you "walked out on me after two weeks," just because "we ask you to dress nicely here," given that (presumably) "I've been doing that for years. <S> " I would feel very ill-used by you ... and that's a negative impression that I would not soon forget. <S> "You 'signed up.'" <S> You accepted. <S> Strive to blend in and to play-along, and keep your discontentment to yourself. <S> (In other words, "be a professional .") <S> If, after six months or more, it's still not working out for you, then start looking for another position. <S> Don't let yourself be seen as a "prima donna," nor as a "wallflower." <A> See this as a good opportunity for you to get to know yourself: why you don't see appropriate this position for you? <S> Why you don't feel comfortable as a developer with suit and tie? <S> And also, brainstorm about this company's strength or weaknesses you can see from inside: why they stick with Win 7? <S> Why they ask developers to wear formal? <S> Try to write down a couple of answers for each doubt you expressed in the original question, and the answer will come automatically. <S> Together with some added value from this experience, whichever decision you might take.
| Thank them for the opportunity and try to leave as nicely as you can.
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took a promotion then quit two weeks later, What to put on resume? I had a Shift manager position for about two years and then I was promoted to Assistant Manager. The problem is that when I was promoted to Assistant Manager, I quit after two weeks of having the position. Should I put in my resume that I was Assistant Manager, when technically I wasn't, since I only had the position for two weeks? Or Should I put that I had a shift management position for 2.5 years in my resume and let them know at the same time that on the resume that I was promoted to Assistant Manager but quit after two weeks? I'm also worried about what to write when applying for jobs online. It will ask what my last position was, do I put the Shift Manager position or put I was Assistant Manager? <Q> This is a tough one. <S> If you have a reasonable explanation for why you left so soon after getting promoted, I would put it on your resume. <S> They chose to promote you. <S> That says a lot about you, your work, your level of responsibility (which takes a hit from leaving so soon after the promotion unless you can explain it well). <S> I would be clear on the resume though. <S> Feb <S> 2014 - July 2016 Shift Manager July 2016 <S> - July 2016 Assistant Manager <S> You wouldn't want to put Feb 2014 - July 2016 <S> Assistant Manager or Feb 2014 - July 2016 Shift Manager, Assistant Manager as those would be misleading. <S> If your reason for leaving isn't sufficiently professional, leave the role off. <S> Edit: Upon clarification from the OP, Discussing the reasons for leaving likely takes the interview to a negative place. <S> I would leave it off. <A> I think it comes down to one thing: Do you want to be an assistant manager? <S> If you quit because it turns out being an assistant manager is not for you, I wouldn't include it. <S> But if you want to be an assistant manager, by all means show them someone else already decided you were qualified for that. <A> I suggest that you should put your entire history including two weeks as assistant manager ... and-d-d that you should be prepared to respond to the inevitable "raised eyebrows. <S> " It is, of course, highly unusual for someone to quit their job, two weeks after receiving any promotion. <S> Also, I would recommend that you be sure to mention how many hours a week, what shifts, schedules, etc, <S> you are (and, are not) willing to work. <S> Obviously, your new schedule caused so much friction that you walked out instead of re-negotiating different hours. <S> (I'm not sure that this was such a good idea ...) <S> You need to be sure that you are looking at new jobs which call for an appropriate-to-you schedule.
| It largely depends on what happened to cause you to leave.
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Translating a foreign-language Letter of Recommendation Background My question pertains specifically to the German Arbeitszeugnis. A similar discussion (though operating functionally in the opposite direction) was asked here for reference for those unfamiliar with the Arbeitszeugnis. I am an American university student and have been conducting an internship in Germany this summer for a large, international company. Looking forward, however, I plan to remain in the US for future employment, so this question is not about the German Arbeitszeugnis practices. The Issue As a result of my employment, I recieved an Arbeitszeugnis (AZ), which is (as far as I've been made aware) functionally equivalent to a Recommendation Letter.* The letter itself demonstrates my employer's satisfaction with my work, as well as illustrating my role during my internship within the department as a whole. As such, I would like to include the letter in my future employment. However, since the AZ is intended to be used for German employment, the entire document itself is written in German. Since I will be seeking US employment, and I don't want to trust my chances of employment to an employer using Google Translate (which is, in my experience, simply awful at translating German), how should I go about translating this document to English? I can read, write, and speak German with high proficiency, though it is a learned language and I would not consider myself completely fluent, so my first thought is to translate the document myself and include both my translation and the original document with some sort of notice that the English version is merely a translation and may not be perfectly accurate. However, I feel as though this could open me up to certain legal implications if I am employed as a result of the letter in the case of any inaccuracies, even though I would fully intend to translate the letter as accurately as possible. Is a simple notice that the translation may contain inaccuracies sufficient? Am I opening myself up to legal ramifications by translating it myself? Should I be having the document translated at all? If there are legal concerns, I would consider hiring an independent translator, but since I feel I am perfectly capable of translating the document myself, I would prefer to avoid the expense unless absolutely necessary. *- The AZ holds much more significance and legal standing in German employment than a Recommendation letter does in America, but this question is specific to US employment, where I've been told an AZ can be used as a recommendation letter. <Q> I have relatives in Eastern Europe, and have had to get documents translated officially all the time. <S> We employ the services of a notary - they translate, and sign/seal the translation as official. <S> I just Googled "Berlin official document translation" and several results came up right away. <S> Simply find an official translator, or public notary in your area. <S> Their services are not typically very costly. <S> Note: you can also get translations such as these done online, or state-side. <S> I know for a fact that there's lawyer's offices here in Canada which specialize in document translations in various languages (the advantage of such a diverse population). <S> It is absolutely impossible that you wouldn't be able to find such a service in the USA <S> Now, as others have pointed out, a letter of reference is a not typically considered an "official" document in North America. <S> If you're using it to prove employment history (or some other official purpose) <S> then I would get it officially translated. <S> For example, I have 3 or 4 letters of reference from profs, or former managers, which I include in my portfolio <S> - most people don't bother giving them a second look, althought everyone notices them. <S> So for your own purposes a notarized copy may not be necessary, however the seals and stamps may impress people. <A> You're not going to realistically open yourself up to a lawsuit by translating it yourself. <S> But a third-party translation will hold more weight with a potential employer. <S> American employers aren't going to care much about a letter of recommendation in the first place. <S> They are going to be particularly likely to discount one from a foreign country where they aren't going to be aware of what the letter implies-- <S> the AZ is always going to be positive. <S> A German employer can probably read between the lines to infer the difference between "did just enough to remain employed" and "best employee we've ever had". <S> An American employer is going to have a very hard time doing that unless they happen to have a background in German employment norms. <S> But an applicant-provided translation of such a document is going to be all but worthless because it would be far, far too easy for an applicant to shade the meaning of the terms. <S> Knowing that the document has to be positive, it's easy for an applicant to pick slightly more emphatic words to eliminate whatever nuance was present in the original. <S> A third-party official translation at least eliminates the last of these issues. <S> Given that it is very unlikely that the AZ will be of any real use to you in your American job hunt, I probably wouldn't bother to have it translated at all. <S> If it comes up in an interview (reference checks are generally one of the last steps), you can certainly offer to get the AZ translated. <S> But I would doubt that many potential employers would take you up on that. <A> In the United states, people take Letters of recommendation with a large grain of salt and they really are not as important as they are in European countries. <S> And as long as your translation is a gross misinformation, I don't think it will be an issue who translates the document. <S> If you provide the original (in Deutsch) document as well as the English translation attached to it, if the employer is in doubt, they can find someone to verify the accuracy of your translation. <S> And unless you are going for a German <--> English translation as your career path, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
| If you're simply using it to pad your portfolio then you could simply have a friend translate the letter for you.
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What can I do to improve a difficult coding environment due to lack of documentation? I started a new job a couple months ago. I came onto a project with tens of thousands of lines of C code. The codebase is huge and there is little to no useful documentation. When I need information about the code, I need to consult one of two other engineers. This usually results in me having to bother one of them every 15 minutes. It's about to get worse since one of them is leaving this week. It's extremely difficult for me to focus at this job and I'm afraid I'll lose it. I find it difficult to go to the office and stay focused. Is this my fault? What can I do to make this job work? I've found in past jobs that my best work has been when I was able to design and write the codebase from scratch myself, which, no surprise, is much easier than coming onto a new project and being expected to be useful right away. <Q> Your situation is very normal. <S> Programmers always want to write code from scratch rather than decipher what was written before, but the world doesn't often work that way. <S> It might be a good idea to sit down with the existing engineers and get a "broad overview" of what the software does, where to start when researching a particular bug or feature, etc. <S> In short, step up your diagnostic and debugging skills and work hard to become a senior programmer. <S> As you gain confidence and experience your stress and other issues will decrease significantly. <S> Eventually the new people will be coming to you for answers. <A> You say you don't want to be "that guy" that complains about documentation. <S> The simple solution is to not complain - and get on documenting. <S> As you start to figure out the nooks and crannies of the legacy code, document it. <S> Then start suggesting improvements. <S> You say the build system is esoteric - find out why, and come up with a plan to improve it. <S> You're right that you don't want to be " <S> that guy" who complains - why not become "that guy" who made things better? <S> (If you don't get any support for improving things - start looking for another job) <A> Maintaining code is a far different from being a developer. <S> As a maintenance coder, you have to be half psychologist because you need to figure out the developer's thinking. <S> You are lucky enough to have the developers as coworkers. <S> Don't feel bad about bothering them. <S> That said, learn from this example. <S> As John Woods wrote: "Always code as if the guy who ends up maintaining your code will be a violent psychopath who knows where you live. <S> Code for readability." <S> The best thing you can do at this position is to learn from the developers, learn how they do things and add your own documentation as you go along. <S> When they explain the code, don't just take notes, go back into the source and add comments and documentation. <S> This is a good practice in general, as the day will come when you're maintaining your own code and will be happy that you took the time to document. <A> "Koff, koff ..." <S> I suppose that, having dealt with this same situation for well over thirty-five(!) <S> years, I've grown quite used to it. <S> To me, it's clear that you are confronting "legacy code" for the first time. <S> And so, if you are accustomed to "I was able to design and write the codebase from scratch myself ... <S> " ... uh huh, <S> "it comes as a wee bit of a shock. <S> " <S> I surmise that your immediate concern is: "being expected to be useful right away." <S> (Translation: "I'm afraid that someone will decide that I am 'not useful,' and therfore that I am about to get fired.") <S> "Koff, koff ..." <S> Tomorrow(!) <S> morning, please have a heart-to-heart talk with your boss. <S> ... <S> and, please: "Listen. <S> * Learn(!). <S> " <S> Remember: "if this person did not have great confidence(!) <S> in you, s/he never would have hired you in the first place!" <S> Do not regard this person as "someone who is disapproving of you," even though you right-now clearly fear that he is. <S> Likewise, do not presume that this person is poised to dump you in favor of some miracle-worker. <S> The two of you seriously need to talk. <S> ... <S> Tomorrow. <S> Be totally candid. <S> Listen. <S> (I said, "listen!") <S> Learn...
| You need to focus more on learning the skills to answer your questions yourself by examining the code. Do not expect volumes of up to date documentation -- if it doesn't exist today, it's not going to exist.
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Getting paid for a full month at new place of work I started a new job on the 4th July this month and am due to get paid on Friday. I earn £30,000 per year, which works out to be roughly £1,960 after taxes. A family member said today that I may be working "in hand", which means I won't get a the full £1,960 this month - is this true? I'm slightly worried now, as have been budgeting for the full pay check. If this work in hand thing is true, would it be stated in my contract? I've read it thoroughly and all it says is that I'm paid at the end of each month "in arrears". <Q> Since you started on the 4th I would expect that your pay check will not include money for the 1st which was the only previous business day. <A> The best bet is to ask the finance and/or HR department about the pay cycle and how it works for your company. <S> Most likely, you will be paid for the days worked between your first day to the last day of the pay cycle. <S> The pay cycle usually ends about a week before pay day to allow the finance department time to process it. <S> So in your case, if the pay cycle ends some time around the 22nd you would be expecting just under 2/3rds of your normal monthly pay. <S> Again, ask your finance and/or HR department and they should be able to give you a better idea of how it's going to work. <A> How much that corresponds to depends on your employers payroll, as its allowable to be paid on both 1/365th of your salary (calendar days), or 1/261th of your salary (working days). <S> That corresponds to a loss of either £246 for calendar based payroll or £114 for working day based payroll, both pre-tax. <S> Talk to your HR department.
| Speak to your HR department they are the only ones who can tell you how much you will be paid. As your contract says you are paid in arrears, then it is likely that you will not be paid for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July.
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Dress code for garden party/networking activity Context: North-America, hot summer, urban park, networking party. An international mid-size consulting company is inviting future graduates (Msc in E-business at a top tier school in the area) at a sort of garden party bbq in an urban park. It's presented as an opportunity to network, not necessarily getting a job right there, but getting to know this not so well known company and think of it when it's time to apply for internships or jobs when students will graduate in around one year time. I'd know how to dress for a bit more formal networking event, but in this unusual setting I'm at a loss: no indication in the invitation, no indication from the school's job service. Could you suggest –or is there– a dress code for a professional bbq party meet and greet ?Is that kind of event different from a normal networking cocktail? <Q> If in doubt, contact them and ask. <S> You can't guess reliably, we can't guess reliably, and there is no need to guess. <S> If you are excessively terrified of asking: chinos, a button-down shirt, decent shoes and a sports coat or blazer can instantly go from somewhat formal to somewhat informal just by taking the jacket off. <S> (And the tie, if you wear ties. <S> I don't; I'm a cat, and cats don't wear choke collars.) <A> Get on their website and do a bit of "legal espionage" If there is a directory with photos, get some names and faces and see if they are on LinkedIn and other social media. <S> Get a VERY good idea of what this company is all about, right down to how they dress. <S> If this is E-business, this is most important to learn because the dress varies from Jeans and a polo shirt all the way up to suit and tie. <S> Find out as much as you can, and then best guess. <S> If you can find anyone you know who has been to one of these or something like it, ask. <S> If you can find anyone who knows abut the company, ask them. <S> Do your research now, and be thorough. <S> Not only will that help you with the dress code for the meet and greet, you'll also be able to ask intelligent questions and carry on relevant conversations with the people there. <A> Is there any harm in taking two sets of clothes? <S> Think of it like winter, if you take more clothes, you can always dress up or dress down yourself as you require. <S> This can work as when you get there, you can see what other people in the party are wearing. <S> Example could be, take a pair of smart trousers and jeans, shirt, and a tie. <S> If you get to the party and find they are all decked out, change into the smart trousers. <S> Otherwise, jeans and a shirt should work. <S> This is assuming you can find a place to change, if you're going by car, change in the car or find some nearby toilets. <S> It's a hassle, but if you can't find out any prior info, it can work. <A> If this is being treated as a networking opportunity, you should treat it like a chance to meet a future prospective employer - in other words, dress like you're going to get interviewed by those people, but still comfortable enough not to suffer in the hot urban summer. <S> Now, this can vary depending on how 'formal' it is meant to be, and how formal the event is meant to be, but in general, business-casual should suffice. <S> The exact nature of 'business casual' depends on the industry you're in (for some, like the fashion industry, there is no 'casual', only well-dressed or not dressed!) <S> so try to research and find out what people dress like in your industry - and maybe dress slightly better than that, to impress the people you'll be meeting. <A> I'm answering my own question as I tried or thought about the various suggestions and none fit exactly or were too general to be of any use ("dress nice"...). <S> Also nowadays, in the same industry you may have largely different ways of dressing up from rags to bespoke suits depending on a particular company. <S> Looking up dress culture info of the company you're meeting seem a passé thing: corporate web-sites do not necessary reflect the real culture, more the wishes of someone in marketing or hr , depending on whose responsible for content. <S> Sites such a Glassdoor, contain too much ex-employees to be really interesting on current affairs. <S> But I noticed that people having a job tend to dress the way they do for work on their Linkedin profile, at least for those I checked. <S> For example, if you see people wearing mostly suits but no tie and unbuttoned shirts in their profiles and you're going for a formal interview, dressing a bit up would be to put a tie on. <S> On the opposite, if you're invited in a less formal setting (such as was this get-to-know-you-bbq-gathering <S> I went to) <S> you could drop the jacket but keep a nice buttoned shirt (no polo). <S> In the end, the activity I was invited to went well <S> and I blended in perfectly, clothes wise, by following the advice above.
| So speaking from this particular experience, in the end the best practical, quick and reasonable (no stalking or waiting in a parking lot) thing to do seem to go to Linkedin and see how people working there dress, then adapt a notch down or up depending on the occasion.
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Address the team or address the employee There's a team lead who chooses to address the entire team whenever there is a problem with one employee. It's usually trivial to tell who is being referred to because the issue will be with something like, "two hour lunches", "chatting too much with staff who are not on break", "forgetting to clock out", etc. Situations where one can think to oneself, "Ah yeah, that'd be Steve" or "Yep, that's Alice." I'm not really concerned with how to handle this situation at my own workplace but as a relatively young (aka inexperienced) professional looking to one day get into management, I'm curious how effective of a tool this is. Is it better to have an individual meeting with the employee who has behavior that needs to be addressed or is it a wise tactic to simply address the whole team? Clearly the simple answer is, "It depends" but I think we can agree that we're intelligent enough to discern the obvious examples of that statement. I'd like to know, by-and-large, which is the more effective tactic? <Q> Is it really a problem where the group is letting standards slip and needs to be reigned in even if one or two people are pushing the envelope further or is it really an issue with a single person? <S> With your two hour lunch example, I'd be hard-pressed to believe that would really be something that only one person was guilty of. <S> Most likely, people on the team gradually started taking the "lunch hour" as a rough guideline rather than a hard limit and an hour turned into 70 minutes with an occasional 90 minute lunch on Friday. <S> Sure, perhaps one person is particularly egregious about it <S> but frequently you'd have other people on the team that have gotten the implicit message that you don't care too much about exactly how long their lunch is. <S> If you need to counteract that implicit message, you have to address the team. <S> Maybe you address the worst offender privately as well for emphasis particularly if it continues. <S> On the other hand, if there literally is only one person that needs the correction, talking to the team is likely to be counterproductive. <S> If only one person is forgetting to clock out, addressing the team may well make that person believe that everyone on the team is being forgetful and that they're not an outlier. <S> And you'll probably have someone else that is generally very conscientious but forgot one day last month who thinks that the message is aimed at him and will panic. <S> Taking the one person that has the issue aside will be far more productive. <A> The "it depends" is pretty minimal in situations like what you are describing. <S> If it's a single employee, you really need to deal with it directly to that individual. <S> No one likes being reprimanded. <S> Particularly in front of their entire team. <S> Group reprimands should be an absolute last resort (even for a single person). <S> Ideally, only after having dealt with the individual in question and appropriate consequences given. <A> There is a simple rule of thumb that I used when addressing my team. <S> This is, of course, assuming that the issue is not major, in which case you immediately do a one on one, or depending what happened with HR involved. <S> Otherwise: <S> For the first offence or two, then I would address the group. <S> Make it general and moderately light. <S> If I have a repeat offender, then I'd take them to the side and speak to them individually. <S> Of course, discretion sometimes is required, and that's a normal part of becoming an experienced manager. <A> If someone doesn't want to be "The person who takes a two hour lunch break. <S> " then they need to stop doing it. <S> The boss isn't mentioning names and is just taking the most efficient route of addressing this in front of everyone <S> so they all know the rules. <S> It can help a manager to have group buy-in for the rules. <S> Many people won't say anything to management, but will criticize them behind their back for letting other people slack. <S> For things that are either not common/specific to a particular job or task that no one else does, very serious offenses <S> and/or are of a private nature (sexual-harassment, which I realize is also very serious), they should be handled in private. <S> At some point, it needs to be determined why you have a team and discuss things as a group. <S> Otherwise, deal with everyone individually and send out a memo for things pertaining to everyone. <S> No sense discussing them as a group if the interpretation or administration rules are going to be handled one-on-one. <A> Speaking, now, "strictly as an individual ..." <S> "If you mean to talk to ME, then, by gawd, talk to ME! " <S> Don't you dare(!) <S> put me into a "group-meeting situation" in which I, growing ever more red-in-the-face by the second, am subjected to the public(!) <S> humiliation of "being referred-to obliquely" by someone who hadn't the guts(!) ... <S> (ahem) ... to speak to me (in gracious privacy) by name. <S> "You got a beef with ME? <S> Then, by gawd, talk to ME about it. <S> In ... private! " <S> "Yeah, it's not too much to ask." <S> If you have an issue with an individual employee, then that is a person-to-person encounter, and you should absolutely treat it as such. <S> (Perhaps, with a representative of HR in attendance. <S> By all means, discuss the matter first with HR, before you involve the employee.) <S> You should only present "team matters" to "the team." <A> Praise in public, criticize in private. <S> Simple.
| Negative feedback and correction should almost always be done in private when it concerns a single, identifiable individual. If you are speaking to the entire team, ensure that you are not singling out any one person. Also, it benefits the group if they know the culprit is not getting away with it.
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Where on my resume should I include a membership in a club that is related to my profession? Member of Dreamland Computer science society. Should I write the above line under Hobbies section in my resume or under the Awards and Honors section? <Q> Everything on a resume should be geared towards why you deserve the job you are applying for. <S> The Hobbies section on a resume is something they get kids leaving school to write in because most wouldn't have much else beyond projected/actual grades. <S> It is not something I'd expect on the resume of anyone who isn't leaving school - to most hiring managers a hobby <S> is something like model-making. <S> On the other hand - if there is some aspect of being a member of a society or non-professional organisation that can help with exemplifying your skills, then include it under the a section title Other interests . <S> If you were the president or committee member for a society, what did you do to help the society. <S> For example, I was a Scout Commissioner for a time in my twenties - I've included that in Other interests as I was able to provide examples of leadership (I was responsible for running a programme for multiple units/troops and assisting/training the adult leaders in each troop), organisation (organising expeditions, setting up air rifle range with instructor and Scout training programmes for the region, etc). <S> What I don't include is being a member of the University Mountaineering Club, because I just turned up and hiked. <S> So, if you're organising events with this computer society, or managing membership, then include it. <S> If you're just turning up to play LAN games with a few other gamers, then I wouldn't bother. <A> If this was something that contributed to your professional skills I would include it under a heading of "PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS". <S> However this post is the only thing that comes up when you search for "Dreamland Computer science society" <S> so I am guessing that it will not add anything useful to your resume. <A> The only time I advise bothering with memberships are if they are prestigious and exclusive or if they are licensing related. <S> For prestigious and exclusive think of things like government advisory boards or military veterans associations. <A> "Member" counts for very little. <S> What did you actually do that demonstrates leadership, teaching skills, or anything else that might be useful to an employer?
| Including membership in your local association of professional engineers or your local association of realtors would definitely add value if you are looking for jobs in these fields.
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Should I wait for a response to my counteroffer or check in? On 7/22 , I received an offer for a role as junior QA analyst by a company that I'm very interested in. Before listing the offer details, the CTO wrote, " This isn't a formal offer but would you be interested in this " and then listed the offer. The perks (insurance, PTO, etc.) are average; the salary is less than I expected at $45K in a town that is 21% above the average national cost of living. Even though this is a company that I really want to work for, in a town that I love, I figured that I should probably negotiate because: $45K seems pretty low (it's less than what I make now in my job out of college) I have about 2+ years of professional dev experience (including internships) There is a $61K offer from another company on the table Many of the top The Workplace posts suggest always negotiating a new salary The fact that the CTO wrote that it's not an official "formal offer" kind of felt like he was implying there is room to discuss the offer Our last discussion before the offer email included him ending the call with, "We'll send you an offer with something and figure out what we can do to make this work." So once I recieved the email that Friday, I took the weekend to think it over (figured work-related emails often get ignored on non-business days anyways) and replied on Sunday night ( 7/24 ). In my email, I thanked them for their time, mentioned how great the interview process has been (which it truly was), how much I admire the company, and then went into the counteroffer. I, optimistically/respectfully, mentioned that the current offer was less than I currently make and that, additionally, I've been offered $53K elsewhere. Yes, I lied about the amount but that's because I figured if I told them that I was offered $61K, they'd probably run for the hills. Call me naive or dumb, but I genuinely would rather live/work in this town and for this company at around $50K than for $61K at the other company. I then concluded with, "I'll do what it takes to reach a mutual agreement and also will be frequently checking my inbox so that my response is swift!" A swift response, I felt, is necessary; the informal offer had stated that they want me to start ASAP which is August 10th. The CTO, who I interviewed with in this company of ~30 employees, knows that I'll be out of state for six days from now until the perspective date of employment. This means I don't exactly have a lot of time to relocate three hours away if they send me a "formal" offer. So, while I know it's not been 72-hours since I sent my counteroffer, is it a bad sign if I haven't received a reply yet? The CTO has been extremely pleasent and respectful thus far so I have no reason to suspect that they'd just drop the ball on me and leave me without a reply, but the clock is ticking (and another company waiting on my response). Should I wait it out a little longer or send a poke email? <Q> Should I wait it out a little longer or send a poke email? <S> But sometimes these things take time. <S> Just wait a while. <S> Yes, I lied about the amount <S> but that's because I figured if I told them that I was offered $61K, they'd probably run for the hills. <S> Call me naive or dumb, but I genuinely would rather live/work in this town and for this company at around $50K than for $61K at the other company. <S> Yeah, that was kind of a mistake. <S> You could instead have simply stated something like "My current job is at a higher salary than what you are offering. <S> And I have another offer on the table for significantly more than what you are offering. <S> While I really like what I see about your company and job, and I''m eager to work with you, I feel like we need to discuss a higher salary." <S> That way, you haven't given them a $53k "anchor" from which they can counter-offer. <S> (Imagine them thinking "we'll split the difference" then offering you $49k) <S> And you haven't lied. <S> But that's done. <S> Now it's time to be a bit more patient and get straight in your own mind exactly what you would accept, what you wouldn't, and if you are willing to turn down the $61k offer in hopes of landing this one or not. <S> This means I don't exactly have a lot of time to relocate three hours away if they send me a "formal" offer. <S> It's perfectly reasonable to negotiate a later start date that will give you time to relocate, particularly given the delay caused by the back and forth salary negotiation. <S> When I'm hiring, the start date is easily the most flexible part of the offer. <A> Money decisions can take a while to reach a consensus on. <S> It could be that a counter-offer is still being discussed by their management. <S> That being said, you should probably write to them Thursday morning asking whether they have a reply for you. <S> If they don't reply by Thursday afternoon you should consider accepting the other company's offer on Friday, or Monday at the latest. <A> I would check in and see if there is any additional information that you can provide and remind them that you will be out of town. <S> "Mr. CTO of Bigcorp <S> I wanted to follow up on my email from Monday responding to your email from Friday. <S> As I wrote, for the role we discussed I was expecting a salary closer to $53K and a pony ride every other Tuesday, which is the same I received in a offer from another company for a similar role. <S> Please let me know what you think <S> and if there is any additional information I can provide. <S> I will be on vacation from this day to that, so if possible I would like to work this out with you by X date so that I am able to start as needed on August 10th. <S> " <S> Or something like that.
| Most folks feel like it's best to wait a week before sending a "poke" email. All the signals from the CTO show willingness to negotiate.
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How to make colleagues work with a deadline while having little authority? I work as the assistant for CEO of a fashion company. I delegate tasks from the CEO to other employees. There are a few people who cannot work with deadlines and always push their work to another day. My CEO doesn't read emails and expects autonomy in the work. I have to get people to finish on time and bring in the work. I don't know how to make them work, because they always say they would do it, then forget it and never do it until I ask. My solution is to talk with their supervisors about their late work. Are there any other ways? <Q> I have to get people to finish on time and bring in the work. <S> I don't know how to make them work, because they always say they would do it, then forget it and never do it until I ask. <S> Your situation is a bit tricky, because you are handing out work without (formally) being a manager. <S> However, if you set clear expectations, I think this is manageable. <S> What you can try: <S> Clearly negotiate a deadline. <S> Something like "Mr X needs task Y done by next Monday. <S> Is that possible for you? <S> " If you get a yes, write it down; if you get a no, renegotiate or ask someone else, and if that still does not work, escalate to your CEO to tell them noone can meet the deadline. <S> Once the deadline approaches, ask about the work (one reminder should be enough). <S> If people miss the deadline, negotiate a new one and make a note. <S> If people regularly miss deadlines, discuss with them how this can be avoided. <S> If you don't get anywhere, escalate to a manager (their manager or your CEO). <S> This means you are effectively doing the job of a manager - which may not be a bad thing if you want to advance. <S> Also, you should make an appointment with your CEO to discuss all this. <S> Even if the CEO does not want to be bothered with individual tasks, you should outline your concerns and possible solutions, as described in your question, and ask how you should handle things. <S> The key point is: If the CEO wants you to accept responsibility, he needs to delegate appropriate authority to you. <S> In this case, that would be the authority to ask for and enforce deadlines. <A> Why are tasks being delegated via the CEO's assistant rather than employees' supervisors? <S> Assigning work and then managing the performance of that work is (usually) what the supervisor is supposed to do. <S> If that is the expectation in your workplace, a CEO bypassing the chain of command to assign tasks directly is dysfunctional (though fairly common). <S> It may be that this is the reason things are not getting done: these ad hoc requests from outside the normal path are disruptive to employees, and interfering with accomplishing their primary tasks as assigned by their supervisors. <S> I suggest talking to the supervisors...but not primarily about the problem of employees not doing the tasks. <S> Instead, talk to them about how these assignments from the CEO are perceived and whether they interfere with other work. <S> If there is a problem, work on a plan on how these can get integrated into the normal workflow in the future. <S> It's quite likely that you should be bringing these tasks to the supervisor of the relevant employee, rather than to the employee directly. <S> If so, you can communicate to the supervisor why this is important, and also you can get some feedback if adding a task creates a capacity problem and endangers other work. <S> One question would be whether to bring this up to the CEO as well. <S> Given your description of the CEO as hands-off, it is probably just something you can take initiative to do. <S> But it may be important for either you or the supervisors to discuss it with the CEO <S> (especially if the ad hoc requests are making it difficult to manage the work). <A> Also motivation is very important for any person, you can start talking with them in a friendlier way to know what exactly is making them not to finish there job on time, it can be due to personal problems or some other problems related to work itself. <S> You should also think about work load distribution, is that particular employee been burdened by more work Or is he doing some complicated work which is consuming more time in which case is there any necessity of providing assistance to him which will ease him/her to complete the work on time. <S> These are only few hints, but before talking to there supervisors we need to make sure delay is not happening deliberately due to laziness. <S> Since here you are dealing with human beings we need to take a call on case to case basis.
| When you delegate the work to your co-workers you need to be very clear and make them understand that job needs to be completed within the mentioned time, also you can brief them about importance of completing the job on time and its impact in general and how it affects overall progress of the project.
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Is it appropriate to tell my coworker he apologises too much? I've noticed, after working with a coworker for about 18 months now, that he is pretty self-deprecating and apologises all the time for trivial things. Initially he was pretty new to the workforce (joined the company straight out of university) so I just put it down as him being a beginner. Now it's a year and a half later and he still is writing emails to myself and our superior that make me cringe. He regularly says he has no idea what he's talking about and he apologises profusely for trivial things, even things that are coincidental, or for not knowing what he isn't expected to know. In my opinion this is unprofessional. I have no problem with admitting I'm wrong or that I don't know something, but to see it done as regularly and profusely as he does makes me cringe. Additionally, if one apologises for everything, then a legitimate apology seems insincere. To some extent, this is none of my business. How he conducts himself as an employee is not really any of my concern, and to a large extent his apologies and self-deprecation are things that i can ignore. However, I would like to tell him that this behavior can reflect badly on him (in my opinion), but I don't know if this is appropriate at all. So my question: Is it appropriate to tell my coworker to go easy on the apologies and self-deprecation, or is it none of my business? Any advice on how to have such a conversation would be also appreciated. The business is located in the USA, since culture is certain to be a factor here. I'm South African and, as far as i know, he is American. <Q> Yes - as a person with more experience, if you have a straightforward enough relationship with the apologizer, you can say something. <S> Keep it light, you are not his supervisor. <S> Something like - "you're doing a fine job (if he is) <S> , there's no need to apologize when... <S> (insert cases of inappropriate apologies/self-deprecation), when you do it (this much) it can undermine the trust that others put on you". <S> Or similar... <S> Do once. <S> If the behavior doesn't change, or if you aren't feeling so comfortable giving the feedback, talk to your supervisor about it, and see if the supervisor is also seeing this. <S> On great teams, the manager and the more senior/savvy individual contributors may work in tandem to get a team member through a situation like this. <A> If you can do it with tact and not make him feel worse, I don't see any harm in it. <S> I would try to say things using positive terminology though. <S> Saying "unprofessional" may make him focus on that rather than the positive aspects of not apologizing all the time. <S> One thing that some people don't consider is that an apology is also technically an admission of fault on some level. <S> Acknowledging what happening and committing to making the situation right is good. <S> Accepting blame can actually come back and bite you in the butt. <S> It's why lawyers don't want you talking to your insurance company (or police) after an accident <S> so you don't say or do anything that might take the blame. <S> I think they key though is to frame it positively. <S> Many people don't take criticism well <S> so you'll have to be very careful of his feelings and watch for cues that he's not taking it in the way you intend it. <A> I've known someone like this, and the constant apologizing does start to take a toll after a while. <S> Worse, it builds a very poor impression of this individual. <S> You could try getting involved and offering some advice. <S> I warn you - from personal experience - that by doing so (being the only one to speak the truth and offer help) you may end up in a situation where heopens up more to you, and comes to you more and more for help. <S> It's all up to you whether you want to put yourself in that situation. <A> When he starts apologizing, stop him, and let him know that an apology is not necessary and he is doing a fine job <S> After the first couple of times maybe he will start learning <S> It sounds like he has good intentions and that he is still learning about this type of thing, <S> so don't hold it against him <A> Should I tell my coworker he apologises too much? <S> No, it's a personal quirk, we all have quirks, some more annoying than others. <S> Just skim through his emails for anything relevant and ignore the rest. <S> He'll either gain self-confidence in time or he won't <S> , it's not up to you to hold his hand.
| Perhaps if you kindly let him know that they'd respect him more if he doesn't apologize for everything. It may also be time for someone in authority to take some action. This person's behavior is a clear sign of a complete lack of self-confidence, either at a personal, or professional level (likely both).
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Are internships the only way to secure a job after graduation..? I'm a recent graduate with an Information Systems degree who didn't do internships during school. Its been two months with no luck. Are most companies looking for candidates with internships when hiring for entry level jobs? <Q> They do tend to go for more experienced employees, just make sure you go for a Junior position. <S> You could also start at a smaller company since they tend to have less requirements and might just hire someone who is cheap preferably (these companies are always out there, but you don't want to work there permanently). <S> I for one had my job <S> before I graduated I might have been lucky to have been granted a position by contacts, there is no single right way to build your career. <S> So either, do an internship as volunteer, or start at a smaller less profitable company etc. <S> What you could also consider is making sure you have a decent portfolio, when you; for example are a developer, you could fill your Github account with some projects from study or hobby projects. <S> Make sure they're up to standard and skill so potential employers can analyse and rate your skills based on the work you've done. <A> As someone that did a Computer Science degree but had no work experience in the IT field when I graduated, it took me about 4 months to get my first job out of university and this was back in 1997 when the dot-com boom was going. <S> You are likely competing against other graduates that do have work experience and thus you may have to get more creative about where you are finding jobs to apply so that you aren't competing with such a big pool of applicants. <S> This could involve networking, seeing if friends or family have connections, etc. <S> as a solution as I ended up being the only applicant after an initial screen for my situation which may have been rare to imagine back then. <A> Having been in your shoes two years ago - you just need to be the right candidate for the role. <S> I didn't have any experience, but I did have some projects I've worked, some apps I've made, in University I did do alot of stuff related to what I was applying for <S> and I just wrote my CV and letter around the role. <A> Being able to demonstrate your value in your respective field is how you secure a job. <S> aspire to be the best at what you do
| Having an internship is helpful, but if your skills are in demand and you can demonstrate your value, finding employment should not be an issue Summary:
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Resignation Letter- In Person vs Email? I have accepted a new position at another job opportunity. I currently work two places and am planning to leave one for this new position. I only work a few days a week (clients depending) at the location I plan on leaving and as of right now don't have anything for next week. Im trying to meet with the owner to give this letter but she tells me via email she cant meet at the times I suggusted and we can talk via phone if I want. would it be unprofessional or burn bridges per say If I just wrote an email explaining what I would have in person and attaching the letter or resignation. Or should I postpone giving the letter until a time we can finally agree on a time. (possibly 6 days later) <Q> In my experience in the US, the news that you are resigning is delivered synchronously . <S> The problem with resigning by email is that you're sending it off to be read at an unknown later time. <S> It is far better to have a (short) conversstion. <S> If your manager isn't available to meet in person, a phone call beats email. <S> After you have the conversation, you can send the letter by email (just as, for an in-person conversation, you would hand over a physical letter). <A> I don't think it's unprofessional. <S> I think phoning may be an easier option but waiting 6 days seems too long. <S> I think by indicating that you want to leave you may find they make some time to meet with you and talk about it <A> You definitely want to give it by email even if you discuss it by phone later (e.g. to make sure they got it) <S> - email has the benefit of a time-stamp on it, so if there are any disputes regarding your notice period, the email knows when you gave your notice. <S> It's also a permanent account of what was said which could be used to resolve any other misunderstandings, in a way that a phone call cannot.
| Once you deliver the news your manager might arrange an in-person meeting, but meanwhile you have given notice without days of delay and in a way that allows conversation.
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Resigning - should I tell coworkers or let the boss do that? I tendered my resignation, but management is not telling anyone so I am doing the same. I would like to tell coworkers but at the same time would like to give management the opportunity to deal with it the best way they see fit. So - should I keep myself quiet and wait for them to inform the team? <Q> should I keep myself quiet and wait for them to inform the team? <S> Then I ask if he or she will be telling others, and when. <S> Since I am in management, I always request the courtesy of telling my team directly - that has always been granted. <S> Often, I am asked to wait a few days while my boss notifies others in the management chain, and occasionally tries to convince me to stay. <S> I always agree to wait a few days, although I don't accept a counter-offer. <S> Within a few days I start telling others, if they haven't heard already. <S> In short, talk with you boss and arrange a time in the near future so that everyone will know about your departure one way or the other. <A> Ask your Boss when to tell. <S> She/ <S> He may have reasons to resolve issues around you leaving in a quiet atmosphere i.e. asking specific other colleagues if they are willing/ready to take over some roles from you. <S> Depending on your position, you can create significant confusion by telling early. <A> The previous answers are on target when you're leaving a good team on good terms. <S> But sometimes you aren't. <S> An imperfect world <S> On two occasions I had to leave a company purely due to dysfunctional management. <S> When submitting my resume, I knew the Director didn't understand how to communicate with the team and would just keep it quiet and hope for everything to blow over after I left. <S> In those situations, my relationship with my team and other departments was more important than anything else. <S> In both cases, I gave the Director 24 hours and then started quietly communicating with others and putting plans for overall success in place. <S> In both cases, the Director kept their head in the sand and didn't say a word until confronted several days later. <S> While my Director wasn't happy in either situation, the rest of the team was and I have maintained many of those relationships in the years since. <S> In fact, in one of those scenarios, the SVP came to me and thanked me for taking the initiative to ensure success upon my departure. <S> He even offered me a higher position away from the problem Director. <S> I declined, but it was good reinforcement that I had done the right thing.
| Whenever I resign from a job, I always tell my boss first.
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I accidentally came across one of my co-workers salaries I am working on a project that requires that I have access to accounting information in order to put it in a database for use in an application that I am building. Some higher-ups in the finance department sent me an excel sheet that I asked for in order to do my job. The information in the excel sheet is the break down of salary budgets by department and it doesn't exist anywhere else. (That's why the application is being built). I needed the spreadsheet so I could both import the data into the database and analyze the structure of it so that a tool can be built to automatically extract/load the data going forward. Everyone is okay with this, but there is a caveat. One of my coworkers is technically working as a contractor. Evidently, this person's salary was separated from my department's overall budget and in the sheet I was provided, there are clear markings of exactly what this person is paid every week. I am not sure what to do at this point. My manager hasn't seen the spreadsheet as she doesn't need to (She already knows what my co-workers compensation is.) She knows that I know the department's budget for salary but she doesn't know that I know my coworkers specific compensation. I'm also not the only one who was sent the sheet. Two of my co workers have it as well. Presumably they saw this information, but no one has brought it up. Half of me feels like I should just ignore this and continue on with my job. The other half of me feels like it would be more wise of me to inform my manager that I am now privy to this information in case somehow this blows up in the future. E.G. someone decides to make a stink about it and then my manager gets blind sided because she wasn't aware of the situation. What should I do? If I tell my manager, what is the best way to frame this? <Q> There are two issues here. <S> Firstly, your becoming privy to confidential information. <S> You may want to mention it to your boss, simply because other people were given the same spreadsheet. <S> She should be made aware that this information is now public. <S> But anyway - the actual information is none of your business. <S> As long as you don't try to use that number as your colleagues salary (if they're a consultant, it isn't...), then you won't have any issues. <S> The second issue is more important. <S> Someone in your company is providing confidential information - real numbers - in a spreadsheet that at the moment is being used to build software. <S> There are privacy issues with PII here that your company's security people should be addressing. <S> Just because you asked for information does not mean you should be allowed to have it - someone in the security department should have been anonymizing and changing the information before giving it to people who are not cleared to have that level of information. <S> (are you cleared? <S> No. <S> Because if you were, the question would be irrelevant). <A> Ignore it, and forget it. <S> In theory it's a big no no in places, in practice some companies don't have a policy and expect to be able to trust professional employees. <S> I deal with confidential data all the time. <S> Solution 'I never saw it'. <S> This has never come back to bite me in a couple of decades, and is actually one of the reasons I get so much work. <S> I just focus on the job, <S> unless I'm tasked to check for it, I couldn't care less if a machine is full of bikini babes or worse. <S> If I have to import or repair an accounting package database I don't even look at the data. <A> Note that you cannot compare employees' salaries and contractor salaries. <S> Contractors are either supplied by a contracting company which makes its profit. <S> The "salary" that you see isn't the actual salary, it's the payment to the contracting company. <S> Subtract their profit, their overhead for finding suitable contractors and making them available, then subtract the usual cost that an employer has based on your salary but not visible on your salary. <S> Then what remains is what the contractor gets paid as their salary, which will be much less. <S> Or a contractor is either self employed or runs his own limited liability company. <S> That contractor has additional work running his or her company, filling out tax forms, paying an accountant etc. <S> What they are paid doesn't include any taxes, any pension fund, any benefits like health insurance; the contractor has to pay that out of their own pocket. <S> The contractor won't get a bonus, and won't get invited to the Christmas party at the office. <S> The contractor doesn't get paid holidays, and it's up to them to line up new jobs all the time, with gaps being inevitable. <S> That's what you need to keep in mind if you compare payments. <S> , don't let it affect anything you do or say. <S> Ignore it as if you had never seen it. <A> I am a contractor (via a consulting company), and as such i provide service which can be bought at some price. <S> I am not in competition with employees, and I am perfectly fine with the project manager knowing how much i cost per hour. <S> This in not my salary (far away from it). <S> Internally at my employer projects are only billed some average rate for the qualification, so i do not know any of my coworkers salary, even if I know the cost a team is billed at. <S> So I do not see any reason you should act.
| As far as getting private information is concerned: Don't tell anyone, don't act on it
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How to reply to a generated e-mail during interview I applied for a position in a company website. A week later I received an e-mail with instructions on how to proceed with the interview process; which involves getting back to them. No explicit e-mail address was provided for that matter. The e-mail was sent through a recruiting platform that uses disposable/temporary e-mail addresses, masking the real address (i.e., using time stamps, alphanumeric characters, etc). In my experience so far, I have been approached by specific HR people and talked directly to them. Thus my feel was that this is a "no-reply" e-mail [typically non-existing addresses resulting in bounced mail] and a) a real address is missing; or b) no explicit reply e-mail has been provided for some other reason. On the other hand, another applicant in the past had access to a specific e-mail (a contact person) to get back. From your experience, is this a common practice that you have noticed -- and is the candidate expected to reply to such address, or is it better to try to reach a real HR person directly? <Q> They are using a system which generates email addresses for two reasons: <S> So that they shield the HR individual's name and prevent direct queries <S> So that they can track all of your correspondence automatically <S> Just reply to the sending address. <S> It's becoming increasingly common with some (particularly larger) companies and some resume-tracking systems. <S> As @ChrisG points out in his comment - some smaller companies use these systems, too. <A> Follow the instructions in the email that you received. <S> If there is anything that is a test it is can you follow instructions. <S> I would respond to the email and then follow up with a call to HR if you do not receive any response in a week. <A> in my experience, this is not common practice. <S> if a company is serious about hiring someone, they would make an effort to make themselves reachable and provide sufficient information to achieve that. <S> either by having a phone number at the end of the email, a person's name, a reference number to use for correspondences.
| My recommendation would be to frame my follow up call as "I received and responded to the email but wanted to see if there is any additional information needed" rather than "I received a email but wasn't sure what to do about it"
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When is the right time to ask about work schedule? My impression is that asking during the hiring process may hinder my candidacy. But at the same time, due to extracurricular commitments I need a flexible schedule. I am not talking about anything outrageous. Just starting in the afternoon or working from home a couple of times a week. Obviously this needs to be hashed out before I join, but when to do it? In the interview? After receipt of an offer? <Q> My impression is that asking during the hiring process may hinder my candidacy. <S> But at the same time, due to extracurricular commitments I need a flexible schedule. <S> If you need a flexible schedule, then not asking about it during the hiring process would be rather foolish. <S> Employers who don't offer a flexible schedule are exactly the type you want to cross off your list. <S> Why waste any time with them? <S> During your interviews, you must determine if the employer is a good fit for your needs, just as they must determine if you are a good fit for their position. <A> Obviously this needs to be hashed out before I join, but when to do it? <S> In the interview? <S> After receipt of an offer? <S> Depends how much time you are willing to waste if they end up being unable to accommodate your needs. <S> If you don't want to waste time, do it before scheduling the interview, just after first contact. <S> If you wait until you receive an offer, the company is more invested in hiring you <S> and you can then negotiate on their offer and include your needs in those negotiations. <S> As a side point, I'd keep it strictly on a "need" level and not a "want" level. <S> Most employers say they are flexible, but that's generally not going to be flexible enough for you, so you will be asking for special treatment... <S> That's ok, as long as that's what you really need. <A> You can get at it during the "do you have any questions for me" portion of the interview, just do it indirectly with questions like: "What is a typical day like in this position?" <S> or "I would be commuting from 'x' when would be a good time to head in to avoid the traffic?" <S> or "How is your commute?" <S> probe a bit. <S> Other answers might come out as well. <A> I'd say that it is proportional to how important it is to you and <S> how unusual the request is. <S> The more important it is to you and <S> the more unusual it is the sooner <S> you should be talking about it with them. <S> If it is truly a make or break criteria you should even consider including it in your resume/cover letter/CV. <S> Sure you are going to kill some interviews before the process even gets started by doing this but spending a bunch of time interviewing with a company who can't or won't be able to meet your needs <S> is just a waste of time for both of you. <S> It probably will make finding a job a little or a lot harder <S> but that is your choice. <S> Ultimately you may have to decide if finding a good job <S> is more important than your extracurricular commitments. <S> In some industries working from home or working a flexible schedule are common and not a big deal but in others working from home may be impossible and flexible schedules may be very difficult. <S> Take any customer service job. <S> You need certain amounts of coverage at certain times and you can't let people show up when they like and even planning it ahead <S> means basically making them schedule other people around your needs. <A> I would even put this request into my cover letter. <S> Either the company's policies will accommodate it, or they will not. <S> You really don't want to "be picked to be interviewed" ... <S> strange though that might seem when you are desperate for work ... <S> if your needs can't be accommodated when you are employed there. <S> And they, in turn, don't want to waste their time considering a candidate who can't be hired.
| If you're happy for a little time to be wasted, either bring it up during the interview or wait until you receive an offer.
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I fear I'm about to be replaced. Is it okay to ask about a new position in my company? I'm a part time IT Assistant at my company; Well that's my official title anyway, as I mostly fell in to the role of Web Developer/Web Master. My supervisors recently asked me to post a few job listings on our website, one of which was a full time marketing/web developer. My company is not huge, only about 50 employees in the office, so it wouldn't be necessary to hire an additional developer or "web guy" in my opinion. The position doesn't require any specific programming experience but it does say in the responsibilities/experience section a few alarming things: performing routine site maintenance, and a solid understanding of website development processes. Is it okay to ask my supervisor about this in fear of being replaced? I am not being overworked at all, so would it also be bad to ask to take on the extra roles that they listed in the job description and remove the job listing entirely? I only work 24 hours a week currently and was actually going to ask to for few more before they had me post this, now I'm not sure they'll accept since they're looking for a full-timer anyway. <Q> If you ask, you may not be offered the job. <S> But if you don't ask, <S> you definitely won't be offered the job. <A> There is nothing to be lost by asking your supervisor. <S> Be forthright, "I was posting the jobs to the web site, and this one looks a lot like what I am doing. <S> Is this something that I can apply for or were you considering me for another position in the company?" <S> Frame it as a positive and stay enthusiastic. <A> You are part time, so they may see you as a flight risk and want to be on the safe side. <S> It isn't really about the work volume, rather a question of "bus factor". <S> Were you full time they might have been more comfortable and not look for alternatives. <A> You should, of course, post the positions exactly as you have been asked to do. <S> Then, if you want to, formally apply for the position yourself. <S> (This is done to satisfy "equal opportunity" requirements in the USA.) <S> Your employer can't read your mind. <S> They might well not assume that you want to work 40 hours a week on salary. <S> If you wish to be considered as a candidate, then you must formally become one. <S> If you have taken care that "they will speak well of you," then you are obviously likely to be a favored candidate, but the formal hiring process must be followed "to the letter of the law" by the company, nonetheless.
| Remember that you must apply, and that the full-time job must, by law(!), be posted. Ask your supervisor, and tell them why you're concerned.
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If my CV employment months are a bit off, does this affect my chances after the background check finds out? I basically have the job in my pocket. They've started the hiring process already... and it's just my background check they still have to do. I'm not too worried. I was honest (though I did only list relevant work experience, and not everything I've ever worked at for a day or two) with all my employments, education, et cetera, but I am worried I might have gotten some employment dates wrong. Most of those are 5-10 years old, that's why I thought it wouldn't matter anyway. Yes, my fault, but it's stressing me out. I want this job, and they are excited about hiring me, but I'm worried this will cause a hiccup of some kind. How valid is my anxiety? Thanks! <Q> Heck, I've been working for thirty-five years, much of it on contracts, some of which contracts were in parallel with one another. <S> Do I remember the dates exactly? <S> No! <S> Pragmatically speaking, a "background check" is going to look for things such as (especially) any criminal offenses or time spent in jail. <S> If you are going to be handling money, they might look at your credit history to judge if you can handle your own money. <S> It takes a lot more effort (money ...) to verify a list of employment dates, and such findings are not particularly useful anyway. <S> What they really want to look for is outright lies, e.g. to cover time actually spent in the hoosegow. <S> "Background checks" are an ordinary and reasonable part of the pre-employment process, and may indeed be required by law. <S> When I did a short IT project for the State of Tennessee, I had to be fingerprinted. <S> (It was then that I discovered that a nearby office supply store had the necessary equipment to do it, and did it routinely.) <A> And in that case his having lied about dates to cover a multi-month employment gap was almost certainly secondary to the fact that he didn't resign from Company A because he had an offer from Company B but that Company A got rid of him. <S> (This was years ago and heard second hand, so I'm not sure if it was a case of being fired or given the opportunity to resign in lieu of being fired.) <S> The didn't look when hiring him, or during the year or two between <S> then and when he came to HRs attention as a being a problem. <S> In the future, I'd suggest: Checking old bank statements if you have them. <S> Your first/last paychecks will generally let you date a job to within a few weeks. <S> Leaving off the exact dates when possible (eg on your resume). <S> If you only list the year, you're a lot less likely to mis-remember enough to cause a discrepancy. <S> When you have to enter more precise dates (eg an electronic application that won't let you leave the fields blank), note that your dates are approximate somewhere on the form. <S> If you don't have any free-form fields to enter additional information, you can slip it in by appending it to something like the company name itself. <S> ex: <S> Company Name: Initrode Software (dates approximate) <S> Start Date: January 15, 2003 End Date: August 30, 2007 <A> Your anxiety is completely valid. <S> It's not a big deal as long as you get in contact with them right away and express your concern. <S> It's an honest mistake, and if you get in contact with them they'll see that you're honest and good at communication. <S> Also you'll be relieved. <S> Like you said, it's in your pocket. <S> Just be yourself and express whatever concern you have and everything should work out.
| The only time I've ever heard of incorrect dates being an issue involved a trouble making employee that HR was fishing for an excuse to fire immediately without having to going through the song and dance of a performance improvement plan first.
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How to write joint venture company in Resume? As I am in process of joint venture of my current company and soon, I will join new entity of 2 companies joint venture, how to write the new entity in my Resume? Is it good to write something like this? Company C - Joint venture of company A and B <Q> <A> You should simply say that you are employed by Company C, which is in the process of merging with Companies A and B. <S> It will be important for you to clarify to what extent this merger is prompting you to seek new employment at this time. <S> For example, is your position being eliminated, and/or are you credibly concerned that it might be? <S> What do you anticipate that your job-description will be, post-merger? <S> How is this affecting your decision to seek employment now? <S> It is also important for you to clarify whether you are the owner or an officer in any of the companies in question. <S> Because, if you are, merger agreements ordinarily require present officers to remain in the employ of the merged companies at least for some period of time. <S> I wouldn't want to waste my time hiring you, only to find out after-the-fact that you are contractually barred from taking the job. <A> Why are you updating your resume right now? <S> You're concerned about being seen as a job-hopper, but no matter how you explain the relationships of A, B and C, I would read the resume as 'He's abandoning ship because one of those companies is a great big iceberg...' If your role doesn't change, you only need to state the company name and something like 'merged Aug 2016' or similar - don't make a big deal out of it, unless you're a director and it really is a big deal.
| Normally, you say which company employed you, then mention that you were working on a joint venture (if that's relevant) in the description of the work.
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Sending Resume in Different Format Than Requested Although I am an IT guy, my Resume is not a Word file, but an Illustrator one (that I convert to a PDF when submitting). The job description requests that the resume be submitted via a Word file, however I obviously don't have such a version of my resume. Would it be OK if I send in my normal PDF version, and explain why I am doing so? My reason: I create AI Resume is because I am a mobile app developer that involved in past company in designing mobile app for clients, and my AI Resume design follows the trend of mobile app design now, so hopefully employer can see that as an added value. <Q> Any roadblocks you put up to make your resume harder to use by a recruiter will seriously hurt your ability to find other employment. <S> I suppose the real question is "how important is it for you to be viewed that differently?" <S> But you should also prepared to be dismissed out of hand and not get many (if any) return calls back. <S> You're an IT guy, but you're refusing to follow an instruction for a job which you ostensibly want. <S> You're really not giving them much incentive to even read your resume much less hire you, yet you're telling them that you don't believe their standards and requirements apply to you. <S> EDIT after comment <S> : It still shows a disregard for their reasons. <S> Additionally, impressing a recruiter isn't something you need to do. <S> They are little more than a filter making sure that candidates fit clients, primarily on experience. <S> You're completely non-standard resume prevents that. <S> I'll reiterate, you're screaming "I can't follow simple instructions" which is something that every IT person needs to do more than almost anything. <A> While it would make sense that all they want is to be able to read your resume, and are asking for a Word document simply to avoid getting some weird formats sent in, you shouldn't assume anything . <S> For all you know they upload the Word file content into some database, or the person looking at your resume is only comfortable with Word. <S> By not following directions you run the risk automatically disqualifying yourself for the position. <S> I would copy out the text part of your resume in a clean, simple Word format, and send in both the Word, and PDF versions. <S> That way they will see how neat and tidy your PDF version is (if they bother opening it), and will appreciate the fact that you went through the trouble of creating a Word version. <S> What you provide them with also depends on how you submit your resume: <S> Some companies will have a form you fill out on their website, and a tool you upload your resume to. <S> In this case I would not include the PDF at all, as uploading multiple files - some in the wrong format - might screw with the server side code. <S> Instead, bring print-outs in person to the interview, and explain why you submitted an "uglier" version. <S> Other companies will simply list an HR email address, and ask you to attach your resume. <S> In this situation attach both files (Word & PDF), and make it very clear why you are attaching both. <S> Explain that the PDF version is meant to demonstrate mobile app design trends. <S> Just always make sure to give employers what they ask for. <A> if you send them anything but what format they are asking, you are diminishing your chances of being considered for this job. <S> You understand this right ? <S> The reason they are asking for resumes in certain format is, their handy-dandy resume filtering tool is actually an MS word macro. <S> If you can not get past that macro, you are dead in water. <S> They are not going to go the extra mile for you to print your resume and scan it into their MS-word database. <S> As long as you are good with that, you can explain why to your heart's content, but it will most likely not be read. <A> That's good too. <S> Why a recruiter asks for a document format: 1. <S> Logo insertion: <S> Some recruitment companies like to insert their logo into your resume before forwarding it to their client (some company). <S> It's easier to do with doc than with pdf. <S> 2. <S> Wanting a standard format: <S> My uncle recently gave me a guy's resume to review, and he had it in ".rtf" format. <S> The formatting went haywire when I opened it in linux. <S> This may be one reason your recruiter asked you for a specific format. <S> So think... <S> Did the job description explicitly insist it had to be word format and nothing else? <S> If no, then sending a pdf would also be ok because it is considered a standard resume format in the recruitment circles. <S> Alternative: <S> Create a doc format document also and send both the doc and the pdf. <S> I did that once with a recruiter and the interviewer said he found my resume interesting (not the one in doc, but the creative one I created in pdf). <A> One other reason I have found is external recruiters want an editable version of your resume for several reasons. <S> They want to anonymize your resume before submitting to the company to ensure the company does not side step them to contact you directly. <S> They want to add their own letterhead to the resume. <S> This also happens for internal recruiters who are hiring for a specific project. <S> It is not out of the question for a consulting company to submit candidates to their customer before hiring them for a project to ensure the customer is satisfied with their experience and skills. <S> By submitting in a PDF, you make it much more difficult for the recruiter to accomplish either task.
| As the others have said, the better option would be to send it in word format, but I see that you want your resume to stand out and appear creative . Yes, you should explain to them.
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Can future company see a candidate who doing his own things outside of job and workhour as a threat? As I am starting my own startup, I have some publications in Play Store (not very significant download yet). Employer also can find my website, although it's still an empty page. I put publications as my portfolio section in my Resume. What could be the possibilities from future employer's perspective? Can they see it as a threat? <Q> Some employers will definitely not be happy with this and some will think that all good developers do such things. <S> The trick is to weed out companies that do not have a compatible culture with what you intend to do anyway, so go ahead and inform them and recognize that you will be weeding out employers you don't want to work for anyway. <S> I believe you are likely to find more compatible places in companies that are development shops as opposed to ones where development is a side effect of their main business. <A> Read your employment contract and your employee hand book or HR policies. <S> It doesn't matter much if the company thinks it's a threat or not <S> , what really matters is what your contract says and if, what you are doing, is in compliance or not. <S> As for the actual question: You company may or may not perceive this as a threat. <S> That really depends on the specific circumstances. <S> If your outside work is on a totally different field, that it's probably okay. <S> If it's in the same field or even direct competition, it's a big no no. <A> For dealing with a future employer - unless your app development is really significant to getting the positions, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. <S> If it comes up, ONLY discuss its popularity and features, and maybe the tools you used. <S> You should down-play how much time you're spending on developing and supporting it, and definitely down-play (or don't mention at all) <S> any money you're getting from it. <S> These latter items really aren't things your employer has a right to know, and they can color the situation badly for you. <S> For example, if you're earning more than your salary from the app, your employer may rightfully be concerned that you'll jump ship if the app continues to do well. <S> Be smart. <A> As others said, some may see it as a threat, others see it as you having passion for your craft. <S> I believe the real question here is <S> "what do I say to an employer if they are concerned about my side business/projects?" <S> In general, be honest, and be willing to explain how your side business/projects would affect your ability to perform for them as an employee. <S> I have my own company, and this had come up for me in an interview. <S> I was asked how much money the company was making and how many hours per week I dedicated to the company. <S> In my situation, I explained that the company was incorporated for legal protection for my side-projects, and that my full time employment always comes first. <S> They asked a few followup questions, and I answered honestly. <S> In the end, it wasn't a concern and was offered the position.
| If you're spending a lot of time on the app, the employer may be concerned that it will impact your performance on the job, and your availability for "company" concerns. And large bureaucratic organizations may also (in my experience) be unlikely to want you to do this. Most companies have policies that clearly states the rules about working "on the side", what is allowed and expected, and what approvals are needed and what circumstances.
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I think my new coworker should not be asked to stay; do I talk to anyone about it? I started a new job as a Java developer nearly 3 months ago. A new coworker "Bobert" started three weeks after I did. I'll try keep the story to a minimum, both for brevity and relative anonymity. We have a very small group of developers in our office. Relevant cast of characters: Rusty: team lead, helping me and Bobert get up to speed on our projects Scooter: next most senior dev at 4 years with company, does not work with Bobert Me: new, working with Bobert Bobert: new, working with me Joe: Our non-technical manager, basically just a figurehead who approves timesheets, relies on other people to determine if our work is up to par The company has a probation period of 3 months, at the end of which the company decides whether or not you stay. I haven't gone through this quite yet, but I hear that typically this is a formality. The people responsible for hiring him no longer work for the company. (Scooter is the only other person who was present for Bobert's interview, and said he would have not hired Bobert if it was up to him.) Scooter, me, and another dev in the office have all privately (to each other) expressed our doubts and concerns about Bobert's behavior/work ethic. Concrete examples of this include: He and I had training for a particular system one morning, and needed to submit a couple forms afterwards to gain access. I did so and got my login that afternoon; it's been three weeks and he's still not in the system. He needs access in order to work on his assigned task on my project. Asking me for help with extremely basic Java issues - think "how do I use a command line argument". For any of his questions, I either immediately knew the solution because it was so simple, or I did a quick search on the error and figured out his mistake within five minutes. Acting unprofessional (personal space invader, or my personal favorite, the sing-song voice: "~someone knocked on our door, who could it beee~"). I mention this both because it is simply poor conduct, and because several of us have been made seriously uncomfortable because of his behavior, to the point of not wanting to be alone in the office with him. Bobert does not seem to pick up on hints: Scooter and I both heavily implied for a week that Bobert really ought to get in to work on time, but he continued coming in an hour past core hours until Rusty told him directly there might be consequences if he did not change that. Rusty, while he knows generally what Bobert is supposed to be doing, does not keep tabs on a day-to-day basis. Bobert has been spending the past three weeks working on a single file program. He asked me for help multiple times along the way and showed us the code last week, so I know that the program he "wrote" is an example downloaded straight from Oracle's web site (two weeks) with write-to-file capability added (one week, for what could have been found in a few minutes searching Stack Overflow). Rusty just said "ok, good progress, thanks for the update". The final piece of information - why I am posting this - is that due to circumstances Scooter and I are the only developers who will be giving inputs to Joe at the end of Bobert's probation. As mentioned before, Scooter has said he would not have hired Bobert, and I know he just doesn't like him, so I doubt that feedback will be positive. My Question: My honest opinion of Bobert's work and potential is not positive. Assuming I will be asked for input, I feel uncomfortable having this much influence, as a relatively new hire myself. As much as I don't like the guy, I would still feel bad if I caused him to be fired - especially if I never gave him a fair shot to fix the problem. But then again... I'm no manager, so maybe it's presumptuous to even worry about it? In light of this, should I: Tell Bobert that I think he needs to shape up Tell Rusty (who will not be talking to Joe) that I think Bobert needs to shape up Say nothing, and if/when Joe asks, tell him I think Bobert is incompetent citing these (and other) examples Say nothing, and if/when Joe asks, be vague and say I guess he can do some things, or something equally weak Something else? (I have searched the site, but I haven't found anything that looks like a duplicate yet. Namely, other questions do not address what to do if you have direct influence for firings but are still a peer and not manager.) <Q> Your input will not cause Bobert to be fired. <S> It will be part of a body of evidence that will tip the scales one way or another. <S> All you can do - when asked - is be honest with your appraisal, and answer only the questions that your manager asks you. <S> I think it's unlikely that your manager will ask outright if you would hire Bobert, because that would never be within your remit anyway. <A> Leave it alone. <S> If your co-worker isn't delivering, management will notice and take appropriate action. <S> That action should start by trying to help them shape up rather than shipping them out. <S> You aren't their manager. <S> If your work is specifically being delayed by something the co-worker should have delivered but hasn't, it's fair to say that to your manager. <S> And only that. <S> Keep it to the fact; your opinion about why they haven't delivered is irrelevant. <S> Be prepared to be asked to help overcome the bottleneck; be part of the solution, not part of the problem. <A> As a member of the team, it's not your role to attempt to manage the team. <S> It's your role to do your best to get the team's work done, and to work as well as you can with "Bobert" <S> and/or anyone else who is assigned to work with you. <S> Period. <S> You are entitled to discuss your concerns about other team members ... and let me very strongly emphasize this ... "only with your manager. <S> " <S> You should feel free to speak with your manager, once, about anything. <S> But, the decision is not yours. <S> Issues such as the lack of login credentials (yup, always a bugaboo ...) <S> are, again, something for your manager to take up with the appropriate departments. <S> (Heh... you think management is 'easy?') <S> Not everybody gets along with everybody. <S> Sometimes the relationship is olive oil; sometimes it's sandpaper; sometimes it's a stuck-fast nut. <S> But, that's leadership's responsibility to deal with, as they see fit. <S> I would also encourage you to not participate in these discussions with your co-workers, if they pertain to other co-workers. <S> No matter how strongly you may share in their opinions, keep your mouth shut. <S> (Say... you were just going to step aside and get another cup of coffee, weren't you? <S> "So if you will please excuse me ... <S> ") <S> Turn around, walk away, and leave them to their gossip. <A> Don't sweat it. <S> What that manager does with the information is up to them. <S> The visible issues, such as constantly arriving late etc, are absolutely being watched. <S> Further the fact he's not able to see his assigned tasks ought to be something your manager is aware of. <S> If for some reason management doesn't have visibility into those things then you probably don't want to work there anyway.
| If your manager is asking you for an honest opinion about a coworker then give it. Unless you are asked, your opinion is not needed ... and giving it risks your acquiring a reputation of being hard to work with, which you definitely do not want. This isn't your decision or your responsibility.
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Employee talks to everyone whenever she has a conflict with a coworker I recently noticed one of my employees talks to multiple people to discuss the conflict/issues she is having with a coworker, instead of resolving the problem with this coworker. I think she allows the problem to fester by discussing it with multiple people, lowering morale. The people she talks to (who are not in my department) then have to stop what they're doing and listen to her, since they are friends with her. This behavior lowers the productivity of her, and the people who have to listen to her. I don't mind people who talk about their problems with others, but this person lingers, and spends about 20-30 minutes with each employee. What is the best way as her manager to coach her about this problem? <Q> Take her into a meeting and tell her that gossiping of that type is not allowed. <S> If she has issues with co-workers there are already protocols in place to resolve them. <S> And outline them to her while making sure she knows her behaviour is intolerable. <S> Usually these would be:- <S> Discuss your problem with your manager <S> Take up your problem with HR <S> If she takes this advice to heart then all is well, if she doesn't then you can move forwards with disciplinary measures since she has had fair warning. <A> Discuss with them what you intend to discuss with her. <S> But, do not discuss with her that you first spoke to HR. <S> And then, in private, candidly discuss the situation from your point of view. <S> Just as you have said to us, here. <S> I prefer to avoid using higher-authority leverage, e.g. "... is not allowed," because this understandably puts (an already insecure) person on the extreme defensive. <S> Instead, I prefer to present the problem, listen at every opportunity (deliberately shuffling my papers to add a longer pause), and then finally indicate what corrections must be made to on-the-clock behavior. <S> Try to emphasize the pragmatic necessity of it, so that she might "buy in" to the change. <S> Try to walk softly, and not bring out the big-stick. <S> There must be a "root cause" here. <S> Try to find out, separately and privately from both employees, what that root cause might be. <S> Be sure that she feels invited and comfortable doing so. <S> Your tone and demeanor in this particular meeting will be critical in establishing her perspective of you as being a resource in such matters. <S> (You are. <S> It's part of your job. <S> But, employees don't typically think of bosses that way, until and unless they themselves become one ...) <A> If you're going to take the "coach" approach: <S> Ask her - in a better situation, what would the environment in the office be like? <S> How would she feel? <S> (if this applies) Would the business process in the office be any different? <S> What are obstacles that are preventing that? <S> Devise a plan of action to get through the obstacles. <S> Start with low-hanging fruit. <S> She may need some external counseling. <S> Make her accountable for doing the work to get through the obstacles. <S> (This part goes in her HR file). <S> You may unearth other obstacles along the way - be prepared to re-prioritize if need be. <S> For the latter two, make sure HR is on-board with any proposed remedy. <A> The first step to resolving anything is always to ask and understand the situation. <S> And no, I do not mean getting your ear bitten for 20 minutes, you will need to somewhat steer the conversation and keep it on track, but first understand. <S> Once you understand then put your story forward, i.e. what Kilisi says but in a much softer version: explain that it would be much more effective adn <S> you would much prefer if any future similar issues would be resolved by talking directly to the person she has an issue with or if she can't face it with yourself. <S> Explain that doing it any other way is counter productive and that it is not in the interest of the company to let that sort of issue develop and affect other staff members, so the earlier a problem is managed and solved the better. <S> In other words she does this because she does not know how to handle it. <S> Show that your door is open and she will handle it better with your help.
| If you do not understand the situation you cannot help resolve it. Emphasize that you should be the one that she talks to about any situation with a co-worker. I would suggest that you first take counsel with HR.
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How to handle blame for issue not handled by seniors? I work as a junior software developer in a mediocore service cum product based company. I was given an issue to fix urgently. It took some time for me to analyse the problem; this was acceptable in the start phase, as the issue was very important. Then I noticed some dependencies on other projects which were handled and modified by seniors. After verifying things and final discussions with those seniors I fixed the issue, but in the final release it failed due to improper deployment and testing by the QA team. I was questioned first in front of some of colleagues I looked into the problem and reported the mistake from the QA team. No one raised an objection and QA handled the problem silently. After release, the client claimed that the fix was only half done and again the team leader questioned me. I replied that whatever issue we found and discussed at the time were covered. I again looked into the issue, and was expected to resolve it quick as it was a big concern to the clients, but due to the old legacy system and slow tools it took some more time. The team leader asked me if it would be resolved soon. I replied I would do my best and try to resolve it ASAP. I again found some dependencies on other projects, for which I didn't have any idea how to fix. I told my senior colleague about it, but he told me to make it work. I fixed the issue myself so that it should not occur again. After all this work-around, with the final release, the team leader again told me I didn't do a proper deployment, but again this was also QA's error - I showed them what was wrong. How can I handle things like this and behave in front of the entire team /seniors? Although I spoke very politely all the time, this kind of treatment is very dangerous for my future work/learnings. <Q> Here would be my approach: Try to work with the QA team. <S> The way things are working is bad both for them and you. <S> Can you discuss it with them and try to work together better? <S> You want to come up with a solution before it has failed and you are blaming each other to management. <S> I would probably do this in terms of an offer to "help out" by participating in the QA of the change you made. <S> Also, I would avoid blame in this discussion. <S> Don't say "your QA was inadequate"; say "obviously this hasn't been working; how can we work together better to get this release out?" <S> Also be willing to listen if they think part of the issue is your fault. <S> If that doesn't work, raise concerns to management about the broken process. <S> Highlight <S> the fact that the way the changes are being released is hampering success. <S> It's not about you being right and <S> the QA team being wrong; it's about the harm caused to the company by the process not working smoothly. <A> Unfortunately, it sounds like your workplace has a bit of a toxic culture... <S> important tasks being placed on juniors with little support from seniors isn't too bad, but having management say things like "make it work." and always jumping straight to you when something goes wrong, just isn't on. <S> Not with a junior. <S> My advice would be to start looking for another job. <S> In the meantime, just stay calm when dealing with this sort of thing. <A> I can tell you how this is done in a properly working team: <S> You are assigned a task. <S> You find out how to do the task, then you do it. <S> Depending on how difficult the task is, how advanced you are, <S> whether you have a good day, and whether the solution might interfere with other people's tasks, you discuss things with them. <S> You end up with code that you hope will work. <S> You give that code to someone who reviews it. <S> The reviewer will either accept it, or tell you that changes are needed. <S> You repeat until the reviewer accepts it. <S> A build of your code with the accepted changes is given to QA. <S> They test it. <S> If they find problems, you fix the problems and start all over. <S> If they find problems, that is good, it proves that QA does their job properly. <S> Eventually you end up with code that is reviewed and accepted by the reviewer, and tested and accepted by QA. <S> If there are problems after that, the blame is shared between all three of you. <S> If this is not what is happening, you will always have problems. <S> If your management doesn't change the process, that's their fault and they should take the blame. <S> Apart from that, things go wrong sometimes. <S> Shouting at people and demeaning them in front of others doesn't help one bit in that situation. <S> If things don't change, you may want to look for a better place. <A> It is obviously difficult for QA to properly perform their function on this "old, complicated, legacy system. <S> " The process is obviously in need of improvement, and the customer is directly involved, so there is "a lot of heat." <S> You indicate in your final paragraphs that the TL "asked you to show them what was wrong." <S> So, obviously they know ... <S> (of course they do!) <S> ... that the process is broken, and they are specifically asking you for your insights and perspective. <S> No one, from the bottom to the very top, likes being in this sort of situation, especially "in front of the customer, who ultimately pays the bills that pay everyone else. <S> " <S> But, it sounds to me like the team <S> is working to identify the root causes of the problem and to work it out, albeit under conditions of intense pressure. <S> And so, I would simply suggest that you continue to remain focused on the [process ...] <S> problem, given that "it presently sucks," and continue to do your part to make it, so to speak, "suck less." <S> Indeed, "what is, in your professional opinion," the reason why QA isn't able to perform its intended role, and why deployments to production are going wrong? <S> Why did it "take longer than you expected? <S> (Because, at the time, "everyone else" agreed with your expectation. <S> Otherwise they would have corrected the project timeline. <S> No one is "alone at fault," but the project was impacted. <S> Again.) <S> Software development is a beast of a process, most especially with legacy systems. <S> No one understands it fully. <S> Even though you might feel "a bit crucified, now," no one's actually trying to stick you with it. <S> They're trying to make the process better, and The Customer happy again. <S> "Yes, it sucks to be there." <S> But, we've all been there, no matter where we were on the hierarchy of the team or department in question. <S> Focus on: "help us to 'fix it, forever.' <S> " <S> Keep your head up. <S> Remain engaged.
| Again, avoid blame and simply express your concern that things aren't working. Do your job as best you can, investigate the reasons for any failures and inform your manager of your findings. At that point if there are problems, it's not your fault (alone), any fault is shared between you and the reviewer.
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Should I focus on improving coding skills for a job interview, or reinforce my current strenghts? In the last year I have applied to two big IT companies (Google and Amazon) and went through the whole recruitment process with them. I got rejected by both, and the feedback I got was very similar. On the positive side they consider I have good people skills and high level understanding of programming (design, architecture). On the negative side they consider my coding skills are not up to their expectations for somebody on my position. I have a Bachelor in CS, Master (distributed systems) and PhD (Cloud Computing), and I have read a fair share of books (Code Complete, the Pragmatic Programmer, etc.). Also I went through Cracking the code interview as preparation. I know people say experience is one of the key ingredients in programming. However for the last two years I have been working in positions where coding wasn't one of the main tasks: leading and managing a couple of programmers, Scrumm Master, and now defining the architecture and APIs of new components, and creating prototypes and proofs of concept. My concern is that I may be lowering my chances to get a new or better job by not reinforcing my weak points, and maybe I should work out of the office on that. On the flip side, it may very well be worth to focus now on my strong points, and with time apply to positions specific to these skills where coding is less relevant. How can I improve my coding skills to be better prepared for job interviews? Should I even bother? EDIT: To put the question from another angle, should I try to improve my coding skills outside my current job to have a better shot at these job interviews? Or should I focus on polishing my current skills, apply to matching positions and hope that they don't emphasize coding as much? <Q> Opinion <S> In certain environments it's not always your actual ability to code that is being looked at, but in fact your ability to break down an issue and assess a coding solution based on an almost psuedo code environment. <S> Having a sound knowledge of Python is great, having a sound knowledge of C or C++ is great, but understanding the underlying concepts of the language, and why both are suitable for any specific task, can be far more helpful to your potential employer, than a staff member who has a fixed skill set. <S> The difference lies in grokking your code, or just knowing how to code. <S> Should I code outside my employ <S> Should you go code outside your employ to develop your coding skills, honestly this is never a bad idea. <S> But if you're aiming at Google, and Amazon, then maybe you should consider contributing to projects on Git Hub, things that are open source <S> (So that people can view your work). <S> Work across several languages and in several areas, (Hardware Controllers, Imaging software, Statistical Analytics, Content Management Systems, Contribute to a Game). <S> Then when you write up your next CV, or go into your next interview, you can show off your contributions and solutions that you came up with, to show that you Grok <S> Should I bother Large corporate/business generally hires based on your specific skill, not your overall skill. <S> So if you plan to work for Google, focusing on your strengths can play to your advantage, since you will be really good at what you are really good at. <S> For those environments being a specialist is great. <S> That being said, it's a lot more satisfying (at least for me) to be skilled across a range of subjects. <S> This does lend itself more to management, where your ability to understand 'generally' the tasks of those you are responsible for, can be more helpful than being able to do the job that you've given them to do. <A> The interviewer will want to know that you have experience and capability in all areas of the role. <S> If you are applying for management roles, then while coding experience may be useful (especially if managing coders) it may not be a critical aspect, or it may be irrelevant. <S> Basically, you want to match the role description and ensure that you can articulate or demonstrate skills and experience in as many of the requirements as you can. <A> Doctor, [why ...] <S> do you really want to be "a coder? <S> " <S> I would expect you to be looking for a leadership position, not "a coder of the line," and for one that emphasizes your advanced training in "distributed systems" and/or "cloud computing." <S> It rather catches me off-guard for a PhD to say: "I want to 'sling code' for the rest of my life." <S> If I picked up that resume from the stack, I'd say: "Huh?" <S> For Pete's sake, look at what you say you did: leading and managing a couple of programmers, Scrum Master, and now defining the architecture and APIs of new components, and creating prototypes and proofs of concept. <S> ... <S> you've done <S> that, as I would well expect a Doctor to do, and now you want to ... "sling code? <S> " <S> "Code slingers" I got. <S> They're a dime a dozen. <S> (Sorry ...) <S> "PhD's" I don't. <S> I'd want my PhD's to be guiding the project from a very high level; to be telling the "code slingers" what to "sling." <S> To be involved in my project at a very high conceptual level. <S> And it sounds like, <S> for the past few years, that's what you've been doing. <S> Why step downward? <S> You possess an academic degree that is still highly-respected, and that relatively few people possess. <S> It implies an advanced level of training, knowledge and discipline that I would wish to leverage in my projects, and that I would pay a premium price for. <S> It is incomprehensible to me that you would now want to write source code. <S> I can hire people without a college degree who are wizards at writing source ... <S> if they know exactly what to write. <S> This is where I would expect a person like you to come into the picture. <A> Make up your mind on what it is you want to do. <S> If you want to write code for the rest of your life, do just that. <S> But don't walk in the door slingin' your PhD, unless you are looking for a leadership role specifically in a development capacity <S> -- you might want to downplay those credentials.
| If you are applying for programmer or dev roles where coding is going to be part of your role, then yes, you absolutely should brush up on your coding skills.
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Is it rude to correct a non-native English speaker? A Spanish colleague of mine makes occasional, but repetitive English mistakes. Would it be considered rude or impolite to correct him? I haven't actually corrected him at all, but I feel as if I should say something like "When you say xxx it can sometimes throw me off, it's more correct to say yyy". I'm not sure if this is the best way of putting it. How should I address this; or should I just suck it up? <Q> You may want to leave out the part about it "throwing you off". <S> Instead say: "Instead of xxx it would be better if you said yyy." <S> There's nothing "wrong" with correcting him as long as you're polite. <S> It all comes down to your personal relationship with the individual, his personality, and perhaps the setting (no one likes being "called out" in public). <A> Another possibility would be to phrase it as a request for clarification: <S> "I'm not entirely sure of what you mean. <S> Would it be correct to say ' <S> X?' <S> " <S> Or: <S> "In other words, 'Y?' " <S> The speaker might realize that s/ <S> he did not use the most-correct phrase to convey what s/he meant to say, but here the correction has been offered graciously. <S> Also, consider if the way that the speaker did put it was "good 'enuf. <S> " If it's clear-enough what the speaker meant to say, maybe "let it ride. <S> " <S> The key is to judge the speaker's personality and temperament, and above all not to appear patronizing or insulting. <S> In Spanish culture (and, many European cultures, vs. USA), there is a whirlwind of implied cultural context. <S> It is imperative, also, that you be sensitive to the possibility of <S> "I shall not let you hear me scream. <S> " <S> Consider taking this person privately aside, and ask him or her what s/ <S> he would honestly prefer. <S> Maybe s/ <S> he welcomes the instruction. <S> Maybe, s/he is mortified and humiliated. <S> In private, s/ <S> he may be honest. <S> "Fragile: Contains a genuine human being." <A> Consider asking them. <S> I have found that some people react positively, others negatively to corrections. <S> I've fared well by correcting them once <S> and if I get an honest "Thanks!", I'll assume it is welcome. <S> If I'm unsure about the response or the enthusiasm dies down, I will ask whether they would like me to correct them or not. <A> As a non-native English speaker, I ask my closest colleagues to always correct my English, it's a great way to keep improving it. <S> If you're close to this person, I think it would be absolutely appropriate for you to ask them how they would feel about it. <S> I know I'd thank you profusely ;) <S> WARNING: <S> If you ever see that this person is sending emails outside the team with errors / typos / bad collocations then it's a different issue... <S> PLEASE let them know, they could be affecting the team or company's image and they may not be aware that there's a problem . <S> It may not be your role to spot this kind of thing, but you'd be doing a lot for them if you pointed out a problem they can work on. <A> IMHO there is the rule in language teaching to correct only the most frequent mistakes and just repeat the faulty phrase in correct words. <S> So there is the opportunity to hear the correct sentence. <A> (American who lived in Japan for 2 years and learned Japanese there): You can start by asking if the person would like you to point out ways their English could sound more natural. <S> I would leave them an easy-out so they don't feel (for business reasons) that they have to say yes and accept a constant irritation. <S> "If you're already getting feedback from other people, I don't want it to become a distraction for us or for you to feel you have to say yes." <A> There is nothing wrong with correcting somebody's mistakes. <S> It's all about tact . <S> If you're correcting their every word thus not letting them speak it would be annoying. <S> If you're trying to teach them grammar in the middle of a conversation or after conversation without the person asking for it - it's very likely to be annoying. <S> Trying to teach a bunch of new words and then checking if he <S> / <S> she remembers them all - pretty annoying. <S> The way foreigners would learn the language is by wanting to learn it. <S> And that is through friendly, relaxed conversation. <S> So sure, correct and give tips, but don't expect the person to immediately start using the correct forms without making the same mistake over and over. <A> If it's a "one time" thing, you might want to let it go. <S> But do it in private, so that you don't embarrass him in front of others. <S> As a "softener," you might ask, "how would you say this in your language/in Spanish?" <S> That gives him a chance to be the "teacher" so you are receiving, as well as giving, feedback. <A> As a non-native English speaker I comment: <S> If in doubt, ask about the intensity of the correction they wish I personally am very thankful if native speakers point out critical words to be spelled wrongly <A> As a non native english speaker, yes, please do. <S> Its not rude, and he probably doesn't know he is making mistakes. <S> If you are so inclined, please take the time to correct him. <S> The vast majority of people will really appreciate that.
| It's ok, even desirable to correct a non native speaker's English, especially if he makes the same mistake frequently. If you are the person's superior, remember that the person might not reveal to you any displeasure or discomfort. Only you can be the judge of whether it's appropriate to speak up or not. That being said, some people may thank you, and others may complain to HR that you're bullying them (I have witnessed both reactions). It is imperative that you be aware of how any foreigner would interpret what you say, in the context of his or her culture, not your own.
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Where to put Programming Language that is not in skills set on Resume, but on project portfolio? From this question , it seems that including skills you are currently learning into a resume is not a good idea. However, if I am currently working on a project using programming language and framework that I am learning as I go, is there anywhere in my resume to write it down? Could I list them as technologies used on that particular project under my Work Experience? <Q> It doesn't imply you are an expert, and won't be understood as such. <S> Anyone reading your resume will understand that. <S> It is only used as a quick gauge of what things you have familiarity with. <S> So if you are still learning a tool or technology, but have at least gotten far enough that you have a project in progress with some significant code written, there is no problem with listing this as a skill. <S> If you want to communicate that you are an expert in something in your resume, you need to do more than list it as a skill: you need to detail your specific experience or areas of knowledge. <A> The linked question is about somebody saying his skill is "close to nil". <S> That indeed makes no sense in the skills section. <S> If you are proficient enough to do a project in it, I would assume it should go into your skills section. <A> Always put everything relevant to the job for which you are applying in the "skills" section. <S> If you only have limited skill/use of it, put it down as "knowledge of... <S> " but if it is in the body of your resume, it should always be in the skills section.
| It is quite common to put anything you have at least some experience using in the skills section.
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Does a letter of recommendation for a job have to be confidential? I am an undergraduate computer science student entering my 3rd year of college. I plan on using letters of recommendation to get an internship in the tech industry for next summer. It is likely that I will get one letter of recommendation (from my manager from this summer's tech internship at a large company) that will be non-confidential. This question is about a second letter of recommendation from a professor with whom I did undergraduate research. Is it highly recommended that this second letter be confidential? If I keep it confidential, I will have to ask recruiters at career fairs for their email address (if we use a dossier service like Interfolio). This would help open up a line of communication but I'm not sure if it's likely that recruiters would give me their email address. Even if they did, it would take some time to send this letter of recommendation via email through a service like Interfolio. And once they get the letter of recommendation, my application would be scattered with my resume as a hard copy and this letter on email. Or is it fine if I keep it non confidential which would enable me to freely share the letter by uploading it on online applications or handing it to recruiters at career fairs along with my resume? Would removing confidentiality drastically reduce the credibility of the letter? Also, would you even suggest doing the latter: handing the letter along with my resume? Thanks in advance! <Q> I don't know of any employers who ask for actual letters of reference. <S> What employers do ask for is references they can contact to discuss what it's like to work with you. <S> These people should generally include managers and supervisors, but can also include more senior team members or others that are familiar with your work. <S> You should: Ask the people you want to use as references if you can use them as a reference. <S> Ask them how they would like to be contacted by your potential employers. <S> (Some people do not want to be contacted about these matter during work hours, some don't want to be contacted on their work number...etc.) <S> Make sure you have the correct address, employer, position and contact information for them. <S> Give them a heads up if a potential employer asks for references. <S> Getting a call for a reference should not be a surprise to your reference. <S> Only give out contact info for your references when requested by a potential employer. <S> (See #4) <A> If you are using letters of recommendation to get internships in tech, it most probably doesn't matter whether those letters are confidential - if a prospective employer is interested in hiring you, they'll most likely to contact your reference to get the real deal from them. <S> I am not even sure in this day and age how much letters of recommendation are worth - I mean, the usual procedure is that you provide the references and your prospective employer checks up on their own what the story is. <S> You should consult the Career Services Office of your school before you ask any question here, on this forum - if you have questions about the basics of a job search, these should be the first people you should consult. <A> The only time a letter of recommendation is legit is when the two individuals know each other or the person writing the letter is of a very high position. <S> Unless your potential employer knows your professor or is under contract with the school to intern, then I doubt it would have any value. <S> As far as keeping it confidential, I'm assuming <S> you mean you only want to supply it on request once you are considered for the position. <S> In such a case it wouldn't hurt but I'd concentrate on doing a good job over trying to show off your academic skills. <S> In the "real world" your academic grades or good relationship with a professor carries very little value over what you can actually produce. <S> It is far better to have a professor be used as a reference if he can vouch for your skills and can offer a good recommendation. <A> Letters of Recommendation are very specific to certain sectors and work (e.g. graduate school, military intelligence, ...). <S> Most references are personal not letters. <S> That means the employer may call them and ask them about you. <S> You need to have made a specific impression upon the person providing the reference. <S> I have written Letters of Reference for graduate programs for colleagues. <S> They have all been confidential . <S> The schools always require that they are. <S> I have been a reference for many people as well. <S> Typically I only get called when it is with respect to either a Security Clearance or a large employer (e.g. 50,000 employees or larger).
| If you were looking for an academic position, those letters of recommendation would matter but you are not looking for an academic position. I advise asking existing professors / employers if they would provide a reference for a job, not a letter of reference.
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Male colleague using female bathroom and not cleaning up I work in a growing company with only 1 bathroom for women, and 1 for men. The bathrooms are always occupied and everyone needs to wait from time to time. My male colleague uses the female bathroom, specifically to 'go number two'. Normally I wouldn't really mind a man using the bathroom, as we all do the same business in there, but the issue is he always leaves the toilet dirty and smelling, even though a toilet brush and spray are provided. He acts like he 'mistakenly' used the women's bathroom when you run into him. They are clearly labeled. He just says 'oh no, wrong door.' A note asking people to leave the toilet cleaner has already been put up but this didn't help and I'm not sure of my HR manager knows it's him leaving the mess. I am not comfortable telling him directly. Should I 'tell on him' to HR? <Q> The problem isn't that somebody is using the wrong bathroom; the problem is leaving it dirty. <S> If you had unisex bathrooms (meaning there's no "wrong"), or if one of your female colleagues were doing this, you'd still have the cleanliness problem. <S> So focus on that. <S> This is something to take to your manager or HR. <S> Talking directly to the person (which I know you've said you're not comfortable doing anyway) <S> risks (a) making things more uncomfortable and (b) turning the whole thing into a discussion about gender when, really, your problem is the mess . <S> The issue you should take to your manager or HR is: somebody often leaves the bathroom messy; we need to fix that. <A> Talk to your boss or manager. <S> There is a good chance your boss will have an opinion on this. <S> In my office there is almost always a women's bathroom open to use. <S> There is only one woman who uses it. <S> But my boss was adamant that it was not to be used by men and it hasn't been a problem. <S> Hopefully your boss will make a standard. <S> At the very least, I'd imagine he say, if you use that bathroom, clean up after yourself. <S> If you boss is indifferent <S> but okay <S> with you sending out an email, you could send out a general email as a reminder to "Keep things clean". <S> It's reasonable to expect a clean bathroom space at work. <S> Don't feel embarrassed asking for that. <A> I think you are taking too much into your own hands. <S> You are working there, and you require adequately clean facilities for your comfort, and the company is failing to provide them. <S> "The bathroom is consistently dirty, daily." <S> If they don't address the issue in a way that resolves the problem - regardless of the cause - then go to HR. <S> "the bathroom is consistently dirty, daily." <S> They are responsible for providing clean facilities. <S> It's not your job to investigate, provide evidence, or find the root cause. <S> If they choose to do that, that's fine. <S> If they choose to get a cleaning service (or an employee) to check and clean the toilets more frequently, that's fine. <S> If they don't resolve the problem, then you may be able to file complaints with your local governments about conditions of employment, but unless body fluids and other excrement are placed in areas you are expected to come into direct contact with (ie, outside the bowl), then it's unlikely that you will receive any relief. <S> You may need to find another job, or put up with unpleasant scents and sights wif <S> they pose no actual harm to your body. <S> Perhaps a bathroom scent dispenser may resolve some of your concerns. <S> Regardless, I'd strongly suggest you drop all concern over who is making the mess, and only concern yourself with how the mess is affecting you, and conveying that concern to the people who are in a position to resolve it. <S> This is not what you want them to focus on - <S> at least not if you want them to take action on the messiness left behind. <A> There is so much wrong with this whole scenario, I hardly know where to start. <S> Company not providing adequate bathrooms <S> This is the biggest issue and the rest are being caused by it. <S> The company needs to provide more bathroom space. <S> If the bathrooms are constantly full and people are constantaly having to wait, that means that productivity is being lost. <S> I'm not sure about the Netherlands, but in the US there are laws governing this. <S> Men using the women's bathroom <S> This isn't a huge deal if the bathrooms are single occupancy and it only happens occasionally. <S> However, the fact that it is happening all the time is going to cause issues. <S> Employees being asked to scrub the toilet <S> This may be normal in the Netherlands, but it would be very odd in the US. <S> I've never once worked at a place where employees were expected to scrub the toilet after they used it. <S> This would be handled at night by the janitorial staff. <S> If this is the norm in the Netherlands, then I would bring it up with your boss or HR.
| Go to your manager and complain. If you bring up the individual, or the sex of the individual, they may view it as a problem between two employees, or a personal bias on your part against men.
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Made redundant from my first software development job, need guidance on how I should engage with potential employers Today I received the unfortunate news that the project that I and two others had been working on has been cancelled due to lack of funding, and that our services are no longer required. I was a junior in this role, and had been working for the company for five months. Fortunatley it was pretty obvious that redundancy was coming so I've been spending the last two weeks making inroads on finding a new role, and I have come up with a couple of companies who are interested in me. The short amount of time I spent with my previous company is something that is worrying me. I'm afraid that I am going to look like a job-hopper or that I was just not suited for the role. I have been able to secure a good reference from the managing director of the company, but I'm worried that I won't even get that far if a potential employer sees five months of work experience on my CV and throws it aside. I am thinking of mentioning the redundancy on my CV but I honestly have no idea if that would be wise. Has anyone else gone through something similar, or can anyone offer some guidance as to how I should tackle this? <Q> If a potential employer likes your resume they will offer you the chance to explain that short timeframe, and a reference from your former manager will back up your story: that it was an unfortunate situation, and you were let go due to downsizing, not due to any mistakes on your part. <S> Don't lose any sleep over it. <S> Good luck finding a new job! <A> If you are worried about your resume getting eliminated from consideration due to your short stay there just make sure your CV/Resume/Cover Letter includes information on why it was so short. <S> Companies today understand projects get canceled and people get laid off as a result. <S> I can't see any company holding a junior developer responsible for getting laid off when a project was canceled. <S> It could be as simple as Company XYZ, January - May <S> (Laid off- <S> Project canceled) <S> Patterns of short employment and frequent job hopping can be worrisome for employers but one isolated incident, even if it is your first job, really isn't a problem. <A> Whenever I was doing contract work, I knew that the project could be canceled short of completion, especially Government contracts. <S> I also occasionally took jobs that were only expected to be a short 60-120 day assignment because it was implementation of a single feature or fixing one issue, not a whole project. <S> This is so common in IT that you simply tell the truth. <S> Since your company will verify it if there is a check, you have no worries. <S> I certainly wouldn't dismiss a qualified candidate for this sort of thing.
| While this development is unfortunate, it is by no means a deal-breaker, and it won't harm your career.
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How to know when is the right moment to drop things off your resume? I was looking at my resume, and I started to wonder: Should I really still have stuff I did in high-school/college in my resume? Things like organizations, leadership conferences, etc. How long ago is too long ago for something in your resume to consider dropping it off from it. Is there any criteria as to what should go and what should stay? <Q> As a rule of thumb, once you graduate from college or have at least a year of work experience, anything you did in high school is pretty much irrelevant. <S> I will add an exception if you did professional programming while you were still in high school. <S> As far work experience, <S> anything older than 10 years can go. <A> A resume is nothing more than a marketing brochure . <S> Its only function is to interest the hiring manager enough to be willing to spend some time interviewing you. <S> When something currently on your resume no longer contributes to your goal of landing an interview, it's time to pull it. <A> Length of resume in your 20's, it should be one page. <S> If you have a bit of experience (e.g. 5-9 years), then maybe put an "Early Career" section to show that you did stuff, then progressed. <S> These would be 1-2 lines per job. <S> This can help show that you know how to do stuff. <S> Do you want to do it? <S> If your resume is a list of things that you don't want to do anymore, then either drop them, or change the wording. <S> Is it relevant? <S> If you are in IT, then your HS job of mowing lawns for a few neighbors should drop. <S> But, if you managed a swarm of HS students mowing 50 lawns, had an LLC, bought a riding mower, etc. <S> then it might be relevant if you are going for a business job. <S> Is it known? <S> If you have an item like an organization or conference or whatever that is not known in your field then it won't help. <S> It also won't help if it is not impressive in some way (at least impressive vs. others who are applying for the same job). <S> Does it show that you will DO? <S> Employers want you to show them can you can actually do something. <S> They don't really care about your GPA; they don't care if you are a member of church such and such; they don't care if you were in some organization. <S> They want to know, "What will you do for me?" <S> and "How will you help my organization make money? <S> " <S> Use your resume to tell this. <A> It's all about what is most relevant. <S> If you have good, relevant experience for the position from high school/college, it might be worth including. <S> More often than not, it's not going to be worth the real estate. <S> In my education section, I had: Bachelor of Science, Computer Science <S> College <S> I Went To 2003-2006 2nd Place 2006 <S> Some Programming Competition <S> Because I thought that accomplishment was worth 1 line on my resume. <S> I was applying from a less technical managerial position to a more technical individual contributor role. <S> I had to cut content to get it down to 1 page, and that happened to make the cut. <S> Whenever I need to update my resume next, that is very likely to get cut, as will a number of items from my first programming job that I kept in to emphasize my technical skills. <S> They will be replaced by more recent achievements from my current job.
| As far as technical skills, anything you would hate to get hired to do, should get eliminated.
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How to ask for the salary range before even applying? I'm in a position where I'm mostly happy with my current job, but still keeping an eye open for possible better opportunities. All companies publish detailed descriptions of the job, the expected skills, the workplace and such, but still too few indicate a salary range straight away. There are positions that are worth applying to only if the salary range meets my current expectations, and I don't want to waste anybody's time applying only to discover that they cannot pay as much as I expect. At the same time I don't want to miss a good opportunity just because they didn't publish that detail, when it could have been good for me. How to behave in this situation? Should I simply mail them saying that I'm interested in applying but only if they pay more than X? Is there a more professional way? EDIT Just to clarify the situation: I'm a developer and I would be applying in a country different from my own. On one side I'm looking for a higher than average salary, on the other I do not know the average offered salary for the country. <Q> Option 1: research the company's salaries on a site like GlassDoor . <S> Option 2: ask them (circumspectly) about salary ranges. <S> Companies will often be reluctant to state a range directly, because it reduces their negotiating power later. <S> For the same reason, you shouldn't say "I'm only interested in jobs that pay at least X", because then you have probably limited yourself in future negotiations <S> --they know you are willing to work for X. A possible approach to this issue without anyone revealing too much directly, is to research the salary ranges for that sort of position. <S> Then say something like: <S> I have done some research into similar positions and found that companies are often paying between X and Y for experienced people in this role. <S> Would an expectation of a salary within this range be reasonable for this position? <S> This might be more successful because: They don't have to disclose their actual range, only whether the range you mention overlaps theirs. <S> You haven't revealed a specific salary demand. <S> Make sure that X meets your personal minimum (if your research turns up a salary range that is too low, then this approach won't work well). <A> I just email and ask for the salary range for the advertised job. <S> Some don't reply, some do. <S> Either way it only took me a few seconds. <S> You can't pin too many hopes on an OS position, so spending a lot of time trying to research etc, is mostly wasted. <S> In my job hunting days I'd have multiple applications active, I only need one to fit my needs. <S> Salary range was my major initial filter method. <A> Typically, a recruiter will ask what sort of salary you are expecting when making first contact, or when they call to ask if you would be interested in a position.
| If you have done your research you can give them a range which you expect to receive (with the real amount you expect closer to the middle or lower end) or you can try to make them make you an offer by asking them to suggest what you might be worth to them.
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Is it reasonable to ask for compensation for completing very long pre-interview programming assignments? For brevity I removed some of the details. Here are some examples of recent ones: Company A (a startup company): Using C or C++ implement a thread-safe hash table which can resize as needed. Genericity (not bound to specific types) is preferred. The runtime must not exceed 1.0s, and please include a Makefile. The program must be thoroughly tested using CppUnit and documented. Company B (a physics research facility): Using a programming language and visualization library of your choice, implement a simple, but relevant, cellular automata simulation (e.g. forest fire, traffic system). Include a README that describes how to run your simulation. Finally, in Latex, write a short 2-3 page description, with appropriate sections as defined in Physical Review Letters, describing what you've built and some applications of it in academia and/or industry (please compile it to a PDF entitled "report.pdf"). These problems are non trivial but also not extremely difficult, but they will take quite some time to make sure everything is working correctly. I'm guessing half a day on each problem, at least. It would be a different case entirely if I've already interviewed with these companies, but the issue here is that they want me to do these super long problems as a pre-requisite to even a phone conversation. I've done long pre-interview problems in the past and my application did not all progress afterwards, which is a real bummer since I spend a lot of time on these assignments. Is it reasonable to ask for compensation for my time in solving the above? If not should I just flat out refuse to do these, especially since I'm not guaranteed to get an interview in the first place? <Q> Is it reasonable to ask for compensation for my time in solving the above? <S> Your compensation is your entrance to the interview process. <S> Asking for anything more than that is unreasonable - unless your goal is to get rejected immediately. <S> If the company was offering additional compensation, you would have be told so up front. <S> If not should I just flat out refuse to do these, especially since I'm not guaranteed to get an interview in the first place? <S> If you don't think the chance to interview with this company is worth your time, then you should certainly skip the whole process, and look for a company that won't ask for so much of your time. <S> That is true for companies that require a pre-interview test, post-interview test, multiple interviews, travelling for an interview, or any other tasks that you don't perceive as worthwhile. <S> Interviewing companies get to decide what they want interviewees to do. <S> You get to decide if you want to do it or not. <A> Is asking reasonable? <S> Yes. <S> Is it still possible that asking could hurt your chances? <S> Yes. <S> Should you <S> flat-out refuse to do these? <S> Only you can decide that, but here are some things to think about: <S> How much do you value this potential job relative to the value you place on the time (and other resources) that you would spend? <S> Also consider the opportunity cost: what else could you have spent the time on? <S> Finding better opportunities? <S> Your family or friends? <S> How do you think that this hiring process reflects company values? <S> Do you think, given the value they apparently place on your free time, that (say) they might also expect developers to work on the weekends? <S> How else might this hiring practice inform you about the company itself? <S> Also, and IANAL, but if they use your work in any significant way (i.e., if this is work that they would normally have to pay someone to do) <S> then this hiring practice might be illegal. <A> Be prepared for disappointment. <S> I actually took up one of those "Job Challenges" off of a CraigsList posting (Denver) that promised to pay $100 for your time if you completed it. <S> Well, I did. <S> They were actually kind of clever. <S> In the results of the challenge, you got the contact information for the company representative. <S> After a few emails back-and-forth, I never saw a dime. <S> I guess I should look at it this way: <S> I ended up learning this company didn't keep its word, and I was better off not working for them. <S> I had another interview about 6 years ago with a company that did flight simulation systems for the Defense Department. <S> They brought out an ancient laptop and said I had to use their component to create a basic helicopter simulation. <S> Their component wouldn't run on that system, and no one there knew how to fix it. <S> I eventually figured out that the graphics card wasn't compatible with their component, and even went so far as to build a mock object that simulated a helicopter's performance (thrust / force vectors, cyclic/collective input, ground effect, etc.) <S> to do their exercise against. <S> They didn't even respond. <S> So, in my experience, companies that have you do "exercises" before the initial interview or early in the process are not good companies to be working for. <S> Your mileage may vary. <A> Great answers already, but I'll add an edge case I've seen more than once. <S> Over here unscrupulous employers are not above getting free work out of people this way, with no intention of giving them full time work. <S> They just want a small project done. <S> So more than once <S> I've seen people do a couple of weeks work thinking they were getting a job, get thrown $50 (about equivalent to $20 USD) and shown the door. <S> In some places there is nothing the person can do about it. <S> Some of the employers are notorious for it in some circles and think it's a laugh a minute. <A> "The game is to be sold, not told." <S> This has happened to me. <S> I've gone to interviews, solved a production problem IN the interview, and never heard from the "employer" again. <S> Use your good judgment.
| It is actually reasonable to have the interviewer back down on these types of requests, because sometimes companies are actually looking for work to be done for free!
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Using your own laptop at work - how do you stay focused and no get distracted by personal things I start a new job soon at a pre-revinue startup. Computer programming. I need to work on my own laptop when I'm there. I fear that when I'm at work, I will be distracted by all my personal accounts; the tabs I had open at night, files sitting on my desktop,... I don't know! So, I was thinking that I could duel boot my computer with Linux (which would be beneficial as Linux is great for installing packages), but this would decrease my system performance and I'd have to turn it off and on again if I realized I needed something on the windows side. Is there another solution? Am I just too paranoid? <Q> What I'd suggest is just creating a second user account on the computer for work. <S> That way all your personal accounts and tabs are under a different login and not as easily accessible. <S> Of course you still can , but at least it's not just... there. <S> In any environment, it takes self discipline and focus to concentrate on the task at hand. <S> As an employee being paid to do work, it's your responsibility to ensure that you do that. <S> No amount of shuffling around accounts or dual booting can take away from the underlying issue that you need to manage your time appropriately and keep focused on what you're being paid to do. <S> But by making a separate account, it at least takes away the immediate accessibility of your normal stuff and perhaps can help to keep you focused on what you should be doing. <A> Updates can damage the ability to boot in the desired O/S and will certainly inflict pain depending on which you really need for your job! <S> As a 'dual-booter' myself, I've found that if the hardware will support it (RAM, CPU, disk space, etc.) <S> it makes it WAY easier to run the VM. <S> Basically "all of the good, none of the bad". <S> This works exceedingly well if you use VPN or need to run more than one VPN at a time - and have the resources to be able to do so. <S> Oh... <S> and if your questions was about staying focused, I have used several different apps as timers, etc. <S> Search for apps that help those who work from home. <S> Each one has different selling points <S> so I made a personal list of what I was having trouble with and selected an app based on that. <S> Then it becomes a matter of self-discipline. <S> First take away the opportunity to fail , then add the positive influences that help you shine. <A> I set up a different ("Limited User ...") <S> account on my machine for every Client that I have. <S> Within each account, I set up the personal environment that is needed to service the needs of each ... including, as with Evil's suggestion, any virtual-machine environments. <S> (When a client goes dormant or is terminated, the associated account is Dispatched To The Archives, and deleted.) <S> So, the bottom line: "when I am "At Work™, On The Clock,™ for each Client," there is nobody else. <S> During the workday, I will not once logon to <S> any of those "personal" (i.e. 'non- revenue(!) ') accounts. <S> "When the clock strikes six," the billable work-day is done, and so my time is again officially my own. <S> Hence, I shall not give "any of those 'work accounts'" any attention ... "'til the 'morrow.'" <S> And so it goes. <S> Each day, my self(!)- discipline respects both the boundaries of the work-day and the weekend. <S> "'My' time is My Own, and 'Billable' time is My Client's. <S> " <S> I am equally careful to remain Faithful to both. <S> ... as I have done for more than three profitable decades, now.
| It's important to set yourself goals and milestones during to achieve, and that can stop you getting distracted, especially if you keep them fairly tight. Depending on how robust your laptop is (or you can make it), the best solution I've found for myself is to run a Virtual Machine on the preferred O/S. Running Linux with a Windows VM makes usage far more efficient than dual booting and has far fewer potentially damaging side effects. Make sure that all your work related stuff is done using that login.
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