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Is unpaid overtime commonplace for developers? Without disclosing too much detail, a project that myself (the only junior on the project) and the team that I work in had to finish a 7 month project in 3 months. This meant the whole team had to work some crazy hours to get it done on time. So my question is, is it commonplace to not get paid for doing such hours? (Edit - Working in the UK) <Q> Yes, which is one reason why so many of us are contractors/consultants. <S> If they are a bad company and don't compensate you, update your resume and prepare to move on. <S> A family member of mine was working so much uncompensated overtime at one position, he realized that his hourly rate was actually less than minimum wage. <S> He moved on quickly. <S> Strange as this sounds, that can actually happen If you are at or near entry level. <S> Yes, it's common. <S> Now, you're faced with several questions: <S> Is this an occasional problem, or frequent? <S> Does the company reward the "All hands on deck until we get this finished" times? <S> Does the company compensate you in other ways (better benefits, a "hands off" attitude during slow times, comp time, et cetera)? <S> Does throwing in and working late fast-track you for raises/promotions? <S> If you don't like the answers to those questions, then it's time to move on. <A> tldr; Polish up your CV and get it out there. <S> In the UK, employers do not have to pay overtime, but the average pay for the hours worked must not fall below minimum wage. <S> In any case, you are not allowed to work more than 48hours per week unless you have agreed in writing. <S> The 48hours a week is calculated as an average over the previous 17 weeks. <S> Reference: https://www.gov.uk/maximum-weekly-working-hours <S> Do the math. <S> If they aren't paying you overtime, you'd probably be making more money per hour flipping burgers. <S> And you can be sure that the company salespeople negotiated a fat bonus for the company for shipping the product in three months rather than seven. <A> Historically, this was common practice. <S> In the decade or so of the Agile movement, we've seen improvements. <S> The basis of current good practice is that a team should maintain a sustainable pace . <S> Usually this means about 40 hours per week, and anything above that should be the exception rather than the rule. <S> These days, any good employer will be aware of the research that backs this thinking, and will therefore know that they will not profit by it. <S> There are plenty of examples of workplaces where this has been turned around (it's win-win), but I daren't suggest that this is likely to happen where you are. <A> My advice is to double check your contract and abide by it. <S> No doubt <S> it says something like "40 hours per week plus reasonable overtime", so do that. <S> Reasonable overtime in the UK seems to be about 8 hours per week (thanks @Pete), although personally, overtime is only reasonable if it's very infrequent and required to hit an important deadline. <S> If you're no longer happy with the terms of your contract, look for a new job. <S> Bottom line is that doing 7 months worth of work in 3 months is NOT reasonable overtime.
| You only HAVE to work overtime if compulsory overtime is stated in your contract. If you're with a good company, they will compensate you with either comp time, or an IDGAF attitude towards what you are doing during slow times. Yes, it does seem to be a common practice (by culture, not enforced by management).
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How to deal with team member leaving too early and not finishing work I have noticed that a colleague in my team is consistently leaving way before the 8 hours of the day. I am not sure how come this has not been noticed by our team manager. Personally this is starting to affect me as I need to step in and finish tasks not done on time by the colleague. I have actually stayed some extra hours on occasions due to that. I am not sure what is the best way to handle this. Talking to the manager without taking to the colleague first seems to me very strict. Also I don't know if the manager would think that in a way I think he is to blame for not being aware what's going on. Talking to the colleague directly seems a difficult conversation as I am not sure what reaction I would get or if I would get emotional in the end and be aggressive (not intentionally but don't know how the discussion would evolve). Not finish tasks and let projects fail so what's happening is clear. I haven't done this because I think it is best to focus on what needs to be done and address other issues later. What is the best approach? <Q> Raise the issue with your manager. <S> Focus on how it affects you, not the other employee. <S> There may be a medical, legal, personal or some other situation the manager cannot discuss with you. <S> The discussion should focus on solutions around your workload, even if you have to pull it back in that direction. <S> For your concerns, this is really only about workload--if she were leaving early <S> and you didn't have too much work to do, there would be little cause to grumble. <S> You'd probably both leave early. <S> If the solution is for her to stay, that's for the manager to decide in light of things you may not know. <S> If the solution is to get someone else, again, that's the manager's call. <A> The first approach would be my suggestion as there may be the chance that this has already been noticed and resolved <S> but it wasn't something to tell everyone else on the team. <S> The other colleague may be working at night to make up the time, using paid time off that has to be used up, or other arrangements that could happen in some positions. <S> These are possible as it isn't like you know every word of what has been discussed between the colleague and the team lead here. <S> Choosing to not finish tasks, which is where you'd be mimicking not putting in full days, would be a passive aggressive move that may cause more issues in the end I'd suspect. <A> My first instinct is: Raise this with your manager ASAP. <S> The person may need to leave early for reasons unbeknownst to you, but that's up to management to handle. <S> Mention that tasks are being left up in the air and that the unfinished tasks are your concern, it makes you seem concerned rather than petty. <S> From the tone of your post I am making the assumption that this is a sincere concern. <S> So, to address your points directly. <S> It's not "ratting out" a coworker if you approach this with tact. <S> "Gee boss, I really even hate to mention this, but Richard's leaving early is making me rush around to the point <S> I'm afraid I'll start making some mistakes". <S> Sounds a good deal better than "HEY!!!! <S> Richard's leaving early all the time <S> and it's not FAAAIIIR!!!! <S> If you take this approach, again, put it in the context of the job and not interpersonal difficulties. <S> If you bring it up to the coworker directly, again, tact reigns supreme. <S> "Richard, I know you've been leaving early, my concern is not so much with that <S> but the fact that you're leaving tasks unfinished. <S> That's affecting me because I am stepping in and finishing them. <S> Please, before you go make sure your tasks are done. <S> It's gotten to the point where it's affecting me. <S> Please finish your tasks, I may get busy to the point where I cannot finish yours and mine". <S> Or something of that nature. <S> If you cannot approach it this way, #1 is the way to go <S> Letting projects fail will hurt the company, and if it comes back that you knew about it and did and said nothing, it could come back to bite you hard to the point where your career at that company is jeopardized. <S> Do not take this option unless ordered to do so by management. <A> I would absolutely agree that you should raise this issue ... <S> and that you should raise it only with your manager. <S> You should not discuss it directly with the employee. <S> You have reason to discuss the matter with your manager only because "in your opinion, there's something that's negatively impacting your ability to timely perform the tasks that s <S> /he has assigned for you to do." <S> Absent any indications to the contrary, <S> s/ <S> he naturally expects you to more-or-less accomplish the things that you've been assigned, and s <S> /he expects you to be pro-active with regard to any "surprises." <S> However: be absolutely certain(!) <S> that your approach is "strictly business. <S> " <S> This matter does not concern "that (other) person. <S> " It only concerns you. <S> Your assigned tasks, and your (percived) difficulty in completing them. <S> Anything(!) <S> beyond those very-strict boundaries "is not your concern, nor within the realm of your authority." <S> Instead: "that's why your manager gets paid the big bucks." <S> (koff, koff ...) <S> Furthermore: be very careful to respectfully <S> receive your manager's response, no matter what that response may be and whether-or-not you personally expected it and/or agree with it. <S> (Please think ahead: "someday, that shoe will be on the OTHER foot." <S> You will be "on the other side of that desk," as I have been, and then you will fully sympathize with what I mean. <S> This is "a TWO-way street," and your manager is a part of it too, albeit with a very-different [by design] point of view.)
| Bringing it up to your manager if done in the context of having concerns for the work getting done and the difficulties it is causing for you is a mature approach. I would also consider discussing your staying extra hours to get things done as there may be a problem of unreasonable expectations here too.
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Should I introduce myself to founder of a small startup after I'm hired but not have joined? I've recently accepted an internship offer from a <10 people startup. My point of contact in the company is CTO and he did everything from the interview, to offering the job. The problem is since the company is in different city, I've not yet visited the office or met any of the future co-worker. So I am wondering if I should reach the founder and introduce myself or it will be okay if I do after I join. It's my first real world experience so I don't have any clue what to do in such situations. If I choose to introduce myself, I don't know what to say either. "Hey I am x and I am hired there and I will be joining next month". He already knows that :/. <Q> You can and should introduce yourself after arriving in person. <S> At a company that small you likely will meet all the employees of the company. <S> The main reason to not email the CEO is that most CEOs of startups are pretty busy and you have nothing to say, most likely. <S> If you do feel the need to email (which I would not recommend), an email clearly not requiring work is ideal - something like, "Hi, just wanted to touch base - I'm excited to work for XX and look forward to meeting you! <S> " is far better than something which will take a lot of the CEO's time. <A> Indeed... upon arrival, you can fully expect that "the person who hired you" will make it a point to greet you! <S> Then, it is entirely probable that s/he will quickly introduce you to the remaining "9" people and that all of them will courteously strive to make you feel at home. <S> (Quite likely, they'll take you out to lunch.) <S> Congratulations! <A> I think it would be very reasonable to reach out with a quick introduction <S> / thank you / display of eagerness. <S> However only you can answer the question of "What do I want to get out of this communication?" <S> If you have next to nothing to say ("Hi. <S> I'm new. <S> Sincerely, Franklin") or too much to say <S> ("Hi. <S> I'm new. <S> I think you're awesome. <S> Here's 10 paragraphs of stuff that makes no sense for an intern to send to the CEO"), don't send the email. <A> Introducing yourself before actually getting there in person would most likely result in an awkward conversation. <S> Keep in mind that this is a a <10 people startup, so once you get there, you should be able to meet everyone very fast. <S> The CTO should have also notified the workers that "a new guy" is arriving. <A> I would not suggest otherwise approaching him or her personally before arriving on their doorstep. <S> By the way, if you are the paranoid sort, there is always a small chance that the CEO is unaware that you were hired, did not approve it, and she or he will cancel your appointment. <S> Less likely when your presence is a fait accompli . <S> Sounds silly, but I've seen this (and rather worse) in startups.
| This being <'current year'>, I would suggest sending a Linkedin invitation to your new CEO, and mentioning in the invitation that you are looking forward to meeting them. It is normal to meet the team you will work with when starting a job (whether an internship or fulltime).
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How to start a discussion in a startup in order to start using a more useful workflow tool My boss, for the entire company's workflow, uses Google Sheets as a sort of feature-tracker/TODO-list. The company employs 7 people, aside from the CEO (my boss), who all work remotely. There are 2 software developers (myself included), 2 linguists, 2 marketing personnel and the CEO's son. I did once suggest to my boss that we at least move to a tool like Trello that functions similarly, but with much more flexibility. This was when he said that Trello would be a new tool that everyone has to learn, and he doesn't want to do that as everyone is already used to the "Google Sheet flow", and that it would be difficult for everyone to migrate. The problem is that if things are pushed into the backlog, as in "not important enough for this next release/campaign", they are often forgotten about. We will continue to add things to fix/add at the top of the list, and things that were low priority before become essentially non-existent. It's also hard to tell why we backlogged something because of the limited flexibility of Google Sheets, and having progress tracking is out the window. Here's an example from my Sheet (feature tracker) for a high-priority Android app fix that got mixed in with other work: This sheet is now about 75 lines long for the next version release of the app, with some duplicated information and no visual organization except "what's on top is most important". I've been testing out some free workflow/task management tools for the past few hours ( on my own time ) and I am convinced that it would be beneficial for all the employees of the company to use such tools. What benefits about employees and management can I use to convince him that it's actually a good idea? I've come up with the following: Transparency - all employees that could/should see what the others are doing, can e.g. the marketing team would know how close developers are to finishing the next release, so they can start making the appropriate materials/announcements Organization - tasks can have custom priorities, making them easier to organize this is better than the 'top-down' approach that we currently use Due dates pretty important - due dates can be assigned and on the calendar instead of hidden in a bunch of comments in a spreadsheet cell Labels and subtasks get even more specific with labeling a task or dividing it into specific subtasks with completion steps Automatic update tracking when an task/subtask's progress is updated, it already has user and timestamps, so much less noise overall (we are currently marking who commented and when) There are probably more benefits... How can I start a discussion within the company to migrate to a better workflow management tool? <Q> Business case, business case, business case. <S> The best way to frame nearly any change to management is some combination of: What we are doing now is costing us money. <S> The new way of doing things would save/make money. <S> In this case, the biggest thing I would highlight is important work getting lost in your current system. <S> If this is happening it is causing some combination of: Releases getting delayed. <S> A lower quality product being released. <S> Your team working at less than optimal efficiency. <S> All of this has a direct impact on the company's bottom line. <S> That is the case I would try to make. <S> A few other points: <S> Focus on the positive benefit to the extent possible. <S> If your boss is invested in Google Sheets (and perhaps created the current system), "this new tool would be beneficial" is better than "our current system is bad". <S> I know this somewhat contradicts what I said above. <S> If there are current problems they do need to be highlighted. <S> But still, make the case as positive as possible. <S> Always aim for incremental change. <S> A completely new way of managing the team's work is a high-risk change. <S> There is a reason management would be reluctant to do that. <S> Try to get permission to use a new tool in a much more limited context instead, for a small project or part of one project. <S> Or you could even use it just for yourself to manage your own tasks, if you are having trouble keep track of them. <A> Realistically you have already asked and been turned down. <S> You should take this to heart, pushing it can make you look like the one who has trouble working without tools holding your hand for you however legitimate your concerns may be. <S> But if you must push the matter, then the best way to do it would be to convince the rest of the team, because one person complaining isn't the same as a whole team of people pushing for more efficient tools. <S> Advice to put together the pro's and cons and business advantages etc,. <S> are great if you have a boss who likes going through that sort of stuff, but in small businesses and busy bosses that's not always the case. <S> If it was me, I'd just be wondering why you have so much time on your hands to be making presentations, and whether it's work time or your own time you're doing it on. <S> And then I'd start scrutinising your work a lot closer to see if you're worth your pay. <S> If the new set IS introduced, you can pretty much guarantee other staff will complain out of sheer inertia. <S> So even if they're better tools, it's still a tradeoff for the boss in terms of morale etc,. <A> Developers often underestimate the difficulties non-technical people will have with new tools. <S> Good developers also embrace tooling changes and workflow changes that make life easier, so they tend to get pretty good at switching. <S> This isn't true for everyone else, because their job doesn't center around that type of information flow. <S> I've been in organizations where this exact tooling change fails, and we wind up emailing spreadsheets in Excel, which is even worse. <S> Truth is, the distraction across the business probably isn't worth it at this point. <S> I'd focus less on the tool mismatch and more on the workflow. <S> Are things prioritized by any sprint planning? <S> If so, you can use that time to migrate the data to trello or something even more dev specific like pivotal tracker. <S> If not, you can informally start introducing the structure step-by-step. <S> You can then update the spreadsheet at the end of the sprint, or during morning stand-up meetings. <S> That will help you get the tooling internal to dev, with all the benefits of increased visibility, etc. <S> That's not simply a tooling issue.
| Once you can show how it works and the benefit, you will have a much easier case to make. A lot of places give their workers a set of tools, the worker is expected to produce within the limitations of the tools, asking for a different set isn't always a great idea particularly when it means everyone else needs to use the new set.
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How do I word my resignation? My current supervisor happens to be the owner of the company and, although this person's position and education are nowhere near what we do as a department, this person is still considered our supervisor. I decided to switch jobs because I don't like how things are done here. There's no protocol; there's no true organization within the department; we have no say nor final word in any matter, although we were hired to make some sort of decisions along the way. Everything must be passed to my supervisor before even considering any changes, no matter how unimportant the topic is (compared to other big decisions or changes) [This person lacks the field knowledge to be making these types of decisions, so we end up with a lot of decisions made up from personal opinions, rather than from a professional perspective]. There's micromanaging and then there's this supervisor's micromanaging. The entire department is annoyed by this, but no one says anything, because the supervisor can't take any type of criticism or comments or suggestions, and gets easily offended (basically everyone is scared of the boss/owner). There's also the issue that this supervisor needs to know every single detail of our lives (not as gossip but as a way to keep track of us) and questions our decisions of our personal lives, which I dislike a lot. I've always seen this person as a very good entrepreneur and business person. But the lack of knowledge from the supervisor's part about the things we do in the department cloud my impressions of this person as a team leader. I have a lot of respect for this person but the way things are handled in this particular company are not matching my expectations and make me feel uncomfortable. The reasons above are pretty rough things to say, not to mention sensitive topics, but these are the reasons I want to leave. My question is, How do I express or bring up these issues without offending this person and without things getting heated up? <Q> You don't. <S> For a resignation letter, try something like. <S> Boss,I am resigning effective (some date in the near future, usually 2 weeks)Best wishes,Just Do It Leave out the politics, leave out the feedback, leave out the emotion. <S> Don't burn bridges . <S> You don't know what the future will bring - five years from now <S> you might need a favor from this person. <A> How do I express/bring up these issues without offending this person or without things getting heated up? <S> You don't. <S> You certainly don't write it down in an official document like your letter of resignation. <S> If your boss decides to have an exit interview with you and inquires as to why you're leaving, I would still avoid going negative. <S> You're highly likely to offend and burn bridges. <S> You should always do your best to leave every position/co-worker/former boss on good terms. <S> It's a small world. <S> Instead, I would keep it to generics. <S> I don't feel like the company is the right fit for me. <S> when pressed <S> I was presented with another opportunity that I felt was best for myself and my career. <S> (you do have something else lined up, right?) <A> Being honest does not benefit anyone here As you were already told by two others: <S> Do not write anything more into resignation than required Aim on factual resignation letter. <S> My last day of work will be dd.mm.yyy (last day of leaving period) <S> Signed in This town (Date, signature and name in written) <S> When pressed to provide more info, provide white lies <S> Examples: <S> I was presented with offer from random headhunter I cannot turn down. <S> It is for (local famous company) earning (double your current salary) <S> Why double? <S> Because you do not want to be in situation where your current boss offers you higher amount of money if you stay, do you? <S> I am moving out of town <S> Leaving interviews do not benefit anyone <S> so do not expect that even carefully worded resignation reasons which are true will provide any change to the better. <S> And even if it would, it does not help you , does it?
| For instance under Czech work law it is required to say Boss, I hereby resign for my job as XXX
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How to deal with colleague looking at work notebook? I once caught a colleague looking at my work notebook containing meeting minutes, team objectives, lists of actions etc. My approach at the time was to jokingly tell my colleague to stop being so nosy and get back to work. My question is should I have taken a different course of action when I caught my colleague looking through my notebook? Further info: I don't have a lockable drawer or cupboard to store the notebook There was nothing commercially or personally sensitive in the notebook We are peers in the same reporting structure The business is medium sized, UK based This colleague is notoriously, obsessively nosy as well as a gossip, but the behaviour is seen as a mere annoyance This is a paper notebook, although I appreciate the answers that expand on what to do if it were an electronic notebook <Q> If it happens again then perhaps something more is called for, but what you did is fine. <A> First, I would advise against leaving any documents in reach of anyone unauthorized. <S> Either get a briefcase or locking journal if you are going to port around a notebook. <S> If you never have your documents accessible, nobody will access them Second, make it clear to your coworker that his actions were unacceptable. <S> If you think it merits a trip to HR, inform them, if not, note the time and details of the incident, and if it happens again, report the pattern of behavior to HR. <A> I don't know if you should have acted differently on this first act (supposing it was the first time). <S> Taking into account you were not sure about how bad this was, I think you couldn't have made anything better at the time. <S> Acting without being sure isn't a good thing, after all! <S> But it was indeed something bad, as your colleague could edit your texts to make you culprit of something. <S> As direct as badmouthing your boss' mother, to as complex as making you the culprit of some money fraud. <S> Yes. <S> What I will say now isn't necessarily what happened, but it's a possibility you should consider: Gossips can be (aren't always) a way to gain influence on the business, making the gossiper an ally of the boss, "denouncing" "lazy" or "unethical" workers (enemies of the gossiper). <S> If this succeeds, the boss sees everything distorted due to disinformation, and the parasite gains power. <S> Why did he want to look your documents? <S> Is he collecting information about other people he want to attack later? <S> If you do not have the authorization to allow more people to see the documents, whoever who sees is breaching the orientation of your boss. <S> He may know better how bad was this event, as he may know something not written that the gossiper can deduce and use. <S> After all, the bosses have all information about everything, and only reveal what they want to - would they reveal " <S> employee Y is stupid and I will fire it as soon as I can"?. <S> Obviously your colleague will try to say you allowed by leaving the documents there, but he would be using you as a shield against it's own misconduct, and if you take any measure to make it clear <S> you don't like this <S> , you have your defense made. <S> To finish, don't your notebook has some kind of password to access? <S> It should have. <S> It's the first measure to prevent access. <S> After this comes physical restriction, as your colleague could disassemble the notebook to access the data without needing passwords. <S> Create one if you're allowed to, or talk to your boss about the possibility of it, if you were never allowed to do this before. <A> Are you talking about a notebook like a paper notepad which you write in or a notebook computer? <S> If the former, it may have just been idle curiosity. <S> You probably dealt with it in good enough fashion, but putting it in a drawer even if it isn't locked sends the clear signal that it's off limits and not likely to be tempting to idle curiosity. <S> (If he starts going through your drawers that's a bit more serious)
| So, you should check what happened to your files, ask your colleague what he was doing, and request that he does not repeat this kind of action. You already dealt with it in the best fashion, direct and to the point. If it's a computer you mean, then just put a password on it as Anonymous said.
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Is it inappropriate to ask for a week off from a summer internship to volunteer? I'll be starting college next year and am planning to do an internship over the summer. Every year I volunteer at a week-long summer camp for children who have or have had cancer. Would it be inappropriate to ask for that week off during a summer internship? Is it unlikely for a summer intern to be given a week off? <Q> How inappropriate is it to ask for a week off from a summer internship <S> It's perfectly appropriate to ask, as long as you don't screw up how you word it. <S> " I'll need to take week X off " obviously won't fly and would be very inappropriate. <S> But it's fine to ask something like: <S> For the past X years I've volunteered at a week-long summer camp for children dealing with cancer 1 . <S> Of course I understand if taking that time off during my internship doesn't work with [your timeline / the project / your plans for this internship] <S> but I still wanted to check if we could make this work, provided that it's not a hardship for you. <S> Then stop talking and check what reaction you get. <S> Emphasize that you don't mind giving this up as I think your mindset going into this should be that you're willing to sacrifice volunteering for getting a good internship. <S> Because of that I also wouldn't recommend bringing this up before you get an offer. <S> The exception is if you bring up your volunteer work during an interview, which you probably should. <S> In that case you can bring this question up earlier, though not in the first interview unless the interviewer asks. <S> The hiring manager's reaction will tell you whether it will be fine for you to take that time off. <S> Keep an eye out for managers where taking a week off would really be a deal breaker but who are struggling to say no because it's a cancer camp. <S> so you don't have to back out at the last minute and inconvenience people at the camp. <S> 1 <S> - If the camp or organisation is well known you can namedrop them instead. <S> Some people are uncomfortable with mentioning that it's a "cancer camp" and you want to avoid making it look like they can't say no because of the context. . <A> Yes, you should ask. <S> The main question is: <S> when? <S> Asking for a special accommodation before you get hired can, in theory hurt your chances. <S> They might think you aren't fully committed to the position, or will expect special treatment. <S> Asking after you have an offer doesn't carry the same risk. <S> However, that really depends on what you are asking for. <S> Personally, though, I find it exceedingly unlikely that the question "Can I take a week off to help kids with cancer?" is going to hurt you. <S> Personally, I would say: If taking the week off is non-negotiable, ask about it at interview. <S> Otherwise, wait until you get the position and then see if it is possible. <A> My children and other relatives have over the past few years had a variety of internships. <S> Some have been willing to let their interns take a week off (they had PTO hours), others were neutral, and some were upfront about not allowing any vacation. <S> The one that expected interns to be there every workday said so in the position description that was visible before they could even apply. <S> The company even mentioned it during the interview. <S> One type of internship that did limit the ability to miss days was one where the intern needed to complete X hours in order to receive the college credit. <S> They has no problem with small schedule adjustments, but there was no point in missing enough days to fail to meet the program requirements. <S> The position was unpaid, and you just paid money to the university to fail a class. <S> If it is a deal breaker: if they say no you will not want the internship; then ask during the interview. <S> If it isn't a deal breaker: bring it up after you accept, but before you start, In either scenario don't bring it up in a rude manor, but bring it up in a positive light. <S> You want them to know you are helping others, not wanting a week off for beach week. <S> It is best to at some point get it in writing (via email) so that they don't forget.
| It is fine to ask. Once you've accepted the offer, make sure that you got your would-be manager's approval for that time off
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Asked to sit near sick people--should I disclose my pregnancy? I have recently become pregnant for the first time, and I want to make sure that I avoid any circumstances that might affect my pregnancy, as I am still only 10 weeks in. My boss has asked me to move into an office with two other coworkers who are currently suffering from illnesses (flu/cold). They are not at the height of their sickness anymore, though they are still recovering: they have coughing fits every 20 minutes or so and are blowing their noses fairly often. My immune system is not great at the best of times, and due to my current condition, I want to try to avoid getting sick at all costs. My boss wants me to move purely so that the other workers and I don't have to walk around the office just to ask each other questions (though we are only 3 rooms apart anyway). He has asked me to move multiple times, but I have refused, saying that I can't afford to get sick right now. I have not explained why, as I am still in the preliminary stages of the pregnancy and don't feel that it is an obligation to tell a work colleague (even if they are my boss) at this time . After 12 weeks, I will be letting them know. Should I have to explain my situation to him, or should I be able to deny his request simply because it is putting me in danger of potentially catching the same illness the other workers are currently suffering from (regardless of my current condition)? <Q> Are you under an obligation to tell your boss? <S> No. <S> But by the same token, your boss is under no obligation to accommodate your request without any knowledge of your reasoning. <S> From your boss's perspective, he's asking you to move apparently to make it easier to collaborate with the two other employees on a long-running project. <S> A cold lasts a few days, maybe a week. <S> Your colleagues are apparently more than halfway through the course of their illness, they apparently are well enough to come to work. <S> So it seems perfectly reasonable for your boss to have you move. <S> If you had moved before your colleagues got sick, presumably you wouldn't demand that your boss move you away from anyone that has been sick recently (and that probably wouldn't help since most illness are most communicable before the person feels bad). <S> If you want your boss to accommodate you because of your pregnancy-- either based on a legal requirement in your local jurisdiction or because you think your boss is a reasonable person that wants to work with you-- you pretty much have to disclose the pregnancy. <S> If you're really concerned about sitting next to people that have been sick, presumably you'll be asking to be moved many times over the course of a 40 week pregnancy-- <S> the people you're currently sitting next to are likely to get sick at some point. <S> Given that you're planning on letting him know about the pregnancy in two weeks anyway, you may as well tell him a little early and see what you can work out. <S> If you really, really wanted to hold off disclosing the pregnancy to your boss while still trying to get some sort of accommodation, you could potentially get a doctor's note that says that you shouldn't sit near anyone that is recovering from illness due to an unspecified medical issue. <S> That seems like a whole lot of work for a mere two week delay and would likely appear rather aggressive to your boss but it might work. <A> If you want to persuade your manager you'll need to tell him something, but you don't need to tell him details <S> you're not ready to share. <S> The phrase "medical issues" is very helpful here: <S> Hey boss, could we delay that move for a week or so? <S> I currently have some medical issues that are affecting my immune system <S> and I'm concerned about that flu. <S> Can we let it run its course first? <S> You just need to get through a couple more weeks until you can tell him the full reason, so saying "currently" signals that you're not going to be back in his office in a month because somebody else came down with a cold. <S> By the time that happens, you two will be able to talk openly about your situation. <A> Tell him, you haven't disclosed the pregnancy because you were not far enough along and you wanted to make sure the pregnancy was going to be maintained but the getting this illness could put you at risk for a miscarriage in this early stage (if that is a genuine risk, having not been pregnant, i don't know) or you could just get really sick and not be able to work at all for more than a week because you won't be able to mitigate the symptoms with drugs, so you would like to delay moving until the other workers are fully healthy. <S> Ask him to keep the information private at this point and not tell the other employees as you are not far enough along yet for a general announcement. <S> If you feel your health or your baby's health is at risk in the move, this is that point. <S> I understand why you don't want a general announcement until week 12, but your boss needs to know. <S> Any reasonable boss would back off at this point and even unreasonable bosses wouldn't want to be sued if something happened.
| Personally I would tell my boss in confidence what the issue is and why you want to delay the move. It's not like you are ever going to be able to hide pregnancy, so you are going to have to bring it up at some point.
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Value of Non-Transferable but relevant professional certifications I work in the IT Security profession as an IT auditor. My boss a couple of months ago recently suggested I enroll in the PCI Internal Security Assessor (ISA) program to become certified to conduct the annual PCI compliance certification. My employer like many places processes business online via payment cards. (Visa, MasterCards...etc) We are currently PCI level 3. As per the PCI Council, this certification does not transfer to a new employer. One must also be sponsored by their employer to qualify as a PCI ISA. This certification is extremely relevant to what I do as a professional, assessing risk, but I am skeptical of putting it on my resume once earned, because I cant't use it without being re-sponsored by my new employer once leaving my old employer. My Questions How much value do certifications such this one add? How can one best present non - transferable certifications if worthwhile on one's resume without misleading? <Q> Presumably you'd be moving to a company that understands PCI regulations, so they may already know that the certification cannot be transferred. <S> So I'd definitely put it on the resume. <A> In several professions and industries, employment is often sought or discussed while a person remains in the process of obtaining a qualification or certification, which is required by the law or company policy in order to actually hold the position. <S> Such qualifications are often marked by Diploma in Necessary Thing (pending) or a note to indicate they expect to be bestowed between the time of application and the time of appointments assumed. <S> Similarly, qualification and certification which does not transfer or which expires upon the end of a given employment, may be marked by Important Knowledge Certificate (non-transferable) or Approval to Inspect Major Technical Stuff (expiring) <S> People familiar with these items will, as suggested, know what this implies for you as a holder of the certification, and for them as potential new employers wishing to make use of your skill/experience. <S> People who aren't familiar will see clearly that this qualification cannot be relied upon for them, without additional research. <A> How much value do certifications such this one add? <S> It depends on the employer. <S> Clearly those who sponsor such certifications value them. <S> But obviously not all do. <S> But that doesn't mean just listing it on a resume is a problem. <S> I am skeptical of putting it on my resume once earned, because I cant't use it without being re-sponsored by my new employer once leaving my old employer. <S> Put it on your resume <S> - I don't see how it could hurt. <S> It could even be a point of discussion during your interview. <S> If an interviewer asks about this certification, you could talk about it's value, indicate that it must be sponsored and find out if the new employer would be willing to do so. <S> At best, you'll be sponsored. <S> At worst, you'll learn something about your new employer and have a discussion about what is important there, and what is not. <S> That's always a good thing. <S> Overall, listing a certification that you currently hold isn't misleading. <S> Many certifications need to be renewed or they lapse.
| But having it already does prove that you have the level of knowledge required to pass their examination. If you apply to a new company who won't sponsor a certification - that's a good sign that they don't see much value.
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Should I share my hobby-projects on LinkedIn? Slightly related to another question , yet I have to ask separately. I have a quite special personal project I'm working on for more than a year - it's related to creative activities: writing, art (including video games) and so on. It's kind of like a product of my talents and skills and thus, I consider it at least partially worthy to communicate as a project for professionals. That I'd really like to work in professional environments by exploiting the talent I've also exploited in this project (both technical and artistic) led me to this assumption. On the other hand, the project itself, both in context and in structure, lacks the clean and professional aesthetics and it's definitely visible that it's a personal hobby-project for entertaining others - with varying degree of success. Because of this reason, I'm unsure if I should share it on LinkedIn. My experience is that the résume is what keeps more strictly professional, and LinkedIn is what can be slightly loose, hence I decided to add my hobby-projects there - so this question can actually be extendable to any other personal projects, as usually they can ben qualified the same way. (=made by exploiting own talents, yet usually lacking professionalism) How do I determine the best way to handle this topic? <Q> LinkedIn is a professional network. <S> Would you like your business colleagues to know what you do in your spare time? <S> Would it make them more likely to want to do business with you? <S> e.g, if you're a web developer, and your hobby is contributing to open source projects, then go for it. <S> If your hobby is 18th Century Needlepoint <S> **, then perhaps it isn't professionally relevant. <S> ** Other hobbies are available <A> Don't ask yourself if this hobby provides yourself value in general. <S> EDIT after comment : if you're looking for a broad array of jobs, but <S> your hobby still leaves a positive impression for the whole category of jobs, then go for it. <A> What is the right thing to do about this topic? <S> Your resume/LinkedIn is an advertisement for you. <S> It represents your personal brand and is how people will view/evaluate your abilities. <S> When determining if you should add something to them, you basically need to consider: <S> Will this information add positively to the image I am trying to convey? <S> Keep in mind you will also start showing up in key-word search results for whatever is on your LinkedIn. <S> The answer to this question will always depend on: <S> The individual person reading your resume/LinkedIn <S> How it's presented <S> The industry norms and relevancy <S> There really isn't a way to universally answer here. <S> Some pieces, such as previous employment, are more universal. <S> Hobbies do not fit that category. <S> Ultimately what you need to do use your judgement about whether it would be beneficial, given your target audience and industry. <S> You may have good luck involving a mentor figure or experienced person in your chosen industry and asking them their thoughts. <S> Someone in this position has likely reviewed hundreds of LinkedIn profiles or resumes and could provide more specific advice.
| Ask yourself is your hobby provides added value for the specific job you're aiming for .
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Is it customary to give a thank you letter when I end an internship? Next week I finish my summer internship. Am I supposed to give a thank-you note to my manager when I leave? <Q> I would send one. <S> It will leave things on a very positive note and since most people don't send thank you notes anymore, it will make you stand out. <S> It's never a bad idea to network <S> and you never know when you'll encounter this person in the future, either for a reference or for a job. <S> I wouldn't say you are "supposed to" however. <S> If you don't, there is nothing harmed. <A> I would not bother with a physical letter but an e-mail seems fine but its not going to harm things if you don't. <S> If you did a good job they will remember if you did a bad job you will soon be forgotten. <S> Personally, I would send a team wide e-mail. <S> Saying thanks to everybody. <S> If you had an assigned mentor mention them by name and try and put something specific that you learned about the big bad world. <A> You should definitely do this. <S> Even though its not required, it shows your manager that you were grateful for the position and it can open the door to a returning internship. <A> For short period time I send a thank you email on my last day including everyone I know, have met, worked or didn't work. <S> After those who appreciate you, will come for a small chat or at least reply to your email. <S> For longer periods I will also include a drink offer in the email but that depends if I have met people who would consider coming out and you would enjoy their presence. <A> No. <S> First, you're not required to write a thank you note. <S> Second, there may be better ways to express your appreciation. <S> You are, however, supposed to show your appreciation in some way, if you want to make the best out of the internship. <S> Way back, I made brownies and brought them in, and let the office know a couple hours in advance - by email - that there will be brownies in the lunchroom at 5. <S> I'm not saying that's what you should do. <S> I'm saying there are many ways to express appreciation and you should find/choose one that fits your own style.
| Thank you notes are always a good idea when they won't come across as being a "suck up" which I don't think is the case here.
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What is the purpose of organised coffee breaks at workplace? Other than to drink coffee, is the purpose of coffee breaks to build a sense of belonging and collegiality? In an internet era where one can build networks and work on a project with people across the globe, are coffee breaks still important today? To be specific, I am thinking of an academic setting, where it is the norm to network and collaborate with people outside one's own university or department. <Q> If you're not working when your colleague is, or they're on break when you want to ask a question, someone has to wait for however long the break goes for. <S> That's inefficient and annoying, and breaks the flow of work. <S> If the manager wants to be sure everybody is working the time they should, and getting the breaks they should, it's much easier to see whether someone is over-/underclocking since everybody's break starts and ends together. <S> It's easy enough to find a quiet corner when you don't want to chat during team breaks, but really hard to find a partner for backgammon when you're going alone. <A> Team-building is one reason. <S> The most important thing about coffee breaks is that they get people off their butts and moving around. <S> A desk job is one of the most unhealthy situations a person can endure. <A> If the head of your department wants you to go for coffee regularly, you go. <S> If it's just colleagues, you should try to go on some sort of regular basis. <S> This is where you really find out what is going on in your work world. <S> This helps people put a face to a name and treat you more like a person. <S> Yes you can connect over the Internet, but that should help enrich other relationships or maintain those that are physically distant. <S> It's not a substitute for one on one interaction in person. <S> If you don't feel you do well in person, you can always limit your coffee breaks, but I would recommend using it as an opportunity to improve your inter-personal skills.
| Team breaks mean you're still in a team-based mindset, minimising the interruption to work flow again. Coffee breaks are incredibly important for multiple reasons.
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Asking for Shortening probation period I just joined a office, and it's been a half month, I travel for 1.5 hours to get to work, but now I am thinking of getting a house near my work as it become too difficult for me to commute as I am not allowed drive due to restrictions in my visa. Is is professional to ask the boss to cut the time for probation for the above reason? The reason I am not shifting before asking or before probation period is that I am afraid I might lose job due to any reason during probation <Q> Probation is there for both sides, making sure you are right for the job, and making sure the job is right for you. <S> Now it's perfectly possible for an employer to decide they are happy with what they've seen and cut probation short, and some companies don't do it at all. <S> But you can't really force it, especially 2 weeks into a job. <S> The time is there to allow you to show your skills, and be enough that a misstep on the way has time to be countered by positives. <S> You might find pushing it, that an employer who has mixed feelings (but could turn onto your side) may be forced into saying no I'd bide your time and see how it goes before moving. <A> It's not a good idea, this isn't a good reason for cutting probation, it's not really a reason at all. <S> If you don't move, and have no probation, you'll still have a 1.5 hour commute. <S> It's really up to you to manage that, not the company. <A> Is it professional to ask the boss to cut the time for probation for the above reason? <S> Unfortunately, I'm concerned about what may go through your boss' mind if you ask in this particular case. <S> Your boss might think, "Why doesn't my employee learn how to drive and get a car?" <S> Don't you think it would be wise for you to learn how to drive and buy a car? <S> A driver's license and a car are essential these days...in the USA at least. <S> In my opinion, it looks silly/unprofessional not to have them. <S> I think for your case I would avoid asking the question. <A> As for the people who think driving to work is the solution: The world is bigger than you think. <S> Due to various reasons, among them cost, traffic jams, lack of parking space, or social acceptance (not everyone here is from the US), driving isn't the solution to all problems. <S> That said, asking for a shorter probation period is certainly not unprofessional, if the company already had time to get to know your work ethics and skills (at least a month), and <S> you have a sensible reason for asking for such a favor. <S> Just tell them you really like the work there <S> and you consider moving closer in order to shorten the commute, and ask them if they'd be willing to shorten the probation period, contingent on you moving closer to the office. <S> Ideally you ask that during the next performance review, if one is coming up soon. <S> Denying such a request also isn't unprofessional, so don't get your hopes up. <A> So friend, using this as a basis as to whether you should move, or not, is ultimately meaningless. <S> In the US, an employer does not have to keep you for any specific duration after a probation period . <S> Obviously, you want to stay employed . <S> Are you moving closer to where a lot of work is available, or further away ? <S> You could lose that job you're on, even today or tomorrow. <S> The business could be bankrupt, or bought out with the intention to not replace your position. <S> That said, make your move with "plan b" in mind. <S> All that said <S> A half-month isn't really a lot of time to assess the value of a new employee. <S> You may come off as someone who's pushy, or overconfident. <S> If I were your boss, I'd want to know why you think I should try to override company policy on your behalf, for reasons that benefit the business . <S> If you can't give a super-great answer to such a question, then be very careful of asking for special treatment.
| In general, it's not unprofessional to ask for the probationary period to be shortened for a reasonable predicament. , you could ask your boss but if it's a lot of paperwork your request might be more work than the boss is willing to do. If you are working in the United States -- especially in a venue with at-will employment -- the probation period has absolutely nothing to do with how long you're going to last on a job.
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What are the barriers to a company "testing" an applicant with a paid, trial assignment? I was discussing with a friend the research that most hiring managers are particularly bad at evaluating an applicant. They are swayed by irrelevant factors like "do I like this person? Are they like me?", etc.) I've only hired contractors so it's always easy to just give them a small 1-3 hour (paid) task. My friend pointed out that this is hard for corporations to do. I suspect he's right and that's the motivation for paid Internships (which, ironically, is a much more expensive option). I can see that maybe hiring is handled by HR, but I'm wondering what other obstacles there are. <Q> The question is not is the 1-3 trial task an appropriate way to find a new employee. <S> The question is what barriers are there to most corporations doing this via paying for a 1-3 hour task. <S> The first is money. <S> They know that they have to pay the HR person, they have to pay the hiring manager, and everybody involved with he interviews. <S> Now you are asking for the ability to cut checks for $X to Y people to determine who should get the job. <S> You will have to decide is this done to take everybody who passed the interview, or is it used to determine who will get an interview. <S> You will have to also spend time designing the task, and evaluating the task results. <S> Which has to be paid for. <S> You will need to address internal applicants. <S> If all finalist are being evaluated via the paid task, you will have to pay current employees also. <S> Or only do this for positions not open to current employees. <S> Which brings up other EEO issues. <S> You have to address how the pay will be processed. <S> The applicants are now contractors. <S> You will need social security numbers for everybody who gets paid. <S> There will be tax issues - for both the company and the applicants. <S> Are you going to pay everybody. <S> If I was unemployed and I could find enough people to pay me 3 hours to write a hello world program I might survive. <S> Which brings us to unemployment benefits. <S> To keep them I have to apply, but will the payment end the benefits because now I have worked for money. <S> Many of these are US centric issues, but similar issues might apply to other countries. <A> Corporations need to factor in much more than technical aptitude. <S> You can't tell that from a short 1-3 hour task. <S> The most irascible, dysfunctional psycho can be on his/her best behaviour for a few minutes at start and end of a task. <S> But not so easily for months 8 hours a day. <A> Meanwhile the bureaucratic logistics of paying someone as a contractor for a few hours in a larger company are probably fairly substantial on the interviewers end. <S> On the interviewee's end the biggest concern is probably that anything out of the ordinary is a red flag; and for people looking for a salaried job this is unusual enough to qualify. <S> For some people policies at their current employer could be an issue as well. <S> I'm required to report any other paid work I do to the ethics office to make sure it's not a conflict of interest problem for the company. <S> As a one off I couldn't credibly claim I was doing occasional small projects in the evenings/weekends for beer money; and if they asked for details about it it might become obvious <S> it was a disguised interview question. <S> Another headache for the interviewee is that being self employed may significantly complicate taxes. <S> For a short assignment like this as someones only self employment income: In the US the additional cost of either more expensive tax prep software or additional time cost from doing taxes by hand is likely to absorb most of the notional benefit. <S> A 1 or 2 week trial period would be long enough to gather a lot more useful information about a potential employee; and be a long enough period to minimize the incidental costs to the interviewee. <S> The flip side is that it's too long to be practical for someone who's currently employed. <S> Presenting it in the way you suggest would still have the looks weird problem, but I suspect similar goals are behind employers who use contract to hire with new candidates. <S> You'll still have issues with a smaller pool of potential applicants going this way because a significant fraction won't want to go without benefits (particularly healthcare in the US) for an extended period of time.
| The company knows it costs money to find new employees. They need people who fit into a company in terms of their group in many other ways both in terms of social and professional skills. I'm not convinced a 1-3 hour paid assignment is really going to be of much more value than the same amount of time in a conventionalish coding interview.
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Email to enquire about interview opportunity after long time I had an interview with a company but didn't pass. However, they offered to give me another shot after 6 months (due now). How to write an email to enquire about the interview in a polite manner? <Q> Contact their HR, if possible the same person you were dealing with 6 months ago. <S> If they seriously wanted you to reapply then they should have left you contact details of some sort. <S> However don't get your hopes up too much, sometimes they would say this without having any real intention of giving you another chance. <S> However it's also possible that you didn't quite fit their experience requirements the first time, so they do want you to reapply. <S> Either way, contact their HR to find out. <S> Probably an initial phone call would be the fastest way, then if they don't have any positions open, you don't waste much time and effort. <A> I would address the person directly and let him or her know that you are following up based on the prior agreement. <S> If, during the 1st interview, the interviewer shared info about interesting work or project the group was working on, I would add a sentence to check on project status, and re-emphasize how much this type of work appeals to you and fits your skills and strengths. <S> Given that 6 months have passed and you don't want people to think that you have been sitting around with nothing to do, I would also touch on what you have been doing in the meantime to advance your skills, hopefully putting you in a better position to land the job. <A> As you have their email address, dropping them a note should be absolutely fine. <S> I would adopt a warm tone, with evident enthusiasm for the company.
| Be sure to let them know what you've done in the intervening period to further develop as an interesting prospective employee. It would be perfectly ok to reach out directly to the person that previously conducted the interview, assuming you have the contact information.
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Will interviewers still ask me behavioral questions if I have no work experience? I'm a recent graduate with zero work experience . No extracurricular activities and no part-time jobs. Considering that this shows on my resume, will employers still expect me to be able to answer behavioral questions ? Or won't they ask me those questions if I have no work experience to draw on for answers? <Q> Yes, they almost assuredly will. <S> Large companies have standardized processes to follow for this sort of thing. <S> They aren't going to "dumb down" the interview process for a candidate without any job experience. <S> If they do, it's likely not going to reflect positively on you regardless. <S> Presumably you have coursework experience. <S> Or had some level of working with others during your degree. <S> When I was in school and interviewing, some of my best answers came from my "fun" <S> I had on various projects. <S> Given your inexperience with work/interviewing, I would strongly recommend you take some time and research behavioral questions online. <S> Spend time considering how to answer from your school studies. <S> Unless you are brilliant, the huge lack of work is likely to make interviewers less excited about you as a candidate - particularly if you do not have good answers to behavioral questions. <A> They will still ask them. <S> In my first job out of university, despite having previous work experience, I answered some behavioural questions by explaining some things I did while in education. <S> You don't have to give answers from previous jobs. <S> I suggest looking up typical behavioural question and coming up with answers to them based on what ever experience you have had while in education <S> so you are prepared for them. <A> By "behavioral questions" I assume that you mean strengths, weaknesses, etc. <S> When you come up with answers look at your education as the job you have had for the last however many years. <S> You havent worked as part of a team, but I bet at some point you worked on a group project. <S> Never had a demanding boss, was there ever a professor who you had to struggle to provide what they were looking for? <S> Good Luck.
| They will almost certainly ask those questions and you should have answers ready for them. I would review the questions that frequently come up in a initial interview and come up with answers that fit, and be prepared to talk about how happy you are to get into the work force.
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How do I encourage coding standards with a new co-worker? Long story short: An older new(ish) starter with more industry experience is blindly ignoring our coding standards . I don't know the best way to resolve this. Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading! A new(ish, only a couple of months in) developer at my company who is 10 years my senior in age and industry was tasked with a new project from his start date. This was meant to be almost exclusively his project with help here and there from other members of the team. So for the most part I've not been looking at this partly due to the fact the higher ups wanted it to be a pretty much solo project, (a fresh start), and partly due to other commitments. I am the most senior developer on the team right now and have been here around 3.5 years, and before he started I shared with him our teams coding standards document. I noted we could discuss any issues with this and look at changing potentially anything if it was in agreement. He did not start this new project straight away, but was given a couple of small tasks to get used to our environment. I immediately noticed small, but numerous bits of code that we're not following our standards and I chatted with him about this to see if he could be more careful about following it. To which I got a seemingly positive response somewhere along the lines of, "sorry, yes of course. I just need to get used to the change" . All sounded fine. A couple of weeks later when I had a brief meeting to go over his work on the new project I noticed the same issues , and once again mentioned it to him. This time I said we could have a different standard for this one project if he could write up a document explaining it. However I got the same response as the first instance, and he said he would change the code to match our standard. Now a month or two on we've had one other developer working with him doing the front end work, and I'm now noticing problems occurring. This other developer has no idea how the code works. The fact that it is not following our standards is starting to have a negative effect on our productivity . The new project has been built on top of a previous application this new developer had built in the past. We all knew this from the start and have accepted there are going to be a lot of differences to what we're used to. This project is requiring a quick turn around, so this decision was accepted. However some decisions have been made by this new developer that are either completely absent from the coding standards or once again the opposite of the coding standards. This is really starting to get on my nerves at this stage. I look at his code, and my heart starts to sink and in my head I'm saying to myself "why the hell did he do it this way!" or "why didn't he do it the way we've always done it! What's the point of our standards if they just get ignored!" I was mid way through writing an email to discuss these things with him (currently on vacation), until I realised I may word my frustration incorrectly and cause other problems as a result. As this developer is a fair bit older and experience, I can certainly understand he may know better ways to do things, but the things I'm picking up on do not fall into this category, and in one case I know for a fact his change is worse (security wise) than the way we've done it in the past. I'm not sure of the best way to get my message across to him that he needs to stop doing everything his way. I would never go to a new job and just write every bit of code exactly how I do now. I would do it the way the company are used to doing it, and suggest alternatives if I had any real issues with it. This guy is not doing that. I feel like at every point, he's decided to do things differently and has completely ignored our coding standards. I'm in a more senior position to this developer in the hierarchy, however I'm not his manager, so I don't feel comfortable telling him directly what to do. His actual boss and mine, is not really the type of person to enforce something like this either as he's not a programmer, he wouldn't know where to start, so I'm not sure if that's a solution. What's the best way to resolve this? It's worth noting, I have no personal issue with the developer, I get along with him just fine and have worked on tid bits here and there without any issue. <Q> If you are using a properly defined process for build management, including source control, continuous integration and automared unit testing, then you can handle this quite easily - treat incorrectly styled code as exactly what it is, a bug. <S> In the .Net world you would use StyleCop (or an equivalent) which either takes the code before it is committed to your source control (a pre-commit hook), or it sits in your CI pipeline, and it examines the code for inconsistencies between the code and the defined style the code must conform to. <S> If the code does not conform to the style, then it is rejected and the build (if you are using it in the CI pipeline) is marked as failed. <S> Extra credit if the failure triggers blame emails to all other developers.... <A> Do regular code reviews with the entire team, either daily or weekly, depending on what's right for your group. <S> Correct any code it before it merges to the main (master?) <S> branch of your repo. <S> It's likely you're just having issues with a dev who can't do the work to spec without plummeting in productivity. <A> On a check-in, another dev - i.e. a buddy - looks at the code and points out small fixes to be done before the check-in <S> *. <S> If you do check-ins every 15 minutes, do the buddy check on every merge. <S> There should be no more than a handful of buddy checks per developer per day. <S> The buddy must be stated on the check-in comment, which can be enforced with tools . <S> If the person who programmed the code is not available, the buddy is responsible for any questions or issues regarding the checked-in code. <S> Hold the buddy responsible for code that doesn't follow the standard. <S> If code that violates the standard still gets submitted, then 2 people think the submitted code warrants breaking the coding standard, in which is a sign that the coding standard may need improvement (e.g. it might be too strict). <S> * <S> In reality, the dev who explains their code to the buddy is usually the one who finds and fixes more issues during the buddy check. <A> There are two possibilities, and you have to figure out which one it is. <S> Either you have coding standards that are just there to have a rigid standard, and don't actually add any value. <S> Or worse, are contradicting industry standards. <S> And this developer ignores your standards because they don't contribute anything of value. <S> That would be your problem. <S> Or you have a developer who is so rigid in his ways that he cannot adapt, and that's his problem. <S> (And your problem as well unfortunately). <S> Find out which one it is. <S> Personally, I'm old enough that I don't care what standards you have as long as you don't have more than one set of standards :-) <S> Most of the time it's like driving on the left or the right side of the street: Each is equally fine, but you better agree with the other drivers. <S> If there are things in your standards that are badly counter productive, I'll tell you, and it's up to you to change it or not. <S> Other than that, code should follow one standard so that's what I do. <S> It should be enough to ask him politely to adapt his style to the common standard. <S> And everything after that depends on how he reacts to being asked politely. <S> Obviously you should code reviews, and a code review for a week worth of changes that just says "could you please change this to our coding standards <S> and then I review it again" will probably work wonders. <S> PS. <S> Anyone who calls a style checking tool "StyleCop" seems to have a very bad attitude to people doing their job. <A> There are a couple things your team can do to fix issues such as this. <S> Add code review as a step in your process for all your projects, and ensure that specific sets of developers/testers/managers are included as reviewers on the pull request. <S> When he submits a pull request that fails to meet coding standards, comment on it and either decline or mark it as "needs work". <S> This works both ways - all your codebases will improve in quality. <S> You can create a ticket on whatever issue system you use to address the issues, and assign it to him. <S> The ticket would not be closed until your team agrees that it's up to snuff Schedule a meeting with him specifically designed to discuss these issues. <S> You should both walk away from the meeting with action items such as the above mentioned ticket being prioritized, or a managerial review of coding standards if he brings up excellent reasons for doing things his way <S> If all fails and he just keeps ignoring you without even trying to address the issue, bring it up with your manager during an appropriate 1 on 1 meeting. <S> If he manages both of you then he can help get to a resolution directly, or can reach out to your coworker's manager to help figure out the situation.
| Code reviews will help change that, and force all code through a filter that correct errors. There is a common system called buddy check , which is a form of peer review.
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How should I assess my employees? I am a manager of a program that has a minimal oversight style of management due to employees starting their work day out in the community. While they have to complete documentation (which I check weekly) and timesheets, it does not provide me with real evidence/knowledge of the actual work completed with the client. What tools should I use to make sure the quality and quantity of work is up-to-par? <Q> Client Feedback <S> If available, this gives you some of the thoughts from the most important people in your business cycle, your customers. <S> On-site Observation <S> You can also try audit sessions where you take a day to go with an employee while they work. <S> Your presence may bias the worker's behavior, but some things like the worker's temperament and demeanor would be harder to hide especially in situations of distress ( <S> by this I do not mean undue artificial hardship, but more the regular stresses of the job and intensities of normal business peaks). <S> This method has the additional benefit of exposing you as the supervisor to the work load and challenges the employee is dealing with on the job. <S> Pose as Customer <S> Either you or an agent you retain can pose as a customer and evaluate the employee's behavior, perhaps without the behavioral modifications he or she might apply under known observation. <S> Peer Feedback <S> Some might suggest interviews with the employee's peers, but my experience has been that this doesn't always work as well because relationships and office politics can skew the responses. <S> This method also asks people to become evaluators, and that may not be their strength. <S> The formality of a peer interview can also cause some interviewees to be guarded. <S> But informal discussion with peers can usually provide some useful information about the evaluated (is he liked, is she pleasant to deal with, is he a team player, what kinds of work does she seem to like best). <A> The best way would be to contact the client and ask them if they are happy with the work delivered. <S> At the end of the day, that's the only true measure of an accomplished worker; happy clients. <S> Keep in mind though that you need to know enough about the client to be able to tell for which ones a begrudging "meh" means they are super happy and for which ones an "oh yes, he did a great job" means they don't like the result. <A> You haven't stated what type of work these employees perform for your clients, but it sounds like they provide some form of service in the field. <S> When it comes to team performance assessment, it definitely helps to use some of the methods highlighted by others, including routine customer surveys, random (unannounced) field checks, 360 feedback, and self-assessments. <S> But I would go further and try to establish performance metrics that you score on a regular basis (i.e., once a month). <S> An example of such a metric is # client cases resolved in a month. <S> You can use the metrics to evaluate the performance of both the larger team and individual team members, and compare performance of team members against each other. <S> The right mix of metrics should allow you to identify top and low performers, your team's strengths and weaknesses, and identify problem areas that you need to address quickly. <S> Good metrics usually follow what people refer to as the SMART criteria: <S> Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. <S> Other examples that may apply to your case: Number of client visits in a month Time to resolution or handle time Number of client cases that remain open (backlog) <S> First response time Just try to come up with metrics that matter to your business and clients, make sure to score them on a regular basis, and take corrective actions to address problem areas or weaknesses as necessary.
| If you're worried about quality of the work, it might help to check up on clients after a few months (or another period; depending on the nature of the work) to make sure they are still happy with it.
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Software developer internship without a degree I would like to work for a software company during the holidays. I am just 17 and I do not have a computer science or related degree. However, I do feel pretty confident that I can add value to a company. Do you think I have a chance? What should I do to increase my chances of getting a job? <Q> Build relationships with people that work at software companies that may accept bringing you on temporarily to try you out. <S> Consider what terms are you expecting from the company as they would likely want someone that already has some skills rather than the person that has to spend a week getting some basic skills to contribute to a project. <S> Understand that this kind of set-up may work better at start-ups where there isn't as much paperwork and HR stuff as big companies would have for my last point here. <S> However, to get a job directly without the assistance of a school at such a company may be harder though some companies may run "Code Camps" or other similar projects. <S> Google's Summer of Code being an example for university students. <A> I'm a professional web developer and have no formal training; it's just something that I did as a hobby for a significant chunk of my life, then landed a junior position in my late 20s when I decided to pursue it as a career. <S> All I had to show was a few little projects that I did in my free time, and a couple of interesting (admittedly poorly written!) <S> web applications that I had made for my previous employer to help streamline some of their processes. <S> Building up a small portfolio of two or three projects that showcase your skills - even if they're not fully finished - is a good way to impress someone in a job interview, despite your CV/Resume not including any relevant educational experience. <S> I've since been in a position where I've been responsible for hiring developers, and I have hired applicants like you that are eager to learn and work hard so long as they've been able to show potential. <S> You'd be surprised how many computer science graduates fail a simple practical interview test like 'FizzBuzz'! <S> Good luck! <A> What should I do to increase my chances of getting a job? <S> The way which has the best chance at your age, qualifications, and experience is by personal referral. <S> Everything else is a long shot at best unless you can get a position through your school if you're at one. <S> Other IT related positions would probably be more suitable and easier to attain, rather than developer. <S> Working in a retail for example... <S> The only way I'd hire you as a developer is as a favour to a friend or client (no offence). <S> But I might hire you as an assistant or other very junior position and give you a chance to prove yourself and earn experience. <A> Learn as much as you can about software development (as opposed to just 'coding') : developing and maintaining test suites, project management, continuous integration, common coding style standards, and so on. <S> Develop a professional (but interesting!)-looking online portfolio showcasing your skills. <S> Try to get your CV through to (or have a talk with) people who might be impressed by your portfolio (technical people with a say in hiring) rather than people who might just filter you out based on qualifications (more straightforward HR people?).
| If you are going through a school sponsored internship then the established companies may work and while you don't have the degree, you would be on your way to this as co-operative education programs exist as a way this would work. Apply to companies whose business you feel you understand, and learn as much as you can about each company before applying, tailoring your application accordingly.
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Do I need to reply to all job vacancy emails? I got some emails about job vacancies, both from recruiting agencies as well as directly from the hiring employer. I haven't been in contact with them before , so I believe they got my contact information from my profile on a job portal. Do I need to reply to all of their emails? I want to maintain my image with them as I found they may become my future employer. <Q> You don't HAVE to do anything, it's totally up to you. <S> There is not a lot of point in getting involved with the unsolicited stuff, this just spreads your email around and ends up with a lot of spam. <S> It's better just to focus on direct employers and leave out the recruiters. <A> If you're interested in the job, absolutely. <S> If not, for either you could ignore them, but: It would be polite to respond to the direct employer thanking them for the offer but politely declining. <S> If you believe they might have something that's more suitable for you, you could add that too - they might ignore it but <S> no harm in keeping your name on their minds. <S> Regarding the agency, if you trust them (i.e. it's not just spam) and are keeping an eye out for a job, you could respond to the mail and tell them what kind of positions you are interested in. <S> They may respect that and only send you mails for those kinds of jobs in future (which is good for you). <S> Or they might not, in which case just ignore future mails from them (or redirect them to your Spam folder) <A> Do employers/recruiters answer every single unsolicited email? <S> No. <S> You shouldn't feel obligated to respond to them all. <S> If you're interested enough where you think they could lure you away from your position feel free to ask for more information. <S> Just know if you don't you're not likely to get a response in 6 months when you're ready to start looking for a new job.
| If the position sounds interesting there is nothing wrong with responding even if it is just to say you're not actively looking for another position right now. The biggest take away here is don't feel obligated to respond.
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Recommendation letter in Germany (Arbeitszeugnis) I am working in a IT company in Germany. For the future opportunity in the industry, I asked my adviser to write a recommendation letter for me. He said that he needs at least two weeks to prepare that. He included some sentences in the letter which can seem positive but could be seen as negative. For instance; "limonik is so social person" seems positive but it could be interpreted as "limonik is so social that she is always chatting with her colleagues and decrease their work productivity". Therefore, I am really sceptical about my recommendation letter. Also German is a foreign language for me; I cannot judge the implication in the letter. I do not want to use a negative recommendation letter for applying new jobs in Germany. How can I validate my recommendation letter? Does this type of recommendation letter only exist in Germany? What are the basic differences between recommendation letter from Germany with other European countries' recommendation letters? <Q> That's a problem even native speakers have with the "Arbeitszeugnisse". <S> By law they have to be positive. <S> There can't be anything negative or critcising in it. <S> Even if the employer had proof of the employee stealing or slacking of all day and fires him for that, they can't write that in the Arbeitszeugnis. <S> Employers want to give negative feedback, if there is reason for it. <S> That lead to employers hiding negative feedback in positive phrases. <S> But as this is kind of law breaking, there is no universal code that is always used as there is no official authority to create such a code. <S> So there are a plethora of books which all claim to be the code and most of them contradict each other in some way. <S> And the codes have evolved over time. <S> So you can never be sure if the person who wrote it and the person who read it use the same code. <S> There are some things that are rather common, though: "er bemühte sich" / "he tried to" = <S> > <S> he tried but failed "zu unserer <S> [.../vollen/vollsten] Zufriedenheit" / "met our [...] <S> /full/fullest] satisfaction" = <S> > <S> no adjective = <S> okay, <S> adjective "vollen"/"full" = good, superlative "vollsten" / fullest" = <S> > <S> very good if the employee leaves the company <S> and there is no sentence about them <S> "pity his leave" and "wishing the best for the furture <S> " it's usually seen as negative <S> That said, i recommend a rather short and formal Arbeitszeugnis (dates, details about ocupation and activities, maybe even key-projects) without too many "codes" (watch for the "necessities" like "pity/wishes") and then asking for an informal recommendation letter of the line manager (and maybe some others) where no codes have to be used and ask if they will add contact information so they can be contacted as reference later. <A> Even native German speakers are not always used to decipher the code phrases used in an Arbeitszeugnis. <S> If you are worried that it might contain hidden bad messages, you might consider hiring a specialist that reads and asseses your Arbeitszeugnis. <S> (you can find companies offering that service on the internet if you search for "Arbeitszeugnis prüfen" or similar). <A> In Germany, there are two types of recommendation letter: <S> Arbeitszeugnis : this is a formal certificate. <S> It is more about confirming that you worked in that company from time A to <S> B. There will be details about the work you achieved, your attitude. <S> However, they are generally exaggerately positively phrased. <S> When reading it, if it sounds good, it means you were OK. <S> If it sounds awesome, you were good. <S> German companies are used to reading between the lines in that regard. <S> The more european/western common recommendation letter: the contents and tone are similar to the US/rest of Europe one. <S> To come back on the Arbeitszeugnis, as Christopher Estep stated, ask a native speaker to tell you what the message in it is. <S> As said, the positive turn given to the letter seems to be aimed at avoiding the employee sueing his former company. <S> About validating your letter, I am afraid you don't have a choice but to accept it, unless it is factually incorrect/incomplete. <S> If you read German, or can do that with a native speaker, I recommend this article decode an Arbeitszeugnis <A> Before anything else can be answered, you really need to know what the letter actually says to someone who speaks German fluently. <S> I would suggest finding someone who is very fluent in English (or your first language if it's not English) and who is also very fluent in German, preferably as a first language. <S> Have them read the letter and discuss with them the concerns you've mentioned here. <S> There are so many nuances in language that can only be discerned by a fluent or native speaker. <S> It's not just the words that they use but the context in which those words are used <S> , i.e. the phrases leading up to and following the "questionable" phrases. <S> The bottom line is that you can't begin to make decisions regarding the letter until you can understand the tone of the letter as far as how it would be received by a native speaker. <S> And of course, the person helping you with this should also be familiar with German culture as well. <A> Its important to note that Arbeitszeugnisse in German must be positive by case law. <S> To still convey information, they use lots of nuances, for instance: <S> "XYZ has performed his duties to our satisfaction" would be considered very negative, <S> "XYZ has always performed his duties to our satisfaction" would be still negative but better and something truly positive would look like: <S> "XYZ has always performed his duties to our fullest satisfaction" As you can see, there is a lot of nuance for it, and you really need a native german speaker to decipher it properly for you. <A> You asked whether this is true for other countries as well. <S> In Switzerland, we have only one type of recommendation letter called Arbeitszeugnis . <S> Thus, a code has been developed to let other managers know about flaws of a person. <S> Your "social person" actually means "quite talkative", and "good work" is below standard, it has to be great or superb or outstanding. <S> It works in the other direction as well. <S> "Outperforming" can be "overqualified", "overmeeting standards" can mean that one cannot adhere to and subject himself to standards. <S> There are books on the market to decipher the language, and there is a cope out, as most hr people of small companies do not know the code either. <S> A recommendation letter can state that it is "not coded". <S> Some phrases can be found here (Swiss phrases/German) , with their deciphered actual meaning.
| As in Germany, it has to be positive. In order to avoid getting sued, companies will never put directly negative statements on there.
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Can I send my resume to several recruiters from the same company? (not agency) I'm looking for a new job in a technical area (Software Dev) and I'm building a list of in-house recruiters of several companies I'd like to work for. Is it a good idea to email my resume to several of them at the same time? Some recruiters post which teams they are hiring for, many do not. I don't want to lose an opportunity because I stepped on some tacit rule regarding recruitment. I'm not working with any agency. I'm doing this 100% on my own. <Q> Recruiter performance is often measured by the number of contacts and hires -- by submitting to multiple people within the organization you may create confusion for them internally. <S> I would submit to one initially -- if you do not receive a timely response, then send to another. <S> Good recruiters will follow up with you as soon as they can, since it's kind of what they do. <A> It can't hurt. <S> It's likely that the resume will end up as a single copy in their database. <S> (Yes, they go into a database). <S> But at least all those recruiters will have you in mind for current gigs, without having to LOOK for you. <A> First, you can find a connection or a friend in that company and ask them who should you contact for each position. <S> You can easily find this out by calling the administrator of that company asking for this as well. <S> If you cannot find any information on who is responsible for which department, then as @mcknz mentioned, first submit to recruiter A and mention that you are interested in position X, Y and Z. <S> Maybe you can create a separate resume for each position. <S> The recruiter may come back to you and may say they can help you with position X, but with Y and Z you have to contact other people (which seems unlikely because they usually forward your application internally). <S> Then if you did not hear from recruiter A after a couple of days to a week or so, contact recruiter B of that company and mention that you already have contacted A already and have not heard from him.
| If there are multiple recruiters in a company they may be responsile for hiring for different positions.
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Do tech people need to know French to work in Vancouver, BC? UX designer living in the United States but struggling to find work in or around my city. This, despite attending meetups, connecting with other professionals and honing my skills every day. Vancouver seems like a nice place to live and I was curious what challenges a non-French-speaker would encounter in the interview process or on the job. How much will it hurt my hiring potential? Should I expect to struggle a bit? For reference, I took three years of Spanish and am reasonably capable of day-to-day conversation with native speakers. <Q> In Eastern Canada you will find a far greater number of French speakers. <S> In Quebec in particular you will find an overwhelming preponderance of French speakers. <S> According to this wiki page on British Columbia demographics, less than 2% of people living in BC speak French as their primary language. <A> The primary region for french-speakers in Canada is Quebec, on the east coast. <S> Vancouver is on the west coast. <S> Not speaking French in Quebec would be a detriment, but for Vancouver you shouldn't have any issues. <A> Having worked for the past 7 years in western Canada and as Lumberjack and David mentioned French is not required generally to work in Western Canada. <S> However, from time to time, I come across a job posting that says applicants need to know French or Even Spanish! <S> On the other hand for in eastern Canada <S> it is pretty popular and you might be required to know French for some specific jobs. <S> And for jobs in Quebec, a lot of jobs specify that they require knowing both French and English <S> and I have even seen postings entirely in French. <S> Having said that:Is knowing French required to start your job search in Canada (except QC)? <S> NO <S> But, as I said, you may come across an opportunity or a company that requires this. <S> Is knowing French required to start your job search in QC? <S> Probably Yes!
| While you will find French on all the food labels and the road signs, you are not likely to hear any locals speaking French while in BC. Having lived in British Columbia for 5 years, I can assure you that you do not need to know French to work or live in BC.
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Personal wedding day of a colleage employee and cultural anomaly I was invited to a wedding day of a friend in my workplace(another engineer who works with me in the same engineering department). Due to the busy schedules I was unable to find some time to meet him and personally politely reject that invitation. Now I have to attend the wedding tomorrow. According to the local culture the people who participate in the wedding should give some amount of money as a gift. Now the problem is I don't have that money (true that my salary is around 10 times of that money, but I have already allocated that money for my higher education, since every penny counts and living cost is high here). So what I'm asking is, what will be the consequences if I don't attend that wedding? Will that made a unfriendly work-environment for me? That's the last thing that I need. What else should I do? Such as write a email to the friend that I'm not attend his wedding politely? What is the most polite thing to do now? <Q> My culture expects people to do without and get loans to contribute to such events and a whole lot of backstabbing goes on over how much and who didn't etc,. <S> However you're an outsider, you're not obligated to do so since you're not part of the cultural exchange system and extended family. <S> Feel free to attend and give something small as a gift or nothing at all. <S> No one will think the worse of you, they'll be busy weighing up their own people's contributions. <S> As far as cultural obligations and expectations go, you're basically asking how to flout them without repercussions. <S> It doesn't work like that, but I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, flouting them with strangers is fine. <S> You will never receive it back from them which is the whole point of contributing. <S> You have to be pragmatic if you want to get ahead in life. <A> Obviously culture will come into play, but my answer would be to not attend the wedding, and just turn up to work on Monday. <S> When the person asks where you were, say that your schedule was so busy that you didn't get a chance to meet them in person and tell them that you couldn't attend (no reason to explain why you couldn't attend). <S> Their response will determine if they are going to remain a friend or not, and there's nothing you can control about that. <S> There is ABSOLUTELY <S> NO WAY <S> I would consider a wedding gift to ANYONE that would take 10% of my salary. <S> I don't care who they are, or what the culture is. <S> Especially as that money is earmarked for your education; risk your future for a wedding gift? <S> Nah... <A> So I would just settle for congratulating them when they come back to work. <S> There also isn't an obligation to give a gift if you didn't attend one of our weddings (except, perhaps for relatives); it'd be entirely up to you to decide whether and how large a gift was appropriate if you didn't attend. <S> Things may be different elsewhere. <S> And some workplaces have a strong tradition of taking up a voluntary collection in the office to get the co+worker a group gift; typically that's only about $20 per person or less.
| In my culture, if you didn't respond to a wedding invitation, it is assumed that you will not be attending...
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Should one feel unprofessional for using an eye-saver app that gives popup reminders to rest my eyes at work? Does it feel unprofessional to use an eye saver app (to remind you to rest your eyes) or browser extension at work? It recommends to close your eyes for a while and watch further for relieving strained eyes and excessive staring at the monitor every hour or you can set your own time. In my case many of my colleagues rarely take such explicit breaks and seeing me using the extension make some of them asking me whether I need to visit a doctor and different inappropriate comments. Some people understand it like a slacking as well. I visit regularly a doctor and I'm fine, but I feel better with this reminder. Edit: It's a small pop-up on the desktop. I'm not a robot and don't follow it every time but it appear when someone is staring at my monitor. <Q> Should one feel unprofessional for using eye savers at work ? <S> Some folks need to rest their eyes. <S> Some folks need to take a quick bathroom break frequently. <S> Some need to stand up, stretch, or take a short walk. <S> Most folks don't need such an app. <S> But if you need something to remind you to look away from your monitor periodically, then just use it and learn to ignore your colleagues. <S> Make sure such apps or browser extensions are permitted on work machines before you install them. <S> Try not to do it during a meeting, during periods where you are working directly with others, or when your immediate attention is needed. <S> But it's generally not that hard to grab a few seconds or a minute when you need it. <A> If I were you, I'd go outside to a shady area (to avoid glare), or wherever you can find some privacy ( <S> probably not the break room!) <S> People are stupid sometimes, and curious at others. <S> In either case, they're going to disturb you just because it's what people do. <S> It's not "unprofessional" <S> but I'd say it's not something people are used to. <A> Are you worried about how others might view your use of the app specifically? <S> Or about their reaction to you doing the exercises? <S> Or both? <S> If the former, you might want to set up a private Outlook reminder instead which, being more subtle, would probably come across as more professional than your phone buzzing or some kind of obtrusive message popping up on your screen every our. <S> Once you've gotten into the habit, you'll probably find you don't need the reminders anymore, anyway. <S> If the latter, closing your eyes for a few seconds might be misinterpreted as you trying to take a nap at your desk. <S> You could stave off that worry by combining the exercises with taking a short break: <S> Get up, stretch a bit (you can keep your eyes closed while doing this), maybe look out of the window (which gives you something your eyes something to focus on in the distance). <S> Your colleagues might still comment on this but at least it doesn't look like you're slacking off. <S> The same technique could be used for doing eye exercises away from any curious colleagues.
| When I'm feeling really tired, I sometimes retreat to the restroom for a few minutes to get a chance to close my eyes and relax without anyone watching. You shouldn't feel unprofessional for doing whatever you deem important for your personal health.
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How should I politely turn down a task that my doctor has advised me against? My boss (a Senior Sales Representative) has told me to pack up his office and all three bookshelves for an office move. I am his Executive Sales Support; a Print Production client liaison for his account with a major publishing company. I've worked at that capacity for 3 years. I am a healthy 57 year old woman (a dedicated exerciser) but have recently been dealing with some arthritis in my mid-spine area. The doctor's orders are to stop lifting and carrying heavy things. I have even had to start carrying my computer, etc. In a bag with wheels. I hate to say "No" to anything. I am not a diva. I'll roll up my sleeves with the best of them! What can I do without threatening my value as an employee? <Q> You're under instruction from a medical professional not to do heavy lifting, so just let your manager know that. <S> Something like Sorry, but I'm under doctor's orders not to do any heavy lifting and carrying. <S> Would it be possible to find someone else to help you with this? <S> Hopefully your manager will do the right thing having heard that. <S> If not, you'd then need to decide whether to escalate the issue, which would likely be to HR. <A> I'm sure it's possible for you or someone else to put some empty boxes on a desk or table (not on the floor), and then you can fill the boxes with whatever you can pick up without having to strain, bend or stoop. <S> This gets some of the work done, and you can leave the job of lifting the boxes out (and packing the rest) to someone who is more physically able. <S> (That "someone" might actually be your boss.) <S> The approach above would demonstrate that you're a team player. <S> You can discuss some explicit boundaries on this with your boss, and if he's demanding that you do more, take the issue to HR but absolutely don't do anything that's going to jeopardize your health. <A> Get some quotes from moving companies for a few hours packing. <A> I read your quest is "get the office packed" rather than "pack the office by yourself", so deal with it this way. <S> Find somebody to do the hard job - moving company, ungrudging colleague(s) <S> (jokingly: fool and strong). <S> Watch them and assist them. <S> The fine jobs (packing a prize, family photos etc.) do by yourself. <S> In the end your back will be untouched, job will be done and everyone will be happy. <S> It seems to me like classic scenario <S> "I don't have time neither to do it neither to organize it. <S> Get the job done for me." <A> I'm not sure about your exact position in company, but there are some cases when boss asks his employee to move something, he is not asking him to roll up his sleeves and do it, but to organize and manage the process. <S> Use his authority to ask other employees to help you with this task. <S> Later after you complete the task, you can tell your boss about your medical condition, and who helped you move things. <A> This is your office, it's important that you do it, so don't refuse outright and wash your hands. <S> Then do what you can and make sure nothing is misplaced or badly packed/labelled. <S> No sane boss would have a problem with this, and I see no need why it would escalate to HR. <S> I have two resolutions for you. <S> Firstly I am a strong person, but sometimes I need assistance to move server racks, it's totally normal to approach HR for someone to assist me with a specific task, just as it's totally appropriate to requisition a step ladder or trolley if I need one. <S> Secondly. <S> My mother when elderly moved office a few times, she roped her sons in to help her (didn't pay us a cent, but what a home cooked meal we got!) <S> , unsure if you could do something similar, but it might be an option. <S> The one thing she never did was leave it to others, because it makes the unpacking a lot harder. <A> In your place I would get a paper from the doc about this, and I would show this to the boss privately. <S> Theoretically, the Boss hasn't any right to see your medical papers, but you would make with it clear, that not you are lazy, you really can't do that, you aren't try to avoid his commands, but you really can't do that. <S> If you do this privately, it will make from him also make clear <S> , that you won't directly confront him <S> you won't make problematic situations, <S> instead you wan't avoid them <S> , your face is important for you before him, and his face is also important for you before everybody. <S> The context should be: "Sorry, I really didn't want to avoid the task, but please see, I really can't do that". <S> Any, at least a little bit normal boss would accept it and maybe even he would apologize. <S> But, unfortunately, the bosses aren't always normal in this sense.
| I suggest bringing your boss an alternative, at the same time as you report you cannot do the lifting on doctor's advice. You can offer to supervise the movers to make sure no confidential materials are read and that everything is packed properly. Ask if you can have someone to assist you due to the medical issue.
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Workload increase after resignation I have been working for a small software development company (team of 5 developers) for 11 months now, but I decided to hand in my notice 2 weeks ago due to personal reasons. Since then my workload has grown exponentially, so much so that I am now struggling to complete any work within the allotted time frames. Before I handed over my resignation my workload was high but manageable, but now it is out of hand. I have tried speaking to senior members of staff, but with this being such a small company it is sometimes hard to be taken seriously as we all work together so closely. Is there anything I can do? Or should I just 'suck it up' for the next 2 weeks? I want to leave the company on a positive note, as I do not want to burn any bridges. <Q> Just because they've piled up stuff doesn't require that you suddenly become Superman in an effort to fix it all. <S> Glide through your last two weeks. <S> Take your lunch and breaks as before, and leave and go home on time. <S> DON'T make any promises you can't keep because your employer may try to justify something stupid (like holding your check, or docking your pay) for stuff you agree to complete but cannot. <S> Seems like you work for some real jerks. <S> Also, here in California, the employer has to have the final paycheck ready on or before the last day worked. <S> See if something similar applies to you. <A> You already have one foot out the door. <S> Focus on where your career is heading, not where it has been. <S> Put in your time, work the same as you did before cheerfully, and don't let it worry you. <S> You're just passing time for 2 weeks, so don't get passionate about anything. <A> As a rule, you should never rush before you go on holiday. <S> And after a holiday you come back to sort out any messes you left. <S> When you quit, it's totally unreasonable to ask you to do a rush job. <A> This is literally the opposite of everyone <S> I know who has given a two weeks notice before. <S> Very strange. <S> Perhaps they're panicking and trying to get as much work out of you as possible? <S> In my experience I've just seen people freak out about IP and immediately cut the person leaving out of everything that they can. <S> I would just let your team know that you'll do the best you can <S> but you can't be expected to become totally overloaded in this fashion. <S> In all honesty, they should probably just be thankful that you haven't fully checked out yet. <A> Tell the bosses that you won't be able to get all this done in 2 weeks, and how much you will be able to get done and ask them to prioritise the tasks. <S> They might not be taking you seriously now (had a boss myself like that before, who would also answer to questions about the highest priority, "All of them!"), but in two weeks they will have to, so it would be better that the higher priority tasks are done. <S> If they won't prioritise then it's not your fault. <S> I know you don't want to burn any bridges, but you need to balance that desire against your own sanity & dignity. <S> If, as you say, the work has grown exponentially from an already heavy load (like doubled or more?) <S> , then there is no way you can get it done. <S> The two weeks will come and go and at the end of it you will be leaving. <S> If you can get done in the time what a reasonable hard-worker could get done then they can't have any complaint, and if they still do complain then <S> well they are being unreasonable and there's nothing you can do about it <S> (it is they who are burning the bridges). <S> You did all you could.
| When pressed, just smile and say you're doing your best. In your last two weeks you should work slow and steady and very careful, because if you make any mistakes, you won't be able to fix them.
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Shoud I celebrate finishing Probationary Period (Probezeit) In the company I finished my probationary period. Actually I want to share my happiness with my colleagues by eating some biscuits and drinking in the company. However I am not sure How react the people this event? Actually I have a fear that people could misunderstand me. For instance, they (may) think that limonik tries to make up to her boss - ingratiate her boss - by organizing this activity. Or are such activities typical in working environment? If I organize this what should I write in my invitation mail? Advance thanks for all recommendations and idea. <Q> I would suggest you check how personal birthdays are celebrated and do something similar. <S> Like a birthday. <S> It comes without any effort on your side and is celebrated. <S> An unusual celebration of the end of your Probezeit looks as if failure was something you thought was possible. <S> Don't give that impression. <S> If you want to really celebrate this because it's special for you, do so in private with some good friends. <A> Typically you don't celebrate the end of your Probezeit . <S> However, it is more common to celebrate your Einstand [ 1 ], i.e., your joining the team or company. <S> If you haven't done that already, you could give that as the reason for a small celebration and mention that you do it now since you know you are going to stay. <A> As nvoigt said a big celebration could be a bit too much. <S> Say to your direct manager that you would like to do something like that and ask what could be done. <S> It will mainly depends of your work environment. <S> Maybe you could come with fresh bakeries, and says a little thanks for them to be welcoming and that you feel (great/at ease) and ready to work with them for the few (months/years) to come. <A> They can fill you in not only on the company culture, but also and what the company considers acceptable or even allowed. <S> Don't send out invitations to invite people to an event before you have permission from the location owner to hold it there. <S> The last thing you want is to tell people "Let's meet Friday after hours" only to get a company-wide reply "You're not allowed to host meetings after hours. <S> In addition, they can probably tell you what other people might do, or what is expected. <S> Some companies have regular end-of-week drinks, for example. <S> In this case, it might be possible to have your celebration by sponsoring one. <S> It'll help ensure a decent turn-out, too.
| I think that if you really want to do a celebration, it must only include the team you work with. It's a nice gesture, but publicly you should treat the successful end of your Probezeit as something that was bound to happen anyway. If you want to organize a small get together on office premises, the best first step is probably to talk to either HR or your manager.
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I think I was low balled when I accepted a job. Am I just screwed? How can I find out and/or get a raise? Raises apparently don't happen too often here. I also did zero negotiating because that just scares me. I am a sissy, I know. On the other hand, how can I find out if I was under paid because there is the possibility that I wasn't. <Q> You're underpaid if you're working for less than what someone is willing to pay you. <S> The "secret" to good negotiating is to have confidence in yourself and be willing to walk away from the negotiation. <S> If you are interviewing for your next job while you still have your present job, you always have the ability to decline the offer if you think it is too low. <A> You'll find yourself in a much healthier place, over the long term, if you don't fall prey to the "comparison game" . <S> I don't care if you spend 100 years on a job <S> -- there's ALWAYS, and <S> I mean ALWAYS going to be someone around where you may feel they're not worth what the company's paying. <S> This will be co-workers, bosses, subordinates. <S> At this place you're at - and you seem upset - you give away your power to any situation where you seem to be earning less money than someone else who isn't necessarily "better" than you at the job. <S> You'll drive yourself crazy. <S> We aren't put here to be the same as everybody else . <S> I've left a good link above that might interest you. <S> Best of luck. <A> Q: <S> On the other hand, how can I find out if I was under paid because there is the possibility that I wasn't. <S> A: <S> There are many sites that show salary by level, location, job, title, etc. <S> http://www.glassdoor.com <S> is one. <A> Life lesson. <S> If you accept a low offer, then keep in mind that you'll get a normal 2-3% raise while other, new folks coming in potentially having a better gap than you do. <S> Basically by the time you get a 10-15% raise, assuming you do something exceptional by year 4 or 5, then someone new will only make within a smaller gap of that. <S> Basically by low balling yourself, you lock your ability to appear better because you make nearly the same as someone who is just now coming in.
| The most effective way to determine what the job market thinks you're worth is to apply for other jobs, interview, and see what you're offered.
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New worker starting out I am straight out of uni and I recently started a new job as a web developer. Outside of my department, there are only about 5 people who actually believe I can help them with their questions face to face, despite the fact I have been helping most of the company through the helpdesk for months. Whenever they come into my department looking for my manager when he is out, I offer to answer any questions and except for a few people, they always say they'll come back when my manager is here. How do I get them to believe that I can actually help them despite my young age? <Q> You don't "get" them to believe anything - people are funny, and do things that only makes sense to themselves. <S> For example, they might not want to take you away from whatever you are doing without talking to your boss first (since he is your boss, and supposed to be in charge of your tasking). <S> This is a good thing. <S> Eventually, as you keep working there, people will see what you do, and may talk to you direct <S> (or your boss will simply tell them "Kylar can do that - ask him"). <S> Until then, just keep doing what you can, and what your boss tells you to do. <A> It will take time, it's not because you are straight from uni <S> , it's because you haven't proven yourself. <S> Just keep working eventually your time to shine will come. <A> How do I get them to believe that I can actually help them despite my young age? <S> You ask your manager to communicate that you are his helper deputy in his absence. <S> This typically involves an email to all parties saying "If I'm not available, X is capable of helping you." <S> While you may know that you are capable (and may have permission from your manager to help people), if that has not been communicated to everyone then they will likely not accept your help for fear of disrupting any plans that your manager may have for you.
| No one is going to believe what you say since no one knows you and you haven't built your reputation within the company.
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How to deter office visitors from using my cube instead of the guest cubes Our office area has several designated 'guest cubes' - desks that are usually empty and available for visitors to use. However, it seems that random visitors to the office prefer to sit in my cube. If I am out of the office for a day, I generally come back to find that some stranger was using my space. I keep my area tidy and clean, have not spilled beverages or food on my chair, etc. How can I make my cube less inviting to random visitors? <Q> Expanding my comment into an answer. <S> People will feel more uncomfortable invading someone else's cube if they need to move things around in order to make it usable. <S> This is inherently true of very messy cubes, hence why your tidy, minimalist one gets treated as a guest cube when you are not there. <S> You have a nametag and a couple of schedules up, so people can already tell it's occupied. <S> You need to set things up to make people feel more awkward and invasive trying to use it. <S> Messiness is one way to do this, but you clearly prefer things to be extra-tidy. <S> Another way, as a couple of people mentioned, is having an unusual keyboard that's going to be harder for someone used to a standard keyboard to use. <S> Another possibility is to leave something on your desk and/or chair that people would have to move out of their way. <S> A box to place on the chair, and/or a shawl or jacket draped over the desk. <S> All other things being equal, people will choose a cube that doesn't require moving a jacket to get to the keyboard over one that does. <S> (As the saying goes, you don't need to be faster than the bear, you just need to be faster than the slowest guy. <S> Make it so <S> the "slowest guy" is always a guest-cubicle, rather than yours.) <A> As an alternative to Ouroboros's answer, you could hang some sort of rope or string across your cube's door. <S> It can stick to the sides with pins or velcro so it can be easily left off when you're in the office. <S> This marks very clearly that the cubicle is not for guests while still allowing you to keep your space neat and tidy. <A> Mark it as your personal cube by putting a personalized mug on it, some notes, a photo of your wife/kids/dog/turtle etc. <S> Most probably, visitors will refrain to use it and use one of the empty, dull cubes instead. <S> EDIT: <S> after my post, the OP commented my cube has my name tag on it, and i have several calendars, schedules, etc hanging on the walls <S> , so i think it's pretty obvious that it is occupied. <S> so there's no free space left. <S> But probably the best solution would be to talk to the manager, and have him direct the visitors to the other cubes. <A> Let the manager know that there appear to be too few visitors cubes and ask to relocate. <A> One of my colleagues has a Microsoft split keyboard - one of those ergonomic ones. <S> Most people seem to dislike them so don't sit at his desk. <S> Another colleague has his monitors wired up back to front - so the left should be the right etc. <S> That also really annoys people, so they don't sit there, <S> My technique is to have a desk full of clutter. <S> Not personalised as such, just a lot of it. <A> Have a discussion with your fellow cube-mates about how you feel. <S> Try to get them to suggest to people to use the guest cubes first before using an employee's cube when you're not there. <S> Let them know you will do the same. <S> It's not perfect, but could help. <S> " For security reasons, we allow guests to use designated computers and not employee computers. <S> If they're going to let people use your cube, they could at least instruct the nightly cleaning crew to check for spills, garbage, etc. <S> I know this can get touchy when they throw away things you really wanted. <A> I suggest embracing use of your cube, while you are out, by those who share your views on tidiness. <S> That makes it less likely to be available to messy users. <S> Post a sign when you are going to be away all day saying something like: If you use this cube, please leave it as clean and tidy as you found it. <S> Please do not eat or drink in here. <S> Put it center front on the desk, so that anyone using the cube will have to see and move the sign.
| Also, other staff like the receptionist should be instructed to recommend the guest cubes and not just say, "help yourself to any open cube. One solution to this could be to clutter the desk with your personal stuff
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Dealing with coworker misinterpreting what you said to the boss I made a comment to a coworker recently. Someone who reports to me has been recently given a verbal warning about their work. I requested that the coworker forward any issues about that person directly to me for the time being. I stated that she is having some work issues and it would be better not to pass errors on to her directly as she is under pressure to clear up past problems. The coworker took this information and told my boss while at an event together that I had said my report had a chance to be fired! The boss asked me why I said that and told me to keep these things under wraps in the future. I politely stated that the coworker must have misconstrued what I said, as I would never state that someone had the likelihood of being fired, and I don't even know that myself at this point. What is the best way to handle "he said, she said" in the workplace and prevent a false reputation? <Q> Sometimes less is more. <S> "Please pass on any issues with Mary to me directly, thank you" can not be misrepresented. <S> Never share details with coworkers about sensitive personnel issues. <S> This is a prime example as to why. <S> If you must, do it in email so that there is no doubt as to what was or what was not said <A> What conclusion do you think people are going to make when you make statements like this? <S> recently given a verbal warning about their work <S> she is having some work issues <S> she is under pressure to clear up past problems. <S> You didn't come right out and say she could get fired, but most people would think this person is having serous trouble at work. <S> Be more discrete with what you say. <S> Whether that is sending errors, complaints, additional work to you, it doesn't matter. <S> No one needs to know the reason behind your decision. <S> You're not giving orders but merely asking others out of professional courtesy to comply. <S> I hope your boss doesn't go around telling people about what a poor job you did in this instance. <A> I like both the answers, but I'll add a solution. <S> If it is your role to be then you will know, because it will all be above board and no need for subterfuge. <S> Since the damage is already done, just take your bosses advice to heart <S> , he/she has given you a 'heads up' now carry on with that in mind. <S> Don't waste time on recriminations <S> it's not constructive. <A> Here's where I stated that she is having some work issues <S> You could have left this out altogether. <S> Ask the co-worker to forward any concerns? <S> Yes. <S> Talk about (or even mention) <S> your report's issues to anyone other than HR, a peer-manager, or your boss? <S> No.
| Don't get involved in other people's disciplinary matter unless it's your role to be. If you are supervising someone, just let others know what you want them to do when interacting with this person.
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I forgot to mention my travel plans during the interview. Is it appropriate to contact them when I'm waiting to hear back? I went to a job interview the beginning of last week and was told to wait patiently for a reply that would come probably during this week to know if I was accepted for round two. I haven't heard anything since. I was interviewed by the group manager, not HR. Starting next week I'll be travelling abroad for two weeks due to work, something that I forgot to mention during my interview. Would it be considered poor of me to write an email now and inform them about my travel plans (and at the same time ask when/if they have decided)? <Q> In 1 week I will be travelling abroad for 2 weeks due to work, something that I did not mention at my interview. <S> This is something you definitely do want to mention during an interview. <S> The fact that you didn't isn't great. <S> I wouldn't disqualify a candidate over it <S> but it's definitely a black mark on your application. <S> You'll want to make every effort to be professional and easily reachable from now on to mitigate concerns they may have over your attention to detail, planning and communication. <S> Would it be considered poor of me to write an email now and inform them about my travel plans (and at the same time ask when/if they have decided)? <S> Ordinarily you wouldn't reach out until a week after the deadline they gave you, which means end of next week. <S> In your case that's simply not an option <S> so I'd reach out early next week to let them know that you'll be out of the country. <S> (Edit: <S> so they have time to contact you.) <S> Be apologetic that you forgot to mention it and express interest in continuing the process. <S> Detail the ways in which they can still contact you, if any, which will depend on the nature of the travel. <S> Keep the focus on the fact that you'll be difficult to reach. <S> If they're like the majority of companies when it comes to hiring this won't be a huge obstacle. <S> But if they're in a rush to fill the position they may move on with other candidates so you should be prepared to be dropped from consideration. <S> Government positions in particular often consider this a deal-breaker as they're required to adhere to strict (i.e. nonsensical) interview policies. <A> As soon as you can: DO inform them that you'll be travelling abroad, and as appropriate, specifically convey the dates, and contact information to be used during your absence <S> should they need to set up your interview immediately thereafter. <S> DON'T ask about the second interview yet, or you may come off as being pushy. <S> If they've got a date pending already, it may be mentioned after you announce your travel plans, and maybe they'll set up another date right away. <S> Maybe they'll offer a date before you leave, but otherwise let it go for now. <S> It's probably appropriate to contact them just before you head back, if you haven't heard otherwise. <A> Would it be considered poor of me to write an email now and inform them about my travel plans (and at the same time ask when/if they have decided)? <S> You have been told to wait patiently. <S> While it wouldn't be terrible to inform them belatedly of your travel plans, asking about their decision would be going against what you were specifically asked to do. <S> Instead, wait patiently until the end of the week. <S> At that time, send them a note informing them how to contact you during your travels. <S> Don't ask about their decision. <S> If they want to inform you of a decision at that time, they will do so. <S> And next time, in a similar interview situation, be sure to mention your upcoming travel plans.
| You don't want to ask for an update unless you can do so tactfully as you want to avoid looking like you're hounding them. Since you clarified that your travel is already starting next week, it's better to reach out immediately
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Telling Clients To Give Up I have been doing side-contract work with someone for several years now. Our relationship is great. They are receptive, helpful, and absolutely committed to their project. However, I'm starting to realize that the project will fail. They have only received several hundred signups in the past 2+ years the project has been up. The execution and goal of the website has been interesting to say the least. Without going into details, they are wanting to add more features to the site. As nice as these features are, I don't think it will save the website. They have almost no revenue stream coming in from the project. I suspect these features will cost them up to five-figures to complete. Here's my question, I've always let them run their business the way they see fit, helping as much as I can to deliver the best product that they can afford. I have stayed away from suggestions on bigger questions like, "What is the primary feature of the website? What direction do we want to go in in the next six months?" With the gut instinct that this project will never get off the ground, should I tell them what I think? <Q> If you want to give useful input, document what you see as the remaining challenges to be overcome what you think would be the possible ways to address those challenges, and what you think the costs or each of these will be -- while pointing out that you may be completely incorrect -- and ask if they'd be interested/ willing to discuss with you how whether they agree and how they're going to tackle these. <S> They may be unwilling to be so, or unwilling except under a non-disclisure agreement, but at least this is an effort to help them make a real evaluation rather than to hit them with your own discouragement. <A> The answer depends on how receptive you think they will be. <S> If they are going to get pissed off because you rained on their parade and keep losing money but with someone else in your position, why bother? <S> On the other hand, if they have the same feeling that you have but can not bring themselves up to throwing the towel, maybe they at least be appreciative of your opinion, taking some of the burden off their shoulders. <A> I think that from your viewpoint, you're slowly watching things crumble. <S> Unless you're in a position to execute an entire turnaround, including managing needs that you can't supply yourself, leave things alone. <S> You'll become less interested over time as a result - this is normal. <S> You'll probably become more frustrated as well. <S> If it's dragging you down in morale, hand the client off. <S> Make a convenient excuse and pick up some work where you can be and feel more effective.
| "Give up" is never appreciated and rarely helpful unless it is completely impossible.
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Is it appropriate to ask after a depressed coworker? I've been working as a software developer at a fairly large company for about two years now. I noticed a while back one of my coworkers who I'll call X, suddenly started acting rather depressed; when I first met X, they were a happy, easy-going person, with a very magnetic personality, but over the past month or so X has become very quiet and seems really sad. I'm a bit concerned about X, but I don't want to come off as prying. Can I talk to X, maybe ask what's troubling them? And how can I go about it? Or is it none of my business and I should leave them alone? <Q> I'm a bit concerned about X, but I don't want to come off as prying. <S> Just say what you've said above, like: <S> I don't want to pry, but I've notice that you seem kinda down lately. <S> If you feel like talking, I'm happy to listen. <S> Another approach is to just be there. <S> Invite X to get lunch or a cup of coffee. <S> X might decline or accept but never get into their issue, which you should respect. <S> Either way, you've made a friendly gesture, and that's never inappropriate. <S> Saying let me know if you want to talk or let me know if I can help isn't always the best thing because it puts the burden on the other person to ask for help. <S> Making a friendly invitation or doing something nice is a way of removing that burden without intruding. <A> Nobody will object to "hey, how are you doing, if you need a sympathetic ear you know where to find me...." <S> But if they don't want to discuss it, don't push. <S> (If you knew them well enough to be an exception to that rule, you wouldn't be asking this question.) <A> Yes, absolutely. <S> The easiest way to do this is asking harmless questions ("How are you doing?","How was the weekend?") in a situation where you and him/her are undisturbed, but signaling with calm voice, body language, intent hearing with long deliberate pauses and maintaining eye contact that you are actually listening. <S> You are indicating that this is not chit-chat, but signalling subconsciously that you feel that something is off and that you actually care. <S> It is good if you know addresses of crisis centers beforehand. <S> If he/she is having currently a bad situation which they think they are able to handle, they will act likely a little abashed ("Uh, he recognized that I am in a bad mood") and giving positive, reassuring responses or, if it is not serious and like to vent off steam, they will tell the story ("Ah, it's all right. <S> But there is this carpenter..."). <S> It is not 100% safe, it is still possible that someone is having trouble and faking to be ok, but you cannot do anything about it. <S> If, on the other hand, there really is a problem, they will grow very quiet and will have trouble to maintain eye contact. <S> Don't say anything, retain distance and respect their boundaries (do not search for eye contact if not initiated), let them choose how to continue, even if nothing happens for minutes. <S> Even if they break up the talk, they will now know that youwill listen. <S> It is also possible that they will hastily stop the talk or act angry out of proportion (because they have not accepted themselves that they need help because their self-image does not allow to be "weak"). <S> Do not feel intimidated or embarassed, you simply cannot do anything about it. <S> Depression is very insidious because the most natural reaction, withdrawing, is the worst reaction becauses it starts a vicious cycle. <S> Suicide is one of the topmost killers in the world and almost always people will give out warning signals before something happens. <S> Simply listening can save lives. <A> It is usually best to stay out of colleagues personal problems beyond the shallowest interest unless they confide in you which I personally would discourage politely. <S> What I find appropriate is to focus on positive things about people and mention those. <S> But I do that whether they're depressed or not.
| You really have no idea what their problem is, or even if they have one, and some people would not appreciate someone prying. People will immediately recognize what you are doing without any words which could be criticized as prying. Superiors might become more involved if an individual is affecting general morale or something like that, or approaches them.
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How to make my boss not interrupt before finishing my point This question is relatively similar, but addressing the issue with senior colleagues. My case is with my boss who owns the company. For what it is worth, there is age gap between me and my boss (around 25 years gap). I report directly to him. The problem I am facing is whenever I try to make any suggestion, sometimes even just answering his question, he does not let me finish. He just cuts off with repeated 'no', and often irritated expression. I feel this is part of bigger communication issue. But I cannot seem to resolve it without getting him to listen openly to what I say. I must say, being interrupted irritates me, and leaves me feeling unheard, and unappreciated, no matter how more experienced he is, and what position he holds. It disturbs me for a while after every incident, and I lose concentration on work. I sincerely would like to resolve this problem, professionally, without damaging my career, or my relationship with him. How can I do that? <Q> There are people in the world who simply are disrespectful, impolite and not interested in anyone's opinion but their own. <S> There is not much one can do about that, except avoiding discussions with them. <S> But sometimes even polite people might cut off their conversation partner when they keep talking and talking without getting to the point. <S> So you might not want to rule out the possibility that the problem is also partially on your side <S> and you need to learn how to make your point in a more concise way. <S> But without knowing how you talk we can hardly coach you in this regard. <A> You have to decide if you have enough of a relationship with your boss where you can discuss this with him. <S> Not all people will pick-up non how irritating this is to you. <S> Are you using too much jargon? <S> Are you always pointing out very rare edge-cases that annoy him? <S> Should you approach him at different times of the day? <S> Would he prefer email responses? <S> You may find that he is irritated with something or someone that doesn't have anything to do with you. <S> The point is, if you want any hope of fixing this situation, you're going to have to talk to him about it. <S> Emphasis your goal is to be productive and effective in a way that works for your boss. <S> If he thinks his yelling is not that bad or for some reason you should just take it, moving on or just saying as little as possible may be your only options. <A> When you have something important to share, prefix the conversation with "I've noticed that in speaking with you prior that you often cut me off. <S> It's important that I feel you're really hearing what I say. <S> Can I ask, before I start, that you not interrupt?" <S> No reasonable person is going to say "no". <S> If you get anything other than "no" --- ouch. <S> But presuming you get a "no" (on interrupting) <S> and you still get the same behavior, gently remind him of what he promised to do before you start speaking again. <S> Some people just aren't that aware. <A> So you can't change people, but you can change your own behaviour which will trigger a change in the other party. <S> Communicating how you feel is the best approach, but I would be very cautious to do so in a professional context. <S> Not all people are "mature" enough to receive feedback and reflect upon it. <S> Thus, in this case I would recommend a behavioural solutions from your side. <S> First, observe yourself in the next f2f meeting when your boss interrupts you again: what words were you using, are you criticising some of your boss' decisions, views? <S> Are you pointing out mistakes, things that were done wrong? <S> When you get interrupted, does your boss continues the same thought or disagrees. <S> What is the general emotion in the conversation, is he: angry, anxious, insecure, annoyed, etc. <S> Analyse what could trigger the reaction and change it. <S> For example, maybe your boss wants short answers ( <S> even if you have a lot to say) - try that out then. <S> Maybe you're pointing out his mistakes - his ego might not take it. <S> Maybe you pose to him questions that require immediate decisions and he would like to think about it, but doesn't want to look insecure in front of an employee.
| I would tell him that his negative reactions have made me not want to make any suggestions. Get some feedback on what you tend to do wrong in his mind. Then before you come into the meeting - send him a short agenda via email, a few bullet points what ae you going to talk about, so that he/she's prepared.
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How to formulate a counter-offer after finding an ad for the same job with a much higher salary range than proposed? During an interview, I was asked what salary range I would expect. I indicated a range between X - 5 k$ and X + 5 k$. The interview turned out to be very positive, both from the company's point of view and from mine. I then received an offer for the position at X k$. After getting the description of the full package, I realized that this offer was OK but not great, even though the base salary is in the range I indicated initially. Then, I was surprised to find an online advertisement for the job I was applying for, which indicated a salary range between X+25% and X+70% ! I am not sure how to interpret this situation, but I feel like I cannot accept the initial offer anymore. I want to make a counter-offer to around X+25%, even if that means them refusing and me not getting the job. Still, I would like to handle the situation as tactfully as possible. Should I directly reply with a counter offer to the new figure (which seems like a steep increase..) ? Or should I candidely expose the situation and ask why the advertised salary range is so much higher than the offer? Should I mention the online advertisement at all in my reply ? <Q> After getting the description of the full package, I realized that this offer was OK but not great, even though the base salary is in the range I indicated initially. <S> You can then mention that you'd be willing to compromise on those aspects in exchange for a higher base salary — and that may be the end result, because hiring managers often have much more flexibility to affect base salary than other aspects of a package — but you don't need to focus on the fact that this implies a higher base salary than you'd originally asked for. <A> I think you might kind of be screwed on this one. <S> Once you give a number you're establishing a base line for negotiation. <S> It would be somewhat.... <S> uncouth to come back after giving a base line and ask for X + 70%. <S> They might outright rescind the offer entirely. <S> I mean, it's kind of a life lesson here. <S> Always always always know the appropriate salary range for the job that you're applying before. <S> If someone asks you what you want in terms of compensation, it's always better to ask if you can get back to them than to super lowball yourself. <S> Keep in mind that it's in the company's best interest to spend as little money on you as possible, so if you're going to ask for less, that's what you're going to get. <S> The only other thing that I could think of is if you could somehow get a competitive offer from another company in the salary range of the ad that you saw. <S> You might be able to leverage one offer against the other in that way, but I don't know if you could get that done within an appropriate time frame to accept the offer or negotiate. <S> tl;dr - 1. <S> If you come back asking for 70% more, it's a bad look. <S> A good rule of thumb is that when setting aside budget for a job, a company will provision for being able to pay 20% more than what is initially offered. <S> Here they were obviously planning for more than that, but if you come back asking for that much more they're probably going to have some serious sticker shock.2. <S> Don't mention the ad. <A> You messed up, so fix it. <S> Tell them about the online and say you want that salary range. <S> If you're not worried about them rescinding the offer, then you have nothing to lose. <S> Your start off salary sets the tone for your whole time at a company. <S> "I just saw this job advertised online for $xxx to $yyy (link) <S> I would be willing to accept an offer within this range. <S> " Then move forwards from the reply. <A> You need to be open and honest about your benefits expectations. <S> Are they lower than what you have now or what you assumed were industry standard? <S> Were you expecting more potential for a bonus? <S> Everything is negotiable. <S> If they insist that you stick to your initial salary range, then ask them to increase the benefits to fit what you want. <S> You may think you're working for a company in a particular industry that is known for good benefits packages only to find out you're working for some contractor that does not. <S> In the future, preface your salary expectations based on acceptable benefits and job expectations.
| One option is, in your counteroffer, to focus on the aspects of the full package that would make you OK with this base salary — the things that you were, apparently, initially expecting.
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How concerned about expensing the business should I be? I've just started a new job, and as part of setting up my workstation I requested a new, larger mouse - as I've had experience with hand cramps with the standard small mouses that are everywhere. We looked at the existing spare mice, and there were none suitable there - so my manager asked me to find the mouse that I want and send it to him. I've done so - but the mouse is the upper end of the price range for computer mice ($100+ - local currency - not the US) - the Logitech MX series. It's not like I've gone out and looked for the most expensive mouse - I've had experience with the brand and I know that these work for me. That said, I'm sure I could shop around more and find a cheaper mouse, saving say $50. It all seems a bit absurd worrying about what's less than a day's pay difference - but I'm primarily concerned about the impression I might make - as a prima dona. <Q> If this rodent is really that much better (I hate mice and use a trackball instead), tell your manager why and let him decide it he can justify the cost. <S> In my own company, it isn't hard to justify reasonable investments in ergonomics; they don't want emoloyees slowed down by RSI. <A> I'm primarily concerned about the impression I might make - as a prima dona. <S> Being marked as a prima donna has much more to do with attitude than making requests, especially if those requests are entirely reasonable or common. <S> You can even make uncommon requests as long as you word it well and make sure it's a request not a demand. <S> When requesting stuff at work, the key point is to simply ask for something while outlining the costs and benefits and not appearing entitled . <S> The way you do the latter is by making it clear that you won't throw a fit if the answer is no, <S> whether by explicitly saying so (" If it isn't possible I'll bring my own in. <S> ") <S> or by outlining alternatives (" I could also use X but it would be less convenient "). <S> Beyond that, strategies for making equipment requests can be found here: <S> How do I request new equipment for the office? <A> 100 Bucks is complete chump change when avoiding RSI for someone, so your manager will most likely have no problem with that. <S> You brought the best argument for that yourself: You're a presumably nicely paid employee, and the employer wants to get the most out of the time they're paying you for, <S> so 100 bucks for a mouse that will help you do that and additionally help you avoid RSI (which can be costly for the employer due to mandatory slowdown in the healing period and even potential absence) is well worth it in terms of a business expense. <S> But thats up to you. <S> Like you said, thats less then a day's pay, so its not that big of a deal in any case.
| If your employer has a history of quibbling over very minor expenses like this, it may be worth it for your standing in the company and for your own sanity to just pay it yourself and not expense it.
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Under new management - how should I deal with my new boss? We work in a small environment, (2 offices, no more than 10 employees). Our old boss was recently promoted, and a new guy has been brought in to replace him. I am asking on behalf of my female coworker. Her position is the Document Controller, and she has quite a bit of responsibility in the workplace; talking to clients in regards to job requirements, keeping them informed of job progress, transmittals, and (of course) document management. Under the old boss, she often argued (constructively - there wasn't any hatred between them) with him, discussing different options about workflow etc. He didn't always agree with her, and would often go his own way anyway, but he always listened to her opinions. He was also a very strong believer in the "team dynamic"; where she played the "discipline" role, making sure that everyone else had done their jobs right, making sure that everything flowed as it should, following the workflows etc. Now, under the new boss, she seems to be little more than the errand girl. The new boss often asks her to do things, and she would voice her opinion (as she did with our old boss), and he would go over her head (that is, ask someone else - his manager, or someone else in charge of a job) to get confirmation. He would ask her to do things, and expect it to be done, no please's or thankyou's, regardless of her concerns. She has also had some sensitive health issues, and was forced to confront him about it, regardless of the fact that those issues were very private, just so that she could avoid getting herself into situations that would put her at further risk. She has recently voiced her opinion (rather unexpectedly) to me about wanting to quit because of it, even though she says that she loves her job. As she is the only female employee that he deals with on a regular basis, we aren't entirely sure if this is just his lack of understanding about her responsibilities, or if there are other issues. How should we approach this, in an attempt to make everyone understand the situation? <Q> How should we approach this? <S> First off, you should stay out of it, it's not your business. <S> There's no "we" here. <S> She should ask her boss to explain what he needs out of her in her role. <S> She could explain in detail what she used to do, hoping that the new boss just didn't realize what she was capable of. <S> But in the end, her boss will decide what her role is to be. <S> And if that doesn't fit with what she wants to do, she should find a new job first before quitting. <S> With a new boss, often there comes new expectations, and shifting roles - particularly in a small office. <S> Nobody is guaranteed that what they used to do will be what they are expected to do forever. <S> If the new environment no longer fits her needs, then she needs to decide if she wants to adjust to the new role or not. <S> And if not, she may need to move on to a new job. <A> Any time you think about quitting give it 90 days. <S> In the first 30 cool off and comply <S> For the second 30 decide what you can live with and communicate that toyour boss Don't present it as a demand - but this is what I would like Polish your resume and send out feelers <S> For the last 30 decide if your boss is willing to comply <A> It seems you firmly believe of the value she add to the team. <S> Your implicit belief in treating everyone fairly and well speaks highly of you. <S> you believe in fairness, and an environment of open communication. <S> Be the change you want to see . <S> The boss may not seem to believe in her abilities and also seems to have a different management style. <S> As you are underneath him, your options are limited. <S> In the long term, a manager that does not respect or listen to the team is ultimately bound to fail. <S> Try to have a private conversation with this coworker and simply reflect back what she says: That she wants to quit due to lack of open communication <S> She feels she is not as respected / treated well as before. <S> You still believe in her ability and her importance to the team Talk to her new manager about what she sees and how the changes are affecting her. <S> Even if others are behaving less than desired, you can still hold yourself to higher standards.
| Talk with your friend, but don't inject yourself into the issue. She should have a discussion with her new boss. Continue doing what you have been doing and show the rest of your team
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How to systematically work towards gaining and retaining credibility as a to-be team lead? I have been at a company for a little over 2 years now. I am still not quite confident in terms of the processes followed by the company in different situations. I know what our team specifically does, but not outside of my own team. My manager has confirmed with me that we should move towards setting goals towards a team lead role now. And is very serious about it. However I do have my doubts if I will turn out to be a good team lead or not. I am excited about the opportunity and my managers support really does make me feel encouraged, but sometimes I think what if I cant live up to other peoples expectations of what a team lead should be, what qualities he should imbibe? What if I cant pull it off? Should I share these insecurities with my manager? And how do I deal with systematically working towards building a good credibility that the team will appreciate once I am on board as team lead? <Q> Have a firm grasp of your domain and processes <S> Put the needs of the team ahead of yours <S> Be a problem solver <S> Make decisions in a timely manner <S> Allow everyone to express their thoughts <S> There are many other aspects to being an effective leader, but I find the above to be the most important. <A> It sounds like your manager is working with you on this. <S> That's good. <S> You won't have to figure this out on your own. <S> Your best tools are introspection and openness to learning . <S> You have doubts; that's normal. <S> Spend some time thinking about what specifically you have doubts about. <S> It sounds like you might have some doubts abut processes beyond your own immediate group, or how your group interacts with others. <S> While you can approach your boss with something vague like "I'd like to do that; what do you think I need to learn better first? <S> ", it would be better if you showed that you've put some thought into it too. <S> Compare that (from your boss's point of view) with something like the following: <S> I'm glad that we're moving toward a team-lead role for me. <S> I've read the job description <S> and I think I'm doing ok on A and B, but it sounds like I need to do more C and D. <S> What do you think? <S> What else should I be working on now in order to get ready for this role? <S> Your boss has mentioned setting some goals, so you already have context for this conversation. <A> Use your manager as a resource. <S> As part of the goal setting see what he thinks you do well <S> and what areas you need work. <S> Get feedback on current policies and ask why certain decisions were made. <S> The goal is for your learning, so don't give the impression you question what has been done. <S> Work through some alternatives to learn why they may not have been the best choice. <S> Depending on how your company/team operates, you may have to do some unpleasant things: <S> Discipline people or even fire them. <S> Some people just can't do it. <S> Be the tie-breaker in technical decisions. <S> Only one side will like your choice. <S> You'll really find out who your friends are in these situations. <S> Bring bad news to the team and possibly have to support those decisions even if you don't like them either. <S> Can't have team leaders going around questioning the company. <S> Team leads don't get to vent in front of everyone as much. <S> Take responsibility for other people's failures. <S> It's your job to make sure others do theirs. <S> This can be frustrating for some people. <S> You've never been a team lead, so these feelings are normal especially if you don't know what the job requires. <A> Just know everything about the system. <S> The best team leads and managers are just the people who know everything. <S> Certainly the best team leads <S> I've worked with just knew everything. <S> I think this is an oft understated quality <S> and it's certainly the one you should be striving for.
| To build good credibility: First earn the team's respect as one of their peers Be consistent in how you approach problems and treat your peers Be confident that you are able to learn new things and are sincere in wanting to do a good job.
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Is it okay to record meetings? I want to record our meetings, especially discussions about projects, because I often miss some important details they tell me and my writing cannot catch-up. However, I don't feel like I need to tell them as they may feel it's an invasion of privacy. I have no malicious intent whatsoever, just really so that I can review the project details / comments and not miss out any. <Q> "However, I don't feel like I need to tell them as they may feel it's an invasion of privacy" <S> That right there is a big reason not to do this. <S> You already feel that some people wouldn't want it done, and your immediate reaction is to simply not tell them rather than take their concerns on board. <S> Another consideration to take on board <S> Similarly, US law differs state to state - some states are "one-party", and some states are "all-party" (and Massachusetts bans secret recordings outright), so you may be breaking the law by recording without consent. <A> Never ever do things this like this in secret. <S> It will come out sooner or later and will be looked upon badly, to the point where you may be fired. <S> As Alexander commented under your question: It is the responsibility of the person managing the meeting to make sure you understood everything that was discussed. <S> It should also be their responsibility to produce a documentation of all important points of the discussion <S> Go to your manager or to the person managing the meeting and discuss the issue with him. <S> Not as a complaint, but ask him for guidance, so that you can work this out together. <S> In that conversation you could even bring up the suggestion of recording. <S> * <S> In addition, one thing surprises me: if you are supposed to take notes (either for yourself or for others), why don't you just say things like: <S> Sorry, can you repeat that. <S> Did you mean X? <S> So, to make it clear for me, did you mean we have to Y? <S> etc <S> That would be taking responsibility instead of complaining afterwards. <S> Also, from experience, what really helps: <S> go over your notes again (or work them out better) directly after the meeting (first thing) . <S> At that moment things are still fresh in your head, and you may even be able to contact a meeting attendee for clarification (it is still fresh in their head as well). <S> * You have to take away the fear that the recording can be used to hold people to their words <S> three weeks later - nobody likes that. <A> However, I don't feel like I need to tell them as they may feel it's an invasion of privacy. <S> You are wrong! <S> You do need to tell them, particularly if they would feel that it's an invasion of their privacy. <S> It's simply the right thing to do. <S> I have no malicious intent whatsoever, just really so that I can review the project details / comments and not miss out any. <S> Then explain this to them - that you have no malicious intent and you just want to avoid missing out on important details. <S> They may consent. <S> Or they may decide to have someone take notes for the group during meetings and distribute them afterwards - resolving your details problem. <S> Many companies appoint a "scribe" for important meetings, sometimes on a rotating basis. <S> Either way, go along with their decision. <A> Recording without the permission of others is not only unethical, but in many places illegal. <S> If you "DO" record meetings, the recorder should be in plain sight, and you will need to remind people that they are being recorded. <S> If someone says something potentially embarrassing, offer to delete immediately. <S> The recording should then be transcribed and destroyed ASAP.
| that it may simply not be legal in some jurisdictions - under UK law, you can record a private conversation without the consent of all parties, but you break the law if you play that recording back to another party without consent from all the recorded parties. If you decide to do so, the recording device should be clearly visible and switched on/off to all participants, you would have to make clear to everyone what the purpose of the recording is, and you should also destroy it a.s.a.p.
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I'm a consistently underutilized developer - is this normal? I'm relatively new to the software industry. I've worked about 1 year at the government as a programmer and about 3 months at a small eCommerce company. Both companies are fairly small and the development team consists of a (non-technical) manager, senior dev, and junior dev (me). In both of these positions, I always find myself out of work to do. Most of the time I'm waiting for clarification/information/files and find myself with nothing to do until then. I always fix small bug fixes on time and send emails upon finishing, asking what's next. I'm waiting on another developer's dependency so that I can work on my part of the project. I've finished a project and am waiting for my next task. Sometimes I'll be out of work for a couple hours, sometimes I'll be out of work for days. During this time, I'll run tests, clean up code, read documentation, and add small quality-of-life features to applications. My question is: Is this normal for developers? Should I just implement a feature without asking for clarification and then present my results? Should I present a project or a feature that I could work on? What should I do during my downtime? I find it difficult to get through the day when there's nothing on my plate. <Q> In short: yes, especially for junior team members of small teams (and especially small development teams embedded in large companies). <S> It's easy for you to slip between the cracks because your senior co-worker is (hopefully) outproducing you by a large amount. <S> As you grow in experience (both total and with the company's systems) <S> this gap should fade away. <S> I recommend using this time to make yourself more familiar with the environment. <S> Minor bug fixes are a great way to build familiarity with a code base. <S> As is documentation, writing tests, and other assorted maintenance. <A> Having been in a similar situation - here's what I suggest. <S> The most important thing - in my opinion - is that you don't sit around twiddling your thumbs. <S> This can lead to depression on your part, and developing bad workplace habits. <S> Instead - you need to find some way of maintaining engagement. <S> Perhaps your company is using an outdated technology - <S> you couldstart investigating and learning a technology to replace it. <S> Are some aspects of your job repetitive? <S> Create a tool to automateit. <S> Is there some feature that you think your business will benefit from? <S> By all means create it - but don't commit it to the code base. <S> See if it's valued by saying 'Oh btw, here's this tool I created.' <S> What do you want to be doing with your career? <S> Learn that technology. <S> You can always jump on Stack Exchange and answer questions / code review questions. <S> Now - you might feel bad for doing work that you haven't been specifically told to do. <S> To alleviate this tension, I would suggest just talking directly to your manager - 'Hey boss - I'm currently waiting around on work <S> - I was thinking I would do XYZ while I wait <S> - is that cool with you?'. <S> So long as you are getting the work done that you need to do, and your manager is reasonable - this should be perfectly fine. <A> Should I just implement a feature without asking for clarification and then present my results? <S> That's the only thing I object to on your questions. <S> Don't do anything you are not authorized to. <S> What if a bug in your feature messes up something? <S> Add your features on your local environment at best. <S> As your original question, value this spare time by learning a new technology which is also useful for your current project. <S> Don't ever look bored or completely free, because this will annoy your coworkers and managers, even though they are the ones who are keeping you free or not.
| What I suggest is looking for projects you can work on that are related to your work. You need to realize that as a junior developer with little familiarity with the code-base; you represent a tiny portion of the development team's capacity.
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How should I ask for a pay adjustment? I just received my performance evaluation for this year. I was promoted and my performance was highly rated so my pay increase is nearly 10 percent. I happen to work in HR and know that even after this increase I will be among the lowest paid who do the same thing as me with the same level of experience (based on the job, title, and amount of time in the job). This disparity is significant; the average pay for what I do is nearly 50% more than my salary after this raise. Earlier this year I was moved into this role since it more closely matched the skill set and duties of what I'm doing (more technical and challenging work). However I was not given an adjustment at that time even though my current role is more valuable in the marketplace (based on what my company pays for this type of work) than my last one was. I'm really struggling with how to approach this conversation without coming off as ungrateful or arrogant since my raise percentage is so high. But at the same time it seems like there needs to be some sort of adjustment based on the technical requirements of the job and the market worth of my skill set. So my question (and a follow up): how do I navigate this conversation professionally? Maybe I shouldn't have the conversation at all. The kicker, and what makes my situation unique, is that I work with my company's HR data. The company I work for is quite large, so there's a good sized pool (read ~50) of employees with the same level of experience, the same title, the same work location, and the same type of work as me. I don't have to speculate at what my company's pay ranges are or what people in my position make annually; I have data that tells me these things. So if I do have the conversation, is it wise to use my knowledge of internal numbers (e.g. averages, pay ranges/%s, etc.) to my advantage, or would that be considered unprofessional? <Q> A lot of organisations have a rigid remuneration structure - eg. <S> a maximum percentage increase, and once yearly pay reviews. <S> It might be possible to get around this with the right management sign off - and they could offer and interim pay review, or an above max pay increase. <S> The other, much more practical way of getting larger increase, is to get a new job position. <S> Either a promotion, or a lateral move in the organisation, or a position at another organisation. <S> Taking a new position allows you to negotiate your salary from scratch. <A> Comparing your salary to your colleagues' will make you look bitter. <S> Doing some research on what you could earn for a similar job elsewhere will give you a much nicer-sounding argument. <S> Hey Manager. <S> I feel like I'm being underpaid. <S> I feel like I've moved into this technical and challenging role but feel like I'm still being paid for the last one. <S> I've been doing some research, and it looks like other companies are paying in the range of x-y for similar roles. <S> How much does being underpaid bother you? <S> Enough to go hunting for a new employer who'll pay you that much for doing the same job? <S> If so, then feel free to tell them that you're considering it. <S> However, I wouldn't advise actually applying for other jobs until you've failed to get the raise you want - once you've actually applied elsewhere <S> it's hard to stay at a job; every little annoyance causes you to think "It wouldn't be this bad if I'd taken that other job." <A> This is purely anecdotal, but I have had nearly exactly the same issue. <S> Approaching it from a detached, factual standpoint can help the discussions around this. <S> Produce a document listing all the responsibilities you do Take particular note of responsibilities above and beyond your job spec Supply links to relevant sites that show market rates for your role, show how these relate to your salary <S> Don't use your employees salaries as a bargaining chip. <S> Bring this to a meeting with your manager, indicate you are disappointed with the payrise, and discuss with them the documentation you have provided. <S> In particular, you need to provide provable documentation that clearly demonstrates to your management that your value meets (or exceeds) current market rates. <S> Be prepared to have to fight your corner. <S> But do it in a calm manner: getting angry over the situation is likely to just make your manager stop listening to your points. <S> Additionally, be prepared for an agreement to raise your salary that does not result in an immediate raise. <S> Management often have budgets for raises, and they may need time to get to a point where their budget allows the increase. <S> And finally, if you are unhappy with the result, you can always start looking elsewhere for an equivalent job at a more suitable level.
| The discussion should center around your worth, within the company, and within the wider market.
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What can I do to motivate my colleagues when I'm not a manager? I feel I am a very motivated and proactive person. I don't need too much of a push to get things done. My colleagues in my team are very different and I don't feel they're proactive or try to produce exceptional work. They're all very capable and it would be good if we all pushed each other to raise standards. Their line manager isn't really interested in managing them and so isn't doing anything to get the best out of them. He is also unaware of work loads and doesn't monitor deadlines. Team members have told me that they get away without not doing much. What can i do do to get the best out of my colleagues in this situation, especially considering I don't manage any of them? I don't feel this is a duplicate of the linked question as i'm trying to get more out of my colleagues from my non management position as I feel the manager is not doing their job. I'm not trying to bring their lack of output to the attention of management. <Q> What can i do do to get the best out of my colleagues in this situation, especially considering I don't manage any of them? <S> You really can't. <S> It's not your role to "get the best out of [your] colleagues". <S> Stay very motivated and proactive. <S> Continue to get things done without requiring a push. <S> Maybe some of that will rub off on others. <S> Or maybe when you are rewarded for your efforts others will start to take notice and change their behavior. <S> And next time a management position opens, go for it. <S> Then you can motivate your team more directly, and perhaps be in a position to change the culture around you. <S> It then becomes your role to get the best out of your team, and to be judged on their results. <A> There are only two ways to motivate the team; Stay motivated and proactive yourself. <S> In your current position you can't dictate anything, so you need to lead by example only. <S> Become the manager. <S> Then you can track, motivate and fire as you see fit. <S> I strongly recommend the first option initially. <A> Yes, you can do something to improve the situation. <S> It's called leadership without rank. <S> First, find out why motivation is low in your team. <S> Was is always like that? <S> If not, what has changed? <S> Is the work dull, or too hard? <S> Are your colleagues challenged? <S> Do they believe their work is meaningful? <S> Are they provided what they need to do good work? <S> Generally, people want to perform because it makes them feel better. <S> They don't need incentives if the work environment allows them to be successful and have fun. <S> You cannot "motivate" people by threatening to fire them <S> and you cannot "fix" people. <S> In any role though, you can help to improve the work environment <S> so it's more motivating. <S> If anything is missing to do the work properly, it's frustrating. <S> Try to fix that by requesting stuff that does work properly. <S> You can find out which kind of work your colleagues love or despise. <S> Someone hates crunching numbers, another one loves it. <S> One coworker is really good at creating documentation, another one hates it. <S> Of course it depends on the area you work in, but you will find this basically anywhere. <S> Offer help, or ask the presentation lover to do the presentation for the hater. <S> Talk with them, listen. <S> What bothers them? <S> Lack of motivation and poor performance can come from personal issues, stress at home, pressure somewhere else. <S> Talking to someone who cares already helps, and maybe you can actually offer advice. <S> At least, you might get a better understanding why someone performs poorly. <S> You could be more efficient with more power, but do what you can with the little you have. <S> It's also good practice for you if you aspire a leadership role. <S> Leading without title is a challenge, but a title will not help you if you cannot lead. <S> (don't fake it, they'll know), then you can ask them to do things and they will follow. <S> I wish you success. <A> Summon the hounds! <S> I'm kidding, obviously. <S> Sometimes, even managers can't come up with incentives at all, especially in a company culture that tends to demotivate the workers. <S> You could give out gifts, and sing kum-bye-yah by the fireside, but some people only respond under threat to their livelihood. <S> You sound like an achiever in a group of low performers. <S> If there is no higher company standard for performance, then you may be wasting your breath on the lay-people and might be more effective in showing management (including those above your boss) where the payoff is. <S> In the meantime, don't let this totally frustrate you. <S> Make sure you're encountering successes - in whatever form you prefer - outside of work. <S> That way, it won't sting as much.
| You don't need to be a manager to positively influence the people around you. That said, you can lead by example. It's best if people respect you and know you really care for them Sure, you can force people to do specific things, but that never leads to excellent performance.
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Changing jobs after only 2 months I have been working as an engineer for about 8 years now professionally. My first job out of college lasted about 6 years and my second ran about 2 and a half. I've left both on good terms. The job that I just took was with someone I thought I knew to be good to work with (he founded his own company) and wanted me to join him as his right hand man. However, it's become clear in the two months I've been here this isn't going to work out; he seems to expect things that I can't do this early on and seems very upset with me. Except for this one mistake I have a good track record, though I do feel like going back to my last job is going to be strange and uncomfortable (people will ask: why are you back?) My question is, when I talk to head hunters and new companies, should I even mention this position? I made the mistake of updating my LinkedIn with this already, so most people already in my network have seen. Is honesty the best policy here or should I go back and pull down my profile? If I should tell them, how do you phrase it to them in a way that says that I took a career risk that didn't work out? <Q> I suspect your question may get marked as a duplicate since there are many questions at Workplace from people with concerns about short stints at jobs. <S> But the fact that it is asked so often is a sign <S> it's a real issue people deal with, so <S> I'm sure it's something that recruiters likewise have seen and should understand exists. <S> I think in your case honesty is the best policy. <S> As many of the good comments suggested, there is nothing wrong with saying you took a shot on an opportunity that didn't work out, especially since you can back up your reliability with two prior long term jobs. <S> By the way, I think it's good <S> you've learned an important lesson relatively early. <S> Social relationships and working relationships don't always intersect. <S> I had a situation like yours once too, where I went to work for a guy that I got along with socially <S> but once I got there he turned out to be a different person. <S> I stuck it out for a year before moving on, but there is no right or wrong answer on how long you should stay. <S> Sometimes if you're going to leave anyway, sooner is better. <A> My question is, when I talk to head hunters and new companies, should I even mention this position? <S> Is honesty the best policy here or should I go back and pull down my profile? <S> If I should tell them, how do you phrase it to them in a way that says that I took a career risk that didn't work out? <S> Yes. <S> And honesty spares you the embarrassment of having to explain why you were dishonest, should you be found out. <S> You aren't required to include all of your jobs on your resume, but omitting it means that you either have a gap in your resume, or you are intentionally misleading a potential employer about the job before your current job. <S> Both of these would be awkward to explain should you be questioned. <S> You have explained your desire to leave in your question. <S> Saying "it's become clear in the two months I've been here <S> this isn't going to work out; he seems to expect things that I can't do this early on and seems very upset with me" is powerful, and certainly something that can be understood by recruiters and hiring managers. <S> This is particularly true given that your background doesn't show a long list of short-term jobs. <S> Be honest about it. <S> Interviewers will appreciate your honesty and your ability to intelligently reflect on a gig that didn't go as planned (something that eventually happens to all of us). <S> Your integrity and reputation will be intact. <S> And you'll sleep better at night. <A> Usually, if there is just one occurence like that in your resume, recruiters will understand. <S> With 2 years-long employments before, it's something that can be easily sold in interview. <S> It's a one-shot gun, though. <S> Accumulate several of those, and your resume will become to smell "instability". <S> But the first one should be sellable as an accident to most recruiters. <S> Some commenters have provided excellent ways to sell this one-time-incident-that-won't-happen-again. <A> Always have an explanation for why you left your last position. <S> Never leave a gap in your resume--it can be interpreted as: in jail/prison (maybe that 2 months was a DUI sentence?) <S> unemployable lazy / unmotivated out-of-date skills unexpectedly fired from last position <S> You are now correcting that. <S> Avoid explanations like "crazy hours" and "too much work" because hiring managers / HR folks will assume that will apply to their positions as well.
| It sounds like you partnered with someone who you had reason to believe would found a great company, and then you quickly realized you were wrong. Honesty is virtually always the best policy.
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Shall I remove skills I no longer use from resume? Shall I remove the skill set I have not used for years? While studying, I had worked on various tools and took different kind of training/workshops. But in my professional career I have not used many of them. For examples, my Languages are "Python, Java, Snort rules description language, C, C++, SQL, Assembly, Verilog, MATLAB" But I have not used "C, C++, Assembly, Verilog, MATLAB" ever since after university. I took game development workshop, just to see if it interests me or not, but I never choose that path. Also, there are many tools I worked on in university like "Pspice, Xilinx, LVDAM-ANT, HFSS, ADS" etc which have absolutely nothing to do with my current career, and my future plans. I guess, removing them does make sense but it does not feel right to just scrap past experience out of resume. Should professionals, engineers and researchers specifically, remove such skills from their resume or is it okay to keep them? PS: I graduated as an engineer but my professional work is all related to research, and in somewhat different field at that. <Q> Resumes are all about relevance. <S> Relevance to what you do, but more importantly what you want to do. <S> If you have experience with MATLAB from university and are applying to a position where that experience is relevant, include it. <S> If you hated MATLAB and have no desire to ever see it again, remove it from your resume! <S> When you're a new grad, you generally cast a wide net and include all of the skills you have. <S> As you gain more specialization and/or a better idea for where your career is going, you should definitely remove skills that don't contribute to your career goals. <A> Listing things that you used for a couple of months as part of a class and things that aren't relevant to the jobs you are applying for will do far more harm than good. <S> If you have a giant list of tools that mixes together the relevant and the irrelevant, it's going to be much harder for someone reviewing your resume to figure out which of the relevant skills you have. <S> A "kitchen sink" approach that lists everything you ever touched also makes it difficult to figure out which tools you used once as part of a class years ago <S> and which you have extensive experience with. <S> If you list a skill, you should be prepared to answer questions about it in an interview. <S> Beyond that, if you list random technologies on your resume, you're likely to spend the rest of your life fielding inquiries from recruiters about jobs using that skill. <S> They're going to do a keyword search for some random obscure framework, your resume is going to come up, and they're not going to dig a lot deeper. <S> Keeping the set of skills you show reasonably narrow <S> at least keeps the spam relatively well targeted. <S> All that said, if you are describing a prior position, include the technologies in the description even if those technologies aren't particularly relevant to you today. <S> If two or three jobs ago you were writing a bunch of code in Foo, mention that in your resume. <S> But if Foo is no longer relevant to jobs you'd want to have, leave it off your skills section. <A> Recruiters will bug you into antiquity for stuff on that resume that you don't use any more. <S> Be selective about continuing to advertise the stuff that you have no intention of ever using again, unless you're just interested in showing breadth-of-experience.
| In general, you should be listing skills that are relevant to the jobs that you're applying for and that you're happy to answer questions about in an interview. If you list things that you aren't reasonably experienced with, that's going to lead people to ask lots of "tell me about your experience with X" where your answer is going to be a disappointment.
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How do I build a portfolio? After graduating, I started self-teaching myself SQL using Codecademy and books. I've listed this on my resume in a way that implies I'm not very experienced with the language but am familiar with it. I'd like a way to show employers my SQL skills more directly. Standard advice to show employers your skills is to create projects or portfolios. Here's where my problem lies: I have no idea what the format is for these. Considering that I'm dealing SQL, I can't just build a website or app to show what I know. I'm assuming that projects in a portfolio involve more than just a document of plain code. Or is that all there is to it? <Q> You can show a couple of demos, maybe a test suite for some back-end feature, or another project that makes use of SQL. <S> This doesn't have to have a particular goal, but should have a "narrative" about what you're trying to do or show. <S> Anyone can cut-and-paste code from elsewhere, so you need to show that you have a logical progression of ideas, and therefore couldn't have done that. <S> Both are free for this use case. <S> It will only cost you time. <A> In the past I have had job applications where they wanted to see SQL Code. <S> What they want to see is how you can utilize the data in the database. <S> The Microsoft sample databases are a great tool for this. <S> Start out and create a business question based on the sample database. <S> "How many of X or Y were sold on such and such a date to which buyers. <S> " <S> Follow that up with the SQL code for how you would determine the answer to the business question. <S> Get creative, think of the most complex questions or caculations that could be made of the data in the sample database, and write SQL to answer it. <A> I think in expounding on technical subjects where there's no front-end, you need to show: Problem domain Business rules <S> Technical approach (EXACTLY how the implementation should work and why it's a good one. <S> Enumerate some possible alternatives and explain why you didn't use them.) <S> Solution <S> If you can cover the first three, the last is less relevant.
| You can create a project on github or bitbucket, and use SQL in that project.
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Told boss about racist remarks coworker made, but they don't want HR involved. What do I do? I have a coworker who seems to make it a point to discuss religion/politics/everything most would deem unacceptable during work hours. The other day, he interrupted a conversation between myself and one of our managers to start a race conversation that I tried to cut off several times. He eventually made a very offensive remark about a particular minority group (We are both people of color, I am a part of the group he referred to, he is not), ending with a comment directed at me. My manager reported it to another manager who then asked me about it. The coworker told the manager that he would apologize... and that didn't happen. This coworker has been to HR several times for his rude comments. When I mentioned going to HR, that manager said that they wanted to keep this incident "in the department" (He said he would prefer I didn't go to HR). I'm not really sure what to do. I don't want him to get away with this but I don't want to cause any trouble. Should I go to HR anyway? Update:My manager informed HR of the situation and let them know that we would have a meeting to give this person an opportunity to apologize. Well the meeting went horribly. This person didn't seem to care that the Manager was in the room. They screamed, lied about details (that the other manager and I confirmed) and said that he stood by the offensive comment he made before storming out. Even my Manager said, "it may have been better to have HR here." I left work for a little while to calm down, but as soon as I went back, I went straight to HR. <Q> From your point of view, this seems to be a clear case of harassment. <S> You don't mention the country - in many countries this would be a huge problem for the harasser, and it could become a problem for the company if it doesn't act to solve the problem. <S> I can understand that a manager wants to keep this quiet. <S> Doesn't mean they are right, but I can understand it. <S> He doesn't want to lose an employee, and he probably wishes it would never have happened. <S> It's a bit cowardly, but I can understand it. <S> Your goal should be to stop the harassment while keeping the best possible standing in the company for yourself and the best possible relationship with that manager. <S> I would suggest that you go to the manager who wants to keep it quiet, tell him that you find that coworker's behaviour unacceptable, that you expect this manager to stop it from happening again, and that you will go to HR if it happens again, and that you expect his full support if that happens. <S> (Jan Doggen might be right that maybe you shouldn't be present during that conversation; that's difficult to judge. <S> And there's the comment by Jeff L. that you want something from your manager in writing where he confirms that you complained, so nobody can call you a liar if this happens again <S> and you finally go to HR). <A> In an ideal world, you would go to HR and report the problem regardless of what your manager thinks. <S> However, I'm aware that in some companies this might as well cause problems for you. <S> From your comment above, I read that your manager is not completely against reporting to HR. <S> But only you can judge the possible impact on your career. <S> Depending on your county and industry there might be organizations to help you and who can give more specific advice : unions, work advisory offices .... <S> As a group it is often easier to change situations. <S> That being said. <S> I suggest the following approach: 1) Write an incident report on the matter. <S> Detail in a neutral tone what happened and who can confirm it. <S> If this happened before, write that down (with details and people who can confirm it). <S> Write that you think this is unacceptable and ask for immediate action. <S> 2) Show that incident report to your manager. <S> Ask him for his opinion and ask him to support you. <S> If you can, send it by email <S> so you have a paper trail. <S> Tell him that you prefer him to hand this to HR (instead of you yourself). <S> Be polite, do not accuse him but stress that you find this unacceptable and that he needs to take action. <S> 3) <S> If your manager does not react or refuses to handle the situation, send the incident report to HR. <S> I would not mention my manager at this point but let them figure out who knew what. <A> You make the following points to the department's management: <S> You are reporting to work to get your work done, not to get into a fight or an argument over matters that are best left out of the workplace. <S> You are entitled to a workplace where you can perform your duties, free from harassment. <S> You have the choice to close the discussion with: <S> The incident gets reported to HR, the department's management preference be damned. <S> The incident is not reported, but just this time. <S> If the incident recurs, it can only mean that the department's management has failed to discipline him and the situation must be escalated. <S> Which puts pressure on the department's management to act. <S> This individual has clearly learned nothing from his actions. <S> He may not learn anything after he is thrown out for providing a hostile working environment but at least, he is out of your face. <A> I suggest the following simple approach: Tell your manager that you expect a written apology (or an e-mail) from the offender. <S> Otherwise you will get HR involved.
| And it would be best if that manager had a meeting with you and the coworker, where he tells the coworker that what he is doing is unacceptable and must stop, and what the consequences are if it repeats. Given the history of this individual going to HR, I'd say it's best that you report the incident. It would also be a good idea to gather other people who have been harassed by this person.
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How to get employer to cooperate with executive master? I recently applied to an executive master, and prior to accepting the offer, I discussed it briefly with my employer, who seems supportive. I didn't get the class schedule until closer to September and part of the schedule indicated a couple full friday per month, for 2 years. That seems like a lot of work days to me to be missing. I brought it up with the school (since previously they told me it would be Friday afternoon to evening, not 9-5 work schedule on Friday), and they replied that I was the only one in the class who has indicated to have problem with this. (I don't know if I have a problem even, it just feels like a lot if I think from the employer perspective, so much that I feel uncomfortable to bring it up). I know executive masters have always exist, and the condition is that, I must maintain a full time work scheudule to complete it, but I have never worked with someone who's done an executive master. I wonder what the general workplace acceptance is about these things? And if my employer has problems, how and what I should suggest as an alternative? <Q> I discussed it briefly with my employer, who seems supportive. <S> When you go back to talk to your employer, remind them of your previous conversation and thank them for their earlier show of support. <S> Then bring up the fact that you now have a concrete schedule that requires your absence 2 Fridays days/month. <S> Offer to make up the time in 1 or a variety of ways: Work longer hours the rest of the month <S> Take vacation, as suggested by a previous post <S> Take a pay cut commensurate with your decreased hours (similar to a previous suggestion of unpaid time off). <S> Or try any combination of the above. <S> Take your top pick of suggestions, one that you can live with for 2 years, and offer that one to your employer first. <S> If it's a no-go then have the others in your back pocket as alternatives. <S> Just don't forget to open the conversation by reminding them of their previous show of support. <S> If they value you as an employee they'll work with you. <S> It's a lot easier to work with a current good employee than to have to hire another one. <A> First off, tell your employer that you were the only one in the class with thios schedule and the school, unilaterally changed the class schedule, requiring you to attend 2 full day Fridays per month. <S> They might be sympathetic. <S> If not, suggest taking all your vacation days for those Fridays and when you run out of them, you will take them as unpaid time-off. <S> If your employer is not good with this situation, you might want to try your chance at another school in the next enrollment season or just quit your job and find new employment <A> Probably the employer will have problems because they are hiring you to work for them not to upskill elsewhere <S> so you can then take your improved contribution to another employer. <S> Say you'll give them another X years of your life, after the course is finished, and if they want more assurance or if you want to provide that, make it a locked in offer by adding the same amount of time to a non-compete. <S> You're threatening them by improving your self and going elsewhere, so reassure them that they've got you by the privates, and they'll be happy.
| If they have problems, and you value this course, then offer them what employers value: time.
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Anxiety during coding interview I choke when asked to pair during a coding interview. The interviewer could ask me the simplest question and my mind goes blank. I think I'm a good developer and if I was given the task at home with no pressure, I'd pass the test. I know practice should help me with it, and I do lots of that; it doesn't help as it doesn't recreate the actual interview setting. Anyone any advice on managing this? <Q> Be sure you know what to do and what to say. <S> The last thing you want to say is " ehhh, ehhh, oops ", but rather say "shoot, I'm not so good in these situations <S> because X , I'm better at Y <S> , perhaps we can do alternative Z ? <S> " <S> I can't fill in because X , better at Y , and alternative <S> Z for you, but being honest about your shortcomings in interviews is not a bad thing. <S> The last thing you want is to be in a job position that isn't a good fit for you personality, and good introspective abilities are always considered a boon (some of the most frustrating coworkers are those who aren't honest about this with themselves or their coworkers). <S> Offering an alternative also means there's an escape hatch. <S> Do make sure that the hiring manager is convinced it's <S> you <S> answering the actual question or writing the code, and not someone on Stack Overflow <S> (e.g. "can I get back to you about that tomorrow" could leave the wrong impression, so something like "can I write this down on my own without someone looking over my shoulder" might work better). <S> Also mentioning a strength means the conversation is not just focused on areas where you're not so good, but also on something you are good at. <S> Few people are perfect, and all hiring managers realise this. <S> What they're looking for is someone with a specific set of strengths and weaknesses. <S> Be sure to accurately identify the reason of this shortcoming; is it simply the social anxiety of having a stranger ask critical questions? <S> Or is it stress in general? <S> This can make a huge difference, as social anxiety is probably less of problem in the actual job, as it doesn't apply as much to the "we need this done by Friday"-sort of stress. <S> Do you have difficulty with stress in general? <S> Then also be honest about that. <A> Do practice interviews. <S> Ask your friends and family to help recreate the environment. <S> Contact your college's career service, and see if they do practice interviews. <S> Even if you've graduated, a lot of colleges will still help you. <A> I know practice should help me with it, and I do lots of that; it doesn't help as it doesn't recreate the actual interview setting. <S> The short answer is you must learn to control your anxiety. <S> Interviews are stressful, so are product releases. <S> Figure out what you need to re-create the interview process to the point you freeze up. <S> Are you fearful of the stranger asking questions, the unfamiliar setting, being rejected? <S> Make a list of all the things that could possibly be causing the anxiety, and try to test each separately. <S> Once you know the issue, you can get over it.
| Most people's anxiety comes from a specific part of the situation.
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Gender honorifics: "sir" and "miss" Is it offensive if I call older male co-workers that I'm not directly working under for as "sir" while I use "miss" for female co-worker? I feel like using "ma'am" should be reserved for women that are my boss, but using "mister" in lieu of "sir" is uncommon in the workplace. What should I use? It has become awkward to refer to people a year or three older than me with honorifics as a sign of respect to their age but not as deferral in the workplace so that they can order me around(which they shouldn't and can't do) so most of the time I just call them by their first names. <Q> Ms is the equivalent of Mr , both of which require a surname suffixed to it. <S> For example: <S> Good morning sir. <S> Good morning ma'am. <S> For the title , then you need to suffix as such: <S> Good morning, Mr Smith. <S> Good morning, Ms Smith. <S> I would suggest that in the context given, the "ma'am" is more appropriate. <S> It's certainly what I get and would expect in that environment. <A> Is it offensive if I call older male co-workers that I'm not directly working under for as "sir" while I use "miss" for female co-worker? <S> At least in the US, Miss generally refers to a young woman. <S> To address an older woman in a neutral way, use Ms (pronounced "miz") with her last name. <S> I don't think it's ever offensive to show someone extra respect by using an honorific, but when you're dealing with coworkers it might be a little off-putting if you overdo it because you put them in the situation where they have to wonder if you expect them to address you the same way. <S> Too much formality can become a barrier to easy communication. <S> That's not universal, though, and it depends on local culture, your office culture, and other person's position. <S> When in doubt, it's never impolite to just ask: How should I address you? <S> It has become awkward to refer to people a year or three older than me with honorifics as a sign of respect to their age but not as deferral in the workplace... <S> so most of the time I just call them by their first names. <S> That's almost certainly the right choice. <S> Sometimes people will use "sir" or "ma'am" in a slightly humorous way, much as someone might hold a door open with an elaborate flourish. <S> They might hand you a report with a "Here you go, sir!" or let you pass in or out of a room first with an "After you, sir!" <S> In these situations it's never wrong to respond in kind, but it's not necessary to maintain that level of formality beyond the end of that particular interaction. <A> I'm in the UK, so cultural norms are different, but outside of the military or police force, people almost always refer to their coworkers by their first name regardless of age or position. <S> Do you and your coworkers wear identity badges? <S> At my company everyone's badge just has first and last name on it. <S> If yours have Mr./Mrs./Ms. <S> on them then maybe it might be appropriate to use honorifics, if not first name is probably fine. <S> Your best guide is probably just to observe what everyone else does. <A> again sounds like a cultural issue. <S> In my culture and office environment I only call sir for people whose pay grade is higher than me. <S> Because they clearly deserve that thing. <S> And they know by saying "sir", this guy silently want to come to my pay grade and that's a good motivation. <S> It's not depend on the gender at all. <S> There are rich people who are rich from both genders,so if he/she is rich , don't afraid to call him sir or mam. <S> Rich people have opportunities on their hand, the more you respect them little time it take to be like them and be rich like them. <S> It's all about trade, you don't have money, so you give what you got the respect. <S> Very sooner you'll be rich.
| If you want the equivalent of sir (with no name), it's ma'am. I think it's most common for coworkers to be on a first name basis even when there's a significant age difference, and even if they don't work together directly. You can use "sir" to address any adult male, regardless of age.
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How can I figure out the company name when a recruiter doesn't disclose it? External recruiters often don't initially disclose the name of the company when they're looking to fill a position. How can I still learn which company they're contacting me for? Can I ask them? If so, how should I word that request? Are there other ways to figure this out for myself if they won't tell me? In my case I'd like to avoid applying for a job at a company with a bad reputation. <Q> You can not force them to tell you the company name before they are ready to do so. <S> You can certainly tell then that you will not discuss the job without that information. <S> But that requires that you be willing to walk away without applying for the job. <S> I have sometimes done exactly that. <S> You need to decide how critical it is to you to get the company name Right <S> Now rather than later in the process. <A> The job agent is likely more concerned in keeping a good relation with his employer than with potential employees. <S> If you work in a specialized field you can ask what the company produces, size etc. <S> and try to figure out which company it is. <S> The more general the company <S> the harder it is to pinpoint though. <S> There is a risk that you apply to a bad reputation company in that case you can still use the time to fine tune your CV, presentation etc. <A> You can try a Google search for specific terms from the job specification, maybe that turns up the vacancy if the company also placed it online. <S> Not a big chance for a hit though (depends on how specific that job is), and you would have to be really sure of the result. <S> Limit your search to industry-specific terms, to top level domain with the site: specifier, or to nearby places. <A> Can you tell me a bit more about the company? <S> Typically you'll have a phone conversation with the recruiter when you first express interest or when they cold call you. <S> It's rare for companies to request their name to be withheld <S> and it's usually the recruiters that avoid disclosing the name in initial contacts. <S> But if they get the impression that you're asking in good faith and are genuinely interested in talking further then they'll often just tell you. <S> Even if they don't, if they give sufficient detail (headquartered in City X, employee count of Y in the US, active in sector Z, ...) you can often put the pieces together. <S> But that typically requires that the company is fairly large and searchable or that you're in a relatively small industry. <A> Unless the recruiter knows you're looking to relocate, getting a reasonably close location is normally quite easy. <S> Combined with knowing what the company does (assuming your role would be part of their main business) that can often narrow it down, sometimes to one, sometimes to a few. <S> Now if you're looking for a role that's common across sectors, that's rather harder. <S> A bookkeeper for example.
| You can always ask, but if there is a non-disclosure agreement between the agent and the company you are unlikely to receive a reply. Very, very often simply asking them for some more details about the company can get them to disclose the name.
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Should I CC my old boss when applying for a new position at the same company? A few years ago, I worked at company X. Recently, my old boss reached out to me and asked me if I'd like to apply for a full-time position. He's still working at company X. I am going to let him know that I sent in my application in a separate email, and ask him to put a good word in with HR. My question now is: Should I also CC him the email I'm sending to HR? Or should I BCC it, or just Fwd: it along with the separate email I'm sending him anyways? (I'm in Europe, and there is no online application process, just email.) EDIT : For some large companies, it's would also be possible to send it to the boss, and for him to forward/submit it internally as a recommendation. That would be clearly be the best preferred process. However, in my case I think that this is not really the best option, as I more or less know everyone involved (including HR). <Q> If it were me, I'd CC it. <S> There's a possibility that it may help. <S> It may not. <S> So the real question is, will it hurt? <S> I don't see how it could since the person's a manager. <S> How it could help is that it may be seen by someone who makes the connection that your boss is recommending you without your boss first having to do so. <S> I think it's harmless to CC it since you're being asked to apply. <S> Either way, I think you're correct in making sure he sees it one way or another. <A> If I would be on the receiving HR side, I would wonder why you would carbon copy your old boss the application, if he is not going to be your new boss. <S> I would likely view this as an attempt to receive an unfair advantage over other candidates - and there is no guarantee that your new boss likes your old boss. <S> If you CC: <S> the email and it gets forwarded, the new boss will see the CC:, too. <S> If you send it to HR and BCC: your old boss and your mail to your old boss gets forwarded, too, for one reason or the other, it shows that you deliberately tried to hide the fact that you informed your old boss. <S> This might be viewed even more negatively. <S> So to sum it up: Neither CC: nor BCC: provides any benefit over forwarding. <S> The best option which grants all benefits without any disadvantages is to first send the application only to HR. <S> Then forward it your old boss to 'just let him know that you applied'. <S> This way your actions cannot appear in a negative light. <A> This depends greatly on the hiring processes of the company involved. <S> This allows him/her to see your complete application (resume/cover letter) and provide specific details to the hiring manager about your application. <S> However, in many larger companies the process won't involve much email initially. <S> When you apply, it is usually via an online form of some kind. <S> When this happens, it usually won't be possible to CC'd your contact at all. <S> In those cases, it is best to apply, and then directly email or call your contact and provide the details of your submission (such as an application number or job posting number or some other name/number to identify the specific opening and applicant). <S> Your contact would then be able to contact HR and the hiring manager to provide his/her feedback to your application. <S> I've done both methods in the past depending on the size of the company, and at my current (Fortune 100) company, I can confirm the 2nd suggestion is the only way to get an internal contact to provide a recommendations unless the specifically referred you to the position (which is a 3rd option if the company provides the option for employees to refer external candidates).
| In cases where your application is emailed to HR or hiring manager or internal recruiter, then CC'ing your contact would be the best decision.
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How do you figure out which job duties to focus on, if given the opportunity? Right now my job includes a lot of different duties - customer-facing tech support, back-end desktop management and software administration, project management, documentation, training, communication, answering the doorbell for the loading dock... Having to do so many different types of work, each with a different pace and type of focus required, has me feeling pulled in a lot of different directions. The department is doing some workforce planning that will likely result in at least some reorganization, and we've all been asked for our input. So, I might have at least a bit of influence over where I end up and what I end up doing. (I'm one of half a dozen people in the same position, so it would be relatively easy to divvy up the tasks differently.) My problem is... how do I know what to focus on and what to try to drop? I generally like each of these tasks by themselves, but it's super frustrating trying to write a script or a project status report while my inbox is filling up with people who want help getting into their e-mail, and vice versa, which obscures the question of what I'd be most excited about under ideal conditions. What's a good exercise for sorting out which parts of your job are the most satisfying? <Q> You should have a conversation with your manager. <S> One of your manager's duties should be to help you develop your career at the organization. <S> You should be able to work together to determine what would be the long-term outlook for focusing on different activities. <S> Of course, that doesn't mean you'll get assigned all of those things (especially if there are other people qualified or too many people who want to do the same thing). <A> Group them loosely Customer interaction Software Support etc,. <S> Pick one and ask to have that focus, or if there's not enough in one to keep you reasonably busy, pick two. <A> It doesn't have to be <S> "I do this and you do that <S> ", you can try different arrangements, eg someone has email support as a second duty that they do when the support queue becomes too large. <S> Then go and talk to your boss and see if you can get his support. <S> Cliched though it is, everyone likes solutions rather than problems.
| Assuming they are reasonable people, talk to your colleagues and try and come up between you how you would like the work divided. If there are other people in the same situation then duties can be swapped around so that the focus is clearer.
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How to argue for a raise when project I worked on got cancelled? Coming up soon my boss and I have planned to discuss my annual raise. I have already read that the best way to do this is to quantify the work you have done in terms of "how it helps the company" or how it "has made the company money". My situation is a bit different. The problem is that most of my work this year was as the tech lead on a major project that was recently cancelled. It was through no fault of my own, the product wasn't even released yet. We had done some work for a client that was based on a verbal agreement and that was "exploratory". I can't change how the agreement was made, my boss made it, it happened, it's done. I feel the quality of work I did on this project was very good. We put in extra hours to meet deadlines. My concern is that I have lost my single greatest bargaining chip in negotiating a raise. I have done other small projects but they pale in comparisons to this major one. How can I justify my worth when the my major contributions have made no money? <Q> How can I justify my worth when the my major contributions have made no money? <S> The fact that work you performed ultimately generated no money doesn't detract from the quality of your work or your performance throughout the project. <S> Typically the only people who get to use a project's success or bottom line when discussing their performance are the project leads or sales people. <S> The people actually doing the work managers and developers below them are usually judged by different metrics. <S> You delivered solid work. <S> You worked overtime to meet the deadlines. <S> You presumably delivered whatever work you were assigned on time and the work you did met the requirements you were given. <S> As tech lead you presumably managed the planning of the project and the people working on it well. <S> None of that changes just because the project was cancelled. <S> Arguing for a raise based on "value added" is more effective, but you can still make your case for a raise with the same arguments you'd have used if the project had succeeded or was still underway. <A> How can I justify my worth when the my major contributions have made no money? <S> You aren't your project. <S> And the project is done, so your value will pay off in the future. <S> Obviously they had confidence in you to make you the lead, they will likely have confidence in you going forward. <S> Talk about the great job you did as tech lead. <S> I suspect you are worrying over nothing. <S> Good managers are able to separate project outcomes from the work done by the individuals on these projects. <S> Everyone has worked on a failed project or two - <S> I know I have worked on many. <S> It seldom costs you anything individually if you didn't have sole responsibility for the project's success. <A> You haven't added any value, so I wouldn't harp on that angle. <S> You worked on a failed project, the reasons for it's failure will soon be forgotten, and you not only worked on it but had a leadership role. <S> Your boss is already aware of it and taken it into account, no need for you to bring it up unless asked. <S> Your boss may try and use it as a negotiating negative, so be prepared to defend it, and when negotiating remember that people are quite often unreasonable and have difficulty understanding (on purpose). <S> So make your points clearly and succinctly then move on to something else. <S> Don't get caught up in finger pointing or acknowledging in anyway that it is a serious issue.
| Use the trusty favourites, seniority, experience, cost of living etc,. Talk about the quality of work you did on the project and all the hours you put in to meet deadlines. Talk about what you learned, and what you will apply going forward. Best to downplay the whole shambles.
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Tell employer upon resignation about psychologist consultations I have been working at a French start-up for 2 years. I have passed through some difficult times during this period. The workplace was one of the main causes and I ended up seeking help from a psychologist specialized in workplace matters. Things are much better now at the workplace for reasons that I am not sure I fully understand, but in the meantime I got a job offer from another company. I think that I am going to accept it. My question is: After resigning, should I tell my employer about this psychologist thing? I fear that, if I don't tell him, he would not fully understand my decision to leave and think that I am kind of a jerk or unreliable person leaving without good reason. The start-up is very small (~5 people) and I have a good relationship with my employer and colleagues, even though 3 or 4 months ago I was very unhappy with them. <Q> There is no reason whatsoever to tell them why you are leaving. <S> Especially if it is because of a very private matter. <S> If they ask "why are you leaving" you can truthfully say "because I feel the new position is much better for me". <S> That's all you need to say. <S> If they want more reasons, you tell them "I told you I feel the new position is much better for me, and that's all I'm going to say". <S> If they don't understand that you would leave for a better position, well <S> , that's their problem, not yours. <S> Update: One answer remarked that leaving a company unhappy might lead to future problems. <S> Not telling the company why you are leaving (which they have no right to know, and should have no expectation to know) is very low on the list of things to make the former company unhappy. <S> Leaving with bad timing for the company would be a lot higher; it should be avoided unless it hurts you. <S> Punching your boss would be very high on the list and should really be avoided unless you are acting in self defence :-) <S> So I do not at all think you should tell them why you are leaving and where you are going to to avoid future problems. <S> But in this case, telling the ex-employer that you had psychological consultations, that's asking for trouble. <S> Imagine you apply for a new job and someone there says "you shouldn't hire userxxxxx because he or she is not quite right in their head". <S> Totally unfair, quite possibly illegal, but it will hurt you. <S> If someone said "he left the company where I worked and didn't tell anything why he left except some very vague reason", the reply is very likely to be "so what? <S> What did you expect?" <S> In a different situation, if you really want to help your employer improve for altruistic reasons: No good deed ever goes unpunished :-( <S> Anything you say that would be helpful will be stepping on someone's toes. <S> "If you feel so bad about this company, then we'll reduce your two weeks notice to zero days. <S> Goodbye". <A> after resigning, should I tell my employer about this psychologist thing? <S> No. <S> That's a waste of your time, and a waste of their time. <S> The time to discuss this was while you were there, before you decided to leave. <S> Once you have decided to leave, just do so with a minimum of chit-chat about why. <S> Leave on professional terms, and there won't be any repercussions. <A> I disagree somewhat with the other users. <S> Of course, it's up to you to decide whether or not to tell the employer about the shrink. <S> And there's a certain professionalism in not disclosing private details. <S> To that extent I do agree with the others. <S> However, you mentioned that the start-up is small, meaning you have a more intimate relationship with your colleagues. <S> So you may want to share the details as a friend but not as a (soon-to-be former) employee. <S> We don't know about your situation but in some cases, a displeased former employer might be a burden in your future career. <S> Probably not but one never knows for sure. <S> You mentioned that you're concerned that they might view you as an unreliable ass leaving them. <S> So you might want to share the details as a protective measure for your future but not as a threatened and afraid individual. <S> You might also want to provide valuable feedback to your colleagues. <S> We have no information on what caused the issues and you mention that you don't know yourself why it's better now. <S> However, it might behove the workplace if they learn that some things might be improved. <S> So you may want to share the details as an act of goodwill feedback and possible improvement but not just because you need to talk it out. <S> You've got your shrink for that. <S> So, in conclusion, I'd say that the answer is yes and no. <S> You should, in my view, consider the option and if you have a good reason to speak your mind, you should. <S> If there are any doubts about how good the reasons are, then you probably should zip it. <A> Without mentioning the psychologist or going into any of your own medical details, you can still tell the employer the part that is directly relevant to them: that you found the workplace atmosphere difficult and stressful for a while, and that it’s since improved. <S> This explains your departure, and is useful feedback that employer (and other employees) can potentially benefit from in future. <A> I would not tell your employer about your experience with psychology. <S> That can rarely work in your favor, is none of the company's business and could hurt your future ( remember this company is a reference for futures jobs <S> - do you want them to mention that you left for "psychological problems"?)If you feel you must tell them something then couch it in general terms like "leaving for medical reasons". <S> But once again I feel strongly that the "psychological reason" for leaving is too personal to share with your employer.
| Employers aren't interested in why you left.
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Listing all Jobs on Application? (Not Resume) My work history goes back some 25 years. The longest job I've held was 9 years in healthcare field followed by a job I held in banking for 2.5 years. I've been with my current company for 1 year. If I am with a company more than a year I try to change departments or roles just to give me some variety. Most of these jobs were right after high school and I changed jobs a lot in college. I guess the red flag might be that I've only stayed months in these jobs not years. If I count everything I may have had close to 26 jobs since I started working at 16. I guess I really like change and do not stay in one place too long. I do not like to burn bridges and always give an in person notice or a letter of resignation. I know this is a red flag on job applications. In the past 2 years I have had 5 jobs . Most of these jobs were call center "work from home" type jobs. I want to work from home but nothing has been working out or hasn't met my expectations I suppose? My question is: Is it illegal to not list all your jobs on a job application? I certainly do not want to get in trouble for leaving something out? If listing every job is required how do I explain reasons for leaving? I just think that listing all these jobs will ruin my chances for employment? Also, there is no way to do this without raising red flags. In that case why even apply? I have no problem telling/discussing these positions or gaps in employment if it comes up in the interview. Most are irrelevant and I didn't stay long enough to gain any transferable skills. Thank you <Q> Nobody cares about pre-college or college jobs after you have had a few years of professional experience, unless they demonstrate something exceptional about you that you can't demonstrate any other way... and even then it'll cause raised eyebrows. <S> Be prepared to answer questions about that period either way. <S> You can certainly edit how much you say about each job to shift the emphasis appropriately. <S> Note that the old "edit your resume down to <S> a single page" advice stops being true for us old farts with decades of experience. <S> Keep it terse, but don't leave out significant bragging points. <A> The difference in the application and the resume, is that the person handing you the application sets the rules. <S> Some say list the last x jobs, or cover the last Y years, or everything since you were 18. <S> Or some combination of these. <S> Leaving gaps in this case is telling them you were unemployed, they will either ask why, or assume the worst. <S> But why do they want to know? <S> Many times this is where they start the background investigation. <S> They may contact the employers and get dates of employment, and the reason why you left. <S> Some employers will give them even more information. <S> Other times it is just a formality, they are only going to contact the references you give them. <A> I would leave the jobs you had in high school and college off of your resume, especially if it's not pertinent to a job you are currently seeking. <S> Another point I'd like to make is, why you would even consider putting those types of jobs on your resume if you already have 25 years of experience? <S> In general employers are only interested in the last 10 years of your employment.
| Employers do like to see evidence of continuous employment after you started your career, so generally you want to list all those engagements -- with the possible exception of those you left after a few months, since that isn't meaningful experience and may raise more questions than a longer period of unemployment would.
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Organizing a growing R&D startup - status/progress across multiple projects I have recently been tasked with organizing the current status at my company. We work on a number of publically and/or privately funded R&D projects, and the amount of work has been increasing, which that has translated into additional employees. One of our current issues is that we don't have any project management system in place, and as we grow the work we are doing has the feeling of being disjointed. I think the root of the issue is that we have a startup-Jim problem: Jim knows everything about all of our work and has been here since the beginning - if he leaves we're screwed. I've been trying to not only ease his workload by taking it over, but also making it more visible to others by documenting in-progress work and conclusions to everyone else. That's an obstacle I'm still trying to address, which I hope will be addressed by a project management solution. A majority of our work is focused on R&D of an innovative sustainable energy technology - not a computer-tech technology, and we want to get an idea of how the work we're doing relates to the end goal of commercialization of our product. From a project management perspective, is there a difference between building a deploying something physical vs something on a computer screen? Most of the current project management solutions I've been reading about online are focused on coding, and for some reason it doesn't feel applicable to our work - I could be totally wrong here though. Take for example a basic Kanban system approach of To-do, In progress, and Done tags. Most of our 'Done' work becomes new 'To-do' work, and isn't necessarily determined from the get go. Another issue I see with Kanban boards is that it's difficult to see how different projects with related work somehow tie together. That probably takes some more high-level thinking out loud with colleagues. That is totally acceptable. <Q> Fundamentally project management is pretty much the same, whether it's software, engineering or building a bridge. <S> You set out objectives, milestones, procedures and everything else. <S> You can make it as complex or as simple as you want. <S> I do it all the time in my subjects of expertise. <S> Otherwise it gets messy. <S> The other trick is to pay them well for it, and hold them accountable. <A> Project Management is the same in almost all the disciplines with a few variations now and there, for example you can indeed use scrum not only for software projects but for all kind of projects: <S> Scrum is not just for software <S> Agile methods like Scrum can be applied to any project effort to deliver improved results in ever evolving business environments, and do so in a manner that demonstrates visible, predictable progress toward today’s most important business priorities. <S> So it doesn't matter the field of applications, you can use scrum or other project management methodologies to organize your work. <S> Jim knows everything about all of our work and has been here since the beginning - if he leaves we're screwed. <S> About this part, it is a very common issue not only in startups, but in all kinds of companies that your business might depend on the know how of an specific employee, how to solve it? <S> you need to be more process oriented rather than person oriented, all your business process should be documented and organized in a way that you can work even if your rock-star employee dies from a thunder strike, it might be easier to say than to do it, but believe me, if your business depends on one person is a recipe for disaster. <S> Furthermore, you can use several kinds of tools to have better visibility on your tasks and process, for example Asana is a really good to track projects and tasks, it's a collaborative TODO list where you can get an overall look of how your project is being done, you can asign due dates, subtasks, people in charge and so on, I'm in no way associated with Asana <S> but I've used it for software and non software related projects <S> , it's worth a try. <A> To complement on the other answers, an aspect may not have been discussed. <S> From your post, it seems that what you are after is mainly a strategy , that details goals, and objectives, possibly milestones, and ways to get there. <S> If you have those goals, and the different things that need to be done, developped, mature etc... <S> by then, you can then link each project (the ones you get funding for) to one or more of those objectives. <S> If you are wondering : why are we doing/trying to do that at low level? <S> How does it help us achieve our goals? <S> Then Requirements Management tools and techniques may be a good way to help yourself and your company. <S> To me, working in a hardware-based industry, a requirements management approach is a powerful way to answer these questions consistently. <S> That should tie in with your project management (PM being more about dealines, milestones, costs). <S> Another (broader) topic is Systems Engineering . <S> When a company starts building complex systems (note that a project and its organization can be considered a system), and wants to do so with success, experience has shown systems engineering (and requirements management) <S> is the way to go. <S> To sum it up, look up the key words : Systems Engineering, Systems Thinking, Requirements Management.
| The trick is to have someone who thoroughly knows the project from conception to completion and all the steps in between working on making the plan.
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How to handle a very Googleable event in my past while applying to jobs So, I'm bipolar. Been stable for a while, but in my past, had a manic episode that ended badly. Got picked up by tons of major news outlets. I'm currently employed, but looking for other work in the Software Engineering field. There are two things of which I'm certain: A) Someone is going to Google my name, and find the episode. B) I can get my record expunged in a few years, but for now it will show up on a background check. I'm not as worried about the background check, as a lot of small software outfits just don't do it. Moreover, it would be later in the hiring process, typically, and I'd have a chance to tell my side of the story, which is what I really care about. If someone doesn't want to hire me based on what I did, fine, but I would really love to have a conversation with an actual human before my resume's chucked in the recycling. As it stands, I feel like I have a few options: 1) Mention my diagnosis in a cover letter, as a "success story that shows me overcoming obstacles." This way, I have a chance to frame the discussion before anyone googles me. 2) Change my name. This has several repercussions, but again, gives me a chance to talk to someone before a knee-jerk reaction is made. 3) Do nothing, just submit as normal and assume I'll have higher-than-normal attrition on the jobs I apply to. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Do folks have thoughts as to potential avenues to take, or opinions on whether some of my stated tactics are bad ideas? Thanks very much for any advice you can offer. TL;DR - Want to give my side of the story regarding mental health event in my past, not sure how to do that in a job search. EDIT: For more context, the initial charge was a felony, but it was reduced to and I was convicted of a gross misdemeanor via plea agreement. Currently in a Mental Health Court program as a result. EDIT 2: I'm much more concerned with people finding news articles than I am about the record, necessarily. Lots of smaller software companies don't have an HR person and don't do background checks, and even if they do, I have an opportunity to look someone in the eye and demonstrate what I've learned, how recovery is going, and that I'm lucid and grounded, not crazy like I was when the episode occurred. This question is concerned with someone deciding to Google me before proceeding with a first round of interviews. I would need to provide my social and consent to the background check for one to occur, and this would be my opening to have said conversation. I hope this clarifies why I find this question to not be a duplicate. <Q> The answer to this depends on a great many specific variables that you're probably unwilling to give, such as if the incident resulted in a felony charge, the exact nature of the incident, and other factors. <S> Assuming it did not result in a felony conviction, you may be overestimating exactly how much people are going to care about it. <S> Americans have fairly short term memories when it comes to flash-in-the-pan media sensations, so assuming you're not Jason Russell <S> , you're likely not even to have it come up until the background check is complete. <S> If it ~did~ result in a conviction, you will be found out; even small software firms do background checks for criminal history. <S> If this applies to you, the public nature of your incident isn't what's going to bite you, it's the criminal record. <S> There are a great many resources out there that cover the specific issue of getting a job with a criminal record, some of which might be helpful even if it doesn't apply to you. <S> I would certainly not try to "get ahead of it" unless you're incredibly easy to identify. <S> A great number of people have done really stupid things that they regret in the past, and as long as you present a concrete, put together appearance in the interview process, I think you'll find they're more willing to be understanding than you are concerned about. <S> Edit: Since you have specified it did result in a criminal charge, I would probably bring it up in the interview proper, telling the interviewer what happened and that it will turn up on a background check. <S> I probably wouldn't put it in the cover letter however. <A> My wife often hires people that need to obtain a security clearance, which is a stricter standard than typical employment. <S> She is not allowed to ask candidates about disqualifiers, but she can first enumerate the items that would disqualify them for employment or clearance, and then if there is any reason why they might not be able to qualify. <S> It would then be up to the candidate to say something like "I owe back child support". <S> (One disqualifier for a security clearance.) <S> From there she might be able to help the person with options, or not hire the person. <S> If they are deceptive and say "no", and it later comes out that they do have something, they are terminated without eligibility to rehire. <S> In one case, she hired the person who owed a small amount of back child support with the agreement that he repaid it during a set time period. <S> He went on to be a good employee. <S> This sort of time would be the time to bring up the incident and to have a well rehearsed rebuttal and actions you have taken to overcome your condition. <S> So I would not do any of the items you suggested. <S> Bringing it up in a cover letter is like talking about ex's on a first date. <S> Legally changing your name will not clear you of an FBI background check and could be seen as a sign of dishonesty. <S> Ignoring it might disqualify you for a position that you might have otherwise obtained. <S> If the interviewer brings it up, then answer honestly. <S> If not, and you feel that an offer is pending, then I would bring it up. <S> You may still run into trouble. <S> An option might be to only do freelance work until your record can be expunged. <S> Good luck to you. <A> Regarding a name change. <S> Here in Ireland many people have an Irish equivalent of their name, (e.g. David Murphy could just as legitimately call himself Daithí Ó Murchú without having to legally change his name). <S> Many people would not think to search for both variations. <S> Can something similar be done in your culture? <A> Firstly, I think you should stay with your current employment and avoid the issue altogether, but I'll give you my take on the problem. <S> Expunging the records won't take you off Google, so forget that as a cureall. <S> Since that is your major concern, just do what everyone else does, interview and hope for the best. <S> Stand up straight and learn from your past. <S> Or skip the country and go somewhere where no one cares about your past. <S> There's expats all over the World doing just that.
| If it comes up, be prepared to talk about it (specifically how you were a different person then and have learned and moved on), but volunteering the issue ensures it's seen as a weakness and a risk right up front. Being forthright about your criminal history is always a good idea, since they will find out in the background check, even if it gets expunged. If it was me, I would wait until there is interests on both parts for employment.
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Using LinkedIn as my only point of contact on a publicly posted resume I'm posting my resume on job boards. I took my address and phone number off of it, and I'd rather not leave my email on because I don't want to deal with spam. Is it okay if the only contact information on my resume is a LinkedIn URL? <Q> If you are interested in people contacting you to potentially hire you, then this is a bad idea. <S> You are explicitly limiting the numbers of people who will or can contact you, and for those who will still contact you, you are making the process more difficult for them <S> so you are putting yourself at a disadvantage right from the beginning. <S> While I use LinkedIn and other social media for background checks, I always want a phone number and a direct email address. <S> Otherwise, well, I have to find some ways to cull the numbers down and this is an easy one: <S> If you are more difficult, then your CV goes in the bin. <A> As a person who has done plenty of hiring in the past several years, I can resolutely say that unless you stand out head and shoulders above the rest of the candidates in my pile of applications, any speed bump you put in my way to further the hiring process will simply get you either outright rejected or dumped to the bottom of the "consider" pile (depending on the quality of the other candidates at that time). <S> I may not have LinkedIn (unlikely). <S> I may not have a corporate LinkedIn account (very likely) <S> and I don't want to contact you using my personal account. <S> I may simply not want to use something other than Email or a phone call. <S> If you are worried about spam et al, then create yourself a temporary email address and use that - if you own your own domain, then simply use something you can black hole later on. <S> Same goes for phone numbers - there are plenty of companies which will rent you a temporary number, and when your search is over you simply drop the number. <S> Both of these options have their own negative repercussions (what if a hiring manager digs your CV out 18 months down the road and wants to talk to you?) <S> Personally, I have had the same email address since 2004 and the same phone number since 2005 <S> - I have had my CV and contact details up on various job sites a few times, and I haven't been deluged in spam mail or calls. <S> I do get a lot of recruiters call or email, but thats what those contact details are for! <A> Job boards where you merely upload a resume and fill-in a form aren't a particularly effective way to get leads <S> so I don't think you will notice any difference regardless of what you put in the contact-info header. <S> Moreover, job-websites usually require email-based registration-- <S> so how many job websites are we even talking about here? <S> That said, you will get more and higher-quality hits from a good LinkedIn profile than you will from "shot-gunning" your resume to websites. <S> The best way to get leads is to use all your networks (real and online) to reach out to specific people. <S> If you do that, you'll be communicating with them in a way that they can get back to you easily, and this will require real contact info like email/phone. <A> What effect will not putting your contact details on the board itself is very specific to the place where you put these ads (country/region/campus) and other factors. <S> Some employers may think that's cool while others will skip your ad.
| Limiting yourself to just contact via LinkedIn in this scenario is a very negative thing. If you want to avoid revealing your primary email I suggest creating an alias specific to for this job hunt or even create a new email account.
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Should I bring up a job offer from another company if I don't intend to leave? I'm happy working for my current employer and I'm paid relatively well. Recently I decided to interview at another company, the process went very well and knowing that I'm not actively looking for jobs, they offered me a pretty handsome salary and a bigger role to persuade me to join them. There are circumstances that will make switching jobs hard for me at the moment, so generally I plan to reject the offer and stay at my current employer. However, discussing the offer with my manager can potentially gain me a bigger pay and a bigger role at my current company. What are the ways this can backfire, and should I do this in the first place? If yes - then how to approach this discussion better? <Q> Personally, as a manager, I dislike it when people do what you propose. <S> It sounds a bit like blackmailing. <S> It also hurts the trust I built toward that person. <S> Why was someone going to an interview in the first place if he really has no intention to change jobs? <S> To find out his or her market value? <S> Or is there somewhere a bit of unhappiness? <S> What happens if I do not respond accordingly? <S> I might start looking myself for a replacement or addition, and even if not, I will probably feel a bit more unease assigning you important work. <S> It might be much healthier to just talk about the work you did and the value you add to the company, and whether that would account for a raise. <S> Tell them that you would like to take on a bigger role, even more responsibility, and how happy you are with the company. <S> Now, if the company or your boss is reluctant and just has no ear for you, you might start talking about the offer. <S> But be prepared that you might get the opportunity to accept the other job because of this. <S> Because if your boss does not follow up on your question, it might just be that for any reason - not even personal - they are looking into downsizing or letting some people/you go. <S> Just give your boss enough time to come up with an answer. <S> He will have to do some calculations and ask some other people up the line. <A> Bottom-line is : only do it if you are ready to leave. <S> They may answer yes, give you a raise. <S> However, this action will be likely perceived as a trick of yours, or blackmailing. <S> You may still want to do it, but just understand that you may destroy all trust of you managers in you, and as Ralph Rickenbach pointed out, they may (that's what I'd do) start looking for a replacement, since they will think you can resign anytime if offered more money. <S> They may also tell you that they can't pay you that much. <S> In that case, you need to accept the other offer. <S> Otherwise, you'll look like a fool and you will have succeeded in sabotaging your career plans. <A> Of course you should. <S> Your market values is apparently higher than your current salary, and you should capitalize on this. <S> I've been solicited a few times, and I've used it to go to my boss to get a substantial wage increase. <S> What you need to figure out is, if you want to use this as a wage bump. <S> Try to be descriptive and neutral. <S> Tell him that you're happy here, but you're going to need an increase to put your wage close to this. <S> Don't make it personal, and be ready to take the position if nothing comes of it.
| Book a meeting with your boss, tell him you've been made an offer to join another company, with X pay and Y responsibilities.
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Ways to add self-taught subjects in your resumé I tend to spend a large amount of my free time reading up on courses in my under-graduate study such as Theory of computation and Natural language processing . Although I do it for my personal pleasure, I was wondering if there was any way I can use that to enhance my resume. The reason I am asking this question is because the subjects I study are fairly theoretical which I think doesn't factor much into hiring decisions made by companies. I have already read " Is it ok to put the courses that I have self-studied in my resume? what should be the wording? ", and one option from there is to do an online certification course. However since I have already done the course as part of my previous study, so I was wondering whether doing it again will serve any purpose. Any thoughts? <Q> When I'm interviewing applicants, I love to see that they have extra-curicular activities. <S> Also, I tend to prefer the candidates who are curious and want to learn new things outside the actual work. <S> Having said that, I usually take a good and, on occasion, a bit too cynical look into whether those "self taught" skills are real and verifiable. <S> Not saying that you haven't achieved a certain skill. <S> Just that people in general sometimes do exaggerate the accomplishment and if it can't be verified by an impartial evaluation, anybody can claim it. <S> But definitely, do mention it. <S> At the bottom. <S> So that they know what you're made of if the main stuff have caught their interest. <S> The exact form depends on the custom of your region. <S> I prefer a single document, CV, with a few sections. <S> In other countries, they want this separate thing, personal letter or whatever it's called. <A> There a few different ways to do this, and as previous people mentioned, it can depend on the customs of your Country, some argue that you can put that information in a Cover Letter, as it is more personable. <S> You can also place it in a bio, or use it as a conversation point during the interview. <S> That depends solely on your structure - I have written quite a bit of resumes, and have used either. <S> You can also put it in an "Extra-Curricular" section that you could use to list volunteer organizations, coaching, etc and have your "self-study" stuff in there. <S> Again, depends on your format - some HR Departments are pretty strict in that they want a 1 or 2 page Resume, and that can add unnecessary length, or the HR monkeys just Crtl+F it and do not take a look. <S> As a hiring manager on certain business areas <S> (I am a program manager and like interviewing all incoming project managers, business analysts and systems analysts) it is a good talking point. <S> I like finding candidates that strive to better themselves at other things than just work, and it helps break the tension if they are nervous. <S> Some others do not like seeing it as it is a "distraction" but that is a judgment call. <A> That is information to include in a cover letter. <S> In your cover letter, mention that you have a passion for computer science that includes self-study into areas of personal interest such as the Theory of Computation and Natural Language Processing, etc. <S> Resumes aren't great for nuance or anything outside the typical mold. <S> Include your education and relevant work experience. <S> Maybe include an Areas of Interest section if your work history is sparse.
| In the Resume you can add a sub-section under "Work Experience" or have a separate "Skills/Proficiencies" subject a bullet outline it out there, can have it as "Knowledge Of" or "grade" your knowledge by using Intermediate, Expert, etc sort of naming category.
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How to ask for a raise after getting degree and new responsibilities? So, I realize that there are a few questions out there like this, but not one that's specifically my situation, so I'll ask. Background I was hired at 19 years old as a "Web Content Specialist" primarily to develop the company's main website and do simple content updates at $22.50 an hour (salaried, at .75 fte). Now, it's nearly 3 years later and I'm about to finish my bachelors in Computer Engineering. I know the average starting amount for computer engineers freshly finished with their degree, and it's more than double what I'm currently making. I was accepted the position at a a steal rate because I was 19 and doing undergrad work, but now that I'm nearly finished with my degree I'm feeling underpaid. I should also mention that I am no longer working as a "Web Content Specialist" instead I'd say I'm much more of a general "Software Developer", over the past three years I've been rapidly picking up other responsibilities (as co-workers left the company, no one was hired and I was given their jobs); such as: Integrating previous Microsoft Access CRM system into a fresh custom build of Salesforce, developed only by myself. Salesforce Admin and companywide training for SF. Creating multiple promo apps for the iPhone, Android, and OSX platforms, used for tradeshows etc. Taking over all graphic design responsibilities for the entire company after my boss quit (and the position wasn't filled), oh and I'm not and never want to be a graphic designer - I just happen to be good at it. Taking over a secure download system/custom java website that supports the entire company in delivering their product. (Was given this responsibility after another employee quit and their position wasn't filled, see below) 6 members of the support staff at this company have recently left/quit (in the past 3 months, at a 120 employee company), my boss and two co-workers were among them and positions weren't filled increasing my workload immensely. Questions How do I ask for a raise amounting to 30% more than I currently make,after just accepting all of these responsibilities without a caveat? Is it reasonable to ask for a 30% raise under these circumstances? (Noting I took over the responsibilities of someone making that much) How should I approach it with my boss, or the director of the company (who is one above my boss)? Can I go about this in asking for a new job title, (Software Developer, instead of web content specialist) which has a different pay grade in the HR department and could constitute the pay adjustment? Problems I know that my new boss also got a pseudo new responsibility (in managing me and one other person), got no raise, and currently makes less than I do. So I feel awkward approaching them with this. Also - during the latest raise cycle, I was given a 4% raise, and the director of the company (analog to CEO) stopped by and told me that this is more than what anyone else got for a raise, and that he really appreciated my work and "wanted to make sure I knew that". <Q> You can make a logical argument why you should have your 30% raise and lose your job. <S> Your obsession that you deserve the money may be more than matched by their obsession that they can't or won't pay what you are asking. <S> Deserving a raise may be a necessary condition to getting a raise but it is hardly a sufficient condition for getting a raise. <S> At least with most employers. <S> You can tell yourself that you are indispensable but they won't fold if you leave - they'll limp along until they find somebody else. <S> Your asking for the kind of raise you are asking is probably a lost cause - you are graduating from college as an underpaid undergrad. <S> You would have been better off leaving for better pay a while ago. <S> Right now, the best argument you can make to a prospective employer is that you enjoyed getting the experience and that pay was a secondary consideration. <A> A few important points: If you've taken on all this work so far without balking, it's already been assumed by the company that you were comfortable taking it on without the raise. <S> Now, to suddenly demand a raise, at 30%, will mark you as a "problem child" (no pun intended.) <S> Taking on responsibilities <S> other than your desired or intended field of work is most definitely a sign to your management that you're sort of a push-over. <S> Companies love this sort of employee until the day the employee shows up -- frustrated and underpaid -- with a rifle. <S> "But he was always such a nice guy" is what they'll say to the local SWAT team. <S> Don't take on such varying responsibilities ever again because it actually makes it HARDER to assess what you really do and come up with a rationale for a raise. <S> Never sell yourself short. <S> You're going to have to leave, despite the fact that it may cost the company more to replace you than to give you a raise. <S> The funky thing is that once you're gone, they may actually decide that some of the stuff you've been doing isn't that mission-critical after all, and just limp along without it. <S> Who knew? <S> It's unfortunate, but you can't assume that your own well-thought-out rationale is actually what motivates your management. <S> Make sure your next job title matches what you want to be, as it will carry weight on the next job after that (think long-term!). <A> When asking for a raise, don't focus on where you are ( <S> e.g. that it's a 30% raise); focus on the job responsibilities . <S> Assuming you want to stay (if they pay you more), in your next one-on-one meeting with your manager, say something like the following: <S> As you know, I'll be graduating soon and am ready for a software-development role. <S> I really appreciate the opportunities I've had to learn here. <S> I'd like to stay if I can. <S> What would it take for me to be promoted to a software developer? <S> Notice that I didn't say anything about money yet. <S> What I did say was: here's what my degree qualifies me for, and I'd like a promotion . <S> A promotion is an opportunity for a salary adjustment that is not part of the annual performance review/raise. <S> Even if they'd wanted to, they were not going to give you a 30% -- or even 10% -- raise as part of the annual cycle . <S> That would be way out of whack with your coworkers, and people would be disgruntled. <S> Your goal is to move up in the hierarchy, which naturally involves adjusting your salary. <S> Then next year when you get your 3% or whatever, it'll be in sync with everyone else. <S> If your manager is open to the promotion idea, then you discuss salary. <A> You are at a transition in your career. <S> Have you considered want you want to do and where you want to work? <S> If your current company meets those criteria, you can apply for a new position that matches your skill set, and negotiate a new salary accordingly. <S> If you stay simply because you are already there, and/or you dig your heels in that you're being treated unfairly, you are likely undermining your own career. <S> People will brag about a great new hire, even if the pay is a bit high. <S> People rarely brag about giving more money to the person who was already there. <S> This company has given you tremendous experience, and has increased your value as an employee substantially. <S> If you shop that experience elsewhere, and it will be valued using the market in your area as a guide.
| You're right on the thing about the titles justifying higher pay, but it's likely nothing's going to happen on your current job with a title change to facilitate a raise.
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Should I mention chess performance as strategic planning skills in my CV? Since my past works didn't require strategic planning skills much, I think than mentioning about my chess skills is a good example for it. What do you think? Here is my draft: Skills Strategic planning: top 50 players in Chess Tournament for Students in City X (2012) <Q> Strategies in chess boil down to memorising a set of patterns and using them in combinations against the set of patterns your opponent has memorised and combined, then hope they make at least one more mistake than you. <S> Strategic planning in a business is much more complex: <S> you don't have perfect and open and freely accessible information of the game state <S> the game is not remotely zero-sum <S> the rules are dynamic and with significant regional variation <S> you are not in sole charge of your resources or choice of plan <S> you are not seeking an endgame, but an open-ended improvement process <S> Each of these alone makes your chess experience not a brilliant starting point for business strategy planning. <S> At best it will help when you begin learning, but there are other skills which would be far more important in a business setting, like the ability to manage time pressure or to self-develop your skillset for a task. <S> TLDR: don't bother. <A> Since my past works didn't require strategic planning skills much, I think than mentioning about my chess skills is a good example for it. <S> What do you think? <S> Unless you are planning to apply for a job as a chess tutor, then leave off your chess skills. <S> The same would be true for other games - backgammon, bridge, poker, etc. <S> Your resume should reflect your abilities relevant to the job for which you are applying. <S> While chess involves strategy, jobs in business requiring "strategic planning skills" are looking for something different. <S> Strategic planning is an organizational management activity that is used to set priorities, focus energy and resources, strengthen operations, ensure that employees and other stakeholders are working toward common goals, establish agreement around intended outcomes/results, and assess and adjust the organization's direction in response to a changing environment. <S> It is a disciplined effort that produces fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, who it serves, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future. <S> Effective strategic planning articulates not only where an organization is going and the actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it is successful. <S> See: https://balancedscorecard.org/Resources/Strategic-Planning-Basics <S> Writing something like "Strategic planning: top 50 players in Chess Tournament" would signal to the company that you don't really understand strategic planning in a business context. <A> Even though I do, in your case I wouldn't. <S> And certainly not in the Skills section. <S> I've always mentioned my chess skills on my resume, but in the Hobbies section. <S> Feedback was never negative, ranging from one quick slightly intrigued question to a longer discussion with genuine respectful interest. <S> In many people's mind chess is linked to intelligence (it's complete crap obviously, there are dumb people in chess as in any other part of the population), strategic thinking etc. <S> It might also be viewed as a sign of nerdiness (again, cliches die hard) <S> but hey I work in IT <S> so I'm already assumed to have a 50% chance to be an autistic geek :) <S> Seriously it's a good way to tell a bit more about myself in a way that is generally perceived positively, and several times served as an ice-breaker once we were done with the regular hr/technical questions. <S> But it's not intended to prove anything regarding my skillset. <S> That being said, I would only mention playing chess, not that tournament. <S> To be honest it's just not that impressive. <S> If they show some interest and start discussing your hobby then you can talk about it.
| If you feel you must mention chess, include it in a "Hobbies" section.
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Is rude to ask an ex employee for a feedback about a company they worked for? I have a friend who worked as a software developer in a company I would like to work for. I sent him an email asking for a feedback about the pros and cons of this company (culture, adopted technology, work life balance and so on) and he replied saying that it's rude to ask for this kind of feedback and that he's not the kind of person to speak ill about his previous company. It's really rude or unprofessional to ask these kind of questions? I wasn't asking about salary, benefits,and other financial stuff so I really don't understand what's wrong with this request. <Q> Short answer: Not normally, but they may be reluctant to answer if they would give a negative response. <S> I don't know what your friend is talking about, saying that it's rude. <S> It's called "due diligence", to find out as much information as you can about a company before you end up somewhere that isn't a good match. <S> Most friends would answer quite happily, at least I know I would if a friend asked me about a current or previous work place. <S> Of course, that depends entirely on how close the friend is. <S> I would be more guarded with someone I considered more of an acquaintance than I would be with a close friend. <S> I would just leave it with your friend, clearly he doesn't wish to discuss it. <S> The best thing to do is to ask the questions of the interview panel if you ever have an opportunity to apply for a role and are short listed. <A> People do this all the time and asking the question isn't rude, though the way you phrase it can of course be rude. <S> You'll want to be considerate of the time of your friend and take into account <S> how well you know them and <S> what relationship you have. <S> Sometimes you can send a mail like you did, asking what they thought of the culture, work life balance, technology level or management. <S> But that's requiring an awful lot of work and doesn't give them an easy out, making it harder to say no. <S> Some people may not have the time to answer you or be uncomfortable for a variety of reasons, like your friend in this example. <S> Instead you may want to send an initial mail to ask if they mind answering a few of your questions about that company. <S> You can suggest meeting up, calling them or continuing the conversation via mail. <S> With close friend you can just IM them or call them up spontaneously. <S> Now, while asking this question is fine, it's also fine for someone to refuse to answer or, more likely, be very guarded with the feedback they give. <S> But the " don't speak ill of a past employer " doesn't really apply in this situation. <S> but it's fine to be honest in a conversation with friends outside work, especially if they asked you for your feedback. <A> It's really rude or unprofessional to ask these kind of questions? <S> In my experience, it's neither rude nor unprofessional to talk about a company with a friend. <S> My good friends and <S> I talk about companies where we have worked all the time. <S> I'm happy to give a completely honest opinion and advice about any company where I have worked - both the good and the bad points. <S> If your friend is reluctant, don't push it. <S> Something there doesn't feel right to him, so don't make him uncomfortable by pressing. <S> It's not clear what is behind his feeling, perhaps it was the way you asked the question, or perhaps he has only good feelings for his former employer. <S> Perhaps he is worried that his response won't be kept confidential. <S> Perhaps he doesn't know you well enough to divulge this information. <S> Either way, he is entitled to his feelings. <S> Perhaps another friend can provide the information you are seeking. <A> I will never expect a person to communicate through email for this kind of topics/details. <S> Its very natural to be reluctant on writing such details in an e-mail. <S> Because, at times I may use that mail in wrong way, which will spoil the image of that person. <S> I am suspecting this could be the issue. <S> Expecting to send such things through mail, your friend felt it as rude. <S> If I am that friend, I will ask you to meet or make a phone call.
| You wouldn't criticise your employer with acquaintances, colleagues or do it during an interview It's perfectly fine to ask someone about their experience with a company , whether or not they're still working there. If I want to get this kind of information, I will speak with the respective person either personally or on phone.
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Should I mention I don't do overtime work? I'm going to look for a new job soon and one of the reasons among others is the demand for overwork time that's very common in Japan. Looking for a new job should I mention that I won't do overtime work or just do the interview normally and then refuse it if it comes up since it's not in the contract (I know I cannot be pressured of fired for this)? <Q> This is going to be dependent on culture (both company culture and general workplace culture), but usually if something is important for you, you should absolutely mention it in the interview. <S> After all, if the company cannot/does not want to respect your wishes, you are unlikely to be happy in your job. <S> However, you might want to consider what exactly your needs are, and how to best communicate them. <S> Some points to consider <S> : Are you really absolutely, 100% unwilling to do even a minute of overtime? <S> That might seem unreasonable. <S> Think about where your limit is: Only in emergencies? <S> Not more than three times a month? <S> An hour once a week? <S> Communicate your boundaries clearly but respectfully. <S> Don't say "I never work overtime" - rather <S> "I am most productive with a regular work day." <S> Instead of flat out stating your requirements, consider asking first: "What is work like here? <S> When do people typically come in and leave? <S> " <S> Then you'll get an impression first. <S> Ideally you want to find a company that shares your views on overtime. <S> Or at least a company that respects your wishes, or limits overtime as far as possible. <S> Such companies probably exist (excessive overtime is unproductive anyway), but you may have to do some searching. <A> Looking for a new job should I mention that I won't do overtime work <S> While interviewing, you should ask questions to learn about the company culture and to determine if the job and company fit your needs. <S> Instead of simply stating "I won't do overtime", you might want to ask "Tell me about the work hours here. <S> " And if necessary, push a bit and say "How often are people expected to work overtime?" <S> From the company viewpoint, interviews are designed to see if you fit the job/role/company. <S> Similarly, from your viewpoint, you need to see if what they are offering fits your needs. <S> or just do the interview normally and then refuse it if it comes up since it's not in the contract <S> (I know I cannot be pressured of fired for this)? <S> Waiting until you start work, then springing such a surprise on your employer is probably not a good idea. <S> While they may not be able to fire you or pressure you, I'm sure you understand that it can be an unpleasant situation all around. <S> Within the bounds of the law and your contract, you might be denied raises, made to work shifts that you would not prefer, and given less than desirable projects. <S> Workers who don't go along with the company culture can tend to become very unhappy. <A> You have a better chance of getting a job if you don't mention it. <S> Most employers anywhere expect people to at least have the ability to do some overtime if necessary. <S> I know I cannot be pressured of fired for this <S> That's great, and I'll take your word for that. <S> However there is ALWAYS a way to get rid of a recalcitrant employee, an employer doesn't have to fire them for the 'actual' reason they want to get rid of them, they just need to satisfy local requirements (if any).
| If you have decided that you are not willing to work any overtime, then you must ask enough questions to learn if overtime will be expected, since that would mean you don't want this job.
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How to leverage existing employees as ambassadors and trainers, with very small incentive budgets To help the wider business learn how to use software and have a point of contact that's NOT the IT team, we are looking to introduce power users. We hope that it will highlight issues that don't get reported and also build knowledge and proficiency around the company in an organic way. Let's say we have capacity for 15 people to become 'Power users' of some sort when it comes to IT systems in general. We would like these people to act as both ambassadors and points of contact for the rest of the company, in terms of our main IT systems. They would be selected on their personality, how keen they are and IT proficiency (actually less important than we thought it might be). They would be given extra training and support but also expected to commit to a small amount of extra work. There is only a very small budget for incentives perhaps twice a year (gift voucher? something along those lines), there would be no room for a pay rise. How do you convince people to sign up to things like this AND get them to do it? They're basically going to be doing more work for the same money. When we ran a trial it was difficult to keep people on board, they either ignored communications or just said they hadn't had time to do xyz yet because their actual job is making them too busy. Incentive wise, what can be offered that isn't financial? We thought about some motivational things such as making it part of personal development (ie; recognised by management) but I don't think this is enough to make people want to give up time from their already very busy days. <Q> You mention in your comments that you are part of the core IT team. <S> It seems to me that the reason you are having trouble motivating these users is because your team is overreaching in their responsibilities. <S> Given that you are an IT associate, I'm assuming these users don't report up through your direct IT management hierarchy? <S> That means this work would be completely voluntary on top of their normal duties (which as you are seeing is a really hard sell to someone who is already busy). <S> The benefit of an ambassador program is self-apparent (we have something similar at my Enterprise) but this directive ultimately needs to come from the business leadership. <S> Rather than try to have your IT team indirectly supervise these ambassador's themselves, why not try convincing their direct managers of the benefits of the program and allow them to manage it themselves? <S> My IT team stays relatively hands off with our ambassadors letting business assign and control direct responsibilities themselves but do set some high-level expectations which gives us what we need in the relationship. <S> For instance, when filing trouble tickets against certain applications we ask that our ambassadors act as gate keepers to review any reported problem before filing a ticket. <S> This helps us filter out clear user-error issues and free up IT application team time for more pressing issues (such as developing improvements to the same application). <S> It is a win-win for both departments so we have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. <S> TLDR - I would recommend getting your business team management on board and let them manage their part of the program themselves. <S> Set IT expectations and allow business to police themselves to come up with a mutually beneficial arrangement. <A> How do you convince people to sign up to things like this AND get them to do it? <S> Maybe a nice certificate for their cubicle saying something like "I am a POWER USER, ask me anything!" <S> or such would do the trick? <S> Mention them prominently in the company newsletter. <S> Give them a preferred parking spot, or some other small perk. <S> If the budget permits, give them a hat or t-shirt. <S> It probably depends on the culture of helping in your company. <S> Here at stackexchange for example, folks are encouraged to help others and aren't paid for their efforts. <S> This site uses gamification (voting, points, badges, ranking) as a way to help induce people to contribute. <S> You could look into doing the same at very little cost. <S> Award points for the best tips, or the most help. <S> Have folks that have been helped by these power users vote for the "Power User of the Month". <S> Award badges. <S> Etc. <S> And publicly recognizing their efforts can give them a sense of satisfaction. <S> Do that well, and others will want to be part of the helping culture. <A> Get the power users to buy in to the process. <S> If they believe it in and how it will benefit the business they will be more likely to give of their 'free' time. <S> Invite them to meetings where the discussion centers around X problem. <S> Tell them that they are there because management thinks that they will be able to help solve it and ask for their feedback. <S> Once you have the feedback, USE IT! <S> Giving people say in a process and showing that you are listening and respect them goes a long way. <A> In organizations I've been a part of success of programs like this would be contingent on resource availability. <S> If you are expecting people to devote a couple hours per week to this then you have to make sure their other workload is decreased by that amount. <S> Failure on this front will ensure that something is falling off of their plate and the odds are good that a voluntary non-departmental commitment will be the thing that falls off.
| If you can get management buy-off, then they can pick the superusers that they feel are most appropriate and rearrange their existing duties as necessary. Often emphasizing the "helping" aspects of the role brings out the best in the helpers.
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How to leave an internship due to school I completed a 13 week internship over the summer. I was offered, and accepted, an extension part time into the fall. However, I did not expect school commitments to take up as much time as they do, and I don't want my grades to suffer because of my internship. I do enjoy the internship and it is a company I'd like to work for when I graduate, so I don't want to quit improperly. How can I end my internship early without burning bridges? <Q> It's wise you're thinking about your grades first, because your study should be your priority. <S> Discuss this with the company, they'll understand the issue. <S> That way you complete the internship but just over a larger time period. <A> It can go good or bad depending on the style of the person you answer to over there. <S> On one hand it shows you are dedicated to your schooling, are cognizant of the negative effect(s) <S> it could have for your future if your schooling failed and are learning important lessons like not overextending yourself and balancing commitments - which you will need to learn when you are in the work force. <S> You can ask to shorten the hours and extend the internship, or they may just end it right there since you have already done 13 weeks, it is not like you just started and then got cold feet. <S> Communicate the fact you are still growing, and would very much like to continue in some capacity and that it doesn't blacklist you or look bad. <S> On the other hand, it highlights the lack of critical thinking, forward planning and over-committing, which honestly should be expected - you're in school still, not experienced with life in the grand scheme of things. <S> So if that manager happens to be harder on the approach they can get you blacklisted or complain to the school if that is how your got the internship. <S> I wouldn't worry about the bad results - but it is worth mentioning. <S> Honesty is key and I would focus on school, who cares if you burn a bridge on the way to a degree, internships are nothing like the real thing <S> anyway <S> so don't have any qualms <S> no what happens or what you choose. <S> Either way you do not want to overcommit and burn yourself out. <A> Just my opinion, but most companies would understand. <S> If they extended your internship they likely have a high opinion of your effort. <S> Explaining that your workload this semester is simply heavier than you anticipated, but you would love to come back next break if they had an opening would likely ease any misgivings on their side. <S> If it did not, that is <S> if they held it against you, then it might not be someplace you wanted to work after graduation after all. <S> The fact that you even feel concern and want to talk to them will go a long way with many people. <S> But how it will strike one individual <S> is always anyone's guess.
| Maybe you can ask to work less hours at your internship and extend the internship period to catch up with the hours. If you truly feel you cannot balance the internship and school you need to communicate that to them honestly. Pointing out that you do not want either your work in school, nor your efforts with them to suffer likewise can win points with many.
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Some colleagues use hands to dig into free food at cafe I am a trainee at some company with about 100 employees. There is a small cafe with some drinks, snacks, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Chips are usually in big bags and you put some on a plate, vegetables are in a big bowl and you put some on a plate, etc. Although there are tongs and spoons for this purpose, some colleagues use their hand to dig into the bowls and bas instead. I have even seen someone not washing his hands after using the restroom and 2 minutes later I saw him taking some carrots from one of the big bowls by hand. I don't really need to explain why this is not right and bothering me. Considering that I am just a trainee for 3 months, and I have no prior experience working in a company, should I: Stop eating from this food and keep my mouth shut (I'd feel guilty for others oblivious to this behavior), Make a comment for everyone I see doing so (I know it is a bad choice, but I am just listing all options I know), Talk to someone in the company (e.g., HR), or other option. <Q> Awkward emails prompted by not-to-be-named colleagues is the specialty of HR. <S> It is part of their job description to front in those circumstances so you don't get any flak (as mentioned by Christopher ). <S> tl;dr : <S> Go talk to HR, and they will (may) send an awkward email to everyone, so you don't have to. <S> (thanks sleske ) <A> Difficult question. <S> As a newcomer it's probably best not to confront people. <S> Either stop eating free food, or mention it to management. <S> Management will either take it to HR or deal with it themselves, or (hopefully) <S> stop putting their own grubby hands on the food. <S> Or if it's a cultural thing might have a hand washing station near the door and/or put up a sign. <S> So it really depends on your personality as well. <A> The only thing you can really do that won't alienate yourself from everyone (which can always have negative ramifications on a variety of levels) is to just stop eating there. <S> Don't feel guilty for others. <S> They're adults and there's really not a ton you can do. <S> Now, if you don't care what happens to you or what people think of you, go ahead and say something at the company or make a comment. <S> I honestly can't see how you'll come out looking like a hero though. <S> People hate being called out for their bad manners/hygiene <S> and it's not your position to do so. <A> For what it's worth, open bowls/trays of munchies are the norm at some large (3000-person) events I go to. <S> People are gently encouraged to use a scoop, by the simple practice of leaving one or two scoops in each bowl. <S> Realistically, we wind up with lots of hands in the food anyway, but "convention crud" (as illness after a convention is known) tends to be spread much more by air than by this vector. <S> The salt in some snacks is enough to kill many germs... <S> If not, all I can suggest is going for individually wrapped snacks, or putting a bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer on the break-room table... <S> Fruit and veggies are tremendously better for you anyway; snacks plus desk job is a dangerous combination. <S> (I'm trying to undo some of that damage and improve my habits now; got a scary and expensive reminder.) <A> If your company has some sort of Morale/Day-to-Day person; i.e. People Manager, Site Operations, etc - some goofy companies have people that are just there to send out newsletters and organize chili cook-offs - I would take it up with them. <S> Since you are a trainee I would recommend against being "That Guy/Gal" and bringing it up to people, perhaps mentioning it to your manager - but more or less as a health concern and not that you are reproached by it (which is fine, I don't want someone's unwashed bathroom hands on my apples) <S> so you can get taken a little more seriously. <S> This behavior has a lot to do with company culture, or perhaps the ethnic group in the company, I have witnessed this. <S> Typically a large, bold font in MS Word/LibreOffice printed out and pasted everywhere can mitigate, or of course, no fruits for anyone and they can learn to stop being disgusting little plebes.
| But, I would tell anyone I saw doing that to get their hands out of the food and have a bit of respect for others and couldn't care less if they don't like it. Or casually bring your own snacks. You've run head-first into a culture that's already in place and well-precedes you. Maybe you can get your office to switch to plastic bins ("the bins will help keep things fresher than the bags do, and they shelve better, and..."), add scoops to those (may be as simple as leaving a cup in each bin), and see if folks get the hint.
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Resignation announcement - boss wants to keep secret I handed in my notice last week and the CEO has been swaying backwards and forwards on when to make the announcement to the rest of my colleagues. They seem to be worried that this news will appear negatively to new team members as two colleagues have already left in the past couple of months for the same reason I am leaving (we have not been consulted in any decision making and have had projects taken from us by the boss, there is not a lot of transparency and the secrets and poor communication have created an undesirable environment). I have told my boss that the reason I quit is to pursue a career in another field, I didn't not mention how fed up I was with it all. I want to be honest with my team and tell them sooner rather than later. I was told to wait "until the team is ready" and that I am being unprofessional for wanting to tell them myself. I've been advised to wait another two weeks before telling them, but I'm uncomfortable with hiding this from them. I have another two and a half months with this company, and I don't want to leave on a sour note (especially when I still need a reference). Is announcing my departure the CEOs decision or mine? Is my wanting to tell my team unprofessional? Note: I do not want to tell any of our clients, just the team I have worked closely with for the last two years. <Q> As an answer to your second question, no it's not unprofessional to want to tell a team you've worked with for an extended time that you are leaving. <S> By now, these coworkers may be friends, or at least something resembling friends, and it's natural to want to tell them (and they would probably want you to tell them too). <S> I have another two and a half months with this company, and I don't want to leave on a sour note (especially when I still need a reference). <S> I think this gives you the answer to your first question. <S> Most likely with over 2 months left they don't want a major disruption to the team as that would be a long time for productivity to slump. <S> Also, executive management may have reasons for wanting to do it this way that they aren't telling you; maybe they're thinking of promoting from within your team or thinking of shutting the team down after you leave. <S> Just because they didn't give you any reasons, doesn't mean they may not have them. <S> You're about to leave and you want a reference, but you still work for them, so keep your head down and do what they ask. <S> If they continue to push back the date they want you to tell the team, keep open lines of communication with management and continue to tell them that you want to be the one to inform the team of your departure. <A> It's your boss's responsibility to structure the communication around your departure and to determine the associated timeline. <S> "Good" managers will do this along the lines of "what is best for the remaining team". <S> What exactly that is, will vary from case to case since every situation is different. <S> Extremely long notice periods like this are a bad for both parties: it's not good for a team to have a leaving member sitting around for month. <S> Inevitably the conversation will move to "what's all broken here" and "what's a lot better over there". <S> It's not good for the employee either: you are mentally done with the current job and you want to move on. <S> There is really no good way of handling this. <S> The best you can do is to keep doing your job as if nothing has happened and go with your manager's decision. <S> You can ask the manager that an announcement should be made at least one week before your departure. <S> That gives you plenty of time to say your goodbyes and it's not long enough to create a significant disruption. <S> Another option would be to ask for the notice period to be shortened. <S> In most legislations this can be done simply by both parties agreeing. <S> I've done this once myself successfully. <A> You are not obligated to immediately tell all your friends everything you are planning. <S> It does not seem unreasonable for your supervisors to ask for at least a couple of days to decide how to break the news. <S> Weigh the potential for the damage of making an announcement before it is a complete announcement. <S> If they announce your departure and people are concerned with the road forward, it could create unnecessary worrying and distraction. <S> People fear change but even more they fear uncertainty. <S> Also consider that giving your co-workers an 8-week notice is not that different than giving them a 10-week notice.
| They likely want to be able to explain their plan for moving forward at the same time as announcing your impending departure. In a situation where you want to leave on a good note, it doesn't really matter what their reasoning is, if they don't want you telling the team you shouldn't tell them.
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If my mother language is not English, what can I do to improve my communication skills at my workplace? I am not from a country where English is the mother tongue. While I was working in my current company, I found my US colleagues usually communicate with each other not only on work stuff but also sometimes about daily life. I found sometimes I don't know how to respond to them like a native speaker. For example, if they praised my bag, I know this is a good starting topic, but I don't know how to continue the conversation in English. Now I can only answer with a 'thank you' or 'I like it too'. May I ask for any suggestions on how to improve the situation? <Q> The communication you described is small talk . <S> The goal of small talk is for the participants to feel a closer social bond and develop rapport . <S> When your colleague complimented your bag, he was offering you an opening to share something about yourself. <S> You could have said something like <S> “Thanks, I actually got this bag when I was on holiday in Egypt,” or <S> “Yeah, I like it too, <S> it’s great for short camping trips," <S> both of which leave them an opening for further questions. <S> If you’re stuck, you can turn it around with something like <S> “Thanks, it worked a lot better for me before I lived someplace so rainy. <S> How do you keep your stuff dry here?” <S> Replying with <S> a short “thank you” is not rude, but it signals that you are not interested in continuing the small talk. <S> Practice makes perfect. <S> Talk to your coworkers about sports or the weather or the catering at the last company party, and pay attention to what they say. <S> If you find you have something in common with them, say so, and keep the conversation going. <A> Working overseas with the Afghan National Army, and here in the US with people of different cultural and language backgrounds has given me a little insight to this. <S> The best way I have seen done is just to hang around people, "shoot the breeze" is a proper idiomatic expression. <S> Being around people is a good way to get to know them, their mannerisms, and more-or-less the vernacular used by them; I have a heavy Bronx accent and use a lot of military and obscenities in my speech - it would scare the hell out of my QA team at my last job who were all from India, but just spending time with each other definitely helps out. <S> I would also broach that request to them, a simple "Hey, I would like to be to communicate/form relationships, can you help" can go a long way. <S> Especially if you already have a good working relationship, people may feel more inclined to take you in and help you out. <A> One of the best moves I have seen in this situation is to always have lunch with a group of coworkers. <S> This will expose you to a variety of small talk as an observer, and eventually as a participant. <A> Good answers already, but here is something extra that has always worked for me. <S> Learn some jokes in their language, you don't have to get them perfect, but it's a great ice breaker <S> and they'll appreciate them, they don't even have to be particularly funny, it's the novelty value.
| Make an effort to be engaging and continue conversations with your coworkers, and even initiate them sometimes.
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Is this barely normal on a software interview? I just wanted to check something and hear a second opinion: I am currently in the recruitment process of a big company. I have more than 8 years of experience with software and have been working in important companies, even abroad. I had five ( Yes, 5 ) interviews: with HR, a technical test (2 hours programming), a technical interview and a couple more. I am in the final one now, which consists in writing a program. I spent more than 25 hours on this program and even that I am far to finishing it; it´s massive. The question is: Do you consider "rude" if I tell them I am not going to finish the program? (I think 2000 lines of code can help at least a little to know how does a person write software) <Q> No , spending over 25 hours on a programming exercise is not normal. <S> However, are you sure you've understood the requirements and are tackling it in the right way? <S> My previous company used take-home exercises in its interview process, and this was a regular anti-pattern (and a sure way to fail). <S> I suggest you get in touch with the interviewer to confirm, this is a far smaller sin. <S> (Best of all would have been to scope it out when you received it, but too late for that now.) <A> No, I don't consider it rude to tell them you won't finish it. <S> It was incredibly rude of them to ask you to do that much work without payment. <A> That definitely sounds odd. <S> In my opinion, an appropriate amount of time for a take-home interview problem is 1-8 hours and a few hundred lines of code at most. <S> I see two broad possibilities here: <S> This company is asking for something far too sophisticated to be used as an interview problem. <S> Does it seem like something that might be used in production? <S> Is there a spec for it longer than a few paragraphs? <S> Does it interact with multiple external systems? <S> What exactly is it that makes it so complex? <S> Was it not clear to you as soon as you got the project that it was roughly this level of complexity? <S> If any of this is the case, you are well within your rights to give them what you have and tell them that you won't put any more work into this problem as an interview problem. <S> Maybe you missed an easy way to do something, or fully implemented something that they expected to be left as a mock or black box, or something like that. <S> If you suspect this might be the case, you should stop working on it and have a discussion with your contact at the company. <S> Tell them about how much time you have spent and what approach you have taken to the parts of the problem, and see if this along the lines of what they expected you to do, or if there was some miscommunication about some aspect of the assignment. <A> Also, all the conditions of the job (for example pay, benefits and so on) should be clearly agreed at that time, because spending 3 working days on a paid test would be ridiculous if you then don't agree on the salary. <S> Now I can't see many companies paying you for a three day programming test. <S> Well, in that case the three day test is not reasonable. <S> There will always be a probation period when you get employed, so if there is a problem with your skills, it can be sorted.
| Asking you to spend 25 hours on a programming test is reasonable if (a) this is to pick the right one from two or three final candidates, and (b) the company pays you for the time. I wouldn't worry about rudeness on your part as it's very rude of them to be using candidates to do production development work, and you probably don't want to work for a company that would do that. You have misinterpreted something about the assignment and are doing something far more complex than what the company intended.
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How to deal with an employee who refuses to follow social etiquette I have an employee who reports to me who refuses to behave within accepted social norms, when it comes to respect for their co-workers. The individual in question is blunt, rude, and aggressively argumentative. Some examples of their behavior I'm having a problem with: Clipping their nails at a desk (in an open office layout), something many people find gross and inappropriate to do at your desk Loudly clearing their throat and hacking up phlegm into their garbage can on a routine basis (no they have no illness around this) If the individual doesn't get their away immediately, they will raise their voice and basically yell at whoever they are speaking to, including their manager (me). This includes swearing. Commonly becomes a problem when there are two ways of doing something with no objective winner so I make a decision. Will commonly interrupt people if they are just engaging in "small talk" as what they have to say is "more important" Will frequently talk down to other employees I've spoken to the individual about their behavior and made it clear that it wasn't acceptable, however they refuse to change and said that basically everyone else is in the wrong and that they don't care what everyone thinks about them, as long as they do their job. Now, when it comes to programming, the individual is quite capable and performs well, but there is more to a developer than programming. Interpersonal skills go a long way. What would be an appropriate course of action for this problem? The individual doesn't seem to care/believe there is a problem. I don't want to fire this individual as they are a productive worker, but for their own sake, I want to fix these interpersonal problems. <Q> Find a reason to put them on a PIP, this behaviour and especially the defiance of authority is bad for general morale. <S> It's also a potential danger in the workplace as the employee could easily find himself in a fist fight if one of the other staff loses their temper with him. <S> Once on a PIP he will either realise that his job is very much on the line and wake his ideas up or you will find that he is incorrigible and <S> you'll have to sack him. <S> In either case start looking for a replacement just in case. <A> I have worked with many types of people gifted in technology and lacking in social skills and awareness, e.g. Lots of programmers! <S> My wife works with many kids with special needs too. <S> There are many possible factors that influence their social "oddness" and hard to pin down. <S> Consider that you may be dealing with someone on the autism spectrum or "mild aspergers", which is partly responsible for their behavior that you may find appears "rude" <S> but they do not necessarily intend it in that way. <S> Or they are just a spoiled kid and a jerk. <S> I found this in a quick Google search: <S> The Employer's Guide to Asperger's Syndrome (PDF) http://www.antiochne.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ASDEmpGuide.pdf <S> It is great that you discussed with them how their actions are impacting others, but maybe it needs to be presented less as a "they think" or <S> "we think" vs "you" and more along the lines you feel you are heading, which is what is expected and acceptable if they want to keep working here. <S> It may take a lot more effort for them to modify their behavior than you would expect, but with proper guidance, most people, even with full autism are able to "learn" how to play by the basic rules of expected social behavior -- over time. <A> Is this person's behavior making everyone's productivity suffer? <S> If so, it is a loss to our organization, and this person is a liability. <S> Something to bring to upper management. <S> You counseled the said employee, he refuses to change, it is affecting performance of others, you are losing profits, your organization's bottom line.
| I've spoken to the individual about their behavior and made it clear that it wasn't acceptable, however they refuse to change and said that basically everyone else is in the wrong and that they don't care what everyone thinks about them, as long as they do their job.
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Boss watched me do anonymous survey, treats me different now My boss was continuously walking past me as I was filling in an anonymous survey, she saw me put a negative comment in about the workplace itself. All day after that she seemed to be picking on me continuously, telling me that I was not doing anything properly or quickly enough. She then asked me why I put in the negative comment and seemed really angry with me for the rest of the day. Is that breaking confidentiality policy? Is there anything I can do? <Q> She then asked me why I put in the negative comment and seemed really angry with me for the rest of the day. <S> Is that breaking confidentiality policy? <S> It may, but thats not really relevant there. <S> The incident happened and now there is a loss of trust between you and your manager. <S> You can try to amend this by working with her and adressing concerns directly, which may work if she is the kind of person to accept that. <S> You could also complain to HR, and they may even do something, but realize that in a whole lot of companies, doing that will not only net you nothing but put you on the list to be sacked at the earliest next convenience. <S> It sucks and its unfair, but thats what it is. <S> About anonymous surveys: They're rarely effective, mainly because most people will (rightly or wrongly) assume that they're not really anonymous, and often thats true. <S> As for your case, if you plan on answering anonymous surveys in the future, make sure you're alone and make sure to formulate any complaints you may have in such a way that its not obvious who wrote them. <A> This is just a suggestion because I don't know the personality of your boss, but depending on the nature of the negative comment, you could always bring it out in the open, and try to work with your boss to tackle the issue. <S> OK she knows you think this <S> , you know she knows, so there's no point in pretending it's anonymous any more. <S> Why not discuss it openly with her and see if there's anything that can be done about it? <S> If the situation allows (as in you're confident she won't freak out) <S> you could also mention how you feel about her treatment of you and her invasion of your privacy - after all what was the point of the survey if responders aren't free to give their honest opinion privately? <A> First and most important question: <S> What does "boss" mean? <S> Team leader? <S> Manager? <S> CEO? <S> Company owner? <S> Anyone but the company owner has to play by the company's rules. <S> Looking over your shoulder while you fill out an anonymous survey is obviously bad, and threatening because of your answers is really bad. <S> Well, unless your "boss" is the company owner, you'll have to figure out whether this behaviour is accepted in your company or not. <S> First you'd check what the official position of your company is. <S> If the company's official position is "you are nothing and your boss does whatever she wants", there is nothing you can do. <S> If the company's official position is "this survey is anonymous, we don't accept any breach of anonymity, and we don't accept any retaliation over complaints in the survey", then find out carefully what their real position is.
| Ultimately, if your manager is not receptive to mending the bridge you inadvertenly burned with her, it may be best to cut your losses and start looking for a new job.
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How do I add this Technician Course I took in highschool in my canadian resume? I have a technician degree in Informatics (image bellow is the certificate) and I would like to hear your opinion on how to add this in a resume. I've tried "Information Technology Technician by the Federal Institute of Technology, Science and Education of Minas Gerais", does it make any sense? The course is a 3 years course with interniship required. <Q> We're no different than the prospective employer, and you explained what this is to us by saying: <S> The course is a 3 years course with interniship required. <S> Something like: Information Technology Technician certification, Federal Institute of Technology, Science and Education of Mina Gerais - Three year program with internship at ____. <S> Then I would list the internship as a separate item under experience, like any normal job, with the job title "intern". <A> This sounds like education. <S> I would put it under the education category as just a short certification. <S> In an interview you would likely be given the opportunity to explain it further. <A>
| I'd go with Information Technology Technician, certified through the Federal Institute of Technology, Science and Education of Minas Gerais as a line in the education section.
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How to tactfully ask someone to stop forwarding spam to a mailing list? One of the secretaries in my lab is regularly forwarding spam emails entitled "Recently opened vacancies at [fake recruiting company]", apparently thinking that it's relevant to us PhD students. To put things in context, there is no doubt whatsoever that this email is spam and not genuine. I would like to tell her to stop, because that scummy company has already gotten all of the emails in my lab (thanks IT department for putting them all on a single, publicly available page), so I get them, but gmail correctly classifies them as spam. However when she forwards them, they don't get marked as spam (she usually sends important messages). I am aware of this previous question . However, I think the power dynamic is sufficiently different enough to warrant a new question. Indeed, she is not a "coworker" in any meaningful sense: the accepted answer to the other question starts with "Since you are a peer". But although we do work in the same lab (in my countries PhD students are regular employees of the university, with a work contract, a salary, etc), we have a completely different hierarchy, I don't think I know clearly who her superior is and it's probably someone in the central administration, and while I do interact with her from time to time she might as well live in a different world. Besides as a PhD student I'm still half-seen as a student and requests are not necessarily taken seriously. What (if anything) can I do in situation? To clarify the question: we are not "peers" in any sense of the word. She is of the administration, I am a researcher. She has been in the lab for probably decades, I have been in the lab for two years. I use "vous" when speaking to her, she uses "tu" when speaking to me. And so on. I believe this makes the question different from the proposed duplicate. <Q> You don't have leverage let alone authority over the secretary. <S> By going to the chairperson, you are enlisting someone who has authority over the secretary. <S> (*) as Jane S. suggests: bring some evidence that the emails are spam with fake recruitment companies. <A> I would ask myself why I think this is a problem. <S> Unless she is forwarding 50 of these day it's the work of a few seconds to filter them out without even opening them. <S> One of my email accounts gets a bit of spam because I don't really filter it, but I just delete them as a matter of course. <S> It barely interrupts anything. <S> If I was getting a huge amount from her and wanted to make something of it, I would inform her that an email is spam and ask her politely to check with her IT support since there might be a problem with their mail filters. <S> After a few of these she might get the message. <A> I would absolutely take up the point with her personally, and if she didn't listen escalate to HR and to your IT department as well - definitely any network admin or security guy if you have one. <S> Her shooting off spam should be against any IT guidelines just from a Best Practices standpoint, one day someone is going to open the email and either let themselves hit with a social engineering attack <S> (as that is all it is), or a more sophisticated attack vector (beyond the scope of this .SE). <S> She is putting everyone in more danger, and is going to give your net admin a huge headache as well, by forwarding all of that spam.
| Take an appointment - better yet, make a group appointment - with the chairperson of your department, explain the situation to them(*), and have them ask the well meaning secretary to stop.
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how to tell managers you've been given too much responsibility as a junior? As a junior developer I've been on two projects at once, One was a rather big project that had the whole team working on it but the second one is a smaller project that only I am working on. I'm finding the smaller project incredibly difficult as I'm talking to the client, coding and having to manage my time by myself. I feel that the responsibility is too much. So my question is, How can I tell my managers that this amount of responsibility is too much for me without it making me look bad? <Q> You can't cry vaguely about the whole project, it will make you look bad. <S> What you can do is focus on your strong points whatever they might be, and attempt to get your manager to give you assistance with the others. <S> Unfortunately for you, the three things you mentioned, time management, customer relations and coding are all core skills that even a junior should be able to handle unless expectations are unrealistic, in which case focus on what needs improvement, rather than blame yourself. <S> So find what in particular is causing you grief and firstly attempt to resolve it yourself, and if it's outside your control, speak to your manager about it. <S> Quite often just identifying and working on issues methodically like this is a solution in itself. <S> Make the effort, this is the sort of project that can springboard your reputation and career (or severely retard it). <S> Do not think of it as a small project <S> , it's not, it's the most important project you have had. <S> It's also very important to the client, they're outlaying money on it. <S> To them it might be the most important IT project of the year <S> and you got your name all over it. <S> It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you're new, cut the issues down to size and soldier through them <S> is what worked for me. <S> Don't be shy to ask the manager for help, but with specifics not generalisations. <S> Document everything you do for reference and be thorough... don't let things go South, if you get stuck and really need an assist, don't sit on it, ask for help, solve that problem, move forwards to the next. <A> To echo what Kilisi has said above, as a junior, you shouldn't be expected to manage your time to the same level as a senior developer. <S> If you feel as though you're being over-worked or you're finding it difficult to complete your tasks, then speak with your management team about it <S> (they're there to manage you as a resource, after all). <S> You can work this into a positive move for yourself if you ask for more time for you to be allocated to this side project and through that demonstrate that you're building skills in managing/implementing that project. <S> You won't look bad for talking to your managers. <S> You might well look bad if you don't (and things subsequently spiral out of control...) <A> It is good to talk to your managers and get ahead of it by taking responsibility. <S> As a Junior Dev, you shouldn't be too responsible for setting your own priorities as much as a Senior Dev, being that you are still relatively new and needing to get a feel for the operational tempo of your particular organization. <S> Most of what you are doing are core skills - maybe not so much client relations, but that totally depends on your companies structure. <S> I am a program manager, and as a project manager before that I wouldn't let the clients talk to the Devs - that is not supposed to be your job, but alas, if you don't have a PM or Business Analyst - or some other buffer - that is going to be your responsibility unfortunately. <S> You have to mentally prepare yourself to not let the feelings of being overwhelmed impact you, but laying all of this out for your manager without coming across as petulant and whiny should go just fine <S> , I would be very inclined to come to a compromise if I was your manager. <S> It wouldn't hurt to cite quality of work will go up if your level of effort wasn't split across multiple domains of multiple areas.
| In any case, talking to your manager is key, and agreeing some time split between these projects will give you some structure.
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Should I go directly to my manager's office if I have a question to ask him? I am a fresh graduate student who just entered the workplace. I am not a native English speaker. What should I say if I would like to go to my manager's office to ask him a question? Sometimes I saw him busy working with some stuff and I am not sure whether I should interrupt him in the middle of something. What should I say? In the past, I used the following phases: "Excuse me. May I ask you a question please?" "Excuse me. Do you have a couple of minutes?" <Q> Even if people on this site tell you the way they do it or the way it's usually done, such things can easily be completely different based on company culture. <S> Therefore, in my opinion, the best solution is to just ask one of your coworkers about the way it's done in your company. <S> They will probably be glad to help you. <S> By-the-way: <S> the more formal your company is (especially larger ones), the more likely it is that the answer to your main question is No. <A> If your manager is in your direct chain of command/hierarchy, and is right above you <S> (i.e. there isn't an Assistant Manager <S> /Lead in between you two) then by all you means you should be able to talk to him. <S> If your organization uses Outlook, or some other event/meeting tracker, consult that so you do not drop in during a meeting/call/lunch break. <S> ETA: Company culture/policies may dictate against this. <S> More rigid professional settings may require more formality than dropping in. <A> You'll soon learn from body language whether it's appropriate time or not. <S> If your manager is more than a minutes walk away, then email is fine to use for a few basic questions - you can link this into a physical talk if required. <S> You shouldn't be shy about it, you'll soon learn what the appropriate level of communication is.
| If you're already on speaking terms with your manager (I assume you've been introduced), then there shouldn't be any reason why you can't talk and ask questions.
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How to approach knowing of a coworkers departure but keeping it an "Inner circle"? So, I am the SME in one area, and a backup SME in an area that overlaps. I cover my coworker's (Let's call him John) area while he's on PTO, and he does mine. A few weeks ago, he came by to let me know that he would be leaving the company as a heads up, but asked me not to discuss it with anyone. I kept silent, assuming he would give a customary two weeks notice, at which point we could start planning a shift of responsibilities. His final day is a little over a week away, and we're getting to the point where I really should start talking to my manager to let him know my attention is going to be divided. While the two areas overlap, there is generally enough work to do in both that it will affect my performance trying to cover both areas, I would like to Inform my boss in advance so he can plan. The thing Is, I want to respect my coworkers wishes (he didn't need to tell me). I've asked him about it and he said "He'll let them know" but isn't telling me when. How can I approach this situation? Edit: As per Alroc's comment, dual coverage is a company standard to improve bus factor. Every person has a dedicated backup (most of the time it's a paired backup in two related areas, but sometimes not). Additionally, to my knowledge. I'm the only person he has told. I know explicitly that he has not told our team lead. <Q> I would discuss it with John. <S> Depending on company culture it may be the norm that departures are announced with minimal lead time. <S> Saying something like "Your final day is about a week away <S> but I haven't seen any announcement yet. <S> I don't think my boss knows yet <S> so I'm worried that s/ <S> he may have unrealistic expectations of my availability over the next few weeks. <S> Is it <S> okay if I talk to my boss about workload coverage?" <S> Edit: If you know that John is planning on leaving on short/ <S> no notice <S> the only thing you can do is encourage him to provide adequate notice. <S> You are not in a position to tell management about his departure date (what if he has changed his mind or details have changed). <S> What you can do to prepare is have a proposal written and ready to go for how to cover workload. <S> Once John's announcement goes public give it a last once over then submit it to your boss. <A> Keep the secret. <S> At the end of the day, it's relationships with people that count and not necessarily companies. <S> It will be his manager's responsibility to handle his work and cover his knowledge transfer. <S> Just because you covered his area in the past doesn't mean you will have to now. <S> And if his knowledge is siloed and irreplaceable, you just became that much more valuable for what you know. <S> That said, it doesn't hurt to talk to John and press him for more info if it is really going to affect you in the long term. <S> At the least get a personal phone/email to ping questions to later. <A> Let's look at this logically. <S> John is a person, the company is not. <S> John took you into his confidence, trusting you not to betray it. <S> If you tell the company, you are absolutely betraying his trust. <S> If you tell the company, and they already know, but they are the ones keeping it quiet, you've betrayed his trust for nothing. <S> The company will then ask you when you found out. <S> You will of course tell the truth, because you know John won't cover you after you've betrayed him. <S> The next question is going to be " <S> Why didn't you tell us immediately". <S> In which case you've caused trouble for yourself and John. <S> This is between John and the company. <S> Not only is keeping the secret the ethical thing to do, but also the action that will cause the least amount of grief. <A> At this point he is leaving anyway, you should be looking at for yourself - and by proxy doing <S> that is also helping out your management team and company since they'll at least have time to put in a new vacancy to fill versus getting slapped over the head by it. <S> You did well for him already by keeping your mouth shut, but a week out, you're going to suffer from him now giving advanced noticed for no reason <S> , you do not owe him anything more.
| If he hasn't given notice at all and you are going to find yourself mired in work due to him leaving I would give my manager a heads up. If you tell the company and they don't already know, you've betrayed his trust, will likely get him terminated early or do some other unknown damage to him.
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Can I ask someone why they've started wearing religious clothing? This morning a colleague who has been working here for six months came into the office wearing a turban. She hasn't discussed it beyond mentioning that she will be wearing it from now on. While we believe her husband is Sikh we don't know what prompted her decision to start wearing this headdress. Is it professional to ask her for the reason? If so, how can I do so tactfully? <Q> The answer as always is it depends . <S> If this is a person you normally chat with, then don't ignore the elephant in the room. <S> Just ask her. <S> Maybe she wants to talk about it, maybe not, but the question should not offend her. <S> Don't jump her with that question. <S> If you are curious, start off with something uncontroversial like her new jeans or yesterdays movie. <S> You will either get to the point where the above paragraph applies, or not. <S> If not, then better let it rest. <S> If she does not want to talk to you, that's her decision. <A> Assuming you're already on speaking terms, something like "I can't help but notice the change in headwear <S> , can I ask you more about it?" and lead the conversation into learning something positive about another culture. <S> The lady involved almost certainly knows is a radical change and no one saying anything could be interpreted as people not caring or afraid to ask. <S> We live in an age where religious tolerance and understanding are becoming increasingly more important. <S> It stands to reason that we should take the opportunity to learn and be enlightened about other peoples ways of life. <S> Not talking about things (in a positive way) only extends our ignorance and reinforces and sense of exclusion. <S> At least that's the way I think of it. <A> You already suggested by your use of the plural in "we don't know what prompted this decision" that you and others have been talking about this. <S> The turban wouldn't appear to be affecting any of her work or your work relationship. <S> You are merely curious. <S> Generally I would not ask questions that are designed to sate one's curiosity beyond say, wanting to know where someone got a nice shirt so you can get one too, etc. <S> It leads easily into gossiping behavior. <A> You may ask someone a personal question if you have a personal relationship with them. <S> Otherwise, act as if the details of their appearance are invisible to you. <S> We have struggled for hundreds of years to overcome sexism, ageism, and all sorts of other -isms. <S> The message is: appearance does not matter in the workplace and is none of your busy-ness. <S> No other position is equitable and fair. <A> Is it professional to ask her for the reason If it doesn't directly impact her job performance <S> it is, prima facie, unprofessional to ask about it, since it is unrelated to her or your profession.
| Now if you never exchanged a word with her before, I'd say better err on the side of caution. If you have asked her about her new jeans or last nights movie, you can absolutely ask her about her turban. I think it's entirely ok to ask about other people's religions with a view to learning about them. The question is not only "unprofessional", I would categorize it as exactly the kind of question you don't want to be asking in the workplace. It may be within the acceptable bounds of non-professional conduct, depending on local cultural norms, and how close you are to the person.
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Is it reasonable to ask for time to decide on job offer and schedule? I applied to work at a grocery store. A recruitment manager just called me and said they have several shifts available with different hours per week and schedules. She asked which one I'm looking for and I said I needed sometime to think about it. She said she needed an answer to move onto the next step, so I gave her the best decision I could think of without having looked at my calendar. She put me on hold and came back a minute latter and told me yet another available shift. I asked again to have time to think about it and she said yes but couldn't guarantee it will be available when I call back. I have now thought about it and made a decision. Whenever I call it says "all of our representatives are now busy". Is there anything I can do? Was it wrong of me to ask for some time to think about the schedule and if I would take the job? She said no the first time but I asked again and then she said yes. <Q> Is it wrong to ask for time to think about things? <S> Generally no. <S> However, it's good to consider the nature of the position when doing so. <S> For jobs requiring specific qualifications, (relatively) low numbers of qualified applicants, and (hopefully) low turnover, being given some time to consider an offer is normal. <S> The job you described doesn't seem to be like what I just described. <S> Lots of people probably apply, and many (I expect most) would be competent to do the tasks involved. <S> While I've never worked in the grocery business, I've had friends and family who have. <S> Also, I've had close family members who operated a similar retail business who have related their experiences as employers. <S> From what I've heard, the manager is probably seeking to fill the shifts quickly and is likely willing to accept the first candidates she contacts who agree to take the shifts she needs to fill. <S> Under these circumstances, she probably moved on from you to another candidate. <S> If you contact her before the shift you want is filled, you may still get the job, but I expect there is a high likelihood that you'll find she no longer has that shift open. <S> At this point, the best you can probably do is continue trying to contact this hiring manager. <S> It seems to me you would have been given a direct telephone number to call her; that the number you were given responds as you describe may be a bad sign. <S> If possible, I'd recommend visiting in person to say you want the shift you have decided on; if that's not possible, perhaps you can obtain another means of contacting her. <S> Such a move could risk annoying her, so make sure to say that you had trouble contacting her using the telephone number you have. <S> A counterbalance to the risk is that, she might consider such a move as showing initiative. <S> Otherwise, it seems you have no other choice but to continue trying to call her with the number you have and hope to get through eventually. <A> One possible explanation for the phone message is that they have a phone number that goes directly to a manager when they have openings, but not when they don't. <S> It is quite likely that all the shifts have been filled. <S> The manager never promised to hold an opening for you: "she said yes but couldn't guarantee it will be available when I call back". <S> I would put a reasonable effort into trying to contact her, in case they still have an opening, but don't make that your main job-hunting activity. <S> Put most of your effort into other applications. <S> Meanwhile, work out and memorize your shift and schedule limits, so that you can accept or reject an offered schedule on the phone or during an interview. <A> Generally speaking grocery store employees come with a couple of understanding: They will have high turn overs. <S> Nobody is expected to last more than 6 months. <S> They also understand a lot of employees are students or younger worker who want to go to school. <S> As such they are usually more flexible. <S> I don't think it's a bad thing to ask for time to decide especially if you are a student. <S> If you say you are a student and you have schedule with the school, they are usually understanding of that and will allow different shifts depending on the semester's schedule. <S> Just be sure to articulate this verbally and be sure to keep calling them. <S> Reasonably if you say you have to think it over for a day or two that is okay. <A> For shift work, you should have an idea of when you want to work when you apply. <S> It's not a big issue, but it's a key aspect of the job. <S> Also, if the phone is busy, why not just go to the store directly and speak to someone?
| She might consider asking for time to consider her offer as a sign of a potentially difficult employee.
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Do I tell my interviewing company that I have another offer? I have two companies in two different cities, Company A and Company B. I have lived in both places before. I am currently living in the same city as Company A, and there is about two hours of driving time between the two cities. I will not live and work in separate cities, as I want my daily commute to be absolutely as short as possible. Fortunately, there is nothing stopping me from doing this for either city. Company A is in a less desirable city, with less potential for me to grow and move forward as a person. I'm not really interested in living there. This company has given me a job offer as of tonight and expects an answer by week's end. I can say that I like the people and culture of Company A a lot, and I think I would enjoy the work too. They seem to really like me, and seem itching to fill the position soon. Company B is in my favorite city, and will offer a lot more potential for me to move forward and enjoy life. Company B will also likely offer better compensation for the work. I have my first interview with them tomorrow. I don't know much about the job yet, but I think I would enjoy the work there too. I'm also not certain on the culture, so that remains to be seen. I also know that they took a while to extend an interview to me. I have been working with a recruiter who has told me that the turnaround on a decision should be quick, but I'm not so sure given how long it took to get to the interview. I would also have to relocate immediately for Company B's position, which they would be willing to help with to some degree. I have made it clear to that recruiter that Company B (and its city as a whole) are the most attractive option to me based on the potential benefits (and the city of residence that would come with it). So my question is (after all that setup): Should I inform Company B that I have an offer from Company A? If so, how? I have considered two options so far: Tell the recruiter who has been working with me. Pros: They might be more impartial or be able to offer sound advice Cons: They may only offer advice against my 'safe bet' of Company A and push me to continue with Company B, which could turn out poorly. Alternatively, they could signal to Company B that I might not be interested, and that would fast-forward my rejection there. Tell my interviewers tomorrow that I have a pending offer with another company. Pros: I might be able to speed up their decision-making process by mentioning that I have a deadline, and I could tell them that I prefer to work with them (for the reasons given above) which might encourage them to move forward sooner. Cons: They may decide that, given I have another offer, I should go take it (ie. they tell me to take a hike). I don't want to ruin my chances with Company B. Unless I really dislike the company/job/people/culture in my interview tomorrow, in the event that I can get an offer there, I would take it over Company A. However, Company A is there, now, and assuring me an offer, while Company B I have no idea on. They may be a terrible fit for me, or they may decide I'm not what they're looking for. All in all, Company A is expecting a response by Friday, and I don't want to leave them hanging, lest I lose their offer and end up with nothing. So do I tell Company B that I have a standing offer with another company? And if so, how? <Q> There's no need at all to disclose that information unless you want to use it to incentivise a higher salary. <S> Up until the point where you actually accept a job, you don't have to disclose anything. <S> offers other companies might be offering you. <A> You want to tell the recruiter if it will assist you in making a decision. <S> You do not however want to ask them for advice about which job to take, that is not their job and they do have your best interests in mind but those of the company they are recruiting for. <S> After your interview, speak with the recruiter to get feedback on how the interview went and next steps. <S> If they tell you to expect a answer tomorrow, then great. <S> If they tell you the decision will be further out, that is the point I would tell them that I was hoping for a quicker decision since you have another job offer waiting for your response, but Company B is where you want to be. <S> Also remember, just because you accept a job offer does not mean you have to start the job, at least in the USA, and at least unless you sign a contract. <A> tl;dr - Keep your mouth shut. <S> You do not have to disclose any information about any jobs you are interviewing for, or recruiters you are talking to, etc to anyone - definitely not at this point in the process, and if you do, it is a matter of courtesy. <S> As courtesy when accepting an offer, I would tell any other companies that I decided to make another decision. <S> Some like using it as a negotiation tactic or to put fire under a hiring managers behind - that doesn't work with me. <S> As an employer I am interviewing multiple candidates, if it is a position I want filled ASAP <S> I am not going to wait for a candidate playing hard to get and trying to flex it as a way to speed anything up - I tell them to go to that company as I won't be in a rush. <A> If Company B likes you, the interviewer/hiring manager/recruiter should ask you about your job search/interviewing status. <S> Typically, they're trying to answer a couple questions for their purposes. <S> 1) <S> What is the timeframe like for this candidate? <S> How quickly do we need to act to secure them? <S> 2) How "in-demand" is this candidate? <S> Have they been searching for months with no bites? <S> We can offer the low end of the salary range. <S> Did they just start and we're their first/only/only scheduled stop? <S> We can offer the low end of the salary range. <S> Have they had other interviews? <S> We may want to offer mid-range. <S> Do they have other offers? <S> We may have to offer mid-high range. <S> Note: <S> Do not go into anywhere near as much detail as you did here. <S> Not even close. <S> I do have a standing offer from another company which I will need to make a decision on before Friday. <S> If during your interview with Company B, you're feeling really great about them, you could also add: <S> I've really enjoyed our conversations today, and I think Company B would be a great fit. <S> If Company B doesn't mention it, and you would be inclined to accept a matching offer from Company B, and you're getting positive body language/buying signs from the folks at Company B, you should offer up the information about your pending offer. <S> Just a quick heads up. <S> I have really enjoyed our conversations today. <S> I think Company B is a great place to work, the position would be a good fit for me, and I would be a good fit for the position. <S> With that said, I do have an offer that expires on Friday. <S> I don't want to pressure you, but I also don't want to put you in a position where you call me Monday only to find out I accepted another offer.
| Either company should be able to understand that if you're having interviews with them, you're in the market for employment and thus have your options open - part of their offer to you is enticing you away from any other potential
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Should I tell my new employer that I was told to leave after giving a two week notice? I resigned and gave two weeks notice. The manager then told me to leave and not to work out the notice. When I begin working at the new company, should I tell them, if they ask, that I wasn't allowed to finish the term of my notice? <Q> The only reason to mention it would be if you were trying to move your start date earlier at your new job (as you are now available), <S> otherwise it's quite common, and usually around security, <S> so don't worry about it. <A> That kind of thing happens, and it is most likely due to the company, and not due to anything you have done. <S> So that's nothing to worry about as far as your reputation is concerned. <S> More importantly you should check two things: One, are you being paid for the notice period. <S> Second, are you on gardening leave (meaning you are still employed for two weeks, but you are neither allowed nor required to appear at work or do anything for the company), or have you received a payment in lieu of notice (which means you are now unemployed, but with 14 days pay in your pocket). <S> The difference is that in the second case, you could start earlier with your new employer and make twice the money for two weeks. <S> If you don't get paid (which may be legal in some countries, but wouldn't be legal in most of Europe), then obviously you can ask the new company to start earlier in order to avoid in involuntary unpaid holiday. <A> It is rather common to terminate the working relationship as soon as possible. <S> You might reformulate it. <S> It is not that you were not allowed to finish the term of the notice; it's more that you were released sooner. <S> Bear in mind you are providing a service and, by giving notice, your employer might decide the best service you could provide to the company is by not being there. <S> Ultimately, it's up to them because they are paying (you are entitled to be paid for this time, btw). <S> In general, trying to hide things are not worth it in the long term. <A> There is only 1 situation where it is relevant that you don't need to work during the notice period: <S> If you already mentioned that you need to give notice and would not be able to start work right away <S> AND you want to start work right away. <S> In any other case, I would not mention it. <S> Even if it is quite normal under some circumstances (from a company perspective to minimize risk/moral loss) it will never be a plus for you to mention this, unless it should prompt action. <S> Some practical answers: <S> When are you available: Now When did you give notice <S> : I recently gave notice and am now available <S> You mentioned last week that you gave notice, would you like to start next week: <S> Yes You can say, 'oh it is actually possible for me to start now', but why complicate matters? <S> Sidenote <S> : Even though you are not required to work anymore, you may not yet be relieved of your contractual obligations. <S> In practice it should usually be fine, but in theory there could be something in your contract to prevent you from starting work before the other contract is actually finished. <S> I could imagine this to come up if you switch to a competitor who is trying to win the same bid this week.
| I don't see why you should lie or hide the truth.
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How to address a young person on a very high position? I am a 21 year-old student and I talked to a person who works ina Bank which I will be applying to. He is 28 years old but on a very high position and I wonderhow should I address him in the email, Dear (first name) or Dear Mr (last name) ? Usually people on such positions are senior hence I am not sure what to do. <Q> My rule is it's always safer to be too formal than to be informal. <S> Go with the Mr. at most he'll joke back that that's his father or something. <A> Let's flip this question round: do you want to be respected because of your skills, or do you want a (lack of) respect because of your age? <S> I'm pretty sure that you'd say that you'd want respect based on your skills, so treat other people the same. <S> It doesn't matter they're 28, 68 or even if they're 18 - they're in a high-ranking position, so have probably demonstrated the skills to get there. <A> In my personal experience, it heavily depends on the person. <S> I work for a relatively laid back company, so that kind of thing flies. <S> Unless it's super high upper management that I haven't interacted in person before, a first name is sufficient. <S> Again, though, it depends heavily on the person you're emailing, as well as the structure of your workplace. <S> Honestly I wouldn't even use Dear ; Mr. Lastname would probably suffice.
| I tend to address my emails with a "Hey name ," and that is pretty satisfactory. Give them the same respect you would anyone else doing the same role.
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how to handle a Misbehaviour from senior colleague? I work for an IT organisation from 1.5 years now.Let me discuss from start, we went for a team party at a resto-bar and all those who wanted to drink alcohol had it, I even had a little. We all enjoyed food as well. But when we went to leave the resto-bar , one of our senior colleagues slapped me on my face without any reason(I don't think anyone saw that) then I immediately questioned him and feel hurt. But he didnt take bit seriously. Now in this case, what should I do? Should I inform my manager, team lead? Should I ignore him now and then? Should I inform my HR ? I just want to teach a lesson to that person, but do not want to create an issue in office, nor do I want to spoil my image in company. Please help me in such a situation considering my years of experience in industry(as fresher), my attitude that I didn't slapped him back at that moment, and consequences may arise in near future. <Q> I don't agree for advices about the police. <S> A single slap, that nobody seemed to have notice ? <S> It won't go far and just ruin his current job. <S> He will be the one looked as a troublemaker for calling the police for a single slap. <S> Even if the manager can't do anything about it, ask to him, ask to your teammates about it. <S> They probably know him enough to tell you how you should handle him. <S> A friendly slap you say ? <S> You're nothing near of being my friend". <S> Make sure to use strong words but no insults. <A> I just want to teach a lesson to that person <S> First lets get one thing out of the way, what is your motivation? <S> What kind of a lesson do you want to teach ? <S> The tone and tenor seem to suggest some level of animosity, if that is a consequence of what happened at the restobar or something prior only you will know. <S> The actions of your senior colleague too suggest lingering issues. <S> Once you have decided that, the range of response can go from (a) a serious 1:1 conversation that calls out the unacceptable behavior to (b) a police report with potentially serious consequences. <S> Keep in mind HR works for your employer and isn't there to mediate conflict between 2 employees to their satisfaction, they are there to protect the company. <A> I disagree that you should do nothing. <S> Letting this fester inside will only allow things to get worse. <S> Why don't you first stop by HR? <S> It's their job to keep their eye out for such nascent problems. <S> Bring in some ideas of your own. <S> Think collectively of a solution. <S> This stop by HR can be valuable because it can teach you a lot about what kind of company you're working for. <S> If they simply play it off as unimportant or tell you to just deal with it, at least now you know what you're up against, and you know you need to get another job. <S> Now. <S> Make sure you don't make a big fuss though, and if you can, dissimulate the identity of the person who slapped you. <S> Don't let them get too carried away if they find that what you went through was unacceptable. <S> Be brave. <S> You have been physically attacked by a senior colleague. <S> This has to be addressed one way or another! <S> Might as well address it the right way!
| If it ever happen again retaliate, however not physically like @Kilisi said, SPEAK UP and LOUD enough without overdoing it : " Tell them what happened, and ask whether this is something you should address and if so how. You can take the middle ground, by involving HR - request for a transfer to a different team for instance.
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Is it ever appropriate to tactfully speak your mind regarding your work supervisor without using inappropriate language? I'm working in a temp development contract as a front-end developer. During the interview process, I expressed my background as more full-stack to back-end than pure front-end. Despite my honesty upfront, they selected me to work with them for six months and to take on learning KnockOutJS. By week two, the development manager expected a one day crash course in KnockOutJS and two days to peruse their back-end code base, I should be par to develop major enhancement. She's been zero help with anything. When I asked her for assistance with back-end configuration (her realm) she said google it or find someone else to ask ( there is no one else. Her two back-end developers and one front-end dev left four weeks before I got hired on, though I was told I'd be working on a team, not a team of me.) Fast forward a few weeks, she tells me there will be no team. Its all you. "At best I may be able to get you an hour or two a week with our former front-end dev, but he has a new job). When I've tried to reach out to him, he wants little to do with myself or this organization so I've learned everything solo. The work conditions with her are no better and I'm often dealing with her being directly condescending; I'm to the point of seriously thinking to put my two weeks in. Not sure I can stick out 16 more weeks of her condescending behavior and unreasonable expectations. My question is, whether with her or her boss, is there every a time to be tactfully blunt and speak your mind as to the miserable work condition she has created by her personality and lack of support as a dev manager? <Q> Before you open your mouth, consider what the GOAL of doing so is going to be. <S> Venting? <S> Do that with a friend. <S> Changing the organization and how things work? <S> Dude, you're a consultant. <S> You might want to save all the talking for the recruiters you need to get in touch with, because it's likely you'll be reaching out to them soon. <S> You're on a one-man team for a reason you can't change. <S> Be effective where you can, and know where you cannot. <A> My question is, whether with her or her boss, is there every a time to be tactfully blunt and speak your mind as to the miserable work condition she has created by her personality and lack of support as a dev manager? <S> No, because there is no way to tactfully complain about someone's personality. <S> [Boss], I'd like to talk to you about my work on [project]. <S> When I interviewed for this position, I said that I was stronger in back-end development work than front-end <S> and I was told I'd be working with a team. <S> Since I've been here I've been assigned front-end work with unfamiliar libraries <S> and I've been working alone. <S> Because of this I've been having trouble accomplishing <S> X, Y, Z. I will not be able to finish [tasks] in my remaining time here without more support. <S> If it really isn't possible to hire more help, can we have a conversation about what I can reasonably get done before my contract ends? <S> A reasonable person will acknowledge that you were not signing up to do the work of four people. <S> They'll scale back and/or prioritize so that you're doing the most important work that you're capable of doing. <S> But it doesn't sound like your manager is a reasonable person. <S> I have no clue whether her boss is or not, you haven't said anything about them, but a decision on what work and how much you're doing would have to be made by her anyway. <S> That's not really something you can expect to be able to go over her head on. <S> (Even if you could, you have to consider how bad it will get working with her if you did that.) <S> You'd want to say something like, "I wish I'd gotten more development support from management". <A> My question is, whether with her or her boss, is there every a time to be tactfully blunt and speak your mind as to the miserable work condition she has created by her personality and lack of support as a dev manager? <S> What are you hoping to gain from this? <S> Unless you're very confident that her boss is actually receptive, not vindictive and would take steps to correct the issue, there is no way this could end positively for you. <S> There are however many ways in which this could be career limiting for you. <S> You may get fired or disciplined. <S> You may never get another raise again. <S> You may get a bad reference or no reference. <S> As unfair as that sounds, its not worth it to rant against your managers. <A> It sounds to me as though there's a reason there's no team left for you to work with... <S> I could guess that the previous employees were also tempted to speak their minds. <S> The fact that your assigned contact doesn't wish to be in contact is rather telling. <S> I'd be tempted to try some subtle coffee-machine conversation with other people in the company and try to learn some background on your manager. <S> You may gain some interesting insights. <S> You can either stick things out, if you feel you'll be able to complete successfully, or back out ASAP with the reason that you're not the right resource for this project.
| You might be able to say something about work conditions during an exit interview, if they ask you to do one, but you still shouldn't say anything about her personality. What you can do tactfully, with a reasonable boss, is explain why you're having trouble doing the work:
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Should Management explain why someone is "no longer working here"? Someone I had worked with was "no longer working here" one day, and I was not told why. As far as I know, nobody I work with was told. So, we are not to know. There are, no doubt, defensible reasons for this, having to do with privacy laws and so on, but the other side is that people we work with tend to become something like friends, at least distant ones, and it is jarring to have no explanation at all. Should there be some sort of explanation given to co-workers, or is it correct that it should just be stifled entirely? One possibility would be a selection from generic options like: they broke a company rule they pursued a personal goal elsewhere they had a personal life issue (health or something) Not Otherwise Specified Answers and comments so far reinforce my absolute position that the workplace is not a safe environment for relationships. You can't have it both ways, people. <Q> No explanation is the best explanation. <S> The problem is not explaining why someone left, it's not explaining when the reason is they were fired for something either qualifying as gross misconduct or worse. <S> If I tell you why Bill left (assuming he didn't tell you himself, which you might think he would if your were indeed friends), but don't tell you why Dave left, what conclusion would you draw about Dave? <S> Better to just not say at all, if people leave under their own steam and stay in touch, the word will get round anyway. <A> It really depends. <S> Usually when someone resigns, there is a notice period and a farewell email (though not always). <S> If the person was fired, it's entirely possible there is potential or pending litigation. <S> Jane stole from the company. <S> Jane sexually harassed a coworker. <S> Jane assaulted a coworker. <S> Jane was fired for regular reasons but the company suspects she may file a discrimination complaint. <S> In any situation like that, the company is best off by saying absolutely nothing beyond, "Jane no longer works here." <S> As The Wandering Dev Manager mentioned, by handling all departures in that manner, the particularly bad ones don't stand out or start up the rumor mill. <A> If you were fired for cause, would you really want people told that you stole money or did something else? <S> No, you wouldn't. <S> You might even be embarrassed by the reason why you left. <S> The person leaving is generally free to tell his side of the story after he is gone to whoever he stays in contact with, but the manager is not even allowed to defend the action even when that person blatantly lies. <S> I have seen that play out in many an office as well. <A> Keeping quiet on things helps to avoid the risk of a lawsuit for slander . <S> It's tough enough to have to terminate someone and deal with the internal fallout, but getting attorneys involved for something preventable (like this) just makes thing worse.
| Managers are generally not permitted to tell you and frankly it is none of your business if the person did not tell you himself or herself. I would assume in your situation the person was fired.
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Failed coding challenge, can I fix it in the technical interview? I am in the interview process for a summer internship at a company (I'm a junior in college). I had a non-technical interview, after which they gave me a coding test and scheduled a technical interview. My interviewer for the technical interview will review my coding test prior to the interview. The test had two questions; I got one of them, but didn't get the other. I came up with an almost perfect solution, but forgot about a corner case. It was a timed test, so in my haste to get the right solution I started over from scratch and began something that was completely off-track. Then I ran out of time, so I submitted what I had so far of the wrong solution (not knowing it was wrong at the time). Almost immediately after submitting the test, I remembered the corner case, re-programmed the question on my own, and saw that I had it right. I also played around with the solution I had submitted and realized it was completely incorrect. My question is, what to do now? I still have the technical interview, before which the interviewer will see the abysmal attempt I submitted for the question. Should I bring up that I have a working solution, and mention that I came up with it almost right away but given the time pressure, ended up not using it? I know I should have just commented out my almost-correct solution, but it didn't occur to me, so now I have no way to prove or justify that I did actually have a solution and didn't just look it up when I finished the test. I know it's not the end of the world to blow one interview, but I thought I was doing pretty well and I know I had an efficient and correct solution to the first question, so if there was some way to mention that I was close on the second question, I'd really like to. This is also pretty much my dream internship. <Q> I think you are not looking at this the right way. <S> I can be wrong (it depends of the interviewer and the company culture of course) <S> but I don't think your coding test was meant to go straight into the product ;) <S> This test is meant to judge your capacities (if you don't write anything, it's a bad sign), but not only. <S> It's to see how you think and how you behave. <S> Making mistakes is ok. <S> It's all about your behaviour from now on. <S> You have a great opportunity to impress them on how mature and confident you are. <S> You KNOW <S> you made a mistake on the second question. <S> So you are ready for this bit of the interview. <S> Be also ready to be unsettle by the interviewer because what he want to know really is: Is it a guy I want in my team ? <S> Can he work with me/my guys ? <S> So I would advice you to (try) to be calm , humble , smilling and ready to learn <S> (yes even during the interview). <S> They will look at your answers and, right or wrong, they will comment on it = <S> > <S> don't get upset, they are professionals you need to learn from. <S> Don't be so eager to say you had it right on the side because it doesn't matter. <S> They will not only focus on the correctness of the answer, but also on how you wrote it. <S> Do you follow a coding style? <S> Did you write tests? <S> etc. <S> If you don't understand a question, say so. <S> Also ask why they ask this. <S> tldr; The test weight less than you think it does: your behaviour in the interview does. <S> [edit typos] <A> I have made my share of mistakes during technical interviews. <S> If this happens and I know what went wrong, I email my corrected answers to either the interviewers or my HR contact. <S> Everybody makes mistakes. <S> It's how they react to those mistakes that convinces an interviewer team to make an offer. <S> If you are in a professional, high tech environment, you might want to be seen as someone who can think on their feet, identify and fix their mistakes quickly and who is not afraid to be held to be held accountable for their mistakes. <S> Screwing on part of a technical interview is not fun but you can still give your interviewers the impression that you are the kind of colleague they want to have and that you are a pleasure to work with. <A> The sooner, the better. <S> It isn't worth anyone's time for an employer to continue the interview process if they have already eliminated you as a potential candidate, so if you still get to have an interview after a mistake on a coding exercise, you are likely still in the running. <S> Sometimes if an exercise is time-bounded, they may not expect you to complete it entirely, let alone perfectly. <S> This is especially true if they are trying to fill multiple positions and are trying to determine where you fit best.
| Go ahead and send your interviewer or evaluator a note that you realized the mistake and have a working solution.
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How to fix my salary after selling myself under value First of all a little background: Fresh employed (<2 months) for a new - permanent - position ~5 years experience in IT-Sector IT-Advisor Germany Service Company in Pharmasector <15 employees **.000.000 turnover The Situation: My responsibilities go far beyond the job description. I was hired as IT-project staff but this is only a fraction of my role here. Actually, I'm the only person with IT-Knowledge in a company whose service relies on quite (way too) complex IT-Processes. These processes, the architecture, Service Providers and so on, have to be refactored and managed. The job is actually a quite big thing and not as banal as I thought in the first place. The management is aware of that, but due their lack of IT-knowledge (they say) they where unable to write a proper job description.I now write my own description which will be part of the working contract. Within the next 6-12 months, I'll be almost irreplaceable. Everything I do should have been done years ago (literally). The IT structure reminds me of a tower of razorblades. God knows why this still stands up, but it doesn't take a lot for everything to fail at once. I'm perfectly fine with the job, it's an awesome challenge within a good friendly and high budget environment. My direct superior (Not part of the management) told me, that there where only 2 other candidates which where suitable and that they chose me for the social fit (I fit perfectly in the team). The Problem: I've sold myself far below value. Looking at national salary statistics, companies financial situation and my (now gathered) knowledge of that position, there is a discrepancy of factor 2-3. I think that's huge and I feel "way too cheap". I do not want to ask for the double or triple. Let's say within the next 3 years, I want my salary to be doubled from the current. By that, it would be slightly below the median for such a position for a person of my experience (8 years then). How and when is such a topic addressed best? <Q> How and when is such a topic addressed best? <S> You have already started addressing it, you have let them know and got confirmation of the scope of work you need to take care of. <S> So now what you need to do is start giving solid results instead of complaining about the existing structure which has somehow stood the test of time despite being a complete shambles. <S> Once you have solid results under your belt, and solid documentation on all changes implemented and how they benefit the company, you're all set for when they review your salary. <S> Doubling a persons salary does not happen very often, but it CAN happen, but you need to have something to show for it. <A> Coming from a sw development position in a small low budget company (32k/anum) and with a vacancy asking for an operative xml expert as project staff I was happy asking for slightly above 40k. <S> But now I know what that job really is. <S> Actually I am doing strategic it management, which is usually payed 80-120k with <S> top earners above 200k.this is not what I am asking for, <S> Well you may be doing strategic IT management, but you're working for a 15 employee company. <S> I'm pretty sure that those $80-120k salary are standards for companies with more than 100 people, where the job is more difficult and involves managing teams. <S> Of course, since you have way more responsibility than a single developer, you could reasonably ask for quite a bit more. <S> If your company grows, the heaviness of your responsibility will grow too, because you won't be able to continue alone anymore, you will have people under your orders. <S> So if your company is able to grow, you will catch up the salary you're talking about. <S> So instead of asking for double salary in 3 years, which probably doesn't match to your job according to the size of your company, you can expect first to ask for a reasonable increase (up to 50k in 3 years?) and hope the company grows. <S> If it grows and you hold that position, your salary will follow. <A> Negotiating after that long time will be not easy. <S> Especially if you want to double your current salary. <S> You signed the contract and agreed on your current salary. <S> But you have arguments on your side to propose a raise. <S> State to them: What you have accomplished yet and what benefits/profits they gained from that. <S> What disadvantages / problems / financial loss would probably come up if you have not done more then your old job description stated. <S> What new Responsibilities, Tasks and Roles do you have. <S> The description of the job was inaccurate and a appropriate one would have resulted in a much bigger financial compensation Before talking about your salary it can also be helpful to have a new job offer which gives you a better salary. <S> This proves you are worth more <S> then they are currently paying you. <S> I would also consider the timing of discussing this cause. <S> After finishing the rebuild you are not so needed anymore, so I would try to negotiate after 6 months <S> or so when you can show first results. <S> In my experiences its easier to look for a new company and to make new negotiations. <S> But you have to try to fix it. <S> But do not expect anything. <A> Sooner rather than later, meet with your boss and explain the situation. <S> You need to cover 3 main points: <S> The scope of your work is far beyond the position you thought you had landed. <S> Reference market rates and explain that you took the position at a rather low rate than you are really worth because you wanted to work for a startup, get in the ground floor, and help guide the company as they grow. <S> A small company may not have the resources to pay market rate. <S> You are fully capable of filling your current role, enjoy working there, and want to find a way to make it equitable for both you and them. <S> From there, ask your boss about the goals of the company and at what point they think the company will be able to offer you a competitive compensation package commensurate with your responsibilities. <S> Try to work out a plan to get to that point--perhaps you can get there in stages over the next several years. <S> If they cannot afford to pay a competitive salary, perhaps they can substitute equity or some other benefits like more PTO, fully paid medical/dental insurance, etc. <S> Come to an agreement on how your performance should be measured in order to hit your milestones and salary increases, and get everything in writing. <S> In the meantime, keep your eye on the market, interview with other companies for similar roles, and be ready to move on if your current employer fails to live up to their end of the deal. <S> Generally if you are early in your career, you should be changing jobs every 1-3 years or you will stagnate.
| Check your contract and find out when your review is due and prepare for that, if it's not on there, ask your manager.
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Supervisor asks to create fake feedbacks So today my supervisor at work asked me for a second time to periodically create gmail and facebook accounts and post fake positive feedback and reviews for our eshop. I added this in my Todo list although this is against my moral ethics and I'd like to find a way to cope with this request. PS. Our site is a legit business, selling good products and in no way I incline that our company has ever tried to mislead clients in any kind of way. (other than this request for fake reviews of course ). How would you politely handle this kind of situation? <Q> Let me give you some options: <S> Flat out refusal is always an option. <S> You might be fired, or your supervisor might just get someone else to do it, or drop the idea. <S> It's possible your supervisor didn't realize how strongly you felt about this, or maybe didn't even realize it's unethical. <S> Take Masked Man's route of pointing out the practical difficulties, and possible consequences if the company is caught. <S> It's possible your supervisor doesn't represent the general way of thinking in the company. <S> Try talking to someone else in the company. <S> A company lawyer is obliged not to recommend an illegal course of action. <S> If you do end up doing this, make sure you get clear instructions from your supervisor in writing (or email etc.) <S> so you can prove he asked you to do it if necessary. <A> Perhaps you could offer to write an email to be sent to the people who bought your products or services that will prompt them to write a review. <S> This will keep you from having to write any of the reviews yourself and is better from an ethical standpoint. <S> Good luck! <A> If you like your job and would like to keep your supervisor happy, then do it. <S> If your ethics trump that, then don't but be aware there may be repercussions. <S> Or compromise by sitting down and seriously thinking about the issue until you have worked out a rationalisation that makes it ok to do. <S> Personally I would tell him/her to do it themselves, <S> it's not on my job description unless I'm hired to write reviews. <S> But that's not an ethical issue, that's a professional one, I wouldn't polish the floors either unless I'm employed as cleaner.
| You could even suggest a promotional deal to offer an incentive to people if they write reviews which could benefit the company in multiple ways by gaining a review, additional revenue, and returning customers. If the company has an ethics officer or a legal officer, talk to them.
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How can I go through personal / technical interview properly? I am new in the United States, I am new in the field: 8 months corporate experience with a small company + 8 courses (grad and under grad) by now. I am having a problem I always succeed in getting the personal interview (To the technical test), however, I always screw in the test. It happened with the last four applications (Since I started the career / education here as a Computer Scientist): They call me, they like what they hear, they ask me to come to the test, I fail the test.. Now I have a fifth one next week. I come from a C# / C++ background and this company develop with Java. When they mentioned the test I asked if they are going to take into consideration that I am considered a noob in Java and they said they still want to test my understanding of object oriented and other topics. But the thing is, yes I learned a lot of stuff in a small period of time, but I am still a noob even with C++ / C# !! Not sure if I am targeting higher level jobs than my level or I am indeed just a noob still. And now I am sitting here without knowing what to do.. I don't want to keep negative thoughts. I want to study and nail that test and get that job! The thing is, all the tests that were provided to me, I found them online later under "Interview Questions". So they are not actually testing my skills to match their tasks , the test is just a part of the process of hiring. How can I go through that properly? <Q> When they mentioned the test I asked if they are going to take into consideration that I am considered a noob in Java <S> and they said they still want to test my understanding of object oriented and other topics. <S> But the thing is, yes <S> I learned a lot of stuff in a small period of time, but I am still a noob even with <S> C++ / C# !! <S> Interviewers at good companies are less concerned with the "correct" answer to a technical question, and more concerned with how you got there . <S> I've interviewed (and recommended) people who didn't finish a single question I gave them, but their engagement, curiosity, and approach was excellent. <S> They asked questions, grappled with the problem, related other things they'd done, and overall made me believe that they knew how to approach problems. <S> So they are not actually testing my skills to match their tasks , the test is just a part of the process of hiring. <S> How can I go through that properly? <S> This could, admittedly, be lazy interviewers. <S> But everyone uses a certain amount of "fizzbuzz"-type questions to warm up a candidate, start the conversation, and see what direction would be best for the interview. <S> When you're in the room, just treat every question like a real problem that you'd actually face. <S> Interviewers are trying to gauge how well you'd do in a real work environment - so don't treat it like a school assignment. <S> Again, interviewers want to know how you approach a problem . <S> I come from a C# / C++ background and this company develop with Java. <S> This is not important. <S> C# and Java are so similar as to be indistinguishable in many cases. <S> Even then, being a polyglot isn't really special anymore. <S> Good engineers pick a language that fits the task at hand, or at least understand that all the commonly-used languages today are almost equally C-like. <S> Overall, don't fret it. <S> Interviewing is a skill, and if you've only done five interviews, I don't think it's unusual to not get the job. <S> But make sure you're looking for jobs that fit your skills - be frank with recruiters in that you're probably looking for something junior or intermediate. <A> I think you sample size is too small - 4 successful personal interviews are not enough to conclude that you always pass it. <S> It also depends on what you count as a personal interview: it is often that it will be ridiculously easy or not focus on technical skills at all - they could just want to weed out crazy/completely incompetent applicants. <S> I also disagree with your conclusion that they are not testing the skills that match their tasks merely because the questions were not original: they think that the type of candidate that would successfully solve these tasks is most likely to succeed in the day-to-day work, and coming up with truly original and effective questions that also reflect common tasks can be quite challenging. <S> Having said that, you might want to prepare a bit and study the type of questions you get asked if only to ensure that you don't fail because you panic/are too surprised. <S> But I don't think that having a mindset of "I should sit down and study for hours to pass the stupid test" helps - interviewing processes are highly non-deterministic! <S> Just keep going and perhaps try to find positions that better fit your current abilities. <S> Again, interviewing is very random! <A> There are plenty of sample tests available on the Internet. <S> Get the ones for Java and practice until you can nail them. <S> Every time you don't pass a sample test, figure out what you did wrong. <S> Then figure out what you should have done instead. <S> Then take the test again. <S> More importantly, learn to retain that information so that the next time you are faced with a similar test, you can do it. <A> You may want to focus less on the language specifics and more on the underlying principles. <S> If they're testing basic object oriented principles, they likely don't care about semi-colons and importing the correct external library. <S> They want to understand, does this candidate know what inheritance means (the definition)? <S> Has this candidate internalized it by using it when appropriate (the test/question)? <S> Do they understand overloading vs overriding? <S> Do they use it when appropriate? <S> Do they understand polymorphism? <S> Do they use it when appropriate? <S> The individual interviewers will test you differently. <S> Some may ask direct questions <S> What is ibheritance? <S> Others will give you a coding problem that could utilize inheritance and will see if you don't use it, use it incorrectly, or use it properly. <S> Others may do both (or neither). <S> If you get the ideas right, you pass, even if your syntax is wrong (for most interviewers). <S> side note: comment your whiteboard code, even if it's pseudo-code <S> My entry-level interview involved a screen with lots of coding problems. <S> My recent senior-level interview involved some high level questions about dealing with situations any senior technologist should be familiar with (SCM, technical debt, Testing/TDD, etc). <S> The fact that another company promoted me several times while doing this stuff was a good indication that I probably knew overloading from overriding. <S> TL;DR <S> ; If you're failing the technical interview, you likely haven't internalized basic object oriented programing, design patterns, and best practices. <S> just don't demand it or pester them).
| Don't be afraid to ask for feedback (part of my entry-level interview involved a code review from a senior dev who gave me feedback -- they generally only did that for folks who passed, but occasionally if someone asked and the interviewer had time , they would review it as a courtesy -- as would I when it became my responsibility to review the screens --
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Was I bullied? Coworkers ignoring my existence This has happened many months ago, however I have lost much sleep over this issue, and I would like your honest opinion. I am a graduate, and through this, and experienced 'workplace politics', and maybe bullying. I need to come to terms with some resolution. I am sick of dwelling in the past. I may be in the wrong , please hear me out! But I am not sure, since no one has told me otherwise. Feels like management doesn't want to deal with this. However, I think I was in the wrong, due to my colleagues' collective reactions. TLDR : Replied (probably inappropriately) to an angry email, which I believe led me to become ostracized from a close-knit group. I got the silent treatment from everyone. Sleepless nights and felt really bad, felt betrayed by my new 'friends'. Felt very lonely. Tried apologizing to no avail, or a "F*ck off". Secretly went to a Psychologist (yes, I felt that bad), and the psychologist said that I was bullied. Management somehow found out, and said that I shouldn't have replied, and that I wasn't really affected enough to be considered bullied, said I need to be more empathetic. Was I actually bullied or not? Backstory: We are Graduates in a company. I was the new graduate... joining the already tight-knit graduate group. We are a happy gang, going to lunch together etc. I was very busy, working outside one day, and this older graduate rang me to get my password, so that she can do her (newly assigned) work. For your info, she needed my credentials to login to a client's server, to do her (newly assigned) work. You're not allowed to share passwords! In my mind, alarm bells . This is illegal according to company policy. So, I told her I was busy, that I couldn't remember my password (truth. I haven't used the password in months), and that I'll let her know in about an hour, when I would be free to find my unused password. She kept ringing me... and I ignore her. 5 ignored calls later, I got annoyed, and called up her manager, asking if she has the permission to use my credentials. She didn't have permission. About 10 minutes later, and about 3 ignored calls later, she was granted permission to use my credentials. I can give her my credentials now, without any risk of repercussions. However, I was still busy... About 10 minutes later, I receive an email from her, with EVERYONE CC'd to the email. Basically it said something like, "Hi all. Amy (manager's name), thank you for the permission to use John's credentials. Right now, John didn't give me his credentials and so preventing me from working. John, give me your credentials so that I can do my job. Regards..." That last part, "...so that I can do my job", really irked me. In my mind, "Why, and how could you send this to EVERYONE? (I felt betrayed). Also, who am I to prevent you from doing your job? I am not your manager. I am not your baby sitter." I am very pissed off at this stage, and I made a mistake by being a righteous prick , by replying (to her, along with everyone) like this: "Hi... I have told you that I am extrememly busy with a client, and that I will get back to you... Please do not demand information from me, I do not appreciate it, especially when you do not have the authorization... As per company policy, you are not allowed to share credentials, especially when a client has entrusted you with it.... You now have the authorization now, so here are my credentials..." I thought I had done the justifiably right thing - following company policy, and explaining why I didn't immediately give my credentials. After that email was sent, it was probably the point of no return. Basically, all the graduates, many immediately, have started to give me the silent treatment. They went out to lunch without me. They stopped inviting me to anything anymore. They talked about their graduate party in the weekend / movie nights. THey said all of these things around me, and ignore me like I don't exist. In my mind, I have offended ONE person. I didn't offend 10 others in the group. But it was like I offended everyone. I felt horribly sad for many months to come. I tried sucking it up. I kept thinking, "Why is everyone against me on this? Makes absolutely no sense" I lost many hours of sleep for many days. I still haven't come to terms with this whole ordeal. (thus, this question... many months later.) After about a month, I said, "This isn't a good way to live..." and so, very awkwardly, tried to apologise to her. She ignored the F out of me, like I didn't exist.... I tried to apologise, or just talk to another graduate who I (have now previously) respected, by very awkwardly and uncomfortably saying, "Hey, I don't know if I have offended you, but if you would like to talk about it I am open to it..." I was basically about to sh!t my pants at that point. He mumbled to me to "F*ck off". I seeked professional counciling over this as I felt horrible for many months. The psychologist told me that I was a victim of bullying (silent treatment), but I believe it's their job to help you come to terms with things. I couldn't let it go, especially when the workplace attitude didn't change. Management somehow found out about this. We had a chat. Basically they made me feel like 'bad guy' (quotes, because I think nothing's ever black and white), by saying, "Apparently you threw someone under a bus..." although they never admitted whether I was wrong or right. I told them my side of the story, and then they sighed... and basically they told me to "use the phone next time", and literally "Ignore the haters". Lessons Learned For your info, I believe I have learned from this ordeal. Emails are NOT the way to go, when things are urgent. Pick up the phone. Email isn't the best medium for communication, as messages may be mistranslated (and break friendships!). "Be the bigger person", by stepping back. I did not react appropriately by replying to that email. I should have just picked up the phone, and told her that "I am very busy as I've told you, I don't appreciate you sending that email to everyone. I am trying to follow company policy and not get us into trouble... You have credentials now, and I've found my credentials. Here are the details..." Question Everyone gave me the silent treatment after I sent that email to her, and I suddenly felt ostracized. I have tried to apologize, but they kept ignoring me. Was I being bullied by everyone as the psychologist has said, or am I just trying to justify my feelings by calling them bullies? I just don't feel good about the whole situation, and would like to come to a closure somehow. Edit: THis has happened nearly a year ago, and many have left (to better jobs!). FYI, I am asking this, because I am finding it difficult to move on. <Q> Your coworkers are jerks. <S> What you described is not a normal reaction to a one time mistake. <S> I would guess that the person you offended told them something other than what happened to make them so upset. <S> These people are not worth working with if they still haven't gotten over this mistake over the course of more than a couple of days. <S> There is now no way that you you can gain their trust back <S> and they will sabotage you at every chance. <S> Your best bet is to leave. <S> Leave knowing you made a mistake, but that they made a much larger one. <S> Don't let this put you off being friends with co-workers though. <S> It is better to have friends than not in a workplace. <S> I have never worked anywhere that this type of mistake would get someone ostracised like this, so they are an outlier. <S> Also do not make the assumption not to respond to things by email, it is often best to have a paper trail. <S> The thing you should learn from this is not to send emails when you are mad. <S> Having a phone conversation when you are mad can be just as disastrous. <S> Usually what I do is write the email taking care to not put anyone in the TO block. <S> Then I can safely write everything I want to say with no way it can accidentally be sent. <S> Once I get my mad out safely, it is usually easier to write a more professional response calmly. <A> I don't see any bullying going on here. <S> What I do see is you made several mistakes. <S> You should have referred her to your manager in the first instance, you quite rightly refused to give your credentials and she is to blame for getting upset, not you. <S> Secondly you should have referred her email to your manager. <S> Lastly you let it get to you, let it go, <S> dwelling on minor issues from the past is not constructive and leads to bitterness which feeds off itself. <S> Unless everyone is interfering with your job, brush it off, it's not a popularity contest. <A> You didn't handle this very diplomatically. <S> Instead of ignoring the phone calls and trying to be the "regulator", you should have referred her immediately to someone with the actual authority to make a final decision - your boss. <S> It should have been an e-mail from you to your boss to make your boss aware, and solicit a trackable written response . <S> This way, no one could point the finger at you later for going against company policy. <S> Instead, you ignored the woman over eight phone calls - which held up her work - and then called her boss to complain about the woman's tasks (that the boss probably assigned). <S> This is not a way to make yourself known as a team player. <S> No, no, no. <S> The responses weren't great, either. <S> If you ask me, you've all been acting very immature, and that behavior has no place in the workplace. <S> You really can't hold your team to any higher standard than what you did yourself. <S> It will take a long time for this to blow over.
| Once you leave, don't give another moment's thought to these people, they are not worth you spending your time trying to figure out what you could have done differently. This is not totally your fault.
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Should I include volunteer work as experience? I worked as a System Administrator for a small religious nonprofit. I helped setup a server and a database to help keep donation info backed up and digitized how donations worked by making a simple software that charged donors a monthly donation. Before they were using just books to keep information. I worked 10-15 hours a week and I did this for a year to make sure the board members were familiar with the software and knew how to use it. I just graduated four months ago and looking for IT work and was wondering if including this under my work experience is a good idea? It is basically the type of work I'll be doing. <Q> Yes include it, you don't have much else and work experience is work experience and this is more relevant than digging ditches. <S> The key though is to use your contacts there to get a good reference legitimising your work and singing your praises in general. <S> One thing about non profits (although unsure in the USA where volunteers actually get paid) is they're often the pet projects of some highly connected people or their spouses and you can get some pretty powerful references sometimes. <A> Volunteer work experience is a great addition to your CV if you don't have any, or only limited, track record of paid employment in the field where you are seeking employment. <S> It may also be useful if you plan to switch careers, but have little or nothing to show in the way of employment in the field you are interested in. <S> It is less useful if you already have a significant record of employment in the field where you are planning to use your CV. <S> In this case, adding your volunteering experience may feel like you are "stuffing up" your CV. <S> Volunteering for an ideal ( <S> and/or non-profit) organization is generally regarded more highly than volunteering for a commercial activity, and in the case of volunteering for a well-recognized non-profit organization it does not really matter whether your volunteering is in the same field where you are looking for employment. <A> You don't have too, but it might help. <S> Chances are you'll land a better job. <S> This is experience after all, even if you haven't been paid for it. <S> You probably have learnt how to meet customer expectations, how to work with other people etc. <S> If you don't have any other professional experience this might show you potential employer that you aren't lazy and are willing to work. <S> Especially if you have documents to prove it upon asking. <A> You should. <S> That you didn't get paid to do <S> it doesn't make the work done and experience gained any less real.
| If it's relevant work experience of the sort you'd expect to be doing in an actual job, then it goes on the resume.
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Can and how to mention an unsuccessful patent application in resume Is it OK to mention about a patent application in resume which is either under process or has been rejected? If yes how to put it in the best way on my resume? <Q> Is it OK to mention about a patent application in resume which is either under process or has been rejected? <S> Your resume should only contain actual accomplishments and "failing" at something isn't much of an achievement. <S> Of course it's not quite as black and white: a startup you ran for 2 years that ultimately folded is an accomplishment, but it's a matter of scale and importance here. <S> If you you did have a successful patent, for most profiles that should only be a minor point on your resume, grouped under a Miscellaneous, Awards or Research section. <S> Massively important or lucrative patents are again an exception but those are typically created with significant effort that would be part of your work history instead. <S> An application that's in process is functionally the same as one that failed, since you don't know the outcome. <S> If you were absolutely, 100% sure that it would go through (and that it had value on your resume) <S> then you could add it with an "expected" tag, similar to how you list a future graduation date. <S> The only exception to this is if you're applying for a job where submitting patents is a factor or the experience you got in preparing your application is directly related to the job . <S> In that case you'd list something like " familiar with patent application process " in a skills section. <S> If you're talking about listing it as a bullet point in your work history because this was one of the things you did for your job, then I'd still caution against it for all the reasons mentioned so far. <A> As a former patent attorney, I am going to disagree with the previous answers. <S> A patent application that was rejected does not indicate a "failure" on the part of a named inventor. <S> Patent applications are rejected all the time, and it is rare that the inventors have much control over the process - it could simply be that the decision was made to focus on one area of commercial interest, which was found not to be patentable. <S> Or maybe the commercial value wasn't enough to continue spending money fighting an (incorrect) objection from the Examiner. <S> For an inventor, being named on a patent application shows that you are producing good work which, at least initially, was deemed commercially viable enough to be worthy of spending (potentially tens of thousands of dollars) to protect. <S> Don't make it out to be more than it is, but don't ignore it either. <S> I would consider it to be at least as relevant as being named as a non-primary author on a paper. <S> For a research position, I would list the patent application (so long as it has been published, of course!) <S> along with any other publications. <S> For non-research positions (e.g. software engineering), I would simply give it a bullet point when listing your experience and achievements in this position. <A> Is it OK to mention about a patent application in resume which is either under process or has been rejected? <S> A resume is a tool to show off your work to potential future employers - so the question then becomes how does a failed patent show off your work? <S> If anything, quite clearly, it does the opposite. <S> It shows that you didn't do enough prior research and tried to patent something that exists, or didn't understand the patent process well enough and tried to patent something unpatentable. <S> I struggle to think of a way you could use that to show off. <S> A "patent pending" however is not necessarily a bad thing to put on a resume, so long as you believe it's likely to succeed, and you have other successful patents you can list it with to give some degree of confidence. <S> 5 successful patents and 1 patent pending would tell me you have experience of the patent process, continually submit patents and so it's natural you'd have one in the pipeline. <S> 1 patent pending on its own is much, much less meaningful.
| I wouldn't list it unless it's truly useful for a particular job opening or if you've submitted multiple applications. No, I'm afraid not.
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How can I find individual (not team) programming work? A career aptitude test I took revealed that I prefer working by myself over teamwork. I was studying computer programming, but this test made me reconsider my choice. How can I find computer programming jobs that allows me to work independently, rather than focusing on teamwork? <Q> You say "career choice test revealed me I prefer individual work". <S> Did you need a career choice test to figure this out? <S> You should know for yourself what you prefer. <S> So how do you feel about this yourself? <S> I can tell you that I know 100 times better what I like or dislike than any career choice test. <S> There are no jobs where you can work solo. <S> Stop, I'm wrong: You could try to get a job as a lighthouse keeper. <S> Is that a job for you? <S> Can't think of any other job where you work solo. <S> My most "solo" software development job was one where I was the sole person working on one part of a product, in a team of five. <S> And that's unusual. <S> Do you find software development interesting? <S> That's the most important thing. <S> If you like it, do it. <S> If you don't like it, don't. <S> And don't listen to some stupid "career choice test". <A> Career choice test revealed me I prefer individual work. <S> My career choice test revealed I would prefer to be a tailor for women's clothing. <S> Not kidding. <S> But I still got into software development. <S> Sometimes, a test is just an educated guess. <S> And maybe just plain wrong. <S> Don't drop out just because a test told you something. <S> Continue studying. <S> See if you like it and don't listen to tests. <S> There are team and individual spots in most companies. <S> You just need to find the right one for you. <A> Pick a specific set of related tools in high demand, and work as a consultant. <S> Granted, you'll end up in teams but you can stay in the situation for as little or as long as you like. <S> You can freelance and do all your own marketing, or you can work through consulting firms (also known as "body shops"). <S> This arrangement will give you far more power to pick what you're doing and with whom. <S> There are caveats though. <S> The grass isn't always greener on the other side! <A> Filter Jobs for Workstyle Fit <S> How can I find a computer programming job that is mostly individual work, rather than teamwork? <S> You do this the same way you look for any other kind of job: <S> Filter out potential jobs that aren't a good fit for you. <S> You might want to avoid openings that talk about pair programming or team-oriented environments. <S> Be sure to accentuate the positives whenever possible. <S> Ask questions about the environment during the interview. <S> You'll probably want to avoid jobs where programmers are colocated, follow an agile methodology, or sit in open work areas. <S> Some programmers work best on teams, while others work best alone in a quiet office. <S> There's no right or wrong; there's only personal preference and company culture. <S> If you have strong preferences, you just have to weed out the roles that don't suit you, rather than trying to fit yourself into every available job opening. <A> To quote from Jeff Sutherland's Scrum book: <S> Teams are what get things done in the world of work. <S> (Though, he does say that there are individuals (i.e artists, etc) that work and accomplish great things solo.) <S> What Jeff was getting at is that a lot of "the work" in the business world often involves solving complex problems, often too big for any one individual to tackle efficiently by him or her self. <S> Thus a lot of jobs require teamwork. <S> Sure there are lot of places or positions where you are basically a "one-man-team," or you can set up a one-man-company freelancer gig, but it's very rare that you will be working in a complete vacuum from others. <S> Since after all, what use/value is an awesome program/app that only you will use/see and doesn't interact with anything else? <S> Or takes one sole person way longer to finish...? <S> Even one-man-teams have to deal with QA, customers/users, etc... <S> However, you can try to find/filter jobs where perhaps you are the sole person responsible for some deliverable. <S> Smaller companies, who often don't have the budget to hire enough developers to solve a particular problem, will often hire just one guy to "deal with it." <S> Just beware that in my personal experience... <S> (so YMMV) <S> these types of jobs are high-stress (you're responsible for everything, and have little support), lower-pay <S> (there's a reason they can only afford one developer) and life-consuming (aka all-nighters, constant overtime, and horrible bosses). <A> There are some pros/cons to working with a team vs working as a individual. <S> No matter what you work for a customer/employer and that customer/employer will ask you of things. <S> In a team/corporate setting, you may get some added protection such that you can concentrate on work, and the others can bring those requirements down to you without you worrying about talking to the business to figure out their requirement. <S> Working as a lone work, or being the sole developer will expose you to everything. <S> So you may end up trying to figure out what people expect from you and hoping you deliver said product.
| My advice to you when looking for jobs like these is to scrutinize very carefully the position and company, and find a place that has an environment that suits you, where even though you're working "solo" you have some support, be it other developers or your manager(s). Mention your preference for an individual-contributor role during phone screens. There is no job where you won't have to cope with lots of people around you. No matter what, it will look bad on your part to ask not to be in a team.
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Does anyone have suggestions/tips about presenting GitHub sample code to potential employers? I am an ASP.NET Developer with around 6-7 years of ASP.NET development experience. I do place sample code on the github website, and then mention the url to my github account's sample code. However, my worry is that my sample code is too big. Recently, I uploaded a sample ASP.NET application that used AngularJS and ASP.NET MVC. 1) Does anyone have any suggestions/tips about putting up sample code on GitHub in such a way that it does Not overwhelm recruiters/hiring managers/customers/clients by being too big? 2) Could someone please suggest how I should mention my github account's url on my resume so that it will lead potential employers to view my sample code? <Q> I wouldn't do anything different from what you're doing now. <S> Then let them do the rest. <S> A large code base means that you've been coding a lot, which is good. <S> Let the technical hiring manager decide which part of your code they want to read. <S> Usually a small sample will suffice to evaluate your skills as a programmer. <A> If someone is hiring and they place a lot of value on your code portfolio, they will spend more time reviewing it and less time on the tasks others rely on (e.g. trivia questions, what-if scenarios, code tests, etc.). <S> Also, they're more likely to know what they're looking for and where to find it. <S> If I want a backend developer, I'll probably never open your css files. <S> For those that don't rely on your code samples as much, you can provide a little direction in your cover letter and help them focus on the code that pertains to this position. <S> You will have several interviews. <S> The first-level HR interview, will never look at your code and all you can do is hope they pass the link along in a usable format and not scan it or print it out before sending it to the development team. <S> If they talk about wanting to view your code sample, suggest sending an email with with links to parts you think are relevant. <S> Your ability to do this demonstrates your understanding of your code base and how it is structured. <S> I have more confidence that the candidate actually wrote this code when they can discuss, make suggestions and guide me through their code. <S> It also shows an appreciation for not wasting other people's time. <S> You either know how to code <S> or you don't, so let's get to it. <A> I would also say that you should include documentation - github wikis are quick and easy to put together. <S> A few pages about use cases/requirements, a discussion of the design alternatives you considered, and an explanation of anything that's particularly complicated or obscure. <S> That helps a lot in assuring the hiring manager and the other technical staff that you actually understand this, and didn't crib it from someone else. <A> When I look at a candidate’s <S> GitHub account <S> I look less at the quality of their code as I do at the quality of the issues and pull requests <S> they’ve raised. <S> Being able to code makes you a good coder; being able to critically evaluate problems and explain why the code you’ve produced fixes the observed situation makes you a good developer. <S> Specifically on your CV <S> I wouldn’t put anything beyond a link to your profile, but if you’re putting together a portfolio I’d absolutely link to specific situations where you’ve contributed back to other people’s code in a meaningful way.
| Just mention that your code is on GitHub and add the URL to your profile, https://github.com/yourname .
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Could a potential employers use a design I create without hiring me? I am in the interview process for a new company. They asked me to create a sample advertisement for their product before my interview. They loved what I did, but I'm a terrible interviewer so they were still on the fence and have asked me to create another piece for them. Is there any risk that they may take my work and use it anyway? Clarifying sub-questions because, of course, this is a literal possibility:What actions could I take should my design for them be stolen? (I'm in the USA)What should I do in the future to prevent similar work from being stolen? <Q> Is there any risk that they may take my work and use it anyway? <S> Sure . <S> But it rarely makes sense. <S> Think about it, interviewing is an expensive process that takes a lot of resources, and it's very rare that something like this would actually be a good use of time or money. <S> It would be much more effective to post for contract-gigs on any number of sites. <S> Clarifying sub-questions because, of course, this is a literal possibility <S> : What actions could I take should my design for them be stolen? <S> (I'm in the USA) <S> You could sue them, but that's probably a bad idea. <S> (Expensive, time-consuming, difficult to prove, and would ruin your reputation.) <S> It's one of those things in life where you simply have very little recourse. <S> What should I do in the future to prevent similar work from being stolen? <S> Nothing. <S> Often in life, there's just nothing you can do about getting screwed over. <S> This is one of those things. <S> Better to just approach it on the assumption of good-faith and not waste you time and money on the things you can't do anything about. <A> Well, I've seen this one up-close, but was not directly involved. <S> Here's what I learned: <S> I saw someone produce a "music bed" (custom music composition) for an advertisement as a demo piece. <S> The ad agency and the production company (who I worked for) stole it and used it. <S> Yes, the risk is significant. <S> You did this for an advertising division or agency? <S> Congrats, you're in one of the sleazier areas of our society. <S> Don't expect decency to count for anything (again, personal experience). <S> Don't worry about it. <S> In the scenario I saw, the agency wanted a 60 second version of the 30 second demo piece for a radio campaign. <S> Needless to say, the composer wasn't too keen on doing another free job. <S> Eventually the agency and company had to come clean with the client about what happened, and they lost the contract. <S> You're probably in an even better position, as you presumably have an email exchange with design direction. <S> If it were to be stolen and used, lawyers will be lining up to represent your civil case. <S> Assuming you do want to prepare the second piece, make sure it is watermarked so that it cannot be used commercially, and be sure to include verbiage with it similar to: <S> The supplied materials and their constituent elements are for evaluation purposes only. <S> No release of copyright or intellectual property rights shall are expressed nor shall they be inferred. <S> Absolutely no commercial use is authorized, and this material may not be presented to any third parties or represented as the work product of anyone except the original artist." <S> Not that it would stop anyone who is intent on stealing, but it will put you on solid legal ground if they do. <A> It also depends on how much effort you want to put into protecting your work vs. how much you put into actually making it. <S> You can watermark or otherwise deface an image or a video. <S> But if you are delivering Illustrator files or source code, they can do whatever they want with those.
| You could copyright it, watermark it etc., but back to the previous question, it's going to cost more than it's worth to try to enforce, and people who sue prospective employers have a hard time getting job offers. Yes, there is a risk your work will be stolen. It depends on what the work product you delivered was.
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How to get a job when you'll be out of state for month? I'm asking on behalf of a person I know. Honest. He's looking for a job, probably entry-level. This would be a good time to start searching out seasonal/holiday jobs. However, he's going to be out of state during the month of November. This opens up a number of issues. 1) Interviewers sometimes ask if the candidate has any "vacation" time planned. He'll have to say "Yes, the whole month of November." Is there anything he can do to counteract that? 2) I think he should try to get a temporary job where he'll be in November. He'll be living with a local family, but he won't be a resident. Will there be any legal issues that make this difficult? 3) When he gets back at the beginning of December, I suspect most holiday jobs will be already be filled. What industries or types of jobs are likely to still have openings? <Q> Forestry, labouring, cleaning, fruit picking, hostpitality, car park attendant, he'll have to look around. <S> What jobs are available are pretty much dependent on locale, but there is almost always something, just perhaps not the sort of job he wants. <A> 1) Interviewers sometimes ask if the candidate has any "vacation" time planned. <S> He'll have to say "Yes, the whole month of November. <S> " Is there anything he can do to counteract that? <S> He could look for jobs that start in December. <S> It would be tough to find a job that starts off with one month on (October), followed by one month off (November), particularly an entry level job. <S> But it depends on the value he brings, I suppose, and how much the employer is willing to bend. <S> 2) <S> He'll be living with a local family, but he won't be a resident. <S> Will there be any legal issues that make this difficult? <S> No way to know the legal issues without knowing the specifics of the individual and the locale in question. <S> When in doubt, consult an employment lawyer, or the local department of labor and/or attorney general's office. <S> 3) <S> When he gets back at the beginning of December, I suspect most holiday jobs will be already be filled. <S> What industries or types of jobs are likely to still have openings? <S> In my part of the world there are always tons of temp jobs that go unfilled in the holiday season. <S> Nationally, I hear that Kohl's is planning to hire 69,000 seasonal workers this year, UPS is hiring 95,000 and Target is hiring more than 70,000 . <S> See: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/09/19/business/ap-us-kohls-holiday-hires.html <A> Interviewers sometimes ask if the candidate has any "vacation" time planned. <S> He'll have to say "Yes, the whole month of November. <S> " Is there anything he can do to counteract that? <S> Nope, not for this one. <S> It is best to be honest - there is the slim-chance if he is in the IT industry answering <S> this may open up a telecommute opportunity if they like him enough. <S> It will bar him from some jobs, but having his name out there for future consideration is never a bad thing. <S> I think he should try to get a temporary job where he'll be in November. <S> He'll be living with a local family, but he won't be a resident. <S> Will there be any legal issues that make this difficult? <S> Since you said State I am going to assume he is in the US - there is not legal implications, taxes are the only "issue" but it certainly does not mean he is going to end up paying more/double for it. <S> This is a good primer on that topic <S> When he gets back at the beginning of December, I suspect most holiday jobs will be already be filled. <S> What industries or types of jobs are likely to still have openings? <S> A lot of IT jobs have openings around that time - usually telemarketing/customer support, whatever the "hot" product is out there will typically bolster its Help Desk/CSR staff around that time to support a release. <S> He can also check with his local Chamber of Commerce or any sort of placement agency - good bet on Retail, Department Stores, Supermarkets, etc having open positions. <A> Start at the day labor office. <S> Then you're actually working the jobs the employment office considers "open," because they still need done regardless of whose payroll you're on. <S> Further, because of the nature of temporary outsourced labor, you/your friend won't be leaving anyone in the lurch by taking November off. <S> This doesn't mean you can be unreliable; far from it. <S> Keep your nose down, do as you're told even if the last warehouse stacked their fruit differently, accept what jobs you're offered and show up for the jobs you accept. <S> You'll make friends at (of) companies all over town, and probably start getting repeat work tickets. <S> It sounds like having a job now is more important than having a job at a certain rate or industry. <S> In my area you're more likely to work today, tomorrow, and the day after with a chance at direct hire at each company by getting in the day labor line an hour or two before the office opens than you are by spending all day applying through the employment office list without actually working. <S> Why? <S> People are fired or quit, and after the first seasonal wave it is most economical to pay a flat, known rate to the labor office to provide "a worker." <S> Be that worker, until you can't. <S> Leave every day amicably.
| Find the local employment office in the area, they'll have a list of jobs many with immediate start. I think he should try to get a temporary job where he'll be in November.
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Why do so many (US) summer internships require students to go back to school in Fall? Why do so many summer internships require students to go back to school in Fall? (in the United States) Example : Must be currently enrolled in a full time degree program and returning to the program after the completion of the internship. Why do firms add such a requirement, and what happens to me if I graduate before the start of the internship? <Q> The short answer is that they're using it as a recruitment pipeline for future software engineering employees, a position for which they require a four year degree. <S> See this (cached) copy of a different job at Google . <S> Intern Recruiter, Staffing Programs EMEA Responsibilities Partner with the University Programs team to help position Google as the top destination for students. <S> Keep candidates continually informed with quality communications throughout the hiring process. <S> Assist with strategy and planning in the development of intern programs to build Google's short and long term candidate pipeline, including its diversity pipeline. <S> Participate in the development and execution of communication and engagement strategies to ensure long-term candidate cultivation. <S> If you're expecting to graduate, go to grad school, found a startup, or take a year off to travel <S> , you're not what they're looking for in a candidate for this particular program. <A> They're not hiring interns because they're looking for cheap labor, and not out of the kindness of their hearts either. <S> These kinds of summer internships have one primary purpose: <S> Find good candidates to earmark for after they graduate so you can identify and encourage good candidates to apply early. <S> If you're not pursuing a degree thats required for any of the jobs the company wants to fill that way, you're not the target audience for these internships. <A> Simple answer: we are trying to recruit the best employees. <S> That means we have two competing goals : <S> We want to hire well-rounded, well-educated, smart, disciplined people, and that usually means people who have graduated university with high grades <S> We want to beat out all the other firms trying to do the same <S> How do you beat your competitors? <S> Get there earlier! <S> If we wait until the students are near graduation, other companies have already recruited them . <S> And if we pull them out of school before they are done, they won't have finished the work that makes them truly well-rounded and well-educated. <S> A summer internship well before graduation allows us to essentially run a 10-week interview, where we can evaluate potential, and if we like what we see, we can lock them in with a guaranteed job offer when they're done. <S> We also get all kinds of secondary benefits, like sending well-paid interns who (hopefully) had a great time working for us back into the academic pool for another year. <S> That's word-of-mouth advertising to further build our recruitment pipeline. <S> We also build credibility and relationships with the universities, which makes partnerships more likely. <S> And by putting pre-graduates onto our teams, we get to inject unique perspectives and new ways of thinking.
| These internships in particular are concerned with cultivating candidates that they'd look at hiring in a couple years, after completion of the degree program.
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Is It Appropriate to Bring A Copy of an API To A Software Interview? Is it appropriate to bring a copy of the APIs for languages listed on your resume, in anticipation of technical / coding / whiteboard questions? This could be perceived as either ignorance or preparedness (and an awareness for the situation). This would be difficult with with a hardcopy, but feasible with a phone or small tablet, especially if they are made available offline. Obviously, if the interviewer wants to test memorized knowledge, they can ask (or you can offer) to perform the task without it. For Non-Programmers: API stands for Application Programming Interface and is used by programmers to interact with common functions made available by a programming language. <Q> No. <S> You should not be expected to memorise APIs. <S> As long as you can demonstrate use of common/basic functionality you should pass the interview. <S> If during the whiteboard session you feel you need to look something up simply tell the interviewer; if they chastise you for not knowing the API by heart you should point out that this is exactly what programmers use Google for all the time, and your memory is better spent on something useful. <A> You ask about bringing a copy, but the real question is about using it during the interview. <S> Having a digital copy in your pocket/bag is a reasonable precaution, but they won't even know unless you want to consult it. <S> I've encountered two types of interview situations where API knowledge is relevant. <S> One is when they're just asking questions to assess technical knowledge (e.g. what's the difference between an X and a Y). <S> In those cases the whole point is to see what's in your head; if you don't know you can say "I don't know but can look it up", but they probably won't want you to. <S> Probably they'll just move on to the next question. <S> The other situation is when you're writing code during the interview. <S> When I conduct interviews of this type I don't design the problems to rely on arcane knowledge. <S> Occasionally during an interview somebody will say "I don't remember the exact syntax for this", where "this" is a minor detail compared to the problem. <S> In my experience interviews usually just ignore that; after all, as you said, we assume that in a real setting you'll look it up. <S> If that happens to you you could say something like "I don't remember the exact syntax" while you pull out your phone , demonstrating that you're prepared to address the problem. <S> Whether the interviewer wants you to proceed or just tells you not to worry will probably depend on time. <S> All of this is for small details , though. <S> If you are, say, applying for a web-development job <S> and you say you don't remember the syntax of PUT or what a return code of 404 means, being able to look it up isn't going to matter. <S> Basic knowledge -- whatever is considered basic for the particular position <S> -- they'll want to see in your head . <S> So, bottom line, make sure you know the key APIs <S> , it doesn't hurt to have the rest in your pocket, and play it by ear during code-writing interviews. <A> I don't think it could hurt. <S> Don't show up with a book, though!!! <S> It'd be far less obvious of you <S> have it in PDF format on your smartphone rather than walking in with a stack of papers. <S> (I'm specifying PDF because it's a format you can store on the phone, and access quickly, without having to have internet access). <S> No reasonable manager would expect you to memorize everything about your skillset, verbatim. <S> You may actually have access to the internet during your "trial". <S> If you do, take advantage of it.
| I wouldn't think it unreasonable for you to show up with a cheat-sheet of some sort -- just the highlights.
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