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Do I have the right to negotiate if I change bosses but not role? I work as the sole web dev in a medium sized company. I have been performing well, and have been told in the past that another department head wishes to poach me to his team. I was recently informed that I will soon be removed from under my current report to the person who wanted me, who leads a different team. This is news to my boss, who is sorry to see me leave. Aside from a change of direct report, my role will not be changing, at least on paper, and I will continue to be the sole subject matter expert in the company on my area. How should I negotiate a pay raise or change in my workplace agreement given that I will be forced to sign a new contract to work under my new manager? What right do I have to negotiate / push back on an offer presented in this way? <Q> How should I negotiate a pay raise or change in my workplace agreement given that I will be forced to sign a new contract to work under my new manager? <S> What right <S> do I have to negotiate / push back on an offer presented in this way? <S> You haven't mentioned your locale, and "rights" vary accordingly. <S> And your employer always has the right to say "No thanks. <S> We no longer need your services. <S> Goodbye." <S> Customarily, being transferred to a new department but performing the same role doesn't imply a raise. <S> But you can always ask and find out what will happen in your company. <A> You always have the right to negotiate (e.g. asking for a payraise, or a company car), you just don't have the right to claim it. <S> But in this case, you only switch bosses, not jobs, tasks or responsibilities. <S> Image the new boss' impression <S> : " This person comes to me, asking for more money, without actually doing something else ". <S> This could give off the impression you only do this for money, or that you'll only accept the team-change if you get payed (apperantly you're not really flexable). <S> If you want to negotiate, I'd wait an amount of time to see how this team works, how this boss works. <S> After an apropriate amount of time, you can start a converstation that you'd like .... <S> (more money?) <S> and what the possibilities are. <A> The only situation I'd recommend serious push back on this is if there is a drastic negative difference in the quality of management between teams. <S> If that is the case, then attempting to renegotiate is a reasonable step on your part as your quality of work life is taking a hit <S> so it's worth taking a shot for higher compensation to balance this. <S> If this is the case, the conversation should be with your current manager and HR and should go along the lines of "Really wanting to work for my current manager was taken into account as a benefit when my compensation was last negotiated. <S> Me being switched to team X provides great opportunity for growth <S> however it also entails the loss of this benefit. <S> I'd like to renegotiate my compensation package to account for this."
| But in the US at least, you always have the right to say "You know, something here at work changed, and consequently I'd like to renegotiate a new salary and benefits."
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Too much info on a CV is bad? I am a CS student right now and I am thinking of writing my CV. Over the years I have experimented with a lot of programming languages that I don't know very well at this moment. When writing a CV is it worth mentioning all this little things or I should keep just the ones that I'm good at? Or maybe just the ones that are relevant a specific job? For example: if I'm applying for a java job is worth mentioning that I know a few things about haskell? or to mention embedded development contests I attended? I am rather new in the "art" of writing a CV and any advice is appreciated :D <Q> Yes, too much information is a bad thing. <S> This can mean two things: For your generic CV, the kind that you display on websites and send to companies without specific positions available, make sure to focus on what you're good at, and want to work with. <S> Put the best ones at the top; anyone skimming your CV will likely read only the first two or three items. <S> Again focus on things you're good at or did a lot with, over things you've done little with. <S> In general, leave off things that you don't know much about. <S> This is not relevant to companies anyway; the difference between someone who once spent a few hours doing Haskell and someone who never did Haskell is meaningless. <S> If the job is about Haskell then you're both unqualified in terms of experience, and if it's not about Haskell <S> then it's irrelevant either way. <S> "Enjoys learning new languages" gives you a bit of personality, while "Did two weeks of Haskell" does not. <S> If you are the kind of person who tries out new things, that can be valuable in companies, but it's the trait and not the result that matter. <A> Typically as a student or new graduate, you would want to include only the languages you were taught in a class, or that you have used in projects. <S> For example, if you took 2 java courses, and used java in a project in a software engineering course, you would include that, while if all you did with Haskell is write some trivial hello world type programs, you'd be better off leaving it off your resume. <S> In addition, you want to tailor your resume or CV to the job for which you're applying. <S> For example, if you're applying for a entry level programming position where you would be using Haskell, you would want to downplay, but not necessarily omit, your java skills, and focus on what you've done in Haskell. <A> I'm assuming you are talking about a "Skills" or similar section of your resume. <S> I would not limit the list based on the specifics of a job, because the set of tools you will use in your job is not static and those other languages may be valuable. <S> When I am reading a resume and see something listed in "Skills", I expect you to be able to be productive with that tool or language on day 1 of your job. <S> I am more than willing to let developers learn new languages on the job, but if you are going to list it, I expect you to already know it.
| If you feel that your experimentation with different languages is an asset, then mention it as one of your positive points, but not under experience. You'll want to limit it to things that are relevant. When responding to a specific job-opening, create a custom CV that highlights the skills that make you a good fit for that job.
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Colleague's performance being affected by salary Managing a team, the colleague doing QA has been under performing recently. Today, I took him aside and tried to find out what is going on. I told him that he should send me an email. Anyway, from what I read to summarise: Missed payments for salary Salary has been decreased dramatically from over 1.2k a month to 500. Not too happy that he is now not doing the role he was hired for. Delayed payments. Now that I have a clearer picture, I did not realise how bad it was for him. I am worried about bringing this up with my boss in case it rocks the boat. Should I ? <Q> As team manager, if one of your team members' performance is being affected by something the company is doing, then that is your problem. <S> This is true whether it is salary, work environment, or not giving the proper tools. <S> You should follow this up with the company. <S> Also, your team members' motivation and morale are absolutely your problem. <S> An unmotivated team member will perform poorly, and complaining about being 'unprofessional' won't change that. <S> In my management style if your team is suffering, it's your job to do whatever you can to alleviate it. <S> If you don't care about them you are not doing your job properly. <S> You may not be able to do anything, but you should at least try. <S> Start with the obvious. <S> Not paying someone on time is illegal. <S> You should absolutely talk to HR, or other management, about this. <S> Cutting salary is also a problem. <S> In any country except the US, doing this without the employee's agreement would be illegal. <S> It may be the missed payments are glitches due to the salary change, but you should at least find out the truth. <S> You should respond by going to management and telling them what you know - that you have an underperforming team member, who is impacting the team's ability to deliver, and that the reasons are what you were told. <S> That's not an unreasonable request. <S> If a member of your team was not performing to expectations, then you should have been included in the process. <S> If the reason is that management is trying to get rid of the employee, then you have two choices. <S> Either play the loyal company follower and say nothing, or quietly and unofficially pass this on to the employee and encourage them to find work elsewhere. <S> If the reason is that the employee was underperforming, and salary has been reduced to reflect that, then you need to tell the employee that this is the situation, and they need to accept the new role and step up to do it well. <S> The alternative should be implied. <A> It's not your place to get involved over the salary issue. <S> If he's not being paid on time, he needs to take that up with the proper authorities. <S> Will you start making him breakfast if he's missing meals each morning, too? <S> Driving him to work to make sure he gets there on time? <S> I'm going to assume that he's an adult. <S> If his salary has been cut by more than half, whatever the cause -- he must be okay with it, because he's still there. <S> Stay out of it. <S> You CAN, however, relate performance issues back to your boss, and express your concern about those. <S> But you can't "fix" an underperforming team member's life situation. <S> Addendum <S> It sounds as if your company isn't doing enough during the hiring process to weed out people who don't meet standards. <S> No one who knows his/her own worth would take a job for a certain salary and then later accept half that. <S> He might have been a likable guy in the interview, but that doesn't mean he's qualified - and some hiring managers don't understand that. <S> You might employ some objective testing, like Brainbench , on new applicants. <A> Not feeling motivated is not an excuse for bad performance. <S> He needs to grow up. <S> Talk to him first about his performance. <S> I would point out to him that dropping his performance in response to the salary cut will justify the cut in the manager's mind. <S> If he wants to get the salary back, he should be working at a high level not a low one. <S> Was he recently changed to QA against his will? <S> That is what it sounds like. <S> Is that why his salary dropped because that is a specialty that pays less? <S> In this case, if he wants to go back to development at a higher salary, the best route to that is to do a decent job (but not so outstanding that they will not want him to move on) in this role. <S> No one is going to put a slacker back into a higher paying role. <S> Point out to him that his development will be better if he understands the QA process from the other side. <S> So it is not a total loss to have a short assignment to QA. <S> In many places his unprofessional behavior would put him at risk of being fired. <S> If his performance does not improve, you should discuss his performance with his boss/HR. <S> You cannot afford to have your project fail because of someone who refuses to do his job properly. <S> His reasons for the performance drop can be mentioned, but personally I would leave them out of the discussion. <S> They are not relevant to the problem of him not performing. <S> While I agree that his situation would make me angry too, his response is making it worse, not better. <S> Given the circumstances though, it is likely he will be getting a new job as soon as possible, so I would try to work out a plan to get QA without his services.
| You should find out why the salary was cut, why there are late payments, and why they are not doing the job they were hired for.
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My boss asked me to keep an eye on a colleague and report how he performs. How should I respond? My boss has asked me to keep an eye on a colleague, who is working with me on a project. He wants me to report to him after 2 weeks what I think about how he is doing his job. Even if I think he could do better at his job, for example, be more devoted, I am still apprehensive if I should say this to my boss. Any advice on how I should respond to my boss? <Q> Be honest and fair. <S> The alternative is to guess what the boss thinks, then to guess what you need to say, so the boss does what you guess the boss should do. <S> That won't achieve anything other than possibly losing the boss's trust. <A> This is a challenging question. <S> As a coworker, you should be trying to help the new colleague become comfortable with the new responsibilities and integrate into the team. <S> But your boss has also tasked you with an important role of evaluating and judging another member of the team, which could cause tension and impair the team formation effort. <S> This is an important task, and needs to be performed well. <S> Your boss should be able to observe and evaluate the new employee, and has the responsibility to perform that role. <S> That said, you may have unique or superior skills in some area, or the boss may want to know how well the team is coalescing. <S> You could approach this from a positive perspective and help the new colleague develop a training plan to more quickly adapt to the new team and new responsibilities. <S> You could ask your boss to clarify what they want, and if you are uncomfortable with the role, ask the boss why and what information they seek. <A> (Note: I was in IT management from 1995-2012, after which I decided to return to being a worker bee.) <S> "Empowerment" is generally a euphemism for "abdication of management responsibility." <S> And "keep an eye on" implies a type of observation associated with toddlers who might get into trouble. <S> Stay objective. <S> A general rule for objectivity when reporting on people and their activities is the avoidance of anything for which there is no useful "unit of measure. <S> " You can say these things about your colleague: <S> Comes to work on time. <S> Is available during the workday. <S> Sticks to the assigned task (assuming that you understand what it is). <S> Gets job done (assuming there is a due date). <S> Follows measurable processes, such as keeping source code committed to the repo, or keeping documents in the approved, secure environment. <S> Tell the boss that you can only provide facts; their importance and relevance are a matter for management. <A> If this is what your boss wants, it becomes part of your responsibilities. <S> Try to track performance in objective terms and don't get into making a judgement on someone devotion. <S> You can be devoted, but poorly trained which prevents things from getting done. <S> In the future, try to get your boss to be more specific about what to look for and what the expectations are. <S> No point is saying the person is getting all her work done when you don't know what is expected. <A> Though I think it is incredibly irresponsible of a manager to ask this of a subordinate, I will give this as advice if he presses the issue: Report only on things you have the ability to subjectively evaluate. <S> Can I report that he is diligent and dedicated? <S> No. <S> That's more opinion. <S> Can I report that he is able to adequately understand the technology used on the project and use/create code without my direct interaction? <S> Yes.
| You should avoid providing subjective assessments unless you are widely thought to be an expert within the company .
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Next step if i complete work before time I am a Front end developer. I am sometimes assigned task that i do before time, therefore i ask my manager to check it. Is it a good idea to ask your Reporting Manager or Project Manager to have a look, making him jump off his seat to come and look at the work or it is better to do it and keep it aside while i do something that is good for me i.e study online or watch tutorial. In both cases i just don't want to sound bad, because when i call my manager to have a look, it remind me of time of school, when you use to call you teacher to ask you have done your work first. :P <Q> You don't need to call them over every time. <S> If you've finished your tasks, send them an email or IM asking if they want to take a look before you release the latest version. <S> If they do, arrange time that works for them. <S> Whether they want to look or not, ask them what your next priority should be. <S> That way, you can continue working without interruption and they can look at your work when convenient. <A> You can also notify your manager before your task is finished. <S> If you see you have X days * of work left, send your mail X days ahead of time. <S> That's still no guarantee that (s)he will show up at that exact time, but it helps everybody plan ahead and reduce slack time. <S> * X can be a fraction <A> I feel like the answer is a combination of JohnHC and Jan Doggen's answers. <S> Hey PM, I think I'm going to finish my task in the next day or two and will have bandwidth to pick up something else. <S> What would you like me to work on next? <S> [keep a record of the work you complete early, and mention it in your performance review] Whether or not you need someone to look it over is likely going to be based on company process, and/or your experience and reputation. <S> That would be a question for either or both your Reporting and Project Manager. <S> Best practice is generally to have a code review (a senior dev reviews your code to ensure it's up to standards, edge cases are handled, you're not doing something O(n^n) where O(n) would suffice, etc.), and a task verification (someone reviews the work you did and the exit criteria and ensures the software now does what the task described).
| If you think you're going to be done with a task early, alert the person who would assign out your next set of work (Project Manager most likely).
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Over demanding boss, burning out I have written quite a few threads on here. I am middle management, where I am currently working for a tech start up, and I am in charge of all projects and the product we are building. My boss is extremely demanding and constantly putting a lot of pressure on me to make sure everything is running smoothly. Some of the things that he is doing. a) If other members of the team are not performing, the blame comes onto me for not managing them properly. Recently for example, the person in charge of QA is not performing, and it turns that my boss is not paying him on time which has caused him to become unsettled. Instead of looking at his faults he is finding flaws in my process. After I found out, I informed my boss but it comes across as though he thinks there is something wrong with my management style. In addition I am now doing duties beyond my job role, I am a project manager, and I am now finding that I am doing support and maintenance duties to make sure everything is working. i.e. servers are up, handling support queries etc double checking that guys work in addition to my own work. b) He is expecting me to monitor everything constantly, if at some point I miss something important and he spots this before me, he starts giving me a hard time. Today on my lunch break a client sent an email (to him) reporting a bug, instead of respecting the fact that I was on my lunch break and didn't see the email that was forwarded to me, he just told me that I am not checking my emails regularly enough. c) He is not respecting my work/life balance, we normally have meetings on Monday morning where I come in an hour earlier than everyone else to discuss the product roadmap. This is unpaid overtime, where I am working because of this 45-46 hours a week. I am contracted at 40 hours a week. My delivery rate is very good, I always deliver whatever has been asked, however he always ends up nit picking.He focuses on issues such as not working on weekends. For example if he finds data that he finds interesting, there have been occasions where he has asked me about it on Monday morning. After telling him that I didn't check the product to find out this data, he then gets upset that I was not checking the platform. I am starting to get very unsettled and now thinking about leaving my job, because I can't handle the stress and pressure. I feel that: the work I do deliver is not valued. I have recently delivered a newer version of the product which has resulted in the product having it's most sales in a single year ever. I feel that he does not respect my time, he seems to think that I should be working 24/7 because I am the product manager, when I am often already working above my contracted hours - I am also working unpaid overtime. He is making me liable for other people not doing their job correctly they have been hired for, citing mismanagement when I have highlighted resource problems before things get bad. We are under staffed, so our roles are overlapping into roles that we are not trained in. For example a server went down in the middle of the night, I told my boss months ago that we should hire a server admin to monitor the server 24/7. He doesn't want to spend the money. When it finally did go down, his attitude was 'why didn't you check if the web site went down? Why did I find out'. It went down at 2am. My commute is 2 hour and 30 minutes each day, I am dead tired by the end of the day, and he does not seem to respect that I need to switch off. He has got the mentality that because he is constantly working, everyone else in the team should be too. The whole team is unsettled, everyone is complaining that they are underpaid for the amount of responsibility they have, from the technical team to me. Although I have never raised this as an issue. I've made a lot of good decisions about how the company is structured which is now paying off. But it seems as though as soon as I make one wrong decision, he gets on my back. Recently, I was tasked with a project that I could not sign off. Turns out my boss oversold it to the client, without consulting me about the project risks during sales. I want to tell him that I am at the company to help him grow, but I do not want to treat this job as my whole life. Work/life balance is important to me to prevent get burned out. How do I tell him this gently? <Q> How do I tell him this gently? <S> You've written numerous questions detailing your problems and dislike for this company. <S> You've chronicled issues over a long period of time. <S> It's time to stop worrying about "gently". <S> Find a new job, give your notice, then leave. <S> That might mean not accepting a job so far away from home. <S> It might mean not accepting a job where you might be expected to work more than 40 hours. <S> It might mean not accepting a job where you have this much responsibility. <S> It might mean all of these factors and more. <S> I get that you use your posts here to vent. <S> But it's time to stop complaining. <S> It's time to start acting. <S> Otherwise you'll only have yourself to blame. <A> How do I tell him this gently? <S> Hi Boss,I am sending this mail to give you notice of my resignation. <S> My completion date will be the [X]th of [Y], 20[ZZ]. <S> Between now and thenI will focus on completing my outstanding tasks and handing over my workload& knowledge to my replacement. <S> I would like to thank you for the opportunity [blah blah blah], and I have enjoyed my time here. <S> Kind Regardsbobo2000 <S> Make sure you've another job lined up first! <A> It does sound as though you need more people in order for the company to work more efficiently. <S> I'd advise you to present a proposal to recruit one or two more people. <S> Run through the recent batch of issues and use this to highlight how using more resources would have prevented those problems from occurring. <S> You can pitch this as recruiting a couple of people on a contract basis to see how more people affect the running of the company. <S> When things turn around, swap those contractors to permanent staff. <S> You might also want to invest in some server monitoring software, if 24/7 website uptime is mission critical. <S> If you can't get this proposal passed, then consider looking elsewhere.
| Work/life balance is important to me to prevent get burned out As you search for your next job, pay closer attention to the attributes that will impact whatever it is you want for your personal work/life balance.
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How to motivate a junior team member who has been procrastinating and is being somewhat careless I'm a team lead and I have a team member who has a little more than an year's experience. He is basically smart and capable but he has been having an issue for couple of months and I have not been able to pull him out of that state successfully, so I'm asking here to may be get some ideas. Our team has been under much work load , so I have not been able to properly strategize or give enough attention to each members morale. Hopefully we will be getting some new resources, but in the mean time I need each team member at their best, and I need to enable this particular resource who is not taking much interest in even high priority tasks assigned to him. His main issue is that he does not find the main task of the team sufficient for skill building and learning. Well, our team's main task is of a certain nature, but there is that specific goal we have to reach to and then there are many ways to get to that and we have to constantly try to improve and find more ways of getting to that. In order to keep him interested in his work I have assigned him different kind of tasks and taken away the task which he had originally gotten fed up with. The tasks I assigned him are all important, and have skill building capacity, each task involving different tool and techniques, but he has not really delivered much , some highly important tasks have not even been touched others are just being dragged , and some other tasks he delivers always have errors here and there so I always have to double check them before sending them to the client. He and I have discussed his concern couple of times, and the answer from my side has been that I either assign him some tasks which are important for the team and require learning new stuff, I have also given him other kind of ideas to look into. I have also told him to let me know if he has any new ideas although he has not brought any. To me looks like, he got burn out while working on his initial task which was not a productive task(still high priority for clients and has room for improvements). That task had been going on before I joined their team. Well, anyways it has been months that he has been moved from that task. He has applied for masters studies, if he gets accepted then he will leave but its about 9-11 months till next MS batch starts. So he is for sure here for that much time. How do I motivate him to be productive till he is here <Q> and you should be thinking in terms of how to let him go instead. <S> Depending on your level of authority, either fire him immediately or put him on a performance improvement plan and be ready to fire in the near future in the likely event that he doesn't improve, or build the documentation you need to have his line manager or HR do the same. <S> If he'd expressed a strong interest in joining a different team, I'd suggest letting him attempt to transfer over. <S> Even then you'd need to make sure his potential new boss was aware of his recent performance problems; and was willing to take a chance on him. <S> Playing pass the trash - as you seem to be considering - is a good way to burn your internal capital and reputation when the person you pass turns out to be a dud again <S> and you didn't warn the recipient. <S> The fact that he's probably going to leave in a year anyway also leans towards firing him and hiring a replacement now. <S> In the best case, if you can turn him around, you'll still need to hire a replacement within a year; at which point you're back to training up a junior staff member. <S> And I'm skeptical that he is salvageable in any case. <A> It would be beneficial to sit down with the employee and share exactly what you're feeling and sharing with us. <S> Tell him that from your perspective, he is underperforming <S> and you suspect that it may be because he is feeling burnt out. <S> Ask him if this is the case or if there is another reason. <S> Then work with him towards a solution where he can either be productive on your team, or (more likely, from the sounds of it) <S> be productive on another team within your organization. <S> In the long term, you'll end up with an employee that's productive as well as an employee that now understands that his management is interested in him getting to a place that he's happy, <S> instead of just 'saying' they want that. <A> Find him a mentor and have them work together on projects. <S> They can sit side by side when doing anything non-trivial. <S> This will keep show the employee what the work expectation is and also keep them on task. <S> It may also improve the mentor's work as well.
| I've been in his position, your position, and the position of an observer a few times throughout my career, and it really is the best course for everyone to sit down and have the discussion as to how to maximize the output of the employee, even though it may be a difficult discussion to start. If he's blown off multiple types of tasks for an extended period of time despite your repeatedly informing him that his performance is unacceptable, I think he's probably a lost cause
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How do I perform well with a difficult manager? I have 6 years of work experience (pre-MBA) and now (post- MBA) for the past 8 months have been working with my current manager. She is Eastern European and has a heavy accent. She's a very nice person but I'm having a really hard time with her as my manager. I have difficulty understanding her and she makes it difficult to ask her questions/clarifications. For example, I was given an assignment with little context and very specific instructions on what to do. I completed the assignment as such but was later berated because the answers were not logical (through no human error). We have weekly meetings and she never indicated to me that there was something wrong until I was presenting it to the client. She will also often catch me off-guard by asking quiz-type questions. For example, she once asked me how I would structure a revenue model. When I rattled off what I would do, she cut me off and got frustrated because I hadn't responded with what she had in mind. The other day she quizzed me to see if I knew what components go into calculating a profit margin. Furthermore, she is notorious within the company for being short-tempered. I have been in several meetings with her where she has been short-tempered and frustrated with others in the company who are at her level or higher. Some in the organization have even approached me and asked me explicitly what it's been like working with her. My question is: How do I maintain a clear communication channel with my manager in a way that will not result in her getting frustrated and short-tempered with me? I think there is a lot I can learn from her and would love to be able to ask her questions without hesitation or fear. I have never dealt with this type of behavior from a manager before so I sort of just shut down when she begins to show her frustration. <Q> She doesn't sound like a very nice person to me at all, but if you're worried about misunderstandings due to her accent why not confirm the outcome of your meetings to her in an email? <S> It gives her a chance to correct any misunderstandings and you also have a paper trail if she changes her mind on specs, etc. <S> It doesn't have to be a long email. <S> Something like "Further to our conversation, I'd like to confirm I'll be doing X, Y and Z", would do. <A> I'm seeing three main issues here: <S> Detailed assignments without context <S> This is always dangerous, because -- as happened to you -- you can follow the rules exactly and get silly results. <S> Recommendation here is to study the task to understand what it is for. <S> That way <S> you will see before completion that the answers aren't making sense. <S> If you get such a task and you don't understand it, talk to manager or whoever the ultimate requester is. <S> Pop Quizzes <S> When I rattled off what I would do, she cut me off and got frustrated because I hadn't responded with what she had in mind. <S> The mistake here is that the conversation shouldn't be over. <S> You might tell her, "Okay, my approach isn't suitable to what you have in mind. <S> I think I need some more context; what are we doing with this [whatever]? <S> " <S> Really, this issue is very similar to #1 because at heart the failure is that your manager isn't giving you enough context. <S> Why do we need a revenue model? <S> What will we be doing with it? <S> There are many ways of constructing one, picking one theoretical model out of a hat isn't likely to fit the actual needs of whoever is consuming it. <S> Manager frustrates and angers easily Honestly, seems to me that a good portion of this comes from her communication problems. <S> Clearly she's not doing well doling out tasks usefully or getting info from you (the first two issues). <S> If you work on those two, her frustration levels may go way down. <S> Another thing you can do is recognize when this is starting to happen, and take a step back. <S> "Okay, I think we're talking at right angles here. <S> Let's take it from the top" <S> Make everything logical and unemotional. <S> "Let's grab the whiteboard and write down a list of all the issues we need to solve here..." <S> Lastly, I won't tell you not to get frustrated yourself. <S> Of course you will <S> , that's natural. <S> But I will ask you to hang on to your serenity the best you can, as two escalating parties in one discussion is a recipe for fireworks! <A> This is a difficult situation. <S> Your manager seems to expect you to read her mind. <S> On top of that, her behavior - which would be unacceptable at many organizations - seems to be widely known and tolerated by her peers and upper management. <S> That's not good, and maybe you should consider whether this environment is right for you in the long term. <S> That said, I think you need to be a bit more assertive. <S> Ask for a meeting with your manager. <S> In this meeting, you should lay out the problem as you see it. <S> You want to to a good job and provide the best performance possible, but you feel that your objectives are sometimes unclear. <S> Ask her what you can both do to improve your mutual communications so you can ensure that she is happy with your performance. <S> In this meeting you should be as dispassionate as possible. <S> Be calm and businesslike <S> no matter the response. <S> She sounds like the type of person who does not like being questioned, and may she may react poorly. <S> Her response will tell you a lot about your future in the organization. <S> There's a chance that she will provide more feedback for you, which is what you want. <S> She may also throw a tantrum. <S> If so, HR is always an option, but it's frankly not a good one if her behavior is already known and tolerated. <S> You may also consider talking in confidence with her manager, especially since (according to your comments) he has shown frustration with her behavior in the past. <S> All in all, if you make an honest effort to improve communication and it's rebuffed - or worse, if your relationship deteriorates - it's time to think about looking for the next opportunity.
| Emphasize that you will need to ask questions and solicit feedback sometimes - this is true of every good employee. Frame the discussion as though these are facts, not opinions.
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voluntarily work on vacation My project deadline is coming up and I need to deliver some things asap (which got delayed mostly because of inexperience with the task at hand and limited communication with some colleagues). The "problem" is that I also have to take a certain amount of vacation days until the end of the year, two of which are tomorrow and the day after that. I am feeling bad for taking this vacation. I did not travel anyway, so I would much rather be at work for the next two days. My crazy thought was to call and cancel these vacation days and try to negotiate taking them early next year or not at all. My target is not to ask for any monetary compensation, in case these days cannot be transferred to the next year. It would be no problem for me to work a couple more days. However, I am not sure how professional this would look. Also, I work in Germany and I am sure there must be a law against such things, to protect employees (e.g. I have to take a certain number of vacation each year). My boss certainly did not ask or encourage something like that and I am positive that he would never try to exploit me by asking for something similar in the future. My current plan was to try to reach him tomorrow by phone and ask about it. Would this make me look bad? <Q> My crazy thought was to call and cancel these vacation days and try to negotiate taking them early next year <S> This isn't crazy - in fact, it's highly professional. <S> You're acknowledging the fast that there's a deadline that needs to be met, and that it makes sense for you to work the next couple of days and then take time off when it is less critical. <S> With a leadership hat on, this is exactly the kind of thing I'd like to see from people I work with. <A> There is a law in Germany, which somewhat unsurprisingly called the " Bundesurlaubsgesetz " (Federal Law on Vacation). <S> Rather more suprisingly the law does not say you have to take vacation at all - you have to claim your vacation days within a given year, <S> if you do not you forfeit your claims. <S> There are very few exceptions, the one pertaining to your case is that vacation days can be moved to the next year if it is determined that your employer for some valid reason cannot do without you (i.e. contracts to fullfill that require full manpower). <S> You can try to convince your boss that this is case, however at the end of the day it is his call, not yours. <S> Employers usually loathe to permit this, because it affects the balance sheet (if that is the right word - they have to put money aside to account for the case that they might be unable to give you the missing vacation days, so that goes down on the side of the liabilities). <S> (in fact moving vacation days isn't that rare in Germany). <S> If you move vacations days to the next year you have to take them within the first three months of the year, else you forfeit your claims (as far as the law is concerned, the company might decide to handle this differently). <S> Usual disclaimer <S> , I am not a laywer, I just googled one on the internet (plus, some personal experience). <A> It would be no problem for me to work a couple more days. <S> However, I am not sure how professional this would look. <S> [...] My current plan was to try to reach him tomorrow by phone and ask about it. <S> Would this make me look bad? <S> Not at all. <S> Recognizing the need of the company and trying to find a good solution for both sides is a very professional thing to do. <S> Asking your boss is a very good first step. <S> However, you should not sell yourself short. <S> Getting your money worth for your work is the whole point of being a professional. <S> So an offer to move your vacation to a more convenient date is fine. <S> Getting money instead of a day off is fine. <S> Offering to forfeit it is not . <S> That's unprofessional in the very sense of the word "professional". <S> Your boss might be happy, and he'll certainly not tell you, but he will respect you a little bit less if you offered to work for free. <S> There are laws around "Urlaub" in Germany and a lot of specialized court rulings, but in most cases laws and court rulings only apply when employer and employee disagree. <S> As long as you and your employer agree on something, it should be fine.
| However if you need to finish a project the benefits might outweigh the cost, so your boss might be okay with it
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Can I ask to switch locations after 3 months? Started a job 3 months ago as a software engineer... I have a brutal commute ~ 1hr 30min which has proven itself also dangerous at times because traffic and weather. Is it acceptable to use these conditions as a reason to switch to a location closer to me? There's a location 10 minutes away. What I'm concerned about is that I've only been working for 3 months and that will probably look bad. But this is driving me completely insane (3 hrs of driving a day + 8 hours of work = ~12 hrs a day) I tried going to route of being remote, but they seem to frown upon me not wanting to come in as a new hire. (My end goal is to work remote, but I couldn't find that right out of college). I don't want to ruin my career quitting, but this doesn't feel sustainable and I don't know who to talk to without ruining my reputation for work ethic. <Q> Your commute is your problem. <S> That said, you can certainly try to mitigate it: <S> Ask nicely if you can switch locations. <S> Try to find a cheap room close to the company. <S> It does not need to be a full blown apartment, just a place to crash over the weekdays. <S> Come to work from your place on Monday, sleep in that room Monday through Thursday working extra hours and leave early on Friday for your home and a long weekend. <S> Almost every consultant from another city does this. <S> It's not perfect, but being in a small room for the nights beats being on the road for 3 hours every day. <S> You may find that a rented room is not as expensive as you think, given you can safe 80% on travel costs. <A> Is it acceptable to use these conditions as a reason to switch to a location closer to me? <S> There's a location 10 minutes away. <S> Certainly. <S> You can always ask. <S> But if they didn't want you to work remotely before, don't be surprised if they don't want you to work out of a different office for the same reasons. <S> For your next job, consider how far away from home you wish to work more seriously, now that you know how it feels. <A> This is really your responsibility. <S> You can certainly ask, but unless the same department has people at that site, you are asking your manager to lose a person and be forced to re-hire and re-train. <S> That's expensive. <S> In general, difficulty of an assignment change is proportional to how many steps up the management chain you have to go to find the person who owns both management trees. <S> Getting permission to work remotely is also not easy in most situations. <S> The company has to be able to trust you not only to work hard without supervision, but to work much harder to keep communication channels open with the folks you are working with. <S> Move closer to the office. <S> Where you choose to live is not our problem." <A> You can try this: Rent a place nearby the office and travel home every weekend. <S> I don't know how similar it is <S> but I face a similar situation. <S> My Office is like 2 hour away from my place,So I rented a house near by Office and visited family every week-end and sometimes mid of the week <S> Or whenever i can. <S> Now there you see I was able to manage crushing Office hours along with quality home stay. <S> As on daily basis I suppose when you reach home now You can only sleep there. <S> Family time -- <S> > <S> Nill. <S> So better can be stay near office enjoy Office work,You can concentrate on office work in weekdays. <S> Rest on your weekends on Home. <S> Hope it works for you. <S> And don't quit because you will manage anyhow <S> ,Initially you will save less because of the extra rent but eventually your travel exertion and time that you saved by renting place nearby office will give you its fruit believe me,You will be more effective at office and at home you will be more joyish. <A> Don't quit. <S> I worked in this exact situation for four years and the solution was to get a new job closer to home. <S> I was an inexperienced programmer and quite frankly fairly expendable. <S> In circumstances where you're relatively easy to replace it is unlikely your company will want to make special arrangements. <S> I'm guessing you were probably quite naive (like me) about the mental impact the commute was going to have, it probably didn't seem so bad when you drove to the interview. <S> Even if you can organise something with your employer I have seen those arrangements be gradually eroded due to the demands of the business. <S> If you are struggling with this you're far better off working close to home. <S> Stick <S> the commute out while applying for other jobs. <S> I went from getting home at 7pm to getting home at 4.45pm (with the same working hours) just by switching job and my life has felt far better. <S> I don't like to tell people they should change jobs but the alternatives seem to be you moving closer or internal relocation and your question doesn't seem to imply either is on the agenda/possible.
| You can ask if there's any way to cut down your commute. Be prepared to accept a "No", but if you don't ask at all, chances for a switch are zero. But be prepared to be told "Sure. I wouldn't even worry about justifying wanting to leave because of the commute, a three hour round trip five days a week is a perfectly reasonable reason for leaving a job.
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Can attending a free course organised by another company be seen as a conflict of interest? I am wondering if anyone could help me with a potential work conflict of interest. I am currently working for an agency which offer UX services. I have wanted to learn to code for a while and a friend told me about a free training scheme a big tech company are offering for women. This training course: is held in the evenings so it would not interfere with my working hours, does not lead to a job with the company, though participants are welcome to apply at the end if they wish does not include an expectation to work with the company upon completion of the course And I made it clear in my application that I intend to stay in UX and simply want to improve my skills by learning to code, not become a full time software dev. I love where I work currently and simply want to learn about software development as it would be very useful in my job (particularly as we have recently hired for and are growing our development department). This free course is an initiative to get more women working in technology roles, which is why there is no commitment to work for the company in question upon completion of the course. I have a non-compete clause in my contract which says I must not work for any other competing company during my employment with them and 1 year after ending my employment. technically, the company offering the training scheme is not a competitor. They specialise in software development whereas where I work does not. My question is, does the fact that it is a company which is offering the free training course instead of an educational institution cause a problem with my non-compete or a potential conflict of interest ? I know if I was paying for a course from a college or university that there would be no problem. Also, should I bring this up with my boss and explain why I want to do the course and who is running it? I have not started it yet and so have not informed my employer. Any help would be much appreciated! I worry that what I am doing may be unethical, but I simply want to learn . I learn better in groups rather than online, which is why this appeals to me much more than free online coding courses. <Q> Is there a conflict of interest? <S> By any reasonable standard <S> , whether ethical or professional, no, there is not. <S> Will it be a problem for my non-compete? <S> For an average non-compete clause, taking a training course should never be an issue, regardless of who's organising the course. <S> Non-competes tend to focus on preventing you from performing work for companies that your employer could otherwise hire you out for. <S> In most cases a loss of (potential) income is the standard to meet for something to be prohibited under the non-compete. <S> That said, some companies are known for having rather more Machiavellian non-compete clauses. <S> Whether your specific contract happens to contain a weird prohibition on contacting, visiting or learning from other companies is for you to figure out. <S> Also, should I bring this up with my boss and explain why I want to do the course and who is running it? <S> Largely up to you. <S> The fact that it's a type of recruiting event on part of the other company can complicate that conversation as they may wonder if they're about to lose you or jump to conclusions. <S> If you want to avoid that you could remain vague about the nature of your training or avoid mentioning it altogether. <S> You're free to do what you want in your own time after all. <S> As long as your current employer has no other reason to think you're unhappy this shouldn't be a concern though. <S> If you detect some concern on their part you can assure them that you're happy where you are but really, that shouldn't happen. <S> So with all these caveats out of the way, in the vast majority of companies none of this should concern you and you should feel absolutely free to discuss the course with your manager. <S> Most managers will be happy to see you exploring some technical skills. <S> Expect a joke or two about not abandoning them for the other company. <A> Technically, the company offering the training scheme is not a competitor. <S> Then technically (and actually) <S> you are not in breach of your contract. <S> Let's imagine having a software contractor friend. <S> Would you feel guilty asking them to explain a programming concept to you? <S> If your answer is no , then you shouldn't feel guilty about joining the course, because the way you've written this seems to make my example equivalent. <S> An educational institution benefits from your time by providing you education in exchange for money. <S> Your employer benefits from your time by your UX work. <S> The non-competing entity only benefits by looking good in the tech community, because any work you do in their tutorials won't be sold for money. <S> They're advertising themselves to you and others. <S> I don't see how joining their sessions would be immoral. <S> If still in doubt you can always bring this up with your manager, and I'd be very surprised if the answer is anything other than <S> sure, no problem . <A> I largely agree that this is not a problem. <S> However, I would take issue with this: <S> technically, the company offering the training scheme is not a competitor. <S> You're not the one that should be determining this, unless you want to test your non-compete clause. <S> You should allow your company to determine this (by asking your manager). <S> If they disagree with you on this, they could act on the clause and fire you and/or sue you, and then you'd face a court battle.
| I think this isn't a problem because a training course shouldn't ever be a problem (and is clearly not the intent of non-compete clauses, as others have said), but always ask if you are not sure. If you know that your company is rather relaxed about this kind of thing and that it doesn't have a history of viciously enforcing their non-competes then it's fine to ask, if only for your peace of mind.
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How do you deal with collegues who think aloud? For the last few weeks I've been sharing an office with new colleagues who think aloud all the time. I've asked them to break this habit and though they promise they'll try it starts up again after an hour or so. I remind them of it occasionally but the silence doesn't last very long. What else can I do? Should I think aloud too to show them how disturbing this is, or or should I print some posters and hang them on each wall so that they are constantly reminded about it? Those colleagues are from a different department and we just share the office due to the lack of other space so I don't care about good relations. I just want them to be silent... is there a way to silence them? They're already looking for another room for two other colleagues who complained about the thinking-aloud and myself, but I don't see any improvement soon so I need to deal with them. How can I get these colleagues to commit to stopping this behaviour ? Can I discuss it with them and, if so, how can I make it clear that it's becoming a real problem for us? Or should I go straight to my manager with this? <Q> Since this is temporary, you should just put up with it on a temporary basis. <S> Printing out posters or competing won't really solve anything. <S> As you said, the situation won't last forever. <A> Rather than silencing them, why not make it more difficult to hear them? <S> Use headphones at work, listen to music while you work. <S> This will not be allowed in every environment (Works best in office based environments that don't require you to be on the phone a lot), however if you can speak to your boss and explain your current predicament, you could negotiate during this time you could use headphones (If you are not normally allowed). <S> Trying to get people to stop a habit is difficult work and you will be causing more tension than it's worth <S> (Especially since this is a temp situation), instead try to find other ways to remove the problem. <A> I am totally amazed at how others seem to think what is going on is OK. <S> It's not. <S> Naturally people need to talk to each other sometimes in the office. <S> That can be distracting sometimes too, but it's necessary for the company to function. <S> However, there is no excuse for someone causing gratuitous noise pollution in a place where others have to think and concentrate. <S> It can be fine on a production line where several people are inserting tab A into slot B all day long, but not where thinking and concentration are part of the job. <S> "It's just the way they work" isn't good enough. <S> They are the ones causing the pollution, and frankly being rather rude. <S> The first step is to ask them to please be quiet, since you're trying to think and concentrate across the room. <S> You've done that, and it didn't work. <S> They had to keep saying, "Sorry, I was just talking to myself" enough so that they got trained not to do that. <S> Another time it was in my office. <S> I used the above tactic a few times, but then told them flat out to stop talking to themselves if they want to stay here. <S> It took way too many times, but eventually that worked. <S> Putting up posters is just being obnoxious with the presumed attempt to start a fight. <S> Don't do that. <S> That makes you as bad as them, and starts a war rather than increasing the chance of solving the problem. <S> You need to go to your boss and tell them that you can't concentrate since these people are talking out loud to themselves all the time, and that it's hurting your productivity and possibly the quality of the work you do get done. <S> If it gets fixed, great. <S> If not, there is little more you can do other than decide whether you'd rather have this job under these conditions, or find a different job under better conditions. <S> Don't threaten the manager with this, but ultimately that's your choice if the company refuses to fix the problem. <A> I've always discussed such distractions with my manager. <S> Sometimes my manager was able to get the office to be less distracting. <S> Other times I've had to resort to listening to my iPod when things got noisy.
| Do the same as anyone else in a noisy office environment - either ignore/block it out or use headphones (if employee policy permits). Creating confrontation won't win any friends. One time I had to deal with this I stopped and engaged them every time they spoke out loud to themselves as if they had spoken to me (since they actually had).
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Starting a project over from scratch I have been made product leader for a big international customer, designing a physical product for them that will have to perform action A, B and C. But seeing as the needs of the customer will change and we wish to include other functionality the design needs to be flexible. Now, my German colleagues have completed a design that does A, B and C and some additional features that were not asked for but that are really handy and nifty. They presented this to the client as a part of the joint-development-agreement. They claim that the design is complete and all that is needed is some finishing touches. The problem is that after studying their design I have found a number of weak design elements and decisions that basically will lock us in one design path that may not be optimal. The weak elements are easily corrected, the wrong design path is not. I have had my fill of monumental Charlie Foxtrots when it comes to inheriting a design and I am not keen on doing it again. I told them that changes may be needed on the design but they become defensive whenever and regardless how I voice my concerns. I believe they have invested their pride in the project for better or worse. I have discussed the matter with the team's superior and we are in agreement, but the team does not see it this way. I could pull rank on this issue, but for obvious reasons I don't want to spoil a good working relation, we will work together again in the future and it would be nice not to have an ongoing grudge. How do I scrap the design without spoiling the relation? Is it even possible? In light of some of the comments that have been coming in I believe some clarifications are in order. The product will be a cast product, any errors introduced today will stick with the product for at least 5 to 10 years before any revisions can be made. That means that I will be held responsible for any and all errors in the cast that pop up during these 5-10 years without having a reasonable chance of correcting them. It is ludicrously expensive to change cast molds. <Q> Leave the design as it is – unless you have a really compelling reason to change it now. <S> When the new requirements come in, and funding to match, re-design the system to cope with the new requirements that you know – rather than the ones you think you know, but which will always turn out to be wrong. <S> You always know more about the problem after you have solved it, and it is rare you'll solve it <S> the 'best' way first time. <S> I always want to rewrite a system after version 1 (I work mainly with software). <S> But normally, it is best to defer this until version 2. <S> Version 2 won't be perfect either – but then version 3 will come along. <S> And each time, you'll know more about both the problem and the solution. <S> Of course, you might have a bullet-proof reason why a redesign now is absolutely essential. <S> In that case, you'll present the argument to the team (and possibly the customer) in a way they can't argue with. <S> If you save the customer from a disastrous rollout, then you won't have to worry about the relation. <S> From your clarifications, it seems you might have some specific examples of things you perceive as weaknesses with the current design. <S> If they acknowledge that it can't deal with them, then you can find out whether it is important to the customer that the design supports those cases. <A> Enforce a production cost analysis on the design so far. <S> Work out how much it's going to cost to tool the factory and to manufacture the product and how much the materials are going to cost. <S> How much it's going to cost to package, transport, each of assembly, repairs, disposal, etc. <S> When you've broken down the total cost of the product lifecycle, you'll have a good idea of what's costing the most and can seek to cut back on the expensive aspects that aren't likely to reap profits. <A> Do you have enough time and resources to get the redesign done? <S> If you don't, then either you have to fall back on the current design or you'll have to ask for more time and resources. <S> Consult the team leader and your management <S> ASAP, give them the benefits of redesign vs. living with the current design and have them onboard with your preference for a redesign, with the understanding that you'll fall back to the current design if the redesign goes haywire. <S> The only question in my mind is what to do with the client, who approved the current design. <S> You'll have at some point to get the client to sign off on the redesigned product rather than stick with the current design. <S> You may need support from your own management in approaching the client. <S> The client is the most important player. <S> If you, the team and your management agree and the client doesn't, then the client wins. <S> The Golden Rule in this case is that he who has the gold makes the rules. <S> Let your team know that you, the team leadership and the management have signed off on redesigning and ask the team to get going ASAP. <S> You and the team are in disagreement. <S> If you pull rank and you get a successful redesign implemented, you should look good to the team and to the management. <S> Nothing engenders confidence in you like success. <S> Once the redesign is done, it meets your criteria and it's successful, make sure to thank the team for their good work and to praise the team for being willing to stand up to you for what they believe in. <A> It is not just a design issue. <S> They presented this to the client as a part of the joint-development-agreement. <S> You will need to also convince the customer the design path is wrong and you cannot pull rank on them. <S> You will need to admit to the customer a poor design was presented. <S> If you pull rank on your team they are not going to be very supportive in convincing the customer the design path is wrong. <S> Maybe start over is the correct long term design you just need to be aware of the social challenges involved. <S> You need to start calling it a limited (not wrong) design path.
| Ask the design team outright how their design will deal with those specific cases. Almost anything is cheaper than having to retool after you ship a design to manufacturing, so the best time to have a redesign done is now.
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Bottleneck in the work place I am a junior developer in a big company. The team, which I am in, is developing a very old system (since 15 years). The system is very very specific to this team and only two people know much about it and only these two people assign a new task to me. When I got a new task, I ask so many questions (not about my profession but about the system, in which I implement my component) in order to be able to make my tasks correctly but these two people are not answering the questions willingly and very slow when they are helping me, which slows me drastically. I have a feeling that they are only working for money, not more. What would be the best advice to deal with these people or the best solution is finding a new job? <Q> If that system is 15 years old, then it is quite possible that the two remaining developers are working only for money. <S> There is nothing particularly wrong with working only for money (although personally, I work for the sum of nice working environment plus interesting (fun) work plus money). <S> After 15 years, they will be bored with it. <S> In fifteen years time, you would also be bored with it. <S> So what you have to do first is take them as they are. <S> You are not going to change them. <S> Don't take it personally, don't get annoyed, it's not worth it. <S> You do your thing, ignore what they are doing. <S> If your boss asks what you are doing you don't say "I did X, but it took very, very long". <S> You say "I did X, in order to do that I had to find out about A, B and C which I did; so I now understand A, B and C and they are properly documented so the next developer will have an easier job. " <A> Pull your boss into this. <S> The other developers aren't budging, and it could be for many reasons. <S> Maybe you intimidate them (but if that's the case, they'd be intimidated by any junior developer at this point). <S> The reasons are not really your concern - that's for your boss to take up. <S> The behavior , on the other hand, is also for your boss to take up. <S> Share your concerns with your boss. <S> Mention the e-mails you've sent with no response, and ask the boss if it'd be prudent for you to CC or BCC him/her on these e-mails you're describing. <S> This leaves a paper trail. <S> After so much of this, and you're not getting the assistance you need, your boss will have something tangible by which to take some action. <S> When that occurs, watch out! <S> But believe it or not, this is easier than you trying to confront the developers directly. <A> Sometimes, people just don't like to be interrupted with questions. <S> Maybe you can gather all your questions together and schedule a meeting. <S> Invite your boss and the other developers as well. <S> That can be easier to accomplish.
| When you have a task, ask them, get whatever information you can get out of them, then you start searching the documentation (maybe you first have to search for the documentation), look through source code, learn what you need to learn, and add documentation as you go.
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How do I confront a colleague who has been stealing my stuff? This may seem pretty trivial, but it really bothers me. We have an open office layout and anyone can sit wherever they like. I mostly sit at my single place since I'm the one who arrive very early in the office. We are a team of 10 people. I am an iOS Developer and I need to keep all my iOS Devices on the desk to test my apps. Most of the times I plug in my Apple EarPods so that I don't get to hear the disturbance. I have a personal iPhone and take all my accessories with myself. One day (about a month ago), I noticed that my iPhone's USB Cable is missing and I can't find it anywhere in my bag, home or the office. I suspected someone at the office but couldn't get enough proof to prove myself so I discarded it and being a careless fellow myself I thought I must have lost it somewhere without giving it a thought. Last week, I noticed that my Apple EarPods were missing when I was leaving office. They were fairly new since I had opened them from the box few weeks ago. I saw someone else's EarPods on the table and I could recognise it was their's so I messaged them that they might have taken mine by mistake and left theirs on the table. They got mine next day. Now, yesterday, I noticed a new iPhone USB cable with them, I had noticed their frayed cable from both ends sometime back and had asked about it. That frayed cable is lying in the office now and I am pretty sure that new cable is mine. I really need my cable back since it is very critical for my everyday operations. I can get a new one for myself which doesn't cost much but I am really worried about my other stuff too. They stole two things, one I noticed immediately and got it back and other I noticed it today only and can't think of a way to get it back. How do I go about to deal with this person?Do I report this to my boss? Would it be better to confront them about it?Should I forget about it? I read this question but don't think my problem is that trivial to ignore. Should I report a coworker who is stealing from me? <Q> Either lock your things up, put them in a briefcase or backpack, keep them on your person, or label them very clearly in a way that cannot be removed without destroying or damaging the item to make it obvious. <S> It sounds like the work environment is where people are leaving things all over the place. <S> It's probably very easy for people to absently take things they THINK <S> are theirs or to "borrow" something and forget to return it. <S> Consider any losses up to this point as the price of a lesson learned. <S> Again, keep things labeled, locked up, or on your person. <S> That is the only way to deal with this that isn't going to cause trouble for yourself. <A> Unfortunately since you have no proof, there's not a whole lot you can do. <S> Making any accusations will just make you look bad. <S> I recommend that you forget the small things that have been stolen and start taking preventative measures. <S> Lock things up while you're away if you can fit them in a drawer. <S> You could add your name or random markings to your property with a label or a sharpie. <S> This should make taking your things more difficult, but if something does disappear again, you now have more evidence that something belongs to you. <A> Are you positive it is your coworkers? <S> Before I started at my current job they had a cleaning company that came in night to vaccum our offices, etc. <S> and people had reported a number of items missing like MP3 players and nice headphones. <S> I wouldn’t jump immediately and blame the cleaning people (I sound like Lucille Bluth) <S> but it is a possibility. <S> Possibly politely ask if anyone else has had personal items disappear and gauge their reactions and responses. <S> I’m surprised by this, at my company if you got past the security door almost everyone has a set of high end <S> Bose headphone sitting on their desk <S> and you could walk away with thousands of dollars in personal consumer electronics. <S> It’s generally best not to &@$ <S> * where you eat, if they are the thief. <S> Fishing line and a blue dye pack? <A> Ask your boss where you can put your lock box in case it grows some legs and starts walking. <S> Get into the habit of stashing your gear in the lock box while you are not using it - if you leave anything on your desk, it's only a matter of time before you leave it unattended on your desk before you realize what you just did. <S> And lock the lock box when you are leaving your desk for any reason such as going to the bathroom or going out to lunch. <S> A combo lock that also uses a key might be what you need - I prefer using the key because turning the key counter clockwise is a fast move and it beats remembering the combo, and I can stuff that key into the hole and turn the key without thinking consciously about what I am doing. <S> Forget about calling for your inner Sherlock Holmes when your supplies grow legs. <S> If you somehow manage to figure out who did it <S> but you can't do anything about the culprit, <S> why bother playing detective? <A> I could be tempted to write my name on my stuff with a pen with paint only seen in ultraviolet light. <S> Next time I suspect someone 'lending' some of my stuff, I'd go to their desk while they are away and check if my name is on it. <S> If it is, I'd just take it back. <S> Or maybe wait for the person to return, and then just take the thing that is mine, with the words: ' <S> I think this is mine, so I'll just take it back'. <S> The thing here is, don't tell or show anyone how you know it is yours. <S> One or two episodes like this, and the thing will cancel it self out.
| Get a lock box and put your stuff in there. Confronting someone without proof is only going to make you look as if you are the problem. Mark your things so that they clearly belong to you.
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"Professionalism" After Work Hours and Separating the Two I apologize if this is "off-topic", but based off my reading of this stack for a while (man, are there ever some interesting questions popping up around here), I believe I am within site scope. The question closest to my situation was closed here , but I believe my question is clearer and in a different context. Anyway, here is my situation: I work, and plan to continue working, in the tech industry. I also find myself to be hilarious. For this reason, I have begun pod-casting with a long time friend about nothing in particular, but definitely in the realm of comedy. The subject matter strays into areas that may be deemed inappropriate, and other areas that are absolutely inappropriate. I enjoyed myself thoroughly recording the first episode, but I don't want something stupid, and something intended to be comedic, to ruin my professional life. For now I have decided to remain anonymous on the podcast and I do not bring up my professional life. But, if anyone were curious, especially in the age of internet sleuths and due to the public nature of the platform, I'm sure I would be discovered. My question is, abstracting from my specific situation, how do I separate my professional life from my "after-hours" life? Is it naive to assume that this is possible? Is not associating my name/identity with the offending portions of my social life enough to separate the two? I want to be clear that I am not inciting violence or promoting hate-speech or anything of the sort. Just talking to my friend with some microphones on. <Q> Use a stage name. <S> Most performers use one or another. <S> Your stage persona is just that, and separate from your "professional" one. <S> It's a good idea because it does give you a degree of anonymity, and should any difficulties arise, you can use the fact that you have not even used your name in an effort to make a distinct separation between you and the company should go a long way. <S> Just do not ever mention who you work for or disparage them in any way shape or form. <S> That will give you as much cover as possible. <A> I don't think there's any need to worry, unless you are attacking your company or its clients. <S> I currently work in the tech industry. <S> I also work with many people who have side-gigs. <S> Artists, writers, DJs, etc. <S> None of them try to be secretive about it. <A> Just don't mention where you are employed. <S> Doing any of these things can get you into trouble up to getting sacked. <S> If you see anyone on the internet denigrating your company etc., don't try to defend them, but tell your manager (who should know what to do), or your marketing people (who should know what to do, and whose job it is). <S> Now if you do things where your company says "if people found out that this person on the internet is our employee, that would damage the reputation of our company", that would be a problem. <S> I can't say anything about the legality, but there would be trouble. <S> You should have some idea what your company would think would be "damaging their reputation", that will be different from company to company.
| Don't say anything about your company, about your co-workers, about your company's clients, about your company's product, and possibly about your company's industry.
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Employee has issues with proper grammar after numerous verbal and written warnings I have an employee who, after a great pre-employment interview, has problems with the use of proper grammar even after, initially, being advised of the problem in private employment reviews and written evaluations. She has been advised to seek assistance with her grammar several times. What started out as a great prospect for a critical not-for-profit fund raising development team, has turned into an embarrassment with the donors we need to continue our mission. We have formal performance reviews in place for all employees. We have multiple reviews of written communications between staff and donors. What we cannot control is spontaneous conversation between staff members and donors. There was absolutely no indication in multiple interviews that this was going to be a problem. We have advised tutoring, reading and other means to enhance her communication skills. She now has difficulty putting in a full 40 hours a week due to "family" issues and it is affecting our development team. She is well salaried and I have made numerous attempts to advise her. What do I do? <Q> What do I do? <S> It's not clear what you expected her to do when you advised her to "seek assistance with her grammar". <S> You could have her work proofread before being sent externally. <S> You could enroll her in an English Grammar course (and pay for it). <S> You could buy her a book. <S> If you have advised and mentored her sufficiently, but are still seeing no improvement, you may have to take more drastic measures. <S> Perhaps you can give her tasks to perform that don't require proper grammar. <S> If not, perhaps she's simply a poor fit for the requirements of the position and needs to look elsewhere. <S> These things happen. <S> As her Manager, you need to decide if the role can tolerate her difficulties or not. <S> And if not, you need to act. <S> And if grammar is that important in this communication critical role, you may want to modify your hiring practices to look more effectively for the appropriate level of competence. <S> She may have been wonderful in her interviews, but clearly nobody spoke with her enough, or asked the right questions to uncover her deficiencies. <A> When you say "several donors have commented", is that in a way which impacts on the company and the company image? <S> Most people have "formal" and "informal" modes of speech. <S> The way you talk in an interview or in a serious formal meeting is generally not the same way you'd talk to your friends down the pub. <S> If she doesn't have sufficient command of grammar that her "formal" mode of speech is suitable for her job, you absolutely should have spotted that at interview when she would have been at her most "formal". <S> If she was OK then, you can reasonably tell her (not ask her - this is a formal order!) <S> to use that mode of speech with any donor. <S> Whether it's an actual impediment to getting donations is something only you can judge though. <S> Her ability to do her job should be fairly measurable by the number of donations she solicits. <S> If she keeps getting the money in, donors may see her as amusingly quirky rather than slapdash, especially if she is highly competent at everything else. <S> For a very personal example, my girlfriend is from Essex (south-east England) and regularly drops into Essex <S> "we was doing this" grammar, but as one of the top contractors in the country in her particular niche, you would be very wrong to think it implies a lack of intelligence or an inability to do a good job. <A> If your frustration is coming from these mistakes in distributed communications, I'd suggest a multiple point proofing system prior to distribution (ie two of these five people sign off before anything gets distributed). <S> If the problem as you see it is in her one on one communications <S> then classes, tutoring, getting someone else to proofread, or feedback on specific recurring problems could all be valid solutions. <A> This question is tremendously missing context. <S> Whether your employee: Is too lazy to proofread written grant proposals, and fails to ask for lightweight editing help, or Is a fluent ESL speaker who makes verbal grammar mistakes while speaking fluently to external guests, <S> are very different circumstances! <S> For one, if the question regards verbal communication, the following circumstances are true: <S> Fluency requires not being embarrassed or hesitating at trivial grammar mistakes <S> Trivial grammar mistakes are not possible to correct over the course of becoming fluent as an ESL speaker Trivial grammar mistakes do not impede one's ability to "think" in English or understand English <S> You would have noticed ESL grammar when hiring this person if you interviewed them in person <S> If the issue is putting an ESL speaker in front of an external client or donor, might I humbly suggest promoting a culture in which a talented ESL speaker who is talented at their job and talented at communicating with colleagues internally is furthermore talented enough to speak to external donors? <S> I think it's nonsense that your donors have the privilege of only communicating with your native speaker employees. <S> So, one solution to your problem is "Don't be embarrassed. <S> " Being embarrassed is something that's on you. <S> I don't know why your donors would care.
| You could get her a tutor. Just saying in effect "do better" is unlikely to help.
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Coworker feedback - Is it appropriate to suggest more professionalism when not having any strong examples of the lack of such? I've been asked to write feedback for one of my colleagues. While most of it is positive, I do have some points I want to make regarding his professionalism which I feel he could benefit from (given this is only his first year after university). The problem is, more than concrete 'incorrect' behaviours, my impression of his unprofessionalism comes from a number of minor moments when I found myself cringing at something he did. Some examples include him stepping in a conversation when the meeting chair was talking with our client or forgetting for the n-th time what work he should report on in a daily stand-up even though he could have brought in some notes (and being relaxed and joking about it - think "Ha ha seems like I've forgotten the bug number again!"). I feel silly bringing any of those up as they not only seem minor but also not-concrete and quite subjective. Furthermore, this being in the UK, in no social occasion would minor transgressions be pointed out directly (people tend to just ignore them here or give very vague hints something is wrong). Being reasonably new to office life (one year in) I have no idea if this should be any different in professional life. <Q> If you've been asked to write some feedback then do so. <S> Make a note of these behaviours, but be sure to include positive attributes as well. <S> You are right, us Brits don't tend to call each other on our behaviour. <S> We tut, scowl and move on. <S> That said, sometimes you need to, and it sounds like your manager is asking for a complete picture to avoid causing unnecessary stress. <S> So, note down the positives, highlight the negatives, thank your boss for asking you to participate. <S> It's possible (or probable) that someone will be doing the same analysis of you. <A> Don't give criticism <S> if you can't/won't give concrete examples for the co-worker to work on. <S> It's not fair to the recipient to give vague negative feedback. <S> If you don't feel those items are worth mentioning, then you should reconsider giving that negative feedback. <A> Absolutely if all you have are minor points of correction they should be listed. <S> This is beneficial on a couple of levels. <S> First if this person doesn't realize their faux pas they are likely to continue doing them. <S> Frankly pointing them out (not matter how un-British that may be), is providing them with valuable feedback. <S> Second is that feedback without any negative points is dubious. <S> The receiver can't know if there are things that aren't being mentioned (as it is in this case) or if they are doing perfectly. <S> Feedback should give them guidance on where to focus their efforts in developing professionally. <A> Generally speaking, it's not appropriate to suggest a change when you have no clear examples. <S> Telling somebody s/he needs to improve, but not telling him/her how that could happen is frustrating for the other person and completely non-constructive. <S> Just imagine in school people had graded you without actually pointing out your mistakes. <S> I would accept that if I got an A, but I would certainly think it's a stupid system as soon as I got a B without any clue what's wrong. <S> If it's minor things, take your coworker aside and tell them. <S> Or collect them and tell them later.
| But if you don't have constructive feedback that the person can act on... just don't.
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As a intern, should I take annual leaves for a home visit if I am entitled to? OK so I've been working as a full-time intern for almost 4 months. As part of my benefits, I'm entitled to annual leaves and paid sick leaves, although I've never used any of them. I'm thinking of visiting my family after finals for a whole week. Should I take a one week annual leave? I know I can but I don't know if I should, it's a good company and I'm working hard for a return offer after internship. There are no other full-time interns here so I really have nobody to ask. What would you think if you are a manager and your intern wants to use a whole week of paid leave for his vacation? <Q> You should definitely take the time you're entitled to off! <S> there are a few things to consider, do your holidays roll over to the next year? <S> do you get the money at the end of the year if they don't roll <S> over?If the days don't roll over and you don't get the equivalent monetary value either the you're not receiving money you're entitled to. <S> If I were your manager and you told me you wanted to use your vacation days, the ones your entitled to, to see your family I wouldn't have any issues with it. <A> If you know the exact time off you want to take, you should make it known to your manager as soon as possible - they may even have a 'scheduled time off' calendar they keep for just such requests. <S> Make sure you do this before making any travel plans, so that you can plan around your employer's needs. <S> Other than that <S> , you should absolutely take advantage of the time off you have. <S> It is expected that employees who have that time off will take it, and informing your manager ahead of time and then taking that time when it comes is completely natural. <S> By bringing this up early, you'll also be better prepared for, in the unlikely event, any office rules that would restrict your use of vacation time. <S> So in short - you should definitely be entitled to do so, and you should bring it up now, so that your boss knows. <A> If your employer balks at you for this, then you do not want to work for them. <S> However, you still need to get the exact timing approved by your manager. <S> Before you go to them, think about your responsibilities. <S> Will the time off cause you to miss any deadlines you've committed to meet? <S> Are you responsible for any tasks that will need to be performed while you're gone? <S> If so, find a solution if at all possible. <S> If you say to your supervisor "I'd like to take the last week of January off. <S> This will not affect my ability to meet my deadline on Project X, and Sally said she will run my weekly reports for me while I'm gone. <S> Is it okay for me to take that week off?" <S> , then they will likely respond with, "Enjoy your vacation!" <S> Show that you've been thoughtful about the impact of your absence, and you will be seen as a team player that cares about the company. <S> If there is a lot going on that particular week and you being gone then will cause problems that aren't easily solved, then they may ask you to take a different week off instead. <S> This is reasonable, especially if you're giving them short notice. <S> You absolutely should insist that you get to take the time off that you're entitled to, though, even if you don't get to take it exactly when you want to.
| Yes, it is absolutely fine for you to use your time off.
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How to handle rumours in the workplace? I've been with my company for over two years and feel my performance has been good. We don't have performance reviews, so I don't know how my colleagues feel. Recently, I have heard overheard rumours about my performance around the office, as I can hear quite clearly all around. Whether my colleagues were talking about me I have not confirmed, but from key things that have been said I'm convinced that is the case. Some things that I've overheard: "We don't get much out of him." "He couldn't get a better salary anywhere else." "He's demotivated and not doing his job." From my perspective, none of these are true. I've brought a lot to the company, achieved some great feats and it seems they've all been forgotten about. These things are making me more anxious each day and I believe this is a common problem for a lot of people in the workplace. What can I do to alleviate the issue of rumours and not knowing whether my performance is adequate? <Q> By and large, the only opinion about your performance that truly matters for your employment prospects at this or future employer is that of your boss. <S> Colleagues can think many things. <S> In the end what matters is (a) your ability to support a good performance record with evidence, and (b) your boss's inferences regarding your performance based on that evidence. <S> Sounds like you may be taking work-related issues personally, and that's a common pitfall -- especially if deep down <S> you believe your performance is good or adequate, and your conscience is clear (which seems to be the case). <S> A common mistake in such situation is to fall victim to your own insecurity tied to what others think of you, and to engage in proactive 'repair' behavior attempting to solve problems that appear to you to exist. <S> However, if you take a step back, you will often see that these issues are mostly in your head, there is little to no evidence to support the rumors, and that you trying to problem-solve these issues is the only thing that makes them real and serious. <S> Avoid giving colleagues 'ammunition' for their gossip by confronting them about the rumors, because this is what validating the rumors in the first place. <S> If you do not react, they will simply run out of actionable information on which to base their gossip, and sooner or later it will run out of steam and die down. <S> Time and patience are on your side. <S> If at any point you will hear specific remarks addressed to you personally which seem inappropriate, insulting, rude, and unsubstantiated, you have the right to bring this to your boss's attention and seek resolution. <S> Until that happpens, I would recommend to stay focused on your immediate work tasks, and to maintain a cordial professional (but not overly friendly or personal) relationship with your colleagues and boss. <S> Do that, and it is more likely than not that after some time your colleagues will find other things to gossip about. <S> More than anything, do not go down to their level and do not engage them in any arguments. <S> Good luck! <A> Control your thoughts: <S> keep your achievements in mind and continue doing your job as best as you can. <S> Ask your boss for a moment of feedback. <S> Say you'd like to keep improving yourself and you find his feedback valuable. <S> That way you'll know how your boss thinks of you, and this is the most important. <S> Try not to be awkward with your colleagues and keep socializing. <S> To be on good terms with your co-workers is extremely important and will have advantages. <S> I know it might be hard to keep socializing happily when you feel bad about the rumors, but try the best you can. <A> These alleviate this sort of <S> "I don't know how I'm viewed" concern along with providing a forum for feedback on areas of improvement. <S> If management does have concerns about your performance it's only fair to hear it from them. <S> Performance reviews are a high value activity that benefits the business greatly.
| Pitch the idea of performance reviews to your boss. Don't let yourself be influenced by these rumors.
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How to enforce better code practices among junior developers I am in a situation where my team has mostly junior developers and recent university graduates. Even with my few years of development experience I already see many things going wrong with the project we are working on. Certain developers with non software backgrounds are let into the project with full power of making decisions and submitting code. I have tried explaining importance of taking time to learn and produce quality code but it seems to be not taken seriously. Since we do not technically have a project lead, I cannot make much difference other than continue refactoring poor code. A common solution to this problem would probably be code reviewing but the pace at which we are going simply doesn't allow for it. At this stage, I can either give up and let project flow on its own or suck it up and continue refactoring and working overtimes. I don't have much experience in managing teams so I am asking for some advice. <Q> I don't have much experience in managing teams <S> so I am asking for some advice. <S> If your company cannot be bothered to perform code reviews and would rather spend time and money on constant refactoring, there's not much else you can do. <S> Pair programming is another obvious solution, but if code reviews are out, pairing is probably out as well. <S> I'm also assuming that you aren't in a position to get rid of juniors and newbies and hire more senior developers with real experience. <S> Sounds like you have to either get out, or continue on as you have as best you can. <S> Continue to lobby your boss for better practices, and more experienced developers. <S> But don't expect much in the short term. <A> Explain the situation to your manager and ask them to delegate to you the authority to do code reviews and enforce coding standards. <S> Have the dev servers reconfigured so that all code produced by the developers cannot be put into repos without your sign-off. <S> Nobody is going to take producing code the way you want it if you are not serious about reviewing the code and enforcing coding standards. <S> If all you want to do is have them produce their code the way you want it <S> but you can't review the code because "the pace at which we are going simply doesn't allow for it" <S> - that's nonsense. <S> Either you mean what you say when you want the code produced the way you want or you are bullshitting. <S> Choose. <S> Standards simply don't automagically enforce themselves. <S> Never did. <S> Never will. <S> Note that if you are going to be the one doing the code reviewing, don't expect to write much code on your own. <S> Especially if you have to explain to a whole bunch of junior devs where their code was non-compliant and what they have to do to fix their compliance issue. <S> And your manager should understand that. <S> The team is going to be productive but at the cost of you having the time to write code of your own. <A> A common solution to this problem would probably be code reviewing but the pace at which we are going simply doesn't allow for it. <S> This tells me you know the solution, but can't get management buy-in to implement it or, worse, you don't want to make the effort to review. <S> Reviews can be done many different ways, and be as strict or lenient as possible. <S> I work at a research company where non-software-engineers write code and projects <S> are short lived so the code review we had at my industry job are out. <S> You have to hit the right balance of "check that the code is up to snuff <S> " vs "get all the things done by the deadline." <S> When you step into initiating code reviews, start light and make the rules for passing them clear. <S> When starting code reviews on teams that haven't had them before, I setup the lint/checkstyle/findbugs/StyleCop/ <S> whatever that checks for industry standard stuff in your language. <S> That way the review is pretty much " <S> You have N violations, fix them" which is quick for the reviewer and clear to the code writer. <S> Then the eyeball review is making sure they haven't blanket ignored violations on a class, and a few big issues that the tools missed. <S> Don't go overboard with the code review. <S> Outside what tools will catch pick only a handful of other things to mention. <S> They aren't suddenly going to write Clean Code (tm) <S> and I'm guessing you won't get by-in from management to go that far. <S> Start small and quick -- hopefully with a build process that facilitates checking this stuff -- to slowly teach the juniors how to write better code. <S> Over time good habits will form in the juniors and you can start to tackle other stuff. <S> That way you aren't looking like an a-hole telling others their code sucks but somehow yours is amazing. <S> If you are reviewing their code, they should be reviewing yours. <A> You're the team leader, they have to do what you ask. <S> If they don't, bring it to your manager. <S> If the manager won't help you, ask to not be a team leader any more because you'll have no control over what will be produced yet <S> you will still be held responsible by your manager. <S> Moreover if you refactor after what they did, that will be even worse, because your co-workers might say something like <S> It worked on my computer <S> but he broke everything with his "refactoring". <S> So really : Stop refactoring their code. <S> If there is a bug, send it to the one who developed that part. <S> Use the advice given by the other answers here to try again to enforce better practices for the team, start codere views,... If nothing can be done, try to be moved on another project or look for another job. <S> As a side note: I have tried explaining importance of taking time to learn and produce quality code but it seems to be not taken seriously <S> I have known people like that, some of them just don't care at all and whatever you say, they won't listen.
| My last bit of advice is to get people to review your code too.
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Is it normal to stay late working without the extra pay? I work in a retail store. Being the new guy I always get the closing shift. Usually there is only one other coworker for the closing shift, and we have a specific set of tasks including locking various doors/gates and turning lights off. The store officially closes at 11 and we get paid until 11:15 (to account for the time it takes to cash out etc). Almost always we are late leaving and sometimes its over 30 minutes late. I don’t know why it is, but for a couple reasons it’s a problem. First off, given my living situation and other commitments I rely on leaving work when scheduled to do so (I live in shared accommodation and it wakes another person up when I come home late). Second, I don’t think it’s fair to be working and not getting paid (we get paid per hour, but only for the scheduled time, so if we stay late it doesn’t count).Generally speaking, the closing up process requires both of us to be on the same page. For example, the last thing we do is arm the security alarm and we both need to be out of the store within 30 seconds of it. Sometimes coworkers hangout in the store after it closes. For example one likes to use the computer to surf the internet. They usually don’t tell me this ahead of time and this messes me up because I’m waiting for them to tell me I can arm the alarm, thinking they are still working. My first question is, when is it expected for a person to work extra time without being paid? Am I being too pedantic about staying 30 minutes late? What actions should I take? Today a manager told us to mop the floor, but we didn’t have time too and still left 45 minutes late because of a large order. I was surprised to find my coworker planned on hanging around the store indefinitely just to relax, and I told him I usually have to go home on scheduled time. I’m a bit concerned since everyone else is in no rush to get the job done and leave work, they assume I’m the same way. <Q> You entered into a whole different job environment and you probably feel a bit concerned. <S> Your colleagues find it normal to hang out after work <S> and you don't. <S> If you can't adjust to this (or if you don't want to), I'd suggest the following. <S> That you expected to work until 11:15 but that it always turns out to be way later than 11:15. <S> Say you'll have no problem with working until 11:15, but not afterwards. <S> So ask if he can take care of it, or if he can change your shifts (to a morning or afternoon shift for instance). <S> I don't expect your colleagues to change, since it seems they like to hang out late. <S> You'll be home in time <S> so you won't bother your roommates. <S> To stay once late it's OK, but this is structural and not fairly paid. <S> If you give in to this, it will probably get worse. <S> Now is still the time to address it. <A> NOTE: <S> This answer is based on a large corporate retail store. <S> I'm not sure how this answer will help if you are in a small local retail store. <S> It depends on what retail store. <S> I used to work at the Gap in college. <S> Anything past 15 minutes is past regulation rules and the managers can get in huge trouble for keeping you longer, especially after the recent lawsuit against Gap for mistreating employees. <S> Check up with company policies. <S> Read up, if there's any red flags, document them, and report to the higher ups. <S> I'm sure they will react quickly to avoid a lawsuit. <A> I worked in it last year and we were expected to stay unpaid after closing until the store was tidy and ready to open the next morning. <S> While to management, this probably means that you're motivated to get the work done quickly so they can leave but in reality, it destroys morale and the quality of the tidy was poor because the people were thinking "why should I do this? <S> I'm not being paid for it." <S> The question does arise as to what your salary actually is. <S> If it's minimum wage then the extra 30 minutes unpaid means that for the total hours you're working, you're earning less than minimum wage and your employer is breaking the law. <S> As for what you can do about it, you can mention it to your boss but your response is likely to be that none of the other employees have a problem with it and your card will be marked. <S> You could also mention it to the other employees who will sympathise but probably are used to it and have a " <S> yeah <S> but what are you gonna do about it <S> " attitude. <S> Basically, your options are to find another job, try to get put on a different shift or keep quiet and suck it up.
| If you agree to stay longer, I believe past 15 minutes is considered overtime and you will see it in your check. Explain to your boss why you can't leave late in the evenings. So the best way would be changing your shifts - what way you don't have to keep trying to get your colleagues out of the door. This does seem to be a common theme in retail.
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What is the best way to coax application ideas from coworkers? I'm a new developer at a company that has had a very small development team (2-3 people) for a long time. All the current JIRAs are spoken for and there's no backlog. My big boss told me that since the development team is so small, the other employees are used to putting their needs "on hold" and I should go ask them what they want. I don't want to march into their office and demand to know what they want. What's a tactful, productive way to coax ideas out of someone and turn them into a viable project? I'm looking for a good introduction for when I go into their office and the sort of questions I should ask. <Q> Don't just walk into their offices and expect them to bring up a list of issues on the spot. <S> Invite them to a meeting, set up an agenda <S> so they know what to prepare. <S> Give feedback on what was prioritized to your stakeholders. <S> Then start working. <A> This situation is a little unsettling, to be honest. <S> Some thoughts: <S> there's no backlog <S> - Who is responsible for long-term direction of the product? <S> Who are the product's users? <S> What problem does it solve? <S> Is there anyone on the team whose responsibility is determining direction? <S> Why did they hire you if they have no work for you to do? <S> There likely is an existing unrecorded plan. <S> Find out what the long term direction is, and what they intended you to do upon joining. <S> Don't worry about whether it's short term or long term goal, just get it recorded - from there you can begin prioritizing which items to do in what order. <S> I've also never seen a project that does not need some of the following: <S> Run through typical usages and note down areas that are confusing or complicated. <S> Think of a way to improve the UI or UX here. <S> Ask people if they have any known issues or known workarounds, you may be able to make a solution to these. <S> Add documentation to the project. <S> If there isn't a guide telling new end users how it works, make one. <S> If there is one, follow the guide as if you're a new user, and make sure it's correct. <S> Tie this into the UX examination. <S> Talk to end users or developer and find pain points. <S> Add more automated testing. <S> Run a coverage tool and identify the least tested area of the code, and the area of the code that is most important to key behaviors of the product. <S> Focus on creating tests there. <S> Do you have continuous integration running your automated tests on all changes that get made? <S> Set it up if it doesn't exist. <S> Whatever you're doing, create tickets for the work and run it by your manager first. <A> Why is there not a backlog? <S> This typically means there is no real thought in terms of the product(s) development. <S> I would try to work with a business owner or such person to get the backlog built. <S> Not having a backlog ( stuff to do in the queue ) would make me nervous.
| Hold the meeting, gather ideas, write them up for your boss to prioritize them. Make a solution to them. Record every idea you come across in JIRA.
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My supervisors and the VP meet me in private to tell me to lower the quality of my work, any advice? I am engineer and in my spare time I pursue a PhD. I developed as a consultant and recently I decided to become a quantitative analyst at an energy trading company. When I was recruited for this new position I was told that they were expecting nothing but the best, so I felt that I could really develop there. After getting some assignments and fulfilling those with state of the art tools and methods, I was called over by my manager and another mid range manager to tell me that I should lower the quality (A.K.A use simpler methods. I.e. linear two-variable regression instead of multidimensional deep learning) because "others" might feel threatened by the new developments. They also told me the they still were expecting to be mesmerized by my work. I did talk to my peers to get a feeling of how was I being perceived by doing this kind of work, and they were alright with it, actually some wanted to learn and others already at my same or higher level. I want to stress that I am no math wizard, just a guy that does a state of the art review before proceeding with an assignment. After this puzzling episode, I got a quite hard assignment. I did a bit of bibliography research and I found a paper describing the problem and proposing a solution. This solution involved some probabilistic math that I acknowledge that is not straight forward, but it got the job done. After this I got called apart, this time by the company vice president. Same message; "Be average and lower the quality, you'll be happier, but we still expect great things of you" I told the managers that it was very hard for me to do something "average" when I know the best. This is specially relevant because a part of my salary will come based on the financial performance of the tools I develop. I also feel that if I deliver bad quality, I am not being honest with my self. Any advice? PS: I believe that all this comes because new methods represent more work for the company managers since they would have to catch up with them. <Q> Some of the more theoretical advantages of simpler methods: They are more often transparent (c.f. a neural net). <S> It is possible to explain to a client why a decision was made for instance, or possible to reproduce the works yourself. <S> They are faster to train or run. <S> They are easier to verify. <S> They are more robust under slight changes in training data. <S> Some of the more practical advantages of simpler methods: They take much less time to develop. <S> They are easier to review. <S> They are easier to debug. <S> They are easier to explain. <S> They work just as well most of the time. <S> If you don't understand all of these considerations in addition to whatever is state of the art in the field, then please, do not work for me or with me. <S> To be honest I'm pretty sure something is missing from your story. <S> There is clearly a way your work is not as high quality as you think and the answer is not "it's too brilliant. <S> " <S> Shame on your management for not properly articulating this to you, but, kudos to you for posting here to try to find out what it is. <S> That being said, I do want to hire someone who: has the knowledge to move our way of doing things forward can teach hard things to coworkers is jovial and fun to work with even when the work is hard <S> can balance many dimensions of concerns (i.e. the above list) <S> It sounds like you are adding this sort of value. <S> But you are doing something wrong and you don't know what yet. <S> Keep looking for it. <A> Raise the quality of the team Rather than lower your quality, raise your fellow peers' quality. <S> Normally I would not suggest something like this, but you stated: actually some wanted to learn <S> and In fact I am idle some days while I get feedback <S> Having coworkers that are open and willing to learn from fellow coworkers is something to treasure. <S> So for your peers that have indicated they would like to learn take that idle time you have and use it to teach/help <S> /show them your tricks and techniques. <S> There is a second reason for this strategy. <S> It is possible that your coworkers are trying to be diplomatic/polite with you more than being honest. <S> Your peers may have said something to management or the VPs in casual or formal conversation about feeling intimidated by you, which is something they would never say to you. <S> By trying to teach them it can help alleviate this or draw it to the surface that way you would be aware of it. <S> Third, if management continues to be annoyed with your higher quality, firing you would not solve the problem. <S> After all you have taught many more people on the team to be just as much of a problem <S> cough... <S> I mean awesome. <S> Take note of other peers accomplishments and others already at my same or higher level <S> That way if someone pulls you aside again, you can cite other people's accomplishments as a defense to your own work. <S> Saying something like: <S> I can see how me applying [Random important person's] algorithm to the data problem may seem impressive, but Bob just last week applied [Someone totally different's] algorithm to that other problem which from my technical perspective was far more challenging. <S> In comparison what I did was rather average. <A> Here's a key line: <S> PS: I believe that all this comes because new methods represent more work for the company managers since they would have to catch up with them. <S> I imagine that the managers want you to develop methods which make less work for them. <S> There is an ROI on their and <S> your colleagues' coming up to speed on new methodologies. <S> Consider the benefits of your method ... does it benefit the company to use it? <S> Are your more accurate results creating a better/safer/sexier/cheaper product, or just adding significant digits which can be ignored? <S> Not being snarky here, it's an honest question which you should be asking. <S> So, let's say your method is better, saves the company money. <S> How much money (time is money, yo) does it cost to train everyone and change processes? <S> This is a comparison you should make. <S> Okay, you've done these calculations. <S> Let's say that your way is better, saves money, isn't too expensive to implement. <S> Now go and talk to manager types about it, armed with your analysis of the benefits . <S> I bet you'll have a lot more success pitching your idea if you can tie it to quantifiable company benefit rather than to your sense of professional pride. <S> Seriously, why would they want to leave money on the table? <S> Your job is to show them it's there.
| If you have peers doing similar or better accomplishments with what they are working on take note of it.
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Requesting change of team I am graduating this year from university (United States), and have a job offer at a large scale software company. I was an intern at this company this past summer and I was not a huge fan of being a part of my team. They are all great people individually, but the team environment left a lot to desire (think: nobody eats lunch together, team mentality is to get in, do work, go home). I have friends who interned / work at this company, and they have very vibrant team environments that sound like a bunch of friends working together. In fact, the company is pushing the culture towards this paradigm. I just happened to land in a team that is a little behind the times. I have already signed the offer because offer deadlines are brutal, but I have been dreading going back to that team ever since. I have been thinking about asking the HR if I can move teams before starting at the company next year. The problem is that the offer is tied to my team specifically. Question: if I email HR about a change of team request, will my manager know? <Q> Question: if I email HR about a change of team request, will my manager know? <S> Yes, your manager will know. <S> You are on the hiring plan to start at a certain date in the future. <S> Your mistake was in accepting a position that you don't want. " <S> Dreading going back to that team" should have been the clue. <S> Instead, you should have thanked them for the offer, but indicated that while you love the company, you'd like to start out with a different team. <S> (You wouldn't need to get too specific about the reasons). <S> You may have very well ended up with a good internal recommendation, assuming your internship work was well-regarded. <S> Now you are in a rather awkward position. <S> You could withdraw your acceptance and apply for an open position on another team (if one exists). <S> Or you could notify HR and just hope for the best. <A> Yes very likely the manager would be told of and have to approve a change of team. <S> After all they are hiring you where they have a vacant position and <S> if you change teams, then he will not have the expected person to fill that role. <A> Question: if I email HR about a change of team request, will my manager know? <S> Your manager approves your time sheets, evaluates your performance and supervises your team. <S> And you think that there is a way to change teams without your manager eventually being in the loop? <S> Me think you very funny :) <S> The only way your manager won't know is when they say get run over by a bus just before they get notified that you are applying to change teams.
| If you request not to be on that team, the manager must be notified so that they can find someone else to fill that role.
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If I discover a breakthrough for my company should I expect to have a share in it? As a full time employee for only 1.5 years in a start-up, I may have found a breakthrough that could help the company be a leader in a certain application. If this turns out to be a breakthrough how should I behave? <Q> I'm sorry for being brutal, but it sounds as though you are performing the job that the company pays you to do. <S> The usual process would be: <S> You complete an IP disclosure and submit it to your manager. <S> Your manager asks your colleagues to confirm the result. <S> The company files a patent naming you as inventor and itself as beneficiary. <S> Life continues as usual. <S> You want the company founders get think of you as a useful person so that they ask you to buy in at the startup their next venture. <A> This depends on the nature of any employment agreements you have signed. <S> It certainly would not hurt to ask though. <A> I'm assuming this is software development. <S> I would hazard a guess that in your contract there will be a clause about Intellectual Property, and that it's likely that it will belong to the company. <S> If you leave it until it's finished, then you won't have a leg to stand on legally. <S> I'm not sure <S> how well this would/wouldn't go down. <S> But even then, I just think you can use it in your next pay review for a large raise/bonus. <A> Depends upon the nature of the startup. <S> Also the first thing is for you to decide:- <S> Whether the breakthrough is so different that you can make your own mark (with your unique work which is not done at existing startup premises). <S> - In this case, you can provide all the details of the work done to the partners, pack your bags and leave. <S> Or you are so passionate about it and hence <S> , can take the partners into confidence to either provide you with a share or a partner. <S> In this case, become a partner in the startup (delayed indulgence). <S> Or if you will be happy to work with a startup with some compensation (like a bonus). <S> In this case, you can talk to your boss (decision maker for your bonus) about it. <S> The best will be that you discuss the breakthrough briefly with partners.
| If this breakthrough was done on company time, you most likely are doing your job and will not have an additional stake in it. If it's such a big thing, then you need to discuss it with the owners.
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How Do I approach my boss that I want to run my own Business on the side I am a Software Developer in my trial period, which is about to end soon. During my spare time I am creating applications which I want to release, but I am not due to my contract. A new contract will be written as my trial period ends. I want to tell my boss that I want to create my own company (to protect myself) to release apps and possibly freelance a little (they are not related to my company). What should I be aware of and how could I tell my boss ? <Q> You should be aware that you'll be negotiating a new contract, with better terms for yourself and nothing in return for your employer. <S> When telling your employer, you should approach it with that in mind, and be aware that they might not like these terms. <S> Just like asking for a raise, or asking to work from home, or asking for more vacation time, or whatever, you'll need to negotiate with them and explain why they want to agree this. <S> This is easier if you've exceeded their expectations during the trial period and harder if you didn't, as always. <S> An extra thing to keep in mind is that most companies will expect that at the end of the trial period, they'll extend to you the same contract under the same terms. <S> They might take your request to change the contract immediately after the trial as a red flag for something or other. <A> I would definitely add the following clauses to your new contract: <S> My free time is my time. <S> I can code for others so long as there are no competitive issues, or sharing of code that I wrote for you. <S> Code I write outside of working for you <S> is mine. <S> This is important due to the fact that some companies will add a clause that says, while under contract, all of your code is their intellectual property. <S> I would say this is pretty common practice and your current contract company should not care about this. <A> Presumably, your freelance customers are going to use your product(web-site, app, ...) <S> during normal business hours. <S> Your boss and company management are going to need an acceptable answer to this question: What will you do when a external customer reaches out to you during the working day? <S> Your full-time employer has every right to expect you to work 100% for them during the working day. <S> You should not be taking calls, answering emails or even spending time thinking about your external clients during the work day. <S> You need to make sure that your freelance customers understand this and don't try to reach you when you are at work. <S> If not, this experiment will fail quickly. <A> I did exactly the same: I started working at a company and on my spare time, I started my own company. <S> My working contract states that I dedicate my working time to my employer and no other activity <S> , that's normal: They don't care about your spare time, they don't want to control it <S> and they ca <S> n't I think. <S> However, there are always non competitive agreements that you need to take into account. <S> Normally, you cannot work in the same field as your employer. <S> And cannot work for competitors as you would have industrial secrets and so one.
| In my case, I only needed a written authorization from my boss that my activity was not related to my job and that I was allowed to work for my own company as long as it doesn't interfere with my job.
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How can I more accurately give time scales at work? I'm a junior web developer and I've been working on an ongoing website for the last 6 months. Last Friday I went and spoke to the client and he asked me to give time scales for my next section of work to which I quoted two weeks. Two working days later and I've almost finished the section (I really go into the zone and worked through breaks and lunches). So my question would be how can I give more accurate timescales whilst still giving myself some breathing room? <Q> As pointed out in the comment, experience is the best way to improve at this. <S> My typical rule of thumb is: <S> Make sure I know the requirements <S> ( maybe even prepare a brief requirement document to review with the client ), Walk through a pseudo implementation ( review the code ) <S> so I have an idea what files I need to edit or create Based on the above steps <S> , come up with an estimate. <S> Then I would add 20% to cover discovered work. <S> I would also suggest that you attempt to be more iterative in that if you discover something is going to take less time, report that. <S> Nothing wrong with saying "This will take less time to accomplish than I originally thought" or visa versa. <S> Communication is key. <A> Experience will make you a better estimator over time. <S> However, it is important to understand what you are being asked for and what you are answering. <S> Your client probably isn't asking for an estimate, they want a commitment for when it will be done. <S> An estimate is really an educated guess/answer with some statistical probability of being accurate. <S> So your answer to them needs to take your estimate, and given a likelihood of success in that time window, provide an date/timeline that you feel you can meet with 90%+ certainty (or whatever percent you are comfortable with). <A> My approach is to: <S> Work out what needs doing. <S> Never underestimate the time spent testing, debugging, integrating, documenting and all the other stuff that isn't actually designing or writing code. <S> Break the work down into sensible size chunks. <S> Less than half a day is too small. <S> More than a week needs breaking down further. <S> Add the whole lot up to produce the estimate. <S> I once had a manager who admitted to me that he doubled every estimate I gave - <S> that's when I realised I needed to do step 1 properly. <S> Designing and writing was only half the job.
| Decide a realistic timescale for each of the chunks. Your client isn't interested in the most likely amount of time it will take to do the work, they want to know when you will commit to having it done.
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Manager timing work-related conversations with a timer I've been working at my current job for around 18 months and the business have had its share of ups and downs. My job is team lead of a small team, which includes software development and also conversations with the software team, team mates, management, etc. The conversations are increased further because we are also running in an agile setting. Since the last week, myself and a few of my fellow employees were approached by one of the management staff and asked to reduce the time we spend on conversations. We have explained the reasons for the conversations in a calm fashion, pointing out that those conversations need to be hand as we are currently going through software solution acceptance (component by component) with the hardware team. This seemed to have landed on deaf ears as this situation was repeated today, with the manager putting a timer in front of us with the running time, to keep track of the time we spent talking. Now I would see this as a problem if we've spent hours discussion pointless things or having non-work related conversations, but these are discussions that need to be had. We are also not spending hours a day on these conversations - they occur when they need to (every 2-3 days on average) and can take anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes. We are sometimes having a few of those back to back or very close to each other due to availability issues of certain team members. Moreover - both myself and the mentioned team members are hard working guys who are always putting an extra bit of effort, time, etc to get the job done, so this feels very unfair and unpleasant. I am honestly quite upset and angry at this behaviour, which I think is highly unprofessional. How should I approach this? Any tips/recommendations? Am I correct in feeling the way I do? <Q> How should I approach this? <S> In an agile setting, you put this on the table in your next retrospective meeting . <S> Decide how you feel about it as a team and talk to the member of the management staff. <S> You may need help with your agile setting. <S> The fact that a member of the management staff has not a designated agile role interacting with your team in that way and the fact that you did not know how to approach a problem like this makes me think you are not quite there yet. <A> Divert with basic time management <S> At the start of the meetings just outline a brief agenda and how long the meeting will take. <S> This should negate entirely the need for a timer and you just carry on as normal. <S> If the timer is placed on the table during ad-hoc meetings, then this could result in a small pause , a pointed look , and you carry on as normal. <S> Ten to thirty minute meetings should not be any cause for concern at all from management. <S> If anything, they add to productivity because everyone gets a bit clearer on where the project is and their place within the timeline. <A> There's a few things that make me thing your manager doesn't really know how to utilise agile properly. <S> The idea is that in sprint planning the topics are discussed and the workload for the sprint is set. <S> This is the time where the discussions you are having should happen (although I clearly get that these discussions are sometimes needed outside of designated meetings). <S> nvoigt nails it and says in the next retrospective (if you have them), this needs bringing up as a matter of importance. <S> If not, speak to your colleagues and suggest a meeting with your manager to discuss it. <S> I personally find it ridiculous on your manager's part that he is wasting his time timing your conversations. <S> Agile development is meant to increase collaboration, so by trying to reduce these collaborations, it is defeating the purpose of the methodology. <S> It sounds like your manager hasn't done his job effectively and has told his powers that be an unreasonable deadline and this is passing down to the developers. <A> We're trying to get work done here." <S> It sounds to me like despite hearing the conversation he's trying to paint you as goofing off.
| If a manager is timing work-related conversations, I'd say "we will be having this conversation until we've resolved the issue.
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How do I say nothing in an exit interview? I already know not to say anything of substance in an exit interview. My question is - how do I do that effectively? My impression is that most exit interviews are conducted by HR staff that don't really care that much and are just filling out a checklist. However, I work (for the moment) at a small startup. There isn't even a single HR employee. My exit interview will be conducted by my manager and the CTO. I think that they have pretty good BS detectors, and I think that they could connect the dots and realize that I was unhappy - it's not just that I have a great new offer, I went and found one for a reason (that I don't want to share). What strategies are there for approaching this? I had a similar situation in the past, and my manager seemed skeptical that there was truly nothing wrong with my experience at the company. <Q> Use the same strategy as breaking up a romantic relationship: <S> "It's not you, it's me." <S> And make it value-neutral. <S> "I looked for and got a new job because I wanted a change. <S> It's not that you're doing something wrong here <S> , it's just that I want to do something else." <A> Offering a counter view: Not all exit interviews are bad and "say nothing" isn't the only strategy. <S> Obviously that should be done delicately, but it can be quite helpful. <S> Once the CEO asked me to write up all the reason for me leaving and to share them with the two senior VPs of this department. <S> Since I trusted the management team and felt this may be a good learning experience, I did. <S> They still threw me a nice good-bye party, bought me lots of beer and we parted as friends. <A> Make yourself a little set phrase. <S> It might be <S> I am leaving for my own reasons and I don't have anything useful to share about [what you just asked me]. <S> or I'd really rather not provide those opinions at the moment. <S> or That's not a topic I am comfortable discussing with you. <S> Then simply trot that out in reply to EVERY question. <S> They'll catch on. <S> Think <S> I'm just here <S> so I don't get fined <S> It may feel weird at first, but it will meet your needs. <S> You're leaving, so weird is not your problem, right? <A> how do I do that effectively? <S> It's perfectly reasonable for you to ask this, since generally when communicating we are concerned with making sure our message is both received accurately and believed. <S> However, this situation is different. <S> You don't care if your message is received accurately, or believed. <S> So: Boss Conducting Exit Interview: "Was there anything wrong with your experience at the company?" <S> Departing Employee <S> : "No" BCEI: gives a look that says <S> "I don't believe you" DE: gives a look that says <S> "What do I care?" <S> Oh, and "I think that they could connect the dots" - even the most expert dot-connector will struggle when there are no dots . <A> This can be tricky, as you do not want to burn any bridges ( never say never ) <S> and you probably need them as a positive reference in the future. <S> This place has a great culture. <S> This opportunity came to me, I was not actively looking when the recruiter called. <S> My manager is great to work with, seems to really care about the team. <S> I really like my team-mates, etc.. <S> This is such a good opportunity for me go <S> grow that I could not pass it up. <S> Notice <S> I am not mentioning anything regarding the company, the boss, or my team . <S> Long and short of this is I would not keep saying the same one liner, or anything to "robotic", I would just talk with the exit interviewer and say a whole lot of nothing. <S> Just have a general relaxed conversation. <A> Be Positive, and Focus on Strengths. <S> In addition to the other answers here, another valuable strategy is to focus on the positive aspects of your answers. <S> If they ask you about the company culture, perhaps there are things that didn't resonate with you, yet there are likely to still be positives. <S> Focus on those. <S> Imagine that you were a salesman, trying to sell this position: what would be the best selling points? <S> Focus on what they're doing right, and encourage them further along that path. <S> Realize that no values are in black and white. <S> Everyone's mind works in different ways, and everybody reacts to situations differently. <S> Perhaps you feel an environment is too stifling, but others may thrive in a more structured environment. <S> Perhaps you feel the environment is too loud and noisy, but others might thrive in a more 'collaborative' environment. <S> Simply identifying what currently exists in the company, and focusing on the types of people that would benefit from that environment would be most helpful.
| Focus on the positive. I would say to " Say a lot of nothing ". If you have a good and trusting relationship with your current management and if there is a genuine desire from management to learn and get better, it's okay to open up and share some of the reasons.
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How can I make an online portfolio without it looking like I'm trying to resign? I'm a software developer in Australia. I want to make a website/portfolio for myself that shows Who I am What I do (programming) What I've done (projects etc) Why I think I'm good at what I do (what languages etc) Share why I love my work And so on. Basically a website where people can go to instantly learn a bit about me without having to link them my personal Facebook or something. I'm not looking for a job though. I'm happy where I am. This is mostly just a learning experience (practising web development), for fun and for the reasons listed above. I would like to ask my current manager if I can display some of my work on my portfolio - that is, some of my successful projects that I've done at work. Is this appropriate even though I'm not looking for another job? How would I go about addressing this with management so that they don't get the wrong idea? Is it advisable to tell them about this at all? Or should I just not include my current work/projects on my portfolio and just keep it simpler? <Q> I would like to ask my current manager if I can display some of my work on my portfolio - that is, some of my successful projects that I've done at work. <S> Is this appropriate even though I'm not looking for another job? <S> How would I go about addressing this with management so that they don't get the wrong idea? <S> Is it advisable to tell them about this at all? <S> Or should I just not include my current work/projects on my portfolio and just keep it simpler? <S> Many of us have personal websites and/or blogs without looking for a new job. <S> I highly doubt that your management would be suspicious unless you call attention to it. <S> On the other hand, I don't think it's necessary (or wise) to include company names on your site. <S> This isn't a resume. <S> I wouldn't include code from your current or former companies. <S> Instead, describe what you do, and include your own code snippets as appropriate - crafted outside of your work. <S> That way it's your work, and you don't need to ask permission from anyone. <S> Look around at websites of other developers like you. <S> You'll see some good ones (and some poor ones). <S> That should give you some ideas. <A> Creating an online portfolio or resume would communicate to me that you're: <S> Hunting for a new job; Starting/working as a freelancer. <S> Most people create their portfolios if they want or have to leave a company. <S> I wouldn't show recent projects in a portfolio without permission/review of the manager. <S> At least check <S> if there's no sensitive information in the project case you want to post. <S> So you either ask him, or you don't post those projects. <S> If you decide to ask permission of your manager, you have to make it really clear that you want to stay in the company. <S> Only saying you're 'not searching for other jobs' will probably not be convincing enough. <S> Call it a 'personal blog' for learning purposes . <S> Remember when you ask your manager, he doesn't have a clue what your website will look like. <S> So when he'll be asked permission, he will think you're making a portfolio/resume, which is exactly what you want to do. <S> If you want to make it a blog instead of only a portfolio, don't say 'portfolio website'. <A> This may be a cultural difference, but here in the U.S. <S> I see things differently. <S> There is no conflict with being happy with your job and maintaining a professional presence as an individual. <S> Having a presence helps you be connected with professional colleagues (not limited to coworkers), which helps you be aware of what's going on in the field, and gives you a problem-solving resource that helps you work more effectively. <S> This is true both online and in person, and some employers encourage their employees to participate in professional associations for exactly this reason. <S> (If your employer doesn't encourage professional development, maybe you should consider finding one that does.) <S> Of course, if your work is owned by your employer (or past employers), do not make any of it public without permission. <S> There's enough that you can do with a personal site that it shouldn't be a problem to defer that until after the site is established. <S> Then, after you've had your site up and running for a while, you can tell your boss that you think your work project is cool enough that you want to share something about it on your personal site, and ask permission in that context.
| You could start out by making a personal site that doesn't include any specifics about work.
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How to deal with "talk the talk" profiles at work? How do I deal with a colleague who pretends to be very helpful in meetings only? I am working for this company for 7 years and we have this person with the same experience, but has been working on our team for around an year. In meetings with managers and stake holders, she pretends to be knowledgeable and makes comments on my tasks almost every day regardless of me asking for comments or not. But when I reach out to her outside of meetings for further explanation, she declines by saying she is too busy with bogus excuses e.g. I am planning for lunch etc. I even once asked her while in a meeting to further elaborate and she started jumping around the problem without giving any technical solutions. It was just me and her as the technical representatives in this meeting, so the impression the managers were getting was that she was really helpful -- when in reality she was talking total rubbish technically. Once my manager told me to help her with some research, as I had worked on something similar before. When I tried to she started becoming rude and said she is fine working on it alone. Other then that she once asked me how better I am then her as a software engineer and she knows I am paid more then her, which SHE thinks is not fair on her. Other then that she talks sweet to everyone including me at times. Oh one thing, when I try to comment on her tasks in meetings.... she starts making points like I don't know anything about her tasks technically. <Q> If she comes up with great ideas during the meeting, all you have to do is say - in the meeting - "that's a great idea <S> , I'll follow up with you on this one later <S> so you can tell me in detail". <S> And in the next meeting "unfortunately I haven't been able to meet with her at all". <S> If this happens more than once, then people will notice. <S> And if your manager asks you to help her, and she refuses, then you tell your manager that you offered to help her, but she told you she was fine doing it by herself. <S> You don't want to risk that she fails <S> and then it is your fault for not helping her as your manager told you . <S> When someone talks the talk and cannot walk the walk, you take them at face value, you believe what they say, and you act very surprised later if what they said did turn out to be nothing but hot air. <A> In meetings with managers and stack holders, she pretends to know everything and makes comments on my tasks almost every day regardless of me asking for comments or not. <S> But when I reach her out of meetings and ask for further explanation she declines by saying she is too busy with bogus excuses e.g. I am planning for lunch etc. <S> Oh one thing, when I try to comment on her tasks in meetings.... she starts making points like I don't know anything about her tasks technically. <S> Let your work output speak for itself. <S> Trying to get involved in tit-for-tat comments in meetings is unprofessional. <S> There are always people that can talk the talk but can't walk the walk. <S> Eventually, these people get found out when they are required to produce output in a pressure situation <S> Also once my manager told me to help her with a research as I worked on something similar before and when I tried to.. <S> she started becoming rude to me and said she is fine working on it herself. <S> If she is rude to you then you should mention this behaviour to your manager. <S> Especially if she is preventing you doing a task you were asked to. <S> Other <S> then that she once asked me how better I am then her as a software engineer <S> and she knows I am paid more then her, which is not fair on her. <S> It fits in with the "talk the talk" profile. <S> There's no reason to really care if someone else is better than you. <S> If I know(or think) that someone is better than me, I try to learn from them. <S> There will always be better developers around, either in the workplace, or communities like SO. <S> The best thing you can do is learn from them. <S> I agree about her knowing about the pay being unfair, unless you work in fixed pay grades/bands etc. <A> I have worked with folks like this in the past, and it can be painful. <S> The best thing to do, IMHO, is take them to task technically. <S> Be prepared for these meetings, and ask questions that expose her weakness technically. <S> It sucks to do this, but sometimes people need a dose of their own medicine. <S> You should only have to "embarrass" her a couple times before she leaves you alone. <S> To expand on this: Any official work that has dependencies she is responsible for, communicate all of it via email. <S> Have a paper trail so you can demonstrate a pattern of ineptitude. <S> Be professional with her at all times, no personal conversations period. <S> Again all communication with her should be documented if at all possible. <S> Do not let her slide on the technical details . <S> When something says is is rubbish, point it out professionally and have her explain herself. <S> Ask in a way that is similar to " <S> I did not know you could do that, what control are you using to obtain that functionality". <S> The goal here is to demonstrate how un-cool <S> her behavior is by giving it back to her. <S> If she stops calling you out, then you go back to minding your own business and leave her alone. <S> At the end of the day, all you are after is for her to not interfere with you doing your job. <S> Regarding pay : <S> Never ever share pay information with co workers. <S> Unless someone who shouldn't have shared the information with her <S> she really doesn't know how much more you make ( unless the title is JR DEV versus SR DEV ). <S> If she really knows how much you make, and you did not tell her, that is a big HR type problem that I would report .
| I do think that the mind your own business approach is best, but that will not work if she is calling you out in meetings where management is present .
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How to deal with colleagues applying to the same company where I was just hired? I am in a new situation and I don't know if I am supposed to do something about it or not. I was hired by a new company and will be starting in January. As soon as I had the new contract I resigned from my current company and I am serving my 3 weeks notice. During my resignation my boss wanted to know which company I was leaving them for, and I told him. A few days later a colleague asked me for information about the selection process at my new company. At first I didn't realize why he was asking me since I had told no one other than my boss where I was going, but he clarified that "someone" told him about my new job, and he too is sending an application to that company. My question is: Am I supposed to tell the new company about this? Will they think that I started telling anyone about them and the new job? How will this be perceived? If you ask me I didn't want anyone to know about the new job, until I said so, in order to maintain privacy about it. <Q> Stay out of it and keep out of it. <S> Nothing to do with you. <S> Don't say anything to your new employer, you have nothing to say that they don't already know anyway. <S> Weigh in at some time in the future only if your colleague is much further long in the hiring process, you are being solicited for your opinion, and you know your colleague to be an out and out jerk. <S> Ditto if the colleague as a pleasure to work with. <S> In general, respect the confidentiality of your new company's hiring process. <S> You told your old boss who you were to work for. <S> Nothing wrong with that in my book - I see it as a matter of (non-obligatory) professional courtesy to tell the old boss where you're going. <S> Your colleague got wind of of it, most likely from your boss (*) . <S> I am inclined to say there's nothing wrong with that. <S> And your colleague is applying to your new employer. <S> Again, nothing wrong with that. <S> Frankly, I don't understand what you are worried about. <S> If your colleague is qualified and your new employer wants them, that's 100% your new employer's decision. <S> You have nothing to do with that decision, and your new employer has certainly every right to hire your colleague away from their present employer. <S> (*) <S> Keep in mind that your suspicion that your boss talked is just a theory, and you have no proof that this is actually what happened although it is the most likely scenario <S> - Your colleague could have learned from a sister-in-law who works at your new company for all we know. <S> Having said that, how your colleague learned about the existence of your new employer is irrelevant to you, to your new employer or to anyone else. <S> It's not as if your new employer is a secret society of some kind, is it? <A> You have learned a painful lesson -- When you give your notice, unless your employment agreement dictates you reveal this information , never tell your current employer who your new employment is with. <S> You never know what things they may do in order to force you to say. <S> ( this is definitely not the norm, but why risk it?? ) <S> Let them find out when you update your linkedin profile. <S> As to your question: What would you say to your new employer without sounding paranoid ? <S> I would not not mention this to your new employer or worry about it any further. <S> Maybe your co-worker is interested in leaving too? <S> This may be why your were asked about the application process. <S> It is normal for you to talk about your next adventure during your notice period. <S> ( Although not too much ) UPDATED : <S> Since you did not initiate the contact between your current co-worker and your new company there is no risk of being caught by some "poaching" clause. <A> First: check your contract. <S> You may have signed a non-compete and confidentiality agreement with your ex employer. <S> This often spell out what's allowed and what isn't after departure, They typically contain a paragraph around "poaching", i.e. participating in hiring of employees from your ex employer. <S> If there is nothing in writing, I would first contact your new employer and ask for guidance: are they interested in hiring more people from your ex employer. <S> If they are, and there is no policy against it, you can talk to your current colleagues but it MUST be outside the office and outside of work time. <S> You can't do this while anyone is on the clock. <S> It's easiest and best to wait until you have left. <A> Is this employee someone you would want to recommend? <S> If so, tell your new employer and hopefully collect a referral bonus (my company offers up to $20,000 for a referral, though our average is more in the $3-5k range). <S> If not, don't tell your new employers and let the cards fall as they will. <S> Leading a mass exodus is frowned upon. <S> Jumping ship, then recruiting former co-workers to the new place can burn bridges with your old management/company. <S> However, if someone approaches you about joining, I wouldn't discourage them or play dumb.
| You are not a party to your colleague's decision to apply nor are you likely to be a party to your new employer's decision to hire - and that's probably the way you want it. So far as I am concerned, your worry is much ado about nothing. Their application is their application and it has to be evaluated on its own merits. You do need to keep in mind that if you signed a non compete agreement that could be a sticking point, depending on the applicable laws.
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How to handle/deal with people pranking me at work? What can I do about people picking on me at work? When asked they reply with: I only pick on people that I like This keeps happening to me weekly, and has now progressed to pranks that involve messing with my car. <Q> If you have asked this person to stop this behavior, in a documented way ( email ) begin doing the following while making sure your supervisor is in the loop. <S> ( You should usually give your supervisor the chance to address an issue before moving on to HR ) <S> Document each occurrence with pictures and dates/times. <S> Make a note of witnesses. <S> After a couple such documented occurrences go to HR with your evidence. <S> This is similar to or could be considered bullying and should not be tolerate d. <S> If the jokes are not well received by the person being pranked and the jokester, then this falls into bullying and typically is not condoned by professional companies. <A> Pranks at work are one thing, but messing with another person's car is not acceptable. <S> I would advise that you speak to your manager immediatly. <S> Explain that the atmosphere is making you uncomfortable and that people have interfered with your vehicle. <S> Insist that the behaviour has to stop. <S> As Mister Positive said, keep a paper trail. <S> If any damage has occured to your vehicle, get it fixed and present the bill to the prankster. <S> Advise your boss that you will be doing this (again, in writing) or, if you are uncomfortable giving the bill to the prankster, give it to your boss. <S> After you flag this to your boss, if anything further happens to your car call the police, file a report for criminal damage (or whatever your local equivalent is). <S> This approach may seem harsh or extreme, but cars are expensive. <S> A simple "prank" could cause thousands of pounds/dollars/bolivars of damage, or potentially have an impact on the safety and roadworthiness of the vehicle. <A> <A> If they're messing around with your car I would see HR immediately. <S> A few jokes can be pretty bad but interfering with someones car is a criminal offence. <A> Now. <S> If you can take pictures, do it. <S> Don't discuss the issue with the bullies.
| Tell your boss that this "picking on" is affecting your work and let him deal with it. Document, in writing, what they've done and when. If they are messing with your property, especially if they are making your car potentially unsafe to drive, you need to go to a manager. If people are messing around in the office then I would document everything, and think about contacting HR. This person sounds like the type of person who needs to be either reprimanded so his behavior changes, or fired. Don't tell them you're going to speak to a manager.
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How to deal with a colleague who has been with the organization very long? I started working with my present organization 3 months ago. It's a very rural, conservative company. I'm in my late 20s and a foreigner of color and the company doesn't exactly have diversity. My boss hired me due to my educational qualification and I am here to help him on projects and things that the rest of my teammates don't work on, on a day to day basis. I was also hired to train on certain specific things that a co-worker, (let's call her Carla) does. I am her back up as she's approaching retirement (which she dreads.) Carla has been with the company for 18 years. She knows a lot about the company, the way things work here, and everybody naturally reaches out to her because that's what they are used to, also they might think she's more approachable due to the fact that she's a local. She's mostly pleasant and helpful to the others. I work hard to do my job and have received positive feedback about my work from my boss, and others. But Carla feels otherwise. She constantly sees the need to micromanage all my activities (especially because she gets copied on all the emails) and is rude to me at times.When asked for training on what she does, she puts it off by saying "I'll help you later, I'm busy"She either feels like I'm threatening her job, or she feels like my work ethic isn't acceptable (due to age or ethnicity) My boss doesn't know of all this and I'm unsure how to approach my boss. I got laid off from my previous job and it has left me a little under confident and scared.Should I tell him at all or just grin and bear it? I am obviously more disposable than Carla is, to my boss. <Q> My boss doesn't know of all this <S> That's a mistake. <S> This is something your boss needs to know, and something your boss most likely would want to know. <S> If you don't have regular one-on-one meetings, ask for some private time. <S> Talk about what is going on, and what you should be doing about it. <S> You were hired partly to learn from this colleague, but your work is being blocked. <A> Without explicit proof of malice, you should always assume positive intent. <S> It makes stress easier to bear. <S> Consider things from Carla's side: She is a high ranking employee, about to retire, and she probably has a lot to do in wrap up. <S> She is unpleasant, but it could be because she has a lot on her mind and not have to do with you. <S> Set up your training sessions in advance so that they are never a variable in her or your schedule. <S> I agree with the poster who said to include your boss as an optional attendee. <S> As for the micromanaging: I've never had a good boss or a successful student who wasn't a micromanager. <S> Carla's success is probably due in part to being so fastidious. <S> While it is very annoying, it is a habit that some successful people have and there may not be ill will in it. <A> I would suggest that you set up knowledge sharing meetings, and include your boss as an optional attendee . <S> This way if she keeps blowing you off, they will see it too, without you actually having to say anything . <S> This way you don't appear to be "trying to get her in trouble". <S> People who have been with the company a long time typically have a few powerful friends. <S> I would tread cautiously here <S> as if she says she cannot work with you, you could be in trouble. <S> She may just be a bit nervous due to the fact that she is retiring soon, and may not mean you any ill will -- but better to be cautious. <S> Another point I would make is document, document, document.
| Tell your boss so you can accomplish the tasks you were hired to do.
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I left my job because the company was failing financially and not meeting payroll, vendors, etc- how do I explain that in an interview? I was employed by the same company for 10+ years, was promoted and took on many duties. Over the course of the last few years, the company has been doing terribly financially, payroll bounced or we were asked not to cash it right away and many vendors stopped working with us because they were owed. There were also multiple lawsuits due to monies being owed. Last year, the health insurance carrier dropped my company due to nonpayment. I went 5 weeks with no insurance and the money was still being taken out of my check. The insurance would also often be cancelled and then reinstated prior to this for the same reason but somehow they would make the back payment. So this year when it was time to renew the insurance (8/1/16 because of when we were dropped before) we were told by HR that were keeping the same plan. At the end of August, I found out that we never had insurance for the month, the carrier dropped us and would not work with the company any longer. HR never told anyone, was very evasive when confronted and the money was still being taken out of paychecks. After a lot of runaround, HR told us we would not have insurance until Oct 1st. She was very sorry, made every excuse, blamed the insurance company, etc. After a lot of thinking, I decided to quit- I had no trust or confidence that things were going to improve, I was tired of wondering everyday if I and my family were covered by the health insurance or if my paycheck was good. It became a toxic environment because all the employees were demoralized, clients and vendors were unhappy with us and I had to do my job without adequate resources. It's a small company owned by a married couple and the wife handles HR duties as well as accounts payable, so there was no one else to go to. I gave two weeks notice, was as professional and polite as I could be and feel I left on good terms. My supervisor and previous coworkers are my references. So how do I answer this in an interview? I know I am not supposed to speak negatively but I know I already look suspect because I am not employed. They are still in business, I have no idea how. <Q> Responses such as "they kept missing paydays" and "they deducted my check for insurance premiums, but didn't pay the provider" are not negative statements, they're objective truth . <S> You don't even have to convey how you feel about what's happened. <S> Any reasonable person should understand that if you go to work and aren't getting paid for it, it's time to go. <A> This question get's asked a lot in different forms. <S> Really the question from the interviewer is "Why did you leave the place you were at" <S> Though honestly this question is rarely asked unless you were there for a long time (5+ years) or a really short time (less than a year) <S> What the interviewer is really asking: <S> Did you leave voluntarily <S> Did you leave on good terms <S> And from that they can judge if you are a good worker, and what your values are as an individual. <S> So how do you answer this question? <S> You answer succinctly, and with basic details. <S> There's no need to go into details, but do tell them the basics, because that way they know you're not hiding things. <S> I would put it like this: <S> "I left my previous job because the company was not financially stable, and this caused me a lot of stress as the company did not maintain my Insurance, and could not always pay wages. <S> It was an amicable parting, they understand my need for stability as I have a family that depends on me" <S> That's more than enough details and is totally honest, without slandering anyone. <A> "I loved my job, I loved the company and my colleagues, but I also love being paid for my work". <A> Just tell them that the company you were with was declining, and you got out. <S> There is nothing wrong with that. <S> If they ask more, mention that they stopped paying your health insurance. <S> Specifics like the company is losing money and not paying their vendors are real facts that could be checked if needed to be. <A> Failing to make payroll is actually a violation of the law - this is one of the very few situations where you should NOT sugar-coat your answer. <S> The fact is your former employer was lucky you didn't report them to the bureau of labor in your state. <S> A new employer may appreciate that you choose to walk when asked to participate in something illegal, instead of calling in the authorities, so this answer is actually a plus.
| Simply say "I left when my paycheck bounced" and leave it at that. Don't just say that you didn't want to work there anymore, because that can sound like covering up that you got booted out.
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Length of a job search I have been looking for a front end web development role in the UK from another country. I have been searching for a full month already, I've sent about 30 CVs, had 2 Skype interviews - for the 1st I didn't have enough knowledge, for 2nd I didn't have a college degree. I have about 2 years of experience and I'm permitted to work in the UK. Is this normal? What's the typical job searching time from abroad? <Q> Searching from abroad is really difficult, mainly because the employer has a lot of responsibilities when hiring someone from abroad. <S> This could include Sponsoring the Employee <S> Confirming your eligibility to work in the country Trusting that the time they spend training you into their business is going to be worthwhile in the long run. <S> That being said, job hunting for a month is pretty normal <S> even when you're physically in the country, I've normally spent at least a month, and it's not uncommon to spend three months job hunting. <S> This can be hard, but try reaching out to a few on Linked in. <A> Note that one of the reasons standard advice is that your emergency fund be enough to carry you for 3-6 months <S> is that a job hunt can be expected to take that long. <S> You may get lucky and land something earlier, but don't count on it, even without the international issue. <S> The odds of a web designer being hired across international borders without a college degree are probably not good. <S> There are too many college grads who are willing to consider that as their first job, and who can be interviewed more easily. <A> I've very recently found a new job in in England from Japan. <S> Realistically, a time frame just isn't possible. <S> This entirely depends on your abilities, experience and ultimately showing you're a good fit for the company. <S> I was very fortunate in my find. <S> Just show commitment as well as showing you're capable of doing the job. <S> To give some insight, it took me a month, but in this time I sent my CV to 100+ agencies and companies, had 7+ interviews and for the job I got, had to fly to England for 1 day to spend with the company (from Japan, which wasn't fun). <S> I also had endless calls from 3rd parties that got me a couple of extra interviews. <S> I was also working my current job during all of this. <S> From an industry perspective, Front-end developers have it really tough. <S> You have to have a shiny portfolio, Github activity, <S> all sorts just to get your foot in the door for an interview. <S> Finding a role Front-end development overseas <S> especially entry-level is a ball busting exercise. <S> With 2-years experience, unless you have exceptional abilities, try to look at entry-level stuff and make sure you have a very nice portfolio to show off. <A> I graduated from a top 10 engineering school (U.S.) with a Computer Science degree and a 3.0 GPA. <S> It took me 20+ job applications (all entry level) before I even got an interview. <S> Out of the 25 or so companies I applied to, only 3 ever got back to me. <S> I had no related experience, which is my best guess as to why I didn't hear back. <S> Hope <S> this helps, good luck. <A> If you are looking in major cities where there is likely to be a lot of competition, then it could take a while. <S> Also, Development markets in the UK are pretty competitive, especially in the junior ranks <S> so yes it can take a while. <S> Maybe consider spreading your search to smaller towns too, as well as large cities as jobs further afield tend to have less applicants.
| Something that can really really help is getting ahold of a really good recruiter.
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Management expects full participation in holiday nonsense video Management expects every department to pick a song and participate in a song and dance video to be shown company-wide (think https://youtu.be/X0v_InsGdSE ). Everyone is "expected" to participate, though many find it demeaning. How do we opt out without being perceived as non team players? <Q> You have two choices: <S> do it, in a nondemeaning way. <S> You don't have to wear a silly costume, film in a silly location, etc. <S> If you have a choice of music you can choose something you're ok with. <S> Someone may "tut" that you didn't make a fool of yourself, but you participated. <S> don't do it. <S> Either by "not getting around to it" because you've "got a lot on your plate this week" or by replying to the reminders saying you're not going to do it. <S> Either may cause someone to feel you're not a team player. <S> These videos are rarely designed to be demeaning. <S> They are supposed to be fun, and to demonstrate a more personal side to your coworkers or customers. <S> I've done my share, and they can be pleasant. <S> (They've always been optional and the recording is just of yourself, and gets cut into a larger montage. <S> The department-by-department approach here makes things trickier.) <S> I'm not going to put on a crazy wig or dance on my desk. <S> I don't think you have to either. <A> Just suck it up and do it. <S> Things like this matter more than you would think, and you might actually have fun. <S> Management remembers who was and was not a team player. <S> Not saying its fair, just telling you how it is. <S> ( at least in the US ) <A> I'm going to answer in a somewhat different direction. <S> If you don't want to do this, assert confidently that you are not going to participate. <S> If this causes backlash and insistence on you participating, then keep in mind the following. <S> Your company is trying to force you to do an activity that is: Not related to your job at all <S> Not (strongly*) related to the company's goal or mission <S> Clearly making you uncomfortable <S> And because you (and perhaps others) are being forced into doing it despite all this, completely missing it's only potentially valid point of being "fun" or "teambuilding", since it clearly isn't to you. <S> This is not about "being a teamplayer" at all. <S> This is about the company trying to coerce you into a pointless activity that makes you uncomfortable while trying to pretend they're doing "something fun". <S> It is a sign of a strongly dysfunctional organization, and you should start looking for a new job. <S> Forcing people to do things that make them uncomfortable "because it'll be fun" is not okay. <S> (And while you're searching for a new job, calling in sick is probably the best way to get out of this specific event) <S> *this might be meant as a cute marketing stunt, in which case there's some connection to the goal of the company, but still no reason at all to force anyone into participating. <A> If you can't avoid it, then someone has to be film-crew, animal-wrangler, key-grip etc. <S> Be creative and think up some very important reason why you can't be on the action side of the camera. <A> I'd take a sick day - hey, the very thought of participating in the video <S> makes me sick. <S> Or I'd take a personal day - hey, my pet rock is feeling neglected :) <A> I'd suggest a different approach to the situation. <S> Such videos also need much more than "actors in them". <S> They need someone: to help setting up some decorations in the location where it's filmed to go pick up the costumes or hats or whatever to go pick up the camera from the manager's brother who agreed to lend it for a few days to actually film the thing to actually add the music / edit the video / publish it etc. <S> to do other stuff that I can't think of right now <S> There's a lot of stuff that needs to be done so that such a video is a "successfull" one. <S> Just suggest it to your manager or whoever is responsible for it. <S> As a side-note / personal comment: I too think such videos are kind of a waste of time and frankly quite pathetic. <S> Managers / executives simply want to portray an image of "look how fun we are and what a great place to work this is", but it's simply fake and everyone sees through it... or they should. <A> I'm kinda surprised that no one mentioned this yet, but compelling people to participate in any "holiday celebration" is assuming that it is a holiday for everyone. <S> Basically not everyone celebrates these holidays and forcing people to participate, in what could be seen as religious holidays, could be an HR nightmare. <S> Even if this isn't your reason, you could drop that bug in someone's ear and get the whole thing called off. <S> "You know I like the holidays as much as anyone, but have you considered..."
| If you don't want to risk being seen as "not a team player", then you can participate in such a video without being an "actor".
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How do I handle submitting work that was done previously by a coworker who didn't communicate about its completion? I recently was assigned the task of writing a piece of code for a very specific function. It wasn't complicated or anything massive, but it did take a couple hours. After I completed it, I realized that there was a very similar piece of code already in the codebase. After asking around, it turned out that my coworker who works with me and I share an office space with had already written a function for this same purpose. In the ticket which was assigned to me, it had previously been assigned to my coworker, but they had never updated the ticket in our project management platform, to reflect the work done. Updating the ticket as soon as the work had been completed would have been standard practice in our work environment. Basically, the project manager and my coworker had failed to communicate that this work had been done, and since the PM did not think any progress had been made, they assigned it to me. Since I had found the old code, I asked my coworker casually if they remembered writing it. They did, and then informed me that I had 'wasted my time' rewriting it, and that I 'should have checked' before working on the ticket. The tricky part is that my coworker is definitely my senior, and I am fairly new to this type of work, but comparing the two pieces of code side-by-side, my code accomplishes the desired effect in about 30% as many lines, and maintains a much higher level of efficiency. To be frank, my code is better in any metric. I committed the code anyways, but I was overwhelmed by feelings that I had perhaps been passive-aggressive by submitting my code to the codebase, instead of scrapping it altogether. I told my coworker that I had gone ahead and committed the code anyways, just to show that I had done the work assigned to me. This was met with a very awkward back and forth between us. It definitely made for some tense times, especially when my coworker said, "You're code looks good, but don't take it personally if I end up deleting it(and using their implementation)." What could I have done better here? I'm pretty junior, so this was very awkward. I just didn't want to pretend like I hadn't done the task, as then it would have looked like I had been very unproductive for the day, and reflected poorly on me. tl;dr: lack of communication led to me doing work that had already been done. I didn't want to just hit the delete key on multiple hours of work, so I committed it anyways, leading to an awkward encounter/shift in relationship with my coworker who I work with daily. <Q> It was a ticket assigned to you by a PM and you completed it. <S> If your PM asks you what happened then tell them. <S> It was just 2 hours of work. <S> No need to escalate this. <S> You want it to play out with as little fan fair as possible. <A> So you were given a ticket to write code. <S> You wrote the code, and I assume that you are confident that it is well written and works well. <S> The code only needs to be checked in, reviewed and tested. <S> And that's when you find out there is a different version already. <S> The obvious thing is that you still check in your code because you know its quality and that it works. <S> You have no idea what state that other code is in, so before you could check it in, you would have to thoroughly examine it, which again costs time, and it might be incomplete and unfinished <S> so you would have to finish it which costs more time. <S> Total waste of time. <S> As far as your co-workers argument goes, that's nonsense. <S> He wasn't organized enough to mark this item as "in progress" or "finished". <S> It's not your job to search for work that someone didn't record properly. <S> If you had to, you would have to do that every time, and most of the time it would be a waste. <S> If your co-worker deletes your code, he will have some explaining to do why he is deleting perfectly fine, reviewed, and needed code and replace it with something that is less good and not reviewed. <A> You did the code. <S> Good for you. <S> Report to your PM and team lead that you completed the assignment without being aware or being made aware that the senior engineer had already written a block of code with the same functionality because this code was never reported as existing in the ticketing system, and that you depend on the ticketing system to check on whether things have been done or whether they are up to date. <S> If anyone pushes back and says that you should have asked, say that what happened is exactly why the ticketing system has to be up to date at all times. <S> You can't be reasonably expected to check the ticketing system AND ask everyone around you as a paranoia check. <S> Summarize your report and say in conclusion that the company is now in possession of two blocks of code with the same functionality, but you estimate that yours is better by 30% :) <S> If your code looks great to your team lead, you may get more challenging assignments as a result. <S> I wouldn't agonize about a couple of hours being wasted, given that you are blowing 2000 to 2500 hours of your life per calendar year doing your job. <A> I worked on this issue no. <S> 1234 for a couple of hours, then remembered having seen this code somewhere before. <S> I asked around and found out that Mr. Coworker had already written some code for issue no. 1111, although it was not released. <S> Should I go ahead with committing my changes, or mark this issue as a duplicate after Mr. Coworker releases his code? <S> Then let the PM take the call, do as he says, and move on to the next issue/work item. <S> There is nothing to be gained from doing a song and dance about your coworker forgetting to update the bugtracker. <A> I would say you should try to move forward from this incident as best you can. <S> Your coworker screwed up by not marking the ticket complete, which would have made it unnecessary for you to check his work in the code. <S> This is why you have a ticket system. <S> Your PM also screwed up by reassigning the ticket instead of getting a clear answer from the senior developer as to why the ticket was stuck in limbo. <S> I think 'Your code looks good' <S> was essentially their apology to you <S> (sometimes that's just what apologies sound like.) <S> It's probably not going to get deleted or replaced unless your coworker is really self-centered. <S> Fortunately, you know your work was good, and that it did get submitted to the code base (and merged, I assume ;)) <S> If you find yourself assigned to one of his tickets again, check with the PM to make sure they followed up appropriately. <S> If this is another situation where he forgot to update his ticket, say: 'I like communicating with you, Sr. Developer Bob, but mostly about where we go to lunch, and not the status of your tickets. <S> That's why we have a ticket system, so that I don't have to interrupt your work to stay on the same page." <S> And the third time it happens, don't even tell him. <S> Just do the work assigned to you. <S> It's his job to keep track of his own.
| Keep a copy of your code and run it by the team lead so that they can comparison shop. What you could have done better, and the way I would have handled it, is: tell your PM what you have told us . Mark it as complete. If your coworker wants to delete it then let them.
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Dealing with Unwanted Attention The executive I report up to (my boss's boss's boss) is a very eccentric and awkward individual. He is a very polarizing figure, but most people I talk to are weirded out by him. Here are a few examples of things he's done in the last week : Walked by every single person's cube on the floor to tell them how much the CEO made and commented how it was unfair. He literally spent the entire afternoon doing this. Insisted that his friend has Type 7 Diabetes, despite overwhelming evidence that there is no such thing Crashed a random team breakfast and ate 8 donuts. (They had only bought 1 dozen). While on the phone in his office with his door opened, shouted "My dog's better! My dog's better!" about 20 times. I still have no idea the context for this. In other circumstances, I'd just ignore his eccentricities or laugh it off. But for better or worse, he thinks I'm the best employee in his organization and always tells other people about it. He speaks about how he is my mentor and how I am just a younger version of him. I'm fearful that people are going to start associating the two of us together. For example, there was one town hall he was speaking at. Before his turn, he sat in the front row munching loudly on a family sized bag of Cheetos. When it was his turn to speak, he stood up in front of everybody with a heavy layer of Cheeto dust all over his hands and face and spent the next 10 minutes talking about an award I won and how I am his protege. I got strange looks the whole day. How should I deal with this? I don't want to quit, because I really enjoy my job and my team. But I'm getting tired of dealing with the extra attention he's giving me. Should I try to distance myself from him? Or should I just keep the course and hope this ends up doing more good for me than harm? <Q> If he directly speaks to you say "I am really busy and need to get back to work." <S> If you keep this up (the ignore/I am too busy) he eventually will find someone else to fixate on or someone higher up will notice and take care of it. <A> I would just ignore it. <S> Next month somebody else will be the flavour of the month. <S> Having said that, if it is affecting your work perhaps have a quiet word with your manager <A> It sounds relatively harmless. <S> First, do not attempt to distance yourself from him by badmouthing him or making specific references to him in your discussions with others. <S> They already know he a funny nut, no need to keep that part going. <S> Second, (and this comes from my <S> "I don't care what people think of me" side) if someone does try to put you in the same box as him, push back. <S> Tell them you are your own person and there's no need to try to label either you or your boss. <S> Third, realize that your boss will probably never change. <S> His abilities as a manager in your field outweigh his odd behaviors. <S> He has his position for a REASON. <S> Fourth, stress with him the importance that you aren't singled out as his favorite. <S> He may be doing these "praising" sessions to impress or align himself as your friend. <S> Be direct. <A> It's almost like it's The Office, and he is Michael...and you are Pam. <S> (cultural reference: <S> American comedy show about workplace which was hugely popular a few years back) <S> In The Office, Michael (the boss) was into Pam <S> but she was into Jim and Jim and Pam <S> were a couple. <S> So Michael tried his best to leave them alone, but him being him, could not help but make all sorts of awkward, clumsy moves on her. <S> What did Pam do? <S> Distanced herself as much as possible, created that boundary of strictly business and enforced it tirelessly (Jim helped). <S> I suggest you do the same, a find a Jim to help... <S> it may take a team effort. <S> Be polite but firm and consistent, and don't be afraid to say at least once something to the effect of "By the way, I just wanted to tell you that I didn't appreciate when you referred to me as your protege (or whatever), because actually that's not how I think of myself <S> , I hope you can respect this. <S> I really appreciate your understanding and thank you in advance. <S> " Or don't say anything, but try to communicate the same message in some less overt way...and hope for the best. <S> Your call. <S> Be ready for the possibility of your pushback backfiring in some way. <S> But time is on your side. <S> Wait it out a bit, and hopefully soon enough he will reorient his attention onto something/one else. <S> If you are lucky and if he has any common sense he will get the point and simply move on...soon enough. <S> Good luck! <S> And do check out The Office... <S> it's hilarious. <S> And so, so true...apparently ;) <A> Regardless of what he says about you I can't imagine many people in your organization think you behave this way or have very much in common with him. <S> There's no need to do or say anything to anyone to clear your name. <S> He's made it this far in life not recognizing social norms or any other feedback on his misbehavior. <S> Just keep your boss happy and things should workout.
| I would ignore him and invest in headphones -- in other words distance yourself and be unavailable. Based on your list of odd behaviors, I would say person has a personality disorder. Unless you think he's engaging in some form of harassment, there isn't much you can do to change the behavior of your boss's boss.
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How to handle coworkers where complaining is a big-ish part of the work culture At my last job, everybody loved to complain. The developers, the tech support, the salespeople, even management; I never really could understand it. For the most part, all the complaints people had were split between the customers, third parties we needed to work with, and technology in general (slow internet, old computers, etc...). Though to their credit, I never once heard a complaint about other coworkers or departments except in jest, so it's not as though it felt like the work environment was a toxic workplace. But this culture of complaining created something of a disconnect between me and many coworkers and I don't think I ever found the correct way to deal with it before I left that job. Several times I tried to get in on complaining and add my own complains to the pyre that was perpetually burning in the office, but they were never received with much enthusiasm. I expect that it was because they were insincere; I've never been big on complaining about things I couldn't change so I suppose I wasn't any good at trying to pretend like I was. For my relatively short time there, this had been a baffling social experience. I'm sure I'll encounter other workplaces where this is the norm in the work culture since there are many people who like to complain all the time about anything. I've never had an issue with people when I'd meet them out in the world, but when it is sort of ingrained in the culture, it feels like a whole different beast that I have no idea how to handle correctly. <Q> I've never been big on complaining about things I couldn't change <S> That right there is the key to dealing with it - at least internally for your own peace of mind. <S> (And if you think working with them is tough, have pity on their managers.) <S> I think you want to accomplish two things: <S> Avoid being forced into insincerely complaining about things. <S> Avoid being ostracized by your coworkers. <S> When you're in a small conversation, and someone else says "Our piece-of-crap Internet is so slow!", you shrug and say "Yeah, I know, but what can you do? <S> We just have to put up with it. <S> I've had other jobs with the same problem. <S> " <S> You acknowledge their complaint, but you don't join in the pile <S> and you don't try to solve the underlying problem. <A> Complaining is a normal human reaction for many people. <S> The best thing you can do is to empathize with those who are complaining. <S> , that's all they're expecting of you. <S> Piling on inauthentic complaints in an attempt to fit in will only make both sides feel awkward. <S> And although it may be tempting to do, neither suggesting a long-shot fix nor explaining why it can't be helped will be welcomed. <S> Complaining is merely an outlet. <S> All you have to do is listen. <A> There are cultural variations which go into this. <S> New Yorkers, for example, love to complain about government, upper management, weather, traffic -- all the annoyances of life that we can't really do much about -- and find it a bonding experience; "It's our team against the world, and I'm glad to have you on the team." <S> Midwesterners dropped into a NY-style group hear only the annoyance and may worry it will be turned against them next, which of course is anything but bonding for them. <S> Sheri Tepper has a bad habit of overgeneralizing from an inadequate sample and sometimes gets it badly wrong, but her book <S> That's Not What I Meant! <S> has some good discussions of this sort of meta-communication and how it can be misunderstood. <S> Might be worth glancing at for ideas on how to understand the group's dynamics
| It's bad for your psyche to be in continual complaint mode, but be aware that many of your coworkers probably gain validation and self-worth through complaining. Just listen in a non-judgmental way
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Should I offer additional help to my supervisor to correct my recent mistakes? I have recently made some mistakes at work which might reflect badly on my reputation as an employee. Nothing similar happened before, I just had a temporary streak of underperformance. Additional external stress might have played a role in this. Those mistakes were not extremely serious, but significant enough to put me on the radar. I treated those mistakes as lessons and made adjustments to avoid similar situations in the future, even in case of additional stress. It is doable. My supervisor has treated me very leniently and did nothing, but I actually treat this as a sort of favor. I am expecting to get an official reprimand in case I don't correct myself soon. Should I leave it at that? Or should I go to my supervisor and tell that I would like to repay this with some additional work? My supervisor is constantly overworked and I often have some free time at work, during which I can't really do anything but sit at my desk and wait. I do get bored and I would like something to do to make the time go faster. What would you suggest? Is asking for something like this sensible or maybe it could actually reflect even worse on me? I know from observations that when my co-workers make similar mistakes they don't do anything about them (some actually try to cover them). Also, competition at my workplace recently increased due to raises and I would really like to stay as far away from the bottom of my group as I can. <Q> Your boss clearly has time for you, as he has handled the mistakes in an appropriate way. <S> All you need to do now is perform well for him. <S> My supervisor is constantly overworked and I often have some free time at work, during which I can't really do anything but sit at my desk and wait. <S> I do get bored <S> and I would like something to do to make the time go faster. <S> If you have idle time, you should be asking for more work anyway, so if this is the additional work you are referring to, then realistically you should have been doing this already. <S> If you are talking about extra hours etc, then no. <S> All he needs from you now is consistently good work. <S> He's backed you when in a slump. <S> Now if you consistely give good results, his faith has been repaid and it will keep you up the ladder. <A> Or should I go to my supervisor and tell that I would like to repay this with some additional work? <S> No. <S> Work isn't like school where you can do some tasks for some extra credit to bring your grades up. <S> If you talk with your boss, explain that you understand your mistakes and have taken corrective action, that will usually suffice. <S> If you have free time when you "can't really do anything" you should be talking to your boss about how you are expected to fill your free time. <S> Perhaps you are expected to sit at your desk and be available, but likely there are always "fill in" tasks that you should be doing. <A> You do not need to repay anyone. <S> Being a worker does not mean you stop being a human being. <S> We make mistakes -- the key is to learn from them and not repeat the same mistakes again. <S> Just do your future assignments well going forward.
| So to answer your question, no, don't do that.
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Should I send HR a gift for Christmas? Is it a good idea to send a gift to the HR hiring manager as a thank you/Christmas gift after I have been accepted into a job? The HR manager has certainly gone out of her way to assist me, answering my questions etc. Thanks edit: Chocolate and Card? <Q> Gifts are always tricky and may be seen as bribery. <S> HR may not be allowed to accept it. <S> If you want to thank the hiring manager, send a nice card and no gift. <A> I would urge you not do this ( no gift ), just stop by their office and say thanks. <S> Do I have to give a gift to my boss? <S> You absolutely do not need to give a gift to your boss – and what’s more, you shouldn’t. <S> There’s very clear etiquette on this, which says that gifts in a workplace should flow downward, not upward. <S> That means gifts from bosses to employees are fine, but employees should not be expected to give gifts to those above them. <S> This rule is understandable when you think about the power dynamics in the boss-employee relationship. <S> Take a look at this for more information: US News <A> Most companies have rules about accepting gift. <S> Where I work, I personally, or some person in HR, would not be allowed to accept a gift given to one person. <S> Usually there are rules how such gifts are to be handled. <S> Other things could be put into a free tombola where everyone has a chance to win them. <S> And other things might not be accepted at all.
| People shouldn’t feel obligated to purchase gifts for someone with power over their livelihood, and managers should never benefit from the power dynamic in that way. For example a box of chocolates could be put up in the kitchen where everyone can take a piece.
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Teammate Excludes Me and doesn't give me info I joined my current workplace 6 months back and I am a fresher (no previous work experience). My team initially consisted of just me (a girl) and another guy (who has 8 years work experience). I thought we get along well. He expects me to include him in any work I do, but he excludes me out of his work. He becomes all defensive and secretive when I casually ask things. I work day-in, day-out with R and have a substantial knowledge of statistics.Recently, 3 new members (all guys) joined our team and he is taking charge of "training" them on R and statistics, when he has very little knowledge. Now, they have meetings on R & Statistics and I am not even told. They conduct these "brainstorming" sessions almost everyday and I feel bad and excluded. I am all the more willing to help them out, but when they have meetings in a separate room, and they all act all high-and-mighty about it, I feel "Ok, fine. Let them do it their own way." Should I be worried that this might lead to worse situations? <Q> You don't speak of a team lead or manager. <S> I see a potentially bad pattern. <S> Accept <S> you have expertise in R and statistics and he does not. <S> You should be performing the training <S> and he should attend. <S> He excludes you from open communication on an individual level. <S> And now he is excluding you on team level. <S> There is not a good reason for 4 team members to have regular brainstorming sessions on a subject and exclude the 1 team member with expertise in that subject. <S> Devils advocate is that he wants to exclude you on a larger level. <S> Is your manager / <S> lead aware of your expertise in R and statistics? <S> Who assigns programming tasks? <A> As a fresher, I think you're making the general mistake of not knowing what is expected of you and equally important, how do you know when your boss thinks you're performing as expected. <S> This takes time. <S> You have to observe and ask questions. <S> Pay attention to your boss to find out what he thinks is important. <S> Good bosses should make this very obvious to you, but sometimes they need our help. <S> You could be worrying about nothing. <S> Who knows, maybe these new people are actually training your boss in R. <S> They could be working on something completely different from you. <S> Because you're being left out, you're looking at this negatively, so you interpret their behavior as being "high and mighty. <S> " Are they suppose to act like they're the lowest life-forms on the planet who are accomplishing nothing after these meetings? <S> They could be a bunch of jerks, so make sure you are not being left out by finding out if your boss thinks you're doing your job. <S> Ideally, you would be getting so much gratification from your work, you won't even notice the meetings. <S> Work with your boss to get more feedback and get it more often. <S> Follow-up on work you turn in. <S> Wait a day and send an email asking if it was what he wanted. <S> Good waiters do this with every customer. <S> If someone says the food was fine, but they hardly ate any of it, a good waiter finds another way to ask the question to help probe deeper. <S> Sometimes we get so caught up with the technology, we forget we're servicing people. <S> They have emotions and personalities and sometimes we need to make them feel comfortable. <S> They don't always have the technical skills to get it from our work alone. <S> Show you care by paying attention and finding out what is important. <S> You never know, it may have nothing to do with the meetings or the three new guys. <A> If that's the case its only natural for him to be included in what you're doing. <S> but not necessary he other way around, it depends on how much your work intersects. <S> When it comes to tutoring, It's not a matter of being excluded, its a matter of roles. <S> Seniors are often used to mentor new people, because the company usually knows their capabilities meanwhile they're yet to learn yours, and you are still proving yourself within the organization. <S> Even if they know how capable you are, they might find you more useful doing what you're doing right now. <S> It'd be completely different if you'd have similar work experience in the workplace <S> and you'd be more experienced in the matter of what's being taught. <S> You can let people know that you know X and Y and are open to tutoring if its needed but don't expect to be brought in to do mentoring, yet. <S> You have to evaluate the situation <S> but I think you're not being excluded, you're simply being asked to do a different job than he is. <S> tl;dr don't take it personally, it's most likely a matter of roles; seniors are often expected to mentor rather than letting that task be assigned to juniors. <A> I had similar experiences when first joining the workforce after a long time in academia. <S> You have some knowledge and skills that you want to exercise and share, but it seems as though you are not given the opportunity. <S> What @Jonast92 says about "roles" is true. <S> A workplace is different from academia in that you are expected to execute your role, in other words, "to do your job." <S> New employees coming out of school often try to immediately branch out into different job functions even when that's not what they were hired to do. <S> That's a noble intention, but it is unfortunately incompatible with how projects are managed in many organizations. <S> That said, there could very well be some feelings of intimidation involved. <S> Your knowledge and the fact you are new may make your lead uncomfortable and standoff-ish. <S> Some workplace-personalities don't handle casual open-ended discussions well and see such things as a threat to their job. <S> The best thing to do is to perform your specific job role as best you can and develop trust over time with the lead. <S> As you prove yourself, you will gain more latitude and be comfortable with asking to participate in more activities. <A> I would suggest focusing on doing your work (tasks) at an extremely high level and so that your manager notices your work. <S> If your manager notices your knowledge in a particular area, such as R, they should include you in future projects. <S> Perhaps also there is a bit of sexism going on at your workplace or the lead is not comfortable working females.
| It's most likely a part of his job to tutor new people and have an idea about what they're doing and know how they're performing so he can give feedback to your boss on how you're coping in the new workplace. You need to make an authority aware of if you're being excluded from crucial/essential information.
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Replying to an appreciation email Recently I did a major overhaul of a business website, which made it more user friendly, the director of the department sent out an (to the I.T Department) email on doing a great job. Of course, being a newcomer I wouldn't be able to do my job if I wasn't given a proper setup and help from my manager and peers. Is it good to reply to that email, as it is, from the director? If so, how can I make it sound more professional and thankful whilst I also thank my team? <Q> You could respond if you wanted to, but don't use "Reply All" and keep it pretty short. <S> Bear in mind that the director is congratulating the department, not just you. <S> If you reply implying that you did the work all by yourself, this might be misunderstood and seen as you trying to take all the glory (even if you did do all the development work by yourself...). <S> The director's thanks are also (presumably) directed at the people who gathered the requirements, designed the new website, tested it, and deployed it. <A> Is it good to reply to that email as it is from director, if so how can i make it sound more professional and gratitude while i thanks my team also. <S> Just send a simple "Thanks!" <S> email to the director, without replying to everyone. <S> That shows your gratitude without going over the top. <A> Being new I would direct it to your superior to handle that sort of thing, he/she can decide if and what should be sent. <S> Otherwise a short message will suffice along the lines of: Dear Sir/Madam, <S> Thank you for those kind words. <S> We aim to improve the usability of our web-sites and we are glad to have made a contribution. <S> With kind regards: <S> IT-Department through Alpha Bravo Keep it short and sweet. <A> The director wanted to appreciate all people involved in that improvement and wanted to be sure all of them knew that. <S> Period. <S> The one(s) that can reply to such email is the manager, or managers if it was cooperation of several teams, of the appreciated group because they are responsible for all the people under their command. <S> If you, as the low-branch employee, reply it may be, and will be, understood as skipping the ranks. <S> Nobody expects anyone below the team leaders to respond to such emails. <S> On the other hand, if the director bumps in you personally reply, " <S> Thanks mr. Boss" is comletely sufficient and in that case you are representing whole team. <S> And it was not your decision to stand out. <A> Unless he was getting personal like "employee X did a great job of Y", you can safely ignore it, he was just being polite.
| In my experience, department/company wide emails like this don't really necessitate a personal response. If you want to thank the team, take them out for lunch or dinner, or at least bring a cake / pizza and share.
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Invited to the Christmas Party of an ex-employer, how to show my best side? Some years ago I was employed by a contractor company around 1.5 years long for a project. It was ended because the customer had financial problems, and he had to build down the project I was working on. The contractor didn't have another project for me at the time, thus I had to unfortunately leave. It was a good-standing leave. Later they've tried to re-employ me again (a different department of the same customer has shown interest to me), but I worked already elsewhere and I couldn't break that job. Now they've invited me to their company Christmas party. I would like to show my best side for them. On the party, they will probably ask, in informal context, how is it going to me. But, my answer will probably affect my chances in the future. And, I think it would be the best if I would show myself the possible most useful for them, to maximize the chance of a possible new offer. Actually, my things aren't going very well, I work mostly on project-based jobs for contractor (outsourcing) companies and I am quite lucky if can I find one where I am accepted by both the contractor and its customer. Currently I try to extend this with freelancing projects which I've found much harder to get and solve, as I ever thought. They probably know these on informal channels (this region hasn't a very big IT industry). Furthermore, I am a foreigner (Auslander) programmer in Germany, and I think it is a big honor that I was invited to their Christmas Party, despite that I am not working for them any more. It is highly uncommon here. Actually, they are the only company in Germany where I think I have also a personal sympathy and not only a professional relation. What to do? If I am honest and answer clearly, I will maybe underestimate myself in their eyes. Furthermore, I can't admit that I would be most happy if I could get freelancer jobs, because it is not their business model. Furthermore, there is nothing here about a possible new offer, it is only a Christmas Party and I think it wouldn't be ethical to use it as a job interview poker. But my behavior and my answers will unavoidably affect our relations in the future. Furthermore, also they have some interesting developments: they've organized the Party in a nearby city where they weren't really active in my time. Its probable reason is that currently most of their employee working there, and not in my region. Also I am considering to move there, because it has a much better job market. It would be nice to ask them from that, to know what do they see there, but I am not sure if I can ask it, and how deeply if yes. I think, a direct ask for their business situation probably wouldn't sound well, while if I show interest to this city, yes. But where is the border between these? <Q> They are either genuinely nice, or genuinely in need of a good contractor, or quite possibly both. <S> So you should go to that party, enjoy it, get no more than minimally drunk, and expect that someone will talk to you about contracting for the company. <A> Never say never. <S> You may not see anything future wise at the company now, but things change. <S> Keep what appears to be a positive relationship open. <S> If they discuss contracting, listen politely and state <S> "I will consider it and get back to you". <S> In short if your comfortable with it, go and have some fun. <S> Relax and catch up with your former co-workers and friends. <A> Go. <S> Even if you are not actively looking now, not going would be one of the quickest ways to show disinterest in future opportunities and burn bridges with the company and people in question. <S> This is an excellent networking opportunity, and it sounds like you are actually interested in what they have to offer. <S> It hams no one to listen to their offer. <S> While you may not be currently looking, it doesn't harm them to inform you of the position they have, and it doesn't harm you to listen to it. <S> If they bring up a potential contract, simply positively reply, "I am currently on a project, but I would be happy to hear the details. <S> " Even if you do not have the capability yourself to accept the position, it may be that you would be able to consult part time, or refer another candidate who would fit the description. <S> They may even surprise you, and you may find that they have a position that could tempt you from your current contract. <S> If there are legal difficulties in extricating you from your current contract, that may be something they can help with as well. <S> You may be able to say something like: " <S> I am very interested in this position, but would be able to start XX months from now. <S> I might be able to start sooner, but would need a $YYYY signing bonus to compensate for these difficulties I will have by terminating my current contract, and I would still need ZZ amount of time in order to provide an ethical amount of notice, and train a replacement." <A> Result <S> They have a new, also foreigner employee with the same last name. <S> I've toke part on the Party. <S> I've drank a lot, although also they. <S> They were friendly, although they've seem a little bit surprised. <S> There is only a nearly-zero chance of a new offer, because with the change of their focus city, they've made also a technological specialization which significantly differs my main profile. <S> :-( <S> I didn't ask if their invitation was a mistake, because it had seem I question their precision if it wasn't. <S> Although now I think it is more probable that it was. <S> I've seen some old faces, but only with the boss and some important admin people I had work contact earlier.
| Show up It sounds like you're interested in potential future offerings, and would like to genuinely go to the party.
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Holidays falling under 2 week resignation? I've currently received a job offer from another company and am figured out when to put in my two weeks at my current position. At my current job, we have holiday pay/days off for Dec 23rd,Dec 26th and Jan 2nd.If I put in my two weeks today or tomorrow, my 2 week period will include all of these dates. Being in California, would I be entitled to having these days paid out to me or should I wait till after the holidays to put in my resignation? My new employer has some flexibility of when I can accept the offer. <Q> It is company specific how they would handle this <S> but you would be working after the Christmas holiday, so likely that would be paid. <S> However, Many companies would ask you to make DEc 30th your last day and not pay for the Jan 2 holiday. <S> As that is a new month and New Year, they might not want to have to deal with benefits for one day which is a holiday. <A> I would turn it in after the holidays if your new employer is offering that flexibility. <S> This way its a clean break from your current employer with Holiday pay, and you don't start your new gig while some may be out on an extended holiday break. <A> This is company dependant. <S> Hand your notice in and your HR dept will give you your end date. <S> I wouldn't delay it, the worst that will happen is that they don't count and your start date is some time in January.
| If they are days which the company make you take out of your allowance, then they do count (I think). Depending on teh the health insurance situation at your new employer, you may want to give notice after the new year just to make sure you have health insurance in Jan.
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Getting signal from boss and other manager to work under other manager I am a few weeks into a new job. I was hired in one department but have been receiving signals from other manager and my immediate boss that the other manager is under-resourced and needs more help than he (my boss) does. I personally would also agree and I also feel that my background is better suited to work under the other manager. How should I approach this situation? Should I be direct about it? <Q> Yes, I would be direct and just ask. <S> "Would it be better for the company if I went to work for person X?" <S> Especially if you do not object to the move. <S> If your boss is dropping hints, they are probably trying to gauge your willingness to move to another department. <A> Double check with your manager. <S> I hate hints, because I almost never get them right <S> - I hate people, in particular managers, who talk in riddles <S> but that's another story for another day. <S> I prefer blunt talk, no noise, <S> no guessing: " <S> I think you have been giving me signals that the other manager needs me more than I do. <S> If that's the case, count me in for going where ever I am most needed and most useful. <S> Thanks" <A> It depends on the signals. <S> If the signals are not very specific and could have other interpretations (e.g. that your time might be split somehow to assist the other manager, rather than switching completely), it might be best not to bring it up until your manager directly raises the issue with you in the form of a question. <S> When the business need truly arises, the manager will ask you straight up. <S> If this is just something they are mulling over, they might not be ready to make the switch officially and just seeing how you would react. <S> In which case the best strategy may be to remain neutral, i.e. "Since I am new here and am just getting oriented, I guess I could go either way, that would be fine with me." <S> /her (awkward if future business need will require you to switch back to current manager). <S> You don't want to appear too unenthusiastic either, in case you will in fact need to switch. <S> Just be ambivalent about it and let the managers make this decision, rather than try to make it for them. <S> Good luck!
| You don't want to appear too enthusiastic to switch, since that might send the currently manager a wrong message that you'd rather work for someone else than him
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Is an open-source software contributor a valid work reference? I am applying on multiple new careers, and I came across a question on one of them titled "Work References": Name: Phone: Worked Together At: Now these are limited for me (unless I use multiple persons from the same employer) so naturally I filled in what I could, and continued on. (Possibly going to hurt in the long run, but it's what I have at my disposal.) My question is: as a contributor to an open-source project(s), can I use one other contributor / maintainer as a work reference? Is that an appropriate response to this particular hiring question? I am speaking of non -superiors in regards to the context of the hiring question asked. I.e. coworkers, etc. More context: the project I'm interested in using affects multiple users (at least more than one) and has the possibility of becoming more popular in the future. It also demonstrates knowledge of and experience with vital technologies to the particular field I am applying for, and, as I have been directly responsible for closing multiple issues on the GitHub repository, demonstrates that I have an intimate relationship with the project (and other users). We also (regularly) communicate through a Stack Exchange chat room which we use for white-boarding, brainstorming and discussion of the task at hand, besides the GitHub issues/commits. However: I have never had face-to-face or direct verbal communication with them. We have also never done pair-programming. We have worked on the same portion of code at the same time and merged each of our work together through the chat room, commits, issues and pull requests. The problem is, if this is acceptable, how do I fill out the form (considering I am in the United States, and some of the possibilities may be in other countries)? Name: An Awesome Contributor Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx Worked Together At: Awesome Open Source Project X I only intend to include one Open-Source Software Contributor in my work-references, until I build a larger list of them. I can get two others very easily via previous employment, but the third would have to come from one of the two same employers. (This would mean that I would have two references from company Y, and one from company Z.) <Q> You can add these people. <S> I've been a reference for a friend who wanted an IT-job, even though we've only worked together as volunteers on something completely unrelated. <S> The key points to keep in mind when selecting a reference are: <S> (does this person want to be my reference, obviously) does this person know me well enough to answer questions about how I work can this person give insights into why I'd be a valuable addition to the company <S> does this person know anything about my technical skills and suitability for the tasks <S> I'll be hired for <S> Will this person not be obviously biased (this is why you don't add your partner or parent, even if you've worked with them) <S> Ideally, you'll pick people who match all of these: previous colleagues or managers from the same sector are the best matches for that reason. <S> (Additionally, some people weigh paid work more highly than non-paid work, so that also factors into why previous colleagues are seen as best) <S> But sometimes you can't fill the list with those, because you're new to the field, or just starting your career, or whatever. <S> In that case, you can add some people that miss one of the points (your online collaborators miss out on point 2, while with my volunteer friend I missed out on point 4) as long as you make sure that you have at least one reference on each point. <S> (It'll look bad if none of your references have ever worked with you, or none of them know your technical skills.) <S> Just make sure you disclose this information when you give your references. <S> It looks really bad if they ask this guy " <S> so, what it's like working with him" and they then find out <S> he's never met you. <S> But if they know this is going to be a technical-skills interview, they can ask different questions and still learn a bit more about you. <A> Sure you can, it's not worth as much as 'real' work, but it's a lot better than nothing. <S> Try and get some of the skillset required to do your part included, because that is the important bit. <A> Yes you can and should list interesting open source projects you have worked on, and if you have contributed significantly, and really worked as part of the team, then feel free to list them as references. <S> Opensource projects on a resume have more value to me then closed source projects listed. <S> I can look at the code, and complexity of the team and see that you can write code, and that you can handle tasks related to the politics of submitting a commit on a large project. <S> Often times, I ask for, and am asked for, GitHub profiles. <S> It's a good way to get a glimpse of how you work. <S> I can do a quick code review, see your coding style, and see how well you conform to the groups coding style. <S> There are of course caveats, but it's far better then nothing, or a take home "mini-project", or "skills tests". <S> As for format list it like you would anything else. <S> For the reference, how you have it in your question is totally fine. <S> Just keep in mind that people still call references, and you don't want your reference to say "Who? <S> " so you better give them a heads up (as you should with all your references).
| In fact, you can add anyone you like as a reference, doesn't even need to be in the same field.
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Is it ethical to review CVs of potential competition, sent to me in error? I am an employee at a medium-sized tech company. I have no hiring authority, but somehow several recruitment agencies have acquired my company email address and occasionally send to me unsolicited messages containing CVs of contractors/consultants who work in my field. Usually, I simply ignore such messages. However, recently I have been considering leaving my permanent employment to transition to freelance contracting/consulting within my field. I'm tempted to open the CVs I have received in order to gain insight into how others have structured the documents, and to compare my experience with people already in the market. I'm quite sure there would be no practical downside for me, and I couldn't possibly be "caught", but I'm not sure if it's ethical. Would it be wrong for me to open these documents purely for my own information? P.S. Based on the emails (and standard recruitment practise) I assume the CVs themselves have been anonymised. <Q> While it would be wrong to read email that's not meant for you, these messages are addressed to you specifically. <S> There's no delivery-error or mistake involved here. <S> It's your email, feel free to read it. <S> It would be different if they are addressed to someone else, but it sounds like these are just ignorant recruiters spamming out CVs to whomever they can find, so there's no reason to think the messages are meant for anyone else. <A> If these are coming from recruiters, then the CV's will be anonymised and amended by the recruiter. <S> The recruiters haven't sent you these in error . <S> They are simply emailing all their contacts to try and get a contractor a role, and therefore a commission. <A> You're getting spammed by recruiters sending you unsolicited resumes. <S> This is not a mistake , they're just shotgunning the company, hoping somebody will bite (many companies refuse unsolicited resumes on principle). <S> If all you're doing is looking at how other people structure their resume, describe experience & getting a feel for the state of the local market, you're in pretty safe ethical territory. <S> You'd have an ethical problem if, for example, you were applying for a promotion and the manager accidentally sent you the applications of all the competition and you used the information there to make sure you came out looking like the best candidate. <S> You'd have an ethical problem if you started publishing them. <S> Just reading them carries about as much ethical weight as jaywalking. <A> Would it be wrong for me to open these documents purely for my own information? <S> I think that it is not unethical. <S> Lots of people actually post their resumes on social medias and especially on linkedIn for everyone to see. <S> However, I would advice you that if you can indeed get inspired by how they have arranged their resume, you should not compare yourself to them. <S> Everyone has it's own special mark they can put in a resume to make it unique.
| You'd have an ethical problem if you started copying the contents of other people's resumes. As these haven't been sent to you in error, then there is no issue in reading the contents/attachments. It's perfectly fine for you to open these.
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Is it safe to discuss work grievances with a company psychiatrist? Asking this one for a friend located in the United States. She's currently experiencing significant stress coming directly from her place of employment. All attempts to mediate this with her coworkers and boss have apparently failed and one of the benefits of her employment is a series of free optional visits to a psychiatrist hired by the company. She thinks this has the potential to help and might put her mind at ease until she can work out another place of employment. I'm being told that, if she were to express herself openly and her grievances were to get back to management, she would almost surely be fired (and possible a couple other coworkers might get fired as well if she's taken seriously.) Under normal circumstances I would cite standard doctor-patient confidentiality clauses that should at least guarantee nothing she says leaves the room and certainly doesn't get back to her boss. But I also know from experience, even from questions on this site, that confidentiality breaches happen all the time and don't tend to end well for the employee even if they're in the right. Is it wise to trust psychiatrists employed by a business with business issues? EDIT: I'm noticing there's some drift in the answers, so I'd like to clarify something: it's understood that it is illegal for the psychiatrist to lie about her confidentiality. That's known. What isn't known about this is how smart of a practical option this is. As a trivial example, there are tons of questions about discovering fraud that would be trivial to answer if you assume that the laws will protect the employee. Based on the answers, that doesn't always work out. <Q> Why are you asking us instead of she asking the psychiatrist point blank? <S> "Are our conversations considered confidential and covered by the doctor-patient relationship? <S> Will anything we discuss be reported back to my management? <S> " <S> The answer is either an unequivocal "yes" or an unequivocal "no" ( <S> *) <S> and she takes it from there. <S> (*) <S> And yes, the psychiatrist has to answer truthfully because not answering truthfully is at the minimum an actionable violation of professional ethics <S> and it's a violation with extensive legal implications. <S> References: Medical Privacy in the Workplace ; American Psychological Association <S> Note that the references are US-centric. <A> I believe the answer is yes, that the psychiatrist can be trusted and that this is legally enforced under doctor-patient confidentiality. <S> I think the only exceptions a mental health professional makes are when one is in immediate danger of harming self or others or when ordered by a court (and I'm not sure what happens in the court situation. <S> IANAL of course). <S> I am U.S. based and can imagine this being locale specific. <S> Note that the employee's use of the psychiatry section is likely, mostly, public (to management, for instance). <S> I cannot speak as to how her manager will react if they are a malicious person with poor ethics or how to deal with that. <A> There would be very little incentive for a psychological professional to violate patient confidentiality, risk getting sued for malpractice and lose his/her license to practice. <S> Most of the time, these professionals are contracted to the company through a third party and do not work exclusively for that company. <S> They would have much business to lose from the publicity of a malpractice suit even if it eventually ruled in their favor (and it almost certainly would not be in the case of violating a patient's confidentiality). <S> So I would be fairly confident about this. <S> However, if it is making the person nervous, then choose her own professional and let her health insurance pay for it or pay for it herself. <A> There is no way to know unless you directly ask the psychiatrist. <S> She is compelled to tell the truth by the Hippocratic Oath . <A> I believe we can take it as a given that any conversation she had as a patient would be covered under patient confidentiality regulations. <S> I'm less sure of that reassuring your friend. <S> Your friend should instead ask herself what she has to say that would motivate the doctor to risk her career (and possible jail term for HIPPA viloations), in order to break that confidentiality. <S> She could certainly explore the doctor's relationship to the company and management--any relationship to management (spouse, sibling, same sports team, whatever), could possibly result in a deliberate or inadvertent disclosure. <S> But the idea that the company has an arrangement with the doctor in advance, to essentially use the doctor to spy on employees, is, uhm, unlikely. <S> Whatever she has to say probably isn't important enough for there to be a risk of deliberate disclosure.
| My advice is to frankly ask this question to the psychiatrist, and I would expect the psychiatrist to provide a direct and honest answer that I would trust.
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Company year end party - taking along my personal laptop to do some personal work If I bring my personal laptop to my company's year end party, will it make me an outsider? Also, I will need to ask the hotel staff for WiFi.I'm not seeking attention, I have some personal documents to prepare and I'm seriously busy. I'm sure that nobody else will bring laptops there but seriously I need to.It's not against the company policy. Any idea on this one, will that hit the threshold of being an outsider? This is clearly something which is not against company policy but company-culture (non officially defined) will may overlap this. <Q> Obviously, I don't know your company, but I can't imagine a scenario where sitting at a company party working on your laptop would be better than excusing yourself. <S> Find out if you can gracefully opt out of the party. <S> If participation is mandatory, actually participate (you don't need to drink, in fact, you shouldn't anyway) and leave as early as acceptable to conduct the urgent business. <S> Edit: <S> OP has indicated that the party is optional, but he wants to attend. <S> You need to sort out your priorities. <S> You can't have both the party and working on something. <S> Decide what is more important to you and do that. <S> Don't work at a company party. <S> You wouldn't get done much of the work anyway. <A> No, don't work at company parties, it is strange and it will draw attention. <S> Go enjoy the party and postpone your personal tasks, if you really want to go. <S> Try to do your other tasks another time. <S> Stay home because you are too busy, and ask your colleagues later on how the party was. <S> Work for a few hours and join the party later. <S> I'd go for the latter, if I really wanted to go to the party. <A> Bringing a personal laptop is no problem at all - I do it all the time. <S> However, actually using that laptop is more tricky. <S> As already indicated in the other answers, working at the party where others can see you will come over as strange - it's a party, you are supposed to socialize, eat good food and have fun. <S> Sitting in front of your laptop and working will at least make you look strange. <S> My personal advice would be: <S> If you only need to work for a short time (15-30 minutes), and cannot do the work at another time, then briefly leave the party, try to find a quiet spot, do the work and come back. <S> If it is a hotel, maybe you can sit in the lobby, or nicely ask staff if you can use an empty meeting room. <S> That way you do your work without annoying others. <S> Leaving the party and coming back may look strange, too, but less strange than working in front of others - plus if the party is of the standup type, others may not even notice you were gone for a while. <S> If you need to work for hours, then there is no point in going to the party. <S> Sitting there working while others celebrate will not only look strange, it will not be any fun for you either. <S> So just skip the party.
| People might notice if you don't attend and wonder why, but you working at the party will be noticed and could really distract your colleagues or superiors from enjoying the party.
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As a college student when do I start leaving summer jobs off resume? I am currently a junior and college and am working on my resume. I currently have 4 different projects (related to my major) on my resume (class final projects, directed research, etc.). However, I have only had a single internship. Currently I have listed a summer job from before I started college on my resume, as well as several years of selling on eBay (several years as a top rated powerseller) (my college career advisor suggested adding this freshman year). Once I updated my resume to reflect projects for this semester, I found that my resume is over one page long, which I have been told isn't good for a college student. Should I take off the summer job and eBay selling experience? EDIT:I also have a short section for accomplishments on my resume that includes a book I authored that has been published (not an academic work) as well as being Bloomberg Certified in Equity. In my opinion these are both things not directly relevant to a potential job, but are things I'd like to keep on my resume. Should I leave both on? <Q> And you should make it so that the things that really matter are prominent. <S> Currently I have listed a summer job from before I started college on my resume, as well as several years of selling on eBay (several years as a top rated powerseller) <S> (my college career advisor suggested adding this freshman year). <S> You can leave these on there but have minimal bullet points (or even none) associated with them. <S> This does two things: Shows work experience <S> Doesn't clutter a resume High school or summer jobs show that you are motivated and capable of holding a job. <S> For a student, this is actually beneficial. <S> But what you do at those jobs is likely less relevant - so don't put all your daily tasks, etc. <S> If you are in the United States (which your other question suggests) <S> I would strongly encourage you to condense your resume into a single page. <S> The reason is that when we review intern resumes, we see a lot of resumes. <S> Nearly all are one page and frankly speaking, most intern or new graduate applicants haven't done enough to warrant multiple pages. <S> The absolute last thing you want on a resume is to have meaningful information get missed because the resume is tl;dr. <S> I found that my resume is over one page long, which I have been told isn't good for a college student. <S> I would agree with this. <S> Unless you are an absolutely exceptional student, you almost assuredly do not have multiple pages worth of relevant experience. <A> My resume when I finished college was two (full) pages long. <S> There's typically nothing wrong with that, so long as the content is relevant. <S> There's many different approaches to writing resumes, but one thing to always keep in mind is that the information on the resume you hand in should be relevant for the job at hand. <S> In other words, it's fine if your resume is two pages long instead of one, as long as the experience you're listing actually pertains to the position in question. <S> If you're applying to a job as a software developer, for example, it's not relevant that you were an eBay power-seller. <S> However, if applying for a sales position, that's exactly the sort of thing which might get you noticed. <S> Always keep that in mind when applying, and you should be golden. <S> As you gain more experience in your field you will find that some things start sounding trivial, and you'll naturally start leaving them out. <A> It largely depends on what jobs you're applying for, and how you want to sell yourself. <S> You may want to have a couple versions of your resume for different types of positions. <S> Something like: For X positions <S> , I include Projects A and B's details, but only include C and D's titles while maintaining my job/ebay history. <S> For Y positions, I include Projects C and D's details, but only include A and B's titles while maintaining my job/ebay history. <S> For Z positions, I include all Project details and leave off the job/ebay history. <S> My personal bias would be towards less project details. <S> I like to see that a candidate has held a job and has interests. <S> The eBay stuff in particular shows that you're self-motivated and reliable. <A> Our team (US, high-tech) sees resumes from a lot of college students seeking their first jobs after graduation. <S> Nearly universally, those resumes do not include non-technical jobs like selling on eBay or working at McDonald's for the summer. <S> Having that information wouldn't help those candidates, either -- screeners and interviewers want to see stuff that translates to the position being sought . <S> You might think that showing those jobs demonstrates motivation, willingness to work, etc. <S> But internships show that better, are more recent (I hope), and are also job-related. <S> So focus on internships (actually working for other people), class projects (demonstrating proficiency), and any side projects (like open-source contributions) that demonstrate proficiency. <S> Almost all of our student resumes are one page, by the way. <S> And that still allows enough room to list key advanced courses.
| You should only put things on your resume that add value.
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What is the impact or relevance of previously accepted patents for employment oppotunities in IT? I have had a couple of employers ask me if I have an existing patent. Why is this relevant please? How does having or not having one impact future employment opportunities? Please elaborate on the whether there is a difference between private sector vs. government Is there any difference in how private organizations look at inventors vs. Government? For instance, I recently found out there are restrictions on individuals who work for the Patent office in terms of submitting patents or even helping friends with the process. My question is how would an existing patent impact any chance submitting another one in the future if you agree to a typical patent and invention clause? <Q> The vast majority of software positions do not require having a patent although it is something that might make a difference when looking at two relatively equal people. <S> I doubt it would significantly harm your job prospects overall however although some individual positions might turn you down. <S> It is unlikely that most software positions would turn you down only for that reason unless the particular position involves very high level computer science research. <A> There are two things that come to mind for me. <S> 1. <S> Measure your ability and inventiveness When looking at new hires, I would value someone who has generated patents in the past. <S> This tells me that they are creative, intelligent, and very good at solving problems. <S> Additionally, if you have created patents before, there's a good chance that you will make them again. <S> Depending on your contract, this could mean new patents and revenue for my company. <S> 2. <S> Conflicts of interest <S> If you have any active patents that you are currently getting payouts, this could be seen as a conflict of interest, particularly if the patent is held by a competitor. <S> This is not an outright negative for you, but like any COI, you would need to declare it and explain why it shouldn't be an issue going forward. <A> I have had a couple of employers ask me if I have an existing patent. <S> Why is this relevant please? <S> It's a precautionary measure. <S> It helps avoid potential disputes about patents filed while you are employed with the company. <S> You should disclose any patents or pending patents so that the company won't feel that you developed the technology while with the company (in which case they may become the patent holder).
| Like any other accomplishment, a patent is going to be irrelevant for some jobs, impressive but not terribly relevant for some jobs (however it could help you stand out from the crowd), negative for some jobs, and a huge plus, if not a requirement, for a few jobs.
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How to Spin Being Fired In An Interview I was terminated for cause from a 5 year stint as a manager. I was accused of things which did not happen: Lying on my time sheets by not punching out when leaving for the day (but there were other times when I did punch out and continued working) Accused me of giving extra products to customers without any facts or evidence It was humiliating. My question is: What do I say in interviews when asked why I was terminated? <Q> There is no way to spin it - the constructive dismissal approach doesn't work because you were terminated, and the grounds for the termination are pretty severe on the face of it. <S> I would suggest staying as vague as possible if asked - do not lie, do not avoid the question, and if found out <S> then you need to convince any prospective employer that that termination does not reflect your current position or attitude. <A> Assuming this is the first time you have been fired or had performance issues, you start by accentuating the positive, perhaps by saying something like. <S> "I've worked for x companies and have always been a high performer.....", perhaps give examples. <S> Then you admit that not every job is a perfect fit. <S> "Sometimes, as in any relationship, things just don't work out. " <S> Without bashing your company, you make your defense <S> "In my mind, I did everything I understood I should do. <S> I believe that I behaved ethically <S> and I am comfortable with my behavior; I have no regrets and harbor no ill will against my previous employer. <S> I believe that it was all an unfortunate misunderstanding." <S> Then you affirm that you have learned from the situation and it will not be repeated; <S> "In the future, I will make sure that all of my transactions are completely open, so there will be no room for miscommunication. " <S> Such an approach, I believe, goes a long way to diffuse the situation. <S> Under no circumstances let yourself be roped into bashing your previous company or managers. <S> There is no scenario in which that helps your case. <A> First, did you learn anything from being fired? <S> How to deal better with office/company politics, keeping quiet rather than speaking your mind in certain situations, being more honest/open when asked about a specific incident, etc. <S> Second, were you able to take what you learned from being fired an apply it later on? <S> Third, were you able to accept responsibility for your part in being fired? <S> Not just an <S> "I accept this" but an "I now see what I did wrong". <S> Finally, what good came out of being fired. <S> There is ALWAYS some good. <S> I've been fired and sometimes it was warranted. <S> I look back at my actions in those situations and try to not repeat the same mistakes. <S> In other situations being fired was not warranted however, I can look at the behaviors and actions of my co-workers and/or boss to recognize the issues before they become problems again. <S> I also see that if I had staying in some of those positions I would not have grown as a person or dropped a bad habit (smoking). <S> Think long an hard about what really happened and don't sugar coat it to yourself. <S> Accept what you did wrong or could have changed in your own behavior and actions. <S> Don't place blame on anyone else. <A> If the recruter doesn't know you were fired:Do not say you were fired. <S> During an interview you should give an honest view of your person and your work experienced. <S> Since "I was accused of things which did not happen", your firing was unfair, not justified and do not reprensent you in a honest way. <S> So there is not point to talk about it. <S> Just say after 5 years you wanted other challenges. <S> Prepare an answer that last less than 2 min, and states clearly you were fired over lies.
| If the recruter knows you were fired:Just explain the truth, there is not point of lying. Honesty in this situation is the best policy - you never know, it may not come up. Depending on how long ago you were fired you can definitely spin this in your favor. Put try to explain it without emotion and quickly.
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I made my manager angry. What do I do? I've worked at a small, family owned/operated store for two years. I have co-workers who have been there 10-20 (20 years is as long as the place has existed), it is a close knit work environment. My manager and I have a good relationship. She asks me to do things, I say yes, she thanks me, and I get raises. She asked me to do something the other day, and, after saying yes, jokingly mentioned that someone else could do it. She took it as though I had said "I don't trust you to ask the right person to do something". Other co-workers later said that she was distraught, saying things along the lines of me not giving her respect. They also said that she had other things giving her problems and maybe what I said just pushed her a bit over the edge. In a worker-manager relationship, who is responsible for initiating a dialogue to clear the air? I feel like I should do it because, well, that's the type of person I am. I also feel like she should because she's the manager and it's her job to tell me when I've done something wrong. (Feel free to change the tags, I'm not familiar here) <Q> In all things, communication goes both ways. <S> Either/both sides should try to address the situation, but don't let it fester under the premise that "it's her job to come to me" (paraphrased). <S> You've been made aware that your comment upset your manager. <S> Ask for a quick one-on-one (you should address this face-to-face as opposed to via email or phone) and have a conversation along the lines of: Manager, it's been brought to my attention that you felt the comment I made the other day was disrespectful. <S> I apologize. <S> I did not intend to be disrespectful or to undermine you in any way. <S> I will avoid similar comments in the future, as I do respect you, and would not want to make it appear otherwise. <S> I really appreciate the positive relationship we've had the past two years. <S> (only say if true) <A> Seems like she's making a mountain out of mole-hill. <S> From a small joke like that to being "disrespected" is quite a leap, and leads to me to believe that this person may have some personal issues she needs to hash out. <S> You may indeed be better off apologizing before the "issue" grows even more serious in her apparently very confused memory. <S> Tread lightly around people who are that easily insulted. <S> They're typically jumping at shadows, and seeking "hidden meanings" behind every comment. <S> My advice is to initiate a conversation, but don't act too contrite. <S> Say that your comment was simply a joke, and that the task is now complete. <S> Hopefully she will actually get over it. <A> Sounds like a veiled threat from the manager: someone else could do it. <S> Is the boss starting to thrive on power and expecting yes people under the not so subtle jab that you are easily replacable? <S> Managers who command respect while toying with employees' feelings can be difficult unless you enjoy pandering to their every whim and jumping through hoops like their toy poodle. <S> Maybe break the ice by asking if there has been a misunderstanding?
| It would be a good sign of respect to approach her and try and remedy the situation.
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A company addressed me by a wrong name, and then sent me an offer. How should I approach this situation? A little over a week ago, I applied for a data science position with a company, not really expecting much to come of it. The next day, their recruiter emailed me to set up an interview, starting their message with "Dear Michael". My name isn't Michael, but I figured that mistakes happen and didn't think much of it. I responded that I'd be glad to talk to them. I had a phone interview with them 3 days later. It lasted only about 15-20 minutes, and frankly, I didn't think it went terribly well. For instance, during the only strictly technical question asked, my response was "I don't know, I'd have to look that up." This morning, the company emailed me to say that they were offering me the job. Six-figure salary, benefits, everything. Documents and emails used my name, no longer "Michael". From everything I can tell (Glassdoor, etc.) the company is legit and well-reviewed and well-liked by employees. Still, I only applied 8 days ago, have only interacted with anyone from the company for about 15 minutes, and that was telephone-only. Every other data science interview I've had has involved a phone screen, technical exam, and in-person interview, usually taking at least two weeks or more. I'm beginning to think that the original "Dear Michael," combined with the weird suddenness of the offer, mean that this all could just be a big clerical error. How would you approach the situation? <Q> How would you approach the situation? <S> At some point during the call, I would make that clarification. <S> By the way, in one of our earlier calls, I think you called me "Michael". <S> I hope you did not call the wrong person by mistake. <S> Don't overthink this. <S> They sent you the offer letter with your correct name, which means you are most certainly the intended recipient, and calling you "Michael" earlier was the mistake. <S> This could happen easily if, for example, the caller misread the sheet containing the names and numbers of candidates. <S> Even if they did call the wrong person by mistake, I don't think they will go as far as withdrawing your offer simply because they called you instead of "Michael", and you turned out to be a good candidate. <A> Six figure salaries are fantastic, but I think it's indicative of a serious problem if they're handing them out to people they've only spent 15 minutes vetting. <S> If that's the only interaction you've had with them, then there's been little time spent on either side of the conversation making sure you're the right fit for the job. <S> If I were you, I would approach the situation cautiously . <S> Find out as much information as you can about the workplace culture. <S> Who are you replacing, and why are they on their way out/left already? <S> I mention these things because what you've brought up already sounds like a serious red flag. <S> You need to find the others for yourself. <S> If they hired you with little more than a 15 minute discussion, imagine how frustrated you might be to learn later on that all of your coworkers had similarly little review done when interviewers were assessing whether or not they were qualified for their position. <S> Of course, the seriousness of this will depend on the position being offered, but in general it is considered suspicious to receive a job offer right away, or 'too soon'. <S> UPDATE: <S> Be especially wary of anything they ask you to sign up front that may require you to pay them a fee if you're not there for a specific period of time. <S> In this kind of situation, there's a significant risk that it's not going to work out for one party, and you don't want to have any kind of reimbursement for relocating or other expenses looming over you, making it harder to decide to leave if you feel it's not working out. <A> We don't know how this all came to happen, and it is a bit strange. <S> There are basically two possibilities: You ran into a company that is a bit disorganised, but for some reason they liked you during the interview and offered you a nice job. <S> Or there is no such company, but someone is trying to scam people with the first part being a fake job offer (we also saw a case where the company exists, but has nothing at all to do with the job offers, and even warns people on their website from these scams). <S> You'll have to find out which one it is. <S> The iron rule 1: <S> No company will ever, ever ask you to pay out money when they are hiring you. <S> The iron rule 2: A scammer will at some point ask you to pay out money when pretending to hire you. <S> You'll find soon enough which one it is. <S> The little confusion about the name is nothing to worry about.
| I would call to thank them for making me an offer. It could be indicative of an underlying problem within the company causing high turnover in the position, or the company having trouble keeping the position filled.
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What is proper email etiquette after a coworker accidently sends a "reply all" message to a large number of people? I think we all know that moment... A coworker inadvertently sends a "reply all" email instead of replying to one individual, and he/she doesn't realize it went to a large number of people. What's worse is that the message was clearly not meant to be shared broadly and was a snarky response about someone on the thread. What is the best way to deal with situation? Do you tell the coworker he/she has shared information broadly? Do you pretend it didn't happen? How should the sender remedy the situation? With another reply all? <Q> Two tips: <S> I've been in e-mail threads of 100+ e-mails with people saying "Unsubcribe", "Please don't reply-all", "Please everyone stop replying all to the 60,000+ person company mailing list", etc.... <S> Don't reply to them. <S> They made a mistake, lots of people are correcting them on it. <S> Probably by reply-all or sending them a message. <S> Do you pretend it didn't happen? <S> How should the sender remedy the situation? <S> With another reply all? <S> Ignore that it happened. <S> The sender should ignore that it happened too. <S> I give these answers because: more communication on top of mass spam does not make the receivers happy, many people understand mistakes happen ( <S> a few wrong keystrokes or auto-complete gone wrong), most confidential material that may be contained in the Reply <S> -All is probably going to people with a non-disclosure contract, and in general I don't care if I get e-mailed something I shouldn't as long as people don't keep reply-all'ing <S> or e-mailing me. <A> It's the sender's problem - stay out of it. <S> Don't do anything. <S> Your colleague is going to find soon enough from a number of people that he/she made a mistake. <S> It's a mess <S> and you'd best help your coworker by not adding to their predicament. <S> And pretend that the rest of the world wasn't cc'ed. <A> I had a similar situation recently, on a smaller basis. <S> A co-worker did a reply all without realizing that a client contact had been added to the message, and made a somewhat tactless comment about that person. <S> When I brought them some paperwork a few minutes later, I asked if they realized what they had done. <S> However, if the sender is not someone you work with closely, or there are more than a dozen or so people that the message was sent to, as the other answers have said, I would just ignore it.
| Don't reply-all. The sender is going to have apologize to that someone on the thread that they were snarky to.
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How should I tell my boss that I cannot meet the deadline? I recently started working for a software company in another country. They flew me over to make progress with the project. I did some tasks there and then came back to my homeland to continue working from here. I have been tasked with building new features for a poorly written web-based application. I really don't understand the spaghetti code. It has no documentation, does not use any design patterns, and the data structure is not normalized. The project management is messed up: there's no backlog, they don't follow any software methodology, and don't even use emails for communication. Everything is discussed on calls. The team does take notes, but there is no integration. The managers don't understand the complexity involved. I have lost interest in the project. The management asked me for a plan to complete the tasks. In a rush of blood, I told them I would deliver by Wednesday. I cannot finish my tasks, and I have lost my sleep. Every piece of code I touch breaks something else, and I cannot refactor or add the required features by the committed time. How should I tell my boss that I cannot meet the deadline? I really don't care about getting fired because the company doesn't meet the culture I was expecting, and I don't want to work here anymore, but I don't want to leave in a way that management feels disrespected either, considering they invested some money in me. <Q> Giving a timeframe you can't meet was extremely unprofessional. <S> Throwing your hands up and saying you don't care about getting fired even more so. <S> if you can, give them what you think is a reasonable solution and timeframe and go from there. <S> That's about all you can do, if they're not technical people, they will have little to zero interest in your excuses and reasons. <S> I've seen many people in your situation, it's not a good place to be and unless you learn from it you're doing the same as them, selling a faulty product. <A> Let them know that they can't expect any deliverable from you. <S> Let them know why: the code has no documentation, you haven't been able to identify any structure to the code and the spaghetti nature of the code <S> makes it impossible to make sense of let alone understand. <S> Suggest an alternative including building from scratch. <S> Give them an estimate as to how long it should take if you could do it from scratch. <S> They could fire you but that won't make the issue that the code is impossible to work with go away. <S> Don't tell anyone that you can't do something without proposing doable alternatives. <S> Since you are delivering bad news, make sure that you have your ducks lined up before you deliver your bad news, Once you have your ducks lined up, don't drag your feet about delivering the bad news. <S> Don't wait for the deadline if it's not necessary to wait. <S> Working with the code as-is simply means that the fact the code is extremely poorly written, has no structure and undocumented - that fact is now your unresolvable problem. <S> Not to have to work with this code is the only way to sidestep every issue that's built-in with this code. <S> Tell them that if the code were modular, you could add features while understanding say 10% of the code base. <S> The fact that the code is spaghetti means that you have to understand 100% of the code base before you can do anything. <S> Spaghetti code and having to understand 100% of the code base - that's a very bad combination. <A> Rather than focus on what is wrong with the code you need to figure out a path to solving the problem. <S> That may mean redoing the entire project if they want an accurate time-frame. <S> Then let them decide how they want to go forward. <S> Be prepared to explain to them why you need to take the steps you propose. <S> Answers like this doesnt meet standards, or is all spagetti code are great rants for a web forum <S> but they are not actually reasons that you can not complete the project. <S> That Module A has requirements of module B and C and that making the change to A will make B and C no longer function because of Function A(3) will no longer be able to call B or C because the changes required to make B and C perform properly will mean that function b(4) and C(1,3,9) now has Prerequisite of D which is also a prerequisite of A. <S> From here you need to be able to provide a realistic timeline and iterative deliverables for the completion. <S> If that is all beyond you then perhaps you should call the company that placed you there and ask for their help in solving the problem
| At this point, your focus should be on fleshing out and proposing doable alternatives to what they want you to do. Let them know that attempting to work with the code as-is to introduce new features - that's an exercise in futility. Inform them asap that you cannot handle the work.
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Politely asking for more work as an intern I'm a student in college, currently in my 3rd year of my 4 year study. This year means I have to complete an internship, followed by a minor. I have barely any experience in the language I'm working with (C#). I have no experience at all with working in a scrum team. I currently have an internship at a fairly small IT company (~20 employees). I have a project for my internship where I have to design and develop an algorithm to generate recommendations for a restaurant review platform. I have successfully developed said algorithm, including tests and such. I don't have a lot of time left here, my internship ends at January 31st. Just for reference, it's currently the holiday season, so there are around 6 employees working at the moment. I have reached a point where I have nothing to do. I have discussed this with my mentor for my internship. (I'll call him Kevin in the rest of my post.) After a meeting with Kevin and my mentor at the company, we have concluded that I can help develop the app that will use the algorithm. I could implement the algorithm and when I'm done with that, I can help with other functionality. I know I'm at fault here, since I haven't admitted I'm afraid of helping because I'm inexperienced. This scares me a little. Like I said, I have very limited knowledge of working in a scrum team and developing code in general. I'm certain that my code won't live up to their standards. I have gained access to the code the team is working on, and I barely understand any of it. I understand that my code will be reviewed before it's actually implemented, but I'm still afraid of seeming 'stupid'. Kevin has told me I'd probably pass my internship with a good grade, since the work I have done so far was good. Obviously, I got a good feeling about this; it was certainly a confidence boost. Now I'm afraid of messing up my progress so far by making stupid mistakes. I'm also aware not doing anything will cause a negative result. The team for the app is currently on holiday, so I'm the only one working on the project at the moment. I can't ask for help because they are all gone on vacation. How can I ask politely for more work that I can understand and be confident that I can develop/implement? I understand that the point of an internship is about learning new techniques and such, but I don't want to mess up their work with bad code and/or decisions. I have come up with a few solutions, but I'm fairly certain that none of them are polite or good. I can simply say 'I have nothing to do, is there something simple I can help with?'. I'm afraid about seeming stupid or impolite when I ask this, obviously. I can ask to work at home until the team comes back from vacation. This way I can do simple work or just take some time off. Obviously, this would result in problems since they can see I have barely done anything while working at home. I'm afraid this will impact my internship negatively. I can keep going like this: Spending most of my time on stackoverflow, re-reading my documents and code, trying to filter out errors. I have been doing this for a week now, and it's getting boring and stale. So far I know, I have filtered out all errors and optimized my code. There is a code review from another employee in a few days which fill fix even more design errors in my code, but this won't happen until he is back from vacation. I don't know how to proceed from this point, what would be the best way to ask for more work that's still possible for me to understand/achieve? Edit: I'm afraid of asking for help from employees at the company. I'm pretty certain that most people think I'm 'just the intern' who will hopefully leave in a few weeks. I don't think there are a lot of people who like me and will take the time to explain things to me. <Q> Clearly explain your situation to Kevin As I understand it, you do have work. <S> However, you do not feel confident that you can do it, and feel like it is on stand-by. <S> Explain this feeling to Kevin. <S> He might have a good advice for you, he might also directly give you the help you need. <S> If he says he can't help himself, he could also introduce you to someone who can, or point you some documentation that will help. <S> Finally, if he says something along the lines of "Well, I understand why you're blocked, you should stand by until people come back from vacation" <S> , you can ask him : "Sure, but this is the only project I am working on, is there something else you can assign to me in the meanwhile ? <S> " <S> Ask someone for help Quoting your edit <S> : you say you are afraid to ask for help. <S> Well, this is exactly the point of an internship : you should learn how to face this kind of fear, and how to overcome it. <S> The goal of an internship is to make you better prepared to the corporate world. <S> You are lucky enough to encounter that kind of opportunity. <S> You would be surprised how many people are slacking during this Chrismas period because of low activity. <S> Some of them would gladly spend some time explaining you the thing blocking you. <S> Maybe 30 min of their time would solve a large problem of yours, and allow you to work for 2 more days. <A> There is always something to do. <S> If as an intern, you understand the release management process from dev to testing to production <S> and you understand Agile/scrum as the latest and greatest in terms of team scale web development - that's a big deal. <S> If you haven't done it yet, get yourself some head phones and start watching some youtube videos on the subject. <S> You've got to dive in and participate in the scrum meetings, Otherwise, you ain't part of the team. <S> Not trying means you don't fail <S> but it also means that you won't be making mistakes that you can learn from, you won't be able to identify gaps in knowledge that you can fill and you won't acquire the self-confidence to do anything. <S> Get your face out there and take a punch :) <S> Aside from that, how else are you going to know the team if you don't participate in scrum meetings? <S> :) <S> If you give it your best shot and you aren't worried about looking like a fool, you will learn a lot more quickly than if you are (*). <S> (*) <S> On a personal note, I've done enough foolish things so that I am quite comfortable with being a fool :) <S> This gives me a few extra degrees of freedom in handling any situation that may arise. <S> You are young, you are an intern, and you have much to learn - everybody knows that. <S> The best time for you to look like a fool is now :) <S> Just don't scare us. <A> I can simply say 'I have nothing to do, is there something simple <S> I can help with?' <S> This is perfectly reasonable and polite. <S> That's the approach I'd suggest. <S> There are always "fill in" activities. <S> Knowing what they are would let you do something worthwhile even when others are on holiday. <A> Basically you can do is just ask politely if you can help them in any other things like testing, documentation, development or optimization <S> I'm also an intern as 'Quality Analyst' in a team of experienced professionals and IIMs as well. <S> My mentor is project manager you can say and goes on vacation and assigned me work for 10 days <S> and I did almost of that in 2 days. <S> And now he is not even reachable. <S> So what I do is interact with UI/UX and Front-end Developer to understand process. <S> Also asked them to show me off how GitHub works. <S> It was work from home Internship <S> but I go office daily and enjoy & learn as well. <S> So just see their Technology on what they are working on and start exploring that. <S> If you stuck at some point, mark out that point and ask employees after when they come from vacation.
| Go ask someone for help. And I always suggest that interns talk with their boss/mentor about what they should be doing if they run out of specifically assigned work.
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As a male manager, how do I address a problem with my female employee's bathroom hygiene? I am the male manager of a female employee who clearly stands up to urinate. She happens to be obese. I don't know her struggles and will not judge her, but clearly this is not the end-game solution. I did some research and found that breaking toilet seats can be a serious issue for some people, and that it can haunt a work place. My guess is that this is the case and that she stands up to prevent having that happen. The problem is that there is urine all over everything. The seat, the hinges of the seat, the 'backboard', the wall/moulding, and a significant amount simply on the floor. This happens every time and I have been cleaning it up myself quietly for 3 months. This is the only women's restroom and is also used by customers. We work in a very small business with no HR department and mostly males; she is the only one that uses that bathroom on a regular basis. I am male, I am her manager, and I have a very good relationship with her (joking about pretty much anything) but I still don't feel comfortable addressing this in person let alone via email. So far, all I can think of is to send the softest email possible simply offering for us to purchase a better (heavy-duty) toilet seat for her, but I don't mean any offense... I've seen posts about confronting females regarding bathroom etiquette, but I haven't found help that was for a male addressing a female and involving obesity reasons as well. I know damn well not to mention weight, but I want to be prepared with options for her to be comfortable. This post is not a duplicate of How to deal with a toilet where a coworker constantly leaves urine on the rim? . This question deals specifically with a male addressing a female in a small business and with a possible obesity-related hygiene issue. <Q> If you were her manager, what would you say to her? <S> If you are the manager, you must manage. <S> Find a quiet time to talk with her privately, and explain the problem as you see it. <S> Ask her if your proposed solution (upgrading the toilet facilities) might help. <S> Then listen to see if she agrees. <S> Then act accordingly. <S> She may agree that the issue is the physical facilities. <S> Or she may need other help, perhaps medical, that your company can provide. <S> Managers don't get to opt out of important discussions just because they don't feel comfortable. <S> Perhaps there are no other female employees who can help. <S> It doesn't matter - this is still your job. <S> Your discomfort doesn't excuse you from being required to talk with her one way or the other. <A> Just ask her to clean up after herself. <S> This isn't rocket science, it had nothing to do with weight or toilet strength or anything like that. <S> Say something like "Hi Jane, this is really awkward to bring up <S> but you might not know that we don't have janitors here. <S> I, for whatever reason, clean up the male and female toilets, even though I'm also a manager. <S> Our secretaries, interns, etc don't do this, nope, just me. <S> Anyway, I've noticed that the female toilet can be a little unkept, especially around the toilet bowl area. <S> If there is an issue let me know, but could you please help keep this area clean as our female customers use it too, and let me know if there is a need for it to be cleaned before you use it because, again, I double as the janitor here " <S> I'm taking some liberties. <S> I happen to know from past experience - although in this case it was a male that was the problem, and I had other staff tasked with cleaning that complained, which was how I knew - that you won't get much through your dialogue before the person profoundly apologises <S> and it never happens again. <S> It is extremely embarrassing for the peepee party to be told this, in my case the offending person didn't know or realise, probably in your case too. <S> You seem fixated on the weight aspect, you can add in a "is there any request you have for the bathroom in general", either during your conversation or, probably, a week after. <S> A week after because, again, the initial conversation won't last very long. <A> I really can't say what your problem is. <S> You have a blatant health and safety issue here. <S> What you handle there is usually called a "biohazard". <S> This is apparently caused by one person being massively overweight, and also by your toilet equipment not being suitable for that person. <S> A few phonecalls to companies producing toilets should find someone who can install a toilet that can handle a massive weight safely . <S> I typed "toilet for 400 pound person" into google and found for example this. <S> http://forbigandheavypeople.com/extra-large-toilet-seats-for-heavy-people/ <S> As it is, your company will never, ever be able to hire a second woman if you don't act. <A> This might not be appropriate at all, and would probably work only if your toilets are single rooms (rather than larger public type bathrooms with cubicles/urinals within), which is likely since you're such a small company. <S> Why not make the toilets unisex? <S> That way you could then put a "please leave the bathroom as you would like to find it" type notice in each one, and not be seen to be targeting one specific employee. <S> Edit <S> There is no need for her to feel personally targeted then. <S> Remind them that customers use the toilets also (and therefore you need them pristine at all times) lest she think something like <S> "Well I'm the only one using this one so who cares?" <A> She stands up to pee because she doesn't want to sit on a dirty toilet seat. <S> Lots of women "hover" when urinating for the same reason. <S> It has nothing to do with her weight. <S> Get some paper toilet seat covers, like they have in airports, although she might be using toilet paper. <S> Since customers use that bathroom, too, maybe it's your customers (or male employees sneaking into her bathroom) who are peeing on the seat, not her. <S> If you tell your employee that you want to upgrade the toilet because you think she's too fat, you will definitely be offending her.
| If you didn't want to change the toilet arrangements, you could still just send a politely worded email to the entire staff, asking that they leave the bathrooms - as in plural - in a clean condition. A discussion will help determine the best course of action. If you don't have an HR rep (seems like a mistake) and you aren't comfortable talking to a female employee individually, then perhaps you can recruit another female at an appropriate management level to sit in on the discussion.
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Absent due to sickness make up by working late hours I was recently absent a day from work due to the flu.I usually stay back late hours and work. So I missed 8 hours that day I was absent but working two hours extra over regular work hours would see me make up those lost hours in 4 days. Would that count as me making up the hours for that day based on the extra hours I work? <Q> It depends on who you ask, your manager or your HR representative. <S> ( Speaking US here ) <S> Most managers of salaried employees would be able to make that work if they wanted to , unless a specific HR policy prohibits this. <S> If your an hourly employee most likely that won't work and you will have to take a PTO day. <S> In short I would start a conversation with your manager to see if this arrangement is agreeable to them. <A> Would that count as me making up the hours for that day based on the extra hours <S> I work? <S> The only way to know what "counts" and what doesn't is to ask. <S> You will be asking permission here - unless there's something in your contract, you aren't automatically permitted to "make up hours" this way. <A> Why do you feel the need to do this when you are sick you take sick leave (or the equivalent for your country) <S> Just take your sick leave and work normally on your return. <S> I hope you are paid OT for the extra 2 hours you seem to be working.
| Ask your manager, and ask whoever it is that manages your time within the company.
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How to write a good resignation letter when quitting under poor circumstances? How does one write a good resignation letter? Should the reason for quitting be included? I had recently started a job. The person responsible for training was on vacation so the main manager trained us for a couple hours, then handed us off to a random person (in the sense it wasn’t her job to train) for a bit more. I’ve been told by others we weren’t properly trained and I certainly feel I lack training. Also I did not know before starting that this job was essentially on call and would receive little notice of the time and location to work at. I was never trained how to read the schedule (I know it sounds strange, but they have a very complicated way of communicating work times and locations).In my resignation letter I don’t want it to sound that I’m blaming the manager for not being trained. Should I give any reason and if so what should it be? Obviously I’m not going to say “I quit because you didn’t train me” but should I include “sorry I missed a shift, I was never trained how to use the schedule”? EDIT: this is a government subsidiary and I don't want to burn any bridges in case I want to work for the government again in the future. <Q> [today's date] Dear Manager <S> I am resigning my position at Company A effective [date]. <S> Sincerely, user62196 <A> Just write the letter as you would normally do and be done with. <S> You have already decided to move on from your "poor" circumstances. <S> You gain nothing from letting off steam in the resignation letter, but it might come back to bite you several years later. <S> < Boss' name >, <S> I have decided to resign from my job with effect from < date <S> >. <S> I enjoyed working here, and look forward to working with you again in future. <S> 2 <S> I would like to ensure a smooth transition of my current tasks. <S> Please let me know how you would want to handle this. <S> Regards, <S> user62196 or something along those lines should do. <S> If the momentary "satisfaction" is important to you, write a resignation letter on a piece of paper with the most scathing criticism of your job 3 , then destroy it and submit a polite letter like above. <S> Your future self will thank you for it. <S> Be aware that companies may keep a copy of your resignation letter, for legal reasons or audit purposes or even "just because". <S> If your letter contains any criticism, then should you choose to apply to the same company in future, you may have some explaining to do in the interview. <S> In my country (India), it is common for employers to ask for a copy of the resignation letter submitted to the previous employer(s). <S> 1 <S> Actually, don't write anything negative anywhere . <S> 2 <S> The italicized text here is "bonus material". <S> It indicates that you are "leaving on good terms". <S> It also assures the boss that "it was not about you, it was the circumstances". <S> Obviously, if you had a big fight with the boss, or your displeasure with your job was publicly known, then it is best to leave it out. <S> (Thanks, Walfrat .) <S> 3 <S> If you write the scathing letter, do it in the comfort and privacy of your own home. <S> (Thanks, Wayne Werner .) <A> Have you explained the problem to your manager, before resorting to resignation ? <S> You do not mention asking for another round of training in your question. <S> If you did, simply state you do not feel you will be happy with the job and leave. <S> You are not forced to give a detailed explanation.
| Don't write anything negative in the resignation letter 1 regardless of circumstances. You are not obligated to give a reason.
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How to best handle turning down a job after signing a contract? This question is based on working in United States. I have accepted a job offer and signed a contract with Company A about a week ago. Just today, there was another job offer from Company B with significantly better compensation. The working culture and the types of project Company B does also nicely aligns with my interest. I'd like to take this new offer. Obviously, I'm going to be burning bridges with Company A if I decline to work there at this point, so I'm looking for pointers on how to best handle such case. Should I notify them immediately or after signing a written contract with Company B? Are there any legal repercussions on declining to work with Company A? <Q> Review your contract with A and make sure that your contract with A doesn't kick in until your first day working at A. <S> Make sure that you haven't received anything from A such as a moving allowance, an advance on salary, a sign-on bonus, etc. <S> If you have received any of those, it's probably a sign that your employment contract with A is already kicking in. <S> Sign your contract with B and <S> You are worried about burning bridges? <S> Then stay with A. Personally, <S> once I make my decision, I don't worry about what bridges I am sending up sky high. <A> There is no really good way, since when you accepted and then reconsidered you may have cost them the opportunity to hire the second best candidate. <A> Obviously, I'm going to be burning bridges with Company A if I decline to work there at this point, so <S> I'm looking for pointers on how to <S> best handle such case. <S> Should I notify them immediately or after signing a written contract with Company B? <S> Before you notify Company A, make sure of two things first. <S> Make sure you have a formal, written offer from Company B that you are sure you want to accept as is. <S> If you need to continue negotiating, or if this offer might fall through, then don't notify Company A yet. <S> Make sure there isn't some other Company C,D, or E <S> that is ready to give you an offer that you want. <S> You don't want to stiff more than one company if you don't have to. <S> I'm sure they won't be happy about it, but these things happen. <S> If you are prompt, polite, and professional they will understand. <S> Don't delay any longer than necessary, so as to minimize the damage. <S> I once worked for a company that hired a software engineer. <S> He was due to start in a month, and waited until his expected start date to tell the company that he changed his mind and wasn't going to show up. <S> There's no way anyone who worked there at the time would ever want to work with him in the future. <S> On the other hand, I've had several people over the years change their mind within a week or so after accepting my offer. <S> I wasn't happy, but I understand that these things happen. <S> Are there any legal repercussions on declining to work with Company A? <S> That depends on your contract, and local laws. <S> In most US locales, in most contexts, there will be no legal repercussions, although as you indicated there will be a hit to your professional reputation and you will clearly be burning bridges at Company A and with anyone there who knows what you did.
| All you can do is tell them that you hate doing it to them, but have been offered an exceptional opportunity to further your career and are regretfully forced to decline their offer only after you get an offer in finalized form from B complete with start date do you tell A that you can't make it. Your best bet is to be honest with Company A and explain why you have changed your mind.
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Is it fair to expect increment in pay for changing location? I am working in a company as a developer and now I'm getting transferred from my home town to some other state which is quite expensive to live in.So I want to know if it's alright to ask for pay hike just because I'm changing location. And what should be the right way for asking for a pay hike ? Note:My question is different from This question as I'm already working in a company and I'm being transferred staying as an employee of the company. <Q> I want to know if it's alright to ask for pay hike just because I'm changing location. <S> Assuming you didn't request the transfer yourself, it's perfectly reasonable to ask for an increase due to the change in cost of living in the new location. <S> And what should be the right way for asking for a pay hike ? <S> Just ask. <S> Something like "Boss. <S> The new location you are transferring me to has a much higher cost of living. <S> I'd like a pay adjustment so that I'm not unfairly burdened in the process." <S> (Ask for an "adjustment" rather than a "raise" - it sounds more appropriate for the context.) <S> You could even go online to a cost of living calculator site like http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/ (or your local equivalent) <S> so you'll know how much you should ask for if the question arises. <S> Remember, the fact that you were living with parents and now won't isn't the company's problem here. <S> They may make an accommodation for that, but probably not. <S> Then listen. <S> Often, companies have money set aside for such purposes. <S> But sometimes, they expect attrition, and are willing to let folks who don't want to bear the increased costs leave. <S> You will only know by asking. <A> It is also fair for your boss to say no to any increase. <S> There are many online resources that can estimate the cost of living in a particular city. <S> You should do a comparison between here and there and come up with a fair difference in $$ that you would worse off in moving. <S> In that way you can say to your boss "Look boss, by making this move I would effectively taking a pay cut of $$ compared to where I am now". <S> This will give you hard numbers with which to negotiate with your boss and will sound a lot better than "Hey boss, I just want more $$". <S> Also you haven't mentioned you company paying expenses for you to move. <S> This is also something that you should be talking to your boss about. <S> The only caveat is that it sounds like you are still living at home, in which case (if you are living at home) your boss could counter with how you have already been $$ better off in free rent etc. <S> Personally I don't believe that this is a fair argument, but I am not sure how you would counter it. <A> A typical example would be, in France, moving from a small town to Paris, where life is notoriously more costly. <S> Increases by 20% are not unheard of. <S> On the other way, people moved from Paris to smaller towns are usually told "don't expect any pay raise for the 10 or 15 next years". <S> The tough part is to find enough references to provide a basis of negotiation. <S> If it's as common knowledge as in France, it's rather easy. <S> "Everybody" knows that there is a 10% difference between Paris and Lyon, and 20% with most other towns. <S> If it's not as clear in your country, you must find references that stipulate that in your job, life is 12% costlier in average in your target town, compared to your source town. <S> It will be far easier to negotiate a salary adaptation with such references.
| Yes it is fair to ask for more money if you are going to be inconvenienced by the move.
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How should I proceed when my employer continually delays my employment contract which was promised months ago? I work at a relatively small software company, and have done so for around 6 months. When I landed the job I was told the employment contract would be signed on my first day, and since I have asked the upper management multiple times for a contract. However each time I ask I'm told that it will be done in a month or two, and nothing is ever done about it. I hate to be one to complain about small things, however at this rate I will have lost a large chunk of workplace pension contribution. It would seem silly to leave my job over such a small detail, but given the number of times I am starting to suspect this may be a deliberate ploy. I'm perfectly happy with my job apart from this, and others seem happy with my progress and contributions. Is this behaviour typical within the industry? What is the best way of dealing with this situation? Is it worth moving on if other opportunities arise if this keeps happening? <Q> An employment lawyer will confirm this. <S> Your employer and you should be abiding by it in terms of pay and other benefits. <S> If that is not happening you should complain immediately to your employer. <S> If they don't immediately give you whatever money and benefits you are expecting, go see a lawyer. <S> However be aware that some benefits don't kick in for a few months. <S> This should have been made clear to you in your offer. <S> Read it carefully. <A> Your employer is obviously not making the contract available a priority. <S> It doesn't seem to bother your employer that their dilatory approach has cost you a chunk of contributions toward your pension. <S> I'd say that your employer's failure to keep their word, resulting in avoidable financial damage to you, is or should be a big red flag to you. <S> You want your employer to comply with the law and with their own policies. <S> It's probably time for you to consider that your contributions will be better appreciated elsewhere. <S> At your exit interview, make sure to mention the subject of the missing employment contract as a deal killer. <S> You will run over the course of your career into situations where what's important to you is not important to your management. <S> If management acts the way your management does, it's time for you to consider firing them. <S> If that's how your management acts currently toward you, imagine how much less cooperation you'll get from this management if you need something from them and you're no longer working for them. <S> This management is bad news. <A> Her Majesty's Government is generally pretty good at publishing your rights on stuff like this, and you can find very helpful official documentation here . <S> This isn't talking about an employment contract, which is allowed to take longer. <S> It is talking about a "statement of particulars" which is written information that must be provided on day 1 (and some which must be provided within 2 months.) <S> Broadly speaking, it details your rights under the employment agreement: <S> what you'll be paid and when, what holiday you can take, etc. <S> Pension schemes can come into the 2 months follow on. <S> Again, the full contract can take longer, and it's not unusual for small companies (especially startups) to be slightly muddling their way around what running a company looks like. <S> But it sounds like they have not just neglected to give you the contract, but have not provided this minimal information in writing. <S> Of course "What you're doing is illegal" tends not to go down hugely well as a conversation opener, but there may still be a way to talk into " <S> I know the whole lawyer thing is dragging on, but could I please get these things written down?" <S> And if it helps open the conversation, As smci mentions, it's perfectly legitimate for you to provide a draft version based on your understanding of what you've been offered. <S> To conclude with a slight aside, your employment status is not dependent on having signed a contract. <S> Your start date is the date that you started working, not the date you scribbled your initials on some paper. <S> Their obligations to you as your employer (including mandatory pension contributions, but by no means limited to that) started when you started your employment. <S> And when you get your employment contract, it will be backdated to when you actually started work. <S> Obviously you should check, but they're also incentivised to make sure of it because claiming that the author of 6 months of their IP portfolio wasn't working for them at the time would be an idiotic thing to lie about in writing. <S> In summary, Know your rights, especially the rights you have by law. <S> Have confidence that they cannot make those rights go away just by not writing them down. <A> Memo in writing the terms of contract they verbally agreed with you, and the date they verbally agreed. <S> If they said "medical, pension and stock vesting start on day one", then say that. <S> Include numbers and detail (how much pension? <S> etc). <S> Then you at least have a written agreement of what was agreed. <S> Also document on your memo that they promised you a written employment contract to be signed on you first day. <S> Have all your interactions with them in writing, preferably by certified mail. <S> At this point they're just playing you, and pocketing your $$$ premia and laughing at you. <S> Maybe they will suddenly come up with a written contract if you quit (and maybe they won't), but it's your call whether to put up with that. <S> You could quit, and if they then give you the written contract, ask (again, in writing) for retrospective payment for the period.
| Despite the absence of a signed document, if you were told terms and accepted them, and started work, you and your employer have a contract. Do press for information, and to get such information in writing.
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how to make sure an employee is working effectively? Let's say I hire some developer or an artist for a project, and that I pay him hourly. How am I supposed to know how many hours he worked for the content he provides to me ? <Q> If you are concerned about this, contract by the job rather than by the hour. <S> That eliminates the question. <S> Realistically, you don't care if they create the world in six days, or goof off for five days and then pull an all-nighter; all you care about is that the product is delivered on time and within budget. <S> This may mean you pay more on average than if they billed by hour. <S> Distrust has costs. <A> Let's say I hire some developer or an artist for a project, and that I pay him hourly. <S> How am I supposed to know how many hours he worked for the content he provides to me ? <S> In most circumstances, the people you hire work where you work, and you can see when they arrive and when they leave. <S> You can also periodically check in with them to see how things are going. <S> I'm guessing you are talking about hiring a remote worker. <S> In that case, you need to be able to trust that the worker is actually working during the hours that are reported. <S> You can find a worker you trust by personally knowing them, by having someone you trust recommend them, or by otherwise depending on their reputation. <S> And ultimately, you will depend on their work products to tell you that they are actually making progress and putting in time on the project. <A> The real answer is, you don't. <S> Take more than one bid and make comparisons. <S> You may find some will charge more because they have more experience and a reputation for doing good work. <S> They should be less-risky to work with, so you pay more. <S> No point in having someone tell you they can do something in 5 hours and turn-around and tell you it is going to cost more for whatever reason they give. <S> Experienced professionals are better at giving estimates, but they're not always honest about it. <S> Otherwise, your only options are to learn how to do it yourself, so you have a better idea what is involved or watch over their shoulder the entire time. <A> First, someone who you pay by the hour to create some graphics for you is not an employee, it's a contractor. <S> You know the hours worked by looking at the bill. <S> You either believe that bill and pay it, or you say that you suspect him or her of defrauding you. <S> That's unlikely to help you avoiding payment unless you have evidence (which you are unlikely to have). <S> You work with people, at some point you have to trust them. <S> There are things you can do: Instead of saying "do this work and send me a bill for your hours", you can hire someone to do eight hours or 16 hours of work for you. <S> That's your payment fixed. <S> This may also get you the best possible quality for your money; if the designer is paid for 16 hours they will give you the best possible quality they can do in 16 hours. <S> What doesn't work well is having a contract to do the job for a fixed price. <S> One, the designer will not accept any requests for changes from you. <S> Second, the designer has no motivation to do a good job, only one that meets the contract. <S> Third, the designer will add into the price the risk that the job takes longer. <S> What doesn't work whatsoever is trying to control the designer (looking over his or her shoulder). <S> Some car mechanic's prices list was: "Fixing your car: $25/hour. <S> $35/hour if you watch. <S> $45/hour <S> if you give advice. <S> $55/hour <S> if you try to help".
| Once you've determined who will give you a reasonable rate, you need to check references and ask if they produced results on time and budget. You can still ask for and receive a detailed weekly status report indicating what they have worked on, as a sanity check.
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Career as a backend engineer, problems? I've been researching backend engineering jobs and I am confused how one could become a backend engineer. The requirements aren't only one language. I've learned NodeJS/Express, MongoDB, Ruby/Rails but not the native SQL language. Now finding a job here is difficult because companies require so many unorthodox tools. I had never even heard of docker, redis, dynamoDB, and all sorts of things. Is it better just to give up on backend? Can I still get interviews if I don't know all the crazy languages? <Q> In your case, if you are seeing SQL Server as a backend engineer requirement and you don't already have that experience, learn it. <S> The same holds true for "docker, redis, dynamoDB, and all sorts of things". <S> Remember that every company will have different requirements, as no two jobs are exactly alike. <S> Learn as much as you can, and learn how to quickly learn a new tool or technology. <S> You don't need to fulfill every requirement immediately, but you must be able to get up to speed quickly. <A> Frontend also require lots of crazy languages, it depends on the company. <S> So just because one backend development job needs language A, it doesn't mean another job will also need that language. <S> That's why you should only apply for the job that mostly fits you, or that you are willing to learn for. <S> Development will always require some kind of learning, expecting all companies to use the same technology is daft. <S> In the end, some technologies fit certain company's needs and others do not. <S> As for will you still get interviews, if you mostly match what they are looking for, yes. <S> Companies are generally looking for someone they can invest in and take on for the long term. <S> Teaching you a technology to fill a small gap in your knowledge isn't a big problem (For most companies) if they think you're worth it. <A> Can I still get interviews if I don't know all the crazy languages? <S> Absolutely! <S> Everybody's tech stack is different, no reasonable hiring manager is going to hold out for someone who just happens to know every piece of their stack already because that person doesn't exist. <S> They're going to hire someone who knows the piece that's most important to them and let them learn the rest on the job. <S> I've never used the exact same stack at two different jobs (most of them have been fairly similar but none exactly the same), so I've never started a job already knowing their exact tech. <S> At my current job, all I knew coming in was the core language we use on the backend, which is Java. <S> I had never used the particular framework we use <S> , I had never touched Mongo before, I had never used AWS for anything, and I had never even used git before. <S> But I had a lot of experience with java and with development in general, which gave my now boss confidence I'd be able to learn the rest of our stack. <S> Now finding a job here is difficult because companies require so many unorthodox tools. <S> Whether you know this for a fact or whether you're assuming it based on your research, the way around it is networking. <S> Go to local meetups for backend devs (if there aren't any in your city, starting one would look great on a resume), make a token effort to be friendly (offer to help tidy up and the organizers will love you), and you will meet people who either are hiring managers or who can introduce you to them.
| If you want to know what is required to become anything, read the relevant job postings, and acquire the required knowledge and experience - it's that simple.
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How can I politely say to my co-worker do not look at my chat messages when I'm chatting with clients One of my co-workers, who is sitting next to me, is also working with me on the same project that I'm working on. The leadership people from the client's team are chatting with me about the project and the team's performance. When ever I'm chatting with the clients, most of the time my co-worker moves his chair to my desk and looks at my chat history. Mostly it relates to sprint estimation and planning, so I don't mind it. But sometimes I need to share about the team mate's performance. I don't want him to see my chat details, so now some days when I'm chatting with the clients, if he moves to my desk I will minimize my chat window, though he will understand that situation and won't do it again. But he keeps repeating the same again. Sometimes it's very frustrating and I don't want to show my anger to him. Is there a polite way to inform him that he should not look at my chat details? <Q> You need to speak to him and state that it's a confidential conversation. <S> You don't need to state it's about his performance, just that it's confidential and not sprint related. <A> Handle the chat the same way you would handle a phone call from the client. <S> In the case of a confidential chat you would ask them to politely step back from your machine. <S> I do see two issues with your situation. <S> But sometimes I need to share about the team mate's performance. <S> If you are in a position to comment on co-workers performance to the client, then they are not your co-worker. <S> That means you are their supervisor/manager. <S> The second issue is: if the need to have this level of conversation with the client is a significant portion of your day, then the office needs to be rearranged to allow you to have those chats in private. <S> If your employee can see the chats, then you need a better arrangement. <A> Sometimes it's very frustrating <S> and I don't want to show my anger to him. <S> Is there a polite way to inform him that he should not look at my chat details? <S> Be direct. <S> Just tell him that you don't want him watching. <S> Next time minimize the chat window and say something like "Look , it's important that I chat with the client <S> and I really don't like people watching while I do it." <S> If appropriate, you could add that you'll talk with him after the chat to discuss anything relevant that comes up. <A> It's your computer, you should be the only one driving it <S> You're letting your co-worker use your computer while you're otherwise engaged. <S> The behaviour should really cease. <S> What happens if he inadvertently does something wrong and <S> something gets deleted or trashed and only discovered later <S> - you're the one taking responsibility for that because it happened through your computer using your login. <S> In my office (and most other places I've worked at), it's policy to lock your screen whenever you leave your computer unattended. <S> If you need to share information with your colleague, email it, share it, configure your chat program to put it's logs in a shared folder. <S> Don't let your computer be abused by other people - <S> anything that happens on it is your responsibility. <A> Most answers are correct in telling you to inform your coworker about the confidentiality of the conversation. <S> It's pretty straight-forward. <S> I also think you may want to consider asking the client if your coworker can join the chat when there is information he may need to know. <S> This way, everything is upfront. <S> Hopefully you can have some control over the chat agenda. <S> You don't want to be going back and forth with project discussion and employee evaluations.
| You would politely ask your co-worker to step out of the office for a few minutes while you discuss a confidential topic.
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Giving extended notice period to employer? I'm moving away from the area at the end of March and I want to give my current employer 2 months notice instead of the statutory 1 month. This is due to the fact that we are already one member of staff down in our office at the moment, and I want to give my employer enough time to get a replacement for me too. I get on very well with everyone in my office as well as my area manager and I really don't want to leave them in the lurch. I know my area manager would appreciate the extra time, but could the HR Department insist I only work 1 month notice? <Q> You will find the list of possible advantages is absolutely empty. <S> And if you give two months notice, your employer can decide to give you the shortest legally possible notice, and you'll be out of money for some time. <S> Now in practice, it's none of your HR department's business to decide how long you are working there, except to check that whatever happens is perfectly legal (and isn't against the companie's interest). <S> It would be your manager's decision primarily to say for how long they would like you to work there. <S> Of course if your manager wants you to leave, that's it. <A> I know my area manager would appreciate the extra time, but could the HR Department insist I only work 1 month notice? <S> It's possible, but unlikely. <S> HR seldom cares about such details. <S> They will just want to know when is your last work day so that they can process all the relevant paperwork. <S> And unless there is a corporate policy or law in play, HR will seldom go against the manager's wishes. <S> If you are confident that your boss will receive the news well and appreciate the extra notice, then go ahead and try for 2 months. <A> Just give them one month's notice. <S> The notice periods are set by the company to give them enough time to get a replacement. <S> It's not your fault if the company don't do it in that time frame.
| Write down the possible advantages for you of giving two months notice instead of one month.
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"No immediate openings but would be good to meet as something could potentially come along soon" I recently applied to small company which I got a referal from a previous company I just applied to few weeks ago (they don't have openings as well). I sent an email attaching my resume and the General Manager of the company told me:" "We don't have any immediate openings at the moment in our communications department however would be good to meet as something could potentially come along soon. Let's schedule a meeting next week and my secretary will coordinate with you" Does the General Manager just being nice to me for the sake of being referred by his friend (General Manager also of the company of whom I received referral)? Or perhaps is it true that they might have future openings? If so, is it right to ask the timeline how long is that "soon" could be? Thanks! <Q> As the old saying goes: your face is the best resume you'll ever provide. <S> The fact that they want to meet you means that they at least put some value on investing time in you. <S> Whether they have something in mind or not (and they might!), they will remember your face when a fitting position opens up and you'll likely be chanced over someone who is just represented on paper. <S> I've personally had it happen that I came in to talk about one position (programmer) and in the end was offered a completely different one (UI designer). <S> A conversation like this allows them to get a feel for you and maybe slot you in somewhere where they didn't expect you'd fit initially. <A> Does the General Manager just being nice to me for the sake of being referred by his friend (General Manager also of the company of who <S> I gave referral)? <S> Or perhaps is it true that they might have future openings? <S> Most likely it's the former, but certainly both can be true. <S> When a good friend refers someone to me, I usually make some time out of courtesy. <S> And occasionally, I talk with someone who would indeed make a good employee down the road, a job opens up later on, I contact the person I met and it all works out well. <S> The problem with "future openings" is that everything has to line up correctly - an appropriate opening at an appropriate time, and a still-looking-for-a-job candidate that fits the needs and wants the offer. <S> It happens, but not too often. <S> Still, I got a good job that way once. <S> It's just a form of networking. <S> If so, is it right to ask the timeline how long is that "soon" could be? <S> I wouldn't. <S> It's a bit awkward (if not presumptuous and pushy). <S> But more because the General Manager probably doesn't know and wouldn't want to get your hopes up without certainty. <S> Just talk. <S> Try to come across as a great potential employee. <S> And let things fall where they may. <A> I got my current job when interviewing for a department with no openings. <S> They liked me so they created a temp to hire position for me within the week. <S> Treat this as seriously as you would any other job interview. <S> Asking when a position will open in can be touchy as there may be several undecided factors involved. <S> You are safer asking " <S> I know nothing is certain at this point <S> but what is the best case scenario time frame for something to open up?" <S> This will give you some insight into their hiring practices and if there are any barriers to be overcome. <S> It's not uncommon for new positions to open up after the annual budget is approved.
| Companies will always have openings at some point in the future.
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My boss gives me a lot of time to work I am working in a company as a programmer.I am in charge of a project which recently came to production. No bugs, just some modifications.The system had as deadline 4 months, finished in 2 and the rest went to do trial and error tests. those who want some modification of the system must send an e-mail to my boss, then he estimate how long those modifications will be fulfilled and tell them, a deadline is established there. The problem is when I finish what is required (always before 30% of the deadline time) I let him know but it does not matter at the moment.I realize that users (usually managers) begin to ask about the progress of the system after the deadline and he says that the programmer has not yet finished what is required.what should I do?The days go by and I spend 15 days a month doing nothing but sitting at my desk (the days go slow).Maybe I do not win some prize for meeting goals.Should i ask to do another projects? <Q> I think what you need to do is ask your boss how you can get some face time with the groups that you create applications for. <S> One of the most common things I see with younger/new developers - especially the good ones - is that they are very segmented with the groups that will actually use their applications. <S> So they may get a list of things to do and do those things <S> but they do not know exactly how those things will impact the workflow of the users. <S> You as a developer by learning the user needs and workflow can create a better end product and can start developing on your own if you know the real end goal. <S> Meaning <S> if you really know your users workflow and they want you to improve 1-5 on the next release, you can start working on 6-20 if you get done early. <S> But if you are waiting for exacts, you don't understand your own application's usage. <A> Maybe suggest a review meeting going through the suggested modifications and together estimate timescales. <S> Note there could be other external factors (politics etc) which mean your boss is inflating your apparent workload, so the above may not work... <A> A couple of people have already recommended that you go talk to your manager, and that's totally your first step! <S> If it does not yield any results, try this. <S> The next time you get a project and finish it ahead of schedule, let your manager know, then start improving the code, visuals and anything else that you can find for it. <S> What you're trying to do is 'shine'. <S> Hopefully you're working on something where you have a UI or something that people can 'see/feel'. <S> Work on this until the user interface is amazing, has things that slide, things that shrink.. <S> what ever you can. <S> Just think 'Bells and Whistles' When you hand over this work a couple of weeks later, and everything works as desired, but it's also so incredibly showy and over polished, someone's going to ask 'what the hell?' <S> and they are going to take a closer look at your time management. <S> This is your opportunity to talk to the right person, (at the right time) about the fact that you don't have 'enough' work to do. <S> Word or warning : This is a risky move, for a variety of reasons. <S> Think of all the ways this can go wrong in your employment, and weigh up the options. <S> Word of warning : This could also go very well in your favor.
| Your boss is probably either trying to temper expectations or he is trying to create a buffer of possible bugs/issues/changes that will be requested on a given project. You should speak to your manager and suggest his estimations are generous.
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Is it Ok to renegotiate a salary with a staffing firm after giving a range? I'm working with a staffing agency on a full time position with a company and I feel like I'm going to get the position. I gave the staffing agency recruiter a salary range of 65-70k, but later found out from the staffing recruiter that the company has budgeted 80k for the position. At the same time I have a different offer for a contract position and they're willing to pay 45$ an hour (94k a year). I'm leaning toward the full-time position (considering the benefits and short commute). My question is: Should I re-negotiate a higher pay from the staffing recruiter? <Q> You're in a very strong position since you have an offer on the table. <S> As long as you haven't accepted any offers you can do what you want. <S> You may piss off the place you are currently <S> but nobody here can answer the likelihood of that. <S> Also, only you can decide if it's worse the risk. <S> They could just say "never mind" or they may not even be planning on converting you to full time. <S> So here's what you've got, according to your question: <S> An offer for a position A feeling but no offer <S> If it were me, I'd let them know <S> immediately you have an offer on the the table and it'll take 80k for you not to accept it. <S> Don't give them much time either. <S> A promise without an offer is nothing, literally nothing. <A> Since you haven't actually committed to these people you may still negotiate, yes. <S> However, be ready to potentially have this offer withdrawn. <S> If you're ready to potentially give up benefits, paid vacation time, and a short commute, then here's what you should do: <S> Go back to your recruiter and tell him very politely that you have another offer on the table, and that you feel that a slight bump up in pay would make you far more likely to accept their offer over the other one: <S> Hi, insert name here . <S> I'm very excited to have gotten your offer! <S> Thank you for your trust and consideration. <S> However, I've also received another offer for, I'll be honest, significantly better pay. <S> I have to admit, I would much prefer to work for you guys, however I'd love it if you guys could bump up the offered amount a little bit. <S> I apologize for throwing you a curve ball, but please let me know if that would be at all possible within the next 24 hours or so. <S> Thank you very much! <S> On one hand, they already have their hearts set on you, so you have a pretty decent chance of simply getting the extra 10K. <S> On the other hand, some people may think that you're being disingenuous by changing the terms this late in the process, and either reply with a "take it or leave it", or simply retract the offer altogether. <S> At the end of the day, it's one big gamble, but you're in a pretty good position for it. <A> I have no idea why you would indicate a top end of 75 and someone would even consider mentioning 80 in any way, shape or form unless they're wiling to consider paying you more. <S> Is it possible the compensation lags in some other area or the workload and requirements are more than you were initially lead to believe? <S> If this recruiter works for the hiring company, they need to learn how to keep their cards closer to their chest. <S> A good head-hunter would be asking for 80K for you.
| Like all salary negotiations, you may be asked to justify your counter-offer.
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New workplace: should I use my personal browser account, or not? I'm a software analyst with a relevant work history, which means that I (like others) have a large collection of bookmarks with useful links and resources that are useful during my work (along, of course, with numerous links of funny pictures of cats). Now, let's assume I get to work for a new company, where I am responsible for the administration of my own computer: should I use my personal browser and stack overflow (sic) accounts during my working hours, or not? Assuming that I actually talk with my employer and I get the explicit consent to do so (it would be for the mutual benefit, after all), is there something specific I should ask her (ownership of the personal data is one, but there could be other I didn't think about it)? I would be eager to know how great is the potential for conflicting situations, and what's your take on this matter. Thanks! UPDATE: I haven't been specific enough so it's worth mentioning that I wouldn't use my browser's account in order to access personal links or do leisure browsing , instead the question is more aimed at the ownership of bookmark data. <Q> I would recommend against using your personal browser account. <S> Most workplaces make you sign an IT agreement that allows them full access to anything you do on their machines, and the ability to monitor your activity and browsing history. <S> I am going to assume that your browser is Chrome, since I don't know of another browser that uses accounts. <S> Along with all of your bookmarks and stored settings, signing into Chrome also copies over all of your personal browsing history . <S> This means that your employer can see any and all websites you have visited on your home computer during your personal time. <S> It is very likely that some of these websites are explicitly forbidden to be accessed on company machines, and it could cause some confusion if your employer found them in the browsing history on your work machine (see this question as an example). <S> I recommend using your browser at work without signing in to your account. <S> It will be a little hassle to set up all of your bookmarks and settings again, but that's a one-time cost to give you some privacy. <S> By the way, you can still sign into Google websites without signing into the Chrome browser, but you may need to explicitly tell it not to. <S> @Andrew Berry and @AndreiROM pointed out that in Chrome you are able to define which settings are synced, so you could use your account and sync your bookmarks, but not your history, passwords, credit cards, etc. <A> It depends on the internet usage policy at your new workplace. <S> Most places are fairly relaxed when it comes to people's internet usage (within limits), and some place more controls in place and block certain types of websites (or block the internet as a whole). <S> You don't really have to be upfront and ask, the information of acceptable internet use should be available to you when you start. <S> If you ask, it might be taken as your personal internet browsing to be an important part of your working day... <A> As long as you are not violating company specific IT policies on Internet Use (i.e. Using the internet for personal use on company time), then it shouldn't be an issue using these accounts. <S> If you are posting code related queries on SO though, be sure to anonymise data and not to post too much code (the bare minimum required) as the intellectual property of the code does belong to the company. <S> Edit: For your bookmarks etc, and accounts like SO etc <S> , that information would still belong to yourself. <S> The company don't have a valid claim to this information presuming these accounts have been created using a personal email/social media account. <A> No, absolutely not. <S> Do not use your personal equipment or accounts for company work. <S> From the company perspective, it creates a security vulnerability. <S> From your perspective, in the case of an investigation, the company may legally be able to seize your personal equipment, and obtain passwords for your accounts. <S> From an employment perspective, you can be held accountable for damage to the company. <S> If you need your bookmarks, then send them to your work computer, and use them from there. <S> Company policy may block certain sites, but that's their policy; they're paying you, and part of your job is to toe the line with their policies. <S> Especially in today's day and age, where all the big companies (including the U.S. Government) are getting hacked, everyone is hyper-sensitive about security, and using personal stuff for work is a blood-red flag.
| Aside from the policy aspect, I don't want my employer to know all of the websites I visit during my free time for things completely unrelated to work.
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How to evaluate whether a career coach is beneficial? I am trying to find/change my career trajectory. Its a good cozy job, but I want something that I get excited to work on in the morning. Career change is hard, for a lot of reasons. So I cant just try out a lot of different careers, and need to be more methodical in finding out the ideal fit. have a general idea of the direction I want to go in. However, I think a lot of my decisions have been made under peer pressure or expectations of other people. I am looking for somebody who can provide me an objective assessment of my strengths and weaknesses, and to move towards a career which relies more on my strengths and innate (unconscious) drivers. There are millions of coaches online.. and it seems everybody these days wants to become a coach. So I am wondering how to find a reliable coach who will get you to where you want to get to? What do you look for when searching for a career coach and how do you determine whether it's beneficial? <Q> What do you look for when searching for a career coach ? <S> Try to rank them according to critics, comments, availability ... <S> Then, meet some of them, for a first interview, to discuss what you are looking for and how you can be helped. <S> You should look for people who have a high availability, and for experimented professionals. <S> Ask them for references on similar coaching missions. <S> Take the time to meet several of them - as you would do for any job interview. <S> How do you determine whether it's beneficial? <S> Hiring a career coach is similar to buying food : if you want to play the price game, don't expect top-notch quality. <S> If you decide to engage in a coaching relation, you need to be comfortable with spending enough for the advice to be actually valuable. <S> You have no way of knowing beforehand <S> whether or not it will be beneficial for you. <S> It's similar to seeing a psychologist : for some people, it makes wonders, for some people, it doesn't do much. <S> However, career coaches are professionals, and if you cannot solve an orientation problem yourself, they are the best suited people to help you. <S> You will only know how beneficial it was when you will have a new job. <S> If you are happier, it was beneficial, otherwise, it probably wasn't. <A> Think about where you see yourself in 5 years time. <S> Based on that, look through LinkedIn profiles and ask people out for coffee and conduct informational interviews. <S> Learn more about what they do, what challenges they face, and what they enjoy about the work that they do. <S> You need to learn the in's and out's before you make a career switch. <S> Do your homework. <S> You only live life once so make it the best. <S> Hope that helps. <A> It's definitely difficult to pick a career coach. <S> There is a lot of ambiguity around the role of a career coach, and the cost is usually quite high for the person receiving coaching. <S> There are a few questions you should ask yourself before finding a coach to partner with: Is my career where I want it to be? <S> - If you feel like your career is struggling, career coaching should definitely be on the table as an option. <S> Will fixing the problems with my career <S> yield a quality of life difference than justifies the cost of coaching? <S> Traditional career coaching isn't cheap, and most people cannot afford it or won't see a return that justifies the cost for them. <S> Will I be able to stick with the advice I am being given <S> - This is perhaps one of the most important questions to ask yourself before jumping in. <S> If you feel like you aren't in a place where you can spend enough time working on yourself and your career, no amount of coaching will matter. <S> The flip side of this is that career coach can help you find the time and energy to work on yourself, so this question is a bit of a paradox. <S> If you feel like a career coach would be beneficial to you, you should explore options. <S> As stated above, traditional career coaches are very expensive and few people can afford them. <S> At Boost , we are trying to solve this problem by providing AI-assisted career coaching at an incredibly low cost which might be a better option for you depending on where you are at. <S> We also provide ourselves on providing a more effective solution than traditional coaching.
| First of all, build a list of career coaches available in your area. - There isn't really a point of getting a career coach if the benefits don't outweigh the costs.
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Working from home, paid per hour - but I'm learning most of the time, how should I count hours? I'm a student + working from home (coding - not internship). I'm supposed to count hours I've worked on the projects, but then I'm still somewhat new to my job and 2/3 of the time I spend working is basically just learning, reading, testing new technologies and such - every week I'm working is basically 3 days of learning and 2 days of actual work, still mixed with a lot of googling. While I'm fine with reporting hours, it seems unethical that I'm getting paid to basically read books and docs for 20 hours a week, whereas an experienced programmer would do my job in a few weeks (down from months) without most of that. A lot of what I'm learning isn't domain-specific, so my next job/certain courses I'll have in a few months will greatly benefit from this. Should I report all the hours I'm working, or limit those hours somehow? <Q> Report the hours. <S> They have the right to know how long it took you, If they hired you on the cheap, they got what they paid for. <S> If they had wanted to hire someone experienced, they would have already done it. <S> And paid that someone accordingly. <A> Learning will be a major part of your time, no matter how experienced you are. <S> There is much, much more to know than a single person could ever know. <A> Both overreporting and underreporting of hours amount to timesheet fraud. <S> If your company bills a customer for your hours, timesheet fraud can setup them for potential litigation (in both cases). <S> The case of overreporting is obvious, but there are a couple of reasons why underreporting could cause problems. <S> The customer may see your company more favourably for future contracts based on the "lower" billing, but that lower billing is based on false data. <S> The false data could also jeopardize your own company's project planning for future projects, which usually takes past project data as a factor. <A> It is not a general rule for this, at any level of experience as freelancer or employee that is paid per hour. <S> To manage this ethical, you must answer one question, in my opinion: <S> Is it, the task, included in the job requirements or it is at the level of knowledge for that you were hired or they already paid you to learn that?If <S> it is and you still need to read more, this shouldn't be paid time. <S> If the answer is no, if they ask you to do something, but this is out of your working zone, it is something more than the level for you are paid, you should report the hours. <S> Anyway, 2/3 time for studying it is a bold choice, a little too much time. <S> It is important to keep a balance between a solid base that you offer to your clients/ employer and the learning.
| So hours spent learning towards the goal of performing the task that you need to perform counts as working time.
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How to reject a candidate whilst allowing, in the future, that they will be accepting of future offers? I am recruiting developers for my team, and there is this nice candidate that I cannot make an offer to now, because I have proceeded with another candidate. However, in the future, we may have more open positions, and I would like to contact him, and I hope I have given a good impression, and maybe they can accept the offer, let's say 6 months from now. What is the best way to reject this candidate and keep the doors open? <Q> Tell him what you just told us: that the only reason you did not go further with him on this particular opening was unfortunately, a matter of poor timing - somebody else was almost finished with the process. <S> Tell him that you're regularly receiving news of job openings and that you'll be glad to contact him the minute you see a fit. <A> This is a tough one because the standard line of "we liked you <S> but we decided to go with someone else <S> " is now code for "we just went with someone else". <S> I guess the only thing I can really say to that is to personalize the rejection as much as possible. <S> If you can maybe speak specifically to positions that may open in the future, perhaps you could do that? " <S> Hi, we decided to go with another candidate for Job X <S> but we think we're going to have a position opening up for Job Y in a couple of months <S> and I think you'd be a really excellent candidate for that", that kind of thing. <S> Or compliment a particular aspect of what the potential employee brought to the table: <S> "Even though we have decided to go another direction, I was really impressed by your knowledge of Thing A <S> and I'd like to keep you in mind for future openings if that sounds good to you." <S> Whatever you can do to get out of the cliche, the better. <A> You can let the candidate know that you want them to consider you for future employment, but what do you expect them to do for the next 6 months? <S> They're not going to hold off on taking another job. <S> They may consider doing a limited contract term. <S> If you are sincere and confident you want them in six months, I think you should offer them something. <S> Hiring bonus . <S> IF you don't offer them a job in a certainamount of time, they get to keep it. <S> Obviously if they reject theoffer, they must refund the bonus. <S> Referral for contract work . <S> Indicate their qualifications and how unfortunate it was you could not hirethem. <S> Pay for Training <S> If you felt the candidate lacked experience in a certain area, offer to send then to training. <S> Finding top talent is difficult, so I think more companies must go out of their way to attract, hire and retain them. <S> Even if you don't keep this candidate, you're developing a reputation as a company that sincerely cares about employees. <S> You never know, this candidate may know someone else to fill your position. <S> Don't be penny-wise and pound foolish. <A> In the note, in my own hand, I tell him by name that I was impressed and wish him well on his search for employment. <S> (I want him to keep looking for a job, not wait for something that may never materialize...) <S> Signed informally. <S> If you want to make an impact you have to make it personal. <S> Hand written note, along with the impersonal standard note will do, the contrast alone makes it impactful.
| Finally I'd let him know that if another position opens up he will be contacted. I would give him a personal note attached to the standard "Unfortunately, the position has been filled..." Whatever you do, don't write something in a passive voice by computer, that is likely going to be interpreted as a type cast rejection letter and possibly not even read.
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How to answer "what is you estimated time to complete coding task?" I am currently the only software developer in my company. When there used to be other developer(s), we would follow agile scrum method and gather to have sprint planning meeting to try to come up with a story point for all the tasks in the backlog, and then estimate the time necessary to complete the task based on that point. If the task took longer than the original estimate, we would discuss the obstacle and just push it back to next sprint, no biggie. As team of developers we each had solid understanding of why there was delay because we understood how the code is structured. But now as the only developer, I find it more stressful to report estimated time to my direct boss who is the CEO, and who of course is not part of the software dev but has some background knowledge. He expects the task to be finished within the original estimate, and even if there is unexpected delay it is hard to explain to him since he doesn't know the exact project setup. So then I try as much as possible to finish the task within original estimate, and that sometimes lowers the quality of the code. I wish that there is a technical person that I could directly report to rather than the CEO, but our company being so small, that isn't really the realistic option now. Is there any suggestion to communicate better with him, or make any change to the current reporting process to make both of our lives easier? <Q> The correct answer to the question " <S> what is your estimated time to completing this coding task" is "I haven't estimated it yet; if you want the estimate as soon as possible then come back in four hours". <S> If he expects a task to be done within the original estimate then the boss doesn't understand the meaning of "estimate". <S> He says "estimate", but he expects "guaranteed delivery time". <S> Since you will find it hard to teach him the difference, you just change what you report from "estimate" to "guaranteed delivery time" - usually that will be about twice as long. <A> First of all: Don't shoot from the hip. <S> If the CEO asks you to estimate a task, tell him that you will have to do an estimation and you will get back to him later. <S> When estimating the time needed, follow the " Scotty Principle ", named after Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott from the star ship Enterprise: 1) <S> Caluculate average required time for completion of given task.2) <S> Depending on importance of task, add 25-50% additional time to original estimate.3) Report and commit to inflated time estimate with superiors, clients, etc.4) <S> Under optimal conditions the task is completed closer to the original time estimate vs. the inflated delivery time expected by those waiting. <S> Source: https://ipstenu.org/2011/the-scotty-principle/ <S> I will conclude my answer with an dialog from an Star Trek episode: <S> La Forge : <S> Yeah, well, I told the Captain <S> I’d have this analysis done in an hour. <S> Scotty : How long will it really take? <S> La Forge : <S> An hour! <S> Scotty : <S> Oh, you didn’t tell him how long it would really take, did ya? <S> La Forge : Well, of course I did. <S> Scotty : <S> Oh, laddie. <S> You’ve got a lot to learn if you want people to think of you as a miracle worker. <A> Coming from the startup world, I almost always answer with: <S> What is the soonest you need this done? <S> or How soon do you need this? <S> And I usually discuss with the person asking whether (1) they are themselves going to make themselves available to sprint to get this done as well and <S> (2) what features are you willing to forego <S> /what other projects are you willing to sidetrack in order to get this done. <S> I typically find that since I trust the people I work with, I will get a reasonable answer for (1), and I always make sure to mention and appreciate the pressure that I will be putting on them if I am sprinting/working overtime to get a task done (e.g., I need you to test this <S> , I have questions about requirements, I need extra resources). <S> Don’t hesitate to let them know that you will try your best and that you are committed to getting something done for them in an acceptable timeframe. <S> If you approach your manager as an adversary, you can’t be surprised when he or she treats you the same way. <A> When estimating for "coding", don't forget to add on time for integrating your code with whatever it needs to integrate with, testing it, documenting it, all the other tasks such as version control, configuration control and so on. <S> If you have interruptions (meetings, time spent filling in timesheets, etc), include time for them. <S> Then if these "estimates" are actually guaranteed delivery times, add a big fat contingency on top. <A> You have to factor other task times, interruptions, etc. <S> A pitfall many developers fall into is being too eager to please and not wanting to be the bearer of bad news. <S> Of course he wants things don't on time. <S> Who doesn't? <S> There are a few tricks you can use to help you: <S> Don't be too quick to give an estimate especially if put on the spot. <S> Tell them you'll look into it and have a better idea then. <S> Make sure you at least get the estimate to them on time <S> or you'll be suspect. <S> Change estimates quickly. <S> As other things take longer or other unexpected tasks come your way, change the estimate. <S> Let you boss know as soon as possible. <S> If he wants something done sooner, get clarification on other priorities. <S> You can only do one thing at a time. <S> Develop less technical answers to reasons for being delayed. <S> As a technical person, I know you want to give a specific correct answer. <S> Your non-technical boss does not want to listen to this. <S> Be general. <S> Example: I found a bug. <S> No reason to go into detail. <S> Make sure you are prioritizing according to what your boss thinks is important. <S> You're not going to be perfect, so if something is going to be delayed, make it something he doesn't think is most important. <S> You have to understand that estimates are perfect. <S> The problem may be that your boss is making promises to others based on your estimates and doesn't have to enjoy telling them (clients?) <S> it's not going to happen. <S> If this is the case, make sure you're giving yourself more time and don't assume everyone expects everything ASAP.
| Make sure you not only estimate how long it will take, but how long will it take before you have the time to work on it. If something takes two hours to do, it's very difficult to say when it will be done if you don't even know when you can get started.
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Religion in the workplace...? I am in quite the predicament. I started working for a new company couple of months ago and everything was great. Loved my co-workers, managers,etc.. Everyone seemed to like their job and we all have our usual 'good morning' routine. Until last month that is. My co-workers decided to throw a Christmas party (I'm new to the company so I wasn't told about this before starting) and a gift exchange celebration. One of the colleagues (works in HR) approached me as asked what I was bringing to the Christmas party and the gift I was bringing. I told him that I wasn't Christian and that I wouldn't be taking part in the celebrations. I really didn't care whether they had the party or not. Fast forward a couple of days and no one would talk to me! I'm getting nasty looks, co-workers avoiding me, not forwarding emails to me and just felt 'unwanted' If I go to HR, I'm afraid I would be seen as a 'Grinch' or someone who hates Christian. What's the best course of action? I really enjoy the company and my job! <Q> In many countries Christmas is not about religion. <S> It's about family values, love, candles and tons of ginger bread. <S> Declining their invitation is probably seen as either cheap (finding an excuse to not bring presents), rude or all out weird. <S> If the chance is still there (from the date I'd guess it's gone) <S> you could go to HR and ask how much religion is part of their party. <S> Tell them you thought it would be religious <S> but you are happy to attend if it's okay that you are not Christian and don't believe in it. <S> In Europe that should not be a problem. <S> I have attended Christmas parties for about 20 years and I have not seen a single cross or other Christian symbol ( <S> neither Santa nor the tree are christian symbols by the way). <S> And I'm not a Christian either <S> , I simply love ginger bread and egg nog. <S> Alternatively, you could bring a lot of stuff for whatever holiday you believe in and share it with everyone, so at least you aren't seen as cheap. <A> I can relate to what you're saying. <S> My husband and I are both non-Christians, but not atheists either. <S> We both work for big company names in the UK and find that adapting to our work culture is a give and take relationship. <S> I never minded working over Christmas every year as we don't celebrate ( <S> hospitality so no closing hours), which gave celebrating employees time at home; and work would always be kind enough to give me time off for our own celebrations, even if this meant shuffling things around at busy periods for my sake. <S> As far as celebratory references or parties go, neither of us go out of our way to say 'Merry Christmas', or give gifts. <S> But if someone says Merry Christmas, we will always reply in like. <S> Same with gifts/cards. <S> Just so not to be rude. <S> We will participate in an office 'secret Santa' if they're doing one. <S> And we'll attend the Christmas party for a short while before taking our leave - though we don't go every year <S> and it's never been a problem. <S> Since Crimbo has acquired pagan, Christian and secular aspects through the ages, it is safe to say that people's beliefs don't adapt to Christmas, Christmas adapts to people's beliefs. <S> Many people today would agree that it's about family, good food, letting loose etc. <S> However if adapting isn't something you feel comfortable doing, then I think it's best that you've opened up about it in the first instance (so long as you weren't rude or snobbish about it). <S> Even as adults, we can sometimes become cliquey and stand-offish when someone says or does something we don't expect or like. <S> They might judge you for a while, but there will be a new office-gossip topic soon enough. <S> Let it go. <S> Your work ethic will speak for itself. <S> Sometimes it's the case that we feel certain people are behaving in a certain way as a reflection of our own insecurities about something, and it may not actually be the case. <S> But even if it is the case (that colleagues are acting weird), I'd just get on with things, be yourself and let things blow over. <S> You are who you are and going to a Christmas party or not does not determine your value to the company, nor your ability to socialise and build ties. <S> People will realise this in time. <A> "I'm sorry, it's not my holiday and I won't enjoy it. <S> Have fun." <S> Sounds like you're a bit late for that. <S> In which case all you can do is continue being friendly and helpful and such on the job and trust that they will forget it in a few weeks.
| It is certainly possible to beg off from a holiday party if done tactfully.
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Effect of leaving full-time for a high visibility contract on my career I was hoping to get some help with a situation I've been struggling with lately. I'm not asking for help to figure out if I should take the job, but rather how taking the job might affect my employability. I've been offered a position at a very well recognized (international) charity (think `Google of charities, in terms of brand-awareness) as a managerial position (technology) with an amazing sounding title. I'd be the default liaison between the charity and third-party software suppliers (their main stakeholder). I'd also be the de-facto on-site teacher (teaching non-developers coding etc) and help with managing the supplier's teams during the development of our requested software. All in all it sounds like a great deal; I get some managerial experience in my field, a great title and get to have worked for an amazing charity. However, it's a 6 month contract. So I'd basically have to be looking for something new quite soon after having started. Which honestly is quite off-putting. In addition to that I have a full-time job that is 'ok'. I'm not very stimulated, but it's great pay for where I live (I live 2 minutes walk from home) and the three guys (elderly gentlemen) all treat me very well. I should mention that I live outside of London and the position would be in London. What I would like to ask is how employable I would be considered to be with 2 years development experience and 6 months of managerial experience from a widely recognized charity? Specifically in London (so think huge competition for jobs). Could I potentially be shooting myself in the foot by considering to change from being a hands-on developer to taking a managerial position? And what would the chances be to get a future managerial position after just a 6-month contract? <Q> You wouldn't be shooting yourself in the foot. <S> Because: 2 years prior experience - This is in the worse case that the job didn't workout <S> and they didn't extend your contract after 6 months. <S> Since you stayed in your previous job for 2 years before this, you don't look like a "job hopper" or "impact seeker". <S> For someone looking at your resume, it's just that your last opportunity didn't play out as well as you hoped for. <S> 6 months contract can easily be extended - If you do a good job, and judging by your excitement, you probably will, you should be able to secure an extension of your contract. <S> Net working opp. <S> - If it's the Google of charities, the networking opportunities alone would be invaluable. <A> IMHO, you might be perceived as someone who can't make up his/her mind. <S> A more natural progression for a developer would be to become a team lead, or development manager. <S> Your new gig has none of that - not even close. <S> So you might get the shiny shiny title for the shiny shiny company, but if the contract is fixed for a six month duration then it's more than likely that you're going to go back to earning your salt as a developer. <S> In the mean time, you've basically lost six months of keeping abreast of the hottest new developer tech that will keep you at the top of the game. <S> This "management" position will not translate to managing flesh-and-blood developers. <S> It's really administrative if you're not in charge of any bodies . <A> I can't speak specifically about the UK, but I've got a ton of experience in contract work. <S> I personally don't see it as shooting yourself in the foot. <S> It sounds to me like an excellent opportunity. <S> If you were in the States I'd tell you to give consideration to the effects of losing your insurance, but NHS negates that, correct? <S> It sounds like you want to take the opportunity. <S> If I were in your position, I would, especially because of the visibility of the charity being in itself a CV enhancer. <S> Additionally, it's an outstanding networking opportunity where you can make contacts that will likely help you throughout your entire career. <S> And if you do well, the contract could extend or itself lead to other positions. <S> You sound young (based on your experience) and it's easier to explore such things now than when you have a well-established history of decades.n'tAgain, as for shooting yourself in the foot, it wo. <S> And it sounds like it might have the added benefit of being true as well. <S> The biggest disadvantage to doing contract work (like I do) is you do get people believing that you can't settle on one thing or that you jump around a lot. <S> Even with that, I tell the truth and it's usually not a problem. <S> In reviewing what I've written, I want to emphasize the networking value of this. <S> As your career gets longer, you'll find that who you know and the contacts you've made will provide more value to you than 6 more months at your current job ever would. <A> As long as you can justify the change to future employers, then I wouldn't worry. <S> I have left Full Time jobs after 6 months etc before because they weren't right for meand my career hasn't been affected by it. <S> The bit that may be interesting is the management bit. <S> It seems to have come very early for you (which isn't a bad thing). <S> I also wouldn't worry about the "jumping around" stick too much as it's development in London, it's a very competitive industry. <S> If you can justify the moves, then it's fine in my opinion. <S> Here are some things you need to consider after your contract ends: <S> You could end up remaining a contractor and possibly only need to work 6-9 months in a year, would you be OK with this <S> (i.e. the pressure of having to find work, accounts, setting up a ltd company etc)? <S> If you couldn't get "management" jobs, would you go back to being a developer? <S> Personally, I would take it and see what happens. <S> If it's a great organisation, it sounds like (although quite odd considering your experience), something that would at lease set you apart from other junior developers in 6 months time, when you are back on the hunt for a Full Time role. <S> You never know, your contract could be extended/you could be offered a full time role after your contract.
| You can simply describe why you left your last permanent position as "an opportunity too good to refuse" and with the recognizable brand of the position, they'll believe it.
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Is hiding my friendlist on Facebook a bad sign for HR? For a while, I've been wondering on what do I have to do to avoid appearing unprofessional on my Facebook profile—I have quite a good reason to think about it. Within this issue, I wonder about my friends. Seeing what kind of people do I have contact with may influence, how the HR employees view me as a potential member of the company. On the other hand, I consider my list of friends a part of my privacy; therefore I usually hide it, so only common friends are visible. A friend of mine told me that hiding stuff from Facebook may imply that I have something to hide, which is not a positive sign for the human resource department. Does it include such a minor case, too? <Q> I have kept my Facebook profile private at all times. <S> There's nothing unprofessional about it. <S> Facebook to me is my social life, outside of work. <S> It is also the reason I don't accept Facebook requests from colleagues. <S> For professional networking, I use LinkedIn. <S> Any company that wants to know what I do in my spare time and judges me on that, is not a company I would want to work for. <A> With all due respect, your friend has no clue what he's talking about. <S> To a very large extent, HR doesn't care what you do when you're out of work, so long as it can't be connected back to the company, and Facebook is part of your personal life. <S> I'd be a lot more worried about a Facebook profile which contained personal details of friends' lives than a locked down one <S> - the former starts me thinking "will this employee post our company details on Facebook? <S> ", the latter says "this person understands how to separate his personal life from his public one". <A> On the contrary, I think not hiding your friend list is unprofessional. <S> I'll get back to that in a second here. <S> It is well-known that recruiters/HR look through your online life. <S> I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that you are not a hard-core party person (or <S> if you are, don't tell me about it*). <S> As other people have commented, what you do on your own time is generally not the business of your employer. <S> Who your friends are is your business. <S> I said I'd get back to that thought. <S> Here it is: Who your friend are is your business. <S> If you advertise who you hang out with in your own time, you can be guilty by association. <S> Are you friends people who post questionable political messages? <S> Do they party <S> but you stay at home? <S> As long as you don't come to work drunk or high, HR typically doesn't care. <S> What they are looking for when they look through your online life is if you are someone who goes out to party every night. <S> That can be a sign that someone is less reliable. <S> They want to distance themselves from people are "alt-right" <S> (right-wing) or "alt-left" (left-wing). <S> It isn't about you, it's the impact to the company and the brand image that you will be representing. <S> Anything you post online can be construed as "my employer leans this way politically" or "heyyyyy <S> , i'm up partying all night <S> , they don't care of <S> i come in late." <S> It's less about having something to hide, and more about keeping you and your friends private. <S> It's none of my business who your friends are, until it impacts me as an employer. <A> A friend of mine told me that hiding stuff from Facebook may imply that I have something to hide, which is not a positive sign for the human resource department. <S> Does it include such a minor case, too? <S> Who doesn't have anything to hide?! <S> You show each person just some aspects of your life, and Facebook most of the times involves some aspects that you just share with your close friends. <S> Is your HR one of your close friends? <S> If yes, then they may be annoyed if you prevent them from having access to your account, but should it affect their decision? <S> No. <S> And if they are not your friend it is considered rude to ask about your Facebook account. <S> Please notice that sometimes in an interview they ask you about the leisure activities you do in your spare times <S> but that's because they want to assess your attitude and general behavior <S> , however, going further is not acceptable at all, at least to me and anyone whom I know. <S> Note: <S> Perhaps if you want to work in a secret agency like CIA, MI5 or like that they care about these things as well, as it's a completely different story. <A> Something nobody has touched on yet: it is now becoming a recommended practice to keep your friends list private to protect you from a "cloned profile attack," in which a scammer will scrape your account, set up a complete duplicate of it, and send requests to all your friends, after which the scammer can message them to try to extract money or something else, completing the scam. <S> Most scammers who do this are smart enough to block you once they have all your data so that you can't even directly see that they're doing it. <S> Keeping your friends list private breaks a crucial part in the vulnerability chain that allows them to do this. <S> Any intelligent HR needs to understand this, as it's a completely legitimate reason to hide one's friend list beyond just "being secretive". <S> See <S> this help topic from Facebook for more info. <A> I think in this day and age, it's safe to assume to that your Facebook account may be monitored in some way or another -- either by your current employer or a future one. <S> To counter this, it is now relatively common for people to now have two facebook accounts: One a public facing one with a smaller friends list where public conversations and cat memes get posted One a private one where the drunken debauchery photos get posted. <S> You could show your public facebook to your company and keep your private facebook private.
| A friend of mine told me that hiding stuff from Facebook may imply that I have something to hide, which is not a positive sign for the human resource department. It is well-documented that people have lost jobs because of what they said or did on social networks. If you don't show it, HR won't find it.
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Is it normal for meetings and communication during normal business hours to push my coding to late at night? I work at an open style workplace. Like many other people at startups, I wear many hats at work, which forces me to collaborate with other workers a lot. I am also often distracted by meetings and emails throughout the day. This means I must code at night because I need to have quiet and focus. Doing this over a long period of time makes me frustrated. Is this normal? Can you give me some suggestions? <Q> Just put it on a TODO list and respond to it when you come to a convenient break in your coding. <S> Meetings can be trickier, but you can still try to reduce the load: <S> Only attend meetings where your input is actively required. <S> If you're just at the meeting to find out what other people discussed, ensure the meeting is properly minuted and you're told the results. <S> Actively work to shorten meetings. <S> If people start getting off-topic, politely but firmly bring the meeting back on topic. <S> To do this you need to ensure every meeting has an agenda so that everybody knows what is on topic. <S> Make it clear that you can't do both of these at once. <S> If there are bits of your current role you can give to others, do that. <S> Of course, it may just be that your boss is expecting you to work longer hours than you are happy with (what your contract says are your weekly hours is largely irrelevant here). <S> That's a very different problem, and one that means you may need to re-evaluate whether your current job is the right one for you. <A> Have you spoken about this with your line manager? <S> If you're getting the work done they might not realise you feel there is a problem. <S> Are your colleagues also programmers? <S> People often don't realise how difficult it is to code with so many distractions and you need to air this out with them. <S> Having said that, what have you tried already? <S> These suggestions might not all be practical <S> but it's a start. <S> Take lunch early/late and work while the office is quieter. <S> Try to have meetings organised in a block. <S> If certain people tend to come and ask you things, be proactive and ask them if they need support before you settle in to code. <S> Ask your colleagues to only distract you with important problems and send other queries by email. <S> However you could try also to not get drawn in to the discussion. <S> Moving desk in the office. <A> Is working at night normal ? <S> No. <S> You have <S> probably not been employed to work at night, and it seems working from home is out of the question due to the collaborative part of your work. <S> How good are you at working with music ? <S> A lot of people use their earphones and music to focus on their work. <S> You could also get a anti-noise headset in the ~100USD range. <A> I have had a similar situation and came up with "The Headphones System". <S> I bought a set of headphones. <S> If I had them on, I could only be disturbed if something is important. <S> This means though, that you need to have times where the headphones aren't on, and the less important tasks that need your attention are attended to. <S> Play some spotify, code away <S> and you should only be disturbed for the important things that need your input. <S> There may be the odd daft request, but politely saying "I can look at this after lunch" or something helps with that. <A> If being scheduled for meetings is a problem you can also possibly build some 'dummy' meetings in your day - just block off a couple of hours on your calendar. <S> This should help prevent you from being scheduled for real meetings during those times.
| Being distracted by e-mail is a problem you can easily solve: don't respond to an e-mail unless it needs a response now . If that doesn't reduce your load acceptably, start talking to your boss about what your role is - are you an "individual contributor" whose primary role is to actually write the code, or are you a "leader" whose primary role is to ensure that other people write the right code. If some of the distraction is social chit chat, then the suggestion of headphones is a good idea.
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Received contract offer through one recruiter, then contacted for full time offer at same company by another recruiter. How to proceed? I just received an offer to XYZ, Inc. through recruiter A. Now this opportunity is a contract position and I would prefer full time, but I can take the contract if necessary. Now I was just reached out to by recruited B looking to hire someone full time (not contract), so that they can offer the same services to company XYZ, Inc., but I need to go through the interview process with recruiter B first; even-though XYZ liked me. Should I make recruiter A wait to see if I get an offer from recruiter B? Is it just completely despicable to even consider this, since I already went through the process with recruiter A? I don't love doing this, but I would really prefer the full time position; especially since we're expecting a baby, and vacation and paternity will be good to have. <Q> Do not respond to Recruiter B. B is useless to you. <S> (And if you did, don't sign anything, etc.) <S> You have actually interviewed with the company and are free to work with them directly now, right? <S> You can mention the opening you heard from B <S> but I would not even bring B up at all <S> (but you can mention their mail merge if you want). <S> There are a lot of different situations possible between recruiters and companies, but usually their job is, essentially, to headhunt, make an introduction, and get paid for that. <S> Recruiter B did not do any of that and owes nothing to you and has no claim on your relationship with the company -- and if they advertised something to you, lucky you, don't give them the time of day for that. <S> If the company folds you into FTE they will likely still pay recruiter A. <S> If there is a contract loophole and they don't have to, then that would be poor business ethics. <S> Recruiter A will immediately stop working with the company, as will other recruiters, but this is between Recruiter A and the company, not between you and Recruiter A. Conversely, the company <S> already found you and interviewed you, so Recruiter B is of no use to them in filling either role, at least by you. <S> Do you really think Recruiter B can make a better case for your candidacy than you <S> can right now? <S> (Bearing in mind that you have actually interviewed with the company, and B has merely heard of you). <S> If the situation between the company and the recruiters is more complex, I would expect the company to properly advise you. <S> I can't think of any situation where withholding this knowledge from them can help anyone at all. <A> You're going to kill this opportunity if two recruiters both submit to XYZ. <S> Typically, two submissions will invalidate your chance. <S> Don't mess around! <S> XYZ doesn't want to end up in court with two agencies fighting over the finder's fee. <A> Depends on where you are, a recruiter told me that a lot of companies have a system whereby the first recruiter to put in the CV for you gets the commission. <S> So it could turn into a fight between the recruiters. <S> Anyway, how do you proceed? <S> Telling recruiter 1 about recruiter 2's job would be unethical. <S> I'd call the person who interviewed you and ask if the two roles ARE the same and express a strong preference for permanency. <S> That way you might be able to negotiate getting job 2 without upsetting recruiter 2 too much and getting recruiter 1 paid because they did the introduction. <S> If the jobs are different you have to treat them separately. <S> Possible permanent vs definite contract? <S> I'd aim to prove myself on the contract and get moved over to permanent. <S> Good luck
| You ought to express your interest in a full time position to them.
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Sharing code to prove experience Is it necessary to share code from my own projects, when being interviewed for a software developer position? Some background:I am a young adult, in my 20s. I haven't yet gone to college for financial reasons, but I have been passionate about computers since I was 5.The job that I'm applying for is a junior Android developer. I have more than 5 years experience with Android(though I have NOT worked as a software developer before), my experience is mainly courses I have been to and lots and lots of reading I have done in my spare time. I have a few apps published on Google Play, and other projects not Android related on my GitHub. My question is: In case I get a chance and they ask to see my code do I have to share all of it, or just parts? <Q> I would probably do the following: List <S> the apps published on my CV State that the code is available on request <S> Provide the code to them via a secure channel (password protected file/Private repo <S> etc) <S> I can understand you not necessarily wanting to open source the code. <S> I'm assuming the apps are free so they can download and view the apps? <S> If not, provide them with APK's for the apps too. <S> It's unlikely that you are sitting on an app that will make millions (otherwise you wouldn't need to look for a job :) ) <S> so the risk, I think is minimal. <S> You want to give them as much as possible. <S> You are at a slight disadvantage as you haven't been to college, but also at an advantage as you actually have apps in the store. <S> Another option is to create a sample/test app. <S> Even if it's functionality is limited(i.e. <S> A to-do list or something). <S> You could then put that on github and give them a link. <S> It may give them enough insight into how you work. <A> You can share exactly what you are comfortable sharing. <S> They can decide that it's not enough to hire you. <S> And we have no way to tell who "they" will be or what "they" will think or want. <S> Your best bet would be to get your smallest application that is publicly available and polish that code to your best ability. <S> Then show the parts that they want to see. <A> Sample code is not used to see if you can build an app, it's used to show that you can solve problems in a logical way while maintaining standards. <S> To this end, a lot of employers now are issuing code tests as part of interviews, or looking at sample code that you have written. <S> What they will want to see is a small part of your app, something either self contained or something that does not rely too heavily on other parameters and variables. <S> This snippet should have a clear objective, should solve a problem and should be commented clearly.
| You do not need to show the whole app's code, just enough to prove that you can do the job. If they request the code, give as much as they want.
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Downtime as a project manager? My busy periods are when taking on a new project for the first time. I have to scope the work, delegate and structure the project accordingly. Once the team has been assembled, and processes are in place, I am then busy at the start of the day where I do my daily stand ups (and deal with any impediments) that arise, and again if dragged into meetings with stakeholders discussing the project status. But other then that, if done well, everything goes smoothly, and the project starts to run itself. The team knows what to do, I then just have to periodically look at my burndown charts to see if we are on track. During down periods, what is the best way for a project manager to use his time? <Q> During down times, it's best to upskill your own core skills. <S> Take classes, read up on the latest technology, find articles that would be useful for your team. <S> Get ahead of the game is it in a nutshell. <A> During down periods, what is the best way for a project manager to use his time? <S> Every place where I have ever worked, the Project Manager would be busy preparing for the next project. <S> You would be looking over the alternatives, preparing preliminary scoping and approvals, preliminary planning for the processes and structures, etc, etc. <S> I'm rather surprised that isn't happening in your shop. <A> This is when you get to lean back and THINK. <S> The most important thing any manager does is think. <S> Lots of things to think about but the most important: What it will take to get ahead of the curve and stay there. <S> Most Managers don't have time to take on front-line tasks. <S> This gives you a chance to step back into the apprentice role and learn stuff. <S> The front line is where the most significant changes are happening - and that leads right back to where this answer started. <A> I wish more PMs were like you <S> You're smart enough to keep the project(s) moving along and to stay off critical path. <S> Think of your free time as yet another resource at your disposal - you can use it for training, reading, low-priority (important but not urgent) work, etc. <A> Check if priorities on tasks have changed. <S> New priorities and issues should emerge as your burn down charts show that existing issues are being taken care of. <S> Review low urgency but high priority tasks and decide which ones are worth doing now. <S> Introduce yourself to managers, team leads and project managers who don't know you. <S> You get bonus points if you persuade them to take you out to lunch, and they are paying. <S> Update your resume and work out what experience and skills you should have to make your resume even more attractive. <S> Contribute a professional article on Linkedin. <S> My personal favorite by far: check out those places that offer all-you-can-eat buffets :)
| Review your skills set and decide which skills are worth acquiring or strengthening now. The other thing you can do is some actual work. You might want to think of this free time as a safety valve - if one of your projects has a significant problem you have the time and energy to fix it without burning yourself out.
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How to handle a conflict of interest with a supporting business colleague in the same office? I am a residential designer providing home plans to builders and homeowners. I rent my office from an engineer who provides all the engineering for the plans I design. He recently hired an employee to help with the workload. As the work slowed seasonally, he needed to keep the employee busy. He began designing houses to create a portfolio of plans he could then market and sell. He has done this without consulting me. I've been renting from him for almost 12 years and designing for 20. I'm not aware of him actively marketing the plans to any of my customers yet but, I can only assume he has or will be. I don't wish to pack up and move out. He is always the type of person that sees things only through his own lens. I don't know how else to get through to him. How should I handle the situation? Is there any good advise? <Q> If it concerns you that much, you could certainly pack up and move out. <S> But you don't want to do that, and it's hard to see how that could help anything anyway. <S> You shouldn't assume that your landlord wants to steal your clients. <S> Still, I'm assuming you don't have any sort of formal agreement that would prevent him from doing so. <S> Thus, your best approach would be to talk. <S> Depending on his attitude, there may be a possibility of a joint venture, or a strong adversary. <S> You'll only know by opening up the discussion. <S> If you truly believe that his intent is to steal your customers, then you will want to take action to bolster your brand, reach out to clients, and make it harder for him to compete. <S> These are all things you would do if the potential competitor worked down the road, rather than in the same office. <S> And you might have a chat with your lawyer to see if there is anything that could help you legally. <S> It seems doubtful, but a good lawyer may be able to come up with something to prevent (or at least delay) <S> the competition you see coming. <S> Sometimes a rental agreement has a clause preventing competitors from also renting an office. <S> That might be a viable approach. <S> It might also make sense to start scouting out new offices. <S> If your fears are well-founded, I suspect you don't want to rent an office from a competitor. <S> It's also possible the new competitor will kick you out. <A> A conversation along the lines of "If we are in direct completion on marketing home plans now, we'll need to re-examine other aspects of our business relationship" should push him out of viewing only through his own lens. <S> That said engineers are notorious for lack of empathy, so be sure that you are approaching this from the angle of "I don't want to be so closely enmeshed with the competition" rather than the angle of "I'm hurt that you took this direction". <S> Before having that conversation be sure what steps you will need to take if things fall apart with him (finding a new office, finding a new engineer, whether there are any proprietary entanglements on your existing designs, etc). <A> For the last 12-20 years he got all your engineering business and you got all his design business. <S> I understand if you did not have a formal agreement. <S> It appears he is going to get into the design business and compete directly with you. <S> Point out that you will be in competition on design and ask him how he sees that working? <S> If he is going to openly market design it would be confusing to any of your customers that come to the office.
| You could say something like "Hey, I noticed you have started to create a portfolio of plans." and then listen for the reaction and take it from there. You need to decide if are going to continue to rent from him and if you are going to use him for all your architecture work.
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Coworker outed as xenophobic. Is there something I should do? In case this is significant, this happened in Germany. Today a co-worker explained me how he believes how almost only the lazy immigrants who can do nothing leave their countries to come here, among others. Then I smiled and pointed to me -I am myself a immigrant-, and he told me he didn't mean me. I didn't take it personally, and I focused on what this says about him. I also decided to not get too close and spend part of my free time with him. But on the other hand there is a rise of right-wing parties in Europe (here AfD) and I believe it is important to stop this. Because of that I'm wondering if there is something I should do in the office besides pointing at myself as an immigrant, and if it is ethical to do so (I mean to do something about xenophobic beliefs, not pointing at myself). My concrete questions are: is it ethical to try to change my co-worker's mind when in the office when he starts talking in a pejorative way about immigrants? And do I have some possibility to make some change, even if it is small?If so, what would be a good approach? I thought about giving some information for example about why the majority of immigrants leave their countries, or asking the proper questions (example: the place you live has as good as no immigrants. Then why are you afraid your kids have as good as only immigrant-kids as classmates?)Or maybe I should just drop it and mind my business? Update : thanks for your answers. They helped me to clear my mind. I have decided to be as friendly to him as I was before yesterday and to keep treating him with the same respect he always showed me.Also to be more careful about what I say to not send the wrong signals. If he brings up the subject again, I can always politely refuse to talk about that. Since I don't feel discriminated nor have I see him discriminate anyone, I won't go to HR. <Q> If you really want to do something then the best you can do is befriend your coworker. <S> "Xenophobia" is literally "fear of strangers"; and the most effective way to change that is to show there is nothing to be afraid of. <S> I certainly wouldn't bring up the topic as such. <S> The positions of AfD have been thoroughly and widely refuted. <S> Your repetition of that will add nothing. <A> There is a lot which can and should be done to fight xenophobia and the raise of the new right. <S> ... <S> but the workplace is neither the place nor the time to do that. <S> Getting into political arguments at work can only hurt your relation with your coworkers and negatively impact your work. <S> So it's best to just ignore such remarks. <S> Unless, of course, your coworker makes remarks which are so obviously racist that they are violating your company rules or that you feel personally discriminated. <S> But then that should be reported as misbehavior to your superior, to HR or whatever positions in your companies it concerns. <S> If you feel that you should do something to prevent people from forming such opinions, then you should consider to make up for it with personal political activity in your free time. <S> There are plenty of political parties and NGOs who need all the help they can get to counter the alt-right hate speech. <S> Especially now that we have an election year. <A> It is not uncommon for a company to have a formal code of conduct, also known as business conduct guidelines. <S> This code defines the values the company stands for and expects its employees to honor. <S> Usually, the code contains something alone the lines of "Not allowed: discrimination based on any bias, including but not limited to religion, handicap, sexual orientation or race". <S> It is also quite common to have a requirement for this as a part of contracts with other companies or customers, especially in the public sector. <S> If a code of conduct exists at your office, then you can remind your coworker of its existence. <S> You can voice your concerns that talk as such can be harmful to the company's business if it's overheard by a customer or partner, for example. <S> Does this make it ethical to change your coworker's mind? <S> The beginning of the second verse of "Die Gedanken sind frei" comes to mind <S> , i.e. "Ich denke was ich <S> will und was mich beglücket, doch alles in der Still', und wie es sich schicket." <S> ('I think what I want, and what delights me,still always reticent, and as it is suitable.'). <S> Whether this changes his mind depends on your coworker. <A> is it ethical to try to change my co-workers mind when in office when he starts talking in a perjorative way about strangers? <S> I would say no. <S> Just try to bring the topic back to something productive for the business... <S> having said that, it's even more unprofessional for him to talk like that in a professional setting. <S> And do I have some possibility to make some change, even if it is small? <S> If so, what would be a good approach? <S> Yes, you can make a change! <S> Be an example of an immigrant (stranger) which doesn't conform to his beliefs (i.e. don't be lazy, be professional! <S> And encourage other immigrants to do the same). <S> example: <S> the place you live have as good as no strangers. <S> Then why are you afraid your kids have as good as only stranger-kids as classmates?) <S> I think the translation may be off, but ultimately I don't think you should do this sort of thing. <S> It's unprofessional. <S> Just be the bigger person move on with your life. <S> Or maybe I should just drop it and mind my business? <S> This is the only course of action with a positive outcome, in my opinion. <A> I do <S> not think you should attempt to 'change' your coworkers mind. <S> Differing beliefs like the ones that you two have, have a great chance of driving you two apart, when shared. <S> The OP here is a great example of that. <S> If it were me, and I considered it a problem, I would bring the issue up to HR, not hoping that the employee would be punished, but hoping that HR would be able to talk to the employee and in the end, hopefully, he'd realize that things like this shouldn't be said to others in the workplace. <S> I see that as the only significant progress that can be expected to be gained here. <S> It is possible that someone could 'change' his mind, but you run a greater risk by attempting to do so of becoming 'one of them', and making him think of you differently as you now do of him. <A> You can't change his mind, nor should you. <S> You don't represent all immigrants, you don't speak for any portion of them but yourself, and you have no way of conclusively disproving his point... <S> as he has no way of proving his. <S> In other words you're both pushing a conjecture.
| It is ethical to remind someone of what is accepted as professional behavior at the office, what isn't, and what is not allowed there. Drop it, befriend the guy if you so wish, and if he brings up politics again just stay out of it. I thought on giving some information for example about why the most part of strangers leave their countries, or asking the proper questions (
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Worked a job, but it was under someone else's name. OK to put on resume? So the specifics are as follows. My spouse got a job as a independent contractor for an online job. They didn't work it much, and when I didn't have a 'real job' (for a matter of years), I worked the job. I did the max hours a week, got paid, performed at their standards, etc. But of course it was all under my spouses name. the job was as an independent contractor, so no taxes were taken out. Obviously "I" didn't work there, but without putting it on my resume I have a huge gap in employment. It's kind of difficult to contact the company (though I am going to try contacting them acting as an employer verifying employment), so who knows if a job I am applying to will ever find out it wasn't "me" that worked there. So my question is what do I do about putting/not putting this on a resume? <Q> So my question is what do I do about putting/not putting this on a resume? <S> Easy. <S> You don't claim work that was "under someone else's name". <S> (You shouldn't work "under someone else's name either, but that's a different question.) <S> For all anyone <S> but your spouse knows, you didn't do the work - your spouse did. <S> Your spouse basically lied to the employer and you were complicit. <S> That's not a great story to try to sell a potential employer. <S> the job was as an independent contractor, so no taxes were taken out. <S> Well, taxes weren't taken out by your spouse's employer, but of course your filed the taxes on your spouse's 1099, since that's the law. <S> A decent background check would easily point out this sort of deceit. <A> Check how exactly that job was handled legally. <S> If it was as an "independent contractor", an essential part of being an independent contractor is that you can let someone else do the work. <S> Your spouse got paid for getting the work done, and you did the work. <S> That would mean that the company paid your spouses company, your spouses company paid any amount of salary to you and your spouse and paid taxes on those salaries, and your spouses company paid dividends from its profit to the owner (your spouse). <S> If this is what you did, then everything is legally fine, you can put the job on your CV, and your spouse's company was the employer. <S> If your spouse was actually an employee permanently working from home, and got paid with income tax deducted by the company, then the situation is dodgy to say the least. <A> I think you'd have to verify things with someone at the company to make sure. <S> If they know you, there's a chance they'd respond to someone calling positively. <S> If the first time they're hearing about your possible engagement with them is from someone else, there's a greater risk of it being a negative experience on the phone, as the person will be reeling from the surprise as they respond. <A> For an adult man/woman there's only a couple potential excuses to mention in CV that you have worked under different or false identities - either you are a retired spy/undercover agent or an artist/writer. <S> I'm not making fun of you, ironically, when I was young I've done exactly the same <S> - I was a journalist, just like my wife. <S> For like half of the year I've been writing reviews on her behalf just for fun (yeah, <S> when you in your early twenties you have a different concept of fun). <S> My advise for you will be - don't make things complicated - put yourself into potential employer shoes. <S> Hiring someone is a complex process and more non-standard variables are there in the equation, the more complex <S> it's getting and <S> that is not always a good thing . <S> Just try to end up with listing all the jobs you did not did in the shades. <A> Unless you need them to provide a reference - you could roll the dice and just put them in. <S> Your greatest risk is if someone in the hiring space has a direct personal relationship in some fashion. <S> Maybe they worked there - or they know someone well who does <S> and they choose to do a "back channel" chat. <S> Most reputable recruiters will not contact people who you have not listed as referees, so your chances of getting away with this are pretty good especially if it's not the last thing you have been doing. <S> (Although the way your question reads it seems like it may be)
| Just leave this off of your employment history, since you weren't actually employed.
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How to communicate with a boss in a different time zone who is not an email person? I am currently volunteering as a corporate English coach (of some sort) at where I work now (the COE of an industry leading IT infrastructure provider in China). Recently during a training session a Chinese team manager came to me for advice on how to combat difficulties communicating/dealing with an American boss from another GEO (US Eastern). As I observe the language skills of this manager are not part of the bottleneck here as she is far more than capable of expressing herself adequately in English. However, located at two vastly remote sites of different GEOs this manager and her boss work completely different hours and has between themselves very limited opportunities for face to face interaction, practically as rare as occasional teleconf. And to add insult to injury her boss proclaims NOT to be an email guy (how her boss, with this special trait, manages to hold down an upper management role at an organization of such calibre is certainly beyond my widest dreams)... Which is to say the majority, if not all, of her emails are ignored or at least rarely afforded due attention by her boss regardless of their importance . Any chance of effective communication between them has hence been virtually reduced and confined to weekly hour long one on one meetings occuring at late nights for her and early mornings for her boss... And no, her boss doesn't even take calls from her during his office hours either, saying it can wait till they catch up at weekly meetings. The above situation gravely undermines this managers ability to perform tasks and drive initiatives that require the approval of the her boss. She finds it hard to talk everything through during weekly meetings, especially to win the support of her boss to acquire critical resources that need the nod of the boss. Her immediate concern for now is that her team is seriously burning out and in dire need of reinforcement, but her boss is not giving her requests due consideration given this difficulty to communicate, with her requests constantly subject to flipant, spur-of-the-moment dismissal by her boss during the meetings. I told her to keep sending emails and thereby set defaults in the absence of any response (i.e. I am convincdd that we should do abc to achieve xyz . If I do not hear back from you by some date I would presume you agree with me and I would set out to make it happen). But that doesn't really help when she needs her boss to act and play with her. What else can she do? <Q> It seems that this American boss is just refusing to do his job. <S> If the Chinese manager doesn't do anything about it, she will not be able to do her job, as she already observed. <S> She first needs to figure out the power situation. <S> If things go pear shaped, will she have support from local management in her location? <S> Will she have a job if her team fails (as it very well may, without any fault of her own or her team)? <S> If the answer is no, she can try to take some action. <S> One way is sending emails like "We need to decide XYZ. <S> I think the right thing to do is ABC. <S> So unless I hear otherwise from you, I will do ABC". <S> That is generally a good way to do things anyway; shows your boss you are proactive, saves him work, things go along quickly, and no problem if the boss thinks another plan would be better. <S> Works very well with the time difference, because she can send an email like this in the evening, boss has all day time to think of it, and she can act in the morning without any waiting. <S> If the boss "is not an email person" which is just a different way of saying "doesn't care one bit about his job and the people he is responsible for", well, the email is the evidence needed to cover her ass, and no reply is a reply. <A> Personally, and this might contradict what most people are used to, but I would just continue doing my job as needed to the point where my boss would have to call me . <S> Meanwhile, I would log all my actions and decision-making (perhaps by emailing myself) to cover my butt. <S> Lastly, I would not continue to email the boss because he has obviously already asked me not to email him. <S> But I might check with HR and let HR know about this issue of "a physical inability to communicate with my superior" and <S> steps I have taken to pro-actively adapt to the situation, i.e., logging all my actions and emailing myself. <S> I would log this action as well. <S> This way, I still cover my butt, do my job, keep from angering my superior and have gone through prescribed channels for resolving issues between employees. <S> What do you think? <A> Maybe she could find a solution through other channels. <S> The fact that her boss ignores systematically her attempts obviously shows lack of interest. <S> Now weather this is because undervalues her department or is due to his poor management skills is something that only she can possibly know. <S> Maybe she could try to draw his attention by copying his manager or other managers that could be affected by his actions on the emails as well. <S> We agree that escalating issues is not the best thing in terms of building a healthy relationship but in some cases it is necessary. <S> Finally, if she thinks that her team needs reinforcement and she is right the results will show sooner or later. <S> Under performance will definitely draw his attention. <S> What remains for her is to have justified responses when he will start asking questions. <S> Of course, this hides some dangers, especially if the manager is not very reasonable.
| First thing I would suggest, is that she should make sure that her inquiries need her manager's intervention.
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How to encourage recruiters to email you instead of calling right away My question is similar to this one . I'm in a similar position as the OP there - I strongly prefer email to calls as calls can be disruptive (since I'm generally working on something else when they call, plus it's a lot more time-consuming than simply answering an email). The answers there seem to indicate that dropping your phone number from your resume completely can be detrimental to your chances of being considered, which would seem to rule out that possibility. I do state on my resume that email is my preferred means of contact, but a lot of headhunters seem to ignore that (or miss it completely). My contact appears in the following format: xxx-xxx-xxxx (Cell)myemail@gmail.com (Preferred) Is there something else I can do to encourage them to email first without looking unprofessional or hurting my chances? <Q> The only viable option I can think of is to simply screen your calls . <S> Don't answer calls coming from unknown numbers and let them go to voicemail. <S> Cold-calling recruiters or head-hunters <S> will in that case either leave a voice mail which lets you control the timing of your call-back (if you call at all), or they'll send you an email or LinkedIn message instead. <S> Most do both. <S> You run the risk of missing out on opportunities because of recruiters not following up either because they forget or they're incompetent, which is why this is an option not to be taken lightly. <S> But at the risk of sounding old, I think this is a reasonable way to deal with the always available nature of the cell phone. <S> As for the call-back and the things to keep in mind before adopting this policy, have a look at alroc's answer . <S> As he says, if a recruiter leaves a voicemail and didn't contact you by mail as well, you probably should call him back. <S> Emailing about a voicemail is an option but can be considered somewhat rude. <A> Expanding on Lilienthal's answer - yes, you have to screen your calls. <S> Be consistent and ruthless about it. <S> If someone needs to reach you that urgently, they'll leave a voicemail, call again, or attempt another means of contacting you. <S> If you have Google Voice handling your voicemail or iOS 10, you can get the voicemail transcribed, usually within a few seconds <S> so you don't even have to listen to it to get the gist of what's going on (these transcriptions are imperfect, but close enough). <S> When you do call back these recruiters (and you should, at least give them a chance to redeem themselves), tell them firmly, but politely, that you can't take unexpected calls due to privacy concerns. <S> I usually say I appreciate that you want to get in touch with me quickly, but from my desk there are no less than six people who can hear every word that I say (I wish I was embellishing) <S> and I have no privacy anywhere in the building. <S> If you need to reach me, please email or text me first <S> and I'll let you know/call you back when I can get somewhere private. <S> If they ignore that advice repeatedly (I have one recruiter who even said " <S> I know you told me you can't take unscheduled phone calls" in the voicemail he left me and the following phone call!) <S> , I start having second thoughts about responding to them at all. <S> To me, it's a sign of arrogance and maybe even disrespect. <S> But if you're in a tough market, you're going to have to work with these people anyway as there may not be a lot of jobs or recruiters available for you to pick & choose from. <A> Add the range of hours when you accept calls to your resume, and make it small enough that recruiters will have trouble cold-calling you. <S> Using your example, this would become: <S> Email : xxx@gmail.com <S> Cell : 0123456789 <S> (unavailable from 8am to 6pm for business reasons) <S> Some will still call you during these hours, but you can legitimately ask them to switch to email, as this is not a good time for you to take calls. <S> This doesn't completely eliminate the possibility of them calling you, but if they are interested enough to call outside of office hours, it is probably worth it to take the call.
| Send every call you can't identify as "must take immediately" to voicemail.
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Approaching the easily accesible promotion I had a question about me being silent and my colleague being dominant (good manager). Now i am confronted with new situation. I have been nominated for long term onsite project starting in 6 months (every one fights for this, but for me, it has come without a sweat) and i am okay to accept it. I have been told by my old manager (new manager my above dominant colleague) that my promotion is expected to come soon. Recently, there was recognition awards too for me. I will have better monetary compensation whilst i am onsite if my promotion happens before beginning of the long term deputation. Hence, my old manager personally suggested me to approach senior manager and ask (gentle demand) for the promotion too. Old manager also said that, it is expected to happen but, squeaky wheel gets the grease. My old manager is always practical about my performance since beginning and i trust my old manager about the statement and old manager's feeling. Just now, My senior manager was leaving office, 8 PM, Friday :( and he too asked whether i am okay for onsite opportunity. I said - presently i have no problems but i will confirm in some time. Please help guys. Question: How shall i approach my senior manager? What shall i ask my Senior manager? (i need to convey that, i am happy to accept the onsite offer but only with the promotion which is long due) PS: Sorry, non native English speaker. <Q> I believe you should approach this just as you would approach asking for a raise. <S> It sounds like you've definitely been performing at or above expectations, and you should re-iterate such when you speak to your manager. <S> Let him know that you have been working hard for this promotion, and that you would like to receive it, even though you'll be working on-site on this other project. <S> If your manager seems hesitant, don't back down. <S> Instead, come at it from another angle. <S> Ask him " <S> If you don't believe I'm ready for this promotion, could you tell me what I need to do in order to perform at that level?" or similar. <S> You want the manager to know that you're interested in this promotion, that you've worked hard for it, and that you're dedicated to continue working hard for it if need be. <S> When you discuss this with your manager, be sure to list a few key highlights of your recent performance / work history, to support your claim that you're the person that should be getting promoted. <S> If you had recent successes, talk about those. <S> If you've had any recent failures, I wouldn't spend a lot of time talking about them, but you could show that you were able to learn something from them and move forward. <A> It sounds like you have been recommended for a high profile project and you have been recommended and accepted for a promotion as well. <S> First off, congrats on the recognition and the promotion. <S> As for recommended action you should take, I would suggest (as you mentioned) gentle reminders to your manager or senior manager (whoever is in charge of getting the promotion done) <S> every 2-3 weeks. <S> Promotions typically need several people to sign off on it and it has to go through several departments (HR, finance, etc.) <S> to solidify it. <S> It does not happen overnight, but it will happen as long as the right people have said 'yes' to it. <S> The good part is that you do not have to fight for it or build a case for it since you have already been recommended for it and the recommendation has been accepted. <S> Just send follow ups every once in a while and ask about the status of it from your manager. <A> I would schedule a private conversation with the senior manager so that you can ask some general questions and give him an update about the project. <S> In the meeting, tell him you're excited about the project and ask him if it makes you eligible for the promotion. <S> If it's a hard question to ask, just say "this isn't an easy question to ask, as I know I can be modest, but I do think I'm ready to take on the challenges necessary to function at that level. <S> " <S> He might asks you what makes you think that. <S> Bring up the awards and how much you enjoy the work, love the company, want to think about long term strategies, etc. <S> If he says you won't be eligible or you're not eligible yet, ask him what you can do to get to that level. <S> He should give you something tangible and achievable, and if not, that's a red flag. <S> Consider that many companies announce raises and promotions every year between February and March (when they've finished the fiscal year accounting and considered goals) <S> so your old manager may be correct in saying that it's coming soon. <S> But it can't hurt to ask before hand. <S> Let us know how it goes!! <S> and Good Luck! <A> Say something like this: <S> Good Morning Mr (Senior Manager Name), I would like to discuss with you the onsite position I was offered. <S> You see, though I am completely appreciative of the offer, I would like to explore my options with you concerning a promotion. <S> The recognition and awards have been very valuable to me <S> but you see <S> , I believe I have been a well committed and a valuable asset to the company and have proven myself time and time again when it comes to my dedication to any task. <S> Therefore, I deem it only fair that I am granted a promotion along with the new position because of my above average performance. <S> In no way do I want to come across opportunistic, but I certainly feel this will be a good motivation for me to accept the onsite position long term.
| When you go to accept the project, ensure that you note that you believed you were going to receive a promotion, and you would still like to receive the promotion along with this project.
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Labeling employee lunches that are left in refrigerator I need a simple way for employees to label their lunches as we have a problem with people not labeling them and when getting upset when their lunch is thrown out. <Q> I've seen this issue before with communal refrigerators shared by 100 people. <S> Some suggestions that worked well: Keep several marker pens attached to the refrigerator. <S> Make the cleanout schedule a regular thing: <S> every other Friday at 3pm, for example. <S> Post the cleanout schedule on large signs throughout the kitchen. <S> Post the cleanout schedule in a shared online calendar. <S> Send several all-hands notifications (email or chat): 2 days before, the day before, that morning, 30 minutes before the cleanout starts. <S> EDIT <S> Also, if there are shared condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pickle slices, etc), label them when they are purchased, and replace them after 6 months or 1 year. <A> I think the first step is to make it easy for people. <S> The second step is to declare the consequences for not following the rules. <S> Carrot and stick. <S> So tie a marker to a string and hang it from the refrigerator door. <S> Maybe provide a convenient pad of labels. <S> You'll still get people who say, "I was just too busy". <S> So fine. <S> You say, "any unlabeled food will be thrown out on such-and-such a schedule". <S> If someone complains that his food was thrown out, you say, "We announced the policy, you didn't label your food, I'm sorry. <S> We can't have molding food left in the refrigerator for months." <S> Unless this is a huge problem -- your company refrigerator is full to the brim with molding food -- I wouldn't be too hard-nosed about it. <S> Give some leeway. <S> Oh, the ability to use a stick assumes that you have the authority to impose rules. <S> If you're not the boss or otherwise in charge of the break room, you probably can't just decide to make yourself the Lord High Inquisitor of the break room, make up rules, and start throwing away other people's lunches because they didn't follow your rules. <S> If that's the case, you have to rely on persuasion. <A> If you're a company that follows a typical work week (M-F), you need to get several clips in 5 different colors, one for each day of the week. <S> When you put a meal in the frig on a give day, use that day's clip. <S> Anything in there without a clip or the color of a clip you deem to be too old (3 days?) <S> it gets thrown out.
| If you get those clips with magnets on them, you can just stick them on the frig for their day. If you say, "everyone should label their lunch", someone can reply, "oh, I don't have a marker". Something like a cloths pin could work.
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How can I get the information I need from a colleague who doesn't want to share it? I recently started working in the IT department of a "slow" company. We have almost no documentation for our code and systems, neither as wiki nor as self descriptive code/comments. I have to do QA for a software application on which only one developer ("James") works. Through gossip, I have learned that James worries about job security. In my interactions with him, it seems that he tries to help as little as possible, almost as if to stall other people's progress. To make matters worse, we don't work in the same office. So, I can't even see if he is really busy or just trying to avoid me as much as possible. Furthermore, I have asked help from other developers who had briefly worked on small parts or bugs of "his" app in the far past, and the knowledge transfer was excellent & informative. Unfortunately, those developers don't know the whole app and have to direct me to James for help for the "bigger" issues. How do I get information out of this person so that I can do my work ? I am thinking of putting it in front of my manager after observing James some more, but I am not sure how to do it. UPDATE - How exactly is he stalling you ? By giving as little information as possible and avoiding me as much as possible. He does not tell me he is busy. Do you need ongoing input from him or are you trying to divine what his application is doing to set up tests? I need ongoing input from him about the app and tests. What exactly do you mean by "observing" ?I want to give him a few more days to see if he changes his approach to knowledge transfer. But, by not learning fast enough, I risk jeopardizing my job. <Q> If this person is behaving in the manner you're describing, then this is in fact a problem that needs to be dealt with by management. <S> It is however key that you, as a non-manager, approach this strictly from the angle of an impediment to you doing your job. <S> Do not go to management with any statements about 'James' putting job security interests ahead of the company's interests. <S> Tell them you're blocked on <S> <INSERT <S> QA TASK <S> > <S> because you don't have the information you need. <S> Ask if there's a knowledge base on this system. <S> Make sure they're aware that you don't have the information you need, but don't try to blame 'James' as the cause. <S> It's very likely that they'll tell you at some point to 'try reaching out to James, he works on that system'. <S> At that point, you'll continue to reach out him as you've been doing, but you'll CC this manager on all of your requests of help from James. <S> For a lot of people, just having that CC on the email will suddenly change both the turnaround time and the tune of their correspondences with you. <S> But if it doesn't, just keep making sure the manager has visibility into what's going on. <S> If your project does daily standups, your standup report should include something along the lines of "I am still having trouble finding the information I need on <BLANK <S> > . <S> I couldn't find anything in the knowledge base. <S> I have tried reaching out to <OTHER PEOPLE <S> YOU'VE <S> TALKED TO> and James. <S> I am still waiting on a followup." . <S> If not, try to make frequent status reports to the manager saying "I am not able to get these questions answered. <S> It takes a long turnaround time when I have to bug the developers frequently. <S> I think a knowledge base for this system would be very valuable. <S> Any suggestions?" . <S> Try to always make sure you're not coming off as 'blaming James'. <S> Eventually, if 'James' is indeed the problem, it will be obvious to them, and they will take the actions necessary. <S> Or, if management fails to act after extended visibility to this issue, perhaps 'James' is just a symptom of a much deeper management problem, and this company may not be the right environment for you. <A> Schedule a formal meeting and just for kicks, have someone else from your office join you to help take notes. <S> 2) Record your interaction. <S> Use Skype, or some facility over the phone. <S> If he's dragging his feet, you have evidence. <A> I am wondering how you're planning to do any QA if you don't have any written specs for how the application is supposed to work - it sounds to me <S> like you've been given "Mission: <S> Impossible <S> " Tell your management that you haven't found any written documentation as to how this app is supposed to work. <S> Ask your management where you are to find this documentation. <S> James is worried about his job and in my opinion, rightfully so. <S> Because I would have fired him long ago for not documenting his work and therefore making his code unmaintainable. <S> Along with the punk who commissioned this app and supervised the building of this app. <S> I don't know what management processes you see in this app, but I see dereliction of duty and abdication of responsibility. <S> But let's hold off on the rant for a moment. <S> - I don't care if he has to fake his enthusiasm. <S> Explain to management that you won't be able to do anything without James doing your bidding. <S> Have management explicitly mandate James to cooperate with you in every respect and explicitly tell James that he will be held accountable for cooperating with you. <S> Work out a testing protocol designed to elicit how this app is currently working. <S> You need to find out what this app is doing in response to inputs and at this point, this is information that you don't have. <S> Review how this app is working and report to management on any behavior of the app that you don't like. <S> The management should tell you "yes, that's the output we expect from the app" or <S> "This output does not make sense. <S> Flag your test. <S> We probably need to correct this". <S> At this point, you have a basis of reference about how this app is currently working versus how it's supposed to work. <S> Have James work out and implement any code fixes. <S> QA the app again. <S> Tell your management that you have QA'ed the app to the extent feasible and have them sign off on your work. <S> If James fails to cooperate in any way, report him to management and have management crack down on him. <S> When I don't get the cooperation I need, I extort it.
| Explain to management that the absence of documentation makes it imperative that James cooperates fully and enthusiastically with you Instead, the place to start is by talking to whatever 'project manager' is in charge of the project you're working on. Things to try: 1) Get him to meet with you at your office, or wherever your boss is. Make sure he knows your interaction is being recorded as a memorandum.
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How to deal with random people taking away our food from semi-shared common rooms? I work in a building that is semi-shared with several other teams. We have over 5000 employees in total across all the buildings we work in. My team likes to have small gatherings that include free food. As their manager, I want to ensure that everyone gets a fair share. We only have common area break rooms for these gatherings, which tend to attract a large crowd. Earlier, I ordered pizza for about 40 people. It ended up with many random people showing up and quickly taking all the pizza. At first, I took aside one person who had a pizza in his hand and questioned him. I told him I would speak to his manager, but as I walked back to my desk, I saw a Senior Vice President (several levels above him and me) taking away a plate full of pizza. I know if I complain now, it would have no effect or even retaliation by the executive. This has then been happening regularly, with people from random groups of all levels taking all of our food. What can I do to prevent this from occurring in the future? <Q> You don't need to know everyone in the office who is not supposed to eat the food, but only the people who are supposed to eat it. <S> When you put food in a common room, paste a note on the door (or in a prominent place close to the food, in case of a room with no door) <S> which says "Foo Widget Testing Team Party" or something like that. <S> In addition, let the people know at least a few hours before the food arrives , as against, "Guys, I just kept pizza in common room, go and get it." <S> Also, be present in the common room from the time the pizza arrives until a few "invited" <S> guests arrive . <S> Once a few people have "crowded" around the food, the "uninvited" guests are unlikely to grab the food due to social pressure. <A> Have the free food offsite. <S> Pick a local restaurant and go there. <S> Of course with 40 people they will want reservations. <S> Many restaurants also have private rooms, and you can either pick the food or let them order off the full menu or a subset of the menu. <S> You also don't have to worry so much about no-shows. <S> But sticking with your situation. <S> You have 5000 people working on-site and the only room that can hold 40 people and food, is a common break room? <S> I have worked in places that had either rooms off the cafeteria that could bring in food for conferences, or a room inside the cafeteria that could be used for a team function. <S> Even if there is no cafeteria there has to be rooms for large conferences. <S> Also food doesn't have to be exactly at peak lunch time, which may open up different options. <S> A word of advice if having the food offsite make sure you cover their time while going to and from the restaurant. <S> I always hate free food that I have to use vacation hours to get. <A> What can I do to prevent this from occurring in the future? <S> This one is easy. <S> Have the pizza delivered to your desk or your table in the common area, then send an email to your team that it has arrived. <S> Your team can gather in their preferred small gathering area, and you can bring the pizza to them. <S> That way, you can tell any random people " <S> Sorry, that's just for my team." <S> At first, I took aside one person who had a pizza in his hand and questioned him. <S> I told him I would speak to his manager, but as I walked back to my desk, I saw a Senior Vice President (several levels above him and me) taking away a plate full of pizza. <S> Unfortunately, you let a bad precedent develop. <S> Time to put an end to the "leave the pizza unattended and hope for the best" practice.
| If you keep food in a common room without making it clear who it is meant for, people will assume that anyone can have it.
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Impact of a negative job reference when changing jobs? Long story short, graduated, worked as a developer for a family business (tech start up) after 5 years things went sour between my employer and I. Employer mixed family and office politics which ruined our relationship. In an effort to get rid of me, employer and line manager schemed and built a paper trail based on setting impossible deadlines. I was written up for underperforming, and pressured into resigning. Since then, I have worked for many other people who are not related, as a freelancer developer and now as a project manager in my current role. My current role is my first perm role since leaving the family business. I have had no issues at all, if anything I am a valued member of the team. The company is also a tech start up that is doing much better than my family member. I am planning on changing jobs by year end, I would have had 2 years racked under my belt in my current position which I'm aware is what employers want. I am concerned though that the 5 year job might bite me in the ass if any future potential employer asks for a reference given the length of time I spent there. My family employer has already told me he would not give me a favourable reference, will disclose that I was written up and will talk about me in a negative light. Have I got any reason to be concerned - or would the future employer not bother to ask for the 5 year reference since it was a while ago, but only interested in my recent perm role? <Q> Don't volunteer references from the 5-year employer. <S> You are doing well in your current role, and that's what matters. <S> Five years ago, the technologies were different anyway and not necessarily relevant to what is expected of you today. <A> A reference does not have to come from a supervisor - if you agreed still on good terms with someone else from that company, that that's fine. <S> I'm also not sure where rule for the 3 references comes from - usually <S> two is enough. <S> You should also know that you can't give a negative reference in the UK. <A> But since after that you have gained experience of 2 year as a project manager. <S> I don't think so that you need to show your experience as a developer as there are many question you'll have to face after telling about <S> the earlier period(Which <S> I don't think have any effect on your present role as a Project Manager).So <S> I would suggest to avoid telling and referring about that period. <S> Have I got any reason to be concerned - or would the future employer not bother to ask for the 5 year reference since it was a while ago, but only interested in my recent perm role? <S> No you don't need to be concerned about <S> that as, as the time pass your earlier roles would mean less to your present role. <S> In life you would have many bad experiences in your personal or professional life.
| And for being a good employee all that matters for a company is that you are ready to move on and in your case you have already much to show that you have moved on. The worst they can do is refuse to give any reference. It would have been difficult to join a company after those 5 year spent in your family business as a developer.
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Do employers typically not like hearing negative things about their company during interviews? I interviewed for a company several of months ago (I got the job by the way) and I did some some online research and reviews on what past employees thought of the company. I usually take these reviews with a grain of salt. The biggest thing that disgruntled employees had issues with was the high turnover rate. This was a concern for me was I like to stay with a company for as long as possible. During the Q&A portion of the interview I asked: "What are the reasons that contributed to the high turnover rates during the last few years?" Interviewer was shocked and wasn't expecting that question and sort of went into defensive mode. As an American living in the UK, I don't know the norms and customs here so maybe this is a thing in the UK? Do employers not like talking bad about their company? <Q> I'd be surprised if any current employee would talk negatively to an outsider about their company during anything as formal as an interview - no matter what the location is. <S> If word got out, they could be in trouble. <S> On the other hand - this is something that you need to bring up in the meeting - and their reaction is as much of an answer as the words they use. <S> There really is no better way to phrase your question, and I disagree with Keshlam's characterisation of it as "when did you stop beating your wife". <S> The question is necessary. <S> Depending on the company (and the underlying reasons), they are either going to answer confidently or get flustered. <A> There are ways to ask what you really need to know without phrasing it as "when did you stop beating your wife". <S> "I have heard that employee turnover in your company has been a bit high recently; is there any truth to that, or anything which might have been interpreted that way" is likely to get the same information (if any) while not sounding like you are looking for an excuse not to work there. <S> Employ tactical tact. <S> Unless you are being brought in to fix a problem, or have a solution to suggest, leading with a direct challenge is probably not the best approach. <A> There is a thing called "tact". <S> If you say something negative about my employer, you annoy me, one because it implies that I made a bad choice about my employer, second because I see it as a personal attack against me and my colleagues, third because it is an attack against the company, which I know much better than you do, so in my eyes you have no right to attack them <S> (even if I might have the right and some reason myself). <S> Depending on what you say and how you say it during a job interview, it might cost you a job offer. <S> It's certainly not helping. <S> Now your lack of tact in an interview (where I would expect you to show yourself from your best possible side), would make me think that you might do the same thing towards customers, or towards your colleagues, which could be a real problem.
| Nobody likes hearing you talking badly about the thing they are trying to represent.
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How to document a bad project without shaming anybody? I've taken part in a catastrophic freelancing project full of bad decisions. I left it. As part of the handover, I have to "document my work", which essentially means I have to document the whole project (I am the first who wrote any documents on it). Now I have to explain how things are going, its structure, architecture, development workflows, etc. It is full of mistakes. Now that I am writing it, I am shocked and also surprised. The professional behavior would be that I simply write the document without mentioning anything that I think about it. Now the problem is that my name will be in this document, and thus it will seem as if the bad decisions would be at least partially mine. Of course I could explain, or at least indirectly mention, that "no it wasn't my decision". I could, but it would be obviously highly unprofessional. I could also write the documents without mentioning anything about any responsibilities. The problem is, that it would in this case shame my name, too. I can also suspect, that my (ex-)coworkers would have a tendency to shame me, instead of acknowledging their mistakes. But I obviously can't shame also their name. How to solve this contradiction? Or, in a more broad sense: what is the optimal, professional way in such a situation? <Q> Normally, you would say things like "I decided", "we decided", "our team leader decided". <S> If you say "the decision was made to do X", or "it was decided to do X", especially if it becomes obvious that it was a bad decision, that says quite clearly that you don't want to mention names, and that you deny having contributed to this decision. <A> You are documenting the system as-is. <S> You are not passing judgement on it or those who wrote it. <S> Don't worry, if the documentation is clear enough, others will pass judgement for you. <S> If the app is properly stored in various, date stamped versions, it should be clear that your document was produced well after the system was "done". <S> If the app is so big that it took several people to write it, then I don't see how this app could be pinned on you and you alone. <S> Do your job of documenting and forget the whole thing. <S> One caveat: when you document, make sure that you don't use "I" or "we". <A> Your documentation should be 100% neutral. <S> you were not the one making the poor decisions. <S> As for your new documentation, it can be done without mentioning anyone specific. <S> For example, "Tom decided to denormalize the database tables in order to make the code easier to write, but in the end it became unmanageable and hard to work with" could be rewritten as "The decision made regarding data storage was to denormalize the database tables in order to reduce the amount of code needed to be written on the app side. <S> However, the data became very hard to manage due to a lack of good relationships and structure among the data and tables". <S> This allows you to still clearly communicate the issue and what happened without blaming. <S> The assigning blame comes when you provide emails, meeting minutes, and anything else to develop a paper trail of how decisions were made. <S> Again, you remain neutral as the person who is doing the documentation, but you provide any relevant communication and let the reader come to the logical conclusion based on the content. <S> If there is an email chain where you disagree with a decision or <S> you weren't even part of a decision that ended up failing, anyone reading the email will understand it was not your fault.
| As you mentioned, you should not put any of your personal input into the documentation regarding how you feel about the project, people who worked on the project, design details, etc. If you kept a good paper trail or have the paper trail from the people who were on the project, you will be fine since it will be clear
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Extended opensource software as a side-task, how to ask my boss about to contributing it back to the community? Note, it is not a software licensing question, it is a "how to ask this from my boss" question. The IP part is here irrelevant. In my current project, I have a relative high freedom, actually the goal is only specified and I am nearly free, how do I reach it. Thus, the specification sounds around so: "Make it ready ASAP" . Now I extended an open source build tool, which is part only in the development, but not of the end product. The reason to do that it was the fastest way to reach the project goal. I did this work in my paid worktime, thus I think this code is the intellectual property of my employer. Thus, I am not allowed to make simply a github pull request from that. But, I would like to do it. Now the problems are the following: If I simply do this, it would be probably a violation of my work contract (unimaginable) If I ask the permission of my boss, it would sound like "I worked for others while you paid for me for that, now give your official consent for this" (dangerous) If I simply leave the code in our company repository, the world wouldn't profit from it. It will remain in the company repo and will be slowly forgotten (waste) How could I contribute my improvement back to the open source community, while I don't cause dangers for myself? P.s. the open source software is LGPL, which means we can extend it without contributing it back, only we couldn't sell it without providing the source. P.s.2. it is a small German company. P.s.3. having the company name in the contributors list would probably beautify its google search results (of the company). <Q> You wrote a tool that is used by people in the company, not part of what your company develops. <S> So you did not endanger your company's product by "infecting" it with GPL code. <S> Then, the GPL does not require you to contribute back changes unless you publish binaries (or, in case of AGPL, make the software with your changes accessible via the network). <S> So this seems perfectly safe too. <S> You used third-party software within what is allowed by the license to ease your work. <S> Unless explicitly forbidden, this should be fine for your superiors. <S> I doubt your boss will think you "worked for others" - after all, you wrote this tool to improve productivity at the workplace, without breaking any licenses or a requirement to make the changes public! <S> I would now go to my boss and tell him about the thing you did to increase productivity (or even mention it during a regular meeting if you have such meetings <S> and it's common to mention interesting/relevant things you did there). <S> Does he think it's stupid? <S> Then go for "waste". <S> This seems unlikely though. <S> So let's assume he thinks it's a good idea. <S> Then simply mention that what you did is based on Open Source and the community behind this project may be interested in it. <S> Combine that with the question whether he thinks it'll be OK to contribute the change back to the project under the [whatever] license. <S> He's fine with it? <S> Great! <S> Now either go ahead or possibly do some CYA by sending him an email mentioning what exactly you did again, where/how you'll contribute it and whether he sees anything you should add. <S> That way you are explicitly asking him for a reply. <S> Once you got that reply, either with a suggestion to add xyz or a go ahead, then do so. <S> And keep this email! <S> That way, if there's any trouble in the future, you can always point out that your supervisor was involved and gave his OK! <S> Whether to trust an unwritten OK or to get written proof completely depends on the company. <S> Some companies might even have policies on Open Source licenses and/or contributions - in that case I would go ahead (assuming it's within these policies). <S> If the company made Open Source contributions before, it's probably also unlikely that there will be fallout from going ahead. <A> You need to spin this so that there are clear benefits to the company . <S> I'd try this approach: <S> "To fix that problem we had, I extended open source tool X <S> and it's working great. <S> I'd like to contribute my changes back to the original version, <S> so we get bug fixes, new features and community support for free . <S> What do you think?" <A> Dear Boss, Please confirm GitHub-publishing new feature source code in tool Y , that was used while developing X , however not included as part of it. <S> Due to legal reasons, this source code belongs to the company, however, if the company decides to publish it under Y 's license because of benefits (mentioned below), I am totally OK with doing it. <S> Y is commonly used by large number of developers, even inside our company. <S> Thank you. <S> Still, I am not sure if you will still violate contract if Boss confirms this action...
| I believe, we should publish updates to GitHub, so that: our experience in the technology area is visible and recognizable the community would support and improve functionality based on this and we get all those for free.
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My employer never asked me to fill out a w4 I have been working for the Same employer for almost a year now. I have never been given a w4 to fill out for tax purposes, instead he asked me to fill out a I9. I was under the impression that the I9 form is used for private contractors, meaning I will have to pay taxes at the end of the year but he has been withholding taxes from my checks this whole time. Should I fill out a w4 anyways and give it to him? Or <Q> Should I fill out a w4 anyways and give it to him? <S> Yes. <S> The W4 just determines how much should be withheld from each paycheck for taxes. <S> It won't matter for 2016, but might for 2017. <S> For 2016, the employer already withheld at some rate, which you can determine from your pay stubs or from your W2 when you get it. <S> If too much was withheld, you'll get a refund. <S> If too little was withheld, you'll owe some taxes. <S> (This has nothing to do with an I9 form.) <A> You don't mention a country, but I bet you can ask your tax office whether income taxes have been paid on your behalf. <S> In many countries the situation will be like this: If you are an employee, and the employer doesn't pay your income tax to the tax office, the employer is in deep shit as soon as the tax office finds out. <S> It can get the company closed down, and/or makes the employer personally liable for payment. <S> If you are a contractor, and the employer lied to you about having a higher salary with tax deducted when he really is paying you a lower salary, that's just plain fraud. <A> The i9 form is not a tax form. <S> It is use for Employment Eligibility Verification and it is used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. <S> Form I-9 is used for verifying the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States. <S> All U.S. employers must ensure proper completion of Form <S> I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. <S> This includes citizens and noncitizens. <S> Both employees and employers (or authorized representatives of the employer) must complete the form. <S> On the form, an employee must attest to his or her employment authorization. <S> The employee must also present his or her employer with acceptable documents evidencing identity and employment authorization. <S> The employer must examine the employment eligibility and identity <S> document(s) an employee presents to determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and to relate to the employee and record the document information on the Form I-9. <S> The list of acceptable documents can be found on the last page of the form. <S> Employers must retain Form I-9 for a designated period and make it available for inspection by authorized government officers. <S> NOTE: <S> Also, some agricultural recruiters and referrers for a fee may be required to use Form I-9. <S> that is different from the w-9 tax form <S> Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and Certification Use this form to provide your correct TIN to the person who is required to file an information return with the IRS to report, for example, income paid to you, real estate transactions, mortgage interest you paid, acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, or contributions you made to an IRA. <S> The fact that they have been withholding taxes tells you that you are an employee and not a contractor. <S> The paycheck stubs should tell you single/married and number of exemptions. <S> So just download the forms and submit them. <S> Or contact payroll/HR to see if they have an electronic way of doing so.
| State agencies may use Form I-9. You can submit to payroll or HR an updated Federal or state W-4 at any time.
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Appropriate to reference rent prices during salary negotiation? The price of rent in the area of a potential employer has increased dramatically without regard to the rest of the state and surrounding areas outside reasonable driving distance. In fact, it appears the trend will continue and I will be looking at an entirely different situation in as little as 1-2 years. Is it appropriate to mention this noticeable trend during salary negotiations, and how they dealt with this situation in order to continue competing for talent? Surely, they want to keep a happy employee that is focused on their work instead of rent. *From my initial research, there has not been an increase in salaries for this area when compared to others outside. **Assume that relocation to the area will be necessary, and commuting is not an option. UPDATE: In response to the answers bearing similarities to the answers in this question , I am not asking a company to accommodate my personal needs regardless of the market rate for the local area. I am well aware that my value is the basis for their salary offer. What I am asking about is referencing an anomalous situation which has been reported by local newspapers. <Q> Anything is on the table during salary negotiations, but talking rent in particular is too "in the weeds" far down in the details, and gives the other side something to debate you on. <S> Instead, talk more generally that "I've done a cost of living analysis for the area, and comparing my current standard of living to what it's going to cost to live there... ". <S> Note that depending on your region, situations like you describe (high rent compared to the rest of the state) are "solvable" from the company's standpoint by you choosing a longer commute. <S> Thus, saying "cost of living" is more general, and makes it sound like you're accounting for all options (increase in rent or increase in gas / headache from commute, etc). <A> I wouldn't bring up any specific reason of why you want more money unless it relates to your ability to do the job in question. <S> It is irrelevant. <S> As Joe points out, you are not going to tie your salary to the cost of the rent/housing in the area. <S> If it goes down, you are not going to voluntarily give up your salary increase. <S> And I'm sure there are cheaper places in the area that you could get that would not warrant you needing a higher salary. <S> It does not matter why you want a higher salary during initial negotiations and <S> the company is not going to see a specific reason to want more as better than another reason (unless it is related to your capacity to do the job better). <S> It could be for a nicer apartment, you are planning on having a kid in a year, you have an expensive drug habit, it really doesn't matter. <S> Just ask for it and say it is not feasible for you to take the job if it is lower than that amount. <A> However in reality that is simply not the case, as the willingness of companies to pay different salaries for the same job in different locations attests. <S> The truth is that companies want you to work for them in a specific location , and have to pay the appropriate rate for that location . <S> From an employee's point of view, if two companies are offering the same salary for the same work in two locations, but in one location the cost of living is higher, more people will take the low cost of living location (all else being equal). <S> Companies know this, and realize they have to pay higher salaries to attract employees. <S> This also results in salary differentials between locations. <S> So yes, it is absolutely worth mentioning high rents as a factor in salary negotiations, since it would be a factor in your decision to work for this company or not. <S> Allow the company to understand that the same offer in a lower rent area would be more attractive to you than their offer in a high rent area. <S> Cost of living as a whole is probably a stronger argument, but rent is certainly a big factor in cost of living. <A> The only justification for your salary that your company is genuinely interested in is the value of your work. <S> Nothing else matters and often leaves a bad and shallow impression when brought up nonetheless in negotiations. <S> I advise against that. <S> If you want to work there, it's your responsibility to negotiate a package that makes sense to you, including your work contract, the rent you pay, the distance from your workplace, etc. <S> Same is for the company: If they are there, it's their responsibility to be able to operate which includes to offer salaries that enough applicants want to accept with respect to the living conditions in the area. <S> There's just no sense in any party complaining about anything from that field to justify their expectations in the contract. <S> The deal is "work for money and money for work", and that's what counts. <S> This being said, if they really want you, I see a possibility that you can suggest an agreement which links your salary to the average rent in the area with a certain factor. <S> For instance your salary could be changed by 0.2% for each 1% change in the average rent, up and down, whatever happens. <S> If they don't want you super much, such suggestion will weaken your position though because you'll be seen as complicated and difficult to handle. <S> In that case it's probably better to guess how long you'll want to work there <S> (let's say 3 years), make an educated guess how much more the rents will increase in that period, and add that to the salary you demand. <S> Either they say yes or no. <S> Simple as that. <S> If you finally want to work longer than 3 years there, you can negotiate again, but once again: The only justification for an increase in your salary will be your work, not the rents. <A> You can reference anything you want in your salary negotiations, whether they buy your references is another story. <S> Yes, they want a happy employee who is focused on work rather than the rent. <S> And if that happy employee turns out not to be you, they can probably live with it. <S> Don't assume that there is a critical shortage of qualified Millenials who live within commuting distance in their parents' basement.
| The theory says that a company is only interested in the value of your work, and that cost of living is irrelevant. It may not be a huge factor, but mentioning it is not going to harm you.
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