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Should I reply all if a colleague has sent a potential issue to me with several senior managers in cc? Situation: A colleague thinks he has found a (minor) mistake in a report I have written. He sends an email to me together with colleagues, managers and senior managers of our respective departments. Question: Is there a best practice to answer in this situation? I was thinking about the following solutions, which I don't find fully satisfying: Reply only to the sender. However the manager doesn't know if this is a critical issue. Replying to all in each of the future discussion, which will totally confuse the senior management since this leads to a flood of dozen of emails, where even more people join the discussion in CC. I want to avoid email flood, where the senior management receive 10-15 emails for a minor mistake. Is it a best practice to do the following way? Respond to all, stating that this is is a minor issue and that the sender will receive an answer with more details about this. <Q> Is it a best practice to do the following way? <S> Resolve the issue with the colleague privately first. <S> If you are both located in the same office, talk with your colleague, get to the bottom of the issue, and determine a resolution. <A> Depends on the E-mail. <S> There is no universal answer. <S> Sometimes it's a group discussion and everyone should hear it all, sometimes it's gathering info and only the sender should see your response, sometimes it's somewhere between the two. <S> Think about it and do what makes sense in that case. <S> And accept that sometimes you'll get it wrong, and that's OK as long as you don't do so too often. <A> If someone spams the whole team over a minor alleged mistake in your report, I don't think that you have any choice but to reply, cc'ing every person that this someone <S> cc'ed. <S> Better that the group as a whole be informed than not. <S> Better that you come across to everyone as responsive and responsible than nobody knowing that you are responsive and responsible. <A> Only respond to the managers: "I am sorry that I could not solve this issue before you were bothered with it - <S> Thanks to colleague X who identified this subtle error, I expect that it is fixed within x minutes". <A> As others have stated, there isn't a generic answer here - what the right thing to do is depends almost entirely on your office dynamics. <S> If you're not sure about the right way to approach a piece of office politics, then you need to get advice from somewhere - and in the general case, I'd say the best person to give you that advice is your manager.
| Arrange an in person meeting with your manager, explain the situation and ask them how they think you should handle this. Update the report and send it to anybody (if you like to play an especially ugly game: anybody but the colleague who pointed out the mistake). Then, Reply All to the original email with the details, the solution, and the date on which the issue will be (or was) resolved. You need to think about how many of those people really need to see your response and make an active decision.
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Does a salary raise need to be put on paper? Sitrep: So a week or two ago, my business unit manager came to my desk and whispered that I'll get a salary raise of [enter amount]. What is questioning me? This is done verbally, but I feel like it's anything but official. My business unit manager could just be saying this, but is it intended? Also, he could be saying something like a 200 dollar raise, but I could just be saying I understood a raise of 2000 dollar? When will I expect this raise? My question: Should my salary raise not be put on paper to make it official? Reasoning: My business manager is not that trustworthy as in he is a micro manager, bossing, doesn't acknowledge your work unless you're part of the 'inner circle', but I have made up my mind and am planning to move on and find new challenges elsewhere. I just want to know how salary raises are done the right way. By the looks of the answers below, I assume that salary raises need to be put on paper so that there are no misunderstandings. For now, I'll just wait till the end of this month and see if I notice any differences. If not, I'll kindly ask my business manager if it needs to be put on paper and when I should expect my raise he promised (verbally). <Q> My question: Should my salary raise not be put on paper to make it official? <S> The only way it becomes official is when it appears in your paycheck. <S> A piece of paper won't change that. <S> You could have said "Hey, that would be terrific, thanks! <S> When should I look for that raise in my check?" <S> and it would have been clearer. <A> Put simply, a verbal agreement is not worth the paper it's printed on. <S> Until this is confirmed in writing, there is no requirement for the company to honour it. <S> In addition, without an agreed date on the document, it's still not enforcable. <S> I would suggest dropping an email to your boss to "thank" them. <S> asking how much it will be and when it will be in place. <S> If it's a real offer, you should get a reply fairly swiftly. <A> In principle, if that business unit manager has the right to change your salary, then the verbal message would mean your salary is increased - the problems are that you can't prove it, and that this manager might only have told you what he thought was happening and might have been wrong. <S> He might have heard where salary raises were discussed, thought by mistake he heard your name, and wanted to tell you the good news.
| Your salary is really changed either if you have the increase in writing, or if the company actually pays you more money (of course increasing your pay without telling you would be rare and would indicate that the company is badly organised).
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Should I tell my boss that I'm stopping a medication that affects my mood? I've been taking sertraline for about 3 years, and this year I, with the supervision of my psychiatrist, decided to stop taking it by reducing the dosage slowly. Some of the common symptoms of sertraline withdrawal are ( taken from here ): anger irritability confusion dizziness sleepiness depression I don't know how I specifically will be affected, or if my productivity will be affected. Should I tell my boss or HR about it? <Q> I had TERRIBLE withdrawal from sertraline. <S> SO.... <S> Don't just quit without the supervision of your doctor <S> TELL NOBODY ON THE JOB. <S> It's not their business <S> Be prepared to take a sick day or two if you're not feeling right. <S> Even with your Psychiatrist dropping you down slowly, you can still get withdrawal, be very aware of the side effects and if you feel them coming on, address them. <S> The bathroom is always a good choice, or go home if they get too bad <S> Discuss all of this with your psychiatrist <S> If HR or your boss takes notice of any of this, get a note from your psychiatrist and bring that to HR. <S> Do not say anything other than the fact that you are under a doctor's care, and "here's the note" <A> If the side effects are going to be intense (they sound pretty serious), then maybe you should consider going on medical leave while you sort yourself out (discuss this with your psychiatrist). <S> If however, you're going to keep going in to the office, then you may indeed wish to inform your boss and/or HR that you're transitioning off some medication (with the blessing of your medical professional), and may experience some side effects which they should know about. <S> This situation is tricky because you would be voluntarily disclosing medical information. <S> However, if you suddenly snap and yell at someone in the office it might not hurt for your boss to be aware that you don't "mean it", and might need some time alone to compose yourself, or to head home for the remainder of the day. <S> Either way, I would strongly suggest taking a few days off and monitoring your reaction to the withdrawal. <A> Never tell anyone except your closest family about changes in your medication. <S> If you tell our boss or co-workers that you are going off sertraline, they are going to look up the drug to find out what to expect. <S> Having read all about its indications and effects, they will naturally assume you will now exhibit anger, irritability, confusion, dizziness, sleepiness, or depression. <S> Confirmation bias will set in and at least some of them will believe you are presenting these symptoms, even as you actually become more forgiving, calm, focused, alert, awake, and motivated. <S> (Of course, on the positive side, they will also see you as less thirsty, more trim and fit, better rested, and more potent -- assuming they have read up on the side effects.) <A> A lot will depend upon your relationship with the boss and the size of the company and its HR department. <S> that you are going to be changing some medications and that you don't expect any problems, but there's a possibility of adverse reactions that might require using a different treatment. <S> What is important is that they understand that if they notice adverse changes in your mood or other such problems and they let you know, you will be able to pass that information along to your doctor so he can try something else. <A> You don't say where you are based, but if it's somewhere with disability discrimination legislation then by not disclosing your mental health issues you have no protection under the law. <S> I would recommend always letting HR know about health issues, and usually warn my boss and colleagues about medication changes if it might affect my behaviour at work. <A> Let's assume next week <S> you act angry, irritable, or confused. <S> All not things that are particularly liked in the workplace. <S> Ask your doctor whether you would know if that happens (and if it is safe to restore the original dose if that happens). <S> If your doctor tells you that you might behave in a way that is not appropriate for the workplace, without realising it, then it might be safer if someone who works with you and who you can trust knows what's going on and saves you from getting into trouble. <S> HR or your boss if he doesn't work with you directly might not be the right person.
| If stopping the medication does adversely affect your work performance, you will need to talk to your doctor to figure out how to address the problem, but that would be a medical issue more than a workplace one. Don't go into specifics about what is being changed; there's no particular reason your boss or coworkers should need to know or care. It may be helpful to tell those with whom you have a lot of interaction (including your boss)
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Is it appropriate to ask for later flight return date for on-site interviews? I'll be flying out soon for some on-site interviews to a city I'd rather like to see. Would it be inappropriate to ask the company, who is already paying for my flight regardless, to schedule a later return date, say through the weekend? I have classmates from undergrad in the area who are willing to host me, so I could offer to have them not book a hotel room. This would likely be cheaper for the company overall. The company has not yet booked my flight. I'm in the US, in the tech industry. The job is located in this city and I'd relocate there if I were to accept. <Q> I have done both successfully. <S> The most important part is that the only thing they would change is the flight. <S> You would have to check out of the company-paid hotel and return any rental cars at the appropriate times and take care of the rest of the trip on your own. <S> For this reason, you'll still need to be flexible on your return time. <S> You could ask for Sunday PM, but you might not get Flight AB1234 at 4:37pm. <A> After all, you are actively showing that the location interests you - and you already having a network there <S> means the risk of the job not working out for social reasons (home sickness, loneliness) seems vastly lower. <A> Yes, it's fine to ask. <S> In fact, as someone who has flown people in for onsite interviews, I usually offer it and will accommodate it if the cost isn't much more. <S> I've learned that people who get some time in my city (Austin, TX) fall in love with it and are more likely to accept a job offer that brings them here. <S> As a hiring manager, I've had this asked <S> and I've even advocated for it. <S> So no harm in asking. <S> Of course, there are pennypinching and/or bureaucratic orgs everywhere <S> that will flinch, but if you're in the tech industry it's good to know if they're cheap or inflexible going in, because there's always another employer that's not. <A> Be sure to check your insurance policies! <S> The other answers already cover in detail why this is perfectly acceptable to request, and I agree with those answers. <S> However, be sure to check your insurance policies. <S> At least in my country (the Netherlands), they can make it really difficult for you to claim any damages if you combined your business trip with a private trip. <S> Seeing your flight would be on behalf of the company and would be paid for by the company, your personal travel insurance agency can claim that your extra days were not actually personal and as such redirect you to your company's insurer, who would then play the same blame-game. <S> This situation happened to me when I flew to another country for work in a different office, and stayed two weeks extra as a vacation. <S> My insurance agency did not quite agree that a vacation with tickets paid for by the company was a private vacation. <S> With persistence they'll probably fold (as they did for me), but it would be advisable to Google your personal travel insurance deal for these kinds of stories and how your specific agency handles it. <A> My company is pretty OK with employees occasionally extending a business trip for a personal day or two, as long as you are paying the extra expenses yourself, and use up a vacation day or flex time for the hours you spend on personal stuff. <S> It certainly doesn't hurt if you can suggest this in connection with a cheaper, later return flight. <S> " <S> Hey, I notice if I stay an extra day there is a $50 cheaper return flight, and to be honest <S> I wouldn't mind doing some touristy things and check out the city when I'm anyway there... <S> of course I'll pay the hotel night myself... <S> "(I'd stay in a hotel, or say it anyway, because crashing on someones sofa like a broke-ass stoner isn't the professional attitude I want to give off) <S> I think everyone can see the appeal in doing this, especially when the destination is far away, somewhere you'd never go otherwise, or in your case, will potentially move to.
| Most companies won't have a problem with this, so long as the new flight doesn't cost too much more. Yes, it's perfectly acceptable to ask both when you are interviewing with a company or if you are taking a business trip with a company you already work for. In a Danish context, this would probably not be a problem.
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Is it acceptable to discuss a medical condition when asking a colleague to reconsider leaving? A colleague of mine approached me last year and told me he had just been diagnosed with MS. Since then there has been a noticeable change in his behavior. Fatigue and stress are the two main factors now affecting his performance at work. He recently expressed that he was looking for an alternative job as he is no longer happy working for the company which he has been employed with for over 20 years. I feel his medical condition plays a large part in his morale, fatigue and stress. Is it acceptable or even legal by UK law for me to discuss his medical condition when asking him to reconsider leaving? <Q> You are trying to convince him not to leave. <S> You are fine legally. <A> Finding a way to take some of the pressure off him is far more likely to make him consider staying. <S> If doesn't matter if burnout is physical or mental; either way the proper response is to give them a chance to recover. <A> If you are his boss, you can ask him if there are some accommodations for his illness that you can make to help him be able to stay. <S> Be aware though that you don't how how debilitating this illness is (it varies wildly per person) and his physical condition may be worse than you know. <S> Sometimes, leaving really is the best option for someone with health issues.
| If you were trying to use your knowledge of his illness to make him leave, that would be a legal problem.
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How should I properly ask my supervisor for a new task? At my warehouse job, I often run out of tasks and have to go back to my supervisor and ask, "Hey, anything else you need done?" This happens often so I am constantly asking her this. Is this normal? I am still pretty new and not that familiar with the ropes yet, so there's not a whole lot I can offer. After I am done with the usual tasks, there isn't anything else I can do which doesn't require an 'OK' from my supervisor. For example, if I return an item to stock without getting her 'OK', I could be in trouble. I want to find a new way to ask because I keep asking this so often, and "do you need anything done?" sounds ridiculous. I think I need a more casual way to ask without sounding stupid or disengaged in the company. <Q> Then let her know that you are on those tasks before you start - that's because she might have tasks for you that are of higher priority than the ongoing tasks that you are about to start on. <A> I can see the problem with pestering your supervisor with "do you need anything else done?" <S> especially if it happens too frequently throughout the day. <S> I would suggest you try the below alternatives instead: Ask your supervisor for a list of tasks " <S> Hey <supervisor's name>, what are the tasks for me today? <S> Check with her if it is okay to proceed with them in the sequence she assigns, without waiting for an 'OK' before each task. <S> If not, then keep updating her when you complete each task, and wait for her 'OK' to start the next task. <S> (This also has some overlap with the next alternative.) <S> Suggest a task you want to take up next <S> This is useful if your workflow makes it impractical for your supervisor to decide a sequence of tasks in advance. <S> When you complete a task, you could suggest that you want to take up one of the pending tasks, as against asking what to do next. <S> Hey <supervisor's name> <S> , I have completed loading widget X into the delivery truck A. <S> I see that delivery truck B is waiting for widget Y, shall I do that next? <S> The supervisor would either give you the 'OK', or tell you to work on something else of higher priority. <S> I expect that in most cases , it wouldn't matter who takes up what task as long as everything gets done, so you would also reduce the supervisor's load. <A> In the early stages of any job, this feels like the case. <S> However, over time, you build a sense of autonomy and you end up just understanding or knowing what to do. <S> Through experience of the job and your experience with the Manager's expectations. <S> I would suggest to keep doing what you're doing but: <S> note tasks that you can find out that need doing on your own. <S> This is important because over time you'll be able to do this all on your own. <S> Of course, the first time you decide to do it on your own, just the first time, confirm with your manager if that's ok. <S> Usually they are receptive to such ideas. <S> Managers love employees who take initiative and who are autonomous. <S> So here's your TODO: <S> Keep a short list of your tasks <S> you've been assigned Find tasks that come up often Note tasks that pop up over and over Learn how to know when they're due <S> Do them well <S> , do them quick <S> Again learn what their triggers are and do them Before any task, confirm that your manager is ok with you doing that task on your own. <S> Just the first time. <S> If any task presents with some edge case where it affects things: Let your manager know If any task goes differently than usual <S> : Let you boss know either personally or through email. <S> This was what I asked as a newly minted developer. <S> For a while it's silly, but that's fine. <S> Over time you should get a sense of what needs asking and what doesn't. <S> I finished doing ______ <S> , what's next? <S> Good luck on the new job.
| Ask her to make you a short list of ongoing tasks that she'd like you to get done after you have finished with the tasks that she specifically assigned you.
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Salary negotiation: How to explain the US tax system to the company in other country I used to work and live in NYC. I got a verbal job offer in Shanghai, China and doing salary negotiation. They asked my latest monthly net salary (after tax), and said they will set my salary based on that.But I think that's unfair because living in NYC (high city tax) as a single I paid tax more than other people who live in New jersey or married/or have kids.We all pay different amount of tax depends on the situation and area, so even though the annual salary amount is same, each one will get different amount of monthly salary since tax differences. Since I pay a lot of tax so my net salary is low.I think net salary would not be the standard for set my new salary ranges. It's so hard to explain this complicated US TAX system to people in China wheredoes not have the same tax system. Is there any way I can explain well and convince them? <Q> Is there any way I can explain well and convince them? <S> If your employer has never hired anyone who worked in the US then you could go over the details of the impact on your take home salary. <S> Calculate your expected after-tax salary if you were to stay in the US and compare it to your after-tax salary you would get in Shanghai. <S> But I'm not sure why you feel compelled to do all of this. <S> Instead, if you feel that their offer is too low just tell them that you cannot accept their offer and ask for more. <A> Send them information from your government: US Government on citizens working for foreign company <S> If they have no one in their company who can figure this out, there's not much you can do. <S> What is really happening to you, is they're just coming up with arbitrary reasons to limit what they're offering. <S> Things like "company policy <S> , this is the way we've always done it, salary averages, ..." are just ways for the individual negotiating your salary to leverage their institution. <S> They'll tell you it is out of their control. <S> This is what negotiating is all about. <S> Remind them you have to pay taxes. <S> If they still don't get it, decline the job or take a pay cut. <S> As always, there are ways around their rules. <S> What if you start at only a 10% increase to your monthly salary, but get reevaluated for an increase after 3 months? <S> Are there are perks you want? <S> Other countries often give more time for holidays than others. <S> This could be an advantage. <S> You have to think a little more divergently and not let them control the conversation. <S> You must be willing to decline an offer. <A> Why are taxes and deductions a concern at all? <S> If they are asking for your net salary, then they probably are trying to make sure that whatever they offer you, your net salary in Shanghai will not be lower than your net salary in NYC. <S> So your gross salary is not really an issue, and neither is the proportion of taxes and other withdrawals. <S> It's up to them to figure out what gross salary they need to pay you to provide you the net salary you are requesting. <S> The N% increase (say, 10%) is the premium for getting someone like you which obviously they are not able to easily find locally (plus any cost of living adjustment, if in your favor). <S> Good luck! <A> Why not give them the full details and provide a rough calculation of how much your Gross would have to be for your net to increase by 10%. <S> SO say something like my gross salary is 100K, but after taxes and required other deductions <S> I net <S> 60K. <S> Then detail how much you pay in taxes and other required deductions like Medicare, health insurance. <S> Enclose your leave and earnings statement if you want.
| I would suggest to provide them your net salary, and ask for a N% increase to your net salary in Shanghai. All you have to say is, "I'm not going to leave my job and take a pay cut."
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Is being patriotic in office cafeteria okay? This question is related to this post here So yesterday, during lunch time, there were several people seated in the cafeteria and having their lunch. The cricket match was being played on the TV and the national anthem starts playing. One by one, everyone started standing up for the anthem. I didn't... neither did any of the people at my table (probably because they didn't notice the others). Most of them were behind our backs. It felt strange... People were standing whilst chewing on their food... and the ones who weren't felt compelled to do so seeing the others stand. Now just like I wouldn't liked to be asked why I didn't stand for the anthem, I wouldn't ask them why they did. They are free to do whatever they want. But it just didn't feel right. What do you guys think? Is this normal for a workplace? <Q> This is culture dependent. <S> Generally speaking, in your lunch break you can stand, sit, lie or jump all you want. <S> Some people decided to stand. <S> Good for them. <S> In my culture, I don't have to participate in things "patriotic". <S> I don't know about yours. <S> But it's not different in a workplace lunch break situation than in any other spare time activity. <S> If you feel compelled to do anything "patriotic" or if you feel compelled to do as your peers do is really up to you. <S> It's in your head only. <S> There is no way a workplace can change something about it. <S> It cannot tell people not to stand in the canteen and it surely cannot get into your head so you don't feel guilty not doing it. <A> Is this normal for a workplace? <S> For a workplace, no, it's also not forbidden for such a thing to happen. <S> This however is very culture specific. <S> India has a large issue at the moment trying to force people to be patriotic by saying all should stand for the national anthem in other enviroments . <S> This is the first I've heard of it in the workplace, but I wouldn't be surprised that people are so ingrained and others are so violent if you don't do it <S> , it's considered almost common practice these days. <S> There have been reports of people being assaulted for not standing for the national anthem. <S> Some of these people were not physically able to . <S> So, until this situation is sorted out, most people in India will probably stand when the national anthem is played due to either patriotism, fear, common practice, or even because of mob mentality . <S> Here's more reading on the issues they have had with this Sedition law <A> Now just like I wouldn't liked to be asked why I didn't stand for the anthem <S> , I wouldn't ask them why they did. <S> They are free to do whatever they want. <S> You already answered it? <S> If they're not trying to force you to do it <S> and they're not hurting anyone, why do you care? <S> Such drone-like behaviour is a bit weird but let them do what they want
| People can do as they wish, as a general norm.
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What should I do if I have no task to do I have recently joined a 15 people startup as a Junior Software Developer. It's my first permanent position. I works under CTO who is also co-founder of the company. He usually create one task for me (generally takes me few days to finish), explain it to me, and then I start working on it. One one of the important thing is he is not at office a lot. Two things generally happens with me: I finished the task but he is not here anymore. So I have nobody to ask for another task I am stuck in middle of a task (need some credentials, or want to discuss something). Problem with this is I cannot predict this in advance. I am working on the task while figuring out everything at the same time. And suddenly I get stuck and need immediate advice before I can make any further progress. He kind of feels annoyed when I ask for his advice even if I happily wait for more than half hour for it. Note: Since we are <1 year old startup, we don't have old legacy code that I can refactor in free time. I still don't have full understanding of the complete system. So it's bit difficult to take initiative. I have even tried creating some minor feature in free time, but they never got merged. Most likely he didn't found them useful. It's very discouraging for me at least. I have not that problem being out of tasks. I understand it happens a lot with junior employees. But I feel like guilty when I am not doing nothing. They are paying me to work, and I am not working. Also what I am supposed to do in such cases. I find it very difficult to pretend to be working (I feel I am trying to cheat them by pretending to be working). Should I play games, visit Facebook, watch YouTube, or what? <Q> If there are 15 people in your company, there have to be some senior developers around. <S> If your formal boss isn't around, talk to one of the other staff and find out what you can do to help. <A> You've also partially answered your own question: <S> I still don't have full understanding of the complete system <S> Do that. <S> Put some work into understanding the wider picture. <S> The more you understand how the system works, the better and more appropriate your future tasks will be. <A> It happened to me also, I would say to your principal that sometimes happens to you that you finish the work and you would do something more, but when he is away you don't know who to ask. <S> Just the reality! <S> I'm sure that he will really appreciate.
| Create test plans and test your own work, test the heck out of it.
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What should I do if my employee refuses to do any work? I am an owner of a small startup in UK and have a small team. I offered an oversea student (his student Tier 4 visa is end on this year Jan) an internship role from last year Sept to Dec. However, his first 3 months performance is very bad: come to work late and leave early. I don't want to renew his contract, but he promised he would work very hard and he apologies that he cannot focus on the work just because he has some problems with family. He sent an email to say sorry and promise he would work very hard and try his best to contribute to my company. So I decide to pay the visa agent to sponsor his Tier 5 visa. However, on the early of Jan, after he submitted the visa application, he suddenly refused to work any more on the second day. On our last conversation, he claims that currently he is preparing for applying big company and also applying PhD study. Thus he claims he is too busy to work. Now, he blocked my phone number, and didn't reply me email or msg. And my other employees told me that they saw this student was preparing the PhD proposal on last year intern. Because this student always pretend to be very nice to colleagues, they don't want to tell me on him at that time. Is there anyone can tell me what should I do right now? I know I should ask lawyer, but it takes time and expensive, I want to know what can I do currently and what should I prepare? I am not local people and have not clear idea about the law. One of my friend tells me that this is my responsibility that I didn't do a detail check before sponsoring his visa, so I cannot ask home office to pause his visa application and decline him. I am very angry and I don't want to pay him anymore. --- UPDATE one --- remove some sensitive information: day, location, nationality, and ethnic. --- UPDATE two --- I got advices from lawyer, and reported him to UK home office & UK border authority to withdraw his visa. Thanks everyone. <Q> Obviously you made a mistake continuing with the visa and employing after his lacklustre performance as an intern. <S> Payment is commensurate to that work. <S> Not sure about the visa - but your first stop should be to read the UK government website regarding the visa, and your obligations and rights as a sponsor. <S> Then, possibly a lawyer. <S> Whatever you do, do not take guy this back at any price or on any promise - he's already shown himself to be unreliable and untrustworthy, and unworthy of a second chance. <A> The solution is trivial to describe, but will take time and effort to see through: Get a lawyer. <S> You signed a contract with another party and that party is in breach of that contract. <S> When dealing with employment law, acting randomly without a lawyer is usually very expensive. <A> Stop the bleeding of your cash. <S> Don't give him any more money. <S> I was going to say "Don't pay him any more" <S> but you can only pay for goods bought or services rendered and from your narrative, it's not clear that he performed any services that you could justify paying him for. <S> Let the visa agent know that you are very unhappy with his performance. <S> He is a sunk cost. <S> Don't bother with him any more. <S> You're most likely are not going to get any of your money back from him. <S> In the meantime, the work that you hired him for needs doing <S> and you need to get somebody to do the work. <S> I don't know how you run your startup. <S> I am guessing that his failure to perform should have impacted your staff and your staff should have been pretty incensed with him. <S> If your staff were unhappy with him, this should have percolated to you. <S> I'd add that I'd expect your staff to be a lot less forgiving of his failure to perform than you are. <S> I can tell you that if I have to put in extra time because someone on my team is not pulling their weight, I'd waste no time going to management. <S> Next time, be quick about cutting your losses. <S> At the places where I work, my recommendation is to be fast about hiring and even faster about firing. <S> I'll have someone start in the morning <S> and I'll have no compunction about firing him that same afternoon if his walk doesn't match his talk. <S> I won't have this guy hindering my team and jeopardizing their deadlines. <A> You could go to the police and try to charge him with fraud. <S> You have evidence (that you need to keep) that he made promises to "work very hard and try his best to contribute to my company"; it is obvious that this was a lie, since one day after you paid for the visa application, he stopped working. <S> That is the definition of fraud, to make someone part with their money by convincing them of something that isn't true. <S> How successful that would be, no idea. <S> On the other hand, it is very little work for you.
| You certainly don't have to pay him - he's already broken the employment contract by refusing to work.
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Have a blog...is it evaluated by HR recruiters? Based upon your experience is it evaluated if a candidate for a job position have a blog? I mean...if I am looking for a "SQL programmer" (for example) should I give more point to the one who has a blog about SQL and database management or should I only consider the experience in more conventional workplace?I would positively consider the blog but I don't know what most of recruiters do. <Q> As an employer and interviewer, having additional information can help me gain a better view on whether the candidate is suitable for the role. <S> Having a blog, is not very interesting in itself - many people do, and many don't. <S> But if you give a link to specific items on your blog that showcase your expertise or skill, that can be very helpful. <S> Remember, a blog is useful but not completely reliable - obviously it could be content copied from somewhere else, so an interviewer will not rely on it. <A> It's up to recruitment whether they think the blog is a valuable contribution. <S> The blog by itself is not decisive but a blog along with a github in addition to your work experience and skills - that probably says something about you. <S> - it's your prerogative. <S> There is no rule that says you as a recruiter MUST consider work experience, skills set, github and blog in your decision making. <S> None whatsoever. <S> You can do whatever you want. <S> My rule is that as a job seeker, your work experience, skills set, github and blog get you an interview. <S> What gets you the job as a candidate is your performance at the interviews. <S> Critical to your performance at your interviews is the insight that you have gained from your work experience, skills set, github and blog that you are able to share/communicate to those who are interviewing you. <S> They are not hiring your work experience, skills set, github and blog. <S> They are hiring YOU. <S> No matter how strong your quals are, don't ever walk into those interviews expecting that you're going to get something gift-wrapped and waiting for you to pick up. <A> Blogs can be copied and pasted and Doesn't necessarily show your knowledge in the field. <S> It's very easy now a days to show off your knowledge via blogs <S> but they does not show your integrity. <S> For a technical development or programmer job <S> I don't think having a blog matters at all unless your blog is highly followed as that means you have more capabilities as compared to a normal dev. <S> And at the end of the day all that matters is your knowledge,which a HR knows how to know if a candidate have it or not(May <S> it be a blogger or not )
| If you are the recruiter, you get to decide how much weight to put on a candidate's work experience, skills set, github and blog
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Applying for similar jobs through same recruiter I have recently completed my masters and also worked on one SharePoint project. I have applied to 7-8 jobs with similar roles through the online job portals advertised by the same recruiter agency. It seems to be a big recruitment agency. One of the recruiters contacted me for Company A and performed a small interview via the phone. A second recruiter from the same recruitment agency contacted me about a job with Company B. My questions are: Does it make a bad impression to apply for different companies from the same recruitment agency? Should I tell each recruiter that I have been contacted by their colleague and I am engaging with them as well about other jobs? Can I tell different salary expectations to different recruiters for similar job roles? Lastly, Do two recruiter talk about their clients information such as who is applying for what? I know these are different questions but all are under the same context. <Q> The recruiter's job is to recruit you, i.e - connect you to a job. <S> So when you ask: Does two recruiter talk about their clients information such as who is applying for what? <S> It really doesn't matter to them, and they know that you have the right to apply anywhere, multiple places. <S> Different salaries? <S> Of course that is fine as well. <S> It really depends on your own situation. <S> It is very understandable to tailor your salary to a specific geography/company/job-potential/etc. <S> Should I tell each recruiter that I have contacted by their colleague <S> and I am engaging with them as well about other the job role Why would you need to do this ? <S> As long as you are sincere about the opportunities you are looking into , all is well. <S> To summarize, you are doing fine. <S> carry on ! <A> As Adel said recruiters job is to get you the best job that fits with your potential. <S> So to do this they will do anything possible to have their name high in the recruitment business. <S> Coming to your second question. <S> It is a whole team looking forward to have you recruited so different people from their team <S> May contact you . <S> Third one is common doing as salary expectation changes with demography and position you are applying for. <S> For your last questionRecruiters have hundreds to thousands of applicant at a time,So they are not that a much bothered about who is applying for what. <A> Should I tell each recruiter that I have been contacted by their colleague and I am engaging with them as well about other jobs? <S> I always notify the recruiters whenever a situation could arise that potentially could reflect badly on me if/when they discover they have been wasting their time. <S> On the other hand, by notifying them you risk that they concentrate on the job that makes more financial sense for them and not necessarily you. <A> I have applied to multiple jobs with the same recruiter. <S> They only get paid when they find you a job, so they do not care which one it is. <S> Remember that they have nothing at all to do with the companies you apply for and are competing against other agencies. <S> I would tell them if a colleague has already contacted you though, as they may want to have that one person be in charge of all your applications and they can share information. <A> I have had some experiences with recruiters, <S> so: <S> Does it make a bad impression to apply for different companies from the same recruitment agency? <S> NO. <S> The job of a recruiter is to find the best position for someone that is looking for a job, so if you think that you are suitable for more that one position is your right try to find the best one. <S> Should I tell each recruiter that I have been contacted by their colleague and I am engaging with them as well about other jobs? <S> Depends. <S> If they are from different agency the etiquette says that you have to inform only if they are trying to submit your application to the same company. <S> Example: Recruiter A: want to submit your application to company XYZ? <S> Ok. <S> Recruiter B: want to submit your application to company XYZ? <S> No, someone else already applied for me there. <S> Can I tell different salary expectations to different recruiters for similar job roles? <S> Yes, depends on how you feel for the position, but I recommend to ask for a range of salary or around a salary.example: From 30k to 32k OR around 30k <S> Lastly, Do two recruiters talk about their clients' information, such as who is applying for what? <S> Yes, usually they do if they are from the same agency.
| So it'll be wasting your time and money if you apply through single recruiter for one company and wasting recruiters reputation too as they won't have much probability of getting you the job. If they are from the same recruiting agency, no, they should know. Generally, the more upfront, honest and transparent you seem, the better.
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Should cover letter etc. be addressed to recruiter? I am new in the tech industry and am applying for my first real position. I've noticed there are a lot of recruiters and this is something I'm not very familiar with. It's my understanding that there two types of recruiters: those who work for a recruiting agency and those who are in house and work for the company they recruiter for. What I don't understand is, how is an in house recruiter any different than just a normal hiring manager? Is it because they only bring in candidates but don't actually evaluate them? This job posting contains an example of my confusion https://www.cybercoders.com/jobs/details/324117/ In what sense is Ms.Lazarus the recruiter if I just found the posting myself? When I write a cover letter I normally start with "Dear Hiring Manager" but if she is the one who's going to be evaluating, should I address it to her? If she's not the one evaluating, then how does she fit in to the hiring process? I have worked with a few recruiters before and the way things worked with them is they found job openings related to my skill set and they would discuss the position with me and then send the company my resume/cover letter. This is why I'm confused with the linked to posting, if I'm just applying by myself how does recruiter fit in? <Q> Answer: no-one cares. <S> Just send your resume/CV. <S> If they want to hire you they won't care whom you addressed the cover letter to. <S> If they don't want to hire you, it won't help that you addressed the cover letter to the right person. <A> You should address it to the potential employer either to them directly if you know there name or.. <S> When writing a letter to persons unknown just address the cover letter to "To Whom it may concern" or being realy realy formal "Dear Sirs" And remember its Yours faithfully or Yours <S> Truly at the end of a latter you don't know the recipient of. <A> Go ahead and address it to Ms. Lazarus. <S> They put her name and smiling face on the job posting for that very reason. <S> For most technical positions, your cover letter doesn't have to be too long or involved. <S> Just sell her on your skills, so that she's empowered to sell you to her clients. <A> No one likes to get "junk mail," and everyone can spot it instantly.
| Ordinarily, "cover letters" and such do not include postal address information, but I strongly recommend that they should be customized, however slightly, for the particular job and company that you are seeking.
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IT job interview and requirements I have a job interview next week and the job description does not indicate things that I must know. The only listed requirement is a college diploma. Since applying, I have heard through the grapevine that the job entails knowledge of A, B, C and D. I have working knowledge of A and B and I know that during the interview C and D will come up. How do I tell/show this employer that even though I have never done C or D in my university education, my background in IT will enable me to easily pick up C and D on the job? This is a junior position and I will be working under a more senior employee. <Q> If they didn't state it as a requirement, you may not need it to be hired; they apparently agree that you can learn it on the job. <S> On the other hand, an applicant who already has that skill will have an advantage. <S> All you can do is apply, convince them you will learn quickly, and see what happens. <S> Or develop the skill first, but by the time you do that this opening may be gone. <S> Go for it. <S> The worst they can say is no. <A> If it's a junior/ graduate position then they probably expect you not to know every subject they like. <S> This happened to me when i didn't know c# for my current job, but told them i learned a wide variety of languages in university and could pick it up easily. <S> Also, these kind of jobs often want to see enthusiasm and passion for the industry <S> so it's a good idea to make out that you will really enjoy learning those new technologies and that you have already started researching some of them. <A> If it's a junior position then there won't be a solid set of requirements as such, bar any main languages they use (i.e. c#/php etc). <S> The fact is, you have the interview. <S> This means that on paper, you have been deemed to have sufficient skills to do the job. <S> They aren't going to interview people who they know wouldn't be able to do the job. <S> Now, all you need to do is demonstrate what you know confidently, be honest about what you don't know yet . <S> If you try to blag your way through knowing C and D, you won't get the job, OR you will get the job and be way in over your head. <S> Honesty is the best policy here.
| Demonstrate your ability to learn and maybe discuss loosely C and D if you have any knowledge of them (even if not working knowledge).
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How much information to provide to my boss when taking a self-reported sick day? My workplace allows employees to take sick leave of up to one week without a doctor's note. Essentially if you think that you shouldn't be around other people or know you won't be able to work you can call in letting your project lead and secretary know and that's it. I was wondering how much information about my ailment should I be expected to provide in such email? I feel like just saying "I need to take a sick day off today." without further explanation sounds just like an excuse not to come to work. On the other hand, say I get food poisoning, do my colleagues really need to know I'm gonna be spending most of my day on a toilet? EDIT: I should also probably add that I am asking this less as a legal/rules question and more as in ethics / office expectations / conventions question. <Q> Basic explanation is expected : Flu, food poisoning, migraine, whatever. <S> There's no hard and fast rules here. <A> Short answer: <S> The less the better. <S> Longer answer: <S> It depends on a number of things. <S> How often are you calling out? <S> What is your relationship with your manager? <S> What is (if there is) <S> any company policy for less than a week? <S> How personal is the issue? <S> If you are out with some frequency, it would be a good idea to have something of substance to tell your manager. <S> If you have a good relationship with your manager, then it wouldn't hurt to offer a few details "I caught a cold from my child", "I hurt my back shoveling snow", I've got a doctor's appointment for something minor", "I've got a dentist's appointment". <S> If there's a company policy requiring a reason, if not a note, of course, you should comply. <S> Take those four factors into account, and respond accordingly. <A> It is courteous to let them know when you plan to be back, and you should probably provide some context if you are going to be out more than a day or two. <S> Beyond that, it's none of their business. <S> As long as you are only going to be out for a day, and you aren't abusing the policy, it is absolutely sufficient to simply say "Sorry, I'm not feeling well today and won't be coming in. <S> I plan to be in tomorrow." <A> This will vary between organisations but my general advice is not to provide more context (usually: not feeling well, a bit of flu, migraines etc may be said). <A> A good boss won't care as long as it's not the sixth day you're asking. <S> The company has already given you five days at your discretion. <S> Knowing real reasons why doesn't change the fact that you still get to use them at your discretion. <S> A good boss is also under no illusion that people don't use sick days when they are actually not sick. <S> Just tell them you're using a sick day, sorry of any inconvenience it may cause, and let them know if you'll be in tomorrow. <S> If it's busy at the office right now, though, don't use a sick day if you don't really need it. <S> You're part of the team and they depend on you. <S> Be there unless whatever you're doing is important. <A> If you don't say anything, your boss will probably assume you have something to hide. <S> For example, perhaps you are unfit because of a hangover after too much drinking the night before. <S> and I don't want everyone else getting it". <S> Openness and honesty is always appreciated. <S> If it's something you really don't want to share, then either say nothing or tell a white lie - it's up to you. <S> As some of the responses here indicate, there are cultures where it is more or less normal for people to "report sick" when they are not sick at all, but have other personal reasons for taking time off. <S> (Similarly there are cultures where it is more or less normal to over-claim expenses.) <S> If that's the situation, then it's very hard to advise: it depends entirely how firm your moral principles are.
| So if you have a simple and good reason for being away, and you don't mind sharing it, then share it: "I got food poisoning" or "I've got a really bad cold It's also polite to offer an expectation of how long you'll remain out of action. You don't need to volunteer any more information than you are comfortable with. Specific details are at your discretion, if your manager needs to know more then you can have that conversation when you're back at work. Lastly, if the issue is potentially embarrassing, such as anything having to do with urinary or issues dealing with the colon, or anything else you are not comfortable with sharing, just say that you're going in for tests, or something of that nature.
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Is it acceptable to make a recurring daily calendar appointment to block lunch appointments? I work in the US in a office/research environment, and typically eat lunch at 11:30. My schedule is usually pretty open, but I've noticed that lately people are scheduling many, if not most, of their meetings with me during that time. On occasion I meet with people who have completely full schedules and lunch is the only time they can squeeze in, and in those cases it makes sense and I'm happy to oblige. However, I think a lot of the time that time choice is just a casual/arbitrary decision on the part of the meeting maker. Lunchtimes in the office vary (12:00 and 12:30 are also common), so it may not seem like "lunch time" to others. I have my own reasons for wanting to eat on a consistent schedule when possible, and have been thinking about creating a recurring daily outlook appointment with the name "lunch" as a soft deterrent for people who might think that 11:30 is as good a time as any. However, I'm a little worried about how it will come off. I've seen it done in other workplaces but it's not common at my current job. I don't want to seem uppity or passive-aggressive, and I also don't want to make up anything or lie about why I want to block off that time for most meetings. Is it generally acceptable to make "lunch" calendar appointments? If so is there a better name for that type of appointment? <Q> ... <S> so it may not seem like "lunch time" to others. <S> Bingo, in all honesty, If I saw a slot for 11:30 - 12 :00 I would book a meeting in there. <S> So that's probably why this is happening. <S> I would say if people really need to get a hold of you they will message or talk to you in person to ask if you can meet earlier otherwise they will find alternatives. <A> I think it's perfectly acceptable to create a recurring appointment in your calendar for lunchtime, especially as 11:30 would be considered a little early by a lot of people (no numbers for that, just a feeling). <S> If anyone asks, then you can simply respond with something similar to what you have in the question and say you have your own reasons for wanting to eat early and on a schedule. <S> It's phrased nicely to imply that there are reasons, but they're private, so you're not inviting any further questions on it. <A> I have nearly the same issue, and my answer is to create a recurring appointment, but mark the time as Tentative . <S> That seems to work fairly well: people will mostly not use my lunch as meeting time, but will occasionally ask me if it's okay to schedule a meeting there, or in the case of larger meetings, just schedule over and apologize - but only occasionally. <S> That way I don't feel bad for scheduling the block and it has a minimal disruption on things (as opposed to blocking it as Busy ). <A> Using calendar entries to block out time on a regular basis is not uncommon in my experience. <S> (In fact, just today someone sent out a department-wide "meeting-free Wednesday (morning) <S> " invitation to help everybody get some heads-down time.) <S> I've seen people block out lunch times on their calendars, and I personally sometimes block out Monday mornings (especially after a vacation or trip) and Friday afternoons, the former to give me time to catch up and the latter to help me get out of there a little early when needed. <S> You can mitigate your concerns about how it looks by using the name and/or description to convey further information. <S> "Lunch" is a stronger deterrent than "preferred lunch time", and if the meeting description is visible to others, using that space to say something like "can schedule against this if necessary" will help. <S> As another answer suggested, marking your lunch appointment as tentative rather than confirmed also sends a signal that you can adjust this if you need to. <S> The message you want to send is "if you don't really care when we meet then please avoid this time, but if this is the only way to do it, I can be available". <A> Yes, it's acceptable to "reserve" your lunch slot with a recurring appointment. <S> I see this a fair amount in my colleagues calendars, and it doesn't cause any problems at all. <S> It's a good thing to do if you regularly have lunch at the same time. <A> It has been common practice in the offices I've worked at, and even working with a widely international team (I was based in Mountain Time and they were mostly Eastern Time) to block out a period or chunk of time for you to take breaks or eat lunch. <S> Doing this can be considered professional because it clearly communicates to any meeting planners that you are definitely not available at this time, and if they have a need for you to be available at that time, they must discuss it with you beforehand. <S> I will say that, depending on the nature of the meeting, they may ask you to be double-booked or ask you to move your lunch, but this communication wouldn't happen if you didn't block off a time explicitly for lunch.
| I would say there's nothing wrong with putting a block of time in your calendar as lunch.
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How to handle being allowed to shop with the company dime Example:Company orders lunch. They allow you take pickup anything else you may want to stock the office with or that you may want as well for lunch, for yourself. Is it a good idea to shop on the companies dime, within reason, of course, as to not insult the offer or is it best practice to not accept when the company allows you to shop on their dime? I work for a smaller business, under 10 people, and this is new to me coming from a bigger company that would employee over 10,000 employees. I feel more welcomed and believe that they want me to splurge as a way to say thank you for all that you do. <Q> Treat the money as if it was money your mother gave you to stock up her house. <S> In other words, even more diligently than you would your own. <S> When getting lunch items for yourself, go cheap. <S> When stocking up for the business, get things that don't spoil, or will take some time to spoil. <S> General office supplies as well, if you can get them are always a good idea. <S> The point is to demonstrate that you are MORE than reasonably responsible. <S> Use the perk, but use it wisely. <A> The reason they are giving you this "power" is to increase productivity at the office or for an office perk - for you and everyone. <S> I think the reasonable thing to do is ask people what they need and get those things. <S> As long as the items are reasonable (people don't need crab legs, steak or lobster for lunch) and the items would be used at the office <S> I don't think anyone would think twice. <S> Just know supplies will basically last until they are used <S> so you can overbuy but food will go bad <S> so I would start off with "average" purchases and then see if the food goes and manager's reaction. <S> As long as you are not going from spending $150 to $400 you are fine. <S> Just spend more in small increments. <S> If your manager doesn't want you to spend a certain amount they will eventually tell you. <S> I was in an office with similar culture and habit <S> and it was simply <S> so people didn't meander in and out of the office looking for food. <S> They really spent a ton on lunches <S> but I have to tell you people worked the whole day and usually were extremely happy with the arrangement (not hourly workers). <A> I worked for a small company, had a company card, and similar direction. <S> I would rarely buy anything just for me, but I would buy things that I would use the majority of. <S> Bottled water, La Croix, coffee filters/grounds/creamer, BBQ Sauce, Salad Dressing etc. <S> I got the things I wanted to have available at work, but would make them available to everyone (stored in a shared location/fridge and marked a "Community"), so it became a company perk as opposed to a personal one. <A> It's a nice perk and nobody has ever offered this perk to me. <S> Not knowing anything, I'd check with management or whoever is administering this perk: <S> Do I spend every day or can say I front load the spending for a month? <S> Yes, I am into quantity deals - most bang for the buck. <S> Can I combine my allowance with other people's so that we get quantity deals? <S> What can we get that everybody appreciates?
| Get things that are cheaper than what most of the people order.
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How to deal with an overly flirtatious friend? I have a friend who I consider lucky to have. Her kindness, intelligence and understanding helped me on many occasions since childhood. There is just one problem; she does not understand professional boundaries and her jovial and joking manner that could be considered "cute" or "endearing" in high school is creepy, perverted and inappropriate at the workplace. She is attracted to one of our colleagues and has no compunction bothering him in the middle of his work, lunch or any other time. She would go to him and make lewd remarks. For example, "Hey can you play with my Pooku , she'd love to see you." The poor guy thought Pooku was her niece or daughter and did not know that it meant the vagina in our native tongue. Initially, he would listen to her blather good-naturedly, but now the problem is so bad that he cringes and stiffens every time she sits next to him. I'm worried that one day he'll decide enough is enough and complain to our superior about sexual harassment, which may result in her getting sacked without notice. I would not want that to happen to a dear friend of mine. On more than one occasion, I warned her about this inevitability and got only careless replies from her, "You're just jealous that I'm not flirting with you" or "He likes it, just pretends not to." Can anyone offer me advice on how to deal with this without losing my friend? Edit: Please explain the downvotes and how I can clarify my question. <Q> Your friend is clearly living in her bubble. <S> You are going to be the one who has to figure out how to punch a hole in her bubble and burst it because none of us can help you with that - we don't know her and consequently, we have no idea how to reach her. <S> Her delusion is that the world reacts in the way she expects it to react when she acts in the "flirty" way she does. <S> What's "flirty" to her may very well be sexual harassment to someone else <S> and she needs to drop that delusion before the reality check comes in <S> and she is made to pay a price for her delusion. <S> You've tried talking to her. <S> Try something else - maybe get her mother or her siblings on the act and have them talk to her. <S> Read her the chapter of the employee manual on sexual harassment. <S> Have the person she was flirting with send her a private email to her private email using his private email account - as long as he is not hostile to her and as long as he is not cringing at the idea of using his private email ( <S> **). <S> Basically, my suggestions to you amount to throwing paint on the wall and seeing what sticks. <S> Maybe you can think of something else <S> (*). <S> Keep trying to reach her directly and indirectly. <S> (*) <S> HLGEM suggests that you have HR arrange sexual harassment training for your entire group <S> - I think it's a great idea. <S> HR needs to be explicit to everyone what it considers to be sexual harassment, how it handles allegations of sexual harassment and what the penalties of sexual harassment can be. <S> I'd say that a few too many of us have our own self-serving definition of what sexual harassment is and right now is a great time for HR to weigh in with how it defines sexual harassment. <S> And states that its view is what counts in the context of this particular workplace. <S> ( <S> **) <S> He can create a throwaway private email account and use it to communicate with her private email account. <A> Are you sure your friend doesn't understand the professional environment? <S> I agree that the behavior is non-standard and perhaps even risky employment-wise, but some people are risk-takers and therefore often more direct. <S> Calling it 'perversion', seems a step too far. <S> Being based in Denmark, I cannot evaluate what the actual risk of being terminated for sexual harassment is in your locale; whether it is a no-tolerance transgression or warnings precede more drastic measures. <S> My guess would be that sexual harassment performed by females is dealt with more leniently than when the perpetrator is male. <S> You cannot make her agree or conform to your standards. <S> However, if your friend is given a warning, she might be more sympathetic to your view - but until then, she is doing as she sees fit. <A> There is, alas, no way to force someone to listen to you, and certainly no way to force them to accept what you have to say. <S> You can try to find a manager (perhaps one not in her direct reporting chain initially) to tell her unofficially that this has been noticed and is over the line for acceptable workplace behavior and that the next talk will be with someone who can make it a "you bet your job" situation. <S> Or go directly to her first-line if he counts her as a friend and a good employee otherwise. <S> In my company, there was a quietly famous new-hire lecture which memorably expressed the policy as "Sex is forbidden on company time and furniture. <S> " If she can't invite the guy out and flirt with him elsewhere, it's going nowhere and she should knock it off -- or at least tone it down to a level that does not make people wince. <A> The one other concrete suggestion I can give you is, As you've said, she could get in trouble for sexual harassment. <S> You might point this out to her. <S> That is, instead of "you're being annoying and embarrassing yourself and others", say, "the company has a policy against flirting with people at work, <S> whether you think this is a reasonable policy or not, you could get in trouble, maybe even get fired". <S> Or depending where you live, maybe even "get into legal trouble". <S> Indeed that approach can be to your advantage: you're not being judgemental, you're not insulting her, you're telling her that someone ELSE is being judgemental and insulting. :-) <S> Ultimately, though, I presume that she is an adult. <S> While you can try to help her, her life is not your responsibility. <S> You can give her advice. <S> There's not much you can do beyond that. <S> If she doesn't listen and things go badly, that is her responsibility, not yours.
| You can try to get others to talk to her; you suggested parents. Have another friend than you talk to her about how dangerously close to sexual harassment her conduct is, regardless of her intentions. You may have to get in her face and irritate the hell out of her. Your friend is an adult, so all you can do is carefully state your actual opinion - that she is treading a risky path.
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How to highlight a language certificate in a resume/CV? When I learned Russian, I did an official examination and got a certificate assessing my language level. As this certificate is quite hard to get (it is the equivalent of a C1 CEFR level), I would like to highlight it. How can I do that on my resume? Should I make a comment about it in the language skill section or put it in education? Disclaimer : my question is not about how to indicate languages on a resume , but specifically about highlighting a language certificate. <Q> Depending on how relevant Russian is to the job being sought, it could go two places: 1) <S> If important, put it near the top with info such as nationality, marital status and so on 2) <S> If it's just a side note - and you have more certifications - perhaps list them all in a separate section <A> I would make a section Language like this after education section: +----------+-----+|Language <S> |Level|+----------+-----+|English <S> |C1 <S> |+----------+-----+|Russian <S> |C1 <S> |+----------+-----+ <A> If you have other certifications, I'd put it with the other certifications along with a date received. <S> If languages are important for the jobs you're applying, I'd put them as a separate category along with the cert, again with the date you had received the cert.
| And if you really want to highlight it and have a profile section and a cover letter, I'd mention the cert in both the profile and cover letter.
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Does returning to a previous employer look bad on a resume? A year ago, I left my job for a new one. That didn't work out for several reasons, and my year contract ends soon. It so happens that my old employer is offering me my old job back (their initiative). I loved the people there and the organization has improved, so I'll probably accept. I just have one doubt: say that at some point in the future I will be looking for work again, how will this look on my resume? How much of a red mark is it? <Q> Why do you think it's a red mark? <S> I did pretty much the same thing: tried a startup that tanked after a year and went back to my previous gig. <S> No problem at all. <A> I would take it as a signal that you got along well with your old employer even after you parted ways the first time. <S> That's a good thing. <S> If you had quit or had been fired from your current job, I would be afraid the same might happen with my company and you will be back with the old company as your fallback at the smallest problem, but a contract running out is a good reason to change employers and I cannot find anything bad about that. <S> I would not consider it a red mark. <S> But hiring people is not exactly hard science, other people might think different. <A> If they are offering you a senior designation than what you had before then this will be good for you!This <S> will show you are reliable, capable, a team player and a smart person. <S> In your resume, you can just give a summary of what designation you were on earlier, and what designation you are now working on. <S> Also to your future employers, you can mention the positive side of it during the interviews. <A> Future employers will likely ask you what happened. <S> This is very common, and I would do so if I saw this situation on the applicant's resume. <S> Simply being truthful (something I recommend no matter the situation) and explaining that you left and they asked you back when the new contract ended, should be sufficient. <S> Personally, I would be curious and think "there must be a reason that they asked this person back.".
| It shows that you quit the first time without burning bridges and that your previous employer thinks highly of you, otherwise they wouldn't want you back.
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Having an Staff Older than I am Just want to share a bit of a background before I ask my question: Background I am a 25 year-old IT Practioner with around 4 years of Experience. I have had a solid 1-year experience in managing personnel during my tenure with a previous High Performance company, in which my position was a Senior Engineer, but i was given a Lead role (Team Lead, Technical/Functional Lead, Subject-Matter Expert). I was recently (July 2016) hired as an offshore Application Support/Development "Lead" in another BPO Company And I am the pioneer on this Offshore team. Question/Problem Now, I am tasked to interview an applicant with Over 15 years experience in the IT Field.My manager mentioned that if the applicant will pass the interview, he will work directly under me as one of my staff. I haven't had the experience in handling personnel that are older than me by many years.He is presumably as old as my father so I'm feeling quite awkward and intimidated. How can I somehow make this less awkward than it is and maintain the relationship as Lead/Staff without him feeling disrespected? <Q> Treat him like you would any colleague your age. <S> I would definitely ask him though, "How do you feel about working for someone younger than you and even with less experience?" <S> That way you're addressing it right away <S> and it's not the "elephant in the room" that nobody talks about. <S> You're superior to him by position. <S> Act it. <S> Don't be intimidated. <S> Respect his skill and experience but don't let him push you around either. <A> I am in my sixties. <S> Competence is. <S> The best boss of my career was half my age. <S> My current boss is more than 20 years younger. <S> After you are in your forties, this starts to happen naturally. <S> If you have moved up that quickly, you obviously have something that your company likes. <S> Many devs don't want to be managers and, of course, their managers are going to be younger after they reach a certain age. <S> It is normal and expected. <S> Sometimes a person gets moved through a corporate change to work for you or competed for the same job and didn't get selected. <S> Those are the people more likely to resent your age. <S> The key is to not let something like this fester. <S> If you find that there is an attempt to undermine you or insubordination, address it immediately and let them know that the behavior will not be tolerated. <S> If they continue, get rid of them (moving to another team can be the solution not necessarily firing) because nobody long term needs a snake on their team. <S> I remember once, my very young boss took over some long term employees (all older and more experienced) who didn't want to work for him. <S> We got about ten minutes into our first meeting and he took the most negative person out of the room and when he came back to the meeting, the guy had been moved to another team because he was not willing to behave as a professional. <S> That's what I mean about not letting it fester. <S> Stop it in its tracks the first time someone acts resentful. <S> Make sure you clearly express, in private, why the behavior is unacceptable and what acceptable behavior would be and then act again if the person is unwilling to behave appropriately after being counseled. <A> Until the candidate gives you a reason to believe otherwise, I would enter the interview assuming that your age is a non-issue to the candidate. <S> Not everyone is interested in becoming a lead/manager and are happy staying in just the developer role. <S> Make it clear this position will be reporting to you and what that will entail. <S> You can provide the candidate with your own experience so they can ask you any additional questions. <S> No reason to make your age a topic, only experience. <S> Personally, I would shy away from asking how they feel working for someone younger <S> but you can ask how they feel working for someone less experienced. <S> HR may frown upon you asking questions that imply that you have concerns about them being older even if it is unlikely to cause a legal issue. <A> If he gives you any sense that he's going to feel disrespected, then he's not a good fit. <S> You need a thick skin to be in IT. <S> If he's not up to dealing with you, he's not up for the job. <S> That said, don't go in with the assumption that it will be awkward for him. <S> You don't want to project your concerns onto him and see things that aren't there. <S> You're the manager, you've earned the position. <S> Go in with that understanding and you will command respect. <S> If you command respect, you don't have to demand respect.
| Simply assume that once he has met you in an interview that he will know you are younger and if it is a personal problem for him, then likely he would not accept the job. I have worked for people both older and younger than me and age is never an issue. Do not let his age or experience intimidate you.
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How do you replace key employees when you don't have the budget? I am a project manager in a tech start up and a key colleague is leaving over pay, where I have not been given the budget to properly replace him. Boss wants me to replace an experienced hire with an unpaid intern. I have told my boss that this is a really bad idea, but he feels that we will get by and is not listening to me. He also gets irritated when I make him aware of the risk from letting him go. I am now really concerned that even if I do find a replacement he won't have the skills to help me sign off work adding to my stress. If that happens I will be accountable for failing to deliver the project. How can I persuade my boss to change his mind and give my colleague a pay rise? <Q> Your company doesn't have the money to keep someone who seems like a good employee. <S> Now they want to replace someone who was been doing important work with an unpaid intern. <S> I think you should see where this is going, which means you update your CV, update your linkedin profile, and look for a position at a company that can afford to pay you, and other good employees, a decent salary. <S> As usual, you give notice when you have a signed contract, and not earlier. <A> There may be no good solution to this. <S> There are several bad ones. <S> The fundamental problem is that your boss plans to hold you accountable for a project which you do not have the necessary resources to complete. <S> Sounds like either <S> The project is delayed <S> The project is of poorer quality <S> You and your team go above and beyond the call of duty to meet unreasonable demands <S> Your boss allocates the appropriate resources to this project Your most responsible course of action is to seriously, politely explain to your boss that these are the options and that one of them will happen if he replaces the experienced hire with an intern. <S> Don't tell him that this is a "risk". <S> Explain in no uncertain terms the consequences of this replacement. <S> The sooner you do this the better. <S> If your boss refuses to accept your evaluation then stop explaining and pick one of the first three options. <A> The problem is your boss does not think you are a good employee. <S> He would rather do your job for you, even if that means ignoring your analysis in favor of what he has surmised you were trying to tell him. <S> Please deal with that problem. <S> You can try writing a detailed question for us where you talk about what went wrong in your relationship with your boss that has led to this situation. <S> Or you can do lots of reading on your own on what is a rich and complicated topic. <S> Sure, you can leave, but as it stands you'll be a second-in-command who leaves whenever you can't properly manage your own relationship with your boss. <S> That's quite a critical skill to be missing. <S> (Or maybe you really are talented and your boss really is not. <S> In which case, sure, you can leave.) <S> Just some ideas, of things you can say or ask your boss: <S> "I was wondering if you could tell me what you think <S> made him a stellar employee?" <S> "Do you admire his position? <S> Is there anything about it <S> you feel you can't do?" <S> "I'm worried that we've been making mistakes on issues that I had the right insight on." <S> (riskier! <S> but more on the right topic!) <S> "I view employee recommendations as a really critical part of my job and think I'm good at it. <S> Are there other skills that you value in me if you don't want my opinions on these matters?" <S> You also have the option of strategically jeopardizing your relationship with your boss over this. <S> "This is a big deal. <S> We will fail if we mess this up. <S> I will not work on a failing startup." <S> But like I said y'all got problems. <S> So good luck. <A> So for me, there are only 2 remaining avenues: <S> Get a new job and get the hell out of there. <S> Hire an intern and hope for the best. <S> Either the boss is rubbish, or the company is in trouble. <S> Either way, this doesn't end well for you <S> and there's not really much you can do about it. <S> Perhaps if you issued an ultimatum (say to your boss, we need budget to hire a guy or i'll leave) <S> it would highlight the severity of the issue. <S> BUT, this could leave to you having to hand in your notice without a job lined up. <S> If your boss isn't listening, then it's a desperate last throw of the dice. <S> I wouldn't necessarily suggest it, but if you want budget for a guy, then it may be the only way to get through to him.
| As above, look for a new job.
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Facing difficulties in learning new programming language in company I'm an 3rd IT student in development doing a "hybrid" course. To be more specific I spend 50% of my time in school and the rest in a company. They do pay me (around 80% of the minimum wage in my country) and they do pay my training (school). Since I started to work in my company (September 2016) my skills in programming were sufficient and if I had any difficulty I always managed to succeed at my tasks by learn on the web. Since few days I'm getting really stuck on my web project using AngularJS which I perform alone. My training course does not include this language so I can hardly ask them for a technical support. My colleagues are doing a huge Sprint on their project so I can't ask for a support at the moment. I begin to get worried about my situation. Specifically in AngularJS which I consider quite hard, complex and very different from what I've learned from here. How should one proceed in facing early career technical challenges when support is lacking? PS: English is not my native language and I apologize for any grammar/spelling mistake. <Q> If you are stuck on a project because you are lacking some required skill <S> then you should tell your manager that you are lacking that skill, and it is up to your manager to decide what to do. <S> Imagine you have a colleague who is in exactly the same situation, but you have the skill that he is lacking <S> and he has the skill that you are lacking: Your manager will just swap the tasks and everyone is happy. <S> If you don't tell your manager, you and your colleague both suffer and waste lots of time achieving nothing. <S> The obvious choices for your manager are to either give you some other task, or to tell you to learn the required skills, knowing that this will take some time. <A> You might be spending much time to find the answer that you might spend to learn the language. <S> Step back and spend a weekend or your few evenings and try to complete some courses end to end. <S> It will get you going and you going. <A> Your manager would much prefer to know sooner rather than later that the project is having problems so tell them now, not just before the delivery is due. <S> Just because your colleagues are busy, don't assume that they won't be prepared to help you. <S> May be someone will be prepared to work a bit of over time to help you out, or they'll do your code reviews much more quickly etc. <S> You won't know until you to talk to them. <S> Secondly, look for support outside work. <S> There are plenty of forums where you can get help with specific problem so make use of them. <S> You'll probably have to do this in your own time <S> but it will help you get up to speed. <S> For example when I was learning Angular, I wrote a simple page that would calculate how many rolls of wallpaper you would need to paper a room. <S> Finally evaluate if there is a different technical approach you could take. <S> For example I found Angular a lot easier once I stopped having to rely on my terrible JavaScript knowledge and used CoffeeScript instead. <A> I begin to get worried about my situation. <S> Specifically in AngularJS which I consider quite hard, complex and very different from what I've learned from here. <S> It is also extremely thriving, popular, community-driven, and with a huge amount of literature on it. <S> Try: <S> Udacity, Khan Academy, Coursera, etc. <S> Buy an O'Reilly book or similar <S> Read a bunch of different tutorials on it <S> Find sample projects on github, read their code and modify it <S> Read articles comparing it to what you know <S> an excellent SO article Google lots of specific questions and read up until you solve it <S> Both focus on getting very specific tasks done anyway possible and learning more of the theory that makes the framework work <S> And so forth...
| If your having problems with some of the concepts rather than specific programming problems, do some simple sample projects to help you understand what's going on. First raise the issue with your manager and colleagues. Find resources that work for you and keep looking!
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How to respond when contribution to open-source projects is a pre-requisite for a job? Job advertisements for software development roles are increasingly listing contributing to open-source software as a prerequisite for applying. Typically, they ask for a applicant's github profile or equivalent open-source project profile for evaluation. It seems unfair that programmers level of competence for job roles are partly (or perhaps entirely) determined by their efforts working on open-source projects. It suggests that programmers are supposed to go home after an 8 hour work day and then... continue coding. Why do some employers require participation in open-source? How should one handle being asked about this if they don't contribute to open source code? <Q> Open source contributions are one of several ways to demonstrate your ability to be a programmer. <S> Others include: having worked at other tech companies answering difficult technical questions in an interview being recommended by the hiring manager's friend straight <S> A's in college <S> All of which are valued to different degrees by different people. <S> Many very talented programmers have no open source work because they work very long hours at their prestigious tech jobs where they write other software. <S> Their careers go on fine. <S> But, on the flip side, if a programmer wants to go home and write challenging open source code, I think it would be very unfair for an employer to not hold that in high regard, if the candidate additionally interviews strongly. <A> This is location specific at best. <S> I've never seen it in several countries and such a requirement would disqualify almost every programmer I know and 100% of the ones in my current location. <S> So, no, it's not a reasonable expectation for programmers applying for a role. <A> I think you are making too much of: <S> Typically, they ask for a applicant's github profile or equivalent open-source project profile for evaluation. <S> I don't take that as they expect an open-source project or even a github profile. <S> They would like codes samples from you and want to know if they are available. <S> If you don't have code samples then they will either need to forego code sample(s) or give you a problem statement and ask for a code sample. <S> Anymore employers are going to want code samples especially with little experience. <S> Create a github and post a couple code samples that show off your strengths. <S> As for how to respond? <S> Simple, I don't contribute to any open-source <S> and I don't have a github. <S> Don't imply it is an inappropriate question. <A> How should one handle being asked this if they dont contribute to open source code? <S> You can try to avoid the issue by networking more. <S> If someone already at the company recommends you, the application requirements may relax quite a bit. <S> You can also ask if they have a coding challenge you can complete instead. <S> (for this to work you may need to acquire an interesting hobby). <S> Depending on how the interview has gone until then and whether you're still remotely interested in the job, you could turn that question around and ask why open source contributions are so important to them and whether they might be ruling out excellent coders who simply want to do something else with their evenings and weekends. <S> This may remove you from consideration for that position, but it doesn't sound like you would be happy at a company that expects programmers to train themselves on their own time anyway. <A> If I was asked: I have a family, and I don't work for others for free. <S> If you think I should spend working 10 hours a week for free on open source projects, that's fine with me if you give me a 25% raise. <S> Otherwise, I have better things to do. <S> If your business is creating open source software, that's also fine with me, but I'd be curious how you are making money, and I prefer to work for businesses that make money and can afford to pay me. <S> BTW. <S> I've never been asked. <A> This question is still rare where I live, but the answer I give is no different than the answer I give when asked for samples of prior work in an interview: I cannot provide anything current as it is still covered by various NDA's Generally <S> most places are going to ask for some form of NDA over something anyway <S> so they usually do not balk at this answer.
| If they directly ask why you don't contribute to open source, you should tell a nice story about how much more productive you are at work when you do something different during your off hours and how much you've learned from doing [some interesting hobby of yours]
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Dealing with an unhelpful senior developer, how to? I work as a junior backend developer at a company. It's been two months now. Ever since I joined, they wanted me to pair program with another senior developer. However, since the deadlines were near, this Mr. Senior decided to delay explaining the codebase until after the release. Fair enough. (I've tried to read as much of it as I can but there's too many moving parts and it's hard to understand what goes where.) So now that all has been done and dusted, he's still reluctant to explain what the code does. (It's a lot and it's spaghetti). I tried being upfront and telling him that I'd require him to explain to me what his code does because Mr. Manager expects me to make changes to it. Mr. Senior came up with the most bizarre excuses and declined. He wants me to just stay away from his codebase. Do I escalate this to Mr. Manager? (and potentially make enemies with other devs) or what'd be the right way to deal with this? <Q> It's concerning that the company lets a Senior Developer be the only person with knowledge of a codebase; the Bus Factor ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor ) is one, which is a very undesirable number. <S> Send an email to the Senior Developer, asking for a meeting to discuss the codebase. <S> Either he'll refuse by email, or he'll attend the meeting and give you the same excuses again. <S> Minute the meeting, then discuss it with your manager; at this point, it becomes your managers problem, not yours. <S> You're being stopped from doing your job (if you had daily project scrums this would have come out long ago), so your manager needs to know. <S> Stick to the facts at all times. <S> Basically, if you can't do your job, you're the one who'll be fired, not the Senior Developer; so make sure your manager knows the situation. <A> You are going to tell Manager that Senior has to take a more pro-active role in helping you make sense of the codebase. <S> I take it that nobody has bothered to compile any documentation worth reading, <S> right? <S> If this is the case, you might have to explicitly document the codebase or at least the part of the codebase you are working on before you can do anything else including writing additional code let alone refactoring. <S> I have no idea why you'd think that you'll be making enemies out of other devs but whatever. <S> Indisputable fact #1: you are not going to be able to do anything unless you can make sense of the part of the codebase that you'll be woking on. <S> Indisputable fact #2: if you are assigned deliverables and you don't deliver, Manager will be looking for someone to blame not excuses. <S> And you fit that role perfectly. <S> Confer with your manager. <S> Make it clear that Senior's putting a low priority on working with you is a showstopper for you. <A> It's very possible that everyone knows what an impossible jerk the senior is to work with. <S> It is because you are junior that you have been stuck with senior. <S> Asking for advice is a good idea. <S> Getting the resources to accomplish the necessary tasks is definitely the job of your manager. <S> If you didn't have a desk or a computer, you'd go to the manager. <S> A second source for advice may be HR. <S> It depends on who you feel most comfortable with. <S> Staying silent is the worst, as the job is not getting done, and you are obviously not doing it. <S> And you have probably been assigned to senior because everyone knows senior isn't working up to snuff. <S> Senior probably has complained s <S> /he isn't getting enough help. <S> Thus, a new assistant (you) has been assigned. <S> There is more going on here than you know. <A> It is your job at stake if you don't perform as per manager's expectation!So <S> I suggest, you should discuss this with you manager and also provide some possible solutions from your end. <S> Ask your manager if there is any knowledge transfer(KT) plan? <S> If yes, then request him to set up a daily meeting with the senior developer and ensure the plan is followed. <S> If no then ask him if seniors can create one? <S> As it would be beneficial in future as well. <S> If the product is big you can ask your manager in which specific module you should focus on. <S> Refer the internal product Wikis, Forums and documentations and try to get more insight. <A> I just want add a thing over the ones that are being said before,Remember that if you do something just for doing your work, it can't be bad. <S> Actually you are not being able to do your work as junior developer, for my carrier i would do everything to work better. <A> Simply email your Senior Dev, cc your boss and say something like <S> "Hey, Boss has asked for us to have a session to go through the code as he wants me to help you on X. I can see slot is free in your calendar, or is there another time you'd prefer." <S> You can even add something jovial like "I'll bring the biscuits" or something, if you feel it may annoy the senior dev, or if you want to appease him etc. <S> Make it look like a reasonable sounding request, include the manager <S> so if it doesn't happen, you have a paper trail saying you did what you could to organise. <S> Then if you get no response/negative response then your manager will see it and sort out accordingly. <A> I don't think I would be inclined to take this too personally, it could be that the senior developer is simply not good at explaining things. <S> That's a lot more common that you would think. <S> Software developers are not always the most communicative people. <S> I have 20 years of experience myself and started on a new project last year. <S> I quickly discovered that he was not very good at explaining, partially because he knew the software TOO well. <S> I suggest you do your best to dig into the code and learn it as best you can in your available time. <S> Read documentation (if there is any). <S> Draw pictures. <S> Whatever helps. <S> You may find you even impress your coworkers and manager with your initiative and your ability to pick up the project. <S> I can't hurt to mention to the manager that you aren't getting much information from the senior person, but watch it, you don't want to get a reputation as a complainer. <S> If you can't get the information from the assigned mentor, find someone else to ask.
| If there is any way to ask your manager for advice about how to better get your job done you accomplish both informing the manager, and also may get advice you can follow. I was told to use a person who had been on the project several years as a resource to explain the project, the code, and my tasks to me. Get some local help.
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Employer changed duties - possible bait and switch? I have some experience in software QA. I recently accepted a junior software QA role to develop test automation code for a big international company. I have to maintain and just run test automation code for one app which might not have any new features in the future. This is bad for my career because I won't be creating new tests and new test automation code. But, the worse thing is that due to business needs (which I checked), they put me into manual testing of apps. I understand that an employer can put me into any kind of QA work and I think that my contract said something like "responsibilities include but not limited to...". But, I am not happy about this. I don't want to do the current work and instead, focus only on developing test cases and automating them. Manual testing is fine only as long as its unavoidable and necessary. How do I approach my manager about this ? Should I wait for a while and see if things improve or should I request that I join another project ? <Q> How do I approach my manager about this ? <S> Should I wait for a while and see if things improve or should I request that I join another project ? <S> Ask yourself what you want to gain from such a conversation. <S> You say they re-assigned you because of a "business need". <S> In that case, even if you complain to your manager, they'll probably leave you in that position, because it's a business need. <S> All that ends up doing is make you look bad. <S> You should evaluate for yourself if you'd be happy with your current situation, and for how long you're willing to wait for them to improve. <S> If you reach that threshold, leave for a new job. <A> But, the worse thing is that due to business needs, they put me into manual testing of apps. <S> This is the line that grabs me. <S> The company needs your skills to help them with a need right now. <S> It’s <S> not right for you <S> but it is right for the business and, at the end of the day <S> , that’s what’s important to them. <S> I think that my contract said something like "responsibilities include but not limited to...". <S> The company I work for has three locations. <S> My contract says that my place of work is location A but this may change due to the needs of the business or, if I was to take this literally, I could be in for a 240 mile daily round trip to work if they decide to relocate me. <S> It’s unlikely to happen <S> but it’s in my contract <S> and I signed it, same as you did. <S> So what can you do? <S> If it’s just this one task you‘ve been asked to do then get over it, and quickly because every job you’re going to have throughout your life has tasks you won’t want to do <S> and you’ll find yourself changing jobs every few months. <S> If it’s the company culture or something else <S> then that’s <S> different but first you need to identify why you’re so keen to ditch this company so quickly. <S> You could try talking to your supervisor, explaining that you’re doing the manual testing <S> but it’s <S> not what you’ve been hired for and as soon as an appropriate task comes up, you’d like to do it. <S> It almost certainly won’t make a bit of difference. <S> Your supervisor wants to get this task done <S> and he’s chosen you for it <S> but if you really feel you need to, then talk. <A> A test suite is not just automated test suites, tests need to be analyzed in depth and documented. <S> Take it as a training for better test analysis, you will learn to document an acceptance protocol.
| Find another job would be the quickest answer but you would have to ask yourself why you’re so keen to leave so quickly.
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Can it be seen as negative having applied for a job posting late at night? Given my current schedule (including work) I am often up very late at night. I am looking for a new job and was wondering, does it look bad if a employer receives an application form at 3am or sometime where most people are sleeping? I am looking for more regular jobs (around 9-6) and expect to have to adjust my sleep schedule and am prepared for this. <Q> Short answer: no . <S> The hiring manager will come in the next morning, have 3 new applications and won't care enough to look up the time-stamp when exactly they came in. <A> If you are in current employment you might have no opportunity to apply for other roles during the working day, so applying for jobs at night is pretty much what most people have to do. <S> For companies who perceive this as negative, they would have to make assumptions as to why you applied late at night, and if they do that then you should ask yourself do you really want to work for them? <S> You will find that most don't even look at the time in which an application was received, a lot of HR departments deal with printed CV and cover letters and will never even know when you applied for a job. <S> Smaller companies might know, but are unlikely to care. <S> The biggest factor in terms of when to apply for a role should be making sure you apply for the role as soon as possible. <A> Absolutely not. <S> There are at least 10 reasons that I can imagine for why you would apply late at night, and none of them would be of any interest whatsoever to me as an employer. <S> I'd hazard a guess that the majority of the employers doesn't even look beyond the date portion of the timestamp, at all. <A> No. <S> few people, if any, look at the timestamp of an application. <S> I don't. <S> Even if I did I would simply assume that you were employing a tactic to submit as late as possible to be the first application I saw when I got in, so if anything I would think you were either clever or using every available moment to job hunt. <A> Generally I agree with what Agent L and Jonathon Cowley-Thom have said. <S> Depending on what kind of electronic application system the employer is using, they may not even be able to see the time that you applied. <S> In general I think it would take a lot for a hiring manager to consider that. <S> I'd also like to point out that when it comes to federal jobs, they're almost all posted on the USAjobs.gov website. <S> While some are posted at various times throughout the day, most are posted at midnight when their system updates. <S> I consider myself a very well versed applicant, and I'm very motivated about my career. <S> So depending on my schedule, I often stay up late into the night, or get up very early in the morning to check what jobs have posted. <S> Especially considering that many of the more desirable jobs will close after receiving a set # of applications. <S> The system is automated and my resume/transcripts/certifications are all uploaded, so I have applying down to a matter of minutes.
| Given that so many hiring managers are inundated with applications nowadays, I doubt they'd have the energy to consider the time you applied.
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How do I keep this from becoming my specialty? Background I got my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering. While I was in school, I got an internship doing Instrument and Controls Systems engineering. I never planned to stay there, but when graduation came around, the engineering market wasn't doing so hot, and my only offer came from the company that I had the internship with. I stayed there and have been working in Instrumentation full time for the past 8 months (I also interned with them 2 years). Now, my company is starting to lay off because they are running out of work. The Problem Now, I'm out looking for jobs again, and while I would love to switch to a job doing Mechanical work, all of my experience shows Instrumentation. The market in my area still isn't doing so hot, and it looks like the only job that I can get is another Instrumentation job. I'm happy to take any work right now, but I'm afraid that this is going to become my specialty, and if I keep taking these jobs, I won't ever be able to switch into Mechanical Engineering. Is this really a problem or is it all in my head? Does anyone have any advice on switching specialties? <Q> For some background; I am a mechanical engineer who has been working in industry for 20 years. <S> I have done lots of purely mechanical work and also plenty of instrumentation and other things. <S> I have switched between design engineering, test engineering, project engineering and even manufacturing engineering on a plant floor... <S> I have switched industries between home appliances, automotive, oil and gas, medical device... <S> Well, you get the idea. <S> Honestly, you're really overthinking this, especially so early in your career. <S> Use the experience and skills you have acquired from doing instrumentation as something to give you an edge over someone who doesn't have similar history. <A> You are early enough on in your career that switching shouldn't be a huge problem. <S> Basically you are going to be entry level wherever you go. <S> The issue comes when you have several years experience and the expectation is you won't work for entry level wages. <S> To smooth the transition, highlight the mechanical portions of what you do in your resume. <S> Assuming your work is similar to that of the instrumentation guys at my plant, valve work will often be applicable to both mechanical and instrumentation. <A> Is this really a problem or is it all in my head? <S> I don't see your specialisation being a problem because: You have a degree in your desired field <S> You have experience in an engineering business <S> You are still quite new to the workforce, therefore you are unlikely to be pigeonholed by recruiters <S> Does anyone have any advice on switching specialties? <S> As mentioned, you have relevant qualifications and industry experience. <S> If you can demonstrate experience working in cross departmental teams with mechanical engineering components, then that is even better. <S> PS: in the world of freelancing, specialists command higher rates of pay than generalists, <S> provided there is a market for the skills. <S> The same tends to apply for employed roles. <S> PPS: if your local job market is shrinking, consider searching non-local markets. <S> Engineering tends to flourish in certain parts of the world for cultural or socio-economic reasons.
| So specialisation isn't a bad thing per se , as long as that specialisation suits you. The key is to figure out what you want to do, how the skills and experience you do have transfer to the job you want and how exactly to communicate that to the people who interview you.
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Asked for work but no Job Letter yet Currently on job hunting and I've had my interview already last week from Company A. The General Manager told me that the job spot is mine and he asked me I'd be interested for that. Question: Would love to say "yes" however there hasn't been an offer yet (in terms of salary, position, and other benefit package). How should I ask properly (without offending him) that I'd like to see what's the offer first(before saying yes)? <Q> You are right not to formally accept until you see the job offer in writing. <S> In these cases I say something like this: <S> Thank you. <S> I'd like to provisionally accept the post, subject to having a formal, written offer in place. <S> After that, I can double check the offer, complete the necessary paperwork and hand my notice in to my current employer. <A> Would love to say "yes" however there hasn't been an offer yet <S> He asked if you would be interested, not if you would agree to unstated terms of employment. <S> I'd love to talk about an offer and see if we can get together on terms. <S> " <S> Make sure you first have clear in your own mind what you want, as it will certainly be discussed. <A> Say "Yes, I am interested. <S> I am awaiting your offer", which is distinct from "Yes, I am accepting the offer". <S> That's all there is to it. <S> Any onboarding procedure does not kick in until you've explicitly accepted the offer.
| Let your prospective employer show their hand and show you what they've got in their hand. If you are actually interested, simple say something like "Yes, I'm definitely interested!
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Is it unprofessional to ask to use a vacation day for the final day of my notice period? My current job is ending soon on a Monday and very soon I am also joining a different position at another company. Problem is I want to make some travel plans on weekend (being a weekend is crucial for me). I also get two paid vacation every month (I still have one left for this month). I was wondering if I can quit job and say Good Bye to everyone on Friday and take a paid vacation on Monday. Will asking this look unprofessional? How can I approach my boss with this request? <Q> Unless you're asking something truly outrageous, it's almost always fine to ask for something, provided that you do so respectfully and that you're prepared to take no for an answer. <S> The fact that it's a single Monday works in your favour. <S> The fact that you didn't ask about this when you handed in your notice works against you, as does asking about this so late into your notice period as I'm assuming you've already started it. <S> But it's perfectly possible for your manager to decline your request and you need to be prepared to accept that. <S> You can phrase it like this: <S> Since I have a vacation day left and my final day would fall on a Monday I was wondering if it would be possible to use that vacation day then, so my last day in the office would be the Xth while the Yth would be a paid vacation day. <S> Whether they allow it or not is a different matter and down to company policy, your workload and the relationship with your management. <S> It's very common for US companies to not respect accrued PTO when someone resigns, though some states have laws requiring them to pay those out. <S> Notice periods are much longer in Europe (months, not weeks) and it's very common to use remaining vacation days for the final X days of your notice period. <S> So you run the risk of them actually putting your final day on that Friday and not paying out your vacation day. <A> In most locales, you are entitled to be paid for all accrued vacation time. <S> If your last day in work is a Friday, and you have one accrued vacation day, then you will get paid for that day. <S> It doesn't matter if you travel on Monday or twiddle your thumbs, you'll still be paid for one day. <S> And no company I know of would keep you on the books for the following Monday. <S> As of the end of the day Friday, you'll no longer be an employee. <S> Or just put it in the bank. <A> As mentioned in the comments, this is all based on the policies of the company or your contract if you are a contractor versus employee. <S> I can tell you in the US, most companies will not allow you to use vacation time as part of your notice period. <S> As long as you work your notice and turn in all company property, you typically get paid either all or a portion of your accrued paid time off. <S> What you could do is give yourself a break between the end of your current job and the beginning of your new one. <S> This would be unpaid of course, unless as I mentioned above your current employer pays out un-used paid time off.
| Use your 1-day of accrued vacation pay on Monday, or any other day that suits your needs. Attempting to use vacation time as part of your notice is considered unprofessional.
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Should I include in my CV that I started coding at 8 years old? I am interested in programming since I was a kid, and when I was 8 my cousin taught me the basics (i.e. how to write a for in JavaScript). From that I would spend hours playing around with my own code and improving my own skills. Today I am 20, and although I never took a real course in programming, I am confident that I have a high amount of knowledge of Java, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, and such. I learned everything on my own, searching the internet and struggling hours and hours with bugs and things that I didn't understand. I am very thankful to my cousin for teaching me the basics, and very proud of being able to say "I started coding JavaScript at 8 years old". I have never written a CV before. Is it appropriate to include that " I started coding JavaScript at 8 years old " or some variant of that in my CV? I tried writing simply Considerable knowledge in programming, especially in Java and JavaScript, but also in PHP, MySQL, HTML5, C, JASS2, and basics of Shell Script, LaTeX, C++, Matlab, VHDL, SageMath and Windows Batch files (DOS). But that alone doesn't feel perfect. <Q> It's your resume and you can say anything you want in your resume. <S> Whether I like your narrative, that's another story. <S> You started coding at age 8? <S> What bad habits did you pick up? <S> You never took a real course in programming? <S> How do I know that your code is not spaghetti crap or that your code is so brittle that it will collapse the minute someone makes a trivial modification? <S> What do you know about algorithms and theoretical computer science? <S> You are 20? <S> How good are your communication skills, <S> both oral and written? <S> Are capable of working as part of a team? <S> It may be unfair to you, but I treat anyone's claim that they started programming at age 13 as a strike against them. <S> And you say you started at age 8? <S> Some people may like it that you started at age 8. <S> Others are like me in that they don't. <S> Your starting at age 8 is not a deal breaker with me <S> but it's not a deal closer either. <S> I need to see your contemporary skills and experience. <S> I started writing at age 6. <S> Don't think for a minute that I write today the way I wrote when I was 6. <A> I can tell you that I am/was in a similar situation like you. <S> With 11 I started teaching myself some basic dialects, also some OOP. <S> I always thought "huh, I can program stuff, I started early, that should make things easy". <S> And I was wrong. <S> When I started my studies in Computer science, I learned that I knew nothing except for syntax and how to solve some programming issues. <S> But I knew nearly no Algorithms, few about structuring code or design patterns. <S> And all this is so important. <S> Knowing languages does not help. <S> But knowing how to design, structure and finally implement software in a maintainable, clear, readable and extensible way does help. <S> Because once you can do this, the language you use (and you know) is far less important. <S> In my opinion a good programmer, or rather software developer, has this skills and does not care so much about the language as this is the thing which is easiest to learn once you know the concepts. <S> So Phuvan is right <S> : You should know what skills, aside from knowing languages <S> , you have which are valuable in the job/position you are reaching for. <S> I do not mean to demotivate you, but coding is something many many people know how to do. <S> But a lot of those people are missing the important basics in structure and design, which is far more important. <A> In this generation and industry, it is quite common to start coding (badly, of course) at that kind of age. <S> Heck, I'm close to retirement age and I "started coding" (in a dialect of BASIC) at age 13 or so. <S> So I really doubt this is an especially interesting or informative fact. <S> I want to know what actual skills you have at a professional-or-better level, and what you've done that demonstrates them. <A> Every item you list on your resume should be something that demonstrates your value as an employee. <S> You list your previous jobs because it demonstrates that you are experienced, you list your certifications because it demonstrates that you are knowledgeable <S> , you list your work organizing a charity drive at your previous job because it demonstrates that you can take initiative and be a leader, etc. <S> With that in mind, you need to consider what you are trying to demonstrate by mentioning that you were 8 when you first learned to code, and also what prospective employers might perceive that as demonstrating. <S> Presumably you see that fact as demonstrating that you have a lot of experience around programming and are good at learning things on your own. <S> However, as Vietnhi Phuvan's answer shows, prospective employers might interpret that fact differently. <S> Given the potential for potential employers to draw negative conclusions from that fact, I would not include the fact that you first learned to code at age 8, but rather find a different way to communicate the values you wish to demonstrate. <A> Your root problem is that you have no way to substantiate your skills, and your idea of beginning programming young is not a way to substantiate your skills. <S> I'm glad you recognize that <S> but your resume will need some work. <S> Can you list technologies paired with accomplishments? <S> Do you have code samples, open source contributions, demo websites, etc.? <S> Include lines of code at least? <S> Being able to demonstrate code samples is probably a requirement if you do not have schooling or a tech job. <S> Beyond that they're taking a shot in the dark with you.
| I would not include the fact that you started programming at age 8 on your resume.
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Resources for finding first real job after completing degree I recently completed school with my degree in Computer Science. Are there any resources for finding specifically entry level jobs? I’ve been to a few job websites and there are so many that instantly don’t apply to me, for example have the word “senior” in the title. I’ve tried using LinkedIn jobs and setting it to entry level, but for whatever reason the filter doesn’t work properly. Is there some sort of search engine I can use to filter out jobs that are clearly not for recent grads? I’ve also been using Craigslist and Indeed but (as far as I can find) there’s no way to filter out jobs that require a lot of experience. While I had several work terms as co-op placements, these don’t amount to the 5+ years experience most job openings require. So I do have some experience, though I'm not sure co-op placement counts as experience. I have considered looking for work with companies I had done co-op placements with, though this doesn't really work. I don't want to move cities and many of the co-ops I worked at were startups and not hugely successful. The one company I did a co-op at I would like to work for, I contacted and they said they don't have any openings in the city I am in. TL;DR are there any websites that can filter for junior or enters level tech jobs? <Q> Talk to your college/university. <S> Many of them have job assistance centers either at the school or the department level. <S> During the semester many hold job fairs to not only find positions for internships but also jobs after graduation. <S> Yes <S> I know you graduated but many will allow recent graduates to use their services. <S> They can also help with reviewing resumes and practice interviews. <A> I dont know which country you are in, but when i graduated in Computer Science a few months ago I found that ordinary job search sites such as https://www.monster.co.uk/ <S> and http://www.jobsite.co.uk/ <S> where helpful. <S> It's also worth noting that most applications will go through recruitment agencies, so <S> once a few of those have your details then they will contact you whenever a suitable position comes their way. <S> Most of these sites also give you the option to make your resume public, so that way recruiters can look at it and will call you up if they have a suitable job role. <S> I would often get multiple calls each day this way. <S> A good tip is to also update your resume on these sites regularly as it pushes you to the top of the list and more recruiters will see it. <A> The most obvious thing that springs to mind is to alter your searches on job sites to look for the word "Junior" or "Graduate" - many job titles and recruitment listings will specifically include these words to indicate entry-level positions or positions suitable for fresh graduates. <S> For example, in the UK (where I live), on Reed , they have a "Suitable for Graduates" filter which can be applied to search results: <S> If you search LinkedIn for jobs, they also have an experience level filter: <S> I have seen similar filters on a bunch of different job websites, so if the site(s) you are currently using don't have this option, find one which does! <S> Another option is to speak to and/or register with recruitment agencies and have them find positions for you with the specific criteria of wanting entry-level/graduate positions. <S> Bear in mind though that recruiters are motivated to put you forward for any positions they think there is even the slimmest chance you might be able to get offered, so you may have to be quite forceful about only wanting to be put forward for these more junior positions. <S> And yes, as others have mentioned, asked your University - most educational establishments have some links with industry and may be able to find you positions to apply for. <S> Good luck!
| Also, many job/recruitment websites allow you to filter based on the experience required.
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Overqualified manager looking for a lower position I am a late-forties mother of several children and I believe my position as a manager for automation development is ruining my health. I have to take care of my family as well as manage my team in an environment with many deadlines and responsibilities. I am also suffering from high blood pressure. I tried looking for a job as an automation developer (this is my specialty and my team's domain). Wanting to be hired as a specialist, I applied at many places but had no callbacks. I believe this is because my history of being a manager for 3 years is visible on my LinkedIn, and an employer is offput by three things: They believe that as a manager I do no technical work They find it odd that I step down from a high position I am overqualified and this leads them to worry about hiring someone expecting a high pay and someone who may not be as obedient. Knowing this, if I modify my resume to emphasize that I am a technical leader rather than a manager, it is inconsistent with my LinkedIn (and perhaps dishonest), which has many connections. I really don't know what to do. I considered easing my stress without leaving my job, but I find that my position is indeed the root of the problem. I also considered deleting my LinkedIn to be able to emphasize my resume in a way that better reflects my job, but I am hesitant to do that. What are some courses of action I should consider for finding a less stressful job, even though I'm over qualified? <Q> I would not delete your LinkedIn but that is just an opinion. <S> Your resume should map to your LinkeIn <S> but there is a lot of wiggle room there. <S> You could tone down your LinkedIn and stay within honest. <S> In the cover letter just state you are looking for technical role. <S> Your experience as manager has been valuable and rewarding but you find that technical is your true calling. <S> Don't say it is because you are stressed out. <S> As a technical person you are not necessarily overqualified. <S> You just need to convince them you are looking for a technical position and will stay around. <A> You should look at the source issue here; work/life balance. <S> Fix that, rather than jumping off the boat and (maybe) into the same situation at another company. <S> This will remove you from the management stress, and you won't have the stress of a new job/new company. <S> Alternateively discuss bringing in a co-manager to help you with the current work - that way, you can build up your successor, which will look great on your annual appraisal. <S> Mental and physical health is a big topic in the workplace at the moment; I think that if you talk to the right people in your company, you'll find that a lot of support is available. <A> As you actually wrote your question, the answer very much seems to be, "modify your LinkedIn so that your technical expertise is salient and your managerial expertise is secondary. <S> " Your many connections will probably not mind that you are technically proficient.
| Talk to your management about stepping back from the role you're in, and becoming a developer in the same department.
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Was I right to inform the CEO about my coworker's plot to sabotage him? This situation has already come and gone for me, but I'm looking for advice on how to handle it if it were to ever arise again. I worked at a small company of around 25 people in which the CEO and CTO did not see eye-to-eye. This created a toxic workplace and I successfully found a position at a different company and put in my two weeks notice. So far, so good. However, as someone who worked directly under the CTO, I frequently had lunch with other employees who worked under the CTO. During one such lunch outing, my co-workers were discussing a plan on sabotaging the company's yearly user conference by vocally airing some of the CEO's dirty laundry at said conference. I wish that they hadn't done so in my presence, but as they did, I informed the CEO of this plan as it did not sit well with me at all and they wound up not being allowed at the conference. My last two days of employment were rather uncomfortable as a result. My question is: Was my behavior here what you would expect from a professional? Should I have left it alone? <Q> In my book, you did the right thing. <S> Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation between the CEO and the CTO, sabotaging the company by bringing this up in front of customers, as your co-workers were planning to do, is incredibly, incredibly unprofessional. <S> That said, I think your CEO should have given you more protection - leaving you with the same coworkers who you had just reported for unprofessional behaviour was leaving someone who had just done the company a big favour in a very nasty situation; giving you gardening leave for those last two days would have been the right thing to do. <S> On the other hand, I wouldn't blame anyone who didn't take any action in this situation - nobody wants to be in a situation where they're the "grass" on their coworkers, even if those coworkers were planning to behave awfully. <A> I'd hire you on the spot, and if I didn't have a position open for you, I'd make one. <S> You acted in a highly ethical manner at personal cost for a company you no longer had any real reason to protect, being on your way out the door. <S> Even though you only had two days left, you still took a risk. <S> Not just the right call, one that you should be proud of. <S> For future interviews, this would be a good thing to mention if asked about how you dealt with workplace conflict. <S> The fact that you remained principled with only two days left will impress the interviewer. <A> I am glad that you cut off this stupid/counterproductive/destructive idea at the pass. <S> Your coworkers would have given the management including the CTO no choice but to fire them <S> had your coworkers put their brain fart to execution. <S> Remember, the CTO is a sales person and along with the CEO, sells the company and its products and services to customers and to potential customers. <S> The CTO is also to step up and keep the company going in the event that the CEO gets run over by a truck. <S> Your co-workers may have only intended to damage the CEO but the entire company including the CTO and staff would have been collateral damage and the CTO's sales effort would have been trashed. <S> At a user conference i.e. in the most public venue possible. <S> There is a time and a place for everything and <S> whatever issues there are between the CTO and the CEO may call for an internal showdown. <S> But a user conference is not the right time nor the right place nor are the CTO's staff the right people to participate in such a showdown. <S> You don't blow up a place simply because you don't like a couple of people. <S> I am sorry about your last two days of work being uncomfortable and hopefully, you are none the worse for the wear and tear :) <S> I once resigned in disgust from a company where I hated the CEO for being an incompetent, bumbling fool after he trashed a $500000 sales effort of mine to a very receptive client - they loved the quality of the work we had just done for them - with a characteristically ill-timed, unsolicited intervention direct to the client where he showed his sleaze ball nature. <S> It didn't help my attitude to the CEO that my effort was on the verge of success and would have been successful but for him. <S> But I never said anything to trash the company and its staff to the client.
| It was absolutely the right call and states volumes about your character, all of it good.
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My productivity is dropping due to an unresponsive manager I recently (four months ago) started working at a small company of ~15 employees as a software developer for their IT system. I am essentially a one-man team; the only other person in the company who has even a slight technical knowledge of IT is my manager, who is responsible for assigning tasks to me. From the employer's point of view, they are happy - I was praised in a recent appraisal with nothing negative raised in relation to my performance. The issue I am having is that, understandably, my manager does not always have time for me. I am given a set of tasks to do, and either the tasks are completed relatively quickly or I require clarification on aspects of a project (normally due to my lack of knowledge of the business process at this stage). Most of the time this is not possible, as my manager is often in meetings or otherwise busy, and there is no one else who can advise on how to proceed. I am enjoying the job for the most part when there is work on my desk, but I am feeling more and more unproductive, which I worry could harm my long-term personal development, as well as the business as a whole. I have already spoken to my manager and he has acknowledged that I am currently being forced to spend a lot of time without work to do due to his schedule, but it doesn't seem like anything is being done to rectify the problem. Emails can be left unanswered for weeks and I feel almost like I'm intruding if I send another, or remind my boss in person that I would need some feedback in order for the feature to be completed before the planned release date. So far it's never gotten to the point where a feature release has had to be delayed, but at this rate it's just a matter of time. Is there anything I can do to try and improve things further? Is it a good idea to continue pressing for a response? <Q> You have a great opportunity to grow. <S> Developers that find their own work are considered more senior than developers that have their work assigned; in fact, in many companies, it is part of the definition of "Senior". <S> So, ask your manager to shadow him on pertinent meetings or activities, when your workload is low. <S> Then you can learn part of his job, take it out of his plate, and it is a win-win; he can take more responsibilities knowing you are doing more of that. <S> A different option is to ask him, instead of "give me tasks", something like "What can I do for you that doesn't require giving me the task details, but a larger project that I can make progress while there are no urgent tasks". <S> It may take a long session for him to explain that project, but then you should be able to work independently for a few weeks or months, with small clarifications, generally only when you deliver an almost final version, as feedback to polish the deliverables. <S> There are many other options to be proactive and find ways to add value to the company and to your manager without being dependent of his time, but hopefully those two get you started. <A> You manager's job is not driven by tickets or mails, but by meetings. <S> If you try to "get" him to work by your pace, you will fail. <S> You already do, if you write mails and they go unanswered for weeks. <S> Use his system. <S> Do not write mail. <S> Schedule a meeting. <S> Write your questions as an agenda and schedule the meeting as soon as his calendar allows. <S> This will slip right into his workflow and you will get the time you need. <S> In the mean time, schedule a meeting to ask about tasks you can do when you are idling. <S> There has to be something . <A> Make it easy for them to say <S> yes 1. <S> Find things that you could do that would help people 2. <S> Put the suggestion in an email to your manager 3. <S> Phrase it in such a way that they can read it in 20 seconds and just reply "Yes" Point 3 is the absolutely crucial one. <S> If your manager knows that your emails only ever take 20 seconds to deal with, then they'll do those ones first . <S> Managers love people that get stuff done. <S> And they really love people who make their job easier. Do as much as you can without their input and only then give them the rest in such a way that they can just skim it and reply. <A> This is fairly common if you have an overworked manager. <S> The main way to proceed is finding other sources of work. <S> Are there things the office needs and nobody already implemented? <S> (automated build process, ticket tracking...) <S> Check from you colleagues if they need something software related, or if they feel your products need something implemented. <S> You can develop those features in a side branch* and merge them to the main product branch if they get approved. <S> You obviously should still send emails and reports to your manager, to keep him informed of what you're doing and if the things you're doing are fine. <S> If you still feel you have too few things to do, you could resort to online courses to learn new technologies or strenghten your skills on libraries and frameworks you're using. <S> A good developer never stops learning. <S> *You do use source control, right? <S> If not, look at the first option <A> One thing I would suggest is that busy people go from meeting to meeting, so set up a regularly scheduled meeting (at least weekly, possibly daily or every couple of days) with your boss to get all questions answered and to give project updates particularly on things that can't proceed without him. <S> Take the action to send him the invite, don't wait for him to set it up. <S> Follow up any verbal approvals from this meeting with an email stating that you received the approval on this date. <S> Any actions you need him to take, do as far as possible and have ready for him to simply sign off on. <S> So if you need him to purchase equipment, fill out the purchase order for him (or if you don't have rights in an application, provide him an electronic copy of exactly what he needs to have to fill in the form so all he has to do <S> is cut and paste). <S> If you need him to send an email, then send him a draft. <S> What you are trying to do is save him time on anything you need him to do for you. <S> Then come up with some suggested projects to work on when you have nothing else to do. <S> This can include training yourself on something that may be needed in the future. <S> Discuss those at your next meeting.
| They really love people who can proactively find work that needs doing rather than waiting for it to be assigned to them.
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Offered t-shirt during interview, didn't really want it I had an interview at a startup-ish company where they offered me a t-shirt while touring the office. I'm a regular Cayce Pollard and only wear plain black t-shirts and have enough of them (yes... I've read that Marie Kondo book), but I took it anyways. It has since taken its next great journey to Goodwill. This seems inefficient for both me (I had to take it to Goodwill), and for the company (they had to pay for that shirt that I didn't want). Goodwill does come out ahead, so I guess that's some social good achieved. My question is: is it unreasonable or does it look bad to say "no" to things like this? It's not a huge deal, just wondering if this would look like I wasn't enthusiastic to work at the company (well, it turned out in this case that I was not). <Q> Yes it is rude <S> , it's not a huge deal for you, and they're well aware of the cost. <S> If you don't wanna go to Goodwill <S> you can always make a cleaning rag out of it. <S> They get the things in bulk and probably costs them no more than a posh cup of coffee a piece. <S> Take the shirt, put it on, say thank you , and then do with it what you will. <A> It is needlessly rude to reject their T-shirt. <S> It is likely that conclusions will be drawn from it - if the guy cannot even graciously accept a present, what will he act like if there is an actual conflict? <S> That is if HR doesn't care about the T-shirt, but just about the behaviour. <A> It's probably not that big of a deal but the time to talk to HR or whoever about handing out T-shirts to prospective employees comes after you get hired, not before. <S> It's unlikely they gave you the shirt because they expect you to wear it to work or anything, but you'd be surprised at how "little" things like turning down a gift might sour a manager towards you. <S> It might not <S> but why take that chance? <A> You should be comfortable rejecting a t-shirt if it doesn't match your attitude to consumerism. <S> "Thank you very much, I already have enough t-shirts <S> and I decided not to get any more. <S> It is a minimalism|environment|social conscience thing. <S> " <S> I wouldn't go into any details about why you wouldn't take that specific t-shirt, ("It has advertisement on it", " <S> It isn't black") but let them know it is a general stance and not about the company. <S> In the end the hiring manager or recruiter don't have strong feelings either, but they will take a note of how you deliver feedback.
| But if this is a startup, chances are that they are proud of their company, and proud of their company T-shirts, and rejecting it will be seen as an insult.
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Travelling on vacation between jobs I am currently employed in one company with 2 weeks notice period (been working here for 2 years), I also signed a deal with another company, telling them I have 4 weeks long notice (I actually thought I had at the beginning). So right now I have 2 weeks left to tell about my job change at my current company. I've been thinking about taking 5 - 10 days off to travel somewhere, then come back, resign, and go through my notice period. Is something like that acceptable? <Q> Why not just give your 2-week notice now and travel the two weeks after separation from your current company? <S> At least in my part of the world (where you get paid for accrued vacation time), this is financially the same. <S> You wouldn't be burning any bridges this way. <S> It's pretty common for people to want some down-time between jobs. <S> Most people handle it this way. <A> Taking holidays before you give notice is totally acceptable. <S> In the USA, companies tend to not respect the holidays that you deserve, so taking them before you give notice would be recommended. <A> Know the company policies about vacation and how they pay it out. <S> Of course if they don't pay for unused vacation, then your plan of vacation, give notice, work for two weeks, and then start the new job is the preferable plan. <S> It maximizes your benefits and it also has the benefit of delaying giving notice as long as possible. <S> It the United States it also has the effect of minimizing gaps in insurance coverage it that applies in your situation. <A> Do you really believe it's a good idea to start a new job with a lie about your old job's notice period? <S> What if you end up adding some colleagues or even your supervisor on social media where you posted nice vacation photos? <S> It's probably not the kind of lie that can/will get you fired but it will leave a bad impression for sure. <S> Since it was an honest mistake, I'd contact whoever's your contact at the new company and tell them that you realized that you only have a two-week notice period but that you'd prefer to use the two extra weeks for travelling instead of taking paid holidays from your new employer for that. <S> They might have already started planning for you to start only in one month so chances are good they'll take it as a sign of you being honest with them and won't mind you keeping the start date you initially negotiated.
| If they pay you for unused vacation then you may decide that giving notice, then working the two weeks, and then using the payout to fund your time off before starting the new job makes more sense to you. That's the normal, professional, thing to do and doesn't mislead anyone.
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Is my lack of web ability holding me back in my programming career? I graduated from an applied computing top-up degree with a 2:1 (following on from an HND in Computing & Systems Development) in 2015, and went into a graduate software development role pretty much straight after there, at a small company in Oxfordshire. However for reasons unrelated to my role, the company has folded and so i'm looking for a new job. However I'm getting very worried because almost every Junior Software role I see is for a job that involves a heavy amount of web technologies and skills, typically ASP.NET, which I don't have. The only web stuff I was taught at my degree & HND were PHP, HTML and CSS. The rest was SQL, VB.NET and C#.NET, both WinForms, alongside some Java work, mainly focusing on OOP and Swing (Designing Java applets). Luckily for me at the time, my graduate role was in a company that used WinForms, specifically C#.NET, the role did not involve any web-based work as that wasn't what the company did. However now i'm job hunting again, and essentially all of the positions in which i'm vaguely suitable for, all involve a large amount of web-based work, and so i'm effectively having to go to an interview and say "Well sorry but I don't have any experience in the main part of what you're looking for", and as a result, I don't get any further than that stage, typically because they feel my ability in that area isn't to the level they want it to be. Does anyone have any advice/suggestions? Is it best if I get out of the WinForms hole so to speak? and how should I do that when I haven't got anything else to go on, as far as front-end development is concerned? <Q> Try looking for different programming jobs. <S> I've been in the industry for about 27 years now. <S> I once did a little bit of web interface programming as an R&D task. <S> Apart from that - nothing. <S> There are plenty of other software jobs that have nothing to do with the web. <S> There's embedded systems - automotive, avionics, defence, process control, TV set-top boxes and so on. <S> Then there's desktop applications, back-end servers, games, ... <A> Is it best if I get out of the WinForms? <S> WinForms is still used but it is already considered somewhat obsolete by some people, who favor WPF, its successor. <S> Do you need to know web technologies to succeed as a developer? <S> Not necessarily. <S> There are lots of fields in programming, and web development is only one of them. <S> It's getting a lot more prominent though. <S> Nevertheless, if you want to have a career in the programming industry, you need to understand that everything you know today will become obsolete at one point or another. <S> It may take a very long time in some cases (e.g. COBOL) <S> but it may also be very quick (e.g. the JavaScript ecosystem). <S> You'll be pushing yourself into a corner if you stick to one stack. <S> As a recruiter, I don't really care whether a candidate specifically knows language X or framework Y. <S> I'm mostly interested in their ability to understand and solve the problems we are dealing with. <S> If they are good, they'll just learn to do it in the stack my company happens to use. <S> Which is why, along with problem-solving, one's ability to learn new things and adapt is so important. <S> I always discuss that when I do interviews, because someone who seems trapped in a specific ecosystem and has no interest in what other stacks have to offer will not do well in the long run. <S> Maybe not become an expert. <S> Maybe not make a career out of writing web applications, but at least to show that your are a capable learner. <A> Lack of web development experience is likely to be holding you back, because it will limit the number of roles you can apply for. <S> I estimate that over half of C#/.NET roles involve at least some web technology. <S> You currently have WinForms experience which is a good start. <S> If you want to concentrate on the Microsoft stack, then ASP.NET "WebForms" is the closest equivalent to WinForms, but that is arguably yesterday's technology. <S> ASP.NET MVC is probably the technology to learn. <S> If you don't mind exams, I suggest studying for and passing the following MS exams: 70-480 (vendor-neutral HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript) <S> , 70-486 (ASP.NET MVC) and 70-487 (Web API and WCF).That will get you an MS web development certification. <S> Then spend some time learning Bootstrap and Angular, and you should be pretty much up to date as an MS web developer. <A> I agree with LeBash's answer. <S> In programming, there's no use sticking to one particular stack. <S> At a junior level focusing on problem solving skills will open up your opportunities to a lot more jobs. <S> As you spend more years in the industry you start focusing more and more on a particular technology and some set of languages. <S> But, to start with that approach isn't a good idea. <S> And with time programming languages, frameworks etc will fade. <S> So learning new stuff is a part and parcel of being a programmer. <S> Otherwise you'll lose out in the race.
| If most companies you've approached require knowledge of web development, you should at the very least spend some time learning these things.
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Does my employer care about my GitHub username? If the username does not provide NSFW or offensive vibe, but is not a standard one like firstname.lastname or firstinitial.lastname, etc. does it annoy you as an employer? Examples of such usernames maybe: coolguy sharktank insidejob chillbro cockroach teeshirt ramsaybolton EDIT: Changed Git to GitHub in the title. <Q> Seems like you already think that there's an issue here, otherwise you wouldn't ask that question. <S> Apart of this: what shall the 'git username' be at all? <S> author.name <S> needs no firstname.lastname, you could use a real name here: <S> Firstname Lastname is fine. <S> author.email will be an e-mail address. <S> If you have a corporate address, use that. <S> And if all your colleagues have similar unprofessional addresses, it's not an issue here. <S> But maybe customers have their own opinion when they're contacted by <S> programmergod@compa.ny regarding the enquiry they sent last week to salesdude@compa.ny ... <A> Do non-standard or "novelty" usernames like those annoy employers? <S> Possibly. <S> Will they hold it against you or consider you unprofessional or immature? <S> Absolutely. <S> Just like when it comes to an email address , the handle that you choose to use when interacting with the professional world says a lot about you as a person. <S> Novelty names come across as juvenile and immature. <S> That's not inherently a huge issue, but it does shape how you're perceived at the office by your peers and your management. <S> And even if the impact will be small, that's still a net negative effect on your reputation that can very easily be avoided. <S> Beyond this you also run the risk of picking a username that people find offensive or in incredibly poor taste. <S> And you might not always realise that! <S> A perfect example is how you included "insidejob" in your list of inoffensive and SFW names. <S> No. <S> Just no. <S> Even "ramsaybolton" is incredibly tasteless given the nature of the character it's referring to. <S> The reaction you can expect to using a name like this is way beyond someone rolling their eyes at a novelty username. <S> In most workplaces you can expect a Conversation with your manager about professional norms and how you should change that handle immediately. <S> Some cultures are exceptions to this, particularly start-ups with a "frat culture", but even when a lot of your colleagues commit with names like "vhalar_morgulis" or "the_spice_must_flow" <S> you should still opt for something neutral and professional. <A> I'm afraid the answer comes down to "ask your employer." <S> My company is in the computer industry and old enough that we date back to eight-character user names. <S> That has innoculated us against expecting user names to map directly to actual names; there just wasn't enough space to do anything but a contraction or alias. <S> That also means we have mechanisms in place to ask "who is this actually" -- user profiles that can be searched by userID. <S> Those mechanisms have persisted, and these days most users have both a my-name@my-site address and a shorthand <S> nickname@company.com <S> In our environment, I agree that if your shortname looks like someone else's name -- unless completely obvious as a fictional reference, and maybe even then -- it may be needlessly confusing and will be discouraged. <S> And of course anything offensive, rude, annoying, or otherwise immature and inherently unprofessional (l33t is right out) will be rejected. <S> I am probably more widely known by my username than by my actual name. <S> But your employer may not be this flexible. <S> Some do have stricter policies. <S> Ask them, not us! <A> I'd avoid "insidejob" and "cockroach. <S> " Cockroaches are unpleasant and scare some people so you really don't want that thought. <S> In general this is why there is a little risk to creative handles. <S> They will make the employer think of something and there is more downside risk than upside at that point. <S> But in my opinion everything else on the list is fine <S> and I can't imagine any other reason an employer would feel strongly. <A> Let's say I'm another user of that git repository. <S> And I notice that a change has been made, and I would like to talk to the author of that change. <S> If the author is "joe.smith" then I'll look for some guy named Joe Smith. <S> Worst case I would end up asking HR and they tell me that Joe Smith is some guy who left some time last year. <S> If the author is "cockroach" what do I do then? "ramsaybolton" is worse, because I would be looking for a real person. <S> So when I find you after a long search, you can expect a very angry telling off.
| Maybe your employer doesn't care but to me , every item you mention sounds unprofessional. But as long as you aren't gratuitously stupid about it, everyone recognizes this as just a nickname and nobody much cares. If you aleady recognized that everybody else is using firstname.lastname, just stick to that.
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Avoiding the terror of a Performance Improvement Plan Over my career, I have needed to take several team members through a PIP (performance improvement plan). I was also given a PIP during one job. From both sides of the coin, there are many things that are disliked about it — but the most difficult one is the anxiety that arises from the process. The concern that comes to most people is distracting, and results in them not clearly focusing on the changes that need to be made. I would like to design & conduct a PIP that does not create such anxiety. I think it would be more humane to give people a process that respects the situation better. I know that some will still not be mature enough to handle this, and will take it poorly — but I think I would prefer that just highlight their lack of ability to learn what is needed. We want to support our team in exceptional manners. The process of implementing a PIP does not feel like exceptional support . What strategy, for conducting a PIP, has resulted in the team member not being distracted with stress about their performance gap? Is there an ideal way to interact with team members, that makes 'rolling into' a PIP a more supportive & less 'executionary' matter? <Q> It's called "management". <S> The very first thing you do with an under-performing employee is give short explicit instructions like "always include the cover sheet on the TPS report". <S> You might have to repeat your instructions several times and you must definitely follow up on them to be sure they were followed every time. <S> With luck, the employee starts doing what you need done. <S> That's your informal low stress Performance Improvement Plan. <S> It's low stress because you're just doing your job <S> and you're not explicitly mentioning consequences for noncompliance. <S> If that doesn't work, you need to do something more formal to make them aware that continued employment depends on them making the changes you require. <S> This will cause anxiety no matter what you call the process. <S> In fact, if you do manage to come up with an emotionally neutral name for the process, be aware that the name will eventually collect a stigma anyway. <A> I would like to design & conduct a PIP that does not create such anxiety <S> You can't. <S> It's inherent in the fundamental idea you are trying to do - no matter what you make it like, a PIP is effectively "if you don't get better at your job, you'll get fired." <S> Now that being said there are ways to mitigate the problems. <S> First, and most important, is that you should never bring up performance issues for the first time with a formalized PIP. <S> Second, a PIP needs to have clearly achievable performance metrics. <S> A vague, "do better or you're fired" is a lot more stressful than a "do X, Y, and Z or you're fired. <S> " Both are stressful, but one is considerably more difficult to achieve. <S> Third, as HLGEM suggests, keep a track record of people who successfully "pass" a PIP. <S> You obviously cannot give out specifics, but if you can say "I had another person on a PIP last year <S> and they still work here <S> " can help reduce anxiety by showing it is actually possible to "pass" a PIP. <S> At the end of the day, you are basically saying "unless you improve you get fired" and if that isn't the case, make it clear. <S> Maybe it's "you get transferred" or something. <S> So if you are in a situation where a PIP doesn't mean "improve or fired" make that clear. <A> The best thing you can do for your team member is to cast yourself on his side of the problem. <S> A PIP places an employee in the position of facing articulated requirements for changes in his behavior. <S> The truth is, you are the arbiter of this adversarial proceeding. <S> You will need to do justice to both parties, and you cannot falsify the results. <S> You, being a good manager, have already determined to do this. <S> Now, in order to reduce the terror felt by your team member, you must make clear to him the distinction between your two roles (arbiter and advocate). <S> This will be more or less difficult depending on your management style and your existing dynamic. <S> De-emphasize yourself as arbiter, and demonstrate your advocacy for his success. <A> All of these answers lead me to think that the better strategy to avoid inducing anxiety is to include the "X,Y,Z" performance metrics in the conversational 1:1 meetings. <S> Ideally, do this as a process of supporting their growth. <S> it just happens to double for PIP-like gatekeeping when the slope is downward. <S> Keep a log of when the specificity was introduced (needed), and when it was demonstrated. <S> Depending on the environment, this log could be a shared document between the employee and manager. <S> I would avoid having it shared obviously with HR and other staff. <S> Despite the legal obviousness of it, that 'sausage-making' process unnerves some kinds of people.) <S> When 3 (?) <S> or more of these 'PIP-events' have occurred, set specifically engage the employee regarding that history. <S> this could be celebratory, if they have succeeded in each of the corrections. <S> Big moral and confidence boost, and reinforces trust between everyone. <S> If they are fails, then it's a more natural segue to re-evaluating the role with the employee. <S> Maybe they aren't too happy either, and the conversation can mutually unfold. <S> If these continue to occur then it is grounds for termination. <S> The employee has already gone through many X,Y,Z PIP processes, and you've discussed with them that the company needs these practices/behaviors in order to function. <S> I recognize that, after step 3, encouraging people to consider the career they are most happy with doesn't work in environments with serious security concerns. <S> I think this overall template works regardless, as a classical PIP leaves just as much security concern open (e.g. retaliation for unfair judgement or being forced out). <S> Since everything called for in a PIP can be done this way, it satisfying HR's legal requirements. <S> I won't be accepting my own answer, because I think it's more fair to award credit to those that helped shape it.
| Always work with your employees as much as you can to discuss performance issues before formalizing it with a PIP. At the very least, you must convince your team member that you will not advocate against him. However, you can take on the additional duty of aiding and encouraging your team member in his efforts to meet the PIP requirements.
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Am I killing my future in software developing with my current job? I'm a new, almost B.E graduate (Working on my thesis-work) and I'm working full time at the IT-department at my work. When I first started they say in the interview that I would be developing program and handle customers. Now I'm not developing anything. I'm more of a "support specialist" regarding some system. Meaning that I've just learned the system and have more knowledge about them. These system are old (We are talking 30 years old) so the code is nothing near what is up to current-code syntax. So when I fix a problem within these system it's just general configuration. When I do tend to "develop", I generate code from a system the IT-department have developed that only works at this place and then add a small function do it and tada.. It's like calling yourself a cook but you are just warming food in the microwave. I'm searching for new work since I'm not happy with the position that I'm currently in.I've been to several work-interviews and in the end all of them comes back the same. "We want someone with more experience with this language/System etc" I can't get any experience with my current work with new languages/techniques and it feels like I'm losing the little I had during the school time. My question is am I killing my future within software developing by staying at a place like this? Cause my plan is staying until I am done with my thesis-work but I'm unsure if other would want to hire me after, since I've been away from "new techniques" for at least one year. <Q> From my personal experience, I approached the software development field the same way. <S> I got a job as a 'support engineer' but I wasn't developing any code. <S> And because I was also a new graduate from university I had nothing to show for my experience except my degree. <S> But what I do read from here and there is that people without a degree move into the field by working on a personal project. <S> Having Learned this, I wanted to do game development. <S> So I started learning Unity and tried to build my own game (wasn't finished at the time I had my interview and got the job, but it didn't matter much to them because I showed I had learned something and was able to show it.) <S> Or, you could do what I did and find some platform/framework/game engine that interests you, have an idea and start building. <A> Yes and no. <S> No, because look at what else <S> you're gaining/training: <S> the skills and mindset needed for maintenance , which all software needs but few (ostensibly) want to do. <S> I've landed more than one job, I believe, in part because I like maintenance work ( <S> that is, really getting to know one code base, as opposed to hopping around many as a short-term consultant would). <S> Yes, because obviously you'll find it hard to have interviews with "modern, interesting" companies that use ditto code. <S> That you will have to nurture on your own time. <S> If you can't (or won't) spend this extra time, then a job change is in place -- the sooner the better. <S> Either way -- jobs are ephemeral. <S> Do what makes <S> you happy in the long term. <S> PS. ... <S> this from a guy who worked exclusively in Lotus Notes for 10 years at a rather traditional company, but nevertheless is now working in a rather neat and fast-moving Java/PHP shop. <S> It's possible! <A> From the responses you mention, it seems like you might be hoping to get a non-entry level position as a developer. <S> Until you get the actual experience required, you just have to realise that you will have to start at the bottom of the ladder, and not try and jump ahead. <S> This might even involve a slight drop in pay, I'm afraid.
| So what I would suggest (personally speaking) is you find an open source project that interests you and contribute to that.
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Is two-weeks notice not standard at software startups? Next month I'm quitting my job (my new job doesn't start until March 13). This is the first time I've really done this, the only other time the entire team was fleeing a sinking ship and I quit to a boss who was already on his notice (so he was like, "yeah"). Anyways, I planned to give two-weeks notice. I did some Googling and searching on Hacker News on this subject and found this article, Twelve Months Notice . Now I'm very concerned that two weeks is not enough and will lead to me being blacklisted or receiving a bad reference. While twelve months is obviously an exaggeration, do I need to give more notice here? For details, it's a small software-only startup, I'm a solo Android developer, so the company will have no Android developers and no one that even knows Java when I quit - not that Java would be hard for the JS devs to learn, but the Android SDKs require a little more knowledge and studying. <Q> Is two-weeks notice not standard at software startups? <S> The fact that no Android developers or people with Java experience will remain once you depart isn't your fault. <S> Sometimes startups unwisely choose not to have backups sufficiently trained. <S> But you are under no obligation to give them more time. <S> It's always possible that a bitter ex-employer will choose not to give you a good reference, but that can happen no matter how much notice you provide. <S> But the standard is indeed two weeks. <A> In the USA, 2 weeks notice is absolutely standard. <S> Check your contract. <S> In most states of the USA you don't have to give notice at all. <S> Twelve months notice is absolutely, absolutely nonsense. <S> Two weeks, no company in the USA will care. <S> When you are leaving, your company is obviously free to hire someone else with the right qualifications. <S> No need for someone else to learn Java; there are plenty of people out there who know Java and Android development. <S> And if it wasn't that easy because you did a job requiring some very specialised and niche knowledge, that's not your problem. <S> They are always free to hire you back as a contractor for twice the money if they can't find anyone else. <A> I liked Joe's answer, but would add a few things you need to be prepared for: <S> "Oh no, counter offer": <S> Are you willing to stay for a compelling counter offer? <S> There are some articles out there that say this backfires. <S> I did it once and it worked out fine. <S> "Oh no, consulting": <S> Are you willing to provide some consulting services after you leave? <S> What is your rate? <S> How much time can you give? <S> Keep in mind <S> this might not work out well with your new employer. <S> Make this decision carefully and on your own terms. <S> "Get the hell out": Are you okay with going two weeks without pay? <S> Also remove all personal belongings previous to giving notice. <S> "HR items": Make up your mind about health insurance, purchasing any stock options, know how to get your last paycheck, statement, w-2s, etc. <S> There is a lot make sure you think all your options through. <S> And as Joe mentioned, know how to react if they ask for more time. <A> Grad school takes a lot of planning, and in the right circumstances, companies will pay for the education. <S> But that is not what you're doing - you're leaving them. <S> What you should do is make sure they don't have a policy where they refuse to keep people who've accepted other job offers. <S> A company I worked for would simply cut the leaving employee a check for the two weeks and walk them out the door. <S> A co-worker of mine was not aware of this and ended up with an un-planned three week vacation, and I think it put a little strain on her budget too. <S> If your company does not have that policy, you should just go ahead and give notice now. <S> * March 13th is still a few weeks out <S> so you could give them more than two weeks and still have time for a vacation. <S> Yes, it may be tough for them to replace you, but they'll hire contractors and find other android developers, and if their business plan is solid, they'll be just fine. <S> No one is as irreplaceable as they imagine. <S> *Do not resign until you have a signed offer letter, passed all required background checks, employment verification, and references.
| You should plan for how you will choose to react if your current employer asks for more time to find and train a replacement. Unless you are a high-level executive or unless your contract states otherwise, two weeks is indeed the standard notice period at US software startups. If you want to give more than the standard notice you can. I think the twelve-month notice thing really only applies for people who are going to grad school, which is a different beast entirely.
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Why job applications require lots of personal info and is there anything to do about it? I've been applying for jobs and am surprised so many require so much personal information. For example on the initial job application they ask you for obvious ones such as your full name, email and telephone number. But I'm a bit uncomfortable giving out my home address and the phone number of where I currently work. Also the privacy statement normally contains terms like they may share information with business partners or associated companies etc. I understand eventually they need this information but I don't like giving it at the first contact. Can anything be done about this? Would it be a bad idea to give a false address or just the cross street(I would leave it blank but the website requires it to be filled out)? EDIT: I only gave a few examples of personal info that companies collect on initial application. Other examples are, which school you went to, what grades you got, when did you graduate, what your relatives do for work, did you serve in the military, did you ever have a criminal offense etc. Also by false address I meant more like an address you don't actually live at but still can receive mail, like a relatives address or current workplace. <Q> Your home address is not only useful for documentation to be sent to you (and yes, some do this as the very first step in the process), but also for planning (are you based in a useful location for the role) and as part of background checking, as sometimes checks need to commence early in the process. <S> If your current employer would not take kindly to you receiving calls from a potential employer, then I think you have good reason to decline this one, though. <S> Oh, and never give false information <S> - that could really come back and bite you. <S> I mean, if you get the job how do you think it would look if you said, "this is my real address...? <S> " <S> At that point I'd take you straight off my list of candidates, as I'd know I couldn't trust you. <A> Would it be a bad idea to give a false address [...] ? <S> What if they send you work documentation ? <S> Contract for review ? <S> Anything, really. <S> You would not want your documentation to come to a false adress. <S> Overall, there is no reason to fear a misuse of your information. <S> If you are willing to work at a company, you should trust it with non-sensitive information. <A> I get your concern with handing out your personal information. <S> However, if your going to apply to work for a company <S> you should do enough due diligence to know their general reputation . <S> Regardless of that, think about it from the employers perspective <S> should you provide a false address initially on the application. <S> After provide the application with false information, they ask you to come in for an interview, and then you are finally you are offered the job. <S> At what point will you be able to explain away the use of a false address or any false information? <S> I would suggest that you take a leap of faith and supply the necessary information for the initial application. <A> You certainly don't have to give them your work phone number -- if you have a cell phone, it would be better for everyone if they called that. <S> But it is better for you if they can contact you during the day; if they are considering two candidates, which one the can reach more easily could be the deciding factor. <S> The same argument applies for most of the other stuff. <S> Basic contact info really is not worth protecting, certainly not from folks who you are going to be trusting to evaluate your performance, manage your health insurance registration, and sign your paychecks. <S> If you don't trust them enough to make it easy for them to contact you for interviews and such, they aren't a company you should be interviewing with at all. <A> No, giving false address will bite you later. <S> As others have stated, how are you going to correct the address once you are employed? <S> If address is a concern for you, you can always rent a P.O box nearby to receive mails. <S> As for the work phone number, couldn't you just give out your cell phone? <S> I doubt they need all three of your numbers (home, cell, work). <S> And you can state your time of availability for calls, and ask them to send you a email instead if they called you during your work hours.
| If you are wanting to be employed by the company you have applied for there is absolutely no reason to withhold this information - they will need it at some point. Anything you provide can be used in terms of a scam such as getting signed up for junk mail / email, etc.
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The recruiter is asking me to wait for the interview because they are having a delay even though they had already advertised the vacancy A recruiter is asking me to wait for an interview because they are having a delay and they are waiting for a confirmation by their client about the start date and the number of candidates. But they had already advertised the vacancy and had contacted me twice in a period of 3 weeks. Sometimes with a delay so and I had to contact them and send a follow-up email. How should I respond now? I don't know how much time they need to continue the process. I know that they were honest and told me the real reason for the delay but this seems a bit disorganized to me. Should I show that this may affect my interest about the job or say that I will wait till they know? Does this seem that I am as always available to take their call? <Q> Never stop looking for a job just because you have one company looking at you. <S> You want to have 3 or 4 companies interviewing you if possible. <S> As for this company, tell them the truth. <A> It is not necessarily that they lied to you. <S> Sometimes in business, things change between when the job is first advertised and when they start to fill it. <S> (See the US federal government hiring freeze put in place by the Trump admin as an example. <S> Also many many contractor positions are currently on hold as well.) <S> I have been through processes that took months before they even called and more months afterwards. <S> There is nothing odd going on here at all. <S> Don't bother waiting for them though, keep looking. <A> This is normal. <S> They rush to get resumes in front of a client, who's stated that they have positions to fill immediately. <S> Then, the client reviews resumes, and at the point of further activity they discover internal budgeting or logistics issues and push back. <S> Sometimes, the opportunities just fizzle. <S> "Hurry and wait" is how you might describe this process. <S> Don't get stuck on it. <S> It's a real downer, but <S> I'd suggest you keep looking elsewhere.
| There's nothing you or the recruiter can do but wait things out. If the delay really affects your interest, tell them -- but do not be surprised if they stop calling you.
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Inviting a friend for a part time job interview As of today, I have concluded an internship of 4 months. The company I had my internship at, asked me to continue working there part time. This obviously is a great opportunity, and I accepted the job. During the conversation, they mentioned that they can use any help, and are almost 'desperate' for more developers. A friend of mine (Also a student) is currently looking for a part time job, as well. From experience, he is a better programmer than me, and I think he could be a great addition to the team. Would it be acceptable to ask if he can come for an interview? I'm afraid of seeming like I'm just inviting my friends to work with me. I just know he's a good programmer and could help out a lot. Is this something I shouldn't meddle with, and just let him call the company? I think this would result in the same outcome, since he will probably mention that he's my friend, and told him the company is looking for more developers. What would be the best way to bring this up? Should I just mention that I have a friend who is looking for a part time job as well, or should I refrain from saying anything and let my friend do the talking? I'm afraid of looking unprofessional either way. <Q> Ask HR wether they have a cooptation system. <S> It's rather common, in companies who need a lot of developpers. <S> You might even get little money for that. <S> Also ask your friend wether he's interested, <S> and if yes, only then, connect both. <S> EDIT after comment : Be sure to respect the internal process for connecting both. <S> CVs runnning in mails between different people are not a good thing. <S> A CV placed in the right spot through the right process is a huge gain of time for everyone. <S> The more you risk is that your friend is seen as unfit, ans his CV does not pass through. <S> Not a real problem. <A> From experience I can tell that most companies like when you recommend them to friends and vice versa. <S> I got my first full time employment like that. <S> Just be sure how much weight you want to put into this. <S> Are you sure you want to vouch for your friend's skill? <S> Because this could mean that you have to take a certain responsibility for his actions. <S> If you just match recruitment and your friend and let the process run from there you should be safe. <S> Just be open about your connection. <S> As I said - many companies even like hiring people that know each other because this can give the team spirit a nice little lift. <A> If you think less highly of your friend but are trying to do them a favor at the expense of the company - thats another matter. <S> But all "win-win" arrangements are fair game. <S> Also, the management has responsibility to vet your friend and make hiring decisions, not you. <S> I have been "on the recruiting end" in exactly this scenario: <S> One of my existing students refered a friend from his study. <S> And I hired this friend with great success. <S> Then your part is done and you are off the hook. <S> If you think of it that way, you are merely providing more options to your manager, which is a good thing.
| If you genuinely think they would be a good fit, go ahead and connect them.
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Have I acted unprofessionally by sharing photos from a work's night out? To give you some context, the business I work for an I enjoyed a post-New Year night out, paid for and sponsored by the business as a thank you for the previous year and to get people motivated for 2017. During this, HR themselves took some photographs of the evening, throughout the evening. Our office has numerous screens littered around the place, they're typically used for announcements (e.g. someone makes a sale) and advertising (upcoming things we're working on). I was asked by our HR department to put these photos on the screens to remind people of the evening and to have a giggle at some of the photos. The photos were (presumably) vetted prior to me receiving them. I inevitably had a few e-mails of people asking me for the photos that they can use for whatever they wanted, so I figured I'd upload them to SharePoint and let people download them all or individually. All the photos that I uploaded are one's that were sent to me by HR, and are being shown on the screens to everyone. I then got an e-mail from HR asking me to send people to HR first if they wanted any photos, after I sent an e-mail telling people to use the supplied link to take any pictures they wanted. My colleague then received a call asking them to be taken down (which I've complied with) stating that it would be "unprofessional" allowing people to download them. I don't know why they called my colleague given they knew it was me who did it. To me this feels like it's a tad bit of overreach, but is this really unprofessional? The photos I received came directly from HR, they're being shown to everyone anyway, the photo's were taken in a public place, so it's hardly exposing the inner workings of our office, no one is upset with any of the pictures (else I'd expect to have been asked to remove them from the screens). We're also a relatively small, tightly-knit business: 80 people or so. Is it really unprofessional to let people use pictures from a night out? Or have I jumped the gun? <Q> Yes it's unprofessional <S> It's not about the content of the files <S> but the fact that you shared them without permission . <S> HR had the photos. <S> They trusted you with access to the files so that you could upload them to the screens. <S> You then uploaded the files to a public location where anybody could copy them. <S> Regardless of whether you thought they were harmless, and whether you felt that being shown a picture is equivalent to having an original digital copy of it, it was not your call to make . <A> They publish all the photos to a shared drive themselves, where anyone can use them. <S> Maybe it's just me, but if I can't trust the people I work with, with a picture of me taken during a public event, I would strongly reconsider whether I wanted to work there, <S> not whether I should complain about people getting access to said picture. <S> That said, you probably should've asked before making them public. <S> I don't see the point in making people come to HR <S> but apparently they have ideas about how this share was supposed to work. <S> It never hurts to ask what you're supposed or allowed to do with content you're given. <A> You're making a mountain out of a molehill. <S> Have you been fired or put on notice? <S> No. <S> You did something <S> and they wanted it done different <S> and they clarified and you changed it. <S> There's no resultant problem here except realizing that obviously, as you can see from the other answers coming from cultures of "it's fine" to "you could get SUED", different people have different opinions of this kind of picture sharing. <S> None of these opinions are "right," but since the person in HR has a different opinion than yours, you should (and have) <S> do what they want you to do. <S> Your opinion isn't "wrong" and matches up with many workplaces. <S> But not your HR. <S> So now you know how they want it treated. <S> Your problem is solved, do not cause another problem by picking at it. <S> Additional attempts to justify it, or debate it, or whatever will just cause you trouble with HR that hasn't yet occurred.
| It depends on the culture and locale, but this approach is perfectly normal for the company I work for.
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Are there jobs for software developers at embassies? I have a Bachelor's of Computer Science and about a year and a half of experience in programming. I'd like to be able to work in different countries and explore the world while I work. Are there embassy jobs that someone with my background could get into? If not, would getting a Master's degree in International Relations or something similar help? Would there be a job that combines the skills of the two degrees? I have dual Canadian-US citizenship, but since I've lived in Canada all my life I'm not sure I'd be qualified to work in an American embassy. <Q> Probably not. <S> In my experience with US Embassies it's only absolutely essential staff, so only people who talk face-to-face with customers and the public officials. <S> Something you could go for is an IT job, that requires constant travel to maintain and setup infrastructure at embassies, consulates, and diplomatic outposts. <S> Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like you would like that, and usually these require security clearances and similar experience. <S> If the company has some sort of software product that people from all over the world will buy, then you might be required to travel constantly. <S> My final piece of advice is to look into Incident Response in the cybersecurity field. <S> Companies will pay other firms who employ these analysts to have them come to their site when a breach occurs to secure it. <S> Sometimes this could go up to 75% travel. <S> Usually you won't get right into it, but you could work your way up into that job. <A> There are certainly Foreign Service Officer positions (US State Dept representatives at foreign embassies) with a technology focus. <S> Their listing of Specialist Career Tracks includes an Information Technology category. <S> Quoting from that page: <S> [Information Management Specialists] manage and operate worldwide information technology infrastructure. <S> With that said, there may be a trade-off between the technical interesting-ness of the work; but certainly the State Department probably has some relatively interesting IT problems. <A> I think a much better idea for what you're looking for is a 100% remote position. <S> I've definitely seen those on job boards and there are even dedicated job boards for those. <S> Wouldn't you rather have a job where they don't care where you are, so you go wherever you want, when you want, instead of one where they tell you when and where to go?
| If you're only looking for the travel aspect, I'd recommend being a programmer with a company with large international outreach.
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Can a company fire me for discussing my pay with co-workers? If it's in my contract that I cannot discuss pay-rates with co-workers, can I be fired for doing so? I thought I was protected by workman's-rights under this situation. Note: I'm not in danger of being fired, just curious how that situation would go down. Edit: I'm more curious if it being in the contract in the first place is allowed. Sort of how you can't sign into a contract that violates other working rights; like safety-conditions, pay, and hours. <Q> You have the rights in all US states to discuss pay with co-workers. <S> There are some limitations to that, and this Q&A blog explains some of it. <S> This is part of federal law, and the reason is that you may need to discuss pay if you were going to consider creating or joining a union. <S> The limitations are based on whether you are eligible to join a union (so management could be barred from discussing pay, you can be barred from discussing pay with non-co-workers, with whom you would not unionize). <S> A separate question (and answer) would be how to deal with something like that in your contract. <S> That question has been asked (and closed): How to respond if a company disallows discussion of wages? <A> Disclaimer: I AM NOT A LAWYER <S> You cannot be officially fired for discussing your rate of pay in the US labor market. <S> See US code sections 157 and 158 . <S> It is not particularly uncommon for employers to put it in their employment contract anyway. <S> Contracts are not allowed to include enforcement of illegal behavior. <S> Such a clause would not be enforceable, and if you could prove this is was your reason for being fired in court, you would likely be award damages. <S> That being said, there's nothing stopping them from making up any other reason that is convenient to fire you. <S> You'll really need to consider whether this is a windmill you want to tilt. <A> Yes you can. <S> I've been places where this was in the employee manual as a reason for termination. <S> As an aside, I don't want to know what others are earning. <S> Knowing their job title would give a range for a particular position. <S> Either I would be angry ("he/ <S> she is making more than me <S> and they can't code their way out of a paper bag") or very happy <S> ("I make more than you"). <S> Nothing good would come of it.
| They may find some other reason to fire you, but they cannot legally keep you from discussing your pay, even if they put it in a contract, even if you signed the contract.
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Layoff vs resignation, does it matter on employee record? I have been suspecting my employer (Ontario, Canada) will be laying off some employees. I did not consider myself safe due to some non-performance related factors. Therefore; I have been interviewing else where. I have received an offer today which I have accepted. I'm giving my two week notice tomorrow. In the recent couple weeks, management meetings have increased. Again, my suspicion is that the layoffs are very soon. If the layoffs happen after my two week notice, I don't care. I won't be around. But I want to prepare in case they happen during my two week notice. Is it better for my employment record that I have resigned or been laid off? Or it doesn't matter since an external entity cannot know either way? If resignation is better, should I bring it up with my manager in case I was laid off in the next two weeks? <Q> 1) It doesn't really matter. <S> 2) <S> It's unlikely you will be laid off after turning in your resignation. <S> More likely, you'll just be asked to leave immediately as opposed to staying out the two weeks. <S> If they lay you off, they likely have to give some sort of severance or continued benefits that are not required if you resign. <S> 3) <S> When some hiring manager down the line asks why you left, it's not because you got laid off <S> , it's because you found a new, better opportunity. <A> In many jurisdictions yes it matters. <S> In US you can only get unemployment if you were laid off. <S> With layoffs a company may be required to pay a higher unemployment tax. <S> On a resume they may trust a layoff was not a performance issue on your part. <S> If you suspect the layoff would be with some severance benefits <S> then you can hold off for a layoff <S> but you have an offer in hand <S> so you cannot really hold off. <A> Pro: <S> If you are laid off you will be eligible for whatever the company is providing in terms of termination compensation. <S> This could be nothing or <S> it could be several months pay. <S> Canadian law may offer benefits as well. <S> With my last US based layoff <S> I got 3 months pay and 3 months of health insurance coverage. <S> Con: <S> You have to tell your potential new employer you are waiting on an as yet unannounced layoff. <S> This will look bad to them because it will appear selfish on your part, and they might pull your offer rather than wait. <S> Neutral: <S> The layoff vs. voluntary leave is probably not a deal breaker on any future employment beyond the current opportunity. <A> The 'why did you leave your last job'? <S> question really only comes up for people who are unemployed, and unless you have a lot of weird gaps in your resume, interviewers will want to focus on your skills, not past drama.
| If they have your resignation and then have a layoff I suspect they would not include you in the layoff as no benefit to the company that I can think of. You shouldn't be too concerned about it - you're going forward into a new opportunity.
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How to deal with a boss who won't give me work? He'll assign projects to me. Small stuff, simple stuff. I'll get it done and it may not have been the best way to do it but I figured it out and did it the best way I knew how at the time and it doesn't break anything. So again, not perfect but what code is? Yet despite that, soon after I finish instead of using my code he'll write his own code instead and that goes into production. It's beginning to feel like nothing I do matters. Some feedback on my code would be nice but I don't even get that. He'll just come over to my desk and tell me about the new feature he has implemented. Doesn't even explain how he did it. And I'm left thinking, "Okay why did I just spend 'x' amount of time doing this if you ultimately was just going to do it yourself"? I want to talk to him about this but I have no idea as to how to frame it without sounding...jealous(?), defensive(?), or annoyed(?). I'm not even entirely sure how I feel but it's not a good feeling. It's hard to take ownership over something when it just gets "overridden" and there is no feedback for better ways you could have done XYZ. <Q> I had the same thing happen to me at my first internship. <S> I would be asked to write a library to interface with a device, and then they just contracted out the work after I had already finished it! <S> Looking back to that experience I would have mentioned the problem sooner. <S> I would start by asking your manager why they don't use the code you work on. <S> Maybe he has a standard of performance or readability that he's just not communicating. <S> Maybe he doesn't want to use code for production unless he knows exactly what's going on with it -- code reviews may be the answer. <S> If you can't resolve this issue soon I would start looking at other opportunities, because he obviously isn't valuing the time you're putting in. <A> Try something like this <S> (Boss's name), I've noticed that you've changed some of my code. <S> I want to do better next time, could you point out what you changed, why, and what I should look to do in the future to save you some work? <A> Then use that knowledge in the next assignment. <S> And when you are done the next assignment, ask for a code review and then make changes based on what he told you whether you agree with it or not. <S> Right now, you haven't shown him what he wants, it is up to you to take the initiative to find out what he wants and then deliver it.
| Why don't you try looking over his code and seeing how he did it differently than you did.
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Should I wear a tie to this interview? I know the immediate answer would be a overwhelming yes. But hear me out I need some reassurance, I am a recent high school graduate and I've been working at a restaurant for 2 years now. I recently applied to a job where the pay is much higher than what I am currently being paid. This is my first ever big interview where I will actually be nervous, but should I be wearing a tie and dress shoes and dress pants? I feel as if it would be over kill if I did but at the same time I feel as if I should. Any advice? I don't know if it's ok to post the jobs website or not so I'll wait on that if it is than I will post it. <Q> In short: Dress for the occasion, there is no real drawback in overdressing. <S> It shows that you care enough to dress "up" and that you show respect to the company that interview you. <A> If it's assembly line, wear your dress pants, dress shoes, and a dress shirt. <S> You can probably skip the tie and the blazer - if it's cold, bring a nice sweater. <S> Your best bet for interviews for a non-client-facing job are probably the same outfits you might wear to attend a religious ceremony with an elderly relative. <S> The dress code of your local Catholic college preparatory school can also be a great guide. <S> The other key is comfort - if you feel comfortable in it, you'll perform better. <A> For most interviews you should dress more formally than usual, yes. <S> It both makes you look more serious and shows respect. <S> (There are exceptions when you're trying to sell yourself as quirky/artist, but if you have to ask this isn't such a case.) <S> However, I personally draw the line at ties. <S> (I'm part cat. <S> Cats do not wear choke collars. <S> And not being uncomfortable probably helps me more than a decorative rag would.) <S> But, yes, the ideal answer, if you aren't sure, is to phone ahead and ask... <S> And then consider going a half-step up from whatever they say is the minimum. <S> (You can overdo it, but it's easier to ditch an unneeded jacket than to go the other way.)
| Clothes that fit well and are clean, neat and look new are better than clothes that are fancy but worn and ill-fitting. If you hate ties, as I do, you can get away with skipping that. At least in the subcultures I deal with, if you wear a blazer/jacket, a good button-down shirt, dress slacks (or even chinos) and a respectable pair of shoes, that's probably sufficient.
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Interview appointment during work time I'm finishing my 6 months internship at a software company. I'm pretty sure soon I'll receive an offer here.Meanwhile I sent my CV to a company I'd really like to work with. They showed interest and suggested to meet in one of the next mornings. During the day I'm busy with my internship and in these day I'm working on a project they assigned totally to me. First question : Is it a good idea to take 2 hours break from my internship and do this interview, or should I propose a different time?(It would not be a problem for me to take 2 hours break). Second question : I really like this new company and I don't want to miss this opportunity. But at the same - in case I'll receive an offer by this new company - I want to make them understand that I have to wait the end of the internship and see what the company where I'm now has to offer. How can I do this in a professional way? <Q> Just take the two hour break and inform your current employer that you have an errand to do. <S> Inform the potential employer during the interview the earliest start date <A> Your questions nearly answer themselves already. <S> 1 <S> ° You ask if you should take a 2-hour break, and mention at the same time that this would not be a problem. <S> Just do as you said. <S> If the question "Shouldn't you be at your current work ?" <S> (happened once to me) arises, just say they trust you with schedule since you always deliver. <S> 2 <S> ° Simply state you cannot, for legal(EDIT : <S> I mean contractual) reasons, accept an offer before XX.XX.2017, and there is no way to work around this constraint. <S> If this fits the employers' need, he will be fine. <S> If his timeline can't agree with yours, he will just thank you for your time. <A> For your first question, no. <S> If you have paid time off at this internship, use half of the day to do the interview. <S> That way, it is totally above board and should you have a longer interview, you are in the clear. <S> If you do not, ask for a longer lunch to take care of some personal business. <S> By all means, don't lie...to your current employer or your (potential) new one. <S> It seems as though you wish to complete that commitment <S> and that's something you can tell them that's <S> (a) true and (b) puts you in a positive light. <S> A competing offer from your current employer is not the new employer's business until you actually receive that offer.
| I will repeat the answer of many here and suggest that you should inform them that you aren't available until (date your internship ends).
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Coworker has a borderline-NSFW ringtone that is disturbing. How can I get him to change it? A coworker has a song as their phone's ringtone, and the song lyrics could be flagged NSFW. It does not contain actual cursing, but has tons of obvious sexual innuendo. I think it is disturbing. I talked to them, but it was to no avail. They refuse to change the ringtone. Other coworkers agree that this ringtone is not a good one, but that I should not press further. Is there a way I can get them to change the ringtone, without escalating too much? <Q> Is there a way I can get they to change the ringtone, without escalating too much? <S> You have talked to your coworker and he is disagreeing. <S> You have also established that your other coworkers don't want to get involved. <S> Your next step would be the guys manager. <S> Only you can know if you consider that "escalating too much". <A> You could call his phone while a manager is within hearing distance. <S> But your colleagues are right, escalating things might cause more problems without really solving this one. <S> People have a right to choose their own ringtones on their own devices after all (even though it's just good manners to have your phone on silent while in the office). <S> Unless he's getting calls every half hour, I'd ignore it. <S> Over-reacting and escalating the problem can also create a hostile workplace. <S> While it's possible to claim that people have a right to do this and that, the OP here has to live with the consequences and sometimes sucking up a minor inconvenience is better than creating or worsening a potentially toxic working environment with a co-worker. <A> Making his phone ring while the boss is nearby is a cute idea, although it may not garner the desired response (ie: changing his ringtone.) <S> His boss may not care enough to say anything, or he might just apologize quietly and not do anything else. <S> It could also backfire on you if your coworker can trace the incoming call back to you, so tread carefully. <S> A coworker has a song as their phone's ringtone, and the song lyrics could be flagged NSFW. <S> It does not contain actual cursing, but has tons of obvious sexual innuendo. <S> I think it is disturbing. <S> If a human being were to speak the lyrics to another human being in the office, would it reasonably be considered sexual harassment? <S> Harassment in the workplace can take many forms, and women are not the only ones allowed to complain about it. <S> You could take a transcript of the lyrics to HR and ask them what the company's policy is regarding language like this in the office. <S> Not naming the coworker specifically, or even admitting it's someone's ringtone. <S> Just tell them you're trying to gauge what is or is not appropriate around the office. <S> That could help to inform you on what should be done next as well as how likely you are to get support from people outside your department. <S> Filing a (politely worded) complaint with HR is not necessarily over-reacting. <S> You could even submit the complaint anonymously if you're really worried about it, so they know what's happening without knowing who exactly brought it up. <A> Or, if that policy already exists, about enforcing it more strictly. <S> Regardless of whether the ringtone is a song with NSFW lyrics, it's disruptive to have other people's phones ringing audibly in the office. <S> I might also mention the issue of some people having NSFW ringtones to my manager as yet another reason to support the aforementioned phone-silencing policy. <S> Whether you name names on who has such an inappropriate ringtone is up to you, but it seems unnecessary in this context unless perhaps your manager specifically asks whose it is. <S> Avoiding naming names would help to limit escalation while still hopefully providing enough incentive for your manager to get this problem shut down. <S> Having the policy of putting phones on silent operation while at work also has the benefit of allowing your coworker to keep his phone on the inappropriate ringtone if he so desires without disturbing or offending you or others in your office while he's at work. <A> Not progressing further than asking them to change their ring-tone is correct, and your colleagues are correct about that approach. <S> You just can't always have an environment 100% free of anything you don't like, this really is a minor issue. <S> Few times my colleague used very annoying (though not offensive at all) ringtones. <S> I didn't even comment on it <S> and I really think obsessing about stuff like this is a waste of time. <S> If you absolutely can't tolerate this then obviously talk to your manager. <S> But don't expect your colleagues to back you on anything . <S> They clearly stated that they don't like it but tolerate it and even explicitly advised you not to push this . <A> Other coworkers agree that this ringtone is not a good one, but that I should not press further. <S> Okay, so your coworkers do not support further action in terms of persuading the colleague to change the ringtone. <S> Therefore, the answer to "how to deal with him" is deal with it . <S> That is, just ignore it .
| Personally, if I were in your shoes, I'd probably talk to my manager about trying to set up a policy to require cell phones to be set to vibrate or silent mode while at work.
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How to get back to workforce with a recurring depression I left my 1st job of 6years due to depression at 27yrs old. I was not stable and was no longer happy with the management hence my therapist told me that it was okay to resign to take a rest and to continue treatment. 5 months has passed, I sent out a lot of job applications as I felt that I am treated already. I did preliminary interviews but I later realized the way I answer in the interview is very negative. I can't answer with a positive disposition and it makes me more frustrated how I fail one interview after the other. Due to this, I feel that my depression has resurfaced. I am losing my focus once again and my head feels heavy. One thing that is bugging me is that I don't know what my next career move would really be. I have been sending out job applications so as not to lengthen the career break I took but really I do not know if I needed a career change or simply a job change. Your thoughts on my resurfaced depression and career/job change is really much appreciated. <Q> According to Margie Warrell , you can either Change what you do <S> I'll have you answer this first <S> : do you think you will be happier at a new line of work, or will you be the same miserable person you are now? <S> If you answered yes, then the former option is for you. <S> You have to accept the price though and work from the start again <S> but it's worth it if you're happy <S> If no, then I suggest the latter option: <S> change yourself and have a better disposition towards work and life. <S> Understand key areas you are weak in, and work on them <S> Say you're a programmer, but you are having trouble with developing in a particular language. <S> Do some reading and practice coding on it. <S> Know the proper terms and programming practices that are in place today as well. <S> There are lots of studying material online Exercise and workout <S> Working out helps release Dopamine in your body , among having other benefits. <S> Adopt a lighter personality <S> Don't take everything in a negative light. <S> Smile and appreciate what you have at the moment. <S> Try to find the lighter side in everything you do (learning LINQ is a bit tough for me.. <S> but hey I after this I can get results from an array faster than just looping through it!) <S> EDIT as commented by the other answers here <S> , it may also help if you seek actual advice from medical professionals. <S> They may have medication to treat the chemical imbalance in your brain, if present. <A> It sounds like you may not have fully recovered from the depressive episode, perhaps you could talk with your therapist about your current situation a bit more. <S> Many people reduce their medication when they start feeling better, but going into the more stressful circumstances surrounding job hunting might warrant an increase in medication despite what was a previously stable dosage. <S> This isn't really the professional advice you might have sought out <S> and I'm not a medical professional, but it seems like this issue merits consideration from that angle more than any other right now. <A> I'm not going to talk about the depression side of things. <S> Other answers have covered it and it really isn't my area of expertise. <S> So onto the other aspects of your question. <S> I did preliminary interviews <S> but I later realized the way I answer in <S> the interview is very negative. <S> I can't answer with a positive disposition and it makes me more frustrated how I fail one interview after the other. <S> Are these questions regarding your time off from work? <S> Or is it underselling your ability? <S> The good part is that you are getting interviews. <S> This means that employers think on paper you are good enough for the role. <S> Take this as a positive. <S> Depending on where you live some places offer interview advice services? <S> Perhaps you're a bit rusty with interviews and someone else giving some constructive criticism on your answers may help you somewhat. <S> If you know you are framing things negatively, then it sounds like practicing interview techniques may help you in this regard. <S> In terms of the career change. <S> Is it drastically different to what you do now? <S> Would you need to go to college/university? <S> Finally - I have left jobs due to not being happy at them (obviously not as unhappy as you were) and have found a good job can do wonders for your mental state. <S> I don't think anyone can answer if you are "ready" to go back to work, but trying and failing isn't the worst thing in the world. <S> If you went back to your current career and didn't like it, it would be fairly easy to explain once the time came to go for jobs in your new career. <S> It's the hardest leap to make sometimes, but if you think it's right for you, then sometimes you just need to. <A> It's hard to get out of a downward spiral. <S> It's easy to get more depressed the longer you don't have a job. <S> And the more depressed you are, the less likely you are to land a job, due to this: I can't answer with a positive disposition And probably a lot of other factors, including lack of motivation and eventual deterioration of skills and abilities.
| The only way to break the vicious cycle is to stop making negative associations with being unemployed, so you can get back enough self-esteem to pass one of the blasted interviews. Change the way you do it Don't be fazed by change.
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When to announce that I'm transgender once the recruiting process has begun? Background I'm a French transgender female who started her transition a few months ago. For now, only my friends and family know about my status. I'm not legally a female and I still look and sound like a man. However, I want to change jobs and thus have began to send my résumé right and left but gendered as masculine. I did so because I didn't want to be a victim of discrimination. The situation A recruiter phoned me and we have agreed on an interview date. They called me "Sir" during the phone conversation (which is logical, since I wrote on my résumé that I'm male). The thing is: I don't want to be mis-gendered anymore, and think that it's not worth to work for someone who wouldn't respect this. Question Should I keep with the masculine pronouns until signing my contract or should I tell them upfront during the interview? I'm aware that this kind of question has already been answered here , but my question differs in the sense that she has NOT initiated any contact before, while I DID .The recruitment process has already begun and they already started to call me "Sir", whereas in the other question, no contact has been made. This question is "how to fix" while the other is "how not to break". Also, I'm not in the UK, so those laws do not apply. <Q> However, I want to change jobs and thus have began to send my résumé right and left but gendered in masculine. <S> I did so because I didn't want to be a victim of discrimination. <S> Depending on your locale, that may have been a well intentioned call, but it could potentially come to fire back at you. <S> The thing is: I don't want to be mis-gendered anymore, and think that it's not worth to work for someone who wouldn't respect this. <S> If you tell them only after signing the contract, you run serious risk of having just signed a contract working for someone who now hates you. <S> I know, it's not supposed to be like that <S> but in reality there are many people left who harbor resentment and disgust against transgender individuals. <S> So if you spring it on them after signing a contract, there's a real chance you'll be stuck for a while being mistreated at a job where people now hate you. <A> You best chance is telling them as soon as you have the first direct (phone or on site interview) contact. <S> If they are not fine with it, then you don't want to work for them, so spare both of you additional pain and effort. <S> I know it might be hard in the country you live in, but I would also try to stop sending out resumes as a male. <S> It makes things harder on people (like me) who have no idea how you feel but strife to treat you right and respectful <S> and it most likely makes things harder on yourself. <S> (I am not transgender, but I have also traits that I had to learn to embrace to be able to be <S> happy.)You can use your chosen name, but you would also have to mention your legal name (which probably is the name all your records, references and other documents use). <S> Of course you have a decision to take. <S> You don't want to be mis-gendered <S> and you don't want to be discriminated. <S> Some people might discriminate you either way, not only because of your gender or being transgender, but maybe because of other reasons. <S> But being mis-gendered is definitely the point you can choose and do something about. <S> The right people won't discriminate you for it, the others are not the right people to surround yourself with. <A> If I am the hiring manager, and during the interview you present as male (female), then on your first day you present as female (male), then I might not know who you are. <S> Then after confirming your identity, you are the same person who I interviewed and you can do the work, so get to work. <S> If you wait a day/week/month/year, doesn't matter as you are doing the work. <S> Jobs are about getting work done, not having a gender. <S> Various regions/cultures/religions/people/countries have various feelings and discriminations. <S> I wish you well in finding an acceptable solution for you.
| Then you should clarify as quickly and early as possible, best directly at the interview (remember, try to be nice, they have no way of knowing they misgender you). If you don't feel male and don't want to be treated male, please do not treat yourself as male in the first place.
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Should I visit the company's open day before my interview? I will interview with a place in a couple of weeks. Before that, there is an open day at the place for the public to learn about what the company does etc. Before I knew I was going to be interviewed, I planned to attend the open day - it's a place I am interested in. However, I now worry that I will look creepy or desperate hanging around there before my interview. <Q> You should definitely go. <S> It demonstrates a strong interest in the company. <S> If you run into anyone there that ends up interviewing you, then that means you get two opportunities to leave a good impression. <S> This is an opportunity! <S> Treat the visit as if it were the interview (dress appropriately, etc). <S> It's also an opportunity for you to gather some information that can lead to good questions to ask in the interview. <S> "Creepy" interviewee behavior would be contacting employees outside of official channels (social media or in person off company property) or calling/e-mailing too often. <S> These kinds of "open" days are invitations for the public to learn about what the company does. <S> For now, you are part of the public, so the invitation includes you. <S> I don't know of any managers that would look negatively on someone who attended before an interview. <S> Lastly, it gives you an opportunity to learn about the company from people other than your interviewers. <S> When you're considering where to spend 1/3 (or more) of every workday, it helps to get multiple perspectives on the candidate companies. <A> Yes definitely. <S> You absolutely should go because: I will interview with a place in a couple of weeks. <S> Before that, there is an open day at the place for the public to learn about what the company does etc. <S> This shows: You are serious about where you end up working <S> You are well prepared, and preparation is key <S> You are not just applying to any job or any company, you are specifically targetting them. <S> And employers do not want somebody who just want to hire someone who's only interested in how much they earn <S> but what they can offer for them (even if this isn't true <S> but hey it works ;) ). <S> Before I knew I was going to be interviewed, I planned to attend the open day - it's a place I am interested in. <S> If you're interested in it, then definitely go for it <S> However, I now worry that I will look creepy or desperate hanging around there before my interview. <S> Absolutely not. <S> It is encouraged to study and be prepared as mentioned above. <S> God speed my friend :) <A> Think from a different perspective. <S> What if you actually get to hang out with some of the staff members who are trying to hire for that position and that gives you an added advantage? <S> I don't think anyone will really care and think you are being creepy. <S> You never know who you will run into and how that might end up helping you to get the job. <A> I might have gotten my first position with IBM because I knew more about IBM's brand-new research into RISC architectures than the folks interviewing me did, and could explain why I found it interesting ... <S> and I'd learned about it not long before the interview, because I spent some time reading a bunch of IBM Research's recently published papers.
| Researching a company before interviewing there is always worthwhile. You may even learn something about the company that makes you think it's not where you want to work that wouldn't have been mentioned in the interview. Company's are more impressed by the fact that you did your homework about the place you are going to work at.
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I have noticed that a potential employer's website has been compromised - should I mention it during an interview? I am about to have a telephone interview for a junior software developer position. When learning more about the company I have noticed that their website has been compromised or, simply put, hacked (the hacker left an unambiguous signature). It is not necessarily obvious that the security breach has occurred - there is no flashing red banner "hacked" that you cannot miss - but after using the website you cannot really miss that (some of the links lead to the hacker's signature). I do not know if I should mention it during the interview. My fear is that if I do not, then they might think that I did not really look at their website or if I looked I have a poor perception of what is going on. If it is a good idea to mention it, how should I do it? If I just say something like "I know that your website has been compromised", I fear that the situation might be awkward, they might be like "Yes, so what now?", they might have an impression that I am just babbling random things to impress them. Lastly, is it a bad sign that they have been hacked and perhaps should I reject a job if I am offered it? I would expect that security breaches happen and you cannot make a sound judgement based on this fact alone. I would believe it is more about how they approach the reality of being hacked. So perhaps I should ask about their policy? But is it not improper? EDIT As for the company and the job profile: they are both pretty much full-stack. Also, to add more considerations, there is a problem of company-public benefit. Not informing them might pose a certain market risk to them, on the other hand perhaps public should see with their own eyes that they cannot secure their website? <Q> Waiting until the interview could be viewed as you displaying a lack of urgency. <A> if I do not, then they might think that I did not really look at their website or if I looked I have a poor perception of what is going on. <S> Why is that? <S> Weren't they looking at their website? <S> The people supposed to look after it? <S> I don't think that would be the case, but, from a game-theoretic perspective, not mentioning it at all is your safest bet. <S> You shouldn't tell them bluntly they've been defaced because It's alarmist <S> and you'll lose face if you're wrong. <S> If you're absolutely certain this merits their attention, you can present the facts as you see them, and let them come to the conclusion they might have had a breach. <S> Even so, you might be accused of being the hacker, or the guy interviewing you might be the one who made the site in the first place, and take it as an affront. <S> My advice is this: don't tell them anything during the interview . <S> Make an anonymous account instead, through Tor if necessary, and let them know anonymously. <S> This mustn't come back to you in any way. <S> Look up the Wikipedia article on responsible disclosure . <S> Good luck <A> Don't tell them in the interview. <S> No matter how they handle it, no good can come out of making their mistake visible. <S> Tell them only if and when they hire you. <S> Because if they don't hire you... why help them on your own dime? <S> They are paying people for it (and they decided that's not you), so let those people do their respective jobs. <S> If you want to be "the good guy" you can still send them an email after they rejected you and let their people sort it out. <A> Depends on who you are talking to, if you're talking to some non-tech HR person I probably wouldn't bother at that point, but when you are talking to some technical person that might understand the issue <S> then I probably would mention it. <S> I would mention it in a humble way (in case I'm making a mistake) and make sure it is clear <S> it was something I noticed during normal browsing of their website, basically. <S> Be clear that you are not trying to show off or to brag, just bring it up as something you thought they might want to know. <S> Either, they learn that you are somewhat responsible and competent on IT security. <S> If they ignore the info, then you know THEY lack responsibility and competence of IT security but shouldn't cause much harm to you. <S> If they take offense, or think that you hacked the site, screw them.
| Personally, I would tell them the next time I talk to them - preferably before the interview. If you have a contact at the company, you could notify them that you have evidence that their website has bee hacked.
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How do I hand in my notice and not be swayed by guilt tripping management? I am about to hand in my notice after being at my current job for just over 3 years. Through colleagues who have left prior, I am told that all levels of upper management, when discussing your decision, try their hardest to guilt trip you into staying. If you go through with it, they can take it very personally and degrees of petiness ensue. I feel like I am very impressionable, and could be convinced to stay, even when my new offer is leagues better. How can I handle these talks in a professional manner? <Q> No matter what is said, its time for you to leave. <S> You have gone far enough as to obtain an offer, so no need to look back or feel guilty. <S> Say something like <S> : Thank you for my time here <S> but its time for me to explore this new opportunity. <S> I have enjoyed my time here. <S> Each time they try to guilt you or any such thing, continue to say I am flattered by your words, but its time for me to explore this new opportunity. <S> Kill them with kindness as they say. <A> To keep reassuring yourself, just remind yourself why you wanted to leave in the first place. <S> Take your line manager into a room and state your reasons for leaving to him. <S> Say about how it's not him or the company <S> it's about your personal goals. <S> Just don't accept anything your going to regret though. <S> Think of your career 10 years down the line in your current position and see if your happy with the progression. <S> If not you just need to be straight with them and say I've made up my mind after thinking long and hard, but this is the path I want to take, a new challenge will be beneficial to me right now <S> and I appreciate all you have done for me on both a personal and professional level. <A> I have been to this situation. <S> I think what will help you the most is to stick to your decision, be strong and firm. <S> They would be only able to convince you if they can make you believe that the new job you are getting is not better than one you have (read as you cannot get better than what you have). <S> This is definitely not true. <S> There is always something better than what you have right now. <S> Going to new place always give you opportunity to learn new things, meet new people, broaden your networks and yeah may be more money. <S> If you have already decided to leave and join a new job, there must have been more than one reasons for it, something which made you decide to leave current, and something which made you to choose the new place. <S> So envision few months from now. <S> If you are still at current place will that problem be solved because of which you decided to leave in the first place?
| The only other thing i'd consider is if they are willing to counter offer you by fixing your real reasons for leaving, this just means that they appreciate you and are willing to fight to keep you. Just think of your career goals and how your current role/company is stopping you from achieving these goals. So be strong and stick to your decision.
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Minor mistake on resume and back ground check I just cleared a Software Developer interviews and they want to do a BGC on me. After reviewing my resume, I realize I made a minor mistake on my previous employment start date(June instead of July), and My job title was Programmer Analyst instead of Software Developer. I just wondering if that would affect my chance to get this job offer.Thanks <Q> I would do nothing. <S> Many resumes are fine to have your start year as opposed to start month . <S> As far as your title goes, this is another that is unlikely to have a problem during your background check. <S> Both of those terms are essentially interchangeable (especially considering the kind of work being done in them.) <S> Contacting them to tell them about the problem can only do one thing: show them that you submitted an important document without doing the proper proofreading. <S> Call me cynical, but this isn't the kind of message I'd like to send to someone considering me for a job. <S> You've already nailed the interview and <S> they're willing to spend the money on a background check. <S> That's a good sign. <S> Don't blow it over details that, in the grand scheme of things, don't really matter. <A> The folks doing these checks understand human error. <S> Unless it looks like you were deliberately lying, it is unlikely to hurt you. <S> However, best practice would probably be to call the company on Monday and tell them you just noticed these typos hadn't gotten corrected in the resume <S> copy you gave them and would they like a corrected copy. <A> Seems like a minor mistake that will likely not get noticed. <S> Not sure if it's worth the effort to set the record straight. <S> More likely to confuse them and question your attention to detail. <S> If they do find out and bring it up you would just say it was an honest mistake that you overlooked. <S> Doubtful they hired you because you worked someplace one month longer or your title was different. <S> Good luck
| I would let it slide. As long as they are hiring you for something you can actually do I would just correct it on your resume for your next role. Such a discrepancy is unlikely to come up in their search, especially since the months are so close the documentation may appear in either month and will seem legit.
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What do I say in the interview about the time I spent at home brooding I’m a 33 year old programmer who has had Dysthymia (Chronic depression) for quite some time. Due to that I have spent 4 years of my life brooding and staying at home. Now that I feel fit again I’m planning to start interviewing for programming related jobs. I have a Bachelor’s degree in computer sciences but the gap in my work history is killing me. The depression was due to many factors which I’d rather not write here. Any advice and suggestions on how to tackle the interview would be appreciated. <Q> Short Answer: <S> Honesty is always the best policy. <S> Simply explain that you were dealing with long term illness and that you have now recovered sufficiently to rejoin the workforce. <S> Don't offer what illness <S> unless asked (it's nobody's business, neither is what the causes were), then I would suggest answering honestly. <S> Apart from that, concentrate on the skills that you have earned from your previous experience and how they would be of value to the prospective employer. <S> Explain that you have been trying to keep up to date (have you? <S> If not, do), and that you are ready to face new challenges :) <A> Most interviewers are (hopefully) respectful enough to not dig into details of the medical condition. <S> You can focus on what you are now <S> , what skill sets you have <S> that are current and your career goals for the future . <A> While I understand that being honest is important but that won't make up for the fact that you're probably missing technical skills because of the downtime. <S> And honesty or not, that is going to show if the interview entails technical questions. <S> What I would do after recovery is to work on as many projects/freelance as possible in order to add those to the portfolio and catch up skill wise. <S> When you feel that your bag of projects is sufficient you won't have to bring up your downtime during the interview.
| I'd simply write "was unable to work due to a medical condition".
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Including current job if completely unrelated to position applying for I graduated from University in September. I've been working a retail job since October. This is just to have a source of income. I'm actively looking for a full time position related to my degree (Computer Science). Should I mention that I am currently working in a retail job? Should I mention it's just for a source of income and I don't plan on making a career out of it? Also where should it be mentioned: in the cover letter, resume or just in person? I do have experience from my school's co-op program. So in my work history should I put relevant work first and leave the retail store at the bottom, or should I keep work history chronological and have the retail store at the top? I don't want to give the wrong impression. <Q> Should I mention that I am currently working in a retail job? <S> You are learning some soft skills here : cooperation and patience for instance. <S> While you are not getting any hard skills in your main domain (computer science), knowing that someone is becoming professional instead of just waiting for the perfect job can be a positive signal for a recruiter. <S> Should I mention it's just for a source of income <S> and I don't plan on making a career out of it? <S> It should be pretty obvious when you send a coding CV with a coding degree, that you're looking at a coding job. <S> As mentioned above, if the question arises during an interview, you can mention it - but I do not see any interest in mentioning this in the CV. <S> Should I put relevant work first [...] <S> or should I keep chronological ? <S> Both are fine, to be honest. <S> If you have a lot of old, relevant work, you could opt in for the "relevant work first" approach. <S> This boils down to personal preference and interpretation. <A> You're dismissing the retail job as irrelevant. <S> It is not. <S> Retail is incredibly demandin (generally), and your employment there will show that you are capable of the basics of being employed: turning up on time, working a shift, being properly dressed, etc. <S> As for the order, I like to keep things chronological, but I have seen CVs that prioritise the more relevant jobs over those less so. <S> The choice is yours. <A> The chronological format is holy and inviolate. <S> Deviating from it risks being seen as trying to fuzz dates or hide gaps. <S> What you can do is to split work experience into two sections: Relevant and Other Work Experience. <S> But in those sections you still need to use chronological order. <S> Breaking with chronological order is something that you shouldn't do lightly <S> so splitting your work history only makes sense when you actually have significant work experience, which you don't seem to. <S> A single internship and a single retail job don't justify two sections and breaking chronological flow. <S> Even if you had more experience, you'd only create two sections if doing so makes your resume significantly more interesting and faster to skim/read. <S> Whatever you do, stay away from functional resumes. <S> Those do away with chronological (almost) entirely and are considered dated and a potential red flag for hiring managers.
| I would definitely mention it, and explain why I took the job in an interview if that question arises. Given your degree and the field you are looking at, I would not mention it in the resume.
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Is it normal for companies to provide a relocation allowance? I have just accepted my first job abroad and I will have to move around various AirBnB and hostel forms of accommodation for the first few months as I do not have enough money saved up to pay for the deposit on rented accommodation. This is obviously going to impact my work and in the worst case force me to leave the job and return home if I can't find anywhere cheap enough to live. I asked my new employer about the possibility of a relocation allowance but they said they did not provide such a thing. Is this normal? Should I push the issue further as I know this is going to have a negative impact on my work and make me unhappy in my new position or just suck it up and hope everything works out okay? <Q> Is this normal? <S> Yes, it's normal that employers don't care if you want to relocate. <S> After all, the employer pays for your attribution to his business. <S> Your move is not an attribution to his bottom line at all. <S> When it gets harder to find the people the employer wants to have in the company, he may consider offering relocation benefits. <S> So in areas where it's notoriously hard to find good people, relocation benefits might even be seen as normal. <S> You will have to decide for yourself what you want to do, we cannot make this decision for you. <S> If it does impact your job, maybe taking a credit might be an option. <S> If you leave a bad first impression because you are stressed out by your living conditions, it's hard to remedy that later. <A> I asked my new employer about the possibility of a relocation allowance <S> but they said they did not provide such a thing. <S> Is this normal? <S> Should I push the issue further... <S> I've just (in the last 6 months) made a move from Europe to North America. <S> The feeling from most employers was that there was no relocation assistance available. <S> A few who did offer it were usually upfront about it (like a certain alphabetical online store), a few would offer partial assistance, but most offered no help. <S> The ones who did offer money usually came with conditions (so you're tied to them for a year for example), and in the case of money it is usually taxable (and mostly only a small percentage of the real cost of such a move) <S> so what you get is really just a drop in the ocean. <S> I ended up not taking a relocation assistance offer with the job to avoid the conditions (they ended up giving me an extra 5K on my salary, which shows how little they could offer). <S> Be under no illusion, an international move like I made, if you have a house and family, can easily cost upwards of $30,000 US. <S> I had to ready property to sell, pay off accounts, sell cars, sell property, pay moving fees, airlines, temp accommodation, pay additional months upfront for rental house as no credit history in destination, buy cars, additional furniture, pay through the nose for car insurance as no driving history in destination, deal with currency fluctuations when transferring money etc. <S> You also need to have reserves. <S> When I was in hotels the area played host to a number of conferences and the few hotels available (often 60 miles plus away from work) tripled their rates over those weeks. <S> But the key thing is to be upfront at interview time, and when negotiating discuss assistance. <S> Approaching them subsequent to accepting an offer is going to get the "No" answer you got. <A> It's not unheard of but certainly <S> not a given <S> so it's completely normal to provide one but also completely normal not to. <S> It can be something you can negotiate individually before you take the job or something that is available to all new hires under certain conditions or provided for in collective bargaining agreements. <S> But if your contract and/or company rules don't foresee it, you are out of luck. <S> It's not something you can expect or that your employer necessarily has to provide. <S> You can always ask (but it seems you have done that already) but there is no point in pushing it, especially if, as you wrote in a comment, you are not willing to walk away. <S> Another solution to your rental problem however could be to ask for a salary advance from your employer. <S> Unlike a relocation allowance, it will probably be taxed like regular income and you would have to pay it back in the coming months <S> but it could save you money compared to staying at hostels and avoid a lot of stress. <S> This is something I have seen in your situation (new hire from abroad who need money for a deposit - as opposed to being in debt or spending it on something crazy).
| Whenever there is enough talent (whatever the employer thinks that is) available, there is no incentive for the employer to offer relocation benefits.
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Can you take a job to quit after 2 months? I'm unemployed. The job I really want doesn't start interviews for 2 months. It has a high hourly pay, subsidized lunch, nurse on campus, concierge services, benefits, and a gym. But I don't know if I can go without work that long. I have a low offer of part time work, 25 hours at a retail store and a position as manager at a restaurant I've been going for, that pays close but doesn't have the benefits. Is it ok to take one of these jobs so that I am busy and have an income, while I wait for the interviews to start for my dream job? What might be the consequence of doing that? <Q> The new job: will start interviews in 2 months. <S> If you were hired, you might not start work there until 3 months from now or even longer is not guaranteed to hire you. <S> Presumably that money and those benefits will attract other candidates as well <S> The jobs you're considering: are traditionally high-turnover (restaurant, retail) and quite used to employees coming and going will keep you fed and occupied while you dream of your dream job <S> I would suggest taking whichever job you would prefer long term in case you do not get the dream job. <S> In my experience, interviews for office jobs ask things like "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" and interviews for retail and restaurant jobs do not. <S> However, if you are asked about your commitment to managing the restaurant or whether you would like to move from part time to full time at the retail store, tell the truth. <S> If they care enough to ask, you owe them the truth. <S> Assuming they don't ask, or are ok when you say something like "I'm not sure <S> , I like this work but am also interested in working at [dream job]", and you're hired at the stopgap choice, then commit to the job while you have it. <S> If and when you get the dream job, give your notice at the stopgap job, apologize, and tell them you got an offer you couldn't refuse. <S> They may be irritated but I doubt you'll have any long term consequences. <A> Is it ok to take one of these jobs so that I am busy and have an income, while I wait for the interviews to start for my dream job? <S> Certainly, as long as you tell the employer up front that you will be interviewing for a dream job you really want and expect to leave in about 2 months. <S> As long as both sides are in agreement, then everything is okay. <S> What might be the consequence of doing that? <S> I assume you mean <S> "What might be the consequences if they think I'm going to stick around, but <S> I know I'm going to leave in 2 months <S> and I do?" <S> You'll certainly lose any future references. <S> The company that hires, trains and pays you only to lose you after 2 months will probably hate you. <S> And if you have good personal ethics, you'll be violating them. <S> I think you already know this isn't a nice thing to do to an employer. <S> You get to decide if you care or not. <A> A life lesson that I've come across is: <S> It's easier to look for a job while you have a job. <S> You are under less pressure to find a job and will have more mental confidence to negotiate. <S> You can also be more picky with your opportunities. <S> So yeah, I say if you have a high chance of getting a job now, go for it. <S> Now that isn't to say that you should take advantage of the part time job. <S> You should still be grateful for it and give it your utmost professional attention and effort. <S> Work as if it could potentially be a long term job. <S> You never know what opportunities will flourish there either. <S> I think you can still go for that dream job. <S> I think everyone has that dream, so it's not a unique position to be in. <S> It's just a part of life as you go through your career and make new experiences. <S> Just don't go into the temp job with an attitude like, "this is just temporary." <S> Yes, the part time job will be good enough to help make ends meet. <S> But, if you like the people there, it'll be a great opportunity to network. <S> And it could also be a position you might be able to come back to if the dream job doesn't work out (ie not what you thought it was, any other unforeseen outcomes). <S> Hopefully you'll have a great boss and great co-workers who will appreciate your work and the kind of person you are that puts forth the effort that any employer would be proud to have. <S> Good luck!
| Work towards the dream job while also being good at the job you take.
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How can I let my manager / colleagues know that my performance might suffer temporarily while grieving or dealing with a personal loss? Very closely related to: How to behave with a colleague who suffered the loss of a close family member? and What is an appropriate response to the death of a coworker's loved one? These questions ask about how to deal with a colleague after losing a loved one. In the past couple of months, however, two members of my family died from unrelated causes. I've mostly dealt with it now, but I've been examining how I felt and I'm not quite sure if I behaved appropriately. My colleagues knew, and they've all offered condolences and support should I need it, as well as my manager offering me whatever leave of absence I need to go and deal with things. People close to me personally all noticed that there's something's not quite been right and I'm not really the same person I was beforehand. I've opened up to them when I've needed to, but I'm well aware that these things just take time, and this has obviously put a lot of strain on some of my personal relationships. Fundamentally, though, I've just wanted to keep busy, get my head down, and carry on with work. I like where I work and I like the people I work with. I know that I've not been performing as well as I usually would. I've found myself more distracted and just generally a bit slow. I wanted to keep taking on tasks, but I'm not sure how I could have tempered this with a sense of "It's going to take longer than it ought to". It might have been more worthwhile to just take the leave and let them get on without me, rather than attempting to make them carry on with only half of me. Maybe I could have made it clear that I just wanted to plod along and get stuff done for a bit. If it's relevant, I'm a mid-level software engineer in the United Kingdom, but I imagine humans are quite similar everywhere. How can I let my manager / colleagues know that my performance might suffer temporarily while grieving or dealing with a personal loss? Should I tell them? <Q> I've not experienced a loss from a family member, but I have friends who have. <S> Grieving over a loss takes time, and the time differs between each person. <S> It took a long time for my friend to "get over" the loss and function like he used to be (You won't be the same after a tragedy like this), but people around him understood. <S> The first months(half-year) is really painful and will probably cause some distraction at work, and crying when you don't want to. <S> It's normal and you're only human. <S> Don't add this stress <S> (The feeling of you're not doing well enough at work) to your current situation cause it won't do anything good. <S> People understand! <S> If you still feel like you're a "burden" then speak with your boss or teamleader and work out a solution that can help you during this time. <A> I don't think there's a problem. <S> Most employers would really appreciate you working even after suffering such a loss - and they can understand that sometimes you just need a purpose to take your mind off things. <S> Nobody reasonable expects someone who just lost 2 family members to perform at peak efficiency. <S> If that doesn't give you peace yet, you can set up a 1 on 1 with your direct superior and explain your concerns. <S> In all likeliness, they'll tell you its fine and that you're still appreciated in the team. <A> As you cited the other question you probably know I answered there. <S> I am in a somewhat different situation, position wise. <S> I work in a research group, so while I discuss ideas and such with my colleagues in the group that I see on a daily bases, the people I actually work with on the same project are collaborators from other groups (interdisciplinary field). <S> Those people I do meet, some of them more regularly, others very irregularly, but most of the communication is via email. <S> In the end, people depend on my work, but there won't be anyone "jumping in" quickly to replace me if I take leave. <S> That is a different situation to yours. <S> Still, when you take your leave and someone else takes over your critical tasks, they will most likely need time to get into it, have enough other work to do and thus generally be slower completing those tasks than you on a normal day. <S> So even if you are now slower, someone else would not necessarily be faster or better at it. <S> Something that is similar is that I program and develop software. <S> And people say that you can get into a programming flow sometimes. <S> Actually, when I was struggling with a loss, I more or less threw myself into programming. <S> Less people would bother me, I only answered mails on specific times, compared to instantly (but as my collaborators are not in front of their computer all workday that is normal for them, so they wouldn't mind) <S> and I was desperately trying not to think of something else. <S> The flow helped me to cope. <S> In the cases I felt my performance was in fact not good <S> I told at least one other person in that project why that was the case and always was met with understanding. <S> Take your leave when you feel you need it. <S> There are so many times we only work with half of our mind, this is human and normal. <S> If you want to work and you feel okay to go to work then do that. <S> Half the work done is better than none. <S> (And you won't come back to a desk full of unfinished tasks.)
| If you like your co-workers and your job, my advice would be to stay there until you feel better. This is a question that is most up to you and how you feel.
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What is the correct response to being asked to sing a song during an interview? I just read this question: If you were asked to sing or do other weird things at a job interview, does this mean that the employer is not taking you seriously? The common consensus seems to be that a request like that is for testing the candidates reaction (to stress or surprise). Let's say that's true. How are you supposed to react and what kind of reaction leaves what kind of impression? Do you appear like someone that can be pushed around if you accept? Do you appear to be boring and stiff if you don't accept? Let's assume you'd do anything to get this job. <Q> I once read a story about an interviewer who asked "what would be your reaction if I asked you to do push-ups?" <S> Some candidates would immediately begin doing the exercise. <S> The good ones would look at him and ask "why would you want me to do push-ups?" <S> If the request is inappropriate for you, then say so. <S> If that means you are not hired, consider yourself lucky. <A> I would politely decline. <S> As a matter of fact if I were asked to sing in an interview I may just get up and leave. <S> If you really want the job, and do not wish to take part, say something like this: <S> "I must respectfully decline, I am not a singer by trade and do not wish to submit my or your ears to such pain." . <A> These questions are interesting, because there is hardly any way to answer them without telling something about yourself, personality-wise. <S> Considering the P-scale personality attributes I'd easily see you giving away something about, for instance: Introvert, extrovert? <S> Risk-taking, risk-adverse? <S> open minded, closed? <S> Playful, serious? <S> Personally I'd think it was huge fun and ask what song, but I can imagine other reactions. <S> I think the safest bet is to go for what your first impression is. <S> " <S> No thank you" is a response as well. <S> It would be interesting to know what kind of job was the case. <S> I mean, if someone got the question interviewing for an event manager role, I'd understand it differently than if you were interviewing for back-end-developer. <A> If you really want the job why not? <S> It is pretty harmless. <S> Maybe they want to learn more about how you present yourself and how you handle stress. <S> Maybe the job requires you to do errands or other odd stuff and want to know how you react. <S> You can always decide later to not take the job if it is offered to you. <S> If you think they are doing it to demean you then decline.
| If you are a bad singer and would be embarrassed then decline. The correct response to odd questions is to answer truthfully.
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I saw my boss having sexual relations with the secretary While working overtime I heard some banging and went to investigate. I opened the comfort room at our meeting room, I was shocked at what I saw. Our boss and his secretary were half naked having sexual relations. I said to my boss "Oh, sorry sir" and closed the door. I immediately packed up my things and left the office. I am wondering what behavior should I adopt regarding to my boss, the secretary and the HR? I am concerned about the consequences of reporting or not this incident to HR.Is this incident worth be reported to HR? And if so, is it putting my career in this company in danger? <Q> Lets put this into perspective here. <S> It's 2 adults having some fun. <S> Should it happen in the office? <S> No. <S> Was it in regular work time? <S> No. <S> If you were to report it, what do you think would happen? <S> Would it stop you maybe feeling awkward around either of them? <S> Would it make you feel more awkward, knowing they know <S> you reported them (or taking a very educated guess)? <S> You don't need a meeting. <S> You don't need to mention this again. <S> I get it's socially awkward, but why would this affect how you communicate with your boss? <S> Just don't spread it around the office to colleagues, go on with your day to day work and (if you feel the need to), reduce small talk with your boss for a bit and just talk work. <S> If your boss brings it up, play it down, completely. <S> Just say "It's none of my business what you get up to" and that's it. <S> Because that's the truth really. <A> You would have nothing to win reporting this may put your job into jeopardy. <S> But if the consequences start to affecting your personal of professional life, I advise you to report it to whoever you think will help you. <S> In the end it depends a lot on how it affects you. <S> If it doesn't bother you, there is no issue. <A> They shouldn't be having sexual relations in the office, it's the wrong place and time. <S> It's up to you on whether you ignore it and carry on or report it to HR. <S> I would however suggest you do report it to HR, as if it's found out later and somehow they also discovered that you knew about this, it could cause you some hot bother. <S> In the end, it's nothing for you to handle, let your HR department deal with it as they see fit. <A> He is your boss. <S> Consider worse case scenario. <S> You don't have a witness. <S> You go to HR, they investigate, and he flat denies it. <S> He may throw you under the bus rather than face discipline up to getting fired. <S> If he he admits it and gets disciplined there is no bonus or promotion for you. <S> It is wrong <S> and I hope they stop the sex in the office <S> but I think you should do nothing. <S> If he approaches you then let him apologize and tell him straight up you don't approve but see no benefit of reporting the incident.
| As long as it does not impact you professionally, I do not see any need to report it neither to HR or to anyone else.
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How should I respond to a (positive) email about my career path that I don't think was supposed to come to me? Late yesterday I recieved an email, it basically went like this From : My Boss's boss's Boss To: HR Director CC: Jim, Joe, Bob, Sidney HR Directory, The following is my list of names for promotion Jim, Joe, Bob, Sidney Thanks, My Boss's Boss's Boss This seems like something I would probably be informed of at my next eval, not a rather informal email from someone a couple levels of management above me (I'm thinking the subjects of the email were CC'd by mistake). Given the size of our company, formal changes in your position are always done with at least two members of management present. This wasn't CC'd to my direct lead (or Jim's, Joe's, or Bob's), so I'm hesitant to ask them about this, but I'm really not sure how to respond to this or if I should just ignore it until I'm told about it in a meeting. <Q> Here's an alternative to Philip Kendall's excellent suggestion : <S> Do nothing. <S> Don't tell anyone (at work or at home). <S> Wait and see if you are in fact promoted. <S> Normally notifying the sender about an accidental CC is a good idea, but what (other than possibly embarrassing your great-grand-boss) will you accomplish? <A> Mail your uber-boss (and nobody else!) <S> with something like <S> Did you mean to include me on this mail at this stage? <S> Thanks, Sidney <S> You'll either get a reply of "Yes" in which case, happy days :-) <S> or "No, thanks for letting me know" and a slightly embarrassed uber-boss. <S> Under no circumstances mention anything you learned from the mail until it's been confirmed that you're meant to know the information at this stage. <S> And congratulations on your upcoming promotion! <A> I'd just write <S> Dear BossName <S> that's great news. <S> Thanks for letting me know. <S> with kind regards Sidney <A> There's only two options they would have to add you on the e-mail: purposefully or by mistake. <S> Sending an e-mail to clarify whether or not you should be on the chain would be seen as just that, clarification. <S> If you weren't meant to be added, you're letting them know that you've been added incorrectly, and they can remedy it. <S> It'd be worse for you if you weren't supposed to be added, and didn't tell anyone as it might be seen as a lack of integrity. <S> If you were supposed to be added, they'll let you know, and congratulations! <S> It may be a case that the promotion is to a new position that has nothing to do with your current leads, such as a different department, or above them. <S> If it were me, I'd send something like this <S> Hello [Boss', boss', boss], <S> I was just curious as to whether you meant to send this to me. <S> Was this meant for me? <S> [Name] <S> This will send the message that you have integrity and discretion with e-mails, and could help to promote (pun intended) you in a good light in the future. <A> No drama is created over notifying people of something you "aren't supposed to know". <S> You have plausible deniability. <S> Even if they care enough and are able to prove you moved it to spam by hand, claim that you never read it since it obviously wasn't meant for you. <S> Vanishingly unlikely this would happen, <S> as if it is that important, they would not want to give you any more reason to remember its contents.
| Manually move the email to your spam folder and permanently put it out of your mind. E-mail them and ask them if you should be added on the e-mail. Just politely let them know they may have made a mistake.
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Boss smokes in the office, how to address this issue I work in an open office in a public building. My boss has a personal office, where he often smokes. Where I work in Mexico, you can be fined for smoking in a public space. This bothers me because I have sinusitis. How should I address this before taking legal action? We are a small company, so we don't have HR that I could go to. <Q> Forget the law about smoking in a public building for a moment. <S> Even if you are right that he can be fined, bringing that up is going to cause a lot of sore feelings. <S> Nobody appreciates being ratted out to the authorities, no matter how wrong they are, and it should be your last resort. <S> Instead, consider the problem as if there were no legal remedy. <S> I think most people, especially smokers, would consider smoking in a personal office to be reasonable behavior. <S> If he keeps the door shut while smoking, then there shouldn't be enough smoke leaking out to cause problems for the grand majority of people. <S> It's possible you are the only one bothered this, so don't approach him as if he is posing some dire health threat to the entire office. <S> He's not; he's acting in a reasonable way that happens to cause problems for you, and you need to find a solution that is agreeable to you both. <S> I suggest you meet with him at your desk or a conference room. <S> Then suggest a solution that allows him to smoke and you to not have to suffer it. <S> Can you be assigned a desk that's farther away from his office? <S> Can you find someplace to meet other than his office in the future? <S> Can he keep the door shut for at least fifteen minutes after finishing a cigarette and/or open a window? <S> You get the idea. <S> In short, there is likely a solution that will make you both happy. <S> Find it and pitch it to your boss. <S> Do not attack, threaten, or blame him. <S> He's not your adversary; he's someone you need to work with to solve a problem. <A> If you were to privately talk to him about this, that not only does it bother you, it's painful (because sinus problems are painful), how do you think he would react? <S> As my wife always tells me, "It's all in the approach. <S> " If you think he's a considerate guy, and is self-aware enough to realize he's got an addiction to a habit that affects others, just try talking to him honestly. <S> I've worked with people at both ends of the spectrum; some who were considerate to others' sensitivity to smoke and some who would stub out their cigarette on your face if you complained. <S> As always, whatever you decide, make sure your resume is up to date before you broach the subject. <S> Good luck. <A> A lot depends on if you think you could report this to HR anonymously. <S> If so then report to HR. <S> If not then approach your boss or go all in and report to city health officials.
| Say something like "I understand you like to smoke in your office, but even small amounts of smoke bother me due to a medical condition." If you go to him with a cooperative attitude rather than a confrontational one, he is very likely to want to help you.
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Help me understand why I did not get an offer? I applied for a job, passed all 5 interviews and the 10-hour technical written test. I was asked for references and background check. The team lead even told me I will be hired in the last interview! Then two days after that I got: I want to take the time to thank you for your patience during our process. We were really impressed with the mix of skills and experience you brought to the table and the team really enjoyed meeting and speaking with you. At this point, we have decided to move forward with another candidate whose skills we feel more closely match the department’s needs at this time. This was a difficult decision and we understand that it must be disappointing for you, having invested so much time and energy in the selection process. That said, we recognize your unique skillset may be one that we need down the road. We’d love to keep the door open and reach out to you in future if a position more suited to your specific blend of knowledge and experience becomes available. We obviously can’t make any commitments with respect to timing, and we completely understand that you’re actively looking for work right now and so may be unavailable at such time we get in touch. We wish you the best of luck in developing your career and look forward to discussing new opportunities in future if you remain interested! Best regards, I have better qualifications and more experience than the team lead, but during the interview I never felt like he was not happy about that. Two out of the five interviews were with the team lead, in which he was alone. I have more skills than what the position asked for. But then, if these facts are the reason so why ask me to go through 5 interviews and tests. Just reject me from the beginning. Of course, I have zero criminal record and my references are outstanding for that position. I want to understand, as I never reached that stage in hiring process and then not get an offer. UPDATE: I am not shocked that I was rejected, I am shocked that I was rejected after I reached this stage. But I am OK in general, no hard feelings. I am trying to understand if I did something wrong at this last point of the hiring process so I can avoid doing that in the future. I would expect to be turned down early if I had raised any red flag. Here is my reply to them: I am very sorry to hear that. I was looking forward to that opportunity. However, I wish your company the best with the other candidate. Please, pass along my thanks to the team. Thanks <Q> we have decided to move forward with another candidate whose skills we feel more closely match the department’s needs at this time. <S> They found a better candidate. <S> You might be outstanding, but they found someone a bit more outstanding. <S> It happens. <S> Don't take it personally. <S> Keep looking - if this company liked you this much then certainly another company will as well. <A> I concur with the answer posted by Joe Strazzere, but I would like to also add a couple of observations. <S> There is such a thing as being overqualified for a position, and this may possibly have occurred here. <S> You said it yourself when you stated: " I have more skills than what the position wanted!" <S> There is also another option, which falls less on your talents and skills, and more on your attitude and personality. <S> The attitude/personality you express in your question lean towards that of someone who may not be the best team player. <S> The following quote is one that more or less raises a red flag when it comes to personality: "FACTS <S> I have more qualifications and experience than the team lead but during the interview I never felt he is not happy about that. <S> " <S> If you come across as seeing yourself as superior to others in an interview, things may not go the way you want them to regardless of what skills or experience you have. <S> Also, your excessive use of exclamation points has you coming across as taking personal offense to being turned down for this job. <A> This could be lots of things. <S> It could be money. <S> As you seem to be more senior than the roleneeded, maybe they got a less capable candidate in, but he wascapable enough for their need now and a cheaper option. <S> It could be that they were happy with you technically, but they thought you may leave due to being overqualified. <S> They may have thought you may get dissatisfied, or even bored in the role as you are maybe taking a demotion of sorts. <S> The other candidate may have been as good as you but had a particular skill you don't have and that they lack. <S> For example, if he is the man with databases and you are just good with databases (for example) then they may have wanted that specific skill, and felt the other candidate offered more for having that specific skill. <S> The other candidate may have entered the process later, so the company felt to interview you again to compare to the other candidate. <S> Sometimes stuff happens that's out of your control. <S> Many of us have been through arduous processes to not get picked (although that's a lot of interviews/tests), but don't dwell on it. <A> There is another possibility: That while the team were happy hiring you their decision was overruled. <S> Often hiring decisions stay within the local team before getting a final sign off from higher up. <S> It does seem to fit the evidence. <S> It was not just yourself that spent a lot of time, the company did as well. <S> They would not do this if they were not seriously interested. <S> It sounds like it was the final authorisation that caused the issue. <S> I've seen it from the other side, where I have interviewed a good candidate for a role where there was supposed to be a job and to be told that it was not possible to hire them. <S> It is unlikely that the company would let on if this was the case, to say 'we have no budget', or 'we have a hiring freeze' or 'the sales team blew the budget on their team building trip to Venice' <S> is not something they would say to somebody in your position. <S> While it is disappointing it does happen.
| You might be a good fit, but they found someone who they feel is a better fit.
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"Pharmacy box" for employees My boss had an idea, most of the employees when they have migraine, or start to get a cold for example, normally they don't have some drugs near or they just don't bring it from home and they need to ask to others employees for them. The idea is to have a box with common drugs on it, like ibuprofen,paracetamol, antihistamines, antifebrile... The system works like when you take one, next day you bring one from home. Questions: There's some restrictions on having drugs with easy access to the employees? What would be the most recommended drugs for the box? What can be the main problems of having this box on the office? I'm not talking about first-aid kit, we have already one and we know what should have. Note : I need a concrete answer, because on my company we have some inspections yearly and they are really strict. In case you need more information of the company I can provide it. <Q> I think having folks contribute medications is a BAD BAD idea. <S> Though it doesn't happen often, medication is contaminated from the source. <S> If there were medical issues created by what gets shared in the office, it would be difficult to trace who brought what. <S> I wouldn't want that many hands on or near anything I put in my body. <S> Best to source this from an established supplier selling ONLY things packaged for single-use. <A> I can only speak for my Company Office in NJ. <S> We have a first aid kit fully stocked with Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Acetaminophen and Naproxen. <S> This is a 2000+ Employee company <S> so I can not imagine it being illegal and them doing it. <S> The company has a contract with some company to keep them fully stocked, and expiration dates are checked. <S> The only problem that I can imagine in your scenario is that some people will feel like others are abusing it and could feel cheated that they are contributing while others are not. <S> Is it possible for your company to get a Contract like we have? <S> The Company we have the Contract with I believe is Safetymax. <S> For those interested in what it looks like: <A> There's some basic rules I can think of (in the UK):- <S> No one must ever put prescription drugs into that box (ideally, you'd want to contribute items that are newly bought, not just found in your home drugs cabinet from x years ago) Only use medication that you're sure are suitable for your condition and you don't have any adverse reactions to <S> Ensure that people choose and make their own choice of medication and dose <S> Ensure that the contents are clearly labelled <S> (anything which isn't, should be clinically disposed of) <S> There's a huge amount of potential risk here, but this can work if people keep to the rules. <A> I just see a massive liability problem with this proposal. <S> Your employer could face the legal consequences should an employee fall ill after taking one of the drugs in the drug cabinet. <S> There are no drugs in first-aid kits for the same reason.
| And don't put that box anywhere near the first aid box - you really don't want to give the impression that your first aider is giving out medication. Only contribute medications that are over-the-counter and in-date. Also, clear this with HR or your health & safety representative - you want to make sure this is legal and acceptable to your company.
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I think my email is annoying one of the higher ups I just got this response from someone on an email thread. Hi Guys, As a request – can you optimize email communications with the business? Do reach out when you are in need of key details or information, but try not to copy them on internal comms that do not require their input and are not critical. Keep me apprised – I can act as a filter. My guess is that the director on the email thread complained that he was getting emails that he didn't need to. How should I respond to this sort of email? <Q> Since the response was addressed to "guys", it probably warrants no response at all -- <S> so don't take it personally. <S> It's not as if you can tell the director, "no, I'm not gonna do as you requested." <S> That person is simply trying to limit the need to read through extraneous e-mail. <A> I would not respond to that email. <S> Use your direct manager where applicable and let this person reach out to the director when necessary. <A> This email doesn't need a reply. <S> You should simply follow the advice in the email. <S> The email is implying that "they" (probably some customer) were cc'ed on too many emails. <S> Possibly these were emails related to the customer <S> e.g. technical details regarding their project, but not really important to them. <S> They don't want to receive those emails because it's a cost for them. <S> They have to either thoroughly read through emails which are not important or they will learn to ignore them and risk missing some important detail in one of them. <S> So it's a reasonable expectation that they only get emails which are essential, i.e. contain either important information or require a reply from them. <S> The person who wrote an email to you claims that she/he has a good judgement which email is or isn't essential for this customer and is offering his help if you'd have doubts in the future. <S> NOTE <S> : It's possible that the emails haven't upset anyone yet and the person who wrote you the email is trying to reduce email tsunami before it becomes a problem. <A> How should I respond to this sort of email? <S> You respond by no longer copying people who don't need to be in the email thread. <S> And if you aren't sure, you ask the person who volunteered to be the "filter". <A> I really hope you are not considering actually responding to the email. <S> Pretty clear. <S> Unless you are looking for specific information from them then leave them off. <S> They don't want to know about your work process. <S> Another problem is cc or bcc because someone else did. <S> There may be like a task list of summary type email and then everyone thinks they should cc their status on an item. <S> They don't care about your internal work process. <A> "Respond" by doing as you were instructed. <S> There is value in ensuring that the relevant people are copied in on emails. <S> There is anti-value in copying everybody you can think of for no reason. <S> Apparently you have been doing this. <S> Simply do as you were asked, and stop copying everyone on all emails.
| I would suggest that you not send any emails that are not critical to this person ( and that your are 100% sure the director needs ). Let your supervisor escalate issues to director-level as he or she deems appropriate.
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How to bring up that the company is underpaying its workers in violation of labor law So, while my current job is going pretty well in general, I have recently noticed by tracking my pay stubs that I am being paid appx. 3 hours short per workweek. While I was going through the process of comparing my records to the company records, one of my coworkers mentioned that this is happening to him as well, and is the result of the employer not paying overtime wage increases as well as not paying for the extra hour of time legally required when employees are required to skip their mandated lunches and instead subtracting a half-hour's pay as if an unpaid lunch was taken. Upon further discussion this appears to be the case for a least everyone who was on shift at the time (I'm the new guy), the people who have worked at the place the longest were already aware of it but many other people weren't, and no one has talked to or is planning on talking to the owners on the assumption that they must already know and are doing this on purpose and there's nothing we can do. The current business owners bought the place in October of last year and the changes in payment started then. My job includes a stable schedule and I started off work having to skip one lunch per week, but later agreed to change to skipping two lunches per week and working an hour less time since the pay would be roughly equivalent (I get a half-hour more hourly pay, but I have a half-hour less in which to earn tips, which normally double my hourly pay) and an hour more free-time a week is fair trade for the more strenuous work. I explained my reasons for accepting the schedule change to my employer when I did so, and they did not seem surprised about my expectation of receiving the legally mandated pay for working without a lunch break, which lends some credence to the idea that the employers already are aware they ought to be paying, but I think it's more likely that they aren't paying because no one's brought it up. I'm concerned that if I bring it up, I will be fired, as the amount owed in back wages to all of us is extremely high-- I only skip two lunches a week but my coworker skips 6 and the store runs on two dish washers who each work 10-12 hour shifts 6 days a week and apparently haven't been being paid overtime. There's also two chefs that organize the rest of the chefs, sort of like a manager, and they work overtime pretty regularly as well and don't ever get breaks (they're not salaried). So just running off of the people who directly participated in the one conversation that was had about this, it sounds like they owe a rather absurd amount of money, and I'm not sure that they actually have the funds to pay us. What should I do? It seems mean not to say anything, since they very well might not realize what's going on and it could seriously disrupt their business at some point in the future. Also if they're gonna stick to not paying for overtime or skipped lunches then I want to switch back to the old schedule but I'm not sure how to bring that up. My coworkers were pretty adamant that talking to the boss about this would be career suicide, and that I should drop this immediately, but I don't really trust them on that because it seems to me that a lack of communication often breeds that attitude. My friend-I-normally-ask-about-work-advice says I should file a wage claim with the Labor Commissioner's Office , but that seems like a really bad idea because then I would be out of a job and blacklisted for having sued an employer. <Q> Taking legal action against an employer rarely looks good long term and usually puts a big strain on your employment. <S> I've been in similar situations where I'm not in highly skilled employment and being shafted over money like the rest. <S> There are two ways to go apart from legal action, which since I'm not a lawyer I won't advise on. <S> Secondly (and this has worked for me more than once) without threatening legal action, go and inform the boss privately that you're not getting paid whats owed and basically you need the money. <S> I never cared what the rest of the team is getting, I'm not their mum, nor am I trying to lead a mutiny, if they don't want to stand up for themselves that is their problem. <S> It's very expensive if the boss has to give everyone more, but not so bad if it's a private negotiation with just you getting more. <S> I did this several times as a forestry worker, but I was a very good worker and therefore an asset as an individual. <S> So it's a judgement call. <S> Then if you do get it, you don't tell anyone you're getting more, just do your own thing quietly and let them whinge to each other. <A> Where do you live? <S> In the US you can go to the state labor commission. <S> They are also not paying taxes on that money. <S> I worked at a job where they only paid us when the customer paid. <S> Someone turned them in and boom we all got paid and it was not disclosed who turned them in. <S> If you have to be named on the suit then I agree that is a different situation. <A> You can either accept what is happening, or try to correct it. <S> If you try to correct it, you will either be successful and continue with your job, be successful (get back pay) and lose your job, not be successful and lose your job, not be successful and continue with your job (same as accepting the current situation) With the exception of the last, we can't possibly rank the likelyhood of the possible outcomes (it's least likely if your attempt to correct includes reporting it to the authorities ). <S> We certainly can't advise you as to which course of action is best for you to follow.
| Firstly (you should be doing this anyway if you're in a dead end job) look for another job while surviving on what you make from your current one. If you have a labor union you can report to them.
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Shareholder bullies and doesn't like me. How to deal with this? I have been working for over three years for a really small tech company (about 12 people in the team). This is also my first job ever. I have two bosses, the company owner who works almost always remotely (let's call him John) and a shareholder (let's call him Jack) that had been working with my boss for a long time but had been just a coworker, becoming a shareholder only recently. I am constantly clashing with Jack: He views me as insubordinate (he himself already said so multiple times). I always obey an order coming from him, but sometimes I try different approaches, or make suggestions, or state my opinions, still respecting what he had said. He is highly inquisitive, and if he thinks you're behaving incorrectly, he will expose that by calling you out publicly (for everyone in the office to hear). Whenever someone asks him a question (even through chat), he almost always replies by voice. And many times he will, without even fully reading what you wrote, inquire about your questions, often saying he "did not understand". Most of the time he addresses others with a strong voice tone giving the impression he is rudely correcting you. I find his behavior unprofessional and abusive sometimes. Even if he doesn't intend to make others feel bad, he makes me (and others, probably) feel bad when we are on the receiving end of such behavior. The problem is that I feel he is harsher with me because he doesn't like my behavior. This led me to do a very bad move out of impulse: I complained about an episode (his behavior) in writing to John. John wrote back and was rather understanding, but told about my complaint to Jack. Jack was furious, and his behavior has grown worse. Last wednesday he nearly insulted my skills, and rudely replied "I have already explained you that" once asked a question. I believe Jack strongly wants me fired, but John doesn't, and a private discussion between them probably already happened concerning this. Excluding the obvious escape (leaving the company), how can I deal with him to mitigate his behavior? **EDIT (2) I am editing here because I am not being honest with myself, even. The real reason why I don't want to leave this job, at least FOR NOW, is because I am aiming for either a programming or database oriented job and I feel having had just a single actual development project is not enough practical knowledge. I want to have more confidence in myself and I feel that comes as I go through more concrete, more valid experiences. ** <Q> TALK TO THE PERSON <S> FIRST <S> Sometimes people are not as unreasonable as we think. <S> Take this up person to person with Jack before you do anything else. <S> It could be that he doesn't see his actions as out of line. <S> If you can end it without getting anyone else involved, that would be the best resolution for all parties concerned. <S> Honestly, this has the least likelihood of working, but is a firm foundation of demonstrating that you tried everything should the issue escalate. <S> DOCUMENT EVERYTHING <S> Whether you leave or stay, you need to document the behavior of this person, to whom you reported the behavior, what actions were taken after the behavior was reported, as well as any and all follow ups. <S> If you don't do this and are fired, they will be able to say "fired for cause" and you won't have anything to prove otherwise. <S> MAKE <S> IT KNOWN THAT <S> THE BEHAVIOR IS UNACCEPTABLE. <S> Believe it or not, some people don't realize when they are out of line, and that's actually a defense, albeit a weak one. <S> One of the FIRST questions to be asked if this goes anywhere is "What did [person] say when you confronted him? <S> It will look very bad for you if you say "Well, I never said anything to him." <A> You essentially have three viable choices 1) Leave. <S> This is probably your best option. <S> There is not a level of pay that is really worth ongoing low level psychological harm. <S> It makes sense to get your resume out there and have options anyway, most likely. <S> 2) Minimize your contact with the bully, keep your head down. <S> Stay out of his way. <S> Do your best job. <S> You might want to prepare option (1) above if you are planning this course of action. <A> Look at your reasoning: John has promised to get me involved into a very large and important project in the near future <S> Unspecific promises that something will change. <S> I believe that the nature of my company provides a great insight into business processes. <S> Trust me; at this stage of your career, EVERY company you work in will be an education for you. <S> It is extremely stressful to me when I need to adapt to new experiences. <S> And staying isn't stressful? <S> Well, then, you have no problem. <S> Stay at the company until you retire. <S> Getting another job is going to take time. <S> How do you know? <S> Have you TRIED for any other jobs? <S> Using an 'economic downturn' is a worn-out excuse when you're only looking for one, relatively low level, position. <S> Stop giving excuses, and go ahead and do something to save your sanity. <S> Neither the company owner nor the shareholder deserve to work with you. <A> Buy some shares. <S> Evidently, according to the rules at your company, you will then have equal authority with Jack. <A> I am assuming that the shareholder is also an employee from: <S> I have two bosses, the company owner who works almost always remotely <S> (let's call him John) and a shareholder (let's call him Jack) that had been working with my boss for a long time but had been just a coworker, becoming a shareholder only recently. <S> There are 4 suggestions that come to mind: <S> Ignore it : <S> which is what you and your colleagues have done before Have an informal conversation with the shareholder : this is unlikely to help as he's already angry and doesn't seem to care about how you feel Escalate : you did this with your manager but with no benefit. <S> I would recommend taking documented evidence of how much disruption, in time and monetary terms, this shareholder is causing. <S> Back this up with recommendations too Find a new job : which you are reluctant to do
| If you can resolve the issues between yourselves, there's no fear of later retaliation, no difficulties involving others, no need to move on, and no headaches. 3) Give John an ultimatum - say that Jack has to either change his behavior, leave, or you will have to leave. As a shareholder, not only will you have the authority to object to the way Jack treats you, you will also be in a position to insist that Jack start treating everybody else with respect too, since high turnover is harmful to the company and therefore to your investment.
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Job offered but company can't agree on start time I was recently offered a job role at a company I did placement with. When i heard they were taking in applications for a graduate version of my placement job, I applied. When they were contacting me, they were very posititve and it was basically a when can you start situation. I don't finish my eduacation until the end of May and then i plan to go travelling during the summer. The first person who i talked to who was my previous boss, was very understanding as I had worked at the company for the past two summers so hadn't had any opportunity to. We talked on maybe three occasions with me saying the same thing each time and him being receptive. He then passed me onto a different manager who he works a lot with and they said they were sending out the job offer. However when we were talking about a start date again and i said at the earliest mid to late august would suit me. He then starts talking about "Office politics" and wanting to get me in a lot sooner. He said they might get me to start a lot sooner and then somehow allow me to go travelling but I can't imagine how that would work as it was going to be 6-8 weeks travelling. this would be my first graduate job and I would love to work there however I know that I want to travel. He said he would get back to me soon but I'm not sure how i can push for this start date when I don't even know what he means by office politics. <Q> As a manager, it can be difficult to keep a job posting open for a candidate who isn't going to be available for several months. <S> A lot can happen - you might accept another job, the manager might lose the budget for the position, and so on. <S> It sounds like the manager is proposing to hire you now then grant unpaid leave for you to take your 6 - 8 week trip. <S> This solves a lot of problems for the manager and really doesn't make that much difference for you. <S> The manager's consideration of the situation and proposed solution to it constitute one example of "office politics". <A> You want the job and you also want to go travelling. <S> Your boss wants you to start early, but doesn't have a problem with you travelling. <S> This is a problem you should be able to work around. <S> Granting a new hire specific amounts of unpaid time off in the early part of their job isn't actually that unusual. <S> People often start a new job having a pre-booked trip that won't be covered by normal vacation. <S> 8 weeks is an unusually large amount of time, but for someone just out of college, wanting to travel is not unusual. <S> Ideally give them the exact dates you want to travel, so they can be specified. <S> Getting this agreed very specifically is important, so that the company can't change its mind. <S> Written in the contract is ideal, but written agreements from both your boss and HR should do the trick too. <S> Exactly what is meant by 'office politics' isn't important. <S> It may be something like the boss needing to say he actually has someone started work on a specific project. <S> Or it may be there is a risk of a hiring freeze that could prevent you from starting if you haven't actually done so. <S> Or dozens of other things. <A> I would suggest if this is a job your really want to forgo the travelling for now. <S> There is a job opening for a reason: <S> They need work to be done and do not have the resources to get the work done in the time frame needed. <S> You can always travel later, but jobs you really like are not so easy to come by.
| What you should do is agree to the new start date, but get it written into the contract that you will get 8 weeks of unpaid leave.
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I am the only foreigner in a company. How to show project manager I am not actually stupid? I am the only foreigner in small IT company. The main language of communication is Finnish which I kinda know but it still is a bit of trouble to speak and understand it fluently. I'm working on it, but meanwhile I feel that other people might perceive me a bit less smart because it often takes me a bit of time to understand what they say or reply to it. The problem is mainly in the language because what I need to do in my job I do well. I just wonder if there's any method to not look stupid while I am gathering a perfect answer in my head. <Q> This might be obvious, but you can always ask them to clarify in English if you did not understand something. <S> Not understanding fully has nothing to do with being stupid, and people generally know that. <S> When a company decides to hire an expat they know full <S> well that there could be a language barrier, but you seem to be learning the language. <S> That's great. <S> You can talk to HR and ask if they would be willing to send you to an advanced class, as in-house training doesn't apply if you're the only foreigner. <S> They knew there would be a bit of a language barrier <S> and they still hired you, so <S> there is a good chance they will do more to make you happy. <A> I think the first answer is a good one, and it got my vote. <S> I would add some additional advise as well. <S> In other words, deliver what is required of your manager and deliver it early if possible. <S> You can stand out as a solid resource by being the hardest worker . <S> People notice who works hard and truly cares about their work and the company. <S> This trait will overcome any sort of minor language barrier. <A> The only reason why they might think that you are stupid is because you are talking in bad Finnish. <S> Well, some people would think that Stephen Hawking is extremely stupid. <S> He's in a wheelchair. <S> He doesn't talk properly. <S> And he hasn't got a Nobel prize (yet). <S> It is a matter of perception, not of reality. <S> Now the perception is that they are stupid by not being able to understand you.
| You can change this easily be speaking in perfect English and switching to Finnish if someone doesn't understand. Whatever assignment you are given, be sure to do it to the best of your ability and do it better than anyone else.
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Building Rapport with a Team of Junior Engineers At a past job, I started working on a team of all senior engineers and did some great work. Management recognized this and asked me to join a team of, mostly, more junior developers to help guide them (without being made a manager). Unlike my old team, they hadn't yet established a protocol for how their code reviews or standups would work. They had no formal leadership structure, as the manager was also fairly junior. Interestingly, all 5 existing members of the new team were close friends outside of work. I thought my job would be to write quality code that could help lead by example. But as time went on, I noticed that getting code reviews signed off by the more junior team members happened slowly, or sometimes not at all. It got to the point where they were making comments on my code that were seemly innocuous, I'd obligingly make those change, and then they'd make more suggestions, with the review never finishing because there was no protocol for that. Over time, comments on reviews would pile up and management would get concerned that tasks were taking too long. I eventually escalated up a couple of management levels and red flagged the situation to get them moving. However, I feel that this was a missed opportunity to try and convince these engineers to work with me without needing to involve senior management. Later in my career, I find myself in a similar situation. I'm again being asked to help guide a more junior team of engineers (without being made a manager) many of whom are close friends outside of working. Since they'll be the ones approving my code reviews, I want to make sure that I can build good rapport with them. What steps should I take to accomplish this? In the past, I've tried team lunches and team building events, but these seem to have short lived effects and don't really build the kind of team dynamic I'm looking for. <Q> You can't join an established team and start dictating terms. <S> They'll see you as an outsider, and worse, someone they can't really connect to. <S> If management wants you to be a mentor for these guys then they need to give you the authority to implement certain procedural changes. <S> Perhaps, after a few weeks of observership you could take your recommendations to the team manager, and with his support, implement the new processes. <S> However, there needs to be an explicit agreement between you and management that you will have their support in implementing these changes, and that they will follow your recommendations. <S> Perhaps you could be introduced as a technical expert assigned to review the team's processes and "enhance" them. <S> But as "just another dev" your word won't carry much weight against the established team order. <A> Without a correctly defined role, you're fighting an uphill battle. <S> Get that first, with or without a manager definition. <S> Then define the coding and style standards that everyone will be working to, including yourself, and open it to discussion. <S> Once everyone agrees with the standards, code reviews should be measured against those standards. <S> You're there to be a mentor, not to be their newest best buddy. <S> Set review points where you meet as a team and discuss the code moving through the system (or not). <S> If you're using Agile, this would generally happen after a sprint deploy. <S> Have a project manager chair the meeting, so that you're not both driving the meeting and being the target of discussion <S> (if that's the case). <S> The best way to build a great team is to do great work together, and be recognized for it. <S> Cater lunch after a successful deploy, and give gift vouchers occasionally for great efforts. <S> For many people, especially introvert developers, 'Team Building Events' do exactly the opposite. <A> My suggestion is on the assumption (I know, dangerouos to do...) that the team know you are there to help with these processes. <S> If not, you'll need someone from management to let them know that you have authority to review their processes. <S> (Note, not manage them, just review, from the outside). <S> I would suggest you need to do something like the following: Establish Code Standards. <S> They may already have these in place. <S> They may not. <S> The exercise in establishing these is a group one. <S> Establish what quality controls you want in place. <S> This needs to be definitive, so no open ends or anything like that. <S> Establish Code Review process <S> A code review should be a finite task. <S> Either the checkin met the standards, or it didn't. <S> Establish the procedure with the team. <S> Again, involve them in fleshing out how your code reviews go. <S> Set a script if you need to, a checklist to follow. <S> Whatever your group agrees is needed for an efficient code review. <S> Lead <S> By Example <S> Once you have the Coding Standards and Code Review processes in place, start using it. <S> Champion the practices that your group have implemented. <S> If you can, ensure there is always time to code review. <S> Praise people when they perform code reviews. <S> If your work gets reviewed and needs improvement, thank them for pointing it out. <S> Code Reviews are there to make people better developers as well as ensure code quality. <S> Ensure <S> these are their processes, not your processes. <S> You will get more buy in and be more influential if you get the group to implement structures that they are happy with. <S> The structures will avoid the endless review (if the structure is created correctly), the group method of creating them will ensure buy in from your colleagues.
| Praise them more when they re-review code and it meets the standard. You aren't their manager, you are their equal (with some valuable experience).
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Are exclamation marks bad in professional environments? So when people send me professional correspondence in which I'm expected to reply, I sometimes interject exclamation marks in the message, as an emphasizing point. For instance, if the question "Hey, I noticed you on LinkedIn, and would like to see if you wanted to apply to position X. Please let me know if you're interested, etc." I would answer with something like: Hello Mr Y, thanks for reaching out to me for this position! After taking a look at the qualifications for the position, I would love to apply for it, but I do have a few questions first....etc. Most of the time, I use it when saying thanks, or to show an extra interest in a particular topic, but I'm curious as to how that's being taken by others, hence my question. Is using an exclamation mark in professional correspondence....professional? <Q> Like just about anything it all depends on the context. <S> There is nothing specifically unprofessional about the general use of the exclamation point. <S> But like anything there are times and places where it is not appropriate. <S> Some basic guidelines: <S> If you can replace the exclamation point with a period with out changing the statement then the period is probably the correct and more professional choice. <S> If you have more than one exclamation point on a page then you should consider rephrasing as needed to avoid the need for the exclamation point. <S> When delivering or conveying bad news try to avoid them entirely. <S> They can seem overly dramatic and seem insensitive. <A> No, they are not bad. <S> All grammatical constructs have their purpose and when judiciously and appropriately used, exclamation marks are no different. <S> Exclamation points were originally called the “note of admiration.” <S> They are still, to this day, used to express excitement. <S> They are also used to express surprise, astonishment, or any other such strong emotion. <S> After all, isn’t it a lot more exciting to say “I am excited!” <S> then to say “I am excited.” <S> Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/punctuation/when/when-to-use-exclamation-marks.html#cLIuFSRggwewIBaS.99 <S> In an age where typed communication is more common than verbal, punctuation can play a crucial role in getting across the intent of what we're trying to say. <S> Just don't go overboard. <S> Use a single mark and use it when it fits the tone of your message. <S> Thanks! <S> That's the final piece I needed to complete the project. <S> We're already late and it needs to be done by Friday or we're facing a fine! <A> Is using an exclamation mark in professional correspondence.... <S> professional? <S> Yes and no. <S> They are almost universally considered unacceptable for formal writing but these days business correspondence falls somewhere between formal and informal. <S> So is their use unprofessional? <S> No, I can't unequivocally say that it is. <S> But the risk you run when you use this kind of punctuation is that you can't tell what the recipients' stance on the matter is. <S> And an awful lot of people do still think less of anyone who feels the need to use this kind of punctuation . <S> That can range from wondering why you're so excited to being annoyed at your forced and/or fake enthusiasm about the TPS reports. <S> I have a few colleagues who do this to "show that they're on the ball" and all my colleagues who don't use them think it's ridiculous. <S> The classic ways to add emphasis are use of bold, cursive and the now also largely outdated underline. <S> Stick with those and use the exclamation mark sparingly, if indeed at all. <S> and if I was in a mentor role for someone who did this I'd suggest that they stop. <A> Your example is fine! <S> You've only used one, and you've used it in good context. <S> I once had a colleague who would utilise exclamation marks to the extreme (in internal emails and, occasionally, correspondence with suppliers), which did indeed come across as extremely unprofessional!!!!!!!!!!!! <A> Exclamation marks are most useful to indicate that quoted speech is especially emphatic, for example 'The policeman shouted "stop!". <S> This is a way of conveying tone and emphasis in speech which may not come across well when it is written down. <S> However if you are writing in your own words, they should be used with caution. <S> In general professional correspondence should adopt a reasonably measured and neutral tone . <S> The problem is that in written rather than reported speech it is not that clear exactly what emphasis they are adding and they can end up giving your writing a bit of a manic edge. <S> Also in written communication, especially in a professional context, there is an expectation that you take the time to use language a bit more carefully and concisely than you might in normal speech and exclamation marks may be seen as a bit of a crude way to add emphasis when you could just have got it across in your choice of phrasing. <S> There is also the fact that in the last couple of years they are increasingly associated with clickbate type trash internet pages 'What these 12 celebrities look like now will astonish you !' <S> not to mention scam emails etc. <S> Personally I would leave them well alone except in reported speech. <A> Whenever you're writing something, especially professionally, consider how it would sound if read aloud. <S> Exclamation points indicate the emphasis that comes from raising your voice or even yelling, as opposed to the emphasis indicated by italics, which is still at a normal volume but simply emphasized. <S> Raised voices and yelling are generally considered unprofessional at work. <S> Don't add an exclamation point to something unless it would sound perfectly natural to say it in a raised voice standing among all the cubes in your office. <S> When I read an email with exclamation points, the writer often sounds manic. <S> In your example, I would finish the first sentence and wonder why you're yelling at me. <S> Be very careful with them.
| Any exclamatory sentence can be properly followed by an exclamation mark, to add additional emphasis. While it's not outright unprofessional, it's not a habit I would encourage anyone to develop This is one of those areas where there is no real standard, even geographically or culturally. A few industries known for being conservative (big law, finance, public sector) tend to frown on non-standard or overly "enthusiastic" language use, particularly at the higher levels, but outside those there are no set guidelines.
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Perception of professionalism on idiom usage at work I work in the United States at a company that can be described as fairly informal. I work in the IT Security profession, leading / mentoring leading a team. Often I use idioms when talking to team members. Examples are listed below: with a grain of salt - doubtful , skeptical par for the course - as expected or the normal result nitty gritty - fine details Could using idioms such as these when talking within the team be perceived as unprofessional? <Q> Stop over-analysing. <S> You are merely speaking idiomatic English -- defined as the way the language is normally spoken. <A> Could using idioms such as these when talking within the team be perceived as unprofessional? <S> It depends on the team. <S> But if the team includes lots of folks whose native language is not US English, then it might be confusing. <S> And continued use of idioms when you know they are confusing to team members could indeed be considered unprofessional. <S> The real point in communicating is understanding . <S> Does everyone understand correctly when you use these idioms? <S> If so, then you are fine. <S> If not, reconsider your usage. <A> I'd say no, the usage of phrases similar to your examples in a professional setting is not unprofessional, and should not be perceived as such. <S> The examples you've given are particularly common in English, and used in everyday conversation. <S> As long as you stay away from phrases that might be considered to be slang, or especially informal, you've got nothing to worry about. <S> You yourself say that your company could be described as fairly informal, so that should put your mind at ease. <A> Plain speaking is often the preferred way of communicating. <S> However, avoid over-use. <S> When you see your team-mates start rolling their eyes at yet another idiom, you know you've gone too far.
| The idioms you've used here are commonly known, so won't be an issue. In an informal US-based team, probably not.
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Can a receptionist open mail addressed to me? Our receptionist has an annoying habit of opening letters addressed to me, and then handing the letter to me. I have asked several other members of staff and it seems like she doesn't do this with anyone else. She's generally quite polite to me otherwise. If a letter is addressed as follows: My Name Company Name Company Address is our receptionist allowed to open that letter? The envelope doesn't say private or confidential on it anywhere. I work for a software development company based in Dublin. <Q> We can't answer the legal question for you; if that's what you're asking, you need to talk to a lawyer, not the Internet. <S> But in general terms, you generally have little privacy at work - <S> the letter is being sent to the company, so it's not "your" letter, it's your employer's, and they can do with it as they like. <S> If it's work related, I can't see that you have any complaints. <S> If it's personal, don't have personal mail sent to your work address. <A> In Germany, it depends on the address: <S> My Name Company Name Company Address <S> This is a letter to you personally , residing at the company. <S> The company is not allowed to open it on your behalf without your agreement. <S> Please note that the company secretary might not know or care and just open all correspondence. <S> She was hired for her organisational skills, not legal. <S> And people might not care. <S> That still doesn't mean it's correct to open your letters. <S> Company Name <S> My Name Company Address <S> This is a letter addressed to the company, with your name on it <S> so the company knows how to route it internally. <S> A company representative in a charge of the mail is free to open it and do whatever s/he pleases, including just routing it to you. <S> You will need to check what your jurisdiction says about this. <A> The mail is delivered to the company for the attention of a person, so the company can determine their processes for mail. <A> The legal issue of whether the employer is entitled to open the OP's mail is out of scope, but in many jurisdictions a company can open mail addressed to someone at the company and not marked "personal". <S> That leaves the issue of company policy and custom. <S> The key question is whether the receptionist decided to open the OP's mail, or management told them to do that. <S> I suggest asking the receptionist "Why do you open my mail?". <S> Unless the opening was ordered by management or there is a good reason, explain that you would prefer to get the sealed envelope. <S> If that does not work, talk to your manager.
| So yes, the receptionist is allowed to open mail that has the company address on as the mail is being sent to the company for your attention.
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Medically related memory issues causing difficulty at work I have bipolar disorder and am on a certain medication that's helping my mood quite a bit but is causing me to have black out periods where I can't recall what happened. This is affecting my work heavily and I've tried telling my boss but all I get is "I'm not sure what to say." How should I react to this? Should I quit my job and look for an easier job that doesn't require as much attention to detail? It's starting to affect my mental health because my doctor appointments are about a month out and I don't expect to magically get better. <Q> You need to talk to your doctor ASAP. <S> He can advise you on what type of work accommodation you need and what the process is for getting an accommodation in your locality if it has disability laws that require workplace accommodation such as the US has. <S> He can also help you determine if you need to take disability leave or apply for a permanent disability. <S> Do not quit your job without exploring the disability options. <S> Plus, a side effect that severe is unusual and he would want to know about it. <S> Once you have consulted with your doctor and gotten the appropriate paperwork, then go to your company's HR and and do what is necessary. <S> Your boss is not sure what to say because he doesn't know what type of accommodation you are asking for. <S> Some things can be accommodated and some cannot (a blind person can't be a professional truck driver). <S> In the future, remember it is always better to be proactive about these things before your boss notices a performance issue both from the standpoint of legality and from the standpoint of your relationship with your boss and coworkers. <S> Hopefully this is a temporary side effect of adjusting to medicine and may only need a short disability leave. <A> I have bipolar disorder and am on a certain medication that's helping my mood quite a bit but is causing me to have black out periods where I can't recall what happened. <S> How should I react to this? <S> In terms of workplace issues, well, I think it's going to be next to impossible to have an employer accommodate your black-out periods. <S> So, the burden is largely going to be on you to minimize the impact on your performance. <S> For example, you can get in the habit of taking notes on everything that is discussed, and periodically checking your notes for things you're supposed to do. <S> Sadly, I know someone who suffers from memory loss due to a stroke <S> and she can't remember that she has notes with herself to help her remember things, so this obviously can't work in general, but it might if your impairment is comparatively mild. <S> my doctor appointments are about a month out <S> Is your doctor aware of these black-out periods? <S> If not, you should make another appointment a lot sooner than a month out. <S> This sounds like a very serious side effect. <S> AFAIK, no drug can actually cure bipolar disorder; they're just supposed to help the patient function better, and it doesn't sound like the drug you are taking <S> is actually achieving that for you. <S> You should ask your doctor if you've exhausted all other treatment options before putting up with memory lapses. <A> Leave your job if you can afford to and concentrate on your health. <S> Save as much as you can in case something bad happens and try your best to do what you can for yourself. <S> Your boss is being very accommodating, don't push that any further than necessary.
| When you have the illness it is up to you, in conjunction with your doctor, to determine what you need at work to accommodate the issue and then make specific requests not excuses about how you couldn't do your work properly. Otherwise you just need to soldier on making the best that you can of your situation and hope you don't lose your job.
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What conventions are there for business cards to note additional languages spoken? I speak a second language and would like to convey this on my business cards. What conventions are there for noting additional languages spoken on business cards? <Q> If you're bilingual, it's typical to have your business card with each language on either side. <A> People put certifications and also sorts of stuff on a business card <S> I don't see why not I would <S> but it where certification are listed which is typically below you name <A> I've seen "I speak _____ " in small letters written in the language which they speak, for each non-english language. <S> You could also do the same for each language where the other languages are the primary language on the card but the "Fluent English speaker" is the one(s) in small print.
| If the reverse side of your business card already contains information, then have your business card printed in the primary language of the country/region you'll be distributing them, and indicate on your card that you are also fluent in another language.
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How to get people to turn up for daily meeting? Although we have our stand up meeting at the same time every morning, people still don't arrive for the meeting on their own. I need to call them for the meeting every morning. Would it help to say that they must be there 2 min before the allotted time? They are not in other meetings beforehand. I am the scrum master and dev manager. We have a team of 12 developers and these meetings usually take up to 25 minutes. I timed this morning meeting and it took 16 minutes and 10 people reported, so that's good going. Edit on 05/02/18 Started doing smaller stand-up meeting with fewer people. They now only report on blockers, items that stop them from completing their work. <Q> You might be having a XY problem here. <S> For example, if the meetings go on for too long and that distracts them from their work, understand why meetings are so long and how you can fix that. <S> If nothing useful gets discussed in the meeting, and it is more of "I did this, I will do that", maybe the meeting can be skipped entirely. <S> And so on. <A> People won't be eager to go because they don't deem it useful. <S> Could you change the meeting just to go over What i'm doing today <S> Any issues from yesterday Cut out what they did yesterday unless there was an issue. <S> A 20-25 minute scrum doesn't seem that useful, so you may need to make the scrum shorter by removing some content. <S> Try to also ensure that discussions about issues are taken outside of the meeting. <S> As a developer, I really can't be bothered to hear about a problem I have no interest in for 10 minutes when I have my own stuff to be doing. <S> Briefly outline the problem, then let the devs in question discuss it after the meeting. <S> I understand about splitting the team, but could you trial it? <S> Split it based on areas of the software or something? <S> Maybe have a Monday Morning scrum with all 12, and then split scrums for the rest of the week? <A> A scrum team should be between 5 and 9 people. <S> 12 is excessive. <S> We are 7 people <S> and it's easy: when one rises, all others will look up and think "oh, it's standup". <S> Make sure it's easy to be there on time: <S> Don't have a meeting at a time when people just arrived. <S> It's easy to miss a bus or get stuck in traffic. <S> so they have a buffer and can check their mails. <S> Set reminders. <S> Have something pop up on peoples screens 5 minutes before, so they have the time to close their current task and come over. <S> Have meeting in an easily accessible room. <S> With a Scrum team, that should be the team's room. <S> Everyone gets up from his desk and voila: stand up. <S> And finally, if all agree it's a problem, talk about it in the retrospective. <S> We have "punctuality awareness" sprints, where the team member that is late most often has to clean the kitchen for the next sprint. <S> Nobody is late. <S> Not even once. <S> But this has to be a team decision, forcing something like that goes against the Scrum spirit. <A> Set a time. <S> Tell them they have to be there. <S> Don't get them, if they don't come. <S> Tell them afterwards that you did not see them at the meeting and that they really have to attend from now on. <S> If they still not attend regularly, take note of it and sit down with them. <S> If they don't feel it is something they have to do, why would they spend 25 minutes on a meeting that might not give them much input? <S> Also, strive to optimise the meeting together. <S> Ask them what is bad about it and what is good. <S> But do not get them every morning. <S> They are adults. <S> In short, the main point (besides all the points mentioned in the other answers like optimising the meeting and reducing the time) is, that they have learned that they will be called in to the meeting. <S> So they are waiting for that. <S> Tell them you will not be fetching anyone anymore, repeat the time and place once more and stop calling them separately. <S> It is their responsibility to show up. <S> It will make for messy meetings for a while, but eventually things should get better. <A> Since this is a fundamental part of Scrum, you may want to find out if everyone is really buying into this process. <S> There should be problems and consequences when they don't let everyone know what they're doing and going to be doing and visa versa. <S> The problem isn't their lack of attendance, but the results of not attending. <S> Are other people having to take additional time to inform them of issues? <S> Are people in the meeting feeling like they cannot do their job because of the lack of input from those that miss the meeting? <S> Assuming you have a group of people wanting to do well at their job, find out how they are able to miss this critical meeting and still function effectively.
| Find out why people do not show up for the meeting, and fix that. They have learned that they will be called. Set the meeting for 30 minutes after people arrive
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I have nothing to do at my job, and it has been a month. Should I quit? I have recently started admin job at this startup and I feel like it is sucking my life away, and boring the brains out of me.. Firstly, there is little to no tasks for me. And my colleagues know it. So everyday I am forced to surf the web just to keep myself busy.. other than that there will be simple tasks which can be completed in minutes. I have done what I can, helping them to scan documents if any. I don't even know what my job description is, my title is a very vague Assistant Supervisor and no training/brief whatsoever. Should I just quit and find another job? Edit: yeah, admin. Which they did not specify. My direct manager is on biz trip 80% of the time, the other 10% he is not around. I have asked my colleagues and they either have no time to teach me or can't think of anything for me to do. They are all handling a few projects. I have tried using the free time to learn some programming language like Python and I think for the time being it's either that or job seeking. I have read every material in their shared OneDrive.. <Q> Some people would love that job... <S> Seriously, your job isn't save if someone could do it in twenty or ten hours a week. <S> Unless this startup has plans for expansion where you are suddenly overwhelmed with work, they might figure out that they pay you for 40 hours and need only ten. <S> Since you are in a not too bad place (there are much worse things than being bored), you can look carefully to find not just a new position, but a good new position. <A> I think you should quit. <S> But only after a few steps... <S> you can ask your direct manager how you can help, what is their main issue right now and doing so you show interest in what the start-up is dealing with. <S> This cannot be bad, never. <S> if there is no change, start looking for an new opportunity without telling anyone. <S> Maybe in a few days or weeks your boss will come with a very good task he wants you to work on it, and you do not want to be disqualified because you said earlier you were leaving looking for opportunities all day long may be boring, and it seems you already are. <S> Why not enjoy this "free-time" to learn some new skills? <S> There are a lot of MOOC out there, or tutorials etc... <S> and it seems that no one cares about how you use your internet access. <S> Immediate upside: you will not be bored anymore at work Finally <S> , @AntP is true saying you should find a job and then quit. <A> I think this totally depends on your personality. <S> I've been in jobs like that, and while I did find it boring, I also found a lot of things to do. <S> I started automating everything and polishing my programming skills. <S> Hell, I wrote a book. <S> I can make it work, and even like it at times. <S> But working in jobs where I'm busy and doing important things from the moment I sit down to the moment I leave, I find much easier. <S> The day is faster. <S> I feel less tired. <S> I have more motivation to do hobbies/projects stuff when I get home. <S> As other answer mentioned, there's also the constant worry that "is someone going to realize this job doesn't exist?" <S> and you'll loose it suddenly. <S> Just be aware of that, and mitigate it by looking/building skills that can get you a better job - or working towards a better job in the company (my automation and playing around programming in that boring job? <S> I changed teams, did the same there <S> and now I'm running their software development).
| So you should definitely look for a new position, without telling anyone. Meanwhile I think you should check with your colleagues and your manager where there are things where you can help out, even if it is unrelated to your real job.
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Farewell dinner: only drinks covered I'm leaving my company and I was wondering if it's okay to plan a final dinner with my colleagues and friends and their families, specifying that I will be paying for the drinks (with the implication being that food will be covered by them), or does this come off as tacky? <Q> Where I come from, it's generally the other way round: if someone invites people and does not want to pay the whole bill (company events for example often are this way) <S> , it's food is paid for, drinks is everybody's own responsibility. <S> What's nice about that is that food can be calculated more easily in advance and will be evenly distributed, while drinks are highly volatile. <S> For example everybody will have one meal ranging from maybe 15-20€, but some people will have a glass of water for 3€ because they travel by car and others will have 4 cocktails for 100€. <S> So you invite all people for about the same sum per person, and yet everybody can drink what s/he wants to. <S> Generally speaking, follow what your culture deems best. <A> Of course it depends on what your friends and their families are like. <S> If they're going to abuse the "free booze" offer and get blind drunk on your money, how are you going to feel about it? <S> You could temper this by buying the first round, or a couple of bottles of wine per table, and then allow them to buy you drinks... <A> Rather than funding "dinner", go to happy hour. <S> If you have to spring for appetizers, that's not cheap-ish, and if anyone wants entrees instead then they can foot the bill for those. <S> Make sure you SPECIFICALLY make the offer for only drinks and appetizers. <S> Some will want alcohol, and others will not -- don't worry about that part. <A> One problem with that approach is you are kind of encouraging drinking. <S> Some people don't drink. <S> A common approach for when someone wants to pitch you a product or serviceis a limited menu with salad, entree, and desert. <S> You get beef, chicken, or vegetarian. <S> If you just open the menu you take a chance that someone abuses it just like they might abuse an open bar. <A> or does this come off as tacky? <S> Yes, it comes off as tacky.
| Don't invite people to dinner if you're not prepared to pay for their food.
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Should I put the fraternity I'm in on my resume? I'm graduating college this semester with a degree in computer science along with a concentration in information assurance. My question is, should I put the fraternity I'm in on the resume? I hear conflicting reports if I should or not. I would like to know what employers in industry think about this. <Q> The answer is "it depends". <S> Did your experience in the fraternity give you some kind of experience relevant to the work place? <S> Otherwise, the answer is probably "No" <A> Unless you know people from your fraternity have a strong presence in the company, or you've done something for them that would be relevant regardless of what the organization was (ex a leadership role) listing your membership is unlikely to offer anything of value. <S> From the other direction, you run the risk of your resume being dismissed by someone with a strong negative opinion of fraternities in general; regardless of if any of the negative stereotypes apply to you or the organization that you're a part of. <A> Note that there are many kinds of fraternities, from social to community service organizations to honor societies. <S> If your membership signifies unusual skills or experience, you might want to cite it with a few words about what you did and why the potential employer should find it interesting, at least when looking for your first job after school when you have little or no experience to cite. <S> If you were one of the officers, that might be worth mentioning if you can explain how that experience makes you a better candidate. <S> Again, value drops after you have been out for a few years, unless you have been showing leadership as an alumni volunteer or something like that. <S> If you were just a member of just a social frat... that says nothing more than that people liked you enough at one point to invite you to pledge and be elevated. <S> Not exactly boastworthy. <S> If you can't explain why someone who is not one of your brothers should be impressed, even if they think most frats are like Animal House (or worse), it doesn't belong in the resume.
| I'm sure being in a fraternity didn't up your coding skills, but if you held a leadership role, that would be a good thing to see on a resume from a soon to be or recent grad.
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How to express travel capability and its distance in CV? I know the thread Refusing to travel , but I need to express the travel capability in my resume/CV because often asked. I have no limits if costs are compensated and/or me informed enough early about the travel. Other part is how far. I am not against any country but have some wishes. My proposal I can travel worldwide but mostly around Nordic countries (Sweden/Norway/...) and Europe if costs are compensated. Assume you have two cities (Tallinn and Stockholm) scheduled in your Calendar for the next one year in the ratio of 60 to 40. I think I should include both in my address field. Now, I have it like Tallinn, Estonia. Stockholm, Sweden. OK. I reject this idea. I put to the address field my primary location (etc Tallinn, Estonia , just example here). In Experience, the reader can see my other location because of my work, so clarifying (etc Stockholm, Sweden ). I still express explicitly that I am looking for new part-time opportunities, and I can be relocated. <Q> I wouldn't put this information on the CV at all. <S> If the job ad mentions "must be available to travel throughout Europe" you can mention in your cover letter that you are happy to do that. <S> (Don't say "if costs are compensated", costs are always compensated and letting them know <S> you aren't aware of <S> that might make them think you are inexperienced and naïve.) <S> If the job ad doesn't mention travel, willingness to travel is not going to be a factor in deciding who to interview, so there's no need to mention it. <S> At the interview, ask if there is any travel required and make sure you discover how far, how often, and what kind of conditions (drive your own car, fly, fly business class, ...) <S> it entails. <S> You might also ask how much notice you get about trips and how mandatory they are. <S> There's a big difference between once a year <S> we'll pay for you to attend some conference you want to attend, that you bring us and request. <S> and three or four times a quarter <S> we'll send you on just a few days' notice to a small town in the middle of nowhere to solve a client's urgent problem. <S> You have to go if we send you. <S> These nuances can't be covered by "I'm willing to travel a bit", so save the conversation for the interview. <A> How to express travel capability and its distance in CV? <S> This shouldn't go in your CV. <S> Otherwise, if the subject comes up you can discuss your ability to travel during your interviews. <A> in a comment on another answer you mention: <S> I have two cities (Tallinn and Stockholm) scheduled in my Calendar for the next one year in the ratio of 60 to 40. <S> I think I should include both in my address field. <S> Now, I have it like Tallinn, Estonia. <S> Stockholm, Sweden. <S> What do you think? <S> - - To include only one city is rough estimate. <S> To include separate dates at each cities is too cumbersome and should be left for the cover letter. <S> Your situation isn't standard. <S> When people inquire about how much traveling a position requires they generally are talking about one of two things. <S> how often will I have to stay in another city overnight, and how long will the typical trip be in terms of number of nights? <S> It is assumed and expected that all transportation, lodging and food will be covered. <S> There may also be other perks such as extra vacation days. <S> The question is usually asked when the employee has certain obligations that can only be done in the home city: family, school... <S> how often do I need to travel in the local region? <S> these are day trips to meetings or customers. <S> The amount of local travel and the typical locations can determine if a personal vehicle is needed, or one is provided, or if taxi/uber/public transportation will work. <S> There is also an expectation for reimbursement. <S> You seem to be looking for either a job that will allow you to work remote or in multiple cities, or only part of the year in a specific city. <S> These are much harder to find. <S> I wouldn't use the CV/resume to limit options. <S> I would be only applying to positions where it appears there is the flexibility you desire. <S> Posting your CV with dates in each city on a job board will not work to only receive interest from places that meet your requirements. <S> Many of the companies or recruiters will be scanning the words you write to see if you meet the minimum qualifications, they will either ignore your schedule, or decide it is not worth the effort to understand what you want to accomplish. <S> Use your resume/CV to convince them they should hire you. <S> Don't use it give them reasons to reject you.
| If there seem to be specific travel requirements associated with the job for which you are applying you can indicate your ability to meet those requirements in your cover letter.
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How can I tell my boss I have not been successful in completing an assignment? I received an assignment almost 2 weeks ago that I have not been able to complete, due to lack of support, both from inside and outside my company, despite reaching out for assistance both in and outside the company (no response came from outside). This task was allocated to me by a coworker, who did not give much direction, even though it was known this is my first time trying to complete this type of task. Now the boss is asking for an update, and I have nothing to report, because it is not complete. Furthermore, it can't be completed today because the outside support I need is closed. How do I word an email saying this isn't done because no one helped me through the roadblocks that came up but I will fix it first thing in the morning by going down to the other company in person? <Q> Now the boss is asking for an update, and I have nothing to report, because it is not complete. <S> It sounds like you have plenty to report. <S> It's unfortunate you waited until now to talk about it. <S> If you had mentioned the roadblocks when they occurred, perhaps your boss could have helped "unblock" them. <S> The best you can do now is to explain where you are in the process now, what you plan to do to complete the assignment, and when you think you will actually be complete. <A> The OP hasn't explicitly indicated a deadline has passed, but regardless, if there are problems which are blocking completion the boss needs to know as soon as that becomes a known risk. <S> Even blowing a deadline occasionally is OK as long as everyone knows it's going to happen in advance and isn't blindsided by it. <S> One of the most important unwritten rules in the workplace that causes a lot of new people pain is " don't surprise your boss ". <S> To answer your question about the email: <S> First, its usually better to give bad news in person rather than email if that's possible and timely. <S> Blaming anyone else even if it is entirely their fault would be considered bad form at this point because you could have addressed it earlier. <S> Much better to accept full responsibility and a willingness to solve the problem. <A> But, you should also tell them what you have done. <S> If the job is not complete, did you manage to do any part of it? <S> Even if you're just reporting the people you've contacted and the research you've done, that's more concrete than saying "I did nothing...". <S> Maybe next time, give your manager a status report by email each Friday afternoon, <S> so they know of any blockages in advance.
| It's not the end of the world, just say what you've done so far, what the problems are and what help you need to move forward. Email your boss (better, talk to them in person or by phone), and tell them exactly what you've put in this email.
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What is a nice way to end an interview that is clearly going badly? As an interviewer, I occasionally conduct interviews that become painful as time goes on because the candidate is doing so poorly. I have the impression that, in these cases, the candidate internally knows they are not getting the job, and would just like to end things as soon as possible (as would I). In the past, I have handled phone interviews of this type by ending a little early and giving a standard closing. However, I have empathy for the candidates and would feel better if I could say something nice without being dishonest. They're not getting the job, but I may still respect them and honestly wish them well. I'm not really sure how I could tactfully express thoughts like this, though. My question is mainly about phone-based interviews, but I'm interested in answers that also apply to in-person interviews. To be clear, this question is how, specifically, to be nice at the end of a bad interview, so I'm looking for something more specific than simply ask how to end a bad interview. (Hence I don't consider this a duplicate of questions asking how to end a bad interview.) <Q> I like this one: <S> Thanks for taking the time to speak with me and to get to know you. <S> Out of respect, I'm letting you know that we won't be going forward in the process. <S> You then have the option to elaborate if you feel so inclined <S> and/or if the now-former candidate asks either with the literal truth or something generic like "I just don't think it's a good fit. <S> " <S> I actually had someone do that to me in a face-to-face and that's how they worded it. <S> It was supposed to be 3 steps in the interview and after 20 minutes they decided I wasn't suited for them <S> *. <S> I was actually grateful that they chose not to waste my time going through the motions. <S> I've also ended interviews as a candidate on the phone myself. <S> They asked a question <S> that I didn't' have the answer to <S> and I told them that I didn't know. <S> The next 2 questions were in that same direction, with them knowing that I'd already said I wasn't particularly fluent in that area <S> but they kept on. <S> At that point I said, "Let's just stop here. <S> We both know that I'm not doing well answering your questions and to be honest, that you're restating the same topic after being told <S> that already I don't know probably means we wouldn't be a good fit. <S> " <S> Too many people forget that it's a two-way street <S> and they seems shocked that anyone would actually end their interview. <S> But to reiterate, be honest, be respectful and don't beat around the bush. <S> Some people won't like it and will get offended, but ultimately most will be glad that you didn't leave them hanging. <S> In fact, you can even say that. <S> "I'd rather you know now than leave you hanging." <S> * I'd decided I didn't really want that job anyway when one of the people interviewing me was a pompous former coworker <S> so I wasn't terribly motivated. <A> Well, you probably are ending things politely <S> so I'm leaving that part out. <S> Interviews are a great experience not only for getting a job but for finding your weaknesses and knowledge gaps. <S> If you are not willing to move on with the interview you can openly say it, but sugar coating that hit with some advice is a nice thing to do. <S> When I sense that people is not going anywhere <S> I begin asking them if they are certain on the move they're trying to do and recommend some books and places where they can keep on learning, <S> by then I try to make it obvious that this is not moving forward <S> so I just stop asking relevant questions for the job and close the interview, if time allows, by asking about projects and other skills that I saw in their resume but were not essential for the job. <A> As I see it, you have two options based on your personality: <S> Thank you for your time, but we are looking for someone with more proven experience. <S> Thank you for your time. <S> We will consider you, along with the other applicants, and let you know if we will be proceeding. <S> Neither are a lie, but they are different in directness. <A> You can ask them how they think the interview went. <S> Let me give you some context. <S> As Paparazzi said in his answer: <S> Remember you are representing your company. <S> I used to recruit for a company, and doing 8-10 one-to-one interviews a week <S> let me develop some good practices (or at least I think they are good). <S> Anyway, the popular and effortless method about bad candidates was to tell them something like <S> We will get back to you as soon as our decision is made When your decision is already made, this is a waste of time for both persons involved, and you can introduce some hope where there is no hope at all. <S> So here comes my method. <S> I used to take notes during the interview on a specific document. <S> When the interview was over, I simply put this document on my side and let the candidate know that the interview was over, but I wanted to do a debrief with him/her. <S> What do you think about your performance during this interview? <S> (optional) <S> What do you think about mine? <S> Like things you did want to know about the company <S> but I did not tell you, etc...? <S> Make sure your candidate understands this exchange is informal and that it will not change the decision you will make. <S> Only in a few cases, the bad candidate was thinking he <S> / <S> she was ecstatic, but generally speaking she/ <S> he already knows the job is lost. <S> Giving them a feedback the second the interview is over if, for me, a bonus on company reputation. <S> I would say at least 40% of all candidates I met thanked me for a so-fast feedback on how they performed.
| Plus, if the interview went very badly you can show empathy and give them some advices, wishing them good luck for future interviews. What I have experienced and have tried to apply since it happened to me as an applicant is offering advice.
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Should I push higher than a salary offer I already consider great? I have recently completed a series of interviews with a company, and now they have scheduled a call to discuss an offer. Because this company is huge and rich, and the team I will join is working on things crucial to the company's future success, I believe that they can afford to pay a very good salary. However, between Glassdoor, Indeed, etc. I have not been able to find concrete salary information. I intend to deflect questions about my current salary/what I aim to make, for as long as possible, and instead ask "what is the best you can do?" to get them to name a number first. But when they do name a number, if it's really good, should I accept or try to push it even higher? On the one hand, it may make me seem greedy. But on the other, I doubt that they will give their real maximum salary when first asked. <Q> Short Answer: <S> If you feel that the salary they are offering is great and you are happy to work for that package, then accept it. <S> While it's important to have an idea of what the local market is, and the size of the company, the primary thing that must drive you is what you are prepared to work for. <S> It really is that simple. <S> If you feel you are being undervalued or underpaid by what they offer, then counter with a higher offer. <S> Otherwise, then there is little point pushing for more if you are satisfied with the offered salary. <S> Mind games with salaries is really a psychological minefield. <S> Instead, go in with a clear idea of what you are prepared to work for, and if that's met (of course assuming all other conditions of the role is a good fit), then accept it. <S> No doubt you already have a figure in mind or you wouldn't have a frame of reference to say "... <S> a salary offer that I consider great". <A> How hard you should push us related to how much you are willing to risk their giving up on you and hiring someone else instead. <S> It sounds like you really don't want to lose the current offer. <S> And remember, they know this is already a good offer. <S> I know what my answer would be. <S> You need to pick your own risk threshold. <A> But when they do name a number, if it's really good, should I accept or try to push it even higher? <S> How much in demand do you feel you are? <S> If you are uniquely qualified for this position (remembering that very. <S> very few are), then you will have the leverage to ask for more no matter what they are offering. <S> On the other hand, if others are equally (or almost equally) qualified, then you have less leverage. <S> How lucky do you feel? <S> Sometimes turning down a really good offer in pursuit of an even better offer can backfire. <S> In my experience, hiring managers don't want to hire high-maintenance types. <S> How much do you know about their tolerance for dragged-out negotiations? <S> Some hiring managers won't negotiate at all. <S> Others might be willing to negotiate some, but not much. <S> Still others enjoy many rounds of back and forth. <S> Perhaps you have gotten a sense of that during your interviews. <S> I like to go into an negotiation having a number in mind. <S> If they meet or exceed that number I will be happy. <S> I will never look back and will never waste energy wondering if I could have gotten more. <S> Not everyone is mature enough to do it, but I advise everyone to try. <S> As they say "Perfect is the enemy of good".
| Work from your preferred salary as the baseline as to whether you want to accept an offer.
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Lost two successive jobs. How do I present myself now? I was laid off from a job, but my performance was good and I have a good reference. I then took a similar job, where my boss did not like me and did not support me in learning new things needed for the job. I worked really hard and met the deadlines, but my boss let me go after 5 months. I have a family to support and I am not that young to start over. I cannot tell prospective employers that I was let go from two successive jobs because then I may never get another job. I want to be honest but I'm sure that if do that, I'm doomed. I have had a very solid background before this happened, but I don't think anyone would care about that now. Can I say that I left the first job and lost the second job? Or should I just say I was not working since I lost the first job, making no mention of the second job? <Q> Being laid off was not your fault. <S> That was a business decision beyond your control and you have the references to back up that you are a good working so that is nothing to worry about. <S> For the second job I was in a similar position a few years ago. <S> I joined a company, busted my gut, saved the project but got fired for the privilege. <S> I kept that 6 months of work on my resume because it was for a new set of technologies that I hadn't previously worked in and help round out my skill set. <S> When people asked me about those 6 months (of which I deeply wished to forget working at that company) <S> I simply told them that the position wasn't a good fit for me. <S> And from my point of view it wasn't because I really didn't want to work for a company that would throw me under the bus the first chance they got. <S> So keep both jobs on your resume. <S> Leaving both of them was out of your control and it seems that you didn't fail at either one of them. <A> You're dramatizing. <S> Remember, <S> you're the one writing the resume . <S> So you can put a positive slant on things, mention that you found the work interesting and you met your previous employer's deadlines <S> but you were not a good fit with their team. <S> End of story. <S> First of all, many people quit when they see it coming, so it's not even a strong indicator of performance. <S> Secondly, an employer will prefer an employee who does at least mediocre work but has a high chance to stay with the company over an employee who could do stellar work but will jump ship if another opportunity comes up. <S> In the end, an employee that has been laid off a few times, and is now desperate to get and keep a job, has actually a lot of potential to be hired. <S> Maybe not as much as someone with a solid track record, but not that far behind either. <A> I have a family to support <S> and I am not that young to start over. <S> I cannot tell prospective employers that I was let go from two successive jobs because then I may never get another job. <S> I want to be honest <S> but I'm sure that if do that, I'm doomed. <S> I have had a very solid background before this happened, but I don't think anyone would care about that now. <S> Oh please...I've been working for almost 20 years and have been laid off three times and let go once after 2 years because "things aren't working out" <S> (translation: Your new boss doesn't like you.) <S> Guess what? <S> Every single time, I have found a better position. <S> Getting laid off is NOT a black mark... <S> it happens. <S> Even getting let go is not necessarily a bad thing. <S> When you're asked why you left a position, just be honest. <S> If you were laid off, say, "I was laid off. <S> " If you feel the need to elaborate and know why you were laid off, then say so "I was laid off when the price of oil dropped from over $100/bbl to $35/bbl and all of my projects were canceled" ...or whatever the reason may be. <S> If you were let go, you can just say... <S> "Even <S> though I met all of my deadlines and performed well, it really wasn't a good fit", and leave it at that.
| I cannot tell prospective employers that I was let go from two successive jobs because then I may never get another job. For a variety of reasons, there isn't actually that big a gap between people who quit and people who are fired.
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Would it look bad if I take 4.5 years to complete a 3 year degree? My degree is supposed to be completed in 3 years. For a few semesters, I took one subject less than normal which extended my degree by one semester. Last semester, I failed a subject, which extended my degree by another semester. I have now been offered an internship opportunity (awaiting a written offer), in which I'm required to relocate for the course of the internship. This means that I'll need to take leave on my course, which will extend my course another semester. This means that I'll complete my course 1.5 years later than everyone else. My question is, does this look bad on my resume? I'm wondering if potential employers would discount me based on taking such a long time to complete the degree. Will this happen and if so, how could I stop it from happening? Should I include the leave on my resume? <Q> I have a similar case where I took 5 years for a 4 year degree. <S> None of the companies have denied me or had their decisions be influenced by this. <S> However they still asked me why I took longer than the expected time. <S> In my case I had a switch between degree choices and failed a single class leading me to have a delay of 1 year in total. <S> Companies mainly ask where the gap is in case you were having somewhat of an abnormal reason. <S> Such as high stress leading you to quit school for a year. <S> Or simply going on a world trip in the middle of school. <S> These could be red flags for companies as you might not be able to handle the position or be able to commit to the company. <S> However, having failed a single class should not have that large of an effect unless the market for computer science is oversaturated and they only want straight A students. <S> Which I highly doubt. <S> As to the key of your question. <S> Should I include the leave on my resume? <S> NO . <S> Your resume is made to sell yourself. <S> Not give them reasons to pass up on you. <S> If they believe it's important, then they will ask you during the interview. <S> And they usually will only ask to satiate their curiosity. <S> On a side note. <S> your internships are working experience, so ALWAYS add that to your resume. <S> It should help the interviewer understand why it took you longer too. <S> example: Degree - 2014 - 2018 bla bla bla, other interesting stuff on resume Working experience : Internship jan-2017 <S> ~ <S> Jun-2017 <S> [company name] <S> During my internship I used X,Y,Z technologies <S> and I applied them by using the "A" Method, bla bla bla. <S> There is no mention of the leave anywhere <S> But it's still fairly obvious <S> you had an internship during your studies. <S> Which may have increased time. <A> Lately is has become more common to omit the start date, and sometimes even the end date of a degree on one's resume. <S> One reason is that not everyone takes the recommended full course load every semester when getting their degree. <S> I certainly didn't, and when I did include both the start and end dates on my Bachelor's, I was never questioned about why it took so long to complete the degree. <A> Speaking as someone who works in software development, took 11(!) years to get his degree, and even at that doesn't even have a degree in a relevant field (I mean, I can create an interesting narrative for how a creative writing degree applies to coding <S> but it would be complete BS), let me say this: once you get your first job and even a little bit of relevant experience, nobody cares about your degree, period. <S> As to where you are right now, if you're in the US then you're still very much in luck because there are way <S> more jobs out there than there are qualified programmers. <S> Okay, so maybe with the time it took or your grades (no idea what they are like but just throwing that out there) <S> you won't get straight into Google or Microsoft, but there are plenty of smaller companies that need people willing to learn their business rules and able to create programs for them, and for that matter there are scads of contractors and recruiting companies out there to connect you to those places. <A> There are a lot of things that can look bad on a resume if they're not framed positively. <S> Even a firing can be turned around into a positive. <S> Any kind of employment anomaly is going to stick out, and let's be honest, we all have them. <S> "Why did you change career paths?" <S> "Why do you have an 18 month employment gap?" <S> "Why did you pursue a Ph.D in Basket Weaving, but not a career afterwards?" <S> A resume is rarely going to tell any given applicant's full story, so leave just enough breadcrumbs to get them interested, and then deliver a real stunner of an answer to their question. <S> "Was this a 5 year program?" <S> An example answer: <S> I had the opportunity to relocate for an internship offer that I felt would help expose me to new technologies and methodologies. <S> I always look for opportunities to expose myself to new ways of thinking and new strategies. <S> I feel like it brings out the best in myself and my work when I'm challenged with the unfamiliar. <S> Then follow up with some things that you learned, and tie it into how it caused your graduation to be delayed. <S> Don't mention failed courses. <S> Be ready with a strong answer that addresses their question, but also presents your skills in the brightest possible light. <A> It is certainly possible that there are employers (hiring managers or HR) out there who care how long it took a person to complete their degree. <S> I would avoid such employers like the plague as their criteria for hiring competent staff is unrelated to any performance/competence required to do the job. <S> I can only speak for myself, and I have had absolutely ZERO problems getting a job that were related to the length of time it took to get my degree. <S> I've worked both in Academia and Industry and it never came up, ever. <S> Those who cared about my degree just wanted to know I had it. <S> How long did it take for me to finish? <S> 20 years. <S> You read that correctly.
| A hiring manager is unlikely to discount you based on time spent in study, but it will almost certainly prompt a question.
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Company wants me to sign work contract my first day, but I don´t want to leave my current job until signed contract I am currently working in company A. I have recieved an offer to start in company B, and I accepted. When the first interviewer asked me "when can you start?" I said two weeks from the day the docs are signed, because is the time of notice I owe to my current employer, and I do not want to quit until having signed with my new employer.But now, the HR people on company B insists on give me the contract my first day in the office..Is this normal? Or should I raise a red flag?In other situation I would not mind to sign my first day, but I do not want to take the risk of ending up with nothing. <Q> You don't say what country you're in; that will have a bearing on it. <S> If the company is professional, there won't be any problem with that - but if they balk, I would carry on with the job search. <A> First and foremost, if they won't give you a copy of the contract to be signed I would move on -- you have to be able to review it prior to turning in your notice. <S> ( offer letter ?? ) <S> If they give you a copy to review in advance, then I don't think this is really a big deal to wait until the day you start to sign it. <S> In the companies mind, I am sure its just a matter of filling out all the new hire type paperwork on day one. <S> I would suggest that you get something in writing (eMail) stating that all conditions of employment have been met, such as a background check etc. <S> ( if any are required ). <S> This way you have alliviated your concern of a last minute mishap, and you sign the contract on day one. <S> I would also keep in mind that there will be some sort of probationary period regardless.... <A> No, no, absolutely not. <S> Here's the worst case scenario. <S> You resign from company A, but have no signed contract from company B. No signed contract means that you do not have an offer AND an acceptance of the offer BEFORE you wrap up with company A. <S> So what if you show up, and the terms of said contract are materially different than what you've agreed to orally? <S> You agree orally to work M-F, but the contract calls for weekends. <S> You agreed orally to work for $x/hr, but the contract calls for a lower pay rate. <S> What then? <S> At that point, friend, you are screwed. <S> There are lots of unscrupulous businesses out there. <S> Make sure you don't become a victim. <A> Is this normal? <S> Or should I raise a red flag? <S> Maybe this, maybe that. <S> It's probably just easier for them. <S> Nevertheless, any company worth your time should acommodate to your needs in this case. <S> It's obviously way harder (talking risk management) for you to accept this than it is for them to give you the papers earlier. <S> And every HR person worth any money should understand that. <S> There is just no reason to put your life situation at stake just because they are lazy. <S> And if they are not just lazy, then that's a red flag. <S> Personally, I would not accept this condition. <S> Either they get you the contract 2 weeks before you start or they can go search for someone stupid or desperate enough to accept such conditions. <A> Depends on what's in your contract. <S> Ask for a copy so you can look it over first. <S> If it's a legal document, you should be able to have time to get a lawyer to look it over, if that's something you wanted to do. <S> If it's not a legal document, I'm not sure what it is <S> you're being asked to sign.
| You should tell the company that you'll sign the contract and any other items on your first day of work, but you need a copy now in order for your attorney to review them.
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Is it advisable to wait after my annual review to ask for long-term leave? I have been at my company for just over a year and my yearly review is coming up. I am doing well, and my boss has dropped hints of a raise (even if they hadn't I would be asking for one anyway as I feel it is deserved). I also happen to be in the middle of planning a long-term holiday, 5-6 weeks to be more precise, in May-June 2017. I need to ask for approval before I commit to these plans. I do not expect this to be a paid leave (sabbatical) and I am fine with that. Is it acceptable to ask for this leave just before or just after my review? It almost seems like I am asking for too much, especially if I end up having to negotiate my raise. Thanks. <Q> Is it acceptable to ask for this leave just before or just after my review? <S> It almost seems like I am asking for too much, especially if I end up having to negotiate my raise. <S> You can ask for leave any time you choose. <S> If your concern is that asking for this leave would impact your raise, then clearly you should ask after the annual review and raise process is complete. <S> You know management at your company and hopefully this doesn't apply for you, but some managers would consider a 5-6 week absence as evidence that your role isn't really needed by the company very much. <S> In my US locale, and in the companies where I have worked, asking for such an extensive leave after being with the company for only a year and with only a few months notice would be considered "too much". <S> On the other hand, in several companies where I worked it was common for people to "save up" vacation time for several years in order to use it on an extended trip back home (typically India or China for 3-4 weeks). <S> But this was always agreed to years in advance. <S> It's unfortunate <S> you didn't get an agreement for this leave during the hiring process a year ago particularly if this is something you would like to do repeatedly. <A> The earlier you ask, the easier it is for them to plan around your absence, and the more likely it will be approved. <S> The salary adjustment doesn't affect that either way. <S> And it shouldn't affect the salary adjustment either way, if Management is vaguely rational. <A> As a manager, I'd be a bit put out that you'd only come in February to ask for 6 weeks off in May - especially as some places have policies about taking leave in more than two week blocks. <S> While you might not know the exact dates, this should have been flagged and discussed with your boss last year - <S> even request for approval can be given on the understanding the start and stop dates may shift due to flights/hotels. <S> The final dates can be set much closer to the time, but managers need to know when there's going to be an extended period of lower capacity in planning work. <S> It's even more important if there are specific skills and tasks that need to be covered.
| Other than that, asking sooner is better for the company as it will give them a bit more time to prepare for your absence should your sabbatical be granted.
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Is "this offer is lower than what your company usually pays" a reasonable argument in salary negotiation? I was hired at company X on a project for year on contractual basis. At the end of the 12th month, I had a performance review which was great and helpful. After that they wanted me for another year but we could not agree on conditions of a new contract so I left (unemployed.) Meanwhile, I was interviewing at "company Y", the company at which I am very very well aware of the salaries since my past colleagues have been there. Company Y offered me "$X" which is lower than what they usually pay to people of my skill set and experience. Is it a good argument to let them know that "I am well aware of the general salary at your company, so can you kindly raise it"? If so, what is the reasonable way to argue this? If not,is there any better way to frame it? <Q> Is it a good argument to let them know that "I am very well aware of salary at your company so kindly raise it"? <S> if so, what is the reasonable way to argument this? <S> It doesn't matter what they usually pay, only what they will pay for you . <S> Be prepared to walk away if they decide you aren't worth that much. <A> Every company will low ball you. <S> They rely on the fact that most of the time people say "Oh well I need the work so actually x less per year isn't a big deal...". <S> Don't tell them you know what they're paying. <S> Look at other positions in the area and see what they're offering for the same job and use these. <S> "Well I have checked a number of different jobs which I can show you if you'd like, but based on the average salary from these similar positions I would be expecting an offer around x". <S> If this is lower than what your friends are getting, then you'll have to take it on the chin. <S> You can't use your knowledge to get a better offer in this situation. <S> If the average is about right, then you're onto a winner. <A> It's usually wise strategy because you basically provoke them into finding out reasons why they've valuated your skills below their average. <S> They will always find a reason why someone who already works (for X years) is more valuable and deserves better pay. <S> Instead of comparing, concentrate on your value added and alternatives you have. <S> A company has no reason to worry on how unhappy you are with the salary until you'll accept it anyway. <S> Convincing them, you won't accept any offer under X because you can easily get that somewhere else is a good argument for them to reconsider giving you better deal. <S> Unless it's too much for them to be profitable. <S> Or they won't believe you and think you'll take anything whatsoever. <S> Taking what you doesn't like, you risk only being unhappy. <S> Playing high, you risk getting nothing (and sitting 3 months idle, getting much better job afterwards).
| If you think what they are offering isn't enough, you would be better served to say "I want $Z" and work from there.
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Giving phone number to students' parents I am a new high school teacher in a major city teaching urban children. A colleague of mine uses her personal cell phone when she needs to call parents, but most of my current coworkers deliberately use the school phone to call parents. I realize safety may be an issue using my personal number (though it seems low-risk), but convenience is sacrificed using the school phone. There are no school or union policies on this issue. I am wondering if there are any factors to whether I should use the school phone or my personal number that I am not considering. <Q> Most schools will not give out a teachers personal number to a parent unless there is an urgent pressing need for it. <S> There are several good reasons behind this rather than it being arbitrary. <S> First and foremost is that the child is a pupil of the school and <S> any interaction between parents and teacher should be done via the school for the safety of the teacher, the family AND the school. <S> The teacher is an employee of the school, not the parents. <S> So the two should only interact in controlled circumstances in normal work. <S> And there should be no emergency situation outside of school hours when the child is under the physical supervision of the teacher. <S> So in the absence of any protocols against it, it's still best to go with the school as an intermediary rather than give out your number. <S> Low risk is a matter of perception. <S> It would only take one incident, however twisted, to potentially kill both your career and reputation. <A> Many people don't give their private phone number to their employer, because work is work and private is private. <S> My employer has my phone number, so they can contact me if there is an emergency, and they know what is an emergency and what isn't, so that's fine. <S> In your case, you are thinking about giving your phone number to a bunch of people who you know nothing about. <S> They are people that you can't expect to behave professionally, because they are not professional. <S> Don't do it. <A> For example you want to dial 123-456-789, you then call #31#123-456-789. <S> Doing so, you can call any parent you want using your own mobile phone, but without letting them know your phone number. <S> If you need the parent to call back, let them know they can call the school <S> and they will put you through. <A> Do you think they should, or shouldn't, be able to call you with after-hours issues? <S> If they shouldn't, don't give them your personal phone. <S> If you trust them not to abuse it, or if you are willing to not answer or tell them to call back at a better time, you could give them the cell number. <S> I really don't think the other concerns are as significant as this one. <A> I don't know how it is at your school. <S> But at my work all calls are recorded. <S> (This is legal where I live.)For me <S> that's a big reason to never have conversations with clients(parents) on my personal phone. <S> (or basically any cellphone.) <S> That way whenever there are misunderstandings you can always listen back the call. <S> Also, because it's recorded it makes you think better about what you say.
| It's best to keep work and home life separate, particular as a teacher since you're dealing with children and families. I don't know if this works in your country, but in France we can temporarily mask our phone number when dialing someone, by pressing #31# before the phone number you want to dial. There should be no need for private interaction outside of an emergency situation.
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Starting a company in spare time whilst employed full time? I would like to set up a business in my spare time where I would make simple database software for small businesses - I'm currently employed full time where part of my role involves this already, though for a manufacturing business so I don't think it would be a conflict of interest. My concerns are that I remember when I started this job there was some sort of declaration signed/box ticked where I said 'I do not work for another company', though I can't find it in my contract. Would doing something like this cause any problems with my full time job? I have no intention of eventually leaving to pursue my project full time at the minute and plan to communicate that to my manager, as well as making it clear that I understand not to work on my project during work hours. My understanding is that they will find out anyway with tax or something (?) so my current thinking is to just mention it before I start. Could you advise the best way to go about this? <Q> The answer to this is "it depends". <S> If you signed a non-compete or non-disclosure, this could hamper your efforts as well. <S> In summary, what did you agree to when you took the job? <A> Would doing something like this <S> cause any problems with my full time job? <S> Possibly. <S> You will need to check your contract to ensure it hasn't got a clause about moonlighting. <S> You will absolutely have to make sure you never use your work time or kit, including that nice little MS office deal that you may have got... <S> Could you advise the best way to go about this? <S> Freelance. <S> Come on over to freelancing for more specific advice. <S> The 2 main sites for freelancing are Upwork and Freelancer. <S> I will tell you, your niche is quite saturated right now. <S> My concerns are that I remember when I started this job there was some sort of declaration signed/box ticked where I said 'I do not work for another company', though I can't find it in my contract. <S> This was on your P46 (new starter) form for HMRC, a tax declaration to ensure your employer uses the correct tax code in absence of a P45. <A> Just saying: Your company won't figure out through taxes. <S> Most likely your company pays tax as if you were employed by them only. <S> That's fine. <S> If you make money elsewhere, for example through your own company, that company will know that they are not the only employer, so they will pay at an extra high tax rate to make sure you are not underpaying taxes. <S> Or if you are self employed, you just fill out your tax return, with the numbers from your P45, adding what you made as a self employed person. <S> The problems are: Is it in your employment contract that you can't work elsewhere? <S> In that case, there is trouble ahead. <S> Will you be more tired when you go to work and less productive? <S> That might cause trouble. <S> Full time job plus another job is hard.
| It depends on any sort of employment agreement you may have signed, or any clauses in the employee handbook ( Which you probably signed that you read and understood ).
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How do I convince my boss to let me grow into a job that doesnt exist in the company yet Currently I'm a software engineer at my company. We've been using ASP classic for a while and in our search for improvement we as a department have been striving to make a switch to C# ASP.NET. I overheard my manager talking about architectures and told him I'd like to assist since I already had some knowledge about it. So I was assigned as the one who did the research towards architecture and how to support our department in an orderly fashion as we grow. This was important as the current switch in languages is more than just the language itself but also the methodology. As I kept researching I seem to have kindled a passion towards architecture and how this can be combined within the software development environment. So I wish to develop myself within the next several years towards becoming a software architect. Currently my company has a lot of developers but hassn't matured enough to expand towards other jobs such as architects, business analysts, etc. However they still wish to know more and develop the company in a more orderly and mature fashion. So to summarise. How do I grow from a software engineer position towards a software architect position in a company that doesn't know software architects ? <Q> Show your boss that the need exists and that you would save/generate more money for the company in that role than in your current one. <S> (That last one may be difficult. <S> You may need to sell this idea higher up the management chain.) <S> Or grow into the role on your own time, then go to management with endorsements from those whom it has helped and suggest they make it official. <S> Or go interviewing for that position elsewhere. <A> The bottom line in these situations is always money . <S> And not just considerations such as what they pay you, but whether they're getting a bang for their buck as far as your output is concerned. <S> Software architecture is quite awesome, but the reality is that most companies do not have the processes and staff in place to hire a full time architect whose job is to simply refine their software and tools. <S> And the changes needed to get to that point require a lot of $$$ and institutional changes (for example hiring testers, and getting used to the fact that development will take longer because you need to much more thoroughly test their work, etc.). <S> Convincing a company that doesn't have these things in place that they should invest in them is very difficult - at least in the short term. <S> Even if they agree with you it might be years before they can afford to place you exclusively in that position. <S> What most companies really feel they need is a stable and efficient enough environment such that their devs pump out decent quality software at a pretty good pace. <S> In other words, if you really want to get into software engineering, get whatever experience you can get out of this job, maybe take some kind of certification course in your spare time, and find a company which already has that role in their organization. <A> Take the initiative and start doing it. <S> They may not understand the concept, but they will understand quantifiable benefits. <S> I started my IT career by making myself the desktop support person for our location. <S> Just step into the role, but get permission first.
| Ask for permission to start implementing your changes, and then do so. Convince him that it seems that its in his interest (not just the company's) to spend the department's scarce resources, at this time, on meeting that need.
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How to work with a coworker whose initial reaction is to ask me? I'm a developer. One of my coworkers asks me a question the moment anything goes wrong, or he doesn't understand something, in either our code or even third party code we use. He's a nice enough guy, and I'm always friendly and courteous and make time to answer questions. I don't think he realizes how annoyed it makes me that he doesn't RTFM and how much time he takes out of my day. I don't want to sour our working relationship, and he's been in computing a couple decades at this point so I doubt he'll change his habits. I get the feeling he knows he shouldn't be asking, because he doesn't ask the stupid questions on public channels. Way I see it, there are three options: Passive: if he asks a question he can easily answer himself with 5-10 minutes of research (like how to clone a git repo), just don't answer and hope I get fewer of that type of question Active: go over a couple instances with him where he asked me questions that I'm certain he could have easily answered himself, and impress upon him that I can't constantly be answering those questions Serious: Talk to my manager about it. Because I prefer to avoid confrontation with the people I work alongside, and frankly it's not my job to teach him to google, I've decided to start with (1), and if he doesn't get the message and I keep getting questions go to (3). So my question...Are there any courses of action I haven't considered?Anything that the community would recommend? More detailed explanation I'm currently working in a role with a significant development component ( SRE ; hiring me was part of the transition from more traditional ops to an SRE model). One of my coworkers- who does have a CS background, but has only worked in sysadmin-type jobs afaict- is constantly deferring to me with questions about our codebase. Which is fine, insofar as I'm one of the few people on the team who's either read or written most of it. What's less fine is that asking me is his immediate response when anything goes even mildly wrong, or when he doesn't understand something. Even if I send him the link for a wiki page I've written, he'll ignore the wiki page and force me to manually go over the steps or feed them to him one-at-a-time. You could argue "maybe my wiki pages aren't particularly clear", which I suppose is possible (although I put a lot of effort into making them unambiguous, practical, comprehensive, concise, and grammatical), but he even defers to me immediately about really simple stuff with tools we didn't write (like git or sqlite ). For example, he knows SQL, and I gave him a tool that generates a SQLite database at one point. Along with the wiki page on the tool, which gives information on how to use the tools, as well as a little information on the SQLite database that it spits out. It was a really simple database. Like three tables. That's it. There weren't even foreign keys. And he didn't bother to run .help or look up documentation for SQLite. Didn't even bother to read the wiki page, that had the commands he'd need to run in it. I literally copy-pasted those commands for him. <Q> If you want a polite, yet firm approach, then you need to keep the ball in his court, using an ASK style. <S> For example: If he asks you how to do "XYZ" then you ask him, "based upon the research you did online or in our Wikis, what do you think is the best way to do XYZ?" <S> If he has not done any research, instruct him to do so. <S> If he has a bad or incorrect solution, tell him to do more research to find a good solution. <S> After doing this a few times then the next time he approaches you, you can say to him (with a smile on your face): <S> "You know what I am going to ask you, right?" <S> Eventually, he'll figure out that he cannot get an answer from you without first doing research and coming up with at least a reasonable solution. <S> (You should also document how many times he keeps asking without doing proper research first. <S> This may be needed for management if he really needs to be fired.) <A> You have to talk to your manager about this because it sounds like it's seriously impacting your work performance. <S> This guy isn't just asking for a bit of help understanding the tools, he's totally offloading onto you. <S> I should clarify that my conversation with my manager would be along the lines of "can I work less with person X? <S> " <S> I don't think that's a fair request, but you could ask not to work in the same room/cubicle. <S> If you are at least an e-mail and a 10-minute wait away, this guy will start making baby steps on his own. <A> When he asks something that you've provided help for in the past, your first response should be something like this: Information on how to do that is in the wiki I gave to you last week. <S> Have you looked at that? <S> What about it is not clear? <S> In other words, make him help you make your documentation clearer (if it needs that), and also make him do part of the work of helping himself. <S> Really, there is nothing wrong with option #2. <S> The more you learn to set reasonable boundaries, the easier it becomes. <S> And talking to him directly has the best chance of a good outcome. <S> By getting more and more frustrated, by the time you do talk to him, you're more likely to not do it well. <S> It needs to feel like teamwork, helping each other out, and both improving. <S> I imagine, that since he's gotten used to using you as a crutch, it will take time and quite a few answers like the above before he starts trying to do it himself. <S> But he will become a better worker because of it, and that too is a good goal. <S> If he simply refuses to learn, then eventually, you can respond more bluntly: <S> The information is still in the wiki I gave to you last month. <S> We've gone through it several times, and you said it was clear. <S> Go use it. <S> And then, turn back and do your own work.
| If he has done research, and has a reasonable solution/method then give him the "OK" or a better solution. You need to be calm, straight-forward, not acting frustrated.
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How can I stop my ex-boss from still 'bossing' around? This is a continuation of my earlier post here . Summary: I flagged potentially reputation-damaging mistake to my supervisor. They refused to acknowledge that it was an error, and based their decision on the advice of a co-worker who had out-dated knowledge and experience. Based on the advice of SE, I let it go and documented everything carefully. Now: It turned out that the mistake, left ignored, blew up and then caused a huge amount of trouble for the company recently; I'll not include details here. My supervisor, who made the call to ignore the issue against my advice, predictably attempted to throw me under the bus. However, as I had everything documented (thank you SE), I was able to prove to higher management that I was not at fault. Of course, my supervisor was then asked to step down from their position, which they did. I was then promoted, so we have essentially swapped roles. Problem: My ex-supervisor, whom I still maintain contact with for work purposes, is left quite bitter about this and refuses to stop 'being the boss' around me. This includes things like Asking me about details regarding X and Y project, which they no longer have any involvement in. Having a 'bossy' and condescending tone towards me when in front of co-workers. Question: What is a professional way of saying You were asked to step down for a reason. Please accept that and stop trying to interfere with my work and professional relationships. It may also be worth, or not, reminding them that the only reason they got the job (supervisor) was because I turned it down and the company needed to find somebody else. So their condescension is highly misplaced. However, I feel that this last bit is moreso a personal response provided out of bitterness, rather than a professional response. <Q> In my view, the ideal response - if you can carry it out - is to completely ignore the past, pretend it didn't happen, and pretend you always have been their boss. <S> To Q1: "This is taken care of, thank you for asking." <S> To Q2: "Thank you for your contribution. <S> We will proceed as follows ... <S> [saying what you have in mind]". <S> Both in an even and unperturbed tone. <S> It requires some nerve to keep this going. <S> Treat condescension with the tolerance you would offer a whiny kid who is disappointed with his Christmas present; because, in a way, that's what they are. <A> I am reminded of this exchange from the movie version of The Odd Couple : <S> Felix Ungar : <S> In other words, you're throwin' me out. <S> Oscar Madison : Not in other words. <S> Those are the perfect ones! <S> There just isn't a more professional way of saying You were asked to step down for a reason. <S> Please accept that andstop trying to interfere with my work and professional relationships. <S> You are correct that it would be unprofessional to bring up the fact that the only reason he got the supervisor job was because you turned it down. <S> This is no longer relevant. <A> Pull him aside and tell him in no uncertain terms that he will NOT do anything to undermine your authority, especially in front of coworkers. <S> If it happens again, he will be written up or taken to HR, or whatever procedures your company has in place. <S> You have the authority, now you have to demonstrate it. <S> "I'm sorry, but that's none of your concern". <S> When he tries to boss you, or anyone else around say "You are overstepping your authority, please, drop this subject". <S> or "No, I'm making the decision here <S> , I will listen to your input, however." <S> You need to be the Alpha here. <S> When he starts up, shut him down and do so quickly. <S> Do not be rude or abusive just be firm and don't leave room for debate. <S> "We need to take this offline" or "I think this is a conversation for another time" or "I'm going to need to cut you off here. <S> " <S> Assert your power <S> and he'll come in line. <S> Continue to document everything as he may not have learned his lesson, and you may need to build a disciplinary file for his eventual termination.
| If he asks about things he has no right to know about, shut him down.
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Colleague keeps on begging on my snacks When I eat snacks on my desk, I sometimes end up sharing my snack with my colleagues. I know it's good to share sometimes but every time they see a snack on my desk, they'll beg me to share it with them. It's very frustrating that because of this I cannot have my snack. In my company there is no policy about bringing foods to our desk. When I tell them to buy their own snack they seem to get upset about it. How can I handle this situation? What can I do to make them avoid begging me for snacks? ( Updated Note: I'm a very busy person which is why I usually don't take breaks at the pantry. I usually eat my snacks at my desk.) <Q> If you don't want to share, don't bring your snacks to your desk. <S> It's that simple. <S> In most cultures it's bad manners to eat in front of others without offering them some anyway. <S> If this is to hard for you, just refuse. <S> I'm a smoker and people ask me for smokes all the time, I just say no. <A> Sometimes I ended up sharing my snack with my colleagues <S> This is where the "problem" started. <S> As mentioned from the comments they probably became accustomed to you sharing snacks with them. <S> Going from sharing to not sharing creates tension cause you haven't given a "good" reason why you would stop sharing. <S> I don't think you can avoid this irritation from your colleges during some time. <S> They need to "learn" that they will not be giving snacks (Think of them like how a dog behaves). <S> In the end they will learn, but will be annoyed untill then. <A> If there is a break-out room, eat your snacks in there. <S> Hopefully your colleagues won't follow you in. <S> This has the added benefit of getting you away from your computer. <A> You can retrain them using both words and behavior. <S> Words: when they ask for a snack, it's perfectly fine to explain to them that you can't afford to feed them this time or didn't bring extra. <S> If you want, you can say that if they bring snacks to share with you, you'll bring some to share with them next time. <S> And sometimes, when you do bring extra, announce that you have some to share. <S> That way, they'll come when you invite them, and not every time you have food. <S> You're still sharing, but on your terms. <S> Behavior: when you bring out a snack, only have enough for you. <S> If you have 3 cheese sticks, for instance, only bring out one at a time. <S> You need to have a bite out of the only item you are snacking on, which makes it more awkward to share. <S> And more awkward to ask. <S> At least for a while, don't bring snacks that are easy to share: <S> eat the apple whole, not cut up; skip the chips until they are re-trained. <S> It is ok to set boundaries, and it's ok to politely tell others what they are! <A> I can't comment on @Bojje 's good answer, so here's a tip:the problem is that this habit of sharing is already established, and getting back from there is proving to be quite complicated if you don't want to seem agressive towards your coworkers. <S> (Did they do something wrong?) <S> One solution might be to create two different types of snacking: <S> Sometimes, bring enough snacks to share with your colleagues, and be the one to offer. <S> " <S> Hey guys, I brought cookies, does anyone want one?" <S> The rest of the time, bring smaller portions (making it obvious that it's a one-person-snack). <S> " <S> Sorry, I only have the one cookie <S> and I really need the energy to get through this day! <S> " <S> This won't come out as shutting your colleagues down, since you also sometimes offer snacks spontaneously. <S> And if you want to stop giving out snacks at all, just slowly reduce the frequency of sharing snacks until you stop completely! <A> We have an unused desk in our office area where we can place snacks that can be shared by anyone. <S> People contribute whenever they want to by bringing in cakes/biscuits/whatever and placing them there for the team to share. <S> This says quite plainly that anything on peoples personal desks are their own property.
| If someone asks, politely say that you need the snack and don't have enough to share. Since it has become "normal" for them that you share, it would most likely be hard for them to understand why you would start saying no all of a sudden.
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