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Should I clarify my facial injury during an interview? Last Saturday, I got in a snowboarding accident that resulted in a very noticeable facial injury. While the worst of it has already healed, a large portion of the wound is still healing up and will likely not finish healing up until next week. Tomorrow I have an interview and am wondering if I should address this facial injury during the interview or just stay mute about it. I'm concerned whether or not the injury could have a negative impression before the interview starts. <Q> Short answer, YES <S> Long answer, yes, of course! <S> Basically, this is going to impact on your interview either way. <S> Don't address it, you're that guy who gets in fights and shows up to work like this. <S> Explain it <S> and you're the risk-taker who might end up on extended sick leave from a silly accident. <S> However, the latter is certainly preferable, and might show that you are a fun person to work with. <S> If you can make a little light from it, that would help <A> It would be negative if you didn't mention it at all, because that leaves the interviewer to assume the worst - that you were in a fight. <S> By addressing it at the first meet, it would also be an icebreaker - and a way for them to ask you about what you do in your spare time outside of work, and establish a more casual atmosphere - which is usually great in job <S> interviews(It shows that you're a human!) <A> I would mention it. <S> They are going to be curious and will avoid asking as it could be personal. <A> Add a little humor if you want, but you should move on quickly. <S> You want to address it but not for it to dominate the interview. <A> My wife had once an interview in a very formal place. <S> Of course she left all her stuff in the train she was taking the night before. <S> She went to the interview in jeans, t-shirt and trainers. <S> When she got into the interview room there was some silence - more surprised than anythng else, as everyone knew she normally would be dressed conservatively. <S> She started by shortly explaining what happened, everyone smiled and then proceeded to the interview. <S> She got the job and was told later by her boss that she made the interview "memorable". <S> So just be natural, smile and go ahead <S> Be glad not to be this guy whose friends put a lock around his neck before his interview <S> (I cannot find the original picture, the one above is from another prank ) <A> I'm surprised the five answers here so far all advocate, rather assuredly, that you should explain your injury first thing. <S> I've worked with a bunch of people that wouldn't give a rat's ass why you have an injury. <S> They're there to figure out whether you have the skills to do the job and whether you will work well in their organization. <S> Spending that time discussing your injury wouldn't even cross their minds. <S> I would also say that as an interviewee, don't forget that you are also screening them . <S> Do you really want to work with people who are so concerned about why you were injured? <S> Is that really the most important thing for them to be thinking about? <S> Of course, if you really need the job and opportunities aren't looking great, yes, you can cover your bases by explaining your injury. <S> But keep this in mind: not only would an interviewer who is suspicious enough to think you got into a fight be suspicious enough to think you are making up an excuse, but focusing on your injury first thing shows a lack of confidence. <A> Yes- <S> Taking responsibility is a rare trait in the workplace! <S> Add humour, too. " <S> Snowboarding! <S> __ years & tried something new & learned a few do's & don'ts for next time. <S> My grandpa always said a day without learning is a sad day, indeed. <S> What's the hardest learning experience/impact that's been "worked around", over here?" <S> Turning around the normal Q of "what was your hardest experience"& venturing into trading war-stories, creates more human rapport (repoire is the sales-lingo typo) & memorability. <S> You have memorability all-ready nailed down! <S> Now tack onto it! <S> Good luck & have fun with it! <S> Jobs, like many things in life, are #s games. <S> But make sure you have researched highlights that interest you about the co. <S> Copy them into a doc & read them repeatedly,esp. <S> if you are interviewing w/ mult. <S> co's ( <S> & don't want to mix up facts!)
| Even if your injury comes up again later in the interview, just smile and steer the conversation back to the interview. Address it quickly and matter-of-factly.
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What to do if you are offered a raise at the same time as you negotiate a job offer from another company? I just want to note that I am not in this position now but I have been in the past and I wasn't sure what the correct course of action was. I am wondering what someone should do if they are negotiating an offer to work for another company and at the same time their boss offers them a raise. They are very likely to accept the offer from the other company but there is a slight chance that it could fall through. Should they tell the boss that they are declining the offer because they are going to move to another company? Or should they just accept the offer and then leave when the new job is finalized? I feel like the answer would be that you should accept the raise because you should get what you deserve. But if that is true, wouldn't you run the risk of burning bridges if your boss finds out that you are leaving right after you get the raise? On the other hand, if you tell the truth, the offer could fall through and then you have to live with the awkwardness of staying. <Q> Don't say anything. <S> Because, a) <S> the raise is not a "thank you for all the hard work you'll be doing next year". <S> You earned the raise already. <S> And b) the offer could fall through exactly. <S> Until you know <S> you have another job, continue everything of your previous one like before. <S> Working, getting raises, etc.etc. <S> And to start with, what will your boss think if you decline a raise? <S> Whatever reason he/she guesses, it won't be positive. <A> I don't see any reason why you would ever turn down a raise unless it also comes with a different title or responsibilities. <S> In the latter case it might make sense to turn it down because you wouldn't want them to spend time/resources training you only to have you leave a couple weeks later. <S> However, if it's just a raise by itself then you should absolutely accept even if it doesn't result in any additional pay (you leave before it takes effect). <A> and you don't give any indication that you are looking for a job elsewhere. <S> What would you do if you are offered a raise <S> and you are not looking for a job? <S> So what would you do if you are offered a raise <S> and you are looking for another job? <S> Exactly the same thing. <S> You say "thank you very much for this excellent raise" and take it.
| You would say "thank you very much for this excellent raise" and take it. In almost all cases, you don't let anyone know
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My employer has accessed my emails and Google account My owner has recently accessed my personal email and was showing as an active device to that email on my google account. He recently changed my recovery email to his own on two of the work email accounts I use. One was already setup upon hire and the other I created. He is a hard, unfriendly man to work for and I assume is getting ready to fire me after 2 years of working my butt off, but never enough for him (Pay decent and single mom). I kinda get he wants to see what I am doing, sending and receiving... But today I noticed he accessed my personal email also and was showing as a active device. Is he allowed to do this? I rarely use this personal account at work. It was linked with other email accounts through Google I believe and I assume that is how he got into it. I put the 2 step verification on now and changed my password. This is happening in Ohio. <Q> Is he allowed to do this.? <S> No he isn't. <S> You have a few obvious recourses such as changing passwords, legal action etc,. <S> At the very least I would change passwords on my personal account and check if facebook or other social media accounts are affected and probably change those passwords as well just in case. <S> It's very dodgy what he did and many social media accounts are linked to personal emails for recovery. <S> So your trust in this chap should hover around the zero mark. <S> Apart from that it's up to you, a lot depends on how badly you want to keep your job. <S> His potential for being dodgy seems pretty high. <A> The answer to your question depends upon the contents of the agreement you signed when you took employment - and the answer to how your boss managed to gain access to your personal account. <S> For example, many companies with BYOD policies also include in those policies the right to look at ANYTHING on those devices - even if it is personal. <S> Many companies also retain the right to inspect and look at anything running through their networks - including your private email if you were accessing it on company equipment. <S> Lastly, if you have connected anything personal to a work account, your agreement may permit them to access your personal data as you have "linked" it to the company, thereby making it their data too. <S> But, even with all of that, if your boss managed to get access by tricking you, guessing your password or some other "hackish" method, then he may have crossed the line between monitoring and hacking, and that could be prohibited by your company and the law. <A> IANAL Employers have the almost unlimited rights to monitor or modify anything being used on their computer system . <S> The computer system could include: devices the employer owns, software or cloud-based systems the employer owns or administers, or any devices connected to the employers network . <S> The idea is to protect the employer's information and intellectual property. <S> First and foremost you can assume any electronic communication being sent over an employer's network is property of the employer, and may be privileged/confidential. <S> The other thing that I'd assume is that because you've linked your work and personal accounts, you've also compromised your personal account. <S> I think this is a misstep. <S> Keep in mind that company bring-your-own-device and electronic use policies waive a lot of your rights to privacy. <S> This could be as extreme as giving the company implicit access and permission to your personal data in pursuit of securing their information systems. <S> That's why it's of paramount importance to carefully consider what you do with your work devices. <S> It may also be problematic for them that you're accessing personal email on the company information system. <S> You would have been wise to completely separate your personal email account and refrain from associating it for with any work accounts at all. <A> For a legal answer you need to go to a lawyer with knowledge of rules in your location. <S> However, at locations I have worked, legal staff opinions have been: <S> If you access it from work, then work can access it. <S> That is, if you log into an account from work equipment, then work has every right to capture your password and access the account to verify you <S> are not stealing, spying, or in other ways doing damage to the company. <S> The reasoning being they have not authorized you to use company assets for personal use, so by accessing the accounts, you have forfeited any right to privacy. <S> I am not a lawyer, and do not know if these lawyers were correct, but that is the policy of many companies.
| While it's ethically wrong to access an employees private email, I think the company has a potential argument here that your "work" and "personal-work" email accounts are somehow administered under the same blanket account as your "work" email and thus all accounts need to be scrutinized.
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I'm an intern and I feel like I'm not up to the task Some background first. I'm a student engineer in France, and I started a 6 months internship a month ago, in a start-up. I'm working as a developer. We're around 8 people working here, in a very good ambiance I must add. However, apart from my boss and the project manager, we're only interns. The problem We're only two interns, including me, to work as developers. In a week or so, we'll need to add a new feature to the application we're working on. Compared to the previous month which was only bug fixing and minor modifications, this is a huge step. We're left with the previous intern code, and this code is too hard for me to work with. The other intern who studied during 4 years the technology we're using (I only studied it for 5 months) is feeling the same as me. I don't know whether or not we will be able to accomplish the work we were tasked with. To be more precise, I believe we can, but I think our solution will be sub optimal, and the people who will work with our code next will be left with a really messy work. In the end, I'm concerned about the quality of our work. I don't feel like bringing the "I'm only an intern" talk to my boss because as I said, the previous code was written by an intern. There's also the fact that this is the start-up first product, and a huge investment for my boss who created it. How should I talk to my boss about this? <Q> I am very sorry that I have to tell you that you probably got something wrong in your question. <S> Mainly, the placement of your header " The problem ". <S> It is one sentence late. <S> I will suggest something that sounds more applicable to me: <S> The problem <S> However, apart from my boss and the project manager, we're only interns. <S> Those two people are trying to run a business by having constantly changing temporary interns. <S> If the two of them would do the main work (development) themselves and you interns would care for maybe writing user guides, testing, documentations, whatnot then that might work for a while. <S> What they are doing right now is exploiting people as interns. <S> I would honestly try to get out. <S> You are being exploited and this is most likely going to be a sinking ship if they go on like that. <S> In case you want to stay, go to your boss together with the other intern and explain to them how you got messy code to work with and how your code will be messy too for the next person, because you lack the experience to do the task you are given. <S> This is going to repeat itself over and over again. <S> Tell them how beneficiary it would be for the company in the long run to have a developer that is actually guiding any interns and how important this is for him to have his startup be successful. <S> Tell him that you are sincerely worried (if you are) and that it would be a shame to see his idea go to waste (if you do). <A> The problem is of little concern. <S> You'll be gone from this company after your internship anyway. <S> Right now you just need to inform your boss correctly. <S> You can tell him things along the lines of <S> It is unlikely for us to be able to achieve the assignment you tasked us with within the given timespan. <S> We will do our best, but please keep in mind that within the current timespan our code will most likely become messy and limited. <S> People who will work with our code after this will have an even harder time progressing than we are. <S> If you wish to have the code become cleaner and better, we will need more time. <S> It may not have more functionality, but it'll certainly become more flexible and become higher in quality. <S> Currently we'll proceed as instructed, but please keep in mind that this may endanger any future projects that are made based on our code. <S> At this point you've informed him more than what he really deserves. <S> Hopefully he'll give you more time to figure out the code. <S> If he doesn't then that's not your fault. <S> Make sure to log this. <S> Put it in the report that you'll deliver school, as they will be the ones to decide whether your internship is a success or not. <S> NOT the company. <S> (even though the company tends to have a large influence) <S> If you end up being unable to do all the things that the company has asked from you, you will have proof that you informed the right people in the right way. <S> Shifting the blame from you, towards the company itself. <S> So in short: Document EVERYTHING that has been said and that has been mailed. <S> And put it in your report that goes to school as an appendix. <A> I do not think this is a good idea for the robustness of any product of your startup to be develop only by interns. <S> Can we foresee a meeting with the other intern and the project manager to talk about that?" <S> See how he reacts and then make a decision about your future in this so-called startup.
| You should definitely go see your boss and tell something like: "Hey Manu, I am not here to work as an engineer but as an intern, and there is no engineer around to train me.
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Feeling like I'm wrongly praised for work I have recently started a part time job for a software design company. They asked me to keep working on the project I have been working on during my internship, which I happily accepted. A few weeks in, the project leader has been praising me into heaven, I have been doing amazing work, I communicate well, etc. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but I feel like I'm not that great at my work. For a student, my work might pass as 'ok' and my communication seems more like common sense to me. It feels like the other developers in my development team treat me different because of this. My opinions aren't weighed at much, and they just treat me differently than other co workers. Would it be right of me to tell my project leader to keep it down a little? I have told her before, but she mostly laughed it away with another compliment. It could be the case that I'm actually amazing at my job without knowing it, but I seriously doubt it. Is there anything I should do at all? I don't want to be rewarded for 'amazing' work, I feel like is just 'okay'. <Q> I cannot imagine why you would ask your superiors to think less of you than they do. <S> You obviously have a good reputation with the company, I would not do anything to jeopardize that. <S> If you don't feel your work matches up to the praise your receiving, I suggest you work harder and smarter to try to live up to your standards. <S> Let the folks that think highly of you do so if they choose. <A> The problem here, as I see it, is not her praise of you. <S> It's your feeling that you're not "up to par". <S> The feeling that we're not quite pulling our weight. <S> This can be because we don't produce as quickly, or we make mistakes based on not knowing a system, or any number of other things. <S> By saying "I think you're praising me too much" you're telling her that her opinion is invalid. <S> She knows more than you do about the expectations she has for you, or that the company has for you. <S> That said, you should pull her aside and tell her that you're uncomfortable with the praise in front of co-workers, and you feel like you're being elevated in front of the team, which may cause issues. <S> Even if it's a big piece (in her eyes) you need to be able to work with the others. <S> Make sure to emphasize that her feedback IS appreciated, but you feel that the time she praises you is awkward for you and the team, and hurts team morale. <S> Lastly, STOP evaluating your performance based on school. <S> If I had a nickle for every time something I was taught in school was completely useless in the field I would be able to buy Bill Gates a summer home. <S> Starting fresh from ground up as a student is easy. <S> Starting in the middle of a project that has been around for years and is a cobblestone of old technology and "stuff we just know from use" is a completely different beastie. <S> School projects are clean, real-world projects are a tripwired minefield of butterfly-effect-prone madness that will eventually drive you to staring over a low concrete retaining wall singing "Drunken Sailor" and pulling on a hefty bottle of whiskey. <S> ...not that I've done that. <S> Of course not. <S> Stop looking at me like that... <A> The project leader tries to boost your confidence. <S> You are a student and a part-timer, of-course your opinions are not actually valued much <S> and you get different treatment to full-time professionals. <S> HorusKol gives in comments a good answer, but I think that there is no impostor syndrome. <S> The project leader simply takes the positive spirit thing too far, to a level where it becomes plain awkward. <A> Find a coworker with knowledge in programming and get their opinion of your work instead. <S> See if you do have any major weaknesses and what you can do to fix them. <S> As far as how you're being treated in the group, the praise you're getting may be a factor, but it's probably more complicated than that. <S> Get some feedback on that as well.
| You're new, less experienced, just an intern or you work with a bunch of jealous jerks. This is a standard thing for anyone new to a job. Let her know that you appreciate her recognition, but you also want them to know you're part of the team, and your work is just a piece of the puzzle. Stop judging yourself through the lens of others, and stop devaluing her opinion of you based on your own arbitrary judgement.
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I missed a client meeting and this may get me in trouble. How do I handle this? I work at a major finance firm - I joined 3.5 months back so I'm relatively new, but it has been well established that I go above and beyond. However, last night I had a family emergency and because of that, I missed a morning meeting with a client that I was supposed to lead. One member of my team did show up, but he had no idea what the meeting was about and they spoke about items that were unrelated to the meeting. In a normal situation, this would've been good, but this individual is insecure and will use this against me. I've already apologized to the client and rescheduled to the earliest available date. What more can I do to ensure that this does not get me too many black marks? How do I handle this? Update: After I'd already missed the meeting, I realized it. It was scheduled a bit earlier than I usually come into work. Due to the family emergency, I completely forgot that I had a meeting. <Q> For this specific meeting, all you can do now is offer a sincere apology and re-schedule the meeting as soon as possible to demonstrate that you really are still interested in their success. <S> To help deal with this in future situations, proactive is better than reactive. <S> I know it is tough during a family emergency, but if there is any way to shoot off a quick email/text or make a quick phone call to let participants know that the meeting needs to be re-scheduled that will help greatly. <S> If you can't get directly to your client, maybe to someone on your team who can handle passing on the message. <S> This will depend a lot on how your company communicates between internal or external clients. <S> Meeting participants would rather have the meeting rescheduled, even with a small amount of notice, than show up to an empty room or have the wrong people there. <A> Clients are still people. <S> They will either understand or empathize with the fact you had a family emergency (after you've explained the situation, apologized and made it clear that "Yes, I'd still like to do business after this mishap"), or they will for some reason be incapable of handling your humanity. <S> Ask yourself, in the latter case do you still want to be working with such a person, anyways? <S> The way you'll rectify your perceived situation is by being professional . <S> The only way you could screw up now is by being bad at your job. <A> Stop assuming this person will use this against you and apologize tothat person <S> In the future publish an agenda
| In the future make sure you have important work numbers on your phone, such that if you have a few free minutes during an emergency you can notify people in the meeting that you need to reschedule
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Can my boss require me to find coverage if I'm called into jury duty? I told my manager on Friday that I have to call in on Tuesday to see if I'm summoned. She then responded that I need to come up with a back up plan in case I get called. Can she make me do that? More specifically, if I can't find anyone to take my shift and I get called in, does she have grounds to penalize or fire me? For what it's worth I work in San Francisco, it's a privately owned company...not sure what other details would be helpful. Thanks! <Q> It would be wise to make a good attempt to find cover for the time you are away, but if you can't then you cannot be prevented from taking time off. <S> The rest of the blog is also interesting, implying that non-exempt employees should be paid for short periods of jury duty. <S> You might want to research this further in case the blog is wrong, and consult a lawyer if it becomes important. <A> I was able to find a FAQ for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California : <S> Can my employer fire or discipline me for not being at work due to jury service? <S> No. <S> Pursuant to Title 28, U.S.C. § 1875, “No employer shall discharge,threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any permanent employee byreason of such employee's jury service, or the attendance or scheduledattendance in connection with such service, in any court of the UnitedStates.” <S> Now it would be a state or city law that would apply if the court was at that level, but the wording would be similar. <S> This is from a jury brochure from the state of California : <S> Failure to Appear If you are qualified and you have not been excused or had your servicepostponed, you must report for jury service. <S> Any person who fails torespond may be fined up to $1,500 and be subject to further penaltiesat the discretion of the judge. <S> Carefully follow the instructions onthe summons and contact the court if you need help. <S> Notify Your Employer <S> It is a violation of the California Labor Code to fire or harass anemployee who is summoned to serve as a juror. <S> School employees andstudents are protected as well by law. <S> Your employer should benotified about your jury service as soon as you receive a summons. <S> Please contact the court if you have a problem with your employerbecause of jury service <A> Your boss sounds like a real ... live one (that's as best as I'm going to be able to say!) <S> If scheduling or supervising is not part of your regular job, then I'd say that her approach of leaning on you because of a legal, court-ordered responsibility is quite discriminatory. <S> I'd run straight to human resources and have them intercede to set your boss straight, because she seems to be cluelessly taking HER personal issue (apparently, negative) with the jury duty and trying to turn it into yours. <S> Let's not overlook the fact that you may not get paid by your employer for whatever time you happen to be out. <S> Last time I got jury duty, I think the court paid $35 dollars a day in Orange County. <S> So, you're likely to come up short in the pocket somewhere, AND your boss is giving you crap at the same time? <S> Like I said, run straight to HR. <A> Apparently someone needs to do your work while you are not there. <S> This won't happen by itself, so someone has to find someone to do this. <S> Of course your boss can ask you to find that replacement. <S> That would be part of your job, so when you go to work tomorrow morning you ask, during your working hours , anyone who might replace you. <S> However, since sorting out work schedules is probably not your job, you might not succeed. <S> That's bad luck for your boss. <S> Whether you find a replacement or not, you go to jury duty, and there's nothing your boss can do about it. <S> PS. <S> You could look at what mhoran_psprep quoted, and whether you think telling you to find a replacement is "harassment". <S> If the boss expects you to do it in your own time it surely is. <S> If he complains about you not finding a replacement, when finding replacements isn't your job, that could be harassment as well. <S> (I suppose if you worked in HR, then finding replacements for people going on jury duty could be part of your job, and it would still be part of your job if the person on jury duty happened to be yourself. ) <A> This has been answered on here before in a general sense, and above, but I'll make this a simple answer:It is managements duty to find coverage for workers who are out. <S> It is never an employees requirement to find coverage. <S> Sadly, many jobs try this. <S> They fail. <S> If you quit, they have to find coverage. <S> If you are sick, they have to find coverage. <S> The issue is what if you can't find any coverage? <S> Even if it is just a day off for fun, it is management's job. <S> I say this as a manager and employee. <S> In a group of salaried people who are already overworked, it generally doesn't work. <S> Now, in a highly cooperative environment, or one where people are desperate for additional shifts, it is easier.
| According to this blog , in California employers are required to give you time off for jury duty, and forbidden from discriminating against those who take it.
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How to address why my job search is narrow geographically My resume will clearly show that I have had jobs in four U.S. states and one other country. In other words, at least prior to now, when it comes to finding a nice job, I have not been concerned with casting a wide net. Later this year, however, I will be conducting a job search with a very limited focus. My limit is roughly 70 miles from a specific dot on the map, or about a 15 county area with a single state. My reasons for this may or may not come up in an interview, but if it does, I would like to be prepared. One answer I could give is: I grew up here, and have a lot of friends and family here. While in my early career, I felt it was important to broaden my horizons and experience a variety of locations, I have reached a point where the idea of "home" has become more important. This is the truth, though not necessarily the whole truth and nothing but. To get to that, I would need to add: My elderly father is having increasing impairments regarding mobility. He is still able to live independently, but he requires a lot of assistance with larger tasks, like snow removal. The aid he is currently getting is not always sufficient. Being six or more hours away by car means I can only visit and lend a hand a few times a year, and I feel that I must be more available to him. There are other reasons, like my current job rapidly going to the dogs, but those are irrelevant to this question. On the one hand this might come across as a positive: What a nice guy! He cares about his dad and wants to be there for him. That shows dedication and loyalty. On the other hand: I don't know about this candidate. He shouldn't have revealed such a personal thing. And can we trust him to keep his focus if he is spending so much time doing someone else's yard work? Most likely, the interviewer's actual thoughts will be something in between, and just one thought among many other things discussed. Nevertheless, I want to strike a balance between being forthcoming and honest, while not causing unnecessary concern. I've got a couple more month before I hit the accelerator on this job hunt. What advice do you have if this does come up? <Q> You are seriously overthinking this. <S> A 70-mile radius is a huge area. <S> As far as I can tell, I have worked my entire 40+ year career within this radius and within the same state. <S> And never once have I been asked why. <S> If on the off chance that this question does come up, you can certainly be completely truthful if you like. <S> There is nothing in your real answer that comes across to me as odd, too personal, or would otherwise make me think twice as a hiring manager. <S> That said, "I like this area" is a reasonable answer - no need to elaborate. <S> Narrowing your focus will of course narrow the potential employment opportunities. <S> But given your stated (wide) radius, that may not be a problem at all. <S> You may want to consider how you will answer if the position has travel requirements that wouldn't be amenable to handling your dad's situation. <S> There are other reasons, like my current job rapidly going to the dogs, but those are irrelevant to this question. <S> That will most likely come up in the context of "Why do you want to leave your current job?", but as you say, this has nothing to do with how far away you are willing to work. <A> The interviewer doesn't know what other companies you've applied to, and probably doesn't really care. <S> If for some reason the interviewer does ask why you've applied to the specific location, I think you are better off with the first answer. <S> It has a positive that it emphasizes that you want to stay in the area, which may mean that you'll want to stay at the same job for a longer period of time. <S> Other than that, the second one seems like too much information and also reveals information about your father that he may not want to be revealed. <S> I still think interviewers are not likely to care about why you chose a particular geographic location, though. <S> Given your situation, some questions you should be prepared to answer are ones about work-life balance. <S> The reviewer may want to know whether you can make normal (9-5) hours, want to have flex hours, whether you'll be able to work weekends, etc. <S> Even if the interviewer doesn't ask, you probably want to know, and do not be afraid to ask them. <S> Again, I would not go into detail, if you do not want to work weekends <S> an answer of "I really prefer to keep a schedule where I have weekends off to decompress" is a legitimate reason. <S> On the other hand, it may be worth your while to ask about flex hours - if your dad needs to go to doctor's appointments, it may be easier to have weekdays off <S> so you can schedule the visits on those days. <A> a 70 mile radius is more than reasonable. <S> Travel requirements and relocation requirements for a position are normally clearly outlined and stated in the job order, as people who are willing to do so are in the minority, not the majority. <S> You don't need to go into any detail. <S> If by any chance it DOES come up, a brief answer such as "I traveled more in the past, but I am looking to settle down" is a great one because the message you are sending is that you are a stable person who wants to be with them for a long time. <S> That's always a good message to send. <S> Don't mention "home" as you did in your question, it could be interpreted as you "settling" for the familiar instead of being stable. <S> Don't mention your father's health or anything irrelevant to the job. <S> This should be a non-issue. <S> Worse, it could backfire if they think you'll be taking time off.
| I know for me "no travel" has been an important factor in my job choice in recent years.
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Any way to explain prosopagnosia & social anxiety to colleagues? I have prosopagnosia , which is the inability to remember human faces. I can remember people by other traits, such as "blue eyes, tall, bald, has a beard and wears glasses" or "high-pitched voice, British accent, long red hair and a little heavy on the makeup", but I have a terrible time remembering the actual facial traits that make everyone truly unique. As the consequence of that, I struggle to greet my colleagues whom I met before, which seems to be a culturally correct thing to do, and even if I have a strong suspicion who that person that I'm seeing is, I'm seldom fully certain. More than that, my fear of meeting someone whom I'm supposed to know forces me to avoid eye contact with others to avoid being even more offensive by clearly looking at someone I'm supposed to know and saying nothing, or saying "hi" to a complete stranger. This behaviour is further aggravated by my social anxiety. These qualities, I feel, make me appear to other colleagues as an introverted and snobbish misanthropic jerk who cares only about themselves. Any thoughts if there's a way to explain myself to other people? What do you think would make you understand people like me and not assume I hold any contempt towards you just because I do not say "hi" or look at you and smile whenever we meet? I was thinking that perhaps I could write a similar PSA-style message in the "casual" chat room where some employees hang out and explain my struggles, but I don't want to be in the focus of everyone's attention, especially since no one has ever asked me why I seemingly ignore everyone. <Q> I think you have two different situations to address that will help make your work environment more comfortable for you. <S> First - the core group of people that you work with should be informed of the condition and what it impacts regarding how you interact. <S> You may want to share this with your manager or a natural leader on your team and ask them how it should be best shared with the rest of the team. <S> By doing this, your team will now also be able to stand up for you if people start talking behind your back - and they will very naturally socialize your condition without you having to announce it to the whole company. <S> Second - for people not in the core group, just smile, be polite and use non-specific language. <S> For example, say "Hey, how are you doing? <S> How are things on the home front?" <S> - instead of - "Hey Bob how are you doing? <S> How are your wife and kids?" <S> In addition, let them lead the conversation - as they talk and bring up topics, it should help trigger your memory regarding who they are. <A> I have the problems you describe, but to a lesser degree. <S> I will be able to recognise someone after I have encountered them regularly, in situations where I know their name, over a few weeks. <S> I haven't been diagnosed, but my guess is that I either have mild prosopagnosia or am at the low-functioning edge of "normal". <S> Perhaps my experience will help. <S> I smile at everyone. <S> Partly that's because of my difficulty with faces; I don't want to offend anyone. <S> But partly it's because, as corny as it sounds, smiling makes the world a better place. <S> Whenever someone smiles at me, it makes me feel a little better about my day, and I assume others have the same reaction. <S> Also, I am an introvert; smiling lets <S> others know that I'm not standoffish even though I may not say much. <S> I am still "caught out" occasionally when people realise that I don't recognise them. <S> While that's a little embarassing for me, the other person never seems to be offended. <S> You may not feel comfortable smiling at everyone, and I don't think you need to be someone you're not. <S> But many people with prosopagnosia chose to smile at everyone; it's a common coping technique. <S> You might want to give it a try. <A> Disclaimer: I don't have prosopagnosia myself, but I do have difficulty remembering both names and faces (to a smaller degree). <S> I feel that the best way to deal with this kind of problem is upfront, i.e. the first time you're introduced to a new person. <S> "I have trouble recognizing faces, so please don't take it personally if I don't recognize you the next time we meet. <S> If you want to talk to me, just say hi." <S> Personally, I wouldn't use the more technical term unless someone asks about it. <S> While people might have heard the term "face blindness", hardly anyone will recognize "prosopagnosia". <S> Since you already have been working with your colleagues for a while, you might want to use a casual chatting situation (going to lunch together, hanging out by the coffee machine) to explain your problem. " <S> By the way, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm unable to recognize faces. <S> When I don't greet (any of) you I don't mean to be rude. <S> I simply don't recognize you." <S> After that, I don't think I ever greet my colleagues when I pass them in the corridor. <A> My manager knows that I have this.(In the USA, it is protected under the ADA). <S> I have told other ppl <S> "I am somewhat face-blind. <S> " If asked further, I say "I recognize ppl by their voices, haircuts, and context. <S> So if I see you in a supermarket and don't greet you, you may have to tell me who you are and where I met you." <S> Treating questions casually helps. <S> Making a big deal out of it doesn't. <S> Oliver Sacks was also face-blind, so we are in good company. <S> P.S. Friendliness and a willingness to be a valuable employee go far. <A> What do you think would make you understand people like me and not assume I hold any contempt towards you just because I do not say "hi" or look at you and smile whenever we meet? <S> I wouldn't care much whether or not you say "hi" or smile at me. <S> Life is too short to worry about trivial things. <S> I would even go one step further and greet you with "Hi, I am Masked Man. <S> " each time . <S> If I did care about being greeted with a "hi" each time I met someone, I am sure <S> if the person has a condition that prevents him from doing so, then I would understand and not think much of it. <S> Don't overthink this. <S> Most people are not jerks. <S> Did I just say, life is too short to worry about trivial things? <S> I think so.
| Also, depending on how many people are in your office, you could just say hi (or nod or whatever) to everyone you meet as a friendly non-committal greeting, at least when you first arrive in the morning. Unfortunately, by now you probably have earned a reputation of being rude and standoffish, but if you explain your handicap often enough, chances are people will be understanding.
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Should I Anglicize My Name on My Resume? I believe my foreign sounding name makes it more difficult to get a job as a software engineer. Are there any statistics backing my observations? And should I put an Anglo/American name on the top of my resume? <Q> No. <S> If you get past the interview and they do a background check and the names don't match, that could be perceived as misrepresenting who you are - or worse - as lying - unless it was very obvious. <S> That could be quite fatal. <S> That being said, you could include an Anglicized nickname that would indicate you prefer to use that name. <S> That will make your resume stand out, as well as communicate the name you would prefer them to use, all without having to take the risk of being perceived as misrepresenting your name. <S> For example: Dylan "Jack" Chensky <A> A resume is a marketing document, not a binding legal one. <S> It's best to use whatever name you go by on your resume, as opposed to your full legal name (unless your name is Benjamin Franklin <S> du Pont or Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt ). <S> This also goes for LinkedIn, your professional website, and any other professional/marketing documents you have out there. <S> There is ample research on the bias at play when someone reads your resume. <S> You're more likely to get an interview in a western country with an Anglo-western name. <S> Why wouldn't you give yourself every advantage, especially given that finding a job can be hard enough? <S> Not because I have a foreign or difficult to pronounce name, but because my full legal name is quite long (around 30 characters) and it looks awkward on the page. <S> Also, nobody calls me Elizabeth (my legal first name) and I would prefer it stay that way. <S> To answer your question: Yes you should absolutely put an anglicized name on your resume if you're applying for jobs in the US. <A> I would recommend always putting your own name on your resume/CV. <S> And you can ask yourself, do you really want to work for a company that would discount you because of your name? <A> I personally find it a little patronising when people pick a "fake" anglicised name because they think I won't be able to pronounce their real name - I would recommend you simply use part of your real name that is short enough to pronounce. <S> Its quite normal to shorten your "first" name. <S> For example, if your name was Jonathan you could use Jon. <S> This is not considered dishonest or secretive as everybody knows that many first names are short forms of longer ones. <S> If that doesn't apply (depending on culture), you can also use your given name or equivilant, e.g if you were Li Min Chen where Chen is your given name, you can go by Chen. <S> In this example, its one syllable, nobody should have any problem. <S> You can use your full name on anything official. <A> The US is such a diverse country with people from all over ending up here, I don't think I would worry about it too much. <S> I've seen resumes with all kinds of complicated names on them. <S> This is similar to someone who might go by their middle name, they would usually put their official name on the resume and then offer another one on contact. <S> Just don't use Kanji or Cyrillic, give them a shot at pronouncing it.
| I don't think I would put an alternative name on the resume itself, but offer it in the signature of a cover letter or at the initial contact for an interview. Regardless of how difficult it is to pronounce your name, picking an anglicized name to go by is a strategic move. Personally, I use a shortened version of my name on my resume.
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Each department manager having his own rules causes jealousy In the company I'm working for there are a few internal departments, each led by a manager answering directly to the "main" boss. Each of them is allowed to set his own rules depending day to day running of the department. The policy of boss is "if that's ok with your manager, that's ok with me". Now, the manager of my department is a lot less strict than others - we can be a little bit late for work (come 10 minutes late, leave 10 minutes late, seems fair to me), we have 5 minute breaks after each hour (since he believes coding for 8 hours straight is not very productive), stuff like that. That's causing quite a bit of jealousy from employees from other deparments, where the managment is a lot more strict (including shouting). How do I (or maybe we, as people working in that dept) respond to obvious remarks in conversations with other employees that "we have it easy", "oh, how come you are reading an article online? we dont get those 5 minutes every hour" and others like that? <Q> Assuming you're not first in line to hand in any 'privileges' you've been given through your own manager, there is little to do on an employee-to-employee basis. <S> What you could do, however, is suggest to your manager that he could spread his work philosophy around the upper echelons of the company a bit more. <S> Not only may this have a positive effect on your relationship with said manager (never a bad thing) <S> - it may actually improve the attitudes of the other managers. <S> The best part: if you ever get accused of meddling in other departments you could re-wrap the suggestion as a mere compliment towards the managing style. <A> How do I (or maybe we, as people working in that dept) respond to obvious remarks in conversations with other employees that "we have it easy", "oh, how come you are reading an article online? <S> we dont get those 5 minutes every hour" and others like that? <S> That depends on what you hope to accomplish in your response. <S> If you want all departments to be treated identically, then you should respond with something like "I see that this bothers you and I agree that it is unfair. <S> " <S> I tend to believe that this sort of difference is just a matter of normal business <S> and I would hope to stop hearing the whining. <S> So I would respond with something like " <S> Yeah. <S> It's nice to be part of [my manager]'s team." and leave it at that. <A> If your manager has openings, my response would be to offer to recommend the good employees for a transfer to your manager. <S> If you know a co-worker is talented, it's a valuable thing for your manager to have the opportunity to recruit by being nicer. <S> The other, more stand-offish, answer is "my team measures good output differently". <S> If pressed, your manager prioritizes flexible time and trust with employees over rigid hours and expectations on time use. <S> Clearly he feels this looser structure is a better way to build a team. <S> I wouldn't say you have it "easy" <S> - I'd say that the expectations are centered around the quality of the work that you do, and not the fixed timing about when you do it. <S> I'd bump the responsibility back to the complainer - <S> "it sounds like the problem is with your manager, not mine." <A> It would benefit you and the entire company if you had some examples or data to show this makes your team more productive. <S> I would focus more on long-term results. <S> Avoiding fatigue should result in fewer errors. <S> Of course others can remain jealous and maybe there is nothing you can do about that, but you should defend any notion that your team is not pulling your weight. <S> At some point, the company leadership has to look at managers of unproductive teams or teams with high turnover and try to find out what they need to be doing to catch-up to the managers of better performing teams. <S> If they're not doing this, they have abdicated the responsibility of team management instead of delegating it. <S> Whoever is leading the managers is responsible for team performance regardless of how much they let managers do what they want. <S> If what your boss is doing works better, they need to steer others in that direction. <S> Get the word out that your team is doing things the right way. <S> It may not change anything, but it will shut most people up.
| I think you should talk to [the "main" boss] and try to convince management to standardize the way departments are treated.
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How to react when a colleagues steals ideas for his own self-promotion? The situation I'm takling about at my workplace is as such: I do have a decent knowledge of a software base and have many times proposed improvements to my manager. He declined them for time reasons.Fast forward a few month later, and I see a colleague who has overheard said propositions and has implemented them "on the side"; I know for a fact the he was pretending to be oversaturated with work but he used that time to covertly, without sharing with his team, implement those features. I now discover that the manager is liking the features, and even presents them to me as inventive; I also discover that he has been sold the implementation of said features as stellar, when I've noticed that they are harshly implemented and that they in instances reuse core components I've myself introduced in the past. I'm all for improving and sharing as a team. I do think stealing ideas and using allocated time, which we divide between devs in the team, to implement those stolen ideas, is not in order; at least, not in pure career interested advancements. How can I react constructively to the situation, by explaining the situation to my manager in a professional manner ? <Q> I think the best thing to do for now is to accept the situation and learn from it. <S> If you were to go to your manager, saying the colleague 'stole your ideas', you might come over as whining , so I would not do that. <S> You can also talk to your colleague, but he can just deny that he overheard your ideas. <S> I don't see how confronting either of them could help now. <S> What you can do, is the next time you have an idea and your manager does not give it priority, <S> if you're really convinced of your idea, also just implement it like your colleague did, if time allows for it, or in your 'free' time. <A> First of all, don't let people tell you that this is something that "just happens" and you should just suck it up unlucky. <S> This is advice from someone who's had to defend themselves in a lot of situations like this... <S> People do it because they want to progress and in their eyes most of the time people will sit back and "just take it" because they don't want to disrupt their career potentially. <S> Document. <S> Everything. <S> It is really essential that if you're asked for proof, that you can provide it. <S> Get meetings minuted and keep backups of everything. <S> Be really open and approachable. <S> Don't confront your manager about it, let him know your position but be helpful. <S> Send him an email <S> "I noticed you've implemented that idea we discussed a few weeks ago, and honestly i'd love to help out with that, as it's something I personally have great experience with! <S> let me know if there's anything I can do to help develop the item we talked about further. <S> If I have any more ideas you think <S> are worthwhile <S> please let me know <S> so we can work on a solution together. <S> " <S> You want to make sure you are friendly and approachable, whilst making it clear <S> you're aware that your idea has likely been taken. <S> It could be an honest mistake and this is giving your manager a chance to turn around and say "oh sorry! <S> I knew I heard it somewhere <S> just couldn't remember! <S> " you know, give him the chance to save face whilst knowing that he won't get away with it again. <S> You're being very professional in this email which works for you as you're not "just handling it", you're reacting to pressure in a positive and constructive way. <S> Ultimately, how you handle it is up to you, but this is a very good option. <A> Ideas are worthless; only work is valuable and you didn't work on this improvement. <S> have many times proposed improvements to my manager. <S> He declined them for time reasons. <S> You said "X would be nice" a few times in passing, but you didn't think it was worth implementing. <S> a colleague ... has implemented them "on the side"; A colleague disagreed and thought it was worth implementing and promptly did so. <S> I know for a fact the he was pretending to be oversaturated with work <S> but he used that time to covertly, without sharing with his team, implement those features. <S> Irrelevant detail to the question at hand, refer to any "team member not doing his job" question on the site. <S> I now discover that the manager is liking the features, and even presents them to me as inventive; You now discover that your manager appreciates initiative. <S> I also discover ... reuse core components <S> I've myself introduced in the past. <S> You also discover that code you wrote in the past <S> was valuable for implementing new stuff. <S> Great! <S> How can I react constructively to the situation, by explaining the situation to my manager in a professional manner ? <S> Maybe next time you shouldn't dismiss your own ideas even if your manager doesn't allocate time for them. <S> A few months later present the upgrade and get recognition you deserve. <S> (Again: if your coworker didn't work on the stuff he should have worked on these past months that is a legitimate concern, but not relevant to this question.) <A> I don't think there's any harm being a little passive-aggressive about the episode: <S> Oh yeah, I remember talking about that last year/month/whatever, but was too busy with project work at the time. <S> Good job, how did you solve 'x' problem?/I intended to include a way of doing 'y'. <S> Don't let this come across as being sarcastic, being supportive works just as well. <S> Next time around (if you wanted to do this work yourself), discuss with your manager and book some time in the resource plan (if you have one). <S> This reinforces that you want to "own" this piece of work.
| You don't want to get upset or negative as it's unprofessional and is normally perceived as weakness. If you need to have a chat with a colleague, email them instead of having a quick face to face.
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Employer changed my title from what was agreed in offer letter I am in the U.S. I joined this company 2 months ago (it's a large, global corp.), and now my boss says that my title is something else and not what I signed to in the offer letter. This "change" happened without informing me. I only found via the company's employee directory. Is this allowed? I understand responsibilities and roles can change, but I am fairly certain it is something both parties have to agree to. I requested that my boss and I have a discussion about this, and I cc'd his boss on this as well. My hope is to salvage things, and I don't want to jump ship so quickly. Any advice? Edit to say: I checked the offer letter, and it does not have a clause about them being able to change the title at discretion. Edit2: for context about the my job- it's within a business analysis unit that works on metrics of technology products. The title I agreed to had the word "manager" in it, and the one my boss is saying now doesn't. I expect this change to have an affect on my career development in the company. Edit3: thanks for all the comments, all. My boss says I can use my previous title externally. I will do that, but I do feel blindsided that within the company I am not what I thought I was going to be when I joined. I am going to not care about that for now, and just focus on what I will be doing. <Q> Is this allowed? <S> It would be rare to find a contracted title outside of a union setting. <S> (Note: an offer letter is not an employment contract.) <S> I understand responsibilities and roles can change, but I am fairly certain <S> it is something both parties have to agree to. <S> Sorry, this is incorrect. <S> Except in the cases I mentioned, your company doesn't need to gain your agreement to change your title. <S> Your recourse is to complain in hopes that the company gives you the title you want. <S> And of course you can always leave. <S> You haven't mentioned why your boss changed your title. <S> Perhaps you can point out that the reason was incorrect and appeal to better logic. <S> But ultimately, the company can make this change if they want to. <S> I've worked at companies several times where they decided to change titles. <S> In my case, entire groups had their titles changed. <S> But a few individuals who held unique positions were really bothered, as their titles were changed to more generic terms. <S> One was bothered enough to leave. <S> For all others, it wasn't important enough to do anything about and hasn't impacted anyone's careers as far as I can tell. <A> Could it be that the title difference in the company directory was an oversight? <S> It is good that you are having a chat with a your boss about it. <S> You have good evidence to change your title since your offer letter says something different. <S> Frankly, titles don't matter in my company, so I change mine every week. <S> Is it worth leaving over a title? <S> I personally do not think so. <S> Salary and responsibilities trump a title. <A> TL;DR : <S> You can choose to take no action with no impact on your colleagues, future employers or clients/customers. <S> I've worked in a large organisation in the UK where job titles were: <S> Misstated in some sources, e.g. saying that I am an Analyst instead of a Senior Analyst <S> Have some strange formatting added to it, e.g. in my reference <S> I was a Senior Analyst VBUS 1234, where the last parts were my cost centre and employee number <S> Beefed up for the benefit of clients <S> , e.g. I was once introduced as being the Senior Analysts Team Leader. <S> That didn't make any sense, as I was the only Senior Analyst in the division anyway <S> In all of these cases, there was no action required. <S> I didn't need to explain the 'change' in job title to colleagues, future employees or clients. <A> I've never worked for a company where the job titles meant anything. <S> In my time in the software industry, I've been called everything from "associate", to "programmer/analyst", to "systems engineer", to currently "software engineer 6". <S> I've had my title arbitrarily changed, I've been listed in the company directory with a different title than my HR forms say, and in one case I didn't even know what my title was. <S> I don't put much stock in titles. <S> I worked with someone several years ago who was very upset because he went from contract to hire at the company and they title they gave him <S> was "Software Engineer" and he thought it should be "Sr Software Engineer". <S> The company had no leveling built into titles, if you were writing software, you were a software engineer. <S> He was miserable the entire time he was there over that issue and constantly brought it up. <S> Its really not worth that. <S> As far as I'm concerned, if I'm getting the pay, respect and assignments equal to my experience level <S> I don't care what I'm called. <S> All of this assumes the title is something close to your job. <S> I would have an issue if I thought I was a software engineer and my title was Jr Accountant or Sr Civil Engineer.
| In the US for at-will employees, companies can change titles at will as long as there isn't an employment contract with a contractually-specified title in it.
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Can I leave a contract student position for a full time position I am a student graduating with a bachelor's degree this spring. Ideally, my goal is to find a full time position after I graduate. But I am aware that it might be very difficult to find a job in my field of study. If I can't find anything, I will be doing a new college training program in the fall that comes with a work placement. Because I am signed up for the training program, this allows me to work a student job for the summer and I would love to work for the organisation that hired me as a student last year. However, my priority is still to find a full time position and I am worried about my working relationship with my employers if I get any offers for full time positions during my student contract. And as they are one of my best references, I would also have to let them know before any potential interviews I was just wondering if anyone could give an employer's perspective on students leaving a short contract (4 months) for a full time job? <Q> As long as your contract allows for it, I as an employer would not have an issue with it. <S> It may in fact entice me to make a full time employment offer to you . <S> ( If your a solid contributor ) <S> I make this statement based on my experience in my industry and trade ( Medical / Software Engineer ). <S> No rational person can blame an employee for wanting/seeking full time long term employment. <S> As I mentioned, be sure to read you contract to be sure you don't expose yourself legally. <S> You may be required to give a long notice, etc. <A> We can't possibly know what "their perspective" will be, because it depends a lot on the employer, but here's a pretty common one: <S> You're inconveniencing them. <S> If you're hoping for a full time job with these people, then don't leave them hanging. <S> If the chances of employment with them are low, or there's other jobs offering much better pay/benefits, then do what works best for you. <S> In the end only you can truly weigh the pros and cons. <A> Talk to the coordinator of the student placement program and find out what their policy is before you accept any employment from them. <S> They may have strictures and guidelines on when and how you can accept long-term employment. <S> This also applies to temporary placement organizations ("temp agencies"), so it's best to know how to approach it early. <S> Some temp agencies don't allow for a job that you were placed with to hire you at all, even after the period of contract ends. <S> Discussing this with the coordinators and finding where they stand on it first should be priority. <S> Go from there.
| Try to secure a reference from your current job (from a manager who likes your work, perhaps), and jump ship (5 years from now that first reference won't matter anymore anyway). At the end of the day, do what works best for your long term career.
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My bike was damaged while I was at work I take my bicycle to work every day. There's no bike rack, so I lock it to a fence near the door. Yesterday it was in perfect condition when I arrived, but when I left, the handlebar had become lopsided (it was not aligned straight to the wheel). I had it fixed today, and the repair man said that it was most likely caused by being hit, such as by a car. Occasionally a car will pull up close to the door where I park to bring something in or out of the building. Are there any steps I can take to get compensated for the repair cost? What can be done to minimize the risk of something like this happening again (other than finding a different parking spot that cars can't reach)? I don't know who might have hit it. I have not yet spoken to anyone about it. <Q> You won't like this answer, but you should not seek compensation from your workplace. <S> Consider if you drove a car and it got dinged in the parking lot. <S> Would you expect to have your employer repair the damage? <S> (In case you're unsure, the answer is no.) <S> This is made even worse by parking your bike in a spot not designed or designated for bike parking, and that you know cars frequently get close to. <S> You will seem whiny and entitled if you even ask. <S> Don't do it. <S> Your only recourse to recoup the damages is to find the person that hit your bike. <S> You can try filing a police report, but if the costs are minimal, they likely won't bother to pursue it. <S> If there is a camera at the front of the building, you could ask security to review it and get you a plate number. <S> You have to be really careful how you word it to not come across as passive aggressive, though. <S> I personally wouldn't bother unless the costs were really high, as it's unlikely anyone will 'fess up to it. <S> To prevent this happening in the future, I suggest you request a designated, safe, and relatively convenient place to park your bike. <S> This is entirely reasonable, especially if they provide parking for cars. <S> That generally comes at a convenience cost, so you will have to decide if the trade-off is worth it or not. <A> Take your bike inside, a little bit of inconvenience is nothing compared to your transport being damaged or stolen. <S> I wheel mine straight into my building and park it out of the way. <S> But one major client is on a third floor of a big building and I carry the bike up three flights of stairs rather than leave it outside chained up. <A> Get damage insurance. <S> I paid 45€ for a year of bike insurance that covers theft and damage by accidents and wear. <S> This will not prevent accidents like this from happenning, but when they do, you won't get broke. <S> Other than that, don't park in places where people and cars need to pass.
| I understand the desire for convenience, and nobody appreciates having their property damaged, but there is no way your employer will pay for it. If they don't agree, then you are stuck with the same preventative measure that car owners have to use: park your vehicle somewhere that cars are unlikely to get close enough to damage it. Tell your management that you tried to find an existing place to lock up your bike, but your bike got damaged there, and you'd like a safer place to put it in the future. If it's a really small company, you could try putting up a notice somewhere asking the person to come forward.
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How should I tell my brother, my current employer, that I accepted an offer for a new, higher paying position? A bit of background. My brother co-founded a small software development company. I have been working with them off and on for four years while I completed my College Studies. After College I come on full time and have been working here nearly a year. The company is still very small (currently I am one of five people on staff). Recently, I've received an offer from a larger company that has better benefits, pays 50% more to start, and better aligns with what I'd like to do with my degree (Computer Engineering). They also offer ongoing learning assistance. It is also located near my wife's hometown, which she has been longing to move back to. All around it is a better situation for my wife and daughter and I. Now, I need to tell my brother, my boss, about this offer. I need to do this in a way that keeps our relationship intact. My family is very close and I don't want to ruin my relationship with my brother. Thankfully, he is usually a very reasonable person. EDIT: Also, I should mention that due to the nature of this new position, it will not start for at least 3 to 6 months. Leaving adequate time to find and train a replacement. <Q> A reasonable person understands there is a separation between personal and professional relationships. <S> Offer your contractual notice period as your brother might not be able to afford to bring someone on board for six months in addition to paying you. <S> You would be putting him in a difficult position if he had to let you go before your job started as you gave him excessive notice. <S> He might not be happy to lose you <S> but as your brother he should understand the needs of your career and this isn't a personal situation. <A> I think you should separate out two transactions. <S> The first is a family discussion, preferably not at the workplace, in which you explain the situation much as you did in the question, to your brother as a brother. <S> If you can allow extra time, that conversation can take place before your notice period. <S> I would emphasize the career path and wish to move, rather than the salary gain. <S> You don't want it to look as though you are trying to push for more money. <S> The second is your resignation, delivered in writing to your boss. <S> It will not come as a surprise because of the prior family discussion. <A> How should I tell my brother, my current employer, that I accepted an offer for a new, higher paying position? <S> He's your brother, he's reasonable and you are close. <S> Hopefully, you already know how to talk with him. <S> You believe that this won't be a significant negative impact on his business, so just talk. <S> A discussion based around something like "Brother, this is something I need to do, <S> and I wanted to give you enough time to find and train a replacement. <S> " will probably work.
| If your brother is a reasonable person you should treat your resignation like you would from any job.
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Am I responsible if a low-skilled friend joins my company and fails to do his job? I worked in a company some years ago where I met with this person, who became one of my friends also outside the workplace. When I left that company we kept in contact with each other of what we are doing, the family and stuff like that.I am a developer, he is too, but to be honest he is a very weak one. Now I'm working at my company, a good one and I always told him it is a good workplace, satisfying with projects and so on. The problem arose when he lost the previous job and attempted to join my current company... because we are friends I didn't tell him he was not good enough, since I was 99% sure he wouldn't pass the tech interview at all.I was informed by my friend that he was hired, and that during the interview he mentioned that he knew about this job by me, and he was a colleague of mine and stuff like that. I talked with HR, who told me my recommendation was enough for the job.How to handle this situation when I know he isn't going to perform well? EDIT: i did not give such a recommendation for my friend, i just know that he told HR was a friend of mine, our urriculum stated we worked in the same company and so on...i know my HR assumed something without telling me anything... <Q> I would leave him to do his own job. <S> It will become apparent very soon if he is inadequate for the position. <S> He may have gotten better since you worked together in the past. <S> So, there is no responsibility on you. <A> I was informed by my friend that he was hired <S> He's been hired, there's nothing to be done from here. <S> When a friend wishes to join the company you tell them to apply and that you'll put in a good word for them if needed but only if you truly intend to do so. <S> If you don't intend to do that you can say that you'll see what you can do. <S> If you don't feel like giving a recommendation it was simply what you could do. <S> You can limit which relative information you wish to reveal. <S> That means you can tell them about the actual qualities of having him on-board. <S> Maybe he's a likable guy who's easy to work with, etc. <S> These things are valuable. <S> His actual skills should be measured by a neutral person and your friend should receive a salary that matches that. <S> Maybe they're very well aware of his skill-set <S> but they're happy to have a solid guy on-board that they can train. <S> but if you know it's the other way around or <S> you're simply not sure <S> , simply say that you've not been in place to evaluate that specifically. <S> You're past this part of the process now. <S> Don't worry about the outcome, just make sure you don't lie about qualities or skills in these scenarios and you should have nothing to worry about. <S> Even if he gets the boot one day for not delivering it should not affect your position in the company unless it's a very bad one, as long as you did not lie about the person's skill-set and lacking that skill-set was the cause of him getting fired. <S> Be happy that your friend is on-board. <S> Help him to adapt to the new environment and make the best out of it. <S> Remember that you can't change the past but you can change the future. <A> Talk to your HR and talk about your experiences with him. <S> However I would not try to downtalk him. <S> Talk about your experiences with him at the previous company and how you worked together. <S> Since you became friends I'm going to assume that you co-operated ok together. <S> Even if he's weaker than you, he may still be a valuable asset to the company, consider him as such. <S> Do you think he'll be able to contribute to the company? <S> If yes, by how much? <S> Simply saying he's able to contribute to the company should be a good reccomendation from you. <S> You don't need to play him up to be as good as you are. <S> Talk about how good you think his skills are, etc etc. <S> Please talk to HR . <S> If you don't inform HR about anything they will assume you agree with the reccomendation. <S> When he screws up it'll be reflected on you.
| You can put in a good word about his skill-set too if you know that it's very good If the company hired him independently from you, then it's not your responsibility if he is unsuccessful. If you talk to HR about what he CAN do, then they will have a more realistic view on what he can and can't do.
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How to handle strong bathroom smell I have a co-worker that seems to have trouble making it to the restroom in time. I'm not 100% certain that he/she is straight up crapping themselves, but whatever it is produces a very strong smell of fecal matter that lingers for 15-45 minutes (my desk is in between his/hers and the restroom) and he/she is in the restroom for around 30 minutes when this happens. The smell is definitely coming from the person and not the bathroom. Is there anything to be done about this? Obviously, I don't want to smell this 1-2 times a week but I also don't want to embarrass the person by bringing it up. I'm not the only one in the office aware of this but nobody seems to know what to do and to the best of my knowledge nobody has spoken to him/her about it. <Q> You need to tread very carefully. <S> I worked with someone who after cancer surgery was left needing to use a bag. <S> It took them a long time to change/empty this <S> and it did leave a strong and lingering smell in the bathroom. <S> There was very little this person could do while continuing to work. <S> Personally I would (without naming names) raise the issue with an HR/Office Manager and let them decide how to best handle this issue. <S> You shouldn't try and deal with it yourself unless you don't care about the potential to embarrass or humiliate your colleague. <S> EDIT <S> I will edit in a justification for why escalating this to HR can be helpful. <S> A friend of mine continued to wear shoes that basically stank to the office for a number of weeks. <S> Management sent a gentle reminder to all staff about their 'hygiene responsibilities' which he ignored even though he suspected it was about him. <S> They then took him aside and pointedly told him that they'd had complaints about him personally. <S> He was anonymously dealt with (he told me the story) and given a chance to explain his unpleasant odour. <S> In his case he was told never to wear the shoes again and the matter was closed, however if he'd been suffering from a condition. <S> The manager was willing to do what they could to mitigate the problem for all concerned. <S> It is often easier to emphasise the impact this is having on your work to a third party than you'd feel if you spoke to your colleague directly. <A> Ignore the smell and move on with life. <S> If you cannot ignore it, use nose plugs or some soft of scented device. <S> You could attempt to move your desk as Joe suggested in his comment. <S> Reporting this to HR is another option, although I am not sure what they would do about it. <S> I definitely would NOT confront them directly about this. <A> This answer assumes (based on OP's comments) <S> you only smell this person when they pass your desk and vice-versa. <S> As <S> Joe Strazzere and Paparazzi suggested in their comments , moving desks might be an option. <S> If so, ask if you could switch desks or if they could otherwise be allowed to move closer to the restroom to accommodate their condition .
| Disclaimer : As other users have stated, you need to be extremely delicate if you decide this is even worth pursuing. Talk to HR and ask if the employee has a known issue (they might not be at liberty to share this information). If the entire office smells, then the only options would be a private office and honestly that is usually far less feasible.
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Should I leave my maternity leave position for previous job? I took a position at workplace "B" five months ago. I was supposed to cover for a maternity leave position. It is not in my usual field of work, but at the time I wanted something different. Recently my previous employer offered me my old job back with a pay increase that I wouldn't be able to get at my current workplace. If i accepted the new offer, I would basically be going back on my words that I said during the interview process. I had told my current boss that I was sure this was something that I wanted to do. I'm afraid of burning bridges at my current workplace especially since one of the managers stuck his neck out to help me get the job. But at the same time, I really need to money. I don't want to look like I jump around from job to job. But feel like my previous job would be a better fit for me. What should I do? <Q> Integrity should always be a first concern. <S> By your own admission, you'd be breaking your word. <S> At that point, your word means nothing and it becomes easier to justify your dishonesty the next time, even though you really intended at the time to stay. <S> Will you burn bridges? <S> You'll blow them up. <S> The bridge won't be just burned, it'll be gone and if your name comes across the desk of anyone involved in this in the future (it's a small world you know), there will be bad things about you. <S> Additionally, you'll be causing genuine harm to a company that is relying on you to do what you say. <S> They'll have to find someone now to replace you, or perhaps the person on leave may have to come back early to cover for you. <S> You're basically putting a price tag on your word and your integrity. <S> If nothing else, you'll get his respect, unless he has no integrity himself. <A> I absolutely agree with Christopher Estep that integrity should always be a chief concern. <S> It's not entirely clear from your question whether leaving would violate your integrity. <S> I had told my current boss that I was sure this was something that I wanted to do. <S> If this was true at the time, and is no longer true. <S> You were wrong, but not deceitful. <S> If you knew at the time that you were unsure, you lied to get the position, and should stick it out until you're no longer needed. <S> I'm afraid of burning bridges at my current workplace especially since one of the managers stuck his neck out to help me get the job. <S> If you leave, you'll likely at least damage the bridge with that manager, and could burn it completely. <S> But feel like my previous job would be a better fit for me. <S> There was a reason you left that job in the first place. <S> It's best to remember why and consider whether anything will have really changed to make it that much better long-term. <S> If not, you probably shouldn't go back, you'll just be unhappy and looking to hop again. <S> Instead, focus an actual search on position that might actually be a good fit long-term. <S> If you think it will be better the second time around, discuss with your old job about a start date after the maternity leave is scheduled to end. <A> Oh my god, I'm in the same position as you right now <S> , I got offered a better job even though I signed a contract when I started this job and my employer asked me things in the interview such as: How do you feel about moving to this city, how do you feel about working alone, how do you feel about committing for 30 months... <S> All of which I answered positively <S> but now my feelings have changed. <S> You just have to tell him you want to leave <S> and it's purely business. <S> I don't like when people ask "Is this job all about money to you?" <S> because at the end of the day it is. <S> You're not there to make friends and keep everyone happy, you're there <S> so you can feed your family and take care of yourself. <S> If someone is offering to help you do that, then by all means take the offer. <S> p.s. <S> you don't have to tell your boss why you are leaving. <S> It may be best to simply say your leaving for personal reasons and don't wish to discuss it. <S> Once you hand in your notice, it's a done-deal.
| If I were you, I'd talk to your old boss and tell him that if he can wait you'd love to come back to work for him but that you gave your word and that has to mean something.
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Issue with my boss and smell coming from toilet I work in a small company with a small office, we are just 10 employees and a boss. Recently two new workmates have been hired and we had to change the office distribution and now my workplace is really close to the toilet, but this is not the problem. Every morning my boss goes to the toilet and then, when he finishes, he leaves the door open and a really disgusting smell comes out from the toilet (because of his business). Every workmate goes to the toilet and nobody does that. I can't understand why he can't close the door and turn the restroom extractor on, so the smell can progressively disappear without disturbing others. For me, this is really disrespectful. I discussed this issue with my closest coworker and he also smells it. How can we handle this situation? Would going to the toilet after my boss finished and close the door look weird? Should I talk to my boss? Edit Telling the boss to close the door when he comes out in front of the whole office may put us in a weird situation, as I said before, the office is really small, so going and close the door will also look weird, is really an option talk with him and say, 'hey Mike, we need to talk about something is affecting me?' and tell privately the issue? Edit 2 I suggested to my boss today to install something that automatically closes the door, because of the smell issue and he told me that that was not needed, he is going to tell everyone to close the door and he's going to put a sign. I think the problem will be solved soon, but I am worried he doesn't realize that the problem is his fault. <Q> However, I don't think you should accuse your boss specifically as they might get defensive which risks them belittling the problem or dismissing your suggestion out of hand. <S> It might be better to say something like: <S> Hey boss, could we get something installed to automatically close the toilet door? <S> People are leaving it open and it smells. <S> This has the advantage that it doesn't accuse anyone specific, so your boss should be a lot more amenable. <A> I think the easiest thing to do would be to put a sign on the inside of the door that states "Please shut the door on your way out". <S> No hardware to install and can be completed in minutes. <S> This also should address the issue of the smell. <S> Another option would be to purchase a product similar to the link below. <S> It works very well and could remove some stress for all of you in the office. <S> Poo-Pourri <A> It's probably fine just to tell him, the next time he leaves the bathroom without closing the door: <S> Could you please close the door behind you? <S> We suffer from the smell. <S> Your boss might not realize at all that his behaviour causes problems for you; the simplest way is often just to tell him. <S> Would going to the toilet after my boss finished and close the door <S> look weird? <S> Yes, that would look weird, but it might work to get the message across. <S> Alternatively, install a door spring so that the door gets closed automatically. <A> This one is easy. <S> Boss, you forgot to close the door. <S> There! <S> Done. <S> Do this a couple of times and he will break his habit. <S> Always give the other person the chance to save face. <S> There is no need to make a song and dance about another person's mistakes. <S> So don't get up and shut the door yourself right after he leaves. <S> Your action will be easily noticed by everyone in a small office and people can put two and two together, even if you don't say anything. <S> There is no need to embarass your boss before everyone, nothing good ever comes out of such passive aggressive actions. <S> There is also no need to setup a chat specifically to tell him about the smell. <S> He should already know that human excrement has a disagreeable smell, no need to make him feel silly by reminding him. <A> Doing it yourself should be enough to send the message. <S> I know it's pretty gross, but if he sees you doing that, he might understand without having to discuss it.
| You sit close to the toilet, so when the boss leaves the toilet with the door open, remind him politely at a level of volume barely audible to him. I think Glorfindel's suggestion of installing something to automatically close the door would be the best course of action.
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Shall I accept an HR "mistake" about the contract? I validated a "contract-to-hire" probation period, and now received my final contract for the permanent position, to sign it. It is consistent with what the HR employee and I had agreed by mail before I joined, except for a figure in the contract, a number of stock options that is smaller by 25% from what the HR had initially told me. The HR apologized arguing that the first number I was given was "a mistake", and that the corrected number corresponds to the value in the "company grid" for the service to which I am attached. I asked to see this grid but my request was not answered. I am wondering whether it is acceptable to demand that my contract be updated to include the number I was initially given (and for which I have an e-mail proof, whose CC includes higher management staff)? Or shall I agree to the smaller number defined in the "company grid"? After all, we humans all make mistakes, don't we... <Q> They can change whatever they want, since you haven't signed the contract yet. <S> You can demand the previous number but they're certainly not obligated to change it unless it was part of a contract that both parties have already signed. <S> Make a decision whether you wish to stay or not based on this new number. <S> There's nothing you can do but ask for the previously discussed number <S> but if you don't get an answer or you get a no <S> its simply a no. <S> To be a bit more precise: It's acceptable to ask for the previously decided number, but if its a no <S> there's nothing more to be done. <S> Take the offer or decline it. <A> It's something they can definitely do, but my response to you would be - This could be a red flag, indicative of other 'mistakes' down the road that could upset or cost you. <S> Stock options are part of your compensation. <S> If those stock options are part of what made your compensation package satisfactory to you, I think you should evaluate whether you could get that same initial offer elsewhere, and if you can, kindly explain to the HR person that you were planning on accepting the offer with the initially agreed upon compensation plan and stock options, and that you would need to re-evaluate this package due to the mistake. <S> If they're not able to meet that number of stock options, could they give you more money? <S> More importantly, why is it that this mistake was made and never explained until you asked for it? <S> Does this person frequently tell candidates that they'll receive X amount of compensation, only for them to see that it's actually a lower amount when they receive the papers to sign? <A> Do you wish to risk it? <S> Right now the HR is risking you accepting their offer by simply paying you less in stock options. <S> This is simply a change from what you had previously agreed. <S> If you're OK with this reduction in stock options then that's fine. <S> If not, you can fight it with a counter proposal. <S> I remember reading somewhere that <S> every proposal that asks a higher compensation is an indirect threat to the company that you might leave . <S> No matter how nicely you were to ask a company for a larger compensation <S> it's a threat. <S> That's why companies offer you raises to reduce this threat. <S> You yourself should know best how valuable you are towards the company and whether you can afford to push back or not. <A> It is acceptable to demand they change the figure? <S> Sure. <S> They may change it, or they may tell you to take a hike. <S> Are you ready to take a hike if that is the direction they go?
| It's up to you whether you accept the change or not.
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Company offered me an unexpected contract I am looking for a job and I am based in Europe. After a successful application to a US based company, and a chat with the owners in which we talked about perks, full time permanent employment, etc. for a remote work position I received a job contract that was not what I expected. It is a contractor role, per hour, renewable every semester, without any of the rights I'd expect such as sickness or holiday pay, and not even a guarantee on the amount of hours I'd be employed. I have no intention of taking this offer unless it's way more favorable to me, and this is not a standard offer for the company. It is a remote first company with many US based, normally employed persons. What I would like to know is if this kind of contract is the best I can expect for a US-to-Europe remote position, and if not, some advice on how to negotiate a normal employment contract instead. <Q> I have no intention of taking this offer unless it's way more favorable to me, and this is not a standard offer for the company. <S> It is a remote first company with many US based, normally employed persons. <S> Well, they made their offer. <S> They probably made that kind of offer specifically to avoid paying you benefits, to avoid holiday and sick pay, and to avoid any notice periods. <S> They want you cheap and flexible, and thats what they're proposing. <S> You say you don't want that. <S> So you can try to negotiate. <S> If they won't budge, you can either take it or leave it. <S> What I would like to know is if this kind of contract is the best I can expect for a US-to-Europe remote position, and if not, some advice on how to negotiate a normal employment contract instead. <S> Probably. <S> The problem is, europe has pretty much universally much stricter labor laws. <S> In the US you can have people on a regular contract and give them 0 holidays, 0 days PTO, <S> 0 days sick leave and fire them pretty much when you want. <S> In most states of the US, employment is "at will". <S> So unless otherwise specified in the contract, you can be fired for any reason or no reason, with no notice. <S> They offered you this contract as a way to get around the legal requirements for employee benefits that exist in most of europe, since that is what they can do to their regular american employees. <S> You can try to negotiate <S> but I wouldn't expect much. <A> You have to understand that a remote employment situation for a company represents a much greater risk than having direct employees under roof and in view of management. <S> Some of their risks include: Inability to directly monitor work status Uncertainty of exclusivity of employee <S> focus Loss of face to face interaction that is often so critical to success of projects <S> As such they have proposed a working relationship that limits their risk and obligation of benefits to employee. <S> As a contractor with short term renewable contract they have much greater flexibility to let you go if things do not go in a direction that they find suitable. <S> This opportunity also offers you some great flexibility and chance to prove great things about yourself. <S> You will not be bound by some of the much more structured process and environment that direct employees are glued to. <S> In addition you have the chance to work hard, bill hours worked, and show a shining example of what you can offer. <S> Be a bright star and the next negotiation session <S> may very well have a rather different outcome. <A> You would be working as a contractor. <S> As a contractor, you have basically no rights. <S> On the other hand, as a contractor, you expect significantly higher pay. <S> My rule of thumb is that your daily rate, times 150, should be about what a permanent employee would get before any deductions. <S> So if you think you can get a similar job with a €45,000 annual salary (of which tax, pension etc. will be paid first), then a contracting position with a daily rate of €300 would be fine. <S> If you think you can make €60,000 a year, they need to pay €400 a day. <S> Note that US salaries are usually higher, exactly because the employer has no obligation to give you much notice, <S> won't give you much holiday, won't pay when you are sick and so on. <S> So they should be offering a good daily rate. <S> And hiring a contractor in Europe instead of an employee makes life a lot easier for that US company, because all they need to do legally is wait for your bills and pay them. <S> If they hired you as an employee, they would likely have to conform to your country's employment law, and they most likely don't have anyone with the slightest clue what these laws would be. <S> Hiring a contractor on the other side is no problem at all. <S> So a "normal" employment contract is something that you won't get until they have a strong presence in your country, for the simple reason that a US company would have no idea what they need to do legally, and finding out and doing it all right would be significant work.
| In a contractor relationship they also do not have to offer all the conventional benefits that would be offered to a direct employee.
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Is it appropriate to privately tell a superior that they acted rudely? The principal investigator for an R&D software project has been absent from day-to-day development for almost a year- much has changed. Over the weekend, the PI dusted off his developer hat and tried to build the project. The build failed, and the PI asked for help. Three developers responded on their day off in an attempt to help. The PI actively vented his frustration while dismissing offers of help and troubleshooting suggestions. After burning the better part of the day, he was able to build the software. The problem came down to a bad environmental variable on his workstation that caused an automated script to use a Unix version of mkdir instead of the requisite MS-DOS version. Three team members went out of their way on a day off to aid the PI, but were met with frustration and their help was, at times, rudely dismissed. Is it appropriate to privately tell a superior that they acted rudely? <Q> Is it appropriate to privately tell a superior that they acted rudely? <S> I don't think that's ever appropriate - this isn't third grade and you're not his babysitter. <S> If he causes tension with his underlings he'll probably be fired sooner or later unless he's a beneficiary of nepotism (in which case you definitely shouldn't tell him he's acting rudely). <S> If he was rude to you specifically, it would be appropriate to say something like "could you please not vent your frustrations with the build system on my day off; I'm happy to help on my day off if you can have a positive attitude about the project". <S> Note that this isn't telling him he's rude per se <S> , it's just asking for this kind of thing not to occur in the future, rude or not. <A> Is it appropriate to privately tell a superior that they acted rudely? <S> That depends on your relationship with this superior. <S> If you are a friend and trusted advisor who is often called upon for feedback and honest opinions, then you should indeed privately tell this person how his actions came across to you. <S> But without that kind of relationship you should keep your thoughts to yourself unless he asks you specifically. <S> Either way, make sure you speak only for yourself. <S> Other teammates can choose to speak for themselves or remain silent. <A> Presumably you view this superior as somewhat reasonable in the sense of 1) likely to listen reasonably open-mindedly and take steps to correct, and 2) unlikely to retaliate. <S> Obviously, the more secure you feel in keeping your position (or finding a better one), the more comfortable you can feel about this. <S> Still, you'd have to botch things pretty badly or have a very unreasonable superior (in which case you may want to look for a different position) for any kind of retaliation to occur. <S> If the superior is reasonable, they will probably agree and apologize, and perhaps apologize to the others involved. <S> Therefore, I tend to lean toward giving people feedback if I'm going to need to continue to interact with them. <S> That said, I'm very confident in my employability and fairly confident in my social skills in that type of situation. <S> If you are not one of the three, then it's possible you could bring retaliation upon them if they confided in you as well as be viewed as violating their trust. <S> You should be able to judge this and act appropriately. <S> (You can ask one of them if they'd mind if you to intervened if you are uncertain.) <S> It would be better for the feedback to come from them than from you in this case, and I'd encourage them to provide that feedback if they felt comfortable with it. <S> If you were simply in a place to observe the interaction, then I wouldn't worry about this too much. <S> In this latter case, though, make sure to make factual claims: <S> just because you observed an interaction that you felt was rude, doesn't mean the parties involved did. <S> Don't attribute beliefs to people. <A> No, everyone gets frustrated, if he's a professional he knows he was rude and was venting. <S> Most people do so under pressure in different ways. <S> If you don't want to work on your day off, don't. <S> But don't be childish about hurt feelings when there was work to be completed, there is no plus side to doing so. <S> Just file the knowledge away for future reference.
| Personally, I'm of the mindset that it's unreasonable to be upset when people behave in ways you don't like if you never give them any feedback. Generally though, if you're working with a temperamental git, you shouldn't offer help at all on your day off at all: just say "if it's not an emergency I'd like to deal with this tomorrow when I'll be at work". If you are one of the three, then it's definitely not inappropriate, but it's up to you whether you want to do it or not.
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Is it normal to still be struggling after three months of learning new technology on the job? I am a software developer with 3 years and 2 months experience. My past 3 years was with a software house that uses old technologies stack (not very object oriented approach, outdated tools). Currently, I have joined a new startup just 2 months ago, which is using the latest technologies: almost everything is new for me, I struggle most of the time (extra time to do the job, technical skills, have to consult my senior for problem-solving approach almost every time). I don't want to give up easily. I do my very best, spend extra time on learning myself, try to do things on my own, and only consult my senior when I am stuck, but it's almost 3 months and I am still struggling. I feel like the learning curve is a bit uncomfortable; is this normal? I also compare myself to my senior. We are the same age, and he has only 3 years of working experience too. He did some freelance previously during school, but he seems to know everything (he's sometimes able to pick things up fast with some online searches), and his code is very clean and mature. <Q> You might me experiencing the impostor syndrome , which is quite common among junior developers. <S> I would strongly recommend to use it to your advantage by challenging anything you do to improve but please, try to keep the pessimism to yourself ! <S> Don't say: I'm not a fast learner or <S> I'm not smart <S> Stop being apologetic <S> everytime <S> you ask a senior a question <S> (Instead of "I'm so sorry to bother you with a stupid question <S> but how do you do X? <S> " say "Can you please show me how to do X?") <S> Try to spin your sentences in a positive or neutral way: instead of "I'm so sorry I couldn't finish the task you asked me earlier already because I made a mistake while bug fixing <S> and I'm fixing it now". <S> Say : "I expect to finish the task you ask me ealier to be finished by X. <S> Now I'm busy fixing a bug." <S> Keep your " sorry " and " mistake " when you screw something up in production. <S> ;) <S> As long as you don't ask the same question all the time (write down the answers!) <S> and you try to find solutions yourself before asking, I think you are good to go. <S> Don't be impressed by the senior dev working there for some time. <S> They have more experience than you and they have the experience of working in this company for some time. <S> Give yourself time. <S> Good Luck! <A> Don't give up. <S> They won't expect you to lift mountains and you are in for a treat once you begin to understand the new things little by little. <S> It's an amazing experience and will make you a much better developer. <S> You'll learn other important things too, like time management, priorization, and handling pressure. <A> Though accepted answer looks good. <S> I would like to add few things, as I gone through same phase 7 years ago. <S> Try to learn the new technologies which you are using in office in your free time, create sample project(s), programs, try to go through the official documentation, API of technology/programming language. <S> There are websites like Codingbat to help you to improve coding skills use that in your sparetime. <S> Try to ask questions on sites like Stackoverflow or if it's subjective questions then on sites like Quora. <S> You will definitely improve on your skills. <S> Always practice and learn. <S> Practice makes you perfect.
| As time goes by, you'll feel more confident about the new tools, new coworkers and you can start doing kick ass dev .
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When would apologizing to a subordinate be inappropriate? I was reading a reddit post on a scene from Star Trek: TNG. One of the responses was of particular interest: ... apologizing to a subordinate officer in front of other staff would mean failing to maintain decorum on the bridge and a huge failing in a Captain. Asking him if he's ready to return to duty is recognized as an apology not only by Wesley but to everyone who witnesses it, because they're all aware of the protocol. The answer is summed up as this being the correct action because of protocol. What is meant by an apology in this context inappropriate? Is it merely suggesting that an apology should be made it private and not on the bridge or in front of other staff? I'm particularly interested in a better explanation of it being a failure to "maintain decorum". I understand that the example is fiction but my question is with regard to the comment and how a situation like this might occur in the workplace; for a better understanding on how to act within a management position. I would also welcome comments on additional real-world examples of similar situations for clarity. <Q> I think your example stems from the fact that the fictional character is part of a military organization. <S> Any time safety is a thing , you need officers whose orders are followed and not questioned. <S> Or rather questioned in private after the situation is dealt with. <S> That goes for real world army, police, firefighters, paramedics, rescue workers and all other people that work in environments where when someone says "MOVE" you move first and think about it later , to not get hurt. <S> So apologizing in public means you allow people to think you might fail and it might be a good idea to question your orders, even for a split second thinking about them. <S> And in the end, those orders are given to bring you (the statistical "you", it might put the personal "you" in danger first) home safely. <S> Now for the business world, this does not apply. <S> We can question the "orders" all the time. <S> This is how good decisions are made. <S> And nobody is in danger. <S> On the bridge of the Enterprise, thinking about whether "shields up" is really the right thing to do can lead to a very spectacular and fast end of the season. <S> Now if someone thinks about his bosses business decisions for an hour, nobody is getting hurt. <S> And if it indeed was a wrong decision, there is no harm in apologizing. <S> If somebody thinks I can make mistakes, maybe he will jump in to correct them next time before I do something stupid. <S> Apologizing is a sign of respect and in business, you have the time to show that respect. <A> Of course, it depends on the situation in hand <S> and it's up to the manager how to apologise in the most appropriate manner. <S> No one really likes a manager who refuses point blank to admit that they're wrong. <S> However, if the bad decision was something at the corporate strategy level, then it becomes a lot harder to apologise. <A> Unless the apology involved referring to sensitive data that other people aren't allowed to know about, I don't think so. <S> In my view, it doesn't diminish someone's respectability or authority as a manager if they can admit mistakes the made openly. <S> (Everyone makes them, seriously everyone). <S> Quite the opposite in fact. <S> Mind you, this is for a business context, not a millitary context. <S> In a millitary context where you need people to follow orders and follow them quickly, apologizing in public may not be conducive to that. <A> In my experience, good leaders apologize when they make a mistake. <S> If the mistake was public, they apologize publicly. <S> If the mistake was private (did not happen in front of others or in a situation where others would be aware of it), they may apologize privately. <S> In a structure where there is a required obedience such as the military, there is still the need for an apology <S> but it may not be as overt. <S> Sometimes, just changing the decision is all the apology you are going to get in operational circumstances. <S> However, the good military officers I worked with did acknowledge mistakes and apologize when needed and especially when it wasn't crunch time. <S> After all who wants to follow a leader that won't take input ever from subordinates even when he is wrong? <S> Senior enlisted people are generally well trained in how to correct an officer when he is wrong as well without disrupting the chain of command. <S> So the corrections happen subtly and so do the apologies, but everyone knows what really happened. <S> One Naval Officer <S> I had the misfortune to work with ended his military career because he was unwilling to hear any objections to what he wanted or admit to a mistake. <S> He told the enlisted people to turn the wrong way and ran the ship aground. <S> Because he was not the kind of person that you could ever question, his guys did what they were told even though they knew it was the wrong thing and would cost him his career. <S> Knowing what a jerk he was when I worked with him <S> (mercifully I was a civilian employee and could toss him out of my office when he got obnoxious) <S> , I have no doubt they are still laughing about how they got him back by explicitly obeying a stupid order. <A> Although I don't think it would be inappropriate, but there are some audiences, coworkers or clients who may view this as a sign of weakness in a leader. <S> This just falls under it depends. <S> There are leaders in some fields that are taught to always act like you are right. <S> The medical profession is notorious for this. <S> They are trained to be exact and highly confident. <S> Recently, there have been processes and procedures in place designed to limit errors. <S> Commercial airline pilots were trained to be the ultimate authority, but when they made too many errors, changes were made to get more input from other flight staff. <S> There will always be strict authoritarians who will protect their ego at all cost and not admit mistakes. <S> Fortunately, there seems to be trends where this needs to be eliminated. <S> In some corporate cultures it probably won't go away completely, so they'll always see it as inappropriate.
| Apologies can also show a level of humility and trust in a manager's team and can be seen as a constructive thing. That's not seen as good, it's seen as something that might make you doubt an order and hinder it's proper execution.
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Is it acceptable to format a CV for someone else? Assume that someone (friend, family) asks you to format his/her CV. They typically might want to apply to a job where text processing etc. is not one of the key requirements and they ask you to do it in order to have a nice result and/or to win time, although they could probably do it themselves in Word. Can it be negative for them? Imagine for instance that the interviewer asks them how they made such a nice CV. <Q> Yes it's fine <S> It's fairly normal to ask someone to proof-read your resume or to help with layout, so there's nothing wrong there. <S> There's so many resumes sent out with elementary mistakes, so another set of eyes really helps in getting things right. <S> If the recruitment is happening via an agency, the hiring company won't see your resume, they'll just see a copy/paste of the relevant parts <S> (recruiters won't want the client seeing your contact details). <S> In general, it's far more important to get the facts right than for it to look pretty. <A> Is it acceptable to format a cv for someone else? <S> Yes, of course. <S> I help friends write and format their resumes all the time. <S> Nobody knows or cares who wrote or formatted your CV/resume. <S> They only care that it accurately reflects you, your background, and your career. <S> I can't imagine that an interviewer would ask about a nice resume. <S> But if they did, saying "Well, I had a friend who is really good at it <S> give me a hand. <S> " is a perfectly acceptable answer. <A> Yes , its fine to help someone with their resume/cv. <S> I have been complimented on my resume for its format and such in the past, but never has an interviewer asked how I came up with it. <S> It is very low risk in my opinion to whomever your helping. <S> In fact, there are several companies who make a living by creating resumes for professionals at all levels. <S> Their resume is the first step, the golden ticket if you will, to earn the interview. <S> I would do whatever I felt necessary to make mine as solid as possible. <S> Formatting and content both matter . <A> Just to go against the grain... <S> It can possibly be a problem, IF. <S> You use words or phraseology that the person doesn't normally use <S> You embellish <S> The person cannot recite it from memory. <S> If he doesn't know what's on his own resume, that's a BIG red flag <S> It doesn't "fit" the job applied for. <S> You want your resume to be fine tuned to hit the requirements of the job for which you are applying. <S> To avoid this, make sure you go over the CV as you are making the changes, and the person understands them and can go over it with you line by line and memorize it. <S> Edited to add: To expand on my point #1. <S> If I am interviewing someone and the language at the interview doesn't match what I've seen on the resume, it's going to make me think that something is wrong, that I'm not interviewing the same person I saw on the resume. <A> However, if you are really asking about "crafting" a resume, that's a different matter. <S> By "crafted" resume I mean a type of resume, which, while not making any obviously false claims, presents the facts in a misleading manner. <S> For example, a resume may suggest that the candidate is a rocket scientist, while actually he worked at Goddard Space Flight Center as a janitor. <S> So, what can go bad <S> is that the reviewer (or should we call him co-author?) might have his best intentions and embellish the candidate's profile, but the hiring manager would not be impressed. <S> The remedy is simple - stick to the facts, and ask yourself, if you were the hiring manager yourself, would you like this candidate? <A> Limited answer - this is not fine if... <S> If the C.V. or job description describes the person as being good at design, formatting documents, or experienced with LaTeX, then the person should format it themselves. <S> In this (very limited) case, the implicit assumption the company will come away with is that you are presenting your C.V. as an example of your work. <S> Having someone else format it for you is likely to lead them to a false conclusion. <S> If not in this situation, see any of the other answers.
| It is absolutely acceptable to proofread someone's CV/resume. Do what you can to make is as good as it can be. Think of it as their first impression with the potential employer.
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How can I make it clear in an interview that I am a quick learner? I want to know how to address an issue of 'lack of experience.' I recently had to go on more interviews than I probably ever have in my life before. I have over 25 years corporate experience. my job experience is as follows: 10 years with company A 14 years with company B 2 years with company C 4 months with company D. For company B, my duties encompassed two different career paths. When my job was outsourced to another state, I decided to pursue the more interesting direction of QA testing. I had an aggregate of over 5 years testing experience at that point. For company C, testing was 100% of my duties. I would still be there now but my department was outsourced to another state and I still had no interest in relocating. 4 months with company D (laid off due to lack of work) I am scrupulously honest. If I do not feel proficient in something I will not claim I am. I have excellent references from former supervisors. A number of my job opportunities have come through people I have worked for previously, as they feel comfortable suggesting me for a position as I have an excellent work ethic. However, after several of these recent interviews, I received feedback indicating I wasn't getting hired because I did not have enough "experience". How do I make it clear that I am a rapid learner? I did try to point out during the various interviews that a hire who just has the knowledge of any particular program or app is not necessarily as useful as a hire who can learn any program or app quickly. Is the "you lack experience' the interview equivalent of, "it's not you, it's me?" Is it even something I can overcome? <Q> As the old expression goes: Show. <S> Don't tell. <S> If you can put it in a bullet point on your resume, that's ideal, if not, then include something in the cover letter that describes a time you actually did it like. <S> "Our XYZ programmer quit on short notice, so I stepped in and learned XYZ and was able to sustain operations without any interruptions by the end of her notice period" or something to that effect. <S> Bullet points are trickier, but still could be done like Learned XYZ programming while on staff to ensure seamless operations. <S> Or something to that effect, but <S> the most important thing is to show how this works in the real world. <A> It's impossible to tell from a response what the "actual" reason is for non-hire. <S> Sometimes "not enough experience" means that they didn't feel you were a good match <S> , you didn't line up with the job closely enough, or honestly didn't know what they needed. <S> As for "making it clear...", I think discussing the information that you will be expected to know is more clear than just saying "I can learn fast". <S> When you go into an interview, go in with foreknowledge of what the company is doing. <S> What tech are they using, what sets them apart (according to them, more than likely). <S> If you can't read up on it on the internet, ask them. <S> What is it you're working in? <S> Will I be responsible for something more like X or Y? <S> I have experience in X, but I've not read up on Y. <S> I think I'll take a peek at that, it seems interesting. <S> All of those things I said for my current job. <S> I was open and honest: "I don't know JQuery all that well, but I'm interested in it and have been reading up. <S> I have limited SQL experience, I'm not a newbie, but I can at least read and write a stored procedure without making the computer catch on fire...". <S> If you show interest in learning, it will speak to your commitment to doing so quickly. <S> Last, don't "point out" that particular fact about a person who can learn quickly. <S> Sell yourself on your strengths, not on the weakness, real or imagined, of others. <S> "I can learn a variety of applications quickly, which will make me an asset in a flexible working environment" would be a more <S> ...polite(?)...way of making that same point. <A> I think you may be underselling yourself. <S> Whenever you qualify your claims ("I have limited SQL experience") <S> you're throwing up a red flag that screams "newbie" - hence the "not enough experience" claims. <S> The interviewer hears "limited" and thinks "3 months". <S> It would be far better to say "well, I'm not a DBA <S> but I know my way around as a SQL developer". <S> Compare yourself to the run-of-the-mill garden variety employee, not the top 0.5%. <S> The rest of the interview will let you know if they're truly looking for superheroes. <S> (If they are, they'd best be ready to pay accordingly <S> - Spandex isn't cheap) <A> There's an old study that shows that non-experts tend to over-estimate their expertise, and that experts tend to under-estimate their expertise. <S> It's called the Dunning-Kruger effect . <S> I suspect you suffer from this, and are under-selling yourself. <S> The very fact that you recognize your non-expertise suggests that you know more than you think you do. <S> When you list your QA testing experience, include details. <S> Did you do manual testing? <S> On what kind of application? <S> What about automated testing? <S> What tools did you use? <S> What about JavaScript? <S> Have you done any programming? <S> Describe what you did, and what you know. <S> Be sure to pepper in other things you understand, like hints that you know the difference between server-side and client-side. <S> Taking this approach will help the interviewer to see what you know instead of what you don't know, and as a confident professional, which can make all the difference.
| I think, in most situations, they're more interested in whether you're willing to learn than whether or not you do so "quickly". Rather couching your experience, be more explicit about what you do know. To be frank, avoid pointing out a failing with another potential worker or applicant at all.
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Is it ok to use personal resource in company project? I'm a junior dev in a really small tech company. I usually work on a big project, but due to management (it's a joint thing with a bigger company which is slower in their decision process than us) I sometimes end up in dry-spells. During those times I generally work on small side projects. For the current side projects I'd need a couple of small servers, just to pass data between them. We can surely afford buying the needed resources, but, since we are still setting things up as we go, this could take some time (and if the other company makes up their mind in the mean time, I will have to leave the project and those resources will be useless). I can do my tests on some machines I personally own, but I think this could be a issue. What's the right thing to do? Edit: Since so many asked, in this case I am speaking of company side projects (generally small things that are put on hold or killed when I'm needed elsewhere) <Q> For good reason, companies tend to have policies and security restrictions about resources and your personal resources may not adhere to these standards and even if they do, they are outside the control and support of your company's IT personnel. <S> In some places the local laws might even allow the company to hold you liable should your personal resources be used for mission-critical purposes when something goes wrong or if something fails. <S> If you're running into dry spells, you generally want to contact your superior to inform them that you've run out of work. <S> This could be an excellent time to request some company resources you could use to set up the things you'll need later in the project or to pick up or refine skills that will be of use later in the project or in other future projects in the company. <S> This doesn't mean that you can't use your personal resources in your own personal time to set up a proof of concept or to gain some experience. <A> I think in this case the right thing to do is ask your manager . <S> If your boss is okay with it <S> then it's fine; Otherwise don't do it. <S> If your manager agrees to this it may be wise to get some sort of email or written confirmation. <S> Just be sure you have a solid plan for keeping any company assets(source code, database, etc) backed up. <A> It's generally always a bad idea to mix your personal and professional lives - everything may seem to be OK until such time as you and your employer decide to separate, at which point it can all get very nasty very quickly, particularly if the separation isn't amicable. <S> Would you still be happy to let your employer access your personal machines if you got fired? <S> As other have commented, there's very little need for a small company to buy any servers - just fire up a VM on your favourite cloud provider at minimal cost and get done what you need to get done. <A> My impression is that you are going a dangerous path: <S> What happens when your server get compromised/hacked? <S> Do you want to explain to your manager that somebody has the companies secrets because you took an unauthorized shortcut? <S> The company has no interest to have an employee take control of company resources (source code, in your case). <S> If you want to get the managements permission get it in written but I highly doubt that they will accept. <S> Most likely it will have an negative impact on you ("that guy who wanted to copy our source code") <A> Here are the steps I would take. <S> First approach management Discuss feasibility. <S> Can this even be done Discuss risk both to you and the company. <S> Discuss liability. <S> If systems are damaged, who is responsible. <S> Discuss security. <S> What will be in place to protect your systems, their systems and both systems? <S> Discuss ownership. <S> If you have your own projects on your systems, does the company have the rights to those once you are connected. <S> Discuss duration: <S> How long before you remove your systems from theirs? <S> What happens if you leave before the end of the project? <S> Will your systems be tied to a company you no longer work for? <S> Discuss decoupling. <S> when the project is over, how will the data and applications be removed? <S> Are there provisions to restoring your systems to a pre-project state? <S> Discuss future ramifications. <S> Will the company be able to go back to your systems for any reason. <S> This is a VERY complicated issue, and unless you have a very clear understanding of all the above, laid out in writing and signed by all parties, I would avoid this like the plague.
| If you want to do this during company time though, you should get your supervisor to give you the go-ahead for this. Generally, using personal resources for a company project is not a good idea and should be avoided.
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What can I do while "benched" at work? I sent a CV 3 months ago and changed jobs about 2 weeks ago - the recruitment process was pretty long, but the company has offered me to work in a foreign country, on a very interesting project, with interesting technologies I wanted to improve on in the future - great. But it's an outsourcing company, and a week before staring the job, and 3 weeks after resigning from my previous job, they told me the project has changed and I will be working for a different client. MAYBE. Right now, two weeks after I started, I'm sitting on a bench - there is no work for me, I'm waiting for a decision for which technologies(!) I will use, on which project I will work, and when I will start. Some people I've been talking to say it can even last two months. I'm getting paid the full salary, but I'm bored, without commercial projects, and risking a gap in a career. Is this normal? Is it okay to start sending CVs? <Q> It happens. <S> What can you do productively with that time? <S> You learn new stuff. <S> If your company gives you resources, then use them to learn and extend your current skills. <S> Do whatever you can to make your time when you do start work more productive. <S> If there's a shortlist of technologies that your company is looking into, then research and learn all of them. <S> You'll be a few steps ahead of your colleagues who have been staring at Facebook videos for all that time. <S> Even if you do get let go at the end of that period, you have at least used that time to give you benefits moving forwards and you have the notice period in which to start looking for another job. <A> This situation is very common with consultancies, projects come and go and the situation changes every day. <S> One day they tell you to pack your stuff and go to South Africa, the next day you still find yourself sitting on the bench. <S> My longest time on the bench was 3 months and have met people who happened to be there even longer <S> and I have known experienced new hires who quit after 6 months on the bench. <S> You need to be ready to commit and have trust that they can place you one day. <S> My advice is to mentally prepare to spend there up to 6 months always having a good explanation for potential oportunities including client interviews what you have been doing while on the bench. <A> I work for a consulting company with a bench, although my particular role is not "benchable". <S> One of the things my employer does is assign small groups of people on the bench to build prototype internal systems using new technologies. <S> This seems to work OK as a training tool. <S> To echo another answer, if your employer values internal or external certifications, try to get some of them. <S> A Microsoft/Sun/AWS/etc. <S> certification is a tangible thing that demonstrates progress, provided it's gained through study and practice rather than rote memorisation.
| If your company does not have anything for you to work on, then I would aim during this time to obtain relevant certifications in your field.
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How should I represent a change of address on a job resume? My wife and I will be moving shortly to a new apartment, but at the same time she's been eager to start applying for jobs in the area. I'm helping her write her resume by formatting it a bit for her. We aren't moving out of the city we currently live in, just to a new street address. So changing our target area for job seeking isn't an issue - the issue that we do have is that she needs to include valid contact information on her resume, and we don't want to miss any correspondence she might get in the interim. It may be awhile before an employer responds to her application - so how should we represent this change of address so that the employer is aware of our relocation, without being alarmed by the potential 'problem' it may cause (of an employee moving) since we aren't actually moving from the 'area' itself. <Q> You don't need to include your home address on your resume at all. <S> All initial correspondences with the company will either be over email or phone. <S> The only point at which an employer will need your address is when it's time to send you official documents. <S> When it comes to that time, they will ask and you can explain the situation if you're still in a state of flux. <S> While I don't think you need your actual address, I do think it's still useful to include your city or at least a general region. <S> This is there just to give the employer an idea of whether you are local or not and whether you'll need assistance in scheduling interviews or if you'll need to relocate if hired. <S> In your case since you know for sure you will be moving, I would include the location of your future home. <A> the issue that we do have is that she needs to include valid contact information on her resume <S> You can put your current address until after you move. <S> Presumably your mail will be forwarded for a period of time and you won't miss anything (bills, letters, etc). <S> And if she feels compelled, she could just contact any in-flight potential employers and tell them the new address (even though that won't really be necessary). <S> Or, you can omit the address altogether and only include a phone number and email address. <S> Many resumes these days to just that. <A> In the US and UK, and many other countries, you can set up mail forwarding with the post office, so any mail sent to your old address will follow you. <S> The extra day it takes for the correspondence to get to you shouldn't affect any interview dates - short notice interviews are usually arranged by telephone or email anyway. <S> People move. <S> That's what people do. <S> So it shouldn't cause much of an issue for any prospective employer, as long as they can contact you by at least two methods.
| Once you are situated in your new home, all new resumes would have your new address.
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How to assess a candidate's ability to receive criticism? In my experience, both personal and professional, the ability of a person to receive and effectively utilize constructive criticism is invaluable. However, it seems that it is something that may not be assessed as often as other character traits are in the application process. Note: Of course asking them is one possibility, and if that's the best way then fair enough. However, I'm not sure that simply asking someone is the best way of making an accurate assessment. Related: How to acknowledge project failures but still emphasize my technical abilities in job interviews? In an interview, what is the appropriate way to answer self-critical questions? Thus, my questions are: What are some useful ways to ascertain a candidate's ability to handle criticism? Similarly, as a candidate, what would be the best way to demonstrate your ability (perhaps without even being asked specifically about it)? <Q> Standard stressor questions like: <S> Tell me about a time you failed, what did you do? <S> How would you deal with an overly critical coworker? <S> Tell me about a time when a coworker corrected an error of yours. <S> What is the most important thing to do when critiquing a coworker? <S> When was a time you had conflict with a coworker? <S> (Thanks enderland) <A> Check out common interview questions which ask applicant's about times they've failed, or made mistakes, and how they've dealt with them. <S> This ties in with their ability to take criticism <S> : Tell me about a time when you did not meet your manager's expectation, either in a review, or in a project. <S> Does the applicant go into some detail, and actually discuss the case, or does he answer superficially? <S> I'm sure that there's other websites and articles out there which can give you more ideas. <A> You'll want to learn about how to perform a "behavioral interview". <S> This type of interview focuses on assessing a candidate's detailed narrative of past projects to infer how they would work in your organization. <S> These type of interviews explicitly avoid hypothetical scenarios (eg " <S> what would you do if...?"). <S> The idea is that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior. <S> Behavioral interviews give the best picture of what the candidate would be like to work with and they're the best "asshole filter" you can get in a job interview scenario. <S> Behavioral is the most difficult type of interview for both the candidate and the hiring manager. <S> Candidates should prepare by carefully practicing behavioral questions which are easily found with a google search. <S> Perhaps even more important, the candidate should compose details of their work history into " S.T.A.R. " narratives, either mentally or in writing if it helps. <S> Interviewers should become familiar with interviewing and easing the candidate into a dialog rather than a rapid-fire questions. <S> Starting "cold" with "Tell be about a time when you were criticized...? <S> " Will get you deer-in-the-headlight looks and stilted answers. <S> Instead, start with a discussion about some project the candidate has worked on, ask detailed questions, then start to focus in on conflict/problems and how the candidate handled criticism. <S> People don't naturally index their memories into short vignettes, but a skilled interviewer can coax these out with such ease that it doesn't even feel like a job interview. <A> Question 1: <S> Please share with me a situation where you made a mistake. <S> candidate talks. <S> How did your manager or client expressed his/her critiques to you? <S> candidate talks. <S> How did you feel about this critique? <S> Did you feel their critiques were fair? <S> candidate answer about how he/she manages the frustration. <S> Finally, which changes did you make to avoid repeating the mistake? <S> here the candidate will show if he/she was open to made changes after the critique. <S> Question 2: <S> Experience is basically technical know-how plus soft abilities like handling critiques. <S> Hence you need to show that while you were younger you made some mistakes at work, and thanks to the critique and mentoring from your seniors <S> you had the chance to learn and improve in your job. <S> Thanks to that experience you have learn to ask for help and also you are open to critiques, because you have learned that it is quite valuable to get feedback from your boss. <A> If for a given position, you can create near work environment do so. <S> For example a white boarding problem for software engineer. <S> The candidate will (almost always) make sub-optimal choices, this gives an interviewer an insight into how candidate handles suggestions or criticism. <S> If the candidate overly defends their suboptimal solution, or ignores the interviewer's suggestion it is a red flag. <S> I believe the above is a better approach than prepared questions because, the interviewer can observe the candidate's reactions to actual criticism, not just candidate talking about criticism. <A> With exception of @akavall giving them a job-specific test, as well as @santiago clarifying that what you're looking for might be a Behavioral Interview, <S> the other three answers here are pretty much asking them straight out. <S> Or, might as well be, with their transparency. <S> Having a similar question to you, I found this article: <S> https://qz.com/work/1259470/job-interview-questions-should-also-test-how-a-candidate-reacts-to-failure/ <S> In that article, they say to "give feedback throughout the entire interview process. <S> "In <S> other words, criticize the interview itself. <S> Try to keep it to what makes sense for the interview, but things they gave as examples in the article: <S> We don't think you've answered our questions <S> We don't think you really understand what we do <S> Your responses are vague, and seem to be trying to appease And then see if they become defensive, try to spin / pivot, or if they repeat back what they've learned and move on. <S> It will tell you a lot about how they handle criticism. <S> Keep in mind that the person is nervous, because it is an interview. <S> And keep in mind that they are interviewing you, too. <S> So, make sure not to trash the tone of the interview solely to assess one piece of a candidate's qualifications.
| Behavioral interviews focus on how the candidate HAS dealt with adversity, difficult people/situations as well as mistakes and criticism in THEIR OWN work experience. A person uncomfortable with admitting fault will most likely be very uncomfortable answering.
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How to resign from company that will fail if I quit I work for a startup in Ottawa, and have been with the company for just over a year now. The CEO promised me stock options, a massive completion bonus, and a month of paid vacation to offset the massive overtime I put in. I helped bring this company from a 2-employee operation to 25 people. The CEO has reneged on most of her promises, I don't have the money to launch a lawsuit, and don't want to go down in history as the guy that sued his boss and stain my reputation. I know for a fact that there's plenty of money to spare. I have a much better offer from another company, and was planning on leaving with minimal notice. The company will almost certainly fail with me leaving. I'm not a director, just a "Web developer", but given the lack of redundancy, we're guaranteed to miss a critical funding milestone if I left. What is the best excuse to give when the boss asks "why" I'm leaving? Stress leave? Medical? Be honest and say "you should honor your contracts"? I suspect she's the type of person to exact personal vengeance via nasty twitter comments (she speaks whatever comes to mind on twitter). I want to avoid retribution, and have already given up on trying to get her to honor her promises. I just want to get on with my life without making myself a target. Her company sinking is a free bonus. I don't want my coworkers to suffer. But I've been pushed too far to care. I'm not being immodest about the company failing if I leave. I'm certain that's the case. <Q> Just resign, you're not obligated to explain anything. <S> Set your focus on your own future and don't worry about that company. <S> Once you have seriously decided to leave you have one foot out the door already. <A> I once had a boss that I really didn't enjoy working for. <S> I was pretty happy when she left the company. <S> To my surprise, a few months later she called me and invited me to work for her again, at a new place for more money. <S> I accepted. <S> I didn't enjoy working for her the second time, either. <S> For many of the same reasons. <S> I have come to realize that some of those reasons were really my fault. <S> But the important take-away here is that no matter how mad, sad, spiteful, etc., you feel, don't burn any bridges. <S> If you "go out in a blaze of" anything, it will probably roll off her back. <S> She's the CEO. <S> She has probably had people quit before. <S> But she won't remember you fondly. <S> More importantly, there are many other people who won't remember you fondly. <S> The boss' secretary, the HR manager, your supervisor, any direct reports you have, and maybe some cross-functional people that are depending on you. <S> You will come to realize that the aphorism is true: it's not what you know <S> , it's who you know. <S> And if those people think of you well, maybe they'll call you out of the blue in 5 years with a job offer. <S> Instead, just provide the minimum necessary info. <S> Notify HR, your supervisor, and anyone else that needs to know, that you're going to leave, effective whenever. <S> And then make sure you leave! <S> If the CEO comes back and offers you twice as many options, a corner office, and a personal masseuse, GTFO. <S> So: don't burn any bridges, don't send any spectacular hate-letters, and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. <A> Don't explain. <S> Don't justify yourself. <S> Don't even mention that you have a better offer. <S> Just resign. <S> You'll need to keep your new employer secret for a while. <S> Don't even tell your former coworkers, because if you do tell them, they could be coerced into letting your boss know which company it is. <S> And then, be careful about telling your friends, or family members, because they could be fooled into inadvertently divulging that information if she contacts them under some pretext. <S> Because if what you say is true, that your boss is of questionable moral character, that she's likely to be vengeful on social media, and that her startup is likely to fail when you leave. <S> Then, it's likely that she'll try to sabotage your relationship with your new employer. <A> Something the other answers don't cover but is in fact really simple is this: If the company will fail if you quit, then someone else isn't doing their job properly, and thats not your fault . <S> Don't be bullied into thinking it is. <S> The moment you stay in a position for involuntary reasons, such as guilt, pressure or a sense of obligation, you are no longer being employed , but rather something else. <S> And that something else isn't a good thing, whatever label you put on it. <A> I get you are stressed but you are too emotionally vested here. <S> You would sue the company not your boss. <S> You don't know the company will fail and it does not matter. <S> Resigning from a company is very simple. <S> You turn in a letter of resignation with a final date. <S> After that the less said the better. <S> The only difference is if you liked the job is "I regret to inform you I am resigning" versus "I am resigning". <A> I have enjoyed my time working with you and please be assured that I will do all I can to assist in the smooth transfer of my responsibilities before leaving. <S> I wish both you and the rest of [company] every good fortune <S> and I would like to thank you for having me as part of your team. <S> Yours sincerely, [your name] <A> You don't "need" an excuse if you want to change your job. <S> If you want to do it, just do it. <S> You have a better offer, and that's all you need About your coworkers, you might want to talk to them, but you should do it out of the office, and tell them the reason why you're leaving. <S> But that's more related to the human relation you have with them, as nice people you talk with, rather than you owing them an explanation of why are you changing your job.
| It's better if your boss thinks that you resigned without having another job in sight yet. Simple and to the point is my suggestion, send an email along the lines of - Dear [your boss] , As required by my contract of employment, I hereby give you notice of my intention to leave my position at [company] , with my last day being [date] . If the company fails, they might want to retain you, maybe giving what they've promised to you plus some extra things, but it's up to you how you want to negotiate with them, and if you want to deal with that now. Once you tell people you're leaving, the worst imaginable thing you can do is stay.
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How to help team members understand business constraints when making audit recommendations? I work as an IT auditor in a lead / mentor role for members on my team. We communicate frequently with management about recommendations to remedy security weaknesses discovered in reviews or audits. As the end goal is for management to take action to mitigate risks exposed, the recommendations should be practical and actually achievable by the company. I have discovered that team members are recommending actions after the audit has completed in the audit report that are not feasible for management to implement, taking into account business needs. Examples of constraints are technological inadequacy, and resource shortages in terms of number of available employees and time. I would love to see some of the recommendations given by my team members to be implemented in the future but right now is not feasible. I fully agree these are best practices but recommendations should be realistic, cost effective and be a value added function. I am not sure how to discuss this problem with the team. On one hand, I don't want to dampen their enthusiasm in recommending solutions, but on the other hand, it is important to understand the business environment when recommendation remediation steps. How can I help team members become more aware of business needs when making recommendations to management? <Q> I worked for an audit agency for 5 years. <S> What you are suggesting is a very bad thing and goes against the purpose of an independent audit. <S> It is interference by management in the findings. <S> I would suggest you read about the Enron debacle to see why this is a terrible idea on your part. <S> Your team is behaving correctly and you are not. <S> It is not for the people doing the auditing to determine if the recommendations are currently practical. <S> It is up to management to respond to the audit and explain why they cannot do certain things at this time. <S> It is solely the purpose of the audit team to identify deficiencies and then make recommendations to fix them . <S> If you are interfering with your team doing that then you should be fired. <S> Auditors are NEVER supposed to be influenced by what management outside the audit team want. <A> What are some steps I can take to have team members become more practical in their thinking? <S> That depends on why they aren't currently providing the desired outcomes now. <S> If these team members know that only practical recommendations should be provided <S> and they know how to provide practical, rather than idealistic, solutions, then they simple aren't doing the job that is required. <S> They should be mentored individually, in private. <S> Their shortcomings should be pointed out. <S> They should be told that they must correct their actions. <S> And if they still don't then they need to be removed from their positions. <S> On the other hand if they don't know that only practical recommendations should be provided, then you need to explain that to them. <S> Talk to them about the difference between idealistic and practical. <S> Explain why only the latter is appropriate. <S> Then follow up to make sure they understand and are following the expectations. <S> If instead they know that practical recommendations are required but don't know how to produce them, then you need to set up one or more training sessions to teach them how to produce the results you want. <S> Again, you need to then follow up to make sure the trainings are implemented properly. <S> Some internal audits provide two types of output - the ideal and the practical. <S> I have read audit reports like this. <S> They provide a long-term goal of approaching a more ideal situation, while providing shorter-term, more practical remediation requirements. <S> You may wish to explore that as a way to satisfy the auditors' understandable need to point out the "really great" solutions while giving the department the more achievable solutions they need now. <A> I think you need to engage them more like project's manager with their idea. <S> As such I would engage them more seriously into each idea(s) with question like; "How we will do it ?" <S> "How much time it will take ?" <S> "Who will do it ?" <S> "Can it fit in our process ?", etc.. <S> To give an example: In one enterprise I was in, when someone used to bring an idea <S> the one giving it needed two bring two positive points to back the idea. <S> That way to do was to make them think outside the box, thus if their ideas would really bring plus value, then it could be integrated into existing process easily, else the idea will not survive anyway. <S> On another note, good sign <S> if the enthusiasm is there, it's sign of a healthly's team in my own opinion.
| One way to train them would be to pick specific situations they could encounter, explain the ideal solution, then work together to brainstorm practical solutions.
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Peer review of difficult colleague for hiring This question is a follow up to this question . A new colleague of mine is on his trial period before being accepted on as a full time employee. As he will be a part of my department HR has asked for peer reviews how the rest of us work with him. He is young and just graduated from University, he is cocky in his skills and he gets on my nerves quite often. I try to overlook these feelings and we keep a polite if not cordial working relation. Unfortunately he has been making waves. My workplace blur the line between blue-collar and white-collar employees, many of those in my department used to work on the floor but a degree is not uncommon. My colleague has a condescending way of speaking, likely he is not aware of this. As I am often down on the floor chatting and working with them I get parts of the scuttlebutt. He has been in conflict with at least one of the more senior colleagues on the floor, I could later confirm this after some gentle proding. There are other rumors as well but I can't confirm those. On the other hand, in my department there is more leeway with "excentric" characters and he is perceived more neutral with a slight bias towards the positive. I suppose it helps that he keeps to himself. I am hesitant what to do as he occationally rubs me the wrong way but at the same time people with his education are needed in the company. I can't comment on the quality of the work he does as we haven't worked together but it is probable that I will be paired with him for future projects. I am not looking forward to it. Question: How honest should I be in my appraisal and should I weigh in what the scuttlebutt says (only when I can confirm it)? <Q> As he will be a part of my department HR has asked for peer reviews how the rest of us work with him. <S> If you and others have problems working with him, I think that's exactly the kind of feedback HR wants. <S> Just be prepared to justify any criticism and be 100% professional. <S> Don't mention rumors you can't back up with evidence. <S> Maybe the issues can be worked out, but they are still there. <S> Hopefully you're not the only reviewer. <A> How honest should I be in my appraisal and should I weigh in what the scuttlebutt says (only when I can confirm it)? <S> You should be extremely honest in your appraisal. <S> But you should provide only facts and your own observations. <S> You should never include rumors or the observations of others - let them provide their own feedback. <S> I can't comment on the quality of the work he does <S> It sounds like you have already reached a conclusion without having enough direct experience. <S> Try to hold that in check, and not pre-judge. <S> There will be plenty of time to collect your thoughts once you are actually asked for your appraisal. <S> If you go into it with a more open mind, you might find that your perception changes once you have more direct contact with him. <A> The workplace is one of the areas in life where we need to be professional, to manage the expectation of working with people we may not get on with or "like". <S> In this case, whilst he is someone you don't like being around personally, you have to make it clear that all observations you are making are based on facts. <S> It can be easy to try and conjure something from these feelings you have, but it's very important that you maintain your professional distance with a review that is honest and factual. <S> If he uses vulgar language in conversations, then "good communicator, although has once or twice used expletives when none were required." would be a good way of stating that.
| If this guy rubs everyone the wrong way, it'll show as long as all the reviewers are honest. You should probably also mention that you can't comment on the quality of his work and leave that to others.
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Is it ethical to implement a points system for unscheduled time off? Recently my company implemented a points-accrual system for unscheduled time off- whether that's clocking in late, leaving early, or calling out. Any difference in scheduled hours vs hours worked that was not pre-approved at least 2 days before the missed time counts towards points. The points are removed after a rolling 6 month period. Employees get half a point for arriving late or leaving early, and one point for calling out the whole day. In theory this is meant to stop chronic lateness, absenteeism, and other attendance problems, which I can understand. However, at 5 points, management is allowed to terminate the employee. This means that we aren't allowed to call out sick more than 4 times within half a year. Speaking with our managers the day before if we need to leave the next day won't save us from gaining a point, since even though it was approved it was not more than 2 days before. We get points regardless of whether we choose to use our earned paid time off or take it as unpaid. The irony of this situation is that HR has recently been pushing for us to go home or stay home if we're sick, so that we don't spread the germs. A reasonable request, but now that we get points for missing work, it makes staying home less of an option. Is this an ethical system for them to have put in place? Is there a better way that we could recommend to them for holding employees accountable for their attendance that does not punish them for taking earned time off if they're sick? [EDIT]: for clarification based on info in the comments: a doctor's note will exempt you from getting points (only if you go to actually get one, of course.) The rolling 6 months means that if I received a point January 1st, that point will disappear June 1st. A point received in February would disappear in July, etc. <Q> These practices are usually popular with high turnover, low skill positions. <S> In these cases, employee happiness is irrelevant because the unhappy ones can be replaced quickly enough. <S> However, as to the ethical status of this? <S> No, it is less than ethical, as found by HM Government in the case of Sports Direct <A> If you removed sick time from the equation, it would fall in line with the more ethical systems out there. <S> Penalizing someone for using earned sick time is a bad idea in general, as your entire workplace will become a giant petri dish during the flue season. <A> I think the other answers (as well as my own initial reaction) to your question were coloured by the fact that you did not initially disclose the exemption with a doctor's note. <S> As it stands now - this system doesn't sound very unethical. <S> However, it is rather extreme. <S> The (UK and Australian) companies I have worked at do allow some level of "self-certification" for the odd sick day here and there - but they also had stipulations about doctor's certificates for if you were away for two or more days, or on a Monday or Friday. <S> Same rules applied for carer's leave if you had to stay home with sick kids. <S> Someone with an ongoing medical condition (such as MS) wouldn't necessarily need to get the same doctor's certification because their condition would already be on file. <S> Other non-medical emergencies are considered, too. <S> Your organisation is just being stricter than ordinary. <S> The points system also appears quite heavy-handed - but it's no different to how a lot of companies would approach chronic absenteeism <S> , it's just more transparent. <S> Again, at the companies I've worked for, it clearly states in the employee handbook that repeatedly failing to provide a doctor's certificate when requested can result in discplinary action, eventually leading to dismissal. <S> I know that GP visits in the US come with a cost consideration (unlike the UK and, to some degree, in Australia) <S> - so this policy can be quite unfair, there - but I still don't see it as unethical... just heavy-handed.
| This is a VERY unethical system and would likely run afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act if the reason for absences were due to a chronic illness such as MS or other reasons that would fall under the ADA. Eliminate the sick time penalty, and the system becomes ethical.
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Discuss going back to project I asked to be removed from I requested multiple times to be moved from Project A to Project B. I have been working on Project B for a while now and would like to move back to Project A. STORY I joined my current job, as a Software Developer, straight out of college. After the initial training period, I was assigned to a team which dealt with Client Side issues (front-end, emails, payments etc.) I had no prior knowledge of front-end engineering and thought it would be a good opportunity to learn on the job. A few months into it, I realised that the tasks that were being handled by me did not spike my interest and told my manager that I wanted to switch teams citing that I did not fancy the current role and would like to move to a more technical role. He told me to that they couldn't move me immediately and asked me to delve deeper till the time they could in the hope that it would eventually grow on me. 3 months later I was asked for my feedback and it had not changed. I was moved to a different team. I have been in the current team for about 6 months and a new team is now going to be working on a re-architecture of project A which I am very much interested in. How to communicate to my manager that I would like to move to the new team? I already got what I asked for initially, a more technical role, and I would be flip-flopping in this situation. <Q> How to communicate to my manager that I would like to move back to my previous team? <S> Just talk. <S> Explain why you would like to move to Team A and what you would do to lessen the potential impact on your current Team B. <S> I already got what I asked for initially, a more technical role, and I would be flip-flopping in this situation. <S> Yes, you would be flip-flopping. <S> Only you can know if this means your manager will start to view you as a high-maintenance type who will never be happy. <S> That's a risk in making repeated requests to move to different teams. <A> I would start by doing some due diligence. <S> Then get a couple allies on the new team that want you to join and get them to help lobby for your inclusion. <S> If you are still interested then have a conversation with the manager. <S> I would explain that you have the background and experience with the project that would make you an asset in the architecture redesign and would like to be involved with that portion of the project even if its just a few hours a week. <S> As a manager my concern would be that you would come back on the project, and the team makes a decision you do not like, you are just going to want off the team again. <S> If you came to me and asked to switch back completely, then I am more likely to deny your request. <S> I would be concerned that you do not like the team you are working on now either and that is going to make me think you may not be a good fit for any team. <S> So start slow, build some relationships with the new project team, while continuing with your current work. <S> If you do well then your manager should approach you about moving to the new project team or increasing your role. <A> What makes you happy is not of primary importance to most companies. <S> So you are going to need to find a argument that explains why having you on the other team will provide a benefit to the business, and a greater benefit to the business than where you are. <S> If you can come up with reasons why and how the company will benefit by having you back on the original team, you simply go to the manager and explain them. <S> Then listen (don't argue!). <S> If the manager has good reasons to counteract your reasons, you won't be moved. <S> If your reasons are good enough, then there is a good chance you will be.
| I would talk to the Project Manager, team lead and people on the team that will be involved and find out if the direction they are wanting to take is something that will be interesting.
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Is it possible that my experience as a freelancer is irrelevant in the real workplace? First, a bit about my background: I'm developer/designer who started freelancing right out of college. For better and for worse, I'm entirely self-taught, and always made it to clients what my strengths and weakness are. I was always proud of my work, and my clients and users were always happy, as well. I worked with startups for about three years before deciding to apply for a full-time job to get experience working on larger projects. By the time I started looking for a full-time job, I had planned, designed, and built several fully functional web applications for small startups or just side projects. I considered myself to be great a UI/UX design, decent at JS, and never oversold myself. I got a great position on a small team looking to revamp their aging application to something more modern. Great coworkers, room to learn new skills and improve my programming, etc. Perfect fit. However, once we got into the development, I realized (later than I should have) that my approach to UI design and layout is very different from my boss's, and it's beginning to make me wonder if I wasted three years learning the wrong techniques. The best way that I can describe it is this: If you were to build a web app like Slack, or Trello, or Atom (a text editor build with HTML), you would approach your layout very differently than if you were building Stack Exchange, or Github, or even Facebook. I've been building applications the "Slack/Trello" way for four years, and all of my go-to approaches for design don't apply at this company, and are shot down because they are seen as wrong. I'll spare you all the details and jargon, but if anyone is familiar with the topic, I can get more specific. For the most part, I am looking at this as an opportunity to learn new techniques, and get comfortable working in ways I'm not used to. However, I still feel bad that I sold myself as someone who could take a feature/product from conception to production, and that hasn't turned out to be the case. It's not that I can't (I did it professionally for 3 years), it's that my suggestions are shot down as being wrong or just irrelevant. I feel as though my relevant skills put me back at entry level, or worse: "ux ninja" level. Is this something I should bring up to my superiors, or should I just keep my head down and do my best to change my approach to fit theirs? <Q> When they hired you they probably checked some examples of your previous projects. <S> You are not supposed to be an advocate of a few specific technologies. <S> You are suppose to be an expert that can bring its own background to the table and contribute to the innovation of your companies projects. <S> Tech-culture diversity is enriching. <S> From this point of view do not argue in favor of a specific technique (let's say layout) just because its your familiar ground. <S> You are in UX <S> so you know the deal: "First know your User. <S> And than Design for it." <S> Use metrics, usability examples, compare with the competition, etc. <S> You did not oversold yourself, you are just another point of view to the global expertise of your team. <S> Sometimes your solution is the best, other times it won't be. <S> Most of the times the solution is a composite of all insights and eventually reaches a "mature" state. <S> You have a target user so design for it. <A> No experience is irrelevant. <S> However it seems that your approach is a bad fit for the company and team. <S> Learn the ropes, learn their methodology and move forwards. <S> Your insights approaching problems from a different angle will come in handy and earn you respect later. <S> As an engineer I have to hit the ground running with widely different networks built in different ways quite often even though at their core they all do the same thing. <S> The most important factor is learning and working with what is there before making any changes. <A> Learn. <S> All new positions will have you learning something, but what you learned in the past doesn't disappear or become irrelevant. <S> I know quite a few languages now, and they all work together in my head to make me more flexible. <S> I don't use COBOL any more (who does?!), but some of the things I learned from my COBOL coding days have stuck. <S> Ditto C++/C#, even though I work in VB.NET now. <S> When it comes to a new way of doing things, trust me, you will have something new every time you swap jobs. <S> From processes and procedures to duties to code standards. <S> The company knows it takes some time to adjust (well, hopefully) and will take that into consideration. <S> If you fall behind by continuing to present your way and fail to take in their way you might have problems. <S> You can turn this on its head by simply doing it their way...but turn your expertise into an asset. <S> "I see we're doing this, and I did it that way, but in my experience I've seen that another way might be more efficient." <S> Most bosses will listen to anything that makes a process better, even if they don't take it on, as long as you have done it their way BEFORE you make your suggestion. <S> "Hey, boss, I got that project done. <S> While I was working on it, I found this other way we COULD be doing it <S> that's more efficient and takes less maintenance. <S> " <S> Do it their way, tell them your way, let them make a decision as to what fits more in their strategy. <A> I'd say it's actually a bonus for the whole team. <S> Groupthink only ever leads to complacency and you can guarantee at least some of your users will not think in the same way that the designers do. <S> Joining a new team you will always find that they do things differently to how you are used to, but it's a two way street - an opportunity for you to learn how they do things and an opportunity for the team to learn from your experience of the "outside" too. <A> Flexibility, learning and compromise are certainly important. <S> But in software development I find self-taught freelancers/consultants have quite a different approach than more "streamlined" straight-up development teams <S> *. <S> Freelancers also know that to get paid (ie. <S> make a company money) they should deliver what's needed as accurately as possible since unused/rejected designs/code is unpaid designs/code. <S> Freelancers and consultants focus on business needs and customer satisfaction besides development. <S> Development teams focus on speed (especially nowadays), delivery and methodologies. <S> The best companies should of course have a right balance between the two. <S> A rational approach would be: <S> Am I helping or disrupting teamwork? <S> What are the industry's best practices (beware of unjustified bandwagons though)? <S> How do current practices fit and benefit the company's business needs? <S> Are current practices beneficial to customers (will it increase sales)? <S> What are the tolerance levels of change within and without the organisation? <S> TL;DR <S> : There is no right or wrong. <S> Discuss and negotiate where you can. <S> Learn and adapt if possible. <S> But you shouldn't discount your passion, skills nor abilities. <S> You may be destined for bigger and better things anyway, one can tell that from your question phrasing. <S> * <S> If I may, I want to elaborate on this point. <S> On the customer side, it's no point for someone to promise the customer the world and have no reasonable understanding of how to achieve that. <S> Neither should they fail to grasp business needs and requirements. <S> Conversely, development teams should not smash out code and use trendy technologies just for the sake of it. <S> Yes, development teams should have freedom and flexibility to enjoy methodologies they like <S> but they should be aligned (an overused word, no doubt) with customer satisfaction and external and internal business needs. <S> Who knows, maybe down the line you're the person to bridge this "gap", if it exists ;)
| The more people you can involve in the design and development who have a different thought process or a different perspective, the more likely it is the end result will be successful. My advice is: do not focus on your differences (you did not become a worst designer overnight, neither were you fooling yourself about your expertise), focus on the final objectives.
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Dealing with suppliers who want information I don't want to share At the company I work for we are required to get at least 3 quotes before we make a purchase. I have just taken over ordering stock like toners, printers, computers etc.. and the previous person used to share the word of other companies with one specific supplier. I think this prevents us from getting the best price possible as it looks like the supplier just under cuts the other quotes by a fraction to get the sale. How can I professionally turn down his request when he asks me what the other quotes are coming in at? So far I'm just telling the supplier that we don't have any other quotes yet. <Q> I'm not able to share that information. <S> Repeat ad nauseam. <S> I imagine the conversation will go something like this: <S> Supplier: <S> So what are Supplier A and Supplier B quoting you? <S> You: I'm not able to share that with you. <S> S: <S> Oh come on, you can't tell me what the others are quoting you? <S> Y <S> : That's correct, I can't share other companies' offers with you. <S> We have provided you with all the necessary information to send us a quote. <S> S: <S> But [your predecessor] always gave me this information! <S> Y: I understand, but we're unable to do that going forward. <S> That should be all you need to do. <A> Learn the art of negotiation. <S> And a big part of that is being able to walk away from the wrong deal, or the wrong supplier. <S> As others say, "No" is always a good answer. <S> When the supplier asks the question, you could ask them in return <S> would they be OK with you calling all the other potential suppliers and providing open price information to everyone? <S> I think you'll find that they won't like that. <S> A tip I learned when I first became a manager; NEVER accept bribes from a potential supplier. <S> That includes anything from a weekend trip, a ticket to a sporting event, dinner, all the way down to a 'leave-behind' flash drive. <S> Because you later have to fend off the calls along the lines of "Remember that trip last week? <S> Great, wasn't it? <S> Anyway, how is the purchase process of that <S> (x) coming on?". <S> Find the supplier you like working with personally, who gives great service and decent prices, and make them the preferred supplier for a year. <S> Revisit when your contact person changes or when the year is up. <S> It's a lot less hassle, and your accounts department will be happier because it's only one company to deal with. <A> I work straregic procurement for a multinational and deal with salesmen all day. <S> Procurement departments are far too timid and trusting with salesmen. <S> It's ok to beat these people up! <S> They are generally compensated well and making them work a little is just fine. <S> My answer would be, verbatim, "show me your invoices <S> so I know how much you paid for what you're selling me, and then maybe we can talk about pricing. <S> " <S> If he produced the invoices (possibly doctored), I'd contact their vendor to validate pricing and offer a sourcing contract if our NDA and MSA had no prohibitions against it. <S> Give him nothing!!! <S> Do not disclose budgets, timelines, time pressures, competition, or the names of decision makers on your side EVER. <S> EVER . <S> He needs none of that information to generate a quote and will only use that information to build a price that is slightly more attractive than his competitors'. <S> Keep them in the dark and make them compete! <S> If the person who managed these purchases before you actually gave the supplier the info he is asking for, that person should be fired immediately. <S> The vendor works for you, remember that. <S> Procurement's job is to achieve a sustainable "best value", not make friends.
| You cannot go around giving out your companies confidential information - and that's what pricing is. Just hold firm and remain polite.
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Professional protocol when choosing a Skype avatar Our office recently started using Skype for instant messaging, and connected it with our Mailing service as well - with this, we've been given the ability to add our own avatar, which will show up on Skype and in email. I would like to have my avatar be of a fictional character - there's nothing controversial about this character, but I'm worried that my co-workers might consider it unprofessional if it's a more obscure character from a more modern video game or cartoon. For reference, I plan on using a character from "Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective". These correspondences are all within our department only, but could potentially include HR, supervisors, and occasionally the people whose application I support. What type of 'appropriateness' protocol should I follow when selecting my user avatar? <Q> I don't see an issue with with it at all. <S> My avatar at work is Yoda, and the other developers have similar themed avatars. <S> ( Star wars, Star Trek, etc. ) <S> Make sure it is work safe, and avoid anything that could be considered along the lines of sexual themed . <S> If your unsure, run your avatar idea by your manager or HR . <A> Ideally your avatar would be a picture of you, or the default initials-y thing some systems generate. <S> Failing that, it can be a picture of someone else, but I think it should meet these criteria: <S> it should not be an offensive or controversial picture (a naked or sexually posed person, a zombie covered in gore, a scary monster, etc) <S> it should be recognizably NOT you. <S> You want people to think "oh, Zibbobz has a funny avatar" not " <S> oh, that's what Zibbobz looks like" it should be obviously connected to you. <S> I had a client once with the same name as the (then) Prime Minister. <S> He used a headshot of the PM as his avatar. <S> Everyone knew why. <S> Everyone knew it wasn't really him. <S> Both are important. <S> When you use Papa Smurf or Superman, people don't know why you chose that. <S> My avatar, as you can see, isn't a picture of anyone. <S> I use it here, on Twitter, and a bunch of other places too. <S> Where did it come from? <S> A blog entry of mine over 10 years ago. <A> ... <S> I'm worried that my co-workers might consider it unprofessional... <S> You indicate that the this will be internal only, but you're concerned that your peers will see it as unprofessional. <S> If you're concerned that it's not a fit to the company culture then, more than likely it's not. <S> But keep in mind, your Avatar could be shared to the outside world with only a few clicks of the mouse by your Exchange/Office 365 administrator. <S> So you should also consider how your customers, clients, and extended professional circle might consider it as well. <A> Don't set an avatar for several days then see what other people use. <S> Follow suit. <A> I'm going to predicate this answer on an assumption that may be wrong, and will amend or delete my answer accordingly. <S> It sounds like you want to put something as your avatar that you think would peg you as a huge nerd, so <S> I'm thinking it's probably a video game or anime character. <S> Assuming that you keep things tasteful (perhaps not Lara Croft's chest) or a character that's going to raise eyebrows at undesirable references <S> (I'm looking at you, Violator!) <S> , you're probably okay. <S> I see you added some clarification. <S> Ghost Trick's art style is pretty tame, especially by Capcom's standards. <S> Sissel, for example, should be fine. <S> That being said, it would be a wise idea to run it by your manager to make sure you're in the clear. <S> Edit: Since you've made it clear now that it is, in fact, Sissel, be ready to correct a lot of people who think it's Johnny Bravo. <A> If you've been given the ability to choose your own avatar then it's implied that you have some scope for creativity and expression. <S> At my place of work, Skype is locked down in that respect. <S> (it's almost like asking permission to go to the restroom), just go with it. <S> All you need ask yourself is "Can anyone be offended by this?" and use some common sense.
| I don't think there's any need to approve your avatar choice with your manager
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How should I react to a customer unintentionally screen-sharing his inbox Near the end of a recent Webex meeting a senior ("decision-maker" level) customer contact unintentionally started sharing his Outlook inbox, including details of meeting requests from a competitor of my company. How should I, as a vendor representative, react to this? The gaffe didn't go on for long, but I did receive information that I don't believe I would (or should) have been shown intentionally. Do I have any legal (US) obligations as a result of this situation, or if it should occur again in future? Can I use this information internally to benefit my company? <Q> Ask yourself one question: <S> If you made the same mistake, would you expect somebody to profit on it? <S> I hope you would say "no." <S> So do not. <S> Ignore the mistake. <A> Legal questions are out of scope. <S> Would NOT be good ethics to share or use the information. <S> How valuable would that information be anyway? <S> So a meeting request from competitor. <S> Now if you came across a price quote from a competitor that would be valuable. <S> But it would also be even less ethical to use. <A> Ethically, he was wrong not to have been more protective of what sensitive information you saw, but the cat is out of the bag, so the real question is: What should you do about it? <S> If your employer has an ethics board, you should seek their guidance, if not, go to your management. <S> In the grand scheme of things, what you saw may be insignificant, but you should consider how it would look after the fact in front of a jury or subjected to similar scrutiny. <S> Let's say that your company is awarded a large contract from that customer and someone from your competitor discovers that you were shown things you shouldn't have and the competitor sues. <S> Even though the actual content revealed didn't actually have any bearing on their decision, the fact that you had seen information about the competitor and NOT disclosed it would look suspect at best.
| You'd have to look at your company's ethics policy, but I'd have to guess that full discosure to all involved of what you were shown is in everyone's best interest.
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Gotten enmeshed with constantly helping a co-worker with their homework during work Prior to getting my degree and becoming a programmer, I was the head tutor of my college. When I was hired, part of my expectations were to help teach programming concepts to the team when they needed to learn a concept. One of our team members, who is more of our hardware help desk, has been taking some classes through the local CC to learn programming. At first, I didn't mind helping her because she did the work herself and I helped review it and make sure it made sense. With this next class she is taking, it has gradually gone from her having an assignment ready for review to her not wanting to even start it without me. I have to sit next to her for most of the day to guide her through basics that honestly at this point should be known by now. It's slowly getting to the point that she is asking me to "show her an example" and I am slowly doing more and more of her projects for her. Most of her grade is due to my help and not of her own merit. I don't feel like this is morally or ethically okay. Fast forward to this week: I spent pretty much my whole Monday and Thursday on her latest assignment that ended up being so poorly done I had to redo pretty much it all. I left her with a few segments left to do on her own and today she has it off. But she ended up emailing me her assignment with the teacher feedback so I can help her finish it and she also tried to call my work desk while I was away for a moment. I don't mind helping her but I feel like she really needs to figure this out on her own or get the grade she deserves. I don't want to be rude about it either but at the same time, I am losing time on my own work to spend the whole day with her. I thought about talking to my manager so he knows what is going on but what would be the best solution to still provide her help to review assignments while telling her that she needs to start doing this on her own? When I was in college, I would just straight up tell students they need to do the work themselves but I feel in this situation, I need more tact. EDIT: To clarify, I am helping her during work hours <Q> Is helping this person complete her studies part of your job description? <S> I doubt it. <S> You have to learn how to say no, she's using you as a very strong safety net and that's not going to help her after her studies. <S> In the end, this is impacting your work as you're losing time to work on someone else's problems that are not work related. <S> If she can't do the coursework, she has plenty of other resources to rely on at her place of study. <S> If you are having a hard time saying no <S> , try speaking to your boss. <S> Though they may not be happy to learn you have been helping this person with non company related work during company time! <A> If you are helping you colleague with academic efforts during work hours, stop immediately . <S> You are not being paid to help them pass a class, and you could get in trouble for doing so, even if you are participating in a minimal fashion. <S> While offering your colleague help off-hours is more acceptable, and entirely up to you whether or not you do so, doing so <S> on-hours is not part of your job description <S> (and I'd be extremely suspect of any job where it was part of your job description). <S> All other parts of your issue aside, you should explain this to your co-worker and stop immediately if you are giving them academic help during work hours. <A> A couple things: Helping her during work hours is a gigantic <S> NO . <S> You could help her during your lunch break. <S> You need to STOP doing the assignments for her as you are doing more harm on her behalf than good. <S> Introduce her to GOOGLE . <S> There are tons of free online resources for those who have the nack to learn to Code. <S> Kahn Academy is a good place to start for free, or plural sight is a great deal for the money. <A> I don't mind helping her <S> but I feel like she really needs to figure this out on her own or get the grade she deserves. <S> I don't want to be rude about it either <S> but at the same time, I am losing time on my own work to spend the whole day with her. <S> Just be rude about it. <S> You've been rude about things before. <S> Learning to be rude, then be less rude and achieve the same goal, is an important interpersonal skill. <S> Really your entire problem could be solved by saying what you know you need to say. <S> For perspective, you're preferring to ruin your work day, and her education, because you don't want to be rude about not doing these things. <A> You're both only human, so think about the human aspect before getting your manager involved. <S> If you look at this psychologically, she's using you as a crutch and is therefore not putting as much effort into her work as she needs in order to learn the material. <S> You said yourself that "at first she actually tried to learn it, now she is making mistakes...." <S> This is <S> because she knows that if she ever gets stuck, she can just fall back on you. <S> You helping her subconsciously gives her an excuse to not properly learn the material, and that is hurting her more than not helping her at all. <S> So explain this to her <S> and hopefully she'll realize that she has to do it by herself. <S> Either way, the result of the conversation is you telling her that you won't be helping her with her homework anymore. <S> It's not either of your faults, but by getting into this cycle, the only thing you've taught her is how to ask for help. <S> You know from past experience that she can do it, she just needs a little push in that direction (and possibly a failure or two) to motivate her to get her act together.
| You don't need to be rude to get her to realize that by relying on you, she's only hurting herself.
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On resumes, are About Me sections a thing? I have a great deal of trouble remembering points I want to make in an interview, so it occurred to me to include an About Me section. There is a great deal that doesn't make sense to me about interviews though, so I wanted to ask. I don't think I'm very concerned about whether it's common though, so much as appropriate, and won't be looked down on or anything. I am looking for a job as a programmer at a large company. <Q> A resume is already an 'about me' about you, so adding an 'about me' section would be redundant at best. <S> You should instead consider what you would be adding in the 'about me' section, and break it up into a distinct group (or set of groups). <S> Remember - a resume is a document made to reflect your work experience and qualifications for the job you're applying for - so <A> On resumes, are About Me sections a thing? <S> Not that I've ever seen. <S> To me, they would seem silly. <S> If you have trouble remembering points you want to make, you need to practice more, and slow down when you are talking during your interviews. <S> Hopefully, you shouldn't have too many points you want to make. <S> Instead, you should be concentrating on the questions you are being asked. <A> So, I know you already accepted an answer, but I want to to put this in for other people's future reference. <S> I work as a creative (graphic/web development) <S> and I have a fully designed resume. <S> I have a small "About me" section on my resume that has this little blurb of text: <S> Hi! <S> I’m <S> Name, a hybrid graphic designer and front-end web developer living in City. <S> I'm a 70s muscle car fanatic who loves to work with his hands, ask me about my Roadrunner! <S> When I got hired by my company, this was one of the things they brought up. <S> They have never seen it on resumes before, but loved that I included a little 'personality' to my resume/CV. <S> Sure enough, they asked me about my personal hobbies related to this. <S> I've been here a year and a couple months now and my manager disclosed that the combination of portfolio, designed resume and my personality is what moved my to the top of the list. <S> I lived in a city 9 hours away from where I am now, <S> they only impression of me they had was based off the colors of my resume and that little block of text on it. <S> In short, it probably is directly related to the field you are in, but I don't think showing a little 'outside of work' personality is a bad thing either. <S> Especially if you are applying for a place where you can't meet them in person easily. <S> I also don't think having a little different of a resume is going to penalize you, most people take the first template from a resume generator anyways. <S> Might as well use it to stand out a little.
| if the information isn't relevant to the job or your ability as an employee, it's best not to include it.
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Why is it uncommon to be contacted if you don't get the job? Many times I've applied, went to interviews and then never heard from the companies again. I'm assuming they found someone else but it would be very beneficial to me to be contacted if I wasn't selected. Even though they often say that "they will be in touch" Is there a common reason? <Q> It takes time and resources for no return. <A> Applying for a job is easy. <S> Click the button, maybe a few more clicks to upload the resume, done. <S> It's not unusual to get hundreds of applications for every position. <S> If it takes only one minute to reply to each of them saying "actually our position for senior software developer requires someone who has already been employed as a software developer at least once" then that could be hours of work. <S> Plus, about 90% of those resumes are so far off the job description that it's easy to think "these applicants didn't put any thought into spamming me with their resumes, I'm just deleting them." <S> Once you've had an interview, that's a different story. <S> I'm committed to replying to everyone who interviews. <S> But don't assume that reply will come within days of the interview. <S> I am not really deciding yes/ <S> no on you at the interview. <S> I am putting you in a ranked list, or no. <S> When I'm done (which might be weeks) <S> I will make an offer to #1. <S> Only after #1 accepts will I send out "no thanks" to the rest. <S> #1 might say "no thanks" <S> so I will offer to #2 and only after #2 accepts <S> can I send out the letters, and so on. <S> Depending on how long you've been waiting for an answer, it could still be on its way. <S> Generally, the person trying to hire another team member is overworked and stressed. <S> That is a flaw in them, not you. <S> There is really no such thing as an interview so badly blown that you don't even get a rejection email. <S> The only conclusions available to you when you haven't heard are " <S> I might still be in the running" and <S> "It's been so long <S> I guess I didn't get it, and they aren't a very nicely behaved group of people." <A> The real decision to accept another candidate comes really late. <S> It is not when it has been decided, not when the candidate has been employed - it is when that candidate have passed the probation period that may be a month or even more. <S> Only then they are really done with your application. <S> Ok maybe they should tell earlier and post another job announcement, but this costs money and the same good candidates may not apply this time. <S> Late responses are the good sign, they mean that you have been considered very seriously.
| Yes, because while it's beneficial to you, in most cases it is of no benefit at all to the company. Some of them may get lazy and not bother replying to unsuccessful candidates.
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Is it okay to include Part Time Projects as a Portfolio when applying Full Time Is it really okay to include your part time projects as a reference when applying for Full Time? Does the employer make it as a red flag that I'm working as a Part Time? Some companies have rules that Working Full time while having a part time job is a red flag. What the are Pros and cons? <Q> Any project you get paid for is a professional project, you don't even have to say it was part time or fulltime. <S> I wouldn't advise leaving out potentially useful information like successful projects. <S> It's what the technical people will be particularly interested in. <S> I'm not aware of any cons. <S> If you intend to work full time for an employer and part time for another then, that is deal breaker for a lot of employers for more reasons than there is space to list. <S> But basically it means you will have divided responsibilities. <A> I think you're confusing two very different issues: Is it OK to include any work you've done in the past (full time, part time, volunteer, it doesn't matter) as evidence of your ability to do your next job? <S> Yes . <S> Is it OK to have a second job which you are going to continue working while working "full time" at your next job? <S> It depends , but always be prepared for your new employer to make it a condition of your full time employment that you don't have any other jobs <S> - there's plenty of evidence that employees' effectiveness declines significantly when they're working more than 40 or so hours a week, and there's no reason an employer should subsidise that. <A> It is unquestionably your experience and it can work positively for your application. <S> Answering 2nd question - it depends. <S> If you have been working part-time till now and the job you are applying for is full-time you can expect the question if still you are planning to continue your part-time engagements. <S> Normally if you are offered a full-time job employers are not likely to be fine with you working part-time for some other company. <S> Solely the fact that you have been working part-time before is not a red flag, but your aim to work both ways if you get a full-time position might be. <S> Unless, the additional projects would be done by you in your spare time occasionally, not having long term part-time employment contract, may be possible. <S> However, it also depends on the contract specifications which you would get from a new employer - as there can be specified that you cannot cooperate with any other entity, so it is good to review properly all new conditions before you engage with a new employer.
| Answering your 1st question - of course you should include your projects if they are relevant for the position you are applying for now, even if they were handled when you worked part-time.
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If my employer finds out I'm studying a degree unrelated to the industry I'm currently working in? I'm currently working in the Environmental side of mining, but I'm studying Computer Science. It will take 6 years to complete (part-time study). I've kept it a secret. If it does come out though, can I expect serious consequences? Do employers typically become suspicious of employees leaving their company if they are studying an unrelated field at university? <Q> Do employers typically become suspicious of employees leaving their company if they are studying an unrelated field at university? <S> Yes, it's obviously going to be a concern, but 6 years is a long time and many employers are quite OK with their staff studying or even encourage the practice, so long as they are getting value for money. <S> In your case it's unlikely that you will go to their competition upon completion. <S> Many new graduates leave their old employment and seek more lucrative jobs. <A> This is a very employer point of view question. <S> If I put my foot into their shoes and see the situation I would ask myself these questions: Has his studies ever created problems for my company? <S> Has he compromised work for studies? <S> If both of the above questions can be answered "no", then there is no problem. <S> But, you have remember one thing, an employer will only think about your work and dedication to the job, not what are studying. <S> So, it is perfectly fine. <S> When it comes to studies - projects, coursework and exams, you will require time for all this. <S> If you have good time-management than there shouldn't be a problem <S> but if you think you might have issue than just drop a formal email. <A> Yes <S> and No. <S> It depends upon the nature and philosophy of company or organization in which you're working. <S> Though it can not be a big issue regarding study but looking at your considerable 6 year period it can create problems sooner or later. <S> So, it is advised to maintain good relationship with chief authority or person of the industry in which you're working so-that it can help you forever in order to be in safer side. <S> Now, talking about this issue, make sure about your objective or goal <S> i.e which field you want to give priority to -- working in industry or studying? <A> And I stress the word crucial, with the connotation of you are the only one who can do something. <S> Let's just go over types of employees and normal reaction and you can see where you fit. <S> Completely crucial employee that is the only one who knows how certain things in the business work. <S> Employer will be upset. <S> I would not think this employee would be "fireable" right away but their may be hostility. <S> Really good employee but has no knowledge/ability that business does not have or cannot find. <S> I have lots of employees like that <S> , that may be getting their degree (and maybe in something else). <S> Smart people go to school and often change their minds. <S> I wouldn't think anything of this as a manager. <S> If the employee is hiding it I may think they were moving on soon - but its not like I am going to out a good employee early. <S> If the employee talks to me about it I would probably try to find them a job in another part of our company (done this 10 times at least). <S> If employee wants to leave in a year or two or whenever I can help them with a plan <S> and I also get someone who will train the next person - they get a smooth transition to new job. <S> Poor/average performing employee. <S> Here is where you would need to be scared about going to school. <S> In essence you should be the first to go. <S> The issue here is if the employer needs to train you <S> and they know it <S> they don't want to spend time/money training someone who is leaving. <S> So if you are poor/average I would try to keep it a secret or at least downplay it. <S> The other factor here is how long you have been at said company and how well you are trained to do your job. <S> If you have been somewhere for more than a few years and know your job, the employer does not help themselves by firing you two years early because you might change careers.
| This entirely depends on how crucial an employer thinks you are to their day to day operations. They may talk to employee or quickly try to find others to figure out what this employee does and get trained.
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I got sick and cannot complete a technical test by the given date. How do I explain this to the recruiter? This past Friday, the heating in my house did not come on at night, and my whole family got sick. I was halfway through a technical test for a job interview. I did the phone screening on Wednesday, and they issued the test later that evening. I started it on Thursday. Then I got sick and don't have the energy to finish it. The test is due on Monday. I realize this is going to look suspicious. The recruiter would think that I'm just trying to get more time to complete the test. What should I tell the recruiter? <Q> Don't make too much excuses, and ask for a new test. <S> You should do it before they send you results to their client. <S> Do it ASAP. <A> I'm sorry to tell you this, but if a company gives you a test with five days (including weekend) to complete it, without offering you any payment, then this is a company that should be avoided at all cost . <S> Asking you to spend five days on a test at home is ridiculous . <S> Five days at your own expense is ridiculous. <S> They ask you to spend five days, just to get a step further in an interview, without any guarantee that anyone even looks at your work, that means they value your interests as absolutely nothing. <S> That attitude will surely be present not only during interviews, but also when you are working there. <S> Don't go there. <A> This situation is very normal, just that you have been through a real problem. <S> Alright as @Student_T has already mention do that. <S> In addition, do try to provide medical-leave so that it has proof to your point. <S> And remember HR is human too, they will understand your point. <S> And remember the HR person might come back in your life. <S> So dont try to leave any un-closed loops. <S> [Bit superfical, its real]
| You should just be honest and tell what happened. Any test where you spend time, and a well-paid company employee spends the same test, that's Ok.
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Does it send the wrong impression if I ask if I will be drug tested? Recently, I got a job offer at a large company. Prior to accepting their offer, I carefully read through all of the legal documents they sent me and noted that there was no mention of any obligatory drug test. There was a brief mention of a "background check", however. That being said, I am inclined to believe that I will not be tested before I start employment since they never made me sign anything about it. Still, not knowing for sure makes me feel uneasy about the situation, and it would put my mind at ease if I could find out. I considered sending an email to my employer asking them, but I felt that it would make me sound guilty or concerned if I asked that directly. How would an employer interpret this question? Would they candidly answer the question, or could they note that and have it somehow negatively reflect on me? Couple of important details: I have already accepted the offer. I have not actually started employment yet; that will be in about two months. If I were drug tested tomorrow, I would fail. <Q> If I were a prospective employer and was asked that by a new candidate, it would raise a number of red flags to me. <S> I would wonder why you would be asking that, and then specifically asking you the reason you ask. <S> I can't honestly see a way you can ask that question unless offering a bland reason such as "I hate needles". <S> Depending on the person you are talking to, they may take that at face value, or not. <S> I think it would also be difficult to ask a less leading question such as "What sorts of tests do you do for your new employees?" without raising suspicion. <S> As you said, you already know that if you were drug tested tomorrow, you would fail. <S> The only advice I can offer is to stop taking any illicit substances immediately, and then hope there is sufficient time if there are in fact any drug tests required. <S> I would then strongly suggest that if you plan to take your profession seriously, that you stop taking substances that can adversely affect your future. <A> Does it send the wrong impression if I ask if I will be drug tested? <S> Yes, it would be a concern inasmuch as there is an implication that you are worried about a drug test because you are a drug user. <S> Some industries and companies take this much more seriously than others. <S> Having said that, a background check does not usually entail a drug test, it might cover criminal history. <S> But a drug test is usually mentioned separately and specifically unless you are in an industry or company where it is a mandatory requirement. <A> My next research steps for your question would be - Just do a Google search on "company X drug testing," then try similar companies. <S> Research laws in your state regarding which methods are used. <S> Research how long the drug is detectable in a test. <S> You have 2 months <S> so I'm only guessing that most substances will not be in urine or blood in that time. <S> Emailing the hiring manager would be just saying "I have at least one illegal substance in my body currently. <S> " <S> That sounds like the opposite of what you want to happen. <S> Beyond that, you would have to make a personal decision regarding how much risk you are willing to take with your career and with the law given whatever substance you are using. <S> If you want to quit the drug before you start the job <S> but cannot quit it, then you have an addiction problem and that is very likely the single largest problem in your life right now. <S> Get help immediately. <A> I think, like others have said, that directly asking this question would definitely raise red flags with your potential employer. <S> In the past, when I was unsure about the testing policies of a potential employer, I would ask something similar to the following: I may be out of town for a day or two in the near future; are there any orientations or other on-boarding activities that I will need to attend in-person before the start date? <S> Not only will this indirectly let you know <S> if there will be a drug test, it can also have the added benefit that you come across as being thorough and organized. <A> Solution: have a friend call the company as a 'new customer recruiter' for 'Swift Decisions Substance Testing and Drug Abuse Counselling' and ask whoever answers "If we wanted to submit a competitive bid for the service, when does the contract with your current drug testing provider come up for renewal?" <S> and/or "What company provides pre-employment drug testing services <S> now?"there's a very good chance that whatever the reply is it will put an end to your nervous anticipation. <S> Problem solved. <A> Whether that's the wrong impression or the right impression I obviously cannot know. <S> There is really no upside to asking this. <S> Either there is no drug test. <S> Or there is a drug test, then you'll find out early enough.
| It will make a bad impression. If you are using drugs whose use is illegal, and if for compliance or other reasons your company has decided to test, then you will certainly face an uphill battle in evading the test.
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Exit Interview only days after handing in my notice I handed in my notice last week, give you some sort of back story: The environment I work in as a developer is very toxic, it's a sort of "We've always done it this way" business attitude and they didn't like me trying to change that, this lead to some bullying/teasing. We're a small team made up of 6 people: 2 developers 2 business analysts, the lead developer and the head of the department. One of the analysts is very immature and will make a big deal/laugh at anything that could be made into an innuendo, she does this so regularly I've learnt not to speak during meetings/team discussions as I find these situations unprofessional and awkward. I've raised this 3 times with both the head of the department and my line manager but I was told to get "thicker skin" and nothing was done. All of this led me to look elsewhere and I got a job offer and handed in my notice last week. The first thing that rang alarm bells was my exit interview was arranged for a few days after I handed in my notice, other people at this company always seem to have theirs closer to their leave date and it was like that at my previous company. I brought up all my above concerns and issues during this exit interview, HR said they would email me with a write up and more information (holidays left, installment payments for training I owe, etc.). This hasn't happened yet. Other things I noticed are all my tasks in TFS (what we use for our source control) were reassigned to my line manager, my capacity was reduced to one day, it says on TFS I have four days booked off this week: from tomorrow, March 14th to March 17th (I have no pre-booked holidays planned during this time). We usually have a team meeting on a Friday where we arrange TFS tasks for the following week but I was told there was no point in me going to this meeting because I needed to get a report out. I also noticed my name has been removed from next weeks tasks and my capacity is set to zero. When I handed in my notice it was agreed my last working day would be the 7th of April, however I feel like they're getting prepared to have me gone by the end of the day. Can they do this when it was agreed that my last day would be the 7th April? Should I raise this with my line manager or just ride it out and be expected to be let go by the end of the day? Will this count as being fired/result in a bad reference? UPDATE Still nothing has been said to me about it, I finish work in 45 minutes so they're really leaving it last minute to tell me but they are asking me to pass on a lot of information and documentation so I feel like this could be a garden leave situation. I will mark an answer when it's happened along with another update UPDATE 2 Nothing was said yesterday evening, I even stayed late so they could do it when the rest of the team had left. I received an email from HR as I chased them up this morning and all it confirms is my last date is the 7th April. I'm thinking I should probably query whats going on with my line manager now. UPDATE 3 - Outcome So I haven't been put on garden leave but due to the fact I had no work in TFS and after just doing a lot of documentation and going through clearing my code you could be forgiven for thinking that.After querying it this morning I got called in by my line manager who said I was still employed by the company even though I handed in my notice and that this morning my level of work wasn't good enough, I explained to him the fact that I had no work and I had spent the morning clearing stuff up and doing documentation and the fact that TFS states I'm off this week and my capacity set to zero from next week, he can see how that comes across to me and how can they be surprised that my attitude to work has dropped due to this and as well as the current environment. Note ask whats up if this happens to you and don't let it affect you <Q> Looks like the company is getting ready to give you gardening leave , which is very common in the UK. <S> Which essentially means - you go home, you don't go back to the office, you don't produce work for the company. <S> The keep paying you until your end date. <S> So, you are still employed till your last day, but not doing any actual work. <S> I get that you are concerned in regards to the feeling that you are being treated differently to other employees that have left, but... <S> you are leaving? <S> Why do you care about the perception anyone still at the company may have? <S> If this is indeed gardening leave, just take it and go. <S> There is no good reason to make a fuss about it. <S> Use the time to find your next job. <S> (or, given you already found one, prep for it, or just enjoy the break) <A> Can they do this when it was agreed that my last day would be the 8th April? <S> It wouldn't be unusual for a company not to be comfortable having someone around for another month. <S> That's particularly true for someone who has already clashed with others at least several times. <S> I believe in the UK it would be typical to pay you for the rest of your notice time. <S> This isn't uncommon in the US. <S> Yes, they can do this. <S> Should I raise this with my line manager or just ride it out and be expected to be let go by the end of the day? <S> Raising this with your line manager won't change anything. <S> That's just a waste of your time. <S> It may or may not happen, but you should be ready just in case. <S> Will this count as being fired/result in a bad reference? <S> It cannot "count as being fired". <S> You weren't fired, you quit. <S> This has nothing to do with gaining a good or bad reference. <S> The impression you have made so far, and how you conduct yourself for the rest of your time there are the only things that will matter. <S> The first thing that rang alarm bells was <S> my exit interview was arranged for a few days after I handed in my notice <S> It's unlikely this has any significance. <S> It was perhaps a simple scheduling issue or just a coincidence. <S> Either way, it's nothing to worry about - there isn't anything you can do at this point anyway. <A> While I think that gardening leave is the most likely explanation, it's possible that they're trying to combine a proper exit interview (mandated by HR but perhaps poorly understood locally) with a meeting to plan a handover. <S> This handover could for example be in the form of expecting you to stay off-site, with access revoked, but capable of answering questions. <S> Although they could perhaps handle that better, you might as well go along with it with good grace while they're still paying you. <S> You may well only get a final statement from HR after the last time <S> you're present on site -- and <S> you'll want to check the holiday (pay) entitlement aspect carefully. <A> You view the environment as "toxic" and your view might be correct but from an employer point of view they probably don't want someone with such an opinion around if they can help it so as stated above they are probably wishing for you to leave as soon as possible. <S> You need to check your contract but you should be able to obtain garden leave (i.e. continue to be paid whilst being at home) during which technically you will remain an employee. <S> Be careful! <S> It is possible they will try and get you to forfeit pay during that period and just stop working in which case you should first simply say "NO" and if it escalates, which is unlikely, consider getting legal advice. <S> You need to ensure they do not intend to make you take any holiday you may have owing etc. <S> or forfeit any other benefits you would accrue during your notice period. <S> You do not have a right to be on the premises so don't necessarily expect to remain during your notice period. <S> I would advise to resist signing any additional paperwork. <S> FWIW Garden leave will be a great opportunity to develop your new skills for your next role.
| The company may just not want you around (could be various reasons - effect on other employees morale, risk to the codebase and company computers etc...). Whenever you give your notice, you should always be prepared to immediately be escorted out the door.
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Is it a good idea to have a courier deliver your resume and credentials to a potential employer? My concern is that if I send my application to an employer through email, it is likely that he/she would not be able to read it thoroughly, given the number of application emails he/ she receives. But would sending my application through a courier hurt my chances of landing the job? <Q> My concern is that if I send my application to an employer through email, it is likely that he/she would not be able to read it thoroughly, given the number of application emails he/ she receives. <S> But would sending my application through a courier <S> hurt my chances of landing the job? <S> Bad idea. <S> You would look foolish. <S> And you probably wouldn't increase the chances that your resume would be read any differently than any other resume. <S> Just because a courier delivers a resume, that doesn't mean it gets read any differently. <S> Almost certainly it would have to go through HR first (to get logged and initially screened). <S> And then it would just be in the same pile as all the others. <S> As @ChristopherEstep points out, HR may well not even know that it was couriered. <S> The courier delivers it to reception or receiving and then it just gets put in the same pile as the rest of the mail for HR. <S> The only exception would be those "creative" jobs where it might be an advantage to have your resume "make an entrance" via courier, pajama-gram, or carrier pigeon. <S> But those are few and far between. <A> I would not do this, as most HR folks would find this annoying. <S> Most HR departments either have an HR System ( tied into their online HR\Career portal ) , or at the very least would want your credentials in electronic format for easy distribution between departments. <S> Take a look at this older, but still relevant article Resume in the mail ( or courier ) <S> These days, most hiring managers vastly prefer an electronic version of your resume. <S> In fact, a lot of companies can't even get your resume into their applicant tracking system unless you E-mail it. <S> Even when an employer does accept snail-mailed resumes, providing only a hard copy makes it harder for the employer to share it with the various decision-makers. <S> I'll frequently E-mail a candidate's resume to a colleague to ask for their input; if I only have a hard copy, it can be scanned in, but it adds an extra step to the process when your goal should be to make it easier, not more onerous, for the employer to hire you. <A> There was a time when such a creative approach would be well received. <S> Those times are past, however, and for several reasons. <S> Everything is electronic now. <S> There are no longer piles of resumes being mailed in, everything is routed through HR systems, or at least emailed and routed to hiring managers Recent years of high unemployment have soured employers to the creative approach. <S> It's been done so many times that you're no longer seen as creative, just as another kook trying to get attention. <S> It's much more likely to get lost. <S> You will be remembered, but not fondly. <S> Even if the person who receives your resume bothers to scan it in, you'll be known as the person who created more work for him <S> You will be seen as a nuisance. <S> For all the reasons listed above, A better approach is through networking, and "stealth networking". <S> if you can find someone to sent it "attention to" or if you can call and ask a few questions of HR, you'll make a human connection to a real person. <S> Try this approach instead. <A> The only time to do this would be if a paper application is required (rare but it still happens) <S> and it's the only way to meet the deadline. <S> Even then the courier-like services provided by the post office are most likely to be appropriate, unless your postal service is unreliable. <A> You've successfully realized that submitting your resume via email or online portal is a crappy way of applying. <S> The problem is that a courier isn't going to be any more effective. <S> At best it might be seen as cutesy, but it's more likely to be seen as weird, given that 99 percent of resumes will arrive in electronic form and be sent on to hiring managers from HR in electronic form. <S> Carrying something down the hall or having to scan it before emailing might be the hassle that causes it to end up in the trash. <S> If you want a leg up on the competition, the solution is to know someone who knows the hiring manager. <S> For example, if you're a programmer, finding a programmer in your professional contacts who knows the hiring manager and can vouch for you is a great way to skip over the entire hiring process. <S> A second-best approach would be to get a headhunter or recruiter who knows is familiar with your background to do an introduction to HR and get you past to the hiring people. <S> This approach is common in tech, but not so much in other fields. <A> A better question would be " <S> In addition to sending my resume by e-mail, should I ALSO send it by mail or courier (and in the cover letter, make it clear that I also applied electronically")? <S> I don't know if that's necessarily the best approach, but it has all the advantages that the other posters say about e-mailing resumes; plus you get a bit more attention. <S> The only disadvantage is you might still look like a kook.
| Any resume sent by mail still needs to get scanned into an electronic system.
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How do I value tutorial-based projects during an interview? During a recent interview for a co-op, he listed on his resume that he had built a game in Unity. I understand the reason why he would list this as programming experience since he is a sophomore in college, but since my company is a transportation company, it doesn't directly relate to what we would have him doing. I understand the value of self-taught programming, but when it came to how he completed the project is where my question stems. As a hobby, I have also started learning how to use Unity to create games using tutorials and videos online. It is a great way to get your feet wet in a language or technology. When I questioned him as to how he built the game in Unity, I directly asked him if he read a book, watched some videos, or followed along with tutorials. He replied that he followed along with a tutorial. How much value should an interviewer put into experience generated from step-by-step tutorials that do all of the coding for you? <Q> Consider what skill the candidate actually demonstrated <S> What the candidate did was not, strictly speaking, a programming exercise. <S> He copied someone else's code. <S> He followed instructions, but he has not demonstrated any ability to actually write his own code, or even copy-paste code from StackOverflow in the right order for something to work. <S> He may have this ability (as the comments mention, tutorials are a legitimate way to learn a skill) <S> but so far you have no evidence of it. <S> See if you can test the candidate on any skills you're not sure about <S> There's a fairly simple way to test the candidate's knowledge of a domain both of you know - ask him to explain a concept, or solve a simple problem . <S> If the candidate cannot do so, then all he managed to accomplish was "follow instructions" and has retained zero meaningful skills from his tutorial. <S> If he can tell you something, then he actually has some programming knowledge, and you can count that in his favor. <A> How much value should an interviewer put into experience generated from step-by-step tutorials that do all of the coding for you? <S> Not a great deal, but it's better than nothing. <S> It's like asking what value to give someone with the Cisco Essentials certificate. <S> Not much since it's almost unfailable, but at least they're on the right track. <A> How about this: He shows a willingness to gain knowledge. <S> Instead of focusing on the specifics of whether or not he learned anything relevant to what you do (which you stated it didn't really relate), focus on the fact that he's showing initiative to learn and is proud of the fact that he's learning. <S> People who are proud of gaining new skills are an asset. <S> Evaluate his coding ability outside of this tutorial, of course.
| If he can't do the job without the tutorial it's an obvious no-go, but if he has the skills you need AND is willing to learn on top of that, it seems you have a good candidate on your hands.
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How to get coworker to own up to his mistakes? My coworker (hired 1+ years ago) has made numerous mistakes in his work, recently requiring many extra hours from both of us to fix. The mistakes are frustrating but the worst part is my coworker does not own up to them. He attempts to hide them and fix them himself, until I discover them or our customers start complaining. It makes our team look bad because we don't have a good answer for why as system is down. I am usually tasked with overseeing the fixing of the problem, and now am supposed to review his future work as well. He has already ignored that and started hiding information from me again. We are a very small team, so his errors are putting a lot of strain on me and making me mistrustful of him. How can I approach my coworker and tell him professionally how I feel? Or should I go straight to my boss? <Q> Well, this is tough. <S> Nobody is perfect, but the real problem seems to be not that he is less than perfect, but that he causes even more problems by hiding faults. <S> You have to first sit down with him and make it absolutely clear that mistakes can happen, but hiding mistakes creates extra work totally unnecessarily, and that is not a mistake, but it is done deliberately. <S> And that you cannot accept that. <S> And the next time you discover this after your discussion, you send an email to your manager that informs him about your coworker hiding the mistake, and what the consequences were. <A> In these situations I try to remember that I am their teammate, and part of my job is to make the team work as efficiently as possible. <S> You mistrust your teammate, and obviously he mistrusts you, or he wouldn't try to hide the problem. <S> The trust needs to be repaired both ways, not just yours for him. <S> My recommendation is to think about what you can do to help him, which helps everyone on the team and ultimately, your clients. <S> I would schedule a postmortem with the team to go over what happened and to work together to find some ways that the whole team can prevent these sorts of errors in the future. <S> You've already mentioned that it makes your team look bad, so really, all four of you are responsible for the problem, not just your teammate. <S> Surely there was something someone on the team could have done that would have caught the problem before a customer did. <S> Going to your boss just reinforces that you don't respect or trust him, so I would advise against that until you've tried to repair the relationship. <S> Yes, it's unfair that the team may have to take on some of his work because he's not doing it well, but which situation is better? <S> The one where he pretends nothing is wrong and keeps making mistakes and covering them up or the one where he comes to you for help and starts learning how you and the other folks on the team avoid these sorts of mistakes? <S> Maybe the team could use this opportunity to talk about ways the whole team could work a little more efficiently or effectively. <A> As a troubleshooter I often come across this. <S> The main thing is not to let it get personal. <S> Document <S> the errors, document what went in to fixing them, document client complaints. <S> Then pass the information impartially and professionally up the line. <S> Unless it's your role to be having a word with the chap, leave it to the person who is supposed to. <S> I've given people a brief heads up out of professional respect, but that's it. <S> If they don't take it to heart, hard luck. <S> Just make sure your own back is covered when you're discussing others shortcomings. <A> You didn't mention what kind of "work" you are talking about, so I'm going to assume he is a coder. <S> You can easily make him own up by using a code repository. <S> I'm not sure why you aren't already using one, although if you are a very small group that might be the reason. <S> I'd personally recommend Subversion, since it's free and well tested and easy to use. <S> Github is also a good choice, especially if you aren't a Windows/dot net shop. <S> It won't help for past offenses, but can help going forward. <S> It will also help when you need to fix bugs inadvertently introduced since you have the old code to go back to. <S> It also helps you possibly prevent future problems, as you can easily see all the changes he has made in order to just eyeball them before implementing.
| When he realizes that you are more focused on making sure the team's work is correct than on blaming him or making him "own up", he may come to you for help instead of hiding his mistakes. With a code repository you can see exactly when a bug was created and who created it.
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Took an unexpected Leave Of Absence I took a very unexpected LOA (Leave of Absence) for 2 weeks. Here's a little back story: I suffer from depression. I have never been hospitalized for it, however I see my doctor every 3 months to see how well my medications are holding up for me. I am allowed to have 9 sick days before I get terminated. I had off Monday and Tuesday, called out Wednesday (put me at 8.5 days) was off Thursday and took this unexpected LOA on Friday (went straight to my Primary Care Physician). I have been off Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and I have not called my work yet. I'm not too sure if I have to or not?.. I know it was very unexpected and now I'm afraid that when I go back to work they're going to let me go due to me not following the proper procedures for taking LOA. I'm going back to my doctor tomorrow so I can gather the paperwork to take into work. I'm thinking of telling them that I wasn't sure how this whole LOA thing worked and ask them if I did everything correctly? To ensure to them that I'm not sure what the procedures are for taking LOA. Should I ask my HR any questions tomorrow when I see them or just say I didn't know the procedure for taking a LOA? <Q> I know it was very unexpected and now I'm afraid that when I go back to work they're going to let me go due to me not following the proper procedures for taking LOA. <S> You didn't take a LOA (you didn't actually get a "leave", you just chose not to show up). <S> Call your work and explain your situation immediately. <S> Do it before you visit your doctor. <S> Hopefully, you'll still have a job and your boss and/or HR will tell you what you need to do now. <S> Then follow the instructions carefully - you may need additional paperwork from your doctor, you may need to report to HR, etc. <S> They will also likely tell you what the policy is for not notifying them about your absence. <A> I'm afraid that when I go back to work they're going to let me go <S> due to me <S> not following the proper procedures for taking LOA. <S> I'm thinking of telling them that I wasn't sure how this whole LOA thing worked at ask them if I did everything correctly? <S> To ensure them that I'm not sure what the procedures are for taking LOA. <S> So, you're aware that you're not following proper procedure, but you're not sure what the procedure is? <S> This is going to come across as you're lying or at least obfuscating to dodge out of the way of potential problems. <S> "I know there were issues with my leave, and I want to address this issue." <S> and then explain. <S> This is FAR PREFERABLE to being a no-call/no-show. <S> Reasonable accommodation is required in most places for medical issues, and depression is a medical condition. <S> If you're seeing a doctor and he's prescribing medication, you have been diagnosed and are receiving treatment. <S> You don't require hospitalization for a condition to exist. <S> Also, most people are not exactly open about mental illness in the workplace, due to the stigma that still exists. <S> I worked at my current job for 2 years before I even asked for a n hour off for therapy, and at that they only tangentially know I'm going to that. <S> As far as that goes, make it known to HR that you have a condition that requires occasional time off, and figure out what you can do. <S> I had to get a doctor's note to wear specialized headphones to prevent an issue (misophonia), but I don't run out and tell them I'm bipolar. <S> One is overt and might cause issues, the other is a mostly innocuous personal issue that can be handled without a note. <S> Good luck, <S> and I hope you're feeling less down soon! <A> This sort of thing should be documented in your contract, of which you should still have a copy of from when you started. <S> Normally speaking, you should have to contact your direct line manager (unless otherwise stated) and let them know that you weren't going to be in. <S> After a certain point (most likely 2 to 5 days) you will require a note from your doctor. <S> The best thing you can do is contact and immediately rectify the situation with your manager and then get a note from your doctor. <S> Chances are, you've already breached the terms of your contract. <S> So just be apologetic and understand that from their perspective that you're in the wrong. <S> Hopefully, it all plays out alright for you.
| You do have to notify the HR department AHEAD of the absence to give them time to allow for the accommodation unless it was an acute issue (such as hospitalization) .
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Is it rude to ask for a Skype interview for the 2nd round of interview? I applied for a research position at a University abroad and managed to go for an interview in person. The position I applied to was at Research Centre "A", but after some time, the prof emailed me suggesting that she would like to recommend me for another position at Research Centre "B" (he is the director of both centres). He wants to arrange another interview with some of the researchers at centre "B", but honestly, I don't think I can afford making another trip down for an in-person interview, and I'm not even sure if i'll get the job. Do you think it's rude, and does it reduce my chances of making a good impression (or even getting hired), if I politely ask for a Skype interview instead? I can't seem to find a reasonable excuse (other than expenses), so are there any other suggestions? Thanks for your help! <Q> You should ask what other options are available. <A> Expenses is a perfectly reasonable reason. <S> If you can't afford it, then you can't afford it. <S> Raise the issue with them. <S> It could be that they fund travel costs for the interview, or, as you say, they perform a Skype interview. <A> Have you tried just asking for a Skype interview?I'm assuming the professor knows that you are abroad, so it should appear as a normal demand, and definitely not rude. <S> It happens all the time. <S> Your request doesn't have to mention expenses, you can point out that it would be more convenient for everyone - especially since travel time and planning would introduce a delay. <S> If they insist on meeting in person, then you can think again about how much you want the job (or not!) <S> and if it is worth the traveling expenses. <S> Then of course if you go further in the recruitement process, you will have to meet them at some point, but it can definitely wait until after the first interview. <A> A job is usually required to provide "reasonable accommodation" for things like disability. <S> They're used to sometimes having to make concessions for people. <S> Asking for a skype interview is fine; the worst they could say is "No, we don't want you". <S> If you're being asked for a second interview there is a safe buffer to say that they DO want you, and will likely be open to requests that make sense. <S> Don't delay. <S> Ask the interviewer as soon as possible, and let them know the reasons why as simply as possible. <S> Don't beg forgiveness or go into too much detail: "I would like to request a remote interview due to the expense of travelling at this time. <S> I can do it any time you're comfortable doing it". <S> The last part is important. <S> Let them know subtly that you value their time and are willing to make concessions if they are. <S> Good luck on the interview!
| Something sending the message "Thank you for your offer and I'm really excited about meeting everyone in team B, however I have no planned trip to country X any time soon, but I would be available immediately for a Skype interview" should do the trick. Expenses are a perfectly understandable reason.
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Dinner scheduled with client where I do not want to eat for personal reasons There is an upcoming visit from one of my companies clients, where I do development work for. My company usually invites clients to dinner at the same place each and every time if they visit us. For strong personal (even ethical) reasons I do not want to take meal or anything else from there (**before you ask: details at bottom, though I don't think they are of particular value to this question). I told my supervisor this the minute he said that the client would come over for a visit and asked how we come over this problem. He was very understanding, remembered that he did not see me there for ages and said that this would not be a problem, since there is no dinner planned in the tight schedule for the meeting. Problem solved (i.e. not even to come up), great! Now I got the invitation for the dinner at the said place anyways.How can I avoid the dinner without being 'that guy' to both my team and the client? Please note that dinner is the first point on the agenda where everyone will get to know each other. Some people from their company already met some people from our company at a previous meeting at their place (I was not with them). I already had contact to some of them via audio-conference. **Details:Several points make me avoid this place (although I do not think this improves the question): I am vegetarian (on the way to vegan) and once their vegetarian offer contained meat. They only confessed after I stressed this issue to their management, they never apologized. Ever since then, I never showed up there again and plan to never show up there again. Their products are generally of very low quality (from mass animal agriculture, even their eggs are from mass agriculture) and do not even taste well. I usually bring my own meal cooked at home with high quality products to work. The only real reason to go there is the insane proximity (like a 2 minute walk) to our company. <Q> To answer your question: You can't. <S> There has to be something there that will work for your diet on this occassion. <S> Perhaps a bottle of water and a salad or small cup of soup? <S> Side of vegetables? <S> If MGMT thought enough for you to be invited, they obviously value your presence. <S> If this happens all the time, then you can press upon your management how much you dislike the restaurant they are choosing. <S> I think you need to go. <A> I'm not sure you can avoid being "that" guy, because that is what you are doing. <S> I understand your objections, and I wouldn't have a problem with that. <S> But you can't make other people not care about your being absent, regardless the reason. <S> It really comes down to how important your management feels it is that you be present. <S> You can have them try to downplay your absence if it comes up, but people are likely to ask and I certainly wouldn't recommend lying to clients, sooner or later someone will find out and then your team/company look bad for lying about something that isn't really that important in the big picture. <S> Client relationships are key to the success of the business, sometimes we need to do things that we don't personally like to help maintain those relationships. <A> It's possible you're being invited as a courtesy to you <S> so you don't feel left out. <S> If you're crucial to working with clients, you may want to consider another approach. <S> Instead of having a total boycott of the restaurant due to the incident you had, try to get them to be more honest about meat in their meals. <S> Maybe you can talk to the waiter on the side and not in front of your group. <S> Ask about "true" vegetarian options and let them know you caught them in a lie. <S> Sometimes when you're with a group that frequents a place, you have a little more leverage. <S> I realize this won't account for the other flaws you find in the quality of their food, but it is a start. <S> Don't let them get in the way of your career.
| You need to work with your boss to find the most agreeable solution that meets the company's needs. You could feel like you should be able to decline the meal in this case.
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What does this interviewing process say about a company/role? After reviewing my CV, they issued a technical test. They would not proced with the interview process until the technical test was done. The technical test was to build a production-quality fully-functional web app from scratch. This includes reviewing specs, designing the interface so it's presentable, writing the code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript framework, pagination features), and testing the app. While the app itself isn't too big, if I did that task in a workplace to the upmost of my ability it would take almost a week. Someone could slap it together in a couple of hours but that's not good. It took me 4 days to do it and about 12-16 hours. Let's be honest, we all have to tweak and polish things before you want the world to see it especially the styling. Then I passed the technical test so they did a 1-hour on-site grilling about everything on my CV. The recruiter said it could take more than 2 weeks to get any feedback from the interview. The interview was abruptly cut off at the 1 hour mark because the interviewers had to go to another meeting. I felt really tired after the interview and I got very little information about what they like, value, and are about but on the other hand I didn't see any obvious bad behavior etc. I don't mind to do some technical tests but I think that such a large test before you have even talked to them is a big investment on my end and zero on theirs. What does this process say about a company/role? <Q> Although the other answers are good, I don't think this is a scam, but instead a poor interviewing process. <S> The person who designed this interviewing process probably doesn't know how long doing the exercise takes. <S> Or maybe this person does and he or she expects the candidates to spend a week on it. <S> It's up to you to decide whether to do this kind of exercises or not. <S> I usually try to estimate how much an interview test is going to take me, and if it's more than 2-3 hours, I'll politely decline and explain why. <S> Remember an interview is a two-way process. <S> In other words, you are assessing the company as well. <S> If you think they are not respecting your time or have unrealistic expectations, maybe it's not the right place for you. <A> What does this process say about a company/role? <S> It says they don't respect you or your time. <S> As others have suggested, there's a real possibility that you just got scammed. <S> If it wasn't a scam, consider that you're looking at a company that places unreasonable demands on people, doesn't compensate fairly, doesn't communicate well, and is emotionally draining. <A> In my mind, any technical test that takes longer than 2 hours is not a test, it's a scam. <S> In reality, the test is less about proving you can do the job, the CV should do that. <S> Unfortunately, I think you got conned. <A> It might be a scam. <S> It happened in the past a few times - you will do the task and they will just use for their own purposes. <S> Free labour... <S> You already got a few point: Vagueness about the roleTechnical task too <S> bigNot interested interviewer <S> I would say it raises some red flags. <S> Be careful. <A> It remains to be seen what this says about this particular company. <S> These kinds of tests are more common these days along with temp-to-hire practices. <S> Hiring developers is difficult. <S> Having a portfolio of work from side projects could help more developers avoid this. <S> It wouldn't be that difficult to look at your code and ask a few questions to determine if you actually wrote it. <S> In defense of those hiring, you have to show you can do the job in some way. <S> If the job requires building web sites, then you show you can build a web site. <S> What you should be thinking about is how are you going to use this to your benefit when applying for others jobs. <S> I think it is fair to ask for an opportunity for you to learn more about the company, position and your direct supervisor before committing several hours (more than 3) to a coding test. <S> This way you get to decide if the effort is worth it. <S> Use this experience as a reason for pushing back a little on your next potential employer. <S> You have every right to be leery of these types of requests since you feel you may have been scammed by this particular employer. <S> You're going to have to stand up for your rights and look for employers that play fair.
| The test is about seeing if you can, in a resource-limited environment, produce readable code, present a decent interpretation of the requirements and work in a logical and methodical manner.
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Dealing with stressed coworkers I work in an open plan office, with my team members sitting in the same desk bank. Unfortunately most of the team has quite a heavy workload and there is some inter-personal conflict in the team with some members not getting along. I am surrounded by people who feel very stressed and are constantly sighing and generally being unhappy. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do to reduce the workload, or resolve the interpersonal conflicts. What are some good excuses for switching desk banks? What other options are there for not being affected by lots of stressed people around you? <Q> Your options are unfortunately, few. <S> I would start with headphones to audibly isolate yourself from the annoying behavior. <S> That will help your focus. <S> Ultimately, you've just got to find a way to be happy yourself. <S> If you're happy it'll actually begin to rub off. <S> We tend to think that it's only the toxic employees that affect morale, but we all do. <S> If you're happy, you'll help those around you be happy. <S> Yes, it seems corny <S> but it works. <S> Unfortunately, you likely won't be able to make up a good excuse to move desk banks so if all else fails, just try the truth, emphasizing that you'd probably be a lot more productive if you didn't have to listen to the personal conflicts. <S> But seriously, try to be outwardly happy. <S> You may be surprised to find that you can be a positive force for your office morale. <A> Unfortunately most of the team has quite a heavy workload and there is some inter-personal conflict in the team with some members not getting along. <S> Hate to say this, but your team is experiencing a problem that only a manager can resolve. <S> On the positive side, it's not your problem and you're not overreacting. <S> Negative team morale is evident, at least to you. <S> You're already having productivity issues because of the issues, and that will only worsen with time. <S> If you feel the need, express interest in splitting the team up over areas. <S> Or offer other suggestions for action, but let them know you're interested in resolving the underlying issues instead of just poking your head down and letting a problem fester. <S> Good luck with the co-workers! <A> Providing a few snacks, non-work chat at the water cooler, seeing if there's any work related items you can help out with.
| If there is any small way in which you can help the morale of the team, that might help as well. Go talk to the person over you, let them know that you feel that there is a toxic environment building, and you don't want it to damage team morale or productivity. If you have a hot-desk area or meeting rooms open for ad-hoc use, then use them whenever you need some time out. If you have monitors (as opposed to laptop screens), try placing them in a manner such that they block the greatest offenders of the depressing behavior.
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Boss asking for account passwords she can reset before I resign I'm leaving a company I've been with due to the boss reneging on various promises, bonuses, etc. After declining counter-offers and other incentives, the boss started become hostile towards me, and she's now demanding that I hand over account credentials for various company accounts (third-party services for code storage, version control, etc), all of which she can easily reset by logging in as an administrator. She has also demanded that I hand over credentials for my personal email account to make sure I don't have any company emails or IP. I replied that my personal email is my own property, and that it was never used at the office or for my work. I also noted that the other accounts could simply have their respective passwords reset by using the "administrator tools", and that I will not be providing the logins, as I've already agreed to the legal terms of service for those other websites, which demand I do not share my credentials. I finally noted that she can contact those respective sites for help resetting the passwords, and that there would be no loss of data by doing so. Did I conduct myself professionally? Are there any circumstances under which I should provide those account credentials (other than my personal email)? Finally, should I just outright tell her "I can't give you those because the only reason you could need them is to impersonate me". This is in Eastern Canada. <Q> Any security professional would state the obvious: If it is a personal account, do NOT give your credentials to her. <S> She is able to reset the passwords via IT for your work machine, and she is able to legally obtain subpoena if they decide to take you for court for having confidential documents. <S> If they don't want to take that step, then they have no need of your personal credentials. <S> If they're concerned that you have confidential information, then it's up to them to obtain the legal documentation and authorization to obtain them. <S> If they're concerned that you will be able to access third-party code, then they can (a) change the login information on their end and/or (b) go the legal route if they think you've been in there. <S> Since the documents are in a third-party repository I'd doubt that organization would jeopardize themselves by collaborating with any nefarious activities. <S> Do NOT accuse her, even tangentially, of wrongdoing. <S> Simply state the facts and leave it at that. <S> You're not required to give reasoning to retain your personal information. <S> Even the passwords you DO use for your work account can sometimes be considered private information, as people routinely reuse common passwords across their accounts. <S> If they have the ability to reset them, then they shouldn't be worried about anything. <A> If your company has a password policy and/or acceptable use policy for computing resources, now is a good time to review it. <S> Personal accounts <S> - she has no business asking for those credentials, and providing them to someone who isn't <S> you may constitute a breach of the Terms of Use for those services. <S> Work accounts - <S> the company should have mechanisms in place to reset those credentials after your employment has terminated (and from your post, it sounds like this is in place). <S> Those processes should include logging of who did it, when, and for what reason(s). <S> There should be no need for your manager to get your actual password - and this is where the aforementioned policies will come into play. <S> In many organizations, it's a violation of that policy with consequences potentially as severe as termination if an employee is found to be using someone else's credentials, or sharing their credentials with others. <S> While the email account may be owned by the company, that does not give your manager carte blanche to look at everything in it. <S> For example, communications between you and HR may be considered confidential and not available to her - yet if she has access to your account, that confidentiality would be broken. <S> Let IT and HR handle the "archived" account (your email account should be deactivated and no longer accepting new messages upon your termination) and use tools at their disposal to locate specific messages your manager might need - she shouldn't be permitted to go on a fishing expedition with your email just to "see what she can find." <S> Practically speaking, you may have to give up the work account passwords just to move past this. <S> But stand firm on your personal <S> account(s). <S> If she really thinks she has any business poking around in there, she can file the appropriate paperwork to pursue it through the legal system. <A> No. <S> Never. <S> Not even work passwords. <S> Passwords are private. <S> We sysadmins and software vendors go to extreme lenghts to make sure they can never be viewed by anyone but the password holder, and it's for good reason. <S> If there are any accounts she needs access to, she can have IT reset them. <S> This is the (only) legit way to get access to passwords upon employee departure. <S> They should definitely be changing them anyways, since you'll no longer be working there. <S> As for your personal email password, such a request is absurd. <S> Tell her she can come back for that if she has a court order subpoena in hand. <A> Are there any circumstances under which I should provide those account credentials Only to law enforcement under a court order (and under duress). <S> The accounts might belong to the company but passwords are personal. <S> End of discussion. <S> If she wants to make sure you have no company IP in your personal email, she can hire a computer forensics company. <S> I can't give you those because the only reason you could need them is to impersonate me Spot-on. <S> edit : <S> Related question on Security. <S> SE: <S> Is it OK to tell your password to your company's sysadmin? <A> It sounds like you're concerned she wants to pin a sin on you. <S> If so, you should definitely not say "the only reason you could need them is to impersonate me", as that could let her build a case for wrath. <S> Others have given great advice for the wider issue, but if she's determined to find fault, the easiest solution might be to let her build a case for sloth instead: Resetting the password for an old account is recommended because it guarantees I can no longer access anything I'm not supposed to. <S> It also means I can use similar passwords elsewhere in future. <S> Obviously you should never actually reuse passwords. <S> But by mentioning impersonation obliquely then steering the discussion towards a hypothetical "safe" sin, you can give her room to fill in the blanks for herself. <A> Or maybe ask IT to suggest a password and change all your passwords to the password they suggest. <S> And hand that password over.
| If your boss insists on being given passwords to your work accounts, and you don't want to give here those passwords (for example because you used the same password for personal accounts), instead of fighting him / her about the matter, you could change all your passwords to Password123.
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How to make use of someone with no skills I am currently working with a student group to build a video game. In this group there is a member who possesses next to no skills in any relevant discipline (Art, Programming, Sound Design, ...) to be of any help to us. The disciplines in which he does posses a sliver of skill, we have someone on the team who can do a much better job in a shorter amount of time. Furthermore he shows no effort to grow his skill-set and any conversation around the topic is met with deflection. Unfortunately we cannot have him removed from the group for some time and must try to make use of him in the meantime while we organise another ideal arrangement. I have already had a word with the unit convener and there is nothing that can be done at the moment and we likely won't know for some time. What would be the best step forward in this situation? <Q> The disciplines in which he does posses a sliver of skill, we have someone on the team who can do a much better job in a shorter amount of time. <S> Time to enhance your project management skills by changing your thinking. <S> You seem to think that you must always have the most skilled person in each discipline exclusively work that task. <S> That's simply not the case. <S> Let's say he's the second best at UI design. <S> If he takes up that task, that could free enough time from the individual who is best at UI design to handle another difficult task such as database design. <S> Often the project is better overall when tasks are handled by someone who is "good enough". <A> From what I've gathered the main problem that you're facing is not an underperforming colleague, but rather communication. <S> Poor skills are something that can be improved, and, considering it's a student group we're talking about, that's something to strive for. <S> To me it sounds like he's performing poorly, yet is unwilling to accept that, and thus doesn't see the need to improve. <S> You as group - excluding the under-performer - should come together, and select one of you to have a 1:1-talk with him, explaining the problems etc. <S> It may very well be that the under-performer is in a state of denial, and openly discussing those issues with him in a "safe" environment (e.g. 1:1) might help with that. <S> If the talk works out, you can proceed to assign him to one of your other group members as assistance. <S> Yes, this may seem a bit weird, but it's probably the best way of teaching him whilst not giving up too much productivity. <S> However, if he still isn't willing to improve, give him very-low-requirements-tasks, like repetitive paperwork and the like, as already stated by Dustybin80 and Vishwamithra . <A> What about QA? <S> If he is flat out lazy he'll probably do a shoddy job at anything you give him. <S> However he should at least be capable of testing the work, finding edge cases and bugs. <S> Failing that is there any supporting documentation he can draft or something he can produce a paper design for like the UI or menu systems, so even if his art work sucks it won't be used other than as a guide. <A> Well, what is this guy interested in? <S> Maybe he wants to do something totally different from programming? <S> There are other roles he can take which would provide use. <S> For example, you're building a video game - they don't exist in isolation. <S> Can this person do research to qualify how successful this video game will be <S> (I know it isn't part of the project, and this probably isn't a game that will ever be successful - but by engaging him in something he might like doing you'll engage him in the overall project too, which will help with output). <S> Or what marketing segments might need to be targeted? <S> Or - and i know this was thrown as a joke in the comments - but project management is an essential skillset for any successful project. <S> Why not let him do that? <S> (I know another comment noted that "a bad manager is worse than no manager" - but just because someone isn't incentivised to write code doesn't preclude them from effective management!) <A> You can think of below options. <S> I am saying generally. <S> Paper work like preparing reports and tutorials preparation. <S> Facilitating work like arranging meetings <S> etc... . <S> Status updating. <S> Repeated work like testing or executing automation works and generating reports. <A> Student groups often include one or more slackers who don't contribute as much to the project as the others. <S> Outside of an academic setting you would just throw them out and find someone more motivated, but in a student group this is unfortunately usually not an option. <S> That means you will have to work around them.
| Each task doesn't need to be handled solely be the one who is the best. Examples of him under-performing (without being rude) can also help a lot. Focus your time and energy on cooperating with those members of your group which are capable and willing to work for the project's success and don't waste your time with trying to squeeze work out of those who don't want to cooperate.
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Company doesn't need me anymore, what to do? I've been working at a company as a development lead for the past year. Everything was going great, only that now the business has given up on the project I was working on. They've transitioned members of my team to other projects, but as those projects already have team leads it doesn't make financial sense for them to keep me around as a regular developer due to my salary. Now they're giving me trivial tasks, such as updating documentation etc. I've spoken to my supervisor and he has clarified that "they don't have a place for me here" and "if he were me he would look for other options" . Another thing, I live in a European country where it's almost impossible to ask someone to leave, and the company has a ton of money - they can't pretend they can't afford me. My obvious option is to resign, but I feel that it's giving up too easily. They've hired me with a promise to build a career here, and now they're expecting me to leave. Is there a way to force a "Golden parachute"? <Q> When you don't have work, find work. <S> Instead of waiting for a project to be assigned to you, actively try to come up with some project you could do and propose it to the management. <S> This might be an idea for a new product, an enhancement to an existing product, or an improvement for an internal process. <S> If you can't find anything, you might want to look for work elsewhere. <A> [Note: This answer was written before the "Germany" tag was applied] <S> Is there a way to force a "Golden parachute"? <S> No, in the US at least, that's not something you can force. <S> As you have indicated, the company doesn't need you anymore. <S> Thus you have no leverage to force anything. <S> Even in Germany I don't see you having enough leverage to force a golden parachute situation if your contract and local laws don't already have that in place. <S> You could attempt to negotiate something, if you think your boss and company are appreciate of your work and willing to be "nice". <S> You could try something like "Look, boss. <S> I know that the project got cut and it seems that I'm the odd person out here. <S> I'd like to help transition everyone to the new projects while I find my next job. <S> Can we talk about a severance package where I get paid while I spend some weekday time job hunting?" <S> (Or just a discussion about any kind of severance concession you would prefer.) <S> The risk is that they just say No and let you go. <S> (Or perhaps in Germany continue to give you trivial tasks indefinitely). <S> Or you could just accept that these sorts of things happen, find your next job, give the appropriate notice, and leave. <A> I get you are expensive <S> and they don't need any development leads right now. <S> But it sure makes more sense for them to use you as a regular programmer rather than trivial tasks. <S> Sure seems like they are encouraging you to resign. <S> You are costing them money. <S> It would make financial sense for them to offer you a severance package. <S> Not sure how long you have been doing trivial tasks <S> but I would stick with it for a few months for negotiating position. <S> Then when you go to them and ask for a severance package they know the trivial tasks alone are not going to work. <A> Is there a way to force a "Golden parachute"? <S> No <S> No, there is not. <S> While there may be the chance that upon laying you off you may get a severance package, this is not guaranteed by law. <S> They only give it to people because the severance package costs them less then the risk of a lawsuit. <S> While your company has to prove certain things when laying you off in Germany (like there was no other job for you at the company), there is no obligation for your company to provide you with a career . <S> You have a job you are suited for and you get paid the same amount of money as before. <S> This is as good as it gets. <S> After all, they did not lay you off. <S> A word of personal advice: this opportunity is gone. <S> It's over. <S> Anything you do from now on is looking back and living in the past. <S> Right now, you will probably get good references and you will probably be able to negotiate anything you want concerning your notice period. <S> The best way to show them they were wrong to let you go is to be productive, successful and happy at another company. <S> The only "golden" thing you get is that your current employer has to give you time off for your future interviews. <S> However, seeing your bosses reaction, I guess that would not have been a problem anyway. <A> Unless you signed an employment contract that includes such a clause, you are not getting anything golden from your employer. <S> ( No golden parachute ) <S> I would suggest you begin your job search post haste. <S> I would find a job <S> first before tendering your resignation. <S> Continue to keep doing what you are asked in the meantime without complaining. <S> Also, be sure to give the required notice so you don't burn any bridges when you leave. <S> UPDATE : As you have added input with a comment, you definitely need to work on your exit strategy by moving on to your next job . <A> Depends a bit on what type of company you are working for (government vs private) and what type of Union (or Personalrat) <S> setup you have. <S> While you can't really force anything, you can certainly try to suggest a solution that's "mutually beneficial". <S> Your benefit: cash in your pocket. <S> Their benefit: you leave without making a fuzz which can safe them lots of effort, time, aggravation & money That needs to be communicated carefully, since you don't want it to be an open threat and ideally everyone can keep face. <S> Example <S> "We both know that I'm not a good fit here anymore, <S> so I'm considering alternatives. <S> It would be great <S> could devote my full effort to finding alternatives <S> but I can't do this while I'm still giving my best here. <S> If you could provide financial support for, say, six month after my departure, I could effectively engage in my next step a <S> we could mutually agree to end my employment here."
| Look forward, find a new job and proceed with your life and career. Use this chance to leave there on good terms.
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How should I address my manager in my resignation letter? After almost 7 years at my current job, I recently accepted an offer from another company. I now have to write my resignation letter and hand it to my manager. While searching the web for resignation letter examples, all I found were very formal and pompous ones. The company I work for is a small start-up, where I am on familiar terms with my boss since the first day I've been here. I've always called him by his first name (as do all employees), and used tu to address him instead of the more formal vous . (For those who don't know the difference between the French tu and vous , it's the same as between du and Sie in German, tu and usted in Spanish, or tu and lei in Italian : the first one is much less formal and is usually used to address your friends, or people you know well, whereas the second one is used to address older or more powerful people.) So I was wondering : Should I use tu or vous in my resignation letter ? And should I use my boss's first name or his last name ? Dear Michael, I regret to inform you ( de t'informer ) that I am resigning from my position as Salesman for Dunder-Mifflin. etc. Or Dear Mr Scott, I regret to inform you ( de vous informer ) that I am resigning from my position as Salesman for Dunder-Mifflin. etc. Which one should I use ? Side note : there's no real HR in my company, as my boss is the one handling all hires and resignations. <Q> You are not just notifying your manager, but the company as well. <S> As such, de vous informer would be correct. <S> That said, there's nothing stopping you sending a follow up email to your boss to thank them personally for their input into your career. <A> It may clarify things to separate "inform your manager that you plan to resign" from "submit a written resignation letter". <S> (Especially given the company and your relationship, but I also expect this is locale-specific.) <S> Letting your manager know in person may be more natural; this may be the more authentic conversation and use the usual level of formality. <S> The resignation letter serves the formal/legal process. <S> Both things can happen at the same time, e.g., you schedule a meeting, let the manager know, have a conversation about it, and then convey the formal letter. <A> As there is a high chance that this exchange will be forwarded to HR or other people, I would use the most formal tone possible, whatever could be your relation to your manager. <S> The "vous" option is for me the most natural option. <A> A resignation letter is a formal and legal document, I'd keep it simple and stick to facts - you don't have to "regret" anything in a resignation letter. <S> You just inform the company that you are leaving on [date]. <S> Then, depending on your relationship with your boss, two options: inform him in person. <S> Ask for a meeting, and take the time to say that you appreciated your time working there. <S> As you leave, hand in your formal resignation letter, which is purely administrative. <S> attach the formal letter to a less formal e-mail, which replaces the face to face meeting and is a perfect place for "je regrette de t'informer que je vais quitter l'entreprise X, tu trouveras ci-jointe ma lettre de démission officielle" [ <S> I regret to inform you that I will be leaving the company X, you'll find attached to this e-mail my official resignation letter"] and whatever details/thanks you want to add. <S> Good luck in your new job!
| A resignation letter is fairly formal, I would suggest the formal tone.
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Who do I resign to? in my workplace I have a line manager who reports into on overall manager. He in turn then reports to the division head, one below the MD. If I was to tender my resignation, who would I give it to? <Q> Normally your direct supervisor. <S> So unless there's a policy document saying otherwise your line manager. <S> You'd only go up the chain if the first person on it is out of the office or otherwise unavailable. <A> Do this in person Bring a resignation letter to the meeting. <S> Nothing fancy, just statement of resignation and date. <S> Give the letter to your manager during meeting <S> Directly after the meeting send a copy of the letter to HR and any other manager who may be in the loop on this. <S> If your manager asks you to do something else, just go along with that <A> When in doubt, your human resources department is the fallback. <S> If you're unsure, go to the people who are trained and tasked with handling the human resources of the company.
| If in doubt do the following Resign to the person who is in charge of performance reviews and gives you your rating.
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Benefits and risks of a path different from the University I want to ask a question about a programming career: now I am studying IT at the University but this course is filled with mathematical concepts which are so complex and difficult. I'm not saying that I don't want to study, absolutely not, instead I love studying and know new things but I want to concentrate my time on what I like. My dream is to become a very good programmer, with a wide culture about Unix, Linux (for example), C, Ruby, Python and other languages, because with these tools I can create what I want: because I know what I want to do in my life. In conclusion, I want to ask which are the benefits and risks of attend a studying path different from the University, more focused on what I need. <Q> A few things to remember about University are these: University teaches you to think - it doesn't train you for a job. <S> If you are studying a scientific discipline at Bachelor level, your course should introduce the main scientific skills and disciplines and background information to give you a good grounding in the science and enable you to study further in a specialist area (Honours, Masters, PhD study). <S> With that said: Mathematics forms a large part of computer science. <S> Logic and mathematics and computing all mash together to form a cohesive scientific whole. <S> As a programmer with many years of experience and a degree in Computer Science, it is naive to think that leaving University without that grounding and "studying Python, C and Ruby" will give you the tools you need to really excel in the tech industry. <S> The best programmers I have ever met and worked with all had backgrounds in Computer Science at University level. <S> The toolset choices of those people after University (i.e. the choice to study Ruby, Python or C) then had that base knowledge/fundamentals to work off of. <S> It also means that if those tools do go out of fashion (as happens in tech all the time) then your core knowledge will allow you to pick up another toolset and work with it due to understanding the fundamentals - you are more flexible. <A> It is possible to be a very good programmer without any University education. <S> Learning on your own means you need a lot of discipline. <S> Benefits of learning outside University <S> You can focus on what interests you. <S> If you know what you want and what you need <S> you may be able to advance faster. <S> If you learn by working on projects you have more experience to show for when applying for a job. <S> If you wish to focus on simply programming (no software architecture, no algorithms), just writing the code for a given task <S> then many things thought at the University might be overkill. <S> Risks <S> You probably don't know what you need to learn. <S> You may learn better in a controlled environment. <S> Self study is not easy, especially when you need to learn something you are not passionate about right away, for example: filled with mathematical concepts which are so complex and difficult <S> Some employers may expect a University degree. <S> As far as I understand: University's role is not to teach you how to program (apart from a first introduction into some languages). <S> University teaches you concepts and gives you problem solving skills. <S> Learning programming is often something you have to do extra. <A> Because you don't get it now <S> doesn't mean it won't be of any use tommorow. <S> Your school program wasn't made rolling a dice , people who know what they're talking about chose to include theese maths to the program and that's for a good reason. <S> As a cybersecurity developper in apprenticeship I can tell you I made this mistake too. <S> I focused on programing courses back when I was at the university because I didn't know why I had to learn theese complicated math stuff. <S> With time to reflect and learn more about IT science I can tell you that you can be a great developper without knowing advanced math but this would be like running on a single leg when you can run with both. <S> you'll have harder time , will be slower , and there's a lot of things you won't be able to do. <S> For exemple there's a lot of math things to learn about simplifying algorithms. <S> It can look hard at the first look but with a little time and work <S> it's something realy usefull when wrighting programs which treat big amounts of data , etc.. <S> From my point of vue there's no major benefit from non university path , you should go as far as possible in your studies and work as a freelance developper in the background. <S> Best way to learn the theory and the practice.
| University gives a good foundation (math, algorithms, ..), there may be a lot of courses that you would not think of taking that will actually benefit you a lot in the future.
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Does not having a full-time phone coverage of our central phone number suggest unprofessionalism? I work in a tech SME with 20-30 software engineers. As expected in a SME, everyone should be involved in various everyday tasks (employees safety, lab usage planning, sysadmin tasks, etc.). However my boss has recently asked that we answer the phone two afternoons a week to allow the executive assistant (who's the one who usually answers the phone) to take some time to focus on accounting. However, if answering the phone is so brain consuming that she needs to get away from it when accounting, it will be just as annoying for engineers to answer the phone while focusing on something complex. Besides the fact that we won't be doing it very well, I think it would be counter productive . We won't hire someone to specifically do that either. The company receives more or less 2 calls/week from a client that does not have the direct phone line of the person (s)he wants to talk to and one cold call every few months. However, we do get a lot of spam calls. I thought, let's accept the fact that, two afternoons a week, nobody will be answering the phone, and people will get a message with the telephone reception opening schedule instead. When I told that to my boss, she said that a company that can't be reached two afternoons a week will look unserious. What do you think? <Q> Yes it does :-) <S> Customers and cold callers (who might be future customers) are unlikely to know when the receptionist desk is available for calls or not and are also unlikely to want to plan their calls around such a schedule. <S> Many companies staff customer response efforts (receptionist, help desk, etc) to cover multiple time zones. <S> Your boss is rightly concerned about the possibility of making a bad first impression. <S> Since the employee who normally answers the phone has other duties, it's your boss's job to determine who should cover for him. <S> It sounds like this shouldn't be a big deal - <S> if the company only gets a few calls per week and you're covering less than 1/2 the time <S> , there's a good chance you won't have to handle any calls at all. <A> No it does not. <S> I work for a 500 million dollar medical software company, and our receptionist is only present Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until 3pm. <S> We schedule our visitors to come by on the days she is here, or if that doesn't work out they call whomever they are visiting when they arrive. <S> I do not believe you can judge the seriousness of a company simply by the fact that they do or do not have a full time receptionist or someone dedicated to answering the phone. <S> There are plenty of LARGE and SMALL companies who don't. <A> However, if answering the phone is so brain consuming that she needs to get away from it when accounting, I don't think it's a good idea to <S> have software engineers answering the phone instead <S> It can be argued that accounting is as important and time consuming, giving that we employees like to get paid and all. <S> That said, why is it an issue to answer the phone? <S> I work as an analyst at my current position. <S> Some people have direct-line access to me. <S> Others have to call Help Desk, and I've been known to answer their questions and help them calm a caller or walk through an issue so that I don't see it on my desk. <S> Honestly, I like the occasional change of pace to keep my coding mind sharp and not dulled by hours of concentration on a single thing. <S> Besides the fact that we won't be doing it very well <S> Why not? <S> Communication is important as a software developer, either with managers or clients or any number of other people. <S> Learn from this, I'm sure you're good enough to answer a phone call, and if not you need to learn how to do it, because further down the line (possible as a manager) you'll have to have those skills. <S> The company receives more or less 2 calls/week from a client that does not have the direct phone line of the person (s)he wants to talk to and one cold call every few months. <S> Then why is any of this even an issue? <S> You can take time 1 or 2 times a week to be pleasant to someone paying your bills (clients), and once a month or so for someone who wants to sell something. <S> It doesn't seem like they're asking the world. <A> Solve the underlying source problem. <S> Which is that two afternoons a week, the person who normally answers the phone cannot do so. <S> You certainly don't want expensive engineers dropping everything in order to take a phone call. <S> Outsource your receptionist duties. <S> With any reasonable modern phone system, you can redirect calls to outside numbers. <S> Get a company who will answer your phones two days a week; they can redirect the calls to someone in the company if necessary, or take notes if it's just a sales call. <S> The cost is minimal compared to the hassle of getting untrained people within the company to take calls.
| We ( as most companies these days do ) have company voice mail and a dial by name directory so that in general you can reach who you need.
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How can I persuade my boss to let me compensate for his expenses? Today my boss said that he spent quite a lot of money talking to me over the phone (~ $200), but he noticed it after a few months. I used a SIM card from another region, and the calls were ~10 times more expensive than usual. I immediately offered to compensate for the expenses, but he expectedly refused, saying that it's not a big deal. I didn't want to argue with him but I wouldn't want to leave it like this either. What can I do to change his decision or mitigate the situation in some other way? <Q> This really isn't something to worry about. <S> $200 in the grand scheme of things is nothing. <S> Just be careful in the future to not do it again. <S> If anything, it helped your boss realize they weren't watching their cell phone bills closely... <S> What can I do to change his decision or mitigate the situation in some other way? <S> I'm going to recommend <S> you don't approach this again. <S> Your boss probably felt dumb about the thing and reminding them is probably not going to be a good thing. <S> This is particularly true if your boss is using a personal cell phone and likely the best case outcome is for both of you to have company cell phones. <A> If you want to do something about it though (which may be why your boss brought it up in the first place) you could try keeping your phone conversations to the point and checking other resources for information before going straight to your boss. <S> You didn't mention what your job is, but if you spend any time talking on the phone with other co-workers or worse, clients, you're also sticking them with a hefty bill by using your out-of-the-area phone. <S> Your company may even be able to help you with this, since it's in their best interest for you to have an open channel to them without paying more in the long run for long-distance calls. <A> It sounds like you've got a boss who is willing to go the extra mile for you. <S> Good problem to have ;) Instead of literally repaying someone that doesn't think money is a big deal, wait until something comes up that does bother him - a big deadline, company politics, etc. <S> That's when he'll really appreciate $200 worth of your overtime. <S> This can be unpaid if it makes you feel better, but as others have said, it's all the company's money at the end of the day. <A> You could offer him an alternative like whatsapp voice calls or another similar service . <S> That way, he would see that you are still worry about the situation, but at the same time you are really giving a possible solution for avoid that happens no more. <S> I don't think that you have to mitigate the past situation, you should think how avoid this again, although that money amount is probably not important for your boss.
| If your boss says not to worry about it, I wouldn't worry about it. I would also look into getting a business phone in the region you work in.
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Should I send an email to my manager regarding low employee morale? I've been working at company XYZ as a web developer in New York for a few years now. The company has steadily declined and I feel obligated to say something to my manager, the owner of XYZ. XYZ is a small digital marketing startup, with about 10 employees. My colleagues and I have discussed how we feel working for XYZ and we all agree it's not a fun environment. I've written up a brief email explaining why morale is low in the company and I'm unsure of how good of an idea it is to send it. Does the email below come off as professional and is it a good idea to send? <Q> I would rather ask him out for lunch or something, and talk to him face to face instead of sending him such a letter. <S> Sending such a letter sounds more like you are whining, rather than voicing areas of improvement for the company. <S> Also I wouldn't consider talking to a manger whose company does not even provide very basic equipment such as paper and garbage bags. <S> Instead I would walk away and never look back! <A> Although you may feel you're getting your point across more clearly via a letter, an initial one on one conversation would be the best place to start. <S> That will better open up the issue to a more thorough discussion. <S> If your demeanor is smooth like your letter is conveying, I would think your manager would at least be receptive to your ideas and issues. <S> It's not a time to be threatening, that's for sure (it doesn't seem like you would be). <S> But depending on how things turn out you may eventually have to call it a day and explore other opportunities. <A> Discussing something like this with your boss is a sensitive conversation. <S> A letter can work as well as a face to face talk, but I would suggest they both follow the same structure. <S> Talk about the things that people enjoy about the company and things that historically were highlights. <S> Mention the things that are causing low morale, and give specific examples. <S> "The garbage is really becoming a issue, we dont even have new bags to change out" rather then "The office always stinks". <S> "I am personally having issues getting my tasks done because I have 3 managers who seem to be working at cross purposes with my priorities" rather than "My deadlines are unreasonable" List out things that can be done to increase the morale of your coworkers. <S> "It is really helpful when we have a stock of utensils in the kitchen. <S> The employees appreciate it, and it seems to promote people bringing in lunch from home and spending lunch time hanging out together" Stay positive and stay concrete and realistic. <S> Dont tell your boss that your coworkers expect Ice cream party Friday every week. <S> But if the company used to do that, suggest it as a occasional treat. <A> Then it wouldn't only be your head rolling and it might get the boss to think about how improve things. <S> But be realy carefull about it , it can also be seen as a global whining and your boss could get quite upset about it which would lead you all to even worse conditions.
| As people said before talking to your manager would be the best idea but if you still want to send this e-mail it would probably be a more secure idea to print it and have the whole office sign it.
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How to quit a job to go back to school I was just accepted into a full-time graduate program in a completely different field than my current job. It's March, and the program starts in September. When I've switched jobs before (as a software engineer in the US), I've done the customary two-week-notice thing. But, with the academic calendar, I know plans further in advance. When do I give my notice? Now--and risk that my employer would be upset and not let me continue working over the summer? Or, wait and give 2 weeks notice before school starts--and risk my employer being even more upset that I hid that I was planning to leave? Some more details: I've been a software engineer for over 10 years, but at my current job for a little less than a year. (I'd been looking into this graduate program before I started this job, but it still felt more like something I'd apply to someday than knowing for sure I'd be starting it next year.) The graduate degree is in an artistic field. It might not be a big money-maker, and I could still see myself working in the software industry someday. <Q> Generally you should only inform them you're leaving at the last moment you can for many reasons. <S> These range anywhere from giving you a hard time about it to security escorting you off the premises. <S> Not saying anything like that would happen... <S> So unless you have a good reason for letting them know earlier, don't do it. <A> Yes, tell them. <S> The employer can then start to make plans on replacing you. <S> That is a task that must be done. <S> People, including the management of your employer, like knowing about tasks ahead of time, instead of having things thrust on them last minute. <S> This isn't so much for your benefit, but theirs. <S> Well, and yours, if you want to have a positive reputation. <S> Note that there is some risk that the employer will just drop you (whether today, or maybe two months from now) if the employer finds that to be in the employer's best interest. <S> The likeliness of this happening can vary significantly between different employers. <S> Some may happily keep you hired even if it is a bit disadvantageous for you, as a favor, in return for the favor you did by providing extra notice. <S> The cynical may think no companies would ever do such a thing; those are often the same people who will exhibit the selfishness of not cooperating by sharing readily available knowledge. <S> Case in point: Just this week I spoke to the owner of the company which is my current employer. <S> I let him know of a plan to pursue other employment in just under six months. <S> I may not get that position, in which case I plan to keep my current position. <S> The owner of my current employer appreciates my openness; it is one of the things he likes about me. <S> However, I have also heard of other people who have regretted it. <S> So, you'll need to make your own decisions on how risky this will be, and how much personal risk you're willing to take in order to be extraordinarily nice and cooperative. <A> Though consensus seems to be going in the extremes, allow me to offer a third option <S> : Wait until the start of summer. <S> That way, if they do let you go earlier you have a useful way to spend your time already laid out with preparing for your studies -- getting back in takes some adjustment. <S> At the same time, you minimize your risk of being out of work too early. <S> Start of summer is just a ballpark, basically. <S> Start giving notice when you know you could usefully spend your time if you would not be employed, but before being employed no longer becomes an option. <S> This maximizes benefit to both you and your employer. <A> <A> Waiting and giving your two weeks notice is probably for you the best option. <S> But be aware that there is no benefit for you to tell them in advance, and you are taking the risk of your employer terminating your contract immediately depending on the laws of your country.
| If you feel like it would take more time to do the handover and you feel bad about quitting with a short notice your can tell them a little earlier. In the past I have also given notice well over two weeks in advance, and I have never regretted it. @Kilisi is right , unless you have a familly and want some vacations to spend time with them before starting your graduate program (or any other reason to stop working earlier) you should work as long as possible , and so give your notice the later the law allows you to.
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Should i go for experience and then masters or masters directly.? I have completed my Bachelor Of Computer Applications ( BCA ) and now I am confused. Should I apply for my Masters Of computer Applications ( MCA ) directly, or should I get some experience first and then go for masters ? <Q> It means you stay in the learning/studying/writing up mode. <S> Working is a big lifestyle change for many people, and sometimes it's difficult to jump straight back in to study. <A> From my point of view, Studying master right after finishing degree is a terrible choice. <S> Working in a real environment is far different experience than educational environment. <S> Thus getting few years of real work experience will help you to expand your horizon and help you to decide what to study next for your master. <S> Your expectations about your Master program will be much different when you have an industrial experience as compared to a fresh graduate. <A> I don't know if it's possible in your country but here in france you can complete high level degrees in apprenticeship which gives you both. <S> It's a little harder because you're less time at school <S> so you have to work at home , but you're at the same time working for a compagny <S> so you're getting some experience. <S> I'm actually doing it <S> and I think it's a realy great compromise. <S> I stopped studying and tried to get experience for 2 years and it's not that easy with low degrees and no first experience <S> , apprenticeships are the best answer : <S> You get the degrees AND experience. <S> But if that's not possible for you , you still can freelance while applying for your MCA.
| I think it's best to do all the academic stuff in one go if you can.
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Can I list freelancing as work experience? For last 3 years I've been freelancing as a game programmer starting from ground up on individual's projects all the way up to current full time independent contractor at a fairly well known game company. I also have some applications published on other platforms like android that I did independently along with few other projects. Although I do have all the projects at my disposal ,like all the files , videos and builds, not every client would be available/valuable enough for testimonials. Can I list all this as work experience on my resume andHow should I highlight this with as much weight as possible?Can I list it as 3 years of continuous work experience disregarding any breaks? <Q> Can I list freelancing as work experience? <S> Why not? <S> In fact this can distinguish you from your peers. <S> If you think what you have done as a freelancer has added value to you and your skills go ahead and added with confidence. <S> I have came across big companies that asked me if I have done any freelance work or contributed to any opensource application aside from my full time job. <S> Can I list all this as work experience on my resume and How should I highlight this with as much weight as possible? <S> Can I list it as 3 years of continuous work experience disregarding any breaks? <S> Try to point out the top 3 and not anything more than that. <S> If you do so it's going to be to wordy and look less valuable. <S> Remember Quality is more important than the Quantity. <A> Yes, You can. <S> And You should. <S> What is Resume? <S> In simple words, a collection of your talent, skills and experience. <S> Based on the information provided, you seem to have a great skill of hustling between projects and prioritising it. <S> So I can actually hire you as a Product Manager, game developer or the Tech-Lead of Game and Design. <S> Bang, with that information if i can derive with a suggestion then why not your future recruiters. <S> Can I list it as 3 years of continous work experience disregarding any breaks? <S> Work matter, not breaks. <S> Everyone needs timeoff. <S> So you dont have too mention until it was exceeding 1.5months. <S> You dont have list all the projects, priortize it. <S> According to you which is your best work. <S> Do take note if you pick 3, make sure to have at least one latest. <S> Lastly, Freelancing is a skill not everyone has it! <A> The point of a resume is to get your possible future employer to want to meet you. <S> As long as it is in adequacy with the job offer then there's no reason it shouldn't be in your resume. <S> Even more if you learned a lot and ended up working with a known company ! <S> Be carefull though to keep your resume clear and readable , recruiters see a lot of resume and don't have much time to spend on it. <S> You must adapt your experience to what the company wants. <S> That's the important point. <S> The breaks don't realy matter as long as it's not 2 years of break on 3 years of freelancing. <S> To highlight it you can develop this part more than the others but be carefull , don't overload you resume.
| Perhaps you can have a new section in your profile where you list all the projects you have done.
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How to stop someone from making you do his work I am a web developer in a team of 6 and our company is global. Our method of work consists a planned "software-release day" almost every 2 weeks. Every developer's work in our team has to go through the QA. However, the QA co-worker (let's call him Bob) is only 6 hours per day at the office, due to his contract's nature. Before each release he has to go through our work and test if everything's in order. However, when the clock hits 14:00 Bob leaves immediately because he has to pick up his kid from school.However the tests have to be delivered the same day, at the end of business. Bob comes to me and says in a very stressful way that the tests must be completed and delivered to the next responsible for our release. This is where I come in, although it's not my task. Sometimes I even end up testing my own code which is very bad for QA standards. None of the other developers is dealing with it, which leaves me doing overtime to finish his work. For him it is granted that I will do it and I am not aware how he came up with this. How can I politely stop this? <Q> How can I politely stop this? <S> First, stop going around policy and doing QA for your own code. <S> That's not good at all from a process perspective. <S> At the very least give your code to be tested by another dev on your team. <S> Next, talk to your boss (or product manager, depending on your team organization). <S> Ask how your team should proceed when there is not a QA resource available for the release. <S> Do not call Bob out specifically, but ask the question more like: " <S> Hey boss, we have had a few releases we have not been able to properly do because we have to scramble last minute for a QA resource. <S> We end up testing our own code, which seems like a bad idea, in the future do you want us to delay our releases over this?" <S> The problem you have here is an organizational and team related problem. <S> If Bob is going to be allowed to do that, something needs to change, whether that is delaying a release, imposing a "release code freeze" time, or hiring more QA resources. <S> Before each release he has to go through our work and test if everything's in order <S> If this is the case, you must stop doing this or you will get into trouble. <S> Most PM types I know would be pretty frustrated if they found their team was working around a process without their knowledge (they might tell you to do that, but not without knowing). <A> Give the offender the appropriate warning, such as " From now on, I'm not going to be able to do final QA testing for my own code. <S> It is not following best practices, and the time I am taking in an attempt to do this is taking away from my coding time. " <S> , and then just stop doing it. <S> Give the warning via email, so it cannot be disputed. <S> Sometime things have to hit the floor in order to get managements attention. <S> This also allows for the proper attention to be gained without you having to specifically ask for it . <S> YMMV <A> Does Bob have authority to assign you work? <S> If so then it is perfectly reasonable for him to assign you a time-critical task, after taking into account the impact it will have on your other work. <S> If he doesn't, then next time he asks you to complete a task for him <S> say you can't because you've got other work to complete, but if he speaks to your manager then your manager may be able to change your priorities. <A> I'm not sure if it Bob, you, the team's or management's fault, but it won't get better if someone doesn't address the problem. <S> Does Bob have management's permission to leave early and pick up his kids? <S> Everyone who is turning in code for testing will need to get it in sooner because of Bob. <S> Bob is on contract. <S> I hope his leaving early doesn't mean he is fudging on his hours. <S> Sorry, but in the big scheme of things, either everyone accommodates Bob, or he has to find someone else to pick up his kids. <S> Ultimately, he may have to get a different job. <S> Not much you can do about all this. <S> Either take action, or just keep enabling Bob.
| If everyone knows Bob has to leave at a certain time that does not allow him to complete his job, the start time of the QA tests have to be changed. If you don't want to do QA work then that's a discussion to have with your manager separately.
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Pre Employment Drug Test for working in another country (GA, USA) So here's the deal. I'm from Canada and last summer I worked for this company and they want to rehire me for this summer but in a different state, Georgia (I believe the testing is for insurance purposes), whereas i was working in a different state last time. Also the company is an IT company. Also I have been smoking weed but have stopped as soon as I found out about this. This time they want me to do a drug test, something I never anticipated, given I live in Canada. The company will have to invest in getting me to USA. So I have two main questions. Will they want me to take a drug test while in Canada or when I arrive in the states (note a drug test is NOT required for the visa J1)? Or what is most likely to happen when companies face this problem of drug testing. If I fail the test, when I get to the States, would they immediately fire me and send me back, even though they invested in getting me there, pay for travel expenses etc. Also I'm hired to do a specific project so sending me back means that project will not be completed until they hire someone else which could take a while for them. So my question is, would they try to find a workaround? Especially when it is in their interest. Also note that the investment of travel, visa etc. has already begun processing. Also note that I read the post (link will be posted soon) regarding this but not my specific situation. What should I do if I think I'll fail a drug test? The reason that this answer isn't sufficient because I am trying to find out answers without asking the employer which could arise suspicion. The question does help me deal with the case if I were to get a failing result but not with what they company would plan to do. Also in my case the company is investing more in me than the asker in the other question mentioned. Thanks in advance. <Q> I imagine that getting drug-tested in Canada will be acceptable, just contact the employer and ask them where the lab should send the results to, usually it would be the company's HR office. <S> In my experience when an employer requires a drug test they either give me a date that I have to do it, or they say it has to be scheduled within 3-5 days. <S> Again I would expect that they want you tested prior to "investing" travel money and other expenses. <S> Also if you fail the test I'm sure any offers will be revoked and you won't be given a position. <S> Any reputable company won't care that you're being hired for a specific job, they would much rather have someone that fits their needs even if it takes longer than have somebody that fails a pre-employment test. <A> Answer <S> That's a matter of company policy/practice, and you should ask the hiring manager (or whoever first told you about the requirement). <S> If it's a pre-employment drug screening, I would guess that they'd have you complete it at a lab wherever you are, before they bring you to Georgia. <S> But you really have to ask them to be sure. <S> If you fail (test positive) before you arrive, they probably won't even bring you down. <S> If they wait until you've arrived to test you and you fail, they'll probably have trouble with their project, but not substantially more trouble than they'd have if you'd failed back in Canada. <S> They'll have spent money on your travel, but that's a risk they accept if they do things this way. <S> (Many companies also pay travel expenses for candidates to get to interviews, even though they obviously don't hire everyone.) <S> A couple notes Part 2 is written on the assumption that you'll be fired/have your offer pulled if you fail. <S> It is possible, however, that they don't care about weed, only hard drugs. <S> Don't count on this, though! <S> Now sounds like a great time to go clean. <S> If they do pay for your travel expenses and then want to get rid of you, that is just their tough luck. <S> If they demand money, say no (unless you have explicitly agreed to recoup their expenses if you fail, which would be pretty weird for them to demand--businesses also spend money on background checks and don't ask people to repay them if they fail). <A> The main thing you need to do is to see how long weed stays in your system, and schedule the test after that amount of time + some "just in case" buffer. <S> If you need to travel to the US for that test, that gives you a lot of leeway to arrange a "convenient" time - because you simply can't miss your sister's wedding tomorrow, your curling tournament the next day <S> (you're Canadian, they'll believe you), and your doctor appointment the day after that. <S> It may be easier and cheaper for everyone if you can take the test in Canada, so it could be worthwhile to ask the company if that is an option for purely practical reasons. <S> Many companies will not care about marijuana, they care that you can test clean when they tell you that you need to test clean. <S> HOWEVER, it does depend on the company and the work <S> they/you do - police, airline pilots, and some other fields require the person to be clean 24/7, and some government contractors have similarly strict requirements. <S> Meth, heroine, and other life-destroying drugs are a different story and no company wants to deal with that.
| When a company schedules a drug test, they are saying "we want to make sure you will stop drugs if it would affect your work", they are NOT saying "we want to make sure you never use drugs".
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How soon is it OK to ask for a raise at a new job? I started a new permanent job (my previous was contracted) back in the beginning of January, I negotiated a salary that was in between their initial offer and my hourly rate from the contract position. However since I started there have been 4 people who quit from my department (20 people or so max in the department including managers) and only 1 new person has been hired. As a result my workload has increased over the past few weeks. I am still in the 90-probationary period (until April 9th) so I want to be careful. I have received great feedback after my 30-day and 60-day reviews and have even been given a special project by the department director that could make a big impact on department efficiency. Would it be acceptable to ask for a higher salary at my 90-day review if I provide proof of the workload and accomplishments? <Q> Yes , it is appropriate to ask. <S> Specifically in your case <S> If you can demonstrate the increased workload <S> You can also demonstrate significant accomplishments <S> There has been a rash employees who have left recently With these factors in mind, you should be able to make a great case. <S> I would however caution you in terms of your chances due to the fact you have only been there for less than 90 days, but definitely worth the ask . <S> At least 50/50 odds IMHO. <A> After over 20 years as a working professional, I can tell you that there is only one consistent rule with regard to raises: If you don't ask, you don't get. <S> Otherwise it's all relative. <S> You have to consider the following: <S> Are you adding sufficient additional value to the company? <S> Is the increase within what that market expects for someone with your job? <S> Would it be difficult to hire someone else to do your job? <S> And most importantly Can you easily quit this job and find another? <S> For example, in my line of work, it could potentially cost an employer $50K (or more) to find someone to replace me, since it takes a new employee about three months to get up to speed. <S> Knowing this, and knowing the market, I have a good idea how much more I could get if I did negotiate a raise. <S> Some times they recognize they're getting a great deal with you <S> and they should pay you more. <S> Some times you have no choice but to strong arm them by threatening to leave if they don't pay you what you think you're worth. <S> But as I said, without taking the initiative, you'll never know. <S> In your particular case I would take the tactic that you're doing a lot more work than you were told you would have to do when you got hired, so you deserve more, and possibly that you feel unappreciated since you've been given more work with no increase in compensation. <S> They will probably respond something to the effect that everyone is working harder, and you're the only one complaining, so why not be like all the others. <S> To which you respond that you can't be responsible for anyone else's career choices, only your own. <S> At the end of the day, one of three things will happen: They will offer a sufficient raise, and you will be happy. <S> They will refuse to give you a raise, and you will accept this and continue to work <S> They will refuse to give you a raise, and you quit. <S> or you never ask, and you never find out what would have happened. <A> No, I don't think you should do this. <S> In general, it's not a good idea to ask for a raise until you've been there at least a year, and asking too early might make you look out-of-touch, or worse, entitled. <S> The fact that you're still in your probationary period makes this even stronger. <S> I hear that you're getting great feedback, but great feedback at your 30-day and 60-day reviews means "You are learning this job well," not <S> "Wow, you are so awesome that we should pay you more than we agreed three months ago." <S> An exception to this is if your job changes so substantially that it's really become a different job, and one <S> you'd have negotiated a higher salary for. <S> But it doesn't sound like that's the case here. <S> You're doing the same job; it just got harder. <S> It doesn't make sense to ask for a raise in that case; otherwise should everyone get a raise every busy season? <S> Should they give you a raise now, and then take it away when they hire more people? <S> If you do well on this project, be sure to bring that up then. <S> And congrats on your new job! <A> I realize you were on contract, so your first day as a full-time employee, you were probably doing more actual work than a typical new employee. <S> If you are being paid a comparable salary and the workload has increased compared to the level at that time (you have documentation?) <S> , you should have a good reason to ask for a raise. <S> Consider waiting until the probation period is over. <S> Make sure your positive evaluations are documented. <S> You are going to be made an offer. <S> You are in a much better position to counter-offer, so have a few values in mind and be able to justify each level. <S> If you know there is going to be a set raise, be prepared to have your documentation about the additional work you're doing. <S> They will say this is "standard" or "company policy" but don't let that end the negotiation. <S> Let them know you feel there is an exception <S> and you think you deserve more. <S> Someone will probably have to get permission from a higher-up in the company. <S> If they really want to keep you, they'll make the effort. <S> This is why it is so important to fully understand what your immediate supervisor expects from you and their current impression on your work. <S> Otherwise, they won't even bother to ask.
| It's better to just keep doing a good job, and ask about a raise after a year. Of course you have to know your boss and the overall company culture.
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Employer's Ethics Policy doesn't allow anonymous whistle-blowing I work for a big multinational company. The on-line "Ethics" training course which everyone has to sit through every couple of years suggests that: If you suspect something unethical or illegal is happening discuss with your manager first, unless you feel that's inappropriate. If that doesn't satisfy you, raise the issue with the global compliance team. You must identify yourself to the team. Your message will be treated as confidential (I'm not sure I believe that). Any anonymous messages will be thrown away without being read . This bit surprised me. Are there good business or legal reasons for deliberately ignoring all anonymous whistle-blowing messages? I realise some messages may be false or malicious. <Q> There is a good business reason for it. <S> Companies that engage in illegal activities do so because it makes them money. <S> People who whistleblow threaten to stop those activities and thus cost the company money. <S> Also, complaints leave paper trails for auditors to find, which is dangerous. <S> Employees who cost the company money in any capacity need to be identified and removed. <S> It is possible this firm in the past had a bunch of malicious reporting that was completely bogus. <S> Obviously investigations cost money and if you're investigating over nothing just for political points, that's costly. <S> But this seems unlikely. <S> The most likely reason is they're an unethical company trying to cover up unethical behaviors with more unethical behaviors. <A> It is much more complicated to follow up on an anonymous tip than it is if you have someone you can contact and get the details from. <S> On top of that if a company fails to act on an accusation of fraud, or illegal activities, they can be held criminally and civilly liable. <S> So lets take this example "anonymous" tip: <S> Bill Jones in billing is double billing some of our customers. <S> So as the compliance department we decide to act on that tip and investigate. <S> However because he is good at hiding it <S> and we do not have specific details we are unable to find any evidence to support the accusation. <S> A year or more down the road a customer figures out what happens and it becomes a big deal. <S> In an attempt to save your job and avoid possible accessory charges you point out that you informed the compliance team. <S> Now the compliance team is implicated because you informed, but they did investigate but found nothing to substantiate the claim. <S> Now if that tip were not anonymous the team could contact you and find out what exactly you think is going on, and follow up. <S> And some actions may require a witness, this is especially true if you are witness to harassment or discrimination. <S> Many times it is impossible to make a case with out someone to act as a witness to the activities in question. <S> There is also a culture of personal responsibility and accountability they may be trying to encourage. <S> This type of culture is especially important in companies where there is a potential for abuse of trust or power. <S> If you feel strongly enough to report the activity then you should be willing to do so with out hiding behind the cover of anonymity. <S> While this culture does not make sense in all environments or industries, there are those where it may. <S> By not allowing for anonymous whistle-blowing, the company is also forcing itself into a higher expectation with regards to whistle-blower protection. <S> Failures on the company's part in this regard will most likely be more heavily punished by regulators, or in civil court. <A> In general, this is unethical. <S> I've worked at several multinational corporations, all of which had hotlines to anonymously report fraud or unethical behavior. <S> We were required to take yearly training on what constitutes the kind of violation that should be reported. <S> The audit committee might not want to make waves until they can verify there is actually suspicious behavior, and not just the appearance of something off.
| From what I've read, however, companies are less likely to investigate anonymous claims, possibly because they are less credible but more likely because it's difficult to follow up on an issue when you can't question the source.
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How to help an overworked boss? I have a manager who is absolutely great. You name it he's got what you want in a boss. He works incredibly long hours though. Typically 6-7 days a week, during the week at least 10 hour days and often late into the night, say work 10-7 then again from 9-11, sometimes he works till 4 or 5am then is back at work the next morning. Weekends he often is working at least 5 hours a day. Normally I wouldn't care too much about his work schedule, if he wants to work its up to him. However, he's told me that in the past he's been hospitalized due to a heart problem from overwork and stress, and he also said in an offhand way working so many hours is damaging his marriage and relationship with his kids. Couple notes on specifics: 1.) A large portion of his work is triaging defects, clarifying requirements, and orchestrating the api's between in a large system. Our team manages a vital service in the overall scheme of things. 2.) Often times he doesn't want to work, but people pull him into discussions when problems arise or they need his input. His boss is very demanding and expects him to respond quickly when asked. 3.) I'm a relative junior to the team so I can help him solve problems, in our service but when it comes to the intersystem problems I don't yet have experience enough to competently fill in for him, particularly when there's an outage and people are scrambling to fix things. 4.) He pulls people from our team as needed to fix problems, but works alongside us as we work. 5.) He's happy with my performance. 6.) Budget is too tight to hire someone else, our team size is around 10 dev, qa, and architect all counted. I'm really afraid something bad will happen to him, another heart attack, or divorce or he just gets tired of it all and quits. Is there anything an employee can do to help an overworked boss? <Q> If he doesn't have to follow up with assignments you're working on it will be one less thing he has on his list. <S> If you find yourself with downtime, ask him what he needs help with. <S> Not only will this help clear his plate, but he will see your drive and interest in growing and developing more skills that are valuable to the company. <S> How much he works is really on him though. <S> His boss might be demanding and expects a lot because he set the standard so high. <S> He worked 50+ hours per week for so long now <S> it's just expected that it's the norm. <A> I understand this all too well. <S> Aside from the health issues, I hate seeing my very good manager pulling out his hair because of how many ways he's being pulled. <S> As said in other comments, you need to start by working to the best of your ability. <S> The faster you take on new projects, the faster they come off of his plate. <S> Only to an extent, however. <S> Users see fast completion as a way to ask for more things, after all. <S> The sad fact is that, as a manager, he's likely well aware of his situation and is ready for it. <S> Maybe he even thrives under the pressure, heart problems notwithstanding. <S> The best YOU can do, imnsho, is offer your assistance. <S> I don't know why people are so against talking to others any more. ^_^ <S> Pull him aside in a more private conversation, let him know that you're seeing him pull out his hair and want to help as much as possible. <S> State to him what you did here, and tell him that you'd like to help. <S> If you want to take the awkward off of this, you can be sly and tell him you'd like to learn as much as possible so that you can take his place when he bumps off (with appropriate exaggerated wink and elbow nudge). <S> Seriously, though, ask for cross-training so that you can be as much assistance to others as possible, and so you can help handle the questions. <S> Don't expect it to be a fast thing, but give him the opportunity and knowledge that you're looking to advance in this direction and why. <S> Good luck! <A> But it never hurts to offer. <S> In the end your manager is responsible for his own career choices. <S> Unfortunately, all too often, good managers quit, good teams get broken up, and great jobs get downsized -- and there's nothing you can do but look for the next great opportunity.
| Few will say "no" if you ask if there's anything you can help them out with, unless there really is nothing you can do. Ultimately there isn't a lot you can do other than finish your work quickly and completely.
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I scared off an internship recruiter by saying I was busy, how do I fix it? A friend of mine put in a good word for me at the tech company he works at, after I expressed interest in an internship there, and an internship recruiter for the company reached out to me by email asking when I can meet for an interview. This was a week ago. Because I'm also a student (which is written on my resume, which the recruiter has) and this is finals time, I said I have very limited availability, and haven't received a response since. I'm worried I scared away the recruiter by implying that the company is low priority to me. To be clear, this is an internship that I'm very enthusiastic about, doing all the things I want to do and expanding my knowledge in all the areas I'd like to pursue. I accidentally implied that the internship isn't important to me, which couldn't be farther from the truth, and now I'm worried I've ruined the opportunity. Can I fix this, and how? <Q> Email them back. <S> Did you mention the fact that it's finals week in your previous communication? <S> If not, do so now, instead of leaving things vague about why you're "busy." <S> Then explain that even though you have limited availability (finals are mandatory after all) that the company is a priority and you would like to find the time to go in for an interview. <S> Finish up with a few times and dates you will be free to get the ball rolling on scheduling. <A> It rarely hurts to be persistent. <S> Even if you did "offend" them by making them think that they should work on your schedule, another email/phone call surely won't hurt. <S> Also, employers WANT their employees to take their education seriously, so there is no shame in mentioning your class schedules, just don't act entitled! <S> If you do want to mention that you are in Finals week, go ahead and do so in the follow up email, but try not to make it seem like an excuse. <S> Don't say something like <S> I wanted to make it clear that my limited availability mentioned in my last email is due to Finals week. <S> but rather, just mention it as an aside, rather than an excuse... <S> I also just wanted to mention that I am currently going through Finals week here at school, so I might not be available at certain times. <S> Good luck, and don't worry too much about things like this. <S> Your persistence will pay off in the end. <A> This isn't how recruiters work. <S> They're not a guy or girl at the bar trying to act half-interested in you so they can ditch you if you flirt with them wrong. <S> They're just trying to fill seats and don't have time to take rejection personally. <S> So if you said no last week just tell them you're interested now and go from there.
| Check to see if there has been any progress on their end and reiterate your interest in the company. You aren't going to burn any bridges by being too persistent, especially at the entry level. Make up some excuse like "I'm a student and had finals" or something.
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Can I work for a client if my company's contract has expired? I work for a small company and they lost the contract with a client. It is a maintenance company. The client wants to hire me but says that the contract states that they cannot. Does anyone know how long this would be in effect for? Is there a standard such as 3 months? Can anyone assist me? <Q> Impossible to say, without intimate knowledge of: <S> The details of the contract your client has with your employer (and whether there is a "no poaching" clause) <S> The details of your contract with your employer (and whether you have a "no compete" clause) Good understanding of the laws in your country/state (since those local laws can determine whether the contracts are enforceable) <S> Even if you ultimately succeed, you or the client might decide that dealing with a lawsuit is more expensive and time consuming than its worth. <S> If you think it might be worth it, consult with a local attorney familiar with employment matters. <A> There is nothing that would forbid you to start working for the client, but there is most likely a contract between your company and the client company, that forbids the client company to hire you. <S> Whether you can do anything about it or not will depend on the country where you are, but quite possibly there is nothing that can be done from your side. <A> As gnasher729 says, it's the client's contract with your company that prevents them hiring you. <S> However be aware that this is a high risk approach. <S> The purpose of such terms is to prevent the client from cancelling the contract and then hiring all its employees to do the same work, cutting your company out. <A> Lots of possibilities, which you will never know because you're not privy to the company contract. <S> Other answers already say this, so I'll just provide a bit of extra insight. <S> Quite possibly, even likely is that they don't want to hire you, they're saying that for reasons of their own, but have no intention of hiring you in reality and the contract is a good excuse. <S> If your current company is losing the contract and you're the one who does the work it makes no sense to hire you in some situations. <S> But it does make sense to try and keep you happy for a bit so they can get everything terminated happily and cleanly.
| You might be able to negotiate your way out of it with your company, getting your company to release the client from the deal.
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Multiple stage interview: is it correct to ask how many stages are remaining? I am doing an interview for a Research Engineer position in a startup. I have already passed a phase that implied a long test and two coding projects rather time consuming. Now I have been sent an email saying I pass to the next round which consists in doing another even longer programming project. I am very tempted to ask in which phase of the interview process I am, since my efforts will vary depending on. For example if it is stage 3/7 and there are another 200 candidates on this phase I can infer that they were not very selective with my previous submissions, a situation very different to the case it was the final stage before the in-place interview. Is it an impolite question? <Q> Impolite question? <S> It sounds to be like this employer is being rather inconsiderate with their candidates' time. <S> If I were you, I would ask them to lay out the entire interview process, from start to finish. <S> After all, they are not paying you to invest all this effort. <S> Companies usually do not like to admit it, but they do gain valuable information from their candidates about the state of the labor market and how their competitors' employees perceive their company. <S> Do not let them string you along. <S> If you do not feel that the interview process is progressing at a fair and reasonable pace, look elsewhere. <A> Is it an impolite question? <S> That depends on how you ask it. <S> " <S> Can you give me an overview of the interview/hiring process at _____ Company? <S> " is perfectly reasonable, where "So, how much longer is this going to take?" will probably go over poorly. <S> I have already passed a phase that implied a long test and two coding projects rather time consuming. <S> Now I have been sent an email saying I pass to the next round which consists in doing another even longer programming project. <S> Don't forget that you're interviewing the company just as much as they're interviewing you. <S> If they don't respect your time now (and mentioning "rather time consuming" coding projects suggests they don't), it's only going to get worse once they're actually paying you. <A> Is it an impolite question? <S> It's probably not impolite. <S> But you don't want it to come across with the same tone as appears to be inherent in your question ("my efforts will vary depending on [the phase].") <S> If the interviewer senses that you aren't bothering to put a best effort into the interview, you will almost certainly "lose points". <S> And if your approach is that you won't try as hard depending on the phase, it will be hard to hide that attitude. <S> But you might be better served not to worry about the phase and just put forth your best effort each time in hopes of landing a great job. <S> And if this job isn't worth that effort, maybe this isn't the job for you.
| Ask if you feel you must. It's a completely reasonable question to ask, you just need to not be a jerk when you ask it.
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Interview question: What do you want? I am a software engineer and I usually get this question and the end of a long interview process. After hours of tough technical sessions, by the end of the day I'm ready to go home and decompress. Yes, if I've done well on the coding tests, I usually have a manager come in and say "relax, no more coding questions, I just want to have a chat." Whereupon follows a set of open-ended questions with no right answers. The king of these is "what do you want," or "what are you looking for in your next job" type. Are these money questions, or questions about what motivates me, or something else? How do I answer them? <Q> what are you looking for in your next job? <S> This is NOT about money, this is about what kind of challenge you are looking for. <S> The company will be looking to you to tick the boxes about how the job you've been interviewing for will give you the things you want <S> so you'll be happy taking the role, <S> will not see it a boring (as you can do it in your sleep), and not be looking for promotion/next job in the next few months. <S> So you need to provide a good answer to this, or you won't get the job (as it looks like you've found out). <S> It should be a natural progression for you to move into this role, come across as it being too simple (or too much of a leap), and they'll look for someone else. <A> These are soft skills questions. <S> The way I see it, they want you tell a story, where you came from, where you see yourself going to and what would be your involvement in the company in the process. <S> They are no usually money related, but it is an opportunity for you to explain what contributions you bring to the table and <S> how you see the company benefit from you working there. <S> It also tests your capacity to communicate. <A> These are questions to judge you as a potential worker for fitness in their team and your role. <S> Best way to answer is along the theme of how well suited the role you are applying for is. <S> Don't go into future aspirations too much. <S> Focus on the here <S> and now and a few years on and all in the context of you getting the job. <S> Gain experience, get ahead, work on interesting projects, anything like that that fits the role. <A> Basically, they want to know if you actually want/would like the job. <S> It's expensive to hire and train people only to have them quit three months later, so they have an incentive to know if the job's actually a good fit for you. <S> Besides, engaged workers are consistently better workers and easier to get along with. <S> If you hate your job, that'll be reflected in your performance, initiative, work quality, motivation, and morale. <S> Even worse, bad morale can be "contagious." <S> A third reason they want to know is so they can know how likely you are to take a job if they make an offer. <A> what are you looking for in your next job? <S> I see this as a cultural fit question, and to answer it I would take the reasons you want to leave your current job and restate it as a positive. <S> For example, a few jobs ago I was unhappy about our (lack of) development process and how every release went out late. <S> What I was looking for in my next job was a company with more structure and discipline, where I could feel proud of what my team built instead of embarassed that we were delivering late again . <S> I believe they're asking what kind of company/development process/team you want to work in. <S> Personally I would be completely honest about what I want in a job because I think it's a waste of time to take a job where I would just be unhappy. <S> On the other hand, if you really just need a job right now you may want to focus less on your ideal job and more on convincing that company you want their job. <S> You can do that by figuring out what kind of company they are (a little research before applying and asking questions of your own throughout the interview process helps here) and then saying you want to work at that kind of company.
| You need to show how the points they've raised in the interview (along with their company aims) align with you aims, so you look like a natural fit in the particular role they want filled.
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How to win a promotion my mentor is interested in? I am joining a new company as senior software developer. The team consists of another 4 developers, 1 of whom is a senior developer, say his name is X. The senior developer will be my mentor and coach. He will supervise my onboarding program, and most likely give feedback on my probation period. I just learned that this guy, is very interested in becoming a team lead, which is the same position I joined this company for: the job title was "Senior developer with potential to become team lead". X, to me is a very competent. However, I am in situation, where I have to compete with the person who is going to show me stuff, and teach me things. Although in total I have more experience than him. In this company's environment, he is far ahead of me. He has been there for almost 4 years. Technically, he is much more familiar with tech stack that is being used. In fact, he witnessed how this stack has been developed. I personally think he is in a very advantageous position over me. However, I am determined to not give up, (without screwing up things). My question, what are the Dos and Don'ts that would help me to succeed in such an odd competition, given I am just starting. <Q> Other than in exceptional circumstances, you're not going to get a promotion within weeks of starting a new role. <S> You're not "competing" with your mentor for this role as it's just too early for you. <S> Stop worrying about about this team lead and make sure you do the very best <S> you can in your first weeks <S> in your new job: there's no way you're ever going to get a team lead role until you can first show that you are over performing as a developer. <A> For a start - get your feet under the table. <S> You need to be in a company for at least a year before thinking about promotion. <S> You do not know them. <S> They do not know you. <S> So just spend the effort in getting to know the technology and the company. <S> Then think about promotion. <A> tl;dr: " <S> Team lead" is not a role that goes automatically to the most skilled developer. <S> To be a good team lead, you need a number of softer skills and attributes - an ability to nagivate the office politics and deal with higher management, a knowledge of the wider workings of the company beyond the immediate coding, the trust of the team members, the ability to support your team and apply discipline sensitively, the willingness to step back from development and take on less enjoyable tasks when required. <S> You probably weren't judged on those in your interview and in some cases there is simply no way you can have the required knowledge until you've spent some time there. <S> But you might reflect first whether you really want the responsibilities of the lead role, or just the status or extra pay you think it brings (which it often doesn't, in any case). <A> But once they promote him to Team Lead, my chance is lost for years to come. <S> Yes, that potential probably meant in years to come. <S> You are acting ruthlessly. <S> I would not at all trust you to be on my team lead because you feel entitled to it in your first few months. <S> The person you have declared yourself to be in competition with likely has a functioning amount of respect and trust from all of the teammates. <S> Also it's a really weird goal . <S> Team lead is usually about the same pay and responsibilities as a senior developer. <S> Senior developers move in and out of team lead roles as they are needed. <S> Owning a big project under a team lead is more complex and rewarding than owning a team whose projects are all smaller. <S> This in turn is why I feel you are being ruthless.
| The only way you will get to be team lead at this company is to become a integral part of a team first and earn the respect of your peers. If you try to usurp your own mentor as soon as you join, then it's unlikely that you'll be seen as a team player - and you'll be hurting your chances of ever becoming the lead when the next vacancy comes along.
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How to find out why a company has an odd hiring pattern A local company has been advertising continuously for the same job (on Stack Overflow Jobs and elsewhere) as well as periodically advertising for various junior-level jobs for at least a year. Is there a way to know whether this is due to legitimate growth or some other more serious problem (being disorganized in their hiring, overly selective, experiencing high turnover, people being unwilling to take the job after interviewing, etc.)? <Q> Many large companies have generic postings for different teams. <S> For example there might be a web team, a mobile team, an internal apps team and a dev ops team. <S> For entry level positions they're mostly going to be the same. <S> Some coding, some scripting, CS degree helpful, etc. <S> Also, many shops have hundreds of developers. <S> So, even with low turnover rates they're always looking for new candidates. <S> And some are always willing to pay to keep the door open to rockstars when they come through. <S> It's unlikely that they've been holding out for 10 months trying to find the right person to fill their team. <S> They're most likely casting a large, wide net. <A> If you are otherwise interested in the job, you can just apply and ask in the interview, if you don't experience the reason beforehand. <S> For software developers, which is what it sounds like you're referring to, it just is really hard to find even basically competent developers. <S> The term "negative unemployment" is often used, meaning there are more jobs than qualified applicants. <S> So if you need, say, six developers for a position, it can take a very long time to fill all of those positions, and six isn't that many. <S> My experience is working in a small contracting company that was constantly hiring (and growing). <S> We contracted to Fortune 500 companies for positions that they were also trying fill with full-time employees of their own. <S> We had difficulty having enough people to fill all their open positions, and they had difficulty filling those positions at all. <S> And this was in the city with the highest number of software developers per capita in the world. <S> My impression is that the market is out of equilibrium. <S> You also have people turning down offers because they over-estimate their own value. <S> They see a market rate of $150,000 and assume that they should get at least that. <S> There is a return on investment for developers, and it varies wildly depending on the quality of the developer. <S> To restate it, employers aren't always accepting of the fact the same quality developer just is more expensive now, while employees are often assuming that they are worth <S> these high salaries just for showing up. <A> There is no way to tell without inside information. <S> I know companies who continually advertise for roles on nothing more than speculation and perhaps to keep employees on their toes or some other reason. <S> The roles don't actually exist, they would need to sack someone to open up the position they're advertising for and they haven't expanded in a decade. <S> Other companies have a high turnover or are expanding and advertise legitimate positions.
| So besides growth, you do have effectively a bit of being "overly selective" in the form of hiring managers who have a hard time giving someone a $150,000 salary, say, when they have a (genuinely) equally competent employee earning only $100,000. There is no way to tell without applying.
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Did I mishandle this difficult situation? I used to be part of a team of four people. One was the manager, the other three developers. The manager is/was my mentor and has always kept me under his wing, which I truly appreciate. Over the last few years the team has dissolved, primarily due to one person leaving for personal reasons (left organization) and the last team member eventually moved to another internal position. My manager became a Director but kept me as his direct employee because I'm a good problem solver and he wanted someone that he could assign to fires that he couldn't handle (a black bag man, in his words). Eventually I ended up in a windowless office (this isn't a punishment or anything, it's just lonely tbh, even though I am very involved in office events such as organizing parties and internal employee sponsored studies. The point is I'm social, but isolated at the same time) in the System Engineering area of the IS department. I have no team, and no real manager in the sense of any weekly meetings and/or directions or plans. Eventually, another Director starts "becoming" my manager. I say "becoming" because it just kind of happened, there was no official discussion or anything like that this person would be by manager, they just slowly began directing parts of my work. The problem with this is obvious - I am now getting input from two separate high level people, input which often differs in scope and direction. I have no team, I have no manager who can help and guide me. And to be perfectly honest, cute situation has been grinding me down, my work has begun to suffer in my personal opinion , but I still received good reviews and bonuses. All that brings me to my question: I ended up speaking to both Directors about how I feel. I spoke to the non-Mentor director about how I felt isolated and confused due to incoming information and without support. I admit that I was a little emotional in the sense that it was obvious the situation was really bothering me and I had to discuss it with someone who I work with frequently. After this conversation I spoke to my mentor and immediately explained that I had had this conversation with the other Director. I feel that I handled the situation incorrectly, although I was honest, calm, respectful and polite . Although I feel I have to walk softly in order to protect myself and not also start some flame war between Directors (and possible future VPs). What would have been the best way to handle something like this? Note: my organization employs 4000 people and has an HR department. One of the people in this little drama (not me) is in a relationship with the person who runs the HR department. I can also see the writing on the wall and have already begun applying for new positions, internal and external. Office politics are confusing to me and I don't want be involved, but didn't know how to handle the situation. Thanks! <Q> If you've not been formally told that you have a new manager, then it's reasonable to assume that you don't. <S> - ask him whose direction you should follow. <S> Hopefully that would end up with the new manager being told to back off, or with him formally becoming your manager. <S> Either way you would now know how you should deal with conflicting requests. <S> If you want a change in your role or working conditions then I suggest being clear with yourself what it is that you are after, and then asking for a meeting with your manager (the mentor) and asking if your role can be changed to meet those requirements. <A> I feel that I handled the situation incorrectly, although I was honest, calm, respectful and polite . <S> Although I feel I have to walk softly in order to protect myself and not also start some flame war between Directors (and possible future VPs). <S> You've said nothing here that would lead me to believe you handled the situation incorrectly per-se - you've been honest with both managers, spoken about it and now the ball is in their court to come back to you with a solution. <S> Unless there's other factors at play here you haven't mentioned, there's no reason this should cause any animosity. <S> It strikes me that you've let a reasonably simple situation become a massive burden, and as such you may be over worrying here. <S> The only thing I'd suggest (with hindsight) is that you should have probably kept both managers in the loop over the situation as it was occurring. <A> If the input overlaps on active work and conflicts, it is not likely your job to juggle that. <S> If you find it is your informal job, if it were me, I would muddle through until one of them advances past the other or seek employment elsewhere. <S> Less long-term approach: <S> You may consider requesting a meeting if the scope or problem statement from the two differs. <S> This will allow them to hash it out, and for the three of you to be exposed to one another in the same setting so that a natural pecking order forms between them and you do not feel tugged around. <S> They are your superiors in the workplace, so you will be stepping on eggshells if you allow yourself to be the arbiter of outcomes that leads to an imbalance between them.
| My advice when you started getting conflicting requests would have been to discuss that with your manager (the mentor) It sounds very much like you waited for it to become unbearable before raising an issue, and that's never a good thing. I don't see that there is any need to immediately start looking for a new job.
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How do I talk to my supervisor about my raise being too small? I just received my first paycheck after my company's annual merit based raises went out this year. A few months ago we did self evaluations and had reviews with our supervisors to discuss them. These reviews/evaluations directly related to how much of a raise we would get. My review was glowing. Not a single point was brought up against me in any capacity and my "addition to the company has greatly improved the efficiency of the team and the global studio as a whole." This was reflected, however, in a very small raise. For a little background, I work for a company that has 3 large locations globally, 2 of which are in the US. I am the only person in my position at my location, but our department (software) frequently works closely with the other offices since company software is something of a global effort. After speaking with my colleagues in my position in the other office, I found out that I am not only the most senior person in this role, I am also the least paid (and I happen to be living in the location that has a higher cost of living). I thought if the raises had some sort of cap, or if there was a reason why my raise was so low, it would be justifiable. But given the facts, this seems to be an issue that I should bring up to my supervisor. I'm just not sure how to bring it up in a way that doesn't seem ungrateful for the raise that was already given, etc. How does one start this type of conversation without seeming too aggressive? Or is aggressive what I should go for? Should we just talk about it and see where the chips fall, or should I be giving a hard number?Maybe 'aggressive' is poor word choice. I just feel like I am underappreciated now given the circumstances. More background: this is my first "real" job and I've only ever had salary discussions during the hiring process for this same job. <Q> (if you can determine that).Assuming your boss is named "Joe", then I would knock, walk into his office toward the end of the day and say,"Hey, Joe, if you're not to busy do you have a moment to talk?"Assuming he says "Yes" then say. <S> "Its <S> about my recent pay raise. <S> I feel I have improved and helped the company much by [state all your accomplishments] and I am a senior member of the staff. <S> Do you think you can help me out here and reward me with a higher raise? <S> [have a percentage or dollar amount in mind <S> just in case he asks how much]. <S> All he can do is say "no" to which you say "thank you" for taking the time to talk to you. <S> If he says "no" that he's busy, try again next Friday. <S> Like it has been said, if you don't ask, they won't give it to you. <S> Hope that helps. <A> You are mixing up two different things. <S> 1) <S> Your annual raise. <S> 2) <S> Your hourly wage. <S> You were not content with your hourly wage in comparison to your co-workers, expected the raise to fix it and were disappointed that it didn't. <S> This is not how it works. <S> The person deciding the annual raise might not even have a clue about your hourly wage or your performance. <S> The annual raise is also usually not used to diminish offsets between co-workers (quite the contrary, percentage-based raises increase the offset). <S> There is also usually no clear-cut correlation between a review and the percentage value over the years - <S> if it's a good year for the company, raises will be better, if it's a bad year raises will be lower (if at all), no matter what your individual performance was. <S> 3.5% for one year is a decent raise. <S> Now - that your hourly wage is lower than that of your co-workers is a completely separate issue and you should handle it like a separate issue. <A> You need to use a POSITIVE approach. <S> "Mr Boss, thank you for the raise I received this year. <S> What can I do going forward to get at least that much - or even better - <S> more next year? <S> " <S> That way, instead of coming across as complaining, you come across as wanting to improve. <S> That should be enough to open the conversation as to how raises are determined and how they are distributed, giving you a chance to ask questions, etc. <A> You can't get something if you don't ask for it. <S> All they do is say no. <S> If you allow yourself to be undervalued, it will affect your work performance and your attitude towards the firm you are working for. <S> They are just being businessmen, trying to get by as cheaply as they can, but if they value your contribution, you have a good chance of being rewarded. <S> But only if you ask first. <A> Before anything else, this is a sales question. <S> There are tons of variables. <S> Is your direct superior able to approve a raise without sending it to a committee for approval? <S> If not, who is? <S> Before we can find the right raise strategy for you, we need to figure out a few things. <S> How do we convince someone in power to use their political capital to get you a raise? <S> How do we simplify the process if needed to get the person in power through red tape easily? <S> Is the company culture data/process driven or intuition/relationship driven? <S> Based on these and related questions, the answer most likely to succeed in getting you a raise is different. <S> There are also two reasons you've implied to want additional pay; you need more financial freedom to do your best work or your contribution is not reflected in the pay. <S> Do as a salesperson does. <S> Analyze the situation, find the right strategy, and go for the close. <S> If your organization is data driven, look for metrics that prove out your value and show on paper the discrepancy between your portion of the output and the reflected pay. <S> If the organization does what 'feels right,' wait while you work on a big win. <S> On the day everyone is celebrating, pull the boss aside. <S> Whichever way you went, put pressure on them based on the reason for increase you want to push. <S> Boss, I'm killing it; just imagine what I could do if I could devote more energy to helping the business succeed instead of worrying as much about bills." <S> "Boss, the numbers show I'm a top performer. <S> How can you help me get my pay to reflect that?" <S> Find your strategy. <S> Put the pieces together. <S> Regardless, make sure that whatever strategy you go with aligns with yourself, your superior, and your company. <S> Your recent win or documented record of past value can be a tool for them to argue on your behalf. <S> If it takes them a while, it doesn't hurt to personally intervene and make an impression on the red tape people. <S> Good luck!
| If you think you deserve more money, ask for it. Go to your boss's office preferable on a Friday and preferably when he hasn't had a bad day
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Is it bad form to apply to a job twice? A friend of mine sent me a job posting. I read the description, did some checking, and discovered that two months ago I had applied on Indeed.com to a job at the same company, that used the exact same job description. This could be the same job, unfilled until now; or it could be a second opening for the same position. Perhaps they suspended the search to fill the job, and started over. In any case, they have my resume. This time, however, my friend knows the recruiter and has given me her contact info. He recommends that I send my resume to her, mention that he referred me, and say how much I'd like the job. But if there's a chance that she somehow remembers my previous application, won't this seem pushy? I didn't get a call back, after all. UPDATE: I took your advice and sent my resume to the recruiter. Now I have a phone interview scheduled with the company. Clearly I was too timid, and having a referral helped. Thanks, all. <Q> Two months in between sounds very much like they didn't find a suitable candidate in the last round and have gone back out to market. <S> It won't hurt to reapply, <S> if it is the case that they have decided to have another round, then perhaps they will re-evaluate their requirements. <S> Even if they've held it open to applications for all this time, then they obviously haven't found someone that they're satisfied with, especially if you didn't get any notification of being unsuccessful in your previous application. <S> Otherwise, you probably didn't lose much time doing the application, just see what happens. <S> You never know :) <A> Absolutely not. <S> I did this and got the job. <A> I think it's fine. <S> Especially if it's been a few month. <S> You can possibly login to your online account with the company and withdraw your previous application. <S> If this is a large company where each opening gets hundreds of applicants its possible that your first application was never reviewed anyway. <S> I was in a similar situation once, except I had no referral for the second time either. <S> I had just made some modifications to my resume and I felt like it showcased my skills better <S> so I sent it over. <S> I got a call for an interview shortly afterward <S> so they obviously didn't mind.
| Circumstances change and applying a second time could look enthusiastic, which is a quality employers value.
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Does having a Linkedin with no connections reflect badly on me? A few months ago I made a LinkedIn profile and filled it in with my skills and work experience. I didn't, however, get around to adding all my coworkers and currently only have one connection. There was a career's expo at my uni a couple weeks ago, which I attended and sent my resume in to a company I was interested in. The resume did not contain a link to my LinkedIn profile. I checked my LinkedIn today and saw that about a week ago, the HR manager from the company found and viewed my profile. For context, I'm a computer engineering student and most of my classmates don't have a LI presence either. I feel like the fact that HR manager decided to check my profile is a good sign considering that the company probably got hundreds of resumes sent in, but I'm concerned that she might have been turned off by me having pretty much no connections. Somehow I feel like having no profile at all would have made me look less antisocial. Am I overthinking this? <Q> The fact that they spend their precious time to look for you on social media is a positive sign. <S> Does having a Linkedin with no connections reflect badly on me? <S> YES, If you are a professional with N years of working experience. <S> However, for your case it's perfectly fine, as you are a fresh graduate and you just created your account couple of month ago. <S> They are not expecting to see C level people in your connections. <S> Am I overthinking this? <S> Yes, you are. <S> Instead, give them a call (Not an email) a week after you apply, and follow up with them. <S> This shows your interest and enthusiasm. <A> Profiles that don't show any connections often look fake. <S> Thus, as long as you've taken the first step by setting your profile up, go ahead and start connecting with people. Consider reaching out to other students in your major. <S> I wish I'd done this because I've lost track of people without meaning to do so. <S> You can also consider family members, neighbors, professors, etc. <S> By getting your network started, you'll look as though you have the social skills that matter in the workplace. <A> You have as many connections on your linkedin account as you like. <S> There are "hunters and gatherers" who will connect to anyone. <S> And there are people who pick who they connect to. <S> I only connect to people that I know personally reasonably well. <S> People who could in principle be asked about me and would be able to recommend me. <S> Lots of them have connections to other people who I have never met - I don't connect to those. <S> If I did, these people would have connections that I must definitely have never met. <S> And there are those who use second hand or third hand connections to make up the numbers. <S> As I said, as many connections as you like. <S> However, you can have information about what you have done in the past, basically a CV. <S> And many recruiters check your linkedin (and facebook, and twitter etc. <S> accounts) to check if there are any signs of outright stupidity and unprofessionality. <S> If you post on facebook how you got slaughtered on the weekend, or what idiots you have to work with right now, that's something that will influence the recruiters decision.
| This might indicate you don't have a good social and communication skills.
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How to deal with a colleague being rude to the customer during meetings? I have a colleague in a different department that I perceive to be rude and unnecessarily confrontational in customer interactions. A representative of this department has to be present in customer meetings and will usually chair them. It is not on me (or anyone in my department) to decide who from the other department will participate in these customer meetings. I feel that the behaviour of this particular colleague leaves a bad impression with the customer due to creating an unnecessarily hostile atmosphere. Are there any strategies to improve the situation, when I find myself in a customer meeting chaired by him? How do I avoid that we, as a company, leave a bad impression with the customer? Note: Escalating to management will not solve the problem immediately, since this is a different department. I am hence looking for ideas what I personally can do to improve those meetings while my manager is dealing with it. For the sake of the question, please assume that my perception of these meetings is correct and it is indeed not in my company's interest to behave like that towards the customer. <Q> This issue has already been addressed with my manager, who will deal with. <S> There's nothing more to be done on your behalf. <S> You can only control how professional you act and those who you have authority over. <S> His authority has been notified, you can only hope that it will be tackled there. <S> Giving it any more thoughts is simply a waste of time since you have no authority over this person. <S> You should probably only do this if you think this person will respect your opinion and take you seriously and hope it gets fixed right there. <S> Whatever you do, don't make a scene in front of the customer. <S> Act professional at all cost. <A> Are there any strategies to improve the situation, when I find myself in a customer meeting chaired by him? <S> How do I avoid that we, as a company, leave a bad impression with the customer? <S> You wrote earlier "This issue has already been addressed with my manager, who will deal with it." <S> So let your manager deal with it. <S> If necessary ask your manager how you should act in a customer meeting should this happen again. <S> The last thing you want to do would be to take action on your own that would undermine your manager. <S> It's possible your manager and your rude colleague's manager are already handling the situation and anything you do on your own might make things worse. <S> You have already addressed the issue properly (with your manager). <S> Don't overstep your bounds here. <A> Take lead if you can. <S> Publish an agenda. <S> Tell a customer to cancel a request? <S> A much better approach is "At this point we are not able to reproduce the bug. <S> We cannot fix it until we can reproduce it." <S> It is frustrating when a user just says wrong answer and does not give you the steps to reproduce it. <S> But need to work through it. <S> Some times it is environmental. <S> Start some informal chit chat before the meeting. <S> Sit near the customer.
| If in doubt, let your manager handle the situation. However, if you were to encounter a similar scenario in the future and you think it's critical to have something done right away you can always try to request a five minute break during the meeting and during that break talk to this co-worker in private and point out to him that you have a feeling that the current conversation is dangerous towards the company's business relationship with this customer.
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Is there a law about sick days without medical certificate in Germany? Aside of what is written on a job-contract, I would like to know if there is in Germany a general rule or law, that enables a worker to be sick for some days without having to bring to work a medical certificate stating he was in fact sick. <Q> The relevant law ( Entgeltfortzahlungsgesetz - § 5 Anzeige- und Nachweispflichten ) says that: a medical certificate ( Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung ) is required for a sickness of more than three calender days additionally, an employer may request the certificate sooner (including for the first day) if they want to <S> In practice, most employers will allow one or two sick days without a certificate. <S> That should be mentioned in the employee handbook or similar. <S> Note that employers may request a certificate on the first day, for all employees or just for particular ones, so make absolutely sure you know the rules of your employer. <S> Also note that the employer must receive the certificate the day after it is due. <S> So if your employer allows two days of sickness without certificate, you must get the certificate on the third day at the latest (unless you are ok again), to send it immediately so it arrives the same day. <S> Not all employers will insist on this, but they can if they want to, so it is better to play it safe. <S> Ideally, you send in the physical paper certificate, or deliver it personally. <S> If you cannot get the physical certificate to the employer in time, you can send it by fax or by email to satisfy the official time limit ( <S> source: lawyer's advice ). <S> You must still send the paper certificate, too, so it arrives as soon as possible. <S> And finally, note that you must notify (by telephone, email or similar) <S> your employer immediately (as in: as soon as you are physically able to) when you fall ill. <S> This is independent of whether or not you later go to the doctor. <A> I will try to answer the question a bit more broadly, maybe we can keep it around in someway. <S> If it states that you have to bring a doctors note from day one, you have to do it. <S> Otherwise you tread on dangerous grounds even if the general rule is you only need to bring it on day 3. <S> If the company wants you out they have their excuse ready and since you have a signed contract saying something different you are on the short side. <S> Why do companies give you the benefit of the doubt ? <S> First visiting the doctor for something mundane as a bad stomach is rather pointless. <S> We all know how to treat those minor stuff. <S> Secondly if we do visit the doctor, at least in my experience, I will be sent home for atleast a week. <S> Most companies want to avoid that since they still have to pay you. <S> (In germany up to 6 weeks, after that the "Krankenkasse"(health care system) starts paying you partialy. <S> ~ <S> However, you should never try to cheat that system. <S> There is no need for you to stay at home when you call in sick, however, if you said you got explsoive diareh and visit the cinema next to your workplace for 2 hours straight, you will be in trouble. <S> Personally I can call in for 3 days straight, however I always bring a doctors note if I am more than one day at home. <S> Also never forget that people notice patterns easy: <S> "Hey look its friday, guess who is sick again? <S> " Even if you are really ill, better avoid those rumors at all costs. <S> always . <S> Trust has to be earned. <S> Don't be that guy. <A> This has already been said, but to make my answer complete: Usually, most employers allow you to call in sick for 3 days before requiring a certificate. <S> This is also the legal standard, if nothing else is explicitly demanded by your contractor. <S> Your employer can demand that you give a certificate earlier, even for any sickness day. <S> This does not require a reason, but it can't be to harass or discriminate someone. <S> E.g. demanding it from all employees is fine, as is demanding it from those who are often away sick. <S> Demanding it only from women is not. <S> Finally, something many people are not aware of: weekends count! <S> If you call in sick on Friday and are still sick on Monday, this will count as your fourth day and you will need to go to the doctor.
| If you are new at the company, always get a doctors note. A lot of companies allow you to call in sick for 2/3 days without a notice from a doctor, however it comes down to what is in your contract .
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Interviewer asks me to check out their stack I recently interviewed for a company and after the interview I sent a thank you email to the interviewer. He replied saying they are going to interview a few more people but I did a good job and I could get started by reading some articles to familiarize myself with their stack. If he is asking me to learn more about the company does that mean I got the job? But if I did, why would he still be interviewing more people? <Q> This is a common theme for employers. <S> They want you to be up to speed as much as possible so you don't waste time <S> Employers are not in it for your feelings, they want the best possible person. <S> The fact they said that means they're optimistic about you, but if they find a better candidate they will most likely go for them. <S> Before any interview you should look at the company, their website, understand their stack, etc. <S> Employers also want you to not look for other work if they like you, so they will try to lead you on even if they have only a slight intention of having you employed. <S> My suggestion: <S> Spend 5-10 minutes on their site and quickly jot some notes down on it and the stack they use, then keep looking at jobs. <S> Don't stop looking until you get your job. <S> And, before your next interview, spend time on the next companies site, and learning their stack. <S> It gives you more ammunition for the interview, and let's you focus on specific points, especially if they have mission statements and values. <A> His comment might simply mean that they're hiring a bunch of people and you're one of them, however that's just guesswork. <S> You don't have a job until you've signed a contract confirming it. <S> As for "familiarizing yourself with their stack" ... that's what you do once you've been hired. <S> Why would you do a bunch of work without getting reimbursed for it? <S> (presumably you already know what they use in their shop because you've interviewed for the job <S> , I'm talking about actually getting started on tutorials for those technologies which you might not be too familiar with) Keep looking, and don't count on anything until you have a contract in hand. <A> What it means is that you are not eliminated from consideration and he feels you are a strong candidate. <S> It is very rare for a company to find someone they like and then cancel all existing scheduled interviews. <A> Most cynically: He thinks that if you do some work for free before you start, it will be good for him, and if he doesn't hire you, it won't have mattered to him anyway. <S> Still pretty cynically: be ready for further technical questions, possibly off the cuff. <S> Showing you are familiar with these technologies - more than the other candidates - may make a big difference. <S> It's your choice how much prep work you want to put into this interview process. <S> If you really want the job and have time then work harder. <S> Et cetera.
| He is interviewing more because he has interviews scheduled and some of them might be better candidates than you are. Having knowledge of who they are, what they do, why they do it, the principals they stand for, mission statements etc. are all critically important for some employers.
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How do I interpret my mentor's behaviour? I joined a software company as an intern a few months back. After work hours, I study online about various topics which are related to programming but don't directly relate to my work. My mentor(to whom I am assigned to only a couple of weeks back) observed this and started asking me questions like "Don't you feel that work is challenging?". Also, after I completed some tasks, he started asking me questions like "Are these tasks challenging or should I give more?". During one of the informal discussions with his colleagues(I was also there), he said to one of the members that I feel like I am not given work that matches my skill level. He also sarcastically mentioned that I study all the time. I tried asking him why he asked such questions privately and he remained silent about it, not replying to my messages. What do I make of this? How do I tell him softly not to make such remarks? <Q> Also, after I completed some tasks, he started asking me questions like "Are these tasks challenging or should I give more?". <S> This sounds like a personal insecurity to me. <S> Often, when I was first teaching, I asked students whether or not they thought I was moving too fast or slow, because I had no idea what pacing would be beneficial. <S> I kept this practice every year, and it seemed to help me and the students to get the most out of class. <S> I could change pace based on the majority of responses and adjust for slower/faster students individually. <S> I tried asking him why he asked such questions privately <S> and he remained silent about it, not replying to my messages. <S> These sorts of questions should be asked face-to-face, especially if he is your mentor. <S> Don't go into it looking for conflict, either. <S> "I wonder if you have any suggestions about my performance and what I should or shouldn't be doing? <S> Do you find my studying to be a problem, or my completion of tasks adequate? <S> " If you approach it as questions that will help you, you're likely to get a much more positive and useful response. <S> If, after you approach this with him, you still feel he's not providing guidance, you can speak to whomever is your intern sponsor and let them know that you're concerned with his silence on subjects which could help you fit in better or learn your position faster. <S> Don't make it about him, simply say you would like to get the most out of training. <S> The point of internship is to learn, and you can't learn if you don't ask questions. <S> You can't rely on messages to gauge the response to some of those questions, human inflection, body language and the like are required to make a reasonable decision about what they say. <S> "I think you should be fine" can be said sarcastically or heartfelt, and you can't tell one from the other in a message. <S> Good luck on the internship, and make sure to take control of the situation and make it a positive experience for yourself. <A> When you say "observed" this about your after hours tasks, I'm inferring it to mean that you brought it up in conversation. <S> How else could he "observe" it? <S> Likely he brought it up because he feels it seems a concern to you. <S> Even from the slightly negative tone I'm inferring from your post regarding your mentor's response, I think he's acting positively in your favor. <S> I've always been lucky with managers who care if my work is satisfying. <S> He may wish to keep you on the team after the internship. <S> I would take this as an opportunity to take up new tasks at your work if you wish. <S> If he really is, discuss potential tasks that have the ability to grow your technical skills. <S> Otherwise, tell him you feel very content at what you're currently being put on and his comments should subside. <A> For software companies, "challenging work" is often a key metric for how well-managed an employee is. <S> For example: are they bored and likely to move elsewhere? <S> are they adding less value to the company than they could? <S> are they blocked from progressing much of the time? <S> are they politicking and empire-building when they should be working? <S> These are all things a company needs to spot quickly, but for various reasons employees don't tell their managers about. <S> By asking whether your work is "challenging" (or "interesting"), they can cover all these issues in one question. <S> At a guess, it sounds like your mentor finds it hard to read your state of mind, but sees your extra study and worries it might be a bad sign. <S> Do your meetings provide opportunities to talk about the parts of the job you're enjoying? <S> Can you explain to him succinctly why your current arrangement is better than one with more challenging work? <S> If he were to give you something so challenging it displaced your other studies, how would you feel about that? <S> In short, more communication about the good stuff will probably ease his fears about the rest.
| Ask your mentor if he is concerned that you are not being challenged at work.
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How bad is it to decline an offer weeks after you accept it? I have an offer from a decent company (A) for senior level position, and I have been holding on to the offer for a week now. However, I am also in the process of talking to another company (B), which is super top tier and I think I have less than 30% of getting in. The interview process with company B can take another 3-5 weeks. I would definitely lose my offer from company A if I wait for another 3 weeks, and I don't want to lose it. Company B does not need to counter offer because they won't know about A. So is it a good idea to just simply accept the offer from company A, and continue to engage with company B? If I do make it to B, then I will simply decline or resign from A and join B. If I don't make it to B, then nothing happens. Is there any problem with my approach? <Q> My answer might be a little different to what people would usually do, but I personally try not to do to others what I don't want others to do to me. <S> What I mean with this is that I wouldn't like to receive an offer from a company, accept it, and then once I quit my job, realise that the company is withdrawing the offer. <S> You should always seek for the best option for you, yes, <S> but I also believe in an ethical behaviour, both in my personal and professional life. <S> If you accept the offer from company A, stick to it, even though you will lose the possibility of working for company B. <S> In economics, this situation is usually called opportunity cost .If <S> you want to wait for company B, tell company A that you need a couple of weeks to think about it. <S> Be aware that you'll most likely lose the offer from company A, as you said. <S> Accepting an offer from a company and then rejecting it weeks later is burning bridges, so if you don't want to burn bridges, accept it and stick to it, ask for more time, or reject it. <A> You also need to make sure you are employed. <S> There is not a problem with your approach. <S> If you accept Company B's offer, be as gracious as possible with Company A when resigning and give them a chance to see if they are willing to match what Company B offers. <S> You don't want to burn any bridges at Company A since you never know if you cross paths with them in the future. <S> If you don't get an offer from Company B, you still will have your job at Company A and no harm is done. <A> There may be an ethical problem. <S> You are effectively committing to company A, and ending their recruitment process, without actually being committed to them. <S> Imagine if they did the same to you i.e. offered you the job then <S> five weeks later told you it fell through, sorry. <S> What if you don't get the job with company B but <S> that company A finds out about your efforts? <S> How would this affect your working relationship with people at company A, for example your manager, the boss, your colleagues? <S> Or if you get the job with B and leave A in the lurch, can it do damage to your industry reputation? <S> Company A may be totally understanding regarding your decision and respect your right to better yourself or they may be bitter at the wasted time and lost face at having announced within the company the hiring of an amazing new person i.e. you. <S> They might need to start the recruitment process all over again if the other candidates already took other jobs. <S> but you might want to make sure that's the case in the jurisdiction concerned. <A> Tell company B that you have an offer in hand from another employer but still want to pursue an opportunity from them. <S> They may be able to speed up their evaluation or at least give you a timeline or some indication of your chances. <S> Then, simply ask for a fixed and specific amount of time from Company A. 1-3 weeks is a perfectly reasonable amount of extra time for a valuable position which is hard to fill. <S> Going too much further out than that is asking for a lot, it's hard to say where the "pain point" is because every job market is different. <S> However, if Company A wants to play hardball and gives you a decision deadline that is too soon and non-negotiable, seriously reconsider whether you want to work with them. <S> One decision I greatly regret early in my career was being bullied into making a decision "by the end of the week" by an employer who threatened to rescind their offer. <S> I had earlier interviewed with another very prestigious company who was taking significant time to extend an offer. <S> I ended up taking the offer in hand, but I found out much later that the hiring manager at the prestigious company had been caught up in cutting bureaucratic red-tape to get me hired and had actually wanted to modify the job description and level to fit me. <S> The position I took was a poor-fit, I should have pushed back and held out for the better company.
| It would be a good idea to accept the offer from Company A and continue to engage with company B because position with Company B is not guaranteed. If company A really care about getting a genuine and motivated employee, they can be convinced to give some extra time to the candidate. In terms of legality, I don't think accepting an offer binds you in any way
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Meeting with boss regarding team member who reports to me I have an issue with someone who reports to me and is constantly going over me to my boss (this does not happen with any other of my subordinates). Recently, my boss answered this person and me saying we all need to meet to discuss issues I addressed that this person is not in agreement with what we should do as a company. I came back to my boss and insisted that we meet first as it is reducing my effectiveness to manage the team and the area that I manage. (thanks to the great advice I got here !) He phoned me and agreed. This person (subordinate) is refusing to include me on issues and will agree with me on a proposed direction and then go to my boss having changed their mind. They work as a silo not divulging information and not wanting to share how things are going on in their area. In addition, they cancel many meetings and phone calls with me (I have noted dates and times) and when they do ring, it can be from the supermarket or the side of a football pitch ! (This person does not work full time). When looking at this person's output, it's not all they make it out to be and I have proof they are lying on certain issues. Any advice on how to deal with her. I run a programme that should be the same in a number of area's when rolled out e.g. like a big mac, it should taste the same no matter where you eat it but sometimes it should have a coke with it and sometimes a beer (if that makes sense). This person just wants to do everything their own way and dip in as they like. I would very much appreciate advice on how to deal with this. My boss is a very nice guy but hates confrontation. <Q> You were right to meet with your boss first, before a grand meeting of all three. <S> When you go talk to your boss, have clear in your own mind what you want to do with your team member. <S> (fire her, per her on a Performance Improvement Program, transfer her, etc.). <S> Then ask your boss for support. <S> If you want your boss to reject her appeals to your boss, then indicate that. <S> (That would be my preference, but you need to decide.) <S> If you want your boss to tell her to stop going over your head, then make that clear, too. <S> You shouldn't make this your bosses problem if at all possible. <S> This person reports to you. <S> Instead, make it clear what your plan is and tell your boss that you need support in order for your actions to be effective. <S> You are the manager, so you should manage, not just list problems and dump them off on your boss - <S> that's not what being a manager is about. <A> It is pretty clear it is time to cut this person loose. <S> If you need evidence of misconduct in the area you are, it seems you have more than enough. <S> If they are part time or contract, just don't renew the contract. <A> Your boss may hate confrontation, but you're going to need his support on this. <S> Go talk to him and explain how having her go over your head is undermining your authority. <S> And you would like to have his support and in a meeting with the three of you, have him tell her that she needs to go to you, not him. <S> And your boss needs to support you in this, and the next time she goes to him, he needs to direct her back to you. <S> If you don't get that support, you can tell her she needs to come to you, but it's likely that she won't.
| Tell your boss the problem you are having with this person (not a list of grievances, just a general problem) and more importantly tell your boss what you want to do about it
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When should I give my notice if I know I'm going to switch jobs in a few months? I currently work in a small (< 10 employees) company, and basically we make web sites and services to clients. Currently we have 3 developers, including me. The other developers have much less experience than me, and lack knowledge in certain areas of the job that I handle. I'm not very happy in my job. I've tried fixing what's wrong in the company, but it isn't really working. A few days ago I had an interview with a larger software development company, and I'm to start after summer. That means I start in 3 to 4 months. Considering the state I will leave things when I leave the company, I think it's safe to say they're ****ed, and I feel like it's my fault. If I notified them now, they would have that 3 to 4 months to find a replacement for me. I don't want to sound arrogant, but my replacement will have pretty large boots to fill, and the job market isn't exactly filled with people that have a similar skill set, and the competition between employers is tough. Sure, they'll find someone eventually, but that might take time. Then again, if I notify them now, I'm almost certain that the environment will turn toxic, I might even be let go because the leaders in this company have some temper. Even if I were to keep my job (firing me would be a very dumb move), how am I to work 3 to 4 months in a toxic environment? What should I do? My rational side tells me to not worry about it and give my notice when I'm about to use my vacation time, but the emphatic side feels bad for the other developers. <Q> In an ideal world you could go tell your boss that you're leaving, and work on a training plan to bring the other two developers up to speed. <S> However, the world is rarely ideal. <S> What I would suggest is that you start tying up loose ends in your code, and commenting your projects to the greatest extent that you are able. <S> Maybe subtly start imparting to your fellow developers some knowledge which you think they lack. <S> You may also wish to draw up some documentation for them to fall back on once you're gone. <S> And let's make one thing abundantly clear: if they're in a bad spot due to your leaving, that's on them . <S> They're the ones who should be ensuring that their workforce is trained, educated, and ready to push on should any one of them leave. <A> AndreROM's answer gives a good overview of the actions you can take to lessen the impact your leaving will cause your employer. <S> However, you also should take into account how it might impact you. <S> If you give extra notice, it's possible that your employer will respond by letting you go before your notice is served, perhaps even immediately. <S> In that situation, you've suddenly lost out on whatever salary you would have collected during the notice period. <S> If you can't afford (or don't want) to miss out on that money, don't give extra notice. <A> Wait until you find something else and give at least two weeks notice. <S> Be gracious for your experience, but also make sure you can support yourself.
| If, however, you feel that they would react poorly, and that you wouldn't enjoy spending an entire month under that cloud of negativity, give them the standard 2 week notice and leave it at that. Then, if you're feeling confident, with about a month left to go, inform your bosses that you are quitting, and ask them what they'd like you to focus on over your last month there (maybe also offer to conduct training for your coworkers).
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How to convince management to turn my volunteer postion into a part time job that pays? I have volunteered at a Free Clinic for about a year and a half; as a Pharmacy Technician. And I have a medical degree from my country. Recently the Pharmacist decided to leave her job, and the Management of the Free Clinic is not able to pay to hire a new Pharmacist, so they will hire a Pharmacy Technician to take her place. They have not considered me to fill her position, because I volunteered for free in the past. Now my husband and I are both out of work and we have two kids. Also the land lord doesn't wish to renew our lease. So I now need the position because I need money to be able to rent a new home for my family. How can I push the Free Clinic Management to hire me part time for the position? <Q> They have not considered me to fill her position, because I volunteered for free in the past. <S> (heck, if they think they can keep you for free and have someone else, why would they pay you?) <S> They may then consider you for the role (if they really believe that you'll leave), or they may still not consider you for whatever reason. <S> In either case, it sounds like you're in a position where you need paid work, so my advice would be the same regardless: update your CV, start job hunting and apply for as many relevant jobs as you can, not just this one. <A> Your situation is startlingly simple: you are not going to volunteer anymore. <S> That's all the leverage you need. <S> If they want you as a volunteer, you say no. <S> They can't somehow trick you into working for free because you won't. <S> It's very easy like this. <S> If they want you as a volunteer, that won't happen. <S> If they want you as a paid tech, that can happen. <S> If they don't want you as either then you won't volunteer, which is fine. <S> My tip is say "I am looking for paid work currently. <S> " <S> Do not talk about your situation in any more detail. <S> They will just pay you less knowing you are desperate. <S> Why would you let them know that? <S> All they need to know if you won't work for free now. <S> If they ask why you did in the past say you enjoy it. <S> If they ask why you won't now say you are looking for paid work. <S> Keep this very, very simple. <A> I think it is only fair that they consider you based on the fact that you have volunteered for more than a year. <S> But it depends in what position you have volunteered, I am presuming you have volunteered for the same role as the vacant one now and whether you fulfil required qualifications. <S> May be they cannot consider you with a medical degree for a pharmacy technician, cos you don't have pharmacist qualifications. <S> If they aren't ready to consider you after this long free service, they don't deserve you. <S> Take your skills elsewhere. <S> My humble opinion is one <S> shouldn't give that much free service, some people only use us as doormat, but I'd have done the same if I was in your position and enjoyed what I was doing and not in need of any desperate money. <S> May be you can ask if they want you to get some sort of certification while working, just to fulfil the job requirements. <S> Good luck though.
| You need to make it clear that while you have volunteered in the role up until now, you are not in a position to be able to do this any longer
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What value do recruitment agencies, or headhunters, offer to job seekers? I had a conversation with my friend regarding a job search. He told me I should never communicate with a recruitment agency. He said many times they don't have any agreement with the company they are trying to hire someone for. When they have a candidate after then they approach the company and try to offer him but first, they negotiate a price. So basically when they post a job offer it doesn't mean that the job position is real. Is it really true that the job postings from recruitment companies don't actually exist? It is only the way to get a list of potential candidates and use them to sell them if something really comes up? What value do recruiting agencies/headhunters actually offer to me when I am searching for a job? <Q> I can't remember the last time I got a job by approaching the company directly. <S> Every single one has been through a recruiter. <S> There may be outliers and there are occasional unethical people and companies. <S> That's just life. <S> But I don't think your friend really has much of a clue. <S> Is it really true that the job postings from recruitment companies don't actually exist? <S> No. <S> It is only the way to get a list of potential candidates and use them to sell them if something really comes up? <S> No. <S> That's a waste of their time. <S> Typically a company has an opening and through a variety of means, a recruiter finds out about it and then sets about getting a candidate to fill it. <S> Sometime's it's exclusive, sometimes he's competing with other recruiter. <S> But getting a stable of candidates in hopes of finding an open position to put them in is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. <S> I like using recruiters. <S> They're like a dating service. <S> They match companies to candidates. <S> A good recruiter can sell you to the company in a way that you can't do by yourself, especially if they already have a relationship with a hiring manager. <S> They are motivated to get a good candidate because they get a commission and continued business for the next opening. <S> Just remember that while one one level they will advocate for you, ultimately you are your own advocate. <S> Trust them only to a point because what they really want is to place someone for the highest rate possible. <S> Don't let yourself be pressured and you'll be fine. <S> One thing that a recruiter can do that is difficult on your own and that's get your resume directly in the hands of the hiring manager without going through a "screener". <S> The recruiter plays the role of initial screener, weeding out unsuitable candidates and in many cases the recruiter (or account manager to the hiring company) and bypasses the faceless HR person a direct contact normally requires. <A> Do recruitment agencies, or headhunters, offer anything of value to job seekers? <S> Yes. <S> They offer the discovery of potential jobs that you otherwise may not be able to find on your own. <S> Sometimes, they are not publicly listed jobs. <S> Other times they are jobs which are not yet listed. <S> Good ones can offer you insight into the hiring company, their culture, their payscales, the hiring manager, etc. <S> You get to decide how much value you personally place on what they are offering. <S> You may have a sufficiently strong network such that you don't need their services. <S> In that case, their incremental value might be low. <S> In the past, I've used an agency as both a candidate and as a hiring manager. <S> I got to know one particular agent, who specialized in my field, over time. <S> I trusted him on both sides of the equation. <S> He didn't always find me the job I ultimately chose <S> (sometimes I found one on my own), but I never had any reason not to trust whatever he told me. <S> So basically when they post a job offer it doesn't mean that the job position is real. <S> That may be true in some cases (perhaps your friend is a headhunter <S> and that's the way his company does business), <S> but it is certainly not true in all cases. <S> In my experience in my locale <S> it is not true in the vast majority of cases. <S> Perhaps your locale is different. <S> Your original title was: "Is it true <S> we shouldn't trust recruitment agencies?" <A> Like any profession, recruiters run the gamut from incredibly skilled to completely incompetent. <S> An incompetent one will waste a lot of your time. <S> Treat a recruiter like any professional service (auto mechanic, plumber, contractor, etc). <S> Gauge their professionalism and trust them accordingly. <S> If they can't follow simple directions or try to sell you jobs that make no sense for your goals, fire them. <S> With that said, don't trust your entire job search to recruiters. <S> Recruiters are just one avenue to getting a new position. <S> A rough set of areas to focus on in order of the amount of time you should invest in each avenue: <S> Your professional and personal network Focused search on specific companies/positions <S> you're interested in Broad search for roles <S> you're interested in Recruiters <A> This certainly happens, but is more common in the training-to-job sector, where the recruiter provides training with a promise of a job at the end. <S> Usually this is a service the applicant pays for and pays for MORE if they walk away before the "guaranteed" job is found. <S> These companies usually benefit more financially from you giving up than 'selling' you, unfortunately... <S> They present themselves as recruiters, but they are really not. <S> Source: personal experience <A> This depends on the vacancy, in my experience applying directly to the company through their website is the best approach. <S> However if a position is being filled by a recruiter then be sure to do your homework. <S> Research the company on the job specification, check their career page to see if the vacancy actually exists, companies who are actively recruiting will always have open positions listed clearly on their website.
| A decent recruiter will absolutely add value to your job search. And they often offer access, particularly if they have a long relationship with their client companies. I think it would be foolish to choose not to trust any recruitment agencies at all.
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What are costs involved in temporarily working overseas? After interviewing for a local California job, I was surprised by being offered a six-month job that would have me spend three weeks at a time in Korea. In negotiating my salary, I'd like to know what expenses I need to take into account. They'll be paying for plane fare, housing, and commuting transportation. They'll expedite my passport renewal. I think they'll reimburse me for meals. I suspect I'd have to buy some new clothes and luggage. I don't know if I'll need a new cell phone service or a whole new phone. Other than that, what expenses should I consider? <Q> Word of advice: Starting a salary negotiation based on what you need will yield less money than starting it based on what they are willing to spend. <S> Your main costs are shelter, food, transportation, communication, taxes, insurance and clothes (which includes washing and ironing). <S> Another one might be recreation. <S> Additionally, at home you may need to pay someone to look after your house, your plants, your pets, etc. <S> There will be additional costs if you want your spouse to visit you in Korea on a weekend. <A> In Korea you will likely need a whole new phone. <S> My Korean phone had a SIM card that wasn't a standard North American size. <S> Requesting a company provided phone is a reasonable negotiation point. <S> As far as considering time spent in Korea as how it will impact your cost of living and in turn your salary requirements, due to the short term stretches you are there <S> travel insurance is likely a smarter decision than trying to get onto the National health plan. <S> For a visitor Korea is not expensive. <S> Booze, restaurant meals, entertainment, laundry services, and public transit are all probably 50-80% of what you'd be used to in California. <S> You will likely be expected to wear a suit and tie as dress code is quite a bit more formal in the Korean corporate world than the American one. <S> If this creates expense for you then you should factor these expenses in to your salary requirements. <S> However no mention of them should be made at the negotiation. <A> In addition to what has already been pointed out will there be assistance for any taxation implications of working in Korea? <S> I don't know what the situation is in South Korea 1 <S> but I spent 3 weeks working in Canada in 2016 and may be liable for submitting a tax return there. <S> Also see if you can get bumped up to business class for your flights! <S> I assume you mean <S> South Korea and not its northern neighbor!
| Also rather important is opportunity cost if something comes up at home which you can't attend because you're abroad, e.g. your best friend's wedding, or a death in the family.
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Recruiter demanding I sign dodgy paperwork after joining job I recently got a job through a recruiter. Everything has been going well and I've been completing my tasks on time or before. The recruiter who got me the role is working with my employer on a part time basis. He's responsible for hiring over half of the team, and occasionally pops in to the office. Yesterday he sent me over a contract which has some weird clauses. For example, it states I have to keep him informed of any technical solutions I make during my time at the company, technical details and such. Also, that he partially owns the product or software that I will make for the company. I find this absolutely absurd and in my employers contract it has the typical terms such as "any software you make during your time here is company property, etc". Since I do not want to sign it, I'm thinking of approaching my line manager about this additional contract and discuss what next steps should be taken. What would be the best approach in this situation? UPDATE I told my Line Manager of the situation and he said not to sign anything as this behaviour was very unusual. Since then the matter has been escalated, my company will be severing ties with this particular recruiter. Thank you everyone who responded. <Q> First, do not sign anything. <S> You should have signed any relevant paperwork before the recruiter got you the job...why would they have more for you now that the job is secured? <S> Second, do not sign anything. <S> Yes, two points to very much reinforce the point. <S> At this point you have signed paperwork with the company in question and the recruiter is out of the picture. <S> As an analogy, you've bought the house and closed, the realtor has nothing else to do with the purchase, it's between you and the bank. <S> As @Snowlockk stated, give this to your manager or (more ideally, as it is their business) <S> the HR personnel or hiring coordinator at the office <S> and let them deal with the recruiter's demands, as the recruiter demand of being informed of technical solutions made may very well be in direct conflict of any possible non-disclosure you signed with the company. <S> The company needs to know that this person is trying to secure proprietary information from the people he's placing in their company. <A> What would be the best approach in this situation? <S> Approach your line manager about this additional contract since you do not want to sign it and discuss what next steps should be taken. <S> You have been hired. <S> it states I have to keep him informed of any technical solutions I make during my time at the company, technical details and all. <S> Also that he partially owns the product or software that I will make for the company <S> That is all nonsense. <S> Either just toss it in the trash and tell the recruiter to go away, or pass it by your boss and ask what is up with that. <A> First, make a copy for your records. <S> Discussing behavior like this without a backup copy of your evidence that it happened is unnecessarily dangerous. <S> Then I would take it up with the appropriate person at the company I was working for (either my team lead or my manager or The Boss or HR, probably). <A> The answer is no. <S> You do not work for the recruiter. <A> This is basically industrial espionage and a very serious security incident that will probably trigger large investigation. <S> HOWEVER! <S> It may be just my perverted mind <S> but I can even imagine this to be some kind of a sick test on the part of the company to see whether you are upholding their contract and whether you are able to keep their trade secrets - i.e. if you sign, the recruiter will pass the document to your manager/HR and they will terminate you on the basis of contract breach. <S> Also if this were the case, you might be frowned upon even if you do not sign anything but tell no one about the incident (you know somebody actively trying to steal company intellectual property and do nothing? <S> WTH! <S> terminate immediately!). <A> Don't sign without consulting your manager. <S> (As others has already mentioned, so I won't motivate any more why) <S> In addition . <S> What do you get out of it? <S> If someone hands you a contract to sign there should be something for you in the other end as well. <A> Simply tell him that you cannot sign the contract as it asks you to give him something that is not yours to give. <S> You already signed a contract giving all your work product to your employer, so you cannot agree to him having any ownership. <S> It simply is not yours to give. <S> If he still thinks you need to assign it, give him three conditions: <S> He gets you written approval from your current employer. <S> He compensates you in some way for what he's asking you to give him. <S> He covers your legal expenses in having the contract reviewed. <S> Remind him that there is absolutely nothing whatsoever that you want from him, so absolutely no reason for you to give him something that he wants from you. <S> You're already employed and you've already signed a contract with your employer. <S> If he was going to ask for this all along, he has no excuse for not telling you beforehand. <S> If this is something new that he's asking from you that he wasn't going to ask from you before, he should come up with something new that he's offering you that he wasn't going to offer you before. <S> Presumably, you both felt the deal was fair before, <S> so how can it still be fair if he's asking for something else from you?
| You don't need to sign anything for the recruiter if you don't want to do so. Definitely do not sign anything and liaise with your manager and the HR about this ASAP.
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Re-negotiating after getting a second offer? I received an offer for new position from company A (senior engineering position), and tried to negotiate a for slightly higher salary. They accepted and gave me 4 days additional to submit final decision in writing. Two days later, I am getting a second offer from company B (also a senior position) with which I also interview around the same time. They offering slightly larger salary than what I tried to negotiate with company A and longer vacation package. I kind of prefer company A, but don't want to turn down a better offer from company B. Can I negotiate salary or vacation a second time with company A? Is it ethical or would I better just go with what I was able to negotiate the first time? <Q> Can I negotiate salary or vacation a second time with company A? <S> You can try. <S> You can negotiate a third time, then a fourth time, and so on. <S> At some point, company A will decide that you are a high-maintenance type and that they don't want to play games any more. <S> They will either say "take it or leave it" or just say "Offer withdrawn. <S> Go away." <S> Be ready with your reply when that happens. <A> As for ethical...that's a very broad term open to a lot of opinion. <S> You can always try for negotiations. <S> Until the paperwork is signed you can make any negotiations you feel are warranted, but each time will be a roll of the dice. <S> The fact that they gave you 4 days for final decision speaks to me like they're almost prepared for you to make some movement in negotiations, but that could be my personal view on it. <A> Opinion based answer, but <S> this is a very opinion <S> based question: <S> Is it ethical? <S> Asking for opinion and everyone will have one from their own view. <S> Mine, not really a matter of ethics. <S> You have not signed, you are not yet under contract, so negotiations are still open. <S> Yes, you agreed, but they also gave you time to consider. <S> Is it reasonable? <S> Different question, different opinion. <S> No, in my opinion, it is not reasonable. <S> Negotiate a salary you want to begin with. <S> If a 2nd company came in with a significantly larger offer, that is different, but you specifically stated that your first negotiation was for slightly more, and this offer is again for slightly more by your own measure, not significantly more. <S> So, you want to re-open off an agreed to salary for a minor bump. <S> IMO, no. <S> For a significant offer, completely ethical and even reasonable to go and say, <S> hey, I want to come, but B just offered me a bucket of gold. <S> Can you at least come close? <S> To come back again without telling me you have another offer, would stretch in to unethical. <S> And for only slightly more, regardless of if you told me why you wanted to re-open or not, now you are just trying to nickel and dime me. <S> And if you are willing to do that while just trying to get in the door, then your are going to keep doing it, or keep looking to jump ship after you are there. <S> Very bad precedence in my opinion.
| Nothing prevents you, aside from them saying "no, take our offer or leave it".
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How to deal with wrong range position? This is the first time that I have this problem and I don't know anybody who hear or had to deal with. I joined my current company as Data Engineer a bit more than 1 year ago from an internal recruiter which left the company a few months ago.In the negotiation I asked for one amount of salary but, as I didn't have experience in their environment, the offer was a bit lower and the range junior. So, after this year, I asked to get promotion to regular as I don't do junior work. The surprise was when my manager (he started 3 months ago, the one which I started with left) told me that I was already regular engineer. After some investigation apparently I've been regular engineer from the beginning due, probably, an error from HR. Now I asked for a pay raise as I am regular and not junior and the money that I didn't get pay during this year (difference junior and regular). My questions are: I don't have any clear number for what Regular so how is the best way to negotiate this? Negotiate with one employee for one range/role and change it without notification legal? (I'm UK based) Which is the best option to proceed? <Q> Now I asked for a pay raise as I am regular and not junior and the money that I didn't get pay during this year (difference junior and regular). <S> You may be able to get a pay rise going forward, if you argue your position enough (and here's the clincher, if you're also prepared to leave if you don't get said raise.) <S> However, unless you've signed a contract saying you're on one pay scale but have been paid at a lower rate for the duration of your employment, you can almost certainly forget about any possibility of claiming a raise historically! <A> I don't have any clear number for what Regular <S> so how is the best way to negotiate this? <S> Think about what's fair. <S> Come up with a number you're willing to accept. <S> Negotiate with one employee for one range/role and change it without notification legal? <S> (I'm UK based) <S> We cannot answer legal questions. <S> You'd have to talk to a lawyer, but it doesn't sound like any damage has been done (you were given a higher position than you thought you were getting after all). <S> Which is the best option to proceed? <S> You seem to already know the answer: negotiate fair pay for the quality of work you're providing. <A> Many companies are receptive to "you hired me to do junior work, paid me to do junior work, and had me doing upper-level work, can i get a raise? <S> " It's pretty much the basis of receiving a raise or promotion. <S> There's upside as well: you can list upper-level experience on your resume instead of junior, and go find another job for a potentially substantial increase in wages. <S> The downside is that even if they own up to their mistake, your raise may be inherently capped due to company policy at 3, 5 or 10%. <S> You might exceed these figures by simply applying at a different company. <S> The fact you're already working there hurts the ceiling on anything you attempt to negotiate. <A> You have made your bed I am afraid <S> Some options might include: 1 Ask other "regulars" what they make 2 Ask HR for the pay scales 3 Ask for the industry rate for the Job 4 Interview outside to get a feel what the rate is <S> I Suspect that you come from a culture where Junior /Senior etc count for a lot more that's not the way it works in the UK <S> saying " I don't junior work " wont do you any favours with HR or your peers.
| Do some research into comparable salaries.
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How should I respond to being asked if I've ever received feedback on how I should improve? I had a job-interview for another company where HR asked me if I've ever received feedback from my boss on how I should improve. I told them that honestly I've never received such feedback. Later on they asked me whether I had myself thought about how I could improve, which was a question I could answer to. What did they mean with the first question? Did they want to know if I ever had a PIP? This happened in Germany, if it's relevant. <Q> Those are fairly typical questions, and are essentially variations on this common theme: <S> What's your biggest strength? <S> What's your biggest weakness? <S> Tell me about a time you've been wrong <S> They are all questions aimed at gauging how you handle criticism, whether you're realistic about your own limitations, and whether you're willing to learn/improve. <S> So when they ask you whether you've "ever received feedback on how you should improve" , the correct approach is to make something up even if you never officially have. <S> Don't say something negative such as <S> "I was told I'm always late." <S> Instead, focus on something which demonstrates a willingness to improve without implying incompetence on your part: <S> My team leader once pointed out that the way in which I was accomplishing "x" in my code was not the most efficient. <S> He described a different technique to me which I researched and then used to improve the performance of my code. <S> As a result my page loaded Y seconds faster, which the users were thankful for. <S> That answer shows that: <S> You know you're not perfect (no one is, although some people would like to act like it, and it's a big red flag for HR) <S> You gracefully accepted (mild) criticism <S> You took the advice to improve to heart <S> You were willing to learn something new and upgrade your skills/knowledge/technique <S> Saying that you never received any feedback or advice to improve is - to them - essentially declaring that you're great, don't need to try any harder, etc. <S> Instead have a couple of anecdotes ready to demonstrate that you're humble, willing to admit fault, learn, etc. <S> If necessary, make something up . <S> If you can't think of a situation where that exact scenario took place, adapt and improvise. <S> Simply answering "No" will send the wrong message, even if it's an honest one. <A> It's a variation of the standard "What is your strength/weakness" questions with a stealth question to see if you've been disciplined in the past. <S> Nothing strange about it. <S> The first question was to see if you've been disciplined. <S> The second was to ask what your weaknesses are and how (and if) you are going about to resolve them. <A> It is possible that they were looking to see how you handled receiving feedback and how open you are to change after the feedback is received. <S> There is benefit of having an employee who is open to receiving improvement feedback and is open to change based upon that feedback.
| You know that their purpose in asking that question is to gauge your ability to learn and accept criticism, so give them what they want. For many people, pride is major issue and they do not handle feedback very well and are resistant to changing their ways.
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Filed resignation with a long notice period. Manager wants me to not tell anyone Due to family reasons (my wife got a great job overseas) I have to relocate and quit my job. I had a notice period of 2 weeks, but I have filed a resignation on the hands of my manager 3 months in advance.I thought that he would be happy with early notice. Instead it turned out that he has no idea how to use this information and asked me to file resignation later with only 2 weeks notice and also to not reveal to anyone in the office that I will be quitting. It's a bit tough as I am on friendly terms with a lot of coworkers and normally I would definitely casually mention something like this. Is it a reasonable behavior of a manager? What could be his incentives? Should I even consider to obey his request to not reveal my departure to others? <Q> He is shielding you from 100% of the negative outcomes of your move while simultaneously allowing himself to plan appropriately. <S> He is probably somewhat taking a career risk by choosing to do this if his management finds out. <S> Or perhaps your manager doesn't want to be faced with dealing with an entire team that knows you are leaving a long time in the future for morale reasons. <S> Should I even consider to obey his request to not reveal my departure to others? <S> I suspect if you do this, it will not be a good move on your part, either in terms of leaving when you want or keeping your manager as a good reference. <A> Most likely your boss is trying to not fire you. <S> A lot of companies have stupid policies about walking people out when they give notice. <S> In addition, lots of upper level managers would see your impending departure as a potential source of problems and want to end things sooner. <S> These are short sighted policies/views, but they exist. <S> By not announcing your resignation until the normal period, the boss gets to avoid all those potential problems, but still knows you're leaving and can transition work off of you. <S> I'd honor his request. <A> Is it a reasonable behavior of a manager? <S> What could be his incentives? <S> I can imagine it might be reasonable, but I haven't personally been in a situation where it would help. <S> Most of my coworkers' leave notices were first known to their manager, but also announced to everyone on the team in a way that the two of them agreed on together. <S> One very specific advantage of an earlier note is the possibility of handover of your responsibilities and knowledge to other coworkers (it depends on the role whether or not this applies). <S> Should I even consider to obey his request to not reveal my departure to others? <S> It's possible for you to disobey the request, but this doesn't sound like a healthy interaction to me. <S> Instead, my recommendation would be to approach the manager and inform them that you feel awkward around your coworkers because of this secrecy and you'd like to be more transparent with them so that you feel better <S> *. <S> *) <S> I'd stop here and think more precisely why it's important to you. <S> A more well-defined reason would work well as a part of such a request. <S> For example maybe you'd like to plan a goodbye party with your teammates? <A> You wanted to leave three months from now, and you wanted to inform your manager. <S> The result is that you can still leave three months from now, and your manager knows. <S> In addition, the manager asked you not to tell anyone for 2 1/2 months. <S> I assume this is happening in the USA or another country where 2 weeks notice is the normal notice time, so <S> if you do what your manager asks you to do, then from his point of view everything happens the way he is used to, with the slight change that he knows a few months earlier that you are going to leave. <S> That's how he or she likes it, having nothing unusual happen. <S> If you tell your colleagues about leaving earlier, it might cause disruption. <S> That disruption might anger your manager. <S> In which case he might fire you with less than two weeks notice. <S> So don't tell them, unless you don't mind if your employment ends earlier. <S> What's your manager's motivation? <S> Simple. <S> He knows exactly what to do when someone gives two weeks notice. <S> Or no notice at all. <S> But even though three months notice is better for him, he hasn't learned or practiced how to handle this. <S> He may have a checklist of things to do when someone quits, and that checklist doesn't work with 3 months notice. <S> You just confuse things that he doesn't want confused.
| It's possible your manager expects his management might terminate you immediately if they knew. Your manager is doing you a massive favor.
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How far back to describe one's work history? I know that something similar was already discussed here , but my situation is rather different. I've been told that, to keep a resume/CV down to a reasonable length, it's OK not to list my very earliest jobs, such as those I had in or soon after high school (and which aren't at all relevant to the position of GIS technician I'm seeking now). Because it took so long for my career plans to crystallize, I still have rather little relevant experience, and much of my work history consists of "high-school-type" jobs. My question, then, is, how far back to describe my work history if the employer doesn't specify this? A staffing agency that asked for my resume massaged it to include only the stuff relevant to the position I'm seeking. That, however, makes it look as if I have very little work history indeed, although I've gotten a few interviews with that type of resume. I've also tried listing the relevant experience, arranged chronologically, first, followed by a small section that lists (but doesn't describe) the irrelevant stuff, again arranged chronologically. This type of resume, however, has been no better or worse at getting me interviews. How, then, should I structure my resume? Should I include only relevant experience? Or should I list other things, too, and, if so, how far back? I'm concerned that the experience I want to highlight will get lost among all the other clutter. <Q> If this is your first or second job out of high school/college, having some non-relevant jobs is ok. <S> It shows you can hold down a job, which at least tells us something about your work ethic. <S> (Although if you had a bunch of short jobs, just don't. <S> They aren't helping you). <S> Beyond that- <S> scrap anything that isn't directly relevant. <S> If this is the 3rd job in your career, they aren't going to care about your time working at the local grocery store in high school. <S> Resume expectations differ between fields, but if its too long people just ignore everything after a certain length anyway (unless its ridiculously too long, in which case you probably won't get a call), so I'm not surprised if you aren't seeing a big difference between the two. <A> When you have a large work history, there is a simple little fix to make a resume/CV most useful: <S> change the heading " Work History " to " Relevant Work History ", then list only work history relevant to that specific job. <S> I'm aware of (US-centric, across multiple industries) to present yourself as the recruiter encouraged. <S> Sensible employers don't care whether or not a prospective programmer or accountant use to deliver pizzas, so such a waste of space is the first thing to go when you have other things to list and talk about. <S> As far as how far back to go, for a resume/CV outside academic contexts this is usually 1-2 pages worth. <S> Try to fit it on 1 page, but if important relevant information won't fit then go to a second page. <S> 5 years is common, more than 10 would be odd unless it's super relevant to the job. <A> Your goal is to use your resume and cover letter to demonstrate that you are the best and most qualified person for the job. <S> Keep everything focused and relevant, as the staffing agency has recommended. <S> As your career advances it will be okay to add more information, but for now keep the resume and cover letter to one page each. <S> Start your resume by listing specific areas of GIS where you have knowledge, experience, or training - focus especially on key words that are included in job announcements and job descriptions. <S> Then follow up on this by listing where you attained this knowledge and experience. <S> I'll include a rough outline below for an example. <S> After writing the resume, do research on the company advertising the position and use this information in your cover letter. <S> For example, find out if the company does GIS in general or if they focus on GIS in a specific industry. <S> If it's generalized, then you can demonstrate your ability to work in a variety of situations. <S> If they focus on a specific industry, you can talk about how you are able to use GIS to address the unique needs of this industry (giving examples). <S> Hope <S> this helps :) <S> header (name, contact information) skills and abilities <S> Design or prepare graphic representations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, using GIS hardware or software applications. <S> Analyze Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data to identify spatial relationships or display results of analyses, using maps, graphs, or tabular data. <S> Maintain or modify existing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases. <S> Enter data into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, using techniques such as coordinate geometry, keyboard entry of tabular data, manual digitizing of maps, scanning or automatic conversion to vectors, or conversion of other sources of digital data. <S> Review existing or incoming data for currency, accuracy, usefulness, quality, or completeness of documentation. <S> experience- start date, end date, company, position description <S> education- <S> start date, end date, school, degree or certification achieved <A> If you have a bit more employment history, then there is the obvious question: Does anyone care what you did 20 or 30 years ago? <S> I go ten or twelve years back <S> , anything before that is just a keyword.
| If the entity you are applying to explicitly require a full work history, then of course provide it, but it is perfectly acceptable in business cultures
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Should I include EMT certification on my resume? I know that the typical answer to "should I include hobbies/other activities on my resume" is no. However, I've also heard that many companies like to have medically trained employees, and in some non-medical fields, including CPR certification on your resume is common if not expected. In my field (software engineering), however, the certification is at best tangentially related to my job, depending on the type of software my company writes. Should I include my EMT certification on my resume? <Q> Should I include my EMT certification on my resume? <S> Certainly. <S> While it's unlikely to be of much help for a software engineer, it couldn't hurt. <S> And it might help make you more "interesting". <S> I agree that including hobbies on your resume isn't a great idea. <S> (I've seen too many <S> "I like to play games" hobbies on resumes.) <S> But a certification is something a bit different. <S> It demonstrates a real achievement and is unlikely to be off-putting to any interviewer. <S> Make sure that the interviewer understands that any continued EMT involvement won't take away from your primary work. <S> Or if you need to take time away from work to maintain your certification, make sure that is understood and agreed to by the hiring manager. <A> Software engineering is a field where you are ten times more valuable if you know something else IN ADDITION to software engineering. <S> Specifically, the domain you are working in. <S> If you have an EMT certification (and I am assuming your state is like mine, where my wife progressed from Basic to EMT to Paramedic), this tells me that you are capable of learning something else, too. <S> I'd pull your resume off "the pile" and put you in for a phone interview on this, alone. <S> Of course, you're not applying to my company, and I can't speak for others... <A> Whether it will hurt you or help you depends a lot on how you include it. <S> EMT training is irrelevant to your ability to program. <S> This should be obvious. <S> If you include it in such a way that it seems that you don't know that, or are confused about its relative importance—such as by putting it first in your list of qualifications—then it's a mark against you. <S> If you have a list of certifications you've obtained and you include "EMT training," at or near the bottom of the list, that's fine—a good thing. <S> Just don't be confused about its relative importance. <S> It shows you have an ability to learn new skills and aren't "stuck in a rut." <S> Which is good, so long as you don't appear "scattered all over the map" with no ability to focus or differentiate importance. <S> Those are the two extremes you should avoid. <A> It may well be that an employer is required (or at least advised) to have a number of trained first aiders on site. <S> However, I'd never make a decision to hire a software engineer based on whether the candidate had that training - I'll always hire the better software engineer and then if necessary train somebody as a first aider.
| If you do choose to include your certification, be prepared to talk about your EMT experience during an interview. My take would therefore be to leave it off, and use the space to include some information which would make me more likely to hire you instead.
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