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Co-worker hit my parked car at work, won't respond to my emails Almost two months ago a co-worker of mine was leaving work for the day and backed into the side of my parked car. She realized her error and left a note with her name and number (I work for a large company and have never met her before). I contacted her and we agreed that I'd get an estimate for how much the damage would cost to repair, and then I'd send the estimate to her. About a week later, I got the estimate (~$1150) and sent it to her via a text message and waited for her response. After a few days I hadn't heard anything, so I sent another text asking for a response. Another week went by and I hadn't heard anything, so I scanned the estimate and emailed it to her and asked for a response. Nothing. A few weeks later I sent another reminder email, but didn't hear anything from her. What should I do next? She never gave me her insurance information, so I can't contact them. I want to involve HR next, but I don't know what they can/can't do. I thought about finding her desk at work and confronting her there (in a polite way, of course), but I don't know if that's wise or not. Any advice will be appreciated. Update: Persistence paid off. She finally responded to my efforts to contact her. Turns out she was driving uninsured at the time, and her insurance denied the claim. My threats to take her to court eventually provided enough leverage to get her to agree to a monthly payment model. I made sure to explicitly define the terms of the payments (dates of payment, method of payment, amount, etc.). Took almost seven months, but the incident is finally resolved. <Q> Not sure what country you are referring to, but since you didn't alert the police when the accident happened, but rather entered into a verbal agreement that she would pay for the damage, you might have to contact a lawyer or take her to small claims court. <S> The fact that she left you a note saying she damaged your car and you have text messages referring to her paying for the damages, a judge will likely rule in your favor. <S> Of course, you could also tell her that you are prepared to involve the court system and see if she responds to that. <A> You know who she is, her name, and a way to contact her. <S> You know the name and address of the owner of the property where the damage happened, and the date and time approximately that it happened. <S> Contact your insurer and ask them how to proceed, explaining the delay was because the person promised to cooperate but then has stopped. <S> They deal with this stuff all the time. <S> My guess is they'll contact your company, or your co-worker, about the damage that happened and will get action pretty quickly. <A> You need to call her, or find out where her desk is. <S> Then go and ask for her insurance information. <S> Lesson learned. <S> Nobody ever pays.
| Always get the insurance info, and always file a claim.
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How not to come over as an hypochondriac I'm still within my first month at a new job. I have been under medical treatment for a while (months, years) now which require periodic appointments. In general I am able to perform my duties as expected. As far as I can ascertain, I would not qualify under a disabled category that out local labor law provides protection for. I have been upfront about these health challenges from the interview stage, and the employer obviously has still seen his way open to offer me employment. To their credit, they are very accommodating towards all employees with flexible office hours and allowing some work from home where practicable. I have recently developed another small but embarrassing and interfering medical problem - including excruciating pain while sitting at my desk or commuting, potential of obvious and embarrassing external signs. So I see it as a fairly serious impairment to my work (even though the problem itself is mostly easily treated). This made me leave the office to seek medical attention on short notice. I should probably also mention that the new job is a commute from my home (and support network of medical practitioners that I know and trust) that is on the longish side. Leaving the office for a quick appointment may be a 2 hours gap if the appointments happens close to its time and is concluded speedily. So on the one hand there are valid medical challenges to the normal expectation of providing labor. On the other hand I do not want to create the impression that I am trying to shirk responsibilities by making up all sorts of reasons, even before I have been able to prove my worth to the new employer - despite what the law stipulates, there is always the human factor. How much explanation would be sufficient, and how much would be over-sharing? Some people may be interested in the locale, but the company is a very diverse group with many ethnicities, religions and cultural backgrounds represented. I do know that the above problem is almost unknown amongst certain ethnic groups (and may thus not be seen as such a big issue), and I am also ignorant how various cultural backgrounds would look upon the discussion of such a private matter. <Q> This is a conversation you should have with your manager, but not your coworkers and not HR unless the manager involves them. <S> As a new employee your focus is on making sure your manager maintains a positive impression of you. <S> I've had to approach my (past) manager about medical stuff, though not in my first months of employment, and I've heard anecdotally about (past) <S> coworkers who've done so. <S> The keys to success, based on what I've seen, are: Clearly communicate about the impact on your work of your medical issue, and also about its expected duration . <S> (And if it was a sudden thing, like it sounds like this was, mention that.) <S> Show what you are doing about it that is within your control. <S> Suggest changes that would help you alleviate the problem. <S> (This is actually very similar to what I did, and advise doing, when requesting a disability accommodation.) <S> For example: I have a temporary medical issue that makes it hard for me to sit for very long without being in pain. <S> The doctor thinks it'll clear up in about two weeks with the medication he's put me on. <S> He recommends that I take breaks to lie down every couple hours, but I think if I don't have to sit as much I might not need to do that. <S> Would it be possible for me to use (or rig up) a standing desk until this clears up? <S> Or do we have any more of those kneeling chairs <S> like I saw $coworker using? <S> (I am obviously making up details here. <S> Treat this as a template. <S> You'd take the same general approach if requesting a temporary change of hours, for instance.) <S> It sounds like there are ways you can mitigate the staining problem. <S> Padded undies might feel embarrassing to you, but nobody else needs to know, assuming there's no work uniform that involves mandatory tight pants. <S> And who knows -- he might even tell you to work from home so you can lie down as needed. <A> The blunt truth is that some companies will bend over backwards to make you comfortable and help you get the treatment you need ... and <S> some <S> won't . <S> In many jurisdictions it is illegal to terminate or otherwise discriminate against an employee for medical reasons, but if your issues are chronic and consistent you can apply for "disability" status. <S> This would further protect you in case there is a conflict. <S> Even if you are in a "probationary" period you still cannot be fired for illegal reasons. <S> If you are disabled, your employer must provide "reasonable accommodation". <S> See this site for more information. <S> http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/reasonable-accommodations-people-with-disabilities-29492.html <S> Note also that it may have been illegal to ask about your medical condition when hiring you, so it should not be a factor now ... <S> but all of this is a legal gray area, and of course you're better off having a frank discussion with your employer (without going into too much detail) to allow them to give you reasonable accommodation. <S> For example, perhaps you can finish up work from home on days when you have doctor's appointments? <A> I think, if the need makes itself apparent, that you provide your management with just enough information for anyone involved to make a reasonable assessment about your availability from week to week. <S> Yes, there will be emergent issues. <S> A manager needs to know what s/he can count on. <S> But PLEASE, skip the gory details. <A> This is tricky to maneuver since it has a real impact on your work and since you are new it can easily be interpreted as "the dog ate my homework" <S> Here is what I recommend: <S> Familiarize yourself with the options that are available in your environment and the applicable rule and regulations: flexible hours, reduced hours, short term disability, medical leave of absence, etc. <S> Read up on local law and study the company policies. <S> Discuss with your doctor. <S> What are the accommodations you need to be functional at work. <S> Do this with a potential option from item #1 in mind. <S> Then talk to your manager. <S> He needs to know what your needs are, but he doesn't need to know what causes the need. <S> In the US under HIPAA <S> he <S> /she isn't even allowed to ask. <S> Be prepared to make some concessions: maybe it's reduced hours at reduced pay. <S> You want to come across as constructive: "lets find a way to make this work <S> and I'm happy to do whatever I can". <S> Any non-trivial accommodation will probably involve HR. <S> Be prepared for your boss to pull in HR and have the doctor's note handy. <S> The key here is to be specific as possible about what accommodations you need. <S> Make sure you think this through up front: could be 2-hour lunch break, work half a day from home, doing a noon to 8pm shift instead of regular hours. <S> Just be sure you have something that you can say yes to.
| Have your doctor write a recommendation that clearly states your accommodations required. Try to be specific about identifying what your needs are. Focus on how it affects your work , not on the medical details themselves. If you show that you're doing what you can and are a team player, it's likely in my experience that your manager will also do what he can. As a new employee you're certainly in a more precarious and uncomfortable situation, but I think there is no less protection under the law.
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How to estimate the value of a startup equity when negotiating a contract The startup offer, as listed on the website, suggests a fork of values for both salary and equity. Let's say, for the sake of clarity, the values are 90k-130k$ and 0.25-2% equity. I need to negotiate my contract and I would like to include some equity above the minimum, since I believe on the startup potential; however I don't have a clue of how to get even a rough estimation. What is commonly used to approximate it? <Q> Very simple: 0. <S> Exactly 0. <S> Want me to invest into your company, hand me a prospektus and give me a valuation and exit conditions that will make me want to invest. <S> Any shares either are interesting enough for me to actually invest half a year+ in wages, OR - please assume I value them at exactly 0. <A> Salary is everything. <S> Press for more salary, even at the expense of a lower equity. <S> You'll definitely get the salary (while the company exists), while you may not ever get to the point of the equity share becoming valuable. <S> Some numbers to think about; Venture Capitalists invest in about 1 in 40 of the companies they see details for. <S> Of those 5 companies in 200, only 0.1% will ever get to the situation of an IPO (numbers from http://blog.gust.com/the-startup-failure-rate-among-angel-funded-companies/ ). <S> The numbers are NOT in your favor. <S> If you think they are, buy a few lottery tickets. <A> You could go with the valuation they got the last time they raised money. <S> If someone paid $100,000 for 10% then 1% is valued at $10,000. <S> 2% is a lot for a regular employee. <S> With just 50 employees that is the whole company. <S> The idea is to hold back equity to sell. <S> There is probably not much latitude on that number. <S> You are in a little better position than the investor as they are stuck. <S> For you if things start to not look so go you can leave. <S> I <S> Not getting your logic here. <S> If the valuation is low you are going to ask for a bigger %? <S> I would be more interested in if the are making a profit? <S> Do they still need to get more funding. <S> Would your equity be diluted if they raise funding. <S> Stock options can be diluted. <S> Is it a sweat shop type start up? <S> I think you are getting ahead of a lot of more important stuff. <S> Treat equity as a nice surprise you are not counting on. <S> Start with a salary you are comfortable with. <A> The value of startup equity can be estimated but takes a bit of work. <S> You basically have to run a bunch of scenarios and estimate the likelihood of that scenario and your gain from the scenario. <S> A 10% chance of a $1000 win is <S> pretty dull but 30% chance at a $1,000,000 win sounds much better. <S> Research those carefully. <S> You can also look at comparable companies and see how they are doing and what's their valuation is. <S> Take a look at the investors: A highly reputable venture capital firm would be a good sign, since they do a pretty careful assessment before they open up the wallet. <S> This way you can build up a picture of the potential upside and the associated risk. <S> The risk will always be there and one of the scenarios always will be "you get diddly squat". <S> That is something you would need to accept. <S> Valuing at zero without doing the homework is just plain stupid. <S> While in many cases this may be the outcome , there are also quite a few cases out there where equity is highly valuable and it would be silly to not at least give it a thorough evaluation.
| A good startup will have a business plan, a valuation strategy, some key milestones and some credible plan for equity.
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Is being asked for references a sign that they are willing to hire you unless something bad comes up? After two coding projects and having an Skype interview with a startup's team, nowI have been asked to give 3 references from my previous employments. In most of the recruiting processes, is this just another piece of the puzzle or usually when you are asked for that it means they are already willing to contract you (unless the feedback from your former employers is particularly bad)? <Q> In most of the recruiting processes, is this just another piece of the puzzle or usually when you are asked for that it means they are already willing to contract you <S> Typically it means that the company is at least moving to the next step. <S> For some companies, they will actually start checking your references, so you may wish to contact them yourself and give them a heads up. <S> For other companies they will contact your references later. <S> This is certainly a good sign. <S> But you don't know how good until you either do or don't get an offer. <A> Simply asking for references could just be a matter of course through the interview process. <S> Whenever I interview, I ask near the end of the interview whether it would be okay to contact their referees. <S> That way, I don't have to waste time chasing candidate references after the interviews and giving a false impression that you've been selected. <S> I typically only actually contact referees after selecting a preferred candidate. <S> If the references for the candidate fail to provide enough backing to hire the candidate, then I'll strike the candidate from consideration and go straight to the next candidate's referees. <A> Different companies have different processes. <S> The one that you applied for seems to have some process in place (coding, Skype). <S> Which means if you are interested in the job, you should put in effort into getting the right references, and getting the references right. <S> Do keep in mind that just because you have progressed to the next stage, you will not necessarily make it through. <S> There could be various reasons for you to get on hold <S> - they get an awesome candidate, or just want to see if an awesome candidate comes along. <S> Sometimes hiring is also preemptive. <S> They might have people in the pipeline, but only make offers as they need them. <S> Or a change in business conditions, or funding might result in a delay or cancellation of the offer. <S> The conclusion is - you made the next step. <S> Send the references and wait (or follow-up after a decent interval). <A> It's pretty routine, and generally a good sign. <S> I will say that you should have your references lined up well in advance of being asked to provide them. <S> You should ask someone you want to use as a reference well before using them. <S> When a potential employer asks for references, you should also let you references know that they might be getting a call from XYZ company about you so they aren't caught off guard. <A> If you're asked for this AFTER an interview and the situation is with a company that's going to hire you directly without a recruiter, then it's a good sign. <S> If you're asked this BEFORE an interview by a technical staffing firm, it's a red flag. <S> They're looking for managers' names to contact to try and get new business, regardless of whether you get hired or not.
| If you weren't still in the running for the position, most companies wouldn't bother asking. The references probably mean that you got positive feedback from the three rounds so far.
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I work in CoWorking Space and my neighbors keep staring at my screen what can I do? I work in a Co-working space and people keep staring at my screen asking all sorts of questions. One even changed his business and started copying me. I was really really angry. I changed over to a new desk but another started staring at my screen and later that week was also copying my business. I have complained to management but they said they cannot do anything. Short of slapping one of these guys what can I do? <Q> Use a privacy screen. <S> I also CoWork (I am a contract programmer and can work offsite or from home but prefer to work in the CoWorking space environment). <S> I often work from the oddest places (Cafe's, by the beach in Thailand, you name it <S> I have probably done it) and while the whole CoWorking experience is great it does have its downsides like you mentioned <S> (people staring at your screen and copying or chatting). <S> So looked around for solutions until I was at the Doctor's once and noticed the nurse using one of these x-ray type sheets on the screen, as soon as she slid it on Poof! <S> the viewing angle was narrowed so only she could see what was on the screen. <S> She told me it was a privacy screen. <A> Short of slapping one of these guys what can I do? <S> Find a more private co-working space. <S> Your current place might offer cubicles or private offices. <S> It might be worth a few extra bucks to move to that. <S> Or they may permit you to bring in portable privacy screens. <S> If not, find a new co-working space with more private arrangements. <S> If privacy is important to you, expect to pay more for the space. <S> Many simply aren't set up for individuals to be private. <S> Some even tout the "collaborative nature" of their workspaces. <A> Working in a shared space can only be done if the work doesn't require privacy. <S> If customer information, or other business information must be protected this is difficult to do if others can hear your conversations or see your screen. <S> You need to talk to your management to see what options exist. <S> You need to understand their expectations of privacy. <A> Since the "business" side of things is covered (Manager says "I can't help you")... you could create privacy... <S> Various solutions are possible... from crazy to normal. <S> Option #1, If you want to be extreme, you could use a privacy hoodie: Option #2, 3d: <S> Occulus Rift or other headsets of the sort... <S> Option #3, 2d: <S> Glare/Privacy Filters - Amazon has a wide selection of filters you can add to your screens to decrease the viewing angle... if you want to be boring (and not look like a Dementor from Harry Potter) <S> I guess you could use this option... Option <S> #3b: Monitor Hoods <S> - Very similar to the Glare Filters... and hoodie... <S> without the need to look like a Dementor. <A> I use a public library with reasonable frequency and have dealt with a similar issue in the past. <S> I've found the most effective technique to be one that actually relies upon the fact that others are reading my screen. <S> I realise that I'm taking a gamble when I employ it, but in some half a dozen cases that I've pushed back, am yet to receive any negative repercussions nor has there been any continuation of the offensive behaviour. <S> I have a series of word documents that I choose between to open right before I head out for a cigarette, with my computer set to lock itself after 1 minute. <S> I rely on the fact the place is covered with cameras and filled with people to prevent vandalism or interference with my laptop. <S> I simply address the behaviour and the words"and <S> stop reading my f*****g screen" at the bottom of each page. <S> Whenever I return, I find that either the offenders have relocated or refuse to look at me or my machine any more. <S> Sometimes they seem positively fearful of what I may do to them - that someone apparently unhinged enough to make an open threat as I do will actually carry it out. <S> (I'm almost certainly a bigger pussy-cat than any of them - but the impressions one gives helps win poker..) <S> Something like the tactic employed by people that commit crimes against drug-dealers. <S> I mean what are they going to do? <S> Go and complain to library staff that some fella left his pc for 5 minutes with a threatening message on the screen addressed to them. <S> :laughs: <S> To complain requires self incrimination... <S> I hope that my 'work' is copied and causes pain to those that would seek to take unfair advantage of it. <S> Sure, they're both a little work - but each are effective at dealing with the problem and my frustration response towards it.
| There are products available that will limit the angles that your screen can be observed, but they only work if you always have access to the same work space and the same screen. Another tactic is one I've used for selfish people on forums or cheaters in tests - I give an answer that's purposefully wrong, but only ever so slightly and as subtly as possible.
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How to deal with illegal discrimination as part of a decision-making group I've been assigned to run interviews for a position. The position has specific requirements and some preferentially desired candidate traits. I am supposed to evaluate candidates (often with some other members of the group sitting in, but I am primarily responsible for this part of the process) and send notes to everyone else so that we can come to a consensus. The groups desired traits are illegal. Specifically, we have a qualified candidate about whom several other members have said things like "He seems nice, but it's hard to relate to people that are so much older than us. We should at least try to get someone closer to our age first" and "No one wants to have to work with someone old enough to be their parents". We also have a less-qualified but not unqualified applicant that the other members of the group want to discriminate against because of their marital status/gender "She'll have to take too much time off to take care of her kid"-type stuff. I strongly disapprove of these sorts of discrimination (and also they are illegal in my place of residence) but I am not sure what to do about it. The people involved in the group are young, politically active, anti-discrimination liberal folk who have thus far handwaved off my objections because 'this is different' (i.e. it affects them and regards prejudices they actually hold so it's inconvenient to deconstruct social oppression for them in this case (possibly this is a bit harsh) ). I have the power to just pick a candidate over their objections or pretend we tried and couldn't get anyone else or whatever, but forcing a candidate down their throats and by extension the throat of the larger situation seems like a nuclear option that also doesn't resolve the underlying illegal decision-making process. How should I handle this? The organization has no HR department and only a few employees so that the ban against discriminatory practice is industry-specific and local rather than the general prohibition the federal government instates via title VII. The CEO is out-of town for several weeks and isn't included in the group. <Q> I've been assigned to run interviews for a position. <S> What kind of training have you done? <S> Have you told the interviewing team what they are expected to do? <S> Specifically, have you informed them regarding the laws that must be adhered to during the interview process? <S> When the team said "it's hard to relate to people that are so much older than us. <S> We should at least try to get someone closer to our age first" and "She'll have to take too much time off to take care of her kid <S> " did you just remain silent? <S> If so, that was a missed opportunity. <S> I'm stunned by the number of companies that put people on an interview team and never train them how to carry out that job correctly. <S> You wouldn't have someone develop software without first being trained, would you? <S> You would train a front-desk person on how to properly answer the phone and direct guests, right? <S> You have the opportunity to correct this situation before it gets out of hand. <S> Schedule a training session for everyone involved immediately. <S> Explain what you are looking for in a candidate and what their role is in the hiring process (as well as what their role is not - i.e., you have the power to make the hiring decision). <S> If you aren't capable or comfortable explaining the relevant laws that must be followed, hire a consultant to help. <S> Your owner, CEO or Board will almost certainly be able to help you find one. <S> Plenty are out there. <A> This is a great question, but I think the best answer is to get formal legal advice. <S> Even if you know this behavior is illegal, part of an attorney's job is to advise clients on how to act within legal boundaries. <S> You don't want to risk being held personally liable as part of a discrimination suit. <S> Certain legislation may not apply to your company, but there may be other rules and regulations that do -- plus your company may grow in the future. <S> In that event, you'll want to be informed as to what is required to comply. <S> Since this is ultimately for the benefit of your employer, you should not have to pay for legal advice yourself. <S> Your company may not have one on retainer, but I imagine even a tiny company uses an attorney from time to time. <S> Legal consulting is a normal business expense. <A> If the group is wanting to use illegal criteria, you are responsible for excluding those criteria from the decision. <S> If you feel the need to convince the team, search for examples of discrimination suits brought against employers for discrimination on the specific trait they are wanting to discriminate on. <S> "Based on examples <S> A, B, and C <S> this is illegal. <S> We wouldn't discriminate based on race and, for the very same reasons, we won't on age/family status." <S> The flip side of this is that if the team feels the specific candidate would be a poor fit (ie "I have a hard time relating to him" rather than "I have a hard time relating to people like him" or "he moved quite slowly" rather than "old people are slow") <S> that is not only a legal criteria, it is a very good one. <S> So in discussions about the candidates it is very important to make it about that individual as they are the one you would end up working with and only referring to points that can be backed up by resume/interview/references.
| Work with your company first, to see if they have an attorney you can consult who specializes in these cases. Take ownership of the process you've volunteered to run.
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What to do when two weeks notice period overlaps with parental leave? Starting the beginning of next month I will be taking two weeks off from work as paid parental leave. I now have reason to believe I will be receiving a job offer within the next few days here, with the likely start date being the exact day I am scheduled to return from parental leave. This would mean my two weeks notice period and my parental leave overlap one-to-one. My question is: What is the most professional way to handle this situation? My parental leave is non-negotiable at this point. Would I be burning bridges if I were to take my parental leave at that time? Should I request a later start date should I receive an offer (possible two weeks after my return)? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. <Q> Responses to your questions below. <S> What is the most professional way to handle this situation? <S> IMHO Respect <S> the needs of everyone involved and do what you can to meet these needs in a manner that is fair and reasonable. <S> You need to move forward into your new position. <S> Your current employer needs time for you to wrap up assignments or for you to pass the assignments along to someone else in a way that allows them to take over the responsibility and be successful. <S> Your new employer needs to know when you can start. <S> Would I be burning bridges if I were to take my parental leave at that time? <S> Not necessarily, because whether you burn bridges or not really depends on how well you transfer your responsibilities to someone else in the company. <S> I would expect you to make a reasonable effort to support whomever will end up doing your work. <S> Should I request a later start date <S> should I receive an offer (possible two weeks after my return)? <S> Yes, it seems like that would be an easy solution. <A> Unless you have a contract or other signed document that requires you to work x days after giving notice, there is no requirement in The United States regarding length of notice period. <S> In general the employer wants two weeks so that they can arrange for your shifts to be covered, and to give you time to finish some tasks and brief your manager/team. <S> The employer doesn't want you to take leave during those two weeks, because they want you to be available. <S> Of course it works both ways, sometimes they just want the employee to leave. <S> The issue for you is that if you tell them and essentially give them zero days they will not be happy. <S> If you are OK with that give zero notice. <S> Keep in mind you will likely have to give them some notice so that they can take your badges, collect your laptop and company phone, and conduct whatever other last day procedures they have. <A> I've been advised that, if you take non-FMLA leave in conjunction with FMLA leave or if you leave the company while on FMLA leave, the leave may then be considered as non-FMLA, and that it's best to come back at least for one day in order to officially end your FMLA leave and process all your paperwork before any of that other stuff. <S> If you're talking about parental leave given by your company that's not covered under FMLA, it'll depend entirely on your company's policies.
| Your future employer will appreciate seeing you take responsibility for ensuring as smooth a transition as possible. If you aren't OK with giving zero notice, then ask for a delay.
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Should I Put a sign up over the Microwave asking people to clean up after themselves? I work in a 'business casual' office in IT where the microwave is not cleaned by the cleaning staff and the adults do not clean up after themselves. I cleaned the microwave thoroughly after finding a hair in it and it being caked with food. We have plastic splatter covers that go unused and when those get soiled they are left dirty. A fellow co-worker sent an email out last time I cleaned the microwave asking that people keep it up, but that has not happened. Should I put a sign up over the microwave asking people to clean up after themselves? What would be the appropriate action? This is not answered in "How can we keep a shared common area (kitchen) clean? " Show me where this has been specifically addressed and resolved elsewhere and I will delete. <Q> Should I Put a sign up over the Microwave asking people to clean up after themselves? <S> I don't see anything wrong with putting up such a sign on the microwave, and I have seen it work many times. <S> You may even wish to put up an overall sign in the break area that states " You're an adult, clean up after yourself. " <S> In my company's break area there is a sign that states " Your mother does not work here, clean up your own mess!! " <S> ( our cleaning service does not do dishes or clean up the microwave ) <S> The only thing you need to do first is clear it with management. <S> This way the message doesn't come from just a person, but the management team. <A> If you want to then there's no inherent issue with this, providing that you ask management first <S> and they're ok with it. <S> However, signs like this are often ignored so <S> don't just expect it'll be a magic bullet approach! <S> Instead, you may need a stronger warning that can only come from management - an email to the tune of Hi all, Despite repeated attempts to clean the microwave <S> it keeps lapsing to a dirty and unhygienic state in an unacceptably short timeframe. <S> I'm afraid this presents a H&S risk, so if the situation continues we will be forced to remove this facility. <S> People may react better to the possibility of not having this facility than just a generic sign telling them to clean up after themselves. <A> Should I Put a sign up over the Microwave asking people to clean up after themselves? <S> It's a waste of time. <S> Those that don't tend to clean up after themselves will see the sign, perhaps clean up once, then resume their habits. <S> Eventually, the sign will get dirty and people won't even notice that it's there. <S> Consider having people in the office take <S> turns on "cleanup duty" where once per week they clean the kitchen. <S> Eventually, the people who don't clean up after themselves will have their turn cleaning up the mess of others. <S> It still won't likely change many habits, but at least the kitchen gets cleaned weekly.
| Those that tend to clean up after themselves will do so. I might even ask that you have management put up any signs.
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Using GitHub correctly to show skills to employers/recruiters A lot of jobs I have been applying to have a section in the form specifically for a link to your Github account. I think this is a good idea, do some coding, put it on Github, so prospective employers can see. The trouble is, sometimes I find what I'm coding is too small and not meaningful and just looks silly putting on displays. A specific example. One job requires knowledge of Bash scripting. I spent a week practicing bash scripting but can't really think of a good project I can do in Bash. I then realized Bash scripting isn't really intended for large projects. Should I put something small on Github anyways, as proof I know it, or would it look silly? Am I going about using Github for employment purposes, the wrong way? EDIT: none of the answers so far address the question, which is "should you showcase even small scripts, if the job posting mentions the language?". This job posting listed bash as a "nice to have", not "required" and I had used it in the passed though never put any to Github. I guess I didn't add this in the first place as I thought it was obvious the primary focus of a job wouldn't be bash scripting. <Q> A specific example. <S> One job requires knowledge of Bash scripting. <S> I spent a week practicing bash scripting but can't really think of a good project I can do in Bash. <S> I then realized Bash scripting isn't really intended for large projects. <S> Should I put something small on Github anyways, as proof <S> I know it, or would it look silly? <S> Am I going about using Github for employment purposes, the wrong way? <S> Yes. <S> When they are saying they expect knowledge of Bash: that doesn't mean that they expect a person cram for a week, and only then realize that Bash is a scripting language and then want to find a way to fake experience with a single trivial upload. <S> Using a technology/language for a week isn't knowledge. <S> They expect that when they ask you basic and intermediate questions you can provide reasonable answers. <S> They expect that when you talk about your previous jobs/projects it is clear that you did use Bash. <S> Don't feel bad if you don't have a GitHub account. <A> When I interview candidates, I always ask for Github projects. <S> Why? <S> That's because I'd have better insight of what the candidate can do without asking them for a stressful stupid coding test. <S> If your job requires bash script, that doesn't mean you must have an open source project for bash. <S> You just need to build a portfolio of open-source projects you have done. <S> Build something you love , do it good. <A> NO, don't bother. <S> For your specific case, and because it is shell scripting, the probability is that this company simply requires you to be able to open a shell script and search for log files. <S> I see "shell/bash/unix nice to have" on a lot of the contracts I take, I can traverse a unix system and open files in vi - and that's about it. <S> That's all that I need to do. <S> Now, that said, showing you can make some sort of script that can traverse a log file of some sort - there are probably example log files out there, or heck <S> just take the logging from some program with debug on - and output something readable will look good. <S> But given that probably few people on the team really know bash anyway, the chances of anyone reading it and being impressed are low. <S> Also, while everybody else is saying how hard shell scripting is, I honestly think you could cram it in a week and become pretty proficient with it. <S> It's not hard, it's just boring.
| Try to start a community for your project. Many people can't put their best code on GitHub because the code is owned by their employer or their customer.
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How to encourage a friend to leave a toxic job? One of my close friends is currently working for a company which has a toxic work environment, a place where no one should have to work. He has been at this company for just over 7 years, he is a very capable and smart guy who has worked his way up the company from bottom to now just one position below the CEO. He is well respected by his peers, I know as I've met them on several occasions. He truly wants to improve the company from within as he believes he has the power to do so but my concern is that the company won't reciprocate the feeling. I'm afraid he has hero syndrome . Reasons why I'm against him working for his current employer: They will throw him under the bus at any chance they get He is currently working weekends to supplement his salary Very frequently he is stressed and worried Rarely spends time with his family He and I don't work in the same company, I just want the best for him as over the years I've known him he has only gotten more and more fed up with his employer. Has anyone ever been in a similar situation? How can I advise my friend that he could do a lot better than his current employer? <Q> You have provided your reasons for why you believe your friend should leave, but not for why your friend has not left already, or does not seem to want to. <S> Your friend seems to have a job where he is well respected and has established a prominent position due to his work, something which he is likely proud of, and which pushes him to work hard. <S> Clearly you believe this has become detrimental to his personal life, but from his perspective, why should he leave? <S> It seems, from an outside perspective, that his hard work was recognized and rewarded with promotions. <S> You indicate that the company "will throw him under the bus at any chance they get", but the combination of his being rewarded for his work and the respect he allegedly receives from his peers does not make this evident to me, and probably does not to him either. <S> Which is not to say that you are wrong, but if your friend sees no problem, he has no motivation to quit. <S> As to your other concerns, these seem to be issues with your friend, not his workplace. <S> If he works too much, at the expense of time with his family, or he has "hero syndrome", why do you believe that these things will change with a new job? <S> If he attempts these actions and is rebuffed, that would be sufficient cause for him to seek new employment. <S> In summary: The problems you list are all things that should be resolvable given your friends position. <S> Before suggesting a dramatic action like quitting, he should first see what actions he can take to resolve these problems with his company. <S> It is when a person's concerns are NOT addressed that they should look for new employment. <A> You have to let people live their lives. <S> Many of us think we know what's best for everyone else. <S> Even if that were true(it's not), it doesn't matter because people have to make their choices. <S> That being said, if you are determined to talk your friend out of their job: Listen! <S> As a friend ask them about the good parts and bad parts of the job. <S> Without giving advice just listen . <S> Ask them about long term plans. <S> Ask them if they want to be the same job in a few years. <S> Maybe they are scared of finding a new job, maybe they really need the insurance. <S> It's impossible to know. <S> By listening you can find the "heart of the matter" and help resolve that issue instead. <S> People aren't just going to do thing because you want them. <A> Find him another job. <S> He sounds like an excellent employee: dedicated, loyal, and extremely hardworking. <S> Use your own network to find an employer that is willing and able to reward such virtues.
| Rather than convincing your friend to quit, you may simply wish to convince him to ask for a raise and spend less time at work, or to leverage his leadership position and delegate some of his work to the rest of the company. To make a drastic change in their life, they have to want to do it too.
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How do i finish a project,if it keeps changing? We work on a agile based methodology. As the requirements get refined in every iteration, I try to push myself 100% to finish off the tasks I have been allotted. But somehow I never finish because the requirements keep changing, so again I have to rework on them. It gets boring by the time I keep doing it until the end of the project. Whenever I try to put entire effort into the development, it never gets done because the requirements keep changing. The entire effort I do is only partially used and this leaves me frustrated and bored because I am doing the same stuff. This applies to the bug fixing period as well. I mentally decide that I will fix a particular bug by the end of the day, I never be able to fix it. Because either it gets too complex or there is a tool issue or I am occupied with something. Basically whatever challenge I take up, it never succeeds and I get demotivated and frustrated, because I am not able to do it within the specified time period. What should I do to finish my task, so that it doesn't come back again?What am I doing wrong? What should I do to improve? <Q> You've tagged this Scrum, so I'm giving the Scrum answer. <S> During the Planning Meeting, the team and the product owner will select items from the Backlog. <S> These items must be fleshed out enough that they can be implemented. <S> Any items that are not clear to the team must either be clarified during the meeting, or must be returned to the backlog and taken up at a later time. <S> The team and product owner agree on a set of items that will be added to the Sprint Backlog for the new sprint. <S> Then the sprint begins. <S> Now, the development team is in charge and they do the work. <S> Every item is implemented according to the known requirements, tested, and delivered during that sprint. <S> At this point, nobody can come and tell you that the requirements have changed; any new requirements will have to be new backlog items taken up during a later sprint. <S> You deliver all the items, hold a sprint review to show stakeholders that you've completed the work, and then invite them to talk about what is most important to work on next. <S> This is the last point where stakeholders can change requirements. <S> Then, another Planning Meeting happens, new work is selected, and new work is dragged into the Sprint Backlog, where it becomes the team's responsibility to perform the work again. <S> There are 2 (and ONLY 2) ways in which deviation from this is possible. <S> Either someone suggests a change to requirements, has a discussion with the development team, and the development team decides to accept them , or the Product Owner cancels the sprint. <S> Nobody can make the team accept changes to requirements during a sprint. <S> So if you're having a lot of trouble with this, the Scrum solution is as follows: A) <S> "No, we can't change requirements. <S> The sprint has started; talk to the Product Owner, we'll pick it up next sprint. <S> "B) <S> "Please don't bother me. <S> If you need anything else, talk to the Scrum Master." <S> (Optionally followed by a message to the Scrum Master that the requester is an impediment to your work.) <S> As a developer in a Scrum Team, you have a lot more power (and responsibility) than most people realize. <S> Learn about it. <S> Use it. <A> Another approached to your problem is to stop focusing so much on the development process. <S> Maybe it's not well implemented, but at the end, your goal should be to satisfy your customer (and it's very hard to change processes in a project). <S> If your requirements change too much, it's because your clients don't know what they want . <S> It might be because of a lack of knowledge, inexperience, etc. <S> It doesn't matter, it also doesn't matter whose fault it is. <S> But they want to improve their business, and you are here to help them. <S> That's why I would recommand to increase your dialog with your customer to UNDERSTAND <S> what they want , why they want it, why they want it the way they asked it . <S> It might be their job, but it will make you an awesome developper if you do that <S> (it's much more fun too!) <S> There is so much cases in which, by being passive, you are actually creating something useless for the client just because he thought of something, formulated in a way for some reason, you understand it in some fashion: <S> TA DA: waste. <S> Talk to they, ask WHY multiple time to understand their need. <S> Once you understand what they need, you will be able to answer your own question/issue while developing and they will be thankful for that! <A> It seems your team is not doing Scrum. <S> Agile does not mean chaotic. <S> You should have a sprint of fixed length and a sprint backlog of what to do. <S> This should not change in the sprint itself. <S> Like a list you can cross off. <S> What do i do to finish my tasks,so that it doesn't come back again? <S> As a first action, you should get your team to actually test <S> anything they think is done . <S> That means somebody else from the team looks at the requirements and says "OK, I tested it <S> , I think you did well <S> , this looks <S> done to me. <S> " <S> That way you will deliver higher quality and even if somebody along the chain is unhappy with it, it was a team effort . <S> It's not your personal fault any longer. <S> A more long term solution is to talk about this problem in your retrospectives (they are a core part of Scrum, you have them after every sprint, right?!) and find a solution with your team. <S> I get the feeling you need to improve on your Scrum process as a whole. <S> Maybe get a good book or trainer for this. <S> And get management approval, it's all too easy to say "we are doing Scrum" only to have management continue in their ways of "this just came up, do it now!" <S> way of management.
| You should have a definition of done that is easy to check. You should have a backlog or requirements (often in the format of user stories).
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Employer responsibility in a potentially (key) violent stalking situation? Straight to the Point : What level of responsibility does an employer in the U.S. (New York State) have if an employee (full-time) alerts them to someone potentially stalking them and who might act out in violence of some sort? Is it basically a case of they protect their facilities and if someone gets in then interloper is basically trespassing and that’s it? I—and others—in the U.S. are basically “hired at will” resources and there is just so much that can be done in a case like this? Details and Background : I was recently contacted at work by someone in my family I am willfully estranged from (for 10+ years at this point t) and someone who I have threatened with a restraining order if they contacted me ever again. They were abusive to me—and others in my childhood—and after about 30+ years of dealing with their nonsense, I had enough. This person most likely obtained my work email address via the organizations company address. I did not work for my current employer 10+ years ago so it’s the most likely reason. I actually have no problem with this. While I use a pseudonym on sites like this, my “real world” presence is quite glib and transparent. I find that this level of honest exposure to have been effective in dealing with nonsense like this in my life. In this case, this family member wanted to return some documents to me that they knew I would want; these are not financial documents but rather personal documents connected to deceased relatives I had good relation with. Not wanting to have these documents get lost to the B.S. of time/family nonsense I directed this family member to mail me these documents to a P.O. box I maintain; I would rather get these personally important documents than have to deal with estate/probate B.S. messes in the future. That said, I told my immediate supervisor about this email contact and I explained that there is a good chance this unwanted family member might want to confront me at work. I’m hoping this won’t happen, but have to be realistic. The response I received was basically a fairly lukewarm answer along the lines of: “There’s just so much the organization can do past ensure normal access controls are in place.” Which practically boils down to I am free to contact security or local police if an actual incident happens but past that, there is not much I can expect my employer to do past the basic workplace controls. The building I work in has basic—but lackadaisical—security on the ground floor that is easy to get past and the access to my floor/department is pass card/ID card protected but is also staffed with a receptionist who simply opens the door at will. For all intents and purposes, this access “controls” are not really strongly enforced. Thus my question regarding employer responsibility. Postscript for Armchair Second Guessers : The reason I have not actually filed a restraining order is based on my experience of knowing that providing proof in a case like this is sadly best handled after an actual incident happens. Otherwise, attempting to get a restraining order over a shouting match is just a big legal mess with questionable outcomes/results. So in an odd way, if the antagonist in this mess suddenly appears at my place of work this could all actually be a blessing in surprise! And for anyone who wants to second guess the “tactical/strategic” nature of an act of contact like this, I will just say I am not stating the complete picture due to discretion and personal safety. Rest assured I know how this person behaves, have dealt with them in the past and—sadly—know how to deal with their nonsense on many different levels. <Q> I'm not sure what you are asking your employer to do here <S> and what kind of responsibility you would like to impose. <S> If it were me, I'd certainly contact security ahead of time, rather than waiting for something to happen. <S> And I'd ask the front desk to be on the lookout for this individual, perhaps giving them a photo with instructions to notify you immediately if this person shows up. <S> And I'd be prepared to call the police immediately if I truly expected violence and if I heard that this family member was present at the front desk. <S> I'm not sure there's much else to be done here unless and until a crime is actually committed. <S> You might reconsider the restraining order. <A> Disclaimer: I am not an attorney and the overall mood of this question seems to be of a legal nature and may not fit on this site. <S> The employer's lukewarm mood is likely because they can't really do much about the situation for several reasons: Nobody has done anything illegal or threatening yet. <S> They are not law enforcement, and cannot take the law into their own hands. <S> If there is building security, I would think this is the kind of thing they should be hired to take care of, but even if you provided a photo and told them you don't feel comfortable around the person it is unlikely they can do anything about it considering you don't have a restraining order. <S> The one saving grace here is that it would be well known that they have no business to attend to within the building and could be denied access as a result. <S> If you are genuinely concerned about your well being <S> I would recommend getting the restraining order if things continue. <S> To my knowledge, your employer has no responsibility to control domestic disputes within the office before they happen and likely have no jurisdiction to do anything other than ask the person to leave and threaten to press charges for trespassing. <A> I've worked for companies that had policies regarding this sort of thing, but I don't think there are any over arching labor laws. <S> Some of these policies included things like: <S> Never giving out an employees personal information (phone number,address, etc) Not giving information on where an employee is at the moment. <S> If not in office, they're just not in the office. <S> It's not acceptable to tell people where they might be. <S> Even when the employee is in office, take the visitors name and ask the employee if they would like to meet with said person, rather than just telling the visitor to head on back. <S> Never giving out work schedules. <S> (see point above) <S> Most of these things are just common sense and good business practice. <S> Even assuming that a visitor is dropping in for business purposes, it's a good idea to make sure that they were expected and that you're prepared to greet them.
| I don't see much that your employer could actually do about a potential assault. I do know from experience that the police tend to pay more attention if there is an existing order in place.
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How to tell previous department I can't work on their tasks for them? I am an intern at a multinational company(nameless for obvious reasons), it's a nationally mandated internship so quitting is kinda difficult.Anyways I was working in a department that was focused on managing distributors primarily through a database management website, then I got transferred to another department and I have to enter in data manually because it's handwritten(T-T). I could deal with my new assignment, but members of my former department keep bothering me and make me do their jobs for them. It was made clear to them they had to leave me alone and shouldn't saddle me with their work, but how can that be enforced when their boss calls me and asks me about the progress of the stuff his subordinates hand to me. It's very difficult to juggle both duties because I have only so many hours in a day, my average coding skills help but still have to take time to think of the code.I got a dressing down from my new boss, asking me about my lack of productivity whilst my former department members watched on in silence.I couldn't rat them out because I could not afford annihilating them, don't want my temporary reassignment to be made permanent.Talked to my Dad about it, said I should do both duties that he had it worse. I am just so miserable, was so dedicated before the reassignment; I would resume at work at 7:15 or 7:30, but now I just roll out of bed and get there 8:55 or 9:15, then I would leave not a minute after 5. It's clear we need more manpower with the new task, every person who had participated in the task before had people to help. We are just 2 and tried using python for the thing, the results are too inconsistent and getting hand writing samples is not possible. I find myself going back to sleep if I wake up early. Today I saw a window with no iron bars, I looked out of it and thought of jumping.Even small things like them making fun of me because I can code and they can't start to annoy me. I probably will do something I will regret if I don't do something about this soon. <Q> You don't need to juggle the priorities, your boss does. <S> If your boss says no,then they can be annoyed with him or her, and not you. <S> If your boss says yes, then he or she will know why you're not getting your regular work done as quickly as expected. <S> But what I suspect will happen is that they will not ask your boss, because they were told to leave you alone. <S> In any case, it's not your problem. <S> This is similar to SnWhite's answer, but I don't think you should get into a discussion with them about what you're currently working on, because they will probably try to convince you that their tasks are more important. <S> Simply refer the whole discussion to your boss. <A> I find myself going back to sleep if I wake up early. <S> Today I saw a window with no iron bars, I looked out of it and thought of jumping. <S> Even small things like them making fun of me because I can code and they can't start to annoy me. <S> I probably will do something I will regret if I don't do something about this soon. <S> Seek professional help immediately. <S> Lack of motivation may be the least of your problems. <S> There are people and places that can help. <S> Do it now. <A> OR <S> Once I've completed my assigned work for the day I will start on XYZ. <S> You're not telling them no <S> but you're also making it clear <S> their tasks are not your priority and your role is. <S> If they give you push back, use your manager, <S> My manager said I need to complete Task 1, Task 2, and Task 3. <S> If you think I should be removed from these and focus on your task, please talk to him/her <S> and he/she can reassign my priority for the day. <S> Now it is on the other department to officially assign the task to you through your manager, who will then be made aware you're working on other stuff. <S> If they aren't willing to take these steps they either wait for you to "get to it" or the person who should be completing it does it.
| Whenever they ask you to do work that wasn't assigned to you by your boss, say I'll be happy to help you with that, but you'll need to clear it with my boss first. If you don't want to explicitly state that you no longer perform these tasks in order to save face or stick to cultural norms, when asked to do a task or if the other manager asks where your progress is, tell them: I will work on XYZ after I complete Task 1, Task 2, and Task 3 which are my priority for the day.
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Notice of Resignation in Email Signature I have given notice at my current company and have admittedly done a poor job of organizing all of my contacts, so sending out an email to all of them would be tedious to say the least. Everyone internally knows of my departure, it is the people outside of my organization that I am concerned about. Would it be generally appropriate to include the fact that I will no longer be with my current company in my email signature? I feel that giving this notice to everyone will cause a lot less headaches for them down the road. Is it even my responsibility to inform them that I am leaving? (I have no problems doing so) I also plan on setting up my out-of-office reply to include this information once I leave to handle any overlap between incoming emails and my company shutting down my accounts. Is this appropriate as well? Note: Everyone internally knows of my departure. <Q> It would not be appropriate to use such an informal approach as an email signature to indicate your departure. <S> You should make an effort to notify those that will be affected, and not worry about the rest. <S> As for after your departure, that is your organizations IT responsibility. <S> A good organization will shut off your account and access almost immediately anyway. <A> Talk to your company/supervisor. <S> They may/should have a plan for what to do with your email account and phone number. <S> They should even have a plan for how to inform customers and vendors. <S> This is one of the items that takes place during the transition period. <S> Though I have never heard of a company that wanted to use am email signature to spread that information. <A> People don't read e-mails from bottom to top, and their attention is least likely to be on something that occurs at the end. <S> If you want people to know, with the least amount of confusion or guesswork, do the work of writing a proper message with a proper subject line pertaining only to your change in status. <S> The footer approach will cause confusion - is that the impression you want? <S> I think it'd be best to either be succinct, or don't send anything at all. <A> Issues of professionalism or appropriateness aside, using your email signature to announce your departure is likely to be ineffective . <S> The vast majority of email clients de-emphasize or hide signatures by default, so most of the people you're trying to contact with this method will never see it. <A> If you do <S> email somebody, you've remembered who they are and can therefore make a decision as to whether or not to send them your proper notification. <S> So, this is a non-problem. <A> The customers your company has after you leave are of little concern to you, to be honest. <S> If they want to keep them, they will contact them and let them know that another person will be handling their accounts. <S> Unless you're expecting to keep up with the customers after you leave for some other reason (which would be unprofessional if you keep to the same industry), then you leave the company and let the company deal with their customers. <S> Personally, I don't want the clients I work with to know when I'm gone. <A> I don't see any problem with using the signature function of your email client to automatically append a note to the end of all of your emails explaining that you will be leaving the company. <S> I wouldn't make it look like a signature, but in all the email clients I have used the "signature" is just text added to the end of the email. <S> Just add the note above your current signature. <A> I would be careful in doing this. <S> Check the terms and conditions of your employment contract and the laws in your country, to make sure you are not in breach. <S> I know someone who did this. <S> His contract was subject to a clause which prevented him from working with any of the company's clients within a certain period of leaving that job. <S> He sent an email to all his clients to inform them that he was leaving (he had good reasons for doing so which I won't go into here). <S> The company took him to court and obtained an injunction against him. <S> They were able to successfully argue that by informing the clients that he was leaving, those clients (who may have valued their relationship with him more so than the company) would be able to easily locate him at the next company he worked at, and switch their business.
| If you don't email somebody, they're not going to see your email signature.
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Is it worth dealing with a bad recruiter if the target job seems good? I was recently contacted by an external recruiter on LinkedIn for a job that would be a two-hour commute with some flexibility in telecommuting. I spoke with the recruiter on the phone a few times, and she wasn't able to give me details about the job other than what was listed in the official job posting. I asked several clarifying questions about the job, and her answers were in the order of "I assume that x is true about this position." The recruiter keeps trying to get me to give on the terms with which I would be comfortable accepting this role and seems to be manipulating me with stories of other people that have sacrificed similarly and are ok with it. There are other integrity issues I have with the recruiter that are making this process unpleasant. I was put in touch with the hiring manager for the company I would be working for and the call went well- the company sounds like a good place to work and has some interesting projects. I am working on coordinating an in-person interview with the company because I am genuinely interested and hope that there may be some room for negotiation to more closely match my terms. While speaking with the hiring manager, it became apparent that some of the things he expressed about the role don't match up with what the recruiter said about the role. It sounds like the recruiter either misinterpreted facts about the role or did not do her homework. I would assume that the hiring manager knows the true details, but it doesn't leave me feeling comforted that I am getting misinformation from the recruiter. The job seems like a good opportunity, but I have not had a good experience with the recruiter. Is it worth the agony of dealing with a recruiter that may not have your best interests at heart in order to land a job that could be a good opportunity? Is there a point at which it makes more sense to just cut ties with the recruiter and "move on" even if it means missing a good job opportunity? <Q> It might seem harsh but in terms of going from application to offer, the recruitment agent is just a means to an end (or in this case, a beginning!). <S> Simply assuming something about the job on their part seems unprofessional. <S> At the very least they could have said "I assume this is true <S> but I shall contact them and confirm". <S> It's in their best interest to have you accept a job <S> but the power lies with you. <S> I have had to do it too; where I've had to email a recruitment agent saying "This is an important factor in considering this role and I will not move forward on a decision until there is confirmation". <S> Agents don't usually like you asking the company something directly at these stages and so should be making efforts to clear up remaining doubts. <S> It's a red flag if they are not delivering on this, especially if they are not explaining any delays / uncertainties. <S> You however said you had spoken directly to the hiring manager of the company that's offering the job. <S> If you are now fully aware of what the role will involve, and are happy with it, then go for it. <S> If there is any doubt, read over the contract they send you when you accept and be certain it matches up with what the manager told you. <S> If you decide to go for the job, once you're in, you won't have to interact with the recruiter again. <S> If they do contact you asking for feedback, you can mention the issues you have raised here, but it's not your obligation. <S> I would be curious to know what other 'integrity issues' <S> you said they had. <A> I should not worry too much about the recruiter. <S> The only thing that you need to get them to do is get you to have an interview with the company. <S> When you have achieved this, you can ask as many questions at the interview about the role. <A> At this point, FORGET everything the recruiter has told you, and ignore anything else outside of the recruiter giving you specific information on meeting with the company. <S> The recruiter has played "operator" between you and the company, but is potentially clueless. <S> It's all up to you now. <S> Forget any information you've been told about the commute. <S> Do your own research. <S> You don't want to be on the job for six months and be saying to yourself, "That recruiter misled me!" <S> Get the FACTS about the job from whoever your contact is at the company. <S> Hear them from the horse's mouth. <S> Most inexperienced recruiters only know buzzwords-on-resumes, but they don't know how X relates to Y relates to Z. <S> So the recruiter may give you an impression that X is important or relevant to the company, when it's not actually so. <S> Do your own homework, and use the recruiter to facilitate further conversation. <S> Take the situation for what it's worth. <S> If you can ignore the recruiter and still move forward in the process, great!
| Once you accept the job (if you go for it), your interaction with them should be minimal. Do not feel guilty about needing to get your questions answered ... or you may find yourself in deep regret later!!!
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Is it overkill to make a GitHub to show basic coding skills? I'm not applying for jobs where programming is the primary function, but some of these jobs have listed certain programming languages as preferred skills. I am familiar with the basics of these languages, but I'm wondering if it would be wise to make a GitHub account to showcase that. I don't want employers to raise their expectations when they see the link to a GitHub account, only to be disappointed when they only find simple code. <Q> If you post a github account that show minimal knowledge of the skill. <S> IE: homework level stuff, or a "Hello World" app I would avoid showing a potential employer said gitub url. <S> That being said, If you think your GitHub has some good content and is worth showing off then be prepared to dive deep into what its doing and how. <S> Not being able to answer question quickly about something you made might be the end of the interview. <S> Likewise being able to explain your program in great detail without having to check your notes is a huge plus from a hiring standpoint. <S> It shows you know what you are doing. <A> I don't what employers to raise their expectations when they see the link to a GitHub account, only to be disappointed when they only find simple code. <S> Your application is the time to draw employer's attention to the things you want them to focus on. <S> It sounds like this would be covered by just stating a familiarity with git and the languages on the resume. <S> The worst case is, as you suggest, someone navigates there and wonders why you linked to it in the first place. <A> Yes if you have the good enough code to show. <S> Unfortunately, most of the code we have often falls into three categories: <S> It is written for a company at work. <S> Now way we could show a singleline of such a code, no single statement, not a single semicolon. <S> It is my ancient student work, full of fundamental design errors I would never repeat again, and its coding style was good enough 15 years ago when used to be different conventions. <S> Some very simple project that does not actually impress. <S> Many developers do not actually have much to show, apart some who worked on various open source projects. <A> Well, I can tell you that I definitely prefer candidates that show me examples of their code. <S> If a candidate does not have a code sample, I assume the worst. <S> Nowadays, standards are such that virtually anybody with any talent at all has a public code repository. <S> If your primary job is not programming, then presumably the company will take that it into account when they evaluate your code. <S> At the end of the day, it is probably better to have bad code than no code, at least in my book. <S> If I see somebody with bad code, at least I know that they wrote it. <S> Better to have a bad coder who actually writes code, than somebody with great code that is plagiarized from somebody else. <S> Believe it or not, I have to quiz people carefully about their code to make sure they actually wrote it. <S> Half the time, their code is plagiarized and I ask them a question about it <S> and they can't answer the question because they didn't actually write the code.
| I would think that basic coding skills would be expected if the job has a coding aspect to it.
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Boss calls personal phone about non-critical things after hours; how to respond? I've seen a few similar questions asked, but they don't seem to address my particular situation: My boss occasionally calls my personal phone (mobile) after work hours on Fridays, usually between 5:30 and 7:30pm. This means that I'm either driving home or have just gotten home (or elsewhere) and so I nearly always miss it. My boss only seems to call about non-critical and/or non-immediate things (e.g., office furniture will need to be moved in the next month, new computers might be delayed, etc.). I would call him back immediately, but it's sometimes quite late and he has very young kids and I don't want to wake them up and/or disturb his family. I'm still a junior developer and while I don't have many critical responsibilities, I also don't want to seem inattentive. Is it appropriate to respond to my boss's calls by email (possibly giving a short re-cap of the message he left on my phone)? Or should I call him directly? Or should I just wait until Monday before responding? Edit: Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone! Since a couple people had thought the topic was a bit odd for a software developer, I just wanted to say that my boss and I have (I think) a pretty good relationship and he just wants to "keep me in the loop". E.g., we had a lot of old office furniture replaced and he wanted to let me know that my set-up was going to be changing. Might seem like overkill to some, but as long as we all get along and get good work done, I'm happy. <Q> Some of this is the personal preference of your boss, but email is totally appropriate. <S> Also waiting until Monday could be appropriate, but since he called I would take the email approach and let him know if he asks that you don't want to disrupt his family by calling back later. <S> He might be just calling you to keep something in mind by sharing so you can remind him next week too...and email should suffice for that. <A> I partially agree with the other replies, but I would like to add something. <S> You should systematically and programmatically not return any communication until Monday. <S> Your time off is your time off, the company shouldn't invade it. <S> You are a junior developer <S> so you might have limited working experience; you should aim to have a good life-working balance, and replying to your boss out of hours for <S> non-urgent things could affect it on the long run (just think of when you will have a family and he will bother you). <S> This is true in every working environment; you have to mark your personal space and keep it separate from the company. <S> Your boss may have a different view about the work, but at the end your relation with your workplace is regulated by your contact, which says from what time to what time you should work, not by his beliefs. <S> Furthermore, you are a developer, and you should be judged by the quality of your code not by what you do in your spare time. <S> The sooner you establish a line/border, <S> the sooner he will understand it. <S> (Of course if you are on call, just phone him back as soon as possible; if he does not want to be call back for non urgent things, he will tell you for sure) <A> It's a personal preference thing. <S> Personally, I am a 24-hour kind of person, so I will respond by email as soon as I receive a message. <S> Waiting until first thing the next business day is fine, too. <S> The boss is not necessarily expecting you to drop everything and start working on a problem at 2am in the morning. <S> He just has the item on his mind, so he is just letting you know as soon as he thinks of it. <A> This looks like your boss is considering on these times, what issues are still open and then calls you to get these items off his to do list. <S> Maybe he's on his way home and now has the time to make a few phone calls. <S> If these calls are clearly outside your work hours, I would just ask him, if it's OK that you answer these non important questions on Monday. <S> I assume that you see, if such a call is urgent or not.
| If the boss asks you why you didn't reply on Friday, just day you had already finished for that day, and the issue was not business critical.
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How to respond when supervisor angry that we didn't send the email to him? I had a question in regards to paying compensation to a customer. However, I emailed a group of colleagues (who had lots of expertise in the area) instead of a supervisor. He then blatantly asked why we didn't email him, and instead emailed the group of colleagues? How can workers respond to this situation? <Q> Apologise for your error and assure him/her that you will keep them in the loop in future. <A> In the future, you can always send an email to your boss in such a situation, do what he tells you no matter what nonsense it is - and keep very good notes that you took action based on his request. <A> If possible, it's probably worth taking exchanges like this offline if you didn't in this case: speak to him either in person or on the phone (if you can't get a meeting). <S> As you posted six days ago, I'm hoping it's already blown over. <S> If so, leave it but do that if it happens again. <S> This was clearly an emotionally charged exchange – something that one-way communication methods like email or messaging systems are very bad for. <S> It's so hard to convey nuance in email, partly because it's devoid of cues like facial expressions or intonation; and partly because it's slow and sequential (ie you write, they write, and so on). <S> As a result, it tends to polarise exchanges and – where emotions are involved – drive people to eventually take extreme positions. <S> So many issues can be solved by a quick chat. <S> He would have been better responding to you like that in the first place. <S> (He was upset but responded by email – and now you're upset, which illustrates my point.)
| In this particular case, you can tell him "I emailed X because X has a lot of experience with this kind of situation, and I didn't want to bother you". But you should be able to take the heat out of the situation (next time) by walking and talking.
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Employees wanting salary increases from survey A recent survey was done for our entire company on employee satisfaction and engagement. My organization scored pretty low (about 30th percentile for the firm). The biggest complaint was that salaries are too low. Unfortunately, it has been made clear that our organization won't get any additional money for salary increases until our net income increases. (This is really up in the air when this will happen, and how much additional money our organization would actually get). What is the best way to help improve employee morale in an organization complaining about low pay, when I have no power to increase salaries? <Q> When your annual payrise is lower than inflation, you're telling your employees that they are getting worse at their jobs rather than better. <S> That's demoralising for anyone. <S> 'Net income' is a smokescreen. <S> A growing company may never have a better net profit as they will be making investments for future growth. <S> A stagnant company might suddenly get great net profits only because it can't think of anything to invest in, and is resting on ongoing revenue streams. <S> When the economy is down, people will sit and take it, because there's no great opportunities elsewhere. <S> But if you don't give them a rise when things get better, then your better employees will jump ship, taking valuable experience and knowledge with them. <S> EDIT:If you have no power to give pay rises, the other thing that's important other than pay is conditions. <S> Flexible working hours. <S> Working From Home days for any reason. <S> Self-training time. <S> Even just Comfortable chairs. <S> Any of these can make employees happier and willing to work for less. <A> People tend to complain about pay when the work is not motivating. <S> If somebody believes in what they are doing and is enthusiastic about greater goals, they do not complain. <S> If the work is stifling and pointless, they will complain about everything, starting with the pay. <S> It comes down to leadership. <S> If the leader is exciting, engaging and doing interesting things, people will be happy. <S> Sounds like that might not be the case in your company. <S> If the leadership is strong enough, people will work for nothing. <S> I remember a story of Andrew Jackson, whose forces in the Crow War suffered incredible privations. <S> One day, one of his men came to him complaining of hunger; all of them were starving. <S> Jackson said to the man, "I will split what I have with you." <S> and he pulled five acorns out of his pocket. <S> At one company I worked for we had a programmer who was far more talented than anyone else <S> and he reported to me. <S> He said to me, "I am still here because of you. <S> If I wasn't working for you, I would have quit a long time ago." <A> A recent survey was done for our entire company on employee satisfaction and engagement. <S> My organization scored pretty low (about 30th percentile for the firm). <S> The biggest complaint was that salaries are too low. <S> What is the best way to help improve employee morale in an organization complaining about low pay, when I have no power to increase salaries? <S> If the company collected the information in a survey then they have to have a plan for using the results of the survey. <S> Collecting the data, and publishing the results, without using them to address issues sets the company up for failure. <S> (Collecting the data without publishing the results is also bad). <S> Several different levels of management need to workout a plan to address the problems. <S> Some problems will be localized, and others widespread throughout the company. <S> Assuming that pay is the real problem, and that improving salaries is the only way forward. <S> You said that there is no money for raises, but you also said there are no defined plans relating profits to raises. <S> That may be the clue. <S> Make a plan. <S> Publicize the plan. <S> And then keep to the plan. <S> Making sure that managements number one goal is getting the performance the plan expects. <S> It is also possible that local management is not doing enough to fight for their employees. <S> Either way the next part of the survey process is to make solid plans for improvement for all parts of the company. <S> This may involve more surveys, focus groups, outside organizations...
| Ask the company what is the next step, and then ask to be part of the team working on that step.
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Constantly repeating myself to coworkers about processes I've been at my job for a few years and over the past six months have sort of become my office's main go-to for database needs and improving internal processes. It's very much dependent on what projects need within our office (so if there's nothing of that sort to do, I'm put on another task) and meant more as a tide-over until I'm promoted into a different role. Recently, I've become frustrated with some coworkers, specifically project leads, who seem to gloss over the information I provide them. We're not on bad terms, they just don't seem to retain anything I've been working on related to their projects and I'm constantly needing to repeat myself on work matters I've explained multiple times. A recent example that's stuck out to me is an email chain I've had that went like this: Me: Going forward, project X will need to process their numbers using method Y. I've attached a document with a step-by-step guide. 1 week later Lead: How do we process numbers for project X? Me: Method Y, as outlined in the email I sent a week ago. Lead: So use Method Z? Individual verbal explanations and group meetings haven't fared any better. Currently, I've recommended to my manager that we need more documentation for the things I've done, which I previously had no time for because we were focused on rolling out new projects as quickly as possible. I started small with some <2 page documents for a few critical processes and the response I got, a few days after I sent out the announcement to go through them and make sure they're understood, was basically "you sent out an announcement?". I'm not terribly excited about having to release much larger documentation with detailed information on the databases themselves, if those are going to be ignored also. With all this in mind, is there anything I can really do to fix this apathy I'm seeing? I realize that as the person building and conceptualizing these processes and databases that I can expect to get some questions about how everything works, but it really just feels like I'm doing all the thinking for coworkers who really should have a better sense of self-autonomy. <Q> Clean up your communication. <S> In scientific texts people would tell you to cite/reference your sources correctly. <S> It also works in this case. <S> So a cleaned communication from you example could go like this: <S> Me <S> : Going forward, project X will need to process their numbers using method <S> Y. <S> I've attached ProjectXNumbers.pdf (the exact filename) with a step-by-step guide. <S> Lead: <S> How do we process numbers for project <S> X? <S> Me: <S> Quote (use forwarding from your original mail, it has timestamps and all you need): Going forward, project X will need to process their numbers using method <S> Y. <S> I've attached ProjectXNumbers.pdf (the exact filename) with a step-by-step guide. <S> Do you need me to send you ProjectXNumbers.pdf again, or do you have it available? <S> Lead: <S> So use Method Z? <S> Well, this should not have happened at that point. <S> In the worst case, re-send them the full original mail. <S> Or set up a meeting/phonecall to clear things up. <A> If your colleagues are anything like the ones I had in my previous work,they are likely to be adverse to read anything that is longer than a paragraph (maybe two) at the time. <S> I would recommend splitting your documentation in very small parts and to provide it as a wiki or something that could provide an internal search engine. <S> I see two main advantages to this: you can write up the documentation as they ask you questions and then you can always just provide the link to the subpart they ask about. <S> Hopefully, they would then pick up from there and read the rest of the protocol. <S> You can then answer any later repetitive request as their question being quite important you did document it previously and they can found it in that powerpoint from the slide XX. <A> It's good to have in place some system of document control with active SOP enforcement. <S> Ideally, you as the originator would put together a document for your process that anyone with some experience with the system could follow and get to the same endpoint. <S> Then you'd have it reviewed by a direct supervisor, have QC/QA sign off on that and get it filed somewhere accessible . <S> The other requirement, and most people miss this, is you need to train personnel on SOPs and have them sign off that they understand the document. <S> Typically, you include a statement of scope: where does the SOP apply and to whom? <S> That way it's understood that work on project <S> X is, in part, governed by the methods outlined in SOP-ABC-xyz. <S> From there on the SOP is enforced by management, and instead of emailing you or searching around to piece together the required know-how, all I have to do is go find the PDF (no questions asked). <S> The primary issues are poorly written and/or unenforced SOPs, and my favorite: the documents exist but no one knows where. <A> With all this in mind, is there anything I can really do to fix this apathy <S> I'm seeing? <S> You probably cannot fix apathy. <S> But with your management's permission, you may be able to enforce standards. <S> Talk to management about the need for standards and ask for permission to be the "gatekeeper". <S> Then inform the project leads that they must pass a review of their code before it can be promoted to production. <S> Set up trainings and documentation so that they are adequately prepared, then start the new process.
| In general, provide the information in a written format - even if it is a powerpoint, as you can always reference it later. It's not a process to start alone, so I highly recommend getting a manager involved!
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Medical Concerns and job search Currently I am between careers after leaving a teaching position. During this time, a prior issue with one of my knees has become more clearly diagnosed by an orthopedist, and it is clear that knee replacement is imminent. How do I approach the job search at this point if I need to work? <Q> Make it part of your negotiations with the company up front when an offer is made:"I'd love to come on, however you should be aware of a situation which might require some up-front leave". <S> I've done this before when a planned trip was in the pipeline. <S> It's nothing more than negotiating salary, telecommute or extra time off. <S> Let them know, work a possible way around it with them <S> (they know what they need more than you do). <S> "I can work from home during recovery via telecommute", "I am willing to give up my first year's vacation in order to get this done" or some other form of negotiation is warranted. <S> Just be honest. <S> You may get them to play ball, or they may not want to complete the offer, but that's far preferable to lying or obfuscating or working for a limited time and them having to let you go when the surgery DOES happen, which is bad for them. <A> You have several options: 1. <S> Suspend the job hunt until your medical issue is resolved. <S> This is tough if you don't have cash reserves. <S> You may have to seek help from friends, family and religious organizations to pull this off. <S> 2. <S> Put off the surgery until you secure a new position, with full disclosure to your potential employer during the interview process <S> Wait until you are actually interviewing to reveal this. <S> This will likely close several doors for you. <S> While an employer might appreciate your honesty, it's just as likely, if not more so, that they will pass on you for someone who they will not have to accommodate. <S> Though tough, this may be the best option because your new employer will not be surprised when you suddenly have to take off. <S> 3. <S> Put off your surgery until you secure a position and tell the employer after you get the job. <S> I would strongly recommend against doing this. <S> Yes, you'll be able to get the surgery and have a job, but your employer will feel like you pulled a fast one. <S> They'll be right. <S> If you take this option, start job hunting again immediately. <S> They may or may not give you the boot, but even if they don't, you won't be trusted. <S> IMO, pick #1 if you can afford it, #2 if you can't. <A> ( financially / insurance ) <S> The only other way you could begin the job search prior to the knee replacement <S> is if you are able to put it off for awhile ( 6 months to a year ) <S> or if you are able to do your work remotely . <S> I really hope for your sake that you can do your work remotely, otherwise you are in a tough spot. <A> Look specifically for the sort of work that you could do with a knee injury. <S> You need something that will tide you over rather than be part of your career path. <S> If it's within the same industry, great, if not, it's still a revenue stream.
| If you are able, I would put off the job search until after your knee replacement is done.
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How can I tell a company that their low salary range is too low? In an initial interview, I told the company, which is a non-profit, that their salary range was OK. Non-profits typically offer lower salaries than for-profit, so this is not unusual. But trying to negotiate for a higher salary simply wouldn't be possible. I thought I could live with a lower salary, but I realized I could not. It would require a long-term change in lifestyle in order to make ends meet. On the one hand, I really need a job. But, on the other, accepting this job, as-is, will have long-term consequences. Now I'm a few interviews in, and I am afraid they will eventually want to hire me at this low salary. I am actually losing sleep over this. <Q> Like most questions on Workplace. <S> SE, the correct answer seems to be: <S> Tell the truth, and do it now. <S> As long as you're willing to give the job a pass if they don't up their salary offer, call or write an email and explain the situation. <S> Nobody is going to end up happy if you try to take a job you can't afford. <A> If you don't want the salary, then look elsewhere. <S> Nonprofits rarely pay the high salaries for budget reasons, so there may be very little room to negotiate. <A> You'll have to figure out what you can live with and tell them that you need that. <S> You told them the range was okay, apparently it isn't, and you should rectify that reasonably soon. <S> Don't be overly surprised if this is a deal breaker, but you've lost nothing if you couldn't live with what they can pay. <A> Before going in to a job search, I would recommend having an idea of your expected salary, and the absolute minimum you're going to accept. <S> With that in mind, you'll have a easier time handling that question in the future. <S> As for what to do now that you're in this situation, only you can know how much you need this job. <S> For exemple, if this is your only option, you may have to settle for less. <S> Otherwise, there may be plenty of other jobs to look at. <S> Once you know, you can let them know as well.
| Waiting for an offer and asking for significantly more money might be a negotiating strategy but it might also piss them off royally, and chances are they don't have the ability to offer much more. You will have to tell them the truth sooner or later, and unless you think they're simply trying to get away with giving you less, earlier is better for both parties.
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Recruitment Agency wants a copy of my passport- Should I provide it? I live in the UK, work in the IT industry, and I quite often get contacted by recruitment agencies asking me if I'd be interested in roles that they are recruiting for, etc. I am currently looking for work, and recently had an interview with a small company that was arranged through a recruitment agency. The interview went well, and at the end of it, they said that they would like to hire me, but that they would go through the recruitment agency to do this. Following that, I had a call from the recruiter who had put me forward for the role, asking how it went, etc. I said that it had gone well and that they had told me in the interview that they would be looking to bring me on. It was clear at this point that the recruiter hadn't yet talked to the company, but they said that they would need a copy of my passport before I could start working there. Now, I am generally reluctant to hand out personal information to people when I don't see the need for them to have it, so I asked why they needed it, and all the recruiter could tell me was that it was part of their process, and to prove that I have the right to work in the UK. Having never secured a role through a recruitment agency previously, I don't really know anything about this... all of the jobs I've had, I have secured myself... Why do the recruitment agency need a copy of my passport? I would expect to have to provide it to my employer, but not to the recruitment agency.... Should I ask for more information about this, and ask to see the terms under which they will hold a copy of my passport? I have not signed any agreement at all with the recruitment agency. I did ask the recruiter to give a reason for why they would need it, and how long they would hold it for, but he wasn't able to give me a clear answer. When I asked if he could send me the terms and conditions under which they would hold a copy of my passport, he seemed to suggest that he would write something up to send to me, as if they didn't have this documentation to hand. Should I be worried by this, or am I just being paranoid? Edit I should have mentioned, I am a British Citizen, and have lived here all my life. I understand the need for them to verify that I have the right to work in the UK, but it rang alarm bells for me when I asked them about what they do with the information. They did say that they wouldn't pass it on to any other companies/ individuals, but all I've got as an assurance of that is the word of the one recruiter that I've spoken to... I also asked could I request for that information to be deleted/ removed once it had been processed and passed to the employer, and his answer seemed to be "no, we'll keep it on record"... I would have thought that they couldn't deny my request to have that information removed once they have verified my right to work in the UK, as they no longer have a purpose to hold it? <Q> My understanding with hiring in the UK is that government directives require the hiring body to verify your eligibility to work. <S> I think a copy of the passport has become a standard formality, though I saw this interesting column on using DoB to age-discriminate. <S> however , the key here is <S> your employer has offered you a job and is going through the recruitment agency to get the hiring process done. <S> The employer would have obtained these documents, anyways, but at this point it seems like a checkbox for the recruiting agency to move ahead. <S> Of course, don't do anything you're uncomfortable with, but also realize there may be no other option (that doesn't involve even more sensitive docs, at least), if you want to move ahead with this employer. <A> Personal Opinion: <S> I wouldn't <S> (Note: I've worked in the UK as an EU citizen with the right to work there. <S> Can't recall giving my passport to a recruiter at an given time. <S> Did to my employer, real estate agents, and banks, though. <S> And National Insurance, most likely.) <S> I would never give it to the recruitment agency. <S> I guess you could if you wanted them to take care of formalities for you and make your life easier, but I find that rather unpleasant, considering I even generally decline to give my passport details to hotels when I travel. <S> There's an article of the Telegraph on the issue of showing or not showing your passport on request (2010-12-03, so slightly outdated already and laws surely have been amended in various ways). <S> An important bit is this: Changes to immigration law in 2008 mean that employers have to be able to show they’ve done the necessary checks to prove that a potential employee has the right to work in the UK. <S> If they don’t, they can face fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker. <S> But note the term employer . <S> As far as I understand it, except if your employment status is carried by the recruitment agency, you should NOT feel obligated to give it to them. <S> Yet again, as mentioned earlier regarding convenience for you, maybe it's out of convenience for the employers who go through this agency and want to let them handle as much of the background work as possible. <S> I'd recommend to discuss it with them and see if it's a show-stopper or not. <S> Government Checklists and Regulations <S> Regarding what the employer can request, I'd recommend to check this governmental page: https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work . <S> Check Conditions for Yourself with this Official Tool! <S> There's also this tool to check which documents need to be requested by the employer and under which conditions , so check it out for yourself! <S> https://www.gov.uk/legal-right-work-uk <A> The recruitment agency is "marketing" you to the end client. <S> It'd be really stupid for them to go through all the work of getting you interviewed, generating paperwork, and so forth to find out in the end that you're actually not qualified to work in your locale. <S> A passport proves your work status very, very easily. <S> If you've got some other legal, commonly accepted means, they may have an open ear to it.
| I would be reluctant to hand over any identification to a recruiter or agency with no job offer or prospect on the table, In my opinion my employer would be allowed to get a copy of my passport once we're far along enough in the recruitment process.
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Recommending a current co-worker My co-worker has a visa situation - if he does not get the Visa this time around, he is going to have to leave the country and either work out of my company's India office, or look for another job. Given the uncertainty surrounding his employment position, he has pro-actively started the job search. Today, he spoke with me and was upfront about his situation. He then asked me for a LinkedIn recommendation to help with his job search. I like him very much, and have no qualms writing a glowing recommendation for him. However, I was wondering if this would be a good idea. Aren't recommendations usually given at the end of one's association with a person? i.e. Wouldn't the right time to give him the recommendation be when and if he finds out that he did not get the visa, and is going to take up a job elsewhere? I was thinking he might actually get the visa, and we might remain co-workers for a long time to come. So, I was wondering are there any pitfalls to recommending someone you are currently working with, and might work with for a long time to come. I couldn't think of much, but I just haven't seen anyone do it, and felt uneasy about it. What do you think? <Q> While historically you would give a recommendation at the end of a relationship, social media (in this case LinkedIn) has changed that. <S> It used to be that the only time that anyone would be looking at recommendations is when you're looking for a job so it stands to reason that it's the only time you would give one. <S> In other words, you can recommend him at any time, especially on a site like LinkedIn. <A> Aren't recommendations usually given at the end of one's association with a person? <S> LinkedIn "recommendations" are often given during one's association with the individual requesting them. <S> It's not unusual at all. <S> And LinkedIn's "recommendations" are far less powerful than real references. <S> So don't be shy about them. <S> They don't imply that you want to see this co-worker leave or are helping them do so. <A> What do you think? <S> As @Joe mentioned, Linkedin recommendations are far less powerful. <S> Only recommendations which will appear on linkedin are the ones which are overly praising since user can choose which should appear on their profile. <S> So you do not have to write it if you are not comfortable with it. <S> I do not even think it will have an impact on his job search anyways. <S> Instead offer to be on his reference list and say that you will be happy to give a glowing recommendation if someone from his prospective employer contacts you. <S> This has always worked for me (both in giving and using references) without using Linkedin recommendations.
| These days it doesn't really matter and it doesn't imply anything at all (beyond that you're recommending him) when you give a recommendation while they're still associated with you.
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What to say to seniors, being Lvl2? I was hired in this new company 3 weeks ago and by this time, I could notice how people work here, that they don't like to do things in the right way (obviously not everyone), they don't like to listen to opinions, with their ego up there. I'm the type of person that likes to do things right, because I don't need to do this again. I like to give opinions and if I listen to someone doing something wrong, I just say " yes yes, but this can be improved ...", and they think I'm giving orders to them. As I'm new here, and I really need a job, how can I keep my patience? I really don't want to be one of them, but I need to be more social. There are no fights, by I notice they don't like what is happening. I'm a SQL Server Database administrator with more than 4 years experience. And what I notice here, is people with less experience (in their respective areas). Edit: Thanks for all replies. I read them all and long story short, I really don't want to "change" everything, but I was hired to fix stuff, and I'm trying to. For example, a backup routine has a fail process, I know how to fix, I can fix, and I made the script to it, but they just, don't care. I say " hey, there's a problem here, can I fix? " and they just, " ah...well leave it this way" and then, get back to youtube or another internet site. And there's a guy who likes to punch people ( HAHA yeah, punch people and call them gay ). In the first time he punched me I just said " dude, no." and then everyone thinks I'm antisocial. He called me gay 5 times with a lot of people around, and then he sair " hey My_Name" I said "Oh hey, can I help"? this is the kind of stuff around here. There's a response when a guy said " put your headphones ". I thinks this is what i'm going to do. since I need money and a job. <Q> As I'm new here, and I really need a job, how can I keep my patience? <S> With time, you'll learn that there seldom is one "right way" to do things, that you may not have all the answers as to what is "right" and what is not, and that for businesses to run efficiently, they often need to get to "good enough" and then move on. <S> And you'll learn that impatience seldom helps. <S> Eventually, you'll learn that the only way you can dictate that everyone do things your way (even if you are convinced that your way is the "right" way) is to either work for yourself or run the company. <S> Otherwise, you'll need to compromise. <S> Try to learn these things as quickly as you can - they will help you keep your patience. <A> The problem is that everyone does have opinions. <S> I realize that you see that there is a certain way that you do things that you consider "right" <S> but until you have been there a while, even if you are right, nobody's going to listen to you <S> and that's because you haven't earned their respect yet. <S> You won't earn their respect by coming in and changing things. <S> and that's all. <S> Don't think about changing things until you've been there a few months and <S> then you can start approaching them with suggestions of how to change things. <S> There is nothing positive that can be gained by you trying to do that right now. <S> They will perceive you as a know-it-all <S> and you'll be stuck with that opinion of you. <S> Let me say it again. <S> Spend at least 3 months just learning and doing what you're asked and how you're asked to do it. <S> When you see an issue like what you're talking about, write it down in your notebook but keep it to yourself for now. <S> In a few months, start making small suggestions. <S> Start with the easiest to implement and work from there. <S> They don't know you and they don't trust you. <S> You have to earn their trust before they'll even begin to listen to you. <S> Even if you'd been a DBA for 12 years instead of 4, you'd still have to earn their trust before they'd give your opinion the weight you think it deserves. <A> I generally agree with the advice to spend some time learning, doing what you are asked to do how you are asked to do it, and establishing yourself before trying to change things. <S> There is a way to discuss some of your ideas if you don't overdo it. <S> Catch someone when they are not too busy, and ask: "I was wondering why we use X rather than Y in project A?". <S> If they have not thought of using Y, and it really is significantly better than X, it brings Y to their attention. <S> If X and Y are about equally good, the response may be something like "Y might be a bit better than X for project A, but we picked X because it is also used in project B". <S> If X is better then Y for project A, your colleague may explain the advantages. <S> This may get you into a discussion of the relative merits of X and Y for that project while avoiding claiming that the one you would use is inherently "right". <S> It may turn out that Y is good enough, was the first way that occurred to them, and any benefit of switching to X is not enough to justify the cost of doing so. <S> On the bigger question of developing patience, it is very important to get out of the habit of thinking you know " <S> the right way". <S> It may cut you off from learning other ways that would be useful in a given situation, and learning all the considerations that contribute to your colleagues' decisions. <S> It is over 40 years since I was a smart young programmer with four years experience. <S> Most of what I know and understand about programming now was learned since then, and I still have a lot to learn.
| Over time, you may learn that you can often make changes in a company slowly and that it is sometimes worth the wait. What you need to do is keep quiet and learn how they do things
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Interviewing your ex-mentor/colleague who has a bad attitude I recently joined a multinational company which is setting up a branch in my country in Asia. So I am one of the pioneer batch of people. We are going to expand and hire people. I am helping my boss to interview candidates by doing the pre-interview tests and general assessment. I had an interesting situation recently that one of my ex-colleague of 1 year came for interview. Now I have to give a feedback about them to my boss. I feel they are technically smart and fit for the job. But their attitude is what leads to negative feedback. They are overconfident, bossy and not a team player. It was purely based on my experience. (e.g. I went along with them to a company roadshow. I was newer then and didn't know the tricks of the trade (now slightly better). They used to belittle or ignore me and not teach me anything. In the office, I never really asked them anything because they always give a grave face.) But I am in a little dilemma because: my feedback about them is not all positive. if I give negative feedback, it might go against me because my boss and others may think I am prejudiced. If they do hire them, it is fine with me, as they would be working in a different department. So I am thinking not to give very bad feedback but just subtly touch upon the subject of "Bad Attitude" during the discussion and let the management decide. Is there a better way this can be handled?? NOTE: I have got a good appraisal from boss and he once told me they are happy to have me. <Q> You say that they are technically good and a good fit for the job, but attitude is part of that. <S> If you are concerned that they don't fit into the corporate culture, then mentioning it would be a good idea. <S> Either way, when giving feedback, you may want to mention to your boss that you have had prior experience working with this person. <S> Your boss may ask you for your honest opinion of how they were in your previous job and use that knowledge in their decision, but in the least they would know that your opinion may be biased regardless of what comments you make. <A> Is there a better way this can be handled?? <S> Be honest and forthright, not subtle. <S> Your boss or others on the team might ask you to be more specific about your negative impression of the candidate. <S> Consider what you would do if your past experience with the candidate made you think very highly of them. <S> You wouldn't be shy about saying "I've worked with this person in the past <S> and I'd strongly recommend hiring him: he's smart, gets things done, and works very well with others," would you? <S> Applying the very same standard to this situation, I don't think there's a problem with saying: "I've worked with this person in the past: he's smart and capable, but in my experience he doesn't work well with others; he's bossy, overconfident, and he's not a team player." <A> It's always dangerous making personal judgements in a professional setting especially when relatively new and junior. <S> These can come back to bite you. <S> Eg,. <S> this person could be hired anyway and learn later that you had a lot to say about them or they might have connections that you know nothing about. <S> From what you have said this isn't a great team player from your perspective of a fresher, but many excellent and experienced workers look that way to a fresher, because they have seen so many in their time and don't want to waste themselves on them. <S> I'm unsure <S> your role in the interviews, my own is usually technical <S> so I make a judgement purely within my role unless I know the person is absolutely insane. <S> I'd actually prefer someone who's flaws I know than one <S> I don't. <S> But in any case unless there is an extreme reason I wouldn't do more than perhaps mention I've worked with them before <S> and I wouldn't go in to much negative detail.
| Say roughly what you've already said in the question, i.e. that you've worked with the candidate in the past, that you feel that they're technically competent but that you have some concerns about how they'll fit into the organization given your past experience working with them. It's fine to say what you've seen as long as you stick to the facts as you know them.
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How to find the gender of my interviewer? I am being interviewed for a new role in a new company via a recruiter. The recruiter informed me that I will be interviewed by the CTO named Alex. Now Alex does not have a profile picture on his(hers?) LinkedIn and there is no gender pronoun on the emails exchanged. How can I find their gender so that I can address them properly beforehand? <Q> Here's how to proceed without knowing the gender of Alex. <S> Don't refer to Mr Lastname or Ms Lastname, nor use honorifics like Sir or Madam. <S> This will have the following advantages beyond gender agnosticsm: <S> it's simple, requiring no prior research, phone calls, or investigation <S> it avoids being overly formal, even old fashioned (sir/madam, using lastname) to a person who has agreed to a recruiter presenting them informally <S> it avoids screwing up on a title <S> (Mrs/Miss/Ms can all be offensive to some people) or omitting a higher one such as Dr that the person actually prefers in the unlikely but possible event that Alex is nonbinary or otherwise rejects any of your possible pronouns and titles, it's the only safe choice These benefits are in rough order of importance. <S> I'd encourage you to take a look at why you need to know this one thing about a person before you can talk to them. <S> You don't need to know their age, marital status, race, religion, ability to walk, see, or hear, so why do you need to know gender? <S> Relax and address the person politely <S> , in the ways we do when we don't know that piece of information. <A> If this interview is arranged by a recruiter, why not ask the recruiter? <S> It's very likely that the recruiter has either already met Alex or spoken to him/her before. <S> If you're being asked to talk to Alex before meeting him/her in person, like email or phone, and you want to be formal, I'm sure the recruiter won't think it's a strange question. <A> How can I find their gender so that I can address them properly beforehand? <S> Call the front desk and ask. <S> I've called the front desk before to ask about lots of things before an interview - parking, full name, phone extension, etc. <S> As long as you are pleasant and it doesn't sound fishy front desk personnel are usually very happy to help. <A> The next issue is what to ask the recruiter. <S> I suggest "How should I address Alex?". <S> That will give you better information than you could have got from a photo or, as suggested in another answer, phone voice pitch. <S> The recruiter should know, or be able to find out, whether Alex prefers given name or title-and-surname. <S> If Alex prefers title-and-surname the recruiter should be able to tell you what title to use. <S> Just knowing gender does not tell you whether a man prefers "Dr." or "Mr.", or for a woman "Dr.", "Ms", "Mrs", or "Miss".
| Avoid any terms that carry gender markers. If you want to email Alex, either just start right in to the body of the email without a salutation, or use "Dear Alex" or "Good morning". I agree with "Ask the recruiter.".
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How to protect against a scam? I need of money (due to lack of employment and necessities) and wouldn’t normally consider this. A trusted friend has told me he has a business connection who needs legal documents delivered to another country. They say it’s so important they don’t trust a company, like Purolator or FedEx to get it done. They are willing to pay for my flight upfront and will pay me once I bring them the receipt of delivery. I’m skeptical. I’d be bringing this sealed document into another country, and asked and they said I can’t see inside but can hold a flash light up to it. Is there any other precautions I can take to make sure it doesn’t contain anything illegal like drugs? Apparently it’s for a legitimate business (I looked them up) but the contact used sent me an email through Gmail, which makes me suspicious. EDIT: I was mistaken, I'm not sure if I can find them online as they have a name that is very similar to other companies. Also they now say I can look inside the parcel. Also they advise me to take Uber which someone pointed out is suspicious as it's unmarked. Also they said I'm supposed to act like I don't know what's in the package upon delivery. Again, I normally wouldn't give this a second thought if I didn't trust my friend so well, who swears up and down he doesn't see any red flags about this...makes me question my friendship :( <Q> The best way to protect against a scam is to walk away from the start. <S> It doesn't matter what they're trying to pull here, it screams "suspicious" and you just should not get involved. <S> It might even be that the documents are legit this time, and they're just hoping to lull you into a false sense of security for a next time. <S> There is no reason why you, a person they don't know, would be more trustworthy than a reputable delivery company. <A> I'm going to quote from a great answer over on Money and Personal Finance , where a lot of questions about questionable schemes come up: <S> respond to your friend this way: <S> "Either you are planning to do something illegal, in which case I don't want to be involved, or you are planning to do something legal, in which case you don't need me." <A> Even if it's not drugs it could be any number of import/export controlled items in which you will be held solely responsible for if caught. <S> The company would never send it without an authorized courier which usually works for the company or a couriering/transport agency. <S> Check with import/export control on the regulations for the country of origin as well as the destination country and any country you pass through customs with. <S> Once you have a list you can ask the right questions to the company and also get disclosures of what it is exactly without the details (perishables/proprietary documents/machinery/etc...). <S> There should be a manifest provided with any delivery as well which should catalog the contents in order to provide to customs. <S> Intellectual property is export controlled as well, so even if it's just documents it has to be exported/imported properly. <S> The fact they aren't including anything like the above paragraph sounds like illegal activity and you are the fall guy should it not work out. <S> The fact they are willing to pay for air fare is also a sign of the ROI(return on investment) <S> benefit they receive <S> should it succeed. <S> Also, if they are that secretive and it does happen to be illegal then you finding out <S> what it really is makes you a liability. <S> If it's legit <S> and they just don't know, then doing the export/import research and bringing it up will only help them avoid confiscation and prosecution down the road. <S> It's your life and choice though, so choose wisely.
| Best to not do anything without fully knowing what you are actually getting involved with.
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Is it appropriate to resign specifying an extended effective date of resignation? Resigning on a cordial note due to pursuing higher studies, I'd like to resign in the middle of the month, and the notice period is two months. Manager says it may take a month or two for me to complete any existing work before I leave and he's agreed not to assign me any fresh work. But given the nature of the work to be completed (unpredictable bugs and a lot of debugging), I feel it may take two and a half months. So would it be appropriate to write a resignation in the middle of the month stating that I'm resigning and would be serving the two month notice period but if I'm required to work for two and a half months, kindly consider the effective date of resignation to be at the end of this month? Any pitfalls or precautions I should be aware of? <Q> So would it be appropriate to write a resignation in the middle of the month stating that I'm resigning and would be serving the two month notice period <S> but if I'm required to work for two and a half months, kindly consider the effective date of resignation to be at the end of this month? <S> As long as you and your manager can agree on the arrangement, it's perfectly appropriate. <S> I know folks who have done just this. <S> Just talk to your manager first, then agree on how to proceed. <A> This is what you need to write: <S> To whom it may concern: <S> I am resigning effective insert your date here . <S> Regards, your name here <S> Short and sweet. <S> Now, what you may be missing is that just because you want your effective end date to be <S> XX/XX/XXXX doesn't mean that your current employer wants you to hang around that long before your next gig. <S> Some places will simply escort you out the door once you turn in your notice. <S> Good luck with your next gig! <A> On the other hand, if that date is past the notice period that your employer would have to give you, they can give you notice with an earlier date. <S> In the USA, in many places they can just fire you on the spot. <S> So think hard before you give more notice than legally required. <S> You might be out of a job earlier than planned.
| When you decide to resign, you can pick any leaving date you like, as long as it isn't earlier than the end of your notice period.
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Should I help my former employer advertise my old job? A few months ago, I left a small software development company for another (based in the UK). I was leaving for better career development and exposure to new technology that the first company simply could not provide. Nevertheless, with my colleagues and managers, we parted ways on good terms.Nowadays, I know from my friends still in the company that they are struggling to find a replacement for me, the explanations for this are never given by the managers conducting the interviews - what few they arrange - and I felt it was inappropriate for me to ask further. I recently received an email from my former CEO, whom I got along well with but only spoke to maybe once a week at most. She admitted what my former colleagues had mentioned, that they are having a hard time finding someone to fill my role. She reasons that as someone looking at the job's advert from the outside, I could offer suggestions on how to make it look more appealing. She at least confirmed that the job is indeed the exact same one I was doing before; no changes there. As you might expect, my current employment contract says that I cannot conduct work for another company without first clearing it with my new manager. While I don't think this would count as 'work', I imagine it would still look bad on me if I am found helping my former boss. I have seen the advert and a possible reason for lack of interest stands out immediately; their offered salary is significantly lower than what I was getting (even compared to my first year in the job). I suspect - though cannot be certain - that the reason for the low salary being offered is because it is similar to what my co-workers earn, which may cause some disruption if I mention to my former colleagues or boss. My questions is: Would it be appropriate to offer feedback on the advert of my old job? <Q> As you might expect, my current employment contract says that I cannot conduct work for another company without first clearing it with my new manager. <S> My questions is: Would it be appropriate to offer feedback on the advert of my old job? <S> I don't believe offering suggestions on a job advertisement is considered conducting "work for another company". <S> I assume you wouldn't be paid for your efforts. <S> I also don't think your current company would care if you offered these suggestions <S> and I don't see that it would make you look bad in any way. <S> If anything, it makes you look helpful. <S> But if you are concerned here, then simply ask your new manager if it's okay. <S> Still do. <S> It was never a problem. <A> I think it would be appropriate in this case. <S> You shouldn't feel obligated to help her if it causes you a lot of stress, but at the same time I don't see a problem in you writing a quick response back to her explaining that recruiting someone at that level will probably require a larger starting salary. <S> This shouldn't come off insulting to her or your former colleagues. <S> It might even make her realize that she is paying her employees below the average, which might be a reason for losing you in the first place. <A> I believe you are simply helping an acquaintance on a personal basis. <S> No conflict there. <S> However, if you are not comfortable doing it, then don't
| It would be inappropriate if your last boss was asking you to meet with potential recruits to sway them into joining your previous company or asked you to write a better description of your past job. I've often stayed in contact with good former managers and helped them in many ways similar to what you are suggesting.
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How to keep a scrum "stand-up" meetings in a non-agile environment beneficial? I work with a relatively small (6 people) Software Configuration Management team in what would be considered a more traditional or "non-agile" environment; however, within the past year our CM lead has instituted the practice of holding a daily "stand up" meeting for just our CM group in which we cover: What we accomplished yesterday What we plan to accomplish today What our current impediments are I understand this is relatively standard practice within an agile work environment and can see the benefit of it there; however, we do not follow any other agile processes and the meetings tend to be very back and forth and also tend to drag on. Several members of our team go too far into detail which does not concern the entire team and would be better served in an offline conversation when answering the first two questions specifically. Additionally our leads, who essentially serve as the scrum masters and run the meeting tend to ask a lot of follow up questions, which further derails the conversation from being beneficial to all which are involved. These meetings are mandatory and in my opinion a waste of time (45-60 mins a week including driving back and forth five days a week) As a participant, how can I help to make our meetings more focused/relevant/beneficial/shorter to our team? Update: The meetings have become sit down meetings where none of the three questions above are even covered. <Q> The main goal of the standup is planning , not status. <S> This is useful even if the team aren't agile to focus the team on what they need to do today. <S> There are points to remember: <S> It is not a status meeting - <S> the updates should be confined to what needs to be raised, not as your justification of your productivity. <S> It can be valid to say you have little or no update if you have no effect on others and no blockers <S> You identify blockers <S> - you identify things you need help with clearing, but this isn't a solutioning meeting. <S> You may want to have a meet straight after to discuss, but likely you don't need all involved, this keeps time to plan (15 mins) Not everyone needs to talk - don't let everyone pitch in, use a soft toy of something to indicate who's turn it is <S> and only they speak. <S> If someone needs further discussion take it out of the standup (as above). <S> Make sure everyone understands this and asks if they don't. <A> As a participant, how can I help to make our meetings more focused/relevant/beneficial/shorter to our team? <S> Talk to the meeting leader and express your concerns. <S> Indicate the kind of time it takes from your day and talk about alternatives. <S> Be open to the fact that the leader might not wish to have swift 3-bullet Agile-style statements from everyone as the sole activity for these meetings. <S> Since you mentioned the drive back and forth, I'm guessing that you aren't on site otherwise. <S> It's quite possible that these meetings are meant to more fully discuss work in a way that wouldn't be possible or effective remotely. <S> You can help make the meetings better. <S> But "better" might not necessarily mean focused/relevant/beneficial/shorter in the way you wish. <S> The only way you'll know is by talking with the people who can affect change - in this case the meeting leader. <A> You're not an agile team, your leaders don't understand scrum, they have a different agenda for the meetings <S> , I don't know what else you can expect. <S> First you have to discover if they even want shorter meetings. <S> Second, the only other approach is to get them to realize the impact of meetings that take so long, but don't benefit you. <S> If anything, these could be made less frequently. <S> Finally, if you have any colleagues who feel the same way, encourage them, NOT to bring up other issues at the meeting. <S> Get them to schedule separate meetings for topics and only include team members that really need to be there. <S> Good luck. <S> Many managers love meetings and think they're actually getting work done.
| If you can point out that moving certain activities to a separate meeting, will benefit those not involved, you may get them to table some discussions for another time. It's a planning meeting - by the end of the standup, the team should all know what they are doing today, and if there is anything they need to buddy up on, or help deal with.
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Interview lunch with food sensitivities I have an upcoming multi-hour interview which includes one hour with a lunch (not a break, a continuation of the interview). I'm being asked to select a box lunch order ahead of time. Given that I have severe food sensitivities, the options available from the particular catering company's online offerings don't really meet my needs. I could: order a box lunch but only eat the piece of fruit, leaving most of the food uneaten don't order or eat anything decline ordering and bring my own lunch order something and avoid the worst immediate-reaction foods while eating what will give me only intestinal distress something else If I don't eat carefully I can have very unpleasant reactions, though nothing life-threatening. I don't want to be seen as "special" or act as though I'm self-entitled in any way. I could just avoid the whole problem by not eating, but this itself could put interviewers off who are judging their comfort with me socially as well as professionally. If I just eat food as a sacrifice and am hired, and then later during employment I decline eating at times (invitations to particular restaurants or lunch or provided lunches) then the question can come up "but you ate this before, what's wrong?" making me seem inconsistent. Bringing food seems like the worst idea. It may be no big deal for others, but it feels very awkward to me to show up to an interview clutching a brown paper bag in addition to my black portfolio. And while others open their boxes, I'm going to whip out random weird things in little ziploc bags? Ugh. Just a week ago with a friend in public I had an experience much like this where my nonstandard food was of intense interest. What do I do? Note: my food reactions may be, or may be similar to, Herxheimer reactions. Also, with a strong enough dose of an MSG analog, in 90 minutes I can be either falling asleep with no power to stop it or I can actually end up speaking nonsense if I'm prevented from sleeping. This would be after the interview ends, though. <Q> I would let them know that you have food allergies, thank them for their offer of lunch but demur and let them know that you will bring your own lunch as your allergies can be difficult to accommodate. <S> They may write back and say that they're happy to order a lunch that won't cause an allergic reaction if you let them know what the allergies are or <S> they may simply accept that you will bring your own lunch. <S> Please, please don't eat food that will make you sick just to make a good impression. <S> Depending on the severity of the reaction (particularly if it makes you fall asleep), you will just make your interview extremely uncomfortable for everyone involved... ending an interview with them calling an ambulance isn't great for anyone involved. <S> And ordering a lunch and not eating it looks wasteful and people will wonder why the lunch you selected was not acceptable to you. <S> If they understand your needs and your preference to supply your own food, that should be enough for them. <S> It's really common for people to have both medical and non-medical (religious, diet, lifestyle) <S> reasons for dietary restrictions and a good company will be respectful of that. <A> Another option is to contact the person who asked you to order the lunch, and without any drama say something like this: I have some food intolerances - is there any way to order just fruit (veggies/gluten-free) for my lunch? <S> List 2 or 3 foods that you know are safe, and just ask. <S> It is so common now for people to eat vegan/gluten-free/something else, that it is very likely that a special box can be made, you can eat your lunch without problems. <S> And if you're asked about it during the lunch, again make it a small thing, and then move the conversation back to the interview. <S> Oh, I have some food sensitivities, but it's no big deal. <S> You were asking about my experience in marketing marbles? <A> I am in a very similar situation, often, at work and at family occasions and even closest relatives and friends tend to think of it as a figment of imagination or inferred problem. <S> It is not feasible to explain it convincingly, so avoid that all costs. <S> I'll suggest 3 options in that order of priority: 1) <S> Get your own lunch packed, in as similar a container/style as possible to the one for interviewers, and ask the service staff, beforehand, to serve that for your lunch. <S> If at all it is noticed, you can just say I'm on a special medical diet for a few days. <S> Remember to keep the quantity minimal, you just need this to survive the meeting without looking awkward. <S> 2) Ask the person managing interviews if they can order from someplace else for you. <S> Give the same reason as 1) if asked by interviewers. <S> 3) <S> If the harm caused to you is not permanent, you can consider eating it in smaller quantities, or maybe even completely. <S> I face similar problems with pizzas but at times I'm willing to bear the later discomfort. <A> Order whichever box lunch provides the most food that you can tolerate. <S> Then eat only the parts which don't cause you any sensitivities, and leave the rest. <S> Most likely, nobody will even notice. <S> If they do, then just casually mention you have some food sensitivity issues and leave it at that. <S> (Don't dwell on it or start listing everything that bothers you.) <S> I've worked with many folks who had religious reasons for being careful about food. <S> They found a way to eat at least something in every situation without making it a big deal. <S> Sometimes, just salad. <A> You could reply with something along the lines of: <S> Hey there, I have such-and-such food allergy, and unfortunately it looks like none of the options really work for me. <S> Could this be accommodated? <S> Otherwise I don't mind bringing my own food, but I'd like to know beforehand. <S> Thanks a lot! <S> This gives the company the option to accommodate to your allergies, while also giving them an escape route if this proves to be difficult for whatever reason. <S> There is no need to mention details or discus specifics, just tell them enough so they can check if they can accommodate your needs. <S> Sometimes you don't need to make things more complicated than they are. <S> Food allergies are nothing to be ashamed of and no one will think less of you because of them <S> (in fact, it might be a good conversation starter during lunch!)
| Make sure you eat sufficiently before the interview, so that whatever happens with lunch, you aren't overly hungry.
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Handling errors in a prospective non-native-speaker interviewee's CV? Background Info I'm currently working through applications for an internship position and have received a lot of CVs from people whose native language isn't English. This causes a few odd mistakes to appear, some worse than others. Now, these people applying are generally young and don't always have the available resources to get their CVs checked by someone who can speak the language they are applying in. I tend to look less favourably on such bad practice when they say English is an "advanced language", but still give them a chance in the interview, as spelling and grammar are not always everything. Question Is it wise to raise such a mistake to an interviewee? If so, when do you do it? I'd prefer not during the interview as it could get them flustered and it could be their first experience of such a stressful situation. Is there a right time to correct people CVs and give them feedback during the process so they can avoid potential issues later on? Other notes I know I do not need to do this, but everyone needs to start somewhere and I feel it's best to give this advice to people when young so they can learn from it. The closest questions I can find on it are: How should I approach a careless error in a submitted resume/CV that dramatically changes perception? What are the risks of me following up with feedback to an interviewee? But none cover it from the point of the interviewer or are more asking about the possible risks with doing a follow up. <Q> Your role as interviewer is not to correct candidates' resumes/CVs. <S> Either ignore the errors, or downgrade the candidate because of them, but don't waste time correcting it for them. <S> That's not your role in this transaction. <S> That's not something you should be doing, and if you start doing it for one candidate you had better do the same for all candidates without regard to their English language skills. <S> On the other hand, if you hire them and later become their friend, you may offer help with "correcting" their resume for future use. <A> Since you apparently have decided to see past the errors and have the interviews anyway, I would only point out the errors in the feedback following the hire-or-not decision - even if you decide to hire. <S> In this way, you give them the benefit of the doubt - but also get to point out that not everyone may be as forgiving. <S> That's probably the sort of feedback relatively junior applicants want, but rarely get and will therefore probably be much appreciated. <A> If the typo or perceived error on their CV is something that would affect their fitness as a candidate (for instance, listing 22 years of experience when it should be 2 years, or listing their responsibilities as "supervising product lunches" when it should be "supervising product launches ") <S> then I would bring it up as a matter of clarification. <S> I wouldn't say "I think you have an error on your CV" but rather "it says you have 22 years of experience in this field, is that correct?" <S> or "your CV says you supervised product lunches, can you talk a bit about that? <S> " <S> This gives the candidate the chance to be forthright and correct the mistake if it is a mistake, without the risk of you looking like a jerk on the off chance that the CV is accurate. <A> I feel like there is no written rule for this. <S> You want to give them something that will help them later on, so I think the first thing to do is to be sure they want to take it. <S> If the interview is going well, and you feel like the interviewee is feeling relaxed and/or confident, you may evoke his grammatical mistakes. <S> Judging by my own situation (not a native english speaker), I'd gladly accept to have my resume looked up and corrected by a native speaker. <S> On the other hand, if you feel like the candidate is getting crushed during the interview, he's going to have other things on his mind, and at best it'll just elude him. <S> In any case, I'd refrain from starting the interview with such feedback. <S> If I were to receive such feedback, I'd rather receive it at the end of the interview, probably after the questions window, like a casual tip rather than something that could be interpreted as criticism, but before the end as I could want to discuss this feedback. <A> you've had training as a teacher of English for speakers of other languages, and substantial time to spare. <S> They might learn some word was the wrong word in some sentence but are unlikely to learn the reason why or how to apply it elsewhere. <S> If their English is sufficient for your role - they can communicate with your team, and the job isn't writing sales brochures - ignore it. <S> If you give them a job and want to help them, see if your company will subsidise English language lessons.
| Correcting their resume may send the wrong signal - that you are offering your help in their interviewing or even in their attempts to get hired. Correcting errors that occur due to poor English knowledge is going to have limited value for the person you correct, unles by chance
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Can a company dismiss you to pay less notice period? (UK) Imagine working at a company that handles sensitive data such that when people are dismissed or resign, they are immediately sent home on gardening leave. If your contract states you can be dismissed at any time with 1 months notice, but if you resign you have a 3 month notice period, if you resign (and thus they must pay for 3 months) can they immediately dismiss you to avoid paying the extra 2 months? Assume you have been working there for less than 2 years. <Q> No, this would be considered unfair dismissal . <S> As per: https://www.gov.uk/dismissal/unfair-and-constructive-dismissal <S> Your dismissal could be unfair if your employer doesn’t: have a good reason for dismissing you <S> follow the company’s formal disciplinary or dismissal process (or the statutory minimum dismissal procedure in Northern Ireland) <S> Situations when your dismissal is likely to be unfair include if you: asked for flexible working refused to give up your working time rights - eg to take rest breaks resigned and gave the correct notice period ... <A> I am not a lawyer <S> but I have successfully argued in court to have an asymmetric contract term overturned as unfair, getting me the several thousand pounds in back pay and compensation that I was claiming <S> but that was as a contractor, not an employee. <S> If it came down to it, you would really to seek legal advice - there may be reasons that the clause is fair in your circumstances, only a good lawyer could tell you. <A> While this sort of thing is possible, it's unlikely. <S> Second, if the company did this sort of thing word would get around very quickly, resulting in a lot of employee dissatisfaction. <S> Also companies rarely do this if they habitually take a 'gardening leave' approach. <S> It doesn't pay them to have a long notice period if all they are going to do during it <S> is pay you for not working. <S> If you believe you might be in this position, there is an easy way to deal with it, at least assuming that your intention is to move to another job. <S> When the next job asks when you can start, say that you technically have to give three months notice, but you might be able to start in a month. <S> Accept a start date in three months time, and if they fire you then call up the new company and say you can start early. <S> They will probably be happy about that. <S> Incidentally it is often possible to negotiate down a long notice period. <S> If you have another job to go to, and you are given three months gardening leave, go to the company and say you will take a month's pay instead of 3 months if they will let you start the new job immediately.
| First, in almost all employment contracts the notice period is the same on both sides.
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Exit interview - multiple choice very superficial We already have some questions which answer how to turn down an exit interview (you don't) and how to say nothing at an exit interview I got a multiple choice to fill out - different topics to rate from 1(very bad) to 4(very good). While it's obvious that I shouldn't select 1 at all it becomes very hard to generalize that much without hurting anyone. Example: How was the relation to your bosses? Now I'm in trouble because I had the best boss ever - and I wouldn't hesitate to mention this. But I totally didn't liked my Boss'es Boss.Giving a good mark would mess up honesty and improvement for the company, also it would annoy me. Giving a bad grade would damage the relation to the company and the boss I liked. I'm extremely concerned about the exit interview anyway; Not to vent will be hard and from what I know from HR and with this sheet it's going to be nearly impossible.Not because I didn't liked my job. Because I loved it but after a change in the organisational structure the fun vanished, my health reduced and work time increased and all projects took disastrous paths.(we are 3 people in our division, we all got extremely frustrated. My boss will be retiring within ~3 years, my other colleague can't find a new job because of his health condition that requires special gear. They couldn't hold their promises of reducing my work time, they couldn't offer home office. After my doc tried to convince me quitting completely I could agree with my doc to just reduce my work time, he got me a note. The company ignored this (against the law), I was fine with that. But my bosses boss started to rant behind my back that I'm just lazy and try to have a cushy number. At that moment I started looking for a new job) Mentioning (again) that I quit because of health is not only unnecessary (I mentioned it before I resigned and before I even looked for a new job), still somehow I have the urge to at least let them know that I think it's a no go to ignore your employees health requests, ignore laws and ranting behind their backs. <Q> Don't bother filling the form (or avoid being negative if you cfeel you really have to complete it). <S> Don't try to improve the company. <S> Exit interviews are a waste if time invented by HR because it looks like it should be useful - but they are almost never followed up on and almost never caused a change in any company's policies. <S> In the end, you're leaving and have nothing to gain from the exit interview, but can lose a potential reference for the future. <A> It sounds to me like you're over-thinking it. <S> Just put bland <S> 2's or 3's on the form. <S> Maybe a 4 if you want to, if there's something <S> you did like. <S> It won't make any difference to anything anyway. <S> Don't over-think any of the questions - you'll just make things harder for yourself. <S> Just whizz through the questions, putting whatever answer feels most appropriate. <A> If the best HR could come up with for exiting employees is on par with the surveys I get after renting a car, they don't actually care. <S> If turnover is high enough that a survey like that could provide any kind of meaningful data, they don't actually care. <S> That said, if you have something you must get off your chest that their survey doesn't cover, don't fill it out. <S> Tell HR <S> they're not going to learn anything useful from your answers. <S> Offer to sit down with someone from their department and someone in your management chain and explain it. <S> If they accept, take the high road and make it a calm, rational, professional discussion. <S> If they don't, they don't actually care. <S> Don't worry too much about the bridge-burning aspect of it. <S> Unless employers giving more than confirmation of employment is customary where you live, not giving them everything they want on the way out isn't going to hurt you one way or the other. <S> Companies don't like going beyond that anyway because it exposes them to legal liability. <S> It sounds like you have a good relationship with your boss, and in the end, that's usually the important thing. <S> If he thinks enough of your work to be a reference at all, he may be willing to do so speaking for himself and not as a representative of the company. <S> (As a general practice, making sure that's clear up front with your references and prospective employers helps lubricate the process for everyone involved.)
| Your company appears to have treated you poorly and, for that alone, you don't really owe them anything other than not causing problems on your way out the door.
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How to explain this short stint in an interview I was working for XY. In month 4, the egomaniac CTO called his nearly 40 employees to the meeting room just to humiliate me. He made me connect my laptop to the projector to revert a change he perceived as disobedient while the others watched. I quit on the spot. He was fired for this and I got a clean experience letter (stating I quit). I could have stayed at this company but his favourites (who could resent me) are still there and its very bad there: it took 1.5 years to release what was a 4 month project. I worked 5 years and 4 jobs, which won't inspire confidence in an interviewer. How do I explain to an interviewer to a employee or freelance contract position I had to quit because of these circumstances? The other stakeholders agree I suffered an injustice but I don't want an awkward reference-checking call. I'm working in India. <Q> Chris G has the simple answer in his comment to Swizzler: <S> My boss did something inappropriate, which led to his dismissal, but created an environment in which I was not comfortable working <S> It is truthful, shows that the fault was not yours, and does not badmouth your previous employer. <S> You do not need to say anything further. <A> Short answer: <S> you're not afraid for a long term commitment. <S> If they specifically ask why you quit you can explain that a situation existed which got your boss fired but still let you in doubt if you fit into their culture - you want to achive your goals <S> but you want to achive them WITH your coworkes, not against them. <A> its very bad there <S> This is probably the only important thing you said in your entire post. <S> When you describe "an awkward reference checking call" or two employees who now might dislike you all I am thinking is seriously, you are letting an awkward phone call and the hypothetical feelings of two people who are not that important to you drive your career right now? <S> 4 jobs in 5 years sounds about right to me, I don't know why you have a problem with this. <S> Do your research, which means actually interview at firms where it is not very bad.
| Don't Depending on your age its still normal to switch jobs often, if you explain that you're still trying to find something to stay and a place where you love the job and the company loves you
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Overheard coworker talking about me I currently work in a junior position for a big corporation. I recently overheard someone in a senior role making fun of me to other senior people and it has upset me to the point of wanting to leave. The comments made were about me personally and nothing related to my work. I was surprised that someone holding a senior role finds it appropriate to made fun of a junior team member. This person is well liked and is very friendly with management so I don't really want to complain as I feel it would make the situation worse. What is the best way to handle this situation? <Q> I would talk to my supervisor about it, and make the decision to stay or start looking for a new job based on the way the situation was handled from that point. <A> Stand up for yourself <S> I am in a similar situation at my work. <S> There is a senior dev and a group of "good old boys" that will put down others just for a laugh. <S> It's not super malicious but annoying nonetheless. <S> Here is what has worked for me(YMMV): <S> Approach them directly, and ask them if they were talking to about you. <S> If they admit they were talking about you be direct but non-confrontational. <S> Say something like "I don't appreciate being mocked while at work. <S> Please don't do that again. <S> " <S> I like this approach for a few reasons: <S> It shows them you will stand up for yourself. <S> Mentioning to a supervisor or HR, though justified, comes off as tattling. <S> It will make them somewhat uncomfortable facing the consequences of their actions. <S> They should. <S> This may depend on the relationship with them. <S> They may be reasonable and apologize. <S> If they don't fess up that they were talking about you, apologize and move on. <S> They may be lying, but at least they know that you will stand up for yourself. <S> It is sometimes uncomfortable to approach people directly about these kind of things, but I find that it is the most effective way of dealing with it. <A> I recently overheard someone in a senior role making fun of me to other senior people and it has upset me to the point of wanting to leave. <S> The comments made were about me personally and nothing related to my work. <S> First, be sure that they're definitely making fun of you <S> (I've heard similar stories that have been escalated to ridiculous levels before realising that it was simply a mix-up over names!) <S> If you are sure, then first head to your boss <S> , then HR if his response isn't satisfactory. <S> From that point, see how the situation is handled, then see how you feel. <S> If you still want to leave, I'd say at least give it a while for things to calm down <S> (it's easy to make the wrong decision when emotional) before deciding for certain and handing in your notice. <A> It's easy to misunderstand overhead conversation inside a workplace. <S> Now that you're are sure, talk to your boss about it and insist on the fact that their remarks are likely to disturb you're concentration and can affect your work. <S> If your boss is concerned about your working conditions, he would immediately talk to the seniors and make them stop, more easy if your boss is also their boss. <S> Don't play the hero by trying to defends yourself, it is the best ethical way to react to that kind of situation but in a workplace when the weight of ages, experiences and position inside the firm are playing a huge role into decision making, it might be better not to take any risk and deliver it to your superior.
| Talk to your supervisor about it but first makes sure that you're the target of their mockery. If you think you could get fired in retaliation, you may want to be careful.
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How do I get programmers to follow contribution rules and coding style? I'm currently a project lead and I've lead projects in the past. I've never had a great response from my fellow programmers when I try to institute project consistency in and out of code. It always becomes an argument about specifics or that I'm being too neurotic (what? you're lecturing me because I used semicolons??). I realize not all style rules are utilitarian; some are purely subjective. Yet, consistency is entirely objective. I want to, yet again, apply set of contribution rules (coding style, commit messages, naming) to this latest project. How do I go about this without having the programmers on my project rebel? <Q> They will not rebel if they are involved in how these best practices are introduced. <S> Start with the coding style: <S> Build agreement that this is valuable. <S> Everyone on the team should agree that some type of coding standard is better than no standard. <S> Emphasize that the maintenance of the code will likely go for many years and having quality built into each check-in will insure an easier to maintain product. <S> Perhaps a few consensus meetings. <S> Or at the very least, let them give you feedback about the standard your are proposing before it is finalized. <S> Make coding standards part of the code review process. <S> (You do have a code review process that precedes check-in, right?) <S> Everyone on the team who reviews code is expected to flag coding standard violations. <S> After the coding style doc is imbued on the team, other things like the commit message format will be easy to introduce. <S> To as much as possible, automate this. <S> You didn't indicate which programming language you are working in. <S> But some languages have "lint" like tools that can detect bad style. <S> (e.g. jslint for JavaScript). <S> If your check-in infrastructure can reject checkins when the tool flags an error, then you can have an easy defense against sloppy code getting checked in. <A> If you want to enforce code standards then you should implement an automated code checker in your version control system's server (you are using one, right?) <S> which will reject commits which don't adhere to the code standards. <S> There are free and open source code checkers for almost all mainstream-ish languages. <S> You'll probably have to deal with pushback and complaining on this, but this will be once and not every time you review someone's code. <S> After this, the code checker will take care of it. <S> Interesting analogue: <S> back in 2002 I was a boy scout leader at a local Scouting troupe. <S> We could all smoke inside the club house, but then due to some law changes we were forbidden to smoke inside. <S> The amount of complaining and ranting about it made it seem that it was an existential threat to the entire Scouting movement! <S> People were on the verge of grabbing their pitchforks and storming the government building. <S> But ... even after a few months going outside for a smoke became the most normal thing in the world. <S> In fact, looking back more than 15 years later I find it quite shocking there was any opposition against this in the first place. <S> It'll probably go the same with your code-checker; once people are used to it, it'll be natural. <S> That being said, do have a discussion about which code standards you want to have and which you want to enforce. <S> I would recommend you use the standards for the language you're working in, as this avoids all the discussions about where to put the braces and what not. <S> It might be a good idea to start with just a few of the most important guidelines and work from there; some guidelines are huge, and having everyone adjust to them in one go will be a lot harder than having everyone adjust to them over time. <A> Maybe you should learn from your experiences. <S> I would predict that all you can achieve is to make all decent developers find better paid jobs elsewhere, while you will be left with those who are afraid nobody else would hire them and call you "little Napoleon" behind your back. <S> Regarding your comment: Read Gabe Sechans answer is well. <S> He is spot on. <S> And Philip Kendall's comment: "Authoritarian pronouncements from on high are just about the worst way possible to get support for something". <S> You call this answer "not helpful". <S> I'd say it wasn't the answer you wanted to hear. <S> Very often the best answer to "How do I do this" is "Don't do it". <S> Of course you can integrate a source code checker into the submit process - and make enemies forever. <A> Consistency is highly overrated, and generally valued by one particular type of programmer- those with micromangement tendencies and control issues. <S> It shows that there's a focus on minutiae rather than quality. <S> There's categories of things that actually do matter- good variable names, indenting your code, good comments. <S> Then there's things that don't matter- <S> spacing, brace style, etc. <S> If your style guides focus on category one, programmers don't tend to have a problem. <S> If your guide focuses on category 2, it tends to be a net negative. <S> That's why your programmers are rejecting it. <S> If you are going to do <S> it- <S> you don't get to decide any of the rules. <S> Let the programmers themselves decide whats in the guide, and how strict the enforcement will be. <S> Anything else will just lead to resentment and loss of productivity. <S> And whatever you do, do not ever bring that stuff up in code review- <S> the minute it creeps into there, code reviews stop being about finding bugs and improving quality, and moves into being nit picking on style issues. <S> The result is buggier code gets released more slowly.
| Strive for a simple coding standard that is easy for anyone to memorize after reading it. Give the team engineers an opportunity to contribute or help define the style guideline document. Publish it formally to some place (Wiki, OneNote, Git repo, website, etc...) where everyone on your team has access to. My suggestion would be just not to do it.
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Why is HR asking for proof of motivation for suicide? Due to a number of deeply distressing events and generally low quality of life (unrelated to job), I recently attempted to commit suicide during work hours, in my workplace. If you're curious about how, I impulsively attempted to OD on an anti-depressant two hours before the end of the workday. By the end of the day symptoms started to show and my coworkers rushed me to a hospital, where some of them heard me tell the GP what I did. Word carried to the head of HR, who demanded I tell him why I tried to kill myself. I told him something about having had great potential and ambition, but getting repeatedly thwarted by family and other personal circumstances (which is a good part of the truth). Now HR is telling me that I'm not going to be fired, but only if they can have "good proof that you're not going to do it again"; how? they're demanding: medical report from the hospital to prepare a good, convincing emotionally deep speech on how I'm never going to do it again "proof" that I had potential\ambition and faced obstacles ...etc; basically my stated motivation for suicide. As I see it, number 2 seems to be the only relevant item to the stated objective of being sure I won't do it again. Numbers 1 and 3 not only require divulging personal information at a seemingly inappropriate level, but the fact they're asking for this at all seems strange and suspicious, not to mention how hard coming up with paper proof for 3 is. Why is HR asking for these things? Is there a reason I shouldn't concede even if I want to keep my job? Edit: though I've used the word "speech" in the explanation above, it wasn't meant as a public speech, per se. It's just that it was clear that no conversation will be involved, and that I'm supposed to prepare what I'm going to say.Also, the medical report referenced above is the one from the OD incident, it doesn't involve any psychiatric intervention (though it is possible they assume otherwise). Thanks you all for your help. I feel that I have a much better grip on the situation and what to do now. <Q> In the circumstances, seeing a mental health professional seems like an action you should take irrespective of your employer's demands. <S> When you find one, discuss with them (not necessarily as your top priority though), what the normal 'back to work' procedure in similar circumstances is in your country. <S> They have been trained in how to discuss their patients with others without revealing unnecessary personal information, and if you can trust them to manage your case, you ought to be able to trust them to report on your case to people like your employer on a 'need to know' basis if it is required, i.e. to provide information that your employer requires and is entitled to without divulging anything else. <A> So they're asking for: "medical report from the hospital" → to confirm what you've told them (that is, it was a suicide attempt and not, say, a recreational drug overdose) "to prepare a good, convincing emotionally deep speech on how I'm never going to do it again" <S> → OK, this is a bit weird <S> (do they really want you to give a public speech ?), <S> but obviously they're quite keen for you not to repeat this or have others try the same "basically my stated motivation for suicide" → in particular, to state in writing that the cause was your parents, personal circumstances (read: anything that's not the company's fault) and not the company, your boss, bullying etc. <S> If you want to keep your job, you'll need to play along. <S> However, if the company is actually at fault and you are considering suing them, don't offer or sign anything before you've talked to a lawyer. <S> As an aside, it seems rather heartless for your company to threaten firing and issue demands instead of offering support through what's obviously a tough time for you, but the underlying motivation would be the same. <A> If you want to keep your job, you'll need to play along. <S> Actually, I disagree. <S> This accepted answer is mere speculation. <S> If you want to keep your job , you should consult legal counsel to see if you should play along. <S> You should do this even if your employer had nothing to do with your suicide attempt. <S> http://www.calltherightattorney.com/2012/12/31/americans-with-disabilities-act-suicide-attempts/ <S> Once you give them what they want, a potential release from liability, there is actually no guarantee that they'll keep their word and keep you on board. <S> In fact, the only way they may be able to fire you, is to get that release of liability from you. <S> Keep in mind that it may not even be their decision, but some other executive of the company. <S> No. <S> For now, write nothing and sign nothing. <S> If they want you to sign something, take it home with you to review it. <S> You're very vulnerable right now. <S> You feel super guilty. <S> You're probably ready to sign anything they put in front of you. <S> Don't. <S> Take a few days off (keep your communication channels open with them, or they'll be worried). <S> Consult a psychiatrist/psychologist. <S> After such an attempt, getting a doctor's referral and an appointment this week should be relatively easy. <S> But also consult a lawyer (this part, you don't need to tell them about). <S> I'm pretty sure that both the lawyer and the psychologist will tell you also that this information they're demanding (aside from the fact that you don't want to do it again and that you're seeking psychological counseling) is absolutely none of their business. <S> Furthermore, depending on the jurisdiction you're in, making your continued employment contingent on this breach of privacy, sounds highly illegal to me. <S> Do you drive for a living? <S> Do you operate heavy machinery? <S> Are other lives on the line where you work? <S> If you're not a hazard to the company's equipment, or to others, firing you without a release of liability could be difficult for them anyway. <S> That's why you should consult a lawyer. <S> Obviously, I can't give you legal advice. <S> I'm not a lawyer, nor do I even know in which jurisdiction you're in. <S> This is all mere speculation on my part as well. <A> Seems like a strange request, other than maybe the medical report... <S> (You may consider it personal, but they are affected after all: you did it on their premises) <S> An emotional speech about how you're not going to do it again? <S> Seems very strange... <S> And proof of your motives? <S> This is the strangest of all... <S> Would you and they be open to this as an alternative: <S> The medical report. <S> (They may request updates from the psychiatrist) <S> Some kind of signed statement that they were not responsible for the suicide attempt. <S> I'm surprised by the demanding tone, i.e. that they are not being a bit more helpful and supportive... <S> Threatening to fire you after a suicide attempt? <A> Look at it like this. <S> Your actions to date endangered you, and likely traumatized your office mates. <S> So the BIG picture for your employer is not in just examining what you might do, but how it affects everything going on in the office. <S> If you harm yourself on the premises, in front of others, they're going to need outlets to deal with the situation too - which probably has to happen during hours they'd normally be working. <S> I have no right to judge you per se, but some people who attempt suicide are actually more interested in attention than remediation ; and your company is making sure that you're not part of the former group -- as ultimately, it will affect productivity. <S> It would be unsound to trash the business behind anyone's selfish act, so they need to flush this situation out.
| Proof that you have made appointments to seek psychiatric help. The reason the company (HR) is demanding these things is because they're trying to cover their ass and ensure they don't get sued by you or, were you try to commit suicide again and succeed, by your heirs.
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Looking for a position in specific countries for private reasons - how far should I go in explaining? I am currently a foreign student (master degree) in Japan. I’ve already had 3-4 meetings and interviews with a major company. They need someone for a job related to international relations that would imply lots of trips or even moving to another country, and they seem rather interested in my candidature. I believe that my technical field of study combined to my language skills and the fact I’m already used to living abroad (as a foreign student) played a major role. (This is only speculation though. They did not explicitly say such things.) Today I received an invitation to another interview, which I highly expect to be the last one. They pretty much stepped up the level of formality. After that, I’m expecting to get a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ but no ‘maybe’. Now, my girlfriend is living in a different country right now. I am especially looking for a position that would allow me to live closer to her, or to live in a country where we could both move easily. Japan is not one of these countries. Therefore, I kinda have a ‘wishlist’ of countries to work in, that would make our couple life much easier. They seem to have a decent interest in hiring me and I think this interview is the good time to step in and explain them that I am especially interested in working in some specific countries, for personal reasons. However, how should I do that ? (Or should I do it at all ?) If I say that, I expect them to ask why, and the conversation would quickly get into personal details. How to explain my situation firmly but neutrally, so that it does seem important while staying serious and professional? What should I do in this situation? <Q> According to the number of interviews you've already passed in that firm, I think saying that you have a preference for a specific country to work in is something that you can do. <S> it'll then depend on the firm itself. <S> No need to mention the girlfriend as personal matters shouldn't interfere during your job interview. <S> Stay as professional as you can. <S> Everything you should say about this issue should go straight into work improvement. <S> If you are really confident about your chances to be hired, feel free to ask in a polite and diplomatic way. <S> Moreover, it'll show that you care about you're working environment. <S> Good luck! <A> Does this company offer positions in other countries or its a Japan-based one that includes a lot of travelling? <S> If the first and they have not specifically specified in the job description they look for someone for their Japanese branch, feel free to bring it up that for personal issues (may as well say for family reasons to make it more explicit and avoid further scrutiny) <S> you'll highly appreciate a position in their other branches. <S> Now, the degree of how firmly you insist on that one is up to you. <S> Consider if you're willing to work in their Japanese office at all or if working in Japan is something you wouldn't consider at all, if thats all they can offer you currently. <S> Choose your wording in regards to this carefully in order to communicate this point precisely. <A> I don't think your approach is feasible. <S> Seriously, countries are huge. <S> Even if they would have an open position in the country your girlfriend lives in, how likely it is that it is within a reasonable distance for a real life relationship? <S> I mean, for now you might be grateful to just replace internation flights with national flights, but in the end even a 4 or 5 hour distance will feel crippling after two years. <S> And that's how the person responsible for hiring will likely see it, too, and so consider you a less-than-ideal candidate. <S> Otherwise, I'm not sure what you think will happen when you are worried that things would escalate quickly into personal details. <S> Choosing or changinge the workplace according to relationship requirements is fairly normal. <S> Nobody is going to discuss how often you have to meet your girlfriend to maintain a healthy sex life. <S> What might be discussed is how you see your future within the company considering the above mentioned problems or how you intend to arrange your future so that it matches the company requirements. <A> If your personal reasons involved a spouse or your immediately family (children, or parents needing care), they'd have far more legitimacy than involvement of a girlfriend; likewise, it'd probably be far less of an issue to announce those reasons. <S> You may be able to influence a decision, but your potential employer may be turned off if it comes out that you've asked the company to jump through hoops over a someone you don't have strong ties with. <S> Health insurance companies use the same rationale, which is why we can't insure a girlfriend <S> but we can insure a legally declared domestic partner. <S> As is, you might need a stronger case for the type of privilege you're requesting.
| They would likely weigh your motivation to work in a foreign country if you highlight the fact that, for personal matters, you'll be able to set up a lifestyle where you feel more comfortable and that this changes will be reflected in your work in a positive way.
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How to list greencard status on a resume? I am applying for a job in a US company. I have a green card and already live in town. The company I am applying to has difficulty finding talent in the USA, so they often hire people from overseas on H1-B visas. Almost all of the recent new hires come from abroad. So, I am concerned if I apply, having a foreign name and nationality, they will assume that I am also not local and in need of an H1-B visa. I think this the green card status put me at an advantage, as the company will not need to go through the complicated process of applying for a H1-B visa, dealing with someone who is not adjusted to the culture, etc. What is a professional way to list my visa status on my resume, such it is clear to HR that they will not need to apply for an H1-B? I am assuming that some of the HR staff may not understand visas. <Q> I always add "Immigration status: permanent resident" to my cv in Germany. <S> You could also mention it in your cover letter. <A> Nationality: <S> American or, for example Nationality: British. <S> Permanent US Resident / Green Card holder <S> Most HR staff will understand visas as it applies to their company, but no harm in making it obvious. <A> I am concerned <S> if I apply, having a foreign name and nationality, they will assume that I am also not local and in need of an H1-B visa <S> You're running very fast based on this assumption here. <S> No one really cares what your name is -- with the exception (I'm sorry to say) of Muslim names. <S> Let your experience be the thing that attracts readers to contact you. <S> That's the whole point of the resume. <S> Since your green card gives you the right to work wherever you please, it doesn't make any sense to make it an issue. <S> Leave it off the resume in lieu of better things to put in the same space. <S> I'm a natural-born citizen; I don't speak with an accent, and during my last job search, every person I contacted asked about my work status. <S> It's not a big deal. <S> Don't make it one.
| I add it in the section with my basic personal stats so it's front and center in my application.
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Can I bring food to share only with the people in my team/around me? I work in an open plan office space, where we sit in teams, placed in table island of about 8 tables per island. My hobby is baking and I often have leftovers that I would like to bring with me to work because it's better they get eaten than thrown away. However, it's not nearly enough to feed my 40 other colleagues in the room, let alone the 200 people in the total company. With birthdays etc it's common you buy (small) treats for the 40 people in the room, but what if I want to bring my leftover cake/cookies and just place them in the middle of our island? Will people think I'm rude for not sharing or not making enough for everyone? I won't stop other colleagues from taking a piece, but it's not enough to feed everyone. <Q> what if I want to bring my leftover cake/cookies and just place them in the middle of our island? <S> Will people think I'm rude for not sharing or not making enough for everyone? <S> I won't stop other colleagues from taking a piece, but it's not enough to feed everyone. <S> It not an unreasonable thing to do, but it depends on the culture of your workplace. <S> ("Did you bring enough for everyone?" might be asked). <S> If you placed food in the middle, would other "islands" feel free to help themselves? <S> If so, then your tactics may not be effective. <S> You can give your team an edge by sending them an email that food is there so that they can be "first in line" to get some. <S> If you truly want to make sure each member of your island gets some, then divide the food into pieces, put it on plates, and either hand it to each of them or put one plate on the chair of each worker in your island. <S> If there is still some left over, that could go elsewhere. <A> "No reasonable person is coming to work with the expectation to be fed." <S> By that token, anything that is given as a freebie would be appreciated by a reasonable person. <S> If providing goodies for just your cubicle-mates makes you happy, then do that. <S> If anyone balks, then you're probably not dealing with a reasonable person, and you can't spend your days worrying about them. <S> You could bring cookies, and someone will be on a gluten-free diet. <S> You could bring banana pudding, and someone else is allergic to bananas. <S> You can't satisfy everyone; satisfy yourself . <A> When you are on the same team, you likely have regular team meetings. <S> Serve the cake during such meetings. <A> Instead of "officially" restricting your gift to your own team you could simply place it on your island when most of your team is there. <S> This would give them the opportunity to take from it first while not explicitly excluding the rest of the office. <S> In my experience free food disappears rather quickly in an office setting <S> so I think you worry for nothing. <S> As long as it's clear that you haven't baked FOR your team but are simply bringing in leftovers there shouldn't be any expectations of bringing in enough for everyone... <A> At my company we kinda have an unwritten policy for exactly this. <S> Usually when people wants to bring cake or another snack to celebrate, they invite their team to a cake meeting in the kitchen, which usually is just 5-10 min of eating cake in the kitchen, while small-talking. <S> - Only some people get an invite for this in their calendar/orally. <S> But after such meetings the leftovers would be for everyone else to take, but too bad if there is nothing left. <S> Also there is not any weird feelings for 'randoms' to join a such cake meeting. <S> Just a suggestion <S> I know your situation is more 'everyday', <S> but I think I would just put the cake in the kitchen, and go tell everyone at the table. <A> In my office (60 people, open-plan) there is a neutral place where people have taken to placing sweets and biscuits (candy and cookies) which are freely available to anyone passing by. <S> There is no restriction and no invitation although I guess there is an implied agreement that, if you eat, you also bring. <A> I worked one place (a UK bank) where this was common. <S> There was a very large open plan office with several hundred people. <S> You'd often see sweets, cakes, etc. <S> that were brought for a team, with a note "for xyz team only". <S> No-one took the notes as being rude and they seemed to be respected without active enforcement.
| In many shops, the norm is to place the food in a common area such as a kitchen, and let people help themselves. In some workplace cultures not sharing with everyone would be considered rude.
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How can I deal with a conflict between my two senior techs that is affecting the entire team? I manage a small webcast production team of volunteers. On a purely technical level, I would rank them in the top 10% of teams in our niche. Because we are small and volunteer, everyone has been trained to at least basic proficiency in each role. I try to keep a rotation of people through each role so that we stay in practice, and no single person's absence will cripple us. Any one team member can get a production to air, even if it isn't to our normal standards of quality. Our productions are 98% live-to-stream. We work in close quarters, under heavy pressure. We have a strict understanding that the "Technical Director has full control of the production", and extended conversations should be saved for debrief. I've spent five years building this team to its current level of proficiency, and don't want to see it get torn apart from the inside. Recently, my two senior techs have started giving each other the cold shoulder. The mutual frustration is rising to the point where both have indirectly mentioned that they are considering leaving the team. While I could handle the loss of one, the loss of two senior techs would put me back in the position of rebuilding the team nearly from scratch. What I think is happening is that under pressure one (or both) of these people go into "boss mode". In response, the other feels a need to assert their independence and refuses to acknowledge their input. The result is positive feedback in a high gain loop (place an open mic in front of the speaker). How can I address this? <Q> First, you need to talk to each person individually and find out what the problem is from their perspective. <S> It may be what you think or it may be that Guy A had an affair with the wife of Guy B or all sorts of other things. <S> The actions you take will be determined by the real reason they are giving each other the cold shoulder. <S> And don't be surprised if they have different reasons for being upset. <S> Maybe A is upset because B tried a power play, but B uses the power play because he was upset that A did something else. <S> Be sure to find out what it would take for them to get past this. <S> Maybe an apology would work, maybe they have such a hatred that nothing would work. <S> At this point you don't know. <S> It is likely though that you may have to choose one or the other. <S> So make that determination as soon as possible after talking to them. <S> You might need to formally make one of them the senior person who has the final say or you might need to say this person goes and this person stays. <S> Without more information on what they perceive is the problem, it is impossible to say what the best actions should be. <S> In general I would choose based on who has the more valuable skill set which includes the one most likely being able to get along with everyone else on the team. <S> If one person is clearly at fault (see the potential affair idea) <S> then that becomes easier to determine who to choose if push comes to shove. <A> No one is irreplaceable, especially in today's world where there is a surfeit of exceptionally well-qualified talent. <S> You need to let each know that they don't have to like each other, but they need to be civil with one another for the sake of the team. <S> If neither values the success of the team, then let them go and get new team players who understand concepts like self-restraint, courtesy, respect and the importance of being a team player. <S> Goodness, I myself worked with someone I found lacking on a personal level for years and managed to convey the impression that we were a rock solid team because we were. <S> Sometimes a conflict between personalities is just inevitable and <S> no amount of counselling is going to fundamentally change that relationship. <S> But, every team member needs to know that they are not the team and that whether the team succeeds or fails is due to the coordinated efforts of the entire team. <A> i.e. Let them be in 'boss mode independently'. <S> You can think about ways to split the tasks at top level and make them each in charge of one tasks and announce it to rest if the team. <S> Something like 'content development' and 'design' <S> but of course you would know better on how to split the tasks. <S> You may not be able to formal new roles but sometimes creating these informal roles publicly helps to serve egos of your top performers. <S> I had a similar situation in a research project <S> and I could sense the tension between two of my team members.. <S> I had two divide the project two different ways in two parts and then give them lead on each part in one division. <S> Like one way of dividing was patents and publications and I made one in charge of all the patents we need to file and another one all the journal papers we need to write. <S> Another way of diving the project at the same time was production of the idea and new ideas implementation and again I made them lead of each task. <S> It worked out well for everyone including the project ! <S> Make sure you actually follow through these informal lead roles and recognise their authority an responsibilities regularly in meetings.
| In short, being a team player means putting aside your ego and doing what the team needs for you to do even if that means getting along with someone you don't like. Creating Tasks such that they truly have their independence as much as possible would be the key part which you would have to take care. I think you will have to give them exactly what they want
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Presented with potentially unacceptable policy after being hired I was hired by a large financial institution. On day one I was informed that I have to conform to organization's investment policy, which puts a number of restrictions on how I can manage my private investments. Some of those restrictions carry a real material risk (e.g. I'm not allowed to sell securities which I held for shorter duration than a certain period). They require that I disclose my and my partner's investing accounts. There was no mention of this policy during a hiring process. They do not state specifically what are the repercussions if I break the policy. Should I've known about those policies before accepting the offer I would've taken that into consideration whether I should accept. Potentially this may not ever be an issue, but I definitely cannot guarantee it. I'm not completely sure what would be the best way to go at the moment. I'm considering asking HR what would happen if I break the policy, but that probably would look like I'm saying "I'm going to break the rules, what are you gonna do?". If I decide to stay and follow the policies, that would mean I'll be risking a financial loss. If I decide that this is unacceptable, I've just wasted several weeks waiting for them to complete the hiring process, while I could pursue other opportunities. An advice would be appreciated. <Q> If I decide to stay and follow the policies, that would mean I'll be risking a financial loss. <S> Speak to a fiduciary * regarding these policies to determine exactly what the risks are to your investments, and how likely they are to become a problem. <S> * (Fiduciaries are advisors who are required by law to act in your best interests, whereas financial advisors who are not fiduciaries have no obligation to do so.) <S> Also speak to HR (or perhaps your immediate supervisor) about these policies to clarify why they are necessary - instead of opening by asking what the penalties are for disobedience, try to focus on the reasons why these policies are in effect. <S> Between these two conversations, you may be able to find a way to restructure your investments such that your own needs are satisfied AND you're in compliance with the policies your employer demands. <S> If I decide that this is unacceptable, I've just wasted several weeks waiting for them to complete the hiring process, while I could pursue other opportunities. <S> Better to figure that out now than later. <S> Also better to get out before these financial risks <S> you're worried about come to pass. <S> Besides, the time spent is not a total waste - you will now have some important new questions to ask in any future interviews with other financial institutions. <S> If worst comes to worst and you decide you cannot abide the policies in place, then quit and don't look back. <A> I can give advice as I now work for a big consulting firm which does auditing. <S> Even though I have only a technical role and have nothing to do with that side of the business and am not even in touch with anybody who is, there are massive implications on what I can do financially. <S> This is not because of company policy but legislation, especially due to independence laws in my case. <S> For instance every year my wife and I would buy raffle tickets for a hospital here, but now we are no longer able as my firm administers the raffle. <S> I also cannot buy/sell stock in certain companies, which we audit. <S> Potentially even companies which we do consulting work for, different laws regulate these behaviours in different countries you will need to learn about how these laws effect you. <S> I am not aware of any laws which pertain to the minimum duration you are allowed to have stocks, but keep in mind that some of the policies will be very important to abide to. <S> Also keep in mind whilst you might not be breaking any laws in the current country you are a resident you can still be charged in the US, even extradited, all this stuff is taken very seriously to the nth degree because of the cash which is involved. <S> As you progress through your career the restrictions get tougher, for instance I know partners here have to disclose pretty much all their investment information. <S> We also have tools and a service to determine if you are compliant with the legislation and laws. <S> But I do stress that you can get into a lot of trouble <S> if you are not compliant with these financial laws, can even be more serious than robbing, killing or other crimes. <S> I would recommend you make use of your companies resources as well as any external professionals to make sure you are not breaking any laws. <A> Financial services institutions often work with what is considered to be market sensitive data which could influence a share price if the knowledge became public - this ranges from everything such as what M&A deals are in process with a certain company to knowing that a certain bank is considering putting/calling a position on a stock. <S> The reason they ask you to conform to certain investment practices is due to insider trading laws related to access to this type of information and also due to conflict of interest. <S> By definition insider trading would be using any information that is not available publicly to take a position in the stock market, regardless of whether you profit or not from it. <S> Conflict of interest would be taking up investment positions in a potential partner of your company or company your are performing a service for. <S> These types of interactions are covered by financial regulators and companies are duty-bound to deal with infractions of the regulations very seriously, including taking actions from immediate dismissal as a minimum, to being reported to the regulating authority and barred from working in financial institutions in a particular country ever again at the maximum. <S> The company's position will not change on this policy, so I would look very hard at whether you want to continue working in this or any financial services institution as they will all have the same restrictions. <A> Another way of phrasing your question is "How do I manage my investments while ensuring that I am not in contravention of a policy that I am being forced to adhere?" <S> You should investigate how to set up a blind trust with a financial planner and a lawyer, run the findings by your HR rep, and then do so. <S> Yes it will cost a bit of money, but if your investment portfolio is of a reasonable size and if you plan to stay with this company for a medium-term or higher time horizon; it would be worth it in the long run to do so as this will prevent any conflict of interests between work and investments from happening.
| Don't try to play fast and loose with the rules hoping you won't get caught, just cut your losses.
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How to deal with a coworker writing condescending emails? I have a coworker that I have to correspond with once or twice a week for a particular task. In person, they are relatively normal and cheerful, both in and out of a professional context, and we get along fine. The problem is that this person's emails are short, condescending, snippy and generally grating to be exposed to over and over again. The simplest question is answered with disdain for not knowing the answer, and any requests of me are nothing short of demands. There's no niceness at all, and any opportunity to include a 'clearly, 'of course' or 'you should be aware' is taken. This person is not my superior in any way (in fact I suspect I am above them in the company hierarchy), so I'm plain confused as to why they would treat me so disrespectfully over email. So far I have been ignoring it and replying as my usual cheery self, but the temptation to snip back at them is growing daily. Is there a way i could gently and professionally demonstrate how offensive their emails are, or educate them on correct email etiquette? Edit: some clarifications based on comments: I am more technical than him, however the other party has been doing what they do for quite a while. The condescending tone applies to all topics we discuss over email, including things that are my domain and know a lot about. We work in entirely separate departments, with a long string of bosses in between us, hence the unknown exact superiority. Our relationship exists because we handle a bit of the same data for different reasons. <Q> I recently had an incident similar to this where a normally cheerful colleague was condescending and (sometimes) rude with their choices of words in emails. <S> When I realised she was using the same tone with customer emails, as her superior I had to step in. <S> I discretely mentioned that her tone could be interpreted as aggressive or rude by those who don't know her well, and that a more positive, or at least neutral style, might be more suitable. <S> In this case the negative style was unintentional. <S> Do you have colleagues who also communicate with the person you mentioned? <S> If you have their confidence, you could ask them if they notice the same tone. <S> It may transpire that - as Erik suggested - they simply have a terse writing style with no malicious intent. <S> If it transpires that all this negativity is aimed at you, that could be a different matter. <S> The context of the emails is important too. <S> If you are - for example - asking the same general questions each week when looking at an old email would answer the question, your colleague would rightfully get a bit annoyed by repeatedly replying. <S> It might be worthwhile giving a more fleshed-out example (if you think it won't give you away!). <S> If you are being rudely spoken down to for otherwise-normal queries, then it may be worth asking your manager if this is a problem worth pursuing. <S> If your colleague is being deliberately condescending or rude, you're doing the right thing by not stooping to his level. <S> If your colleague is disciplined about it later, your emails will be right alongside his as evidence. <A> I think the danger for you to 'sink to his level' to quote you, is when he is wrong, and you are right. <S> You don't want to go this way, as you say yourself, as it would only make things more hostile. <S> There is a number of options i see, and the best one is the uncomfortable conversation. <S> Just tell him/her that he sounds condescending, when you ask simple questions - maybe bring a few examples, and try to explain why it bothers you. <S> - Trick: <S> When you start a sentence with 'I feel' it doesn't sound judging - and it's a good way to engage the conversation, where he still feels like he is allowed to explain. <S> Another solution, which is worse in my opinion (depends on the level of condescending behavior. <S> If it's really bad, this would probably be the way to go) is to go to the management with this. <S> Obviously this is only if you can't take it anymore, and the other person is REALLY condescending. <S> Another way would be to point out when he is wrong, in a playful matter. <S> if he tells you 'it's obviously best with option A' <S> and you know it's not, play on that. <S> But be careful not to be too passive aggressive. <S> I would recommend the first option before the others, I just provided those for some alternatives, if you can't engage in that conversation for some reason. <S> Also I don't really have an idea of HOW bad this is, and therefore it's hard to tell which way to go. <A> I'd like to go to another point of view : is the tone of the answer preventing you from doing your job? <S> I mean, if at the end of the day, you did get all the information(and possible actions) <S> you did need, the tone of the email is definitively not a big probem. <S> You've got a real problem only if some things you need are actually not transmitted to you, and the tone of the answer goes with a withdrawal of information. <S> In the first case, well, just swallow your ego, as long as you can work. <S> The expected benefit(having more polite emails) is not worth <S> the risk(worsening the relations) - any action can always backfire. <S> In the second case, OTOH, other's answers are the way to go. <S> Diplomatically, of course.
| Maybe bring some of the really bad responses he has given you over the period, and tell them you can't work with this behavior.
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I couldn't go into work due to anxiety, thinking of quitting after 2 weeks I started a new job 2 weeks ago in a recruitment company, I took less money and more hours with the hope of getting more progression and commission over time. However, since the day I stared I've been overwhelmed. Every day that I'm at work I feel sick and when someone talks to me I just want to cry. I don't enjoy the role. I don't think it's for me in the slightest. It's unethical and generally doesn't fit my personality. I used to love my previous job but I did have reasons for leaving, their staff turnover was ridiculously high and the manager was hard among other things but it did not make me feel like this. Yesterday I got to work and the closer I got the more I started crying until I parked my car and had a panic attack, I called my boss to inform him that I wasn't feeling well and that I'd got to work but need to go home. He said thank you for letting him know and 5 mins later he called me back asking questions about whether I'm enjoying the job, I was so panicky I couldn't breathe and I told him I was finding it extremely hard and felt the pressure since day 1. He said it may not be the career for me and told me to take yesterday and today off to have a think. Yesterday I visited the doctor and was told I had anxiety and given Lorazepam medication but I'm not in a situation I feel is impossible to get out of. I spoke to an ex colleague about my previous work place and she said that they are still looking to fill my position and that she will speak to the new manager tomorrow (there has been a new manager since I left) My options are; 1) call my boss tomorrow and tell him I quit and hope I can get my old job back (I don't think going back is an option as it makes me feel physically sick and he told me I'd need to go back with me 100% effort which I can't do) and risk having no job 2) go back and put myself through hell trying to stop myself crying and having another panic attack 3) request a note from my doctor getting me out of work for 2 weeks due to my anxiety to give me time to think I cannot decide what to do. I know it's hard to get another job when unemployed but I feel I can't go back: when I think about it I go into panic mode. I have until tomorrow to decide and any suggestions would be appreciated. <Q> If i was feeling like that I would quit, without a doubt. <S> You need a change, and TRUST ME, you don't want to underestimate your own mental health. <S> Stress, depression all seems within reach for you, if you are not careful. <S> Every day that I'm at work I feel sick and when someone talks to me <S> I just want to cry <S> I have had my share amount of days like that - my mistake was not quitting in time. <S> Remember to put yourself first - no one else is gonna do that for you. <S> but I have no doubt you need to get out of current position. <S> Maybe go back and rethink what you really want to pursue as a career. <S> Stay positive - everything is gonna be okay. <A> Whatever is your job, if you feel this bad, you're doing the best choice by going elsewhere. <S> Normally the best thing to do is to stay at your job, update your resume and start answering to offers. <S> Once an offer is confirmed via a contract you tell your company you're quitting. <S> But your situation is really different, since your job makes you physically ill. <S> In this case, if you really can't stand your job anymore, you should tell your boss you can't take it anymore and want to quit. <S> If you really can't go, just don't. <S> It's your health, it's more important than your job. <S> If your boss can't understand that, then quitting even before having an offer on the table seems reasonable. <A> As mentioned elsewhere, you're personal health <S> is the top priority even if it means staying unemployed for a while. <S> You couldn't work as 100% of your capacity if you are mentally and physically on the edges of crisis, none of us can and your boss doesn't seems to get it. <S> In that situation, I would take option three and go to the doctor to request a note that would keep me far away from work for a while. <S> I would then use this time to update my resume and start to seek actively for a new job. <S> I don't think that getting back to your previous job will help forgetting the nightmare you're living in you're current one. <S> You need changes, and a new fresh start.
| Again, in another situation I would have told you "talk about it with your boss and try to figure out how to improve your job", but the fact that you told him everything about how you feel and his reaction was "take 2 days off and think about it" makes me think the situation is not going to improve at your current company any time soon. Whatever job you want to pursue is up to you, and your gut -
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How to increase the chance of being hired in a foreign country? I am a 23 years old software engineer from Hong Kong trying to relocate to Berlin/Munich, Germany. I have roughly 3 years of experience in programming and a diploma from a community college. I have a basic understanding of German and planning to study the German language when I am abroad since I hardly get any chance to speak the language when I am in Hong Kong. I have no problem with finding jobs locally and I am currently employed. There are often job referral from different agencies, and sometimes I get 3 - 5 interviews per week when I am actively looking for jobs. On the other hand, I have been searching for job openings in Germany, that I have been trying for around two and a half weeks. The responses were slow and I have never got any chance for an interview. What could be the possible reason for such a difference in my job searching experience? Could it be the cultural difference? Or is it simply too risky to hire a candidate from another country? Should I look for an entry level position to increase my chance? <Q> What could be the possible reason for such a difference in my job searching experience? <S> Germany is simply different. <S> A very good developer may get at best 2-4 interviews per month. <S> I'm actually surprised that you have this many interviews there. <S> You have to be a little patient. <S> is it simply too risky to hire a candidate from another country <S> The math is simple. <S> If I'm a manager in a company, and I can get a person with the same qualifications from the inside, then I will hire him. <S> But generally, many companies don't have a problem even providing a visa if necessary. <S> Should I look for an entry level position to increase my chance? <S> 3 years of experience is almost a beginner's level. <S> Not from zero, but still, I would say it isn't possible to get a senior position. <S> Keep in mind that some businesses have their own learning curve. <S> Also generally don't forget that the more "senior" you are, the less positions will be available for you. <S> Talking about the extreme, a company has 1 CEO, and probably hundreds of engineers. <S> I have a basic understanding of German and planning to study the German language when I am abroad since I hardly get any chance to speak the language when I am in Hong Kong. <S> The German language is a complicated topic in Germany. <S> I, myself, am not originally German, but now German. <S> After deciding to leave academia and start my programming career, I watched 6+ months of netflix in German to improve my listening (given that this is my primary problem in German), and funnily enough I was eventually hired in an international company in Germany that never uses German after just two months of starting my job-hunting! <S> So language doesn't have to always be a factor. <S> Though keep in mind that statistically, it's. <S> Good luck! <A> As a foreigner programmer working in Berlin I would suggest: Work on your linkedin.com and xing.com profiles; start one if you do not have it yet. <S> Linked it actually have some helper to tell you if something is missing there. <S> Link them to stackoverflow, github and whatever "IT" account you use. <S> Write project based CV as a second option to one page standard CV. <S> Set your responsibilities and task in. <S> If you want to work in a startup it is really important since startups are focus more on practical skills. <S> You should search in Berlin. <S> Things happens faster here and not speaking German will not be a problem for a programmer. <S> City is more international and easier for foreigners. <S> Focus on startups not on big companies at the beginning. <S> Big company = more people involved in recruitment process, acceptance of candidates etc. <S> If you brave one. <S> Save enough money for 3 months of living, and just get here. <S> Berlin is not super expensive, If you spend more than 1600EUR per month, it means you do not do what you should while being here. <S> Rent some room and check events on sites like http://www.hackerx.org/ and go to meetups from https://www.meetup.com/ . <A> You should not give up or lost faith in your job search. <S> Finding a job abroad while not being in that country is definitely difficult. <S> You are also not an EU citizen (I assume) and this will lower your chances to be hired, because you will need a work permit. <S> However, Germany is a big economy with a strong need of qualified professionals. <S> You should expect to receive a lot less interviews invitations that you are used to, but you will have your chances. <S> Highlight that you speak basic German, which is very important. <S> It will increase your chances dramatically; once you are there you could look for something different if you want. <S> Visit make it in Germany <S> it is a web site from the German government with plenty of job offers. <S> Finally, be patient, be aware of your weakness (nationality and distance) and of your strengths (experience and ability to speak more languages). <S> Good luck! <A> To answer the title I don't think you can change your chances enough to make a difference. <S> As Patricia Shanahan said in the comments if I offer Visa sponsorship I will most likely filter you out from the start. <S> I will look for someone from a well known School, who already started or knows German. <S> You are asking a company to spend money on visa sponsorship, which is not cheap. <S> On top of that they must be willing to offer German courses. <S> Or is it simply too risky to hire a candidate from another country? <S> The risk you bring with you is quite simply a large investment. <S> Reducing the need to be taught the local language will definitely increase your chances, but that doesn't change the fact that you are more likely to want to return to your home country. <S> What could be the possible reason for such a difference in my job searching experience? <S> And probably the fact you got a diploma that's worth something in your country. <S> In the end the biggest problem you are going to have is competition.
| So applying for entry level will help, but make sure you the position fits you. If you speak better German, more companies (that use German as their primary language) will want to hire you. So, yes, try the entry levels, and mention that you have 3 levels of experience. You may try to first apply to jobs that require English as the main language (multinationals etc) or your mothertongue. Locals are always preferred whether its the preference of their customers or the language barrier.
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University renamed degree after I graduated I received a relatively unorthodox degree from an art school. At the time I attended and graduated (which means that is what my diploma states) the program (and degree) was a Bachelor of Science in Visualizations. This name was consistently confusing to nearly everyone (and still is, to potential employers and anyone else I happen to mention it to). It was so ambiguous and unclear that in fact the program itself struggled to define or explain it. Shortly after I graduated, they renamed the degree (but kept the same curriculum, required courses, etc) to Entrepreneurial Studies. This (in my opinion) is a little clearer in stating what the degree happens to involve. My understanding is that because my diploma has it phrased as "Visualizations" this is what my degree technically is, and how I should represent it. That said, I feel that "Entrepreneurial Studies" is much clearer and better represents my education. Would it be acceptable to list it as such on my resume/CV? (Being now several years into my career, prospective employers are much more interested in my work experience and pretty much don't care about my degree aside from the fact that I have one, so this question is mostly hypothetical. I was discussing college with a friend recently and ended up wondering about this) <Q> It's probably good to have the resume or CV match your paperwork, but that doesn't mean you can't use both titles. <S> On the resume, simply list your degree and the new name in parentheses: Art School Name, Bachelor of Science in Visualizations (Entrepreneurial Studies), year graduated That way, what you have will match any background checks, but you've also given them a degree name that will be useful and less confusing. <A> It's a CV, not a background check. <S> If that's what they're calling it today, I would call it that. <S> If you're still concerned about it not being completely accurate (though I wouldn't), you could put something like "Formerly Visualizations" or similar wording. <S> The most that'll happen likely is they'll ask what that means <S> and then you tell them that they just changed the name of the degree but kept all of the requirements. <S> They'll say "oh" and move on. <A> The function of the resume is to get the interview. <S> A resume should be clear and informative. <S> You can include "(formerly OldName)" on your resume if you want, but definitely include the name that is more meaningful to your audience. <S> When it comes to a formal application , something that they'll use to do a background check and verify your claims, you need to provide the answer that will match what they'll get from your university. <S> However, by that point in time you should have already had at least one conversation with somebody -- <S> so when they bring up the application paperwork and background check, that's your cue to say "by the way, my university renamed this degree since I earned it". <A> My University (here in the UK) did the same thing. <S> Personally, I'd use what's going to cause less confusion. <S> The syllabus and what you learned remains the same. <S> I imagine it was renamed because of the confusion it was causing? <S> Besides, 'Entrepreneurial Studies' rolls off the tongue a bit better and is definitely more of a conversation starter! <S> Sounds awesome. <A> I think I would use whatever the official name is on your documentation and then explain the situation in a cover letter, if you feel it needs to be explained. <S> I would equate it to job titles. <S> In my industry (software) I've never seen two companies with the same structure of job titles. <S> What's a "programmer" one place might be a "senior software engineer" somewhere else and a "software developer 5" at yet another place. <S> Hopefully they will focus on the content of your experience and not the name of the degree. <S> I've never thought about it, but I have the opposite issue. <S> I got a BS in Computer Science in the 1990s. <S> I'm positive if I go back to look at the school's curriculum today, the content of the program would be entirely different, but it is still called BS in Computer Science.
| Use the degree name that will cause the least confusion and that is most likely to help you advance to the interview.
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Former coworker has uploaded proprietary source code to GitHub - what to do? I work as a software engineer. Few years ago I was part of software development team, where I wrote code for a back-office system at a bank. Recently I discovered on GitHub, that one of my coworkers at the time, uploaded parts of code I had written for the bank, and had made some minor changes with indentation (changed spaces to tabs). I was alerted to this by one his current coworkers (at a new place of employment, yet similar problem domain), and mutual acquaintance, who suspected something was up (or not quite right) when he was incapable of properly explaining why he'd written certain pieces of code in a specific way during a code review session. At this point what is it that I should do? I personally do not want to do anything at all as I no longer work at the bank in question and also I don't see any upsides from my point of view. But at the same time I am unsure of my obligations now that I've been informed of the situation and did review the code and concluded its origins. <Q> It's his problem and the bank's problem. <S> The code you wrote belongs to the bank, you have nothing to do with this issue. <S> Forget about it and don't go looking for trouble. <S> DO NOT consult a lawyer. <S> It is not your problem. <A> On the face of it this isn't your problem. <S> Someone you vaguely know told you that someone else you vaguely know might have done something that is at the very least wrong, but possibly illegal. <S> If your neighbor told you that "my former neighbor where I used to live totally [breaks a law] all the time" you wouldn't feel any obligation to phone the police. <S> However, there's an interesting wrinkle here that you are able to confirm that it's your code , and furthermore that you went and did that. <S> This puts you in a position of knowing that something wrong and possibly illegal has happened. <S> I don't know whether that puts a legal imposition on you or not. <S> I would feel like I owed it to my former employer to at least tell them. <S> I wouldn't spend my own money for a lawyer; that's crazy. <S> But I would contact someone at the bank. <S> A quick phone call or email in which you give them the GitHub repo address, and tell them what you have concluded - this is the code you wrote, with tabs changed to spaces. <S> Then wash your hands of it. <S> The person you report it to may followup on it <S> or they may not. <S> The repo may disappear, or it may not. <S> The former coworker, who doesn't seem to be gaining much by claiming to have written this code, since others are seeing through the ruse pretty quickly, may "never work in this town again" or may continue to lie and cheat in order to get hired, for whatever reasons. <S> But you will have done your part. <S> You won't have helped the theft by keeping quiet once you know. <S> And keep a record. <S> Save your email and any you get in reply. <S> Or if you call, write out notes (pen and paper or digital) about who you called, what you told them, what they said. <S> If there is some back and forth in response, update your notes every time you talk to anyone. <S> Put these notes somewhere safe. <S> Should it ever happen that someone else discovers the repo and accuses you of being the leaker, liar, cheater, you will want to be able to show that you reported it when you found out, and be able to tell them who you reported it to. <A> Essentially the banks property aka proprietary code(which in the contract you had signed <S> I assume was given full rights of, to them) was stolen from them by someone unrelated to you and posted on an unrelated to you <S> github account. <S> I really dont see why this should worry you or how it can be incriminating for you. <S> Feel free to inform (in written) <S> the bank's representative of this <S> and let them sort it out however they see fit if this matter troubles you <S> and you think you should do something about it to be 100% covered. <A> You don't have any specific responsibility in this case. <S> However, as this is your code and you're aware of it having been stolen and posted in this way, it does open you up a little to being seen as a participant in it if they do eventually find out and investigate. <S> Let's say your former co-worker brings up your name to throw you under the bus. <S> "Well Magnus gave it to me and said it was fine to reuse/post..." <S> "Github records show you accessed that repo yourself..." <S> It's not so much legal obligation as now being open to someone possibly putting this on you and there not being much proof either way. <S> I would send a note to the bank indicating what you saw <S> (hey it seems like code I wrote for the bank back in the day is now on this public github account) and going on record as having no part in it <S> (I have nothing to do with it and don't know anything about the circumstances, just saw it and wanted to pass it on), just to CYA from any possible entanglements in the future. <S> It does mean they might try to get more info out of you about "is this your code <S> , can you swear to it" etc., but that you can respond to with "hey, it looks like it, but it's been years, you'll have to pursue that yourself." <A> It's his GitHub account, not yours. <S> Culpability points to him.
| Don't do anything.
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Saying "bye" to the boss when leaving office I'm 22 years old and I got my first job a couple months ago, the workplace is very informal, even with bosses, we have coffee breaks together, we discuss and joke about things that come up at the time, but sometimes I find myself in an awkward situation. When we leave the office we usually say "bye" to everybody in the other offices if doors are open. We have 3 offices of 5 people each and one office each for the boss and his brother which is the co-boss. Sometimes it happens that the boss' door is open so I say "bye" without thinking too much and then I see he's on the phone, so I feel a little awkward and walk through. How shall I act? Maybe looking inside first and only say "bye" if he's not on the phone? What shall I do if he's on the phone instead, like some gesture or some sort of smile? <Q> A single word is unlikely to disrupt a phone call, and it's a polite and social thing to do. <S> If in doubt, you could always fall back on voiceless gestures of greeting instead (a.k.a. a quick wave). <A> Observe your seniors, is there a pattern there? <S> You might wish to imitate them. <S> Ask your seniors. <S> Use an informal setting, like a coffee break, to relay them this question. <S> You will get answers tailored to your place rather than a best guess by some random Internet stranger like myself. <S> And you improve your work image by showing that you care about fitting in. <A> You seem to have a more informal relationship developed so in your place I would do the following:Door closed: absolutely no disturbingDoor is open: check inconspicuously if your boss is busy on some paperwork and or computer/on the phone/has clients or other employees with him, in which case you absolutely dont disturb him. <S> If he doesnt seem busy or handling any task at the moment feel free to greet him.
| If it is just a casual 'hi' that doesn't require a response, I wouldn't worry about it.
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How to address your father working at the same place respectfully? I work at a large corporation that my father also happens to be employed at as well. I was not given this job as a form of nepotism, and have since advanced in rank and role above my peers outside of his shadow. We work in the same department of 10k+ employees however in different application teams. Occasionally in my current project, we will have a dependency on my father's team which puts me in the uncomfortable spot of having to work with him alongside my peers for a week or two. I get the impression from most people that they think it is neat when the two of us are working together, but I feel very self conscious about it especially when certain peers are not aware we are family. I wish to work with him with the respect of professionals, without being disrespectful as a son. In email or verbal communication I typically address him by his first and last name but it feels terribly awkward and I am afraid others might see it that way as well. I don't want to refer to him as "my father" because then I feel like that relationship in the forefront of the conversation is a giant distraction from the work that needs to be done. Is there a proper etiquette to professional correspondence where the subject of conversation also happens to be a family member? (Note: This working relationship is not in violation of any nepotism or ethics policies as neither of us directly report to each other.) <Q> If you want to avoid anything appearing inappropriate refer to him that same way that your coworkers do, first name, Mr last name, etc. <S> You are both at work and adults <S> , this isn't Greg Brady deciding he is a grown up and calling his parents Mike and Carol. <A> In any situation like this the correct course of action is to be professional at all times. <S> Do not think of him as your father while at work. <S> I work in a somewhat similar situation myself. <S> My son's mother and her brother both work in the same building as I do. <S> We work in different departments and we don't interact often but when our separate departments have meetings or do work together on a project it is always professional. <S> The only time where I have seen family working together that refer to each other as their family titles (dad, mom, and so on) is in a family owned business that was a casual business to begin with. <A> I'd ask him this question. <S> Seems the most natural approach to me. <S> However, in your case, it is for you and your Dad to decide how to refer to him informally. <S> Formally, he's just another employee.
| He is another coworker and should be treated as such. I've worked in office environments with parent/child colleagues, and face to face, they were always referred to as mum/dad, and informally to colleagues familiar with the relationship as 'my mum' 'my dad', but in more formal correspondence as 'Fred Bloggs/Mrs Smith'.
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Recruiter sends assignment before meeting I'm a young software developer, with two years working experience and seeking (without urge) for a new job. I applied for a job to a company in my area. I was contacted after few hours by a recruiter, asking me to complete a code assignment. The assignment is not completely clear in its description, so it could be a 5-minutes task or a more involved little project in case they want a GUI to be developed, but this is just to give some more context, not my real question. My question is: Is it common for an applicant to have to solve assignments (thus devoting his time for this task) before having the opportunity to meet in person or just over phone with a member of the company? It looks to me like a way to apply a first filter on the applicants without taking company time to do a meeting. Of course I'm willing to spend my time to go through the recruitment process, but I would like to get to know the company more than what I can do through its web page, before. <Q> Yes, it's very normal. <S> In Canada, anyway <S> , and I would assume in the US as well. <S> In my personal experience, I've usually received a "phone interview" where someone calls and asks me a series of questions about the technology they use, prior to being invited for a proper interview. <S> I have on occasion received an email with a little test assignment, instead. <S> This sort of "pre-screening" is intended for exactly the purpose you surmise - to save the time of the interviewers by filtering out people who clearly don't know what they're doing. <S> Don't forget, the people who conduct the interviews (usually) have their own jobs to do as well, and interviewing is just another thing on their plate. <S> Complete the assignment. <S> Be as thorough and professional as you can be. <S> Even if you have to spend an hour on it, that's nothing compared to the amount of time you're already spending in general on the job hunt, right? <S> Don't be shy about using the internet to find answers to stuff if you're not clear, but also don't blatantly copy code from online sources. <S> The interviewers have access to Google, too, and if they can see that your entire answer was just cut + paste from a question on Stack Exchange, they might not look so well on it. <A> Is it common for an applicant to have to solve assignments (thus devoting his time for this task) before having the opportunity to meet in person or just over phone with a member of the company? <S> In my experience, it would be unusual to be asked to solve an assignment without first having any knowledge of the company at all. <S> Of course I'm willing to spend my time to go through the recruitment process, but I would like to get to know the company more than what I can do through its web page, before. <S> If you think the recruiter's requirements are excessive, just say "No". <S> The recruiter may then give you the information you need, or may just move on to a different candidate. <S> Either way, your time won't have been wasted. <A> Assuming the task doesn't cross the line into "free work" territory <S> then this sounds pretty normal to me - I've experienced this frequently when I've been the candidate <S> and I've applied the same strategy on several occasions when I've been the one recruiting. <S> By establishing a candidate's technical bonafides (even in a cursory) before you get them in for an interview helps avoid the annoying situation where only discover at interview that they are far below the standard/skillset you require which wastes not only the interviewer's time but yours as well. <S> It also gives you an early indicator of how serious the candidate is about coming to work for the organisation, if they won't spend an hour or so doing a technical exercise then they probably aren't that motivated and assuming they aren't badly written the job description/advert and the company's website <S> should be enough to motivate the candidate to do a short exercise, otherwise I'd potentially question whether their motivations for applying weren't rooted in them wanting the job (e.g. interview practice, avoiding unemployment benefit sanctions etc). <S> FWIW <S> I fully understand that these sorts of practices happen, and generally for good reasons <S> but (and I can only speak for myself here) if a candidate is applying to me for a job I'd expect them to at least act as if they want the job!
| Tell the recruiter you would like to get to know more about the company before you commit your time on this assignment.
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How can I deal with not being "allowed" to finish projects by management? I work in a the Marketing Department in a role that essentially bridges the gap between IT and Marketing, if there is anything technical, it basically falls to me to be the one to implement it, this includes reporting, marketing automation, other day to day tasks and bigger projects. When I first started in the role, I was given a fair amount of autonomy, which I was able to turn into strong self development and also a promotion. The problem I am having is in relation to the bigger projects, and the fact that I get about 90% complete with a project, and the spec "slightly" changes, in the eyes of the manager(who is not technically minded, as he works in marketing), but it actually means that it's at least an extra afternoon's work, if not a couple of days, bringing my overall completion of the project back down to 40-70%, which I find very demoralising, and I find it hard to remain motivated on the project as this can sometimes be a never ending cycle(turning a 3 day project into a 3 week ordeal is not uncommon), I also personally feel like I am not performing. I have spoken to my manager about this, and he seems to think I am performing excellently, but personally, I am finding it very unfulfilling. In addition to this "rework" cycle, he also gives me "pointless" projects with no business value, which can take a day or more to complete, either due to the fact they are rather complex when it comes down to implementation, or the fact that the spec changes after completion that I am forced to redo the work. I would not mind this, if I actually received credit for the work, but on the emails, the word "I" is used in place of "my name" or even "we", leading me to worry how I am perceived throughout the business, not just by my manager Overall, I feel like I am being poorly managed, but I know I am probably going to have to "manage the manager". My question is really two parts, is any of the above normal, and if so, how can I deal with it <Q> Maybe you are too fixated on metrics like 90% or 40-70% and the idea that your performance could be estimated by these metrics. <S> Many projects out there are running this way, with an abundance of "minor" changes that keep the work going on all the time without seemingly ever being finished. <S> This is especially the case if the project is heavily based on user experience and feedback. <S> That does not mean that you do a bad job just because you never get to 100%. <S> In such a project, an overall progression percentage simply does not make sense. <S> Take the specs at a certain point in time, implement these, and call it version 1.0. <S> Then, when additional spec changes occur, change the spec version and the implementation to version 1.1. <S> This has the advantage that you can document what was necessary to fulfill the "slight changes" (to prove that you are not underperforming), and you also retain the feeling that you have a continuous improvement instead of a slowly growing, never ending story, because you can define the 100% for each version cycle separately. <S> But, as you said, your manager thinks that you are doing fine. <S> And what you describe seems to be a quite common behavior of a project. <S> So there is no need to worry. <S> You are not underperforming, you are just using inept metrics to measure your performance. <A> Regarding Spec changes, these things happen. <S> He's paying the wages so you'll just have to get used to doing what he says - <S> the important thing from your point of view is that he (and maybe anyone else concerned) knows that the changes mean that it will take longer to complete. <S> If it is the case that the completion of the project by a certain time is important, you could always suggest that you complete it per current spec, release, and then the changes he wants go into a "Version 1.01" or something like that. <S> If there is no deadline (or it's a very long way away), I don't really see the problem. <S> In the second point, you could always (nicely) question the business value of a project you think is pointless - it may seem pointless to you <S> but he could have other things in mind. <S> Mention how long you think it will take (he might be of the impression <S> it's just a quick job), and if you can, suggest something more valuable that you could be doing. <S> But don't push too hard - depending on his personality he mightn't take kindly to it, and <S> the final decision is his after all. <A> It seems your 3-day projects turning into 3-week ordeals could be viewed as a form of 'agile development' with numerous short feedback loops. <S> Perhaps it seems chaotic, but if it delivers value it is merely a well-functioning light-weight process. <S> Have a talk with your manager about the working process, stating that you are unsure of whether he and the organization are satisfied. <S> There is a good chance that he views you as flexible and delivering value; two things that usually resonate in an organization. <A> Well you did say it yourself in the eyes of the manager(who is not technically minded, as he works in marketing), but it actually means that it's at least an extra afternoon's work, if not a couple of days, If you haven't done so, explain to them in a polite but convincing matter that even small changes in the functionality of a project can mean a big core functionality change that often takes long to re-do, suggest you need to spend more time planning out carefully each project in order to maximize your team's efficiency. <S> Now as for the "pointless" projects, with all due respect but Your manager obviously doesn't think they are trivial otherwise he wouldn't waste company's resources on them. <S> Just make sure thoseare the exception and not the rule, otherwise it can become unbearablerather than a nuisance like you describe it now. <S> Lastly, about receiving credit when it is due, you said it yourself <S> you are the only guy capable of doing what you do bridging the 2 departments, you get credit de facto for those since you are the only one possible to have done those marketing/tech projects to begin with. <A> A living application may never be 100% complete. <S> The more people use it, the more new features they may want. <S> While it's nice to be able to say 'finally, project complete', in reality, most of my applications get to 'good enough' and <S> I'm seldom given enough time to refactor and polish it to perfection. <S> I've found the trick is to not get too attached to my code - only be as attached as needed to get what the boss needs done. <S> If the boss has me digging holes and filling them in again, then that's fine as long as I'm being paid for it.
| What might help you (and what might be missing, given the described attitude of your manager) is a clear version management. You need to suck it up regardless since all of us are every now andthen called to handle some tasks that we are not particularlyinterested in but we have to as part of our job.
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Resigned from organisation. Don't want to work during the notice period. Is this ethical? I have resigned from an organisation, and am currently in the notice period. I don't have any interest in working during the notice period. Is this ethical? I have already quit the job and have to stay here 1 more month, so is it ok to be lazy? Anyway I'm leaving, and certainly have no interest in working.Also this is an organisation that I didn't like working for, from the start, just wanted to get out somehow from the beginning. <Q> No <S> It's not ethical. <S> You were acting of your own free will when you signed the contract that now makes you stay another month. <S> It's not a hardship or their doing. <S> You did that. <S> In addition, you still get paid. <S> You'd be the first to complain if the company would take the same stance ("he's leaving anyway, <S> why hold up our side of the contract"). <S> The ethical way would be to talk to your company . <S> Notice periods are contractual. <S> Any contract can be changed if both parties consent. <S> If your company allows it, you could have a shorter notice period or none at all. <S> Long story short: keep your promises. <S> Especially those you gave in writing. <S> Breaking them because you don't felt like keeping them in the first place is not ethical at all. <A> While I fully understand where the lack of motivation comes from I have to say that indulging it to the point where you're not working is unethical. <S> If you were asking about refusing to do overtime (paid or unpaid) then that would be different, I don't think many people would expect an employee working out their notice to be going an extra inch, let alone an extra mile, but your question reads as referring to your normal duties. <S> You know, that thing that they pay you for . <S> Imagine the flip side of this question (from the employer's perspective): <S> An employee has resigned from the organisation, and is currently in the notice period. <S> I don't have any interest in paying them during the notice period. <S> Is this ethical? <S> They have already quit the job and have to stay here 1 more month, so is it ok not to pay them? <S> Anyway they're leaving, and I certainly have no interest in paying them. <S> Also this is an employee that I didn't like working for us, from the start, just wanted to get rid somehow from the beginning. <S> See what I mean? <S> From a pragmatic point of view you have to consider that how you behave during your notice period may still affect your references and depending on your location and industry potentially your professional reputation as well. <S> Is it really worth risking compromising any of that for sake of one month more of working there and being professional? <S> Remember that unless you have a lot of handover to do or projects that you are expected to complete in that time your workload will naturally tail off towards the end of that month anyway. <A> The problem this will bring is burning bridges. <S> More than likely you will get another job (I hope) and will need references. <S> What happens when they ask for a reference from you last company? <S> It is the same for being lazy, when future companies ask for references, the last month of your laziness will stick in your previous employers mind. <S> It is not worth it. <S> Best advice is to stick it out for the last month, keep your head up and knuckle down. <S> A month will fly by and you will not jeopardise any future endeavours. <A> Not only non-ethical but also illegal. <S> You are still oblidged to fulfill your contract. <S> The company has full rights to expect from you engagement and performance. <S> Reluctance to perform your tasks gives your organization the rights to terminate your contract because of negligence. <S> Being fired is a red light in your career, it also means, you have no right for positive certificate (Arbeitszeugnis). <S> P.S. <S> because you haven't given your location, I assume it's Germany, but most aspects should be similar in other countries. <A> Ethical, no, but it may be practical and pragmatic. <S> If you knowingly agreed to a notice period, then it's unethical to just discard it for your own purposes. <S> However, this is actually done fairly often. <S> It's not a huge deal usually and many businesses will march an employee off the premises as soon as they quit or are fired without having an amicable notice period. <S> Serving a notice period can be beneficial, but usually only if it's an agreeable situation. <S> I've left more than one job with zero notice and waving a finger at all and sundry, never lost any sleep over it. <A> The 'ethical' part has been answered in other answers, but I think what you're really asking is 'help me get out of here with the least amount of trouble/pain/hardship/time wastage/...'. <S> I suggest you ask them if they're willing to accept a month's salary as compensation for leaving early. <S> This is sometimes preferred if you have another company willing to accept you during that period, and it is better for you to work for them instead. <A> It's absolutely not ethical, and you should finish up your work while you are still employed, which will likely include some training for your replacement (possibly) and filling people in on what you do so that there isn't a gap in your work when you leave - the benefit to you for this is continuing to get paid, and keeping a good rapport with the company for future career opportunities.
| However...you should have some vacation time saved up from your time working for the company - so with permission from your manager, you could 'leave' early - just make sure you run this by your manager first, for the above reasons, and because doing otherwise would definitely be unethical. There is a difference between formal ethics and personal ethics, while it is ok for some to overstep the first, if you overstep the second it's a downward spiral. My advice is to focus on your future not the company which you are leaving and do what is best for yourself.
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What are the risks of staying in company with very bad PR? I work at one of local branches of large (over 2000 employees, branches in all major cities in country) IT company in East-central Europe. Branches are autonomous to certain degree, but all maintain one brand. Marketing, public relations, employer branding etc. is managed centrally from headquarters. Recently, the PR of company went downhill. At beginning of the year, they had a controversial post on social media that was met with overall criticism and accusations of sexism. They handled situation very poorly, denying there is any problem at all and not acting on employees publicly insulting women who commented on the post. Eventually, they scraped further posts in the series, which I understand as silent agreement with critics. Fast forward to present day, many people are leaving the branch where I work. Another team in my area of expertise lost half of members in just three months. Rumor over the city is that my employer does not even try to stop people from leaving, that payment is low and that working conditions are poor. Part of that rumor is factually correct, part is bad mouthing. Now, I usually try to do my own thing and distance myself from social pressure. However, I am worried that staying with that company for much longer might hurt my future career; that prospective employers will project their bad opinion about this company on me personally. Are these worries well founded? What are the risks of staying with company that has very bad PR, if any? <Q> Yes, there are risks. <S> But the bigger potential problem does not come from people projecting their opinion about the company on you when you're looking for a new job, since you seem to be quite far removed from the cause of the bad PR. <S> The bigger potential problem comes from these factors: Given the large number of people choosing to leave within a short period of time <S> , it's likely that at least some of the company's best people are among those leaving . <S> This is because the most capable people are usually the ones with highest chance of finding new job quickly. <S> Some of those who haven't left may also want to leave, just haven't found a new job yet. <S> If your workplace becomes an unpopular choice for job seekers due to combination of actual downsides, rumors, and recent PR disaster, the best candidates are less likely to seek employment there . <S> Combined with #1, this means the overall quality of personnel will gradually decrease, resulting in more problems in the workplace (e.g. low-quality work, management incompetence) <S> Due to above factors, at some point management may decide to either start canceling various plans, or try to execute plans without sufficient number of people with needed capability. <S> The first can lead to layoffs, the second to more workplace annoyances. <A> Well, the truth is people view things the way they view things. <S> So will it affect things? <S> Probably, even if it shouldn't. <S> If you want to and have the chance to swap to somewhere else then do that, but if you want to stay then I would look at putting "how you are improving the company" into your resume and interviewing so that they will see "some people there screwed up, but you stayed to help clean up". <S> This will hopefully combat any "bad vibes" they feel at seeing your resume reference to the company in question. <S> Totally up to you on which way you want your career to go, but I think there are still options in either path. <A> Bad PR has a decent chance of leading to an apology or just blowing over and being forgotten. <S> Many companies have gone through some PR which seemed really bad at the time but which most people probably wouldn't even remember a few months later. <S> It probably also seems a lot worse from the inside of the company. <S> How many PR stories can you remember (in detail) for any company from more than 6 months ago? <S> There's a lot of news, people forget quickly. <S> No-one wants to end up in a PR nightmare, but it does happen, so I wouldn't be keen to hire someone who will overreact to it. <S> So, at the very least, you may want to consider avoiding using bad PR as a reason for leaving. <S> Leaving would also mean you have to go through a job search at the peak of the bad PR, when it's still fresh in everyone's mind. <S> While you can condemn it, there will still be that association in the interviewers mind, and it's probably not going to be a positive one. <S> If, (partly or fully) due to bad PR, the company's stock prices are plummeting to a point where liquidation is a reasonable option, it's a different story - <S> that's not leaving due to bad PR, but rather job security. <S> If there has been enough severe incidents or the incidents came directly from upper management (not handling something poorly, but being the cause of it), that would also be a more justifiable reason for leaving.
| Depending on the severity of the bad PR, I might consider it a bad sign if a prospective employee were to want to jump ship right away over it.
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Is there something during the work day that I can do to increase productivity after work? I often find myself exhausted after work hours (8 hours of work plus commuting [and meal] times). When I get home, I am unable to be productive on my personal projects, even if I have the motivation to do so. Is there something during the work day that I can do to increase off-work productivity? <Q> So I have experienced the same. <S> The way I look at it, it's hard to do something for 8 hours, and then continue doing the same (developing software) when you get home. <S> Once your hobby becomes your work, it hurts your hobby. <S> What you are asking is how can you increase your productivity once you get home from a long day at work, and the answer is actually quite dull, but it helped me and should definitely also help everyone else. <S> When you get home, then don't start on your personal project right away. <S> You want to do something else for at least 20-30 minutes. <S> I really recommend using this time for exercising, and maybe some daily tasks – don't turn on the TV. <S> Furthermore, start eating healthy and stay away from sugar specifically. <S> Another trap you shouldn't fall into is the whole idea of caffeine helping you. <S> It won't, especially not in the long run. <S> Drinking a lot of caffeine can actually have a negative effect on your energy level, and you start to depend on <S> small sugar/caffeine rushes to be productive. <S> One cup of coffee doesn't hurt, but be aware of your intake. <S> Doing these things will optimize your energy level during the day, and also give you better mental and physical health. <S> If you are already doing this, then try to look into stuff like your sleep schedule your mental motivation towards the project <S> distractions at home <S> I can say from personal experience that this will have a greater effect than one might think. <A> Apart from the sleep schedule regulations that has been already mentioned, here are a few things that I do at work and at home to have a bit more energy for my off-work related activities: <S> Meditate at least 15 minutes every day. <S> This helps me to calm my mind and take away the work related stress. <S> Take a stroll to divert your mind (sometimes during office hours, I take a walk to get away from the problems and find better solutions, works with life as well). <S> Drink lots of water at work. <S> Water keeps the most common headaches caused due to dehydration away. <S> Personally, these are the things that have worked for me (things which I've consciously put efforts into). <A> no matter what. <S> Getting enough rest as well as having your circadian rhythm be stablewill make you feel very energized and in sync when your body adaptsto it in case your current sleeping patterns are random. <S> Use some nootropics for the days you really dont feel like you canpull through, I suggest <S> this as you can regulate exactly theamount of caffeine <S> intake(unlike coffees) as well as ingredients that enhance your reaction to it. <S> Leave enough time for relaxation outside your work hours. <S> I know itsvery tempting to try to solely work as much as possible when you renot sleeping but its a trap and <S> you can easily get to a point youfeel burned out and keep pushing yourself for diminishing returns. <A> I struggled with a similar problem to yours, so I'll share my experience on how I was able to overcome it. <S> More time spent in front of the computer DOES NOT EQUAL more work being achieved. <S> This is not technically "during the work day," but I think it's worth mentioning here. <S> After getting home from work, I used to think "Ok, it's 6:00PM now, and I want to sleep around midnight. <S> That gives me 6 hours to complete work on a personal project. <S> I can do anything!" <S> This of course didn't work, because like you, I would be tired from the 8-hour work day. <S> Sure, the amount of time spent was less, but I got more work done. <S> When you're working during the day, be a conscious learner <S> It might be tempting to think that the programming you do during the day is separate from the stuff you do at home. <S> But at work, you write code, you debug it <S> , you break down real-world problems into smaller, more composable parts and build them into a larger more cohesive solution, among many other things. <S> These are skills that prove to be very useful when you work on your personal projects. <S> Sleep <S> Again, this is not technically "during the work day," and @Leon mentioned it in their answer, but it can't be stressed enough . <S> When you come to the end of the day, don't try to squeeze in an extra hour or two of work, at the expense of your sleep. <S> You'll be stuck in a viscious cycle of fatigue, and you will be tired at your job as well, not just when developing once you get home. <S> Drop everything an hour or so before going to bed and read, cook, prepare for the next day, anything. <S> Read this article Note <S> There are many points that could be added here, such as diet and exercise (yes, really!), distractions in your personal life and so on, but these are farther removed from "during the work day", so I'll leave those out for this question.
| I started doing some sports to remove myself from programming for a few hours after work, and then when I got back home, I felt much more refreshed and energized when I sat in front of the computer. Good nutrition and exercise are really the key. Couple things to consider: Have a stable sleeping schedule and stick to it Don't make "Crunch mode" a regular thing
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Should I ask for travel expenses for an interview after not being offered a job? I'm a contracting software tester, and looking to return to permanent work. During a 12 week period of unemployment, a London-based Financial Technology start-up found my CV and invited me for an interview. The role was to replace the Lead Tester there, as they were moving abroad. I completed a one-hour phone interview, a one-hour technical test before attending a two-stage face-to-face interview (lasting six hours) and met six people from different areas of the business, including the Senior Developers, Technical Leads and a Co-founder. Everything was going really well, they found me "really easy to get on with and very personable, and thought that I would do a good job as part of a broader team. Further, my broader ‘BA-type’ skills would definitely be an asset." So, not including the four hours travelling, I'd spent eight hours being interviewed and approximately £70 on train fares. In the end, the Lead Tester decided to stay, the position closed and was taken off the market. I really wanted the job so took the time, money and effort as part of the process. But, as the role was closed and not awarded to anyone, should I ask for some sort of compensation? Is it OK to ask about travel allowances after attending an interview? <Q> Some organisations offer to cover the travel expenses. <S> With others, you can always clarify before you travel (in which case, they may or may not opt to cover your travel). <S> Also, please note that this is no way different than the job being offered to a different person (in case the original lead had not stayed back). <S> Hence, the job being taken off the market has no significance. <A> Its perfectly understandable to be in an economic position that every pound matters. <S> In which case you should clarify up-front with the company's HR their policy on expenses made on the basis of the interview process(since <S> they knew you were not local). <S> Its a whole different thing however to ask for compensation after the process concluded and after those expenses were already made. <A> In this day and age, remote interviews should always be possible ESPECIALLY for a contract gig. <S> If a company INSISTS on a face-to-face then in my book they automatically assume the costs associated. <S> This is called taking responsibility for ones' own practices. <S> What would it be like to actually work at such a firm, if they are treating you like this at interview? <S> IMHO, Downloading the costs of THEIR 1980s interview process onto a contractor is a red flag.
| Unless the organisation explicitly mentions this, it would not be a good idea to ask for a reimbursement (they may not even get back to you on this if you ask).
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Technical Question in interview - not knowing vs not understanding I had an interview where they asked me how I would “find the intersect between two tables”. I told them I would have to look it up, but after the interview I realized I may have misunderstood the question. If two tables have different schemas this doesn’t make sense. Note, the context has nothing to do with GIS. When asked if you know something technical, how do you know if you don’t understand the question versus you don’t know the answer? What should be done if the interviewer asks a technical question that doesn’t make sense? UPDATE: well either way I passed the interview to the next level ! :D <Q> When asked if you know something technical, how do you know if you don’t understand the question versus you don’t know the answer? <S> What should be done if the interviewer asks a technical question that doesn’t make sense? <S> If you still aren't sure, ask for clarification. <A> There's no reason you can't ask for clarification. <S> It seems like this may even be why they ask. <S> In interviews they are attempting to understand who you are and how you work. <S> If they give you a question that doesn't have much explanation, it could be a test to see if you'll ask for more information. <S> As an employee, it's extremely important that you take a little time to understand the project rather than making assumptions and going in half-informed... and then find out a week later that all of your assumptions are wrong. <S> So... ASK ! <S> Even if they're not testing you on this, there's nothing wrong with asking for clarification. <A> That's part of the test. <S> Part of the question (from the interviewer's point of view) is to determine whether or not you understand some particular technical question and answer. <S> A bigger part is to test your ability to communicate - to ask the right questions when you do not understand. <S> If you had the job & your manager gave you instructions that were not clear to you, what would you do?
| In an interview, whenever you are asked a question that you aren't sure you fully understand, take a moment to think it over.
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How should I answer to coworkers' repeated questions about salary? I face a quite uncomfortable situation in my company. Several weeks ago, I was tasked to work with a new coworker. She has been in the same company for a longer time than I, but was assigned to another service, and thus I only met her recently. During lunches, and breaks, she started talking seamlessly about our different salaries (me and some other coworkers). She, and some others talked quite a lot about it since then, in a way that I feel a bit uneasy with. Indeed, they are quite often ranting about it. Even though it sounds like jokes at first, it isn't. As of now, I didn't give up and tried to avoid the subject every time. Mostly because I don't want to hear more often bad puns like "Eyh you earn more, you'll pay the bill at the restaurant huh ?". Saying this once a week would be acceptable. The same "joke" three times a lunch sounds like they do not tell it as a joke, and would really want me to do it. That's really unpleasant, hearing people complaining like that during each break. And I'm sure that giving up and telling them right out of the bat my own salary wouldn't make it easier. I often read that salary is quite a taboo... at first it was not for me, but since some of my coworkers are almost verbally-violent when talking about it, I definitely don't want to talk about this with them. So, should I avoid the subject and how could I do that ? Or should I give up, tell them in order to make them rant less ? Even though I doubt it would change anything : should I earn less than them they would probably harass me with statements like "Oooooh you should really asks for more", should I earn more... well it could bring jealousy in already unpleasant talks. <Q> From my own experience, most people I know never disclose their salary because it can create some awkward situations. <S> Why are you earning more? <S> Should I use you as the benchmark when we demand a raise later? <S> What have you done to deserve more that I haven't? <S> One of my co-workers once let slip his salary and it caused an uproar among those slightly above us in the corporate ladder, as it turned out my co-worker (and by implication, I too) was being paid more. <S> Though they should have known this could happen, management was not happy. <S> It might depend on the country, but any courteous co-worker should simply stop asking when you state ' <S> I don't talk salaries'. <S> Here in the UK, many treat it as a personal subject that only HR and their manager should know. <S> If they persist during lunch breaks, they don't seem like a nice crowd to hang out with. <S> Leave them to their moaning. <S> If they are harassing you during work times, have a word with your manager. <S> The fact that your colleagues are talking like this suggests they are simply unpleasant people, or there is an underlying concern that some of them are underpaid. <S> In either case, it sounds like their problem and should not be making you feel bad for whatever your salary is. <A> There are 3 options: Tell them to either get over it or do something about it. <S> What's stopping them from asking for more money? <S> Stop talking to them outside of working together. <S> They seem petty. <S> If this is questioned, explain why. <S> Do not do #3 <A> That person is seeking either information for gossip, or to soothe her own ego to make sure you (the newbie) aren't making what she's making. <S> So just to get her to shut up, have a little fun. <S> Give her some extremely low number, or some extremely high number. <S> As long as you don't divulge your actual salary, watching whatever happens might be quite fun. <S> See, neither of you is obligated to tell your own true salary - she could be throwing a number your way just to get a rise out of you! <S> People do that! <S> Or tell her that you get paid with bags of chocolate, or peanuts, or potato chips, or something grossly silly. <S> You can even change the story each time if you like. <S> Make it enjoyable for yourself. <S> She may get tired of your wild story and drop the subject. <S> Lastly, there's always the direct refusal approach, as others have mentioned. <S> Not as much fun, but it's effective too. <A> This conversation simply has no where to go that ends well for you or them. <S> If they will not leave the topic alone, tell them they will leave you no choice but to report the behavior to their Manager. <S> This is a topic that can and usually will burn you and the co-worker from multiple perspectives. <S> DO NOT DISCUSS SALARY with co-workers..... <S> EVER. <S> This topic falls into one of three cautionary topics between friends or co-workers ( Money, politics, and religion ) <S> UPDATE: <S> Take a look at this excellent article for multiple reasons that you should not share salary information. <S> Dangers of sharing salary info
| I would suggest telling your co-worker that you simply will not discuss this topic. Simply ask them to stop asking you and if they continue, you might be best finding somewhere else to sit at lunch. Point out that if they put as much effort into their job as they do in harrassing you, they might be on a higher salary.
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Good reputation not enough to overcome being smaller than a competitor? I own a small software development business. We tend to lose bids to a much larger (big name) businesses. The pattern goes, big-name gets paid millions of dollars, screws up royally and leaves. Then I get called in via a side channel to clean up the mess, usually a complete rewrite, at a tiny fraction of the original budget. Yet after we deliver, the other business's failure is never acknowledged, and the cycle repeats itself in another year or two when another large project comes up. This has happened to me twice so far, and I've seen it happen to others, too. Could someone please explain this behavior to me, because I don't understand. <Q> Could someone please explain this behavior to me, because I don't understand. <S> There even is a saying for this: Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM <S> What does it mean? <S> Choosing IBM (or SAP or Oracle or $BigEnterpriseySolution ) is a non-risk move for a manager. <S> Nobody will criticize you for it. <S> If IBM screws up, that's not the managers fault. <S> Everybody knows that IBM is safe . <S> Now if that manager hires you , a guy nobody heard of, it actually is his risk. <S> If you screw up, that is the managers fault for picking you (over for example IBM) and will get him fired. <S> So as a manager that wants to play it safe and is not burning his personal, but rather the companies money... guess what they do? <A> Marketing matters. <S> Perceptions are what all contract decisions are based on. <S> They go with known entities because it is a risk to go with some company you never heard of. <S> Since you don't know much about marketing, hire a consultant. <S> It will likely be some of the best money your company ever spends. <A> PERCEPTION IS REALITY From what you describe, your company is perceived by the client to be the "repair shop" as opposed to the manufacturer, so to speak. <S> Now, this could be EXTREMELY lucrative for you. <S> Car companies have fallen on hard times and even gone out of business, but the local repair shop is always busy. <S> If you want to remain the local repair man, then encourage this perception. <S> If you want to break out of it, you need to change the perception to your client. <S> If you want the latter, go with HLGEM's recommendation for marketing. <A> I can virtually guarantee that "Big Engineering Company" (does it start with a W and end with an O?) has cultivated relationships with your customer's senior management. <S> The big boys spend A LOT of money developing those relationships to achieve EXACTLY what you have described. <S> The big companies do not view quality the way you view it. <S> To them, quality is simply a metric, an expense to be minimized. <S> They are seeking to understand the absolute minimum quality standard that Customer will accept and they will shoot for that standard every time. <S> Their only objective is to win the next job and book the revenue... <S> that's it. <S> Their sales teams are motivated by commissions and quarterly goals. <S> You have a vested interest in the success of each and every project. <S> You are a small competitor that probably does good work with prices to match. <S> You probably have no relationship, or maybe a very superficial relationship, with senior business unit leaders. <S> Who do you think will win big jobs, the supplier that invites Customer's senior managers to "Ultra Super Extreme Executive Management Celebration Galas at Fancy Hotels in Distant Cities" or a small SW vendor that does good cleanup work? <S> You have a marketing and networking problem. <S> I recommend connecting with your customer's procurement division and work through them to meet business unit stakeholders. <S> If they're incompetent procurement people they'll just hand you the names of key decision makers! <S> Context: I outsource services and negotiate commercial terms for a living. <S> I handled global SW/HW engineering services for a number of years and dealt with MNCs and small local suppliers. <S> It is possible to beat the big boys. <A> A simple fact: People value things according to how much they cost them. <S> You worked for cheap, so they don't value you. <S> The next time you fix someone else's mess just charge them more. <S> If they say it's not in their budget, then you just say that's how much it costs. <S> You will be respected a lot more.
| How people perceive your company is more important that what you did because potential customers don't know what you can do if you don't market . So take the time and spend the money to get known for what you do.
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Should I keep records of job applications as a unemployed? From the heart of the endlessly unemployed: Are there any benefits to keeping any records of job applications? Not the application form or what information you put on the application, but the just the record (email/print out) that you've applied for this position at that company. The only exception, that I can think of, is if you've not heard back from company X after Y weeks and it may serve as a reminder to contact said company.Otherwise it's albatross, is it not? <Q> There are numerous benefits <S> If there are any queries from government agencies about your job hunting activities, you have the evidence easily accessible <S> You won't put in duplicate applications <S> You are creating a database of contacts if you include contacts and numbers <S> You can forward this list to any of your personal connections to see if anyone knows anyone at these companies <S> It shows the effort you've put in, and every "no" get you closer to that <S> YES! <S> (This is a mindset in sales. <S> your average salesman makes two to five sales for every 100 times he tries. <S> The mindset is that every "NO" gets you closer to that "yes" that you need) <S> the list can help you analyze how you are doing and if you are going about something wrong, and gives you something concrete to talk with someone else about if you need serious career advice. <S> If you've applied to hundreds of jobs in the last few months and haven't even gotten a single callback, the records can help you figure out what's wrong. <S> (per @BrianHall) <S> You can also make sure that agencies don't crash your resume into the same job. <S> If an employer gets a candidate from two different recruiters, the resume goes in the trash. <S> Agencies charge fees, if an employer hires someone submitted by two agencies, they are at risk of fighting an expensive legal battle. <S> To avoid this, they will simply throw out your application. <S> Protect yourself with your list. <S> You can explicitly tell agencies to <S> NOT submit you for job orders. <S> "I applied for a senior widget cleaner at 'Widgets are us', please do not submit me for that job . <A> In addition to the things Richard mentioned, if you are doing a lot of applications, it's handy to know where you sent what, when, so that when companies get back to you, you can easily pull up the info, and know what position they're referring to, etc. <S> As some companies' hiring timelines can be rather long from initial ad to interview contact, if you're sending out many cvs/resumes/applications, some will slip your mind as time goes on. <S> Keeping track of what, where, why, to whom, and when can help refresh your memory. <S> As a long-time job seeker who finally gave up and started her own company, I would somewhat disagree with #7 in Richard's list (as a personal aside, this only applies to me). <S> Looking over my records got a bit depressing in the end, so I quit unless I received a response. <S> There's only so many 'Nos' one can look at and still draw motivation from. <S> But, YMMV of course, so if it works for you, great. <S> I guess one could say that the 'Nos' motivated me to strike out on my own, so they were helpful enough in their own way. <S> Not optimal, but whatever works, I guess. :D <A> Absolutely. <S> That way, if someone calls you up and is referencing an application they're reading, you can be looking at the same document from your side. <S> You could scan stuff like that and keep it someplace easy to reach.
| If you go for a different position with the same company, you may be able to use contacts you made the last time If you are using recruiters, they may ask you where you've applied so they don't replicate your efforts You can use the list for motivation.
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Should I put weed related job on my resume? I'm a developer, and I have an app, but its main focus is weed. Marijuana is illegal in my state (NY, U.S.) The app does nothing illegal, it's closer to a database app, but the database centers around marijuana. Is there any problem putting something like this on my resume or in my portfolio? If the work is good, will the content have a negative effect on employers? Can employers reject me from a job based on a project like this? <Q> Let's cut to the chase <S> Can employers reject me from a job based on a project like this? <S> Yes they can. <S> Providing database services for marijuana users is not a protected category, and if employers want to reject you based on that information then can without legal problems. <S> Whether they will or not is something we can't answer. <S> Some fraction of them might reject you just on the association. <S> Some will suspect that you are an illegal marijuana user, or an addict. <S> Recruiters are generally conservative, in that the problems caused by having an employee who turns out to be a 'pothead' and who gets himself arrested are likely more significant than the benefits of any particular employee. <S> Against that there may be some that see your app and/or marijuana use in a positive light. <S> It's really your judgement as to whether the former are likely to outnumber the latter in places you will be applying to. <S> In a country with the largest number of people incarcerated for drug offences in the world my bet would be that they do. <S> Of course you may decide that the sort of people who would object to your work are not the ones you want to work for. <S> That is entirely up to you. <A> Consider what this app says about you. <S> Good: <S> Can develop apps <S> Has database skills Can ship a software product <S> Bad: Is very likely a recreational drug user, so might come to work stoned <S> If not a recreational drug user, at least very openly pro-legalization, which might not fit into our company culture Might be involved in illegal activity and get arrested the moment we need them most Might turn into a PR nightmare when in a public-facing role Note that all of the negative points can be avoided by simply reskinning your app to be a database about something else. <S> So release it under a pseudonym and follow rules 1 and 2 of the fight club while not acting under that pseudonym. <A> But I think you should look at it like this. <S> You've made an app for a specific market - regardless of your own opinion of the subject. <S> That market is illegal, but are moving towards being legal. <S> Marijuana is a sensible topic since some people have a very colored view on people who consume/sell/buy or even talk about marijuana. <S> You might come in a situation where your recruiter doesn't support that you've made an app for this market, but you might also come across another recruiter who is a supporter - it can go either way. <S> So here is what I feel is the right thing to do: <S> Threat this in a very professional matter, acknowledge that there is a medical market as well as an legal market other places in the world, and that you simple made an app for this market. <S> I Assume that this app might be available in various app markets, is that true? <S> If so, I don't recommend lying about it, by re-skinning the app, since it might come back to you in the future. <S> Full disclosure can help you find a place to work, who acknowledge the way you think, and who you are. <S> Which might be important to you, or might not. <S> But if you tell this doing the interview, you don't have to worry about it afterwards, which you might do, if the app can be traced back to you somehow. <S> Either way, I feel that you should try to sell yourself for who you are, and the quality you posses in an interview. <S> So my advice is this: Put it on your portfolio, but threat it in a professional matter. <S> Talk numbers in terms of amounts of downloads, daily users and so on.
| A substantial number of people are strongly opposed to marijuana and would not want to be associated with it. If you created something which centers around a subject which is not accepted by mainstream society, either for personal satisfaction or to fulfill the needs of a niche subculture, you certainly don't want it associated with your professional identity. This is a very hard question, since it depends so much on the interviewer/recruiter.
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What work experience should go on an application? I am a soon to be undergraduate college student and I want to apply for a STEM based internship at a car company. My past work experience is pretty basic. I worked part time as cashier in my school's lunch line, part time as a swim coach for a club swim team, and I worked in maintenance (janitorial stuff) full time for my school district. The internship I'm applying for has nothing to do with any of these things, so I feel like I shouldn't include them in my past work experience/resume. At the same time, including my past work shows that I've had experience working with people and just work experience in general. What should I do? <Q> I actually just interviewed someone today for a life science internship. <S> They were senior year, ready to graduate in a related field and wanted some domain experience with what my company does. <S> So, their resume had a tangentially related work experience working in their university's lab. <S> When I talked to the internship candidate, something they kept saying was "I don't have any experience. <S> " This didn't make sense to me because, as we talked, they spoke about the project they did at the university: a full front-to-back experimental troubleshooting that started with a question: Why doesn't protocol X work in our hands <S> but it does in the publisher's? <S> They tested all the different possibilities and optimized a protocol that, going forward, the department could use year after year to teach students. <S> There was a hefty team component as well as the opportunity to develop other skills. <S> They also spoke about assistantship positions in clinical offices that build on critical hard and soft skills. <S> And to top it off they didnt list this because they thought it had nothing to do with my company . <S> This isn't no experience . <S> It's actually quite valuable, in addition to other components such as researching our company beforehand and rehearsing on some common interview questions. <S> When you go into an interview, assume you're the right person for the job <S> and you need to sell me on why . <S> No internship is going to expect you already have training in the tasks they have in store, but internships are a battlefield of applicants where you need to stand out. <S> For me, having any job experience is better than none. <A> The internship I'm applying for has nothing to do with any of these things <S> Actually, it does. <S> Just because prior work experience isn't directly in the field you're applying within does not make it any less important or evident that you have experience working, taking direction, handling important product/information, interacting with coworkers, etc. <S> Companies understand you won't have direct experience working with the material you will be working with, but they do want to know that you will be willing to LEARN the material, show up to work, actually do your work, etc. <S> Your past "basic" jobs prove you are experienced, which is always relevant. <S> Now as time goes on and you have a couple jobs <S> /internships that are more relevant and take up space on your resume, then you can start leaving off the irrelevant jobs as they probably won't add much value and will take up unnecessary space. <A> Put them on. <S> As you say - it shows that you can handle money, supervise people and fix things. <S> Add in your IT experience, and you should be able to pass an intern level interview. <A> The internship I'm applying for has nothing to do with any of these things, so I feel like I shouldn't include them in my past work experience/resume. <S> At the same time, including my past work shows that I've had experience working with people and just work experience in general. <S> What should I do? <S> When you're just starting out, nobody will expect you to have much in the way of experience that's relevant to the job or internship that you're applying for. <S> It also gives interviewers something that they can ask about, and you never know when something might create a connection: <S> So, you were a swimming coach for a while? <S> I coach my daughter's team -- <S> those early mornings practices are tough, huh? <S> Interviewers want to get to know you a little bit so that they can decide not only whether you're able to do the job, but also whether you're someone with whom they and their team will enjoy working, so getting a conversation going will help. <S> Eventually you'll have enough relevant experience that you won't need to include those first jobs, and that's fine <S> -- you don't have to leave them on forever.
| If you have prior work experience of any kind, put it down -- it'll give some indication that you have basic skills that are useful in any job, like regularly showing up on time, following instructions, working with others, etc.
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Is it appropriate to bring up Glassdoor reviews during an Interview? During interviews, the interviewers ask a lot of detailed questions about my previous jobs and work experience, which I understand. Before interviews I always look up the company on GlassDoor and read the reviews. I understand that there will be negative reviews from disgruntled employees who were laid off or fired, but on some companies I'm seeing no positive reviews, all negative. Is it appropriate to bring this up as a question during an interview? It seems only fair as they are probing me for any negatives -- why not ask them to discuss negative reviews on GlassDoor? <Q> It would be extremely bad form to bring up an online review of a company. <S> As you observed, there will be reviews from disgruntled employees. <S> HOWEVER <S> Bringing up the issues <S> RAISED <S> on an online review is fair. <S> For example, if a review said that they don't pay overtime, I would ask "What's your policy on overtime". <S> So, don't mention that you read a review, but DO bring up anything you saw as red flags. <S> You want to make sure that you're not going into a bad situation. <S> Ask plenty of questions and intersperse the issues you read about into your questions. <S> Also, it never hurts to ask why the position is open.... <A> My opinion is based both on having received almost every job I have interviewed for and having conducted dozens of interviews myself. <S> People forget, an interview is for both parties. <S> It is a chance for the company to know if you are a good fit as well as a chance for you to know if the company is a good fit. <S> When I am being interview, I often start by saying "I'm going to be as open as I can with you, because I want to be certain that this position is a good fit for both of us. <S> " I have never had any negative feedback to that approach. <S> If I'm going to potentially give myself to a company for 8-10 hours a day for a very long time - darn right <S> I can and should be clear in my mind that I will not hate working there in six months. <S> If the interviewers don't like the question (provided I ask it tactfully), they are probably doing me a favor. <S> From the interviewers perspective, I want the candidate to be <S> certain he or <S> she wants to be there. <S> I don't want to have to train them, watch them leave, and go through the process again. <S> If you have a question - ask it. <S> I've never been offended by a tactful question by an candidate. <S> I have, however, been concerned by candidates that allow themselves to be interrogated for hours without having the fortitude to do some interrogation of their own. <S> There is a point in which questions can become greedy, and I'm not suggesting that you don't pick your battles. <S> For example, if a engineer fresh out of college is asking about the vacation policy - I see that as a red flag. <S> I don't think that is what the OP is referring to, however. <S> Hope that helps. <S> EDIT <S> It is funny, the last line was just an after thought and is getting all of the attention : ) . <S> Perhaps it is confusing because I am an engineer and am therefore conducting engineering interviews. <S> Were I HR, I might have a different take. <S> Hope that keeps everyone's head from spinning. <A> If they seem to be making excuses I would steer clear. <S> But as far as GD goes, I think it's fair game.
| I completely disagree with the assertion that it is not appropriate to bring up GD reviews, or any other negative aspects about the company - provided it is done with tact. Towards the end of the interview when they give you a chance to ask question, I would politely bring up glassdoor and ask for their side of the story and if the explanation you received seems genuine to you then you can go from there.
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How do I approach my manager about passing my work to a colleague? I have been at this job for under a year. There is some very obvious duplication of work responsibility between my colleague and me. The colleague has started to stay away from work a lot. I am happy to pass on this work to the colleague and move on to interesting projects. I have brought up this duplication with my manager, but he is a bit of a fence-sitter. Should I be more direct with him? Is there a chance he wants me to actually take up other responsibilities, anticipating that I would be bored with what I am doing? What is the best approach to take here? <Q> What is the best approach to take here? <S> Focus on your own work and career. <S> What your colleague is (not) doing is his manager's responsibility, it is not your problem. <S> You can certainly discuss with your manager about moving on to more interesting projects. <S> Restrict the discussion to your own career, and do not bring up your colleague's work. <S> However, it is your manager's call if/when you can move on and who would take over your work. <A> You are overthinking this. <S> Is there a chance that he wants me to actually take up other responsibilities anticipating that I would be bored doing what I am doing? <S> That would be a stupid move by your manager since he could just ask you directly to take up these other responsibilities. <S> There are many reasons why the current situation is as it is. <S> Maybe the manager thinks that your workload is higher than it actually is. <S> Maybe they want four eyes instead of two for the job. <S> Maybe there currently is just not enough work to do for you and your co-worker. <S> Who knows? <S> But it is not your job to do management decisions. <S> More important are the following questions: Is the situation uncomfortable for you? <S> Are there issues with your co-worker (like that he might feel being replaced and thus being hostile towards you)? <S> Are you bored with the work or feeling underchallenged? <S> If so, have a talk with your manager. <S> But don't try to optimize the work load of your co-worker, even if in best interest. <A> The colleague has started to stay away from work a lot. <S> Why would the manager be interested in passing on more work, or sole responsibility for work, to someone who is noticeably absent from work? <S> The redundancy might be because the manager is not confident that the person who is away more often will get it done, and it might be an interim step towards eventually cutting ties with that worker. <S> If you want or need more challenges, certainly express your willingness to your manager, but stay away from the topic of how he/she distributes work. <S> There may be a reason for it, and, really, it will come across as you trying to manage your manager, and questioning how they do their job.... especially if you've already brought up the topic of the duplication.
| You can suggest to your manager that when you move on to another project, you could hand over your work to the colleague.
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Rejecting a scheduled job interview I started doing programming 2+ years ago, but only for my personal projects and the people I work with in other fields that needed web apps. Because of my lack of experience in a professional environment, I still consider myself an entry-level developer that, probably, is a good fit for a junior developer jobs. Anyway, one week ago I received a phone call to schedule a job interview for a well known software company in a couple of days. I fulfill the criteriums for the job, but still I feel that I lack many stuff connected to the 'developers mindset'. I am afraid that I will waste the time of the interviewers and I will end up embarassing myself. Another thing is that, I don't see myself working in this field in the future, so I feel more relaxed about the whole process. I plan to do programming, but just as a tool that is applied in other sciences. Should I see this interview as an opportunity to practice interviewing, or should I just tell the recruiter that I won't come to the interview and reject the scheduled conversation? <Q> An interview, to me, says that, on paper, you have been deemed to have the technical skills to do the job. <S> The purpose of the interview is to See if you are lying about your skills. <S> Judge if your personality fits into their team/company. <S> Allow you to judge if you want to work for them. <S> If you aren't up to the job, then it's an issue for the recruiter, not you. <S> Back yourself and have a little faith, you may be better than you think :) <A> I don't see myself working in this field in the future, so I feel more relaxed about the whole process. <S> I plan to do programming, but just as a tool that is applied in other sciences. <S> Should I see this interview as an opportunity to practice interviewing, <S> If you would accept the job, then go on the interview, give it your best shot, and consider it as good interviewing experience if you are rejected. <S> If you wouldn't accept the job even if offered, then decline the opportunity. <S> Don't waste the interviewer's time. <S> Find a more likely job and apply for it. <A> a tool that is applied in other sciences. <S> Thats pretty much most of the applications of programming right now though. <S> Noone sane pays you to program just for the sake of it. <S> There are applications in commerce/communications/banking/interacting with the public sector/IOT/advancing another science(ie biology) just to name a few, they dont hire you to be a computer scientist(usally).Now if the company that you seek hiring at, isnt in a field that you have interest in or seeks for someone for a specific programming task/technology that isnt of interest to you then by all means just go to the interview as a practice since you want some and just respectfully decline afterwards.
| Consider whether you would accept the job if it were offered or not.
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How to manage desk cleanliness in free seating arrangement? I work in an office with 8 people. We have no allocated seating. Which I am quite cool with. However, recently the tidiness has gotten quite out of hand. Papers, coffee stains, and some brochures scatter over the tables. It's quite a rude shock when I almost put my laptop down on someone's old coffee stain in the morning. Now my daily ritual is to wipe away all leftover hairs and dirt and choose an area that has less clutter. We have introduced individual shelf compartment for us to store our personal goods. However, most of them still do not have the habit to clear up after themselves when they leave at the end of the work day. I am quite concerned about how to keep the cleanliness, and would like to know if anyone has any experience in maintaining cleanliness in a free seating plan office? <Q> The answer would be either: To hire a cleaner <S> Have allocated desks <A> You didn't mention any communication with the other 7 members of your work space, so I would suggest that as a first step. <S> This is very similar to sharing an apartment with roommates, or having a common area. <S> Sometimes you just need to set out rules for everyone to follow to maintain cleanliness. <A> Those who refuse to return the space they are using for the day back to a neutral clean environment are likely doing so as a way to make the free seating arrangement painful. <S> If all the work environments were equal in resources, space, and comfort; and the work required in the morning and the evening to convert those spaces to your use was trivial; then depending on the number of people vs work space involved, free seating might make sense. <S> If there are 8 work spaces but 15 employees but many are at customer sites or on travel or working from home, then free seating is a way to better use the resources. <S> The behavior of those who continue to leave papers, stains and brochures at the end of each day may be a way of marking their territory. <S> Or it a way resisting the lack of assigned seats. <S> They may even settle for the situation where you spend time cleaning their spot from yesterday, while they take your clean spot. <S> The next phase of their plan is for somebody who likes a clean work space to complain to management and to try and put a cleaning policy in place.... <A> It's the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons . <S> Make it the Owner's problem, everyone's problem, or keep it to yourself (see who cracks first). <S> Don't be Felix and live with Oscar.
| You could even provide some cleaning supplies as another person suggested, but cleaning up should be everyone's responsibility. They may be leaving a level of clutter and filth that they can tolerate in the hopes that you won't take their seat.
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Should I complain to boss about my project manager? I recently resigned my job and currently serving my notice period. My Senior manager has convinced me to continue with the company. But I feel like I work with a project manager with limited or no technical knowledge. He is not involving himself into any technical discussion and he doesn't care about my areas of skill set. Now I like to convey this as a primary reason for my resignation to my senior manager in the post resignation discussion. How can I convey this? EDIT : Technical lead for this project left the organization couple of months back. Solution document for this project was prepared by her. There were few use cases from the solution document was not discussed with me and I have informed this to PM since he is now technical lead as well. And he has no idea about those requirements and I feel this should be properly taken to customer to have another call for the same. But he has not done that yet. <Q> I think you may be misunderstanding the role of a project manager. <S> It's not a PM's job to be technical <S> some of the best PM's I've ever worked with would even be able to tell you which programming language was being used on the project. <S> And that's absolutely fine since that's what the technical people are there for! <S> In my experience it's when the ones who try and involve themselves in the technical conversations that are the problem! <S> Clearly though you were (are?) <S> unhappy with things at the company <S> but unless this particular PM is singling you out for different treatment than other members of the team <S> I don't think your real issue is with him <S> so I think you need to properly evaluate why you're feeling this way. <S> Regarding the lack of involvement in "technical" discussions - is this because you feel like they aren't "pulling their weight" on the team? <S> If so I'd refer you back to my first paragraph. <S> If what you are actually meaning is that you feel a lack of technical leadership for the team (and you've mistaken the role of PM for that of tech lead) <S> then it's the lack of technical leadership you should be discussing with your manager. <S> You also mention that he doesn't care about my areas of skill set <S> Do you feel that you aren't getting sufficient training? <S> Or is it a lack of recognition? <S> Both can be valid concerns but these are things that are between you and the company, not you and the PM <S> and you should be addressing such concerns with your manager. <S> The PM is not responsible for you or your career development - their job is to get the project completed according to the requirements of the business. <A> A PM's job is to turn over tasks to you, and report status up the chain. <S> YOUR job, with the PM, is to: <S> Speak up if there are technical impossibilities, unclear functional specifications, or things beyond your level of skill. <S> Negotiate alternatives. <S> Report your progress at assigned intervals. <S> Let the PM know that your deliverables are ready for next steps once you've done with them. <S> If you read carefully, you'll notice how none of these three things requires in-depth technical knowledge from the PM. <S> I think you're expecting too much. <S> If a PM had your technical expertise, why would a PM stay a PM? <S> Think about it. <A> At this point, trying to explain the situation is probably futile. <S> You will be talking to a blank wall. <S> You have to realize that most companies mismanage software developers exactly the way that you are experiencing. <S> You informing some VP will make absolutely no difference either to the way they do business or the way they treat their developers, yourself included. <S> You are dealing with forces far too ingrained that one workers complaints would have an effect. <S> A bigger problem is that now the company will perceive you as "disgruntled". <S> In other words, the company will not see their practices as a problem. <S> They will see YOU as the problem. <S> Even though they convinced you to stay, that was just desperation because they don't want to have a lag in development. <S> They will probably seek to replace you as soon as it is convenient for them. <S> You would be advised to look for a different job. <S> At your next job, don't complain about failures in technological leadership at the company, it is normal. <A> Better to be honest than to obscure by omission. <S> If they asked you to stay on, you have value to the company. <S> They should be aware of the situation that made you resign in the first place, so they won't take it badly. <S> Otherwise, they need to know so that the issue can be discussed. <S> In any case, you can always resign again if the work isn't suited to you, and next time make it stick. <S> Honestly, if I felt enough to resign, no amount of wheedling would have brought me back in the first place.
| Speak up if tasks won't meet a deadline, or if you don't have availability (going on vacation)
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In US is it common for to keep offer letter/employment contract confidential? I'm not from the US and not familiar with its labor laws. I applied with a company as a software developer that would work on 4-5 month contracts with its clients. There were some red flags, like how they wanted me to lie on my resume , so in the final interview I asked for ridiculously high pay to disqualify myself. They gave me a job offer with that pay. I'm very unsure what I'm going to do next. They told me I would sign the paper work on the first day of training, and I asked for a copy of it to review and they gave it to me. In the job offer and employee contracts it states Please note that the details of your compensation are to remain strictly confidential. and Employee represents and agrees that he has received a copy of this Agreement to keep for his own records. Employee further agrees to maintain the confidentiality of and not disclose the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, except as otherwise provided herein. I can't find it now but I thought I read on this site that it's actually illegal for an employer to tell you not to disclose how much you make. Anyway, I asked on law.se if this is legal to have in a contract, but my question here is, is this common in the US? Do employers expect you to not sign paper work prior to starting a new job? Do they try to keep your employment contract as confidential as possible? Why is this? <Q> (Disclosure: I am not a lawyer, you may want to consult one before making any decisions)In the US, the National Labor Relations Board actively protects employee's rights, including anti-unionization activity by employers. <S> The basis of their work and the protections offered is through the National Labor Relations Act . <S> Over the years, the NLRB has determined that employees discussing compensation packages constitutes as protected activity, regardless of the presence of a union, so long as it is with other current employees and on their own time . <S> In reality, your employer could terminate your employment for breaching this part of the contract even if it's later found to be unenforceable. <S> While you would have a good chance at winning a case in court, it's a long process and may not be worth the trouble. <A> I assume here you are working for some kind of employment agency. <S> Requiring you to keep secret your pay is standard. <S> The reason is that if you tell the "client" what you are paid, then the "client" might try to hire you away or even get a different agency to hire you instead. <S> Another serious potential problem is that your pay could be revealed to OTHER workers from the same agency working at the same client. <S> For example, let's say the agency has 3 workers at the client. <S> They are paying 2 of them $35 an hour and they are paying you $55 an hour and all three of you are doing exactly the same thing. <S> Now, suppose you go and tell the other 2 programmers that the agency is paying you $55 an hour. <S> What do you think will happen? <S> The need for a confidentiality agreement should be obvious from this example. <A> Please note that the details of your compensation are to remain strictly confidential. <S> This is standard practice for several reasons. <S> First it is so that you retain compensation amounts against other employees so that there is no friction or struggle on the topic of pay vs rank, getting paid differently than an employee than another employee of the same stature, or any other HR nightmarish situation. <S> Employee represents and agrees that he has received a copy of this Agreement to keep for his own records. <S> Employee further agrees to maintain the confidentiality of and not disclose the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement, except as otherwise provided herein. <S> I'm no lawyer, but this just seems like legal garble to prevent the employer from any nonsense that may happen from leaked compensation. <S> If there is a difference in contractor rates, there may be a reputation of playing favorites or unfair treatment. <S> AFAIK <S> , I don't think it's ILLEGAL to disclose how much you are making if you are an employee, but it may be within an employer's right to discharge or let you go for reasons up to their discretion. <S> Some states have <S> an "at-will" policy for employers right to terminate with any or no cause. <S> So if you do disclose that information, and they find out, that could be their cause to let you go, but you won't be charged with criminal offenses or a contract breach.
| From my experience, this is a common line to have in an offer letter in the US. There's been many great discussions here on Workplace SE arguing if employees should or should not discuss compensation, however, in the US, there are laws that protect such activity.
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How to motivate oneself to learn unappealing programming technologies? While I am not currently looking for a new job, I occasionally peruse the job boards on the off chance I find something more in line with my interests. Many of the positions I see have a laundry list of requirements which I don't possess, or find unattractive. How can I motivate myself to learn these skills that I wouldn't pick up otherwise? <Q> How can I motivate myself to learn these skills that I wouldn't pick up otherwise? <S> If you refuse to learn the technologies/techniques that are in demand, you'll narrow the range of possible employers, perhaps to the point where you are unlikely to land a job. <S> The narrower your focus, the fewer the possibilities. <S> For example, you know Java, but you find that employers want both Java and Javascript. <S> Javascript should be rather simple for someone like you to learn. <S> But if you refuse to do so, you may be eliminating every employer who requires (or prefers) developers with Javascript knowledge - and that is quite a few employers. <S> In general, employers don't want to hire folks with the attitude that they aren't motivated to do anything but a narrow range of tasks. <S> They want generalists and workers willing to simply "get things done" rather than special snowflakes who only do one or two things then aren't "motivated" to do anything else. <S> Work occasionally involves doing this that some consider "unattractive". <S> Few jobs allows you to do only the "fun" parts. <S> Software these days is an ever-changing landscape. <S> The technologies and processes that are in favor today will fade - probably sooner than later. <S> The software professionals who will succeed are the ones who understand this and are lifelong learners. <S> If you refuse to pick up new abilities, you will quickly fall by the wayside. <S> Visual Foxpro-centric jobs must be few and far between these days. <S> You simply must widen your scope of capabilities to keep your skill viable in today's market. <S> Maybe those thoughts can motivate you. <A> Programming is about getting things done. <S> Have you got anything that you want done and could be done by a computer? <S> Have you got something that could be done better? <S> Could it reasonably be done in a technology you're interested in learning? <S> That's how I learn things - perhaps learning-by-doing will work for you. <S> The fun of solving problems you can probably find in most languages - any language is just one way of expressing of a solution. <S> Once you get used to solving problems and expressing yourself in a language, you stop caring so much about its idiosyncracies. <A> Don't learn skills, create applications. <S> Few programmers find programming languages themselves "attractive" or "fun" (some do). <S> But many like to actually program something. <S> Chose to create a hobby project which you're actually interested in, and which benefits from the skill you intend to learn. <S> For example, if you want to learn SQL, find a fun little hobby project that benefits from using an SQL database, then implement that project. <S> The tricky part is to find projects that actually benefit from the new technology. <S> For example: if the aforementioned SQL project could easily be done with a dictionary and a binary serializer - assuming you are familiar with these and unfamiliar with SQL - then the project is a bad fit for learning SQL.
| You can motivate yourself by realizing what you might be doing to yourself and your career if you don't learn more skills.
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How valuable is my first app for a job search? So I recently launched an app on the Google Play Store and I was wondering if it's any helpful for my job search. As I'm 18, I don't have any professional experience and my resume is kind of empty. I need to find a job for one year as a part of my second year of college (I'll be 3 days at work and 2 days at school every week). I'm passionate by Android development, but since it's not something we study in first year, the employer has no assurance of my skills. If you were confronted with my application, what would you think of the fact that I already published one app - beyond the subject of the app and the number of downloads? I think it mostly shows my involvement in the project since I put in time and money, and it also show that I do have skills, and I'm familiar with every aspect of development. But I know recruiters won't necessarily have the time to think about all of this, so what will their thoughts be when they see this project on my resume? EDIT: On why I'm looking for a job and what kind of job. In France, there is a way of doing your studies called "Alternance". You work for a company, you're paid, but you still go to school (the rhythm is usually half of the week in school and the other half in the company). It allow us to have a first professional experience while studying. Thanks to that, you can learn things you won't necessarily learn in school. That's what I'm doing next year.For the kind of job, I'm really open. Employers usually prefer to hire people who are in their third year and above of studies. Therefor, there is not a lot of job available. The things we have to do in the companies are basic, it's user support, web development,... I'd like to work in Java or Android programming, but unfortunately, with only one year into my degree, employers don't trust our capacity enough, and I will most likely find myself doing user support. <Q> Yes, you should include the app in your resume, for the following reasons: <S> As an 18-year old, you can't be expected to have a lot of working experience. <S> That means you should focus on 'extra-curricular activities' like volunteer work, or something like this. <S> You have some 'proof' of your abilities, instead of merely stating that you have 'some hobby experience as an Android developer' which is hard to measure for a potential employer, let alone a recruiter (who often is not a developer at all). <S> It shows your ability to deliver something, instead of just 'having an interest' in something. <S> Background: I'm a manager at an IT consultancy firm and my team develops mobile apps. <S> We've hired somebody without a traditional development background (no relevant education) partly because she already developed her own Android app. <S> This worked out great, until she decided to leave the company because she wanted to work closer to her home. <S> But even for a non-IT related job <S> , I'd include the app, if alone for the first and third reason I mentioned. <A> The app should be about a reasonable subject with some utility to the users. <S> It will demonstrate your business acumen. <S> There should not be derogatory app feedback. <S> It should not be about a controversial subject. <S> I hired many mobile developers, and I've checked every app links and visited the app stores, when the resume included one. <S> Also include your stack overflow profile :-) <A> I got my 'first' real job (not selling lemonade or delivering newspapers, which back then were not 'real' jobs) off a sentence explaining a few lines of Code and a spelling error made by the person who typed my resume. <S> For a person with limited work history you want to include relevant and related non-employment skills. <S> If your APP is doing well and has positive feedback then include <S> it's mention if it doesn't compete with or threaten the employer. <S> Don't be the Author of GasBuddy and try to get a job at a gas station. <S> Don't be the Author of BestHotels and try to get a job at HotelsAreUs Software. <S> Etc. <S> If you were supposed to lead a development team your summer job as soccer coach would be relevant, but that's just an example as they probably have a lesser role in mind for you. <S> You want to demonstrate reliability, ability, and in this case the willingness to fit in and follow. <S> If you're making more from your APP than they pay then you're calling them second fiddle. <S> I've been to a School so great that people who started from scratch (without education) are rather overwhelmed with my classmates and myself <S> , we can do better at three times the speed of people who have been there a long time - sometimes too much info doesn't help and they want 'new' people who are more moldable. <S> Make two resumes, one excellent and the other a bit less (dumbed down).
| Include the app in your resume, and only if it's not bringing in negative connotations.
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Dealing with a colleague with an 'over-the-top' email writing style I have a colleague who sends me several emails a day in what I consider to be an 'over-the-top' style. These are often characterised by Greetings in all capital letters, with multiple exclamation marks. Addressing me using unusual nicknames Use of smileys/emoticons in contexts where they do not fit Overuse of the term 'buddy', almost always used several times in one email, sometimes more than once in a sentence An typical example of one of these emails would be: 'HEY [insert nickname in capitals here]!!!!! I need to get this report over to HR by 4pm buddy, if you could get this overto me by then, that would be great buddy ;-)' I have started to find the tone of these emails exhausting, as I struggle to parse the pertinent content when it is obfuscated by exclamation marks, emojis, etc. I have told my colleague that I would prefer more business-like correspondence to match the nature of our workplace, but nothing has changed. Aside, from repeating my request (which I will be doing), how else can I influence correspondence with my colleague to be more professional? <Q> If someone is communicating using an email style that you find unacceptable, the best response is to model the correct behavior in your own communications. <S> In other words, don't address the other person's style at all. <S> Instead use the contrast of your style and his to silently and unobtrusively illustrate the problem. <S> Many people will adapt their style to the environment as long as they can still express their own personalities. <S> Of course, if you're going to provide an example that means your own communication style must then be impeccable. <A> I'd explain my problem with the style of these emails. <S> You appear to have explained it to us (namely, the extras annoy and distract you, making it harder for you to deal with the emails and probably with your colleague in general), but have you explained it to your colleague? <S> I happen to be the kind of person who needs reasons for everything. <S> When a colleague tells me: please do this, I prefer things that way <S> , I'll consider it, but I'll be thinking to myself: <S> we all have our preferences, and I have mine. <S> When a colleague tells me: please do this, it really makes it easier for me to do my part <S> , I'll be much more likely to oblige. <A> It appears that your colleague is chasing you for something, and doesn't feel comfortable just outright telling you <S> Good afternoon, HR requires the TPS reports by 4pm today, which means I need <S> that part you're working on by then. <S> Thanks. <S> Kind regards, <S> As perhaps they feel that comes off brusque; however, if you would prefer to receive that kind of e-mail then you should simply let them know in person . <S> Hey colleagueName , just letting you know when you're e-mailing me and need to ask me something, I don't mind if you just get to the point rather than using a bunch of smilies to tone it down . <S> That said, I think you should just let it go . <S> They are e-mails simply between two people in the business and don't affect clients, so they needn't be the most utmost professional e-mail. <A> You have told us that you: <S> struggle to parse the pertinent content when it is obfuscated by exclamation marks, emojis, etc. <S> But say you've told your colleague that you: would prefer more business-like correspondence to match the nature of our workplace <S> My suggestion would be to let the person know that you struggle to quickly digest what is being said in their email, rather than just saying you'd prefer a more corporate tone. <S> They probably haven't considered the readability of their emails, and if you haven't told them about it <S> they may just think of you as boring. <S> (but to be honest, smilies and exclamation marks <S> shouldn't really make it difficult to notice the important points, and I'm not so convinced that this is the real issue for you)
| By explicitly criticizing the style and "requesting" different behavior you are putting the person in the position of admitting they're wrong and then "obeying your orders." Many people simply won't do that. If you object to the nicknames however, you should definitely raise that with them in person that you simply prefer your own name and would appreciate if they could call you only that.
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When do I to tell my boss I'm out of work to do? I'm a software developer, but I'm not the "manager of my time" because I have a boss who gives me tasks and deadlines.Sometimes I happen to be inactive for hours, sometimes even days.During these periods I always look at the code and study or stuff like that, so I don't need to know what to do to let the time pass by. What is the correct amount of time after being inactive to notify it to my boss? To clarify: if I finish my work before deadlines I always give a notice to my boss, but for various reasons(my boss himself is buried with legal papers, I must wait for other developers to finish their work and so on...), sometimes it just happens to wait. <Q> Reviewing old code and studying are both important for your personal development and (directly or indirectly) beneficial to the company . <S> So I wouldn't call it 'inactive', which would imply you're just staring out of the window. <A> The correct time to ask for more work depends on how long it takes for your boss to get you more work. <S> if your boss keeps a "backlog" of tasks, and can tell you "do item 2345" in a matter of seconds, and your boss is always around when you want to ask, then you can ask at the moment you run out of work if your boss might not be reachable for a few hours, or needs a few hours to work out what to give you next, then the correct time is double or triple that. <S> So if you get in to work Tuesday morning and realize "I will finish this today, and then I can take a look at that [new thing] tutorial <S> but I need something new for tomorrow" then <S> before you start anything else, you email/slack/skype/visit your boss and deliver precisely that message: "I will finish X today, and then I can take a look at that Y tutorial <S> but I need a task for tomorrow. <S> " If you get the task before you start the tutorial, the tutorial can wait if you boss might not be reachable for days at a time, you need to look out ahead days at a time and build your own backlog of things you can move to as you finish each task. <S> Of course, you must be open to having the priorities of these tasks moved around, and having new items added before all the old ones are done. <S> Being blocked is not a good thing. <S> While I appreciate the initiative of someone who wants to learn, to improve old code, to add tests and documentation, I generally expect these to be used to backfill small unavoidable delays, the sort that occur when a 3-day task turns out to only need 2 hours, or the client suddenly says "never mind we don't want that", or you have to wait for an expert opinion before you can code something. <S> They shouldn't be happening all the time. <S> That they are suggests that someone is mismanaging your time. <S> Whoever that is, you can correct the situation yourself by making sure you ask soon enough for your next task. <A> It's not that much about "the correct time" that the correct way. <S> The real trouble here is that you have nothing to do at your work, no assignments at all for hours or days. <S> Even though your boss gives you "tasks and deadlines", a way to solve your problem would be to take the initiative and do tasks that are needed on your own, such as documentation of your code or unit tests. <S> That way it will be easier to come to your boss and say : As I finished this task early, I started doing unit tests <S> Rather than "I have nothing to do at all" which could come as criticism or lack of initiative. <S> And about the correct time, you could say that at the end of the day, like a briefing so that your boss can know what you do and you can ask the famous : <S> What should I do next? <S> You'll never be blocked more than a day and even then you still worked on secondary tasks you should have done at some point anyway. <A> When possible, you should try to tell him before you have finished. <S> You can try something like "I think this task will be done in two hours, do you know what task I could start after that?". <S> It will give him some time to reflect on what you could do and will avoid you being inactive. <A> You should tell him right away including what you are doing in the mean time. <S> In fact if they are long tasks, I would tell him before your task is complete. <S> I think that I will have finished task ( <S> x) by (date) and am planning to spend my time researching (y) while I wait for a new task. <S> This: <S> Lets him know when the task will be complete with enough time to plan the next stage. <S> Allows him to give you input on the study time while also giving him a suggestion if he is too busy to make a plan. <S> Tells him your view of how you think your skills need to be improved.
| That said, you should inform your boss immediately after finishing a task, so that he/she can decide if there are more pressing matters than code reviewing or studying.
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Job interview in front of the client? A company I am applying for as a software engineer said they would like to interview me in front of their client. I have had many interviews before, but never one like this. What could it mean? Is there any specifics I need to worry about? Both the company and the job look otherwise attractive. <Q> I've seen this happen as the client. <S> In my situation, my company was looking for new external consultants to join a cross-functional team. <S> The new person will be hired by the consulting company, but with the expectation of starting out in my team from the moment they start with the consulting company. <S> Since the member was recruited specifically for my company, it was customary for someone from my company to sit in during some of the interviews to make sure that the new person would have the right skills and attitude to be successful as a member of the team. <S> Since the consulting company in this case would only hire the person if our company would accept them, both my company and the consulting company would get a "yes" or "no" vote and only if both were "yes" would the person continue to the next interview. <S> If you are in the same situation, expect the client to ask some questions as well. <S> But effectively, consider them to be just another interviewer; they are trying to determine whether you are a good fit for the job just as everyone else at the table. <A> I can't imagine that this means anything else than that the interview will be conducted by an employee of their client (next to an employee of the company itself), instead of only employee(s) of the company. <S> They might want to do this to get an idea of how you would interact with their clients. <S> That can be done by just asking questions, but they might even act that there is an issue with this client and you need to solve it. <S> It could also be a gesture to this particular client ("we trust you so much that we give you some influence in who we recruit and who not"). <A> If the position is pretty much dedicated to doing work for the client, full-time, then it's not that unusual at all. <S> Instead of wasting the time of hiring someone they think would be great for the client, then possibly having the client reject them for some reason, this puts part of the onus on the client to accept the new hire, since they had direct input into selecting the individual. <S> I wouldn't say you'd do anything different. <S> The job, itself, won't be that different and the parameters of the interview will be the same. <S> The client company would merely remove themselves from the process once you move further along and get into the logistics of on-boarding with the employer who signs your paychecks, so you'd just be looking to stick to the technical nuts and bolts of the work for the client, and their work environment, and assume the contractor-related discussions will be handled separately, in a future meeting with just the actual employer, once the client agrees that you are the best thing since sliced bread.
| While your employer is acting as an intermediary, it's basically an interview for a job that will be done for the client.
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With job descriptions, how do I know if I'm an "X" or a "Senior X"? I'm job searching right now, with a bunch of previous experience, but not all in the same position. So it's not as though I've had one job description Y for many years - in which case I would now feel natural applying for a "senior Y" position. Seeing some positions (especially within a single company) described as "X" and other positions as "Senior X" - what criteria can I use to understand whether I better fit the former or the latter? Note: In my case, X can be "research scientist", "software engineer", "systems architect", "researcher" and a few more; but if you can answer more generally, please do. <Q> Job titles can vary wildly from company to company <S> so "X" at one company would have the title of "Junior X" at another and possibly even "Senior X" at a third. <S> To make matters worse, some companies dispense with descriptives altogether and have "X 1", "X 2", "X 3". <S> To add to the confusion, some may rank by number ascending, so "X 3" could be the highest rank, while others may rank by number descending, making "X 1" the highest rank. <S> So, essentially, job titles can at times be useless for purposes of a job search. <S> The best way to find out if it's at your level is to ignore the title, and look at the job description and duties. <S> If a phone number is listed, call and ask about it. <S> Calling will serve two purposes: <S> You will get the information you need. <S> You will establish a contact with a person at the company. <S> If you call, ask the person if you can have their email to send them a thank you note. <S> Then do so regardless of whether you apply or not. <S> This will not only eliminate the confusion you are experiencing, but give you a leg up for positions you wish to pursue. <A> Job titles really don't mean that much, but if a job descriptions says "looking for a Senior X with 7 years of experience and knowledge of X, X, and X" <S> and you meet that criteria <S> then you can consider yourself a "Senior X" for the purpose of applying for that job because that is what they consider a "Senior X" to be. <S> Another job may consider "Senior" to have 5 years and so-and-so education... <S> it all depends on the job. <A> It's not about time, it's about ability. <S> Senior denotes someone who can not only do their own job, but can also guide a junior and check the work of a regular. <S> For example, a senior software developer would probably have a junior assigned, to whom they would be passing on their skills, and sit on a team with 3 other devs. <S> These devs would work to the framework defined by the senior, would ask the senior for support and defer to the senior when they cannot anser. <S> If you feel like you can do that, along with the day-to-day requirements of the standard level, then go for it. <S> Otherwise, build up more experience.
| If you meet all the requirements in the description for a "Senior X" job, then you should consider yourself a "Senior X" for that particular job.
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Is it acceptable in a cover-letter (paid position) to express an interest in voluntary work? I'm an undergraduate student currently studying Computer Science, and my University has a paid job opportunity for undergrads to tutor a couple of hours every week in a class they've excelled at. My mark for the class was likely among the highest, and I meet all other requirements. While I have a decent chance of getting the position, I feel tempted to include at the end of my cover-letter some subtle indication that should another candidate be chosen, I'd be interested in volunteering and lending my services in some other way. I haven't had much experience in job applications before (previous jobs include paid work for my high-school, and a local cafe, both relatively informal). Is what I'm suggesting utterly inappropriate regardless of how I phrase it, or could it be seen as an indication that my motive isn't solely monetary based, and I have a genuine enthusiasm for the class's content? For context, it's a C++ Programming class. And for the past couple of months I've lived and breathed that language. I'd truly relish any opportunity to engage with it in a teaching capacity. Is it bad to seem "too desperate", no matter how it's couched? <Q> It's a bad idea in my opinion. <S> Imagine walking into a shop where every price sticker said something like "$99 or FREE", how much money do you think they would make? <S> If they don't take you on for the paid position and volunteering is something you'd still be interested in <S> then you could ask the question of whether there were any volunteer positions available. <S> Doing it in advance is just madness in my opinion. <S> Also it potentially sends the wrong message about your skills - if you don't value them above "free" <S> why should anyone else? <A> However, should you be rejected, you might like to send another letter saying something along the lines of <S> Thank you for considering me for X position. <S> It was a pleasure to meet you and your team. <S> I'm still very keen on your company and am aware my experience in this field is limited, so should an opportunity for voluntary work come up in the future, please consider me for this. <A> As the others that have answered before me, I would say no, do not include that information in your cover letter. <S> If you can get a paid position, it would be much better than unpaid volunteer work. <S> If you are not selected, you still have a couple of options to meet your goals: <S> As MikePearce mentioned, you could send a second letter to the job poster saying that while you have not been selected, you would be interested in any volunteer opportunities if they become available. <S> This would give them an option to bring you on in some way if it is possible. <S> Maybe they have a limit to the number of students they can employ (regardless of volunteer or not). <S> Another option would be to contact the professors that teach C++ in your department. <S> Depending on your relations with them, they may be able to find you space/time to meet with other students. <S> I can't imagine a professor that would turn away good help when their office hours are likely packed with student questions. <S> Lastly, possibly a more extreme option, is to start your own tutoring service. <S> Who is stopping you from providing peer tutoring to other classmates. <S> Grab a separate gmail account, create a simple website (free), and print out some flyers to post around campus. <S> If it takes off, then one day maybe you can put down "Started a peer tutoring service with 80 customers". <S> Check with your school/department to make sure there isn't any rules against this. <S> Some classes restrict working on projects with other students. <S> In my opinion, option 3 is sounding nice. <S> Edit: Apologies if answer went off-topic, since your original question was about cover letters.
| Leave it off the cover letter, it doesn't read as very professional and, perhaps, a bit desperate.
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Should I list leadership experience when it was with a religious group I no longer believe in? I was heavily involved with a religious group during college (a chapter of a mainstream organization, nothing extremist), ending as president. This involved a lot of planning, organizing and running events, figuring out how to get members more involved, making and requesting budgets, etc. -- general "leadership" stuff. It probably took up 75% of my extracurricular activities during college, and I learned a lot about running a long-term group. When I graduated I was proud to have it on my resume, religious implications and all. However, I have since had a change of faith and would feel awkward if someone assumed I still held those beliefs. The problem is that I do not have any other significant leadership experience, just a couple of smaller things where I was not the main person in charge - not nearly the same extent or commitment. So I feel that keeping it on my resume would help me be seen as a potential leader in the workplace, which is my goal. (I currently have trouble with that because of my personality type and lack of experiences to discuss, so people just assume I am not the "leader" type.) Is is possible to write this experience into a "generic" listing for my resume, and avoid/gloss over the personal backstory? (How?) Or is it best to just leave it off altogether and deal with the empty spot in my resume some other way? <Q> There's no reason why you shouldn't put the experience on your CV. <S> It's experience, regardless of the field. <S> You don't necessarily have to put anything about the religious angle on it, for example: <S> Was president for a community group in college, this involved a lot of planning, organizing and running events, figuring out how to get members more involved, making and requesting budgets, etc. <S> -- general "leadership" stuff. <S> If you are questioned about it in an interview later, than you can talk briefly about the context, but steer the conversation toward the leadership experience in more generic terms Instead of: <S> We ran recruitment drives to get more people to come to church services <S> Say: <S> We ran recruitment drives to get more attendees to events. <A> Focus on the leadership for this "campus group" - on what you did and what skills you gained. <S> If you get interviews, and they ask, you can say that you anonymized the group not just because it's a religious group, but also because you've since left the religion and didn't want to imply otherwise on your resume. <S> Then immediately provide a sentence that focuses on all the great leadership, management, marketing or whatever you learned how to do and why you liked doing it so much. <S> It's possible you will miss out on some interviews because you've listed something semi-anonymous and noncheckable. <S> I don't doubt that you will. <S> The question is, would you miss out on more by including it with its full name? <S> I think you might, if people think you might be proselytizing at work or have prejudices about "those kinds of people. <S> " <S> And I think you might also miss out on more if you didn't appear to do that "little bit extra" while you were at college. <S> So overall I think including it without naming <S> it is the way to go. <A> I think it's fair to assume that prospective employers would link you to prior religion and beliefs. <S> I'd even go as far to say that if you've listed it, you're proud of it. <S> Like political views, I'd steer clear of putting it on your CV. <S> Instead, just keep it generic... <S> and then, if the conversation comes up in an interview, you can go into more detail and explain the circumstances / change in beliefs. <A> Does the college group have an acronym, or can you turn the official name into one? <S> If so, you can use that on your resume without looking like you're dodging anything. <S> I worked for an NGO whose name included a religion (that I did not believe in) and their stance on a highly controversial political topic (that I agreed with). <S> When I moved into the corporate world, I really didn't want that name on my resume. <S> Just too much potential conflict. <S> So I used a four-letter acronym for the employer, and I didn't have any problems at all. <S> Only one interviewer even asked what the letters stood for, and her tone was of curiosity rather than suspicion. <S> I hesitated, but answered with complete honesty. <S> We held each other's eyes for a moment, and she seemed to understand the reason for my discretion. <S> We immediately moved onto another subject. <S> I ended up taking that job, and later learned that the interviewer was of a different religion but of a similar political persuasion. <S> I never felt the need to point out that I was not a member of the religion represented by my old employer. <S> It never seemed to matter, which it shouldn't in a healthy work environment (IMO). <S> Of course, this isn't a foolproof approach. <S> If that interviewer had been on the other side of the issue, things could've turned out differently. <S> But your experience was with a normal religious organization, so <S> I doubt many people would care. <S> The interviewer would probably be wary of addressing religion at all, and would move onto a discussion of your experience at the organization. <S> Just discuss your position(s) in secular terms, like your role in coordinating events (leadership skills) rather than what the events were for (religious motivations). <S> Everyone should be more comfortable that way, and it would ease any secret concerns that you'll be "preachy" if hired. <S> That's all they really need to know about your beliefs. <S> TL;DR: <S> Shorten the name to something less distinctive and include it on your resume. <S> Don't dodge questions if it comes up in an interview, but most people won't care. <S> And even if they end up thinking you're a member of that religion, it really doesn't affect anything. <S> Be proud of your accomplishments. <A> Put it on your resume, in anonymized/generic form. <S> e.g. "Organizer, college religious group with n members - led event organizing, planning, budgeting, recruiting, chaired committee of m people, recruiting" . <S> Describe it as much as possible in generalized organizational language. <S> Add quantifiable achievements wherever possible: <S> how many events? <S> how much attendance? <S> how much budget? <S> how much % increase in members? <S> or event attendances? <S> etc. <S> This gives all of the upside, and little risk of a downside. <S> And the older it is on the resume, the less likely they are to care to ask what the group was or other details. <S> This is the same answer as to this similar question (although title is different): Will connections to an institution currently going through scandal harm my chances?
| I would list it generically.
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Mind went blank during interview coding test I recently took an online coding test for a software engineering position (entry level). I am not very good at programming while a timer is counting down, but nonetheless two questions went very well. However, I completely drew a blank on the last question even though it was similar to the others in terms of skills that were tested. But somehow I just could not figure out how to solve the problem and ended up not submitting any solution for the last question. Right after the test, when the stress of the countdown timer was gone, my mind cleared and I realized how easy the solution was and I wrote (from memory) the solution to the problem in about 5-10 minutes. Of course I understand that it is normal to fail tests and I don't mind to fail every once in a while since it helps me to learn and improve. However, in this case I did not fail to answer the question because of a lack of skills or knowledge but because of a temporary brainfade. I clearly have the skills and I am very disappointed with myself. I feel that not providing any answer to the question will severely limit my chances of clearing this interview round. Therefore I was wondering if I should e-mail the recruiter and explain what happened. I could even include the code I wrote to solve the problem (although I can of course not proof that I actually wrote it right after the test in 5 minutes). But I am not sure if explaining myself would help me in this situation or actually make things worse. Could you help me determine what the best course of action would be in this instance? <Q> You can do that. <S> I personally don't think that being able to work under stress is important for a software developer - as long as you have a good manager. <S> Whether it helps or not, nobody knows. <S> I'd give you points for "wants the job and perseveres when things go wrong". <S> Which are much more important than getting it right first time. <S> But that's me. <A> Therefore I was wondering <S> if I should e-mail the recruiter and explain what happened. <S> I could even include the code I wrote to solve the problem (although I can of course not proof that I actually wrote it right after the test in 5 minutes). <S> But I am not sure if explaining myself would help me in this situation or actually make things worse. <S> Could you help me determine what the best course of action would be in this instance? <S> If it were me, I'd just let it go and hope for the best while planning to move on. <S> Part of the thinking behind timing the test is "work under pressure". <S> Answering later at your leisure doesn't fit that requirement. <S> While you certainly can follow up with your answer, don't expect much. <S> And don't qualify your answer with reasons why you are not very good at programming while a timer is counting down - that would only weaken your position. <S> It's not unlike folks that struggle answering questions during an interview who want to provide better written answers at a later date. <S> It's unlikely to help at all. <S> It's possible that your other answers will blow them away and you'll be invited to the next round anyway. <S> Or maybe this company places so much value on "working under stress" that this job isn't a good fit for you anyway. <A> testing + interviewing are a skill. <S> there are a lot of great resources to practice coding exercises. <S> I highly recommend to those I mentor: <S> https://www.codewars.com/ <S> Not only will help you with landing entry level, but part of it is once you submit a working solution to a challenge you see the community's answers and the upvoted solution, and you learn, get better/efficient. <S> will help a lot of mid career people or anyone migrating from one computer language to another. <S> a lot of developers are satisfied with a solution, the ones that people want to hire are ones that don't panic, but also go back and refactor code, optimize, especially environments that need to scale.
| I don't know of any employers that use timed tests who would place much value on an answer received after the test had concluded. It's possible that the company doesn't require an answer for every question.
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Looking to improve technically I work for a small consultant firm , where I am the only developer(C#, VBA, SQL, etc) along with couple folks who have knowledge of programming. Is there any chance that I can visit some software companies and see how they approach programming at large scale and get answers to some of my questions one/one or a small group setting? If yes, how do I approach i.e. reach out to their departments? other options I thought of is to attend conferences, workshops etc.Suggestions here will be great too. I understand that companies might be not willing to entertain the idea but anything along those lines will help me get better at software development. Edit: TL;DR: Do software companies offer educational programs/workshops/QA sessions for outsiders? What are some effective approaches to self taught software development? Update: I am looking into attending Meetups, Developer Conferences and contributing to open source on GitHub.Also planning on reading books on Software development. <Q> I would advise to look for Meet-ups of similar developers in your area. <S> Next to that, visit conferences that are related to your development work, read books about project management, agile development and continuous delivery. <S> I personally have organised a developer meet-up with a social component using the facilities of my employer. <S> I don't know about the opportunities for this in your area. <S> Approaching a company might seems weird, but there are companies out there that facilitate and organise these kind of meetings, as their own developers also benefit from it. <S> Or you could try your hand at creating a meetup yourself? <A> You don't mention where you are located but certainly in the UK (where I am) this would be pretty much unheard of. <S> A company allowing a random person who doesn't work there, isn't interviewing to work there, and is neither a supplier nor a customer to come in and use up the time of their staff when they have literally nothing to gain from doing so is rather unlikely to say the least! <S> And that's before you even starting thinking about the security/intellectual properties issues that sort of thing could open up if the company worked on anything even remotely sensitive. <S> In a previous job at a web development shop I was tasked to provide some 1-1 coding tuition to an outside individual but they were paying for the time (in fact they were paying double our usual hourly rate!) <S> and so they counted as a client. <S> Honestly I think your goals are admirable but your idea is IMO a non-starter. <S> You would likely be much better off looking into workshops, training courses, conferences and meet ups/hackathons. <A> As R-D says meet-ups are an amazing way to become a better developer. <S> Open source is another way you can follow in order to become a better programmer. <S> It's hard at the beginning <S> but you can get a lot of experience doing that. <A> In order to improve my technical ability and get better at "thinking" code I like to invest time on game-ified coding sites like CodeFights . <S> They have some really cool options for flexing your brain, like company bots you can compete against and an arcade mode that casually walks you through themed programming challenges. <S> To keep this from being a shameless plug for CodeFights (not affiliated, I promise) CoderByte and HackerRank appear to offer similar functionality <S> but I'm not as familiar with those.
| Start your own project or try to contribute to open repos.
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Is it better to go to an interview in person rather than over Skype? I'm in the process of recruitment for a kind of a graduate internship over the summer, in a city which is 3-4 hours away from mine (to which I'm moving regardless of whether I get the job). During a phone call, which was one of the previous stages of the process, the HR specialist suggested they wouldn't mind to conduct a potential interview over Skype instead of in person. Ultimately, we agreed that I'll make a decision on that once we're closer to setting up the interview (I'm on a fixed-term contract ending in about a month and it's hard to say how likely my boss will be to give me a day off). After the phone call there was a technical stage of the interview. After that, I received an e-mail (they tried to call me first) asking whether I'm up for a Skype interview at a specific date and time, to which I responded positively (this morning). Should I insist on meeting them in person? I'd rather not do this unnecessarily, but I'm afraid talking just over Skype will limit my chances. If they presented me with a choice I'd choose coming over, but they didn't mention such possibility in the e-mail. I'm really anxious to get the internship and I want to maximize my chances. <Q> Should I insist on meeting them in person? <S> At some point as the rubber meets the road, a face to face interview is best in most cases. <S> However, since the company offered up a Skype interview as an option, I don't think it will diminish your chances at all. <S> If you asked for a skype versus a face to face it would be different IMHO. <S> Also, as Joe S. mentions in the initial comment on this answer, you already agreed to the Skype interview <S> so I would suggest sticking to your plan. <S> Good luck with the interview! <A> In person is always better than phone/skype. <S> Mannerisms and facial expressions you may be able to get through video skype as well, but part of the experience is the environment you are coming into. <S> Interview sets the environment in order to bring the employee into it and ask questions. <S> This first impression says alot about the company and your future bosses. <S> Values are often gathered through interactions like this which often helps get a feel for what kind of job your stepping into. <S> I would ask for an in person meeting. <S> If it's physically a long way off, then I would wait until after you know they are going to offer you and then meet and accept after you meet and get a good feel for them. <S> Sometimes if it's remote though you can't do that and skype is as good as it gets till you show up. <S> Either way, the more personable the better and there isn't any substitute for in person hand shaking and the environment being received through your senses. <S> If technology could do everything for us we would just be machines... <S> we need that interpersonal connection and in person is best for that. <A> In-person is definitely better if possible. <S> Having conducted a number of Skype interviews, it is harder to develop a connection with someone, and get a sense of what they are like, over Skype. <S> And that is before considering the downside of potential technical glitches: I have had interviews significantly hampered by bad connections, poor audio, etc. <S> Don't insist at this stage, but offering to come in person is a good idea. <S> They are the ones offering you the opportunity to interview, so you aren't in a position to dictate the circumstances around how that would happen. <S> But they might have offered you Skype in this case simply because they assume it's more convenient for you. <S> So I would make it clear that you would be happy to come in person instead of Skype if possible. <S> Note: <S> now that you have already agreed to do it via Skype, it might not be worth going back and revisiting <S> that--I tend to agree with Mister Positive that this looks indecisive. <S> If you do go ahead with a Skype interview, prepare adequately. <S> Make sure you are dressed professionally in a location with good lighting and a decent backdrop (having done some Skype interviews, I was surprised that some candidates ignored normal standards of professionalism simply because it was not in-person). <S> Also, make sure that you are somewhere with a fast internet connection and have a good camera and audio, to reduce the chance of any technical hiccups <S> ...test this out beforehand if necessary.
| But as a general answer, I think it would be good to offer to come in person in such a situation. Even if you interview over skype, a tour of the building or meeting in person with the people is always helpful.
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How to negotiate a raise as an intern? I'm currently in an internship for the end of my 3rd year in IT engineering studies. As an intern, I was given a way bigger job than what was announced when I was recruited. The original job was only to re-code a software, which would justify a really low salary, but in the end I have to recreate a whole project and make it approved by both QA and development team. Plus the software was a total mess no one understood anymore, requiring to analyse it all and document it all. For those reason, I would like to renegotiate my salary, but as an intern I fear that I won't be taken seriously and won't be able to make my point. It's legal to renegotiate a salary as an intern in my country, so the problem is not here, it's really about the status of intern which makes me think it would be way harder to negotiate anything, as it's already hard to bring new ideas even though they require me to ("We always did like that!"). How do you renegotiate your salary when you're just an intern? Not a duplicate of How should I properly approach my boss if I'm feeling underpaid? since it's really more a "I'm an intern I won't be taken seriously" than a "I don't have any negotiation skills" issue, even though I'm not particularly good (more precisely I have no experience in negotiation), I saw some good advice on this very website. <Q> Put simply, <S> You Don't. <S> You are an intern, which by its very nature is temporary. <S> You have already been budgeted for, and it's possible your manager doesn't even have the ability to give you a raise. <S> You're not likely to find another company to hire an intern for half a summer, so you would likely have to quit and lose the income entirely. <S> Is that something you're okay with? <S> I say just stick it out for the rest of the internship and mark this as a lesson learned to make sure you understand your responsibilities before you take the job. <S> The experience you gain in an internship is far more important than the pay, and this will give you a great opportunity to talk in the future about how you handled the additional responsibility on this project. <S> If you decide to hire-on with this company after the internship, certainly renegotiate then, but not now. <A> I had a similar situation happen in a previous role of mine as an intern. <S> In my case I was hired with an intent to do small system maintenance things. <S> I ended up developing a large integrations project. <S> My boss came to me after the first few milestones and said he was very impressed with what I was doing and that it was above and beyond my initial job description. <S> He told me I should negotiate a higher salary! <S> I made a HUGE mistake and turned them down stating: I'm only an intern... <S> Good managers recognize good work and while it may only be a temporary position, it is in their best interest to keep good employees around. <S> This internship could ultimately lead to a full time position. <S> Asking for a raise now will show that you know your worth <S> and you're not afraid to go after getting it. <S> Speak now or forever be silent <A> As an intern, you have virtually no leverage to negotiate with. <S> In most cases, an internship is basically an extended interview. <S> You're there so they can see if you are someone they want to hire as a permanent employee. <S> And if they can get some cheap extra labor out of it to push along some other project they haven't been able to do yet, that's just a nice bonus for them. <S> Rarely is an intern given a critical project that absolutely has to be done. <S> That's what the permanent employees are working on. <S> You're temporary, so they aren't going to risk giving you something that will hurt if it isn't finished on time. <S> If you decide to quit over the pay, worst case scenario for them is they have to extend your permanent job offer to someone else, and your project just goes back to the backlog where it came from. <S> Internships aren't about pay. <S> They are about getting real-world experience and a chance to make a good impression on a prospective employer (while also giving you better insight into the company than you will ever get in an interview to decide if you even want to keep working there). <S> You have an amazing opportunity here. <S> Sounds like your project is going to be quite challenging, which means now you have a chance to really shine. <S> Your best bet is to knuckle down, do the best you can on it, and learn as much as possible. <S> Then, AFTER you have knocked it out of the park and exceeded all expectations of an intern, you can use that as leverage to negotiate a better salary when they extend you a full-time offer. <S> Or take your hard-won experience to negotiate a better deal somewhere else. <S> Or apply everything you learned on your own start-up. <S> The choice is yours. <A> I was once an intern and exactly in the same situation as yours. <S> I asked for an additional bonus (with my co-intern) at the end of our internship, and got it. <S> It was the first time anyone had ever done that at this company, and it had no negative impact on my career (I ended up joining that company full time). <S> The reason we asked for the bonus is that we worked incredibly hard (crazy hours, weekends, etc. <S> as there were exceptional business circumstances that summer) and exceeded all expectations/tasks. <S> If asked in the right way (it is critical to "ask" politely & constructively, and not "demand" it in an aggressive or entitled manner), smart employers will see the request as a positive attribute (i.e. you have grit, are a go getter, etc.). <S> The worse that can happen, is that they tell you they don't have the money. <S> If you don't ask, you don't get.
| You didn't specify whether you negotiated your salary to begin with, but in many cases an intern is paid a fixed stipend that is predetermined based on your experience level. For any negotiation to work, you need to be willing to walk away if you don't get what you want.
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Are there any benefits to interviewing for an internal transfer? On a temporary contract at one company, I spent 6 months in team A before moving to team B. I have applied for a permanent role in team A. The hiring manager has said that because of my previous time in their team, it is not necessary for me to interview, unless I request one. I had a very good exit review from team A, so my lasting impression with the hiring manager is good. There are on-going interviews with external candidates for this role too. Pros of me requesting an interview: It seems more professional to have a formal interview, which may help me look serious about the role as I'm relatively junior at the company. I don't want to appear complacent Interviews aren't usually pleasant, so why would I go for one which I have been told I don't have to? Is there any reason why, from a hiring manager's perspective, it would be advantageous to have an interview with a candidate who has previously worked in their team? Because the hiring manager already knows me, there may not be much to discuss, so I'm leaning towards saying I'm happy to not have an interview. What would be a good way to either: Say I'm happy to not have an interview, whilst still conveying that I'm serious about the role and that the manager knows me well enough already. Say I want an interview, despite the fact it could be just something short. <Q> At the moment they assume they know your answers to their questions because they've worked with you. <S> An interview is your chance to give your actual answers. <S> Only interview if you think your actual answers are better than their assumed answers. <A> You should definitely interview. <S> Even if it is a brief 5 minute chat it shows that you're very seriously applying for this role. <S> It also gives you the chance to connect more with the hiring personnel which is just another bonus. <A> Do you have experiences from Team "B" that are valuable to you and make you more qualified to do your job with Team "A"? <S> If so, then you need to share that with them somehow, and an interview would be appropriate. <S> Is only it your experiences with Team <S> "A", before, that garnered you impeccable exit evaluations/interviews, that will determine whether you get this role? <S> If so, then don't. <S> The hiring manager said, specifically, that they are well aware of your body of work, first hand, and that it is not necessary unless you want to. <S> Sounds like all things being equal , you don't really want to, but you worry that all things are not equal. <S> If the hiring manager, being the main person who determines who they will hire, felt that not interviewing would put you at any sort of a disadvantage, he would not have told you, in no uncertain terms, that it is not necessary. <S> You worry, it seems, that the outside candidates will seem "fresh" in their impressions and that you might lose out. <S> If that's your worry, I'd decline the interview, but state that you are perfectly willing to participate for one if any of the team members feels like they want a fresh interview impression to help them compare apples to apples. <S> Otherwise, if they tell you it's specifically not necessary, you request one, and have nothing new to add to what they already know about you, then you run the risk of basically wasting their time. <S> That would possibly make a worse impression than that which already existed. <A> If there are no other applicants - do you know?? <S> ? <S> - then it seems that they've opened up a seat for you and that going the route of a full interview can only serve to <S> disqualify you at this point. <S> Why make stuff harder than it needs to be?
| The point of an interview is to qualify yourself vs. other applicants. Sure there is a possibility of having a 'bad' interview, and avoiding it altogether seems like a good idea: but often "optional interviews" are not at all optional.
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is "IT" a loaded phrase for recruiting a software engineering role? My question is - does having the word "IT" in a job description raise red-flags for a non-trivial number of potential recruits? We are currently recruiting for software engineering roles spanning front-end type work (angular) through full stack & infrastructure (django, docker, database driven apps). In previous instances it has been roles that involved vision and machine learning applications. Background: I work for a semiconductor manufacturer. As such, we don't primarily ship software. Software is however (rather obviously) critical to ~every part of our process. The organization is structured with most software under the CIO / IT organization (there are reasons beyond the fact that we're not technically 'shipping' the deliverables; a semi mfg with N fabs is a lot like N companies in one; if software wasn't centralized somehow, each fab would be ~required to duplicate the work. Bad for efficiency, means work can't be load-balanced across fabs, etc) The organization universally adds "IT" prominently to job reqs. Eg "Engineering Apps Developer" becomes IT Engineering Apps Developer" . The work itself, and the phrasing of rest of the req, are "normal" and "compelling" for an engineer interested in the relevant areas. This strikes me as needlessly limiting who the reqs may appeal to. I have raised this internally, but get a lot of "Meh...". I haven't been in the org long, coming from a little different background than many (other companies that have more customer-facing software; roles under "R&D" orgs). My education background is CS ugrad at a well regarded school. The work I'm responsible for is similar in scope and details to my previous orgs; given the business structure it makes some sense how we're structured. So I'm asking about our external recruiting efforts, not whether i should like my org's title. Clearly it's a small issue among many, but after poling my network, the reactions are somewhat strong that "IT" has distinct connotations from "software engineering" - in a similar sense as "tester" is often distinct from "developer". Is this valid? Should I continue to try to get the org to stop advertising 'software engineer' roles as "IT" (or with much less emphasis) <Q> ... does having the word "IT" in a job description raise red-flags for potential recruits? <S> YES <S> IT is its own field and while it does cross common ground with developing software, they're very distinct from one another to someone in those fields. <S> Someone viewing the post may misinterpret the title to mean that the job is a combine role of sorts. <S> Just imagine a Microbiology Engineering Apps developer: think of what one may think that job entails. <A> Yes. <S> Reading such a job req would send a few red flags if I read it. <S> It would give me the impression that either the title was strictly for development for projects within the IT department, or that they included the "IT" because they didn't know any better, or that it was some sort of a hybrid role. <S> It's practically a cliché in IT that the Job req is going to be written by someone who has no idea of what the job actually entails. <S> This would reinforce that stereotype. <S> Anything that does not provide clarity, obfuscates. <S> Do not put "IT" in front of a title to make it sound better. <S> It has the opposite effect. <A> Definitely yes. <S> To me, if a position says IT in the title and the company isn't a software shop - they are confusing IT with development. <S> Amongst the devs I know, the worst nightmare they've experienced professionally has been with positions where the employer confuses the 2. <S> These are positions where as a developer they end up in a general "everything related to computers" job where one minute they are programming, another minute they are filling in for the helpdesk person, and then somewhere along the way they end up administering SharePoint or heading up training. <S> I look for a Software/Developer position whose responsibilities are strictly in a department dedicated to things related to creating/maintaining software - not fixing a secretary's Word document. <S> That isn't to belittle those that do IT infrastructure or helpdesk, but that companies who lump a programmer into a general IT role will not give them the kind of work they expect or find fulfilling <S> , will not appreciate their expertise, and will often not pay as well. <A> I expect this may vary with local culture but certainly in the UK <S> it's rare to see "IT" listed explicitly on a software engineer or developer job. <S> While I don't think adding it would put relevant people off applying <S> (I know if I saw it I'd just assume it was as a result of development being part of the IT function as a whole) <S> but I think you are more likely to see a problem in the other direction of clueless recruiters putting forward candidates from other areas of IT without them having the software engineering aspects. <A> Summary: <S> I disagree with many of the other answers. <S> I do not think "IT" in a job posting matters. <S> It is not a red flag for me or any of my peers. <S> Caveats: <S> I suppose the real answer varies based on the country and culture you're working with. <S> Your question does not specify that. <S> I'm an American from the midwest. <S> I am, however, a computer programmer who has done his share of looking at job postings over the years. <S> Analysis: <S> Neither I nor any programmer <S> I know pays much attention at all to job titles. <S> There is, certainly across different employers, absolutely no meaningful distinction between an "Engineer" or "Developer", prefixes like "Application Engineer" vs. "Software Developer", prefixes like "Junior", "Senior" or "Principal". <S> Certainly the number suffixes as in "SharePoint Developer II" don't mean a thing. <S> We always ignore the job title and look for that bulleted list of responsibilities: "X years of Oracle database development", "Y years of AngularJS". <S> That's how I tell whether a posting is worth pursuing. <S> You're right that "IT" often refers to tech support or folks who maintain infrastructure. <S> There are differences, in implication if not in definition, between "engineering", "development", etc. <S> So it's fair for you to ask about this. <S> There are many IT recruiters out there who haven't the first clue how software development works. <S> We programmers have all talked to them, so we generally take job titles and buzz words with a grain of salt, focusing more on the list of responsibilities.
| While there is nothing wrong with IT or the jobs in that category, putting it in front of a title can really misdirect many potential candidates.
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I want to extend my joining date by 10 days I am fresh graduate and have received an offer letter from a company I recently got placed in. However their joining date coincides with my pre planned family vacation. I need an joining date extension of 10 days. Is it possible? What reasons should I give the HR? <Q> To start with, of course its possible. <S> Given that you are are college hire, I am guessing you haven't had a lot of control in choosing the appropriate date. <S> Nevertheless, a heads up would have been nicer. <S> But still, good companies don't penalize on such matters. <S> Unless your position needs to be filled very urgently, there's good chance they will allow. <S> What reasons should I give the HR? <S> You don't want to start with the wrong foot. <S> Earn their trust by being honest. <S> 10 days IMO is not much. <S> All the best. <S> In worst case, if they don't agree and you have to comply with them and postpone your plans, that would again be a good example of your reliability. <S> Finally, take it all in good spirit. <A> You should have brought this up when they asked when you are able to start. <S> Now you're in a position to look like you have some difficulty with planning, but if they just sent you an offer letter you still have time to save some face. <S> You should be honest and tell them that you have a long-standing planned vacation and, if truthful, tell them that it can't be changed <S> and you won't be able to recover the money. <S> Apologize and ask if it is possible to have your joining date be Y instead of X. <A> Whether it is possible or not will depend on the company's policies and plans. <S> For example, some companies that hire a lot of new graduates do orientation and training for a block of new hires, making it more expensive to bring a new graduate on 10 days later. <S> The only way to know is to ask them. <S> The obvious reason to give HR is the truth: "I have a pre-planned family vacation. <S> May I delay my joining date to ....?".
| If you are being hired on individually it probably won't be a big deal, but if you're backfilling someone and there is limited time for knowledge transfer or if you are being hired in a group and are expected to do some kind of training/orientation, you may find yourself in a difficult position. Nothing other than the truth.
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How can I compare part time and student experience to full-time experience? Job offers are asking for n years of experience. I'm currently finishing my master's degree at university and asking myself how to determine "my n ". I started coding in my mid-teens and have had a job as a software developer (more or less) since 2011. The first jobs were less than a half-time job, as I was just a school kid, but I sometimes worked on and finished projects (websites for customers) all by myself. I also used to code in my free time, and bring this knowledge to my workplace and even introduced a new framework, that is now used there. Since starting to study at university I had on and off-times with working as a developer, but at this moment I have a half time job in a software development team. I feel like I can keep up with the skills of the more experienced (by years) colleagues. Most of them don't have a degree and judging from talks with my principal, about infrastructure planning, I seem to have more insights and understanding on broader topics, than my co-developers. I read the answer to this question to get more insights about my situation. I think the two factors that matter for determining experience in this case are Obviously the hours/days working paid ( Σ years in job * (working hours per week / full-time week hours) ) The time since I started coding: Technology passes by and I have seen and learned more than someone with equal work hours, whostarted later than me. How do I weigh and quantify these factors? Should I just put (1) on my CV? How would I explain and justify this kind of experience in an interview? <Q> I was in a similar position when graduating from my MS, with lots of internships and part-time work but no full-time, long-term work. <S> For technologies, separate into two or three categories like "Expert at..." and "Familiar with..." -- that's what they really want to know, after all. <S> Occasionally an online application forced me to input "years experience with [technology]". <S> In those cases, I simply put how many years since I started using it. <S> If someone asked (rarely), I'd explain I started coding at a young age. <S> Again, the rest of my application clearly indicated I was a new grad, so it's safe to assume the interviewer will understand. <S> If you're talking about things like "Job requirements: N yrs experience", sometimes companies "convert" advanced degrees into years experience, typically average length of the degree. <S> (This is usually indicated on the job posting, but you don't have anything to lose by asking.) <S> Keep in mind that maturity , not just knowledge, is a factor in "years of experience". <S> So if you are applying to a more advanced position, expect to field questions regarding that. <S> Prepare some concrete examples to talk about, like times you made decisions with long-term impact, or how you managed a difficult teammate. <A> I've never heard of the idea of explicitly answering the "N years of X" question. <S> Usually, that's answered by the CV in which you list your part-time jobs with start and end dates. <S> Finished projects count for a lot! <S> Bonus points if you can link to the websites and/or present testimonials by happy customers. <S> It's not clear how much of your experience consists of private projects, but absolutely list them too. <S> However, if nothing was published or hosted on github etc. <S> that might not count for much. <S> I usually summarize my projects in a single bullet point. <S> Use the cover letter to expound the skills you earned during the projects, both when it comes to coding and soft skills. <A> Bro. <S> You're overthinking this. <S> Let's say that you're looking for a web development position that involves databases (MySql, SQL Server, Oracle). <S> No one assumes that you've spent 365 contiguous days writing queries to qualify "1 Year" on a questionnaire, because that's not a general expectation in a web development position . <S> If you've used Technology XYZ intermittently between 2011 and 2017, it's just fine to say, "6 Years". <S> If you need to qualify it later, do that. <S> But don't rack your brain with all that stuff you put in your post, because no one (seriously!) is going to do an full-scale audit to make you prove it. <S> Your obligation is that if anyone asks, you need to be able to speak credibly on the experience that you have. <S> It may be enough, and it may not. <S> Lighten up.
| For part-time work while pursuing a degree I should think you're qualified enough to count that time as whole years of experience. I did not put any "years of experience" on my resume, only listed the various jobs (which were clearly marked as internships or overlapping with degree studies).
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Declining job offer for political reasons I am looking for work. I applied to a company located in the U.S., which is not my home country. Recently, I received a job offer from the company. But after careful consideration, and in light of the current political climate, I am no longer willing to work there. The company is still waiting for my decision to their offer letter. What ramifications would I experience if I declined, and gave my true reason ? Common wisdom is to never say anything negative. I'm normally not politically minded though in this specific situation, I do think being silent is not the right thing to do. <Q> Just indicate that your current personal situation is different than it was when you were wanting to move to the country for the job <S> and you can no longer move to the country for a job. <S> If they ask for specifics indicate you rather not discuss it with them as it's personal, but you are very appreciative for the job and regret things not working out so you could except the offer. <S> Edit based on comments :Political beliefs can be public or private. <S> The part to weigh is the specific politics involved as well as possible ramifications that may exist due to disagreeing with the politics in power. <S> Many times it may be arbitrary, however there are also political climates in the world that specifically disagreeing with the political party in power will get you killed. <S> Naturally this is a wide range between death and a slight disagreement over morning coffee. <S> If the person asking the question feels strongly enough to not even want to reside in the country of question then it seems presumable that keeping the intense political feelings that oppose the current government private unless they are specifically trying to change said politics in the country. <S> Without specific political scope and the points of contention <S> this answer favors on the side of safety/peace/friendliness which seems to be the desire of the person asking the question. <A> Like @Herb Wolfe said, bringing politics into workplace is almost never a good idea. <S> It also sounds very unprofessional, same as bringing gender, disability, or religion. <A> A lot of people are answering that you should not bring politics to the workplace. <S> On one hand this depends, on the other hand, it is not your workplace . <S> You do not have the job <S> and you don't want it. <S> I think, telling the truth about your reasoning is the best you can do, because: You won't lose anything. <S> It is not your workplace (or can you lose anything? <S> if so, you may have to be more cautious). <S> As pointed out by RichardU, Trump is in the US quite an emotional topic which already led to non-rational behavior of people in the past. <S> Even though realistically you won't face any disadvantages, it is still worth to keep the former in mind when talking to people. <S> It won't hurt anybody because it's not the company's fault (and if the company generally supports the leader... <S> well even better not to take the job and saying why). <S> So it is nothing "negative" but a matter of facts that you are not willing to accept these political conditions. <S> Do you think it would have been "negative" not to work in a third-Reich factory because of the political conditions? <S> It's one of the small things we can do in life that may make a difference. <S> This is actually quite a strong statement as, even though not statistically significant, it has a more significant impact on an emotional level. <S> Think of the boss hearing of this case, he may talk with others about it, even though it is one case, it is one case (the " I-know-a-guy " effect). <S> But of course, it depends on how important this point is to you. <S> My advice: decline the job and make the best out of it. <S> I think at least for yourself you will feel quite more comfortable after having made a statement than remaining silent. <S> If you prefer the latter, stating "personal reasons", as mentioned in other answers as well, should be fine. <S> To the down-voters: please leave a comment and explain why you think it is a bad answer. <S> We all want answers to improve and discussions to happen!
| Declining a job is an action that says "my reason is quite good" and shows some real consequences. As you haven't accepted the offer yet, you can just say "I no longer view the offer a good fit for me" or similar, but don't say a word about the election.
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Should I worry about a company if hiring manager acts unprofessionally? I applied to a company and on the onsite interview, my Future Manager and the team showed how they are impressed with my CV and test assignment I made, which felt intense. After that Hiring Manager started the process with me. I had HR interview and then reference call. Although I’m happy with the team, position, and salary, I have a strong concern about Hiring Manager. For example, she could call me at 9pm to assign interview call (instead of emailing). Promises to make a reference call on Monday and do that on Tuesday. They stretched the process into two weeks instead of one (as was arranged). She was 1.5 hours late on offer call. She texts to me calling me «my dear». And in the end, she sent job contract, where she made significant mistakes: apparently copy pasted someone's contract and didn’t replace all dates and names. She specified the wrong position (Junior instead of Senior) and when I asked her, is that position correct, she confirmed without any concern. My Future Manager is aware of all these things and apologized a few times. But he seems passive and does nothing. Does the behavior of Hiring Manager reflect the culture in the company? Is it ok, that my Future Manager doesn’t have any leverages on the process? Update: I asked my Future Manager to make corrections in the contract. He promised that will be done in 2 days. Instead (without any notification of being late), he connected me to Hiring Manager 1.5 week later, who concerns about my cultural fit because of my complaints regarding mistakes in the contract(lol?). I dropped the contract. <Q> This would be a red flag for me. <S> Nobody's perfect, but the behavior of the hiring manager shows a severe lack of healthy professional boundaries. <S> A 9 PM phone call? <S> Addressing you as "my dear"? <S> Mistakes in your formal offer? <S> Nooo! <S> What's worse is that your manager is unfazed by the behavior, which would tell me that such behavior at that business is considered acceptable by the people that are already there. <S> Kristina, since you seem to have that nagging little voice inside your head that's telling you something's wrong, listen to it!!! <S> Or you might learn the hard way - like discovering that not getting you a paycheck on time is also something considered to be acceptable . <S> Maya Angelou : <S> "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." <A> Does the behavior of Hiring Manager reflect the culture in the company? <S> Not necessarily. <S> Managers over time do tend to reflect the culture of the company. <S> In part, that is their job. <S> Additionally, the culture of the company by definition changes them. <S> But if the HR person ("Hiring Manager") is new, or trying to change the culture, they initially may not reflect the culture at all. <S> Eventually they must either change the culture, fit in or look elsewhere. <S> Is it ok, that my Future Manager doesn’t have any leverages on the process? <S> Not all managers have a lot of influence within a company and fewer have influence over HR practices. <S> And while it might be nice to hook your wagon to someone with major influence over HR practices, it's not essential to a good job. <S> Should I worry about a company if hiring manager acts unprofessionally? <S> In general, if you are getting a bad feeling about your potential future manager (or any aspect of the company culture) and that feeling is strong enough, you should consider if you really want to work for this company or not. <S> You may have a lot of interactions with your manager, and in many ways your manager controls your career within the company. <S> It's very common for people who choose to leave to cite their relationship with their boss as the top reason. <S> You can search for "top reasons people quit", for example: https://www.thebalance.com/top-reasons-why-employees-quit-their-job-1918985 <S> On the other hand, you may have very little interaction with the HR rep after you are hired. <A> Is the hiring manager someone you'd have any dealings with if you were to start working there? <S> If not and everyone else you've dealt with has been ok (which it seems like they have) <S> then I wouldn't overly worry about it. <S> Every organisation has individuals who are a bit of PITA to deal with and it doesn't necessarily imply that the whole company or culture is like that. <S> The fact that your potential future manager has a apologized is something I would take as a good sign - and I wouldn't be worrying about their apparent passivity over the issue. <S> It's unlikely they have direct authority over the Hiring Manager to <S> make them change and this may well not be the first time they have had to run the gauntlet, if they have voiced concerns about it before and not got <S> anywhere then I can appreciate that they might just have to grit their teeth and get through it. <A> To be honest, I think this is a matter of your personal preference. <S> Calling at 9:00 PM and calling you "my dear", might seem very unprofessional, but it isn't necessarily so <S> , it is just very informal (she might argue friendly). <S> So you may not like this level of informality (or especially being called "my dear") <S> - a lot of people don't and that's fine, but if you don't mind that then I wouldn't be worried by it. <S> I think it's simply the personality of the hiring manager. <S> It's conceivable that the same could apply to the lateness of the other stuff. <S> What you could do is find out how long the company have been in business - if it's a long time <S> then it's a good sign they don't let it interfere with their actual work.
| Their behavior probably shouldn't concern you much, but you should always listen to your own feelings.
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Resigning after 6 months without a good reason I've been working at a company in Japan for the past 6 months. I really am not enjoying my life here as much as I thought I would (both at work and out), so I am thinking of handing in my resignation and returning to my country for a bit. What would be a good reason to give for resigning if, ultimately, my only reason is that I don't like living here? I'd like to leave on the best terms possible but I realize this is difficult given the fact that I'm leaving after only half a year. EDIT: Now that I think about it more there are several reasons. At work, my boss quit a few months after I joined so I had to take on a bunch of responsibilities which I didn't want or ask for, or know how to deal with properly. I also had to take two interns under my wing, one of which had been there longer than myself, which I thought was ridiculous. That intern has quit now so this leaves me and another guy to do all the work. Outside of work, I am just not really thrilled of living in Japan anymore as I thought I'd be. <Q> In fact, the reason is so generally accepted, you probably won't even need to cite other workplace-related reasons. <S> Having said that, emigrating to another country is often difficult - especially if there is a language barrier. <S> These things take time - but if you already now feel that your expectations and reality are too far apart to ever really meet, perhaps it is time to cut your losses. <A> What you are going through is entirely normal. <S> Given your time frame, it sounds like you're right in the middle of what's called the "trough of disillusionment", which is a typical stage in the process of culture shock. <S> I'm going to take a guess: When you first got into the country you were having a lot fun. <S> All the differences of the new culture were exciting and you really enjoyed exploring your new surroundings. <S> But then over time it started getting annoying. <S> You started missing the comforts of home and the strangeness of your new location really started to set in. <S> This was compounded by the fact your job started getting hard when your old boss left and now you just want out, you're done. <S> Most people go through a cycle like this when they immerse themselves in a new culture. <S> At first everything is fun and exciting, but over time it wears down and can get downright depressing. <S> This is very common. <S> But if they stick with it and fight through that trough, what they find is things tend to get better. <S> Eventually their new surroundings start becoming more familiar and eventually they feel just like they're at home. <S> So before you make any decisions, ask yourself if you really want to go home now, or if you are just in middle of the low point of this very common cycle. <S> Do you know anyone else from your home country? <S> Go out to get a coffee with them. <S> Call a friend at home. <S> Try and find some little comfort that reminds you of home. <S> Maybe a restaurant that serves food fro your home country. <S> Take some time for yourself and remind yourself that things will get better . <S> It would be a shame to give up on a cool experience like this just because of a temporary bad feeling. <S> Employment is generally a free will thing. <S> You can leave for any reason or no reason. <S> So, if you decide you really do need to go home. <S> That it is all just too much to take, I think saying you miss home and want to go back is a perfectly valid reason to resign. <S> But I would ask you to consider whether that is something you really want to do first. <S> Good luck! <A> If they ask why you resigned after six month, I'd think a "I was returning to my home country" would be a reasonable and acceptable reason, that really would not require further elaboration.
| Wanting to return to your home country will virtually always be considered a valid reason for resignation. Unless you have a contract locking you in place, you really don't need a reason to resign.
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Should Management dismiss an Employee incapable/unwilling to contribute during their notice period? I'm a software developer at a small UK-based development company. One of my colleagues, let's call him 'Jack', has handed in his notice. Jack is still within his probation period and if he intends to resign, his contract states that he must work a month's notice period before leaving. As a senior developer to him, I have had absolutely no issues working with Jack during this time and he has done his work well. His abrupt departure took me by surprise. When I asked what his reasons were for leaving, he mentioned 'other personal reasons'. I know Jack has previous issues with anxiety and panic attacks, which means it might be a factor. Jack has completed a week of his notice period and ran the idea past me of reducing that time. He has explicitly stated that he cannot and would not contribute anything more useful to our work, claiming that remaining in the office will only cause him further stress, rendering him of little use. I made no promises to him but suggested he approach our manager about this request. Our manager has insisted that he work the full notice period. I cannot however, confidently assign any tasks to Jack because of the reasons he gave above. Our manager - who is out of the office for most of this time - has remarked that keeping Jack around is to 'recuperate some of the costs incurred in hiring him'. He was hired through a recruitment agency. There was also mention that the company is 'obligated' to pay Jack's full notice period, regardless of the reasons for his dismissal / resignation. Jack has remarked that if the stress gets too much for him, he may simply walk out and not come back (and is prepared to forfeit his last salary payment if the need arises). My questions are: How do you convince a manager that an employee who cannot / will not actually do anything should be allowed to leave early? If said employee goes AWOL, what legal ramifications might he incur? Does his contract legally obligate him to attend work? I can appreciate that the second question might be aimed more at the Law StackExchange. My primary concern is the first question. <Q> Them not doing anything is one thing, but if their open lethargy and boredness makes other employees unhappy and/or less productive, it can increase overall productivity to let them go. <S> My boss has always personally walked employees off premises if he had the feeling that they may be more harm than good during their notice period; and this sounds exactly like such a case. <S> Your manager is throwing good money after the bad to "recoup his losses". <A> In his current state, continuing to attend work is obviously deteriorating Jack's mental health. <S> He's also not just not contributing to productivity, but actually draining it. <S> You need to make this clear to your manager. <S> By keeping Jack around, the manager isn't just harming Jack's mental health (something the manager might not actually care about), but also harming the team productivity. <S> I'd suggest putting Jack on what is commonly called "Gardening Leave". <S> E.G telling Jack to stay home and just swallow the pill of paying out the notice period. <S> Sometimes, you just have to cut your losses and not throw good money (the productivity of the other devs) after bad money. <A> It sounds like Jack is a primary candidate for gardening leave, a UK practice of paying people to not get another job until their notice is up. <S> In answer to your questions... 2) <S> He should still be entitled to sick leave, according to company policy. <S> If Jack has exceded what is allowed, then he is entitled to statutory sick pay. <S> Of course, this may impact on a reference request. <S> 1) Explain the above. <S> Does the company want to deal with all that? <S> Why not let Jack go now to be at home to look for another job, provided all handover is done, and start the recruitment process for his replacement? <A> keeping Jack around is to 'recuperate some of the costs incurred in hiring him'. <S> Most recruitment agencies have it in their contract that if an employee leaves within a certain period, then the client will get a reduced (or free) rate for the next person that they supply for the position. <S> So keeping him around may, in fact, end up costing the company more money, if his notice period makes him fall outside the 'warranty' period. <S> As other people have said, Gardening Leave is a great option if you do need to keep him on the payroll until his last day.
| Your manager should bear in mind that an unhappy employee can decrease overall productivity compared to no employee at all. If Jack is leaving for medical reasons, it might be best to send him off.
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Boss and/or Ranking Co-workers are regularly going through my office at night? Is the following normal and acceptable and, if not, how should I address it? I started working at this new place a few months ago. I am on a desktop. At first, I noticed things like my computer running when I had turned it off the prior night. If I leave my coffee cup in front of my keyboard, it is moved aside in the morning. When I mentioned needing admin access on my machine, my ranking co-worker (defacto IT guy) admitted that he entered my office and did it the night before, after I had left. I have notice this now, I would say, 6 or more times. Before assigning me this computer, they had not wiped it. I know there are other user accounts on my machine. It generally feels like a lack of trust and professionalism. The office doors are key locked, at night too. Am I right to be irritated that people are regularly going through my office without asking? I recognize that it is all company property, but I find it a bit rude. EDIT: It sounds as though I am probably in the wrong to feel defensive about this. I never keep personal information of any kind on my work computer, but I come from a company with very different practices. Before, I had a laptop that was required to be taken home, the rule was to never let it leave your side unsecured. IT changes were pushed remotely. This is just new and uncomfortable, but not wrong. <Q> Yep <S> that's pretty irritating, and I would probably feel similarly about it to how you do. <S> However assuming that the person(s) doing this have the appropriate authority in the company to do so <S> then there isn't a lot you can do about it <S> (of course leaving is the nuclear option), it may speak to a lack of trust <S> but I would be wary of jumping straight to that conclusion. <S> If you think about the "granting admin" case - IT & Network admin staff often do things out of hours to reduce disruption to the working day. <S> I've worked in several companies where staff could walk in the next morning and find all their equipment had been swapped out or even moved to another desk entirely since they left the previous day. <S> Things like the coffee cup moving could be so many legitimate things - an admin using the machine or even a cleaner moving it to clean the desk surface. <S> Regarding the other user accounts and the lack of a wipe before you started, well, as easy as it is to start thinking of a work computer as "your machine" <S> it really isn't <S> it is the company's computer <S> and they can do whatever they like with it. <S> As to what you do now I would say not to panic at this stage, I would ensure I didn't keep anything personal (or anything you wouldn't want the company to see) on the computer <S> but I would advise that regardless (not your machine remember?) <S> and if you get any solid indications or evidence that they are actually "going through" your computer or things then you can either raise that specifically and see what they say or leave depending on whether you feel that the situation is rectifiable or not. <A> It's their sandbox, their rules. <S> That said, protect yourself. <S> Keep nothing personal on your computer, and don't keep things in your office <S> you don't want people touching, looking at or taking. <S> This should be something you do even if people aren't going through your things. <A> You've answered the first question yourself; is it wrong? <S> technically no. <S> But the second question is why do you feel weird about it? <S> I've found that something 'feels wrong' if it doesn't tick all of these these boxes... <S> Intent : Are they doing it for good reasons, to be helpful or kind? <S> Constent <S> : Did they ask permission? <S> Not everything requires permission, but affecting people without their consent is bad manners like pushing past people or taking the last doughnut in the break room. <S> Expectation of harm. <S> Is it sensible to assume that people won't be physically or mentally harmed by their actions? <S> If you don't know why they're doing it, <S> what they're doing and <S> you haven't given consent <S> , I think you have every right to feel weird. <S> If you ask what they're doing and why (intent) and you still don't mind ( <S> consent <S> ) it probably won't hurt you (expectation of harm). <A> I always find it unusual when new starters are given workstations with the residual cruft from the previous users. <S> As far as I can tell the easiest way to deal with this is usually to load up the 'add remove programs' screen and have a browse for software available on the network, 9/10 times you will find that there's a reimage or restore to base image package which you can run to wipe all the old stuff off the machine. <A> Company equipment including computers are the company's property. <S> Management can authorize people such as IT administrators to access the employee's computer at their own discretion. <S> However, employees must also be aware of the company policies. <S> You should speak with your manager about this. <S> Do not ask in a negative way or show signs of anger about this, or else they might suspect that you have something to hide, but show them that you are uncomfortable about this, and you are afraid that some important documents might be misplaced or lost. <S> And avoid to leave personal data on the computer.
| It's not unheard of for things like this to just be the norm in a company and may have no reflection upon you or how the company feels about you at all.
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Is it a good idea to ask for Revenue-per-employee on an interview? When I go to an interview I want to know about the company's financial solidity. Generalizing, what I said about "Revenue by employee" is applicable to any other financial indicator of a potential employer. The rationale behind this question is: I do not want to work at an employer that's much less financially solid than where I am working now. <Q> I would prefer to make this a comment, but I don't have the rep yet. <S> I work in the U.S.A. in software startups; if you are working in a different industry/sector or country, my answer may not be applicable. <S> I also like to find out about the financial health of a company when I am interviewing. <S> I usually preface my question with, "I know that you are private and that financial information is sensitive, but... <S> " and then ask about burn rate, how long they can last at their current ops level, etc. <S> Most companies are willing to share, in rough numbers, this information. <S> I agree with David K that revenue per employee is not something most interviewers will have at their finger tips. <S> If a company is very guarded about this info, it's a red flag to me. <A> I would research this on my own. <S> If it's publicly traded, you can find that sort of information online about past performance and current trends. <S> Find ratings by the BBB (if applicable) and if possible reviews of products and services (though take those with a grain of salt... <S> far more dissatisfied people are found in reviews because they're not talking if they are satisfied). <S> In short, it's more important for you to find something on your own. <S> As was said before, the HM may not have that information right up front, and whether or not they do, it's always important to do your homework first before any interview. <A> Absolutely! <S> Especially if your intuition is throwing hints in your direction. <S> There are places I've been where I've walked in the front door to interview and instantly been concerned with the company's ability to send home paychecks on time. <S> Cluttered spaces, run-down furniture, peeling paint. <S> This is by no means a complete list of indicators. <S> You'd never want to work for any business that's just as sloppy on internal processes.
| As far as it being a good idea to ask, I think it's entirely reasonable for an interviewee to get some idea about the state of the company with whom he or she may be working.
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How to list short term work experience (freelance, contractually) without seeming like I switch jobs too often Hi, I am a web developer from NYC with about a year plus of total freelance experience (and a few years comp sci major). I am looking to get a full time role now, but am not sure how to list short term roles without seeming like I switch positions too often (e.g every three months, give or take). The only long term experience I have is as a tutor for 3 years, but that is not directly coding for web development related. Currently I have many entries (around 5 on my resume and more on my linkedin) that look like this: Full Stack Dev | Company A Sep to Nov 2016Lead Front End Dev | Company BDec 2016 to March 2017 I think this might deter employers from seeing me a serious candidate because they might believe I switch around often. How can I write this so I seem like a serious candidate? <Q> If you're worried about the appearance of those items on your resumé you can just add that they were contracts. <S> For example: Lead Front End Dev | Company B Dec 2016 to March 2017 "(3 month contract) <S> " That will clarify what they are. <A> Just indicate that they're contract or freelance. <S> It's not that you won't seem like a serious candidate, the concern is that you don't "work out" frequently and have to move or that you can't be happy. <S> They just want reassurance that you're not going to bail in a few months. <S> Indicating that the jobs were short-term will help because it immediately says you weren't leaving a full-time job due to dissatisfaction on one side or the other. <S> But your job history is what it is. <S> In my experience, it hasn't precluded me from getting an interview and that's when you can explain the reason for the jobs being short term. <S> Since you're just starting out, it should be fine. <A> The answer is simple: They were all project based jobs. <S> Simply focus on the projects you worked on, name some keywords to describe them. <S> Project finished with contractor A, then comes next project with employer B, and so on. <S> No one willask why you switched after a successful project. <S> Isn't there also a field on LinkedIn under each job to describe the projects you worked on?
| A small indication that it is a contract is all you need.
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New Job: Is it rude to insist on a particular device/setup? I started my new job as a DevOps engineer last week. During the job interview I was told that I would be able to choose my own laptop/setup and they will take care of organizing it for me. Last Friday a colleague of mine, who is in charge of ordering new tech stuff, finally approached me and asked what kind of laptop I want (Currently I am working with a temporary device). I told him what kind of laptop I had in mind and also that I am working with a US keyboard layout (This is not very common in my country since I am French). In the evening I received a mail from my colleague asking me if it would be okay to buy the laptop with a French keyboard layout. He did not tell me why. So now I am in a dilemma: Of course I don't want to sound ungrateful but I have been working with a US keyboard for a couple of years now and adapted to it. Switching back to a french keyboard layout is not an option for me. Typing "american" on a french keyboard could work because on 99% of the time I am looking on the screen while typing, but sometimes I need that super special character and that would suck if I can't see where it is. What should I tell my colleague? Should I just go with it? Is it rude to ask why it has to be a french keyboard? <Q> He's asking if it's okay - whether it's a matter of minor inconvenience or something relatively important. <S> If it was not an option, the email would probably be informing you that you'd be getting one with a French keyboard layout, not asking if you'd be okay with it. <S> It is entirely possible that his email is "telling" you, but he's too polite to be that direct. <S> Respond with what you told us - that it is kind of a big deal for how you've been acclimated to working, and that it would make a difference in your work productivity. <S> Request, "if at all possible" that they get one with the setup you requested. <S> Maybe throw in a "if it's not possible, and <S> your note was more telling me vs asking me, I understand. <S> However, if we do have a genuine option, US keyboard layout, please." <A> They want to purchase the French layout because the laptop may last longer than you do with the company (smile). <S> In such case, they'd have to return it to the office pool, and who'd want to use it, if everyone there is used to the French-layout keyboards???? <S> The IT director probably doesn't want to get stuck with a useless piece of equipment -- nor would I. <S> But see, you (or the company) can always purchase an external US USB keyboard and use that. <S> A decent one could be had for 20-30 USD. <S> This would be a good compromise. <A> What should I tell my colleague? <S> Dear Collleague: <S> Thanks for checking with me on the laptop. <S> I would really prefer US keyboard because I am used to it and switching back to french would be difficult. <S> Would it be too much of hassle having a laptop with US keyboard? <S> Should I just go with it? <S> Try not to but do not put your foot down on it. <S> In the worst case you can buy an external keyboard as someone suggested in the comments. <S> Is it rude to ask why it has to be a french keyboard? <S> It is not rude <S> but you should not be concerned with their reasons unless they tell it yourself. <S> Your concern mainly should be the keyboard itself. <A> Since noone touched on this: Keep in mind the issue they face is most likely them only being able to get the FR keyboard version from the french market. <S> Doubt it would cost them anything extra to get you the US one over the FR, if they were both offered, I mean they did offer to get the exact model you asked for, doubt they would make a fuss over keyboard layouts to begin with. <A> "Hi, [Colleague], Thanks for your question about giving me a French keyboard. <S> Unfortunately, I'm a touch-typer and have got used to the US keyboard layout, so switching to a French keyboard would cause a big drop in my productivity. <S> Is there some reason I can't have a US keyboard? <S> If a US keyboard is really out of the question, are there any other options? <S> Perhaps an external US keyboard I can use when I'm at my desk? <S> Thanks for your help." <A> I don't know what the policies at this company is, I'm assuming that you probably aren't too sure either yet because you have just started, but what I do when I get a work laptop is just buy my own components. <S> No one that I've ever worked for has had an issue with it. <S> I've never really had the luxury of being able to specify what machine I want to work on, I just get what they have or what they've decided to order. <S> I usually end up popping in some more RAM, maybe an SSD if there isn't one already. <S> I can't stand working with something that just doesn't cut it. <S> What you might be able to do is just order yourself a US keyboard layout for that laptop and switch it out. <S> For some laptops this isn't that hard of a thing to do, but it depends on the laptop. <S> Then, if and when you leave, you can swap the French keyboard back in there and give it back to them. <S> Most laptop keyboards are pretty cheap. <S> Just thought this might be an option, asking them if you can get your own keyboard and swap it out while you're using that laptop.
| Insisting , on the other hand, might not put you in a favorable light and might be considered as rude.
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I'm not exactly a junior/entry level developer, but I can't find the correct way to illustrate this to potential employers So, it's no secret that it's a considerable amount more difficult to get a role as a software engineer when you're fresh out of college vs a few years of experience. I don't know that I am exactly entry level, I've built a lot of production quality sites doing freelance and contract work (typically building sites for businesses in a short timeframe: e.g 3-4 months) for about a year or so after doing comp sci in college and I've done contractual node.js and php instructing(online)/tutoring. But I don't have the backing of saying "I've worked at x company for three years" and I am finding it difficult to actually get an offer (the only long term experience I have is 3 years of math tutoring for in college) I often get interviews and can solve coding challenges if I make it to that stage. However, often I have the interviewer or employer tell me that they are looking for someone whose not a junior developer or with someone with a few years of experience. I feel as if my contract/freelance, teaching and college work is getting dismissed immediately because it's not a full time long term/3 years of experience role. How can I illustrate myself to receive competitive offers, without having 3+ years of experience. Summary: I don't necessarily consider myself entry level because I've coded for years and have had production quality sites, but I'm not illustrating this well enough to employers because they still consider me to not have enough experience. <Q> If you've been doing it for years as a freelance developer, then create a cool company name to go by and put it on your resume as "Owner / lead developer. <S> " After all, you were the one sourcing clients, meeting with stakeholders, and ensuring the stuff got done. <S> It definitely applies, and gets the point across. <S> Look, anyone can get a degree and show up to a cubicle. <S> Running a successful small business is hard. <S> This is definitely something you want to showcase to a potential employer. <A> It's probably not the work you're doing, but the stature of the businesses you're doing the work for. <S> You might look into certifications (even online) to prove your value. <A> It seems to me that, quite simply, you have about one year's experience actual programming computers, ie, being paid to program computers. <S> Is this correct? <S> (Please note that "math tutoring", or any other non-programming jobs, unfortunately are irrelevant: <S> better to not even mention it when job-seeking.) <S> Employers prefer if anything contract work over fulltime work. <S> Contracting is tougher, makes you learn more, and makes you work harder. <S> (That's assuming it's real, fully-paid professional contract work.) <S> If you like, edit your question, and state exactly (in months) exactly how many months of paid programming experience you have. <S> I feel as if my contract/freelance, teaching and college work is getting dismissed... <S> You are mixing-up two separate issues. <S> "College work" is irrelevant, nobody cares about it. <S> And your completely unrelated career ("teaching") is also of course irrelevant to your programming career. <S> So this leaves you with X months of "paid programming experience". <S> (It looks like X is about 12 to 18, correct?) <S> Again - the fact that your 12-18 months of experience is contracting is a positive. <S> It sounds like basically you're a ... <S> "skilled developer, just starting out, with 18 months experience on difficult highly professional projects." <S> and what about something like this ... <S> "skilled developer, just starting out, with 18 months experience on difficult highly professional projects, for the world's biggest brands. <S> My skills are particularly deep regarding x, y and z due to the extremely challenging a, b c projects." <S> That's precisely how you should present yourself! <S> Sounds pretty positive when you put it that way.
| If you've done most of your work for mom-and-pop businesses, AND it's freelance, AND most especially if you didn't work in the office, it doesn't lend itself as credible if you worked on-site for a easily researchable company.
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Mentioning technologies you have little experience with in your CV I recently went through the interview process for the position of software engineer. I did pretty good at all the interviews and now got a fairly good job offer, but I am very bothered about a few "exaggerations" I have made in my CV, namely: I have mentioned that I have experience with a few technologies that this company is using. Whilst this is completely true, my experience is rather modest (i.e. a few months at most) and I have not mentioned that. However I have provided a full description of all the projects that I have worked on along with the technology stack used, so they still have an overall impression. For the most important technologies used I have listed how many years of experience I have with them. I have slightly exaggerated my experience with some technologies they use - i.e. with one of the technologies I have about 4.5 months of experience which I have rounded to "about 1/2 year" and with another one I have 2 years and 10 months which I have rounded to "about 3 years" the biggest thing is that I have mentioned as a skill particular framework that is extremely large and I have only used an extremely limited part of it only for a couple of months. I have not mentioned this framework anywhere in the descriptions of the projects I have worked on and was never asked about it in the interview process. I only mentioned it because I was so not acquainted with it that I thought I have actually used everything from it :(. Does it make sense to mention technologies you have little experience with in your CV (in a way similar to LinkedIn skills)? Is this a lie? Should I be worried / refuse the offer because of this? <Q> Sometimes, even just a couple of months of experience is enough, especially if you're working with multiple tools, languages, and technologies. <S> It shows that you're willing and interested in learning more. <S> Keep in mind that with new technologies, half a year's experience may constitute relative expertise! <S> The right team will be ready to use what you have and help you build on it. <S> Remember that you can ask your hiring manager what their priorities are and then bone up on the technologies before you start and while you're in the on-boarding process. <A> From what you wrote in your post, it doesn't seem like you over-exaggerated to your detriment. <S> If you received an offer, then you're good to go. <S> Your last point may be an issue, but you can mitigate this by working hard to increase your knowledge of the framework. <S> Most importantly, be confident in your skill set, as well as your potential employer's ability to identify your strengths. <S> Instead, take solace in the fact that you have a solid base, and the ability to grow. <S> Seize this opportunity to bring value to your life. <S> Remember, you are not an imposter. <S> Cheers! <A> Well, i solve this problem by making separate lists of skills for >10 years, >5 year, >1 y experience and hobbyist/seldom used.
| You seem to know you have a lot to learn, so don't be afraid (and don't frighten your employer) by what you don't know.
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Do remote employees need permission to move to another state? I work in a state and my employer is in another state. I would like to move with my family to another state that is actually closer to the headquarters. Do I have to get permission from my employer since I am remote and could they fire me if they find out I moved? <Q> Do I have to get permission from my employer since I am remote and could they fire me if they find out I moved? <S> Assuming you are in the US, you never need permission to move. <S> But you should inform your employer of your plan to move, and the anticipated move date. <S> At a minimum, they will need to update their records for tax purposes, employee mailings, telephone access, etc. <S> It's also possible they will want you to change your connection methods while working from a different remote location (I'm imagining using a different VPN, for example). <S> I see no reason to suspect they would fire you for moving while working remotely. <A> You need to inform them as it affects your tax situation- <S> they need to withhold taxes for the state you're working for. <S> But it shouldn't be an issue, remote from one place is the same as remote from another. <A> I just realized something! <S> As a matter of fact, in the US a few companies that have remote workers, can only hire them in certain states. <S> This is somewhat commonplace, the jobs ads even will say "can hire remotely in .. list of states". <S> {Note that there's no fundamental legal or tax reason preventing any state - but due to the I assume accounting and perhaps healthcare corporate structure preferred/used by the company, they can only hire in certain states.} <S> So, indeed, it's pretty unlikely <S> this is the case, but really you should just straight away ask someone about your coming move. <S> There's no hard and fast rule. <S> I'd say "you should tell them" and "they should accept that". <S> Note that: they can fire you, for any reason, at all - or for no reason - at any time they want. <S> I assume you're in the USA; almost all employment is just "at will". <S> (Just as you can leave, if you happen to want to.) <S> Say: you moved, and for some reason you didn't tell them, and when you moved it caused a lot of chaos causing you to miss things at work, and additionally your time zone changed (and <S> you didn't tell them that), and generally your moving caused problems (for some reason or another). <S> Sure, they could fire you. <S> Note that, if you worked at the office (and lived in the same city), and you happened to be moving house <S> : it would be a bit weird to <S> not tell them that . <S> You'd mention it to your boss, you know? <S> Moving is a big disturbance, and they'd appreciate knowing. <S> I'd say that a general point: when you work remotely, it's a really good perk . <S> IME, most "remote employers" don't want any messing around you know? <S> Remote employees sort of have to be "more tight" than old-fashioned on-site employees. <S> As with any work issue, if you're an absolutely stellar team member, you can get away with anything. <S> Again in short, 1 - "you should tell them" 2 - "they should accept that". <A> After reading the whole stream there is one point that no one touched on. <S> An employer can agree to the relocation but they may reduce your compensation if you are moving to a location with a lower cost of living. <S> With the assumption that they would/could hire someone to do what you do at a much lower level of compensation. <S> I have heard as much as 25%
| So yes quite simply, in a sense, "they can fire you because you moved". If you worked at the office and moved, they wouldn't fire you (assuming you still came into the same office each day).
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How to handle (resigning) colleague continuously asking for your project status? I work for a small-medium sized company, and the company itself handles like 5/6 different projects. Every 2 days we arrange a standup meeting where we discuss the status of our projects, our deadlines and our problems. Since 2 weeks I noticed that one colleague is like of "stalking" my project... asking personally about the status, the technologies I used, the problems and the workaround I used. As long as I'm generally friendly and I share my competences in the company to improve everyone, the problem here is that my colleague is about to leave the company in 2 weeks, should I still share my project with him or I should ignore him? <Q> A reasonable assumption is that your colleague will be tackling a similar project in their new role. <S> There might be other motivations, but it is hard to second-guess them. <S> If you want to solve the mystery, you could always ask directly "Why are you so interested in my project lately?" - you will need to judge whether and how to ask it, I don't suggest being so blunt as my quote unless there is a casual culture where it is easy to ask such direct questions. <S> Other than that <S> , once you have spent enough time on giving updates through politeness (depending on your patience and workload - e.g. I might draw the line after a first 15 minute chat about the project), then I suggest you pass the problem of second-guessing the motivation and how much effort to put in, up to your manager. <S> Make it clear that he should request your time via your line manager. <S> At that point, if your colleague has a legitimate need in your company's view to learn more about your project, then it can be arranged without problems to your workload. <S> If he does not, then the only problem is you may burn a bridge with your ex-colleague (and he might be asking because he intends to offer you a role or work with you in future due to the project - although beware that could also be a problem for both of you). <A> Since 2 weeks I noticed that one colleague is like of "stalking" my project... asking personally about the status, the technologies I used, the problems and the workaround I used. <S> Is he asking for specific code examples, or just general open-source stuff like "what NPM plugin did you use to solve issue X"? <S> Assuming it's the latter, I personally wouldn't have any problem sharing the (open-source) technologies I've been using or the (high-level) approach I used to solve a generic problem, even though this employee is planning to leave. <S> In that situation, he's just asking for some last-minute professional advice from a colleague he clearly respects. <S> The content he's asking about is not owned by our company, so there's no legal implication for sharing what plugins you used with him <S> - he could get it himself at his next job if he wanted to. <S> However, if he wants specific code snippets or details of other NON-open-source tools we use in our current company (which he is about to leave) then I would politely decline to continue the conversation. <S> If he gets really pushy about it, I would probably also mention to his superior that he's asking for proprietary stuff that he doesn't need for his assigned tasks in the time he has remaining. <A> Given the circumstances, I'd say, "My priorities don't leave me any time to do any out-of-band technical discussions on this project. <S> But you're free to take a look at the source code which is in _____, or consult my boss if this is a priority. <S> And for technology <S> ____ <S> , there's a wealth of information on (google, links, etc). <S> " <S> Take yourself out of it. <S> You're not obligated in any way. <S> You don't have to be concerned with why this person is bugging you about the project.
| Suggest to your colleague that further reports/documentation on the project beyond the standups is something you would like to do, but that time for that would need to be prioritised by your manager.
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What's worse? "To whom it may concern" or "To " on cover letter Imagine this scenario. You are applying for a job and you are 80% sure you have found the recruiting manager of the company. It is unclear that they are definitely the right person to address it to, but it is likely that they are. Is it worse to add "to whom it may concern" on your cover letter or address it to the wrong person? Personally I think it is better to address the wrong person than no one at all, because at least it looks like you made the effort. <Q> Personally, I have never put a name to address a particular person on a CV or cover letter. <S> I've never even written "To whom it may concern." <S> If it concerns the person, then it does, and they will read it. <S> If it doesn't, they'll pass over it. <S> ( Edit : What I frequently use on cover letters is " Dear sir(s), ma'am(s): <S> ") <S> That said, writing the wrong name, like you said, will simply cause confusion. <S> For instance, the person whose desk it does land on may wonder what it is for, and the person whose desk it was supposed to land on will wonder where it is, or worse yet, never know that he was supposed to receive it. <S> A generalization won't hurt, and a specification could potentially. <S> As for making it show that you have put some effort into it: I'd save that for the interview or a less official document. <S> The CV is basically just for the employer to learn who you are and what skills you have. <S> Unless you're applying for a job in company research or something, including the name of the recruiting manager won't really help you get the job. <A> In a cover letter it's nearly always better to leave a name off if you are unsure. <S> For example, imagine someone is greeting you. <S> Would you rather they greet you incorrectly or just say something like, "Hey, how's it going!" <S> -- almost everyone would prefer a generic greeting over an incorrect one. <A> This may well vary depending upon local culture but personally if I were to receive a cover letter <S> (I'm assuming that's what you are referring to) with the wrong name on I'd be pretty offended (and would probably file it under "BIN") <S> whereas I'd be pretty neutral <S> about one addressed "to whom it may concern". <S> The first speaks to me of a lack of competence or sloppiness and the second mainly sounds like they are just applying for lots of jobs and are trying to save time. <A> This looks like the perfect opportunity to put into practice what many job-searching sites tell people to do: give them a call first! <S> If you call them, or email them, you can not only make sure you are addressing the right person, it also gives you the opportunity to ask a couple of questions about the job. <S> Whatever they answer you can incorporate in your cover letter (and you can erase anything that turns out to be irrelevant!) <S> Also, you can refer to your conversation in the cover letter, making your application a follow-up to an existing contact, rather than a cold call like most of the other applications.
| Personally, I wouldn't write any name on it. No one really will remember a "To whom it may concern" without a name, but it's likely an incorrect name will be noticed.
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How should I address wearing a piercing to my boss after three months of working? I started working as a programmer 3 months ago in a small company (only five persons, including my boss) in southern Germany. Usually I wear a piercing in my nasal septum, but for a more professional appearance I flipped it inward while at work, so neither my boss nor my colleagues know that I have a piercing. Now that I've been there for a while and settled in, I am thinking about wearing it visibly because it's more comfortable. I have no contact to people from outside besides very rarely salesmen or business partners. I have these possibilities: Ask my boss if it's okay for him if I wear a piercing, while stating willingness to remove it in case customers or salesmen come in. Tell my boss that I have this piercing now but that I can hide it (flip it in) if required. Just appear at work with the septum visible from now on without mentioning it actively. What is the best way to go about this? <Q> The professional way of resolving this is to review your Office's dress code <S> (ours can be found on our Employee's Handbook under the Office's code of conduct) and follow accordingly. <S> If there is none stated in the code, then consult your boss if you can wear said piercings. <S> Be prepared to remove them if he refuses so that you are comfortable at work. <A> I live in Germany and I have never seen a "dress code" appear as part of any official documents at any job I've had here. <S> I've never even seen an "employee handbook". <S> Maybe really big companies have them, but in small to midsize offices it does not seem to be a thing the way it is in the US. <S> In addition, I haven't gathered that people here really care about piercings or things like this very much in the first place. <S> For example, two of the assistants at my very posh doctor's office have facial piercings (one nose, one lip). <S> I have an ear full of earrings. <S> Nobody cares. <S> Especially since you are not customer facing, I just don't think they will be overly concerned. <S> They might be surprised, though, since they have been thus far unaware. <S> If you are worried I would go with a variation of option #2: "boss, I have a piercing in my septum which I can hide, if you prefer. <S> Can you give me an overview of when I should hide it?" <A> In general the most distinct point to make in Germany is if you have customer contact or not. <S> If it is a company of only 5 people, and you have mixed functions, then I would just wear it and informally ask the boss to tell me when he sees it fit not to wear it (e.g. going to customers etc.). <S> Something like <S> "I hope that this does not disturb anybody here, but please tell me if i should remove it in contact with business partners"
| Most People which I know are pretty tolerant, if they understand that you understand the rules (i.e. dress conservative when needed for the Job). If you do not have customer contact at all, then in my experience, in Germany and the technical world, you are pretty free to dress how you want, as long as you don't go too naked.
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Two weeks into internship and no clear roadmap? I was excited to join a large company this summer. Compensation is very generous but my manager still hasn't given much thought into what I can do to contribute for mobile development. As a result, I end up "playing around" and researching about the capabilities and limitations of each of the technologies they mentioned. The internship will last 12 weeks so I'm worried about the slow pace at which the internship started off with and wonder if the project will actually add value or not. I want my role to have purpose so I can be enthusiastic about putting in my entire day of time at the office. Do I have any misconceptions about what an internship entails? I was expecting to have a well defined project ready for me to work on and a mentor that will proactively offer guidance and check in on me since they opened up this position for one reason or another. It drained all my passion and I feel aimless in my 2nd week so far. Can I be assured that it'll get better or is this internship a bad one? <Q> I've written a lot about internships and the most important thing is communication. <S> Have you talked to your manager/mentor about this? <S> Unfortunately, there really is no way to "assure" anything. <S> What you should do is have a conversation with your boss. <S> Ask your manager if they have any idea of when you will have a better idea of a project. <S> Some things which would be great to bring to this meeting: Ideas of things you could do Questions about their work tracking system (maybe you can just grab a ticket and dive in) <S> If you don't feel like you're getting anything, ask if there are others on the team you could help out with (or pair program if your company does that sort of thing). <S> Do I have any misconceptions about what an internship entails? <S> Maybe. <S> Running a "good" internship experience takes a lot more effort/skill than most people realize. <S> This is probably the #1 difference in academia/school vs the real world. <S> In the "real world" you get ambiguous project goals (if you're lucky) and have to do all the "work" to determine what the work is. <S> Compared to school, where you get a list of requirements nearly always. <S> Generally, if you take initiative, communicate reasonably well, are eager to learn, and volunteer for things <S> you will have a good internship. <A> "my manager still hasn't given much thought into what I can do to contribute for mobile development" <S> Have you personally used the app? <S> If you are looking for something to do while they try to make up their minds, show some initiative and perform an 'informal review'. <S> Document (yes, really document in writing <S> so you have a product to show for your time spent <S> ) features that work well, those you like, those you dislike, and propose alternatives? <S> Just because they don't have a firm idea of what you could be doing does not mean that you cannot spend your time creating a meaningful contribution. <S> My company uses interns in this manner every year -- whatever they were hired to do for the internship, they are all 'user experience' subjects on a product or two. <S> There is far, far more that goes into creating a good mobile app than just coding -- that's the tail on the dog. <S> Thoughtful interface design, ease of use are among the aspects that should be considered before any code gets written. <A> Look at it a different way. <S> Perhaps the staff doesn't have the bandwidth to evaluate the technologies that you're looking at. <S> You might not be the person, in 12 weeks, who ends up implementing the technologies you're reviewing. <S> That doesn't mean the work you're doing isn't valuable. <S> Twelve weeks really isn't a very long time. <S> Even the analysis stage of projects can take much longer than that. <S> So let's think reasonably here. <S> The management is not necessarily obligated to put you into any position where you start a new project in week 1, leave in week 12, and just happen to be the only person who knows how the code works underneath it all. <S> That's a risk! <S> But by putting you in a research position, the risks are far less, and your research can be handed-off. <S> It has nothing to do with you personally.
| One of the things you could ask your manager for is more guidance on what to be doing.
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