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My ex-coworker wants to know my Bitlocker password I worked for X company as an applications developer and one of my former coworkers (not my supervisor or an IT person) asked me for my BitLocker password. I left the company 2 weeks ago for a new job. I cleaned my computer, but I didn't clean my network folder. I don't have anything to hide (illegal or other non work related documents), but I don't want my coworkers accessing my data. Also, I might have SSN or other Personal Identification information in there (for the on-boarding process etc). Is this coworker out of place asking for that information? How can I professionally decline his request? PS. This question is not a duplicate, because it's not my former boss that is requesting the password. It is a coworker and I don't have knowledge of that being done for a previous employee that left the company. In fact none of my coworkers were allowed to keep this ex-employee laptop around 'just in case I need his data'. That computer was formatted right away when he left the company. Resolution I told him that: I had wiped out my data, because of personal information, but that I had transferred important folders and files to team/shared drive. I told him that another coworker knew which files those were and where those files were located on the shared drive. I told him that I couldn't share my password because I used it in other accounts . Asked him if he needed something specific and offered to go to the office and type in the password directly into the computer. His response: "We just needed to send the licenses for ReSharper and RedGate back to the license server so that they could be reassigned.". My opinion; There aren't new developers since the hiring process takes ages. No one needs those licenses AFAIK. I honestly don't know why IT didn't contact me officially... He dropped the issue. <Q> I cleaned my computer, but I didn't clean my network folder Is this coworker out of place asking for that information? <S> They are not out of line for needing to access whatever was left in your network folder. <S> But there's no need to hand over your password to give them what they really need. <S> How can I professionally decline his request? <S> No need to lie about it. <S> Just say, "Sorry, but I won't give out a password." <S> Offer to come to the office (or to remote in), and transfer the contents of the network folder to a shared location. <S> Then delete any remaining (personal) contents and delete the folder, if you have that level of access. <S> Next time you leave a company, try to remember to transfer all company files, and nuke all personal data before exiting. <A> This answer is from the perspective of someone who manages information security. <S> You mentionned (case 1) a "Bitlocker password" <S> so this is either the boot password for your PC, or <S> a Bitlocker encrypted USB drive. <S> Then you mention (case 2) that you did not clear your "network folder" - which I assume to be a CIFS (SMB, windows) share. <S> It cannot be encrypted with Bitlocker. <S> Case 1 : <S> if Bitlocker was set up with some forward thinking, the recovery key will be on Active Directory. <S> If it is not then bad luck, they hopefully have backups. <S> If they do no then bad-bad luck -- but in any case you should never provide your password because in that case it is YOU logging in and not someone else . <S> If you have some extraordinary incentives to help to recover data from this PC, you can offer to do that, provided that a clear written log of actions is maintained, and that the whole activity is generally agreed upon in writing. <S> You come in <S> , you unlock you computer, you copy what is required <S> and then you lock it back. <S> If you do not have these incentives then you just say that you cannot give your password (which should by the way be in the information security policy, if there is one). <S> Case 2 : data on a network share. <S> If they cannot access them, then something is seriously wrong with the IT of this company. <S> The same incentive-based approach as the previous one is to be used. <S> But again, there is no Bitlocker involved <S> so I believe that this is not the case you mention. <A> How can I professionally decline his request? <S> I would politely decline their request, for the reasons you stated as part of your question. <S> Another option is to state that you forgot the password/key, as mentioned in the comments. <S> In the future I recommend deleting any personal or sensitive information from all the company resources (PC, Network Drives, etc) before <S> you leave the company. <A> Tell them - "Ouch, sorry, I don't have it handy at the moment. <S> You should ask IT to get you access to the drive, but all of the files on that drive should be located on the LAN at XYZ anyway. <S> Are you looking for something specific? <S> Maybe I can help you find it." <S> That protects you and them. <A> Is this coworker out of place asking for that information? <S> Yes. <S> How can I professionally decline his request? <S> "How are you, I don't have access to that any more. <S> Anything else I can help with? <S> Hope all is well." <S> Note that you literally "don't have access to it any more". <S> Is this coworker out of place asking for that information? <S> As I say "Yes", <S> but... <S> It's possible the person needed something specific ("that old license key we can never find!"). <S> In that case, your best response is remains something like "Sorry, I don't have access to that any more." <S> Sometimes, "white lies" are the only solution. <S> However, there is often a better way than making a "white lie". <S> If you think about it ... <S> you, truly, do not, in fact, 'have access to it' any more . <S> Totally setting aside technical issues (passwords etc), it's simply not your property, business, affair or issue any more. <S> You literally do not have access to it. <S> Just leave it at that. <A> If they have a legitimate business reason to access some of the data in that Bitlocker (i.e. company-owned data, not your personal info) then you have to be very careful in any refusal to provide the password as depending on your locale it can end up in an absurd legal mess. <S> You really don't want to become the next Terry Childs !
| Refer them to IT Sharing passwords is usually a bad idea - and oftentimes a violation of company policy which could get you and/or your former co-worker in trouble.
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Are my expectations of an internship reasonable? I recently started a SW internship at a big government contractor. I was very excited for the opportunity to work on big projects and collaborate with experienced programmers. However, my first day I got tasked with helping a small team of non programmers increase their efficiency. I spend most of my days doing work that is neither challenging nor stimulating such as writing macros in excel. I've also been given regular data entry work and find myself struggling to find work to do frequently. Is this normal for an internship? My entire reason for doing the internship was to gain experience and see how I liked working for a government contractor as a programmer. I feel like I'm not getting anything out of it. Are my expectations of an internship reasonable? <Q> Is this normal for an internship? <S> Internships vary widely from company to company. <S> You can be involved doing menial tasks like grabbing the team coffee, all the way to working/being taught by the lead developer. <S> How should I approach this situation? <S> With an open mind. <S> Most internships don't start off hot at the gate. <S> It takes time for companies to judge your skill level and give you tasks. <S> You need to pace your expectations and realize the position you're in at the company. <S> As a first year intern they don't expect much. <S> You have to ask for new tasks when you can. <S> Prove yourself by exceeding their expectations. <S> Be thankful. <S> I was lucky to have relevant job internships. <S> Many of my friends weren't. <S> Manual labour is the typical flavour of summer work. <S> So take all opportunities as a golden ticket. <S> Your data entry might seem menial, but it gives you an appreciation for what you're automating. <S> Talk to the people you're writing scripts for: it's good experience with getting requirements from customers (blood from a stone). <S> And lastly, if you truly can't find work, take some courses online. <S> Take the spare time to increase your coding skills and build something you want to. <S> Practice is the only wait to get better. <A> I was very excited for the opportunity to work on big projects and collaborate with experienced programmers. <S> If those were your expectations, then they might have been a bit unreasonable. <S> In most shops where I have worked, interns were initially given inconsequential "safe" projects, at least until we could accurately assess their abilities. <S> Even then everyone typically had important tasks to be completed. <S> These "experience programmers" may or may not have enough time available to bring an intern up to speed on any big projects. <S> Mentoring interns was never anyone's top priority. <S> More often, interns were given smaller tasks that never seemed to get done, tasks that the more experienced developers were happy to offload. <A> I think writing macros on Excel is good start. <S> First few weeks for junior developers are quite unexciting - you read a lot of documents, ask some questions and somebody with more experience is tutoring you. <S> Obviously, company will spend less time on you than on regular worker. <S> That means you will be given some work that is not very critical nor need a lot of supervision. <S> My advice is do every task as good as you can. <S> Do not show your frustration. <S> If you finnish you work early - ask for more or even suggest something if you feel confident enough. <S> Don't be afraid of bothering <S> them - professionals appreciate some enthusiasm. <S> It's opportunity to gain some soft skills as well.
| As always, it depends on the context - in this case the company, your abilities, the pace of projects, the free time of mentors, etc.
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Should I include therapy on a Resume? Last year I realized I needed to properly deal with some things (depression, social anxiety, panic attacks, and other "fun" stuff) as I found myself constantly both on and over the edge of burnout and exhaustion. So I eventually decided to quit my job to take some time to focus 100% on therapy, exercise (both physical and psychological), and just generally get things on a better track than they were before. (Luckily I live in Norway, so doing this is possible while still surviving financially) Anyways, although I still work on some hobby projects and is responsible for a few websites, my CV will now have quite a big hole in it. So... Should I include therapy on my Resume? It's not a job in the literal, classical sense, but it sure is a lot of work going to several therapy sessions every week, and the goal (other than hopefully ending up with a less depressive life) is specifically to be able to be a better, braver, more reliable employee in the future. Anyways... thoughts? Have a hole in the resume that someone will probably ask about anyways in a job interview? Be open and (in short) summarize what you've been up to since your last job? I'm a believer in honesty and openness, and believe going to therapy and working on yourself is a good thing, so personally I look positively on people taking their issues seriously and dealing with them as needed. But don't really know what others think. Probably a lot of differences depending on what culture you're from here too... <Q> Does the therapy directly apply to the job you are applying for? <S> Does it give you skills that make you a stronger candidate than others? <S> If not, then leave it off. <S> It is similar to claiming to have work skills based on being off work for a few years to be a full time mom. <S> Yes, there are skills needed to do that job well, but they are not generally the skills that most particular jobs are looking for, and calling yourself a 'household engineer' is no better or worse than claiming the skills you needed to get well are directly useful in the job you are now applying for. <S> Unless, of course, they are. <S> If they are, then by all means include them. <A> I'd even put it on my resume as-such, and leave it at that. <S> If they want details about what you did during that time, you can give a vague overview, highlighting any hobbies or travel that you may have engaged in, but overall sabbitcals are fairly understood to be time where one is attending to personal interests that are not work related. <S> While your therapy could indeed (and hopefully does) have a positive impact on your ability to work more effectively in the future, this detail is far beyond any one else's business <S> and I don't think you should feel compelled to discuss that. <S> I also don't think there is any positive outcome to discussing it. <S> I personally would refrain from bringing up that aspect of your time off. <A> Should I include therapy on my Resume? <S> No. <S> Be prepared to discuss the reasons for your time off during interviews, including what you have done to overcome those issues. <S> But never include this sort of thing on your resume or CV. <S> You would be giving potential employers a reason to reject you, without being there in person to talk about how these issues are in the past, and the great work you did to overcome them.
| If it were me, I would simply say I took a personal sabbatical, which is in essense what you did - you intentionally took a break from working.
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Is it appropriate to thank a civil servant for their service in a cover letter? I am applying to a job as an analyst working with the fire department to help allocate resources more effectively. The job reports to the fire captain and at the end of my cover letter I was going to write something like: Thank you for your time, your service, and your consideration. First, I don't know if this is in bad taste. Second, I'm not sure about the wording because it seems to equate my thankfulness of their service with that of their time and consideration (of me in this role). Given that the last two are much more important to me personally than to society, I'm seriously considering keeping it in but re-writing it. <Q> Telling a firefighter "thank you for your service" in a context where you hope to get something from that person comes across as self-serving flattery. <S> Even if you have the best of intentions, it isn't a good look. <S> Don't do it. <A> Shorten it to: Thanks for your consideration. <S> You are applying for the job as an individual, and not meeting them as a representative of the society. <S> Your cover letter is not the right place to thank them for their service to the society. <S> There is a time and a place for everything. <S> If you feel strongly enough to thank them for their services, do that separately after your job application process is concluded. <A> The best way to express the thought that "the fire department does very important work <S> and I'm really grateful for it <S> " is in a sentence that says that as part of explaining why you want to work there. <S> Tossing ", your service, " into a closing sentence is in some ways too weak and dilute for getting across <S> "I sure think it's swell <S> you're there doing that job as part of that organization" while risking looking smarmy and insincere. <S> So go ahead and add an entire sentence that comes right out and approves of the existence of the fire department, somewhere early in your letter. <S> Maybe something like: <S> As a data analyst I normally support businesses in their drive to make a profit by producing products people really want, or saving money. <S> [or whatever your contribution usually means from a business point of view.] <S> A big appeal to me of this position is [something idealistic and lovely about how important the fire department is to your locality, and the impact your work could have in, I don't know, preventing fires, or getting firefighters to them sooner, or saving lives or whatever.] <S> This will flatter the chief far more than the typical "thank you for your service" and answer "why do you want to work here" and solve your issue around how to close your letter. <A> Well I do not know if saying thanks could be misunderstood especially if there has been an exchange between two people. <S> Except you have another intention, I'd rather you left your thanks as it is because it might warm up the fire fighter's mood, either for you or for the next beneficiary. <S> That's how I see it.
| Telling a firefighter "thank you for your service" when you expect nothing in return comes across as generous and appreciative.
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How to deal with a coworker that keeps jokingly stealing things from my desk? Our office is an open space community and my desk is right beside the walking path (I don't know if it's called that way), where people are passing by all day long. Of course I placed some stuff at my desk such as bottle of water, a cup for a tea, notebook, phone, snack sometimes, pens and etc. And there is this coworker that whenever comes around my place, he keeps stealing something from me (jokingly of course), provoking me to chase him around in order to get back my stuff. It was funny the first 2-3-4 times, but now it's getting really annoying. I stopped paying him attention and told him couple of times (with a serious tone) to just return my stuff, but he doesn't seem to get the message and just keeps laughing and running away with my stuff. Eventually, at the end of the day he comes at my desk to return whatever he stole, but It is still not cool to not have my bottle or something else the whole day. I am stubborn and sometimes I have to go out and buy another thing to eat, because I don't want to deal with him and go "beg" for my own things. He doesn't seem to understand that I stopped playing this game long ago. I don't know how to deal with this without insulting him or having bad feeling at the end. I'm even thinking of switching place with another coworker in order to eliminate the reason for him to pass by me. How can I get him to stop without complicating things further? Update: So it didn't go to the HR, but I shared my thoughts to the coworker next to me. When it happened again he told him to stop, because we are not here to play around, but to work. It was a little embarrassing but everything is okay since then :) We will see. <Q> I don't know how to deal with this without insulting him or having bad feeling at the end. <S> Well it sounds like you have a bad feeling about him already <S> , so you just need to be direct and to the point about it. <S> Go to him and tell him calmly but forcefully exactly what you want. <S> Bob, I'm taking my water bottle back. <S> Please do not take my things again. <S> I know you are joking around, but I do not find it funny anymore. <S> That should hopefully be good enough to get him to apologize and stop. <S> If he doesn't seem like he's getting the hint, then say that you will go to management. <S> I really don't want to make a big deal out of this, but if it happens again I will be talking to Alice about it. <A> He doesn't seem to understand that I stopped playing this game <S> You have stated multiple time that this behaviour is no longer tolerable by you. <S> I would tell them one final time that if it does not stop that a complaint will be made to HR. <S> I don't know how to deal with this without insulting him or having bad feeling at the end. <S> He is being unprofessional and impacting your productivity. <S> He is doing something wrong and if he can't understand that he needs to be dealt with by management. <S> Unprofessional behaviour is unacceptable. <A> Personally I would go directly to his boss and complain. <S> You have asked him to stop and he did not. <S> It is unprofessional behavior not a joke. <S> He needs to have someone sit him down and tell him in no uncertain terms that this is unacceptable and that he needs to stop it immediately or his job is at risk. <S> Is he going to be happy with you about this. <S> No. <S> But he is making your work life miserable <S> so frankly his feelings don't count here. <S> In any workplace I have worked in, a person persisting in harassment would be fired if he continued to do it after being told not to. <S> Note I didn't say this was necessarily sexual harassment even though you are two different sexes. <S> It might or might not be, but harassing any co-workers of any sex after they have specifically told them to cut it out, is harassment and bullying and unacceptable. <S> Most likely a person with such a misplaced sense of humor is annoying other colleagues as well. <S> For his own career, he needs to learn that when someone says, "not funny", it no longer is. <A> It seems your coworker indulges in some rather childish behavior. <S> In my experience, this gets resolved if you do similar things you would do with a child. <S> You say you stopped playing the game, but you will only really stop it if you stop being emotionally involved. <S> If he steals something, do not get up and chase him. <S> Do not come to his desk to ask for it. <S> Do not make it fun. <S> Write him a short, concise and totally non-fun email stating: "I know you took my water bottle. <S> I need to stay hydrated so do bring it back as soon as possible. <S> "If <S> they do not bring it back <S> quickly enough repeat the process once. <S> "I told you I need to stay hydrated. <S> You still have my water bottle. <S> I need it now . <S> This is not fun. <S> "If <S> it keeps happening <S> and they keep the items too long for your convenience (don't bring back your lunch before lunch time or your water bottle immediately), <S> And do that. <A> I worked in a place where someone took stuff from my desk as a joke. <S> After I placed a picture on my desk of my taekwondo master awarding me my latest black belt...that stopped. <S> I have no idea why --innocent <S> look--
| start adding little, unemotional warnings about having to mention it to you direct supervisor/HR if it stays that way. In this case that would be: do not play the game .
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Offered job overseas, but employer reluctant to offer any sort of relocation package I'm in the UK and have been offered a position with a software developer (currently a one-man-band) in Norway. I have known the chap for a few years, and he has a successful product in Norway and earns a good living from it, the business has a lot of (Norwegian) customers. He did until recently have a developer working alongside him, who recently left to pursue other activities. As a result of his previous developer leaving, he has now asked me to come on board to take over some of the development work to give him an opportunity to go out and sell to customers. Initially this will be me working from home remotely, however ultimately he has asked me to relocate to Norway and join him in the office, although this is a few months away. Once based out of the office we would then work on further expanding the reach of the product and work to launch the product in the global market. We have agreed a deal in principle with a good salary which would be linked to company performance (any new customers will increase my salary past a certain point and I would also gain equity in the company). Am I being unreasonable to expect or want a relocation package as part of this job offer? Would it be fair for me to ask for one? <Q> It's not unreasonable for you to ask, or an unreasonable thing to expect. <S> However most startups have a really huge problem with cashflow. <S> The thing that kills them is not bad sales or poor profitability, but simply running out of money. <S> If this guy gave you moving expenses, those would have to be paid you now, and that comes out of cashflow. <S> The company might literally not have that money, and even if it does it might bring forward the date he has to go looking for more funding, distracting from his sales efforts, and if he can't find it, killing the company. <S> If, on the other hand, you were able to fund your own move, and take a higher salary or more equity in the company, that might keep the company alive longer. <A> If you need help with the relocation expenses to move to Norway, then you need help with the relocation expenses to move to Norway. <S> You don't have to accept an offer, no matter how good it is otherwise, if it doesn't give you what you need. <S> It is also OK to tell your prospective employer what you need to get you to join. <S> He's trying to hire you; it is OK for you to set the terms it will take to make that happen. <S> Working for a start-up is risky to begin with, and asking you to uproot your life to move to a different country while taking on that risk is a big ask. <S> It is not unreasonable for you to ask for something to compensate for that. <S> Since you describe it as a one-man startup, it is entirely possible that he doesn't have the money to give you relocation expense, and you should be prepared for that. <S> He may not have the cash for it. <S> But that isn't your problem. <S> He needs to make it worth your while to go work for him. <S> If he can't give you relocation expenses, see if he will offer something else like more pay or equity or some other bonus. <S> Or maybe you can keep working remotely and delay the move. <S> Whatever it is you need to make you want to work for him. <S> Employment should be a mutually-beneficial arrangement. <S> You both need to get something out of it (he needs your skills in Norway, you need help getting to Norway). <S> If you aren't, then it isn't a good relationship, and it is OK to respectfully turn him down. <A> It's not unreasonable at all. <S> If he wants you, he has to compete with all the potential employers in the UK, where relocation wouldn't be needed. <S> On the other hand, you compete with all the potential employees in Norway where relocation isn't needed. <S> You should know what you need to charge, and that includes relocation. <S> If that is too expensive for the employer, so be it. <S> In that case you will have to find a job elsewhere.
| You are of course entitled to ask for relocation, and to refuse to move if you don't get it, but be aware that the developer may not be in a position to offer a big cash payment right now.
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How can I politely decline a duty not in my job description How do I tell my management that I do not want to train new hires any longer, when this is not part of my job? There are plenty of people that have been here for far longer than I have, but do none of the training. Training new hires is not in my job description, and I do not get any extra money for training. I have trained over 10 people so far. The majority of the new hires are new to the field and young, so there is a lot of catty behavior that I do not wish to be part of. I have been told that I am a trainer because I teach the new hires the right way to do things, however I just want to come to work and do the work that I was hired to do. <Q> First you need to think very carefully about whether you really want to do this. <S> Being the go-to trainer has a lot of potential career upside. <S> It may stand between you and layoffs (We must keep Contemplating to train the new hires when we get some more money). <S> As mentioned in a comment, it may be a stepping stone to promotions. <S> I would not focus on the job description. <S> Usually, job descriptions have some sort of "such other work" clause that easily covers training people to do what you know how to do. <S> If you have really thought about it, and still want to reduce or eliminated the training, arrange a one-on-one meeting with your manager: <S> I seem to be getting a lot of the training. <S> I do much prefer [normal work]. <S> Is there any way you can reduce the amount of my time that is going on training <S> so I can spend more of my time doing [normal work]? <A> How do I tell my management that I do not want to train new hires any longer, when this is not part of my job? <S> And you explain why. <S> Skip <S> any mention of "not in my job description". <S> That would be a big mistake. <S> Almost every job requires "and other tasks as required". <S> And a job description is never detailed enough to mention every aspect of your job. <S> Skip <S> any mention that you "do not get any extra money for training". <S> I'm assuming you are either salaried, or paid for all your hours of work. <S> People don't get extra for performing a task that they would rather not perform. <S> Skip <S> the part about "catty behavior". <S> That sounds petty. <S> And be aware that trying to avoid doing anything "extra" likely means you'll be passed over for any promotions, and potentially any raises. <S> If you are simply happy doing your routine job without every going outside your comfort zone, you can convey that to your manager. <A> Are you paid by the hour? <S> As long as i am paid by the hour, I am happy to do things for my company. <S> If I clearly take bigger responsibility then it is sure that this will come up in my next meeting where i discuss an increased salary with my boss. <S> People who don't do thing for the company because "it was not in the description" usually have a problem negotiating a raise when the times are bad for the company. <S> It is another thing if this keeps you from other duties for the company, but that is a different thing. <A> The transfer of knowledge from senior to employees to junior ones is part of everybody's job description. <S> A business can't function if new employees can't learn how to perform tasks from veteran ones. <S> To imply that this is an ancillary task - an afterthought - completely misses the point of what it means to work as part of a team in a workplace environment. <S> I have a sneaking suspicion that you may not provide as much value at your actual job title as you do in the job training. <S> There's this saying, "Those who can't do, teach. <S> " Perhaps your employer feels you're just better suited to instruction.
| You simply have a conversation with your manager and explain that you would prefer not to have to train new hires.
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Discussing dreams with coworkers A coworker and I are on pretty good terms. We've been working within talking distance from each other for a few years, usually on the same projects in a team. We sometimes, but not very often, discuss topics that are not work-related on our breaks, but neither of us are big talkers. I had a dream a few days ago in which that coworker was. Both of us acted weird (in a funny way) in the dream, and the situation was hilarious. I thought about telling him about it, figuring he might get a laugh out of it. But then I figured that it could be inapproriate in the workplace. After all, it still has the premise "I had a dream about you", which I guess could come off as pretty weird to some people. The dream contains nothing illegal, it's just a very weird situation. Is it appropriate to talk about weird dreams about a coworker in that situation? <Q> It's probably not appropriate to discuss dreams with a coworker; it can be appropriate to discuss dreams with a friend. <S> It gets hard when one person fulfills both roles, and we can't really tell. <S> If you think your friend would enjoy the story, you can tell it. <S> If you're not sure, in this case, I'd err on the side of caution. <S> Saying something wrong or weird to a friend is one thing, but if it's a person you need to work with 5 days a week and you can't let the embarrassment die out in a few days of silence, then it might get uncomfortable. <S> If you're not completely comfortable classifying your coworker as your friend, I'd also just not tell it. <A> I'd surely say "No" - it's really that straightforward. <S> Here's the key point: <S> Totally setting aside if the person is also a friend, acquaintance, good friend, friend-outside-work or any other issue: the person is in fact a coworker <S> and it is a work setting . <S> Example: say as it happened my Wife actually worked at the same place as me. <S> Hell, say we were both the owners and both worked there. <S> I would never for any reason bring up topics like "dreams" in the workplace. <S> The person is a coworker <S> and it is a work setting . <S> Enjoy your "work life" at the workplace, and enjoy your personal life, totally separately, in your personal life. <A> If it was truly funny <S> I would say go for it. <S> Yes, there it could get a little weird, but, given the context you describe, I doubt it would be that bad. <S> Keep in mind though, that other people usually do not find our dreams as interesting as we do.
| Never mention dreams (or anything remotely that personal) to coworkers and never mention them in any way in a work setting.
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Can a catering assistant be required to wear a skirt as part of a company-supplied uniform? I've worked in my catering job for 11 years. We were tuped over to our present employer 5 years ago. We wear a uniform of trousers (provided by ourselves), polo shirt and apron provided by them for our contract hours. If we do hospitality work (overtime) we wear black trousers, white shirt (provided by ourselves), tie and apron provided by company. Today we have been told the company is completely rebranding so the manager is picking our uniform, shirt and apron provided for contracted hours and we have to provide trousers. For hospitality work, the manager has picked skirt, waistcoat and scarf provided by company. I asked if there was a trouser alternative as I have never worn a skirt in this job and would prefer trousers. Answer is no. So I will miss out on overtime work as I don't want to wear a skirt. Is this allowed? Is it legal to insist you wear a skirt? <Q> So I will miss out on overtime work as I don't want to wear a skirt <S> Yes, unless your boss has a change of heart. <S> It's company uniform, if you want to work there you really need to wear the uniform. <S> You have asked and been denied, it's now up to you. <A> Yes they can, as long as they also force male employees to wear a similar suitable dress for the work (E.g. Smart trousers). <S> In the UK, there has been several cases and one such example can be found here . <S> The key part from that article is: provided that the employer applies a comparable or equivalent standard of smartness and conventionality across the sexes, the employer should not be held to have directly discriminated on the grounds of sex by enforcing different requirements for men and women <S> If you feel they are not applying the standard across different sexes, then you could have a case, but you'd need to discuss that with a lawyer or another suitable representative. <S> You'd have to prove that you are being treated differently than other people, and that could be difficult. <S> Here is another example case: Employers can force women to wear high heels as Government rejects campaign to ban the practice <A> First I'd check how strong the decision of the manager is. <S> If he or she had to decide between trousers and skirts and threw a coin to make the decision, then the decision could possibly be changed without problems. <S> The other thing to check is preferences of other employees. <S> If 19 out of 20 prefer trousers, that's a much better reason to change the decision than if you are the only one who wants trousers.
| If your colleagues are equally opposed to wearing skirts, you can come up with reasonable arguments why skirts or the whole uniform are unpractical, and if that doesn't convince your manager, then go directly to that manager's boss. Unless there is something in your contract stating a set amount of overtime you don't really have any leverage, and even then it's reasonable to expect/enforce employees to observe the dress code.
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Raise causes me to lose pay I recently received a raise at work, but I'm now taking home less pay. This is due to our medical insurance plan. It's tier based and apparently my meager $283 / year increase has now caused me to lose $1,200 / year. This raise was due to a position change (it's so small since it's just aligning me with the bottom tier of that position, I'll receive a more substantial increase in 6 monyhs), however I also would have more than exceeded the new threshold next year in my old position just due to annual increases. Would it be bad form to ask for a raise on the raise since it's now costing me more money? In case it's needed I work for a private company, no contract in Florida (USA) and am a salaried full time employee. Additional clarification. Without consulting hr I can't say for sure and I doubt they'd tell me anyway, but I believe my new rate of pay is the exact cut off for the next insurance rate tier. If I had stayed in my new position i would have surpassed that cutoff (ie my current rate) by at least $1,000. In 6 months I'm expected to see an increase of $5,000 above my current rate. <Q> Would it be bad form to ask for a raise on the raise since it's now costing me more money? <S> You certainly could explain your situation regarding the insurance tier and ask for more money to at least make you whole. <S> I'm guessing that wasn't intentional, and your employer may be able to do something about it. <S> If that fails, ask if you can decline the $283 / year "raise" in order to stay under the insurance threshold. <A> Maybe you can go back to your old salary and be compensated in extra paid vacation time rather than dollars - for now. <S> That way, you trade one perk for another, without taking home less money. <S> Can't hurt to state your case and ask. <A> If you got a small raise and that effectively causes you to lose money, it's obvious that you would want to do something about it. <S> Two obvious ways are giving up a tiny bit of salary, or getting a lot more salary. <S> The company would obviously prefer the first method, since it is cheaper for them, and to you it doesn't make a difference. <S> Asking for a $1200 dollar raise which wouldn't be based on your actual performance seems unlikely to succeed.
| I would contact HR, explain the situation, and the most likely to succeed without negative consequences would be giving up some salary to optimise the pocket in yur money, while recording in your personnel file that you deserve the higher salary, and any future raise should be calculated based on the higher salary.
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Politely declining contributing to a present for child's birth In our company, when one of the colleagues (or a spouse of a colleague) gives a birth to a child, others are typically gathering money for a present for a new-born child and a birthday card. The contribution is small (up to $5). This is organized by a secretary. On the particular case, the colleague who is about to receive such a present is not well-known to me personally. She has intentionally and professionally kept her colleagues out of her private life and at a distance. I know nothing about her except her name, how she looks (yes, we physically work on the same floor), her working area, and the name of the child. She hasn't even communicated the name of the father. I don't mind that at all - such a distance is ok with me as long as this distance is also maintained in all areas consistently. In effect, there is nothing personal. Moreover, several months before the birth, while still working, she declined my help request on a project issue, despite being reservedly helpful earlier. Servicing the particular request would have cost her 5-10 minutes. To do the job, I needed to invest several hours, since I had no background in the issue, and she knew that. That was hard to take (and, due to the amount of time spent and a suboptimal result affecting my work till now, I do remember that very well), but, formally speaking, she had a right to decline the request. I have no right whatsoever to reproach her. However, declining this request alienated us even further. Finally, my contract with the company terminates in a few months anyway, before she returns from her parental leave, and then I'm on the job market without funding; so I'm in an expense-calculation mode now. Of course, some savings exist, but they have all been allocated for the purposes of my family. E.g., I take food from home instead of going to the canteen. Moreover, I'm earning less than my colleagues, working half-time now. (The secretary, the boss, and 1-2 people more know my half-time status, but not more.) How to decline contributing to a gift politely? Yes, I've read How can I politely decline collecting donations for birthday presents? (The two situtations are partially overlapping but different. E.g., the current situation is very concrete and may be gender-specific in addition. Moreover, the birth of a child happens much more rarely than a birthday celebration.) <Q> Moreover, she declined my latest help request on some working issue, despite being reservedly helpful earlier. <S> Definitely do not escalate your grievance into a feud. <S> Put in the money. <S> In fact, this would be a great occasion for you to set aside your complaint against her. <S> This is by far the most professional thing to do. <S> You also have to deal with fallout from others. <S> Does the secretary now need to keep track of who has donated to know who to omit from joyous traditions in the future? <S> Why go there at all for $5 and a grudge? <A> Why are you declining in an email? <S> That would create a paper trail of you declining, which is probably not what you want. <S> But more obviously... Walk up to the secretary and apologise - say that your contract is ending and it is hard to make ends meet. <S> Do this honestly. <S> Nobody will mind if you cannot afford an expense because of future hardships. <S> This would, of course, seem odd if your income is above average, or if you order food at lunch time. <S> You've made this question a hard one to answer, however, because you seem so petty . <S> It appears that the main reason you don't want to pay is because someone didn't help you in the past - despite the fact that prior to that they had helped you. <S> (It appears this way due to your use of the word "moreover", and the order of you listing items). <S> If this truly is the reason, if you had some grudge that made sense, then aside from suggesting you think on djechlin's advice to simply pay up - it is good advice - you can either simply not respond to the email and not talk about it, or you can tell the secretary that you cannot afford it. <S> Absolutely don't publicly use the reason that at some past point in time you weren't given help as a reason to not pay $5. <A> You don't have to contribute if you don't want to. <S> Reasons not to contribute are: <S> Bad financial situation, being tight with money and/or antisocial, having no relation to the person whatsoever, or disliking the person. <S> The first and last are good reasons not to contribute. <S> In the last case, there's no reason to refuse "politely". <S> but you want to do it without repercussions. <S> If someone insists on more information, tell them "I said it is private, and you wouldn't want to know".
| So: Nothing in writing, and if you are directly asked for a contribution, say that there are private reasons why you don't want to contribute. That you want to contribute, but you need to save money. If you decline now the secretary trusts you less, due to your unusual decline of a token charity for mysterious reasons. This would be a uniquely bad time to start a countertradition of declining to put in $5 for a gift for an agreed upon occasion.
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Is it acceptable to do non-work-related things during my last few weeks with no work assigned to me? I'm a junior programmer in a small business. My employment is ending in a month because the boss did not renew my contract. I have only 3-4 days of holidays at disposal and I think the boss is pushing me to use more than those days so that at the end of the month will have to pay me less (because I would use more days than the holidays). I don't want that because I want to receive my full pay packet. The problem is that they do not give me anything to do. Since they do not give me anything to do, is it legitimate to do other things that do not concern this job? By other business I mean doing recreational stuff, not other commercial work! I just want to be spending those hours doing something instead of staying still! <Q> The problem is that they do not give me anything to do. <S> Since they do not give me anything to do is it legitimate to do other things that do not concern this job? <S> Rather than just waiting around, tell your manager/supervisor that you have no tasks assigned, and ask what you should do. <S> Then do whatever it is you are asked to do with your time. <A> The problem is that they do not give me anything to do. <S> I would argue that you should gives yourself something to do, such as typing up handover notes, adding comments to your existing code etc. <S> this way you are adding value to your employer, meaning that you should be remunerated for your work. <A> If by other things <S> you mean other commercial activities, the answer is no . <S> You're still on the clock and being paid for your time. <S> Your boss pushing you to use more than your allotted vacation time, or their not assigning tasks to you has nothing to do with the above. <S> Also: Depending on your locale your boss will likely have a legal claim to any income derived from your work on the clock. <S> So not only it's unethical, it's also dangerous. <A> If you do nothing in your last few days, expect nothing from them as a reference. <S> There is always work to do. <S> I have <S> never seen an IT shop that had everything documented, and all of their code commented properly. <S> Start working on that, or if you really want to be on their good side: write a guide for new people coming into the business. <S> Basically a short document that outlines all of the ins and outs to the company that you wish you had when you started. <S> When Management sees that you were a valuable asset until the very end, they will give you a great reference going forward. <S> Unless of course there is any reason they shouldn't give you a good reference, either way this will not hurt. <A> I don't know your country, but usually they will have to pay you if you show up at your regular time and do all the tasks they give you to do (within the scope of your job description). <S> If they give you none, their loss. <S> As long as you stay in your office and have no tasks assigned, you can legitimately do private stuff to kill time (you are not forced to sit still for hours), but you have to immediately start working again as soon as you get another task. <S> And you absolutely should not do other "business". <S> Everything <S> you code at work is the company's property. <S> Only do educational or recreational activities, like browsing SE. <S> ;) <S> ..unless your contract says otherwise. <S> Might want to take a look at it. <A> It's a tricky position for you as it is really demoralizing to have no future at an organization, be given no work & <S> yet you still want to be professional. <S> So he's probably keeping you in reserve in case there is a sudden surge in work or he's a bit lazy & can't be bothered as you'll leave soon enough. <S> This will mean that there is no comeback on you in the final month. <A> Go to programming languages tutorial pages, learn more things and improve yourself. <S> While this isn't what you were supposed to be doing, it is not exactly not-work-related. <S> Since your manager doesn't give you tasks to do, this is the most professional way to kill time in my opinion. <A> Assuming the United States, one aspect of contract work which is nice for the contractor is that the company is required to pay you for the hours you work, even if it goes over the standard number of hours (something which salaried employees may not enjoy depending on their exempt/non-exempt status). <S> The flip side is that the company is not obligated to pay you for hours that you do not work. <S> If your contract does not guarantee you at least forty hours of work in the week, the company may be completely within their rights to simply tell you they have no work for you today. <S> I have had that happen in contracts in the past. <A> There are plenty of workplaces where it is perfectly acceptable to play games or goof around. <S> But if you have to ask, you're not in one of them. <S> A good part is that this demoralizes people. <S> A lot of people would like the 'freedom' to goof around as well, and doing so in front of them would be like eating cookies in front of a someone on a diet. <S> While you can get away with it, it would be disrespectful. <S> You can likely do something entertaining which doesn't look fun, such as browse Stack Exchange. <S> If you really want to watch a movie, you might want to do it subtly on your phone and put on headphones. <A> You describe that they are looking for excuses to not pay you, but the reason you are still working instead of enjoying your leisure time is so they pay you. <S> So you definitely should not give them excuses to not pay you.
| Either way I'd speak to him in person & ask him if you could do some self education to cover the time you don't have tasks & follow this up with an email stating what you are doing & why. Since you are a junior programmer, what you can do is study. Keep your last few weeks professional and go out on a high note. Do not do anything that could be construed as commercial in the meantime. If your boss really wants to save money he would find a legal break in your contract & get rid of you - there is usually a legal way to do this for people on contracts.
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Applicant requested substantially higher salary than I had in mind: is it worth negotiating? I recently interviewed an applicant. At the end of the interview I asked him what he was looking for in terms of salary. The number he gave was substantially higher than what I had in mind (about 50% higher). I did some research to make sure that my salary expectations for the job and in my specific area were reasonable, and I'm very confident that they are. Presuming that the candidate would otherwise be a good fit, is it worth to negotiate? With such a large difference in salary expectations I feel like there isn't any way that we are both going to end up happy, but I'm relatively new to hiring and uncertain about a definitive answer. Could there be more to the story here that I am missing? Having read all this advice and having had more time to reflect upon the interview, here are some more details that might be relevant: We advertised a position for a full stack engineer and he emailed us directly with his resume as a front-end HTML/CSS developer. He understood the fact that he was not the candidate we were asking for in our job posting, but we have a variety of needs (including an expert in those skills), so we interviewed him anyway. As a result, there was no stated salary expectations (although his asking salary is at the high end of the posted engineer salary range). It sounds like at his current job he has a wide variety of different responsibilities. However, he billed himself to us as a front end HTML/CSS person, which is the skill set I was interested in. His other skills aren't of real value to us, and other skills that would make him more valuable to us are things that he doesn't have. As a result, his value to us is largely driven by his experience as an HTML/CSS developer. It could be that he might be worth more to other companies that might give him broader responsibilities. <Q> Presuming that the candidate would otherwise be a good fit, is it worth to negotiate? <S> If you don't negotiate, you definitely won't hire him (because he's asking too much) and therefore you're left without an employee. <S> If you DO negotiate (even if "negotiating" is just "look, I can offer you X, take it or leave it") <S> then you MIGHT get an employee in the end. <S> You might also not, but that really just leaves you where you would've been anyway - meaning you haven't lost anything in making the attempt. <S> It seems to me the only real question to ask is "can I negotiate for something in between my value and his (and how high can I go), or do I need to stand firm?" <S> That's a question best asked of your own boss, if you don't already know the answer. <S> Then, go back to the candidate and make him your best offer. <S> Que sera, sera. <A> Negotiating on salary is actually an important part of hiring process - not only for obvious reasons but also because you can find something about the person you are considering to hire. <S> The best option would be to be frank and ask: "The salary you've requested is bigger than I've anticipated for this role. <S> While it's perfectly normal, I'd like to know more about your reasoning behind this". <S> There's whole palette of possible answers that will potentially help you see candidate under different angle. <S> Even if you are 100% sure that it's not negotiable, at least you'll know more. <A> I would have to respectfully disagree with the other comments and answers if you are looking for a long term employee. <S> If you are looking to fill a hole quickly, then maybe I would make an offer. <S> If I were looking long term, the fact is that this person is most likely to be unhappy working for you and will be putting in time while looking for another job. <S> In the end you waste all the resources that go into training / getting up to speed. <S> In the long run if that person thinks they are worth 50% more than you offer they wont want to stay long term. <S> 50% is a big number. <S> If he is going high to negotiate, he must really be wanting at least 20% or so more than your offer. <S> ps <S> I would take one more look at your research into what the local market is paying for those skills. <A> You negotiate by simply declining to giving the candidate an offer at that price. <S> What you don't do is negotiate poorly , which means letting the candidate frame the conversation at an out-of-band number, and that would surely happen if you open yourself up to having to explain what's wrong with their number. <S> "I'm sorry but we don't offer that compensation, good luck in your search." <S> Is about what you want to do. <A> Did you press him to give a number? <S> If you did he could be following the advice of a book that I recently read on negotiation. <S> There the author specifically says to give an unrealistic number when forced to give one. <S> Then a person, in your position will say "wow, I can't do that". <S> Essentially closing the "sale", now it is just a mater of price (salary in this case). <S> You are probably considering raising the amount you were willing to pay for the position. <S> I'd talk to the candidate. <S> You will have to make sure of two things: <S> First he can afford to live on the number he is giving. <S> There may be other reasons why he is asking for a high salary, perhaps personal reasons dictate how much salary he can accept. <S> You do not want to hire someone who cannot afford to live. <S> Second is that he will be happy at the agreed upon amount. <S> You don't want to hire someone who is cranky about the salary they accepted even though it was their choice. <S> The book is <S> Never Split the Difference: <S> Negotiating <S> As If Your Life Depended On It , and a fun read for non-fiction.
| If his skills are in high demand, it may be that he really is worth much more than you planned to offer for the position. It is always worth it to have a conversation to see where a negotiation could go.
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Answering a salary range VS a specific one Out of curiosity, when a recruiter is asking what salary do you have in mind, I have read and a lot of people have told me to answer with a range. For example, $90,000 to $99,000 instead of $95,000. In theory, this will show that you are a more adaptive person. Multiple times on my call with the recruiter, they would reply "We offer the minimum, $90,000". I stopped using this strategy after multiple responses where the minimum was proposed. Let's say that I have $95,000 in mind and in my current field in my area, it is over the market. I feel that using the range strategy $95,000-$105,000 to be sure to get $95,000 is the way to go. Can this offend some recruiter with the thinking $95,000 is over the market, and asking for $105,000 this guy is crazy!? So, what are the advantage to propose a range? <Q> It depends. <S> But salary is just one component of a job. <S> You should always be looking at total compensation, not just salary. . <S> A performance bonus, pension matching scheme, an extra week's vacation, healthcare, stock options, all can and should make a difference to the salary you want and need. <S> You should never be giving a definite salary number until you know all there is to know about the job. <S> Apart from the factors above, which are almost never revealed until the closing stages of the recruitment process, you don't know exactly what the job entails. <S> There may be more or less responsibility than you thought. <S> You may be a better or worse fit than you thought. <S> All of those will affect the 'market rate' for your job, and thus how much the company might be willing to pay. <S> When recruiters ask about salary, I always tell them the above spiel. <S> Many of them then say things like "We still need an idea of salary", and then I give a range, and state again it depends on the job. <S> Also remember that negotiations aren't over until they are over. <S> If the company offers you the lowest value in your range, with no bonus or stock and minimal vacation, then tell them you need a higher value, (and this is important) because there is no bonus or stock. <S> You would have taken the low value if there had been a good bonus scheme. <S> This makes it clear to the company that you are not just trying to squeeze the maximum you can out of them, but that you have real reasons for wanting a higher salary. <A> I wouldn't state a range. <S> State a figure. <S> Note that it is only a rough discussion at this stage , so mathematically, if you will, it's pointless giving a range. <S> But there is a far more critical point than whether you mention a figure or a range. <S> It's really important that you add the language ... <S> "With what I now know about the role at this point, I'm thinking $xyz,000 is about right based on the current market." <S> Further. <S> An overwhelming negotiating point is, in a word, always ask questions. <S> "With what I now know about the role at this point, I'm thinking $xyz,000 is about right based on the current market. <S> What do you think?" <S> And the third part. <S> "It never hurts to be enthusiastic." <S> I really think that always applies. <S> So, <S> " <S> As you know I'm incredibly excited about your product P, and of course your people and practices are renowned. <S> With what I now know about the role at this point, I'm thinking $xyz,000 is about right based on the current market. <S> What do you think?" <S> Again, it is only a rough discussion at this stage <S> clarify over and over that this is just a starting point. <A> In my experience, recruiters are shady people that will do anything they can do to get more money. <S> Whenever I have been asked for a range, I have ended up with the low end. <S> Usually they will follow up with "If push came to shove, what's the absolute minimum though, like if they came back with minimum minus $2000 would you take it?" <S> The correct answer, given to you by my vast experience, is, "No." <S> I have gone into jobs where the agent has said the amount is xxx to xxx <S> + 50, when the client is paying xxx + 150 and upon saying "sorry that is too low, I won't go for less than xxx + 100" been told that "Maybe we can work with xxx + 100" and subsequently got the job without hassle. <S> Bottom line, don't negotiate downwards. <S> Don't be like one of those ebay bidders that with 1 minute to go bids 3 times as they're successively outbid. <S> Know what you want, and demand it.
| When people talk about giving salary ranges, it's usually in the context of negotiating strategy. Just state the lowest figure you will accept and stick to it. do NOT let yourself be boxed in to a figure (or range) at this stage.
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Asked if I had any job offers in interview I had an interview where they asked if I was actively interviewing with other companies. I told them yes. They then asked if I had any job offers that were pending or expiring. I flat out side no, but I think the way I said it was sort of selling myself short. What is a good response to this question and how should it be phrased? For example I had offers that I declined so maybe I should have mentioned that. I had this offer which I declined though I was wondering if I could use it evidence what other companies are willing to pay me. Though the interview is over, I could email it to the contact of the company I recently interview with. <Q> I'm a hiring manager, and I know my HR recruiters regularly ask this question (I know, because they tell me the responses). <S> I know that YMMV depending on where you're interviewing, but I will tell you that I do use this information to frame my offer and the priority of the offer paperwork with HR. <S> They are a resource constrained organization like most, and so being able to tell them, "Hey, we need this in two days" only when you really do need it that quickly helps a lot. <S> It will also affect how the HR recruiter talks to the candidate during the offer phase, in terms of timelines, selling our company to the candidate, etc; and if I know soon enough (the HR interview is usually first up in the morning, <S> while mine is over lunch; I have other steps in between), I will also use that information to specifically address areas that I think we are a better (or worse; I try to be objective) fit for the candidate than the companies they're already interviewing with or have offers from. <S> What it does <S> not affect is whether or not I will give an offer. <S> I do that entirely based on our own interview process, as I know that other companies are often looking for different attributes in a candidate than I am, and we've spent a lot of time refining our process to select the folks that are well suited to the company, while maintaining good diversity of thought. <S> I also don't let it affect the offer $, though I would say there is likely a correlation due purely on the fact that folks who are coming to the interview with other offers in hand will probably interview well and have solid skills (they come in more relaxed and confident and that affects how well they perform). <A> What is a good response to this question and how should it be phrased? <S> The company is basically trying to find out if they are currently the only bidder for your services. <S> You want to suggest that you are in constant demand and might be snatched up at any minute, as soon as you get a great offer. <S> I had this offer which I declined though I was wondering if I could use it evidence what other companies are willing to pay me. <S> Though the interview is over, I could email it to the contact of the company I recently interview with. <S> Don't do this - it would look odd. <S> There's no need to provide any evidence. <S> When the right time comes, ask for what you want as far as salary and benefits. <S> If you don't get it, just move on to the next company. <S> If you can get this far with two companies, you can probably find more. <S> You have a good sense of what you are worth, but there's no need to show them a number if you don't have to - they might offer a lot more. <A> Asking if you have an offer is kind of a weird game; for one, if you do have an offer they could either decide to move on you very quickly if they like you, or reject you outright, knowing you have some other option lined up. <S> Don't reveal too much information about your offers, and I would not recommend informing them (especially after the fact) that you've declined any offers. <S> If you do have an offer you're considering, feel free to volunteer that information (but only during the interview!), but no further. <S> You're also looking for a good fit, and that should be how you project yourself. <A> The interview is over so that time has past. <S> It's not a significant item that would warrant updating them, in my opinion. <S> You could bring it up though if there is a new offer from this company as a means of negotiation.
| Next time, something like "I've been getting offers, but have not yet accepted one" would probably convey what you want. The way I've always responded to those questions has been, "I am still in the interview process with [those companies]."
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Reason for leaving current job on application form when applying for previous job? I am applying for my previous job with the same company that I still work for in my current position. I don't like my current job in the organisation and I want to go back to what I enjoyed doing before my current position which is why I am reapplying to my old job. I would like to know how to word or phrase this better on the job application form which asks about my current job for which I am leaving, how do I say I would like to return to the position more formally or better worded on a job application?: Reason for leaving (if applicable) : ........................................................ Thanks all :) <Q> The application form is a boilerplate document that generally assumes you are leaving some other company to go there, and allows them to do a little digging on what, if any issues, there might have been. <S> They gather preliminary information on someone who is, previously, unknown to them. <S> That's not the case here, since you're not actually "leaving" anything for the new position. <S> You're staying with the company, and they don't have to dig about anything because your experiences with the company you are staying with are well-known to them. <S> Their standard process is to have an application filled out, so they make you do it to, but how they use it (if at all), will be very different. <S> So, in this case, it's a formality. <S> Leave it simple - "internal position change for more desired position." <S> Bam. <S> Done, and you don't burn any bridges or ruffle any feathers. <S> OR - since it says "if applicable" - you could also fill in "N/A (not applicable) - internal transfer." <S> Anything bland, generic and not especially informative will do. <S> They won't care. <S> They will care if you say "my current position stinks, I never should have left the previous one." <S> In the interview they might ask why you want to go back to a position or area you had before. <S> Just state that you really, really enjoyed your time at that position and miss the work, as much as you value the experiences gained in your current one. <A> The only explanation for leaving a job which I would give is that the job does not enable me to have the professional development which I like. <S> During an interview somebody could ask for specifics, but on a form i would only write that. <A> I feel I am a stronger candidate for the [prior] position, and I am better able to help the company achieve it's goals in [prior] position. <S> ...or just leave it blank keep in mind, your current manager may read the comment you write <A> This will enable me to maximize my productivity and value to the organization in that position. <A> You are applying for an internal job with the same company. <S> The job app is written from the generic point of view. <S> I would simply answer this with "internal transfer" - <S> it's not empty and it passes the smell test.
| Reason for Leaving The skills and experience gained my current position will compliment and augment my existing skills in the position to which I am applying.
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How to train customer service team to better describe issues We run the development team in an agile mode. We have agreed that we will have a place called the "Inbox" so that people in the customer service team can report bugs or important issues so we can estimate and decide if they go in the current sprint based on their description. However, numerous times it happens that we get issues which are not described well, missing screenshots, links, or steps to reproduce the issue. Also, people who report the issue try to offer a solution from their own understanding of the system, and this is wrong for many reasons, the most important being that they hide some important observations when they switch to solution-mode. I don't think people need to be technical to describe an issue with enough details that the development team can plan it properly, but it requires holistic thinking and being good at describing the facts and giving some indication of why the issue is important for them (how many customers complain, what they do to avoid/work around it and how much time it takes, etc). The current process that we are having requires to do a lot of back and forth until we understand the main issue, losing time and focus from actually planning and executing. What we tried bring focus to this problem generally to the customer service team creating a template card that they must copy which contains examples of good practices - it has not worked because people didn't copy the card making a video, explaining how to better describe issues and send it to everyone in an email when seeing an issue that was not well described we took to the person creating it and explained how they could have written a better explanation - We could notice small improvements for individual members but the overall story is that most people still don't describe the issues well enough and we end up spending a lot of time talking to them about the specifics None of these has worked in the long run and people still fail at the basics of describing an issue well - and we do not have a process when onboarding new customer service members. Besides this, I want to add that we do not have native English speaking members, but we do all communications in English. I also feel that people are rushing into writing something down quickly instead of taking time to think how their message is going to be received (is it clear enough). For me it is quite obvious how they are failing to describe the issues, but I do not understand why they lack the motivation to do something about it and what the best long-term strategy to improve this would be. Do you know of any techniques, ideas, principles to how we can approach guiding or training the customer service team (or any person) to become better at describing issues? Let me know if you think I have a wrong or incomplete understanding of what a well described issue is, I am eager to become better at this myself. <Q> A form-style template can work well for this sort of thing (if I read your post correctly you have tried something like this with your template card) and, remembering that customer services staff will have other tasks that they will be wanting to get on with, the key thing is to filling the form out to be the path of least resistance and ensure that the minimum information you need to tackle the issue is explicitly formed as certain questions on the form. <S> e.g: <S> System(s) <S> affected: <S> Number of users affected: Steps to reproduce: etc.. <S> Try as much as possible to avoid free-form sections and really guide them into giving the specific answers you need. <S> Obviously tailor this to your requirements! <S> If there are any individual customer service staff that you have a good rapport with then see if you can get them to test out the form with you before implementing it. <S> Where possible try to avoid presenting it as "you guys suck at reporting issues" or even "we find it difficult to work on issues with how they are reported" stress to them that the form is there to make their lives easier (which is actually true!) <S> as people are much more inclined to buy in to something that benefits them! <S> And then if you can get buy in from your management and customer services management <S> you just get firm with the line that any issues that are reported without using the form or without all the required fields filled out simply won't be worked on. <A> Ask them how you can help them to provide the information you need. <S> I think it's important to approach this issue with some empathy. <S> Customer service is not necessarily an easy job in itself and when you ask customer service representatives to add QA tasks to their existing workload it only makes their immediate workload heavier even if it might make it lighter in the long term ( which it probably won't, since refining your product and making it better should help it gain more users ). <S> Imagine <S> you have an angry/frustrated/desperate user on the phone that just needs to get past this issue to get their task accomplished. <S> Your number one goal is to solve this customers immediate problem and turn them back into a satisfied customer again. <S> This is typically not a great time to be asking for-what the customer might feel is irrelevant-information. <S> These customer service reps are users of your bug reporting system and you're going to have to cater to their needs just as you would any other user of any of your systems. <S> Some requests might just not be realistic. <S> Getting a screenshot of a bug from a customer is asking an awful lot from someone who may already be pretty frustrated and upset. <S> You may have to just settle for a transcribed description of how to replicate the issue and have your own QA team try and replicate the issue and fill in the missing info you need. <S> Some things weve tried with some success are: Flyers with a brief description of the most relevant information to gather that every rep has at their workstation. <S> It creates more work for us because we have to deal with hard copies of data, but some info is better than none. <S> Working closely with CS reps to find out how we can provide a solution that works best for them. <S> This builds trust and increases buy-in in the process. <S> They know that we understand their job is tough and are not just trying to pass off QA work to them. <A> I had to do something very similar for a reporting tool. <S> What I did was code the form so that it could not be submitted without everything being filled out. <S> You can try something similar, including requiring something to be in a screenshot, like requiring a file attachment. <S> How in depth you want to go is up to you. <S> There is always a point of diminishing returns, of course. <S> If you don't want to get that involved, you may want to kick out incomplete or poorly written reports and email them back to the person filling it out, with a CC to their boss. <A> Using a template that guides the user towards required information is a good idea. <S> Making the template mandatory (ie: "we won't address issues that aren't filled out properly") is also a good idea, if you have the authority to do that. <S> Another approach - if you can afford the time/manpower - would be to have one or two people dedicated to "bug triage" or "QA" on these issues. <S> These people would receive issues from the customer service team, reproduce them in a controlled test environment, and then fill out a proper bug report for the development team according to the standards you require. <S> (Or they would discard the ticket / send it back as "not an issue" in cases where there is no legitimate issue.) <S> How many people you have dedicated to this task would, of course, depend on how many issues come in per day from customer service. <S> If there are only a handful, you might be able to get away with assigning just one person - even part-time or rotating weekly - to triage the issues. <S> If you get a lot of issues each day (including potentially duplicates) then you might need one or more people on this all the time. <S> As such, the biggest blocker to this tactic would be getting management to sign off on hiring people and/or dedicating them to this task rather than the stuff your team already does. <S> The pay off would be that the rest of you could get back to focusing on your existing priorities without interruption or back-and-forth discussion (this would be done by the triage team when needed.)
| Paper forms that reps can quickly and easily write details down on while on a call.
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My colleague is sabotaging my reputation so the friend I replaced can be hired back I work as a remote technology specialist for a US based company. My colleague is a senior salesperson with 20 more years of experience. I replaced a friend of hers who used to work for the same company, in the same region as me. He got fired from his last job and wants his old job with us back. My colleague interacts with executives all the time. For the last 7 months she has been trying to sell them on a scenario where we hire her friend back to do management, and I focus on technology instead of business. She started using mistakes in my expenses and my being late to a few meetings as proof that I don't have a career in management. She made me do psychometric tests and goes around discussing the results with other managers. I feel under her heel, I feel manipulated and my only chance of keeping this job would be giving up my ambition and accepting her friend taking over for the most interesting parts of my job. My real manager, in the US, tells me I am being too negative. I obviously disagree but I don't have the tools to navigate this situation. How can I navigate this situations and protect my job and reputation? <Q> Glass, china, and reputation are easily cracked and never well mended. <S> Your only option here is to be above reproach and document everything. <S> You may want to get a copy of Brag! <S> How to toot your own horn without blowing it . <S> Then, wage war. <S> Never be late, triple check your work, document everything, and dramatize your ideas. <S> The best way to let management and executives know about your work is to tell them "Gee, we had this challenge (a) <S> and then I did <S> (b) <S> so, as a result(c)" then repeat, repeat, repeat. <S> Get everything in writing from the troublemaker when possible. <S> If she refuses to give you anything in writing, send an email "as per our conversation..." with details of what you talked about to her, and then CC the boss. <S> That's pretty much the only way. <A> The fact that the topics of these interactions with executives are getting back to you indicates you have allies either among the executives or people influential with them. <S> I know you're in defense mode, but trust me, your colleague scheming for months in support of someone who performed badly enough to get fired <S> looks worse for her than for you. <S> It wouldn't have gotten back to you if it didn't. <S> My suggestion is to take the high road. <S> Identify those allies, and the next time something happens, just ask them if they wouldn't mind doing a little damage control. <S> Yeah, I was late to that meeting, but I was on a critical call with a client. <S> That's <S> when I solved that crisis I told you about earlier. <S> Next time you see Executive Bob, would you mind "mentioning in passing" <S> that's why I was late? <S> If this colleague is truly as bad as you think, she does this to other people too in other situations, and everyone knows it. <S> Lots of offices have someone like her. <S> People who get taken seriously would have gotten results sooner than 7 months. <S> Mostly you have to avoid an overreaction or stooping to her level. <A> How can I navigate this situations and protect my job and reputation? <S> Start looking for another gig ASAP. <S> Any efforts on your part will only delay the inevitable, and trying to be perfect to avoid providing ammo will not happen . <S> You're a human being and are going to make mistakes. <S> Start looking for a new job now, while you're still employed. <A> I would tend to agree with @MisterPositive personally if there is any certainty of what they're saying actually happening, even though it can seem kind of negative or isn't the 'can do' attitude. <S> Another way to look at it is decisiveness and drive. <S> At the very least, they are slowing down your rate of progress by constantly complaining about you without their friend returning to take over parts of your own role, which is only going to make the chances of yourself progressing even lower. <S> I'd say Mister Positive's answer is actually being overly generous because if they're actively trying to find mistakes you don't even need to be making them to begin with, they'll find something to justify it, whether its a mistake or not. <S> There is merit in knowing if and when you're fighting a loosing approach and changing that approach earlier rather than later, if possible. <S> Something worth considering is that you may be 'more valuable' to an entirely different company. <S> Endlessly pouring effort into a situation that won't improve isn't a great idea; I've learned this the excessively hard (going to end up having a heart attack if I keep doing it) way. <S> Only you can really assess that situation because we don't know all the details of it. <S> Personally I would be looking at it from the perspective of how likely it is they can actually interfere with something like a promotion, how long they are likely to be around, is a location change possible. <S> If the answer is 'likely, years and no', go with Mister Positive's plan. <S> Another possibility with the situation could be trying to turn it around and gauging the response; e.g. trying to find if maybe they're planning to go themselves if they can't get their friend re-employed soon.
| There is virtually no way for you to win this.
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Is it a good idea to engage into a part time job with previous employer after starting a new full time job? A friend of mine is working in a company A on a full time position. He has been given an offer from a small company B for a full time position working from home and has accepted it. However he wants to continue working for A part time (on Saturdays) for whatever reason. The contract with B says that an employee should not engage with any other employment or activity without consent from B, which I pointed out to him. Now he wants to go and ask B if he may do so or not. Both A and B are not direct competitors, however share common industry and technologies to some extent - the way I see it. While I understand that he may ask B about part time with A. I have a feeling that this may be looked at as not a good thing in the new company. What do you think? <Q> People often have part-time jobs in addition to their full-time jobs - especially on weekends - to augment their income. <S> A contract that states you cannot work elsewhere at all without permission seems odd - unless it is looking for a conflict of interest (e.g. a government agency wanting to make sure your side work does not appear to be a conflict of interest). <S> All that being said, I think he still has an issue. <S> Perception Management Issue <S> If he were physically present working at Company B and his side job would not present a conflict, there is no harm in asking company B and they may even say yes. <S> However, he is working from home and that presents a perception management issue: <S> How does company B know that he is working on their work and not the other company's work? <S> Even if B says yes, he should still make sure he addresses this issue as it is a perception issue which could backfire. <S> People could easily suspect he's working for both companies during company B time, and if that becomes planted in his manager's head, then he may lose his work-at-home ability or worse, get fired. <S> Therefore, if he highly values working at home, he should probably decline to work at company A unless he can address the possible perception issue above. <A> While it depends on the employer, the key factors are: Is it a competitor? <S> Is there any conflict of interests? <S> Is there a no-moonlighting clause in the contract? <S> Is permission required? <S> Is it frowned upon even if permitted? <S> While there is usually no harm in asking, your friend should probably talk to a colleague first and ask if it's frowned upon before asking HR about it formally. <S> Beyond that, if everything is approved and he is permitted to take the PT job with the old company, the new company always takes precedence. <S> If they want you to work late, you call the PT job and tell them you can't make it. <S> If the PT job ever gets in the way of the FT position, there will be trouble. <A> 2 Things here. <S> 1st. <S> If the contract he signed says to ask about such matters then it is not a issue with the contracted company. <S> As long as the contracted company says he can work at the other company then he is clear to get that part time job! <S> Keep in mind most companies who allow you to work a 2nd job require that your work at their company is not effected by your work at your part time job. <S> 2nd. <S> To answer your question: I have a feeling that this may be looked at as not a good thing in the new company. <S> What do you think? <S> It is not something that would be looked down on. <S> As long as what you do outside of work is not effecting your job then there is nothing to worry about. <S> A company will be clear on their requirements for this kind of request.
| As long as the 2nd job does not conflict with your main jobs hours and is not a competitor in the companies eyes then they will most likely say its fine. I would advise caution even if the answer to all of the above questions is "no".
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How can I deal with a coworker always trying to put me in a bad light? In the past few weeks I have witnessed a bad behavior from a coworker of mine. He is a Mid-Junior developer and I'm a senior developer. I will try to give you some examples, being as unbiased as possible: recently we were given some deadlines, I completed all of them except one one small thing because I wanted to discuss that with my manager. He did less than half the things assigned to him. When questioned by the boss he immediately pointed out that I did not complete my deadlines too. When a bug is found and we are still trying to understand what caused it, he always immediately announces that it's my fault and I did something wrong. This may or may not be the case, but when he claims that it is completely without any proof. I asked why he said that in some occasions and his answers were along the line "you worked on that last, didn't you??". Maybe true, maybe false, but still... he arrived at the company after me (I hired him) and when there is some problem with our software he always tries to claim immediately as a possible reason that it's because of the technologies (programming languages, etc) I chose for the project. This is often obviously untrue, choosing a different set of technologies may have given us different disadvantages. When we split up the job and set the deadlines he always claims that I choose the super-easy tasks and he got the difficult ones. In my opinion, it is almost the opposite and to prove the point I casually offered him several times the chance to switch the task but he has always refused. I had to leave work earlier 2 days in a row because of personal reason. The second day while I was packing my stuff he almost shout to the whole office that I was slacking off again. Just for the sake of information, I do a lot of overtime. In some occasions he claimed some fake statistics. For instances we were with some coworkers and he said "hey I took a look the other day and despite been arrived here just a few months ago, I added and removed the same amount of line you added and removed in 2 years". We had no access to the web so I just answered that it was not a really important measure but that anyway it was quite unlikely in my opinion. I checked that in the afternoon and it was totally false. I'm not sure if the examples give you enough depth of knowledge here, but in generally when talking about anything, he generally has this behavior and claims that if I did something it was just super-easy, just luck, unimportant or it's going to break soon anyway. Now sometimes does these things when I'm present and I generally try to answer in a firm and polite tone that he is wrong. In other occasions I heard him doing this when I was not present and unable to answer in any way. I am fairly well respected at work, but after a few occasions I'm starting to think that some people believe him. I fear that this thing may become an issue in the future. What is the proper reaction here? I tried to answer these things point by point when they happen, but it looks like half of his job is bad-mouthing me and trying to be always alert about what he is saying is starting to become difficult and tiring for me. Nothing he is saying by itself is so bad to warrant any strong action like talking with HR I think. Please, advice! EDIT: I add three details: I'm not a direct manager to this person He doesn't have this behavior with other coworkers He gets along very well with our boss. <Q> In the last weeks I have witnessed a very bad behavior from a coworker of mine <S> I would advise talking to your coworker in private. <S> If your working relationship had been fine before, then there may have been some change that has sparked his behaviour. <S> It sounds like you have kept some form of log, which is useful. <S> If you can present objectively to your boss that your colleague is causing problems, and have evidence of how this is impacting the company (e.g. reduced efficiency), then your boss will take note. <S> Mention to them that you are having a private conversation with your colleague so that you are demonstrating <S> you are trying to solve the problem, rather than just presenting it to your manager. <S> I am fairly well respected at work, but after a few occasions I'm starting to think that some people believe him <S> I wouldn't worry too much about this. <S> Your colleague is likely to be causing more damage to their own reputation than to yours. <S> I would never take the unprofessional complaints of a junior about a senior seriously. <S> Nothing he is saying by itself is so bad to warrant any strong action like talking with HR <S> I think The HR policies I've seen have a clear hierarchy of: Informally try to resolve the problem yourself <S> If that fails, escalate it to your manager <S> Your situation may have to be escalated to HR, as it can be seen as workplace bullying. <S> But go through steps 1 and 2 first. <A> You seem to have to deal with a real brat , and there's not a lot of things to do in this situation. <S> You're not his manager , you can't chose to fire him because of his behaviour <S> but you're actually too nice when you answer him , which lets him think he can keep doin doing it. <S> Play his game , better than he does. <S> Stop giving him the choice. <S> He complains about your tasks being easier ? <S> Give them to him , and take his tasks , without giving him choice. <S> He shouts to the office earlier due to personal reasons ? <S> Ask him about his overtime , and how you're doing much more than him. <S> He speaks about statistics ? <S> Nice , this one is an easy to deal with one. <S> Asks for the statistics , and if he can't show them ask him to shut up until he has any proofs about what he's talking about. <S> I cold give you many other ways to deal with him , but you have to understand that you don't have to be polite to him. <S> He'll soon prove to everybody how much of an arrogant jackass he is. <S> There's a reason for ppl to respect seniors (even if that's just a work title).They have more experience and knowledge than we do. <S> Make a use of this to remind him why he should respect you. <A> I disagree with WorkerWithoutACause's answer. <S> I also think you are right to be concerned with your reputation among your coworkers; if your organization's culture is one that focuses on "getting along" over performance and facts, you may well find yourself shunned and mistreated by others if he plants enough seeds of resentment against you. <S> Your coworker has already shown he has no compunction whatsoever about lying. <S> If you were to talk to him in private he may use it to claim you have bullied him and make false statements about what went on in the private meeting. <S> You have stated that he has a very good relationship with your boss. <S> Given this, I would ask for a meeting with HR and your boss (at the same time) and lay out documented facts. <S> I suggest you emphasize that your are trying to add value to the company (in your day to day work) and you can not see how his behavior does anything except sew unrest. <S> Your boss may not be aware of the back-stabber's behavior towards you. <S> If you have the meeting with your boss and HR, your boss will undeniably be aware of his perfidy. <S> This being said, you need to be prepared for HR and your boss to say, "We expect you to work it out with him. <S> " If they do, then you need to make sure facts are well known in your organization. <S> Call him out, publicly, and demonstrate his dishonesty. <S> If it gets to this point, it's not going to end well for one of you <S> and you need to be ready to find a better place to work.
| Recently we were given some deadlines, I completed all of them except one small thing because I wanted to discuss that with my manager As well as having a conversation with your colleague, have a private conversation with your boss to raise your concerns. It is not your job to address such misbehavior. If that fails, escalate it to HR Only escalate straight to HR for serious policy breaches, e.g. sexual harassment (Which he does)You have to remind him who you are , prove him you are his superior due to your experience. Always be ready to challenge him , about everything.
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Is celebrating small victories unprofessional? Often when I'm coding and I crush a bug that I've been battling for a few hours I like to throw my hands in the air and sigh a small YES . Are these small celebrations seen by people as unprofessional? I am a younger worker and in the different places I've worked/interned doing this has received different reactions: Getting ignored (which is totally okay) Comments saying that my enthusiasm will die away eventually (I don't think it will) A coworker will ask what I did and offer me a congrats A silent high five or two Generally these reactions have been positive, and been from small teams of <10 people. Are there any rules of thumb that should be followed in these circumstances? <Q> This is so common among coders as to almost be a cliché, and even termed a "coder's victory". <S> I do it all the time and so do my colleagues. <S> We usually just grin, knowing the feeling. <S> Not only is it not wrong, it keeps the flow of energy going and the enthusiasm up, and generally seen as a positive. <S> Unless this becomes disruptive, don't worry about it. <S> While it's not unique to IT, I wouldn't do it outside of an IT environment unless I knew they had similar celebrations. <A> I would consider this actually a healthy practice. <S> Often people see problems on that large scale and ignore the individual tiny victories in life. <S> This should not only help you out but also inspire others to think of their small victories as something work celebrating. <S> The only thing to be mindful of is consideration of others and that you aren't shouting and disrupting everyone around you. <S> So long as it's just arm movements and a sigh of relief <S> I don't see any issue whatsoever. <A> Are these small celebrations seen by people as unprofessional? <S> I am a younger worker and in the different places I've worked/interned doing this has received different reactions As you have seen for yourself, these things are always contextual. <S> One writer I know, Johanna Rothman, even uses the phrase "inch pebbles" (as opposed to milestones) for such small victories. <S> In other shops a more sedate approach is common. <S> And sometimes it's a temporal thing. <S> A company that is in the middle of layoffs may not want to see anyone celebrating. <S> Get a sense of what is typical in your organization and celebrate accordingly. <A> Not only is that sort of thing common and normal, but it's a great opportunity to learn from each other. <S> Every time one of my colleagues <S> and I overcome a particularly annoying roadblock or problem, we get happy and tell the others nearby what the problem was and how we solved it. <S> The other people listening will usually express appreciation and will sometimes ask questions about it so that they can learn about what happened. <S> Often one of us will encounter something similar at a later time, and we'll be able remember that person X had the same problem and overcame it. <S> We'll either remember what person X did to solve the problem or we can go <S> ask person X to remind us what they did to solve the problem. <S> It's saved us lots of time and trouble. <A> Another answer hinted on this, but the most important thing here is that you're not distracting or disruptive. <S> That applies for this, specifically, but also generally in the workplace :) <S> Aside from that, you should be fine, and may even have a positive impact on other people's attitudes, having seen others in such good moods.
| In some shops small celebrations are common. It is important to celebrate the little daily victories which helps our overall sense of accomplishment and positive outlook in life. Just don't do it loudly, you'll be fine.
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How do I ask my manager for me not to be "deployed"? In the interviewing process at my current job, I was told that there would be at the most 25% travel time. I work for a software consulting firm. When I started the job, I found out eventually that employees get "deployed"; meaning, they will be sent out to job sites to work from weeks a time, to years at a time (depending on the project). To be completely honest, this just isn't for me. I like to work in the same place. One of the reasons I took this job is because it's located really close to where I live, and it's just a short 10 minute subway ride from my condo. I've gone through one interview process to be deployed for this company (didn't get the deployment), and am about to go through a second one. My question is the following: How do I talk to my boss about this? I'm thinking of having a conversation asking if it would be possible for me to not be deployed to a client-site, and to work on exclusively in-house projects if possible. It worries me though, that he might take it negatively. Since we're a consulting company. Other coworkers said this situation was clear to them in the interview - where in mine it was not. In my previous jobs I would only go to client-sites for installation (a week at the most). Is this a bad, or a good idea? Please explain your thoughts. Extra Info: I'm worried about getting fired if I talk to him about this - but also I don't want to intentionally bomb these deployment interviews in hopes that it won't happen. I'm thinking that if I do talk to him, I might want to have some job offers lined up already - just in case, and so that I have more leverage during the talk. I also really really like working for this company despite this. The office environment is perfect for me, and I love all of the people who work here. Being deployed would potentially change all of the things I like about this company. Update : Thanks for the responses, it was hard to choose a correct answer since they all had different points that were all valid. For right now I'm going for a bit of a temporary solution. I'm going through a lot of personal problems at the moment, so I'm going to say this to him, and request if he will choose someone else to go through the deployment process. In the meantime I'm going to keep my eyes open and send feelers out for another job. Eventually once I'm not going through so much outside of work I'll have the conversation with him about not being deployed ever. <Q> It sounds like that idea that some travel time would be part of the job was clearly specified during the interview process. <S> As such, asking your boss if you could be permanently assigned to the office would probably NOT go over well. <S> I would agree with your assessment that you should have a new job lined up if that's what you want to ask for, and personally, I wouldn't even ask this, I would just leave and find a job that has 0% travel. <S> That being said, you're not completely out of options here, you just need to be a bit more flexible. <S> Firstly, you should clarify exactly what "25% travel" means. <S> If you get deployed to another city for a year, does that mean you'll be kept in the office for the next three years after that, guaranteed? <S> Does it mean you won't be deployed for such a long term contract until <S> you've worked three years in the office? <S> Or something else? <S> Secondly, you could ask your boss if it would be possible to limit your deployments to "short term" opportunities, like one week here, one week there. <S> He might be willing to agree to that, or he might not. <S> As above, asking him to keep you in the office 100% of the time is probably NOT going to be acceptable, but asking for only short-term deployments <S> might be. <S> If you can't find a reasonable compromise and you do decide to move on, you should probably keep this experience in mind for future interviews - clarify not just how much overall time is travel, but how long could any single trip be, and how much "downtime" (staying locally) is to be expected in between trips. <A> I also really really like working for this company despite this. <S> The office environment is perfect for me, and I love all of the people who work here. <S> Being deployed would potentially change all of the things I like about this company. <S> Use your quote above to open a conversation with your boss as it points out the problem with deployment - it changes the company culture for you. <S> Then ASK if there is ANY possibility that you could avoid being deployed. <S> Keep it positive - do not argue. <S> If the answer is "no <S> " then you know that you'll have to start looking for a new job. <S> But, who knows, if the manager knows how much you love the company and people, he may make an exception to keep a valuable resource such as yourself. <A> I found out eventually that employees get "deployed"; meaning, they will be sent out to job sites to work from weeks a time, to years at a time To be completely honest, this just isn't for me. <S> It sounds like this isn't the right job/company for you. <S> Ask anyway. <S> Be prepared to find a new job elsewhere. <S> Other coworkers said this situation was clear to them in the interview - where in mine it was not. <S> In my previous jobs I would only go to client-sites for installation (a week at the most). <S> So clearly a disconnect occurred somewhere in your interview process. <S> Either you heard things that made you assume it was the same as your previous jobs, or they assumed you knew the nature of the work. <S> Either way, use this as a learning experience for what you need to ask in future interviews to be sure the job is what you need it to be.
| While you can ask to only work in-house, if it's the kinds of company you eventually found out about, I'd doubt they have much (if any) in-house work.
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Using sick leave to exercise I am over weight and generally out of shape and my doctor has suggested that I should work out regularly. I have accumulated a large amount of sick leave and was hoping to use that to be able to go to the gym a few times a week during lunch. My job responsibilities are such that taking a 2 hour lunch break a couple of days a week. Alternatively, we have flexible working hours so instead of taking a break in the middle of the day I could start work an hour late or leave an hour early. None of these options would negatively effect my co-workers ability to perform their jobs. It also would not be overly detrimental to my productivity (or more accurately I would still be able to exceed my annual performance goals). I work for the US government as a general schedule (GS) civilian employee. I believe this is the official sick leave policy . To be clear, the whole idea of using the sick leave is reduce the number of hours that I work a week such that I am maximally taking advantage of a benefit that my employer provides. That said, I do not wish to violate the policy and still intend on exceeding my performance goals. Would going to the gym on the advice of a doctor be considered receiving medical treatment ? Potentially the more general question is if any routine and regular preventative/wellness care qualifies for sick leave. <Q> You would have to talk to your HR/approving authority to determine whether it meets the employer's requirements/policy or not. <S> It is likely that you will be required to provide a prescription or doctor's note to justify regular, frequent sick leave. <S> It's entirely possible that you would not need to disclose the nature of the treatment if you just presented a note from your doctor saying something along the lines of <S> "StrongBad requires 2 hours of medical treatment 3 days/week." or similar. <S> (People would be curious, obviously, but it would likely be illegal for them to demand specifics). <A> From the employers standpoint sick leave is for when you are sick. <S> Its not meant to be taking the way you would take vacation time or personal time. <S> With that in mind you need to speak with your employer and determiner if what you want to do is ok and provide them with a good reason. <S> Some employers might say yes but most will say no to something like this. <S> I understand what you are trying to do <S> and I think it would be a good idea to have 2 hour lunches at work <S> so I could hit up the gym and have time to get cleaned up and go back to work. <S> For me thought I would not try to use sick time to do this. <S> Instead I would ask if I could have an extended lunch and just change the time I come into work to a little bit earlier <S> and or the time I leave work to be a little bit later. <S> It all really depends on the job you are in and how firm they are on working hours. <S> In any case you need to ask someone if it would be allowed and go from there. <A> If he says yes, then no worries. <S> Don't try to sugar-coat the reason or make excuses like "receiving medical treatment." <S> That will only make things so much worse if it does begin to draw unwanted attention. <S> However, if you approach your manager honestly about the situation, then you don't have to worry about anyone calling you a liar later. <S> That being said, consider this: If you really want to lose weight and keep it off <S> then you would probably be best served by getting into some more regular, long-term habits for exercise. <S> No matter how many sick days you have built up, sooner or later you will have burned through them all, and then you'll have to either stop or change your routine. <S> Perhaps it would be better to set up a schedule you can maintain indefinitely from the start. <S> Whether that be going in early so you can leave early and work out, going for walks in the evening, or whatever you think of that works for you. <S> If doing so side-steps any concerns about how you use your sick days, then so much the better.
| It's worth asking your immediate supervisor if he would be okay with you doing this. People have been fired for doing things outside of work that is not customarily done when one is sick.
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Is it OK to recommend an essential colleague from a previous job? I'm a consultant, and a colleague from the current client company asked me if I knew a developer with specific traits, and using specific technologies. I know a guy exactly like that, from the previous mission which was about two months ago. On the one hand, he is essential to his team and company (basically the only one able to maintain a few critical applications). They would probably suffer a major blow if he were to leave the ship. On the other hand, I felt like (my perception of the situation) he was badly paid, wasn't improving, and was spending too many hours on the clock for a situation which seemed bad. My dilemma is that I'm not sure how unethical it is to invite him for an interview, knowing perfectly how bad the situation would be for his current company. More information: If he were to leave his job, he would have to stay working for the previous company for up to 3 months. I would recommend him to another client, not my consulting company. <Q> Assuming you are both in the clear contractually speaking (and I would strongly advise both you and the developer check this carefully as I would be surprised if there weren't at least some restrictions, especially in your contracts) <S> then I don't see anything wrong with this. <S> If said developer is so critical at his current job <S> then that's their problem not yours - they either need to take steps to mitigate the Bus Factor or, failing that take steps to keep him. <S> The developer is an adult so can make his own decisions about whether he wants to move to your new client, all you would be doing is giving him the option. <A> You're overthinking it. <S> There's nothing <S> un -ethical in there since you're not kidnapping him. <S> You're giving his name for the job. <S> He may get a call, maybe an offer (which he may or may not accept).But in the end, it's all up to him. <S> It's his decision to take, if he likes his job now he won't quit. <S> If he agrees with you and the offer is good enough, he may come. <S> But still, none of this is your concern <S> and there's no ethic to think about here. <A> Ask your colleague if he even wants his name passed along. <S> As already mentioned here, he could be under contractual obligation that keeps him where he is. <S> Or he may just not be interested in moving. <S> Your colleague is the best person to answer this question. <S> As to issues that you think he is essential to the other company, that isn't your problem. <S> If he is that important, it is up to that company to do what it takes to retain him (and maybe they already have. <S> See first paragraph). <S> Employees are free agents; they are going to do what they want. <S> If a company wants to keep them, they have to make them want to stay. <S> It is no more or less ethical for you to recommend your friend away from that company than it is for you to withhold this opportunity from him.
| Ultimately it is up to your friend to decide whether he wants a new job or not. There is no point in recommending someone that isn't going to accept an offer under any circumstance.
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How can I determine non-technical information about a company I'm about to be interviewed by? This company - which is large-ish, not huge but probably with over 100 employees (maybe over 1,000, I can't say) - is trying to recruit me. They're not one of the central players in my field. I want to find out more about the company - but its website is essentially a marketing pitch and has little useful information. Specificaly, I want to try and figure out information such as: Ownership structure Overall number of employees, hopefully categorized (R&D, sales, management, technical support staff, non-technical support staff etc.) Key technical/organziational decisions over the past several years Main technical partners and clients Annual revenues, hopefully categorized Annual expenses, hopefully categorized Debts/loans Hard strategic commitments by the company (e.g. signed a contract promising to do something within so many years; is building facilities at a different location) Sites at which it is active around the world and what happens at which site? Note I'm not asking about determining personal information or anything technical with respect to the company's actual business. How should I go about doing this? (Other than asking the people interviewing me and Googling, I mean) <Q> If it is a public company I would suggest looking at their tax information. <S> Notably the most recent 10k form. <A> Go to their website and get all the public releases there. <S> The wall street Journal, Barons, and other financial sites should have information on them. <S> All the information is out there on line, and GIYF (Google is your friend) <A> Since you didn't mention the country, I assume you are in the United Kingdom. <S> You'll find tons of information about the company at the website <S> http://companieshouse.gov.uk , whether they are a private or publicly held British company. <S> And the information that you don't find gives you very strong hints as well. <S> Like if they haven't filed their accounts for the last 18 months, then you won't get their accounts for that time, but the fact they didn't file is useful information in itself. <A> If it is a privately owned company, then you will probably have to talk to someone at the company to find these things out. <S> You said you're being recruited; can you meet with the person recruiting you and ask them these questions? <S> They probably won't know all the details offhand, but they can give you a general idea of the answers and get further details to you later. <S> Also, some of those things you're looking for might be considered confidential. <S> For instance, the company I work for would never, ever tell a prospective employee who our clients are. <S> Even when we've decided to hire someone, they don't get told that until they officially start and sign nondisclosure agreements.
| It should have information on budgets and money allocation at the very least. I suggest you think of ways to get the information you're after in a more general sense, in case they won't give you specifics.
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Do I have to pay for (team-building) dinner with coworkers myself? I'm working on a project with a few developers from my company and a few external consultants. Our scrum master (external) invited us all to dinner to get to know each other better (group building) but said that we will have to pay for ourselves. Me and my coworkers thought this a bit strange, and so one of them (also external) asked our manager why the company wouldn't pay, and got the response that it was because it was our own initiative, and not the company's. (What makes this stranger still, is that a few months ago, management was stimulating these kind of things, because they felt the regular programmers weren't working well with the consultants. So we had several team-building events paid for by the company.) I'm not comfortable with this. My coworkers are exactly that, coworkers and not friends, so if I have to spend €40 on dinner, I'd rather go with people of my own choosing and to a restaurant that I enjoy. Since everybody from my team is going to this dinner, it makes the dinner obligatory for me, as I don't want to be the one who spoils the whole "team bonding" thing. What would be my best reaction to all this? <Q> You can just tell your Scrum master that you are not comfortable spending your own money on a company event, that's outside of working hours. <S> Then, you can ask him whether it's possible to do a team building event during working hours. <S> You might even offer to help him organise it, if you want to emphasise that you do want to improve team relationships, just not on your own dime, outside of work. <S> Given that this seems to be a team with (at this time) <S> a professional relationship, I wouldn't be surprised if people said no to such a thing within my company. <S> At that point, I would wonder why I should. <A> It is very unusual to pay for yourself despite being invited. <S> I assume that the dinner will be held outside your work hours, so it is just informal event you don't need to attend. <S> I would attend once and if similar event will be planned I would raise the issue of paying. <A> As it is a one off event, and half is getting covered. <S> Go. <S> Getting people into an informal setting will have some benefits. <S> People do let their guard down and perhaps you can find out 20 euros worth of information. <S> If this is a recurring event then perhaps protest. <A> I would politely decline. <S> You are being asked to give up not only your money, but your time as well. <S> Forget about "spoiling" the team building effort, because you don't go to work to make friends. <S> If there were a layoff and this same scrum master had to pick between him/herself being terminated, or you being terminated, you'd learn quick about so-called friendships in a work setting. <S> If anyone asks, you can say, "that's just not working for me!" <S> You are not obligated to explain, and you don't need to make up a cover story. <S> Stand your ground and keep your hard-earned money in your pocket. <A> There's no need to make a big deal out of it. <S> Just say something like: " <S> Oh, I'm sorry, I already have plans that evening. <S> Sorry, I won't be able to make it." <S> Even if those plans are to sit at home, watch TV and go to bed early... <S> they're plans. <S> If it becomes an recurring thing, you should discuss it with your manager, but don't make it about not wanting to go, or being resentful over being asked. <S> "I know €40 may not be much to everyone else, but I don't have it in my budget." <A> Maybe you should consider really bolding with your colleagues <S> so the next time you'll change the mindset from paying for a company event to have dinner with some friends?I <S> mean, you don't need to become bffs with everybody on your workplace, but we should be more open to developing the relationships with the people we spend half of our lives with.
| Most people are willing to spend some of their own time to get to know their team, or might be willing to spend some of their money on the clock to have a team lunch, but if an event is organised that requires both your own time and money, it suggests the company just doesn't care.
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Boss asked me to come in an hour early for some training, should that be compensated? I'm starting my first day as a lifeguard tomorrow (first job) and my boss asked me to come in just under an hour early to go over a few things with regards to lifeguarding at this company. I have already completed the RedCross training, which is required to be a lifeguard and I had to pay for. Is it typical to be compensated for this kind of out-of-hours training? EDIT: Thanks for all your answers, but I have some details I'd like to add: This is a small company and we are staffing neighborhood pools. There are only enough people on the clock to staff the pool at the minimum . My boss is one of the presidents of the company. He does not clock in for work (according to the scheduling app) I also don't want to come off as rude or undesirable. Bonus edit: As lifeguards, we also have in-service training which is paid for. This is not in-service. <Q> If its a one time thing I would not make a fuss out of a 1 time only 1 hour over-time. <S> You ll be quick to get judged for this, if the very first thing you ask for is this. <S> If its a re-occurring thing of course you can ask for specifics but make sure you clear this up before hand and not after the fact. <A> During that training, you can't do what you want to do, so you are working and should be paid. <S> There's the distinct possibility that you will just be paid an extra hour, or will be told to leave an hour earlier, or some companies just keep track of overtime and you will be able to take an hour off at some point. <S> If your boss doesn't mention anything like this, you'll need to ask, like "Hey boss, how do you handle that hour overtime? <S> " <S> Asking like that you state as a fact that there was overtime making it harder for the boss to argue this should be unpaid. <S> Then you see how things go. <S> In the worst case you might have to decide how important the hour pay is, and how important the job. <S> Try hard not to let anyone take advantage of you. <S> Also, if your boss spends an hour of his unpaid time on that training, that changes things a bit because then the boss isn't taking advantage. <A> Yes. <S> No question, without a doubt. <S> You're in the US <S> so here's what a lawyer citing the Fair Labor Standards Act has to say: <S> According to regulations, an employee’s time attending a meeting, seminar, lecture, or training must be counted as hours worked unless it meets each of four requirements: <S> the attendance is outside the employee’s regular working hours; <S> the attendance is in fact voluntary; the meeting, seminar, lecture, or training is not directly related to the employee’s job; and the employee does not perform productive work while attending the meeting, seminar, lecture, or training. <S> 29 CFR 785.27 <S> The only question is whether or not it's truly voluntary. <S> Now that's a legal matter. <S> As a practical matter, is it really worth pissing your boss off for a one-time event of an hour? <S> Sure, you're entitled, but the real question is how long will you have the job afterward? <S> Will you be viewed as one of "those people" who complain about every little thing? <S> If it were me, I'd eat the hour and be glad if I got paid for it. <S> Yeah, you deserve it, but holding hard to your principles over one hour won't pay the rent. http://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/flsa/fair-labor-standards-act-when-meeting-and-training-time-is-considered-hours-worked/
| You should be compensated for every hour that you are working, and you are "working" when you can't do what you want to do, but what your company wants you to do.
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Company wants to know name of friend who referred me to unposted job I wrote an inquiry email to an international company. In the email, I asked if they had some new jobs available. They were surprised to have received my email, because they had not yet announced any job opening on their web site (I told them that I heard about the job opening from a friend). They wanted to find out who had told me about this, so they asked for my friend's name and also told me to submit my CV. I am rather concerned about my friend, but I don't want to lose this job opportunity or make the prospective company think I had lied to them if I don't present friend's name. I have drafted a reply to the company, but I am nervous about if the drafted reply is appropriate and good enough corresponding to this situation. Updated info:My friend has agreed to help. <Q> First of all, you shouldn't have mentioned your friend. <S> Now you should: <S> If they disagree, just tell the company that you cannot disclose the name of your friend without that person consent. <S> You may lose an opportunity, but it is better than losing a friend or working for a company that puts you in a situation when you have to choose between being loyal to the company or your friend. <S> There is a chance they are just curious or have some referral bonus, but you should always ask if any given person agrees to be mentioned by you in that context. <A> Many companies actually encourage employees to use their personal networks to recruit talent for the company. <S> They might actually want to reward your friend for their initiative. <S> But just in case, you should still ask your friend if he is OK with you disclosing his name. <S> If he doesn't, just reply to the company with your CV and a note that the friend would like to stay anonymous. <A> I'm confused as to why this is an issue. <S> If a manager or director has gotten approval for an actual opening, its posting (or absence) on the company web site doesn't matter one bit. <S> It's an opening. <S> Accordingly, the referral source should not be a thing to incur any sort of backlash. <S> OP gave a colleague's name. <S> So what? <S> Do we expect the company to fire someone for sharing an official opening with a potential candidate? <S> A referral is not necessarily a overt recommendation, so how would it reflect badly? <S> There's a bit of overthinking going on here. <S> If it were shared with recruiters -- who can become a real annoyance -- that'd be a different case.
| Ask your friend if they are OK with you giving their name.
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Should I leave a bad feedback for my manager or not? I used to work as a recruiter but decided to change things and landed a job as a Personal Independence auditor in one of the biggest financial corporations. It's an underdog position but the process was new to Poland and I was one of the four people being hired. I was new in this job, let's put aside the fact that I was supposed to be hired in a risk mgmt position but something went wrong on the way and 2 weeks down the road I was told that it's gonna be Personal Independence. I did not hate the job right away, but after 2 months. I realized that I'm not progressing in any of possible ways and that this job feels like a waste of time. I decided to change it and sought guidance from HR people. I had great advantage of being hired for a wrong position and having an HR manager friend. Soon, I was able to take part in recruitment processes inside the organization and after a week from the interview I was offered a new position. You might think - great! But my current manager has become a nightmare. I mean, when I told him that I did not feel good in the position and that I should not be here he seemed to care and promised to ask around for options (it was Feb), then I was on a sick leave for a month after surgery so it kinda was pushed aside but when I came back I took it up again. It was the first time in my life when I cried in from of my superior. He made me feel like I was the worst employee on earth. Specifically, he told me that I was not good at my job and I should not expect much from other teams because: 1. I have no valuable skills, 2. I do not socialize well with people, and 3. all other managers value what he has to say and he will not give me a good feedback. Somehow, I managed to land this other position. I informed him and he would not believe that HR actually gave me consent to move. He just nodded and left the room without a word. Then, he began acting as if I was his enemy numero uno. On many occasions he would give me bad feedback, based on nothing, saying that my colleagues are afraid of me, that I create bad atmosphere in the team, and he even brought up a subject that I did not want to chip in for colleague's birthday, which by the way was not true. It's 2 weeks until I change my roles. I came to work in the morning and I was greeted with "you made so many mistakes we don't know what to do with you, if I could I'd fire you today, do not do any more audits". Then I go to my colleagues and ask them about those mistakes and they don't know what I am talking about. So my question is - should I leave a feedback in our internal database for all the people to see? The reasons I don't know are: 1. I'm leaving and I don't want this to be seen as getting back at him, 2. I'm just moving to other team so he can see it, he can share it and he is a true prick so he can take advantage of that feedback against me. I'm torn because I really do want to share what I know about his true face with somebody but I do not want all the bad repercussions it can bring. <Q> It's always tempting to try to return some of the abuse you've received. <S> But it is rarely of any use to you - which should be your primary motivation here. <S> From the description your manager has reacted very badly to your decisions, it could well be described as bullying - but how would your new manager react if they saw a public post outlining your reaction? <S> In any circumstances a company wide 'open letter' sounds risky. <S> Your new manager might read your post & think 'does this person react this badly every time things go against them?'. <S> Which would be very bad. <S> In your situation I would move into your new role, make a success of it & if in 6 months you are still determined that something needs to be done then go through official channels rather than using an internal 'open' database . <S> If you have evidence that the manager is mistreating other staff members then go to HR immediately - but otherwise take your time & make sure that the complaint is worth the damage it may do to you. <A> There is no clean way to make a complaint without there being repercussions. <S> > <S> In your situation I would move into your new role, make a success of it & if > <S> in 6 months you are still determined that something needs to be done then go > through official channels rather than using an internal 'open' database. <S> I completely agree with this suggestion. <S> Even if your manager is a toxic person try to make a success in your new position and don't follow his game. <S> Once your HR supervisor will see your progress and successful work, such comments as you make "lot's of mistakes" will be false. <S> I would suggest checking the situation at the start of August. <S> If he still harassing you or start harassing others tell about this toxic behaviour for the main HR supervisor. <S> Best of luck! <A> No, that sounds like a bad idea. <S> Passive aggression is rarely a productive set of behaviours. <S> If you want results, go on the offensive. <S> If you want to just endure the final weeks, just go passive. <S> Just arrange a 1-1 meeting with your boss and tell him to his face he is a total twat, a prime example asshat of the most senior kind. <S> Let him know you are on to his lack of managerial skills. <S> Let him know there is no possible way you can be bullied by him again. <S> Let him know that if he pulls shit like this again you do everything you can to destroy his credibility. <S> (And, go really close, like Seinfeld-close-talker x2 when you do this) <S> The important thing is always: Do not create a paper trail Do not communicate any hostility in mail, memos or even in public. <S> 1-on-1 is fine, but never anywhere else. <S> Act 100% professionally before and after. <S> If this is what you need to get back on track, then do it. <S> You have made an enemy, but he was probably one before you did that. <S> This way you get to start your new position with a freshly executed power move. <S> Remember, if you stare down into this abyss, it is going to stare back into you. <S> Don't make this your usual mode of playing the politics game or else you will be the bully to the new employee after you... <S> However, the most professional thing to do is to forget it ever happened and just decide never to accept being bullied again. <S> If you get bad feedback, decide to either try to improve or find somewhere else to work. <S> You are in charge . <S> If people are bullies, let them know that they are. <S> That is more than usually enough to silence them.
| There is no clean way to make a complaint without there being repercussions. If you really want to "get even", and in a way, "need to" get even then go all out agressive (but be smart about it) Let him know that is how everyone talks behind his back. Decide that, whatever comes your way, your future is in your hands , not someone elses.
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How should you negotiate salary during the hiring process AFTER a long career gap? I had to take a 3 year career break to deal with a long running family commitment and I am now returning to my normal career and applying for jobs. How should I answer the usual question of "What salary are you expecting?". It could come up either on application forms or in-person at interview. I am applying for senior software engineer roles and I am quite rusty after 3 years out of the field. I was very good at what I did previously and I don't doubt my ability to eventually get back up to speed again but I am going to be rusty for a while. I'm not sure if its wisest for me to: Ignore the career gap and just submit the going rate for people with my years of experience as if there was no career gap. Propose a lowball number to get my foot in the door, in which case what % below the normal rate should I use? But my experience in the past is whatever salary you start at then limits future pay rises - I can remember managers saying "we are only allowed to give x% increase on your current salary". So once I got up to speed again, I'd have to move on I think. Politely refuse to answer and tell the employer to propose a number (I could say that at interview but how to answer the question on an application form?) Or any other advice? <Q> Never low-ball yourself unless you're in an extraordinary position. <S> I had to do it after my stroke to get back to being employed. <S> Again, mine was an extreme example, and I only did it for my first job after my illness to establish a work history again. <S> I was out of work for a much longer time as well. <S> Option 3 is the best approach unless you have to put an amount down. <S> If that is the case, give a range around the average. <S> salary.com will give you the range for someone with your experience. <S> If pressed to explain the gap, explain that it was a family commitment and then talk about how you kept your skills fresh during the gap. <S> De-emphasise being rusty. <S> I've been there and <S> it only took me about a week to get back to speed after being gone for over 5 years. <S> You may have forgotten some syntax and details, but your methods and skills never rot. <S> Be confident and go in like you deserve to be paid at least the average for your field, and you'll get the job. <S> If they hold the gap against you, then you've just screened out a bad employer. <S> The demand for IT people is fairly high right now, so you shouldn't have too much difficulty <A> A couple of thoughts: <S> While three years is a long time in IT in general, it is also a short time in the particular. <S> In other words, while it is true you are behind cutting edge firms, it is also true the technology that you implemented three years ago is probably in production and probably still considered a standard in most companies - <S> so your skills are not useless or even out-of-date in that respect. <S> As a senior engineer, you know HOW to code well and properly. <S> You know HOW to design solutions "the right way" <S> and you know HOW to troubleshoot issues and find solutions quickly and HOW to avoid messes. <S> In fact, a senior person is best to put in front of new technology precisely because of their background of knowing how to do stuff the right way. <S> You still have this -- and should use that fact in the hiring process. <S> Therefore, you have only one worry: Jobs that require skills that you have missed in the past three years. <S> Recommendation <S> If applying for a corporate job where the technology from three years ago is the matured standard, stay with market rates. <S> For jobs that use technology you missed, be a little flexible if the position excites you - but, still remember you are a senior person - <S> that is your true value - and that is what they are buying - not technology of the moment skills. <A> Honestly market yourself for a fair price and be able to explain why. <S> If you were off for 3 years, but your skills did not become stale or otherwise suffer <S> , there is no reason to take a hit on your pay, especially if you bring more to the table such as uncommon management skills. <S> Keep in mind that the overall labor market is very much in the worker's favor right now, especially anyone with technical skills. <S> If you have some difficulty backing up your message in the interview, your credibility could be questioned a bit. <S> But you should be able to tweak your message a bit and go to another potential employer. <S> You should go in with full confidence.
| If you are applying for a job in a cutting edge shop where nobody will have any more experience than you in that tech stack , stay with market rates. After a gap, low-balling yourself sends a message to employers that you are either desperate, or your skills aren't up to date, or that there is something about you that makes you worth less.
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Interview: Tell age or not? How important is it to tell your age in the interview question 'Tell me about yourself'? I am an 18 year-old with 3 years of professional experience, which might come across as weird to some employers. Is it a smart idea to tell my age when answering the question above? I did not put a birth date on my resume. I am from The Netherlands, but I am applying for a job in the Czech Republic. <Q> Do not. <S> It is a protected category. <S> They are not legally allowed to ask you. <S> It only creates difficulty for the interviewer from there, either in the psychological difficulty of separating your age from your evaluation, or in the fact that rejecting you now requires a compliance case that it is not age-discrimination. <A> Age is not a factor in a job unless you are too old to perform a job or too young by law to perform a job. <S> Concentrate on your years of experience and your knowledge on the subject. <A> There is never an advantage to revealing your age in an interview. <S> Anything you can't use as a selling point for getting the job is irrelevant. <A> You can look at this from different aspects. <S> Is it appropriate for the interviewer to ask for your age during interview? <S> No it is not appropriate. <S> Should I reveal my age voluntarily ? <S> Up to you, there is nothing wrong in it. <S> I personally do reveal it whenever the interviewer ask me to tell him more about myself <S> , I give him a quick person background and my age is a part of it. <S> Why do I do that? <S> I do it because, it gives the interviewer a level of confidence about me. <S> When the interviewer sees my resume and background he always assumes I am 8 to 10 years older than my actual age. <S> By revealing my real age I am telling him that I am someone who has held position beyond his birth certificate age.
| As long as your are of legal age to work that job per the areas laws then there is no reason to mention your age. To summarize, If you think your profile is beyond your age, go ahead and tell them your age as it gives them a level of confidence about your character. At best, it will be seen as adding "filler", at worst, it will trigger someone's biases.
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How can I minimize the effect an underperforming intern has on me whom I referenced? The quick version of what happened is that I gave a colleague from school a reference at my company, and he ended up getting an internship. My boss only offered the internship because I asked, so I feel a bit of personal responsibility for the result of this being good. When he asked me my thoughts on my friend before hiring him, I told him clearly that I had never worked with him in a technical or professional setting, so I couldn't attest to his technical ability, but I thought highly of his work ethic, which is still true. The problem is, his technical skills have turned out to be a bit lacking, despite him being a senior in a decent Information Systems program. For instance, he was assigned a task with an estimate of 20 hours. Realistically, it should have taken only 3 or 4 hours, but obviously being new, he was given some extra time to adjust to the codebase, etc. It has now been a full week and a half, and the task is still not very close to completion. I've tried to help him out with it here and there, but I'm pretty busy myself and don't want to hold his hand through every step, so that he relies too heavily on me. I don't believe it should be my responsibility to train him on basic things. Then the other day I was surprised when he was making a few professionalism blunders such as loudly making a somewhat non-PC joke in a loud voice while I was at his desk trying to give him some pointers, and the neighboring cubicles were definitely in earshot. I've spoken with him privately about not saying potentially offensive things at the office (well really anytime), but I'm afraid that this behavior and performance will reflect badly on me. Technical issues aside, the last thing I expected was to have to worry about his personal behavior. He still has--presumably--a couple months left in this internship. What can I do to minimize any damage that his behavior and performance may have on my reputation? Is this something I should even be concerned about? <Q> If you were one of my junior staff, I wouldn't think that much about this. <S> You have a few mitigating factors in your favour: <S> Most importantly, you said you didn't know if this guy was technically any good. <S> Remember that it was the job of whoever hired him to check those skills . <S> (I'm guessing) <S> you're relatively junior yourself. <S> I don't expect my junior staff to be good at hiring. <S> It was only an intern. <S> They don't cost very much (this is somewhat harsh but also realistic). <S> The only real effect your slightly off recommendation would have with me is that I'd be very careful interviewing the next person you recommend. <S> Bottom line is that it's a bonus if I get good recommendations from my staff, but it's way, way down there compared with your actual personal skills at doing the job I've hired you to do. <S> (Try not to make a habit of bad recommendations though). <A> Internships are used to test out potential talent. <S> Your recommendation got him in the door <S> but what he does with it is up to him. <S> If he does not work out for the company he will not be asked back for a 2nd season. <S> I would not worry to much about your standing in the company. <S> If you want your friend to succeed then you may need to have a good talk with him. <S> Let him know they he needs to maintain a professional demeanor at work. <S> If you want to help him improve you may need to do a little hand holding or just lit him do work at his own pace. <S> The company will decide if he is worth keeping after the internship. <S> Edit: <S> In my experience the only thing I can see this possible affecting is how much weight your reference has in the future. <A> Perhaps the best approach is to have him coached by a coworker who has no personal background with him. <S> There is a natural tendency to slack a bit when you think you're in a friendly environment. <S> Just human nature. <S> I think it will have a much heavier impact if the coaching comes from someone he knows is not going to stand up for him. <S> Maybe this line of work isn't for him. <S> Better he find out sooner than later, but don't worry about your own rep.
| The best thing to do is help when you can and to let him know that his actions reflect on you (whether or not they actually do is up to your manager). Regardless, he's an intern, his impact to your reputation is going to be minimal.
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Options for UK employee being overworked without pay I have succeeded at getting what I thought to be a great job after a grueling three-stage interview. I work with nice people doing engaging and creative work. The pay is not great but its above minimum wage. However, my contract says I will be paid for 37.5 hours a week with no compensation for overtime. So far I have worked 41, 46 and 50 hours in my first three weeks in that order so it seems to be getting worse. I am given some time off for particularly bad days. For example I worked 20 hours and got home at 4a.m. which entitled me to the day off after. However it is not a 1:1 ratio so I still effectively ended up working 20 hours and getting paid for 16. I have been asked to sign a waiver for the “Working Time Regulations 1988” which says I am allowed to work more than 48 hours a week. So far I have not signed it. I have been told by colleagues that no one lasts more than two years but the company seems to be able to cope - it has been around for 20 years. I struggled to find a job and really do not want to leave but I feel I am being used and it is really demoralising me. There is only a small team and they required a lot of training so I thought we might have some clout together but that is effectively trying to organise a union and I am probably in over my head with that. Does anyone have any bright ideas for how to improve the work situation? <Q> Simply state that you will not work for free. <S> Because after your 37.5 hours, that's what you're doing. <S> If they refuse to compensate you, leave them. <S> You are a person with needs, and to expect someone to work for free is both dehumanizing and immoral. <S> Just remember that you are in control of the amount of abuse you take. <S> If a company doesn't care about you, you should not care about them. <S> Be professional and fair when bringing up any of these points with your employer. <S> Note that compensation could also be in the form of time off. <A> Do NOT under any circumstances sign that you are exempt from the 48 hour protection, and note that while your employer can ask you, it is illegal to take any action against you if you refuse to sign. <S> Yes, it is legal in the UK to not be paid for overtime, as long as your pay per hour worked is above the minimum wage. <S> That said, nobody can force you to work overtime. <S> And if the pay "is not great" for 37.5 hours a week, then it should be easy to find someone who pays you better. <S> You are working for a company that exploits people. <S> Don't let them do it. <S> Go home every day after 7.5 hours. <S> There are two possibilities: They are trying to exploit you, but will give in if they find they can't. <S> Or they will fire you, in which case you will tell your next employer that you didn't agree with doing 12.5 hours unpaid overtime a week. <S> Most employers won't hold that against you. <S> The ones that do failed the job interview. <A> I used to work nine-hour days regularly (and happily), and then my son was born. <S> Suddenly I had to leave at 5:30 to pick him up from nursery. <S> It turned out that the world did not collapse, nobody at my office objected, and there was no negative impact on my job. <S> It's important to set expectations. <S> Remember the amount of work you get done, is not linear with the number of hours you spend in the office - in fact, for many creative tasks, if you stay too long you are likely to undo good work you did earlier. <S> If there is push back from your manager when you try to work reasonable hours, I would polish my CV and start looking for a better job. <S> When asked, I would say that I was looking for a better work-life balance, and was working 50 hour weeks by my third week. <S> (You need to get that figure in - just saying that you don't like working long hours will be a red flag to employers. <S> Saying that you don't like working 50 hours weeks won't.) <A> my contract says I will be paid for 37.5 hours a week with no compensation for overtime. <S> This was ruled illegal in Germany, as there has to be an upper limit. <S> So I suspect that might be the case in the UK, too. <S> I have been asked to sign a waiver for the “Working Time Regulations 1988” which says I am allowed to work more than 48 hours a week <S> In Germany, such a waiver would be illegal, because what's the point of regulations if you could just opt-out? <S> It appears that it's legal in the UK <S> but it has to be voluntarily and without repercussions if you don't opt-out. <S> Based on your description, I suspect that your employer will not honor the later. <S> effectively trying to organise a union <S> If you really want to do this, the first step is to contract an actual union to help you. <S> You cannot do this on your own against a company with 20 years of experience avoiding exactly that. <S> So you are in a job that is cheating you out of money, with a shady legal background, in which nobody is lasting longer than 2 years and <S> the best thing you can come up with is "it's above minimum wage". <S> Don't invest time there. <S> Make money while you need to and in the mean time, find a better job or an education that will allow you to get a better job. <A> I really think some of the advice is unhelpful here. <S> For some industries, it is the norm to work long hours for what is ultimately low pay on a per hour basis. <S> Saying this is "not right" is not going to change the case that they exist. <S> These companies continue to exist because a) <S> this is short term pain for a longer term <S> pay off (think investment banking where analysts earn minimum wage on a per hour basis but have the chance of earning millions later) b) people working there have no other choice. <S> The advice I would give is, don't try and change the company, decide whether poor work life balance is something you can accept and if not start planning your exit. <S> It would be worth looking around to see what else is out there and what the norm is for your industry. <S> I have to say 50 hours translates to a 9am-7pm which doesn't sound bad overall. <S> However, it sounds like there are short periods with large crunches on certain days. <S> This sounds a lot like bad time / project management so it might be worth exploring if the bumpiness can be smoothed. <S> e.g. <S> "I feel these spikes in work really hurt productivity, I was out for a day afterwards. <S> Would something like X work to smooth out workload? <S> If so, we could get the same amount done but have it spread over the week"
| You cannot sign a contract without knowing what you sign up for and "no compensation for an unspecified amount of overtime" legally means you don't know. The first thing I would try, is just saying "I'm not being productive any longer, I'm off." and leaving the office at a reasonable time.
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Consulting companies - how much the end client knows about how much I am paid? My questions refer to "consulting companies" in the programming field in the US. When I work for an end client through such a consulting company, does the end client usually know/care how much the consulting company pays me, i.e if we share it 50/50, or 40/60 etc? If the end client decides at some point to lower how much they are willing to keep paying to the consulting company, do they usually tell the consulting company to lower accordingly my actual pay, or is it something they leave to the consulting company to decide about? <Q> No they usually do not know how much you get paid. <S> They leave it up to the consulting company to handle a changed rate (higher or lower). <S> The consulting company then handles that with you. <S> And, if you look in your contract with your consulting company, there is usually a clause which prohibit you discussing this information with your client and visa-versa. <A> does the end client usually know/care how much the consulting company pays me <S> Occasionally a client company will care. <S> Clients tend to focus on their cost. <S> You need only focus on your pay. <S> Whenever I've been a consultant through a consulting company, I just told the consulting company I worked with "I want $x". <S> It was up to them to figure out how to get it for me. <S> If they wanted to get a huge market, good for them. <S> If they needed to lower their markup, too bad for them. <S> If you want total control over the client's cost as well as your pay, then become an independent and avoid the consulting companies completely. <S> If the end client decides at some point to lower how much they are willing to keep paying to the consulting company, do they usually tell the consulting company to lower accordingly my actual pay, or is something they leave to the consulting company to decide about? <S> If the client wants to lower their cost, they certainly won't target your pay. <S> They just decide what they want, then it's up to the consulting company to decide how to deliver that. <S> Some consulting companies will lower their markup. <S> Others will just seek out cheaper contractors. <A> It is not (usually) a secret, but often they really don't care. <S> They only care about how much they are paying. <S> If the client is part of HR for the organization the almost always know the markup the different companies charge, so they pretty much know what you are making. <S> A manager hiring directly might not know off hand. <S> In any case, usually people just need to ask. <S> The client/firm financial relationship is between them and the firm/you financial is separate. <S> The performance/cost relationship is between you and the client. <S> A client will want to reduce the rate for two reasons - overall cost or your performance. <S> If it is performance based the client won't be telling the company to reduce your rate specifically. <S> They will say they want the rate reduced because you aren't performing "at that rate". <S> If you are just not performing they will let you go. <S> If it is overall cost they will tell the company that too. <S> In either case, it's not necessary that your rates go down. <S> In fact, unless the company has very little markup on you <S> I wouldn't lower my rate purely because of "performance". <S> If the company is billing @ <S> $200/hr. <S> and you only get 100, the client is expecting $200+ performance. <S> If they think you are only worth $180, I'd make the company take the hit - they're still making a lot. <S> If they say $150, then expect to take a cut. <S> And get better... <A> For companies that hire a few contract workers here and there, they are not really going to be concerned with the markup. <S> For larger, institutional businesses, they are far more concerned with the markup because: They want to make sure the temporary people are at a comparable <S> (it's never "equal") level of compensation vs their permanent people, because a huge disparity will eventually cause a rift <S> Many public institutions are required by law to take competitive bids from vendors, so the markup has to be disclosed as one of the factors. <S> They hire a staggering amount of temporary people because they're not allowed to increase headcount without lots of internal approvals. <S> There are more factors, but HR is not my line of work. <S> I've been on the independent consulting side, and this information has actually helped me to make sure I priced my services in the right range. <S> You can actually find certain organizations' service agreements with the agencies published online, such as here , here , and here . <S> These examples (real documents!) include the markups, and the last one is extremely detailed.
| If you get the pay you want, it shouldn't matter at all how much the client ends up paying. Most often they do not. If the client wants to know, they will know.
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How to handle conference calls when you can't hear well I recently just started working full time at a large company after graduating college. At my company, we have hubs in two locations so it's not uncommon that whenever we have meetings, there's a bridge line set up for people who aren't on location that they can phone into and join in the meeting. So far, I haven't had to directly speak or actively listen to the people on these calls but just from listening, I have absolutely no idea what they're saying; it really just sounds like garbled noise to me. I can maybe figure out a couple of words but by the time I manage to parse those words, I lose a lot of context. It doesn't matter if that speaker is fluent or has an accent (though if they do have one, I have an even more difficult time listening), I feel really hindered by this mode of communication. Right now, I have no need to utilize conference calls but I have been in several meetings already with bridge lines, and I know in the future I probably will have to participate in such things. My question is what are some tips I can utilize that can help me with communicating with people when meetings take place over conference calls? I fear coming off as rude to ask people to repeat themselves, especially because I know that I won't be able to get the full message through one repeat alone. Right now, I'm sitting here dumbfounded as to how people are carrying on professional conversation with people over these calls when I can barely make out what they're saying. To clarify, I'm not legally deaf or anything; I'm the type of person that would prefer to watch movies/shows with subtitles (even if it's in my native language) because if I don't, I miss out on 80% of the dialogue. I place partial blame of my hearing on the fact that I blasted music through my earphones as a teenager. EDIT: the situation of conference calls I'm referring to is sitting in a meeting room with a speaker in the center that people can phone into and from there, they can listen in on discussions as well as make statements. There are no headphones to utilize as its pretty much broadcasted openly into the room. <Q> Talk with your manager about the problems you are having. <S> This accomplishes two things: Your manager might be able to help solve the problem (perhaps a better speaker in the conference room, for example). <S> Your manager will now be aware of the issue and be more understanding as you look for ways to solve the problem. <S> Based on your comments, it sounds like it would be possible for you to join the call separately -- <S> it's not limited to just two participants -- but that you can't do that from your desk. <S> Do you have a cell phone and headset? <S> Is the audio good on that? <S> (If you're still listening to music on it, then presumably yes.) <S> Perhaps you could join the call using your phone. <S> This does not preclude you being in the room with your coworkers -- try using your phone's headset to listen while otherwise participating normally. <S> (Turn your mic off and just use the room mic.) <S> If the headset makes it hard for you to hear people speaking in the room, try using the headset on just one ear. <S> Experiment with better ways to deliver clear audio to your ears. <S> I have some vision problems that require accommodations in meetings and my coworkers have never given me any trouble over it. <S> Finally, if you haven't already discussed your hearing problems with your doctor, do so. <S> Your doctor might be able to suggest measures you can take, in addition to the diagnostic and treatment benefits of medical consultation. <A> While conference systems might be under-quality sometimes (we've all had these situations throughout the years), what you describe seems to be a "personal" problem. <S> At the minimum, you should have an audiogram done. <S> Please note that naturally, the human voice if (far) richer in frequencies than whatever you hear in a movie or, even worse, through a digital audio channel. <S> This means that you might be able to communicate nicely face to face, but not so much on the phone (at least, some phones). <A> In the USA, a difficulty in hearing the conversation on this type of phone call could be considered a disability. <S> In the USA, telling your manager you are having difficulty hearing the calls and comprehending the calls will likely be treated under Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the manager and human resources (HR) to help find an accommodation. <S> information on accommodation <A> I am hard of hearing as well. <S> I started to lose my hearing as a young child and never had an issue until my mid 20s. <S> I am like you where I require subtitles or closed caption to hear/understand movies. <S> I decided to go see an audioist about my hearing and got hearing aids. <S> It has vastly improved my overall well being. <S> It used to be crowded rooms were hard to understand and even to this day hard but with these hearing aids, it has improved considerably. <S> This also tells people two things when they see you: that you are hard of hearing, and they would be more understanding if you asked them to repeat or not picking up what they say. <S> Without hearing aids, it might offend folks since you seemingly understand one thing but not another. <S> Now hearing aids are expensive. <S> They can cost in the range of $2,000 to as much as $5,000 for just one and pairs of them can easily be in the range of $4,000 to $10,000. <S> However, they will vastly improve your life and I highly recommend it. <S> As you get older you'll naturally lose hearing. <S> There are studies out there that hearing is an important part of your overall brain health because it is simulating various parts of your brain. <S> So I highly recommend going this approach since it will overall improve your life in and outside of work. <S> Until then, you'll be like bobbing in water where you hear clarity <S> then suddenly muffled mumbling sounds.
| You might be able to hear most of the sounds good enough, and have some trouble with the frequencies present in the recorded / electronically transmitted human voice. If your manager is any good, he will smooth the way with any coworkers who react oddly, though if your coworkers are reasonably mature and professional, it shouldn't be a problem. My best advice is to have a meeting with your doctor so he can recommend you the good path to proceed.
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Would leaving a graduate scheme early look bad on my resume? I'm currently on a 2 year graduate scheme doing non technical work for a large engineering company. I've recently had a change of situation which means that I may have the opportunity of working and living in a different country, I'm really interested in this opportunity but to take it I would have to leave my current job before the completion of the 2 year graduate scheme. Will this have a negative affect on my resume? I'm thinking I want to reskill and would be looking at jobs in a different sector to my current one, I would consider starting a different graduate scheme for a new company. Both the country I currently live within and the country I would move too are within the European Union so visas etc, would not be an issue. <Q> If you have a great offer, quit. <S> Be honest, tell your current employee you have great opportunity <S> and you think it will be the best option for you. <S> Of course It would be difficult to return to your current employer, but if you are sure that it is good for you, do it. <S> One short-term job on resume is OK, even if it was meant to be fixed-time. <A> ... <S> I would have to leave my current job before the completion of the 2 year graduate scheme. <S> Will this have a negative affect on my resume? <S> I've been in similar positions on the hiring side before, and don't think that this would necessarily have a negative effect. <S> Many people have aspects of their CV that need some context to understand - periods out of work, short tenure, returning to same place etc. <S> If you are prepared to succinctly explain why (and the reason given above sounds very reasonable) <S> then this doesn't have to be negative at all. <S> In some ways, a clear idea of what you want to achieve, and being prepared to make drastic changes to get there can be a positive thing. <S> If you go on to a couple of years somewhere else then an employer is likely to weight their consideration in favour of recent relevant history. <S> Where I believe this would have a negative effect is with the employer who brought you on to the graduate program. <S> Should you wish to reapply there at some point in the future <S> then they may count this against you. <S> On the other hand, if you end up working there again, then their investment in you was not wasted. <S> Finally, patterns of behaviour will be interpreted much stronger than isolated events. <S> If your CV in five years shows a string of unfinished projects, short engagements without clear reason etc <S> then that can limit your success. <A> No, it won't have a negative effect on your CV for 3 reasons: <S> Hiring managers know that the average length of time a graduate is in their first job is 18 months <S> You wouldn't list that you left before the end of the 2 year scheme. <S> If you are successful in your application, then you have boosted your career early. <S> That does leave a negative impression on a CV
| Also worth bearing in mind that the significance of your employment history diminishes with time. It doesn't add anything to your CV to do so
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How to deal with a noisy senior I work for a medium sized software development firm who provides ERP solutions. The office space is great and so is the working culture where every department is nicely divided, even the one where I'm working (software development). We emphasize on being transparent with each other and hence we have long tables which occupy machines for 3 people per table instead of cubicles. Due to a major project we require to re-develop our software from the base, now while this is a really big task but can be achieved with hard-work and determination which we all have. The senior developer and project head is none other than the senior who is seated besides me. Recently, the senior started tapping the keyboard so vigorously that the noise it created started affecting me and other developers as we are seated near one another being in the same project. I tried using headphones but even that didn't help much. Often when this issue occurs it feels as if I'm working in data-entry firm. I read many articles here(WSE) but found my issue was different than others. In many articles people have suggested to talk to manager which I did, but there was no help from Manager as well and instead I was asked to let this topic go. Asking politely could escalate the matter or it may affect my work-relationship with him as he's a senior. This guy has been no less than a mentor to me for last couple of years and has helped me a lot from my days when I knew nothing about programming. So my question being, How to ask my senior without being rude or arrogant to stop tapping keyboard so hard? Should I tell him about the issue during a break(lunch,tea)? Any kind of solution would be helpful. <Q> If you really fear direct (but polite) confrontation, blame the keyboard first. <S> Since your describe this guy as your mentor AND a senior, he should be able to take criticism and feedback. <S> if you really do not want to talk directly, you could ask something along the lines of "isn't there a problem with your keyboard? <S> it makes a lot more noise <S> thant it used to..." <S> it should be making the conversation easier, since you effectively do not blame him, you allow him to come back with "turns out i was mashing the keyboard, sorry about that". <S> I would not recommend humor, because it might look like you're mocking him. <A> You know, if nobody tells him that he makes you uncomfortable he has no reason to change. <S> At least he will know and may adapt. <A> This really depends on your relationship with the senior, but you could try to wrap it in a joke during a lunch break or (even better in my opinion) just when it occurs. <S> Something like "Hey did your keyboard say something wrong to your mum that you are abusing it now?" <S> Obviously as a native speaker you could come up with something better. <S> About your second question: Honestly, I think it is better to address the issue while it occurs. <S> If you talk to him about it during a lunch break it seems like this is a bigger issue for you <S> - you are even thinking about his keyboard noise during breaks.
| I suggest you to talk to him about it during a break, but, if you don't want to be rude, like it was a not-so-important subject even if you're boiling inside.
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Is it appropiate to decline full reimbursement for device bought for boss figure This boss in my company is retiring at the end of the month, he politely asked me if I could get an external hard drive so he could save personal pictures and videos along with other personal files stored on his work computer, he is no IT guy so I politely agreed. For the sake of the argument let's say he gave me $50 USD when we talked about it and said he would give me the rest once I had bought it and knew how much it was. Let's say I spent about $80, would it be ok for me to tell him that it's fine and he shouldn't worry about the rest? Would that seem weird or even petty? I don't know him for long but he has been a friend of the family for a while, also I did get a recommendation from him when I started working here although I don't work directly with him. I've never been in this position so I really have no idea if: This would look desperate as in implying that I'm willing to give gifts in an attempt to keep or improve my current job. This would seem petty as in I was pretending to chip in with himself in getting him some kind of farewell gift. It actually seems like a nice symbolic gesture and is appreciated for what it is and not so much for the amount of money. So is it appropiate to decline the money? Or should I just accept it and move on? <Q> You should give him the receipt so he is going to know. <S> If you don't give him the receipt he does not know it was $30 <S> and you kept $20. <S> Not giving him the receipt is much more awkward. <S> Give him the drive and receipt but do not ask for the difference. <S> He already told you that he would pay the difference. <S> but I think that would be awkward also. <A> First, tell him that you found an $80 one and ask if it's alright for him. <S> If he say yes you're good, he'll give you the difference by himself. <S> If he says no, buy a $50 one and keep or sell the $80 one. <S> This way no one is weird or petty . <S> This might change depending on your location <S> but I personally would feel uneasy if I asked someone to buy me a $50 item and the person comes back with an $80 one, whether he asks me for the $30 difference or not. <S> That's why I think in this situation you should have asked him before if he could go a bit higher than $50. <A> Let's say I spent about $80, would it be ok for me to tell him that it's fine <S> and he shouldn't worry about the rest? <S> If it's your money, you can feel free to do anything you like with it. <S> Buy the drive as a gift, give him a discount, whatever. <S> If it's your company's money, you generally are not free to give it away. <S> Ask the accounting department for permission or clarification.
| If you want to decline he pay the difference then fine Actually, if the person proposes to pay for the difference, I'd feel even more awkward since he lost some money in the process.
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How forgiving should I be of errors in demo applications referenced in a candidates resume? I'm working on hiring some more senior level engineers, and a recruiter just sent me over a resume for the person. In there is the url of a website they built for reference. Naturally, I went straight there, poked around, and then did my best to try to break it. It didn't take very long. Not only was I able to trigger some fatal errors, but I know they were fatal errors because PHP on his server is apparently configured to have display_errors On (a big no-no for security reasons in any production environment). I haven't even talked to the guy yet, and I already find myself dubious. I consider attention to detail and awareness of security issues to be paramount (especially in senior level engineers), and these issues seem like big red flags for both of those. Am I over-reacting? Is it worth the time to interview him anyway? Everyone makes mistakes after all. I just know that if it was me, I would check any example code I provide with a fine-tooth comb before putting a reference to it on my resume. Thoughts? Edit it to clarify: the job is specifically a software engineer/web developer. If given the job, the candidate will be building websites for us. I would be hiring him to specifically handle the kinds of responsibilities that he messed up in his demo. <Q> A few questions to ask yourself: What would you have thought of the candidate had they not provided the website and only their resume? <S> What responsibilities will you be hiring for? <S> How much time/effort <S> do you believe the candidate put into the website and what was their ultimate goal with the site? <S> A tendency when interviewing is an expectation of the candidate to have the same "deep" experience as you, thinking of experience as a T - a broad base but some deeper levels. <S> If you are interviewing where these types of mistakes specifically will be relevant <S> I would weigh that much more highly than if they are tangentially related at best. <S> It's entirely possible these fall into the areas the candidate is less familiar with - <S> or they could be just careless. <S> I tend to think it's likely the candidate put up a website they spent minimal time working on, assuming no one will go through the level of inspection you did. <S> Is it worth the time to interview him anyway? <S> You can always setup a short phone interview where you ask the candidate about these issues. <S> Their responses will almost assuredly determine a concrete answer to whether you want to move forward. <S> Given you haven't immediately vetoed them, it seems you have enough interest still in meeting with them to make this worth it. <A> I'd just move on - if a candidate for a senior level position is presenting a buggy demo like that, they'd have been better off not doing it. <S> I've canned a potential vendor just recently for the same reason. <S> Hosting service limitations on configuration isn't really an excuse - <S> the errors shouldn't happen (a demo site should be simple enough to be fully tested) and, again, someone going for a senior level position should be able to pay for a VPS or even an Amazon instance to take control of their server. <S> Just to clarify - I don't expect senior level developers to provide a demo - but if they did, I would expect they would put some care and attention into it. <S> If they can't do that for their own demonstration, where they don't have to deal with deadlines and other developers, why would they be any better in a working environment. <S> Presumably you have other candidates you can spend time on. <A> You don't specifically say what type of engineer you are hiring for, but since you mention your expectations for them understanding security issues, I'm going to assume this is for a software engineer position. <S> It must be something they are proud of and want to show off. <S> Since web development falls into the realm of software development, even if the position isn't specifically for a web developer, I would take their inclusion of the URL as a declaration from them saying "hey, look, I'm good at this". <S> The fact that the website had such serious flaws immediately calls into question any other skills they claim to be good at (what you describe aren't minor problems. <S> They are things any software engineer should know to avoid, either by fixing them, or not putting up the website in first place). <S> It tells me this person either doesn't know what they don't know, or they don't have enough awareness to figure out that presenting yourself with a skill you don't actually have is a bad idea. <S> Either way, it's a red flag. <S> As to whether you call them in for an interview, that is debatable. <S> They would definitely lose priority with me, but if they have enough other things going for them and the job won't have them building websites, it might be ok. <S> But I would ask them about the website, and vet them more closely on their other technical skills (including security). <S> Remember, by including the URL they implicitly told you they think they are good at building websites, and they clearly aren't. <S> So I would be wary on what else they exaggerated on.
| If a software engineer puts a URL on their resume, I would assume they intend for that website to be a good representation of their skills.
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Is it unprofessional/rude to walk in for an interview without being invited? So I have been doing sales for quite awhile now, usually through door knocking and I'm getting used to all the rejections. There's one company in Singapore that I really really wanted to join. Is it okay to walk in without an appointment and ask their HR team if I can do a quick interview? Or will this come across as rude or unprofessional? <Q> Can't really speak for Singapore as there may well be significant differences in culture from where I am in the UK <S> but here it would, more often then not be perceived negatively. <S> I can imagine it potentially going over better in some very sales-lead environments where the majority of what they do is dealing with "cold" leads because they will view that sort of approach as being inline with their own model but otherwise it feels very intrusive. <A> No, not HR. <S> HR is the gatekeeper! <S> HR has only the power to reject you, not hire you. <S> If you want to do this, you need to reach the decision-maker first and foremost and that will be the hiring manager. <S> Just be careful how you do it, if you just show up, he'll tell you to apply online and/or to go through HR. <S> However, if you tell him, yes, I've already applied online this morning, but I also just wanted to drop off my paper resume so that you could put a face to the resume. <S> This should take care of that objection. <S> Just don't tell him that you've applied last week or last month (because he'll automatically assume that your resume got rejected already, and probably for a good reason). <S> And don't lie either, <S> if you say you applied in the morning, make sure that you did that. <S> Now, I could give you further tips, but I really need to know what type of company this is and what job you're applying for. <S> Not every building will just allow you to walk in. <S> Some will, but some won't. <S> It really depends on the type of company. <S> How extensive is your LinkedIn network? <S> How many degrees are you removed from someone working in that company? <S> By the way, do you already live in Singapore? <S> If you're just flying in for one day from very far away, it's amazing how accommodating people can be. <S> You say you're in sales, but sales rarely targets just one customer. <S> And even then, no approach is guaranteed to work, so you may get no offer from the company you want to work for, but you may instead get multiple offers from the companies that you do not care about (or simply zero offer from anyone). <S> Is such a potential negative outcome ok with you? <A> No, it is not okay. <S> That is a terrible idea and likely you will be ejected as soon as possible. <S> Interviewers need time to prepare as well as a time slot and room. <S> They also need an opportunity to prescreen candidates to ensure they don't lose time on unsuitable applicants. <S> Sometimes it is okay to leave your resume in some specific circumstances, like for a job in local restaurant or small business, but it is unlikely that somebody will interview you without invitation. <A> It'd probably work for some manual labour job in a warehouse or something. <S> For one thing, how are you going to find the HR? <S> And supposing you do, that's a terrible way to meet someone to try and get a job. <S> Why would they even post a job if any random schmuck can "persuade" their way into a job? <S> It makes you look desperate and stalkerish too. <S> And most HR probably don't take kindly to people trying to circumvent the process.
| No, that's a terrible idea and doesn't work. For you to refine your technique, you'll need to try your approach on many different companies, before you try it on the one that you really care about.
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What is the best course of action when a fellow Developer 'torpedoes' you? The situation is that I inherited a large peice of code in the form an SQL Procedure which had complicated business logic and rules. Mind you this code is very dense and with exactly 0 comments. My job is to resuse this code and apply it to a different use case. I made efforts to understand and make sense of this the best I could given that the developer who wrote this is very non-comittal to giving any time to explain stuff and just assumes you know what he knows. Regardless of that fact, I managed to make sense of solution 80% and I am currently in the process of extending. However the dead line is now approaching and now the developer suddenly came out of no where and said that this hasn't progressed far enough and now will just take it away from and start from scratch (or take what I made). Obviously my boss just wants to see the deadline completed. But this has made me angry. What should I do ? EDIT: Will have a talk with the boss and explain the pros and cons. <Q> Focus on Business Value <S> Tell your boss: <S> The code is complex/involved (do NOT insult it, <S> just say it is "invovled") and you've finally figured it out and you would like to prove your knowledge by having a working solution, <S> You are almost done with the changes needed anyway, which means it would cost more money for your co-worker to start from scratch, The small amount that is left is worth doing because now more than one person in the shop will know how to work with this code --- which provides flexibility to the organization (more than one person can do this work) and security as well (the "what happens if Bob gets hit by a bus" meme), <S> It also means that more than one person can now support the SP and anything it touches, which improves response time for your team. <S> Lays the foundation for you to take over more of these types of "involved"/complex SPs and help the team more. <S> Therefore, it would be most cost effective and a big win for the team to have you finish the changes. <A> Given that no-one with authority has taken you off this task I would continue to work on it. <S> However there seems to be a couple of things that we don't know If you can complete the task within the deadline <S> If the other dev's new approach is warranted As such I would mention this situation to your boss. <S> It may be in the best interests of your company for you to continue working on this task, or it may been the best interests to let the other dev complete it. <S> In either case you need to let go of your anger. <S> I understand that you have invested considerable time and effort to complete this task, but work is a team effort and your anger seems to be rooted in keeping this work to yourself. <A> If you studied the code and understand it at a large degree (which seems so from what you are saying) then evaluate strictly if you are able to convert the stored procedure into some programming language you are very good at and your company uses within the deadline. <S> From the post it is not clear to me if using a stored procedure was the correct approach in the first place and if you manage to migrate the logic: 1) you could meet the deadline 2) <S> you could be doing good to your company by migrating code that is not easily maintainable into something easily to extend and maintain by anyone(again you have not specified why it was written in stored procedure). <S> It might seem to you difficult to do but keep in mind <S> that quite often rewriting a piece of code for a new task is much faster than trying to debug and adjust an existing piece of code. <S> My 2 cents
| Do this in a business professional manner - no anger - just business facts that he can use when telling the co-worker why you'll be finishing the changes.
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Should I use my mac or get a company new pc? I'm a software engineer and about to start a new job as software developer. I work with a Mac, and I really love it :) But, I will have to work with Windows. So I have 2 options: install Windows on my Mac and use it for work (BYOD) get a new laptop from work (probably a nice Dell computer) It seems like option 2 is better, but... it s*cks to change everything :(I worked as a freelancer and bought this Mac for work; I'm happy to work with it even if Windows is installed on it. <Q> You're a company (wo)man now, so you will have to toe the company line. <S> That may mean using a windows based computer as your primary machine. <S> There are many benefits to the company for you to use the machine that they supply. <S> Such as: <S> Standard hardware and software load makes things easier for IT Not mixing business and personal usage makes security more robust. <S> Better integration into networked based services. <S> Probably better insurance coverage for the hardware. <S> Unless you have a true BYOD policy then your desires really have no leverage here. <S> And going against the flow will cause some friction. <S> But I am confused as both of your options end up with you using windows. <S> So why not just go with the easiest option of a company <S> supplied laptop? <S> I say this as someone who is writing this on a Mac Book Pro and has a client supplied Windows 10 based machine next to me, a different client's windows 7 based system behind that one and my own Windows 7 desktop to the other side of me and about 10 different Windows virtual machines tucked away on my Mac's hard drive. <S> My experience is that in general you get the best Windows user experience (as you can have) running Windows directly on the hardware <S> it's designed for than running it on Mac System via any sort of virtualized system. <S> My best option (and probably not something you can do) is to remote desktop into various windows systems from my Mac even though they are physically next to me. <A> If you use your own machine for company work, what happens when you leave the company? <S> What happens when the IT or Security departments want to scan your machine remotely? <S> Who pays for the software on it? <S> Far too many unknowns and variables for me. <S> Let the company supply the required hardware for you - and if you're used to a Mac, ask them for a Mac; they can only say no. <A> Using your machine has a cost. <S> It will depreciate faster, the risk of breaking something or getting robbed is greater. <S> Using a company machine means the depreciation, maintenance (and possibly insurance) costs are supported by your employer. <S> Some of us have Windows VMs for the odd task that require Windows in our private cloud, that we can use at work, or at home via VPN.
| I would ask for a Mac on the grounds of being more productive ; if not possible, having another brand does not mean you have to use Windows; whilst our corporate image is Windows, the development team is using almost exclusively Linux, and I myself as the senior network/system administrator use a notebook with Mac, another Lenovo notebook with OpenBSD, and a PC with FreeBSD.
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Am I expected to share my referral bonus? Some time ago I recommended my friend to company. I sent his CV to the Human Resources department. After couple of interviews he was accepted. Now I'm about to receive bonus, let's say 1000$, for that successful recommendation. My question is - should I share that bonus with him? I'm leaning towards sharing that bonus with him. However some of my friends didn't do that with their bonuses. Is there some unwritten rule for that? <Q> My question is - should I share that bonus with him ? <S> No. <S> He got the job, you get the bonus. <S> Companies provide referral bonuses so that good professionals will recommend their company to their friends and so that other good professionals can be hired. <S> And presumably you told your friend about the job, he was interested, and ultimately hired. <S> Your friend gets a good job at a good company. <S> You get a bonus. <A> Think of this from the other person's shoes - if they'd found a position that they thought was a good fit for you, and recommended you apply to it, <S> would you then expect them to pay you some amount of money that they received as a recommendation bonus? <S> Of course, it would be a very generous thing to split a bonus like this, and if the only reason you two were doing this was for the bonus then it would make sense, <S> but I'd say there's very likely no expectation that you give this other person money that was paid to you for referring him - as other answers have noted. <A> My question is - should I share that bonus with him ? <S> No. <S> Not at all. <S> Referral bonuses are common in a lot of industries because they're advantageous for all parties involved. <S> The company finds interesting candidates and saves on the recruiter fees. <S> Candidates are put in touch with good employers and have someone on the inside to get a better sense of the culture and their fit 1 <S> And you get a nice bonus for your trouble and for using your network. <S> There is absolutely zero expectation that you share this referral bonus! <S> Referral bonuses are a standard business practice and it is indeed an unwritten rule that these bonuses are not expected to be shared. <S> That is not to say that there aren't people who share, but that's usually a sign of a much closer friendship than is normal for referrals who are usually more like acquaintances. <S> The problem with sharing is that you're talking about a very significant amount of money which is way, way above the threshold for appropriate gifts between (former) colleagues. <S> Compare it to winning a modest lottery. <S> If you wouldn't share that with this person, there's no reason to share your bonus. <S> I recently contacted a former colleague when I wanted to apply with his company just so he could get the referral bonus. <S> All he did was take a few phone calls <S> so I could ask some questions from an insider <S> but he's still earned that bonus and <S> I would feel very uncomfortable if he offered to share it. <S> As Alison Green said , taking this person out for a meal would be a great idea: <S> No one here needs to treat anyone. <S> You did your employer a favor by helping to connect them with a good employee; it wasn’t an act of charity toward your friend, so she doesn’t need to treat you. <S> That said, if you’d like to take your friend out to celebrate — totally separate from the referral bonus — by all means do! <S> 1 - Not to be confused with bypassing the hiring process which is unethical! <A> I don't think there's any specific, social "right or wrong" answer here. <S> In my experience, however - it's not generally customary to "split" it. <S> Your friend should be happy they got a job. <S> Personally, the couple of times I've had a bonus I've used a small portion of it to buy some celebration drinks for myself and my friend but treated the rest as any other workplace bonus. <S> You wouldn't split your performance bonus with your team, would you? <A> It depends. <S> If you have made an arrangement you would share - then share. <S> Otherwise, you are not obliged to do it. <S> You saved him from searching for a job, so you deserve some gratification. <A> There is no requirement to. <S> You recommended him, he got the job. <S> Now if for some reason your personal code makes you feel like you do, its your money. <S> Do what you want with it. <S> I wouldn't split it <S> 50/50 though- <S> you're paying taxes on it. <S> Figure 1/3 to you, 1/3 to him, 1/3 to taxes if you're going to do it.
| And your employer gave you a finder’s fee because they want good referrals; you’re not obligated to share the cash. Unless you made a side deal with him, you aren't required to share it with him. That's just not really done.
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Should I insist on asking the recruiter about the company technology stack? I have been through a situation where recruiters contact me on Linkedin saying that they stopped by my profile and find that I'm a perfect match for a vacancy at their company. I try to ask more about the job, any job description, company location, technology stack, ... etc, usually most of the recruiters does not have much information about the technology stack or specific task list that awaits the chosen candidate, all they want is pushing me to send my resume and then everything will become clear once I'm in the interview room with the IT manager. So, my question is: Should I insist on knowing more about the tasks, and technology stack? Thank you! Amir Iskander <Q> Should I insist on knowing more about the tasks, and technology stack? <S> Yes you absolutely should know the technology stack before any interview is set up. <S> You should also verify that the salary range of the position will work for you. <S> There is no point in wasting your time having a technical interview that in now way will match your skill set. <S> Same with the salary range. <S> LinkedIn has been pretty good to me overall from a recruiter perspective. <S> You have to be careful of course in giving out details . <A> So, my question is: Should I insist on knowing more about the tasks, and technology stack? <S> You most definitely should ask them. <S> Not (neccesarily) because it's super important to know, but because of this: saying that they stopped by my profile and find that I'm a perfect match for a vacancy at their company. <S> In which case, you should take their opinion on how good a fit you are with a tablespoon of salt and just ask them for the vacancy so you can judge for yourself before you waste any time on setting up interviews. <S> There are a lot of recruiters that will have "the perfect job" for you every week because they don't know what they're talking about <S> and they're hoping to hook people with flattery. <S> There are also some recruiters that really do know what they're talking about, can tell you exactly why that job is perfect for you. <S> Until you figure out which of the two types of recruiter you're talking to, "this job is perfect for you" is just noise. <S> Asking "why?" will show you pretty quickly, so that's definitely a first step. <A> Yes, you should. <S> This the recruiter job - introduce you to a position details, get interested and so forth. <S> Not just resend your CV. <S> Otherwise, you could apply directly.
| If they can't tell you exactly what the technology stack is and why that's a great fit for you, they're just blowing smoke up your butt.
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What to do when new hire is un-cooperative So in my team (5 persons, I'm not the manager) we recently (2 months ago) hired a new developper, that has ~3 years experience. However, this person has a kind of "difficult" behavior, in the sense that he is un-cooperative / un-communicative.For instance: missing all daily stand-ups for the past 3 weeks arguing (unreasonably IMO) about code reviews: ie "what you are suggesting I change is almost the same thing as what I wrote" not documenting/reporting what he has been working on (for instance I know he coded some stuff on topic X, but I don't know the specifics because it was not documented anywhere) taking on new tasks loosely related to his initial task, that we never asked for, but that another team asked for if he had time (without consulting with us) As a whole, I feel like this person wants to be left alone in his work, and is reacting badly (as if he is being pried on) when someone want to discuss his work. However, we are a small team and are very "agile" in the sense that usually everyone is helping each other and everyone knows what everyone is doing and can replace him. As a result I feel like having this person is creating a bad "mood" in the team, where now we are awkwardly working with one member that seems to be "closed" all the time.Should I voice my concerns to my boss / other colleagues? what can I do in my position? <Q> Talk to the Team <S> How does the Team feel about this behavior? <S> Have you discussed this at your stand ups as a blocker to the overall success of the Team (the person isn't there anyway, and even if he were, he needs to be told)? <S> Does your Agile Coach know about these things? <A> You don't need to do anything unless you are his superior except keep your back covered and your work documented. <S> If management want to know your opinion they will ask you, but it's their responsibility to make sure this chap is pulling his weight properly, and this is one of the reasons there are probation periods in most professional jobs. <S> Nothing good for you personally is likely to come out of bad mouthing colleagues. <S> It's not a reputation you want to have <S> and it's not your role to babysit your colleagues. <A> Your group should have a Agile coach / Scrum master / whatever. <S> He should be made aware of this issue. <S> If you have been docummenting the issue, give the documentation to him, or offer to make a full documentation. <S> The scrum master should present the issue to the manager. <S> As the other reply says, you need to get the opinion of the team before acting. <S> Maybe it's a non-issue for them. <S> Maybe they can point out more problems with his behaviour. <S> If the team think there is an issue, you can present the problem to the agile coach. <S> The agile coach should remember the team members that it's not acceptable to miss all stand-ups. <S> If it continues, he should bring the absences to the manager.
| The Team should decide, and if it decides that the behavior is unacceptable, then they inform the Coach that something needs to be changed.
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How to respond when boss asks you about the task that you have not been aware of? I recently started to work as a coordinator. Part of my job is to QA our products that are very similar to each other. A developer did not inform me about product B that was ready for QA. The same day boss asked me about the progress on product B QA(I was not aware of it at that point) during the team meeting, I did not handle the situation well, I mumbled away that I will take a look and complete it as soon as I can. What is a gracious way to handle such situations? I don't want to look like I am pointing fingers and saying it's someone else's fault. Another issue is that I have many tasks going on and its hard to keep up with everything, I usually have a to-do list in my pc, I didn't have it with me during the meeting because I was not usually asked on my tasks there before. So I got completely scared that I missed something although I did not, that was the reason I mumbled away :( Please share guidelines. <Q> I agree with some of the other posters - you answered well, considering the circumstances. <S> Here are a few guidelines I would suggest: Be honest. <S> This doesn't necessarily mean you need to say everything that you're thinking, but it does mean that what you say should be true. <S> If you didn't know about it, you can say that. <S> Speak to your experience only. <S> This will make sure you don't throw anyone "under the bus" (blame someone) over the issue. <S> There are many reasons why miscommunication happens, and even if you have a good idea of who or what the problem is, you can't say for sure <S> and so you shouldn't say. <S> Ask questions, as appropriate. <S> In this case, it might be good to say, "I didn't know about that - who can I talk to for more information?" <S> Be confident that the situation can be resolved. <S> I say this because acting nervous or uncomfortable might seem like you are hiding something. <A> What is a gracious way to handle such situations? <S> First something like <S> "I'm sorry. <S> I haven't heard that Project B was ready for testing. <S> I'll check into it and get right on it." <S> Than, you might wish to use this as an opportunity to discuss the process with your boss. <S> Ask about the process in this shop regarding how you can know that a product is ready for testing. <S> Perhaps there is a status board somewhere. <S> Or perhaps you are supposed to look at the code checkin status daily. <S> Perhaps there is a real QA Team with whom you should coordinate. <S> Perhaps you aren't being invited to status meetings where testing readiness is discussed. <S> Or something else. <S> Or perhaps it's not really your issue at all, and the developers are supposed to tell you whenever something is ready for testing. <S> In that case, indicate that you'll work with the developers in question to make sure they know and understand your role and have your email and phone number. <S> You'll only know by asking. <S> And if the process seems inefficient or ineffective, eventually you may wish to propose an alternative process. <S> Another issue is that I have many tasks going on and its hard to keep up with everything, I usually have a to-do list in my pc <S> , I didn't have it with me during the meeting because I was not usually asked on my tasks there before. <S> So now you know to always bring your laptop to status meetings, so that you can answer these questions. <S> Or bring a printout or whatever it takes for you to keep tasks straight. <S> You are new. <S> And presumably still adjusting to a new set of expectations. <S> Don't sweat it, just learn from it. <A> That way you will have documentation of what you are working on, where they all are and what is still needed. <S> This will also give you the assurance of being able to consult your list and say "I wasn't aware of that and will add it to my list. <S> What priority should it be?" <S> As Joe mentioned in his answer, this might be a great time to review the process for how you are notified when a new release is made. <A> I think you are missing something very important: there is no task! <S> In this particular case my answer would have been: "Waiting for development to handover the product to QA". <S> (Caveat: there may be a "protocol" for handover builds to QA that you aren't aware or forgot, so this may backfire, but be honest and willing to learn and everyone will understand) <S> Your next step is to find out if you company has a protocol for handing over products to QA, and be aware of that.
| I find that being straightforward, honest, and humble in your interactions with people can help you resolve all sorts of problems. QA doesn't start testing willy-nilly, it needs to start on an "official build" (which may be an actual build, a deployed application in the QA/Testing environment etc.). Bring your to-do list with you to the meetings. Ask the questions that are appropriate, seek the answers that need to be found, and own up to any personal failing - but make it clear to your boss that you will do what it takes to get it taken care of. Indicate that this slipped through the cracks.
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How can I work long hours without pressuring my coworkers? I love my work, and I tend to work much longer hours than any of my coworkers. I typically avoid any direct mention of my hours or any such measure for fear of the reaction it typically inspires. I work on a small project with only a couple people. I don't expect others to work the same hours that I do, I just want them to work whatever hours make them happy. However, I'm concerned that my own work habits might have a negative impact on the atmosphere in the group; I.e. making others feel pressured to work longer hours than they want to, or making them "feel bad" that they don't work the same hours that I do. How can I maintain the work habits that I like and not risk negatively impact the group atmosphere? There are some things that I already try: Sometimes when people first join the team, scheduling & hours come up, at which point I will typically make the point that different people work different hours & schedules, and that they should find something that works comfortably for them. This is how I usually try to discuss these issues, keeping it a-personal. When possible (it's usually not), I work on things outside our normal workplace. I tend to shift my schedule so that I come in at a little late from a "normal" schedule and then just stay far past everyone else. Maybe I'm overthinking this, but as an important figure in a small group I feel responsible at some level for encouraging a good workplace atmosphere regarding these things. I'm quite happy with my work/life balance. This question isn't about that, and I'm not interested in comments about the matter. <Q> This really depends on allot of factors. <S> For instance the country you are in, I know in Germany for instance you really cannot get away with working longer than you are supposed to. <S> This is even enforced on software installed on your computer in some companies, or a key-card system as well for larger companies, although this doesn't sound like your situation <S> what country you are in can be very important. <S> Assuming this is not the case <S> then it can depend on the people and the company. <S> I personally do not feel pressure when my colleagues work longer than I do and if I felt pressure to work longer than what I am paid to I would probably look for another job. <S> Every now and again I feel compelled to stay back if I have a deadline or something or feel like I need to get something accomplished <S> but I don't stay back just because Fred is staying back, and I don't make a habit of it, if I had to stay back to get my job done <S> there is either a problem with my performance or the company's management. <S> However if you are in one of those work places where there isn't enough to go round, or you are competing with someone who is doing extra hours then you might not be a happy camper. <S> If I didn't get a promotion because Fred was doing 60 hours whilst I was doing 50 <S> and that was the sole reason, <S> yeah <S> I would be pretty upset with Fred. <S> This can be taken very condescending as you are firstly assuming (whether or not it's true doesn't matter) that you are working longer than they are. <S> Never do this. <S> If you are worried about working longer can come off bad then work from home outside of hours and make your commits during work hours (if you are a software developer), but it sounds like you may already be doing that. <A> If you do not change your attitude towards your co-workers, I don't think they'll feel pressured by this. <S> When working on a project where you feel that your team isn't putting enough effort, your attitude towards them quickly changes and you appear more hostile. <S> Your group will notice this immediately. <S> If you refrain from this - you're fine. <A> You're right in not mentioning your hours. <S> Don't even make it an issue. <S> Some people need 9 hrs of sleep a night and others just need 7.5. <S> If longer hours works for you (Be honest), just shrug it off. <S> As part of the discussion of finding what hours work for them, let them know that you are concerned with them burning out. <S> If they say they like working a typical work day 9-5, they let them know you may question them if they stay late. <S> Jokingly threaten to unplug their computer at 5:15. <S> Of course things come up. <S> Situations change. <S> Just let them know that if they're not careful, they can push themselves too hard. <S> Make sure they understand you're approaching this from a long-term perspective. <S> And don't let others get away with pass-aggressive comments like "Are you leaving already?" <S> Squash that nonsense.
| I strongly advise you not to tell others not to feel obliged to work longer just because you work longer than them. The idea isn't to lock them into a time frame or make some kind of formal commitment.
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How do I tell my boss that my project won't be completed nearly as fast as he thinks? I'm an intern at a development company for an ERP system. The company is currently in its infancy, and as such the code base that's being developed is relatively new. My task is to write comprehensive unit tests for all back-end operations, starting from scratch. Currently, our back-end codebase occupies about 50MB of data, uncompiled, with about 5 million lines (we like our whitespace). When I sent my boss a mockup of some of the tests, he said it was perfect, and the rest of them should follow suit. With the formatting that I patterned out, each test occupies more space than the code it's testing, and it's all niched out, so copy, paste, and tidy is not a viable option. in the span of 5 days , I've managed to blanket just over 12% of the code base, and my boss expects me to be done with this in 4 days , or this coming friday. My boss gave me this deadline, I had no say. \personal. That said, there is no way I'm getting this done . I could easily ask my boss for some more time, and more than likely it would be okay. The problem is that this is off on a logarithmic scale. I need 10 times as much time to get this project done, not just a week or so. Working more hours is not possible. Both me and my boss highly value this project, and do not want to abandon it. This, however comes with the setback that hearing a month long project will probably deject my boss from this project, and my skills as an intern, and would likely result on him putting me onto things that never make it into production (as I have most of the time before this). I'm not keen on going back to the burner, where my code won't see the light of day. How do I ask for a (comparatively) enormous amount of time to finish a project? <Q> in the span of 5 days, I've managed to blanket just over 12% of the code base, and my boss expects me to be done with this in 4 days, or this coming friday. <S> My boss gave me this deadline, I had no say. <S> How do I ask for a (comparatively) enormous amount of time to finish a project? <S> You owe your boss your best estimate, along with the reasoning behind it. <S> Your boss probably assumes that you can speed up subsequent steps due to what you learned in your earlier steps. <S> Often, that's a reasonable assumption. <S> But if you spend another day on it, you can report back how much more of the code base has been covered. <S> And if you still decide you need a lot more time, you should give your boss your best estimate to cover the entirety. <S> Sometimes end dates are driven by business needs - it happens. <S> We have to learn to do the best we can with whatever we are given. <S> And if your boss decides to abandon the project due to insufficient time to do the work at hand, that's something you'll just have to live with. <S> It happens all the time. <S> You still did valuable work (perhaps work that can be completed at some future date, perhaps by someone else). <A> As hard as it is, I found it always best to be completely open about such things. <S> The earlier you communicate the more room there will be to mange this properly. <S> Your Boss is responsible for the resources and if he decides a goal is not worth pursuing as soon as he knows the real cost involved that is his call to make. <S> That said, being open and trustworthy with <S> you estimates is always a good trait to have. <S> If you are convinced that this task is what you should be doing, even with the time needed to complete it, find convincing arguments and make your case to your boss. <A> How do I tell my boss? <S> "Hey boss, it took me 5 days to cover 12% of our codebase. <S> There is no way I will be able to cover another 88% in 4 days". <S> PS. <S> If for some unfathomable reason the boss is under the impression that the remaining 88% could be done in 4 days, the this is extremly helpful. <S> And I wouldn't insult my boss by assuming he can't do the maths in his head.
| If your boss decides that you have less time, ask if there is a way to prioritize the code base so that you can cover the most "important" parts in your limited time.
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How do I put multiple jobs that overlap on a resume? My current position is the third position I've held with my current employer, and these positions overlap heavily. Under the same boss, each job change has been a lateral movement to include responsibilities that are left unattended by attrition, promotion, or a variety of other movements. At the same time, they are more or less the same with a different title. (This is not uncommon within my organization, but it is within my local job market.) What would be the most effective way to put this on my resume? (Particularly with the simple breadth of tasks both officially and unofficially within my job?) <Q> The most effective resumes strongly emphasize accomplishments as well as skills, abilities, and knowledge gained during employment history. <S> Having three positions at one employer neither highlights nor conceals these traits. <S> Instead of formatting your resume as though these positions were sequential or overlapping, try describing these various positions as "roles" you have filled and include the results, the requisite skills and met challenges during your employment. <S> Without any context, here's an example: Blah Blah, Inc. (Nov. 2006- present) <S> In the role of Associate Widget Processor, I lead a skills-based team which sustained a 15% improved organizational throughput of widget re-painting -- setting new standards within the widget resurfacing division. <S> My 24 month role as Principal Widget Logistics challenged me to eliminate a 46,000 widget order backlog in time and budget constraints. <S> I met this goal while reducing order-logistics expenses by gaining Department Head support for a new shipping program which was implemented within our division. <A> I'd list the company, list all three titles, most recent on top, oldest on the bottom, put in parentheses "titles differ due to being in different departments, significant overlap in duties," then list your job duties there treating it as a general bucket for all three. <S> If anyone is flummoxed by that setup, they'll ask you about it in your interview or phone screen. <S> Include the duties, but if you're interviewing for a job that wants specific technical skills, a laundry list of all tasks you do won't interest them. <S> Stick to relevant ones (will also be taken as an indication that you are paying attention to the job posting and how you might fit). <S> Also, again, you don't just want to list what you did. <S> Companies are very interested in what you've accomplished for your employers. <S> If you made your job better or made the company better, make sure you list that. <S> It's much more important. <S> " <S> In charge of widget inventory system"? <S> or "Took charge of widget inventory system and improved delivery time by 18% and reduced inventory order backlog by 45%. <S> " <S> The second is a much more strategic view of what you've done with a demonstrated impact and added value to the company bottom line. <S> If it's more service oriented, then service delivery metrics can be used. <A> You can either list it as a single job and breakdown project responsibilities <S> "the bosses and company are the same" or <S> You can break it out as separate jobs since it really is a transfer to a new job within the same company. <S> Personally I think length is the key choice factor here. <S> If it's really long go with the first option and just group it together and list out all projects in a consolidated list and all responsibilities in a consolidated list.
| If you got plenty of room sometimes it looks good to show the transfers as separate job progressions.
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How should I handle a junior team member trash talking me behind my back? I'm on a team of 10 or so people. About half of us are remote in parts of California, and half are in the office in the Bay Area. A few years ago, a specific team member, we'll say "Team Member 1" (TM1 for short), was overheard by someone in another part of the company telling people in our department that a few specific people on his team (TM2, TM3) were just not smart, didn't know what we were doing, and generally should just leave because he could do so much more if we weren't around. Well, the overhearer came back to me and said, "I was talking by your area today and I heard your name and <...> from TM1." Because this is not my first job, and I'm in a more senior role than TM1, I immediately went back to our manager and told him what happened. I pointed out that we can't be undermining ourselves by talking trash about our own teammates. Our manager supposedly had a private talk with TM1, and it wasn't going to happen again. We eventually lost both TM2 and TM3 to competitors, and I remain. Since this all happened, I've been promoted to a leadership role. Just this week, someone in my department mentioned that TM1 was doing it again. Not only that, but specifically was saying I wasn't pulling my weight and my leadership role was taking up too much of my time. The overhearer also told me it sounded very much like the previous things TM1 used to say about TM2 and TM3 before (I didn't realize there was a pattern before too). Because this information comes from a gossip-y source ("someone overheard you"), I feel like it lacks credibility. I've been asked not to expose the overhearer in each case, as they didn't want to get involved (actually, the first OH almost went to HR, but the second OH person told me in confidence). As a leader, I don't feel like getting involved in the petty situation -- but I know this will continue and could have actual business impact if we don't cut it out (we could lose more people). But I can't really disclose my sources either. After this happened, I did re-confirm that my boss doesn't see any performance problem with my work, so I know I'm covered in that regard. Do I betray the confidence of my friend and tell my boss what happened? I've already asked my friend to report it directly to my boss, or not tell me in the future, as it puts me in a terrible position (and I can't force him to tell the boss). Do I just find another team? Our business has a reputation of not having the kind of culture I describe in this story, and that's why I like working there. I'd rather not leave, but any attempt to resolve this situation potentially undermines me professionally and could violate personal trust towards me as well. I'm also concerned that my boss will handle it quietly and it will pop up again in 6 months (we will fix the individual behavior, but the culture will remain). Posting anonymously, and will do my best to answer any follow up questions. If anything is specifically relevant to workplace laws in California, that would be valuable too. Thank you! <Q> Go to your coworker and say that you've heard (no names) that they are unhappy with how you've been contributing to the program. <S> You know that with your new responsibilities you haven't been working on the program as much, but your manager has you working where he wants you. <S> However, you didn't realize that was putting more of a burden on TM1. <S> Where is the program lacking coverage? <S> Maybe one of you can talk to a manager about getting someone else to come onto the program, or shift some of the responsibilities around. <S> What's most important is that the goal of this conversation is not to accuse your coworker of badmouthing you, but to make sure that the work is getting done properly. <S> You shouldn't mention how you heard this info, but at the same time it let's TM1 know that you did hear what he said. <S> As an alternative, if you don't feel that you are the right person to talk to him about program coverage, you can go to the manager who is. <S> Again, the goal here is to help the program, not accuse TM1. <S> They should probably talk to TM1 about whether some assistance is needed. <A> You did not hear it directly, you cannot repeat it. <S> Being in a leadership role means others will talk about you and their perception of your performance. <S> Do not let this talk derail you and your success. <S> The person talking about others will be noticed and hopefully corrected. <A> I don't see why you are even considering addressing this. <S> Since the history is so long, I doubt TM1 has any credibility. <S> You are doing yourself a defavor for even acknowledging that you need to take some action. <S> You can be sure that everyone knows that TM1 is a profesional bulshiter and <S> his words mean less than nothing. <S> The best thing you can do is ignore this, and if anyone comes to you with something like that, nip it in the bud tell them that you don't waste time on gossip from TM1 and they should not waste time listening to him anyway. <S> Do a good job and eventually TM1 will lose his audience without any effort from your part.
| I think the best option here is to talk to TM1, but without confronting them. Tell the manager that you've heard your new leadership role has left some coverage gaps on the project. Your tone needs to be helpful, and not accusatory.
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Powerpoint during an Internal Interview I will be applying for an open position within my company, this position is looking mostly for external candidates. Last time I applied and was interviewed for the position, the interview was understandably geared more towards external candidates. This time around I have an idea of making a Power Point presentation outlining to my boss (and possibly one of the executives if they're in the interview as well), why they should promote me into the position rather than look externally for someone. I know it's highly unorthodox to do something like that in an interview, and I feel like it would answer a lot of questions they would be asking me anyways, plus would highlight why looking externally isn't as great of an idea as they think. I also feel like it will just be geared towards external candidates again and there won't be a whole lot my boss can ask me anyways. Would a Power Point be too out there? Or should I just stick to the 'traditional' format of an interview and just answer what questions I can? <Q> Compared to telling them that their ideas are not great, Powerpoint looks at least like it won't be your biggest problem. <S> I can just assume that you intend to phrase this more diplomatically. <S> To answer that part of the question I would suggest you announce your intention to have a presentation ready. <S> If they are okay with the idea it might actually be well received (as is shows preperation), if you spring a surprise presentation on them they will quite probably be annoyed and shoot yor down for that reason alone. <A> I'd class this the same as all the other "gimmicks" people do while trying to stand out during the hiring process - and while a small minority of interviewers might respond well to it <S> the vast majority won't and it will either fall flat or even worse, actively work against you. <A> First of all, I have no idea how a powerpoint presentation can be a good fit at an interview, or how it could be filled with something which cannot be said orally. <S> I hope no interviewer will never ask me to prepare a powerpoint because I could not ever find what to put into it. <S> Second, and I speak from a former interviewer perspective, I would like candidates to respect any hiring process in place. <S> Third, as you already are inside the company, you have access to many information and knowledge (on products, processes, people, ...) <S> than any other candidate from outside. <S> Study hard on the job offer and put this into your answers during the interview. <S> Fourth, are you really sure you are the best fit for the job? <S> When saying would highlight why looking externally isn't as great of an idea as they think <S> you seem to assume that they is no one outside the company who could do the job better than you. <S> This may be seen as pretentious. <S> Last but not least, avoid powerpoint every time you can.
| But while Powerpoint in an interview is not unheard of it would be unusual to simply start a presentation when your bosses expect they will be conducting a more traditional format.
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How do I include a complicated University history on my CV? I am trying to get my CV together. I know from experience that I don't want it to be more than a single page. I have a lot of great work experience to include. My school history on the other hand is not great. I have gone to multiple universities and have yet to complete my degree (But I am close). I have no problem being up front in person about my schooling, but I don't want my CV messy with school experience when my real value comes from work experience. At the same time, I don't feel like anyone will look twice at a resume with no schooling and no degree. How can I include some information about my schooling, but make sure that it takes a back seat to my work experience? <Q> The ONLY university that a prospective employer cares about is the one that issued or is issuing your degree. <S> On your CV/resume, put something like: Bachelor of Science Underwater Basketweaving University of Poor Life Choices (May, 2018, Expected) <S> And that's it. <S> Of course, if you've already graduated, the date will be in the past and you should leave off the "Expected" Now, if you took classes beyond your degree, want to convey that, and have no intention of completing the degree simply put the years you attended like so: Graduate Coursework Underwater Basketweaving University of Eternal Debt (Attended May, 2018 through June, 2020) <S> Of course, including this kind of educational experience can be a double-edged sword, it shows that you have education beyond your undergraduate degree, but it also brings up the question of why you didn't finish the program, so you should be prepared to answer. <S> It's also OK to leave it off and only bring it up if you feel the need. <A> What about simply putting this down at the bottom: <S> U Mich B Sc <S> 49 cr. 2011 <S> Sorbonne M A <S> 78 cr. <S> 2012 <S> UCLA B Sc 82 <S> cr. <S> 2012 <S> (or maybe just on one line with commas). <S> Nothing to fuss about. <S> It will only be glanced at. <S> I learned this from my friend K who is an absolute master of CVs. <S> On his own he puts after his other degrees PhD UCLA 2002 <S> Abd as he didn't quite finish that one. <S> (Perhaps many glancing at it would assume "abd" <S> is some fancy addendum :) ) <S> (*) Note that, unfortunately really, many QA on this site are from those in the software "industry", I rather assume that's the case with you, OP. <S> In software other than in some niches, in most regions nobody cares much about your education other than nominally. <S> Obviously if you work in a more grown-up profession, you may need to take more care. <S> But the above is fine if you want to make web pages, the next gem attack thumbcandy, etc. <A> Having myself transferred twice and subsequently graduated, I was told throughout my acadmeic career to include each University I attended and my major and minor at each one. <S> However every perspective employer has been confused by this, and unanimously advised that I only include the school from which I graduated and/or was slated to graduate from. <S> It could vary based on location, but I suggest that you include only the school that will issue your degree, and only the Major that you will be graduating with.
| If you want to discuss it with a potential employer, that's up to you and it can be done in the interview, but unless you have a degree from a school or are graduating from there, there is no need to make a mess of your CV.
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How can I influence a stand up meeting as a participant and not a leader I asked a question a while back about taking notes at a stand up. Since then, I have been asked by my team leader to step back as the stand up leader and take a more passive role, so to still contribute to my fullest, but not to lead the stand up. At the moment, our stand ups are just status meeting. Each person just says I did this, then on to the next person. We are trying to include stand up meetings into an environment that is not yet Agile. My team leader wants this stand up meeting to be completely controlled by the team and to be used a HUB for us to refocus and help each other with any issues that arise. This is a great idea, but nobody says anything of value. They will struggle with something for days and still not say anything at the stand up. Eventually when they are asked by the team leader they confess they haven't made any headway. Because the team leader does not attend the stand ups, they do not know that they are really not going as planned. I don't want to be a whistle blower and say "this person is not running a stand up properly and as a result we aren't getting anything out of it". What I want to do, is find a way to move us into a more traditional stand up, without taking over from the person leading the stand up. TLDR; How can I use my time at the team stand up to help it run smoothly without actually taking over the stand up <Q> I would say that your team sees no value in stand-ups and they are going through the motions. <S> Less capable people are often threatened by someone wanting them to talk about their non-existent progress. <S> Likely you were asked to back down because what seemed like successful stand-ups to you seemed to be something quite different to the others. <S> So at this point all you can do is model <S> the behavior you want. <S> Give good status reports. <S> Do not take more than five minutes though. <S> Ask for help on something to show it is ok to ask for help. <S> I am not sure that your company is ever going to get any benefits of stand-ups unless they do some other parts of agile as well. <S> Since the lead doesn't attend, they aren't even really status reports that help management keep abreast of progress. <S> If people aren't committed (or possibly allowed based on how tasks are managed) to help each other out (as a self-organizing team would do), what is the point in listening every day to everyone say what they are doing? <A> On a team I used to be with, we had a rotating scrum master who would lead the daily stand-ups. <S> However, there were several of us who would be quite involved in engaging the team members. <S> This was considered a good thing, overall - everyone checking up on each other. <S> I used to ask questions when developers would share status, if I had knowledge of what they were working with or on. <S> " <S> Have you been able to get that module to run? <S> I know it can be tricky." <S> "Do you want a quick overview of that code?" <S> "I've done that before - give me a holler if you hit a snag." <S> Of course, this depends on your team culture and how that would be perceived. <S> It sounds like you might have a problem with team investment (as other posters have indicated). <A> Well I can suggest something from my personal experience. <S> Have you tried a visual approach to tracking each task in your team. <S> As a software engineer we mainly had four phases, analysis, design, coding and testing. <S> So we had something similar to this . <S> As you can see in the Kanban figure, the manager lists the new tasks which are upcoming. <S> And everyone can update this board during the stand-up meetings. <S> Hence everyone knows what someone is working on and their daily status. <S> If someone is stuck longer another resource can be added to it. <S> And if someone finishes faster, they can take up any of the upcoming ones. <S> Having something like this makes everyone take it bit more serious as the manager can simply walk and have a look at the status of everything without bothering associates who may be busy. <S> Also helps associates themselves when they come after a weekend and can see what's pending and what needs to be done. <S> And also fix a time limit on your meetings. <S> Make it around 1 minute per person. <S> It should indeed be a short update. <S> Too long and others would probably not pay attention.
| If something is taking more than one day, talk about the percentage completed, the issues you have getting everything done, etc. If you have some time available, you can ask if someone needs a hand.
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What is the technicality of using an American name instead of an ethnic name? I had someone suggest using an American/European name instead of my own after it proved successful for him. I've also read many articles about white sounding names receiving better job prospects. I understand it is not illegal to use a false name on a resume but that I would have to write my real name on any legal documents. How does using a different name on my resume work with my github, LinkedIn, email and portfolio which all use my real name? Should I tell the HR person during the interview(s) my real name, so that doing background checks and contacting previous employers causes no confusion. Has anyone gone through this? Is there any thing you learned from your experience you are willing to share? <Q> I've known a few people who had names that were difficult for most Americans to pronounce or spell, and so used "American names". <S> Or maybe they were just concerned about having a name that "sounds strange". <S> There's nothing illegal about using an invented name as long as you are not attempting fraud. <S> (I'm not a lawyer, maybe there are some other specific cases.) <S> Plenty of native-born Americans use nicknames. <S> Whether this really helps in getting jobs or whatever, I don't know. <S> If you have email addresses and the like in your real name, you could get new accounts with your "American name". <S> Otherwise it's likely to be confusing. <S> In the case of an email address, you may be able to set it up to forward to the email with you real name. <S> For most sort of user names that's not an option of course. <S> All around, it seems like a pain to me. <S> There's no easy solution to the problem of avoiding confusion if you're going by two different names. <S> Enough people do it that I doubt anyone would question it. <S> Like, few would say, "Why are you using a fake name? <S> Are you trying to hide something? <S> " But you'll have to tell them your real name sooner or later, so if you're thinking that you're going to hide the fact that you're from Mongolia or wherever to avoid being discriminated against by anti-Mongolian racists, I doubt that would work. <A> Where I come from, they translate their names. <S> If your name is Mohammad then your "white" name would be Martin, I think. <S> I live in Sweden and it is standard that immigrants or foreigners adapt their names to Swedish names. <S> Andres became Anders. <S> Abdul became Adam. <S> Kareem became Kim. <S> Mohammad became Martin. <S> Ahmed became Acke. <A> I would suggest you use your real name. <S> Do you really want to work for a company that would not hire you or give you a lesser offer because of your name? <S> Now if you are getting annoyed with people pronouncing/spelling your name wrong and want to be called something else you can say "my name is X, but you can call me Y". <S> People do that all the time. <S> For example, lots of people named William go by Bill or Will. <S> So on your resume/any social networking, I would use your real name and when you meet people in person just say something like: <S> Hello, my name is Terrence, but you can call me Terry <S> If a company is going to undercut you or not hire you because your name "isn't American enough <S> " you should move on and find a company where you will be respected.
| There is nothing unprofessional about being referred to by something that is not your birth name, but do it for the right reason. If you have job history under your real name that you want to use for references, yes, you'd have to tell the HR person or whomever your real name.
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How to interrupt collegues? This question is related to a similar question asked before. However, it focuses more on a specific detail. From time to time I have to talk to a colleague face to face. So I go to their office, knock the door (despite it is usually open) to make them aware I am there and then wait for them to look at me. The time until this happens can sometimes be awkwardly long (although it is only a few seconds). I have no problem with this, though. The reason I usually wait until they look at me is to make sure they can finish their current thought and can decide for themselves when to interrupt and talk to me. I, personally, would like people to e.g. let me finish my current typing so that afterwards I better know where I left off. However, more than once I got the feeling this waiting annoys people. Often they already ask me to start talking to them while they are still concentrating on their monitor and are typing. Should I start talking to them immediately or should I wait for their full attention? For the sake of this question lets assume that asynchronous communication like writing an E-Mail is not an option. <Q> When going to someone's office to talk to them, stand in the door and wait for them to look up and ask you "what's up?" <S> or the like. <S> Don't knock on the door if the offices are such that it's obvious you are standing there wanting to engage them. <S> If it's already obvious you're waiting for them to be ready to talk to you, doing anything else is just annoying and a little rude. <S> If you believe they truly don't realize you're there after a few seconds, then you can knock on the door or something. <S> This should be unusual. <S> If you think they know you're there, just ignoring you after a reasonable time, then you can start speaking. <S> It's only fair to give someone a few seconds to finish typing a sentence, click SAVE in the editor, etc. <S> This shouldn't take more than a second or two. <S> If that's all that's going on, then there is no problem here. <S> Every once in a while the person you are interrupting might be in something a little deeper. <S> It is acceptable of them to say something like "Just a minute... <S> " when they see you, then take a bit more time than usual to be ready to engage you. <S> This should happen less frequently. <S> Occasionally, someone may be really busy with looming deadline or something. <S> They can then say <S> "Sorry, I'm really busy right now. <S> Can I get back to you in xxx minutes?" <S> (or "after lunch", "tomorrow morning" or whatever). <S> This should happen even less frequently, but these situations do arise. <S> Conversely, when someone comes into your office, do the best you can to address them quickly but not at the expense of loosing your immediate work. <S> Hit SAVE in the editor, etc. <A> There are two separate fundamental problems. <S> You're assuming that you can talk to them there-and-then. <S> So, you're hanging around waiting until you can talk, expecting that you can talk "right then". <S> This is wrong; you shouldn't do this. <S> Rather, you have to interrupt, express that you need to talk, and then (most typically) leave. <S> You will talk later. <S> (Of course, sometimes the person will say "sure, let's talk right now", which is great.) <S> The second issue, When you do in fact "interrupt someone to express that you need a talk with them". <S> You must to do that politely, but, you also have to do that decisively, "quickly", causing as little interruption as possible to the person. <S> To repeat, you must perform the interruption "decisively and quickly". <S> You should not stand there staring at the person for 5, 10, 30 seconds, "waiting to get a word in", when you are merely going to say "Let's talk when you can. <S> " <S> (To repeat, of course sometimes they will be able to talk then, and if so that's fine.) <S> Note that the most typical human thing is the "submissive attention-getting hand wave", rough examples ... <S> You don't "wait to do that", wasting more time and being more annoying. <S> You just perhaps wait a breath until they look towards you, and then politely go for it, and explain "Can we talk sometime? <S> " <S> There's nothing worse than standing there staring at the person - <S> an interruption is an interruption: when you have to interrupt (to make it known you want to talk at some point), you have to do interrupt "politely yet decisively" . <A> Huge cultural variation on this one. <S> In my current organization the norm is knock when you arrive at their door/cube, wait for eye contact, ask if they have a moment to talk and proceed depending on their answer. <S> In a past organization I've worked in, the norm would be to ask over IM prior to going to their office even if it meant a small detour back to your desk. <S> When I was in Korea the norm was to silently wait at the door until acknowledged if you were approaching a superior or just barge in and start talking if you were approaching a subordinate. <S> There is definitely no one right answer to how to approach this. <A> Like you, if I need to talk to manager real quick and her door is open (has an open door policy), I pop in, lightly knock twice on the door to let her know <S> I'm there (her view is not in line with her door), wait a second as you do to let her complete her thought <S> and if she does not turn to me or verbally acknowledge me after a brief moment, I say, "Hey, do you have a quick moment, I'd like you to look over xyz" or whatever I needed her for. <S> This allows the person to either begin the conversation while completing their thought, give you their full attention, or if they don't have a moment, they can simply reply, "Now is actually not a good time. <S> Come back at 1." <A> If you're repeatedly getting into a state where you're needing to immediately interrupt someone, then it sounds like you need to be doing a bit more planning of your work. <S> To quote from one of your comments: <S> Or because I have finished my current task, know another one is urgent but I need infos to start with it <S> In this case, you should have sent some form of low priority communication as you were coming towards the end of your current task, to give your colleague time to respond when they came to a convenient point in their day. <S> At the moment, what you're saying is effectively "my time is more important than that of my colleague". <S> That's fine <S> if you're the CEO, it's not fine if you're asking someone even vaguely on the same level as you.
| You have to interrupt, "politely but decisively", let them know you want to talk about something, and then leave them alone. Be prepared to adjust to how they react. Finishing the sentence you're typing is OK, but a whole paragraph is going too far.
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How can I ask to work extra hours to make up for a holiday? I am scheduled to work fewer hours next week due to the office being closed on holiday for the 4th of July. I would like to email my boss to ask I can work a few extra hours each day to make up for the lost time. I don't know whether or not this would count as 'overtime', since I'm the one asking my manager if I can work the extra hours. How should I ask my boss if I can work extra hours to make up for a work holiday? <Q> How should I ask my boss if I can work extra hours to make up for a work holiday? <S> Assuming you do not get paid for the holiday ( which you very well may ), you could ask this way: <S> I would prefer to not lose any money over the holiday, could I work 2 extra hours a day over the other 4 days this week to make up for it ? <S> ( thus keeping you at 40 hours ) <A> I was an intern at one time that had this same problem. <S> Since our work weeks were from Sunday to Saturday <S> my boss had no problem letting us work extra to make up for the holidays that happened during the week. <S> If your work weeks end half way through the week (rarely happens) then it could be an issue of the overtime for one week but not the other. <S> Figure out what your paid weeks are (usually on pay stubs) and go from there. <S> The way that I normally phrase it to my boss is: <S> "Can I make up some hours for the (Holiday here, eg: <S> 4th of July) on other days that I work by either coming in early or staying later?" <A> National holidays in the US are not guaranteed to be paid. <S> If you are a W2 FTE (full-time employee on your company's payroll), then consult your employee handbook which should outline your vacation & holiday plan for the company. <S> Then bring your problem with a solution to your manager. <S> An example might be: "In order to avoid working less hours and therefore being paid less for the week of 7/3/2017, I'm planning to work four 10-hour days Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. <S> Please confirm this is approved. <S> " <S> Make sure to get the approval in writing.
| If you are a 1099 contractor or working through a third party (staffing/recruiting firm), then first consult the person responsible for your payroll to understand how holidays work.
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Colleague commited suicide - is there anything I could have done to help? One of my colleagues committed suicide. We are an IT consultant company. When we have a contract, we will be deployed at a customer's site; one of our customers always put every consultant under microscope; it is not an official practice, but it has been happening. One may argue they have every right to do it as they are paying good money for our service. This colleague of mine came under fire for raising too many Jira tickets. Someone came to her and complained about it in person. This resulted in a dramatic drop in her mood and shortly afterwards, she requested a transfer out of this company. Two days later, she committed suicide, leaving her husband and a 4 year old daughter behind. I noticed her drop in mood but I did not do anything. Is there anything I could have done to help? I am asking myself what would have happened if I had invited her to a cup of coffee - might she have managed to pull it through? <Q> Depression is a disease . <S> A cup of coffee cannot fix a disease. <S> A cup of coffee cannot cure cancer. <S> A cup of coffee cannot cure depression. <S> I can guarantee you that coming under fire for her number of JIRA tickets <S> did not cause her to commit suicide. <S> Even if you could have stopped that person from walking through the door and chastising her, it would not have changed the outcome. <S> What you saw was most likely the cultivation of months or maybe even years of pain, negative thoughts, and incredibly well-hidden emotions that she finally let go of. <S> I'm really sorry for your loss. <S> Depression is especially hard because it's so hard to recognize and even harder to understand. <S> My best advice for you is to go check in with a therapist about it if it's really upsetting you. <S> Think of it as a gift to her--keeping your own mental health in check. <A> If you're close to a coworker and notice that they're down, it might be appropriate to ask them about how they feel. <S> If you aren't close to them, it's probably inappropriate to do so in a professional environment. <S> Mental health is a serious issue, and I don't mean to downplay that. <S> But as a coworker, you did the correct thing by not getting involved. <A> As someone who has struggled with suicidal tendencies, and several attempts, I think I can offer some insight. <S> It's a form of insanity. <S> Yes, I know the preferred term is "mental illness" these days, but it does not seem strong enough a term. <S> What else is appropriate for wanting to end your own existence? <S> Such clear signs are things like giving away prized possessions, talking with a sense of finality, and, oddly enough, a sudden upswing in mood. <S> The last is because the person has come to peace with ending their life and they know they won't be suffering for much longer. <S> It can even trigger a feeling of euphoria, which is particularly dangerous because it reinforces the person's resolve to take their own life. <S> Would you back down from a plan that made you so happy? <S> If there are no clear signs, there's nothing you can do. <S> You're not a professional. <S> If you were kind, you did enough and all that could be expected. <S> Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't, but it never hurts. <S> You had no way of knowing where your coworker was. <S> The only thing I can say is if you ever notice anyone feeling down, share a kind word. <S> It may not help, but you never know how much of an effect of saying "are you okay? <S> I'm concerned" can have on a person. <S> That alone could snap them back enough to seek help. <S> Don't blame yourself for this, you could not have known. <A> If you wanted to help, it would have been important to know her well, and recognise the symptoms as soon as possible. <S> Now this is based on my own experiences: it is really difficult to realise by yourself something is wrong, and if you have no experience you need to be very observant to have a chance at all.
| There are no reasons that will make sense to the anyone other than the person themselves, and few things can be done unless someone shows very clear signs, at which point, the thing to do is try to get that person to seek help.
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Employee's Relative and Theft from the Workplace We recently had some public strikes and protests in Brazil which caused some major inconveniences all around. One of those inconveniences was the lack of public transport for today, so my direct boss (our CEO) opted to give everyone the day off. During one of those protests, someone threw a rock which broke one of our very large glass windows at the street level. Another person, unrelated to the rock throwing incident, saw the broken window and used the opportunity to enter our office and steal a computer from our reception. We found out later that this thief was a sibling to one of our employees - let's call this employee "Frank" - by checking the security cameras. Someone, somehow, let that information leak to the internal company-wide communication channel, and things rapidly deteriorated from there. Our CEO has no plans to pursue any punishment for Frank, because he had absolutely nothing to do with the theft . However, other employees are calling for blood and blaming him for his "association" with a criminal, with comments like "the fruit doesn't fall far away from the tree", and blaming him for stuff that may or may have not disappeared from the office in the past. Things grew out of proportion very quickly. I had to take our chat channel down to stop this flame war, but the conversation just moved to an unofficial chat room not controlled by the company. There are a bunch of employees getting very vocal about firing Frank. Now, Frank isn't a senior employee nor a key player, but from the management point of view he didn't do anything wrong. My boss is thinking in issuing written warnings 1 for those that flamed him, which include at least one senior employee, a few juniors and an intern. We are worried however that this action can be seem as "favoring" him over the other employees, which can cause a even bigger storm. However, firing him would be wrong from our point of view, since he didn't do anything wrong. Our CEO suspects that a part of this flaming war is due to a disguised form of racism. Frank is part of a racial minority, and this may be one of the factors that could explain all this hate he is getting. I'm not sure about this myself, but I wouldn't discard the possibility. Our current plan is to issue written warnings 1 for everyone that somehow blames Frank for anything related to this incident. Is this, however, a valid course of action to take on this situation? 1 - Written warnings are a specific legal concept in Brazilian employment law. More here <Q> Since your are located in Brazil, let's crack the issue down from a brazilian point of view. <S> Since theft is a crime that needs to be reported to be prosecuted only the sibling can to come under investigation. <S> Frank cannot be blamed for his relative's actions until the police finds a causal nexus (Frank tipped his relative). <S> The uproar against Frank is a legal liability for your company. <S> It is moral harassment and Frank needs only to walk into a brazilian work court to almost automatically win a lawsuit (at no cost to him) <S> [EDIT: after this post, a new law enacted some costs if the worker loses] against the company. <S> We are talking about five-to-six-figure values here (in BRL). <S> More even if he gets fired. <S> Brazilian employment laws are very different from USA or other "at will" employment contracts. <S> For one, termination in Brazil has severe costs for the company if one cannot fit the reason of termination into a " just cause " type of termination. <S> And all other terminations have notice periods of 30 days (or the advance payment for those 30 days). <S> Also, your company may be small enough to not have its own ethics code, but I think no company should go without one. <S> Maybe it is time to do that. <S> I don't think any good will come from issuing warnings to the people that are calling a witch hunt on the whatsapp group. <A> What is important is allowing for a safe work environment for all employees. <S> That is the job of management and HR. <S> It is up to them also to investigate on whether he should be fired or not and the other employees should respect the process. <S> Is it upsetting that someone's younger sibling stole? <S> Of course it is. <S> That doesn't give people a right to riot and create a harmful work environment. <S> A message should definitely be sent out by HR or management to let the employees know that this kind of behavior is not tolerated. <S> It's workplace harassment which most countries and companies should have laws and rules against. <S> I wouldn't be worried about favoritism. <S> You already mentioned that he is not a key player nor is he a senior employee. <S> That means that the company has little reason to defend him from a work standpoint. <S> The average employee is relatively easy to replace. <S> The fact they are willing to defend him should be enough to prove his innocence alone. <S> Please note that the Message should not be pointing fingers, but a general reminder about workplace harassment and if anyone is not happy with something, they should come talk to a manager or talk to HR to vent in a more positive and constructive way. <S> As Kilisi said in their comment, it should eventually blow over. <S> However, the company also needs to put it's foot down and set a precedence so that employees know that this is not acceptable behavior when they are not happy with things. <A> Reasoning: The management dealt with it as it saw it fit. <S> Trying to deal with something which is your managers business against your managers wishes is inacceptable for a senior employee. <S> I think the manager should do the following: send an email stating that an issue about the incident (without mentioning the persons name) has been brought to his attention. <S> State that the management has assessed the situation and taken all mean necessary to protect the company and that it does not find any guilt of any employee. <S> State that badmouthing employees is something which will not be tolerated, and that, for the sake of the atmosphere in the company, can result in removing the perpetrators. <S> Fire or demote the senior employee. <S> Make it public enough (e.g. by offering his position internally) <S> Block all junior employees who participated from going into a senior position by putting the incident in their file Blacklist the interns from being hired at the company
| What you need to do is to set a worker code of conduct and ethics guidelines that can stop further harassment (if the company already don't have one). Brazilian law does not automatically place burden of a crime on the criminal's relatives.
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Proving language proficiency when applying for a job Are there proficiency tests that someone can list on their resume to prove their ability in a certain (natural) language? And if so, is it worth getting these certifications? As in, will they give you an edge over other applicants? Google searches turned up a bunch of language interpreter or language teacher links, but I'm interested in just listing that I know such and such language for any kind of job. <Q> Yes, there are! <S> Many institutions release them, for example the Goethe institute or The Académie Française, and many other depending on the language. <S> In Europe specifically, there is also a language-independent standard, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFRL) . <S> It defines multiple "reference levels" of language competence, which you can get certificates for. <S> They are a proof of your knowledge, and can be used to enroll in universities, to apply for citizenships (not in every county), and in some jobs. <S> They do help if you work in certain fields, like multilingual customer service; however, often the companies will also (or instead) check directly your knowledge of the language before hiring you (usually by making interviews in the specific language). <S> Finally, they are not free and depending on the level you want to certify, the preparation needed may be demanding. <S> So if you plan on taking an exam, try to research first what level will be useful or required for you - for example, with CEFRL, when one is required for a job, it will usually be at B2 or even C1, so getting a certificate at A2 will be of limited use. <A> In Europe you can often find jobs, degree programmes, and government applications <S> (eg. citizenship) where an official language certification is required. <S> They appear to prefer two particular certifiers which as far as I know are commercial ones (IELTS and TOEFL). <S> As mentioned, they are usually a requirement, so having them is not just beneficial. <S> As for languages in general, I don't think it is that useful unless your interviewer or manager is originally from that country. <S> Then it might give you a slight edge over other equally skilled/experienced candidates. <A> Many jobs in my country require people to be bilingual, the job goes to the person with the highest certification quite often, even if their technical skills and experience are not as good as someone without (within reason). <S> Particularly in client facing roles. <S> Generally any sort of formal certification is good for you, whether it's first aid, defensive driving or language related. <S> At any rate it's not a bad thing to have. <A> It depends on the job! <S> If you are working with English speaking co-workers and clients, and you never need any other language besides English, listing that you know Japanese gives you a cool factor but not an edge because there is no need for you to speak Japanese. <S> However, if you work for Sony, and you frequently talk to the Japanese departments for your tasks, then knowing Japanese gives you an edge over others because they don't need to invest in translators or other extra tools as you can speak to the headquarters in their own language. <S> The only time knowing multiple languages really plays a huge factor though is in customer facing type of jobs. <S> Sales/Customer service/ Tech support. <S> You knowing say English and Spanish gives you a huge advantage over others because they can have you switch between English and Spanish queues as needed when one get's too busy. <S> Otherwise I would add multiple languages for the sake of having it known you do, but unless your company works with multiple languages, it won't actually give you any edge over another. <S> EDIT: <S> I also want to specify that this is for US based jobs. <S> I am sure other countries, especially in Europe where there is multiple languages being used at any given time with multiple nationalities, this would be different.
| Yes, taking a language course will provide you with some sort of certificate if you pass usually, and in many places it can be a requirement and is much better than nothing.
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Dealing with a particularly irritating customer over a specific issue I'm currently an apprentice software developer working on my first project. The project, which I took over from the previous apprentice who left after getting sick and tired of the customer(s) constantly changing their mind on things and adding things, is nearing it's conclusion - I've been working on it for almost a year even after taking it over from the previous developer. The changes being made now aren't too major. It's more validation, tweaking functionality here and there, and just refining the smaller details whilst the system is installed and tested in parallel with the outgoing system. In the project, I'm using controls developed by Infragistics and there's a specific issue with the UltraGrids which I have been aware of for a while but has been marked as a low priority job by the customer. Each release I send over for testing is marked with items on "Fix List" spreadsheet that they created with priority of jobs. Every single time I get an email with feedback, new things seem to come up or get added, which in some cases is understandable, but one thing in particular really irritates me. The customer ALWAYS adds to the bottom of the list "Item x (The issue with the grids) has still not been fixed. I've tested again and it's still the same. Low priority". I am fully aware this is an issue; when I'm getting free time I am researching why it's not working properly, but there are now 4 or 5 items on the fix list stating the exact same thing isn't working, when I've never updated the list to show that it's been changed. Whenever I fix something, I'll fill the cell in yellow to show it needs testing, but I have never marked this item in yellow. This is really bugging me (If you'll pardon the pun) and I don't know how to deal with him doing this. At times, it makes me want to send him a strongly worded email telling him to stop adding it, I know it's still there to be looked at, but of course I can't do this for obvious reasons. What is the best thing to do in this situation? I'm not sure whether to just ignore it, if I should reply, or even how to word a reply if I did. <Q> A polite prompt might help: <S> Hi <S> customer <S> I notice you've added the grid issue to the latest fix list with a low priority, despite it not being marked as ready for testing. <S> Please can you confirm that this is, in fact, low priority as you seem to have added it multiple times? <S> If this needs addressing sooner, please let me know <S> and I will update the log accordingly. <S> Thanks <S> This is the most polite way I can think of to call them out on their petty behaviour, while remaining professional. <A> The obvious solution is just to ignore the problem. <S> If it's really annoying you (and I don't see why it should), just send them a helpful smiley e-mail informing them that they don't have to keep on testing this issue, because you promise to let them know as soon as it has been fixed. <A> There is a difference between "priority" and "importance". <S> Priority is about what needs to be done first. <S> The customer doesn't think this fix needs to be done first . <S> However, by reminding you every single time that this needs to be fixed, they make it very clearly that this is important. <S> Someone called this "petty behaviour". <S> I'd think someone is very badly mis-reading the customer here. <S> Unlike TonyK suggests, don't send messages with smileys. <S> The customer might be very, very annoyed if you do that. <S> Don't "promise to let them know as soon as it has been fixed". <S> Promise to fix it. <A> This is fairly common. <S> It could be for a number of reasons. <S> They could be being pretty, out they may have had issues with things falling off the radar in the past so are making sure it doesn't get forgotten. <S> Clients can do any number of strange, inexpiable and downright crazy things. <S> You as the contractor, should always be professional though it all. <S> Sometimes clients will do things where you have to flag it to them and deal with it. <S> Like asking for two completely contradictory requirements. <S> If it makes the work impossible you need to tell them. <S> This isn't a time like that. <S> This is just a client creating duplicate issues. <S> If it makes them happy let them and then tidy the issues up. <S> It really isn't a big issue.
| Don't take it personally If you don't want some totally outraged customer eventually talking to your boss and taking you apart for not fixing this problem that they mentioned every single time, I would strongly consider actually fixing it.
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Fired and moved to other company on first day - how react Background: I was looking for a different job as commuting 2h a day was just to much for me. I got an offer from another company in my hometown, signed that, resigned my old job. On the new job I'll earn way less but I don't have to travel to work anymore, fine for me. Today, first day one the new job:"You're fired, we outsourced your position". They already arranged for me to work on a new company (the outsourced one).Ironically they operate on the same area where my old job was. In conclusion I now have a new job with worse payment and the same amount of commuting. Commuting was the original reason I've quit, a normal 50h week becomes a 62h monster with it. I have no clue how to handle this. I'm well aware that the new company is doing me a favour by just taking me, I'm aware that hating on the company who fired me is stupid (not their fault and wouldn't help anyways). I'm also aware that they are allowed by law to do so (best I could get would be 1 week notice). Commuting is destroing my health. Commuting to the same area of my old job, now with less pay is destroying my morale. They intend to open an office in my town at a certain point (nobody can guarantee anything). Going back to my old employee is impossible as everyone is very happy with my successor, I've trained him very well. I'm not angry, I'm not sad, I'm just looking for some advice as I have no clue how to proceed. This attributes lead to a work day of 12h. In best case and if our public transport has no cancellations as always. How can I handle this situation? What would be the best way to do? Quit and hoping to find another job? Many people recommand me not to do so, but I think it looks way better in your CV "couldn't work there because we moved the office" than "quit after 2 months of underperforming" EDIT: I refused the new opportunity as it would be a bad deal for me and the other employer. I won't be able to reach the goals, mine or theirs with that commute and their additional work shifts. I won't be able to pretend I like the company bcs. of the circumstances. EDIT2: Had a talk with a lawyer. De facto in Switzerland you are allowed to fire someone without any reason with a notice of one week in the first three months. (Same you as employee can quit with one week notice in the first three months).We would need to prove that they knew beforehand that my job doesn't exists anymore which would be way to complicated to document. <Q> Seems to me the obvious thing to do is to start looking for a new job again. <S> I have no idea what the job market is like in your area and your field. <S> But if you were just looking for a job, you may get calls from other places where you had feelers out. <S> If not, hey, at least you have a current resume and some recent practice interviewing. <A> You just went through the job application process so you might be in a better-than-usual position to assess how difficult it would be to obtain another position in your desired location/hometown. <S> (Maybe there were even places that you had already started conversations with.) <S> It sounds like you're committed to finding something in that locale, so going back to your old place doesn't make sense since you don't want to work there. <S> (It's quite possible they would rehire you; the reason they wouldn't is less happiness with your successor and more that both you and they expect you to quit as soon as you find something with a shorter commute.) <S> If it's very challenging for you to find suitable work, maybe you could reach an agreement that made sense for both of you. <S> I think it looks way better in your CV "couldn't work there because we moved the office" than "quit after 2 months of underperforming" <S> Is there really a difference here? <S> Any place you speak with will want to know why the rapid transition; the answer in both cases is more or less in the question here: you were looking for a position closer to where you live, and you're only there a couple of months because the company you joined pulled the rug out from underneath you on day one. <A> Since you are now traveling back to where your old job was, you should ask if there is anything that they need done. <S> Even if it's contract work for the time being while you look for another job would be worth it since you have experience for that company. <S> This is one avenue you could explore, but they may not go for it since you made a case to not commute. <S> If there aren't any jobs near where you live, have you explored the option of learning a new skill set and attempting another career path <S> so you don't have to commute as far? <S> For the time being you could go to your new job (or your old one) and during the commute learn something else by reading or watching videos on a mobile device. <S> I would advise against quitting your new job unless your old company/job took you back <S> and you think the bridge wasn't too burnt. <S> (Although since you have made your case of not wanting to commute, they would most likely know it's not permanent.) <S> You can also look for other jobs during your commute to see if anything that is closer to you will be better.
| You could explain to them that your new job didn't pan out like you thought it would have since they outsourced the jobs.
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Employer wants me to write down "I accept the termination" on my termination paper This question basically builds up on this question My employer wants me to write down "I confirm having received the termination and I accept it" on my termination paper. As I'm not happy at all with the termination and this basically throws me into unemployment I'm struggeling to write that. Also (in my common sense) no acceptance from any party is needed if you fire someone/decide to leave. As long you follow your local laws. Should I change the sentence to something like: "I confirm having received the termination and I deeply regret that this step was needed"? The other sentence just sounds...fishy to me. I don't want to insinuate malicious intentions but it kinda feels like a phrase for them to avoid all consequences. <Q> I am not a lawyer. <S> I would recommend you to get one to make sure you don't make any legal concessions you don't have to make. <S> But if I would be in a situation where hiring a lawyer is not possible, I would only write the undeniable truth, and nothing more: <S> I confirm having received this document and sign it with the current date. <S> This proves that they have given me the termination in a timely manner. <S> Whether or not I accept the termination is my decision. <S> They can not tell me to state that. <S> Also note that I am not calling it a "termination" but only a "document". <S> That might give my lawyer some options to attack it based on formalities they might not have if I would have acknowledge it as a termination. <S> Maybe it would be in fact beneficial for me to formally accept it, maybe it would be better to formally reject it. <S> But that's something I would have difficulty to assess without legal advice. <S> So I would avoid making any statement in either direction until my lawyer tells me to. <A> Of course it's fishy. <S> You may have legal rights against unfair dismissal. <S> You may have contractual rights of appeal under the terms of your contract or the company's documented dismissal policy. <S> By accepting the termination, you may weaken any claim for unfair dismissal. <S> As others have said, take the paper, acknowledge that you have received it, and leave your options open as to whether or not you should take action against the company. <A> I just noticed this: "I deeply regret that this step was needed". <S> Do not write this . <S> Remember: <S> Anything you say or write can and will be used against you. <S> You just admitted that not only your company was right to fire you, but that your bad behaviour made it necessary to fire you. <S> At least that's what any lawyer will say. <S> Why would you write this? <S> To be nice? <S> They just fired you. <S> I'd say something rude, instead I'll say don't be nice to them. <S> Even "I have received the termination" is not something you should write. <S> It's always possible that what they gave you is not legally a termination. <S> Why make it harder for you if lawyers got involved by admitting that you received a termination? <S> "I have received this document" is it. <S> Nothing more. <S> Remember: Anything you say and write can and will be used against you. <S> Remember: You have just been fired. <S> You don't like these people. <S> Don't be nice to them. <S> You do whatever you can, as little as it may be, to make their life harder. <A> When you are being terminated, there is absolutely no reason to sign anything unless there's an incentive. <S> If they're saying "Here, we'll pay you an extra month of severance if you sign this," and I've been there before, then you need to balance the sure thing of a month of money vs the ambiguous relief of trying to address wrongful termination. <S> But if they're offering nothing - just say "nope. <S> " <S> I've been asked to sign things going out the door. <S> "Sign this to say you've never violated our IP agreement." <S> "Sign here to re-verify you're not going to take customers with you." <S> "Sign here to accept your termination." <S> I've refused to sign things like this even when I'm leaving of my own accord. <S> They are not allowed (in 90% of the civilized world) to withhold your last paycheck, so there's really no down side. <S> You don't need to pay a lawyer to not sign anything. <S> Remember, people do quit by just not showing up any more, they don't "need" any of this stuff. <S> They want it. <S> Why do you want it? <S> If there's not a reason, then don't do it. <A> The question to ask anytime you are told to do something you think is not in your best interests is: <S> So, if were to refuse to comply with your request what would the consequences be? <S> Are you willing to document those consequences in writing? <S> You do not always need a lawyer. <S> If you do not like the answers then you can reply: I am not unwilling to sign this <S> however I feel that I need to consult a lawyer before doing so. <S> And if the company continues to insist that you sign it before you can leave to consult the attorney, then write on the document before signing anything: <S> I am being told that I can not leave this room, despite requesting and opportunity to discuss this with a lawyer, until I complete the following statement: Then write the statement and when you sign: This is signed only under-duress <S> of and/or coercion of continued involuntary detainment Then sign your name. <S> Chances are the company is going to walk way before it gets to here. <S> But if it does then anything you sign in this manner should be worthless <S> should it come to court.
| Unless there is some actual benefit to you signing it, just say "no thanks" and leave.
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How to deal with a very detail oriented manager? So I come from an agile workplace and generally prefer to ship whenever something is good enough for the public, but not perfect. However, my line manager is detail-oriented to the extreme and makes me spend days re-doing work until it's just as she thinks it should be. While some of the feedback is valid, other feedback is I think a little too far. E.g. copy came from different department I upload to the website, she requests copy change, I change, she decides it doesn't look quite right I change again etc... She tries to have things be perfect, but often its just her perception of what perfect is, were, in reality, the original copy was fine. This is particularly irritating when there is a lot of work to be done that is of higher priority. I have tried confronting her about this, she seems quite aware that this is annoying and often pointless but does it anyway. I was thinking that my easy going nature (i.e. I say 'its fine', 'sure no problem' a lot) contributes to the issue and I should instead complain about having to make very similar changes? or is complaining about something my manger is asking me to do not the right approach ? <Q> The thing to keep in mind is that you state your perception and you mention her perception. <S> There isn't a "factual" analysis in this question. <S> Being that it's interpersonal you need to bring an element of factual impact to the table so that you can properly push back and management can properly asses the importance of the changes vs. the impact the changes will have on other priorities. <S> I think the best approach is to bring in priorities. <S> If there are other higher priority items that will slip, make her aware that you would be happy to change it, but it could delay x which you believe is a higher priority to get working on at this time. <S> Leave the ball in her court to decide, but this will hopefully show her the negative impact her constant changes might be having on additional priority work. <S> You might also suggest that she document her tweaks and that you revisit it after the other high priority work is complete or in a lull period if there are those. <A> What is happening here is a lack of communication. <S> From what it sounds like, this managers approval is needed before something can be moved into production. <S> If this is true, you should start involving her earlier on the process so this does not happen at the last minute and cause frustration. <S> Agile is all about working with your client(s) to give them something shippable then building on it. <S> If your manager is basically the client in this scenario and the product you are giving her is not shippable in her eyes, there is a problem. <S> Start involving this manager earlier on in the process and say something like: <S> Hey could you come take a quick look at this, I want to make sure this is <S> right before I got too far down the rabbit hole working on it <S> This constant feedback will help guide you on the right path. <S> It will also give the manager a chance to give feedback early on, and if she changes her mind later, you could tell her that this why you had her look at earlier on in the process. <S> Make whatever change she asks for then tell her it would cause you less stress if these things could be identified earlier on in the process. <S> I am not going to reiterate what mutt has said in his/her answer, but there are some good suggestions there as well. <S> If you want to avoid last minute changes, get feedback earlier on in the process. <A> Instead of answering <S> "It's no problem" or "Sure", <S> why not keep a written form, at the end of the day, to track time in the corrections made, so you will be able to answer with "Yes, but it will take x-amount of time and should priority ABC be placed below this?" <S> By having a history of time involved, will help you discern the actual extra time <S> and you can thereby give factual responses. <A> If this is part of her job role, then the only thing you can do is say your opinion and give her an impact analysis with the cost and other consequences <S> the requested change will have. <S> After that you will have to accept her decision, whichever may be. <S> If this is not part of her job role then you have to escalate the issue to higher management.
| Ask her to re-prioritize based on additional adjustments. Give your feedback verbaly at first and if she does not change her mind, send an e-mail with a detailed analysis.
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How to reasonably fight "that will do" attitude at work (when it turns out it clearly won't do)? At a company I currently work (mind you, as a junior), we (as in IT team) are responsible for both the hardware (building the equipment from provided parts) and software (developing applications) parts of the job. However, there is an "that will do" attitude present with the highest management, whether it comes to hardware (some god knows what parts swept from under the deepest shelves at warehouse) to software (How long will it take to make it properly? 2 weeks? You have 2 days, just ignore all the possible errors and application crashes). When the solutions inevitably fail, the blame is being shifted onto us, which is why I started keeping both paper and electronic trail of all my recommendations, warnings and doubts, making sure all concerned are informed ahead of time. This, to bluntly put it, shuts their mouths for the duration of the current project, but come next one we begin all over again. Point is, I really like my current team and other coworkers, it's the higher management which I consider to be a problem. Given that, I decided to try and improve the working culture instead of just "Effective xx-xx-xx, I hereby resign from..." Are there any concrete arguments I could use to open the eyes of "low cost is everything" people? <Q> From your description of the situation, I infer that you do not have a lot of clout. <S> As a junior IT person in this organization, I recommend that you start by talking to some of your other coworkers to see if they view the situation the same way. <S> They may have some perspective or experience that is helpful here. <S> Identifying an issue is only part of the challenge. <S> In addition, you will need to propose an alternative. <S> Those members of your team you like can help you hone your ideas and to see if they seem feasible. <S> I suggest that you start with something small that will make a noticeable impact. <S> Ideally, implementing this idea will form evidence against the "low cost is <S> everything" belief <S> you are trying to change, but your primary concern should be learning how to make beneficial changes in this culture. <S> For your first attempt, it may be your manager. <S> Then, convince your ally to raise this concern. <S> The most senior member of the team might be a good choice here. <S> You want the person who has the respect and ear of the person you are targeting. <S> If your idea gets implemented and is successful, your influence will grow. <S> People will remember that you were the one with the good idea. <S> As you gain influence, you will be able to raise issues yourself. <S> (In parallel, I recommend you start getting to know members of senior leadership, so you can approach them directly and accelerate this process.) <S> If this sounds like it will take a long time and that it will be a lot of work, that's because it will be. <S> Many people choose to change companies or departments, because it is often less effort than spearheading large changes. <S> Note also that the above description describes the happy path. <S> There will likely be some false starts, and some proposals that don't pan out. <S> Make sure you find people who can help you remain encouraged and help you push through temporary setbacks. <A> Focus on the Money Avoid technical argument(s) and focus on the money. <S> Figure out the cost of doing it your way vs the cost today (which should include cost of rework and fixes). <S> Management speak in BUSINESS terms. <S> When they hear technical mumbo-jumbo they get confused. <S> Remember the #1 rule of Sales: <S> A confused mind always says "NO". <S> Therefore, keep your recommendation focused on MONEY and BUSINESS impact. <A> Since costs is everything they care about, you need to speak their language to make yourself heard. <S> to achieve that, keed up your documenting effort, but add costs, and let mathematics do their magic. <S> Example : you had to rush 2 weeks worth of work in 2 days, this is a net "benefit" of 8 man-days. <S> when the solution crashes, take 15 minutes to estimate the failure's cost, which will probably be much more than those 8 man-days, and do the math. <S> Once you have all that data, phrase it to avoid pointing fingers, and provide solutions, like @neontapir suggested. <S> The objective of to make them realize that going cheap is NOT cheap at all.
| Once you've persuaded your colleagues that there is an issue and there is a better way, your best chance of success lies in finding an ally who does have some influence and credibility with the decision maker. Over time, you can begin to propose solutions to larger issues. Present to management a BUSINESS PLAN - not a technical one - of how to migrate to a more cost effective method of running IT projects.
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Physical assault in the workplace I work as a computer programmer in a medium-sized, Russian IT company. I had a conflict with a colleague, Bob, where he physically attacked me. A few months ago, the colleague returned from obligatory military service in the airborne forces. He became somewhat aggressive to put it mildly. Today, two of my colleagues and I talked about correct pronunciation. It turned into an argument. Bob and I exchanged some insulting words. He immediately approached me and began to strangle me. No way he was joking. I tapped the table begging him to stop and he released me. I was not injured except for barely noticeable scratches on my neck. There wasn't enough harm to call the police. There was a witness - a colleague who saw everything. Although the colleague who attacked me has been slightly aggressive lately, it was very strange for him to act like that. I think it was a spike of uncontrolled anger. I did not correct his pronunciation. We just had different opinions on the topic. We argued. He threatened to beat me. I answered: "dare you!". That triggered him. What is my action plan in this situation? Should I file some complaint to the manager or rather seek for some ways to resolve the conflict myself? Update :Although everything described sounds like a terrible situation that should not have happened at all, it is not so dramatic. I don't condone physical assault and cannot imagine myself behaving like he did. Bob and I have worked with each other for several years. I wouldn't go filing complaints etc. He's not the person who deserves it, though all of us were shocked by what happened. In the end, Bob and I talked and explained the reasons for our actions. We stayed with our opinions and shook hands. I appreciate all of your answers. In other circumstances going through all the formal procedures would be a necessary measure. <Q> It seems like a somewhat obvious answer here should be to notify your manager, as well as HR, immediately. <S> This kind of behavior is unacceptable in most workplaces, and of course if you're not okay with it, it's pertinent to bring it to your manager's attention. <S> Find out what policies your company may already have in writing on this kind of activity. <S> I'm not sure where you're from, but there's not a specific 'amount of harm' that you need to endure in order to call the police or file a complaint in many places. <S> Assault is illegal, regardless of the extent. <S> Also, if I were you, I'd send this coworker that's acting this way towards you an email <S> (so you have it in writing), possibly even CC'ing your manager/HR, directly stating what happened and that you're not okay with it, and that you'd like for it to stop. <S> I've personally been in a situation similar to this, though not nearly as severe as yours, and after one (albeit awkward) email to the person in question as well as the manager <S> , they more or less stopped all non-essential contact with me. <S> It's possible this person has no idea that what they're doing is offensive, so it's important to communicate this to him, but it's also important to bring these types of issues up to management. <S> This is very likely not the type of behavior they want their employees subjected to. <A> As a Russian software engineer, I would like to comment from the perspective of a local. <S> This is unacceptable. <S> Laws don't always work the way they should in this country, so I wouldn't be surprised if the manager tries to resolve this situation <S> let it slide. <S> However, this does depend on the companies policies. <S> Personally, I would tell the manager that I expect him to fire your college, after which I would report the incident to the police.if the manager does not do anything - report it to the police or tell your manager that you will tell the cops. <S> Knowing that good developers are in insane demand here in Russia - the risk of having to change your workplace due to a conflict with management should not bother you <A> I would try and resolve it myself first by talking directly to the chap and telling him it is unacceptable. <S> He already knows this. <S> I would quietly mention it to my manager so that he knows it happened <S> but I wouldn't make a big formal deal out of it. <S> Just inform the manager so if there ever is a next time I have prior evidence of bullying. <S> If it becomes a formal issue, then no one wins, you all become the drama of the moment. <S> If I was the guy who lost his temper at you <S> and you didn't throw me under the bus <S> I'd tiptoe around you for a while and feel pretty ashamed of myself. <S> It's up to you though, if you feel this will be ongoing threatening behaviour then by all means throw him under the bus and reverse over him a few times. <S> But unless you feel it's a constant threat then it's best to deal with this internally and calmly, everyone from your manager to the perpetrator will appreciate it. <A> A few months ago, the colleague returned from obligatory military service in the airborne forces. <S> There are 2 options as of what you can do right here: <S> Let authorities know and report the incidents to your manneger and HR. <S> There are (also in Russia) support groups who help people with aggressive behavior, from bad experiences with the military service. <S> Let them help him, maybe you will have a thankful colleague afterwards. <S> In the end it's up to you. <S> The solution given from @schizoid04 what states I'd send this coworker that's acting this way towards you an email <S> (so you have it in writing), possibly even CC'ing your manager/HR, directly stating what happened and that you're not okay with it, and that you'd like for it to stop. <S> Would in my opinion also work out. <A> Was there a witness to the strangling? <S> Why would he strangle you? <S> Were you correcting his pronunciation? <S> Personally, I would still have filed a police report (even retroactively). <S> Even if you started it by teasing him/criticizing him, that doesn't matter. <S> He crossed the line. <S> I would still file a police report. <S> And if the policeman refused to take my report, I would escalate to the supervisor of the policeman. <S> Do it now. <S> It doesn't matter. <S> Do it anytime he does something to you.
| The manager should take it upon themselves to have a quiet word with the guy and probably it will all blow over. By not calling/going to the police, you've shown this individual that it's ok to escalate to physical violence. Proving you've been assaulted may be difficult, so it would be easier to prove this if you had other coworkers around that saw this happen, or if it was caught on a video camera (if your work has these recording things in the workplace for example). Being in the military service might have affected him.
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Job search in another country? So, because my partner has been offered an excellent position abroad and I would like to join them there, I am about to start a job hunt in another country. Unlike my partner, who was living there at the time of their search, I am still living in my birth nation. Other than the need to constantly request Skype interviews or similar (I can't fly for every interview), what obstacles can I expect in such a job search? Relocation would be from the East-Netherlands, to South-West England <Q> You just look for jobs, write CVs, contact agencies, just like anyone else in the UK would do. <S> Good written English always helps. <S> At the moment you can move to the UK without any problems. <S> Nobody knows how that will change when the UK leaves the EU, nobody including the UK government, which seems to be particularly clueless. <S> To my best knowledge, you should be able to stay until two years after the UK leaves the EU, that is March 2021. <S> This may change when Theresa May loses her job, or when she gets sufficiently told off by the EU, which are each quite likely. <A> Depending on the industry you work in, it may or may not be common practice for companies (especially larger ones) to have a well-defined recruiting process for candidates living in other countries. <S> This typically involves a few phone or Skype interviews followed by an on-site interview or day of interviews. <S> roughly when you plan to move to the UK - the implication there is clear). <S> If you don't require work sponsorship (i.e. a work permit), it's important to mention that to potential employers, as you can still work for companies that don't provide that (for your specific scenario, it's probably less important to mention, as employers would likely know this already, but there isn't much harm in casually mentioning it anyway). <S> Alternatively, you can consider arranging let's say a month-long trip to the UK at your own expense (depending on how much leave you have and/or can afford and when you're actually moving). <S> Then contact recruiters or apply for jobs directly with the intention of having the interviews take place during your stay there. <S> I haven't personally done this, but I know people who this has worked for. <A> As for the Netherlands, most of the CEO's here are always excited to talk to you and help you if you have something of value to offer. <S> I would suggest going to angelist , this is a website for startups with a lot of them located in the Netherlands. <S> This is where my Italian colleague found his job here as well. <S> My CEO helped him to make sure he could travel here as well as some other things that made his relocation go without problems.
| There isn't really a difference in how you approach this - just apply as you normally would and be open about your situation when it comes up (don't "request a Skype interview", just say you currently live in the Netherlands and In theory, some employers may not want to fly you over despite being eager to interview you.
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Is it rude to change my work schedule more than once? Last week, in order to make up for time lost during a work holiday, I asked my manager if I could work a few extra hours each day during the week. After my schedule was adjusted, an event came up requiring me to reschedule. I emailed my manager, and had Thursday reverted back to my normal working hours. Another event has come up, and I now want to adjust my work hours again. I'm currently only scheduled to work 1 extra hour on Friday, so would be a fairly minor adjustment. However, I'm worried that a third schedule change within a week may come off as pestering, rude, or inconsiderate to my manager. Is it rude to ask to have my schedule adjusted more than once during a week? <Q> I believe part of what might make a boss upset with this would depend on what came up unexpectedly. <S> It would be reasonable to make a request like this if you found out your mother was seriously ill and needed to go home to see her. <S> It would not be reasonable to make this request if a buddy invited you out to drinks Friday night <S> and you want to change your schedule again. <S> If you are scheduled to work in a customer facing situation (such as a retail store or restaurant) that is harder (because he will have to find a replacement on short notice) than if you are doing some software development and make up the hour the next week. <S> Your boss's personality is also a factor. <S> Some bosses are more flexible than others. <A> This really depends on your work culture. <S> Some places have strict hours that require prior approval and a paper trail to change your schedule. <S> Some places allow you to work whenever you want, so long as you get your work done. <S> Do you know where your office falls? <S> If your office is more like the former, then I would say it's unprofessional to be making so many schedule-change requests. <S> If it's more like the latter, then I'd say you're probably worrying too much. <S> I think the best thing for you to do is sit down with your boss and talk about how to handle this going forward. <S> How often is appropriate? <S> How big of a change can you make? <S> How much notice does he need? <S> Are there certain core hours in the day, or days in the week, that you have to be in the office and need special approval to miss? <S> All of these aspects are going to vary from workplace to workplace, so you are better off asking your boss, and not us. <A> Others have said that communication is the most important factor, and I agree. <S> I once held a job where shifts were handled by a website, so that employees could trade shifts at <S> will only minutes before a particular shift was scheduled to begin. <S> This website would update in real time and forward the results to the payroll office. <S> We were all students, and that was the culture. <S> At my next job, I made the mistake of bringing in my preconceptions from the old job. <S> On several occasions I knew of instances where employees swapped shifts without issue. <S> My mistake was in thinking I could do this at any time. <S> In fact, the job had an out-of-state accountant who handled payroll, and changing shifts was a logistical challenge that involved checking, and double-checking names and spreadsheets. <S> My supervisor was not happy, but he did not explain the reason. <S> Moral of the story: it is good for a conversation to take place to know what goes on behind the scenes. <S> Perhaps your manager is eager to help, but it could be time-consuming or otherwise an inconvenience to revise the schedule. <S> I might say to your manager: " I hope it wasn't a terrible inconvenience to you. <S> Did it take up too much of your time? <S> " <S> This shows that you are apologetic and gives them the chance to share their perspective.
| Ask your boss what is and is not appropriate for changing your working schedule. It also depends heavily on how difficult it will be to replace you if you request another change.
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Boss thinks I'm incompetent, and I really am, but I want to keep this job CONTEXT: I work as a software developer in a very small company (10 people, we all work on the same floor) that specializes in open-source software. I'm on a trial period that is supposed to end in September. It is a very convenient job for me. Given my profile I would have a hard time finding another job that isn't significantly worse for me. PROBLEM: I did rather OK the first few months because I was given easy tasks as a beginner, but now I moved on to bigger and more difficult projects. I work too slowly on those projects and need several days to do something that would take a normal developer only a few hours. Relation with my boss (who is also the CEO) has been going progressively worse. I've been told 4 times in private that I work too slowly, am not concentrated and don't ask enough questions (but when I do I'm told that they already told me that and should have listened) but now it has gotten worse. His pity has turned into contempt. He recently publicly humiliated me and doesn't even greet me in the morning anymore. The thing is: When I'm being berated I can't answer simply because it is justified. To be clear: my incompetence is due to factors intrinsic to me (cognitive), not a lack of knowledge, training, etc . I'm on a trial period so I am in danger of being fired at any moment and if things continue this way I won't last long but I don't know what to do about it. I just can't approach my boss and tell him all of this because I would basically justify my own firing but I have to do something. TL;DR: I want to keep my current job but I'm bad at it and my boss know it. What can I do to defuse the situation ? NOTE: Some of you might say that it's unethical for me to want to keep a job despite knowing that I'm bad at it. I don't think so. I'd likely never find another decent job again if I lose this one. <Q> I want to keep my current job <S> but I'm bad at it <S> and my boss know it. <S> What can I do to defuse the situation ? <S> If by "defuse the situation" you mean "keep my current job", you probably can't. <S> But you could have a frank discussion with your boss. <S> You could confirm that you know you aren't fast enough for the rigors of the current position, and that you will probably never get there. <S> You could ask your boss if there is another position in the company that you could fill and in which you could perform adequately. <S> If not, you could ask your boss for suggestions about positions in other companies and for a referral. <S> Sometimes it takes a while for each of us to find the role that we like, is sufficiently lucrative, and that we can be competent in performing. <S> I'd likely never find another decent job again if I lose this one. <S> You are wrong. <S> There are many, many decent jobs out there. <S> And there are many jobs that operate at a slower pace. <A> You might think you want to keep this job, you might even really believe <S> you want to keep this job <S> but really, you don't. <S> Toiling away, endlessly in a role that you aren't suited for <S> (I wouldn't say you are too "dumb" - <S> it just sounds like your brain doesn't work "that way") is never going to be a happy situation for you and the longer you attempt to maintain it the more damage it's going to do to your self esteem and general mental wellbeing. <S> You're already talking about <S> how: I'd likely never find another decent job again if I lose this one. <S> You mention living in a city <S> so unless we're talking about the smallest or most industy-specific city ever <S> then there will be other jobs in other lines of work that you'll be able to get. <S> Of course you need to figure out for yourself what work will be a good fit for you, and it may take some time to do this. <S> What you should do now is book some 1-1 time with your boss and have an open and frank discussion with your boss about how things stand. <S> Explain how you know that your performance, in particular your speed is below what they are expecting of you and that you would like to try and come up with a solution that works for both parties. <S> As Joe Strazzare says in his answer that may take the form of another position in the company, or if you feel comfortable discussing the specific aspects that you struggle cognitively with your boss then there may be adjustments they can make to your working practices to help at least mitigate the impact on the company's productivity while keeping you useful, possibly through you taking on tasks that are less time-sensitive. <S> Or (and this is fairly likely I'm afraid) there will be a discussion about how it's just not going to work out and if that's what it has to be then <S> it's much better to have that conversation at a time of your choosing and have it be a (hopefully) amicable discussion that could preserve your references etc. <S> rather than waiting around nervously for your boss's patience to run out completely and have him fire you on the spot! <A> You won't keep it, unless you find a way to become exactly what your boss expected you to be a month ago or so. <S> The point here is the following :Even if it's a hard one, software developer is becoming a quite common job, <S> and there's plenty of offers coming out each passing day. <S> What you need to focus on is improving your programming skills. <S> You need to learn some more, find some personal or public open source projects to work on, to get used to develop, to think, <S> etc.... <S> It requires time, more for some of us than others, but in the end you can improve. <S> And with hard work you will. <S> This probably won't help you keep this job as it takes time to improve and you're running out of time in this company, but you may surprise yourself and find an even better job once you'll be a better developer. <S> And maybe, working hard won't help you improving as a developer, but you may find hints, meet people, and find something you will like even more!
| From what you say you really want to keep this job, but I'm pretty sure it's too late for you.
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What do I tell my office-mates when my work location is moved to another building? My work location has been moved to another building so that I could be closer to my boss and he could supervise me more easily. I have been instructed to move my computer and work related materials there. I have been at my current work location for over a year. If I move suddenly without telling anything to my office-mates, they would likely speculate as to why I moved or have questions. My office-mates may also be indirectly the reason for my move. There was a period of time when I took my lunch hour at a different time than them, or came in a bit later than them, leading to them speculating why I was not in office. This likely bubbled up to HR, who asked me to move via my boss. I am concerned that if I just pick up my things and move without any notice, it may negatively affect things. At least two of my work-customers expect me in my current location. My boss and HR are aware of the move, so I am not concerned about them. However, I am concerned more about my floor neighbors, who typically come to me for various tasks or questions. If I disappear silently, there will surely be questions like, "Where did he go?", "Why did he move?", "Was he fired?", etc. How do I best handle this? Do I say "I'm moving" to everyone or only to people I have been working with closely? My goal is to not create a bigger rumor mill, and execute the move smoothly. <Q> Don't overthink this. <S> There is no need to waste time inventing conspiracy theories about your move or worry about what other people will think of it, because: <S> They don't really care. <S> A couple of days, hours, or even minutes later, they will forget about you and get on with their work. <S> Out of sight, out of mind. <S> If they gossip about your move, it is not your problem. <S> You get only one life, keep it simple, and don't go looking for reasons to worry. <S> Your boss asked you to move, so you do that and get on with your job. <S> Forget about why it happened and what others think about it. <S> It would be courteous, though not strictly necessary, to have some small talk with your closest neighbours, and maybe a couple of "friends", shortly before your leave. <S> Just tell them where you are moving to and politely ask them to inform any "visitors" who come looking for you. <S> Don't draw unnecessary attention to things you don't want to talk about. <S> Avoid digging out the old stories about lunch times and coming in late, and trying to defend or justify your actions. <S> I am also certain <S> the backstory did not pan out the way you have described here. <S> To begin with, it is highly unlikely your office mates care about your lunch times so much that they would take it to HR. <S> Even if they did, HR certainly wouldn't take such petty issues seriously. <A> This move isn't your officemates' issue whatsoever. <S> The only people that really need to be involved are the mailroom, your boss, HR/payroll (in case you need a paycheck or similar delivered to you personally), and maybe facilities and IT. <S> You're dealing with grown people. <S> They're going to say whatever they're going to say whether you add in your own "defense" or not. <S> The only person you can control is yourself. <A> If you don't want any rumors being created, then tell as many people as possible. <S> People may want to know where to find you. <S> There's not much you can do about other people's involvement in why you're being relocated. <S> Hopefully, you could have a conversation with your boss and ask if there are any circumstances about this move. <S> Tell him you were on a different lunch schedule and <S> others may have assumed you were slacking off. <S> Make sure you get some clear parameters about when you need to be at your desk. <S> Moving you without any warning about a potential attendance problem/concern doesn't seem right. <S> Just make sure you have things worked out with your boss. <S> What everyone else thinks is secondary.
| It's not your responsibility to make everyone else comfortable with why you're moving. If they are "curious" to know the reason, just keep it brief and to the point, "My boss asked me to move closer to his office."
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Sitting chairs are not comfortable! How should I approach getting better chairs with management? I work with a medium sized company. The workplace is good till now. However, our sitting chairs are not good. These hurts sometimes. I seen many colleagues are not comfortable in these chairs. I read somewhere sitting chairs are most important in the workplace. Such chairs can introduce bad behavior or physical problem of an employee. I am one month fresher in the company. If my colleagues are not comfortable with these chairs, then why are not complaining with Manager or MD. I also suffer with this problem. But, unable to tell others because colleagues are not saying to change these chairs with Manager or MD. Should I complain about these chairs with MD? Actually, I wont complain about anything with anyone here because they may blame me to change their infrastructure. This may create bad impression. How should I approach getting better chairs with management? Someone voted down without leaving certain reason, I am not asking for your chair ;) <Q> Throwing in a different point of view: depending on how the company works, it's not necessarily the case that they would have to replace all the chairs at once. <S> I have spent time at more than one company that had a mix of chairs. <S> I agree that feeling it out casually with your colleagues first is a good idea. <S> Maybe ask if they've ever tried to get new chairs - maybe they've all asked and been turned down for whatever reason. <S> But if it turns out people are not fussed enough about it, I would not hesitate to find someone friendly in administration/HR/etc and ask how possible it might be to get a different chair, especially if you think there's a risk of developing health problems down the line. <A> As an employee that has been working for only one month for the company, I would not directly ask for getting a better chair. <S> They would anyway need to renew all chairs at once, which may them cost some considerable amount of money. <S> Maybe some colleague who has been working for the company for many years will assumed the responsibility and ask the management for better equipment. <S> If this is not the case, I would probably wait for a couple of months to avoid a bad impression an then raise the issues on my own. <S> Keep in mind that in many countries, companies are legally responsible for creating working conditions that avoid detrimental impact on the health of its employee's. <S> Bigger companies have a medical and a workplace safety officer, who are also persons that you may approach. <A> If you are new in the company and arrived at an empty desk, then it's quite likely that everyone who had problems with their chair tried out the chairs at empty desks and swapped, so your chair is quite possibly the worst in the company. <S> Try out what chairs others have, and if they work better. <S> And sometimes a chair can be improved a lot, just by using a screwdriver. <S> (And if you are not up to that job, every company has someone who loves playing around with things like that and will gladly help you). <A> The very fact that your other colleagues are also facing the problem and no action has been taken so far shows how caring the company is. <S> I hope the MD would be aware of this and is unable to do anything. <S> You complaining can make not much difference in this scenario. <S> We cannot change this, so change ourselves. <S> I had faced similar issues and the solution i have adopted is to do exercises based on Doctor's advice, get up and walk inside the floor at regular intervals.
| If the problem is your particular chair, and not the chair model, that makes it a lot easier to get a replacement. I would first raise this point very tentatively in informal conversations with my colleagues to find out how they actually feel about it and how important this topic is for them.
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How to approach developers working around code quality standards? I've became in charge of a group of 3 developers with awful code quality in their project.To increase their code quality, many meetings have been placed and a code quality control (sonarqube) is added to CI to monitor the code and fail the pipeline if it does not pass the requirements. One of the developers found a way to workaround function complexity limits and commits bad code (example below).My question is how should I approach this to prevent he and other developers from using workarounds instead of thinking and fixing their codes? switch (true) { case (first & second & otherthing): dosomething(); break; case (unrelated_if || complex): do_totally_unrelated_thing_to_previous_one(); break; ... } <Q> You introduced a tool that apparently is just getting in the way. <S> The godawful code that you posted has been created because the developer created code initially that wasn't accepted by your tool, and figured out how by making the code worse it would be accepted. <S> That's entirely your problem. <S> If you create situations where people get rewarded for doing the wrong thing, they will be doing the wrong thing. <S> What we don't know, hearing one side of the story only, is whether they have awful code quality, or whether they have code that you don't like - which can be an entirely different thing. <S> Are you an experienced developer? <S> Then tell them how to improve the code, send them to training courses, and do code reviews. <S> Or are you a pointy-haired boss? <S> In that case, let them get on with it. <A> Personally I find most of those automated code tools useless. <S> There are times when it fails code for things that are simply preference and things that are bad in some circumstances but good or even necessary in others. <S> And often they leave the dev unsure about what the actual fix should be. <S> If you know something fails but don't understand why it fails or what you should be doing instead, the tool itself has failed. <S> What does help is 100% code review. <S> No code is committed to the production branch without being accepted through code review and no dev has the rights to commit to the production branch only the build team or the lead. <S> This is where you send back the bad code preferably with an explanation as to why it is bad. <S> The key is to make it painful to not fix the code. <S> Yes they will have a few times where the deadline will be missed because the code failed code review. <S> And they will have to explain that as a reason. <S> This leads people to be less likely to make the same mistake repeatedly so that they can meet their deadlines. <S> If there is no pain to writing bad code, there is no reason to fix it, human nature being what it is. <S> If your standards and theirs are currently in a mismatch, this needs to be resolved over discussions and an agreeable standard approved. <S> If they have input into the standard (and yes that means you need to compromise and accept their standards at least in part, having the discussion is irrelevant, even counterproductive, if you are still going to dictate end results), that are going to have more buy into actually using it. <A> There are two problems here: <S> their code quality is poor <S> they are working around your code quality enforcer <S> There is a simple solution: code review. <S> If they commit poor quality code, explain why it is poor quality. <S> Explain why quality standards are important. <S> Explain that certain design decisions may be faster in the short term, but carry significant technical debt. <S> Explain that deliberately writing workarounds to your coding quality enforcer is unacceptable. <S> Do not accept the pull requests until they have made all of the necessary changes. <S> If after a few rounds of this they keep writing poor code and using workarounds, it may be a sign of incompetence or insubordination, which you should address appropriately. <S> In all likelihood, they are not used to writing code in a new style, and need some time to adapt. <S> It is your job as a supervisor to help them learn and adjust, but as the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. <A> If they refuse to follow the rules given to them it's easy. <S> The fact that you are in charge of them, means that if they continue to do so, the consequences will be going towards you. <S> Play it safe, make written (via email) rules about what they HAVE to do. <S> If they don't follow these rules, report it to your superior. <S> Also, make sure u talk to him, there might be something wrong. <S> Writing bad code could be because there is a problem in his work/private space. <S> So make sure that is not the thing, making him committing bad code.
| That said, you and your team need to have an agreement concerning what is good code and what is acceptable code. Review every pull request they make. The key here is teaching them why it's important , not just telling them what to do. Give them a warning, in that warning, state that if they get 2 warnings, there are going to be consequences.
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How should I handle me and my car being mistaken for someone else with the same car who behaves inappropriately? A colleague working in a different apartment has the exact same car as I have (same model and color and the only two of the brand at my office). The only difference is the chairs, but I understand this is not something that really makes them stand out from each other. Now the other owner is a very rude. He will park in visitor's spots, which we're not allowed to park in, and he'll park in such a manor as to occupy two space and be completely crooked. They have even damaged other cars before. All of this while driving a particularly tiny car. Apparently my face is much more associated with the car than his, as I've been getting all the complaints, rants and threats over his parking. Two months ago there even was an incident where two of my colleagues completely duct-taped my car because they thought it was his. (I had permission to park on the visitor spots that day because I had to carry in heavy stuff.) Leaving all my windows with sticky stains that took me hours to remove. Should I approach this guy? Should I make changes to the appearance of my car? What would be the best way to approach this guy? Should I talk to him myself or notify HR? According to colleagues who have talked to him, he has been asked to act normal multiple times but has never improved. <Q> Honestly, you should be going to HR over the other 2 colleagues duct taping your car. <S> That is utterly unacceptable. <S> Now, it's clear from your question that you haven't spoken to the colleague who can't park directly yet. <S> I think you should mention to him the incident, and explain to him that his lack of care with his car is now causing you to suffer. <S> Possibly explain to him that the parking rules apply to everyone. <S> I wouldn't mention his bad parking, but do mention the fact that the visitor spots are for visitors only. <S> Most people will try to better themselves if they see what they're doing is having an adverse effect on another person. <S> If this doesn't work, go to HR. <S> Specifically mention him parking in the visitor spaces. <S> If he damages another persons car, that isn't an issue for HR. <S> That's an issue for the insurance companies/the two parties involved. <A> The other answers address the business part, but a thought is to put a sticker or something on the back windshield or get like a sun shade or something that will distinguish your car from the other persons. <S> It sucks that the situation exists in the first place, but there are things that you can do to make your car look different. <S> Also things on the antenna that blow in the wind. <S> Anything to distinguish your car from his and then let people know you added it to your car to distinguish it. <A> Firstly, it really should not be your responsibility to talk to the offending colleague and ask them to stop being so inconsiderate. <S> You mentioned in the comments that you have 400 people on site - in which case I'm presuming <S> you may have some kind of Site Manager, or Site Services. <S> Normally - things like parking would be their responsibility, so I'd make sure they know what's going on, are familiar with your registration and therefore know it's not you causing the problem. <S> You should also ensure they're going to do whatever they can to find the actual offender and improve their behaviour. <S> The issue you do have to deal with though is the fact that there are baying mobs roaming the building, hunting down parking offenders. <S> I'd be asking for a formal meeting with HR in regards this, and also to the duct tape as it could be classed as Criminal Damage. <S> In English Law; A person who without lawful excuse destroys or damages any property belonging to another intending to destroy or damage any such property or being reckless as to whether any such property would be destroyed or damaged shall be guilty of an offence. <S> I, personally anyway, would not stand for someone damaging my property whether they thought I was in the wrong or not. <S> The fact they seem to be okay with is wrong . <A> If they have problems reading a license plate, maybe advise them to get their eyes checked. <S> If there are more people who have told him not to do so already, it's of no use for you to do the same thing. <S> Make sure HR know's what's up, let them figure out what to do with the problem and if your colleagues pick the wrong car again, make sure they fix it as well.
| Obviously this is a partial solution as you want to address the professionalism issues, but the other responses cover that well, just adding this as you might want to adjust your car appearance in little ways so that it's distinguishable and hopefully people won't attack your vehicle next time. First off, I agree with the comments, let your colleagues know that you did in fact not do the things your other colleague did. Secondly, I would advise for you to go to HR, and talk to him with HR, and not alone.
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My boss moved me to a new role. Am I legally entitled to a title/salary review? I'm an engineer but I know a lot of programming and software. I have an engineering title and used to work under an engineering manager. About 4 months ago, my manager's manager came to me and told me he was "temporarily" moving me to a role as a software developer on a project. I now report to my manager's manager and don't do anything related to my previous engineering role. The org chart, my salary, and my job title/description have not changed. However, it has recently become clear after the latest large software release I worked on that this change is no longer temporary and is permanent. I work for a Fortune 500 company. The median salary for what I'm currently doing is significantly more than what I used to be doing. Plus I feel that the flexibility and value I provide as an employee isn't reflected in what I'm being paid. Am I entitled to a review of my job title/description, compensation, etc.? If I am, should I talk with my manager if I suspect he is trying to take advantage of me? Or should I talk to an ombudsman or HR? Some Clarification: I knew exactly what I would be doing in this "temporary" role when I was assigned. This is not a question about what to do when the job is not what I thought it would be. While I do feel I am being underpaid, this is about whether or not I am entitled to a review. Not even a raise, just a review. Like, does the company legally have to make the org chart/job title/description reflect reality? <Q> An old saying, "Every day you come to work interviewing for your job. <S> Every payday they try to convince you to keep it." <S> It certainly sounds like it's time to have a meeting about your job assignment and role. <S> Don't just go in saying, "I need more. <S> " <S> Have your market research, and if possible, job titles and descriptions within your company that match your current duties. <S> Lay it out as a matter-of-fact case. <S> Don't put any emotion into it, and certainly don't say you're "entitled." <S> Present it as, <S> "This is what the role should be, what it should pay, and I've certainly demonstrated that I am qualified for the role. <S> " <S> You can't force them to do anything, but neither do they have you chained to your desk. <A> You have no legal entitlement unless you work for a government agency where policy is all written down in a rule-book and followed to the letter. <S> But since you work for a Fortune 500, all bets are off. <A> Like, does the company legally have to make the org chart/job title/description reflect reality? <S> But of course, it may be in their interest (and yours) to discuss the matter if the change is going to be permanent (or else, you could just walk away e.g. if you feel underpaid).
| It all depends on your contract - if your employment agreement has not been modified, then they have no obligation.
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Time off before starting a new job I've just been offered a new job in a senior position . My current notice period is 12 weeks. I really want some time off before I start the new job. I haven't had a proper break from work in years.. My last holiday 8 months ago went tragically wrong. What would be the best way to ask for a month off between the jobs? Or is that asking too much? <Q> I have been faced with this before as a manager. <S> It depends on your manager and the situation they are in the middle of. <S> I have had a vacant position for 3+ months and filled it with a candidate that I believed was worth waiting for. <S> Come to find out, they wanted a 2 week vacation before starting which put them a month out from starting (2 week notice). <S> I was in the position at the time to afford it because I believed that "good things are worth waiting for". <S> I'm glad I did it - the employee won't forget my flexibility and gave me instant credibility for sticking to my word - (I always advertise position flexibility). <S> Had there been fires and we needed them to start ASAP <S> , there's really no avoiding that. <S> It does not hurt to communicate and ask. <S> Good luck. <A> After my graduation, I too wanted a break before I began my new job as I thought it would relax me. <S> However, I literally jumped from giving my exam on Friday to starting work on Monday and I have worked every summer so my vacation record is pretty much nonexistent. <S> But honestly, I never regret not taking a break because I genuinely feel that when I am more comfortable in my role, I can ask for a break then. <S> Asking for one without even starting the role may come across as too laid-back, relaxed and may give the impression of not taking your job seriously enough. <A> You could give your notice at your current job, and ask if you have to stay the full 12 weeks. <S> Just resigning and leaving could burn the bridge at that job, so if you'd prefer to not do that, then asking shouldn't hurt. <S> You could even explain where you are coming from and why you want the time off if you feel that they will say no. <S> If you can swing not getting paid (assuming you don't get paid for just leaving early) and are honest with your current employer (as well as you work hard, which it seems you do based on no vacation in 8 months!) <S> , I think this is the best route. <S> (I'd check in your contract/paperwork or with HR about this.) <S> Also, your new company may allow you to take your PTO before you start, but you'd have to check about probationary periods and what not for that sort of thing.
| I suggest leaving it low pressure and reaffirm that it is 100% at their discretion without any ill feelings. If you have PTO or some form of vacation left, some companies do allow that to be taken at the end of the employment, but not all do this.
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I only signed a payment contract and I don't have "job description". What do I do about tasks that seem out of scope? Note: I am an entry level Web Developer in the US. I started my current job a year and a half ago. At that time, I was right out of college and eager for a paycheck. I didn't think much of it, but now I realize that I never signed or received a contract regarding my responsibilities. The most I signed was a payment agreement but it didn't include a job description or title. A usual day's work for me includes development and testing of new features for a web application. There are only two developers on this team (three when I first started), and we've fallen into our own niches where I primarily work on our web application and he primarily works on our standalone software. Lately, my boss has been throwing a lot of curveballs at me. This includes being asked to go off-site during off-hours at very late notice, as well as programming in languages that I'm not familiar with to help my coworker with his tasks. We've also collectively turned into the IT department for the whole building and have been setting up new servers and Internet connections. To me, these things feel a bit out of scope for what I was hired for, and I definitely don't feel like I am being paid enough to tackle so many things. For even more context, I was originally hired under the impression that I was going to be doing QA and Tech Support, but within a month I was given more and more development tasks (unfortunately without an increase in pay). So I feel like I was hired to do one thing, currently do another, and am being asked to do something different still. So my questions are: How should I handle this situation and am I even legally allowed to turn down out-of-scope tasks? Is it appropriate to ask to sign a job description or renegotiate pay this far into the game? Should I consider this entire thing a big red flag? Edit: A lot of people are suggesting other previous questions about how to decline work outside of scope or how to negotiate pay if I'm doing too much work. And while those are all incredibly useful resources, my issue is more centered around the fact that I don't have a job description at all. I negotiated my pay assuming I would be QA, my usual workflow has always been development, and my boss likes to throw IT, Tech Support, and the occasional road trip to work with physical machinery my way. No one in my company has ever actually told me "You are a programmer." or "You are a field grunt." I would really like to have someone tell me exactly who I am to the company and what I should be doing, but I don't know how to initiate that conversation. <Q> So long as it's within working hours <S> this is normal enough in many companies, especially smaller ones. <S> And it can be great experience. <S> If it's going outside working hours or the pressure to deliver is too high <S> then you need to discuss it with your boss. <S> I've had several jobs like this, the only way to rectify it if it gets out of hand is discuss options with the people who can actually make changes. <S> First and foremost get all job requests funneled through a superior. <S> Who ever is responsible for setting your priorities and time management. <S> This is very important because it creates a buffer between you and Mrs Smith who's mouse is playing up for the third time this week etc,. <S> and it gives you a paper trail on all work. <S> Instead of having 50 people who can call you, you now only have one who although they're your superior, acts like your secretary :-) <S> filtering the work before it gets to you. <A> Sounds like you are way past due for a performance review. <S> she plans to do for you and your career. <S> If there is an agenda that you are just not aware of - then that could explain why you are being asked to do some things that is not traditionally "your position's responsibility". <S> That brings another point - technically <S> , you are expected to do what is asked of you (within reason and legal terms, of course). <S> Take the approach of, "hey I'm being involved with things beyond what I'd be asked to do normally - maybe this means I'm trustworthy". <S> You bring up potential inequality in pay. <S> That one is on you. <S> Everyone negotiates their own deal. <S> Good luck. <A> You'll never sign a piece of paper saying what your duties are. <S> Those just don't exist. <S> And this is from someone who's had almost a dozen jobs or contracts over a 18 year career, startups and large enterprises. <S> At most it will give a title. <S> In reality, your duties in tech are whatever you're capable of doing and needs to be done. <S> This may mean changing languages, doing some QA, setting up a server, etc. <S> Now if you don't like what you're doing, talk to your boss about it. <S> If you really don't like it, start looking for a new job. <S> (If you're doing much more difficult work, say you were hired as a tester and are now programming, its totally reasonable to request a raise and title change). <S> But don't expect someone to come with a list of job duties that you can compare an incoming request to- <S> that's just not a reasonable assumption.
| I would suggest that you and your manager sit down and discuss the direction of the department and find out what he/ If the pay isn't there for your financial goals and the scope of work is consistently falling outside of what you want to do - try and find a new employer that will respect your career and financial goals.
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How do I ask if I receive a bonus? In previous years, at the end of the financial year, I have received a bonus.It's Now 7 days after EOFY and I still haven't received anything.I don't expect one, but it would surely be helpful at the moment as I have a tax debt and car registration due. I report to the CEO of the company and have a fairly relaxed relationship with him. Even though he's the only person who would provide a bonus, I think he'd still need approval from the board. Without sounding disrespectful or rude, how does one ask a boss if a bonus might be given? <Q> "Do I receive a bonus this year like previous years or is this year without a bonus?" <S> Hopefully this will lead to a discussion to where you find out either the company did not do well enough to give bonuses, or you didn't perform as great this year as the last year, or there is a policy change, <S> etc... <S> Just be polite and ask, don't demand or say it's unfair, etc... <A> It depends on your relationship with your boss... <S> If it's quite relaxed, just straight up ask: <S> Hey boss, are we getting bonuses this year? <S> If it's quite a formal relationship, go with email: <S> Hi Boss. <S> As the financial year has drawn to a close, I was wondering if there is a bonus this year as per previous years? <S> Thanks <A> There is a lot of ways to rephrase it , but the solution remains the same. <S> Go , and ask. <S> Just turn your question the best possible way regarding who you'll be asking , and the relation you have with this person.
| The only way to do it is to ask nicely.
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Is it ethical to use public channels (e.g. social media) to bypass or expedite official B2B support channels? Anyone who has spent any reasonable time on Facebook or Twitter probably saw it happen already (or even did it themselves): Someone has a problem with a product; The company producing the product has received a request via official support channels, but can't or won't act on it, even after escalating the request; The problematic client then sidesteps the official support channels, either by complaining about it or asking their social media following if they know anyone who can help (usually both); Someone from the company notices the issue and solves it; The problematic client posts happily that their problem is fixed. This usually happens in B2C transactions and issues, but it sometimes also happens in B2B interactions. I saw it happen on my Twitter feed today, even. My main question with this is whether this can be considered ethical in B2B transactions. On one hand, as an employee tasked to fix an issue, the company usually doesn't really care how the issue gets fixed as long as the costs are kept reasonable, so you should use whatever means you deem necessary and prudent. On the other hand, the other company might not be happy that you went public with the issue, because you forced them to fix it or lose face. And from the perspective of the other company, you just set a precedent that if support won't help you, you just complain on social media and it'll get fixed soon. <Q> It's not against ethics. <S> But, as a representative of a company, you might want to think about the other effects this might have on your company. <S> Cases like this are usually successful because of publicity. <S> Lots of people get to know about the case and pressure the service provider to give a better response. <S> Is your company going to be comfortable with that amount of publicity? <S> Are they OK with everyone knowing that they are using this service, and what they are using it for? <S> People support these cases because they identify with the 'little guy' fighting a big corporation. <S> Your company might not get that sympathy. <S> Are you prepared for the public saying "Why are you complaining, your company gives much worse service than that", and giving examples? <S> If your posts result in significant negative publicity for the service provider, that's going to affect your company's relationship with them. <S> In short <S> you should never do anything that is designed to draw public attention to your company without running it by your publicity officer . <S> They will be able to make those decisions. <A> Ethical? <S> Yes <S> That said, the first thing I would do would be to check my contract and SLA. <S> Escalation through proper channels is usually best and this is where I would start. <S> But if I hit a brick wall of incompetence, social media is coming into the equation, as is ambushing the CTO or CEO at a conference. <S> It may not seem professional, but if I am receiving a less-than-professional service, it's not me that's lowering the bar. <S> In most cases, my problem is miraculously resolved. <A> You are paying for a level of support with your service - if what you get does not meet contractual obligations, there is no ethical problem here - <S> but if you are using channels that are in plain public view, you use you are in the end publicly accusing a business partner of defaulting on a contractually agreed thing. <S> This can turn into a very serious matter quickly: Even if it all happens on cushy, hip social media, it is still equivalent to one side saying "fraud." and the other "libel.". <S> If what you are actually getting is within the agreed service level, even if it is lousy - you are on even thinner ice. <A> But it's not necessarily wise. <S> Social media can expose ALL your company's bad practices to everyone, akin to a user reporting on BBB or RipOffReport . <S> If part of those bad practices is having a lousy "official" support channel, social media can create a whole lot of bad press very quickly. <S> Customers are not required to filter their responses on social media, even when the issues are caused by their own misunderstandings of the products or services concerned; and once those responses are on social media, expect them to be there forever and ever. <S> It can affect potential customers' buying decisions in the future. <S> Is this a risk your company can accept? <S> Most of the time, I see companies referring social media inquiries back to their own official channels just to minimize such occurrences. <A> If your systems are not serving my needs as a client, why would it be unethical for me to try other channels? <S> I'm your client, not a shareholder in your company. <S> If the company doesn't want to be embarrassed that a customer had to go outside of official channels to get their issue addressed, the company should provide better support to their clients. <S> It would be unethical if I was untruthful in the way I represented the problem, but if I have to tweet the head of the company to tell him that my issue has been languishing in your support queue after I've made repeated attempts to get it addressed through proper channels, and that was actually the truth, there's nothing unethical or unprofessional about it. <S> I would argue that it's actually a good thing to make the upper management aware of, and that even unpleasant client feedback is valuable. <S> It would be much worse if I didn't say anything and just cancelled my contract with the company as soon as feasible. <S> Feedback helps you get better and nothing motivates middle management to fix a problem like it being brought to the attention of their bosses' boss.
| Such a practice is not unethical. If you are the person responsible for those decisions, go ahead, as long as you are prepared for all the possible consequences. If I am a customer paying for a service and you are not fixing my problem, hell yes I'm going to cause a stink, especially in B2B scenarios.
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What salary should I ask for when interviewing for a role that is above my experience level I'm a junior developer interviewing for a role that requires a few more years experience than I have (mid level). So far I have been doing well on coding challenges and interviews thus far and I have a meeting soon to discuss salary. However the original job range was x + 30k to x + 60k more than someone of my experience should be making, where x is what I should be making. I don't know that I even feel comfortable asking for x + 30k because for any other employer I might ask for x + 10k at maximum. However at the same time if I ask for a low amount (like x + 10k) the employer might see me as a non worthwhile candidate because they might perceive my low amount for me not thinking I can do the job. The most important thing for me is that I get this job, what salary should I ask for considering my lack of years of experience and that I shouldn't have the employer perceive me as a weak candidate because of salary? Edit on why this is not a duplicate of: How can I determine a reasonable salary to ask for? I don't believe this is a duplicate as that question requests how to calculate a salary the OP should reasonably ask for based on statistics and tools. While my question asks: given that I have already have a reasonable salary, but my potential employer is offering more than that amount, what is the best course of action (choosing my reasonable salary or the employer's generous range) with the most important thing being that I get the position. <Q> You should ask for what you think the job is worth. <S> I have been in this position a few times. <S> The first time I accepted a position beyond my level of experience(was a Junior dev and applied for Intermediate) <S> I took the job with a really modest increase with the understanding that we would evaluate salary in a year. <S> The problem with this is that employers are generally reluctant to hand out large increases. <S> I ended up having to leave to get market rate. <S> This is the easiest time for you to negotiate your salary, don't squander it. <A> In your situation, I would go for the minimum range advertised, at least (x+30k, was it?). <S> Rationale : <S> They set up that minimum. <S> You feel that you would do well in that role (at that level). <S> You are passing the (technical) interviews. <S> With those facts, to me you are worth the x+30k salary at a minimum, despite your opinion. <S> There are only a couple of caveats with this: First, you need to consider the cost of living in the city where the new role is (if you need to relocate, maybe x+30k is not that much ). <S> And secondly, if for any reason the amount you ask is too high, it is their job to negotiate you down until you find some agreement. <S> You are worth it ;) <A> This is easy. <S> Don't ask for anything; make them give you an offer. <S> You should never name a number first when negotiating anyway. <S> If they bring it up, say that you're sure the two of you can come to terms on compensation if the position is a good fit. <S> If they insist, say the salary you expect depends on what else is in the total compensation package, and you'll be happy to talk about it after they make you an offer. <S> You have nothing to gain by giving them a number first, unless you just happen to guess at the high end of the range they're considering offering you. <S> Have them make an offer first, and then you know the ballpark of what they consider reasonable, and you can go from there with confidence. <A> As someone else said, they are far less likely to give you a larger increase in the future. <S> I made this mistake and it was not a good choice. <S> I way undervalued <S> I would not suggest offering a lower amount just to get the job. <S> As someone else said, they are far less likely to give you a larger increase in the future. <S> I made this mistake and it was not a good choice. <S> I way undervalued myself <S> and it was hard to get it up to even the lowest range of where I was comfortable. <S> I would do X+30K or even more. <S> If you overshoot the amount they're looking for, they'll negotiate you down. <S> I'd rather start slightly higher than too low.
| I would not suggest offering a lower amount just to get the job. But seriously, do not be afraid of asking for a decent number, specially if you have passed the interviews.
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Who do I use for references when I have no experience? I'm a student with no job experience. Who should I ask to be a reference? It's summer so I'm not sure if I can use teachers as references since their phone will be the school one. I have volunteer experience, but my volunteer director can't be contacted at this time. Also, my volunteer director's co-workers don't really know me that well, if at all. I'm wondering, who I can use as a reference in a time like this? <Q> Just because you've never had a "legitimate" job <S> doesn't mean you don't have references. <S> Approach them about this, and mention that you'd like to provide valuable contact information. <S> You've probably got friends who are in the same position. <S> These are also valid character references, but I would be very selective. <S> Only ask the friends who you trust will represent themselves professionally. <S> Someone who can't be bothered to be professional on their own will absolutely not be able to be professional on your behalf. <S> At this stage in your working life, character references are the most important. <S> It's understood you don't have a lot of work experience and won't be able to provide those kinds of references. <A> There's little more to do. <S> If this is going to be your first job, and you don't have institutional contacts (e.g. a mentor from your University), then your only other option is to look for volunteer experience. <S> However, in those conditions, I would just state to the new employer that you cannot provide references <S> - they shouldn't have any problems with that, given your current situation & experience. <A> I've used coworkers and friends as references. <S> I have friends who still continue to use me as a reference over past managers. <S> These are friends whom I've worked with in a professional or classroom setting. <S> In both situations, I'm able to speak to their ability to act professionally and/or work in a team. <S> Honestly, none of my references have ever been contacted and I've never been contacted <S> so I can't say if this has had a positive outcome in a job search or not. <S> As for asking a teacher, this will depend on high school vs college. <S> You can definitely try calling and leaving a voicemail or email them! <S> (if you don't have their emails, your college website might have it available) <S> For high school, this is a bit trickier. <S> You could always drop by the school and see if anyone is around, honestly, even in HS, teachers are there sometimes during the summer. <S> Or you could call the school, either a receptionist will answer and you can ask if so-and-so will be in any time soon and if not how to contact them if it's okay or <S> a prerecorded message should play telling you the summer hours of the school.
| Another resource would be family friends for whom you've done work of any kind. Teachers/faculty are excellent references. Anyone who can vouch for your work ethic and responsibility under any pseudo-professional context will be good enough. Many college professors/teachers work summer hours (teaching is not the sole responsibility of professors).
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Employer says my position is being dissolved and replaced with another Job Title yet same duties? I am concerned on what to do in this situation. My employer notified me that my current Supervisory position is being dissolved and will now be called a "Team Leader" position. They also said that I must re-apply if I want the job. The job duties are exactly the same as before. What I don't understand is why go through the trouble? Is this an indirect way of demoting me? This has happened twice to me at this current employer and I've been here for 10 years. <Q> I've seen this before and it truly sucks. <S> The company is shaking the tree to see who will fall loose. <S> Sometimes people get promoted, and other times people get demoted. <S> Personally, I'd be looking elsewhere after the first time. <S> Here's a little more depth to it: <S> "It is not uncommon for employers to formally ask all or some of their current staff to reapply for a job after a merger or acquisition. <S> It can also happen when a company is downsizing, layoffs are planned, and there will be a limited number of new positions. <S> In this case, current employees will have to compete for one of the job openings that will be available. <S> Another reason for asking employees to reapply is that it precludes discrimination issues that could occur if an employer decides to keep some employees and not others during a restructuring. <S> Starting over with rehiring enables the company to give all current employees an opportunity to apply and, in theory, enables the company to keep the best-qualified employees on board." <S> Source: <S> https://www.thebalance.com/reapplying-for-a-job-after-a-merger-or-restructuring-2061579 <A> They are probably laying off some positions outright and want those people to have a chance at another position. <S> A person in another job that is going away might be better than you at your job. <S> If you get the new job title nothing changes (unless the salary changes). <S> If you don't get the new job you are laid off. <S> Say it is football and need to cut a safety. <S> If I have weak back I may cut them and move a safety to back. <A> To me, it sounds like they are firing you in an indirect way. <S> Is it paying the same as you were making? <S> If so, they can just change your job title without this hassle. <S> It seems to me that they are trying to find a better version of you possibly at a cheaper rate. <S> I would look for another job since it keeps happening, then it will happen again.
| It is an indirect way of laying you off (assuming same pay).
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Should I mention my current, financially unstable employer in cover letter? My current employer, a software development company, unfortunately took a significant financial loss when the main client started having funding issues. This has left my employer in a position where it can no longer support full-time developers. It has been a pleasure working here, and I'm certain everyone here would agree. My employer supports and encourages everyone to look for other full-time work while leaving the door open for part-time work, if we would like to take it. I have worked at this company for about 7 months now and it is my first job as a junior software developer (I majored in History and pursued software development after graduating). Should I mention my current employer's position in my cover letter? I feel that, because of my short tenure here, it might not look like I am the most stable and consistent worker without the context. I do plan on continuing to work for my current employer on a part-time basis when I can after I find my next full-time job. I have learned a lot here. To address the raised concern that my question may be a duplicate of Why is it not a good idea to “badmouth” a previous employer? , I'm going to have to disagree. My intentions would never be to bad mouth or paint my employer in a bad light -- and I would have never shaped the language in my cover letter to come off as if I was. I respect my employer, as I'm sure all the employees here do. My concern for bringing up the question was because, I now recognize out of inexperience in the field, I was worried my short tenure here at my first junior developer job would paint me as a potentially bad employee who is jumping ship in a job too quickly. I was concerned this could possibly raise a flag when, for example, a hiring manager would scan my resume. In reality, I loved this job and thoroughly enjoyed my employer -- and am only seeking a new job because they can no longer support us. Which is what I wanted to convey, by raising this question. <Q> I would save your explanation for when you are asked why you are pursuing other opportunities. <A> The cover letter is usually expected to be: <S> A presentation about yourself <S> A explanation of how do you think that you skills match the role requirements. <S> And a explanation of your motivations to apply to the role (and the company) <S> There should not be any mention to your current company, your current role or your current status (unless otherwise stated, of course). <A> No. <S> I would sort out applicants who do that, unless it is in the news already (and then there should be no reason to write it). <S> Reasoning: An employee who discloses such information to the outside can not be trusted.
| As a hiring manager, I wouldn't expect you to write about your employer's financial situation in your cover letter.
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How do I list an internship on my resume? This summer I'm working a full-time, 9-5, paid internship at a major company. Since the position is full time, I'm not entirely sure how to list it on my resume. How do I list an internship on my resume? Should I differentiate between jobs and paid internships? To be more specific, should I include "intern" in the job description on my resume? <Q> The only concern with not mentioning that it's an internship is employers may get confused about why you were only at a company for 3 months. <S> Because of that, I'll specify "Summer Consultant" or "Marketing Intern" as my job title, not in the description. <A> I find that keeping them all under "Experience" is sufficient. <S> But when you are an intern, it's normally stated in your job title. <S> So if you were being completely transparent, your resume would clearly state your status as an intern. <S> You could omit this by obscuring your title somewhat, but think about what you would gain. <S> What would your employer think if you had a 4 month career in which you did limited work and were paid well under industry standard? <S> Even if you did this, you would likely be asked about it during interviews, which would give you little choice but to reveal your intern status anyway. <S> Honestly, internships look good . <S> Be confident and show future employers that you have been hard at work learning the industry and gaining as much experience as possible with whatever skills you had at that time. <A> A few more thoughts that may have been more appropriate as a comment, but I'm new <S> so I'll try compiling this into an answer. <S> This answer is also targeted more towards a student or recent graduate as students are expected to have gaps in their employment history. <S> As other's mentioned, you want the employer to know the reason why you only worked at this company for a few months. <S> I would put internships in the same category as other employment, but append "Intern" to the title even if it's not officially part of it. <S> However, full time internships are going to look impressive and they're not assumed by default, especially if they're done during normal school semester months. <S> So I would start off a short description with "Worked full time doing...". <S> Up to a few sentences can be helpful if this is your most relevant experience in the field. <S> Another important detail to keep in mind is keep more relevant experience near the top . <S> It may seem obvious but I've seen many students make this mistake. <S> If you're applying for a job and your internship is your only relevant experience, you want to highlight this. <S> If you've had more recent but non-related or short term employment, you can list these near the bottom or leave them out completely depending on how much total experience you have. <S> Work experience does not have to be listed chronologically. <A> List it with the rest of your work experience and just keep your actual job title, which probably includes the word "Intern". <S> Then in the job description, make the first thing that you mention be that it was full time, or add it in parenthesis. <S> Example A: Software Intern - ABC Co Startup Inc <S> Summer 2017 <S> Full time paid position.... <S> blah blah... <S> Example B: Software Intern (Full time) - ABC Co Startup Inc Summer 2017 <S> Paid internship... <S> Blah blah blah... <A> How do I list an internship on my resume? <S> Should I differentiate between jobs and paid internships? <S> Here is what I would suggest: Keep your timeline consistent, and linear, with the latest information on top. <S> I would have something like: DateFrom -- Current JOBTITLE ( paid internship ) followed by DESCRIPTION of duties. <S> ( I think the paid internship part is important. <S> That means most likely there was some serious competition for the postion ) <S> Now if you have other relevant thing to put on your resume, I would include that to, similar to: DateFrom -- <S> Current STUDENT followed by Major and Minor information. <S> You may want to include anticipated graduation date too. <S> If these two are the only relevant items do it like this: <S> DateFrom -- <S> Current JOBTITLE ( paid internship ) followed by DESCRIPTION of duties. <S> DateFrom -- <S> Current STUDENT followed by Major and Minor information. <A> Personally, I list it like any other position under work experience: <S> Job title intern at company, <S> summer/fall/ <S> whatever 201X. <S> And then follow that with bullets describing it like any other position, specifically focussing on practical introductions to new concepts. <S> Most internship programs feature an "Intern Project" as well, which often makes for some good bragging points here. <S> I don't think it's worthwhile to note that it's paid or not. <S> Nor do I think it's necessary to specify the month. <S> Most hiring managers understand that internship programs run for the summer, or whatever season you list - so I don't think it's worthwhile to note the month that you started and ended. <A> I don't believe there exist rules for or against it in any locale. <S> If the internship is in the same general area of work you're applying to, I'd include it in my resume. <S> When you don't have much experience, any experience is good to write down as it allows an employer to ask you about your tasks, responsabilities and skills. <S> I've always put my internship on my resume, specifying that I was an intern on the job title, and I never had any issues with that during interviews. <S> Most of the time the recruiter would ask me what I was doing there like any other job listed.
| I keep both jobs and internships under one category, Work Experience , on my resume, regardless of whether they're full time or not.
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Is six weeks before end date too early to ask for an internship extension? I'm currently a junior in college and am in an unpaid internship position for the summer. The internship started six weeks ago, and is slated to end the third week of August - therefore I'm about half way through the internship at the moment. I'm enjoying the work and have an opportunity to receive academic credit for it. However, to earn credit, I would need to continue the internship into the fall semester. I just found out about the credit earning potential today, and was wondering if it is too early to ask my boss about the extension. Much of the work can be done remotely without needing to work with others at the office, and there is currently an intern working remotely. Should I wait until closer to the end date to ask? <Q> I just found out about the credit earning potential today, and was wondering if it is too early to ask my boss about the extension. <S> No, it's not too early. <S> Ask now. <S> Explain what you just learned and how much it would help you out. <S> Employers often plan projects in advance. <S> It's possible your ability to be there for longer would make a difference. <S> The worst that can happen is that your boss says "No" or tells you to ask again later. <S> Might as well find out now. <A> Saying it now, rather than waiting before the end of the summer, is beneficial for several reasons: 1) <S> It shows you're serious about the position and any possible extension isn't just an afterthought 2) <S> Allows you to convey enthusiasm about how much you're enjoying the program so far 3) <S> Most importantly: provides an opportunity to get feedback from your supervisor on what you can do better so you can put that in action <S> Often times, those who wait until the end of an internship to bring up their interest in continuing are met with a "no" by their supervisor because of some level of weakness in performance. <S> Asking what you can do to perform even better in the second half, even if you were doing fine all along, demonstrates that you take initiative and care about your impact at the company. <S> If you make your goals clear now and ask what steps you can take to get there, it'd be hard not to achieve them. <A> I would ask as soon as possible. <S> Explain the credit earning potential and that you only just became aware of it. <S> If there's budgetting or scheduling involved for your manager, sooner is better. <S> There's only downsides to waiting. <S> Worst case, he says no right now, or asks you to send your request at a later date again.
| Absolutely set up a meeting with your supervisor as soon as possible to talk about your intentions.
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Manager asking me to tell on others Recently some new people started in my department and several have been unprofessional to the extent of openly discussing their salaries with anybody with whom they are working. Because they are (so I've been told) making more than some others who have been in the department for years, there has been an increase in discussions among employees in regards to compensation. I emailed my manager in general terms about being frustrated by the endless questioning about my compensation by "some" of my coworkers in hopes of a general announcement being made to the department about professionalism, company policies, yadda yadda. Then they asked for names. I respectfully declined to provide the information via email, and soon after I received a meeting request. How in-depth should I be expected to go? Should I be willing to provide names and details of conversations, or is should that be outside the manager's expectations? <Q> Them sharing their salaries (and you sharing yours, if you want) should not be a problem, assuming the manner in which this is done isn't particularly distracting (this might depend on your location). <S> If it is distracting, you could make a case about having difficulty concentrating on your job, but this would be a different story entirely. <S> However, being endlessly questioned about your compensation <S> anything is harassment. <S> If you're making harassment accusations, it's perfectly reasonable and generally expected to share the names of those harassing you and the details of the harassment. <S> Although it should also be fine to decline to give details, explaining that you simply hoped for a general announcement about professionalism, but it would be understandable for them to do little or nothing in response to that, <S> if you decide to go that route (I wouldn't know what legal obligations they have if you don't give details, and they may not feel comfortable making a company-wide announcement when there are only 1 or 2 bad apples). <S> If repeatedly asked about my compensation (assuming I don't want to share it), I personally would quickly make it clear that I have no obligation to share this information with them and <S> them repeatedly asking me about it is unprofessional, unacceptable and harassment. <S> If that doesn't dissuade them from questioning me about it, it would be unreasonable for them to not think I would escalate this further by going to HR about it. <S> Of course this is a fairly conflict-heavy approach - simply declining to share the information a few times, in no uncertain terms, and then going to HR if they keep asking is also reasonable. <A> Your manager should respect your decision to keep the names anonymous if that's what you want. <S> You already volunteered information that management wouldn't have known about otherwise. <S> In the meeting I believe you should say exactly what you said here -- that you didn't want to cause any trouble and just wanted a general announcement about professionalism. <S> You can go more in-depth about some of the discussions you heard and why you think they're distracting in the work environment, and maybe even the fact that some of the people involved are newer and probably weren't briefed on the subject at hand. <S> If after your explanation you're still being pressed, it's really up to you to gauge how firm you want to stand on your ground. <A> It seems these people are doing their colleagues a service by informing them that they are underpaid. <S> It seems really unprofessional for your firm to pay people in such a haphazard fashion. <A> People have wildly differing abilities when it comes to salary negotiation, also, it since the talent market fluctuates, some may have been hired when talent was scarce, others when it was plentiful. <S> Now they're all working in the same place but with quite a variance in salary. <S> Usually employees keep their mouths shut about salary, because it often leads to hard feelings and bickering. <S> Some of that is understandable if we're talking truly vast differences in pay. <S> Perhaps more telling, however, is the people affected often don't go to management with this problem, they prefer to complain amongst themselves. <S> Unfortunately, you have decided to bring this up to management for them. <S> What you've done is put "a problem" into management's lap thinking that they would deal with it in a way that you find agreeable. <S> They have instead decided to put YOU on the hot-seat by asking you to implicate the salary-discontented folks. <S> That's a very hard position to be in. <S> Take it as a lesson-learned about not forcing management to deal with something that doesn't concern you. <S> As for "tattling"... that's up to you. <S> The consequences can be harsh because if your name gets mentioned, that will instantly mark you as untrustworthy among your peers. <S> Alternatively, if the people involved deny they've been complaining that makes you look bad with management. <S> It's a "no win" situation. <S> No one will get anything good out of this.
| In the US it is perfectly legal to discuss your earnings with fellow employees.
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Can I justify a period of unemployment, used to focus on personal projects, to prospective employers? I have worked as a software developer at a small company for just under a year now, and for various reasons I have decided that it is best for me to leave the company in the near future. Initially I was planning to look for similar roles to apply for, but I am now considering another option: resigning from my current company and spending a period of time unemployed, working on personal projects based on a field of specialised development that I have a much bigger interest in and would like to be more involved with in my future career. There seems to be a stigma about leaving a job when you don't have another one lined up as a replacement, but for personal and professional reasons I feel like this could be a really positive career move for me. I'm aware that there are some huge risks but feel like the potential long-term reward to my personal and professional life outweighs the risks (I won't go into detail as it's not really relevant to this particular question). If I was to go ahead with this, and 6-9 months later started applying for interviews, there would be the obvious question of "Why have you been unemployed for x months?". Assuming the projects in question are in a field related to the roles I am applying for, and I was to use them as part of a portfolio to show interviewers, will this be enough to justify my employment gap? Or am I likely to be rejected by most companies based on this alone? <Q> Assuming the projects in question are in a field related to the roles I am applying for, and I was to use them as part of a portfolio to show interviewers, will this be enough to justify my employment gap? <S> Or am I likely to be rejected by most companies based on this alone? <S> Hiring managers will want to know why you chose to be unemployed for 6-9 months. <S> So you will need to explain. <S> Most people in your position would work on personal projects in their own time while continuing work. <S> Your approach will seem unusual to some potential employers. <S> Likely hiring managers will want to understand why, if they hire you, they should expect you to stick around for a while and not choose to leave again in less than a year. <S> Since you've done it once, they will think, you are more likely to do it again. <S> When I was a hiring manager I always like to hire people who felt work was important. <S> And honestly speaking, voluntarily choosing to become unemployed would make me less likely to hire you. <S> It wouldn't be absolute, but it would be a red flag. <S> Before you take this step, consider how this will look in your career progression. <S> If this is just happening after a long-ish career, it might be a signal of boredom and potential employers might wonder where you will settle. <S> And also consider seriously how you will get by financially during your unemployment. <S> Some folks look unfavorably on those who "take time off" and voluntarily choose to be supported by others. <S> In addition, it can sometimes take much longer to reenter the workforce than we might assume. <S> I know some folks who were laid off and took over 2 years to find a good job. <S> Last, be very careful that 6-9 months of "personal projects" doesn't just end up turning into a longer time of "doing little to nothing". <S> I'm not writing this to discourage you, just to give you a perspective on how potential employers may see your actions. <A> An employer doesn't really care directly what you did in the past - they want to know whether you will be staying with them, pull your weight, and not get bored with your job, and your past employment gives them hints to that. <S> If you decide to do nothing for nine months and live off benefits or off your parents (quite doable in the UK, don't know how hard that would be in the USA), that would be very much held against you. <S> If you won some amount in the lottery and decided to travel the world for nine months with that money, most people wound think that's Ok. <S> If you decide to take nine months off to learn new areas, and you have a project that you can actually show after nine months, that would most likely be fine. <S> And of course if the new areas you learned are exactly what that job requires, even better. <A> While it does describe what you have planned, it also describes backpacking around Europe or hanging in your parents' basement gaming 20 hours a day and eating Cheetos. <S> Does this mean don't do it? <S> Of course not. <S> It means if you do it, it should (for your own good) be more structured and disciplined than just "lie around and goof with my projects if I feel like it" and it should also clearly send that message when it goes on your resume. <S> To do that, give it a name. <S> Project Something, let's say. <S> If Project Something might spend money (buying hardware, paying to go to conferences, buying software tools etc) then do the paperwork (not necessarily incorporation) to make it a thing that can have a bank account. <S> Set it goals: you will track your time, money, and progress towards the goals. <S> Those goals don't have to be "brings in revenue to support me. <S> " They could be "build a working X" or "put 10 Ys into ABC app store" or "get 10 subscribers." <S> To test your goals, write the resume entry today assuming you met your goals. <S> Look at it hard. <S> Would you be more valuable with that paragraph on your resume? <S> Do you need to set more or harder goals? <S> Is it realistic to do that much in 9 months? <S> Do you have the funds to support yourself and the project? <S> Keep adjusting this imaginary resume paragraph until it is something you know everyone would love to see on your resume. <S> Then get out there and do that. <S> Or, if this exercise seems far too much like working and you don't feel like working, then realize that quitting this job to "explore other options" is probably not the grownup thing to do. <S> You might just need a job that really lights you up. <S> The way to find out is to dive hard into imagining what your plan would really entail.
| As an employer, I would not think better of you if I saw a nine month period of "unemployment" on your resume. If this is your first job, leaving after less than a year to work on personal project might look like you don't really have a sense of where you are going.
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Handling situations when my subordinates require my help but I can't attend them? As a first-time technical leader that is dividing his time between teaching and managing and also working on my own assignations I'm having a hard time handling certain situations, all of my subordinates are in a learning process and little working experience so I try to be as understandable as I can be with them. So far I have tried to assist them and encourage them to investigate as much as possible, but earlier today on of them asked for my assistance when I had time, but I told him an alternative route for achieving the process, and that I currently couldn't help him, but I think I was a bit rude with that answer as I clearly stated 'today I'm not able to help you'. I don't want to be that "order and leave" kind of boss, but my time for helping them is really undetermined. What's the best way for handling this kind of situations? <Q> In any other situation where you're overloaded, I hope you know what to do: prioritise the most important stuff, and ask for permission (or maybe forgiveness) from the people who's stuff you've just de-prioritised. <S> Therefore you apply the same logic here: <S> Is the work your subordinate is needing help with critical? <S> If so, you help them out and manage the fall out from de-prioritising your other work. <S> If it's not critical and you can help them tomorrow, then tell them that - "Sorry, I'm a bit busy at the moment. <S> Can we get together first thing tomorrow morning to discuss this?". <S> The important point here is you're not just saying "go away", but instead giving a time when you will be able to help - present solutions, not problems. <S> And of course make sure that you communicate with the appropriate stakeholders so that everybody knows what's going on, and be prepared to change your views on what is a priority if your manager tells you so. <A> I don't think its rude to state you are busy for the day and to recommend a different approach for them to tackle. <S> If you are not completely strapped for time you might want to set aside 30 min or so to check up on people to see if they need assistance on something. <S> Your answer to his request for help seams completely acceptable to me in that situation. <S> I would have said something like: "Try this idea first <S> and and if you cant accomplish your goal that way come back and we can set up a time for us to take a look at it. <S> " <A> You set an appointment for when you talk if you can't right that minute or refer them to another person who can. <S> However as a lead, you need to look at your priorities. <S> Your development tasks should not take precedence over helping your team , that is almost always your higher priority. <S> Otherwise you are a roadblock. <S> As a lead, doing development is no longer your main priority, management is
| I find scheduling people for 30 min on a calendar is very helpful as you can tackle several problems at the same time in a one on one kind of situation.
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Inquiring About Drug Policy After Employment I started work last week at a small (~10-15 employees) tech company in California as an intern. Since marijuana is legal here for both medicinal and recreational use, I've been considering pursuing medicinal marijuana to treat anxiety. I already obtained a doctor's recommendation, but I'm having second thoughts in the event that my company decides to drug test me. I haven't been tested yet, and I've already been working here just under a week. I like to think I've made a good impression so far (I've done my best to go the extra mile and my boss has complimented me on the work I've done so far), so I don't think I give off the impression that I'm a slacker or stoner. While the workplace policy doesn't require drug testing, it does allow for random tests, and since my company does take on federal contracts, it seems possible. My boss seems like a relaxed guy so I was considering sitting down with him one-on-one, and explaining that this was something I was considering after already having been to counseling, while emphasizing that I would never come to work under the influence or let it affect my performance, and that the job is my priority. Is this a bad idea? Could this reflect negatively on me? Is there a better way I can approach this? They're a private company, they could simply decide that I "don't fit with the company's culture" or make up any excuse they want - but even if they don't fire me, this is just an internship but it may be somewhere I want to return to some day so I don't want to burn any bridges. <Q> since my company does take on federal contracts Until marijuana is rescheduled / decriminalized / <S> in some other way legalized by the federal government, you are risking your job. <S> End of story. <S> Is this a bad idea? <S> Yes, because the company accepts federal contracts. <S> Do not discuss it with your boss. <S> The fact that you have a good relationship with your boss makes discussing it an even worse idea. <S> Don't put them in a position where you know they can't accommodate your request, especially when backing you or staying silent can backfire on them this hard. <S> EDIT: I'd like to take the opportunity here to emphasize that what I said above applies regardless of your state or local laws regarding marijuana. <S> Edit: <S> The Drug Free Workplace Act of 1998 requires many/most Federal Contractors to maintain a "drug-free" workplace. <S> Failure to do so can result in penalties including: suspended/stopped payments, revocation of the existing contract and/or ineligibility for future contracts. <A> I'd thoroughly read your employee handbook. <S> It should indicate if it is a "drug-free" company and the different types of drug tests administered (random, company-wide, injury, etc.) <S> and what the repercussions are if you fail a test. <S> Your coworkers are your best resource. <S> It really should come up in conversation and you can ask them. <S> My brother works at a software company in CA that does federal contracts and certain jobs at drug-free companies. <S> To go on those company's sites, you must pass a drug test. <S> At his company, you can "refuse" a job because you don't want to or can't pass a drug test. <S> The company has no problem with it. <S> Most places that do drug test will usually require the passing of one to start (they want to make sure you're clean to begin with). <S> Marijuana is <S> a very widely used and common drug in CA and employers are aware of this. <A> If the company policy is non-existent or unclear, I would likely have a conversation with my boss. <S> At my previous employer, I would have no qualms about asking. <S> The salient points for the conversation: <S> You have been prescribed by a doctor (without saying the reason) <S> You will absolutely, 100% respect the company's decision <S> You are not currently taking it <S> You are not planning to take it recreationally <S> You are not planning to take it before or during work hours <S> You like the job and company and in no way want to hurt your standing with the company or the company's standing in industry <S> Just because the company sometimes takes federal contracts doesn't necessarily mean every employee will be required to work on them, be tested, or that the contract will stipulate a drug-free or testing requirement. <S> If the company knows you are taking medicinal marijuana, it may be that they would excuse you from working on any projects which would require testing, though that may limit your career growth. <A> Is this a bad idea? <S> Almost the worst possible, yes. <S> You're making yourself seem bad and putting your boss in a situation where he's pretty much obligated to take action in some direction based on what you say. <S> Could this reflect negatively on me? <S> Yes. <S> As above, this basically necessitates your boss to take action with that knowledge. <S> Marijuana still has severely negative stigma associated with it. <S> While use may be common in the tech industry, it is still not very widely accepted in the corporate world. <S> Find out from long-term coworkers (ideally, marijuana users themselves) what the drug testing schedule looks like. <S> Typically, there are drug tests for office personnel only after there's been an incident where their behavior indicates that they were under the influence. <S> This isn't a hard and fast rule, however, so do your research. <S> Is there a better way I can approach this? <S> Yes. <S> Don't broach the topic at all. <S> This goes for just about any sort of medical concern. <S> The only time you need to bring up your medical condition with an employer is if you need them to make an accommodation for you. <S> Otherwise, anything you say is going to color their perception of you. <S> It's a conversation best left unhad. <S> I hope you make great strides forward with managing your anxiety.
| Since you weren't tested in the first place, I'd say it is unlikely the failing of a test (for THC) would automatically terminate you if were to be randomly tested, especially if it has not been made clear to you that it is a drug-free workplace. For me, the deciding factor would be my relationship with my boss, my take on company culture, and my assessment of the risk of damage to my reputation associated with expressing an interest in using medical marijuana. At my current employer, there is no need to ask, it is expressly forbidden.
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Company name first or post name first in CV Somewhat related to this (closed) question: As a recent graduate with limited experience, is the company name or the work more important on a CV? In very many CV templates I find online, I see that the entries in the Experience section are formatted something like Company name. Position. Intuitively, it feels to me that this is the wrong way of writing this, and I would be more inclined to write Position at Company name, because I believe (expect) what I have done to be more relevan than the name of the company where I worked. Which one is best practice? Does it depend on the field or how well known the companies I worked for are? <Q> I would put the position first, always. <S> Remember that, when you are looking for a job, what you are selling are your skills/experience - as ultimately they define what you are. <S> I can understand why some people would like to put the company name first (to promote the fact that they went to a trendy place, probably), but to me, at least, what matters is what you are able to do, not what your previous companies are selling. <A> To me, this decision would come down to: <S> How meaningful your job titles are (first and foremost) <S> Beyond that, job titles can be mismatched with the responsibilities that job entailed or just overly vague, in which case you probably don't want to focus too much on the title itself. <S> If you were a Meaningful Expert of Specificity, you can make a good case for putting the job title first. <S> Where you worked <S> A well-known international company will probably draw more attention than some typical uninteresting job title, so putting that first might increase your chances of getting an interview, which is exactly what you want a resume to do. <S> That's not to say it will affect your chances of actually getting through the interview stage, but your resume is more about getting to the interview stage than getting through it. <S> General formatting From a readability perspective, {Short term} <S> {This is probably a lot longer than it needs to be} <S> might be better than: <S> {This is probably a lot longer than it needs to be} {Short term} <S> So if the company names on your resume are all reasonably short with longer job titles, putting the company name first might make more sense. <S> This might just be unreasonable nitpicking. <S> Which one you use probably isn't all that important, but you should absolutely stick to one throughout in your resume. <A> Company name. <S> Position; This is how my career services advisor taught me and has stuck to me since then. <S> Their reasons were clear and makes lot of sense to me. <S> Companies/Universities are (usually) well known and if you can, you should capitalize on the fame of the company first. <S> That is your first identity. <S> If you think about it, more often than not, you would introduce yourself as "I work for XYZ ". <S> If that company is well known, then that remains as your identify. <S> Very few times, you get to talk about what your is designation in that company. <S> Designations/Positions are very subjective and broadly varies from company to company. <S> Senior Engineer at some place may be someone with 20 years of experience and at some places with 2 years of experience. <S> Also in start-ups (and even in some big companies I know), these titles are just made up to impress the customer. <S> (Like senior vice president, etc.) <S> When I look at a resume, first thing I look for is what Universities/Companies the person has been associated to. <S> This gives me first impression immediately. <S> I work for a very small company now <S> but I moved from a large fortune 500 MNC. <S> In my new company I am just known as "ex-[company name]" guy. <S> No one cares or even knows what my designation was in that company.
| If every title in your resume is the same or some variant of the same thing, putting the company first makes more sense, because putting focus on a somewhat meaningless title above where you worked just doesn't make that much sense.
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What are the advantages for the employer to set flexible hours? My situation is quite similar to this question: How To Negotiate Flexible Working Hours In order to help me to "build my case" I wanted to know what are advantages for the employer to let their employees have flexible hours (with core hours). Here are some example I already found: Better retention of employees Reduced turnover/absenteeism Other context information: Small software company of about 15 employees located in France EDIT I work full time on site EDIT 2 Thank you to all of you, I will try to make an update about my request if you are interested. <Q> What are the advantages for the employer to set flexible hours? <S> I would label them "potential" advantages: Employees like it, which may lead to decreased turnover <S> Potential employees like it, which may make it easier to attract new workers <S> In some cases, flexible hours may make it easier to provide coverage over a wider range of hours <S> In some locales, workers will be able to arrange their hours to avoid longer commute times. <S> That may allow them to remain more productive for longer In some cases, the other companies in the pool of companies that draw from the same worker base are already offering flexible hours. <S> It may be necessary to offer this benefit or risk losing talent <S> In some cases, it may make child care or other personal activities easier for the employee. <S> That may help retain employees. <A> After hours requests could be addressed: Finishing a task that was requested at the end of the day. <S> Performing maintenance or repairs when others don't need their equipment. <S> Handling a customer request. <S> Negotiations usually involve some give and take. <S> By giving you this perk, the employer may be in a position to ask you for something extra. <S> The key would be to identify what is important to your employer in this area and make an offer. <A> The bigest advantage from flexible hours is much more motivation produced by autonomy : <S> Situations that give autonomy as opposed to taking it away also have a similar link to motivation. <S> Studies looking at choice have found that increasing a participant's options and choices increases their intrinsic motivation <A> If a company is looking for "bums on seats" then there is no advantage. <S> Let's ignore that case. <S> When a company hires an employee, that employee will do work for the employer, and the employer will supply salary and possibly other benefits to the employee. <S> The higher the salary and other benefits are, the better the chances to find an employee, and to find a better employee, and to keep them. <S> And that's the kind of thing a company should be looking for: Giving the employee benefits other than salary, if they cost less than salary. <S> Some other answer talks about "ridiculous extras like food". <S> If you have the space, providing free or cheap food to employees is extremely beneficial to the company. <S> Every place in my experience where this happened, people counted it like salary (so it really gets you better talent and keeps that talent), while costing the company a lot less. <S> And importantly, lunch breaks were shorter, people ate healthy which is good for the company, and people were often discussing work problems during lunch. <A> These might help you make a case: <S> Study: Effects of working from home . <S> spoiler: <S> WFH folks tend to be more productive. <S> Study: <S> Employees with flexible work hours are healthier . <S> Link to the full PDF can be found in the final paragraph. <S> Study: how flexible schedules can mitigate employee turnover . <S> Several collected case studies involving flexible work schedules . <S> Inside Three Companies That Are Innovating Flexible Schedules .
| Flexible time costs the employer no or little money, but can be a huge benefit to the employee. If this is a 9-5 business, there may never be an advantage for the employer.
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Is this a case of bad team management, or am I taking this up wrong? We are implementing a new system at work. It's a huge change; changing over from an older system. It has been in the pipeline for 2 years. Three of us have been working on it now for about 6 months. One part of it involves introducing a whole new set of servers to host the system. This is a complex piece of work. The servers have to be available 24/7. We had described the architecture of the system on an internal website. We had discussed it over a period of several months with our manager. We described why we had made some decisions over others, trade offs we had made, etc. We had explained everything and documented it, and our manager was in agreement with the decisions we made. In a broadcast e-mail, we shared this architecture with a wider audience. A recipient of this email discovered what he thought was an obvious flaw in what we were doing. This person is part of our group (we have the same manager), but not involved in the system migration. The supposed flaw was identified in our documentation, and we described in detail why we made that decision . The person then e-mailed us about it, but crucially copied our manager. This - in our estimation - was a cynical attempt to curry favour with our manager, while simultaneously trying to undermine our efforts. We had no problem with the problem being identified, but there was no need to copy our manager. Our manager then, instead of saying 'Great thanks for that - I will discuss that with the team on Monday', invites them to redesign what we have come up with even though he already signed off on what we had done. We defended what he had done and the decisions we made in a reply email - he never engaged or bothered to replied to that. He now wants us to work with our erstwhile critic. We feel that our manager has undermined our efforts. He doesn't trust us to get the job done, and is willing to swap us out whenever necessary. There are going to be other more vocal critics later in this migration. We wonder if he will also assume that we made the mistake, and side with the person making the criticism. He would probably say he has a job to do and he doesn't care who does it, but he is also managing a team and you can't replace one members efforts with another like changing parts on a car. A good manager should always defend the team no matter what, whether the criticism comes from within or without. <Q> In tech, you are going to need to have very thick skin when it comes time for others to analyze your work. <S> Everyone's going to have some sort of criticism (well-founded or otherwise.) <S> For some reason, engineers' minds are trained for identifying problems and conceiving solutions. <S> ;) <S> Even if the engineer's criticism is not helpful, you can trust that the engineer will offer criticism anyway. <S> Be prepared to consider criticism in an impersonal manner. <S> It's difficult to do so sometimes, especially when the criticism seems politically motivated. <S> But at worst you'll have to waste some time considering the criticism, and at best you will be able to improve your designs by incorporating the feedback, even if it's from someone who's actually not trying to help you at all. <S> It really sucks to have your work criticized, <S> much less attacked as it would seem your coworker is doing. <S> But you are in a field where it's going to happen to you all the time. <S> There will be genuinely helpful engineers, but there will also be naive commenters, smart alecks, golfers, and political backstabbers. <S> You defended your design but perhaps your defense was not good enough. <S> Your manager signed off on your original design, but new information caused him to change his mind on what he signed off on. <S> It's perfectly reasonable to do that. <S> Saying that your manager had signed off on your design is not good enough. <S> You should probably accept these changes and try to profit off them instead of fighting. <S> To the point about your communication with your manager–namely that he didn't engage with your defense–perhaps you should contact him privately and express concern about what you perceive is a communication breakdown. <S> You should not try to fight your manager's decision, but you can improve further relations by establishing your communication needs. <S> It's mutually beneficial for you and your manager to have an honest, transparent, respectful rapport. <A> A good manager should always defend the team no matter what, whether the criticism comes from within or without. <S> This is a pretty strong statement. <S> Your team needs to do a better job of accepting criticism and being open to other ideas. <S> That doesn't mean you can't question and ask for an explanation from your manager on why the other idea is better. <S> If the manager still thinks the other idea is better, your team should have agreed to implement it. <S> If all you're going to do is complain because an outside source's idea was accepted, you lose trust with your manager to be willing to do the right thing. <S> That's probably why he's relying on this outside resource to implement the idea instead of letting your group do it. <S> You could equally argue that the team should always go along with their manager. <S> You can disagree or ask for clarification, but at some point a decision has to be made. <S> However you derive the best solution, as long as that prevails, everyone is in a better position to have success. <A> Ok, your question is kind of missing, but it seems to be "How do we approach the manager and work through this situation in a professional manner?" <S> Based on that, you frankly need to tell him. <S> Go into his office with closed doors and express that you feel he is showing favoritism towards x individual over the team that originally worked the trade study and recommendation. <S> Ask him nicely why he made the decision to rework what was done and include x individual and if that was based solely on the 1 complaint in the email <S> or if there is something else that you are unaware of. <S> This will result in the only truthful interaction with your boss. <S> Based on your tone you already are losing respect for him which is bad for everyone involved. <S> 1) <S> You will either return your respect for him by him explaining to you why and how the solution is improved by the addition of the other person to the team, or 2) he will realize his mistake and find a way to apologize and encourage teamwork, or 3) he will stand his ground and reveal more than ever why he is a horrible manager and you don't really matter to him. <S> Any way it goes, it brings about the truth for you to make a decision on. <S> It is always best to make an informed decision rather than to make a decision based on assumption. <S> I would hope the manager would do option 1 and let you know that he agrees with the other person that the particular risk in question is something he doesn't want as well and included the person for the sole purpose of rounding out the team with a diverse opinion/perspective on the risk in question. <S> That would indicate he is managing without favoritism and balancing team perspectives to create the best solution. <A> Embrace the criticism. <S> If there are any good points talk it over with the person that made the critisim, and incorporate in your solution any valid alternatives offered by this individual. <S> But at the same time the team must not loose the control of the project. <S> Make sure your manager understands why you must behave this way. <S> Quality reviews by expered outsiders can be very helpfull and efficient, if done correctly.
| Without knowing your manager, I would guess that your manager simply saw the comment from your coworker as being a valid criticism and decided that if this employee, who wasn't involved until recently, had had the insight to make a valid criticism of your design, then perhaps this employee would be a positive contribution to your effort.
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What to ask for in an annual review when I'm planning on looking for another job I've got my first annual review coming up at my current company. It's a startup, and their processes are very informal. It was announced a while ago that the company office is going to be moving to a location that's going to make my commute much more difficult, so mainly for that reason, I'm planning to start looking for another job, which I plan to do in earnest in a couple of months after I complete a major project. I'm wondering how to approach my annual review in light of this. I am planning on doing the usual work of inventorying past accomplishments and thinking about goals for the future. But I'm unsure about what to ask for. I don't want to telegraph that I'm thinking of looking for fear of that sabotaging my future at this company for however long I end up staying, though the fact that I'll be looking probably wouldn't surprise my boss, given the circumstances. I generally have good rapport with my boss and receive mostly positive feedback from him, and I have made clear improvements based on the constructive feedback I have gotten. Ideally, I'd like something to help me for the job search, and the thing that comes to mind for that is a title promotion (which tends to happen at other folks' annual reviews). I'm less interested in any significant raise aside from cost of living adjustment. I also have some insight into my department's budget, and I know that we would like to hire for another role that is badly needed, but we don't currently have room for that in the budget since we made a few key hires this year. If I ask for a title promotion but not a significant raise, is that going to be showing my hand? Or how else should I approach what I'm asking for in this annual review? <Q> Treat your annual review exactly as you would if you were not planning to leave. <S> You don't really know what the future will hold. <S> Your commute may be more tolerable than you think once you do it for a while. <S> You may take far longer to find your next job than you suspect. <S> Your company may have other opportunities come your way that makes you change your mind about leaving. <S> Just get the annual review behind you, and continue on. <A> If I am a hiring manager, and I see the promotion in your CV <S> just a couple of weeks/months ago I am going to: <S> Wonder <S> why did you decided to leave just after being promoted. <S> Check how difficult was to get that promotion, and if it makes sense according to your career progression. <S> In other words, a new title might not benefit your job search as much as you think (unless you can definitely proof that you deserve it). <A> I'd say it would be amiss of you to ask for a promotion knowing full well <S> you're going to leave in a few months. <S> If you're offered one without prompting for it though that's a different matter, and I'd be inclined to accept it no matter what your future plans (if you're happy with the role that is). <S> Your review might be a good time to explore some other options given your current position though. <S> For example - are there any options to work some of the week from home? <S> Is there anything else that could change that would mean you'd be happy to remain in your current job? <S> By asking these questions you don't need to show your hand in respect to your thoughts about leaving - but you want to ensure you've covered all bases.
| I would not look for the promotion if you are definitely planning to leave soon.
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Calling in sick and no sick leave available I have no sick leave available but had to call in sick. Is my employer allowed to call me and make me come in to work? <Q> No one can compel you to attend work if you are sick. <S> Depending on your contract & regularity of your sick days they can start disciplinary proceedings or even sack you though. <A> More likely you have to take it as unpaid leave. <S> This will obviously have an unhappy impact on your paycheck. <S> Taking unpaid leave can also impact your accrual/earning of future paid leave, employer share of benefits like health insurance, etc, which can also impact the paycheck. <S> Also, if you've already used up all of your leave and need to take even more, the company might scrutinize your work attendance and determine if you have an issue with chronic "absenteeism," which can affect evaluations and even your future employment. <A> In the US, leave of any sort can be disapproved. <S> It happens frequently in service industries. <S> Employers can require a doctor's note if they think you are faking. <S> Employers can refuse to pay you anything if you have no sick leave even if you have vacation time available (Most won't of course, but there are bad companies to work for). <S> The rules could be drastically different depending on the country.
| Employers can make someone come in when sick or lose their jobs or have some sort of HR write-up.
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Do recruiters in India consider the profile/person who have already received another offer? I am in a situation where I am serving notice period as I have an offer in hand, but I am trying to find out if I could get some other offers as well. But the problem that I am facing now is, during the initial discussion with recruiting team I have informed them that I have already received an offer for company X with salary Y and looking out again If I could get better opportunity (Reason for sharing this is they are explicitly asking about looking for another offer with an offer already in hand). After the initial discussion I am not communicated with further details, especially with further technical rounds of interview. This has happened with almost all the companies that has discussed with me. I can say 95% of the discussion has ended up in only one discussion. I would like to understand what could be happening in my situation? Does the recruiting team not consider the person who is already having an offer? The scenario is in the Indian IT industry and I have received an offer letter from company X but not accepted it. EDIT: As this was my first change of company in my professional career I was not aware of few things which shouldn't done. I do hear people saying that they do have multiple offers in hand before they finalize with appropriate one. Hence I have tried the same as I was unaware of not doing such things. Thanks to each of one you as the discussion has helped to get to know few things. <Q> I wouldn't say "No, never", but I wouldn't expect it to be done very frequently. <S> If you tell someone that you have accepted another offer, but are still looking, you are going to look unreliable. <S> Negotiating, looking, considering, no problem. <S> Accepted??? <S> Consider this scenario -- you are at a Friday afternoon interview, <S> your phone rings just as someone pokes their head in the door and asks if your interviewer can come give some urgent assistance. <S> The interviewer tells you to take the call, he'll be back in a minute. <S> A minute later he walks back in through the door and over hears you say "I accept your offer. <S> I will resign effective today, and start work Monday morning." <S> Unless there is some special reason to want you, and nobody else, he's going to shake your hand, say congatulations and goodbye. <S> Not continue the interview. <S> A recruiter, internal or external, is basically going to take the same approach -- they don't want you to quit THEIR position, before you take it, it makes them look bad. <A> I would like to understand what could be happening in my situation? <S> It is difficult to say. <S> It could be just that you are not good fit for the position or it could be because they are not able to match/better <S> your existing offer, even it works out. <S> Does the recruiting team not consider the person who is already having an offer? <S> (They themselves would not want people who they send out official offer letters to start looking for another job!!) <A> Recruiting a person is a time consuming process. <S> The recruiter gets (big) money for the one success, and loses money for all the candidates that don't get a job through him. <S> The closer you are to getting a job elsewhere, the less likely it is that they will make money by getting you a job, so obviously they are less interested. <S> Normally you would start with several recruiters, each having the same chance initially, and then the first company makes an offer, and you wait a bit to get other offers.
| But starting a new application from scratch when you already have offers is not in the best interest of a recruiter - unless they have a company on hand that is looking for a candidate very urgently and you look like a good fit. There is no written rule but it is possible that they do not want to pursue on ethical basis.
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How to respond to unprofessional email from boss? I just started a new job on a three month contract last week. After completing a mockup my boss had to present he sent out this email. For context "Bob" is the developer who has been working for the last four years on this project, and has written 90% of the code, and the company is just now starting to hire new employees. This email was sent to all five developers (everyone but Bob is new). Guys, congratulations! Nice job. We were extraordinarily well received and just received a compliment on our presentation. I feel Bob carried most of the weight and am upset to see that you guys are not breaking your back to make this happen. You live life only once and you only get what you put into it. Especially since you are new to the company and inexperienced. I am expecting extreme dedication and long hours. We are sitting on a huge opportunity and now only scratching the surface. We were asked to develop the listings feature together and now have an even bigger shot at making our company the #1 real estate site in the city(for starters). I want to write an email like "I don't want to break my back for anyone who doesn't show his employees respect", but I have currently settled on something closer to this. I am glad the presentation went well. Considering it did, I am surprised you were upset with our performance. If you or Bob have any specific feedback for my improvement I am always open to hear it. Bob did an excellent job, and I know that the whole team worked hard to help him deliver this mock-up on such short notice. I am still getting used to the codebase and tech, and my work station is not ideal, but I assure you I am putting forth my best effort. If you would like me to work extra hours to work on a specific problem I would be willing to if I have time and you log the overtime. I am excited to keep working with Bob on the TRD project. The problem I have with this response is that I don't convey that his email could create a negative atmosphere, and I am not sure how to keep a professional tone while doing so. Also should this response be addressed personally to my boss, or to all five members? Edit: To those suggesting I find a new job. I recently moved to a new city, spent a long time looking for a job, and it isn't clear yet if my employer is expecting unpaid overtime hours. I enjoy working, and I am not ready to drop out in the first week. <Q> Absolutely do not include others in your response. <S> In fact, it is probably better not to respond at all. <S> Matters of performance and expectations are between you and your manager, even if he has similar feedback for others on your team. <S> They also are better discussed in person than over email. <S> Something along the lines of (borrowing from your first paragraph): "I am surprised to hear you are upset with our performance. <S> If you have feedback on how I can improve, I would be happy discuss it in our next one-on-one." <S> Go ahead and set up the meeting. <S> It sounds like your boss' expectations may be different from what you signed up for. <S> If that's the case, you need to get that clarified right now, or you will have a miserable time at this company (and you might still anyway). <A> Is there a possibility that your boss was trying to motivate you guys? :) <S> IMO, it's best to discuss this in person and inform him that this creates a negative atmosphere and that you guys are trying hard to get to speed. <A> Just pick out the objective and actionable pieces and drop the rest. <S> It really isn't worth it to focus on his character and personality flaws. <S> Cling to your passion for the job, product, etc. <S> Say the minimum that needs to be said with 0 feelings. <S> Don't get personal. <S> It isn't really your place to manage him and champion his growth. <S> So, instead, save your feedback for a time when it is requested... <S> maybe during a performance review or employee survey if you all have them. <S> Or, maybe you can ask HR about how to provide anonymous feedback for a colleague.
| If you feel you must respond, keep it short and indicate that you want to discuss it in person. Consider leaving your feelings out of it. Get your point across about work.
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Asked to "Keep an Eye" on Female Colleague when Working Alone with Other Male I work at a large, multinational corporation in the US. Other clarifying details will follow my question. At my workplace, we have an office, upstairs, a lab downstairs, and a data center contained in the lab itself, as a separate room. Today, a woman (Alice) I work with was taken off a project she was working on with our singular female intern (Babs), cabling some new equipment. A male coworker (Clark) was tasked to replace her. When Alice walked out of the data center, she announced to the room at large, 5 or 6 males including myself, that she was being put on another project, and asked us to listen for yelling from the data center, and that we keep an eye on Clark working with Babs. Because she then came to collect her things that she had left to me, I remarked that I thought Babs was doing fine and could "take care of herself." Alice then told me that she didn't want Clark "taking advantage of any of the interns." This gave me pause for a number of reasons: I don't particularly like Clark, he told me outright "I'm a douche bag" today, but I never regarded him as dangerous. Being a man myself, I don't see the workplace as particularly sexist or giving reason for worry. I do worry a bit now that Alice herself, or other female colleagues may feel uneasy at work when not working with another woman. I am unsure if there is something I could or should do. This seems vaguely sexist, though I am unsure on who's part My two part question: am I reading too much into this, or not enough? In either case, is there an appropriate course of action? Clarifying Details I am 23 years old, I've worked at this company a little over a year and greatly enjoy it Alice is ~35, has been at the company a while, but is new (less than two months) to her and Babs' team Babs is perhaps two or three years younger than me, an intern who has been with us roughly two months, and will be here through January Clark is roughly my age, and generally unliked; he is constantly strutting his "lab manager" status around the lab, even though he has worked with us less than 3 months, and is almost assuredly on a lower pay grade Babs does not seem openly uncomfortable around the office, goes out at night and on weekends with a number of other interns I am good friends with, and was working on her team before Alice I took no action, other than to IM my intern who was also working in the data center and ask if Clark was "being annoying" he replied "no more than usual" <Q> For all you know, Alice just warned that Clark yells at interns and you guys should watch out for that. <S> It does sound weird and not-funny the way she announced, but she could have meant as a joke as well. <S> My two part question: am I reading too much into this, or not enough? <S> At this point, I think you are reading little more than there is to it <S> but I understand your concern. <S> is there an appropriate course of action? <S> If there was none, then you can also hint that it was not right of her to tarnish Clark this way in front of everyone. <S> If she is really hinting a harassment concern, then you need to ask her to raise it immediately to HR/OMBUDS/Manager. <S> Either ways, your next steps would just depend on what Alice has to say. <A> Firstly, let me say that there is no clear evidence in your post that what Alice said is even gender related, let alone sexist. <S> It could be that Alice would have given a similar warning if it was a male intern. <S> Without questioning Alice further, you cannot be certain whether her comment was in any way gender related. <S> The only way to know what Alice's comment meant is to question her further. <S> Does she know something you don't? <S> There are a number of potential reasons why Alice could have reacted in the way she did. <S> She is frustrated about being taken off the project and is blowing off steam <S> In this case, there is no need to worry about Babs welfare more or less than you would of <S> if she hadn't said anything in the first place. <S> She is concerned about Babs welfare in a general, non gender related sense <S> If this case you would need to find out if there is any particular reason why she thinks that an intern may be taken advantage of by Clark. <S> If it is just based on the same observations as you have made of his personality and behaviour, then you can make your own decision as to whether there is any danger for Babs. <S> Just ask her if she feels comfortable with the situation, the same as you would for a male intern. <S> She is concerned about Babs welfare in a sense that she could be in danger of harassment of a sexual nature. <S> This is a serious accusation which should be investigated further. <S> It is wrong to assume Clark is a predator just because he has an abrasive personality or people have a personal dislike for him. <S> On the other hand, if she has some knowledge and valid reason to believe that he may be a danger, she should share that information with the team. <S> I don't think you are obligated to do anything here, especially if you're not in a management position. <S> But if you want to do something, talk to Alice and try and find out why she said what she said. <A> The way Alice handled this was certainly wrong. <S> It amounts to an accusation against Clark. <S> He has every right to complain to HR about it and likely should. <S> If he does, then please be fair to him and tell the truth about what happened even if you don't particularly like Clark. <S> However, knowing that she may have information about Clark's behavior that you don't (She may even have made a complaint to HR previously, you would have no way of knowing that), I do not think it would be inappropriate to at least pay some attention to what is happening in the other room. <S> Women are assaulted and sexually harassed in the workplace more often than you likely think (it is estimated that 75% don't report it for fear of harming their own career, a fear unfortunately that is justified), it can't hurt to keep an eye out for that even being aware that Clark is likely innocent of the accusation. <S> Do not change your option of Clark without evidence that something did happen, but any woman working in an isolated space can be in danger, it can't hurt to pay attention. <A> Alice acted unprofessionally and what she said could be considered a sexist remark against Clark. <S> She has implicitly implied in front of the team that it is unsafe for female interns to work alone with Clark, that he represents a danger to them, <S> If I was Clark <S> I would be very unhappy about that and probably speak to HR about it because it basically amounts to creating a hostile workplace for him.
| I think speak to Alice in person and ask her to clarify what she meant, especially 'taking advantage' part. Tell her that you are worried if there is a safety issue you need to be aware of. If anyone is uncomfortable working with someone else specifically because of their gender then that is their problem that they have to deal with.
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Explain leaving because of "sinking ship" factor? Around a year ago, I joined the company as a software engineer. At the time, the company had software as a pretty core part of its business, but since then, the company has been having problem turning out profits, and around a month ago, the software development team has been cut in half and most of our ongoing projects had got scrapped. The company also somewhat moved its business direction to a direction where I feel like more of an IT staff supporting the operation, rather than being part of the core business. I survived the lay off, but I had to take a pay cut, and I can only see us being eventually laid off as well, or simply kept for maintaining the existing system. For the reasons above, I have started looking for a new job. But I want to be prepared for the usual interview questions, one of which is the reason for leaving my current job. How should I answer such questions? Especially in regards to my relatively short employment? My biggest concern is really to be perceived as a job hopper with no patience/loyalty. <Q> Never speak of a current or former employer in a negative way. <S> Even if the negativity is warranted, it never translates that well across the table to your new employer (even if it's the truth). <S> As always, when you leave a company that has negatives it is all about how you frame it. <S> It is worth pointing out that disclosing a company you work for is not doing well financially <S> or X other reason might be considered private information which could be used by a competitor against the company. <S> In that kind of situation, it is best to give a generic reason or say nothing at all to protect yourself. <S> The company that I currently work for is restructuring (a great way of sugar coating a company going under or under financial hardship) <S> The company that I work for is heading in a new direction that does not align with my career goals <S> I am looking for a job position with more stability than my current position <A> I want to be prepared for the usual interview questions, one of which is the reason for leaving my current job. <S> How should I answer such questions? <S> Your story is one that is not at all unusual, so just be honest. <S> What you tell them will be familiar to your interviewers, and many of them will have experienced the same thing. <S> (I know that I've been there and done that.) <S> You tell them that unfortunately your company has had financial problems including layoffs. <S> You have been spared so far but have been moved out of the area you would prefer to work and had to take a pay cut. <S> While you feel bad about it, you are worried about the future viability of the company and feel the need to make a move now. <S> It's compelling, understandable, and honest. <S> Especially in regards to my relatively short employment? <S> My biggest concern is really to be perceived as a job hopper with no patience/loyalty. <S> While it's not ideal, it's also not your fault that the company downturn happened when you were there only one year. <S> Unless this has happened repeatedly in your career (in which case perhaps you aren't asking enough probing questions during your interviews), it likely won't be seen as job hopping or impatience. <A> I know this situation, I was also having almost similar issue with my employer. <S> If you have proper skills related to your job you will get fairly new job in short time. <S> The question is what to say about leaving your current employer. <S> I choose to tell truth . <S> If you explain them in proper way they will understand. <S> Also give them surety about your role and responsibility about your current work in company hard situation. <S> Telling the truth will create strong trust factor and It was very normal reaction when I have told them my situation. <S> You are not doing wrong thing, securing future is not bad thing. <S> I think you should go with the real thing <S> and It will feel better also. <A> Citing financial reasons for leaving a company is always acceptable. <S> In your case there were large layoffs and pay cuts. <S> If probed this can be related, but simply saying: "the company was under sever financial pressure" is typically enough to get the job done. <S> Your employer and you agreed to have a business relationship based on a certain compensation received. <S> They are changing this without notice. <S> It is okay to leave just for that reason. <S> Layoffs are also a good enough reason to leave. <S> Presumably the amount of work needs to increase not decrease (in order to increase profitability). <S> Now there are less people to do that work. <S> However, that does not sound like it in your case. <S> A great book on this subject is Who Moved my Cheese . <S> It is time to move on, finding another location for cheese in the maze.
| Salary cuts are sufficient reason to leave, as it is a change in the employment agreement. There are exceptions to layoffs, sometimes they can be a very good thing and increase motivation. Some generic reasons for leaving are; I am looking for new career opportunities
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What to do about a colleague who's intentionally irritating me at work? The office I work for is a start-up that is doing web development and freshly started software development and a colleague of mine with whom I have been in university (same classes and everything) is now my colleague at the office too, but we do different jobs (he is doing web dev with the rest and I'm the only software dev (junior of course) ) and is stressing me a lot. Being the only software dev and being a junior above all is stressing enough, but here comes the extra weight, my colleague is being pushy (staying obnoxiously close to me when I'm concentrating on something, breathing loudly intentionally while doing so, always looking into my code and seeing what I write and asking stupid questions about some icons or a variable) and I tried this: Tried to ignore him while we were in university Told him to back off as I don't enjoy his presence (while still in university) Asked him nicely to back off (while at work) Talked to the manager (he told me that "you know how he is, just ignore him") What is the next step to try and make everything OK so I can continue my work without being hindered all the time. <Q> You escalate this as follows: <S> Speak to him <S> Speak to your manager <S> Speak to someone <S> even higher up (if you have a relationship with someone there) or HR Move to a different team / seat (if possible) or find a different job <S> You can approach the same person again with a "nothing changed"-type of conversation if they committed to doing something from their side. <S> At this stage you can probably approach your coworker about this in a more formal manner (ask him if he has a few minutes for a chat and go speak in private) and then speak to your manager again and try to present a better case, as outlined below. <S> No matter who you speak to, you should focus on the following points: <S> The specific behaviour that you have a problem with <S> How it affects you personally, specifically in terms of your productivity and mental well-being (which should be important to your manager, and might be important to HR if his behaviour can be considered some form of harassment) <S> How serious it is to you (something like "I can't go on like this" can work, but I would strongly recommend against saying "I'm considering leaving over this" - that can come across as more of a threat, but it might be an option if you've exhausted every other possibility and <S> (1) you can't live with this and (2) you really want to keep working there) <S> What you've done to deal with the problem thus far <S> How this problem can be fixed (presenting a few possible solutions would help your case, but it's possible for the only solution here to be "talk to him and convince him to cut it out" - don't use those words though) <S> Ask questions (don't make demands) <S> - What do you think about this? <S> Can anything be done about this? <S> Would it be possible for you to speak to him regarding this? <S> Etc. <A> I've got a solution. <S> If you use a Windows box, any time he approaches, hit Windows Key-M, or Windows Key-L. <S> Pick up a book until he leaves. <S> Talk to him as little as possible. <S> Eventually he'll get the message. <S> It's sad that you'd have to take it so far <S> but this is the extent of what you can do without things getting physical. <A> Your manager doesn't want to be involved with this, and it would be great for him if you could solve the problem yourself, but since you can't, it is his job to do something about it. <S> In addition, when he comes close to you, you get up from your chair, turn towards him and tell him to his face to get away from your desk, and ask him whether he hasn't got any work to do. <S> Getting up is important. <S> An alternative would be to first eat a greasy sandwich, then walk up behind him, point with your greasy fingers on his screen and say loudly "That's wrong. <S> You can't do it like that". <A> You need to get out of there "Why are you always on my nerves and repeating what I say in a childish manner?" <S> the response was "Why wouldn't I? <S> Am I not allowed?" , responding to questions with questions and repetition.. <S> That response from your coworker, combined with your answers to other questions, points to a person that is unstable. <S> This person will never respect others and does not appear to even recognize that others have rights. <S> I would view him as a threat . <S> Your management seems to tolerate his behavior and his lack of productivity which is also a very bad sign . <S> Therefore, nothing is going to change for you. <S> Advice: <S> Start looking for a new job right now. <S> As you point out, your experience level is low, so it will be hard for you, but not impossible! <S> Each day that passes adds to that experience. <S> You WILL eventually find something! <S> Share with your manager <S> (again) your co-workers actions to date, and then the response to "WHY" he is doing these weird things - especially the <S> "Am I not allowed?" , and tell your manager that you view that response as a threat to you and that you hope this co-worker does not escalate his threatening behavior further where problems might arise. <S> Then, ASK your manager what he wants you to do to avoid any problems with this co-worker. <S> This will make it clear to your manager that this isn't a joke and might prompt the manager to do something. <S> I doubt it though, which is why you need to get out of there. <A> I had a similar experience once. <S> I joined a team as lead developer and almost from day one, one of the devs in my team would continually wind me up, using a wicked combination of put downs, comebacks, and full blown insults. <S> It was a relentless and sustained assault, and after a week it started to seriously affect my ability to function in my role effectively. <S> I bore this for about a month, after which time the daily abuse started to intrude into my dreams (I am not kidding). <S> After one particularly bad night, I decided enough was enough. <S> The next day at work, the minute I saw him <S> I said to him " <S> You know I dreamed about you last night", and proceeded to tell him, in great detail, the whole dream in front, and to the general amusement, of the entire team. <S> I found that this caused his behaviour to completely change <S> and he actually became a trusted and valued colleague over the following months.
| The next step would be to go to your manager again and tell him that this person's behaviour cannot be ignored, that it deeply upsets you, and (importantly) that it interferes with your work. Don't give him any context to bug you about. If you need to, take a walk.
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How to transition to a non-academic job after completing a PhD? I'm going to start my PhD soon, however I don't wish to linger on in academia, as finding career stability is difficult. I wish to move on to a non-academic career post PhD, but have zero idea how to go about it. What should I be doing during my PhD and afterwards for making a smooth transition from academia to a non-academic career? <Q> I left academic life after my PhD and found it very easy to adapt, but other friends of mine found it much harder. <S> I'd suggest: <S> treat your PhD like a job. <S> Be professional, work office hours, set (and meet) deadlines, etc. <S> You can get a PhD by doing no work for ages and then working 100-hour weeks, I had friends who did this, but it is not a lifestyle that works well outside <S> academia actively build your network outside university! <S> If you know what your general career aspirations are, then go to industry conferences, make contacts, find a mentor or two outside academia. <S> Keep in touch, share your work, and ask for advice. <S> As you get near the end of your PhD, your outside network will make finding a non-university job very easy - you'll get lots and lots of suggestions to explore. <S> Many PhDs are hyper-focused specialists, that's good in the university environment but the workplace usually needs a more 'T-shaped' skillset, so focus on communication, maybe you'd want to learn project management skills or learn to code if your PhD doesn't explicitly require it already. <S> Many possibilities. <S> If you're organized then there's plenty of time around your core studies, so make the most of it. <S> Also you've got (at least) three years to go before you finish and you may find your goals changing, so stay flexible and keep thinking about what's next. <S> Do this and you'll be miles ahead of people who do nothing but concentrate on their deep specialism, and <S> then graduate thinking 'what now?' <A> It is long and frustrating process (personal experience) but rewarding at the end. <S> Do not worry about doing anything special for industry career. <S> Lot of companies hire PhDs and looking for a job in industry with PhD is no different than looking for a job without a PhD. <S> Although I never used a recruiter and I realize from this forum that it is common thing to do so. <S> In any case, there will be sufficient opportunities through job boards, career fairs and personal network. <S> Few things you can do (which you should anyway do even if you want academic career). <S> Publish a lot both in journals and conference. <S> Even companies with R & D groups, prefer to screen PhD resumes based on number of publications. <S> Conferences will help you to grow your personal network and also to understand what industry is doing and which company is working on which technology. <S> Definitely take an internship and there are lot of opportunities. <S> You can even consider international internship opportunity (and I can tell you there will be many) <A> I've done that . <S> A few points to add Be clear about your motivations for the PhD. <S> If you don't want to stay in academia, why do you want to do the PhD in the first place? <S> There are some majors, where that is pretty standard (Bio, Chem, Data Science, Machine Learning, etc.) <S> but there are others where it isn't <S> and you have to compete against no PhD with a lot more industry experience <S> Example: in my team (engineering, acoustics) about 20% are PhDs but there is little correlation between rank/impact/status and PhD or not. <S> Network, network, network. <S> Make a name for yourself. <S> Publish. <S> Post on stack exchange, host the local chapter of "my special interest group". <S> If possible do academic work in a larger project with industry partners Get good grades
| use your time at university to build broader, soft skills that you use in the workplace. During your PhD, you should do exactly what your advisor asks you to do and what is good for your thesis/courses etc. Be at conferences, be active in professional groups and societies.
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Job aspiration not in accord with field of study I am currently studying for my engineering diploma and I will start my last year in September.The specialization I chose is embedded systems which I enjoy a lot, however I feel this is not what I want to work on (at least not right after my diploma). Let me give you some context : when I needed to chose what I would study, I wanted to either do something related to art or engineering.My parents strongly encouraged me to pick the latter because it would keep many doors opened compared to art studies. Now that I am close to finding an end-of-course internship, I realize I really want to work for the gaming industry (a bit cliché) and especially in the artistic sections (3D modelling, character design, etc).The problem is, I only have self taught experience in the artistic domain while other people applying for this type of position have been studying arts. I tried to get the help of my school (teaching staff), my family and a few of my acquaintances but none of them could provide me with satisfying directions.In fact, I am often regarded as an immature person with a whim. My question can be split in multiple parts : Is it realistic to look for jobs (internships) not in my field of study ? If not, is it a good idea to start art studies after my engineering diploma (knowing they cost quite a bit and take 1 to 3 years) ? Do self taught skills count when applying for a job ? What would a recruiter value more : Self taught skills An actual diploma for the same kind of skills Side notes : Should any additional info be required, I'd be glad to provide it Please excuse the mistakes, English is not my mother tongue <Q> For most jobs that have a significant artistic component to them, you will need a Portfolio, i.e. examples of your artistic work. <S> Hiring manager don't particularly care if that portfolio comes from school work, previous professional life or from your free time. <S> What matters is if the style and the quality of the work is what they are looking for, that it is indeed yours, and that you can demonstrate that you can produce this type and quality of work efficiently and consistently. <S> A diploma doesn't say much about any of these, so it's not super relevant unless it comes from a very famous school for this type of things. <A> What would a recruiter value more : <S> •Self taught skills? <S> •An actual diploma for the same kind of skills? <S> To answer your question, with respect to artistic skills, no one really cares how you acquired those skills. <S> They just care that you have them and are able to do the work. <S> Engineering skills are another matter, without a degree, you probably won't get too far looking for engineering work. <S> FWIW, I did almost the opposite thing. <S> I went to art school, graduated, worked for several years then went back to school for my engineering degree. <A> Do self taught skills count when applying for a job Absolutely. <S> If you have personal projects you can show off / include on your resume, this could certainly help get you to the interview process. <S> The skills themselves won't help much with getting you an interview, but they will certainly improve your chances of getting through the interview process. <S> What would be <S> even better is working together with others (if necessary) and actually releasing a product to the public (for profit or for free) or making significant contributions to an open-source project. <S> Is it realistic to look for jobs (internships) not in my field of study? <S> Possibly. <S> There isn't much harm in just sending out applications and seeing if anything comes of them. <S> The question of "which is valued more" would come down to the individual recruiter or company and how effective you are in teaching yourself and building up an awesome resume. <S> Some may look for a degree with total tunnel-vision, but if we're talking about doing nothing but studying for how-many-ever years versus spending that time doing amazing relevant things instead, anyone worth their salt would opt for the latter. <S> A degree and amazing things would be even better. <A> In general, a diploma even a field totally unrelated to you work is always a bit of a plus. <S> It shows that you learned a scientific approach and are capable. <S> There are also some company's that especially value the synergies that other experience can bring to you current field of work. <S> That said, studying something and then immediately start to work in some other field might seem a little bit uncertain and if I where the hiring manager I would doubt that you´ll really stay long in your new field. <S> Last you have to decide if money and job security are <S> are more important to you than satisfaction with you work. <S> If you want to get into gaming/art no matter if you study it or not, the most important thing would be to start building a portfolio that shows your skills and style. <S> If you impress someone with your designs, it is 80% of getting a job. <S> To your edited question:If that is the only difference then Diploma goes over self-taught. <S> But for the field you want to work in, I´d still say your portfolio would be your most important feature! <A> This answer is going to be pretty negative in regards to recruiters - so I apologise somewhat if whoever reads is this is one. <S> What would a recruiter value more : <S> Self taught skills <S> An actual diploma for the same kind of skills <S> When you say recruiter <S> I presume you mean a third-party recruiter. <S> The only thing they value is placing people with companies. <S> They're target driven, so they're not going to ignore you just because your degree isn't directly related to your chosen field of work. <S> You really don't need to give them much consideration in this process. <S> What you should be thinking about is what makes you appealing to potential employers . <S> If you don't have that advantage then you need to provide that proof in another way. <S> It sounds like you've got roughly 12 months until you're looking at coming into the job market. <S> I'd spend that time (when you're not working on your degree, obviously) on creating a portfolio that you can send to employers, along with your CV, to show them what you can do. <S> If you need to start looking for your internship sooner than that - then I'd try to get something together as soon as you can. <S> You'll still have your degree which shows a base level of intelligence, and so will still count towards getting you in for an interview. <S> Being self-taught you also show that you have significant amount of initiative - something employers should value highly. <S> It certainly won't be as easy trying to get a job outside of the area you've studied in - but nothing's impossible with the right amount of application.
| It's certainly possible to have a successful career without a relevant degree (unless it's something like law or medicine, where it's presumably strictly required). The advantage of having a degree related to the job you're trying to get is that it easily proves to your employer that you possess a certain level of knowledge/skill.
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Is it OK to ask a manager for a future reference, when the manager is leaving? I have been with my current company for just under a year. In that time I've been able to form a good rapport with my current manager. He just announced he was leaving the company, with no word yet on his replacement. My situation is this: I'm beginning my own job-search process, and I probably won't have much time to build a relationship with this new manager. In my last 1:1 with my current manager, is it appropriate to ask him about potentially providing me with a reference in the future? <Q> My situation is this: I'm beginning my own job-search process, and I probably won't have much time to build a relationship with this new manager. <S> In my last 1:1 with my current manager, is it appropriate to ask him about potentially providing me with a reference in the future? <S> Yes, it's completely appropriate. <S> I've done the same when I had a departing manager. <S> And as a manager, I've always offered to be a future reference for people I worked with as I was leaving. <S> That said, always contact your references just before you include them in the list you give a potential employer. <S> It's important to give them a heads-up to expect a reference call or email. <A> He may tell you that he doesn't know you that well though, if that's the case. <S> Like most questions, it's an automatic "no" if you don't ask. <S> In fact, I would recommend it. <A> Is he your current manager? <S> Bonus is that he will not be thinking "he is going to leave our team?" <S> since he himself did it. <S> It is not wise to ask your current manager for a reference unless you have verified that he will not take that personally.
| There's nothing inappropriate at all. No, but he was your manager and can answer how good an employee you were.
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