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All the code I've written over the last 20 years is proprietary I'm on the job market for the first time in ~20 years, and find that I can't show to prospective employers any of the code I've written professionally, because it's all proprietary. I imagine this is a fairly common situation. How do people normally work around it? I'd be happy to work for free for a couple of weeks to show people what I can do, but no one seems to be interested in this arrangement. Is there some other way that prospective employers will accept as proof of my programming abilities? <Q> Disclaimer: I'm in software QA (thus programmer-adjacent but not actually a programmer.) <S> I'm also not a hiring manager, so I can only work with conversations I've overheard my coworkers having about what they look for and how they interview. <S> All that being said, I think most employers understand that you can't share you actual work from previous companies, so they don't ask for it. <S> This is my impression from speaking to coworkers who conduct interviews, as well as my own experience discussing QA automation coding in interviews. <S> Is there some other way that prospective employers will accept as proof of my programming abilities? <S> They might ask you to complete a sample coding assignment to gauge your ability, or they might show you a snippet of code and ask you what it does. <S> Also, the ever-popular "ask him to define coding concepts and other technical things." <S> That sort of thing. <S> Programming languages and features change so rapidly these days that I think the focus of interviews most places is less on specific things you've done in the past and more on your general understanding of best practices, as well as your ability to learn new things. <S> Any discussion of past work would have to be limited to open source submissions (as Raf suggests) or personal projects you might have on the go, so those would be the things to include in a portfolio, if you want one. <A> Most developers are in the same situation. <S> Most companies know that most developers are in that situation. <S> You have your CV where you describe what you have been doing and what you can do. <S> The CV will initially be believed, and gets you an interview. <S> That's where you go in with confidence, and show them what you can do. <S> If they already have a team with good team members, they can often ask you technical questions where you succeed or fail in five minutes. <S> And with your experience, you should succeed. <S> One piece of really good code. <S> Nothing that should take more than a day. <A> Contributing to Open Source Projects. <S> You can attach your portfolio (hosted anywhere you like, but I guess Github became de facto industry standard) to your resume and cover letter, explaining that you cannot share bits of code you have written professionally in the past years, but you would like to share yours open source contribution. <S> Apart from the obvious advantage (you show off the code), you came out as a person who is deeply interested and involved in tech and tech communities. <S> You might find <S> this helpful. <S> On a side note, I find it rather bizarre that employers wouldn't like to hire extremely experience software engineer with such an admirable employment history. <S> I hope you will find a new gig soon! <A> Is there some other way that prospective employers will accept as proof of my programming abilities? <S> The resume selection and the interview process is about to probe your personality and your programming skills. <S> You can increase your image by: Creating a portfolio Contributing to a open project Writing a blog or tutorials <S> Attending some community events: javascript meetup, .NET <S> usergroup, etc. <S> Volunteering to an online community or be a mentor <S> During your 20 years, did you ask multiple questions online? <S> Those questions can hurt or increase your reputation if those are related to advanced concepts. <S> If it is favorable, publish your community profile on your resume Completing challenges like codewar and publicize your profile Recording personal programming session with out loud decision process Mentioning books, videos and online classes that increased your skills Describing in your resume technical decisions you have take and how the project have been positively impacted <S> As a side note, not a lot of company would take the offer to employ you for free. <S> It is time/money expensive to take a new team member aboard <S> and there is some risks to manage because you will probably gain access to some private information and the code base. <S> I would stop using the strategy of "working for free for a short time", it look very desperate and usually in my past experience, this mindset does not properly fit with a company that has a healthy culture. <S> You will probably attract bad company that will try to take advantage of you. <S> Not related to the question, but if you have a hard time to get a job in IT and the market is good in your area, I would revise my resume if I do not receive interview call <S> and if a get a lot of interviews without any offer, I would check my soft and hard skills. <S> I would not hesitate to invest into a professional service to get feedback even if it is expensive because the return of investment is excellent compared to not have any job. <S> Additionally, those advises will help you for the rest of your life.
| You might consider building your own, side projects and contributing to countless of Open Source initiatives to show off your skills, the way you think, solve problems, and organise your codebase. If you want to, you can pick some problem that is not too large, and that can be solved in good ways or in bad ways, and write the solution for it.
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Do companies consider PhD education as a "work experience"? If I am a PhD holder, and if the job that I am applying for is in the same (or similar) field as what my PhD education was about, would companies consider my PhD education as a "work experience"? For example, there are some jobs that asks for a Master's degree or higher, as well as the 4-5 years of work experience. While I am not a Master's degree holder with 5 years of work experience, I have PhD in the same field as the job. I am trying to apply for Biostatistician position with Clinical Research/Pharmaceutical companies Would companies consider my PhD education as something that satisfies the years of work experience requirement? <Q> It depends on the company. <S> But most companies I know (large internationals) don't consider it work experience unfortunately. <S> I came across some that do, however. <S> For example at some consulting companies (AFAIK McK and BCG) you receive a higher grade when starting if you've completed a PhD or an MBA. <S> But you don't lose anything by trying. <A> No, although... <S> An employer may consider accepting the PhD experience an equivalent of a Masters plus (however long it took you to get the PhD). <S> Since this will vary wildly by employer, major, and position you'll have to get their feedback. <S> This is pretty common for many positions. <S> I would think that most professors in your department, and maybe your college recruiting office, would have a very good understanding of how your major translates to the above 'equivalent experience'. <S> Good luck. <A> It's all in the way you frame it. <S> Some non-PhD holders may assume that getting your PhD involved taking classes and studying for tests. <S> It's on you to explain that you were actually a researcher. <S> For example, you can put "doctoral researcher" or (arguably) "researcher" as your title (rather than student). <S> These requirements are very squishy , at least in the US. <S> They say they want master's plus five years. <S> That can mean: <S> They actually want a master's + 5 years. <S> They want a "mid-level position", and anyone with master's + 5 years or roughly equivalent will be fine <S> The hiring manager wants #2, but HR thinks they want #1, so you have to "trick" HR to get to the hiring manager <S> Many other things <S> There is no down-side to applying. <S> Apply, frame it well, and claim that you're qualified -- <S> either they'll buy it or they won't. <S> If they don't, nothing is lost; if they do, you might get a job.
| They consider PhDs to be overqualified and master's with no experience to be underqualified
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How to approach your boss about including you in more design decisions if you're not a designer? I have a weird dilemma. I am a front end developer at a company and am getting handed designs that are simply not web friendly. Our UX/UI is handled by a singular other person and I am often not in the loop for UI creation. By the time the designs reach my desk they've been approved by both my boss and the client, therefore I really have to have an outstanding reason to present a change to them. From what I've read online this isn't a new problem. A few times now an entire page has been very good for print design, but can't hold up under web design. The best way I can explain it is there are a lot of overlapping boxes and tight margins. When your start making that responsive all hell tends to break loose. They also use images just way too much, to the point that if a client doesn't upload images that look a certain way things look. My boss comes from a front end dev history however he's the boss. Whenever he has to develop something if he doesn't like it or finds it to difficult it's his prerogative to change it or approach the client. I can't just do that. On monday I'd like to sit down with my boss and explain to them that I need to have more of a role in creating the UI and design before I'm just handed 10 PSD files and told to make it work. I'm tired of having to bend over backwards to make something halfway work that looks great on a 1200px screen but horrible on a 1000px screen. What should I have prepared and how should I approach this? <Q> Don't say 'I need to have more of a role'. <S> Tell him the benefits of involving you in design: Better understanding Input <S> Shortened build time - but you need a reason other the bad designs <A> You'd think it is a no-brainer to avoid making something more difficult, time consuming with a poorer product, but you'd be surprised. <S> Second, be prepared to offer more than one suggestion. <S> Maybe during the design process, they just need to let clients know that when if finally gets in "web format" it won't be exactly the way they demonstrate it. <S> Hopefully, they are prepared with a number of examples of things that need to be modified by the web designer for the benefit of the site. <S> Third, be prepared to continue with this flawed process. <S> I know it is frustrating and makes your job more difficult. <S> You may win the next battle. <A> The first thing you need to do is make your boss aware of the problem. <S> He may not know that you're having a hard time. <S> Then you have to be able to provide feedback without being the "No Guy". <S> After you are sure that your boss knows there is an actual problem, you need to start talking about the waterfall method and the agile method. <S> Currently, you're using the waterfall method. <S> a project passes through a series of gates, getting approved at each one before moving onto the next person. <S> This is causing problems, because as the next peasa... uhh... person, you are being set up to deliver a substandard product. <S> In the agile method, the two people send the project back and forth, making small changes, getting approval and feedback (in both directions) then making another round of changes until they arrive on something they both think is good. <S> Done right <S> , you get a much better product using the agile method. <S> tldr: make sure your boss knows there is a problem, then start throwing out 'agile' and 'waterfall' in emails.
| Ideally, you could get involved in the design planning or your boss may give you some creative licensing and do what you think is best to make it work. First, you need to discuss the problem with your boss and find out if he thinks it is a problem.
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How to deal with the rumours of my boss stealing money? I’ve been working in the same place for 10 years. Today, a staff member (who is related to our supervisor) approached me and told me that our supervisor had to lend the boss several thousands of pounds of her own money because the boss didn’t have enough to pay staff wages.The boss has a fancy home and cars etc, and according to the relative he is taking money that’s supposed to be put back into the business and using it for personal things. She says his accountant is cooking the books for him.This is quite shocking to me, but I have no proof! The staff member is not always a reliable narrator but I don’t believe she would outright lie. How should I proceed? Edit: Thank you all. Just to clarify for those who didn’t follow, it’s the relative of the supervisor who told me all this, not the supervisor herself. I would have to ask the supervisor to corroborate the story, but am hesitant to do so as I still wouldn't have proof and would likely lose the trust of the relative. <Q> Step 1: Resume working as normal. <S> Step 2: <S> Update your resume. <S> Step 3: <S> Start applying at other places. <S> Step 4: <S> Get ready for a fallout. <S> Step 5: <S> Either the company is in trouble and you will start to see additional signs of trouble, the company recovers and shows no additional issues, or the company was never in trouble to start with. <S> In the third case, the other employee might be spreading false information in hopes of someone else screwing up and diverting attention from the employee's recent mishap which you are not aware of. <S> Per comments from @1006a : The following is UK specific. <S> You can try contacting the HRMC (HM Revenue & Customs) to double-check that you aren't going to get whammied for not having proper tax and national insurance payments made. <S> If there is an issue then this could be a tell-tale sign of things to come. <A> You should inform that staff member that since she has knowledge of criminal activity she is obligated to report it to the authorities or else she becomes an accessory herself. <S> If the boss is embezzling and the accountant is defrauding and the staff member <S> does directly know this <S> then it's up to her, not you, to figure out how to proceed. <S> You can not do anything yourself because you really don't know anything. <S> The point of telling the staff member to talk to the police instead of talking to you is not necessarily to give her good advice. <S> The point is to stop her from recruiting you to play a part in the sitcom <S> she's performing called "Office workers convince themselves boss is a crook and get in deep trouble". <S> You can do this by substituting a different drama called "Apixe is the wise one in the gang who always knows the correct thing to do". <A> How should I proceed? <S> I think you should remember this saying that holds true most of the time. <S> There are three sides to every story: Side A Side B <S> The actual truth <S> In your specific case you only know what side A is claiming. <S> You don't know the other side, and you did not witness anything, <S> you really only know 1/3 of the story at best . <S> With that in mind, you should consider minding your own business and do not get caught up in the rumor mill antics. <A> How should I proceed? <S> Scenario <S> : You do not believe that person Business as usual, nothing to do. <S> Scenario <S> : You believe the company struggle to survive If a company need several thousands pounds to survive and cannot get money from a credit line and finally, an individual made the difference by lending money. <S> I would expect the company to crumble in the next 12 months. <S> I will prepare accordingly: saving money, updating my resume and aligning my skills development to my next job. <S> Scenario <S> : You believe your boss is shady and can result legal trouble <S> I would not whistle-blowing something without any proof. <S> This can be the tip of the iceberg. <S> The backfire can be very strong. <S> At minimum, you will blow yourself and your supervisor. <S> In the heat, the supervisor can reverse everything that she said and you will be the one who invented a story. <S> This can drop your reputation and someone can sue you if there is no proof in the end. <A> If you believe that this is real and not your staff member making up nonsense <S> then I would proceed as follows. <S> is a serious criminal offence in most countries. <S> Let them handle it if the fact it's happening bothers you and your own set of personal ethics. <S> Though either way I'd distance myself from all of this as much as possible. <A> Do not spread the rumors. <S> This could potentially be career suicide and you do not want to get caught up in the rumor mill. <S> If the rumor is true and the company crumbles you will soon find yourself looking for a new job. <S> Since you have worked at your previous company for 10 years it will likely be your only reference for the work you've done over the past decade. <S> If your boss hears that you were spreading this rumor (true or false) he might be angry at you and give you a bad review to potential future employers. <S> If you hear any other coworkers talking about this I would recommend removing yourself from the conversation and do not comment on the topic. <S> If you are approached directly I would recommend changing the topic to something else. <A> It’s possible that this is an attempt to get OP in trouble. <S> They may be hoping OP will tell the authorities a story that they know isn’t true and then deny that OP heard it from them. <S> Obviously if that is the case, the safest response is do nothing. <S> But it’s also possibly true, in which case the other answers are reasonable. <S> Since you can’t be sure which, perhaps the only thing common to both scenarios is you should start looking for another job!
| I think in this scenario the most ethical approach would be to anonymously notify the authorities via some form of whistle-blowing service that keeps your anonymity as what he's doing If you believe these rumors are true I would recommend looking for a new job. Keep your resume updated and continue on as normal.
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Colleague on a skeleton team is retiring. Can I ask for a raise? My colleague has recently announced retirement soon from an already skeleton team. This means the team will be even smaller and more responsibility/pressure will be put on me and the other members of the team. I'm the newest member by a long way and learning a lot still. With the extra work and responsibility is it appropriate to ask for a raise to recognise this? If so, at what point: Before or after the retirement? More info:I am the least senior. There are two seniors above me.There will be no direct replacement for this person due to the unique skills they possess. The work will be divided between the rest of us. <Q> I wouldn't consider asking for a raise or any other sort of recognition before you will be presented with new responsibilities and tasks. <S> You cannot know for sure whether the company isn't planning to hire new team members, who will take over your colleagues positions. <S> When/if given more responsibilities, you should always ask for suitable recognition (whether this is a raise in your salary, or some other benefits). <S> If you don't ask, the company might assume that you simply don't need it. <A> I would approach it as "With a new team member leaving, I would like to ask for more responsibility and if possible an increase in pay as well" so it doesn't feel like a shakedown. <S> Offer to do more, so you can have a decent argument as to why you deserve more. <A> I've been on both sides of this type of situation. <S> In case #1 I was on the remaining team after a team-member unexpectedly died. <S> We had a very strict deadline due to a regulatory requirement. <S> In this case, we needed to get management involved, as there was no way we would meet the project deadline (and deliverables) without her specific expertise. <S> Bringing in a contractor was expensive for the company, but there would have been greater penalties if we hadn't meet the deadline. <S> Case #2 was my position was "eliminated" (code word for I was getting too old). <S> In this case, I developed a transition plan during my last several weeks to offload my work to the remaining team members. <S> They came up with suggestions to management as to what could be completed with a smaller project team. <S> In your case, you will need to discuss with management new roles and responsibilities. <S> Scope out with your management who is doing what that retiring team member was responsible for. <S> This is a good time to discuss the team structure going forward. <S> Do NOT discuss pay. <S> Discuss pay after the new structure is in place and <S> you're showing you can handle the additional responsibilities. <A> It's too early for you to ask for a raise. <S> When negotiating a raise, you should be able to justify these points: <S> You're providing a value at least as high as the compensation you're seeking. <S> You're consistently providing high value and utility to the company. <S> You demonstratively meet deadlines and satisfy stakeholders. <S> Depending on how your company is structured, your peers may also have to validate these assertions. <S> You also haven't personally been given a lot of extra work yet; the responsibility of this person has been distributed between you and the rest of your team.
| Until you can clearly demonstrate that you're coming out ahead and producing at a higher rate even with the added work, it's just too early for you to ask for a raise.
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Do I need to be disabled to request my workdesk be raised I sit 8 hours a day 5 days a week at a call center. My work desk seems low and I find I am hunched over all day long, and it is causing neck and back pain. The desks can be raised to different levels. Many desks are raised already as when new employees start they can be seated at the already raised desk. My supervisor stated I needed a doctors note - I provided the doctors note to HR, and they are requiring me to fill out an ADA form with my Dr. showing I have a disability that needs modifications. I am not disabled. I have researched this and found that OSHA recommends ergonomic desks for many reasons but I haven't found anything or any laws stating a non-disabled person needs to be classified as disabled for a workplace (desk) modification. My employer is standing firm on this. I believe they are confusing OSHA recommendations with ADA regulations. As I mentioned there are many desks that are different heights and a variety of people (non-disabled) are using them. Any suggestions? Does anyone know if ADA is necessary? -- Editing extra detail from a misplaced answer: I work at a large call center and the "desks" are actually large, freestanding modern table-like workstation and are grouped in a semi-circle of 3 workstations which we call Pods. Each large desk/workstation has the ability to be raised to different levels. As I am tall, the standard height is a bit too low for me to work comfortably 8 hrs a day sitting down. The desks are easily raised to the next level which a comfortable level for me. There is some type of brackets attached to the partitioned wall in front of each workstation where levels are easily raised. The desks can only be raised by the maintenance dept. (perhaps a liability issue if not). With 70 employees in my area, with employees coming and going, the desks have been adjusted higher or lower throughout the years. I happened to be assigned to a different area where the desk level had been increased previously and it was very comfortable and caused no discomfort as I didn't need to be hunched over at the computer screen all day. When requesting to have my new workstation raised, my direct manager said I needed a Dr. note; I presented that to HR and I was advised I needed to fill out the ADA form indicating I had a disability necessitating the adjustment. I explained to HR that I was not disabled and would not have my physician classify me as disabled (which of course would stay in my personnel file, and quite possibly this info would follow me with my medical history). I explained that many other workstations have been raised or lowered throughout my employment there and I want the same consideration given to me as had the other employees (who are not disabled). Some desks are already raised, as I mentioned, sort of "grandfathered in" when had been used by other employees assigned to that desk. A workstation would not be lowered to a standard height each time an employee left or moved to a different dept. Some managers, will bypass the silly rules of HR and adjust the desk themselves for their staff, or higher management would just call the maintenance dept and request it themselves. So it appears there really is not any type of rules or regulations that are enforced in each dept. manager or HR for that matter. I provided my Dr. note to HR going through the protocol I was told by my manager, and HR adamantly stated I needed to be disabled and this would be an ADA modification. I invited them to come onto the floor to see the other elevated desks and indicated I wanted the same comfortable, ergonomic work area to avoid any back pain etc that my Dr. note stated. They declined and stated that they are not aware of any elevated workstations without an ADA form on file and it would be impossible for them to track every form to determine who is entitled and who is not. HR was clearly flustered with my persistence and mentioned they are following a federal law that mandates desks need to be a certain height unless one is disabled. I thought that was preposterous. I believe he was confusing that with OSHA guidelines on how to avoid workplace stress and injury on the job. I asked him to provide the information on that "law", he said he didn't have it readily available and would consult with "the company attorney" on that regulations. Well, 2 weeks passed and I received an email once again stating only... "you will need to provide the ADA form". I feel that I am being bounced back and forth getting no solid answer on any type of law. I merely request to raise the level of my workstation, with the same consideration as other employees. Mind you, several new employees have recently started and were assigned to some of the higher workstations... and they are not disabled in any way. I'm getting frustrated with the lack of "policy" and enforcement of a policy which is nonexistent. Does anyone know of a federal law mandating desk height? I have searched and found nothing with the exception of ADA rules. I am about to consult with an attorney to help answer my questions or what my remedies are. <Q> OSHA recommendations are not generally binding on the company. <S> So I don't think that will provide any leverage against a rigid company. <S> You don't need to be disabled to make the request. <S> However, in that case, they are also not obligated to do what you ask, however reasonable the request is. <S> The ADA obligates them to make "reasonable accommodations" for the disabled and this would certainly seem to be reasonable. <S> In order to keep their legal and internal processes under control, they may have decided that they want to force everyone through the ADA process. <S> I'm not sure there is anything else you can do besides comply with their wishes if you want the desk raised. <S> It would seem easier to just take care of your employees in a friendly manner, but there is no obligation to do so. <A> Raising a desk level has to do with workplace ergonomics and is health related, but it should not require a doctor's note to happen. <S> Probably your manager is a bit confused. <A> Go back to your doctor, and get him to give you an examination and to write a note stating that the desks are causing you injury that might turn into a chronic, disabling condition, and that raising the desks would likely act to mitigate this. <S> Then take this doctor’s note, and attach it to a letter detailing your past experiences with this process, informing them that if nothing is done that they’ll be liable for worker’s compensation for your injury, and asking them to let you raise you desk because you don’t want to become disabled and they don’t want you to have to sue them for worker’s compensation once you do become disabled - which you will, if nothing is done. <S> Then look up the contact details of the head of HR and send it to them. <S> At this point, they have two options: they can let you raise your desk now before you become disabled, or they can wait until the repetitive injuries give rise to a disabling condition and you sue them for worker’s compensation, and then the ADA will force them to let you raise your desk. <S> Either way your desk is getting raised, but one of those options is a lot more painful for everyone involved.
| Either search your company policy on that (i.e. mine states that employees can request a desk height change at any moment via facility management), or simply get a doctor note that your desk has to be x cm high.
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If or How to answer compliments from boss at work I occasionally get compliments as: "good job", "Good Catch" from my boss at work. Usually, they send text via text applications. I always wonder whether I should say thanks or nothing to such messages. On one hand, I don't feel like replying by "Thanks" as if I'm a child (or maybe I'm wrong), on the other hand, I don't want to be rude by not replying to such messages. What is an appropriate way to respond when my boss compliments me over text at work? <Q> On one hand, I don't feel like replying by "Thanks" as if I'm a child (or maybe I'm wrong), on the other hand, I don't want to be rude by not replying to such messages. <S> If that's childish, then the children have it right. <S> You are overthinking this one. <A> If you're trying to work out how to respond to such a situation, one way is to understand why it happens in the first place. <S> One of the problems as a manager, or an organizer of any activity really, is that you want everything to go smoothly. <S> Therefore, you tend to focus on the tangible things you can improve: errors in process, in execution and so on. <S> In this way, the fact that some people are actually doing really good stuff gets overlooked, and people can begin to feel unappreciated. <S> So try to give your manager some credit here: he or she is trying to create an atmosphere where your good work, your insights and your efforts in general are seen for what they are and appreciated. <S> This is a good thing! <S> My advice would be to respond in a way that keeps this mood going. <S> Along the lines of a quick "no problem boss. <S> " or "all in a day's work!" <A> Saying, "Thank you." is an appropriate response to a complement. <S> If a lot of your communication with your boss is by texting, try to treat it how you would in direct personal communication. <S> Chances are, the compliment could get repeated in person. <S> You get an opportunity to acknowledge it and be thankful. <S> Some people don't get many chances to communicate with a busy boss, so take advantage of this opportunity. <A> Boss: "good job", "Good Catch" <S> You: <S> Yes, I Know. <S> That's why I did it. <S> (should probably not be said... <S> when your boss has no sense of humor...) <S> Cheers!
| The best reply to such a compliment is often a simple "Thanks!". When you spend most of your time speaking to each other directly, there is less of a need to respond to the occasional email or text every time unless you feel it is important to acknowledge receiving the message.
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Is it acceptable to quit with a lot of work still not done? I work at a very small company (less than 10 people). I am the only person that is able to do the work that I do there. However, I just graduated college and they are expecting me to work at a pace far beyond my skill set and also learn quickly on the job. I have recently switched softwares to do the GIS Mapping so that it could perform a new capability. That being said, something I had programmed using the previous version now won’t be available and I would be expected to quickly learn a new programming language in order to migrate the tool to the new software. I have expressed this concern already to the immediate supervisor and he can see that I am struggling. However, I am constantly being given more work as the head boss is constantly marketing and reaching out new clients. I feel I am falling further and further behind and don’t really have anyone to turn to. I also am getting paid very low-at an entry level and even at the low end of that. The head boss has also ridiculed me and told me that I have a slow learning curve when I would even stay late to finish projects that he asked for. I just feel uncomfortable keeping up and disagree with the work environment. That being said, I’m very afraid of quitting before things are done. Is it acceptable in my situation? <Q> Sounds like you will never get things done. <S> By the time you finish this even more will be piled on. <S> Look for another job is a last resort <S> but I think that is where you are. <A> I’m very afraid of quitting before things are done. <S> It seems as if there was no time when all your work is done. <S> This means the perfect moment to quit will never be, from the view of the company. <S> What about your view? <S> You already have left this place in your dreams, right? <S> Is it acceptable in my situation? <S> See the first comment to your question, the answer may depend on the region you are. <S> Apart from that, what should be not acceptable? <S> The situation you describe is underpaid and overworked. <S> If it really is, can you state a reason why you would like to stay there? <S> Except your attitide towards work which is laudable! <S> But there is not only the company, you are there too! <S> Don't quit right now, leave a little time so you can clean up your stuff. <S> You can mention that at your next employer. <A> Is it acceptable to quit with a lot of work still not done? <S> If your employer makes it difficult for you to succeed, that is your employer's problem, not yours. <S> Think of it <S> this way -- your employer would not feel any sense of obligation or loyalty to you if they decided you were no longer needed. <S> Firing you would be a purely business decision, and the unfinished tasks would still need to be done. <S> They would simply hire another person to continue the work. <S> You should therefore not feel any sense of obligation or loyalty to your employer, especially if they are not giving you any reason to do so. <S> If you decided to leave, they would simply hire another person to continue the work. <A> The short answer to your question is Probably, yes. <S> It is acceptable to quit in your position. <S> But that is because in the USA, it is acceptable to quit in any situation. <S> There may be bitterness and they may try to harm your future career (especially if you quit with little or no notice), but employment is not slavery and you are free to leave at any time. <S> That being said, if you are willing and able, and you trust your leadership, you could try telling them that you are doing your best but are being given more work and deadlines than you can be expected to complete. <S> If you are not willing or able to talk or you do not trust your leadership to have a discussion about this without it becoming adversarial, you should begin your job search immediately.
| If the question is only about how to quit, then quit in a way that noone can tell you had left a mess behind you. The usual advice applies: try not to quit your job until you have a new one lined up with a start date agreed upon.
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Responding to a recruiter when you will not be able to make a prompt decision This question is about a similar situation as described in How do I coordinate the process of pursuing multiple job opportunities at the same time? , but that question focuses on the situation after you got interviewed. However, what about the situation where you already know that you will not be able to give a prompt decision even before the interviews start, especially if you expect that the time span will be longer than the 3 weeks mentioned in this answer ? For example given the following situation: You got contacted by a recruiter and he wants to schedule for an interview with you. However, while you are very interested in the job, you already know that you will not be able to accept a potential job offer in the next two months. I could imagine multiple reasons for this, but I do not want to bias the question. Is it better to decline the interview invitation now and try to contact the recruiter/company again later (for the same or other similar jobs) or schedule an interview and then potentially delay the acceptance? Edit: To answer the clarification requests: I live in Germany, but answers about other regions would be interesting, too. I specifically talk about the situation where you are not "able to make a decision on whether or not to accept a job offer for two months". <Q> Is it better to decline the interview invitation now and try to contact the recruiter/company again later (for the same or other similar jobs) or schedule an interview and then potentially delay the acceptance? <S> I think that it is not necessary to decline the invitation right away. <S> A better move for you would be to inform them about this when they offer you the interview , so then they can decide if that expected delay is a problem or not. <S> This I think is better because you are not immediately declining the interview, and are giving them chance to see if they still wish to proceed (thus increasing your chances of landing a job), and if they don't you were still professional and didn't waste their and your time . <A> Is it better to decline the interview invitation now and try to contact the recruiter/company again later (for the same or other similar jobs) or schedule an interview and then potentially delay the acceptance? <S> No, just be honest. <S> You can't be sure what their hiring needs are. <S> The company may be open to waiting an extra month for a great candidate (you!), or their process may take several months anyways, or they have an immediate need <S> - you won't know unless you ask. <S> But if you decline now, they will certainly continue to search for candidates and the positions may be filled by the time you reach out again. <S> Personally, I updated my resume and online profiles a few months in advance of a planned move. <S> When recruiters contacted me, I sent them some variation of: <S> This looks like a great opportunity. <S> I am looking to make a change in a few months, and my earliest start date would be X. <S> If this fits with your schedule, I'd be happy to talk! <S> Most responded positively and were able to accommodate my schedule, whether by delaying the initial interview or beginning the process immediately with the understanding that I would have a later start date. <A> It's likely the recruiter/interviewer will ask you your notice period, and that's where you can be honest and understand whether it's a dealbreaker. <S> If you have the time and headspace, interviews are generally good practice and teach you stuff, whatever the outcome. <S> You've got nothing to lose by attending the interview, showing them your interest and being truthful about (essentially) your notice period. <S> For all you know, their recruitment processes could put back the start date. <S> It's difficult to know this from the offset, but if you're keen on the role, it's worth finding out, and it could go your way. <A> Two months is not really that long in the world of job hunting. <S> The feedback loop with many companies is slow, so the time between phone screen, first on-site interview and possible second on-site could be a while. <S> And then depending on how many candidates, they may take a while to proceed to an offer. <S> I could easily see not having an offer before the two months is up. <S> If it is only two months, then I would proceed with the interviewing, if and when you get an offer you may have to ask for a slight delay before committing to a decision.
| Let the recruiter know that you are interested but aren't available until whatever date, and let them respond from there.
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Can my boss make me do manual labor if my job description is as the Office Manager? I work for a landscaping company my friend owns. It’s a very small company (5 employees) and I was hired a few months ago to do light office work a few days a week. Now that the spring season is picking up work he’s making me do work outside at clients homes. I’m applying pesticide, laying grass seed and doing root drenched to plants. I am a girl who also works at a restaurant after this ‘office’ job. It was perfect before the spring but now my body is killing me after a 13 hour day of 2 physically demanding jobs. Is there anything I can do to stop this madness? <Q> tl;dr : You can ask, but you may need a new job. <S> There are two aspects to view this under: legal, and practical. <S> Legal view <S> Your situation will depend on the specifics of your job. <S> In particular: Does your contract say that you are hired for a certain type of work only? <S> Is there an (implied) agreement that you will only do office-type work? <S> Are there local laws or collective agreements limiting your employer's right to assign you a type of work different from what you were hired to do? <S> However, in most countries and jurisdictions I know of, your employer can assign you new types of work as required. <S> In particular, your employer may be able to reduce your hours or let you go if they no longer have sufficient amount of the "old work" available. <S> Practical view <S> Unless you have very strong employee rights, this is probably not something you want to go to court over. <S> On the other hand, your employer may be open to negotiating a compromise. <S> So think about what would make your situation easier, and try to reach a compromise. <S> Some ideas about things you could ask for: limit "heavy" work to days where you do not work at the restaurant limit "heavy" work to a certain number of hours per day get assistance from colleagues for particularly demanding work, such as heavy lifting <S> get tools and training <S> , so the work becomes easier allowing you some say in what work exactly you do, so you can avoid things that are particularly difficult for you allow more breaks (possibly paid) before, after or during "heavy" work <S> You may or may not be able to reach a compromise that way, but it's worth a try. <S> If your boss values your work and wants to keep you, they may be open to a compromise. <S> However, this approach may fail, if your boss is unwilling to negotiate. <S> In that case, you may have to find a different job, so keep that in mind. <A> If this is truly a friend then I recommend talking to this friend and explain everything you have written in your question. <S> See if a compromise can be reached such as: <S> If there is no need to do office work multiple days per week you should try limiting the amount of days which you come in so that you come in only when the office work needs to be done. <S> In small companies, people usually wear multiple hats to keep the company running <S> so it's unfortunate that your friend is abusing you like this. <S> One thing that is certain, be ready to resign if they don't take your talk seriously. <A> One thing I would add here (from a US perspective)... <S> Another answer stated: <S> In small companies, people usually wear multiple hats to keep the company running <S> so it's unfortunate that your friend is abusing you like this. <S> I would state it differently - in a small company like this, it's almost inevitable that the lines between different job roles will blur a bit, and everyone will end up helping with tasks that are nominally 'outside scope.' <S> This has been the case when I've worked in start-up sized companies. <S> A good employer will state this up front, and there should be language in your contract to that effect as well. <S> This would give you an opportunity to more clearly define what you are and are not willing to do, and to understand what they might expect you to do. <S> It does not sound like you had this conversation when you were hired, which doesn't reflect well on the employer. <S> Also, outdoor manual labor is rather different from 'light office work,' although it's not entirely surprising given that you're in a landscaping company. <S> To answer your actual question: Is there anything I can do to stop this madness? <S> You can talk to your employer, since you stated they're a friend, and express your concerns. <S> If that doesn't help you probably want to start looking for a new job. <S> There might be legal solutions in the middle but that depends a lot on location/jurisdiction and likely isn't a route you want to pursue in light of the friendship. <S> I'm mostly adding this information so that you can have a better idea of what to expect if you start looking for new jobs. <S> Small companies can be great opportunities and great communities, but they don't tend to have the rigidly defined personnel roles of larger organizations. <S> This is something to consider when considering what future jobs to seek, and something to consider when talking with prospective employers. <A> This seems to be an interpersonal issue - not a legal issue. <S> As such, once you discuss this with your employer, I would recommend you take special attention at his/her reaction . <S> If he dismisses your concerns and continues to give you tasks unrelated to your position, I'd strongly suggest you change jobs. <S> Often we may want to "put up" with abusive employers for the sake of convenience. <S> However, this may lead to more abuse. <S> Most importantly: As an Office Manager, landscaping work will not be very useful work experience to present in future interviews. <S> This is why you should ensure that your tasks are aligned with your job description.
| You may have some rights if the work is very different (as in your case), but they are usually limited.
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How to deal with a boss that wants 'yes' or 'no' I'm in a situation where my Boss only wants very simple answers. The problem is that in the information security and software business, this doesn't really exist. Here is the situation. My Boss is in the process of drawing up contracts for clients where they pay us for services rendered, simple. My Boss brings me in, says "hey, based on our current stack (how everything is set up), could we support 20,000 clients?". My first answer consists of lots of questions. What client is it? How many hosts per client? What operating system? What services? What processes? How is their network set up? Etc. There is not a straight forward answer. My Boss than says, "I just need a yes or no answer so I can relay this to the client". I basically refuse to give him a answer and try to explain. He wants to say "x=2 and y=3 and so x*y=6. But it is never that simple in the software business because there are many other externalities. He gets frustrated because he wants a yes or no answer but we do not have the available information from the client to say so. I have expressed that we should tell the client "let's start out with 1000 hosts and we can build our way up as both of us are happy" but this gets refused. How do I deal with a Boss that does not understand the complexities and wants a clear cut answer I don't feel comfortable giving? <Q> How do I deal with a Boss that does not understand the complexities and wants a clear cut answer <S> I don't feel comfortable giving? <S> You could say " <S> Sure boss, if you give me a moment I can evaluate the situation and prepare you a clear answer" . <S> Then proceed to evaluate the situation more calmly so you can reach a yes/no answer with more certainty. <S> Now, sometimes bosses want an answer right there . <S> In that case things get a bit more complicated for you. <S> If such thing happens, and your boss can't wait for you to lay down a plan to answer with certainty, I suggest you give a <S> conditioned <S> yes/no answer . <S> After a quick evaluation from your part, you can say something like "If we do X, Y, Z, then yes it is possible" , or whatever your conclusion is. <S> This way, you are giving him a clear and direct answer, but at the same time politely implying all the requirements necessary for that to be achievable (and also covering your back in the process). <S> On a further note, seems to me that your boss should start to realize that in the IT world straightforward <S> yes/ <S> no answers require at least a bit of input to be able to give them with certainty. <S> However, this is a whole 'nother story. <A> These sorts of questions are about perspective. <S> Your boss is asking from a business perspective can we handle more customers. <S> Your perspective is if your current capabilities are adequate and without knowing all the details you can't answer that question. <S> However you could reply with a If the customers have the following OS, network, number of hosts etc <S> then yes. <S> If not we would have to do B, or they would have to do C. <S> Or you might have a flat out no. <S> If you can't pin your boss down on what the exact potential customer's needs are, but you feel as if he wants you to say yes, I would approach this differently. <S> Instead I would rephrase this that this is actually as a decision for the business in that what risk they are willing to take on. <S> It is your job to explain this clearly the risks for the various different customers you anticipate to the best of your abilities will be using the service. <S> It's also your job to facilitate the business taking on more customers, if there are ways you can find to enable this that would be ideal. <S> Instead of being the bearer of bad news imagine if you are responsible for enabling your business to come up with new ways of accomodating more customers and mitigating risk. <S> If you do this in a way which is very visible on the work and solutions you have come up with that would surely lead to reward and or promotion. <A> Non technical people, even smart people, are hard to figure out the technical details and in IT details are all it matters. <S> You must to be clear and short . <S> Example: <S> "It's not and yes/no question. <S> You are asking me to make a lot of assumptions about stuff <S> I'm not aware. <S> It's like you asking if can we ship 20.000 boxes using a truck? <S> If it's a big truck and small boxes <S> yes, if it's a small truck and big boxes <S> so no. <S> So me must first define those boxes size (clients needs) and know the truck (the clients infra)." <S> and finally you can add <S> "We sure can handle that amount of clients if they are not demanding ones and all of them got a pretty good network." <S> and if he insistis on a yes/no: <S> "Yes! <S> But plan ahead how to mitigate when I was proven wrong." <A> You should really talk to your boss and explain what data you need to make a calculation. <S> Tell him the explanation will take, say, 20 mins, and is good so you can get his thoughts on if you can support it or not. <S> I'm not from the information security & etc business, so here is how I look at it - and quite probably how your boss does too. <S> You have, um, a current stack. <S> The total power of your stack or whatever is X. <S> The average client currently uses Y. Is 20,000 <S> * Y > X or not? <S> If it is, then no. <S> If it is not, then yes. <S> As such, I'd assume I could ask this question and get a pretty yes/no answer. <S> This is, I assume, not the right way to look at it - you need instead to manage upwards and explain that to make a reasonable guess you need such-and-such data. <A> Henry Ford once said, "You can have a car of any color, as long as, it's black." <S> To an engineer such as yourself, this is utter-nonsense, but to your boss and probably the client, what you're saying is gibberish regardless of the technology behind it. <S> Of course there will be constraints. <S> They assume and ignore those more than you do. <S> We all know that you ultimately can't because you're the person who actually has to make it work. <S> You're going to have to learn how to play the game . <S> As you start to get into the details <S> (You know, where the devil hides.), the client has the right to object to the price, timeline, or suggested technology recommendations. <S> Don't always take these kinds of questions literally especially when you know you're talking to someone who isn't technical. <S> If you ask Elon Musk if he could move a mountain, he'd say 'yes' because he's going to ignore the reality of an astronomical cost (which no one will pay) and the chance it will take so long that no one living today will still be alive when it is finished.
| Your answer should always be as quick "Yes" unless you're being asked to do something illegal.
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How to promote priced software to business team? I'm trying to promote a priced software over a free one to the business team. I'd like to know how to promote paid software to the business team when there are some free alternatives. I've not extensively used both of them. I have some experience in the free one, and quickly tested the priced one through the trial version. Overall, the priced one has a better UI, both functionally and aesthetically. However all core functionalities are the same. The cost per individual is not that high (in my opinion) but could become a bit high if bought for every team member. I'm interested in general tips to promote one software over an other, or paid vs free. If it helps, in this case it's SmartGit vs Git for Wondows (git gui) Edit: The chosen software will be the referenced software for all team members. In case the priced one is chosen, all team member will get a licence, but ultimately it will be their choice to use it or not (but will strongly be encouraged to do so). Team Members have not used those tools before and I think the more tech-savvy ones will mostly use command line controls. It is a request of one of the more senior team member to have a unique and documented tool for the team. Ultimately the choice is not critical. <Q> Any time you are trying to make the case for the more expensive of two or more options to a business you need to be able to clearly articulate what the return on investment is for the business. <S> This return doesn't have to directly translate into monetary terms but it does need to be a clear and easily understood by the decision maker. <S> what benefits that could bring the business. <S> If the UI/UX is better on the paid software you could suggest that the better UX will reduce mistakes, if common operations are quicker to carry out in the paid one then that's directly saving employees time which they could then be using on producing things that earn the company money etc. <S> Depending on your company's culture you may not be presenting this in written form but whether you are doing this verbally or not I find that having a clear Pros/Cons list for both options is a useful tool - and don't fall into the trap of ignoring the cons of the paid solution, no-one believes that something is perfect and you'll just look like you are promoting an agenda of your own rather than having done an objective evaluation. <S> And definitely make sure that the "cons" list for the paid version includes the cost - it's the truth and it shows that you are taking the cost into account and not just assuming the company has a bottomless pit of money to spend. <A> MBAs like simple calculations which express things in money: <S> How much time will the paid software save, roughly estimated, over the timespan in which you expect to use the software? <S> How much does a developer-hour cost the company? <S> How much does the paid software cost? <S> If the first number multiplied by the second is larger than the third, it is a good business decision to buy that software. <S> Show them your calculation. <S> If it checks out, they will understand. <A> Promote it as you would any other software. <S> I'm sure if you fleshed out the description you have given us bit more, that would make for an ideal starting point. <S> As you have given it a try yourself, you can demonstrate and document the benefits compared to if you had to perform a similar task with the old one. <S> As you know the comparison between your previous free software and the proposed not-free one, you will need to have some well-prepared arguments for: <S> Is it cheaper for the company to have you use this more efficient software and save time? <S> Will that save us money in the long run? <S> If we have to buy this for every team member, will there be issues communicating / sharing data with those who don't have the new software (yet)? <S> Some of your colleagues might be ' set in their ways ' and not be keen to use something new with little immediate benefit <S> (this can sometimes happen, I've been there...). <S> Are they open to giving up some time / resources to give it a go?
| In your case I would suggest carrying out a proper evaluation of the paid option and write up a comparison vs the free solution and point out clearly where you feel the paid version is superior and
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Owner firing staff due to their politics: how to salvage the situation? So I work for a small financial technology business in the UK, not quite startup size but close. We have a dozen staff on site and usually 5-10 remote contractors working for us. There isn't really a hierarchy so to speak, but I'm generally considered to be the owner's second in command although in practical terms this doesn't mean much. Around 60% our work is based in the EU, and as such prior to the Brexit referendum the owner sent an email to all staff and contractors informing them that, if they wanted to guarantee their employment past the next 2 years, they should vote to remain. This isn't unusual; the owner of the biggest pub chain in the UK asked his employees to vote to leave for similar reasons. As everyone knows, the leave side won the vote and the UK is exiting the EU. Without going into too much detail, it has recently become clear that the Brexit process isn't working quite as intended and a degree of economic pain looks to be a likely outcome. The company 'will probably fold inside the next 18 months' according to the owner, and he is visibly distraught. This Monday, he called me into a meeting as he usually does, and told me quite simply to research the social media accounts, internet histories and company emails of all staff and contractors to look for evidence of support for Brexit, and to supply him with the list of names. I pointed out the ethical and potential legal issues with this and he shot me down, saying these people had destroyed the company and he'd happily fudge their performance metrics to give him a solid reason to fire them. Moralising aside, the most talented engineer in the company, the de facto tech lead, is an ardent Brexiteer. Suddenly losing him at this point along with several well-regarded contractors will almost certainly result in the catastrophic loss of at least two big contracts, which will sink the company unless a lot more staff are let go. Is there any point in trying to salvage this or should I leave my resignation on his desk this afternoon and contact the police? <Q> Brexit hasn't killed your company. <S> Your boss has killed the company by assuming that Brexit will kill your company. <S> The fact that your boss thinks it's a guillotine pedestal is simply a sign of his bad financial planning. <S> Obviously, you don't have to conduct his witch-hunt for him. <S> His paranoia is your cue to start looking for another job - there's plenty of companies in the UK who have planned effectively and will flourish in the post Brexit era. <S> This isn't a police matter. <S> Retain that email asking for people to vote in the election. <S> You might well need that, because it's evidence. <A> Is there any point in trying to salvage this or should I leave my resignation on his desk this afternoon and contact the police? <S> Neither. <S> Polish up your resume and start looking for jobs now. <S> If your boss has lost faith in the company, than it's unlikely to survive, regardless of this matter Putting a resignation on his desk is just passive aggressive. <S> However you can and should tell him "What you ask me to do is in my opinion morally wrong and it may actually be illegal. <S> I think it's also counterproductive and will gravely harm our company. <S> Sorry, but I can't do this". <S> There is a minuscule chance that this wakes him up, but I wouldn't count on it. <S> There is a good chance you will be fired, so be prepared for that. <S> "I'm sorry you feel this way, but I can't compromise my moral integrity. <S> Bye". <S> Don't go to the police. <S> No one has been harmed yet. <S> If he starts firing people because of their Brexit votes, these people may have legal recourse (as you might have if you get fired). <S> But any legal action has be to tied to a specific case and person and it's up to each affected individual what to do about it. <A> Is there any point in trying to salvage this or should I leave my resignation on his desk this afternoon <S> Don't resign without another job to go to. <S> But it does sound very much like it's time to be updating your CV and starting to look for a new job. <S> and contact the police? <S> This isn't something for the police as it's a civil matter, not a criminal one. <S> Realistically, the first step here would be for one of the employees made <S> redundant / fired / let go to file a formal complaint and <S> (on the assumption that was dismissed or ignored) bring a case to an employment tribunal. <S> You can't actually do too much yet as your personal employment status hasn't been affected by your employer's actions. <A> I don't think you have to resign right away, and I'm not sure you even have a case to call the police (I'm in the US though <S> so I'm not up on UK laws). <S> It sounds like your boss is rightfully distraught, and looking for a good excuse to get revenge. <S> One thing he could do is seek to rebrand the company as anti-Brexit in someway (so pro diversity, pro globalization, etc.) <S> which would have the effect of giving the company some new life blood and discourage your ardent Brexiteers from sticking around. <S> Another option, <S> and I think this is what you should do since it's clear that the company could fold, is to just stall on this task while you look for your next position. <S> As a kindness, you could keep the conversation out of the news. <A> The company 'will probably fold inside the next 18 months' according to the owner, and he is visibly distraught. <S> Is there any point in trying to salvage this or should I leave my resignation on his desk this afternoon and contact the police? <S> There's not much to salvage here. <S> Sounds like the company will only be arounf for 18 months or so no matter what you do. <S> And no - don't leave your resignation on his desk this afternoon. <S> And no - don't contact the police. <S> Instead, use the remaining 18 months to update your resume, find your next job, give the appropriate notice period, then leave. <A> Whether due to Brexit or not, if the owner believes that the company will fold inside of the next 18 months, there is a good possibility that it will <S> , so is probably a good idea to start looking around for another job. <S> That said, to solve your current dilemma, is there any reason why you cannot simply "do" what the owner asks: research the social media accounts, internet histories and company <S> emails of all staff and contractors to look for evidence of support for Brexit <S> And just report that you could not find anything? <S> Many would say that this is too passive-aggressive, but the owner has asked you to perform a task that you find unethical and that he has no right to expect you to do. <S> To my mind, this is a lesser problem than a confrontation that, from your description, seems unlikely to have a positive effect.
| So no - don't bother trying to salvage this. Working and living in the UK for a large technology firm, Brexit hasn't changed anything about how we work. Anyone sacked as part of this culling can seek advice from CAB/employment lawyer and proceed from there. I would seek some language along the lines of "that was a funny joke, now let's get down to business of salvaging the company."
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Guilt about leaving company in the middle of projects - 2 or 3 weeks notice? My boss has done everything to make my experience working at my current company great, including a very recent raise and promotion. I have no complaints. But I've been offered a very large salary increase (50%+) at another company, and it would be a great stepping stone for my career. I am in the middle of many projects and am the only person who knows how to work on them. I've recently written documentation about all of my work, and have outlined a transition plan, and organized my files in preparation. I feel guilty about moving, so I am considering giving three weeks notice instead of the required two weeks. This will lessen the time I will have off between my old and new job, which I'm not thrilled about. My wife thinks the three weeks notice is not necessary, and that I shouldn't feel any guilt about leaving in the midst of these projects because I will always have projects. When is it appropriate/ethical to give more notice than is required? <Q> The reality is that you'll commonly be in this position when leaving; if you weren't needed, why'd they keep you around? <S> I would recommend never giving more notice than contractually required (commonly two weeks in the U.S.). <S> If you feel that guilty about putting them in a bad position, you should offer to work on contract (with a very nice pay increase), pick your hours, and how much time you will commit to. <S> That way, you can feel better by at least offering them an opportunity to continue to get a limited amount of your time/help which should minimize the impact of your leaving. <A> You've done everything you could do. <S> You've produced documentation and a transition plan. <S> If you are the only person who knows your projects than that is a problem for your current company. <S> It's their failure to plan for a key employee to leave. <S> Ask yourself - if I was hit by a bus what would the company do? <S> The response (for the company) should be the same - use the documentation you've produced. <S> Enjoy the increase in salary. <S> When I got laid-off in 2016 with 12½ months of severance my wife had plans for the money as soon as I got another job (as there were now two paychecks for a while). <A> If you're any good, you'll be in the middle of projects until the day you die. <S> They will manage without you. <S> When I leave a job, I always tell my boss they can call me any time, for free. <S> I like to know that what I built is still working. <S> Sometimes I get calls. <A> You created the necessary documentation for the next person and are still around for a week to train the new guy for the transition.
| I don't think you should feel guilty about the 2 week notice, while it may come to the employer as a surprise, you're not helping anymore than you already have by giving 2 weeks.
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Negotiating with a difficult company offering less than the market rate and trying to invalidate my previous work experience I got a job offer at a small company. The founders are upper middle age and a bit intimidating but very smart people. I want to join them because I feel a lot of learning and growing opportunities there. But they don't seem to be very open to negotiation and are trying to pay me less than the market rate. After a few messages, I still have not made much progress and they don't seem to be very open to negotiation. I even tried to say "Salary you are offering is below the market rate and other offers I got and I have to think about think about the offer" to scare them a bit, but it is not working much. Now I have a meeting with them soon on Monday. I requested them to schedule it so I can ask some questions about the job and working conditions. I want to bring up this part again. I have received more competitive job offers including one from a very small startup with unlimited work from home possibilities so I am honestly disappointed in their offer. I am wondering what points should I bring up during the meeting to increase the chance of a better job offer. Some of the points I can think of: A) Mention other job offers and their benefits B) Show them my open source contributions. I don't know if these are good points. They also mentioned they have a performance review after 6 months and to rather wait for it instead of asking for a higher salary now. That way they will have something to confidently evaluate my skill level. I don't know if it is a good idea and if I can trust them. While a little bit underpaid, I still feel joining them can be a very good move for me in the long term. I am still considering accepting the offer anyway because of the possibility to grow. Maybe I will also be able to show my self-worth while working there. My question is what are the points I can bring up during the meeting to increase my chances of a better job offer? I believe there is no harm in trying to negotiate. Even it don't work in this case, I will learn a valuable skill. Update: I am working there for 1.5 months now. Turn out the company is excellent. It's very relaxed place and everything is pretty great there too. Even if I don't get any raise after 6 months, I will still be very glad to work there because of other perks. <Q> They might consider you too junior to put on the interesting projects from which you'll learn the most, assuming you're junior and assign you junior work. <S> They also might be low on cash and income so recruiting other talented seniors from whom you can learn more might be unlikely. <S> Don't accept the job. <S> Even if they eventually match your salary requirements, you're unlikely to enjoy the environment and growth opportunities will be limited by either their penny pinching attitude or actual financial limitations. <A> First off- <S> after one year of professional programming, you are entry level. <S> Just accept it. <S> It isn't a bad thing, it's just reality. <S> If you continue in the field, you'll learn more and level up. <S> But if you think you're a mid level after one year, you don't even realize how little you know yet. <S> As for the negotiation- <S> stop. <S> They don't want to pay you more. <S> They've said so. <S> It's time to either accept their offer or move onto one of those other positions. <S> Do not fall for the "review in X months" line. <S> That's the oldest trick in business. <S> If you do take it, you'll get either nothing or a 1% bump at that point. <S> It's a carrot to dangle to make you quiet. <A> The negotiation is over. <S> They don't value you on the aspects that you need to be valued with. <S> Take another offer. <A> While a little bit underpaid, I still feel joining them <S> can be a very good move for me in the long term. <S> There you go. <S> If you can pay your bills, don't sweat the salary. <S> IT salaries increase very quickly with a few years of experience. <S> How to increase your chances of a better offer: Tell them that the job is underpaid, but you feel like joining them will be a very good career move in the long term. <S> This implies (don't explicitly tell them) that the salary expectations for someone like you with 3-5 years of experience are much higher, so in 2-3 years, they will have to pay you more or you will get poached by a recruiter.
| If they're difficult when negotiating salary, they'll be difficult when negotiating for raises.
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Is it ethical to report suspected mental health issues of coworker to manager? I lead a team of consultants. Recently, I removed a colleague from the team due to performance issues. He was with the team for 6-8 weeks. I suspect he had mental health issues. A co-team lead, who speaks his native language, talked to him and he denied health or personal issues. Project-wise or disciplinary, he is "not my problem" any more, which makes this question about the contradicting goals of not causing him not to potentially needed professional help and be supported by the company and not potentially harming his career by needlessly speculating . Currently, he is still with the company. My opinion that he has mental health issues was getting firmer and firmer, because his performance was bad beyond imagination. He showed, what in my opinion are, clear symptoms of a quickly developing mental issue. For example, when analyzing his emails over the two months, there was a clear deterioration in coherence. He had concentration issues or memory problems inconsistent with his academic record. So, the situation is like this: I suspect a mental issue which, if untreated, has bad consequences for him, which should be avoided. However, this is speculation, and I do not want to get him into trouble over it. If I did not take the mental issue into account, I would recommend firing him on the basis of his performance, which should not be done without evaluating if he can actually recover. I need to warn the manager about putting him on another project with the customer. His performance hurts our reputation with the customer, and we had to put in additional effort to clean up after him, which I feel obliged to report to his manager. I assume he will not get help from the company without me intervening. How should I balance between reporting to HR/management about a colleague's suspected health issue, making sure that his current performance is known to the manager, and the colleague getting support from the company? Note: I am not looking for answers addressing the legal issues around the question. Added after answers: Why i believe he has a mental health issue: He has a masters degree in an engineering subject, however he failed at the following things, which is inconsistent with his academic record: Realizing that a matrix (in that case 18*18) in actually square and working for several hours under the hypothesis that it isn't. in general, being ~10 times slower than he should be at things which are clearly basic math for engineers Not being able to construct a simple math example, suitable for a 10th grade textbook question Not being able to write a modified "hello world" program (only purpose: fill up the harddrive space) not being able to have a focused look and remember the mistake which somebody fixed for him in the hello world program (an crucial operator had to be added), and 10 min later reproducing a few of the characters, without the operator (i.e. instead of " "*10000 he wrote "100000" in python) not being able to communicate problems (e.g. the equation system is singular) in any meaningful or timely way ignoring completely things which he does not understand terribly bad at detecting if he has complete information botched up contextual structure of communication (mostly a sketchy contextualization at best) not being able to follow a 1-3 line long simple instruction (like first do a, then do b very often resulted in him in doing b or something completely different without any communication) complete mis-estimation of his skills (i.e. claiming to be good in a programming language where he checks in code which cant be interpreted) complete misunderstanding of the skills and capacity of the team around him - he would not even recognize the meaning that his colleague or me realized problems (math, simple linear algebra - roughly 1st semester) in 10seconds which he worked for on for a whole day not understanding the hierarchy in the team or any other social structure not drawing his conclusions from being reprimanded after a few weeks about his performance an behavior Trying to advocate using a certain low-level concept in software for a change of the programming language while he should have been working very clearly on something else, with the following properties: We already used one of the languages in the code, but he did not realize it. The language which he wanted to remove (according to him his area of expertise) actually also has the low level feature he claimed not to be available. Himself not having any experience in the other languages which he suggested. his work in general being completely unstructured, even when the structure was explicitly set for him in a "first do this, then report, then do that" way. Edit: Solution chosen I followed the answer which I selected in the following way: I warned is manager and HR that having him in contact with customers is most likely to be counterproductive for the company, and i described his performance issues in moderate detail. I made it clear that some issues were not plainly unexpected individually, but far outside the expected range of the population with his qualifications. I finished by adding a paragraph were I put a general recommendation to put him to a low stress task and provide him with coaching for his professional development and support in handling situations which exceed his capacity to handle difficult situations professionally. <Q> Having read your list of symptoms, I suspect you're jumping to a fairly large conclusion by suspecting mental issues. <S> There are several other possible reasons for his inaptitude: he doesn't understand your company/work culture. <S> he doesn't have as much experience in your field as he claims. <S> he has misrepresented his qualification or there are gaps in it (it's possible to get a degree and not be an expert in everything). <S> he thinks in a different way from the way you do. <S> he has something personal going on in his life that is distracting him from his work. <S> If there are existing mental and/or cognitive issues, I would expect that they would have arisen before this point and that other people would have noticed. <S> Especially during the course of his master's degree. <S> If he has been asked about this, and has said that there are no issues, then his word should be taken at face value. <S> Since you don't know for sure what's going on here, it's necessary to be careful to not make an issue where there is none. <S> Leave it at that and let them draw their own conclusions. <S> If there really are prevalent mental issues, they will also see them and decide how to handle them. <A> Let his manager manage him. <S> You have observed a few instances of his performance drop, which could potentially affect your company's business. <S> Report those objectively to his manager and let him deal with it. <S> You do not know the real reasons for his poor performance, so do not discuss your opinions and suspicions. <S> Let his manager figure out those reasons, and determine what support he should or could get from the company. <S> You are clearly trying to help him. <S> However, telling management that he has mental health issues and needs support may not get him that help. <S> It might even cause harm if his actual issue is something different while management gives him "support" for mental health issues. <S> Ultimately, you will have to support whatever decision the management takes, regardless of whether you agree with it. <S> They could decide to fire him regardless of his reasons, or they could assign him another project with the same customer anyway, or they could offer him the support he needs. <A> Furthermore, it's unnecessary. <S> For example, when analysing his emails over the two months, there was a clear deterioration in coherence. <S> He had concentration issues or memory problems inconsistent with his academic record... <S> His performance hurts our reputation with the customer, and we had to put in additional effort to clean up after him... <S> If you think these are things the employee can improve with resources the company makes available, then say so <S> when you have your talk with the other manager: [Other Manager], I wanted to let you know that we had some problems with [Employee] while he was on my team. <S> His work performance had really started to suffer: [explain]. <S> However, I think he will improve if he makes use of [resources a, b, c]. <S> You can suggest training, time off, etc. <S> without bringing up that you suspect mental health issues. <A> For a start he has only been in the company for just under 2 months, perhaps this employee is struggling to adapt/learn stuff in the company. <S> Perhaps this is more down to the induction process. <S> Perhaps this individual needs a mentor for a few months <S> Perhaps you are misunderstanding this individual <S> Perhaps the first port of call is to help this individual. <S> Maybe training etc. <S> And why have you reached the conclusion that it is a mental illness. <S> There are treatments etc. <S> that can enable this person to work productively. <S> Also people with mental illness can think differently and can end up an asset. <S> Just provide help. <S> BTW - You are very likely to have a mental illness once in your life <A> I believe this is a legal question depending on what country you're from. <S> In the USA, the ADA protects employees from this kind of discrimination. <S> In UK they have the same types of laws <S> but I'm not entirely sure of them. <S> Unless you have the blessings from HR, I would not go in this direction. <S> This guy can win BIG, I mean BIG bucks if you actually did let him go due to a suspected mental health problem. <S> You just best hope he doesn't see a lawyer or ever think of that. <S> It would be like those cartoons where the characters eye balls turn into $ symbols. <S> That's what the lawyer's eye would do. <S> Do not continue this path and ask HR before doing anything further.
| I highly recommend that, if you choose to say anything to anyone about him, you stick to the facts: that he did not perform satisfactorily and was not a good fit for your team. Maybe this person does have a mental illness but it does not mean that the person cannot work for the company. No, because you shouldn't be making decisions about someone else's health without their consent unless there is an immediate safety issue. I say stop right now.
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How to list two jobs at the same company on resume with a break I have a problem in listing two jobs at the same company. I was hired with a contract of 2 years for a project (from April 2014 to April 2016). After that, I did not want to take the first job, so I took few months off (7-8 months). Then the company called me again to start with another project from December 2016 to December 2018 (unfortunately still temporary).Since my contract will be over in few months, I will be back on the market soon, but this time I would like to find a permanent job. I am wondering how I could list my last 4 years (in different roles, but not so much). Should I list the gap of 5 months or not? I could have this option (that shows the gap): Business Development Manager, Company A, December 2016-present (2-year contract) Marketing Specialist, Company A, April 2014-April 2016 (2-year contract) I could have this option (no gap, no mentioning temporary contract) Company A April 2014-present:- Business Development Manager (2016-present)- Marketing Specialist (2014-2016) What do you think? How would you list it? I am afraid they will think they do not want to hire me. And if I put the gap, what should I say? <Q> I also think that such employment gap is something you should not worry much (so you could show the gap just to be crystal clear with the recruiters). <S> Everybody is prone to be "caught between jobs" in any moment. <S> As long as your gaps are not frequent or really extended everything should be ok. <S> In any case, be prepared to explain such gap if prompted about it during any interview that might come. <S> Not necessarily they will ask about it, but if they do just explain your reasons and they should understand. <S> If on doubt, I would suggest you add the dates to show the gap, just to be completely unambiguous and clear with your application. <A> I'd go with the second option, simply because it takes up less space by not requiring you to list the company name twice. <S> Most hiring managers won't care about the gap, especially since the same company took you back. <S> This implies that whatever the reason for the gap, it had nothing to do with your performance. <S> This is information that will turn up in background checks, regardless of whether or not you explicitly state it on your resume, so it really doesn't matter as long as you don't lie. <A> Your second option, showing "April 2014-present" next to the company name, and listing the positions only with years (not months) doesn't leave the impression that there was a gap. <S> While an 8 month gap may not be a critical issue with a resume, feeling like you were misled about a gap certainly is a critical issue. <S> To put it a different way: As a hiring manager, if I saw: <S> Company <S> A April 2014-present on a resume, I would assume you had worked there continuously from April 2014 until the present date. <S> A resume is a sales tool - you want to present yourself in a way that makes you attractive to the employer, but you never want to put yourself in a position where you may be misleading an employer. <S> In other words: while you don't want to emphasize the gap, you don't want to act like it didn't happen, either. <S> This makes the first option you presented the most attractive - you're showing the correct employment record, but you're not emphasizing the "issue" of the gap. <S> You'll likely be asked about the gap in an interview, so have a good answer ready.
| I think that either option is fine (as they are both truthful), so perhaps you should chose the one you feel more comfortable with, or the one that better adapts to your specific circumstances.
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I feel like my coworker gives me all the work My coworker has been with the company for perhaps 10 years longer than me, so obviously she’s higher up on the totem pole, but we’re still counterparts. She’s not my boss, we have the same job, she just gets paid more. Yet I feel like she thinks she’s the grand visionary while I can be the workhorse to implement her ideas, which I find extremely frustrating and unfair. I’m creative and have no problem coming up with ideas, but since she puts herself in so many unnecessary meetings (where she can play visionary), which I feel could easily just be a phone call or an email, the resulting work trickles down to me since she doesn't have time to do it. She's also frequently volunteering me for tasks, which I find disrespectful, and would never do to her. She's not a bully, she's very nice about her irritating behavior. I could be wrong, but I feel like my coworker is trying to keep control on what she views as her little kingdom. It seems like she’s afraid she’s getting old and out of the loop, nearing retirement, when I have no desire to kick her off her pedestal, I just want things to be fair. But truth be told, we work in a techie field, and I've stayed up to date as things have changed where I feel that she hasn't, so it's like she puts herself in meetings where she's comfortable playing visionary, and I do all the work she no longer knows how to do. Any advice on what I should do? She has no plans to retire any time soon, so this could draw on for years. Please help. <Q> This is a common form of Harrassment. <S> My wife has to deal with it all the time, too. <S> Look up Queen Bee Syndrome. <S> Your best bet is to draw your boss' attention to it. <S> Chances are very high that they are completely unaware of this issue. <S> Chances are also high that, once they are made aware, they will recall other times she has harassed female employees. <S> It's not uncommon for a large chunk of the business to spend all their time in meetings without actually doing any work. <S> Keep in mind that if things change, and she starts doing real work, you might have to actually work with her, too. <A> There's (understandably) an emotional side to this question as well as a practical one, but it's the practicalities <S> you need to focus on if you're after a solution. <S> And I'd say that's most neatly summed up by these points: ... <S> the resulting work trickles down to me since she doesn't have time to do it. <S> She's also frequently volunteering me for tasks, which I find disrespectful, and would never do to her. <S> The solution to this could be simple in theory - make sure you have enough work to fill your plate from other tasks, and then push back when she volunteers you for something: <S> I'm afraid my schedule is full this week as I'm doing <S> x , y and z , so I'm going to be unable to take that on. <S> Likewise, you can also push back similarly if she tries to assign you tasks on the basis she didn't get a chance to finish them. <S> However, this is assuming that your boss understands exactly that things are as you say - that you two are entirely equal, and so she's unable to assign you tasks at her sole discretion. <S> It could well be that your boss agrees with her, feels there's an implied hierarchy in place that he wants to keep, and in that case the only real solution is to request a 1 to 1 with your boss and explain the situation is making you unhappy (though again, avoid pointing fingers at your coworker and stick to the practicalities when explaining what's wrong.) <S> If neither of the above approaches work then, short of just putting up with it, your only real solution could be to look for employment elsewhere. <A> (Typically) there's one person in the company responsible for setting an employee's workload and priorities: Their boss. <S> You've stated that this coworker is not your boss. <S> Unless other arrangements have been made, your workload and assignments are a discussion between you and your boss - not you and this coworker. <S> To answer your specific question: <S> Any advice on what I should do? <S> Make sure you understand clearly (from your boss) what your responsibilities are. <S> Before getting into a discussion about specifics, make sure you understand the bigger picture about where your work comes from and what your overall goals or priorities are. <S> If other people try to interject and plan your work for you, approach your boss and ask for feedback about how those specific changes should (or shouldn't) impact what he/she has already assigned to you. <S> If it is appropriate, you may want to include your boss in communication with the coworker about task assignments (ie if your coworker emails you and tells you that she's volunteered you for something, forward it to your boss and ask for input, with the coworker on cc). <S> Of course, there may be complications. <S> Maybe your boss isn't actively in the picture. <S> Maybe they want you two to "just figure it out. <S> " Even if this is the case, you still have an opportunity to seek guidance. <S> Approach these conversations with facts, objectively, and make it about overall productivity/opportunity/contribution - not just <S> "I don't like XYZ types of work. <S> " Don't make it about your coworker's other behaviors (kingdom-building, going to meetings, etc) unless you can objectively make the conversation about impacting YOUR performance - in other words, don't go to your boss and complain about your coworker. <S> Go to your boss and ask for help being the best employee YOU can be.
| If there is no official work assignment or tracking method (ie a workorder or ticketing system), make sure you regularly check in with your boss, as appropriate, to understand the specific tasks they want you working on in a given day/week/month.
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Are managers expected to work longer hours than their subordinates? I know lots depends on the industry and so on (and size of the company etc). So to narrow down the scope of the answers let me provide some context:A mature startup in the software industry. So the question is: are managers expected to work longer hours than their subordinates? If the answer is yes, does this logic apply for each level ? ie entry level employees work 8 hours a day therefore their boss must work 10 hours a day therefore their boss's boss must work 12 hours a day etc? if the answer is no, how else can the manager inspire their subordinates to work harder and longer hours? update - addressing comments Many comments where made and I would like to address some: The start-up is actually not that mature.. ie < 3 years, < 30 employees.. so that can explain the added pressure/need to work harder and longer hours Compensation includes stocks as most start-ups would do. That's why any talk about getting paid overtime doesn't make sense. Your overtime is compensated by the stock value appreciating, if you don't get that formula, you shouldn't be at a start-up a lot of people are citing studies here and there about the limitations of working past 40 hours/week. Sure if someone is coding for 10 hours straight their code quality will regress and then they'll end up breaking things then fixing them etc.. but I never advocated that people work continuously in one block. I for example chunk my work in intervals.. I go to the gym in between, I go home spend time with the family, then go back to work. I pace my self and take breaks, but I still work longer hours and I make sure that my hours are productive (ie if I'm really tired I just leave work even if it's in the middle of the day.. If I see an employee working while being fatigued or not focused.. I ask them to go home.. sleep, then work some more). Further If I expect people to put more hours some times, by the same token I shouldn't mind them doing less hours when there is less pressure.. this point was well argued in the book The One Thing A lot of the comments are one size fit all-absolute statements. Even in the same company can have different work ethics and expectations. For example the culture of Microsoft Bing is much more demanding and intensive than for example Windows. The nature of the job requires constant production support and constant deployments and updates (such is the nature of our start-up), that's not the same as the Windows team that has much longer release schedules (It's like having the same conversation about work hour demands when talking about someone who works in the ER and a pharmacist doing some research work). That said the points about the difference between inspiring and demanding are very well taken and appreciated. Also about quality being more important than quality. Thank you :) <Q> I think this is somehow opinion-based question, but still... <S> Short answer is: No. <S> if the answer is no, how else can the manager inspire their subordinates to work harder and longer hours? <S> The quality and even quantity of the work cannot be measured in hours . <S> Example: I can be in the office for 5 hours and do work that was previously estimated to take 2-3-5 days, and at the same time John can spent 14 hours at the same task <S> and he still won't achieve the same results. <S> Even if neither of us is slacking off in this time, would that mean that John works harder than me? <S> I strongly believe in leading by example , but I don't think that this is achieved by continuously overworking yourself or just spending extra hours in the office. <S> Or by getting off their backs some of the problems they have that prevent them from working more efficiently. <S> Or by assigning yourself some of the hardest tasks, or the ones that no one wants to do - at least sometimes. <S> That are just few ways to provide your example in the case. <S> In general, you cannot make people work overtime all the time - both team members and managers. <S> They will eventually burnout and spend more hours in the office, but they won't be efficient and work won't be completed once again, even though you've "achieved what you want" . <S> If this is required all the time, then you have an organisational problem that is not related to how hard your team works and how long are their hours in the office. <S> You should always pay them fairly for the overtime, if they want to do it and come up with a schedule for the longer hours - some kind of rotation, so everybody gets a period with enough rest to avoid burnout and be happy and productive person. <S> If this is a long-term situation, maybe you should hire more people or adjust your goals to be in a more realistic timeline. <A> As you say this varies by industry and company. <S> It also depends on the country. <S> I'm writing about the software industry in the United States. <S> I'm assuming a "mature startup" is a startup which as reached the point where its profits fuel <S> it's growth <S> and it is still working towards an exit. <S> In such a company it is often expected that employees with the most equity (ownership) will care most about the success of the company. <S> Typically senior management have the most equity, followed by employees who have been at the company since the early days. <S> Caring most could mean working more hours, being willing to do whatever is necessary regardless of job description or simply stressing more over decisions and outcomes. <S> In such a startup the example set by managers is not usually an inspiration to employees. <S> Poor examples set by managers could be demotivating but good examples are usual not motivating. <S> Employees who have little equity are often motivated by other things. <S> Motivations such as opportunity to work on interesting projects, opportunity to learn new things work best. <S> When such motivation can't be aligned with company goals then motivations such as performance bonuses can be used. <A> If the software you support operates around the clock, then yes, managers will generally be expected to be available by phone in case of emergency. <S> This is obviously not "working" in the classical sense, but when I get that 2 am emergency call, I sure as heck consider myself to be at work! <S> It is definitely true that the manager should never be the first person in the call tree for emergencies, but they are often needed in order to issue approvals for what their subordinates want to do. <S> Beyond that, no, a manager should not be expected to put in any more office hours than anybody else. <S> Most do <S> (in my experience, that's just the type of person who typically becomes a manager), but there is no intrinsic expectation that it be that way. <S> As with all other employees, it's up to the manager to be their own advocate. <S> If they feel like they're putting in too much office time, they have to enforce their own work hours.
| From manager perspective, you should make sure to support the people in your team and provide help when it is needed (let's say a person in your team is stuck on a task, or has too many things to do in short period of time), then you can stay later and help them out.
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Redundancy payment in form of sign-on bonus from new company I am in the process of being made redundant by the company I work for (UK). There's a legal consultation period that the company has to go through, for both parties (the employer and employees) to agree on the severance package. I have accepted a job offer from a new company, and told them I can start after the end of consultation period (about 5 weeks left). They're keen for me to start before the end of that, which is good as it shows they want me, but annoying as it means I wouldn't get the severance payment from my old company (as I'm leaving before the consultation period ends). My manager has told us that if we find a new job and they want us to start earlier, we can work that out but won't get the package. Is there any precedence for saying to the new company something along the lines of: I want to start earlier with you, but I also want the severance package from [company name]. If you pay me the amount I will get from the severance package as a signing-on bonus, I will happily start within a week or two with you (maybe even less). I haven't been at my current company for long (less than 2 years) which means I get the base package. I'm only a year out of university, so my salary is still relatively low, therefore the severance package isn't particularly huge (although obviously quite a lot of money for me). I think the answers will be "might as well ask the new company" but I just want to make sure this is something other people have done; I don't want to embarrass myself to the HR manager (they're a fairly small company). <Q> You acted a bit prematurely. <S> At the end of the consultation period, company and employees agree about the date when notice will be given. <S> This doesn't happen at the end of the consultation period. <S> And then you may have to serve the notice. <S> Or you may be on gardening leave (still a company employee), and only if you're lucky you will be getting payment in lieu of notice (unemployed, free to start employment any time). <S> Your new company can't reasonably expect you to throw away money. <S> So you need to do two things <S> : Check with the old company when you would be able to start a new job (with or without redundancy), and check with the new company <S> how willing they are to either compensate you, or to let you start later. <S> I expect that you can give four weeks notice at any time, no need to wait for the consultation period to end if you want to leave early (if you signed a legally binding contract with the new company). <S> Just because you are being laid off doesn't mean you can't leave yourself. <A> The other option is to ask HR not your boss if there is a VR (voluntary redundancy) option you could take. <S> This is obviously a big company paying contractual redundancy as you don't qualify for statutory redundancy as you haven't worked there long enough so a VR option maybe more generous. <S> Also if you do get the new employer to pay you a bonus you have to ask for more to make up for the fact that redundancy payments are tax free (up to a point) <A> Yes, it is perfectly reasonable to ask for a 'golden handshake' to make up for a missed severance payout due to an early start. <S> The company may accept the offer, counter, or refuse. <S> Just make sure you have your ducks in a row <S> : Know when the earliest you can leave is assuming you are expected to work your notice, unless you are planning on walking out without notice (which I wouldn't recommend). <S> Also be aware of anything that could affect the final amount (taxes etc) and consider if the golden handshake is tied to completing probation <S> (worst case you don't want to end up with no job and no severance/bonus!) <A> I would approach this a little different. <S> I would not put out a number. <S> Tell them "I am paid during the consultancy period and not actually working. <S> If I start another job in that period lose severance pay. <S> " <S> Let them offer to pay the severance. <S> If you offer for them to pay the severance it could come off as you are holding them hostage.
| The best way to handle this would be to say you have to work your notice period in any event and say that is after the consultation period closes.
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Boss wants to buy me a car - but I'm quitting soon I'm planning to quit my job in a week or two after singing a contract with another company. At my current employer I have a full-time contract and at my next job I will get 6 month probation. The new job is in another city so I will need to relocate but before I can do that I must first buy a car. I was planing to get a small loan from the bank before I quit because I don't think I can get one on a 6 month contract. To do that I need my employer to sign a paper that says that he won't fire me in the near future. Today I brought my boss the paper to sign and I told that I need a loan for a car (in hindsight a mistake). The boss told me that she want to buy me a personal car as a gratitude for all the work I have done. What do I do now? I can't quit now before I sign the contract with the next company. I can't tell my boss that I will quit soon because I don't know if she'll sign the necessary paper. How how do I reject her offer? Country: Croatia <Q> What do I do now? <S> From an ethical perspective, do you think its right to let your current employer buy you a car, and then you quit shortly after? <S> I think you know <S> this is not a good move long term on your part, and will most definitely will have burned the bridge to this employer. <S> You could say something like " I really appreciate the offer, but that is simply too much <S> and I cannot accept it. " <S> Then just make the regular loan payments as expected so there is no trouble, and move on to your new role peacefully. <A> If you're moving to the city where your new employer is (so that you mostly need a car for moving), then simply rent a car , or pay a company to make the relocation for you. <S> Knowing that your life won't be over if your current boss doesn't give you the paperwork for your loan, you can simply tell her you're leaving, refuse her gift, and ask her to sign the paperwork anyway. <S> Chances are, she will understand your reasons and sign it. <S> If she takes the news badly and refuses to sign your papers, you will simply rent a car for your relocation. <A> I think the fact that you're leaving for family reasons is going to dampen whatever ill will the manager might hold against you, so they'll be inclined to sign the papers. <S> Whether it is legal for them to sign them knowing that you won't actually be employed for long is a different story. <A> If you have already accepted the offer from your new employer and signed the contract, then you can be honest with your current boss, tell him you will be leaving the company and thank him for his offer. <S> The potential drawback is, of course, that he might sabotage you by not signing the paperwork for the bank. <S> You will need to figure out whether you believe he would stoop to this. <S> Then again, if he is so happy with you that he would gift you a car, it sounds like he would not quite sink so low. <S> If you haven't already signed the new contract, you should of course not be shopping for a new car - especially one that requires a loan. <A> The boss told me that she want to buy me a personal car as a gratitude for all the work I have done. <S> I would take it as a bonus! <S> This gift is for all the hard work that you have done in the past . <S> Let's say the car costs 15,000 credits and your boss gives you a bonus of 15,000 credits as appreciation for the work done in past, would you still deny the bonus? <S> I would work a couple months more if my employer gives me a bonus as courtesy and then move to better opportunities.
| Your best bet is to refuse the gift graciously , and have your current employer sign the paperwork needed so you can get the loan for the automobile.
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Should I let friends know about a background check as a courtesy? I started a new job that requires a background check for access to non-sensitive areas. The form wants to go back five years. Should I let my friends know that they may be contacted for my background check? <Q> If someone called me out of the blue claiming to be conducting a background check on my friend and he hadn't forewarned me, I'd assume it was a social engineering attack, identity theft, or some such thing, and promptly hang up on them. <S> As with any reference, you might want to ask them beforehand , as a courtesy, to ensure they're willing. <S> As Neuromancer pointed out in a comment on the original post, this assumes you know, at least to a high likelihood, who will be contacted: you can either guess confidently or you have provided a limited set of names. <S> If not, this is kind of moot: I would have a hard time identifying with any confidence even a large number of the people I've interfaced with over the last 5 years... <A> Yes so they are prepared and you don't scare them. <S> I was going for a security clearance and <S> a federal officer interviewed several of my neighbors at their house. <S> They thought I was being investigated for a federal crime. <S> My favorite question was have you ever conspired to overthrow the federal government with yes no check boxes. <S> Below was if you selected yes, please explain. <S> Like there is a valid explanation. <A> As someone who has multiple friends working in Defense Contracting and has been contacted regarding their background checks, yes <S> you should let them know. <S> In my case, when my friends had told me prior, it gave me time to gather any notes or other details that the background inspector would want to know. <S> These include things like where/when we first met or what classes we had together, stories that support how trust-worthy they are, etc. <S> These are things that I wouldn't immediately remember off the top of my head while talking with the inspector on the phone out of the blue. <A> The forms for the process I went through are very thorough: Federal Investigation Forms , so I'll use that as an example. <S> (The SF 86 is [7.61 MB], and it's the one that requires listing all your family, friends, employers, neighbors, etc.) <S> As someone who has gone through the Federal Investigation process, I would highly recommend telling all potential contacts ahead of time. <S> This allows them to gather the necessary information ahead of time. <S> For example: if someone is to corroborate the date range you worked for them, they can find your tax file(s). <S> They (the FBI) sent forms in the mail to the people I put down, so if they weren't prepared they might have thought it to be spam or junk mail. <S> Depending on the investigation, that might have meant that an FBI agent has to give them a call or visit if they don't respond.
| You should definitely let your friends know, less out of courtesy, rather to prepare them so that they know it is a legitimate request that you have initiated . For personal reasons in their background they may not to want to be contacted, which could also result in a panicked hang-up.
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I am the only one without a company provided laptop My wife is the only one in her team was given an old desktop at company, everyone else have a laptop. Both of us using Mac, and her company's IT department cannot figure out a way to install VPN to allow her work on a Mac (plus Excel on Mac is super frustrating than Windows, and 99% of her work is based on Excel) . She asked for her boss many times for a laptop or turn-in her desktop for a laptop, but seems her boss is a type of person that worries about her job more than anything else and afraid to ask, so she just gave excuses like no budget or admin person doesn't allow. Periodically, her team want to work from home, but given the fact my wife cannot work from home, they blame behind my wife's back about why she cannot buy a windows laptop for company. The fact is we do not need a windows laptop at home, we already have two Mac which are enough for our personal life. It was icing and her boss decide to let everyone work from home, and forced my wife to take a PTO. She did not follow but went to the company even with danger and risk on the road. It is a public traded company, I do not believe they cannot afford a laptop. I think the problem is coming from her boss, a head of group under a department. Sounds to me she is either afraid to lose her job or just doesn't care about her people, therefore she does not support her team, and even asking for more work from the department while her group is already exhausted. Personally, I think we are not obligated to buy a laptop just for work, while all other people have the laptop but only my wife doesn't. At what point what should she do to correct this? <Q> At what point what should she do to correct this? <S> I am assuming US or similar for this answer and IANAL. <S> At this point, she should concede that her only option is to by a Windows laptop, or simply do not work from home. <S> Laptops are cheap, but I can see why you would not want to buy one. <S> However, the company is not obligated to get her one. <S> In most countries, companies do not have to provide you with a method to work from home. <S> WFH is a privilege not a right . <S> ( Unless you have it negotiated as part of your employment contract/agreement ) <S> The piece that makes the company seem a bit off is forcing your wife to take PTO day because she could not work from home . <S> The option should have been given for her to come into the office as normal while the rest of the team is remote. <S> This is something you may wish to ask you local labor folks about. <S> That all being said, it is crappy that she is the only one without a company provided laptop and is put in this awkward situation. <S> If I were your wife, I would look for somewhere else to work and put this place in my rear view mirror. <A> She should file an HR complaint over the unfair treatment during the bad weather where she would be 'forced' to take a PTO because the company did not provide an asset that would allow her to work. <S> They should have given her the day off, paid, without docking PTO if the office was closed. <S> The boss will be in a lot more hot water than the laptop issue. <S> Advice to contact a lawyer was sound too. <A> Working from home is a commodity. <S> She has been given a desktop computer which the company believes it's sufficient for her to fulfil her duties. <S> She should use the provided tools <S> and it's slow she should communicate that. <S> In case she is unhappy with her job then she needs to negotiate her situation. <S> Working from home, as I mentioned, is a commodity, and if it is a big deal she should make it clear in that negotation.
| Don't make the complaint about the lack of laptop, make it about the threat of a forced PTO or travel in bad weather option.
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How do I respond to my manager sending me a friend request? I recently received a friend request on Facebook from one of my managers. My initial reaction was to reject this out of hand, however, this person is of a comparable age to me and at a similar place in life, so I think it's reasonable to consider that we could be friends outside the office as well. The caveat, however, is that I'm aware of my own social media persona and demeanor outside the workplace. I don't want to say I'm unprofessional, but I'm definitely more brash and way more politically active. As a result, I'm concerned that adding my manager could create issues, but ignoring or deleting the request seems likely to invite issues as well. <Q> Disclaimer I deleted my Facebook. <S> This is what LinkedIn is for. <S> Add them on LinkedIn instead of Facebook. <S> In your LinkedIn invite explain that you like to keep your personal social media account separate to your work-life. <S> If they would be offended by you not regarding them as a friend I would say something like <S> I only use Facebook to stay in contact with old friends from high-school and family, but I use LinkedIn to connect with work friends from now on. <S> But if that statement isn't believable for you to say, or you want to pick and choose what colleges you add on Facebook <S> then you're in trouble here <S> and you will only have the decision either to accept or offend. <S> Even if you have really close friends at work you want to have on Facebook <S> I would consider not adding them on Facebook to avoid these situations in the future. <S> Finally you could just add them and then selectively restrict all your content from them such as your photo albums and activity. <S> I know there are ways to do this <S> but I still imagine they can see information you don't want them to and that may not be acceptable. <A> Just ignore it! <S> Lot of people send each-other Facebook friend request without having intentions to be "buddies". <S> That includes your ex-colleagues, and other peoples. <S> Most of the time, they don't remember if they ever sent you a friend request after 1 hour, or if they remember, they don't take it personally. <S> Most people understand you don't want to be friend outside work with boss/manager/colleague. <S> Just ignore it, and just in case you manager ask you about it someday, tell him you don't use Facebook much, and have not seen it yet (try to imply you have not logged in a long time). <S> Or you can be honest. <A> Its your call. <S> In today's world, facebook is not just for friends. <S> People have 500+ "friends" on facebook, I am sure not all 500 are friends. <S> Most of them are acquaintance rather than friends. <S> Some people just send the request, doesn't mean they want to be friends in real life as well. <S> The pit falls of having your manager as friend is that you can't take a sick day off and go on vacation and post those pics on facebook. <S> As long as you don't do that, you should be fine. <S> Regarding your online persona being brash, you could choose to limit the information published on facebook now with enhanced privacy settings. <S> Please explore those as well. <S> And lastly, if you think you are in a position to say a polite no, just say so if the person follows up in person. <S> A simple I am not comfortable adding someone from my management hierarchy on my facebook should send the message. <S> Post that, if it continues, it might be worth discussing with your HR. <S> What you do outside of office is your business and it cannot be used for workplace harassment. <A> I'm sure there are instances where it has worked out for people and good for them. <S> It is especially unprofessional if there is no previous friendship. <S> Friending someone on FB just because your work together is strange and in my opinion crosses an uncomfortable line. <S> How well do you know this person at work? <S> Are they the type of person who largely socializes with work people? <S> Does it seem like they will mention your social media content at work? <S> When I have encountered this, I simply said I don't accept friend requests or any social media engagement from people I work with. <S> Then drop it. <S> It's a perfectly reasonable stance and socially ept people will understand it. <S> DO NOT EXPLAIN YOURSELF! <S> By refusing on the grounds of professionalism you are taking the high ground. <S> Don't go further. <S> Don't explain yourself. <S> You are doing the correct, professional thing. <S> If the requester gets bent out of shape, let them demonstrate their non-professional traits. <S> Your life outside of work is your own. <S> Don't open this can of worms. <S> Don't accept the request then try to filter your feed, etc. <S> Just flat refuse, <S> state why if you are asked, move on. <S> Your peers will respect you for it and your career will benefit from it. <S> No, just no. <S> Keep it professional.
| Just say you don't like to add people from work in Facebook. A polite way to handle this would be to just keep the request pending, don't accept or reject it. It is really unprofessional for them to send a request.
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How to address a non-compliance situation which is turning out productive I work in a 50 odd employee start-up and I am in a senior techno-managerial role (reporting to CEO). Usually culture is fairly informal and lots of policies are not officially documented. Some emails once in a while or just verbal communication is made about a new decision. Recently, the company banned use of personal laptops in the work-area. However, a lot of employees figured out a workaround to use personal laptops to get the job done by technically not being in the "work-area". This is actually helping them be more productive and get a lot of work done faster. I do think it is kind of mocking the entire policy. I am not sure if my boss currently is unaware of people still using their personal laptops or aware and just too busy to address this. I can escalate this to him but that would mean that he would have to take some action on it immediately. (Overall the company wants to do everything the right way. So I would be surprised if they let this go even after someone raises it officially). My concerns in raising this issue are: We would actually be less productive than before. (Something which my boss would have to realize eventually and do something about) In a small company, I would immediately make a lot of people unhappy by interfering in their work. (My role does not have any formal authority over them). So my question is how do I handle this? Should I mind my own business and let my boss figure out the problem and solution on his own; Or go and talk to him explain the situation and risk low productivity for the company along with facing angry people. My day-to-day work does not get affected either ways. Edit:Just to clarify based on the answers and comments, no one is using pirated software. It is just that using personal laptops is easier than office issued Linux desktops (long story of why they decided to do that but it is avalid reason). Also, I do not have the authority to change policy or provide hardware/software. Also, my work and my responsibilities are not affected by this policy or people following it or not following it. <Q> If this software/equipment is so valuable to your staff that they're willing to jump through this many hoops to get it, buy it for them. <S> If your office machines are under-provisioned or lack the software/hardware people need, you're not just going to have a problem with productivity, you're going to have a problem with staff retention and eventually recruiting as word gets around. <S> What about their personal machines is so attractive to them or what about the work machines is so bad? <S> Fix it. <S> Also, baning personal laptops for fear that people might use pirated software seems remarkably untrusting of your employees. <S> They don't like that. <S> What's preventing them from just insalling pirated software on their work machines? <S> If you say, "we have restricted developers admin rights on the devices they use", I'm amazed that you have any developers left on staff to complain about. <S> If you haven't, then your policy of forbidding personal machines is only insulting them since they could just install anything on their work machines as it is. <S> No longer relevant considering the edited question, but still worth mentioning: You might also find out if there is a free option, then find out if that would be suitable for your employees and use that. <S> But I suspect they've already done that research for you and determined that they'd rather just use the pirated version. <A> Work out why people are insisting on using personal laptops in preference to working with their work laptops and then plug that gap. <S> You're saying that people aren't using pirated software, so there must be another reason for it. <A> So my question is how do I handle this? <S> As a manager type , you are more accountable than most for damage done by using pirated software or by allowing employees to use their personal equipment . <S> You should inform your manager of the risks posed by the actions you have seen. <S> The employees are putting your network at risk by bringing their own " germs " onto your network, unless of course your security team extends updates and such to personal devices too. <S> (which I doubt as your in a company that is a start up) <S> Short answer: <S> Provide the equipment and software needed for your employees to do their jobs. <S> If you have a BYOD policy, make sure your able to secure these devices from viruses and other types of attacks.
| Buy the software / edit: equipment your employees need to be productive.
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How to manage a manager with unclear expectations? The issue is the manager doesn’t provide clear expectations or direction, and often changes his mind, leading to conflicts and misunderstandings, as well as delays in projects. Example 1: A finished project was approved by designer, stakeholder, art director, and manager. A co-worker with seniority with the company, but completely unrelated to the project, casually walks by and provides feedback criticizing the project. The manager agrees with the feedback and decides the entire project needs to be redone. The project timeline gets extended and it must go through the entire design, review, and approval process again. Example 2: (Day one) After a long and drawn out discussion, the manager states that from now on it is critical he reviews, with employee, all the tasks assigned to that employee in order to explain each task. Employee provides documents for review; they schedule time to review for Day Two. (Day Two) At scheduled time, the manager cancels the meeting and doesn't reschedule. He says that he has reviewed the tasks himself and employee should go ahead with the work. (Day Three) Employee begins work on tasks. Manager gets upset that the tasks weren't reviewed with him before work began, and questions why the employee is doing the work in a certain way (differently than he would have done it). When directly asked for clarity on which process the manager wants to follow, the manager either doesn’t respond at all (written), gives a conflicting answer or claims his original request had a different intention (verbal). This is a very frustrating experience. Multiple team members have expressed frustration about how the manager communicates, specifically about unclear or changing expectations. It can be difficult to get a straight answer. It's not clear how to “manage up”, or communicate with a manager like this. HBR has a few articles, classified under "Managing Up", and they have one specifically one about managers that with give conflicting messages. https://hbr.org/2014/11/when-your-boss-gives-you-conflicting-messages <Q> A manager's job is, well, to manage . <S> Unless you are his superior, you should let your manager to his job ; otherwise you are in no position to <S> make him change the way he carries out his job. <S> You could express your concerns with HR (something I wouldn't recommend), or with your manager's boss <S> (ideally if you get other people to back you up), but either of these options has to be carried out carefully, as HR has to lean in favor of the company's interest , and going over your boss's head is something not always recommended . <S> Now, if you are his superior , then you are in a position to manage him ( careful not to start micromanaging ). <S> In such case, you should convey your request clearly to this person (one-on-one meeting perhaps), where you specify the changes you wish to see. <S> After this, you can proceed based on how things change (or not). <A> Sounds like your manager wants to be "consulted" for every decision. <S> Frankly, if in one sprint he wanted to review everything, then did you not follow it as a guideline and get it reviewed in the subsequent sprints? <S> If you did and he refused to review, then you should document it in a email and go ahead. <S> If he did not ask and you did not go to him, he has got a reason to go bananas if things don't go as planned. <S> The right way to handle such things is documentation. <S> The processes have to be documented. <S> In between, you will get challenges, like new processes being put in. <S> Then the manager not following the processes. <S> I think you should ask for his review / approval over an email. <S> One of my projects used to assume deemed approved if no one replies within 48 hours. <S> You could follow the same strategy. <S> Of course things will still not be perfect, but your manager will get the hint and be more careful in communication. <S> Regarding conflicting answers, again, create minutes of meeting and publish. <S> If the manager goes back on his word, show him the Minutes. <A> The manager's job is to manage, your job is to perform according to his direction. <S> I don't think it'll be a winning battle to try to "manage" him in the sense of directing/changing his behavior. <S> Which leaves us in a fairly classic case of misunderstood/poorly communicated expectations. <S> Luckily, there are some tried-and-true steps you can take to handle this: Ask for clarification before you begin the work. <S> This can be simple: " <S> Hey boss, would you like to review A or B at steps X, Y, or Z?" <S> Ideally, put this in an email, and mention it if you're doing a daily standup or any other kind of regular work review. <S> If he answers, acknowledge the answer and then do it. <S> If he doesn't answer, or gives conflicting advice, default to the more-communicative option. <S> If this is a conflict about which things to review, then present him with an opportunity to review each thing, as appropriate. <S> Yes, this may seem like overkill, but you're giving him the benefit of the doubt, and it doesn't have to halt all work. <S> If he goes along with this, great. <S> If he doesn't... If he corrects you (ie asks for more/less review opportunities) then - right there in the moment - ask for clarity on the future. <S> " <S> Ok boss, I'll make sure you have a chance to review X. On our future tasks, would you always like to review step X? <S> Or is this a one-time review?" <S> This way, you're putting the ball in his court and establishing an expectation of how you will behave in the future, so you don't have to repeat this whole process again. <S> Usually, after a few times through the cycle, a pattern will emerge, at which point you can ask for confirmation of the pattern. <S> If no pattern emerges, make it a point to raise the question in the broader context - ask him for a meeting to discuss review standards, or however would be appropriate in your context. <S> Basically - in summary - don't wait until he's telling you that you're wrong. <S> Ask upfront. <S> And if that doesn't work, and he still tells you you're wrong, take advantage (right there on the spot) and ask for clarification on the future.
| Politely tell him that you documented your understanding, if it was incorrect, it would be really helpful if he could correct them so that mistakes don't happen. Give him options, don't just say "what do you want" or "what should I do."
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Supervisor hit on my wife and exacted revenge on her after being turned down My wife's male supervisor (engaged) hit on her, and asked her out many times. My wife refused him, and this supervisor stopped hitting on her, but turned everything to work harassment: far more comments for her work paper than before; hiding information to trap my wife into make mistakes; talking behind my wife's back with other supervisors (reported by another supervisor to my wife); poor performance review rating; etc. Because there is no material evidence, I believe it is hard to report the issue to HR right now. We are also worried that her supervisor is more "useful" for the firm so my wife will be fired if we cannot turn him down. I'm thinking to let my wife talk to him about the issue and record the conversation. If there is any sign in the conversation, we can turn it to HR then. What do you think about it? Except for leaving the firm, what other strategy do you suggest? Update #1 I just did a research, the state we live in is "one party consent state". So it seems legal to record the conversation. The concern right now is that whether my wife's supervisor will give her more hard time if we report the issue to HR, especially if HR talk to him. His actions, in my opinion, might seem normal by other people since they are all work related, but only my wife knows how hard it is. <Q> Every time an interaction or event happens that you believe is related write it down. <S> Date & time, location, who said/did what. <S> Verbatim quotes wherever possible. <S> If there were any other witnesses or people involved, write down their names Collect at least 4 or 5 of those (sorry, she needs to stick this out) <S> Then go to HR and show them your journal or documentation <S> This will make it a lot harder for HR to just push it aside as an <S> "he said/she said" case. <S> Detailed records are much stronger than very general and unspecific statements like "he is doesn't properly evaluate my work" or "he makes fun of me". <S> This also screams "legal exposure" to HR. <S> To some extent, your wife is being harassed and in he current environment most companies are very afraid of headlines and law suites around this. <S> A good paper trail, is very effective in front of a jury, and HR knows this. <A> Except for leaving the firm, what other strategy do you suggest? <S> First of all be careful with the recording, as it is illegal in many States in the US. <S> Now, if this supervisor is making her life more difficult and spreading false information about her, this sort of actions could eventually fall on himself. <S> However, if this at any point escalates to more direct harassment, or starts "hitting" on her again, it would be time to write down every incident from then on and bring it up to HR after it happens. <S> The more this happens, the more HR will notice this situation repeating and eventually should take action. <S> She could also try to make some noise when this happens again ; try to have other coworkers hear it, saying in a clear loud voice <S> "Stop harassing me Joe" <S> so other can hear, etc.. <S> Perhaps the supervisor did this because he felt secure, so involving other people may discourage him to continue. <S> Addtionally, I suggest you take a read to this related question to get more insight on alternatives on how to proceed. <A> You'll need to have facts <S> backing up your cause before you go to HR. <S> Poor performance reviews and comments about your wife's work (if they're factual) are not inappropriate in any way and certainly don't constitute a sexual harassment. <S> I'm afraid that to HR your complaint will sound like your wife was getting undeserved good reviews while her boss was expecting some romance, and started getting harsher reviews when those romance expectations ended. <S> Remember, HR is not your friend. <S> Its role is to protect the company's interests, and escalating this thing without any evidence from your side that would stand in court would be working against that role. <S> Unless you collect some evidence of undeniably inappropriate actions, I advice you not to rush to the HR. <S> If you can't obtain it in a reasonable time frame, I suggest that your wife simply starts looking for another job: sometimes it's better to avoid battles you're not sure to win, even if you feel you're right. <A> There are a lot of locations in the US where it is illegal to record unless all parties know about it. <S> If you are sure your location allows it, then that is an option. <S> A better option is just to go to HR. <S> It's possible that your wife is not the first person to complain about this manager, and will be believed. <S> In any case, HR is there to protect the company. <S> If your wife complains to HR, and then is fired or retaliated against, that looks very suspicious, and most companies won't open themselves to that kind of liability. <S> HR should be able to give her some legal and reasonable guidelines for how to proceed. <S> If she records him, especially if you're in a jurisdiction where that is illegal, your wife is much more likely to be fired than if she just reports him. <A> The strategy I would suggest is to get a lawyer. <S> Now. <S> If he has moved from asking her out to negative comments on her performance, he is likely trying to build a case for dismissal. <S> You need a lawyer ASAP. <S> You could also, in the US, talk to the EEOC and see what advice they give you. <S> Thanks for the addition @closetnoc. <A> Trying to surreptitiously record a conversation is a waste of your time. <S> You're not spies. <S> It might just backfire as, even if it's legal, if you get caught, it's probably a fireable offense. <S> Instead, make an official complaint to HR and do it in writing <S> so there's a clear paper trail that you control (send it via your personal email so if you get fired, you still have a copy). <S> Then, find allies. <S> There are probably many people who have had similar experiences with this individual in the past, find them and band together. <S> Document everything and seek legal advice and representation.
| The quality of her work should speak for herself ; if the supervisor is taking this as some sort of vendetta, the best thing to do is to keep up the good work and the supervisor will eventually fall victim to his deception. Additional comment on the already existing answers but too long for a comment: Keep a a very detailed paper trail.
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I am irreplaceable but cannot do my job due dependency on incapable colleagues' work I work for a small company of about 10 employees. The owner comes from an entirely different field. I was the first employee he hired. I used my experience in this field to help him build the company, by proposing the positions to be filled, conducting interviews and choosing the candidates to be hired. At some point, the owner decided he wanted me to concentrate on my job. Left to himself, he hired some very unqualified personnel. When I brought up this issue with him, he took it as a criticism of him doing his job. He became defensive and responded aggressively, so I avoided bringing it up again. When their incompetence showed, I suggested constructive ways to fix their mistakes. The owner is a young entrepreneur and has no experience managing personnel. Even though he knows the team members are unqualified, he dreads the idea of firing anyone. Sending them to specialized courses where they learn to do their job is also not an option because it would take way too long for them to be productive. I have now been assigned a task that relies heavily on a colleague's input. I can't bring myself to ruin the project, so I decided to "go rogue"–ignore the colleague's input and gather the required data myself. If this gets noticed, they may ask me to do the work again with their data, which I cannot do. If it doesn't get noticed, they will think the colleague's incorrect data led to these correct results, and they will continue providing me incorrect data. This looks like a lose-lose situation, which I don't know how to deal with. I don't plan to stay at the company indefinitely. I was planning on training a replacement and leave the company once the product is shipped. However, this would take too much time. Until then, I am irreplaceable and cannot resign. The company would be in a very bad spot and unlikely to recover, so I consider leaving now as irresponsible and unprofessional. What are the other options I could consider before thinking about turning in my resignation? <Q> But because of me being irreplaceable, I cannot resign. <S> Of course you can. <S> You've told them multiple times there are issues and they've decided not to fix them. <S> Find another job and put the letter on your boss's desk. <S> If you're feeling kind, you could offer to work a longer notice period than usual to help with the transition. <S> But always remember that your employer certainly wouldn't show you the same consideration in the situation that they decided to terminate your employment. <A> Maybe start here: it's always the boss's fault for making someone irreplaceable. <S> Even if it's a new company, an entrepreneur just starting out, or a Fortune 100 company. <S> The reasons to this result are irrelevant. <S> In the end, the boss is responsible. <S> There lies the difference between fault and blame. <S> Because, as you've said, you heavily advised your boss in the hiring process. <S> As such, that you remained irreplaceable puts some of the blame with you. <S> However, him not noticing (or rather, acting on you notifying him of that situation), makes it his fault. <S> That said, everyone is replaceable. <S> You might have the experience, you might have the knowledge. <S> However, you started out at the bottom, like everyone else. <S> As such, someone with knowledge of what your using can jump in and learn what you're creating. <S> Someone without the knowledge of what your using or what you're creating can learn both. <S> This brings us to the crux of the issue: I'm a key employee at the company and if I were to leave now, the company would be in a very bad spot and would be unlikely to recover, ever. <S> This is why I consider simply leaving right now as irresponsible/unprofessional and want to consider all other options before even thinking about turning in my resignation. <S> I would view this very simply: Work to live, do not live to work. <S> You might've invested a lot into this new company, the new product, it's people, et cetera. <S> But ultimately, you're there for you. <S> Times changes, bosses changes, people change (well, sometimes anyway), but you're still you. <S> To me it sounds very much like you've done your best. <S> But: you should leave . <S> Reasons: <S> Clearly the boss values your input, so long as he doesn't have to do the hard stuff <S> Clearly you're putting a lot of effort in, but others don't (need to) If you can already feel that burn-out coming due to other people's incompetence (yes, I've been there, it sucks), leave that sinking ship before it goes under Given warnings are not acted upon/taken into account before decision X <S> As for you "going rogue": don't. <S> You yourself already gave plenty of reasons not to, so don't. <S> Just let it happen, then tell the boss "told you so", because you have, multiple times. <A> If the company makes millions, how much will you get? <S> Nothing. <S> If the company goes bankrupt, how much will you pay? <S> Nothing. <S> It’s your bosses responsibility. <S> Not yours. <S> Find a job that you like better, sign a contract, and give notice. <S> Once you quit, none of what happens afterwards is your responsibility.
| If course you can quit. It is your employer's fault that you are not currently replaceable.
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Why the strict confidentiality clause in a severance agreement? I've just left a job, and I am considering the severance agreement offered by the company. If I sign the agreement, I would get another two weeks' salary, on top of the two weeks' salary they have already given me. It's a pretty good deal, but I have some reservations. The agreement has a confidentiality clause which says that I will not disclose the terms or the existence of the agreement, except to my family or to legal or financial advisors. This is awkward because friends, including former colleagues, are naturally curious about the circumstances of my leaving the company. I would like to explain that the company treated me quite well, but in order to fulfill the agreement, I would refuse to discuss or even to mention it--for the rest of my life. In other clauses, I give up various other rights: the right to make any financial claims such as discrimination claims, or to sue the company. I even give up rights which are specifically guaranteed by state law. I don't have any desire to litigate, so this doesn't bother me much, but the confidentiality clause seems bizarrely severe. I'm a little surprised that it's legal. (1) Is this kind of clause standard in the United States, and why is it so strict? (2) Is it common for someone in my situation to refuse the agreement? Edited to add: To be clear, I am not asking for legal advice, but for the experiences and insights of other people in the workplace. <Q> (1) Is this kind of clause standard in the United States, and why is it so strict? <S> Yes, that's very normal and standard. <S> You can't sue them for more and if you tell any other people, the next guy will ask (or sue) for what you got and more. <S> Accepting "severance" is basically money to make sure it "ends here and now" and there are no consequences that linger on for years. <S> (2) Is it common for someone in my situation to refuse the agreement? <S> No. <S> Unless you have an ax to grind, or are planning to go after the company for more cash or some legal action, it's typically best to take the money and move on. <S> So far, so good. <S> However , what's strange (in my opinion) is that the company offers severance in the first place. <S> Severance is quite common if someone gets fired, but very rare if someone quits on their own. <S> There is absolutely no obligation for the company to give you anything, and you are on your way out anyway. <S> It's quite unusual that they would offer this to you. <S> It's possible that they are afraid that you either know something or take an action that would expose them to some kind of risk. <S> Hence they offer extra money to shut you up. <S> It's also possible that you may have very specific business or technical knowledge that they don't want to get out or move to a competitor <S> and that's not already protected through the agreements that you have already signed. <S> I would recommend carefully reading the agreements that you have already signed and compare them to the language in the severance agreement. <S> If there are substantial differences, this may be a hint what's going on here. <A> Seems to me that you are in full rights to accept or reject that severance agreement; it's up to you to decide what you actually want to do. <S> If you really need that money, and won't mind refraining from discussing the agreement with anyone then you should go for it. <S> But, if this seems to extreme to you (personally, it sounds a bit extreme based on your partial description), then I would suggest you leave without that extra money, but with peace of mind. <S> Now, regarding other point: This is awkward because friends, including former colleagues, are naturally curious about the circumstances of my leaving the company. <S> I would like to explain that the company treated me quite well, but in order to fulfill the agreement, I would refuse to discuss or even to mention it <S> I think that you are mixing things up here. <S> One thing is to mention the agreement , which if you sign it you shouldn't, and other thing is to mention the causes of you leaving . <S> The latter one as far as I can tell you are free to discuss <S> (IANAL though, would have to read that agreement). <S> In other words, if you sign the agreement you will have to keep your word and don't mention about it (and give up those rights in the process), but that is different from your reasons for leaving, which is not the same as mentioning the agreement. <A> I dont comment on the legal aspects. <S> I will rather describe why it is perfectly sensible (i am not talking about legality or ethics here) for a company to attempt to have something like this: Every employee who leaves is special in some sense value to the project projected cost into the future estimation of HR/Manage how valuable he <S> /she is to keep possible legal issues <S> This means that it would be extremely bad for a company if employees tried to infer how much money "typically" is offered. <S> Most likely this rule was meant to keep difficult poisonous ex-employees from talking to former colleagues, and I suppose they only have a standard clause, which they offer to anyone. <S> Much more difficult for the employee representative to establish a baseline if people are not allowed to talk - <S> so yes, the clause most likely also practically limits the capabilities of the employees to collect the information needed which would support them in negotiations/lawsuits etc...
| The company gives you extra money and in return, they want to minimize any legal exposure.
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Should appearance of job hopping be a factor in deciding on a job offer with better benefits? I got an offer for a job that offers significantly more money money than my current job. I think the work I'm doing at my current job is interesting, and I'm very excited for the working coming up in the next few months. At the same time, the new job opportunity is a good one too, with fun people working on a cool project and offering a tad bit more autonomy/decision making. However, my resume has just a couple of short duration jobs. The first one was a so-so job, and the second is my current job. I am unable to decide on the job offer as I don't want to be perceived as a "job hopper". I like both my options, and I would be switching mainly for the better pay. I started my job search because someone in HR hinted I was being paid less than the others on the team. I didn't really negotiate the salary when I took this job, and it left me wondering if I could have asked for more. Is the appearance of a being a "job hopper" an important factor to consider while deciding on the new job offer? Can I take this job offer to my current manager and ask for a raise? <Q> Is the appearance of a being a "job hopper" an important factor to consider while deciding on the new job offer? <S> Decide what is more important to you. <S> Then it will be clear if you should accept or reject the job offer. <S> If avoiding the appearance of job hopping is more important, reject the offer and stick around at the current job for a bit longer. <S> Only you can make this decision. <S> Do not give undue importance to "sound career advice" coming from "career coaches" or self-declared experts. <S> Such advice is usually too generalized and is based on several assumptions. <S> It doesn't always lead to the correct choice in specific situations. <S> Rules of the form "always do this" and "never do this" are rarely useful. <S> Despite your "job hopper resume", you have already received a job offer. <S> This is an example of "never be a job hopper" is more of a guideline than a sacrosanct rule. <S> It is most likely a mistake to reject the job offer only because "a lot of strangers on the internet said job hopping looks bad." <S> Can I take this job offer to my current manager and ask for a raise? <S> Taking a job offer to your manager to ask for a raise is usually a bad idea. <S> It carries an implicit (or even explicit) threat, "if you don't match this offer, I am leaving. <S> " It is also highly unlikely to work in the longer term: If they match the offer right away, it implies they could have paid you higher to start with, but were just getting away with paying you lower. <S> Since they don't want to lose face in that manner, they will likely "negotiate" for a lower raise. <S> Even if they do match the offer, you will probably get a lower raise than you deserve the next couple of times, because "we just gave him a huge raise the last time. <S> " This is especially seen in larger companies where salary raises need multiple levels of approval. <S> You started your job search because you were unhappy with the salary. <S> This is probably going to be the cause of your unhappiness at the current job in the near future. <S> You need to making your resume look good is worth the trouble of bearing that unhappiness. <A> You may call it job hopping, or you may call it a fast career progression. <S> Your job switches are fine as long as every change progresses you in your career. <S> Companies, at least rational companies, don't worry about you leaving for a better offer. <S> If you leave for a better offer, then you were worth more than they are paying, so they benefitted all the time when you worked there. <S> That's where job hopping doesn't hurt. <S> They worry about people who get bored, who fall out with colleagues, who behave so badly that the company pushes them out after a short time. <S> These employees were not very good employees in the first place, and that's where job hopping hurts. <A> It sounds like setting aside the salary, you like both jobs. <S> You can’t be sure you will like the new job, therefore avoid the risk if you can. <S> You goal should be to stay in the job you have and fix the salary problem. <S> You should talk to you manager. <S> You should tell him how much you enjoy your job. <S> However, explain that you believe you are underpaid and it is making unhappy there. <S> Be prepared to present your case with evidence of your contribution to the company. <S> Make it about how much value you contribute. <S> Don't get into a comparison game where you don't have all the information. <S> If you believe you deserve the raise have confidence, don't feel apologetic for asking for what you deserve. <S> Don't tell them you have another offer or that you are looking for other jobs. <S> You want to give them the opportunity to do the right thing voluntary so that the feel it’s a fair deal for everyone. <S> Forcing them into giving you a raise will hurt you there in the long term. <S> If you present your case and you don't get what you think is a fair raise then take the other offer. <S> At that point the risk of moving is worth it because you are going to continue to be unhappy in your current job. <S> This not as much of a concern as it was 10-20 years ago. <S> Make sure you have a good explanation for each move. <S> A few short jobs on a short resume is not a problem, as long as it doesn't become a lot of short jobs on a long resume. <S> (This is based on my experiences in the non-government, non-union workplace in the United States)
| Don't worry about being perceived as a "job-hopper". If the money is more important, accept the offer.
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Telling the CEO that his idea will never be a reality The CEO of a startup that I work with has, unfortunately, grand ideas about software that we can build. It is in a field that I am interested in, so it excites me, but at the same time I am realistic - there are a dozen other companies that specialize in this software, and they have vastly more resources than we do (I would be the only software developer, and I work about 30 hours per month with this company). Let me be clear here: the software we're talking about has been in development by multi-national corporations for decades, incorporating bleeding-edge research and millions of users' data. We don't have employees, decades, nor experience enough to understand academic research in order to build and improve the system. How can I gently tell my boss/partner “ dude, I really wish we could make this, but it’s literally impossible given our resources ”? PS - I am on very good/informal terms with the CEO, so letting him down easy in a conversational way would be most logical here. However, I'm looking for a more diplomatic way to break this news to the CEO, especially considering how a manager/project lead would want to learn about the inevitable failure and potential damage to the company should such a project be persued. EDIT: this is clearly not a duplicate of the one proposed. Simply reading the question and answers shows that... <Q> Don't tell him you can't - tell him you can. <S> Then give him a realistic project plan, showing how long and how many people are needed - plus costs. <S> Let him decide. <A> How can I gently tell my boss/partner “dude, I really wish we could make this, but it’s literally impossible given our resources”? <S> I suggest you phrase it more assertively, something like this: <S> Hello Joe, I've been giving some thought lately to the project we discussed. <S> I really like the idea, and am exited about all this. <S> However, I fear that with the current resources we have it will take <S> much more time to complete. <S> Would you mind if we go over this again to dismiss those worries? <S> It is likely that your CEO may debate after telling him this, so it would be best if you bring him your estimated schedule for the project to back up your claims. <S> This will also serve you as an exercise to actually lay down in paper and grasp the real extent of the project you have in hands, giving you a more solid assessment of the feasibility of the project. <S> Who knows, perhaps it will seem more doable after you do that. <A> My recommendation is follow your gut. <S> Clearly you want to keep your future friendship and working relationship with the CEO, however you do work for him <S> so I would strive to be as professional as possible and produce a great but short report. <S> Map <S> the project in terms of man hours and put it into three growth phases over three years of development. <S> In each phase increase the team size appropriately and thus the man hours including any related costs like workspace / equipment / servers / backups / security / electricity / etc as required. <S> By close of phase three your project will be costly. <S> It will require significant investment in terms of time, management and cash-flow on the CEO's part. <S> Then invite him out for lunch or dinner and casually and succinctly present your findings. <S> Put the ball squarely in his court. <S> This is what it will take to bring to market. <S> You may be surprised by your finished report. <S> I would be open in your thinking to the idea of it being a great success. <S> Either way, after you present the report it will end things well or spur on the CEO to actually getting it done. <S> Lastly don't forget, doing this thorough but short report is exiting, this could be a wonderful stepping stone and opportunity for your future growth. <S> Best of Luck. <S> T <A> Either your CEO is unaware of the existing products and how much effort it would take to duplicate them, or else he knows about them but thinks your company can come up with something cheaper and better. <S> Instead, briefly describe the existing entrants and then try to get an idea whether your CEO has a slick idea for competing, or if he just wasn't aware that these products already existed. <S> Come to that meeting having already done your homework about the features and competitive advantages of the existing products, and when they came onto the market. <S> If he has an approach in mind that you don't know about, then at worst, you've shown interest and savvy. <S> Ages ago, my employer wanted me to write some project-management software and when I saw their specs, I realized they really just needed to buy Microsoft Project and learn how to use it. <S> Stupidly, I told them that and went back to what I had been doing. <S> If I had offered my services as a trainer or project liaison, I would have made a much better impression, and probably more money. <S> It was a stupid move, a missed opportunity. <S> Lesson: figure out what the people with the money want to do, and why, then help them accomplish their goal. <S> DO NOT tell them their goals are wrong.
| If your CEO wants to make a product because he thinks it's missing from the marketplace, you may give him the information he needs to decide how to enter the market (perhaps by using an existing product from another company and adding value to it). You could do this on a one-on-one meeting or talk, but even though you are on good terms (and could even try that phrase you used) If you choose to have this conversation, DO NOT start with "your idea won't work because..."
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Am I too young for web development? I'm a 17 year old Senior in High School on the verge of graduation. It is my hope to find a full time job in web development. College doesn't feel like the best suit for me and I am unsure how to pursue my dream of becoming a developer. I have been working part time for a local marketing/web design company for 9 months which has allowed me to master the basics (HTML and CSS), and become very knowledged in Wordpress with some knowledge of JavaScript, jQuery & PHP. Most employers require a Bachelors Degree or many years of work experience, which I cannot fulfill. What advice can you give me? <Q> Here's my career in a nutshell: I started programming at 13. <S> I left school at 16. <S> Worked various low-income jobs for a few years, working on various open source projects and contributing on programming forums in my spare time. <S> Eventually got hired as a repair tech at a computer shop when I was 24, got promoted to program the intranet there two years later, and with that starting experience I have been able to work as a developer since. <S> Currently being 33, my software development career is doing well, but I definitely took the long way around with a lot of wasted time working on menial mind-numbing jobs. <S> If I could do it all over again I would go to college. <S> I agree it's not perfect, but better than stacking boxes in 40 <S> °C. <S> Go to college if you can. <A> I'll be honest with you: college has never been more expensive or less impressive. <S> As so many folks have degrees, degrees don't advance you as far as they did a generation ago. <S> But, at the same time, having a college degree has never been more important to getting a good job, especially in the field of software development. <S> I left college with 12 credit hours to go, all electives. <S> At that point, even though I was a javascript ninja, I would not even be considered for either of the two sweet professional web developer gigs I've had since. <S> It wasn't that those last 12 hours really made me a good webdev, it was a silly piece of paper <S> all the good jobs wanted that I couldn't produce, but that's how it was/is. <S> A less skilled buddy of mine with a CS degree landed a real job about that time. <S> I went back to school after standing over pizza ovens for a year, scribbling code on the back of takeout menus while the boss wasn't looking/barking. <S> You don't want to mess with all that, and besides, college is a ton of fun anyway... <S> If dead-set on not getting a bachelors: <S> I would get an associates at least, so that workplaces know I can program. <S> Try to make sure most of the credits will transfer to a 4-year in case you change your mind later like I did. <S> Code bootcamps and certifications are meaningless for devs. <S> Internships and volunteer work can get you in the door someplace. <S> It's possible to make it in dev without college, it's just a lot more difficult and less likely. <S> You will have to have a killer portfolio and work history (chicken and egg) and you will need to be lucky enough to meet someone who "takes a chance" on you, which is no guarantee. <S> You're young, and will be young for 5 years, enjoy your youth. <S> Try it your way, and see if you're one of the lucky ones, and if not, being a 21 year old freshman has its benefits... <A> Prepare to work very, very hard. <S> You may even witness completely incompetent people become developers via a degree they do not like. <S> The main reason is people understand and trust a degree better and easier than trying to figure out exactly what you did and what you know. <S> A Computer Science degree makes sense to a lot of companies. <S> A giant list of open source projects don't, and it is extremely time consuming to figure it out. <S> Your first step is to evaluate how you came to the conclusion that college is not for you, when you have basically no experience with it. <S> It's a pretty bold statement to conclusively consider all higher education to not benefit you. <A> If it's an unpaid intern, that's at least your foot in the door, but I've seen Associates Degrees and/or vocational degrees get your foot in the door, but with those, there is a ceiling. <S> I'd say interning while still attending school was huge for me. <S> That way when you graduate, most companies will hire you full-time. <S> Alternatively, you could ask to be hired full time at that firm and build up your work experience and knowledge, but again, without a college degree, you will have a lower ceiling in my opinion. <S> JavaScript is the hot ticket right now in my opinion.
| From personal experience, I'd say go to college and search high and low for intern positions, which should put you in a position that will be flexible with your school. You don't need to go to college right after school, and for a lot of smart kids, I don't recommend it because it feels like a waste of time, so you won't try hard. Pursuing a college degree while you are young is much better than going 5 years late (which was me). If you master JavaScript and HTML, you can branch off to doing frameworks and libraries such as Angular, React, Ember, NodeJS, Vue, and other really neat and wanted skillsets.
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How to approach an employer knowing you'll likely burn a bridge So, my work history is winding. I have worked at 1 job for 3 years as an entry level position. Last year I graduated college and moved into the field I got a degree in. I kept my job at the company in a part time fashion, usually 1-2 days a week. I didn't see it as a big woop di doo as I'd gotten used to being very busy. I also aquirred another job in my field as a developer. Last august I was offered a promotion at my first job in order to entice me back however the salary didn't compare to my full time job so I declined, but have continued to work there. At the same time my full time job was providing shakily steady work and I feared being laid off so I quit and got another full time job as a developer for a second company. In the end I see I made the right choice as after I left there was no more work for the rest of the year and I doubt my boss would have paid me to twiddle my thumbs, though he's never outright said he'd have let me go. In January my 1st developer job called me stating that they'd landed a huge client and wanted me to spear head the project elevating me from a junior to senior developer and placing another junior dev under me. I jumped at the opportunity and we are now months into the project that I have sole control over.Here's the kicker, my part time job that I've kept all this time has now had a very senior position open and they are offering me the job. It comes with amazing pay, great benefits, and is much closer to home. I'd also be working with people I've known for years and doing something I truly love. Any other time I'd jump on this like a shark. Now the catch, my current dev job is not something I can leave without lasting consequences. Not only am I the lead dev, but none of the other devs write in the language I use. The junior dev under me is in no way ready to take on a project like this. He is constantly in need of help writing even beginner code. If I leave I could end up costing my employer this client contract as I doubt he'll be able to deliver on time, even if he manages to replace me within the month, the dead line is literally a couple months away. If I do decide to take the new job how should I approach my current boss? <Q> The company you develop for were standing long before you, and will likely be standing after you too. <S> Unfortunately (for them), this is business and you have to do what's right for yourself. <S> If you decide to take the new job, your approach should be professional and with a resignation letter. <S> Offer to help in the transition and interviews in order to make it as smooth as possible for them - even if they decline your help, it would likely be appreciated. <S> Try your best to exit cleanly <S> and they'll remember all the good things you did for them - write some handover documentation, <S> aim to finish any key features, tidy up your code, etc. <S> If they throw their toys out and see your resignation as you burning bridges, then it should reaffirm your decision to leave. <A> Decisions like this are tough, and very much a judgment call. <S> Given that your question is more around how to discuss it with your current boss than whether you should take the job (which we couldn't answer for you anyway), I'd say it depends how good a relationship you have with them. <S> As far as them not being upset/disappointed/angry, you may have to accept that this is inevitable and nothing you can do will make them okay with it. <S> That said, I think the following could help: Give as much notice <S> as you can Depending on how soon your old part-time job needs you to start, consider if you can give a longer notice period to your current full-time role to give your boss the best chance of replacing you without jeopardizing his contract. <S> It's not your responsibility to do this, but if you can then it would go a long way to smoothing the transition, which should make your boss more comfortable. <S> You can also reassure your boss that you will help to find the right replacement and ensure a smooth handover to minimize disruption. <S> Be appreciative of the opportunity <S> Be firm <S> I'm sure some answers will stress that the business world is tough and if the situation were reversed, your boss probably wouldn't hesitate to let you go if he needed to, therefore you absolutely need to focus on your own career goals here and be a bit brutal if necessary. <S> Don't let your boss try to talk you around if your mind is made up, but at the same time, there's no reason to be harsh on them. <A> Tech jobs make you feel indispensable. <S> It's fairly common for people in the industry to say things like, "If I leave, it ALL falls apart. <S> This project heavily relies on me and they can't do it without me!" <S> Especially with a first job that you got and got your first promotion in that makes you feel like you're accomplished, which you are, but not at the indispensable level. <S> That is a false statement. <S> It's a management technique to make employees feel powerful and in control of the product. <S> Once you leave, the project will carry on and complete on time with or without you. <S> With that said, turn in your notice. <S> What if after this project, your company decides you're not so indispensable anymore and decide to part with you for someone cheaper? <S> They wouldn't give you the same benefit of a doubt as you give them. <S> So think of your career and let them worry about their projects. <A> We can't tell you what to do - only you can decide the tradeoffs between enjoying what you do, working with great people, salary differences, loyalty to existing jobs and so on. <S> However: Not only am I the lead dev, but none of the other devs write in the language I use. <S> The junior dev under me is in no way ready to take on a project like this. <S> He is constantly in need of help writing even beginner code. <S> unless you actually engineered the situation where you're the only person who has the skillset required to do the job, <S> it's not your problem . <S> Yes, you will very likely burn a bridge, but ultimately it's your employer's job to make sure he has sufficient staff with appropriate skills to fulfil his contracts. <S> To be honest, a company that takes on a big contract with one junior (just because you get the title "lead", it doesn't magic up extra years of experience) and a complete beginner is asking for trouble. <S> You could try to negotiate with both that you move once the deadline has passed at the current company, but then you also need to take into account what happens should the deadline not be met. <S> My personal opinion is that doing what you truly love is worth an awful lot and you need a very good reason to turn it down. <S> Not wanting to leave a short-staffed employer in the lurch is not that good reason. <A> Depending on how many months away you are, I suggest you help finish this project on the side (weekends, afternoons) and ask to be employed as a contractor. <S> Ask for 1.5x your normal rate and that should cover it. <S> It'll be cheaper for them <S> and you'll be in their good books for helping them complete this project.
| To some extent this is just paying lip service to your current boss, but if you emphasize how grateful you are for the opportunity they gave you, and try to make them understand why you need to take this new position (don't focus on the salary, maybe more on the location and it being something you're passionate about, since these are things your old boss can't compete with so they won't be tempted to counter-offer). You may indeed burn your bridges, but if you handle the situation professionally and tactfully then I'm sure in the long-term they will respect your decision.
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Termination from state employer Termination vs resignation? I work for the state and they currently are investigating me for not following a policy. I assume a termination is coming. If I resign now, I lose income even sooner than if I wait to be terminated. What repercussion exist for being fired from a state/govt position? Any different than other jobs? <Q> To be honest the repercussions would be enormous for two reasons: <S> You were trusted to do a public service job <S> It's normally impossible to get canned, even incompetent people in the government sector. <S> Therefore getting canned would mean you did something really, really, really bad and should be avoided. <S> So I think quitting is the best option if you can. <A> It's not going to make a lot of difference. <S> Your next few employers are going to want a reference from your current job, and the reference they give you will say: "Harper james resigned on [some date]. <S> At the time he was under investigation for "not following a policy". <S> Everyone reading that will assume you are guilty. <S> Being fired from a government position is going to be interpreted as you having screwed up in a big way. <S> And they will find out what the reason was when they read your reference. <S> You should of course have checked what the normal punishment for "not following a policy" is. <S> Your boss is likely to have an idea of what it is. <S> If the punishment is not automatically termination <S> then you might be better off pleading/negotiating for a lesser punishment than quitting. <A> What repercussion exist for being fired from a state/govt position? <S> Being fired from any position is bad, and depending on the circumstances could be damning to your career. <S> If you resign, this allows you to put your own spin on your departure with out lying in regards to being fired. <S> Another thing for you to consider is in most states if you quit <S> you do not get un-employment, whereas if your fired you usually do. <S> Seems like your in a tough spot, but if you have marketable skills consider rolling the dice and resigning versus having the blemish of being fired. <S> YMMV <A> There are pluses and minuses to either to option <S> Termination : looks bad on the resume and/or references. <S> That's even more the case for a government job, since they are perceived of having a lot of protection in place. <S> On the plus side, you may qualify for severance and/or unemployment benefits, but that depends whether you are terminated "for cause" or not. <S> are little less damaging since they are less relevant. <S> Financially you are on your own. <S> Wait it out : It's entirely possible that you are overreacting and you are not getting fired and one (or even none) of the other disciplinary actions will happen. <S> What to do then ? <S> Start looking for a new job <S> RIGHT NOW. <S> Not tomorrow, not in an hour, but RIGHT NOW. <S> Your chances of landing something quickly are much higher while you are still employed. <S> It's hard to tell how "bad" your infraction was, but if a small-ish problem can get you fired, you don't have much a future there anyway. <S> Talk to a layer and/or union rep. <S> Government agencies have lots of rules an regulations about this sort of thing, and you probably have some non-trivial rights. <S> Make sure you know them all, so can make informed decisions if needed. <S> Consider cutting a deal: <S> After consulting someone knowledgeable (see item 2) you could approach your employer with a "mutually beneficial" solution. <S> Terminating people is time consuming, expensive, and no fun at all. <S> You could offer them to quit voluntarily in return for something good: <S> severance pay, a reasonably neutral reference, garden leave, etc. <S> Unless you are REALLY experienced at this, you would need professional help to coach you through the negotiations.
| Resign : looks better on the resume and negative references If you are 'being investigated' then you usually get to have some input into the investigation, which might include providing reasons why you should not be terminated as well as reasons why you might be innocent.
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How to ask a colleague to not interrupt me when I'm wired in? Every day, I make myself approachable and available (i.e, no headphones) between 8:15am - 1:30pm for questions, discussions, desk meetings, etc. and don't mind being interrupted then. I get the majority of my work done in the afternoon by listening to music between 1:30pm and 5pm, which helps me focus and is usually a visual cue to show that I'm concentrating. However, the minute I start listening to music, my colleague starts talking to me. It's like she bottles up her questions and observations and waits for me to put my headphones on. The general (albeit, unwritten) rule here is; if someone's 'wired in' then they're busy, but she doesn't seem to get that. We're allowed to listen to music at work, but she's been here for 20+ years now so I imagine she's stuck in her ways a little bit. It probably never used to be acceptable, but it is now... so what can I do (or say) to get her to stop interrupting me when I'm wired in? <Q> Assuming you can't just directly tell her to wait until later, there are a couple of things to try: <S> Try making your routine more obvious to your colleagues. <S> Do you have - for example - a shared Outlook calendar? <S> You could always mark yourself as busy for your afternoons. <S> An alternative, which I've had to do a few times, is ask her if she needs anything before you get into the zone. <S> A friendly but firm offer to help would surely be appreciated. <S> "I've got to get into the zone and get on with my work in the afternoon. <S> Is there anything you might need me for now? <S> Because I really cannot be disturbed later. <S> " <S> If she still tries to butt in, you will have to politely emphasise that you're not available until tomorrow morning (and refer to the calendar if need be). <S> With enough time, she will surely recognise this routine and start leaving you be in the afternoon. <A> It seems a bit of a coincidence that she's waiting until you wire up before engaging with you. <S> This may be little onerous to seek her out and have a conversation the same time every day. <S> However, if you get into a little routine of speaking with her earlier in the day, she might get the hint and seek you earlier. <A> Ignore her first few attempts at interaction, then unplug and say something like Sorry, I was in the zone <S> Every time she disrupts you, make her try + <S> =1 before you acknowledge her. <A> Do you know in hotels when you have those 'do not disturb' signs hanging on the door? <S> Also, in Brazil, some all-you-can-eat restaurants have a 'Serve Me'/'I'm fine for now' signs. <S> This could be a possible course of action. <S> I feel your pain specially if you are a developer, since concentration plays a huge role in programming. <S> Could you use something like this? <S> Politely explain what that sign is meant to mean and then suggest a better way for your colleague to get in contact with you (should it be by e-mail? <S> Or should you set up a scheduled time for him/her talk to you?). <A> First of all, you're trying to focus on your work, so there is nothing wrong on telling someone else to wait until you finish what you're doing. <S> A polite "Sorry, I'm really busy right now <S> , could you please ask me later/tomorrow morning?" should suffice. <S> Repeat this until she understands when she should bother you and when she shouldn't. <S> Alternatively, try to shift her towards other means of communication, for example emails. <S> This way, you can take your time and reply her whenever you see fit. <S> If all else fails, tell her explicitly that you're available for questions in the morning and shouldn't be disturbed in the afternoon. <S> Again, you're working, and if something is hurting your productivity it's in your best interest to deal with it in clear and concise terms.
| Try to engage her in conversation before you wire up, passively making sure she's got no questions for you. Sounds like you have a well-established routine that your colleague either isn't aware of or is deliberately ignoring.
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What kind of support does a trans person need on the job? So we hired her (hypothetically). She just disclosed that she wants to transition her gender in the next few months.We are a small company, no LGBT office or anything. Nobody has any experience with trans people, the general expection is, that her changing gender is not much of the companies business. What kind of support do we need to give? What impact can it have on business? Anything else to consider? <Q> I personally have a lot of experience working with people who have transitioned on the job. <S> There are a couple of things I recommend: <S> Ask which gender pronouns this employee would like to use and help inform the other employees on this People not familiar with the trans community assume that they would use either female pronouns (she/her/hers) or male pronouns (he/him/his), but some people prefer gender neutral pronouns such as they/them/their. <S> More on personal pronouns https://www.mypronouns.org/what-and-why . <S> Ask which restroom they would like to use . <S> They could prefer using a male, female or gender neutral restroom. <S> If you do not offer gender neutral restrooms, the bathroom usage could be a point of legal contention. <S> I would advise you to understand your country's law in protecting the rights of LGBT people. <S> Ask <S> if there is another name they would prefer to use . <S> If a transgender person chooses to change their name, their previous name is known as their dead name. <S> It can be very harmful for a transgender person to hear or to be referred to by their dead name. <S> Ask them how you and the company can help communicate their wishes to the rest of the company. <A> To put things in obvious terms, ask her. <S> There's going to be a date at which she wants to consider herself as female, so respect that. <S> One day, he'll go into the gents toilets, and the next she'll go to the ladies. <S> As it's a small company, it shouldn't be too hard to get this simple idea across to people. <S> Yes, there's going to be some transition for people getting their head around a change in gender, but the important thing is that it's the same person. <S> Same experience, same skills, same knowledge. <S> But ask. <S> She's probably thought about this for a long time and has looked for advice on this and has her own idea on what will help her <S> and you (as a company/colleagues) feel better about this transition. <A> What kind of support do we need to give? <S> If you have any friends that are part of the LGBT community, I would ask them for insight. <S> Otherwise, treat this just like anyone else going through a significant medical procedure/process -- with dignity, respect, and humanity. <S> Even if you do now know someone who can offer insight, the LGBT community is normally very open to helping you understand what can be of help in a situation like this. <S> What impact can it have on business? <S> I don't see how this can impact the business any differently than any other medical situation. <S> As a business <S> you cannot have a single point of failure , so there should be backups to all positions just in case a situation like this happens. <S> Anything else to consider? <S> Again, I cannot emphasize the need to treat this person with respect enough. <A> I would assume the normalities apply. <S> You treat them with respect for their decisions and (as the now other answer states) ask them about formalities and approaches to it. <S> It's not something that should be alienated either. <S> If they feel uncomfortable because of people badgering them about it, you tell them to cut it out. <S> Give them their space.
| Take the time to educate other employees on how this person wants to be treated and how to be understanding around this person's transition. Nothing about his/her working practices should change apart from dress code and perhaps an email address (which happens anyway when women get married, so you have a process for that). They are a human being and most likely don't want any special attention that isn't warranted by a medical procedure or process.
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Company made me use my own camera for work - can I ask for compensation? I was hired as a marketing/social media/digital content manager for a company. They are a relatively new company, and when they hired me, I was the first person to be hired for the position. There was no pre-existing equipment I could use to complete my job. In my interview, I mentioned that I run a side business as a wedding photographer. They asked me about what sort of camera equipment I use (my professional gear is valued at over $8000) and asked me if I would be able to use my own personal equipment if they hired me. I said to them "if you don't already have a camera, I can use mine at work until you get one for the company". They hired me, and have made me use my own personal camera equipment every single day for the past 8 months. Every time I ask them when they will buy a "work camera" for me to use at work, they say they don't have the budget for it, and i'll have to keep using my own. There have been many occasions when they have asked me to leave my own camera behind at work, so that they can continue to use it out of hours, and on days that I am on leave. I came back after a day off to find my tripod was broken, but no one in the company admitted that they did it. They also refuse to cover the cost of the repair. (It's a $400 tripod!). My camera has now started to glitch, and often won't turn on/turns off in the middle of photoshoots. I finally put my foot down and said that I will not be bringing my camera to work any more, and they have to buy one. Now it seems as though they are going to fire me. (This isn't certain, but it seems to be going that way). Can I ask for compensation for the use of my equipment for the past few months? I have had to buy a new camera for my wedding photography business, as the other camera is so run down now that I can't rely on it. My contract stated very clearly that the company would provide me with the equipment I needed to fulfil my role - yet they haven't provided it. I am located in Australia. <Q> The problem is here that if you can't prove that someone in the company broke your equipment (no one admitted it), then there's not much you can do except claim for the damages on your insurance. <S> This problem is in the past now - all you can do is get it repaired through your insurance and move on. <S> Not letting this happen in future is the question here. <S> If you stand firm on protecting your personal property, then the business will be forced to find alternative equipment for the times you're not available. <A> You need to see a lawyer. <S> It appears that the company is in breach of contract and also used your equipment without compensation. <S> As you don't have a written agreement on that, a lawyer can advise you about what the usual assumed unwritten agreement is. <S> And you should not have done what you did. <S> Using your own equipment by yourself is discussable, but leaving it for someone else to use is unwise. <A> What you can do is stop bringing your personal equipment to work. <S> If they can afford your salary, they can scrounge up a few extra grand for a camera - and if all their pics are going to be viewed through a cell phone or computer screen, do they really need a DSLR? <S> a $500 point and shoot will more than meet their business needs. <S> It sounds like you are having a bad time working for these people. <S> It doesn't sound like they respect your job. <S> Do you really want to continue with them? <A> Yes, you can ask for a compensation. <S> And I think you should. <S> But it probably will not go easy. <S> For 8 months. <S> So, stop bringing your gear to work. <S> Period. <S> If you must, tell them you (and them) can no longer rely on your gear to work as it has become run down due to heavy use. <S> It is no longer fit for professional use. <S> Going forward: find the closest camera shop that hires out equipment so you can rent a camera now you need one for your work. <S> Or get a quote for the equipment you think you need in your position. <S> Don't get any equipment without approval. <S> Photography equipment is not cheap. <S> Option two is just forgoing any equipment and see how the situation evolves. <S> You have learnt a costly lesson, but you still have a job. <S> Lastly <S> if there is no compensation and you still want one, get your resume ready and find a better employer. <S> Then go and find a lawyer that deals with this kind of problems. <A> The other answers already point out that your chances of getting compensation for the use of the camera are pretty low. <S> Even getting reimbursed for the damaged tripod seems like a no-go. <S> What this shows is that you work at a place where no one has the backbone to stand up and admit to their mistake <S> and they rather leave you holding the bag than help you. <S> Get out of this place. <S> It's a costly lesson no matter what but even if you do manage to get paid for the damaged tripod, that's a very small percentage of your loss anyway. <S> None of that changes the people around you and the fact that you'll have to deal with them every day if you stay here (assuming you don't get fired for not lending your own equipment for work). <S> A lawyer may help but it may end up even more costly. <S> Life is too short to work for / with people like that. <A> Of course yes! <S> You must require a depreciation term for the equipment. <S> After all, with the constant use in work, the equipment will damage faster than in personal use. <S> Besides the risks of falling, or theft.
| Logically speaking, if its your equipment that you use to earn money on a professional business, then you should retain sole ownership and control of it - don't let it out of your hands. Asking for compensation is going to be hard. Your employer and colleagues have made use of your generosity to use your professional gear without payment.
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Is it appropriate to send homemade treats in lieu of a thank-you email, after an interview? I had an interview yesterday at a firm I have been chasing for many months. I felt the interview went well, though I was a bit nervous. In my interest section on my CV I have written that I went to a culinary school a few summers ago, and it was actually a discussion point in the interview. I wonder if it would be appropriate to send a box of homemade cupcakes, brownies or similar along with a hand written note? Or should I stick with the traditional route of email? I'm seeking unpaid intern work. I'm in the UK (London) and a bit worried it may be interpreted along the lines of bribery. I know that this sort of a gesture would be appreciated in many parts of the world, but I'm not sure if we in the UK are a bit too reserved and conservative? They are an informal small firm - approximately 20 of them, all male. As a woman, if I do this, would I be setting myself up for "you belong in the kitchen"-type comments? <Q> Doing this instead of a thank-you email would seem a little weird and unexpected. <S> Anyone who liked them would want to thank you, but since they can't contact you, they can't. <S> It would probably be better for you to bring in some home-bakes when you get hired - it's a great way of meeting your colleagues. <A> the cakes/brownies enthusiastically devoured) it would be unlikely to sway the hiring decision in your favor by any appreciable margin, and would you really want to work for someone who hired you for a non-culinary role based on your baking skills? <S> Worst case would be that they would view it as light form of bribery (which would be hard to dispute) and make a moral judgement against you as a result. <A> I agree with the current answers stating that you should not send baked goods. <S> However, I offer an alternative that may help them remember you without looking like bribery. <S> During our discussion, you mentioned an interest in [dish]. <S> I've attached my favorite recipe so you can try it some time. <S> In my experience, if you're memorable, you may well get a nickname. <S> " <S> The chef" generally has positive connotations and sending the recipe would be something they don't see much. <S> If you can positively stand out in their memory, so much the better. <S> This seemed too answer-y for a comment and too comment-y for an answer <S> so I hope it fits. <A> Given the number of whack-jobs out there with a grievance and a twisted desire to act upon it, I would toss any such "gift" into the trash out of an abundance of caution.
| If baking was a discussion point in the interview and the interviewer seemed personally interested in the topic or, even better, a particular dish, you could include the recipe with your thank you message. I wouldn't, while there's a chance that it would just be appreciated as a nice gesture (and
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What could be done as a going-away party for a coworker who observes Ramadan? Our office has a tradition of doing a going-away lunch for colleagues moving onto new jobs or retiring. One of my teammates has accepted an offer and has announced his resignation, but he observes Ramadan at this time of year, and here in North Texas, sunset is quite late in the day, making a late lunch infeasible. What could be a nice non-food way to send him off? <Q> It is hardly a surprise that you want to do something for his going-away. <S> So I would ask him what he wants. <S> You could suggest a small meeting to say goodbye followed up with a lunch after Ramadan is over if he will be close enough to attend one. <A> I am a Muslim who practices fasting in Ramadan. <S> Me and my Muslim friends who are professionals we always talk about how lovely it is when we invite people/colleagues on Iftar especially if they were people who are not familiar with Ramadan; so that gives us chances to talk about it, its reasons and tradition. <S> Iftar is when sun sets and we break our fast -> eat dinner. <S> It is very unlikely to practice religious activities on Iftar time, because Iftar is for EATING, when Muslims had all day and still have all night for religious activities if a Muslim wanted to. <S> And It is highly likely to invite friends and family into Iftar. <S> You would realize that Ramadan is all about getting together. <S> Also, you would realize that 5 to 15 days (out of the 30 <S> ) Muslims will manage to have Iftar somewhere outside: <S> Restaurants reservations, friends' invitations, family invitations.. etc, and other 5 to 10 days Muslims will invite friends and family for iftar. <S> I would ask if colleagues are interested to join an Iftar Reservation with him (it is always at night). <S> If none of the team can/want to join his night iftar, then reserve a Ramadan Iftar at his favorite restaurant and give it to him (gift card?) and do a small get-together on lunch break (in that same day) for the team to say good bye to him. <S> I believe he would love it if you guys joined him for an iftar, but this is just my opinion. <A> Kind of you to be this considerate of your colleague. <S> However, why go to the trouble of posting on a site when it would be so simple to just ask him. <S> Moslems are normal people, so just ask him what he prefers - the traditional going away lunch or some other form of acknowledgement. <S> He may have some suggestions himself and you could spare yourself the angst of trying to guess!
| If they are interested, reserve an Iftar for everyone and invite him.
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Is it my problem if my boss doesn't like my gaze? My boss is uncomfortable with my stare. We had a meeting about it and he said during the meeting, "the way you're looking at me even now is inappropriate. You look like you're going to murder me or punch me in the face."All I do is make eye contact and wait for people to finish their sentences before responding, and I get the eye contact can be intimidating.I work in IT, sometimes investors stop by to say hello and talk with upper management, I have no contact with public otherwise. We are a small start up with <10 employees and our culture is to be as you as you can be. My question is, do I have to fix this or does he have to deal with it? Edit: No one else has ever vocalized an actual problem with it, just jokes about resting B face and the like. Edit2: There is nothing about him that triggers me to look differently at him than the others, and it was very clearly stated that it is not a joke. To that note, I also risk consequence if I do not change this. <Q> My question is, do I have to fix this or does he have to deal with it? <S> Perhaps what we can get out of this incident is that maybe your stare is a bit stronger than some people may like. <S> In some cultures, and generally speaking, making eye contact all the time can be intimidating or uncomfortable . <S> It is a healthy thing to break that eye contact every now and then , pay attention to their hand signals and body language, look around for other people there, etc. <S> These things may help you have a more comfortable "stare" when interacting. <S> Edit: Seems that even though your boss is the only one that has showed signs of being uncomfortable with it, the "jokes" about such stare other people do are more signs that you could adjust your stare . <S> No need to radically change it, but at least try to break eye contact from now then, or perhaps a brief smile. <A> Yikes. <S> Resting serial killer face. <S> Do you have to fix it? <S> No. <S> But if you don't, it will affect your career. <S> Look up body language ques. <S> If you are having a hard time figuring it out, start by mimicking your boss. <A> Yes, I had a individual interviewed once and he had that look in his eye like he was going to murder someone whenever he was listening to what I had to say or others in the room did. <S> I don't think it was his fault though and didn't hold it against him. <S> How are you making eye contact with your boss? <S> Are you staring at him constantly during meetings even when others are talking? <S> Do you have to change your behavior? <S> Depends. <S> If your boss is the only person uncomfortable - and the only time in your life you ever heard of it, and no one else seems to mind - even higher up people - then I wouldn't change. <S> I would just take it off as your boss has a weird vibe. <S> Honestly unless he is able to tell you specifically what, I would report it to HR for harassment as saying to someone they have a "serial killer look" doesn't sound professional at all especially when it has nothing to do with the job or if you are trying to be serious.
| In a way, if this makes your boss uncomfortable and he specifically asked you to change that , you should consider granting his request. The easy solution would be for you to adjust your eye contact when interacting with people.
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Dealing with safety issues in a factory I have been working on a production line for a couple of years now. Things were great when we started, but the safety is getting worse. The water fountain doesn't work anymore and we have a rolling ladder (think giant triangle on wheels) that has one of the supports broken and held together with duct tape. Old stuff is breaking and nobody is fixing it, we just gotta work around it. We don't have a union, and I've brought this up with my manager, but he hasn't done anything. Someone told me that I should maybe go to OSHA , but I'm not sure. Won't I get in trouble? I need this job and can't afford to lose it. I'm going for my GED now, but I haven't completed it yet so it won't be easy to get another one if I lose this job. My kids depend on me. Is there some way I can report this without getting in trouble? <Q> If you file a complaint with the OSHA <S> then the OSHA will not share your personal information with your employer: <S> OSHA will keep your information confidential. <S> So you should be safe from retaliation if you file a complaint. <A> Talk to the OSHA about this. <S> They'll be able to advise you confidentially about how to progress this concern for health and safety. <S> They doubtless get a lot of inquiries from concerned employees who are also afraid for their jobs and livelihoods. <S> Contact them, describe the situation (and your fears for your own job) and take their advice. <S> That's what they're there for. <S> Bear in mind that there's potential for one of your colleagues to be seriously injured or worse if these problems aren't addressed. <S> Even though you might not be affected, you would still have this on your conscience if anything bad should happen to someone. <A> In addition to contacting the OSHA, I'd also start looking for a new job, just to keep multiple doors open. <S> Equipment breaking and not being replaced might mean multiple things (no money to replace it, bad management, ...) and an investigation from OSHA could put your company out of business. <S> You want to be ready to jump ship if the one you're currently in sinks, and I'd suggest you to start looking asap, since you said it won't be easy to find another one. <A> Even though you're not in a union, there are things you can do. <S> IF there is someone above your management you can talk to, see if you can speak to them. <S> Tell them that they don't want someone to get hurt and expose the company to risk/liability. <S> Any dangerous equipment might "accidentally" be rendered inoperable. <S> Anyone working on the dangerous equipment may work very very slowly. <S> Also, a lack of union does not preclude you from taking a job action. <S> Work to the book and follow every procedure. <S> If you get assigned to the dangerous equipment, fill out a repair ticket. <S> If there's any way to lock out the plug, do so. <S> Get as many people to keep doing this <S> and they'll get the point, at least if they fire anyone, firing for obeying safety standards <S> is usually a damn good case for wrongful termination. <S> That way, if they take any action against you, they'll probably settle quicky, use that money to get your GED. <S> You are not powerless here. <S> GOOD LUCK <A> Written complaints that are signed by workers or their representative and submitted to an OSHA Area or Regional office are more likely to result in onsite OSHA inspections. <S> On the form you can select <S> Do NOT reveal my name to my Employer. <S> form <S> One possible outcome is the business shutting down if they don't have the funds to correct critical safety violation(s). <S> OSHA is not going to give them much slack based on cannot afford it. <S> If it is just a ladder and drinking fountain that is not much. <S> It would be cheaper for them to fix it than shut down. <S> If you try and fix the problem directly and it fails they could blame you for the problem. <S> Your are in a bad spot. <S> It is not safe. <S> You have a choice of working in a unsafe environment or risk the the company having to shut down. <S> If you are severely hurt you children are not going eat. <A> It's not clear to me whether your coworkers have also reported these problems to your manager, and their cooperation helps you in several ways: <S> This prevents you from being easily identified by an OSHA complaint. <S> (thanks to @TOOGAM.) <S> If you decide to pursue an OSHA complaint and OSHA follows up with your managerial staff, your manager will have a harder time identifying you as the source of the OSHA complaint if multiple employees have reported the issues outlined in the OSHA complaint. <S> This will help shield you from retaliation. <S> This validates your concerns in your manager's eyes. <S> One employee's concerns can potentially be brushed off as the employee being oversensitive to an issue. <S> A whole team or multiple teams of employees expressing worries about the same problems shows that there is widespread consensus that they are real issues. <S> This adds urgency to the problems. <S> Multiple people reporting the same problems to your manager over an extended period of time prevents your manager (either by accident or on purpose) from forgetting about the problems until they are no longer being reported. <S> When asking your coworkers to report the issues you have identified, make sure your coworkers understand that they should express their concerns independently from your reports. <S> Reports about safety hazards from multiple employees coming forward on their own will carry more weight in your manager's eyes than your coworkers telling your manager "Hey, Tina_Sea told me to remind you about the broken water fountain."
| In addition to or before filing an OSHA complaint, you can ask your coworkers to also report the issues to your manager or with any other managers responsible for the area in which the equipment you're concerned about is used. You can file a complaint with OSHA.
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Should I say I have a Bachelor Degree when actually my degree is another one? In my country, there are two kinds of undergraduate degrees (Bachelors and Technologic). My degree is currently the latter one, but it is basically the same curriculum of a Bachelor in Computer Science, the only difference being basically that the course is little bit shorter (Computer Science is around 4 years part time, and mine is 3 years part time) mostly because we focus a little less on the math side. Is it unethical/wrong to say I have a Bachelor Degree when applying in other countries that doesn't have this kind of degree (Technologic)? I'm focusing here mostly on the European market, but I don't think this is related to any region at all. <Q> Is it unethical/wrong to say I have a Bachelor Degree when applying in other countries that doesn't have this kind of degree (Technologic)? <S> Yes it is. <S> It's simply wrong. <S> In some European countries, lying on your resume like that may be grounds for firing you for cause, even when they find out 20 years later and it made no difference. <S> Especially Germans are really skilled in screwing you over paperwork (Disclaimer: I know because I am from Germany). <S> Better to get it right from the start. <S> What you need to do is to put your actual title and then add something like "(roughly equivalent to a Bachelor in $Country)". <A> If you're showing your studies on a CV, and you're afraid that people from other regions will not know what a "Technologic" degree is, then it would be more reasonable (and correct) to explain instead of lying. <S> For instance, you could list the following on your resume: <S> Technologic degree in Computer Science, 2016, University of SuchandSuch 3 Year program consisting of study in X, Y, Z GPA of 3.5, Graduated with Honors <S> This way, you're not lying, but you are explaining the degree to people who may not understand it. <S> Also, you're not passing on your own judgement of what's equivalent, you're giving them the info and letting them decide (because, some people may not agree with your interpretation that a 3 year degree is equivalent to a 4 year degree.) <S> To expand on what Draken mentioned in a comment, If there is a generally accepted framework that equates degrees from your country to those in other countries, it may make sense to list that as well: For instance, Technologic degree in Computer Science, 2016, University of SuchandSuch 3 Year program consisting of study in X, Y, Z GPA of 3.5, Graduated with Honors European Qualifications Framework level 5 <A> Yes you should report your actual degree. <S> To not do so is fraud. <S> Just because it is a term they might not know is not a reason the change. <S> Let them have the chance to ask you or look it up. <S> If you use Bachelor to give the impression of a 4 year degree and they look at your resume and discover it is 3 year degree <S> and you did not accurately report the degree you will be immediately eliminated as a candidate. <A> It is simply not on the same level in our country, it is not university education, although it is tertiary education roughly on the bachelor level. <S> Whatever you exactly have, your diploma should say which EQF level it is. <S> If your diploma says it is actually EQF 6, tell that instead. <S> EQF levels are described by European Qualifications Framework . <S> If it is the same EQF level as a bachelor, tell that. <A> Translating degrees is a major topic. <S> Turn to a good translator, ask your question on a forum for translators or search for official translations for example on university websites. <S> Btw, bachelor study normally takes 3 years in the EU (acc. <S> to the Bologna process). <S> I would think the key here is whether you can start an M.A./M.Sc. <S> study after getting your "technological" degree, not the duration of study. <S> If you can continue to an M.A./M.Sc. <S> without taking additional courses or similar, your degree is equivalent to an B.A./B.Sc. <S> , if not, it's not and you shouldn't describe it as such. <A> Is it unethical/wrong to say I have a Bachelor Degree when applying in other countries that doesn't have this kind of degree (Technologic)? <S> Generally speaking, including information that is not 100% true in your resume is not recommended. <S> In this situations, it is better to be as truthful as possible, while including only the relevant and pertaining information for your application. <S> I suggest you specify your have Technologic degree, but mention it basically equivalent to a Bachelor's one. <S> Give some detail <S> so anybody that is unaware of such degree can understand what it is about. <A> Get an official translation, preferably by the issuing university. <S> Your university also may offer an international supplement . <S> Either can include a remark such as such as "internationally, the Technologic degree is usually interpreted as bachelor". <S> Further the supplement includes an explanation of the grading scheme which is essential for someone to review your degree. <A> In US there are private companies licensed by Department of Education to perform foreign diploma evaluation. <S> You bring your original diploma to them, pay the fee <S> and they translate it and determine what it is equivalent to in US education system and how many college credits you have. <S> I think something similar has to exist in most countries. <S> In my opinion this is your best bet even if it costs you money. <S> Just make sure that the company you pick for this is actually licensed by local Department of Education. <S> Often hiring companies can provide you with a list of diploma evaluation companies they trust.
| It would be deceptive to list your degree as a Bachelors when it isn't a Bachelors. If you mean DiS ("diplommed specialist") then it is very wrong and lying.
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Should I inform interviewers before calling me that I stutter? I used to heavily stutter when I was at school. My parents didn't pay much attention to the problem but I started working on it when I entered college. It was hard to completely get rid of it, but I spared no effort in trying to minimize its effects on professional interactions. One of the most effective strategies my speech therapist employed was training me to talk slower than average and wait for a couple of seconds before responding in a conversation. It didn't completely remedy the problem but made it less noticeable. I continue to work and improve till this day. However, my experience with phone interviews, which is always the first stage in any recruitment process, has been nothing but negative due to this. Because they're not aware of the problem, my occasional pauses, stuttering and overall “patient” way of talking overshadow the positives. I get embarrassed when they lose interest and try to wrap up the call by interrupting me to ask another question, which makes me stutter even more. My stuttering is a problem, I get that. But I want to show interviewers that I'm a hard worker who spared no effort in trying to get rid of this problem. I paid money, spent hundreds of hours working on it alone and with groups, and worked hard in my career to compensate for stuttering. What's the best way to approach this? Interviewers usually reach out by email to set up a phone interview. Should I inform them of my stuttering problem so it doesn't come as a surprise? I work in the marketing industry. My job usually requires 70% writing and 30% interaction with colleagues and clients. <Q> Since you've already noticed that phone screens don't go well when the interviewer isn't forewarned, you have little to lose by telling them. <S> I recommend working on a sentence to include in the email when you agree to the screen. <S> Something like: <S> I have an occasional stutter, which worsens if I talk fast or am in an overlapping/interrupting conversation. <S> I'm a fast thinker, and a slow talker sometimes. <S> If you need to take a pause during a phone screen, give them a signal (in person you could hold you hand up) like "hang on" or "one sec" and then take the pause you need. <S> Clearly you can write persuasively, since you're getting the interview, so it's just a matter of setting expectations to enable the interviewer to understand what your pauses mean. <A> First off I would like to commend you for your hard work <S> , I can only imagine getting rid of a stutter is a very long and frustrating process. <S> That being said you should definitely inform your interviewers ahead of time. <S> You don't want your slow methodical speech to be misinterpreted negatively. <S> If you choose to inform them in an email I would go with something along the lines of " <S> Just so you're aware before our phone interview, I have a stutter that I am working hard to combat, thank you in advance for your time and patience." <S> But even so you might wish to warn the interviewer again right at the beginning of the conversation incase the information was not passed along. <S> "Before we begin I just wanted to warn you <S> I have a small stutter, I work hard to minimize it but let me know if it gets hard to understand me" With this phrasing you not only inform them about the stutter but you show you have taken steps to fix it and signal that you are accommodating and thoughtful of others and who doesn't want that in a future employee <A> I have a hearing problem myself. <S> I wear hearing aids but that isn't obvious by a phone call or video conference. <S> I usually tell the other person in such a case that I am hard of hearing <S> and I may ask them to repeat things. <S> Everyone I talked to agreed with this <S> but I don't know if it lessened my chances ever. <S> With that said, disclosing a disability might be helpful, especially if it is debilitating. <S> It may also prepare them if you do stuttering and they can act accordingly. <S> Most people I seen are okay with a disability. <S> Good luck. <A> I would start the phone interview by indicating that you have a stutter, and you've worked hard to minimize it. <S> Tell the interviewers that if it becomes a barrier in communication, please be vocal about it, because the important part is that they understand you well. <S> Typically it will take a second or two to compose yourself, and then the interview will press on. <S> This does a few important things: <S> It gives them the right impression, that you care about communication. <S> It gives them the formula for telling you when communication is suffering. <S> It lowers the barrier of their speaking up, so they don't hide if they'll deem the communication issues too severe. <S> While I agree that indicating you stutter is a good idea before the interview, you never know who's going to be on the call; so, don't indicate before the call. <A> I agree with Kate - tell the interviewers ahead of time that you have a stutter and use pauses and slow speech to compensate. <S> Thank them for their patience ahead of time. <S> In addition to a hand signal, you might want to experiment with a sound that tells the interviewer you are listening. <S> Lightly clearing your throat or a "thinking" noise such as "hmmm.." might be a good indicator that you are working on your answer. <S> On a side note - if you are open to moving, you might consider job hunting in areas where the local speech is slower paced. <S> This would help camouflage your own speech and your coworkers would be accustomed to a slower cadence. <S> If you are in the US, the Atlantic has a full list .
| You can inform them that you have a stuttering problem and may take a second to answer questions. If the phone situation is specifically worse for you than in-person, you should mention that.
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Interview - response to refreshments announcement Scenario : An employer announces a walk-in interview. The number of candidates that shows up would typically be above fifty. Most of candidates would be seated in conference rooms or waiting rooms while they await their interview slot. While we are all waiting for our turns, the employer's HR representatives often provide refreshments (sandwiches, packaged drinks etc). Sometimes, the refreshments are brought in after candidates have arrived, at which point the HR rep bringing in the refreshments announces that they are for the candidates. Everything would be fine until then. Sometimes, one or two candidates thank the HR rep bringing in the refreshments with a simple, 'Thank you so much' or similar, and the HR rep reciprocates by smiling or by saying, 'Welcome.' However, there are certain scenarios where the HR rep seems to get offended by such Thank You statements. Recently, I attended such an interview session, and one of the female candidates said, 'Thank you for this gesture' upon being presented with the refreshments. At that point, the HR rep's face turned red. The HR rep was a senior guy, must have been in his later thirties or early forties. He was staring at her for the entire time and it was quite an uncomfortable situation for her. What should the norm be in these kind of cases? Is 'Thank you for this gesture' a little overwhelming for this situation? How can a candidate acknowledge these kind of gestures? <Q> I don't think "Thank you for this gesture" is overwhelming. <S> I think a more likely explanation is that the HR rep, an older gentleman and probably in a position of authority, was feeling uncomfortable at being assigned a task of a servant, of literally serving refreshments to a group of people. <S> And in this moment of discomfort, a candidate -- a supplicant to him who wants a job from him -- spoke to him graciously, as one would to a host. <S> But this intensified his feelings of being a servant. <S> Her being female and younger than him probably made it even worse. <S> He blushed. <S> He felt very bad. <S> He probably felt anger at her for "treating him like a servant" even though she didn't, and it wasn't her who set him that task. <S> My guess is he will ensure she isn't hired. <S> My advice to you is to remember that whatever role someone is performing, including holding a door, handing out refreshments, giving directions in the hallways, they are still who they are and should be treated with care. <S> You wouldn't say "thanks buddy" or "good work, boy" to a senior member of staff doing these tasks, because they are still senior people. <S> A just plain thankyou is safest. <S> It doesn't carry any extra baggage or implications about who is above whom in the transaction. <A> Just a simple <S> Thank you very much <S> Is all that’s needed. <S> There’s no need for anything more. <S> Being overly polite or enthusiastic comes across as strange for a basic courtesy like this (it can appear to be patronising or sarcastic if taken the wrong way) <A> Forget about refreshments and focus on the main topic: Why are you applying to that company? <S> It's more likely that they will like you if you give thanks for their advice or their time to answer your questions related to the main topic, instead of being polite about the refreshments. <S> Be accurate, be precise, and most important, be yourself .
| It's okay to be nervous and polite, but don't try to talk about everything that comes to your mind to stand out.
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Generous severance package worth mentioning in future interviews? I work in the USA and was recently placed on a 90-day performance improvement plan (PIP) with my company. Just shy of my 60-day PIP review, I was terminated. I was only with the company for 7 months, but they very graciously gave me a 3-and-a-half month severance package with full salary and benefits. That's not a typo: after it's all said & done, they will have effectively paid time-and-a-half for my brief employment. Obviously, they felt I wasn't a good fit for the job but maybe "felt bad" about letting me go? Is there anything to be read into such a generous severance for such a short tenure? I do feel like I drew the short end of the stick from an employment standpoint, as the job ended up being very different than it was laid out to me in the original job description. Does it seem like the company agrees with this assessment and is trying to make ammends by giving me such a generous severance? Furthermore, is this appropriate to bring up in future interviews? Almost like saying, "the company felt that I wasn't a great fit for the job but thought so highly of me as an individual that they gave me an incredible severance package." Or something to that effect. <Q> Furthermore, is this appropriate to bring up in future interviews? <S> No. <S> And you don't really know why you got the severance that you did. <S> It might be because you were an outstanding worker. <S> Or it might just be standard procedure. <S> Future employers won't care. <S> Future employers will care that you were put on a PIP after only 5 months and then dismissed without even waiting for the 90-day period to expire. <S> There's nothing good in that. <S> Try to avoid the entire topic if you can. <A> Furthermore, is this appropriate to bring up in future interviews? <S> No. <S> Nobody but your bank manager and your close family care about your severance package. <S> You can ask why you got the severance package you did - and you should, because it will be educational for you. <S> At a guess, you worked at Netflix, which has a standard procedure to give high severance packages. <S> This is to encourage management to fire staff that are not performing, because now the managers don't feel so bad about it. <S> It's a great trick, and helpful to management. <S> It does not sell you to another employer though, so I would not bring it up. <S> Note <S> this is different to bringing up your last bonus, which you should do as <S> that shows how valued you are and can be used as leverage for a sign-on bonus. <A> Short answer, NO <S> Longer answer <S> This is becoming more and more common of a practice, as it's extending to paying people to quit. <S> Amazon , for example, sees this as beneficial to the company to get rid of people who don't want to be there. <S> When it comes to employees who are underperforming or just a bad fit, it is better for all parties concerned to take this approach rather than the traditional one. <S> It's less rough on the employee, management does not have to build a massive file, and an employee does not have a "fired for cause" on their record. <S> It's not strange or odd, just very expedient for the company. <S> If they pay you to go away, they're far less likely to get sued, have difficulties from past employees slamming them on sites like glass door, and managers are less likely to retain someone out of guilt. <S> It's a very expedient way to handle the problem of terminating employees. <S> To be a bit blunt, it's a way of telling you to go to Hell in such a way as to have you look forward to the trip. <S> Nothing more. <S> Do not volunteer this information. <S> To those employers who do not practice this, they may view it as you being so bad as your previous employer thought it worth the money to be rid of you. <A> If I were a hiring manager and you told me that story, I'd probably assume you must've done something really bad if they're willing to dole out that kind of free money just to get you out the door. <S> I'd say, don't mention the severance or the PIP. <S> Instead just say something like, <S> "There were some discrepancies between the description and the actual requirements and, after several months, we agreed the position wasn't a good fit for my skill set. <S> I thought I would be spending the bulk of my time working on <S> x but the job turned out to be mostly y. <S> " <S> Per @dwizum--you should also prepare for the interview by thinking of specific questions about the job to show that you're making a serious effort to prevent repeating the same mistake. <A> No <S> I know it's been answered already, but just to throw in a new reason for the "No". <S> If they thought highly of you, they'd keep you on! <S> It's unlikely that they thought you were a bad employee, but such a nice guy that they'd give you a nice golden parachute unless you happened to be great friends with/have some dirt on the manager! <S> If I were an interviewer, I'd entertain the possibility that they wanted to get rid of you before the remaining 2 months were up, and the extra money (which is actually just 1.5 months salary to them since they're saving the 2 months they would have paid you) is to stop you kicking up a fuss about early termination / not being allowed to complete your PIP...
| Future employers won't care about your severance package.
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Received an absence notice from HR for missing a day at work that I took with my boss's authorization I asked my boss if I can stay home on Monday, because of some personal reasons. He said, "yes no problem" because we had completed our work and there was nothing to do. And he would be there on Monday, so, there would be no problem caused by me staying home. But, afterwards, the HR rep asked me to sign a written warning (advertence) for my absence. I referred HR to my manager, but they just told me they can't do anything because my boss didn't warn them about my absence. How can I be punished if my boss had authorized me to stay home? <Q> Simply refer HR to your boss, indicating that your boss gave you the permission to be at home on that day. <S> Then let your boss sort things out on your behalf. <S> This should be fairly straightforward and the absence/disciplinary warning notice should accordingly be removed from your record. <A> For comparison, here is the procedure at my work: <S> Ask boss. <S> Get permission. <S> (spoken) <S> Formally apply for leave using a computerized timekeeping system. <S> HR sees this application, asks boss if it is OK. <S> Hopefully they say yes. <S> For trusted employees, don't bother asking boss. <S> Application is formally approved. <S> Note that this might happen after the actual leave if you apply the last day before. <S> But that is fine. <S> First day after leave, tell the timekeeping system that "Yes, I was absent." <S> (This is still fine if the leave is approved later, as long as the application was entered before) <S> Now, are you sure your employer doesn't have a similar system <S> and you skipped some steps out of ignorance? <S> You have been given a written warning not to do this again. <S> Ask HR politely exactly what you did wrong. <S> In other words, ask what the proper procedure is to avoid this problem in the future. <S> Be calm, be polite and listen to what they say. <S> In a comment you seem to be saying that your boss didn't do the proper paper work. <S> If that turns out to be true, ask HR politely how you should best insure that your boss does things correctly. <S> Be calm, be polite and listen to what they say. <S> A warning is just a warning and not a punishment in itself. <S> As long as you do not repeat your offense things should work out. <S> You might say at this point, " <S> But it's not fair!" <S> This is true, but the worlds is not a fair place. <S> If your employer turns out to be even less fair than average, you might want to look for other work, but this single case doesn't sound like worse than average to me. <A> The reaction should tell you all you need to know. <S> Regardless, ask for that meeting. <S> Either he and you will be as one against HR, or he'll pass the buck, at which point a good move would be to hand in your notice. <S> I thought HR stood for human resources, although several other ideas flashed into my mind. <A> As Snow stated in his response, let your boss handle this. <S> He was the one who allowed it and gave you authorization, so he should be the one to answer to HR if they take issue to it. <S> If they keep trying to come after you, I would escalate it to someone higher up in HR.
| I would recommend against signing anything and just keep referring the issue to your boss. Explain to your boss that you need to arrange a meeting with HR, you and him.
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Two interviews - how should I prepare I have two interviews this week for a Junior Full-Stack Developer position at two different companies. The first company were good enough to let me know that the interview will be informal, nothing heavy, they will ask me mostly questions about my aspirations and tech path. This kinda made me feel more relaxed because I was studying really hard for the tech part. The second company will probably give me tech test. The tech stack is slightly different in both companies, but they all share a common core . How do I prepare for both of these interviews? Should I study and be prepared only for the technologies that are similar to both companies, or should I push myself to understand a little bit each technology the company uses? <Q> How do I prepare for both of these interviews? <S> In short, study hard, and be as prepared as you can be . <S> Focus on the technology stacks noted and do not go outside of that as then you potentially will be in over your head. <S> You should have a base understanding of the technologies in question . <S> should I push myself to understand a little bit each technology the company uses? <S> In short yes , you should push yourself . <S> One glaring weakness may not break the bank so to speak, but it won't help your cause. <S> I am a firm believer is putting your absolute best foot forward which would mean putting in as much time as you can on the technologies you are not familiar with. <S> Another pointer I will give to you <S> : Don't forget about the other more soft aspects of the interview. <S> If you nail the technical aspect, even non technical questions will matter. <A> That's a lot of different tools. <S> Some of them are pretty obscure. <S> If there's one you've never worked with - I'd suggest getting your hands on it before the interview. <S> AWS in particular is pretty easy to practice beforehand. <S> For $5, you can spin up a few servers and see how they connect together. <S> They won't (well, they shouldn't ) expect you to be good at any of them - so long as you don't give them a blank stare. <S> Also - junior full stack developer? <S> Either they want: a senior developer at entry level pay - in which case the interview will suck, and you shouldn't let it get you down. <S> or an entry level dude who wants to learn, in which case they will care more about how you think than what you know. <A> How do I prepare for both of these interviews? <S> Should I study and be prepared only for the technologies that are similar to both companies, or should I push myself to understand a little bit each technology the company uses? <S> If you just study the technology they have in common you will be in trouble if asked about some specific piece of tech that is exclusive to one of the companies. <S> To be honest, I think that there is really no way to truly "study for an interview"; the idea of them is to get a peek on what you already know to see if you are a strong candidate. <S> Just be careful not to fake it ; if you really don't know much about a specific tool <S> it's better to be honest and say so <S> (be sure to mention you know alternatives or experience with similar techs). <S> If you don't this can come down at you in the long run. <A> You are expected not to know. <S> You are expected to compensate that with energy and enthusiasm. <S> So trying to learn as much as you can from what they use is what you need to do
| Anyways, I suggest you become acquainted with all the technologies involved, or with most of them. Make sure to get a good night's sleep before the interview! If they ask you a question that you don't know, it's OK, but you want to be able to say "I don't know, but based on my understanding of the question, it's similar to this thing I do know."
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Is it a common business practice for email to be managed by personal assistants? I emailed an inquiry to a Partner in a marketing firm. I received a standardized rote response directly from his email address. It had his name in the email signature. My name was misspelt in the email. I am wondering if he wrote the response himself, or it was done by his personal assistant. It would give me an idea of how seriously he took my email. Is it a common business practice to let one's personal assistants manage one's email? <Q> While perhaps not as common as it used to be <S> it's not unheard of, certainly in larger organisations where the individual is very senior and receives a large volume of mail. <S> As pointed out in the comments by Masked Man depending upon the setup of the organisation's e-mail sometimes this will be made explicitly obvious that the e-mail was sent by a delegate, absence of such is not a cast-iron guarantee that it was sent by the person whose name is on it - I've seen setups where the PA logged into the executive's webmail and carried out actions from there for example. <S> However while I understand that this isn't strictly what you asked <S> but I would suggest you might be over-thinking this. <S> A misspelled name on an e-mail is rarely anything more than that and attempting to read anything significant into that isn't particularly useful <S> I'm afraid. <A> The question asked is, Is it a common business practice to let one's personal assistants manage one's email? <S> Yes. <S> It is both technically possible, and common, for publicly-visible individuals (CEOs, partners, etc). <S> within a company to have help from an admin assistant or PA answering emails from the public. <S> The PA role is typically responsible for filtering and focusing: Helping the senior employee provide the most effective input on the most relevant topics/problems. <S> Often, part of this role is handling "easier" tasks as a representative of the senior employee - things like opening mail, managing calendars, and responding to basic questions with pre-approved messages. <S> The messages may still come from the senior employee's address, and there may be no indication that the PA sent the message. <S> This is the modern-day equivalent of an admin assistant typing up a letter and either having the senior employee sign it, or rubber-stamping the signature. <S> In less-saavy environments, this may be done via sharing the senior employee's password, though this is not exactly best practice. <A> You are taking this way too personal. <S> Would it make you feel better if the partner answered your mail in a hurry on his mobile phone and slipped on his touchscreen? <S> A spelling mistake in an email is not the end of the world. <S> And neither is the use of a template for emails. <A> It is common. <S> What is completely uncommon is PAs signing as partners. <S> I don't think I've ever come across anything like this. <S> It is normally very clear if the email was answered by a PA, not a manager/ partner/ CEO. <S> I don't think any manager/ partner/ CEO would accept their PA signing as them either. <S> But you are overthinking it. <S> It was probably him <S> and I can't see why you would try to find out whether it was him or another person.
| From a technical perspective, it's easy in most email systems to set up delegation: The senior employee allows the PA access to their mailbox, for the purpose of performing this role.
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Application process has been in German (native tongue), should I inform the candidate that the interview will be held in English? I've recently received the task to coordinate and perform a job interview for an internship position at our company. I've no experience at all at this, so please excuse my (maybe stupid) question. So far, the whole application process of the candidate has been in German (native tongue), but for the interview I will be supported by a colleague who does not speak German. Therefore, I will conduct the interview in English. Should I inform the candidate about this or is this something a candidate has to expect when applying to an international company? English skills are a requirement and clearly stated in the job description. <Q> I would say: Yes No one is going to learn enough proficient English to trick you in a few days, so there is no particular advantage on hiding it. <S> On the other side, candidates could cancel the interview by themselves (if they lack this ability and don't feel prepared), saving you some time. <S> In addition, hiding it may make the candidate nervous when the interview arrives, which is something I try to avoid. <A> Speaking a foreign language takes practice. <S> Even speaking your native language takes practice - if you don't use your native language for a long time, you can't just switch it on, it takes a while until it all comes back to you <S> and you can speak fluently. <S> So you should really inform the candidate beforehand, otherwise what you hear in the interview may give a completely wrong impression of their abilities. <A> I can tell you how other German companies do that. <S> Most of them don't notify candidates that interviews or some parts of them will be in English. <S> Even when I asked several times, I was given answers like "We don't know yet", "It depends on the interviewers so be prepared for both" and similar. <S> These were all big, well-known companies. <S> I don't think I've been ever told my interview will be in a specific language. <S> They don't normally let you know if they want to test other languages you listed in your CV either. <S> However, you might want to tell candidates the interview will be in English for several reasons: <S> Some candidates like to know what to expect. <S> If you don't list fluent English as a requirement, you want to have the candidate prepared, so that they are not surprised. <S> It shows some respect towards candidates to provide them with info on the process. <A> I want to add a perspective that was not mentioned in the other answers: A job interview is not a one-way road. <S> Depending on your line of buisness the interviewee may have already other offers they could take and are just searching for the best fit. <S> If a sudden change to another language is not something that is to be expected and needed for the job, you may loose a valuable worker to another company just because they didn't like the surprise or are intimidated. <S> The first impression of your company is as important as the first impression of the interviewee. <S> So avoiding unecessary unpleasant surprises will work in your favour. <A> There are 6 official international languages (the official languages of United Nations) and it's not reasonable to expect a candidate will be fluent in all 6 of them only because he/she applies to international company... <S> However, the relevant part is, that language X (it really doesn't matter, what X stays for) is in your 'must have' skills. <S> Therefore, the candidate should expect, that the ability of speaking in this language will be tested. <S> However, informing the candidate makes sense. <S> It's unlikely to give him <S> /her any advantage, a few days is not enough to refresh language skills. <S> But it avoids extra stress because of surprise effect, and in case the candidate has a bit overestimated his/her language skills, it might save both your and his/hers time... <A> I would say it depends on the field. <S> However, it might also depends on the field. <S> On Information Technology is pretty much expect you are proficient in English at least in an intermediate Level, and whilst nobody expects you to conduct long talks, people expect a minimum of proficiency. <S> Whist in some interviews <S> I was warned beforehand <S> it would be in English, in many countless others, I was just asked at the last minute if I would not mind switching languages. <S> I would also add to the discussion from personal experience, that how the candidate deals with that request at the last minute varies with maturity and command of the tongue. <S> Nevertheless, I also nowadays prefer a previous warning of several sorts of interviews, as not to waste time with processes that would not be a fit for me.
| No harm done in warning a candidate or asking if he does not mind being interviewed in English.
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Can a part-time job legally require me to work more than one shift in Ontario, Canada? I work two jobs in Ontario, Canada: a full time job during the weekdays (45 hours minus 2.5 hours for breaks) and a part time job on Saturdays. My part-time employer is demanding that I work one more shift on Sundays (totaling 10 hours or more a week). I have told them that I am not willing to do an extra shift and they are not accommodating my request. Can they legally force me to do this? <Q> The thing is unless I've misunderstood the question neither of your employers is asking you to work 7 days a week - the "regular" job is asking you to work 5 days (which is pretty standard) and the part time one is asking you to work 2 days. <S> So the question of "working 7 days" is something of a red herring here. <S> I'm not trying to be insensitive - believe me working 7 days a week can be awful <S> and I'm fully sympathetic to that <S> , it's just not technically <S> what either employer is asking you to do. <S> The real issue at hand is whether your part-time job can require you to work two days instead of one and to answer that will depend upon your employment contract with them (which should detail hours of work and any scope for changing them) and any local legislation surrounding change of working hours in an existing job. <S> As to whether they can "force" you to do the two days - well ultimately no <S> but you may not be in a position to "force" them to continue giving you the existing one day either and that "no" may translate as "no, because you can resign". <S> EDIT: <S> A few more thoughts following updates from the OP: There is a change coming in Ontario legislation that might apply: <S> In particular, employees can refuse shifts without detriment if they are asked to work with less than four days’ notice. <S> Unfortunately that isn't coming in to effect until January 2019 <S> so that probably doesn't help you here. <S> If the day in dispute is a Sunday (which it sounds like it is) <S> then that's a bit complicated <S> but I believe that you will have the right to refuse to do so as long as you didn't agree to working Sundays when you were hired and that being the case they can't penalize you for refusing either. <A> Part time employment in Canada is considered anything less than 30 hours per week. <S> At this point, the best thing you can do is talk to the part time employer and tell them why you only want to work one day a week. <S> At the end of the day, it is probably not worth it to the part time employer to keep you for one day a week if you are not willing to work more. <S> You question is a tad misleading. <S> You work a full time job AND also a part time job. <S> No one is forcing you to work 7 days a week. <S> You have one employer who wants you 5 days a week and one employer that wants you 2 days a week. <S> As previously mentioned, they can schedule you up to 30 hours per week and that would still be considered part time. <S> You can always say no to the shifts, but this will more than likely end with you losing the job to someone who will work 2 days (or more) per week. <A> There is a broader question here which also provides an answer for the OP: "can an employer force workers to work seven days (or more) in a row?" <S> Clearly if it is legal for a single employer to do this in Canada (Ontario), the OP will have no recourse in the case where the combination of two jobs results in this situation. <S> It's pretty common in the resource industries (maybe others) to work up to 14 days in a row, followed by a week or so off. <S> Longer than 14 days is not prohibited by labour law either as AFAIK, because it is sometimes done, but is often considered unsafe in situations where heavy equipment, etc. is involved -- so many companies discourage longer shifts for this reason.
| Unless there is a contract in place, or some form of written agreement, they can schedule you for 2 shifts (or more). So unless you have some form of prior agreement (preferably in writing) they are within their rights to schedule you as a part time employee (so up to 30 hours per week). There is no legal issue here.
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How to handle a coworker who constantly asks for help with her tasks? I am working as a Software Developer for the last 10 months. I have a colleague working on the same technology framework for 6 months. She doesn't develop the logic and algorithms on her own, and instead relies on her supervisor or me. The supervisor has told her many times to work by herself, but she rarely follows his advice. She struggles with basic software concepts even after working for 6 months. To avoid being scolded by her supervisor, she constantly asks me to help her. Her queries are sometimes too confusing or miss the basics which irritate me. She interrupts me every 10-15 minutes to solve problems in her code, which damages my productivity for the entire day. She also doesn't pay attention to or remember what I explain, and keeps asking me to explain the same thing repeatedly. I tried talking to the CTO (not her supervisor, because the CTO is a lot more calm). The CTO suggested me to continue helping her, but inform him if this takes more than 30 minutes of my time. However, my issue is not that this takes 30 minutes, but the continuous disturbances every 10 minutes. My question is, what can be done to handle a coworker who constantly asks me for help with her work tasks? <Q> This might be hard to hear but it sounds to me like you are encouraging this behavior by assisting her constantly. <S> I believe if you were to set aside a specific time for her each day (you'll have to determine the appropriate amount of time for yourself, but sounds like she needs 1-2 hours) <S> then you'll have a more extended work time, rather than it being broken up by her constantly bugging you. <S> You can tell her something like: <S> I'm free to help you between <S> so and so hour but outside of that <S> I would like you to write down your questions and try to work them out yourself. <S> I would recommend having it at either the beginning or ending of the work day as to have less interruption trough out the day. <A> Your workload and your performance is a discussion between you and your boss. <S> If there are things that interrupt your work or affect your performance, talk to your boss. <S> If someone else is getting you to help them, clarify with your boss whether or not (and for how long) you should be helping that person, versus doing tasks assigned to you. <S> It may be the case, <S> as the CTO indicated, that your employer wants you to help, to an extent. <S> They may be assigning you the task of helping her, within reason. <S> It sounds like your CTO already tried to help you set that boundary, so work to clarify that if it's not well understood, and if the coworker asks for more help than they've allowed you to provide, make sure you're documenting that and raising it to your boss as an issue. <S> So - work with your boss to establish and understand your role in terms of performing work assigned to you, versus helping a coworker. <S> Once that boundary is understood, you can use that to have a productive discussion with the coworker. <S> Don't let on that you don't want to help, or you think she's stupid, since that's not helpful. <S> Instead, let her know that you're being directed to focus on specific tasks and aren't able to provide additional help to her. <S> You can also suggest that she follow the same approach you're taking - ask her boss to help clarify her responsibilities and the resources she should use to get them done. <S> From your first paragraph, it sounds like that's already happening, so you can politely bow out of the conversation and let it run it's course. <S> Her supervisor is already telling her to do the work on her own - by helping her, you're violating that direction. <A> I have seen it few times at work, thank god nothing like it happen to me personally. <S> To reiterate, its my opinion only, but it is not your responsibility to save incompetent lady co-worker. <S> She may be cute, but you don`t have a chance usually. <S> She is using you to get ahead or to hold on to her first job for at least a year before starting to look for another job, where she would already be "experienced" programmer and expect updated salary. <S> You should do two things as soon as you want to: <S> move all communications with her to email, best reason - "kinda busy now <S> , send me an email" CC or BCC your manager to all your answers <S> Document chain would point out where did all your time went and you would be surprised how much of it wasted. <S> Good luck and hope all goes well
| The next time she asks for help that you haven't been assigned to provide her, make the conversation about you following your boss's direction. It's also worth pointing out that if you continue to help your coworker, you're basically training her to keep coming to you for help.
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What to say if prospective employer asks if I'm still employed at XYZ job? I left a job to start remote work for an IT consulting firm. And honestly, I'm not a huge fan already. I have my reasons but I just don't think it's going to be a good fit for me. The job that I just left: I was looking to leave anyway because the commute was killing me and the job duties weren't ideal in terms of long term career growth for me. I had already been looking for a different position elsewhere already. Lastly, I left that job on extremely good terms with everyone. I had 2 interviews at 2 separate prospective employer at some points before my last day at my previous job and honestly I think either one would be a 100% better fit for me. I had one today and the other a week or so ago. Right after I left the interview today, the director called me but I missed it and will plan on calling back tomorrow. I suspect he might be calling to ask if I am still employed at the most recent job on my resume because one of my references is my manager from there. This is pure speculation as I obviously do not know yet what he was calling about but I need to be prepared on what to say if he asks. I'm guessing there is always the possibility my manager had said I don't work there anymore and left for another opportunity, who knows. I hadn't disclosed that I left my current position for a new one because I wasn't really asked and I didn't want to unnecessarily hinder my chances. If this is what he is asking, what is the best thing to tell this director? I want to be honest but I need to be able to word it in the most effective way possible. I was thinking of simply saying one of two things: "I recently just left to pursue a remote consulting opportunity but learned the nature of the work is not an ideal fit for me". The other thing I was thinking of saying is how I was looking for opportunities before the consulting gig was offered to me anyway and ideally wanted work in the public sector (which is what this prospective job is in) but the opportunities to interview came a bit too late with regards to the consulting opportunity. The on-boarding for the consulting opportunity wasn't like any formal job I was used to so I was essentially instantly offered the job since my friend works there and he just had his hires up "approve" me instantly without any super formal interview or selection process. <Q> First off, dont make assumptions as why the director is calling you. <S> There can be any number of reasons why he may be calling you. <S> Secondly, never lie to a prospective employer. <S> If for some reason the truth comes out, regardless if they see it as negative or not, your credibility becomes questionable. <S> If you are asked if you still work at XYZ, then answer no, as you do not. <S> If they ask you why you left, tell them. <S> If they ask you if you are working somewhere else, it is in your best interest to reveal you have a consulting job that you are not tied to <S> and you can leave at any time. <A> Don't lie. <A> If this is what he is asking, what is the best thing to tell this director? <S> As you said, it's best to be honest , but also no need to over-complicate the answer you give. <S> Honestly, there are many things he could have called you for, but let's assume the reason was "to ask if I am still employed at the most recent job on my resume" A truthful answer to this would be "No." ... <S> that's it. <S> He isn't asking you for the reasons yet , and we don't know if he will, <S> so no need to complicate the answer if he actually asks you this. <S> Also, if he asks for the reasons you left there is no need to mention anything about the current remote work you are doing , as that is not what he would be asking. <S> Still, I left that job on extremely good terms with everyone <S> Now, if he asks what you are doing now , then that would be the time to mention this remote job, and if asked the reasons you have for searching a new job, the way you phrased it, again, would suffice in explaining: I already feel like it's not turning to be a good fit for me. <S> But I feel 100% identified with your company. <S> If you stick to the truth, while being polite, and answering what they are asking you <S> I am sure you will do great in your job-hunt.
| You do not have to elaborate, unless they ask for more information. Tell them you're no longer with firm XYZ and the remote position you have now is not meeting your expectations. If he asks for reasons, I think that the way you phrased is quite ok: I left because the commute was killing me and the job duties weren't ideal in terms of long term career growth for me.
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Reworking code at work to follow best practices is consuming my personal life I have nearly 6 years of development experience. I like to deliver good quality code, making sure to follow best practices and take responsibility for my work like any professional developer. At every company I have worked for, the quality of the work is less than the so-called industry standard, by which I mean the contents we see in blogs, books, talks by experts, language specifications, etc. Unfortunately, I am not in a role where I can enforce my team members to follow these principles. Whenever I ask my team lead or manager about following best practices, the usual answer is they are good in books and theory, but not in practice. The team members also do not support my initiative, as even if I bring in any best practice, it is all left to me to follow it until the end of project. Because of taking these initiatives, I have spent nearly 70% of my personal time in the last few years. It frequently happens that I do my tasks first, and then rework or refactor other team members' work to follow the best practices. During the critical project moments, I have to be the person who stays up late at nights. Someone suggested me to find a place where most team members are eager to follow the best practices and where management supports these initiatives. Most people, however, say you will never find any such proper work, and all project are like this. How can I identify or find such good workplaces, where everyone follows the best practices? EDIT: Couple of points to share after going through the answers: I believe that, the fundamental goal of building a software is to solving a purpose rather than working on standards and practices. For that reason, any solution / project which gives client satisfaction is a best practice, even though it is not a best one when compared to the industry standard. I partly agree with @keltari, as recently in a project, i have just done my work and kept silent, on the things happening around, like ignoring whether the code quality (which was written by other team members) is good or not, requirements are documented correctly or not, project is moving in the right direction or not, since those are all not my action items. I am done with my work after few days and i am free. But the project quality is going down and very little amount of work is happened from other team members with respect to project and with respect to client , and not in my point of view. Then i have two ways, unless my team lead ask me to work on the others taks , continue to keep silence and make my personal time happy or take initiative and explain to team in which areas they are doing wrong and my old story begins. Coming to the extra hours comment, every minute i work is from the project perspective only and will be resulted in good progress of the project, and finally we as a team got appreciation and myself personally too. But only thing i would like to see is the balancing of the work across team members. <Q> Working more than forty hours a week will make you inefficient. <S> Don’t do it. <S> Nobody will thank you for working these hours. <S> You are not a hero, you are a mug. <S> Nobody apparently asked you to work these hours. <S> So what the hell are you doing? <S> Stop doing it. <A> As Keltari points out in comments , it appears that you're the one choosing to spend most of your waking hours correcting other people's code out of a sense of duty. <S> You've not mentioned how the other developers feel about you refactoring your code, but we can assume this practice can cause stress (who broke the code, the original coder or your refactoring?) <S> The answer seems somewhat obvious <S> Keep your own house in order <S> If other people don't use the latest and greatest methodology, but the code works, is maintainable, and doesn't interfere with your practices, then let them do what they want. <S> You may be tempted to only maintain a certain aspect of the whole codebase, but you may well slip into "I'll just do this/that while I'm here" only to find midnight is slipping past again. <S> But you're <S> right - many teams out there don't rigorously follow coding standards - it's been this way throughout my working life in many companies. <S> nothing bad has happened from it. <S> The baseline thought here is one of productivity - for all of the man <S> hours your burning on refactoring other people's code <S> , where's the tangible benefit to the company you're working for - what's the impact on delivery dates, product stability, and ultimately (and most importantly) actual and forecasted profits for the company as a whole? <S> How better can you be spending your time instead? <A> Industry 'standards' are more like industry 'suggestions'. <S> They can (and will) change over time. <S> I've been doing this a long time. <S> Stop what you're doing right now. <S> An example:At one-time Hungarian notation (blnOK, strName, etc.) were the industry 'standard'. <S> Now the 'standard' says to not use the data-type as part of the variable (OK, Name, etc) or to use camel case. <S> So, if there is code written 18 years ago (we've got some) that was using the old standard it now needs to have it's <S> naming convention refactored because of some arbitrary 'standard'? <S> Let me ask you a question - when in the development process are you refactoring? <S> Before or after testing? <S> If it's after then every place I've ever worked would require a regression test of the system. <S> This could result in you being fired if something has already passed QA and then you make a code-change that needs to be retested. <A> Your question summary contridicts what you ask in the summary body. <S> You're asking how to find a workplace that follows industry standard. <S> I don't think any place does that. <S> Ultimately dilvering a working product to gather revenue is far more important than following some standard. <S> However, to get into your question deeper, it's unclear why you're working all these hours to get codes up to industry standard when nobody seems to ask or even cares about what you do. <S> So why are you doing it? <S> You'll get nothing in the end other than wasting your life when you can be doing something better. <S> Work to live, not live to work. <A> You need to be talking to Joel Spolsky . <S> Even if you don't want to work for Fog Creek, Joel can probably tell you who else in the industry is paying attention to code quality as part of their business model. <S> And when, in the end, you realize, along with the rest of us, that maintainable, correct, efficient software is as unwanted as peace in the Middle East -- you'll have someone to commiserate with.
| If you really need to get the entire codebase into shape, then it seems reasonable to work for smaller teams/companies so that there's not much work to be done here.
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I am an engineer with an interest in building software tools for engineers. How can I discuss transitioning to this type of role with my employer? I work at a ~30 person engineering company (the nuts and bolts kind, not software). I'm really interested in changing roles to something focused on software tool development, instead of engineering. I have some software development background that is not used in my current role, and I am actively spending personal time learning the necessary skills, but I do not believe my skills are currently sufficient to take on the role I want. I feel that I would be better positioned to make this transition if I could either spend some work time learning the necessary skills, or at least get paid for outside hours I spend developing my skills on projects that could benefit the company. Within my company, there is a business case for the role I want - developing better software tools would help us. But, an experienced developer would build these tools much more quickly than I would, and I worry that at my current salary, my employer may think that I am "too expensive" to be dedicated to developing these tools. Therefore, my question: Are there creative arrangements I could suggest to my employer to let me work on building these software tools? For instance, Asking to spend, say, 20% of my work hours on development projects. But my current dev skill level is not worth my current salary, so maybe I'd offer to work at half-rate for those 20% of hours. (Effectively, taking a cut in pay in exchange for my employer allowing me to build my skills). Asking to contract (for a fee) for delivery of tools made outside of work hours. Projects are the best way to learn, and I might as well make a project that does something useful to someone. And get some compensation for it. Overall, my goal is to transition from an engineering role to a software development role focused on building tools for engineers. I would like to understand how this type of transition is typically made and what sorts of arrangements are typical with employers to facilitate this type of transition. <Q> Arrangements like these are likely to fail, long term. <S> Having 2 jobs like these at the same company, especially if it's formulated, with independent contracts, can be a severely career limiting move. <S> Promoting you will be a headache <S> so, if possible, promotions might go to other people. <S> Working flexible hours on one lower paid job while working fixed hours on the other higher paid job only works until the fixed hours job requires you to put in extra hours. <S> At that point there's a chance for billing conflicts (work the higher paid job, get paid the lower rate) which can cause lasting damage to your relationship with the company. <S> Arrangements like these are too special for people to care about the details, and likely people aren't supposed to know the details (like the part about pay), so people will frequently approach you with demands that work out to your disadvantage. <S> Formalizing your arrangement with multiple jobs at multiple salaries at the same company makes it harder to reverse it if things don't work out. <S> It's possible that none of these become a problem and that things work out perfectly. <S> Still, a better version is as follows: <S> Keep the same salary, don't even discuss salary. <S> Allocate a fixed time to the 2nd role. <S> e.g. Friday. <S> Initially agree on a time limit (3 months), after which the success will be assessed. <S> Thinking that working 20% on software isn't worth <S> 20% of your salary is the wrong idea. <S> The company cannot hire a software developer who works for 20%, and has previous knowledge of the company and it's products. <S> If they are interested in doing that, you are their only option. <A> TL;DR: <S> Bring a new idea to your bosses. <S> Colaborate in the project with an experimented developer (external hire) to increase the benefits of undertaking the development. <S> Extended answer <S> While I mostly agree with the points made in the accepted answer, I would like to add a suggestion. <S> Even if it may sound a bit opposed to the career limiting argument. <S> You stated that there is a position open for a developer who may improve your software tools, so I assume there is an interest from your management directive to start a project for this purpose. <S> Why don't you arrange a meeting with someone in the upper level to offer your skills not as the main developer, but as assistant one? <S> Since you believe that taking projects is the best way to improve, I would suggest that having a senior colleague working with you may increase even more your kwnoledge. <S> That way you could learn not only from a real development process, but also from the experience of someone with experience in the field. <S> Also, an arrangement like that could be easier to negotiate with your management an obtain a part time dedication to the development task while retaining your actual salary. <S> You can be even more convincing if you explain why your participation in the project would help to keep part of that experience within the company, and how it could be useful to have you and your knoledge about the software and the company around. <S> This approach may even grant you the support tasks derived from the use of the new tools and even a future plan for improving or extending the software produced. <S> Hope it helps. <A> I think there is a case to be made to transition without taking a pay cut. <S> One of the biggest challenges in creating good software is to find someone who deeply understands what users of the software will want it of it. <S> Someone with domain experience (i.e. understands what users want) and actual development experience is very valuable. <S> You may be better suited initially to work together with a more experienced developer, but in the long term there are lots of possibilities for someone with "hybrid" experience. <A> There is a place for custom software development in any company when the company has a specific need which can't be addressed by available software. <S> However, as I understand your question, you are not asking about build software to address a particular need in doing mechanical engineering, you are talking about building software tools to help build other software. <S> If this assumption is not correct then ignore my answer. <S> As a general rule, if you have a passion for something then find a place that is passionate about it too. <S> A mechanical engineering company shouldn't be making software development tools. <S> They will never be great at it and someone who works on it won't be appreciated. <S> You will be considered a cost, not a revenue generator by leadership. <S> Tools probably exist already to meet your needs. <S> Paying for them is much cheaper <S> that maintaining your own. <S> 20% time projects are a disaster. <S> Revenue generating projects will get prioritized ahead of your 20% project. <S> Even if you work 120% to do your project your contribution won't be recognized. <S> In many parts of the world software engineers are so scarce companies will be delighted to hire someone who is smart enough to be a mechanical engineer and let them learn on the job. <S> This may mean a pay cut <S> so you have to decide how much you want to invest in the change. <S> In the long term working on something you are passionate about will pay off.
| If you want to be a software engineer find a company who will be delighted to have you as a junior developer and learn how to do the job by doing it.
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Went home sick (jetlag from holiday) first day of work. How can I limit the damage? As the title says, I went home earlier today because I feel ill. I got back from holiday on Monday and I'm really struggling with jetlag. This combined with the jitters of my first day at a new job, meant that I didn't sleep at all last night. I showed up to work and went around and met everyone, and sat down to start reading all their procedures. A few pages in I realised I'm just too exhausted to continue, and I excused myself and told them I had to go home to get some sleep. How can I best handle this? I feel terrible and I don't want them to get an idea I'm some flaky person. I'm planning on showing up early tomorrow morning and get on with it, and apologise to my manager for going home early. Are there any other ways I can limit the damage done by my early departure? Update: just to clarify a few things, I got back from holiday on Monday and arranged to start on Wednesday to give myself some time to recover from the jetlag. I've done this trip before, and had the same amount of time to rest and I was fine. I think the combination of jetlag and the fact I was nervous for my new job caused the extreme lack of sleep. As I mentioned in the comments, in hindsight I should have just started next week, so I have more time rest. In the end, I apologised to my manager and colleague and they were very understanding. I offered to take the day as unpaid leave and were gonna sort something along those lines. Ironically, I ended up barely sleeping again last night, because I was more nervous than ever because of the situation I put myself in. This time I pulled through and I'm making sure I go to sleep at a normal time to get my sleep schedule under control as fast as possible. Thank you all for your input! <Q> Nerves are understandable, but you should really have placed yourself in a position to be refreshed and ready for action on your first day. <S> Sorry for yesterday, I was more affected by jet-lag than I thought I would be. <S> I'm ready and eager to get back to work now. <S> Put this behind you, buckle down, and get to work. <S> You can't change whatever impression you've got on your first day, but you can change things from day two onward. <A> I don't want them to get an idea <S> I'm some flaky person. <S> Too late for that so don't worry about it. <S> Unfortunately first impressions are important <S> so you need to get a better impression of your commitment and ability asap. <S> Don't even be late again for the foreseeable future and concentrate on your work until you have established some credibility as a worker. <A> I suggest the heads-on approach:Be there early tomorrow. <S> Ask your manager if he has time to talk to you for a minute. <S> Tell him something along the lines: I just wanted to apologize again for leaving early yesterday. <S> I know this does make a really bad impression. <S> I just wanted you to know this was an exception <S> and you can count on me from hereon. <S> Oh, and then, of course - live up to it! <S> That way you show awareness, honesty and initiative. <S> You are also in a stronger position if you raise this yourself as opposed to explaining yourself after somebody else raised this to you. <A> How screwed am I? <S> Wrong question. <S> Right question is "how do I handle this to minimize any damage". <S> Whenever you screw up at work, you should do the following Be open and own up to it right away, just stick with the facts and don't sugarcoat anything or be overly dramatic either. <S> Offer something that you can do to mitigate the impact. <S> "Hey Boss, sorry about yesterday. <S> unexpectedly I turned into a jet leg zombie and wasn't in shape to work at the level I expect from myself, especially on my first day. <S> That was my fault <S> and I'd be happy to make up the gap on my own time in whatever way I can. <S> I'd appreciate any suggestions on what I can do to make this up" <A> One person that I think you need to apologize to specifically is the coworker that was responsible for onboarding you yesterday. <S> By leaving early, it could look like you don't respect their time. <S> It may be excessive to apologize for this directly, as I think other apologies (like the one from Snow) are sufficient. <S> This could be as simple as the language you use today. <S> Something like: <S> Hey coworker , I really appreciate you spending your time helping me get started, it means a lot. <S> It doesn't need to be excessive, but may help mend that relationship. <A> I wouldn't apologize. <S> They already know you went home, why bring it up again? <S> Just work hard and be there when your team needs you. <S> That's all. <S> I think you are fine and overthinking this. <A> Don't judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes <S> They will either understand the situation or they won't, but you can't change that or control it. <S> Anyone who's been through what you have will understand, and anyone with a sense of decency will also understand. <S> In the morning, try to remember that you'll still be feeling lag. <S> So try to take it easy on yourself. <S> The exact same thing happen to me. <S> I travelled 18 hours to start a new job and had to go from the airport to the office on my first day. <S> I just crashed and burned. <S> I can tell you that under those circumstances you don't make sound decisions. <S> So you're far better off avoiding the office if you can't concentrate. <S> The lag will cloud your judgement. <S> So it's better to free yourself from the lag. <A> There is little reason to go into specifics regarding illness. <S> If you are ill, state that you are feeling ill and need to leave. <S> All positions I have had allowed a set number of hours for sick leave. <S> As for tonight, it may be best to take some relaxants to adjust sleep schedule.
| There's not much you can do about it now except for turning up tomorrow, being more confident and being seen to get on with the job in hand. Go home and get some much needed rest. Let people know that you're feeling lagged and it'll take some time to recover. You've already stated that this is due to tiredness after a long flight, so don't change your story on this. So in this case, you can say to your boss. Preparing to onboard a new employee takes time, and unless that coworker does exclusively onboarding, they likely needed to rearrange their schedule to accommodate you yesterday. However, I would make a concerted effort to demonstrate to this coworker that you do in fact value their time, and that you won't waste it again in the future.
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How many hours can a minor do in Minnesota? I’m 16 years old, and soon will be turning 17 (July 7th). This summer, when school gets out, I will be applying at Target which is about a minute walk from where I live. Am I able to work full time at 40+ hours a week or is there a law for minors about that kind of thing? Research into the topic varies, and a lot is outdated because it seems to change often. <Q> How many hours can a minor do in Minnesota? <S> By state law, 16- and 17-year-old high school students may not work after 11 p.m. on evenings before school days or before 5 a.m. on school days. <S> With written permission from a parent or guardian, these hours may be expanded to 11:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. <S> No other time limit is set for 16- and 17-year-olds. <S> Your going to notice as a minor, most states will focus on you not working in the late night hours versus how many hours you work , especially if school is out. <S> Reference MN Department of Labor Also see this regarding teen workers: MN Teen Workers Editing to add the relevant text from the links, since per Hobo_warrior's comment he is not able to see them: Labor Standards -- Child labor: hours of work <S> A minor less than 16 years of age: <S> A minor less than 16 years of age may not work: before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.* with the exception of a newspaper carrier; for more than 40 hours a week or more than eight hours per 24-hour period <S> *, except in agriculture; on school days during school hours, without an employment certificate issued by the school district superintendent (Minnesota Statutes 181A.05). <S> * <S> During the school year, federal law restricts hours to no later than 7 p.m., no more than three hours a day on school days and not more than 18 hours a week. <S> A minor age 16 or 17 years old: <S> With written permission from a parent or guardian, these hours may be expanded to 11:30 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. <S> No other time limit is set for 16 and 17 year olds. <A> Both your school and any potential employer such as Target should know. <S> My 15 year old worked an entire summer at ValleyFair plus a part-time fall gig as a monster at ValleyScare and there was not a problem with max hours. <S> Especially Target, as they hire a wompload of teenagers and people of various citizenship statuses. <S> Good luck. <A> At that age most places tend to pick based on hours available. <S> When I was 16, I got lucky to find a department store near my house that allowed me to work 5-9pm on Friday and Saturday, then 1-4 on Sunday. <S> I only made like 70 bucks each 2 weeks <S> but it was fun. <S> The only reason they hired me because I happened to put nearly the same hours on my application. <S> In all future applications, I noticed my manager just looked at the available time part of the application, and just threw out applications that didn't match her hours. <S> You'll never have your youth again and at age 16, working was actually fun for me because I didn't have any bills just fun things to get with friends or family.
| By state law, 16 and 17 year old high school students may not work after 11 p.m. on evenings before school days or before 5 a.m. on school days. As far as 40 hours, I recall I did work some 40 hours during the summer, but my opinion is that you should wait to work 40 hours a week and instead opt for a fun summer while making money to buy things and have a good time growing up.
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Is signing a permanent contract celebrated/ announced - UK The scenario: I've been working on a temporary 6 month contract with my company and I have just agreed to new terms which will give me a permanent full employee contract. The question: Is it normal in the UK to announce this to colleagues to receive congratulations and make a big deal out of it or is it just something that I keep private and only reveal if asked about? <Q> It really depends on the company culture, policies and how well you get on with your colleagues. <S> In my experience, smaller companies and start-ups are more likely to 'announce' it (although is usually via email) <S> but, if you get on with your colleagues, then you'll probably have shared that information already? <S> Larger companies tend not to make a fuss. <S> You might find your immediate manager will welcome you again and let your immediate team know. <S> If you want to keep it private, then you're well within your right to ask them not to announce it. <A> You're still on a contract. <S> The only thing that's really changed is the end date. <S> Transitioning to be a full employee might be announced, but this depends on the company/manager. <S> Regardless, it seems appropriate to celebrate your change in status with cakes for the team (unless you especially want to be secretive about things). <A> I would recommend against announcing it, without clearance from management, as you could be unaware of other things that are going on. <S> An example, it could be that you are actually being hired to replace someone who is being made redundant, or something along those lines. <S> You announcing it could actually put you in hot water if it reveals too much information to the wrong parties. <S> Apart from that, the rest depends on culture and you should refer to the other answers about that as they cover it all really well. <A> I think it does not depend on the company culture, location etc.. <S> It is entirely up to you. <S> You might wish to tell your immediate team as you may be able to gain access to other company resources that are only available to permanent employees. <A> Being down to earth is never frowned upon, just don't be rude.
| If you want to announce it, I would recommend clearing it with management first, or only doing so with very close friends that are aware they shouldn't be discussing these changes with other people until an official statement is made. So, there's no need to really formally announce it or celebrate. If it's something you are really excited about, tell whoever you want.
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What can I expect working with a recruiter who sends template messages without even including names? I recently received a message from a recruiter on Linkedin, that read something as follows: Hi, Our client in best-of-whatever-industry is looking to hire a Sr. Software Developer for their headquarters in Some City, State. Your profile seems to match very well so I was hoping to discuss the role. Regards, Some Name This recruiter didn't even include my name (the slightest amount of effort), nor did they mention what the role entails at all, or how I might fit said role. It doesn't look like spam based on the recruiter's profile/connections, but it also seems like they are making literally zero effort in trying to find candidates. I did check the company's website, however, and the role might be a good fit. Is this likely to be an indicator for how the recruiter will handle future communications and if so are there any downsides to me engaging with them? <Q> Dear Professional (like this?) <S> My gut reaction is a qualified no. <S> This is likely somebody making close to minimum wage whose job it is to gather lists of prospective candidates based on search results that match only one or two keywords on your resume, then do a mail merge like functionality to blast out emails to thousands of people. <S> In other words, as you say zero effort. <S> If you reply to such an email, chances are there are ten of these people reporting up to an experienced recruiter, and then the experienced recruiter will reply to you if it's a match. <S> Also if you get such an email chances are you'll get others from multiple agencies about the same gig. <S> A yes answer would be if you're really desperate to get out of your current contract or have a hard end date and want to avoid unpaid bench time. <S> Hope <S> this helps, or at least amused you. <A> As a former recruiting minion, I can say that this is a low effort cold message. <S> If you're interested in the position, ask them for job details without giving them any. <S> If they cooperate in their first reply and don't try to avoid your questions, they might have been lazy or ignorant (newbie) of the trade ethics, you might want to continue with them; otherwise just ignore them or tell them you're not interested. <A> I would try to find if it is possible to apply for the position through another channel (as the best-of-whatever-industry company webpage).If that is not possible, I would give a try to the recruiter, if I am truly interested on the position. <S> About what you can expect, it is hard to say. <S> Maybe they are lazy recruiters but maybe they are just on a superficial scan for candidates before giving a personalized and good support to those who are interested. <S> In any case it is not the best of the presentations, for sure.
| Experienced recruiters that don't have their own minions will only contact you if they've done their research and there is a high match between you and the job.
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HR misleading about salary expectations While interviewing for a new position, I am often asked about salary expectations and I am fully prepared to answer this question. However while the HR response is usually "oh yes that seems fine" by the time I get an offer it is much lower than I am willing to work for. Is there a way I can ask for, and actually get, their desired range or target salary before they make an offer? I would prefer not to fly in and interview in person if its going to be a bust anyway. <Q> Your question was, Is there a way I can ask for, and actually get, their desired range or target salary before they make an offer? <S> Really, this is two questions: <S> how can you ask? <S> And, Will you get THE answer? <S> It is reasonable to ask for the salary range they have budgeted for the position, as part of the hiring process, before an offer is formally extended. <S> However, it is not likely that you will receive the exact number they are planning to offer you - mostly because they may not have a specific, exact number in mind yet. <S> In terms of how - it's common in interviews for the interviewer to give the candidate a chance to ask questions. <S> At that point, you can mention, I am curious about the salary range that was budgeted for this position, in order to understand if we will be a good fit for each other in terms of compensation. <S> Also, I'm interested to hear an overview of other benefits - bonuses, time off, healthcare, etc. <S> I wouldn't phrase it as "I don't want to waste my time flying in for an interview" since that might come off as a little egotistical (although it's a perfectly legitimate reason). <S> Phrasing it as a matter of overall fit is appropriate. <S> It's worth noting that coming to a general understanding that salary is in the right ballpark is arguably an important part of the prescreening process, so it's totally reasonable to ask. <S> This is also the reason why the employer is asking you what your number is, at that point in the process. <S> If you're curious about overall negotiation tactics, there are lots of good questions on that topic. <S> Searching on the job-offer and negotiation tags will get you a lot of reading material. <A> I have observed two constants in my career: everybody loves a deal, and HR is often more invested in the process than the result. <S> Combine those two in a job search/employee hiring process, and what you get is HR trying to get you in the door at the lowest possible cost, and they will drag you through the process as far as they can in the hopes that you will accept a low ball offer. <S> That makes them look good to management because they got a new body in the door, cheap-cheap! <S> If you refuse at the end of the process, it's your fault (according to HR) and they don't look bad. <S> I know, I know, so young, yet so cynical already... <A> I think it's entirely possible that HR is not at all misleading you in this situation. <S> If you're asking them if a particular number is within the range they're considering when you're right at the start of the negotiation <S> and they know very little about you - then they could answer in all honesty that it is. <S> However, once they've interviewed you and determined for themselves what your particular skill-set is worth to them, they could honestly feel that you're expecting too much for what you're able to deliver - and therefore make you a lower offer. <S> If this is the case then there's no dishonesty taking place - possibly just a difference of opinion between you and them regarding the value of your work to their organization. <S> They may well be prepared to offer whatever you're asking (or more) to someone who fits their requirements better than they perceive you do.
| If you'd like to determine this before the interview, it's very reasonable to ask the recruiter during any pre-screening that takes place.
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What is minimal acceptable font size on a resume? What is minimal acceptable font size you should use when building your resume outside of legal note? I would like to avoid expanding beyond 2 pages. <Q> You should stick to a standard page layout, so no less than 10, probably slightly bigger to improve readability. <S> The point of keeping your resume brief, is to limit the amount of information that the person reading it will need to process. <S> To do so, tailor the CV to the position and include only the details that are relevant to the position you are applying for. <S> Some old or small experiences could be aggregated in a single item or even omitted. <S> Reducing the page count by shrinking the font and margins will make it harder to read on top of it being long. <S> That is worse than using an extra page. <A> Seems that you commented: <S> It is already super cut down version. <S> I just had 8 jobs so even few lines about each makes it 1-2 pages. <S> It is important to remember that you should tailor your resume to better fit the job position you are applying for . <S> This means that you should prefer including relevant highlights of your profile that would be of interest to those specific recruiters, or that would be valuable in the role you want to fulfill. <S> You should also refrain from including not so relevant information that could lessen the positive impact your relevant features may have. <S> I'd say that if one has had several jobs in the past, including all of them could take away valuable space on your resume. <S> I suggest you include only your most recent jobs or those that are related to the job you seek , and try to leave the other out (or just list them or mention on a paragraph, without going into much detail). <S> This will give you extra space for interesting stuff that can boost your application. <A> Not a direct answer, just a suggestion that the "unbreakable" 2-page rule might not be. <S> With *cough* decades of experience, I have managed to keep my CV down to 6 or 7 pages (12 point font). <S> I have never had anyone complain of the length, and have no trouble landing contracts. <S> I got it down to 6 or 7 pages by leading with a summary, so that I don't need to repeat it on every job, and a cut-off about 10 years back, with "further details available on request". <S> It's tricky to judge. <S> Some might say that experience 10 years ago is stale, but if it reinforces more recent experience and underlines my subject matter knowledge, then I think it germane. <S> One thing that I have never heard anyone discuss is how prospective readers will know that it is longer than 2 pages. <S> I can't remember the last time that I got a CV from a prospective candidate which was not in electronic form. <S> That means that someone reading my CV reads the summary, and is either hooked, or moves on to the next guy. <S> If hooked, he can read further and stop whenever he has read enough to convince him. <S> If we wants to know lots, he can read to page 6 or 7; or he might just read the summary and the two recent jobs. <S> But he's not going to know that my CV is is 6 or 7 pages long unless he reads that far, and by that time it's too late to reject it for being too long. <S> Just stating what works for me. <S> YMMV <A> To directly answer the question - which no one has done yet. <S> Don't get to hung up on exact numbers about the number of pages in a cv <S> there is no magic trick here. <A> In my experience, I would never recommend going past 2 pages. <S> I have many friends in the HR field and most won't read past page one . <S> My suggestion to you is don't go <S> crazy small with the font ( keep it at 11 or 12 ) and stick with a standard page layout. <S> I would recommend that your attention is better spent by focusing on only including the important content and wording your message in such a way that the critical items are on page one. <A> If you send out a resume with tiny fonts I can assure you it will go straight in the bin. <S> You aren't making yourself more appealing by making your resume more difficult to read. <S> You are doing the opposite. <S> You can reduce the amount of information for jobs you worked that are older than, say, 2 years. <S> Most people don't care all that much about what your daily duties were 10 years ago using technologies that are no longer relevant.
| Stick to a minimum of 10 Point Anything less risks being hard to read to read and you can't assume that every reader has 20/20 vision and you risk getting your cv discarded especially if its being read by an older person
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How do I deal with the political promotional items in the workplace? I have been looking for similar questions on the exchange but I haven't found anything. Although, I have come across discussions on avoiding discussing political issues. A colleague of mine has placed political badges for an upcoming referendum in the company canteen promoting one side of the campaign. The referendum is not related to our business (the company doesn't have a stake in the outcome). I don't see any policy in place that this act contravenes. This is, as you can all appreciate, a slightly different situation to avoiding discussion. I eat lunch in the canteen 95% of the time. Everyone on this exchange knows to follow the rule to avoid talking about politics at work. How is a rational person supposed to react to this? Or rather, my goal is to make it clear to people that this practice does not display good awareness without causing disruption. <Q> Never let go of an opportunity to mind your own business. <S> You have nothing to gain from getting involved in a confrontation over it. <A> So someone scattered a few spare badges around... <S> Ignore it and carry on eating. <S> Once the election has finished, just clear away the trash (if whoever put it there doesn't remove it the day after). <S> It's just noise, and complaining/doing something about it will probably cause more problems than is necessary. <A> In the US it tends to be a policy to put notices required by the government: Health and welfare, minimum wage and overtime notices, location of fire exits... <S> As for other notices. <S> The issue for the company is that any notice posted there is viewed that it is endorsed by company. <S> So they have the need to review the items posted in the canteen. <S> I would make sure that HR is aware of the issue. <A> Ask yourself these questions: <S> Will this do your company harm? <S> Would the company leadership care? <S> What can you do about it? <S> Will this do your company harm? <S> Others have suggested ignoring this. <S> That could be the right thing to do if this is doing no harm. <S> However things like this can cause harm. <S> If the manager is promoting a point of view which may make some employees feel un-welcome then this could do your company harm. <S> This could also be a problem if customers see this and feel you company is not aligned with their values. <S> Would the company leadership care? <S> If you think this could do the company harm then ask your self do you think the leadership of the company would support the point of view expressed. <S> What can you do about it? <S> You could say its not your job but great employees care about their companies regardless of there job description. <S> However, you don't have to don't anything if it will cause you harm. <S> Is there is someone in a position to do something who you can talk to about this? <S> The person has to be someone you trust to keep you out of this. <S> The person also has to be in a position where they can address the situation. <S> People in leadership or HR positions are good choices. <A> This falls into the domain of HR. <S> If HR eats in the same canteen: They know, and will either take care of it or have already decided to ignore it. <S> If HR doesn't eat in the same canteen, and it bothers you: Inform HR informally. <S> Give them enough to inform them but too little to claim you lodged a formal complaint. <S> Then try to disappear quickly and let them figure out what they want to do. <S> HR will then either ignore it, or drop them in the trash, and at best send out an email that reminds everyone to sign off with them before placing advertisements/flyers anywhere in the office.
| People have probably have had enough of the election, have made their minds up, so these will probably be ignored by everyone. Drop by and speak a single sentence "Just a heads up, in case you don't know yet, someone put up some political flyers in the canteen". Ignore it and move on with your work. While the political advertisement may have been put in place by a manager, there is also likely a corporate policy regarding the types of notices placed in view of the employees.
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How to find good candidates amid tough competition in the job market? I've been trying to hire two additional permanent members for my team since January, and we aren't getting good candidates. The company is offering a competitive salary, which alone makes us stand out. In addition, we offer a wide range of benefits which far surpass what other companies in the area offer. The roles are advertised on job boards and we work with recruitment companies. The roles are getting exposure but we are not getting candidates applying. The feedback I'm getting from recruitment companies is there are a lot of companies offering similar roles, and there simply aren't enough candidates available in the area. The number of recruitment companies I'm working with has gone down from 12 to 7 as some of them just gave up. I've broadened the search to graduates, and I'm finding we still can't get any good candidates. I've spoken to other companies having similar issues. They have resorted to hiring candidates they wouldn't normally offer a position to, which has resulted in a high staff turnover. I'm now looking at bringing in apprentices after one of our contractors mentioned he had some success with training people to the required level. I will soon be forced to use outsourcing if I can't find good candidates, which I want to avoid. I've not tried paying for the ads and paying to search for candidates, but I'm already spending so much time on this that the team I manage is suffering as a result. Are there any suggestions on how I can find more candidates? <Q> If the package (salary, benefits, etc.) <S> you're offering is not attracting qualified candidates then it is not 'competitive'. <S> You have two options - improve the package and/or lower your requirements. <S> Other suggestions - ask for references from current employees. <S> Maybe give them a bonus (monetary or something else like extra time off) for successful referrals. <S> You could also talk to local (for lack of a better term) <S> user groups such as a .NET developer group (same for java or other technologies). <A> In such a market, they probably know how sought after they are and are furthermore expecting significant annual raises. <S> You need to pay current salaries plus at least 1 year, and probably 2 years, worth of good raises. <A> Raise your reputation. <S> Visit professional events in your domain. <S> Visit universities training the kind of people you need. <S> Be aware of your market - and your image. <S> Poach other companies, and listen to candidates, wether they accept your offer or not. <S> And also look inside your company. <S> Try to have people working for you speak about their working conditions. <S> If they don't like them, be sure to improve them. <S> If they do like them, use them as ambassadors. <S> If they feel mistreated, or they feel the management is absurd, or whatever is wrong, they for sure won't push any of their friends to join your company. <S> Anyways, the root cause seems to be a lack skilled people on the market. <S> Either you need to be better than others(image, working conditions, package); or you need to train massively new people, knowing you'll lose a number of them in the process. <S> I'm pretty sure you're gonna need both, in fact. <S> if you are a company where it's nice to work, AND if you train more people, then you should reduce the problem to acceptable levels.
| Roam into discussion forums for professionals of your trade. If you're offering what others are paying now in a market where nearly 100% of the qualified candidates are already receiving a similar package, they have no reason to leave their present employers, unless there's some other problem, which should be rare, they're probably treated very well where they are now. You're going to have to raise your salary expectations significantly.
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How do newer-style companies handle job references? Recently I've applied for a new position as a network systems administrator, and I've also already had a short phone interview with a recruiter from this company I applied to. At no point during this process have I ever been asked for job references from my previous jobs, and I'm a little surprised as this has never happened before. Since i'm fairly young (23 years old) I suppose I don't have too much experience with occupation changes but I found this rather odd. Previously references I've given were on the initial application, but I've already gone through the first interview and it hasn't been mentioned. My question: Is this a new style that companies are taking on or should I expect to at some point give previous job references? <Q> You said you have only gone through one interview. <S> Reference checks can take time. <S> HR has to call the company, confirm start and end times, confirm the supplied reference was the candidates supervisor, and time has to made to speak to that person. <A> I don't think the use of references has changed. <S> Since college I have worked for 5 companies. <S> Some employers were huge with tens of thousands of employees, other were small less then two dozen employees. <S> Some companies had been around for a century, others only a few years. <S> The only one that required references also had to prove to the customer that their employees really did have the required level of education and experience. <S> The company had been caught overstating skill levels. <S> The company didn't ask for them until after my start date. <S> It is possible that companies that never made me an offer would have asked for references, but the ones that made offers that I rejected never requested formal references before making an offer. <A> I have been in the software industry for over a decade now. <S> Every company has their own approach to verifying your work experience, educational background and references. <S> Some companies never once asked me for a reference and others that required 3 references to even apply. <S> For the US, I find references are most common when working with educational. <S> government institutions or other entities that accept federal funds.
| It could very well be they are interviewing many candidates and do not want to spend time checking references until they have narrowed the field down. I was only asked one time to provide references beyond name of previous employer and name of supervisor.
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Should I withdraw my job application after discovering an unacceptable mistake? My girlfriend submitted a job application to a big international organization based in the EU. After sending in the final application, she realized she made a shameful mistake in the name of the office she was applying to (something like "Steering Office" instead of "Strategy Office"). She thinks this kind of error is unacceptable. She has worked with them previously as a partner, so in her view, this mistake is even more embarrassing. She is convinced this puts her in a clearly disadvantageous position and she doesn't feel like handling the interview. She now wants to withdraw her application. She cannot contact the organization before the interview because she is not allowed to, according to the procedure, and there are no contact details. Should she withdraw the application or wait for the recruiter to raise the issue in the interview, or raise it herself? <Q> Do not withdraw. <S> Depending in the organization, free-form texts like Motivation are skimmed, if read at all. <S> If challenged, have a cute quip about the vagaries of autocorrect, or about the arbitrary naming conventions, or whatever, ready - but let it shine through that you noticed right away and that it mortified you (that part should be easy, it seems). <S> Do not let them use it to give you any lip whatsoever, mistakes happen, and the rest of the application speaks for itself. <S> The Interviewer will be delighted to see a reaction, and if that reaction is professional shame coupled with professional guts, all the better. <A> She should not withdraw her application just because she made a potentially embarrassing mistake. <S> Imagine if she got the job and was doing an important piece of writing, say applying for a grant. <S> If she made a mistake in the name of the organization she was applying for the grant from, would her boss want her to withdraw the grant application because it was "shameful"? <S> (The boss would also expect her to think about how to avoid similar mistakes in the future, such as by having someone proofread important documents before she sends them.) <S> As others have noted in their answers, the mistake may not even have been noticed. <S> If it is noticed and an interviewer brings it up, she can show her maturity by saying that she had noticed the mistake after she sent it, and it was a good reminder to her of the importance of checking your work; and then she can avoid mentioning it for the rest of the interview unless the interviewer brings it up again. <S> Summary: It's not the end of the world. <A> Some time back I read a great article: "Don't Self-Reject" . <S> It's written as advice to SF/F authors who are deciding whether to submit their work to a publisher, but the basic message is relevant to almost anybody looking for a job: you shouldn't be rejecting your own work before the editor (recruiter) even gets a chance to assess it. <S> Summarising the ideas in that article, and translating to the workplace: <S> Every job applicant has their own failings. <S> Recruiters aren't looking for perfection; they're looking for the best applicant they can get. <S> Almost certainly you haven't seen the other applications. <S> For all you know, they may have failings that are much more serious than yours. <S> Self-rejecting an application doesn't help the editors (recruiters); it just reduces their options and might force them to take something worse. <S> Recruiters know what they want better than you do, and none of us are well equipped to judge our own merits. <S> Something that seems like a massive negative to you might not be a huge issue to them. <S> Let them decide. <S> In my opinion, the error you've described is very minor. <S> But even if it weren't - let the recruiters make that call. <S> It's not your girlfriend's job to look for reasons to disqualify herself. <S> Now, if the error had been something likely to mislead recruiters (like, say, overstating her role in a previous job) then she would have an ethical obligation to correct it. <S> This could be done at the time of interview: <S> "Hi, before we get started, I just wanted to correct an error on my application..." <S> But it doesn't sound like this error falls into that category. <S> The recruiters presumably already know the name of the office they're recruiting for. <S> They will notice the error, if it matters enough to notice. <A> They won't hire her for only the name of the office where she worked. <S> They will hire her if her experience and capabilities cover the requirements for the position she is being interviewed. <S> Also the same function can have different names in different organization, so a wrong name is not big harm. <S> When they will ask her about her previous experience, she can explain what her work was, and then maybe explain that the name in the resume was wrongly written.
| Making a mistake like this is certainly awkward if the employer notices it, but it's ultimately trivial and it would be a substantial over-reaction to withdraw a job application over it. No, the boss would expect her to do the best she could with the situation. She should learn the lesson it carries, and don't let it stop her.
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Mentioning my aspiration to enter into an unrelated field in my resume I am a xamarin mobile app developer. But, I do not find my satisfaction in software development. I would like to work in Machine Learning/Data science field. I have done some online courses and I am good in stats. Also, I believe it would increase my research and analyzing skills. The company that I am applying for has openings for Xamarin developer. I would like to work in the company in a couple of xamarin projetcs. Then, I would like to make a move for ML positions in the same company. Can my resume have aspiration role as a data scientist? I fear it might put me in a disadvantaged position. <Q> Your resume should address why you are a good fit for the role you are applying for. <S> Describing aspirations to do other things is at best distracting and at worst a red flag because it suggests you are not passionate about field you are applying for. <S> Don't put down machine learning and data science on your resume for a mobile app development job in the hope that they you can some day change to what you do at the company. <S> Even if the do hire you, you're are setting yourself for tension because you and they know you want to move out of the job they hired you into. <S> It can be okay to want to do two different things. <S> You can do mobile app development now and something else later but that’s you to manage that transition and not let one interfere with the other. <S> The company wants you to be a great mobile app developer. <A> Write it down if it is relevant. <S> You do not need to have just ONE CV, you may taylor it to fit the position/company (of course, as long as you remain honest). <S> If you are applying for a position in which you believe your employer might benefit from your interest (for example, in a company dedicated to ML, or in a position that makes you interact with data scientists) write it down in the CV you send them. <S> Otherwise, as gwp's answer tells, any employer sees that career orientation will see it as a signal that you are likely to leave the company the moment you get an offert related to that field. <S> To those employers do not include that info in the CV. <A> If you actually want this jobs, there are two reasons why this may be not so good:. <S> it could appear that you consider this job only as a way to get into the company and would not be interested in staying a long time in the position you are interviewing for. <S> they could spontaneously switch the interview topic and test you there. <S> Depending on the interviewer which you meet it could be your disadvantage to be interviewed about something where you only took a few online courses. <S> I usually prefer to list such things as hobbies <A> I maintain a Professional Interests section that lists those things without any attempt to say how much knowledge or experience I have with them. <S> Most of the things on my list are areas where I do have experience, but that experience is covered in the sections where the positions I've held are discussed. <S> Earlier in my career <S> I'd have said I didn't have experience with most of it. <S> There are two compelling reasons to list your interests: <S> Having them shows that you're a well-rounded professional or are at least striving to be one. <S> The things you learn in pursuing those interests often inspire things in your primary work that you might not have thought of otherwise. <S> Personally, I find well-rounded professionals better able to come up with creative solutions to hard problems than those who've spent their careers neck-deep in a single subject. <S> Companies often have things going on in areas that aren't listed in their job descriptions. <S> All other things being equal, a candidate who expresses even a passing interest in any of those things has an edge over one who doesn't. <S> Hiring managers may see your interest as an avenue for future growth. <S> That's good for you because you might get to try out some of these things without jeopardizing your primary job by working alongside people who know the material. <S> It's good for the company because you might turn out to be good at it <S> and they now have an employee with knowledge of their business who can go straight to work on it.
| A company isn't likely to hire you for a position if you're not qualified to hold it, but that doesn't mean topics within your profession that you find engaging don't belong on your resume.
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How to answer "what will you say when another company offers you a job?" I have a question about a hypothetical interview situation. Let's say I am interviewing for a new job, and the interviewer wants to test my loyalty. So, he says to me, Suppose we hire you, and you've been working for us for some time. What will you say if another company calls you to offer you a job working for them? This question was asked last year. I am not currently working. I feel that I may be asked this again at some point in an interview. <Q> As you're probably guessing, the question is designed to test your staying power - how likely are you to remain with a given employer, versus jumping ship at any other opportunity? <S> At face value, if you're trying to get hired, it may seem like a good idea to act like you'd be dismissive of any other opportunities. <S> Interviewers will be dismissive of that answer, it just doesn't come across as honest. <S> On the other hand, you definitely don't want to tell them that you'd jump ship the first time someone waved money in your face! <S> All that said <S> , this is a great question to get in an interview, because it gives you an opportunity to talk about what's important to you as an employee. <S> Rather than just directly answering the question, talk about what factors would influence your decision: <S> Well, I do consider myself a loyal employee. <S> The type of employer that would earn my loyalty, and put me in a position where I would not be interested in any other offers, would be an employer who... ...and from there, you can proceed by describing the factors you consider important - whether it's challenging assignments, a collaborative team, a certain level of structure, advancement opportunities, etc. <S> Ideally, if you've done your research as a candidate, the company you're interviewing with (the one who posed this question) would be a company that possesses these traits, so this question will help reaffirm for them that you're an ideal candidate - if they hear your answer and think, "wow, Preeyah is describing our company!" <S> then obviously that will reflect highly on you. <S> However, if they think, "we can't offer those things" <S> then you may not get an offer from them, which - based on the scenario - is probably a good thing, since you're dodging an environment that doesn't have what you're looking for. <A> The things i would make clear is: <S> If that happens during working time, i ask them to call me again later - make clear that you don't do this at work <S> If there is something suspicious about it (e.g. competitor trying to obtain intellectual property), and they identified me in an unexpected way (i give an example below), or if this call was from a former manager, then my current employer need to know that - make clear that you do not monetize on your current position by selling knowledge. <S> About all other things: make it clear that there is a certain hurdle to getting you to apply. <A> If there was a good chance that the offer represents an opportunity to improve my lot in life, I would ask clarifying questions. <S> For example, if the offer had a higher salary then I would inquire about the possibility of a raise. <S> I would also ask about other things - does the offer require a longer commute, more hours, etc. <S> I would never say that my loyalty to an employer trumps my own self-regard. <S> If a prospective employer wanted to hear that from me, then it is best for all concerned if we stop negotiations.
| "I'd tell them no, no matter what, and keep working for you forever!"
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doing unpaid overtime during internship I am currently doing my internship. I am working office hours from 8:30am till 5:30pm. My company doesn't pay any overtime pay. There have been two or so days where I was told that I needed to work late until 10pm or 11pm. I told my manager that I cannot work late, and he replied that is not acceptable as it's a crucial week. We are doing a project which will go live for public use on a particular day. Those two days of overtime are a few days before the live day. Is this considered to be normal, and what rights do I have as an intern? <Q> Sorry, working overtime in highly competitive places like Singapore is very common. <S> You are not alone as many Asian cities like Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan are like that. <S> Working until the next day is not unusual, something that the Europeans here don’t understand. <S> It’s part of the Asian working culture. <S> You are expected to work as long as your body can physical capable of. <S> It will get better once you move into more senior position. <S> Unfortunately, if you don’t obey you are not considered as employable. <S> For your records, my Asian friends would frequently work until 3 or 4 am just before the deadline. <S> Your situation is not as bad as you might think. <S> The Singapore law allows you to say NO. <S> But ... prepare for pressure, revenge and anger from your team as you're breaking the working culture and trust. <S> It’s bad if you are the only one leaving home early when the whole team stay late. <S> Choose: <S> Obey Leave the company <S> Put the company to court <S> There is no point to talk to your boss again, as you've already done. <S> It's not going to help. <A> Based on the culture in Asia, working late is often expected. <S> It really comes down to if you are planning on working at that company in the future. <S> If you don't really care about this company then by all means you can go home at the time you want. <S> Even while saying that, you could be able to convince your boss depending on your explanation of why you cannot work late. <S> If there is a medical need or something along those lines, you may be approved. <A> I only have one question, is it paid internship ? <S> If not tell them to back off as you said you'll be living soon. <S> If it is paid then tell them that you won't work if unpaid as it's the rule, you work for them, they pay you for the work you've done, period. <S> I think that being an intern is not really relevant here.
| There is nothing suspicious in your question. You don’t have to work overtime if you really insist. Again, working late is absolutely expected in Asia.
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I quit my job because of a workplace bully. Now that she has been fired, my boss offered me my job back. Should I take it? My boss called me to tell me they were firing the bully. She asked me if I would be willing to return to my position if they offered me a 8% (approx $1.50) pay raise. I worry that it will be awkward. Should I stick to my decision about quitting? <Q> If you didn't like it (regardless of the bully), then go find something else. <S> If you take your old job back, it won't be awkward (they seem to want you back after all). <A> Sounds to me like management solved the problem by firing the employee, and admitted the problem to you by stating that and offering your job back in the same conversation. <S> So I'll echo the above answers/comments with a 'Why not?' <S> Keep in mind that experts here only have about two sentences to base this answer on <S> , so we're missing a lot of context that hasn't been stated yet. <S> If it matters you can request a letter be added to your HR file saying that your first voluntary termination was due to a workplace bully which management later resolved. <A> That depends on a number of things. <S> Is this job better than the one you have now, do you even have a job now. <S> Did they dismiss your earlier concerns or did you not raise the concerns and just quit. <S> Have they addressed any other reasons you left. <S> Will leaving your current job, assuming you have one, affect the possibility you might leave again.
| If you liked your previous job, then take your job back.
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Inexperienced manager is making our work life miserable At work, we have a manager with no prior managerial experience, at least none in the tech world which any of us would consider reasonable. He doesn't even have a manager title, but we're assigned to him as subordinates. He attempts to micromanage people, butts in to our personal lives in a way that's considered excessive and has even revoked another employee's disability accommodation, which the employee paid for himself, because the manager has "trust issues." Long story short, he's an individual contributor with no prior managerial experience who wanted to become a manager and the company let him. We were performing well and enjoying our work, then he shows up and feels the need to engage in very petty, passive-aggressive micromanagement that considerably reduces our performance as he's constantly interrupting our work. This has been going on for months. Many of us work flexible hours, but he revoked flexible hours from some people he didn't like. The disabled employee is taking the brunt of the problems after reporting to HR, but I've started updating my resume just in case. How do you deal with this? I've only been at this job for 4 months, but it's starting to look really bad. What's more, I'm afraid of it affecting my resume if I leave. Same issue with another employee who has only been here a few months. <Q> Stay, or move on? <S> Short answer: <S> Move on . <S> Someone who does this " to engage in very petty, passive-aggressive micromanagement " normally does not change. <S> The fact he is targeting a disabled person speaks loudly to his character. <A> I had a manager like this a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away). <S> In my case it was not a rookie manager but one who had been bumped down from a senior manager level to team lead during a reorganization. <S> He was determined to get back to his old level even if it meant micromanaging his new team. <S> There were almost blows thrown during team meeting over the way he treated his team. <S> Several people did leave. <S> Sad <S> because we were a high-performing team with very experienced developers. <S> For most things, going to HR is not advised. <S> For violations of ADA yes go to HR. <S> They will want to cover their (the companies) tushes. <S> Giving different benefits (ie. flex time) to different people might be a reason to go to HR if there is a defined policy not being fairly applied. <S> If not, going to HR could result in everyone losing their benefit. <S> In my case, several experienced developers leaving did cause major issues with a critical project. <S> The new, inexperienced developers brought in were overwhelmed and were not able to meet the published deadlines. <S> As I had meetings twice a week with the project manager (who was in a different group), I pointed out the risk to a multi-million dollar project (that had regulatory implications) with inexperienced staff and that the some experienced staff had left because of the manager. <S> This was listed when the project went RED. <S> Senior management of the PM group brought the risk to my senior management (who I couldn't talk to directly) and Mr micro was walked out the door. <S> So best advice - find someone on another team that can see the problem and escalate. <A> I would start documenting all the times your manager's micromanaging has an impact on the amount of work you can get done in a day. <S> If it appears that he is repeatedly disrupting you for petty things, report it to his boss. <S> This starts a "trail" that proves your manager is interrupting you and can keep you out of trouble if he decides to spin it as your fault. <S> The thing that worries me is the fact that your manager is attacking a disabled person and butting into your personal lives. <S> This is extremely disturbing and I would attempt to stop associating myself with this person immediately . <S> Telling you exactly what to do is hard, as you have only been at that job for 4 months. <A> Right now, the effect of this manager is internal only within your department. <S> Its very unlikely that management will know about the issues you are having because it really has been too short of a period of time. <S> Just rolling over and taking the abuse is similar to sexual harassment/abuse... <S> if nobody reports it the offender continues to affect others. <S> Schedule a meeting with HR because someone in your group needs to step up (you can, but the stronger case is the disabled individual). <S> The grievances should be written out in advance — but make sure that the issues are back up with facts. <S> This would just be a personal meeting between you and HR, not involving the manager at this time.
| If there is no resolution of the issue with upper management, I would suggest leaving as you have not been at the job for a long time.
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Is it acceptable to bring up unethical practices and nepotism at your current employer during the interview? Background I'm in the process of getting a new job. I've had a several phone interviews, and I have several in-person interviews lined up. I work in IT. I've been asked why I want to leave my current employer. I mention safety issues due to the location, which is a legitimate reason, because I've been threatened multiples times walking to work, a co-worker was assaulted, and I was once very late due to a murder in the garage I pay several hundred each month to park in (I don't mention those examples though). I also mention the location due to a lack of on-site parking and a lack of adjacent public transportation. However, there is a lot of nepotism that goes on at my current job. Some (out of many possible) examples are: People who have been promoted into IT from operations or customer service did not receive a pay raise, but people who got into sales, marketing, or accounting from those departments got a significant 20%+ raise. Some groups/departments get semi-annual and quarterly raises, which are larger than the annual raises of other departments. Some random employees get their parking paid for in an adjacent parking garage, which is a very expensive perk. Overtime is handled in an unethical manner. Some employees get overtime only after they hit the number of working hours for the month. Other employees of some departments get 2.5x time if they work past 5 PM, or if they work on a Saturday regardless of hours worked. The Question Is it okay to mention managerial favoritism as a reason for seeking a new job? Should I dive into specifics if asked? <Q> Unless they specifically ask "was there nepotism at your workplace" <S> I'd leave it. <S> Those other reasons are more than enough to want to leave anyway without having to risk appearing to badmouth your previous employer. <A> Truth can have many layers. <S> Basically, you can say the truth without needing to go into details. <S> If you want to give out details, do it on glassdoors and leave a review. <S> Other prospective job-hunters will appreciate your inside information, which will permit them to ask questions about overtime and demand that the specifics be written down in their offer letter or in their contract. <S> In fact, that may have been what happened for the special perks you speak of. <S> If someone needs their parking paid at an adjacent lot, the best time to ask for such a perk is at the time you're getting hired (not afterwards). <S> As to different departments getting different pay, that can be pretty normal. <S> In one company I worked in, the Sales department was the revenue generator of the company, the people working in that department were paid a lot more and totally pampered by the company. <S> Unfortunately, IT departments and HR departments are often seen as cost centers, not as revenue generators. <A> Think of an interview as an exam. <S> Just to frame your thinking a little: the purpose of an interview is to establish a little more about you and your character, and what your ideas, concerns and expectations are around the potential post on offer. <S> Generally in an interview you want to project a positive and enthusiastic affect and minimise negative traits because your non-verbal cues are being subconsciously picked up and influence interviewer thinking (and therefore scoring) without them realising. <S> Raising nepotism as an issue in an interview is likely to demonstrate negative traits and body language - so it's best avoided at best. <S> I would frame the question into the positive: think of the question as 'what do you want to see in your new employment that you didn't see in your old position?' <S> I'd personally opt for an answer which goes: ' <S> In my current role I am responsible for X, but I'm really looking forward to taking on a job which would enable me to develop my skills doing Y'. <S> Instead of projecting a negative view of your old employer, you're turning your answer into a positive view of why you're looking at the interviewer's job. <S> You can then expand on why Y is so great, <S> and/or why you realise working for the new company will be great for meeting your needs there.
| You can say "safety issues due to the location" and "lack of advancement opportunities within my department". At worst - you can find yourself in a very sticky situation having to explain your thoughts which can be perceived as slander if not backed up by evidence.
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How should I properly sign off work emails? I currently use "Best", but have been told that "Regards" is better for colleagues. I always thought of "Regards" as a cold and formal sign off. This interesting article 29 ways to sign off on an email, and when to use each one on Business Insider weighs in, but I don't know if it's right. How should I choose the proper sign off for my work emails? <Q> It doesn't matter. <S> But in English, "Best" by itself doesn't really mean much. <S> Regards is fine, as is Thanks <S> Given enough traffic, not many people take notice of the wording of email closing anyway. <S> I usually end with "Thanks" because I'm invariably asking for something, or thanking someone for something. <A> It really depends on the norms of the organization. <S> What do your peers use? <S> Use similar sign-offs. <S> However, the sign off line is an excellent opportunity to express gratitude and show a little warmth and good will. <S> This is especially important as skilled email writers will keep the body of the email very cogent and short. <S> One must get to the point in emails and this doesn’t leave much room for niceties. <S> A “thank you” might work for this but even better is a note of gratitude for something specific. <S> It demonstrates appreciation to the other person: “BTW, thanks for helping out with xxx yesterday!” <S> You could also express anticipation for whatever the response to the email will be: “So excited to see your TPS reports!” <S> (That sounds like a joke but the point stands). <A> A lot of my coworkers use very informal sign offs, if ever, when they write internal emails. <S> We've known each other for a long time and we all know that an informal sign off is acceptable. <S> This might be different for you so as others have suggested, you should take note of how everyone else signs off when emailing you. <S> I would hold off on using words like "regards" unless you are talking with management or someone you do not know well.
| It really depends on the culture of the company/team you work with and what most people say. I do personally find "thanks" works well as a general reply to your coworkers.
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Quitting a job after one month to join previous employer I'm a Software Developer by profession, someone who values the quality of work and prefers writing good code rather than fast code. I was working with a product startup for a year with great colleagues and I got to learn a lot in this period. The work was a bit hectic, but I loved it. A month ago, I quit the job to join a medium scale service company. Reason for the change was a bit of unstable conditions at the startup. After joining the new company, I realized that the work here is not of my type, and the people here just write code to meet a business requirement, without thinking much about quality and maintainability. I'm not able to fit myself in the environment here, so I contacted my previous employer and talked regarding this. My previous employer understood my condition and has offered me the same position which I left. I feel that I'll be happy to accept it and continue working there again. I have two main points on which I need advice. I fear that how this thing will effect my future employments, how will it look on my resume. How bad will this effect me professionally? What reason should I tell to my current employer while resigning? TL;DR: Is it professionally acceptable to return to your previous employer because of less job satisfaction at the new job, after serving a month? What possible reasons can I convey while quitting the new job? <Q> When people ask "is X going to reflect badly on me?" <S> or "is X professionally acceptable? <S> " my gut reaction is always, it matters as much how you explain X as what X is. <S> When working on your next move at some point in the future, think about the following: <S> Prior to going on the job hunt, reflect on what you've learned. <S> Make sure you're applying to jobs that match what YOU are looking for. <S> This implies that you're willing to do research and ask good questions instead of just spamming every job opportunity you can find and doing whatever it takes to get a job offer. <S> Once you've found appropriate opportunities, focus on your presentation. <S> On both your resume and in the interview, emphasize the things that make you a good fit. <S> This sounds obvious, but it's critically important, because it sets the stage for the real answer to your question, which is... When the inevitable question of " <S> why did you leave this job after only one month?" <S> comes up, <S> you're prepared to answer, because you've already shown your preferences and described the environment in which you're most effective via the first two bullet points. <S> So, at this point, you can answer with something like, <S> Well, as we've been discussing, I've found that I am most effective in an environment where I can be challenged to write sustainable code at a fast pace, for an employer who cares about X, Y, Z. When I went to employer A <S> , I found they weren't a good fit for that. <S> As I reflected on my fit there, I realized that I would fit best in an environment that has these factors, which is why I feel like I will be a good fit with you. <S> This way, you're turning a negative into a positive and instead of worrying about why something may be perceived poorly, you're taking the initiative to show that the very thing you're worried about is actually a good thing with respect to your fit for a particular opportunity. <S> "I don't think I'm a good fit. <S> " Don't elaborate. <A> Leaving after a month would only become a problem if you are constantly switching jobs. <S> However in your case you are returning to a previous employer in the same position, so I would say it isn't a big deal. <S> When you are writing your resume I would leave off the one month gap unless you did some important work or anything else that may be of benefit to you. <S> If you didn't do much then I would not include it. <S> As for what to tell your current employer when resigning, I would state exactly what you mentioned. <S> I don't particularly like the working culture <S> and I don't feel like you fit in well. <S> Don't give them any other information past that and just try to fade out with as little problems as possible. <A> Yes, it is acceptable. <S> In fact that´s the heart of capitalism -> everyone should strive to maximize his own potential. <S> In fact I would consider it unprofessional to stay at a job you don´t like, as you will loose productivity and motivation fast. <S> If it was only for a Month, I would personally just omit it in my CV. <S> As you will rehire at your old employer, you won´t be exactly lying when you just put you original start-date and the final termination date in and omit the 1 month pause. <S> Think of it as personal time off where you tried something... <S> When you resign, you normally are not required and shouldn't give a reason, unless there is a reason that enable you to quit before the end of your notice period. <S> When asked for a reason, just stay positive and make it about you: You have got a great opportunity you don´t want to miss etc. <S> That way you don´t burn any bridges so much in case you ever meet again. <A> Don't ever mention it again, stay with your employer for at least two more years, and don't give a reason to your present employer. <S> Anything you tell your present employer other than "I'm leaving will give them cause to dig around. <S> You just want to slip away quietly and with as few waves as possible.
| Job satisfaction is one of the best reasons to choose/change jobs. Nobody is going to care about a 1 month stint anywhere Put time between this and your next job search, the further in the past, the less it matters In terms of your other question - what to tell your current employer about why you're leaving: as with any case when you're giving a reason for leaving, keep it brief and generic. Go ahead and move back to your prior employer.
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Should I interview for a full time position after accepting an internship offer? After graduation, I took an internship role at a construction firm for the summer because I heard call backs take time and I hadn't sent out my resume yet. I start in a few weeks but I just got a call back from a design firm I was targeting. Should I go into an interview even though I have already accepted the internship offer from the construction firm? <Q> "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush" <S> You say you got a call from your preferred option, but that doesn't guarantee that you will land an offer with them. <S> On the other hand, you already have this Internship, and depending on what you mean by accepting the Internship seems that you have already committed to that offer. <S> If you have already formalized the internship (signing some contract or similar), then backing off now would be unprofessional from your part. <S> However, if you haven't formalized the internship yet, then you could explore the other option and perhaps work it into an offer in some time. <S> Nothing is guaranteed, so have that in mind when deciding what you want to seek, as well as the relevance of the job to your desired career path. <S> Anyways, seems that you don't have much time to sort this out, so I suggest you get to it ASAP. <A> During an internship where you don't expect/intend to stay as a full employee afterwards, there's nothing wrong with interviewing elsewhere to secure a job after the internship ends. <S> If the internship is comparatively short (about 3 months), starting that search even before the internship even starts makes a lot of sense. <S> (However, if the internship is unpaid, an actual job offer might be a basis to renegotiate to see if it's possible to get at least some pay or shorten the internship.) <A> I would accept the interview with the design firm. <S> It's only an interview, with an uncertain outcome. <S> If you are made an offer, you can then negotiate your start date. <S> As a hiring manager, I value honesty and integrity. <S> If I made an offer to someone that I felt would be an asset to the company, I would value their wish to honor their commitment and would work to accommodate them. <S> On the other hand, when I ask a currently employed candidate when they would be able to start, and the answer is "tomorrow", I have heard all I need to. <S> If they are willing to leave a position without giving proper notice to work for me, they may do the same to me. <S> And if you are made an offer but the design firm cannot delay a start date to accommodate your need, you can always speak to the construction firm to see if you can be released from your contract. <S> But you may want to consider the idea that if the design firm can't work with you on this, they may not work with you on other things.
| I agree that cancelling the internship would be akin to reneging on a job you already accepted.
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Rejecting a job offer after implied verbal acceptance due to contents of contract I am currently job hunting and have three good offers. I verbally implied to both my external recruiter (headhunter) and point of contact (HR person) at Company A that I would accept an offer from them if they made their offer official. At one point, I even said "when I sign [the contract]." Someone at Company A (my potential boss's boss) contacted me and said "I've heard you accepted our offer. I'm excited!" Company A sent me their official offer and it looked good. I was excited. Compensation was everything that we discussed it to be. But the contract included a non-compete agreement. I was aware that they had a non-compete agreement but I had never seen one and therefore did not know what it would involve. It's an extensive non-compete and I don't feel comfortable signing it. I now know it was stupid to verbally accept an offer without seeing the contract. My question is this: how do I renege on my verbal acceptance without burning a bridge? I'm concerned that the HR person told others at the company that I accepted the offer. RE:duplicates, I am aware that similar questions have been asked numerous times on stack exchange. However, I believe the following makes my question different: a potential future boss was notified of my verbal acceptance and the reneging is based on information that Company A only just provided and not on changes with my other offers. Update: Thank you to everyone for the advice. I ended up approaching them that I was excited about the position but concerned about the non-compete. They explained that it unfortunately was not negotiable and so I turned down the offer. But the bridge has not been burnt (at least they haven't said it is) and they instead said "maybe next time." Thanks! <Q> You don't need to renege on your offer. <S> If you find the non-compete overly broad, strike out parts of it, amend it to make it narrower, add a compensation clause for the duration of the non-compete, and/or add any personal project that you may have already started, etc. <S> Then initial your changes, send it back to the company, with a cover letter mentioning that you've made some changes because you felt the non-compete clause was overly broad and somewhat unreasonable. <S> Make sure to put your hiring manager in the loop. <S> He's the one who really wants to hire you. <S> The HR person may not feel the same way as the hiring manager does. <A> Therefore, even if you were to outright refuse the offer after all, I doubt it would burn any bridges, except of course, for any future offers from this company. <S> But, you didn't want to work there anyways. <S> However, they want you as an employee, meanwhile you would be happy to accept were it not for that non-competition agreement, to the point that you will refuse to sign if it's still part of your contract. <S> This means you pretty much lose nothing if you attempt to renegotiate. <S> So simply straight-out tell them you don't like this non-competition part of the contract, and were hoping you could change it to something you would both be happy with. <S> Then, even if your renegotiation falls through, as long as you were polite, it will extra give the appearance that you really did want to work there, except that they had some policies you couldn't agree with. <A> Start asking questions about the contract, gently approach the point you have an issue with and see if there's any flexibility. <S> Then based on that accept/reneg/decline. <A> You've tagged your question as United States ... <S> Which state? <S> I ask because in California, non-competes against individualsare pretty much unenforceable (and frowned upon by the courtsystem) ... except in very unusual circumstances (like you'rethe inventor of some breakthrough technology or something verynovel in a very specific industry). <S> You might also want to run this by the folks over in the Legalforum ... <S> they may have more specific information. <S> Good luck!
| If you decline consider the bridge burnt. Even if you have verbally accepted the position, there is an implied understanding that it still depends on you reading and signing the contract, and accepting all the nitpicky details that will be formalized in said contract.
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How can I deal with an applicant that still persists after being rejected? I was recently made responsible for hiring a few students for the summer internships at my company. I've designed a simple homework for them to solve to get rid of some of the applications as early as possible. The task was very simple and didn't require too much effort to do. One of the candidates tried very hard and overdid it, and I didn't find his submission good enough to warrant a meeting. Adhering to the policy I've set for myself, I emailed him with all the feedback and encouraged to try again next year. I specifically pointed out that his solution was overblown. After that, though, he responded with another version of his solution that, while simpler, still doesn't look good enough to me. To be honest, I hate to be in this position, and it strikes me as rather pushy. I really don't want to answer with more feedback again, to be met with yet another, "final" version. How should I deal with this situation? Should I respond at all? I've read that stating all the reasoning again opens up more debate, but then again a very short reply like "we're really not interested at this moment" reads almost rude to me. <Q> Being charitable, the candidate may not have any experience with applying for "jobs" and may genuinely think that if they keep throwing different variations of the assignment at you that they will hit on the "right" answer. <S> So while I'd say it's not unreasonable to simply ignore the candidate, at this point you could respond with something like: <S> While we appreciate your continued interest in our internship program, as stated in our previous communication we are no longer considering you for this year's intake and encourage you to apply again next year. <S> And then leave it there. <A> Ignore anything that is unsolicited, anything else is just asking to continue the dialogue. <A> This would be my response: <S> Thank you for your continued interest, but once you've been rejected from my company, you have to wait at least one year before you can apply again. <S> Should you wish to continue practicing similar technical problems, I would personally recommend the following sites: http://pramp.com http://leetcode.com <S> [insert your favorite practice sites here] <S> Good luck, <S> And of course, I wouldn't give him any more feedback on the last solution he submitted. <S> If he wants feedback, he'll have to use those other sites. <A> You set a policy for yourself, you adhered to it and you made clear that it was the end of the road for him this year. <S> Seems like you did everything the way it should be done. <S> Archive or delete his last e-mail and ignore it. <A> How about this? <S> We have moved to the next stage and cannot accept new application. <S> I would also recommend giving external resources. <S> What if they don't want to be nagging too, but genuinely want to learn more? <S> Don't forget that after all, the only key to success is not intelligence, not hard working, but persistence . <S> The combination would serve two purposes: <S> Asking them to respect the limit Helping them to learn <S> To quote @Nicholas <S> : <S> [T]he key point in the question is that these applicants are students. <S> They don't have any experience and have limited-to-no soft skills. <S> It's not required, of course, but is kind not just to the student, but to the rest of the workworld that will need to interact with that student in the next 50 years. <S> You can also combine this with other suggestions too. <A> As you're dealing with a person who is most likely a student, it may be worth asking some clarifying questions to see what they're really after. <S> One interpretation of their behavior is they really want to intern with your company, and are being pushy. <S> Another is that they've accepted they missed out this time, and are really flattered by feedback from a Real Programmer™ and have latched on to this perceived opportunity. <S> If not, it provides a way to let them down easy. <A> I have mixed feelings. <S> Because I enjoy teaching and mentoring, and I think it’s very important, I personally would reply, but prefix the reply with the person under discussion is still not being considered (if that’s actually the case). <S> Here’s the thing: if they come up with an acceptable answer, without it being handed to them, it means they’re teachable. <S> This is a disturbingly difficult quality to find. <S> If that possibility concerns you, then don’t reply. <S> There’s a fine line between stalking and persistence-without context it’s difficult to know which category this now falls in to, and which category it may fall into in the future. <S> Hopefully the candidate accepts whatever decision you make with grace: their reaction may also determine current or future suitability for your role.
| If you're up for being a mentor, and that's what they are truly after, you may have a chance to help shape them into the kind of programmer you'd want to work with. It's appropriate in this situation to take the time to explain to them what they're doing wrong so that they can learn. Any further attempts to engage you in this year's process should just be ignored.
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Including referrals phone number to my cv? I have sent out my resume to different companies, and on the reference part I did not include my reference's phone number to avoid fraudsters. Instead I put in place "available on request". Is this practice acceptable? Will the companies I've applied to think that am not a serious candidate? <Q> Available upon request is accepted practice, and these days it's the wiser move. <S> Including references on CVs or Resumes at all, however is falling out of favor. <A> Your references are doing you a favor. <S> You should be doing your best to minimize the impact on them. <S> If I found out that somebody who asked me to be a reference was handing out my phone number (even worse than my email address!) <S> willy-nilly, I would tell that person to knock it off or lose me as a reference. <S> Your references agreed to talk with the few companies where you've advanced far enough to be under serious consideration, not everybody. <S> They entrusted their information to you and didn't agree to have it posted on company intranets or passed around among all your interviewers. <S> In my experience (high tech sector in the US), you don't even need to offer. <S> I haven't had the once-ubiquitous "references available upon request" on my resume in at least 25 years. <S> Of course <S> I have references; doesn't everybody? <S> Of course <S> I'll provide them when asked! <S> At my most recent interview, I had draft email waiting on my phone so that if they asked during the interview, I could provide instant gratification. <S> (They didn't ask until later, but I was prepared.) <S> At earlier ones (before smartphones) I had printed lists available to hand to the HR person when requested. <S> Your resume should be a tightly-edited presentation of the most important things your prospective employer needs to know about you. <S> Don't clutter it up with trite boilerplate that doesn't tell them anything. <S> And, to go back to your original question <S> , don't be cavalier with other people's personal information if you want to keep them as references; when companies are ready for it, they'll ask. <A> You could also consider asking each specific reference what would they prefer, so you know if it is ok to include their number or if it's better to leave it out and give it upon request like you did.
| I think that doing that is fine. An alternative would be to list an email address or similar where possible recruiters can reach your references, which is less "invasive" than giving out phone numbers. You may want to ask about this practice in your industry to see if you should continue, or simply remove them or substitute "References available upon request" in it's place.
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How to deal with a bossy coworker Long story short, our team is now out of its team leader and our manager is not quite involved in our day to day operations. We're a small team with two more senior guys (another guy and myself) and one more junior. I will be applying for the promotion and so is my colleague (I think). For the last week, I can sense a small increase in competition, which is normal. However, my coworker's been acting bossy, even so far as instructing me how much time to allow for task XYZ, not to bother with improvement ABC if it takes more than some threshold of time, etc. He does this in front of other coworkers and this feels like him trying to establish himself as the de facto team leader. My question is specifically how to address instances where he is making such bossy remarks. If I let them go without commenting I feel like I am enabling him. If I go see our manager, this would look quite childish and may hurt my chances at the promotion. I do not want to pick a fight with him but I would like him to know his behaviour irritates me and I would like it to stop. Edit: I feel this question is different from this one as it deals more with bullying whereas my question is more how to defuse specific attempts at "managing me". <Q> At the end of the day, it is up to senior management to decide. <S> However, if, as you say, your boss is somewhat hands-off and uninvolved, when he finally realizes that he has to do something, it will be normal human nature to act on his perceptions. <S> Therefore, do not let yourself become Malcolm in the middle . <S> When your colleague tells you to do something, ask him explicitly if he is telling you or advising you. <S> With most people, that will be enough to cause him to ask off and say that he advising, at which point you thank him politely and say that you will take it into consideration. <S> Personally, I would leave it at that, but YMMV, and you may want to explain why you disagree. <S> You might see a win in that; I don't, but it's up to you. <S> And, if you are too "delicate" to confront him with such a question, then you are not cut out for management. <S> No offense intended, but I rose from the tranches and can assure you that it's a dog eat dog world in management, and the higher you rise, the eatier it becomes. <S> Please see my final sentence. <S> As it happens, I have been you boss, and after 10 minutes with each of you, I spent half a hour with the junior developer before deciding. <S> Ponder that Thinking again, as to how to react when your colleague "tells you what to do", my first thought was <S> Yes, no, maybe I don't know <S> Can you repeat the question? <S> You're not the boss of me now <S> You're not the boss of me now <S> You're not the boss of me now, <S> and you're not so big <S> You're not the boss of me now <S> You're not the boss of me now <S> You're not the boss of me now, <S> and you're not so big <S> Life is unfair... <S> See here <S> And, as to "this feels like him trying to establish himself as the de facto team leader". <S> It doesn't "feel like" - it is . <S> And the higher up the tree you climb, the more it is so. <S> Ask yourself how high you want to climb. <A> Your co-worker is acting like your boss. <S> In deciding who to promote, it is easier to simply promote the person who is already acting that way. <S> This is because that person - in this case your co-worker - obviously wants the role, so they won't be upset getting it, but they probably will be upset not getting it. <S> It is also because it is not obvious that you want the role, so there is no reason to think you will be upset if you don't get it. <S> You need to push back on everything he suggests you do. <S> You need to literally start planning ahead for reactions to what he might say. <S> Even better: implement agile or some sort of management practice in your team. <S> This shows direct management ability and an interest in management . <S> If you already do agile read around the topic and implement it in a better way or implement kanban or something . <S> While currently downvoted, TheRealLester's suggestion of telling the co-worker privately you don't appreciate their "leadership" will also be effective. <S> It will be because it makes it harder for the co-worker to act your boss publicly, and it shows conflict resolution skills. <A> I would try and schedule a quick face to face meeting with the coworker in question and explain to them in a polite way that he is not yet in a position to be giving out orders. <S> Try to avoid using sentences such as "You were wrong because... <S> " and focus more on 'killing them with kindness'. <S> Accept his responses to show that you have listened but point out that you have a different way of looking at tackling the project. <A> If I let them go without commenting I feel like I am enabling him. <S> No, commenting is enabling, it means that you think a dialogue over this is important enough to do so. <S> Shrugging and ignoring and then doing your job is not enabling him, it's quietly putting him in his place without confrontation and leaving any confrontation initiation up to him/her.
| You need to start telling your co-worker what to do too.
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What would a suitable pet project size for my resume be? I'm planning to apply for a job that requires proficiency with a programming language I always liked but haven't worked with for a while. I studied the recent state of the language in question quite extensively, did lots of exercises, etc. However, it's going to be all talk and no action unless I demonstrate something real. I'm more than willing to invest some man-hours in a personal, non-commercial project. The question is: How large should said project be in terms of man-hours of an industry-average experienced programmer? I understand full well that it's going to take much longer than that for a somewhat rusty guy like me, but I still need the order of magnitude. Dozens of man-hours? Hundreds? Thousands? Or should it be measured in lines of code instead? All suggestions welcome. <Q> Select an application that people can relate to. <S> If you are targeting a specific industry then it could a business application. <S> Otherwise a personal product like a game, personal organization tool, or financial planner. <S> Pick an application that show the knowledge you want to show off. <S> You don't want it to be so big they are not going to review. <S> You can demonstrate a pretty good range of knowledge in 400 lines of code. <A> If the answer to this question is in the hundreds of hours or even worse thousands of hours, that means that the current job posting you are looking at will be closed and filled long before you meet the threshold. <S> There is no way to know what will make them consider you as qualified. <S> We do know that if they are using a system that scans your resume/application for key words and that language is a hard requirement and you don't include it, then your application will not make it past the first screen. <S> As to if use in the past qualifies, it is hard to know. <S> It could be good enough to have been proficient in the past. <S> It might not be. <S> There is no harm in applying now. <S> If you are ultimately going to be rejected the best place for you may be to make it to the interview or phone screen and to be told that if only your usage was more recent. <S> Then that will give you an idea of what you need to do to make it farther into the process. <A> First of all, there is no one right answer. <S> You could do one big project, have multiple tiny little projects, or zero projects, and still win the job you want. <S> So whatever you do, don't make the lack of a project become an excuse for you to not apply, or to wait too long to apply. <S> Apply for jobs right now. <S> Applying for jobs, in part, is a numbers game. <S> And if you decide to create a project, which is a good idea, start with one as small as you can. <S> If you start with one that's too ambitious, you may never finish it (or never finish it in a timely fashion). <S> Furthermore, I find that beginners often select the wrong type of projects to begin with because they're still just learning the strengths and weaknesses of their chosen platform. <S> So a smaller project is easier to pivot away from if midway through it, you decide to do something different. <S> A smaller project is also easier to publish and get immediate feedback on. <S> And having a shorter feedback loop, I find, can also be very motivating. <S> I studied the recent state of the language in question quite extensively, did lots of exercises, etc. <S> Are you applying for a junior position? <S> "did lots of exercises" is very vague to me. <S> For all I know, you may already be ready for a junior position. <S> If you're afraid of rejection, I'd suggest that you do a number of mock interviews with other job-hunters through this site: http://pramp.com <S> Everyone using that site is at a different level, and after a number of those mock interviews, you'll get a feel for how it feels to be an interviewer who interviews candidates of very different levels. <A> Size doesn't matter. <S> The important part is to pick a project that interests you . <S> This could be a game, some kind of program to solve a real-world problem, or a more abstract application of some technology you always wanted to try. <S> You can join an open source project, or build something on your own, spend a weekend or an entire year. <S> All that doesn't matter. <S> It doesn't even have to be finished, as long as you have something to show/talk about. <S> In my experience, hobby projects are a great talking point in interviews . <S> They're an easy way for the employer to gauge the applicant's interest, coding style, priorities etc., and being excited about your project leaves a much better impression than being unwilling to talk about it because you found it boring. <S> I've never been asked how many lines of code I've written for any kind of project listed in my portfolio. <S> Instead, the follow-up questions usually dig for details of features I implemented or how I solved problems I ran across. <S> You may be asked for a code sample, but recruiters are way too busy to slog through your entire project, so they'll probably ask for a much smaller sample. <S> (If that happens, pick a self-contained aspect of your project that you're particularly proud of and can explain in detail, <S> just in case they want to ask questions.) <A> Find a personal itch and solve it in a small way. <S> This is the only way that you actually gets the full benefit of doing this. <S> A small library helping you to do something can be perfect. <S> The amount of actual code can be rather little but it solves a problem and if you use it you will evolve it over time and provide documentation etc. <S> You may use https://github.com/statsbiblioteket/streamtuples as inspiration. <S> Another approach is to do documentation projects. <S> You have an technology which is hard to use for some reason, and you create a small project which as clearly as you can explains how to use it with actual code. <S> I did this with Dagger 2. <S> https://github.com/ravn/dagger2-hello-world <S> The important thing is that you treat it as real code and not just some display piece never to be looked at again. <S> This will show very quickly.
| If your skills are really rusty, you might want to start with some kind of coding exercise to get up to speed, but personally I wouldn't count that as a project, although that too depends on the challenge in question.
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Proven innocent of sexual harassment, but do not feel treated as such I have been working as a software developer for a company for several months. It was a enjoyable job and everything was going great. About a month ago I was called into the director's office. My superior, HR, as well as several members of management were sitting at a desk. They gave me a piece of paper to me and asked me to read it, and it turned out to be a document accusing me of sexual harassment. A woman in my department claimed I was harassing her verbally and sexually, however all of her claims were completely false. She completely made up false stories or took things that did happen and twisted them to lies. I have very little interaction with this woman during my normal work hours. I would say hello to her if I passed her in a hallway, but that's about it. She claimed I would make "kissy" faces at her. Another incident occurred when an office mate and I were waiting for the elevator and she was there as well. My office mate and I were going to get lunch I asked him if he wanted Thai food. He asked if I liked spicy foods, to which I replied yes, I like spicy Thai and Indian food. She claimed in her document that I "looked right at her licking my lips and telling her I like things hot and spicy". Her list continued on with these false claims. The managers asked me to respond to the document, where I denied every claim held against me. They told me they would investigate the matter, and I was told to go home and not come back to work until they called. They said the leave would be paid. I haven't done any of the things she claimed, yet they are treating me as if I am guilty. A week later they called me in to the office. I sat down with the same group and they said they did an investigation and found none of the claims to be true, however, I was being transferred to a different department with a different job. I was told not to discuss the matter with anyone. I asked what was going to happen to the woman who falsely accused me and they said nothing. Apparently there is no punishment for possibly destroying someones career. In addition to that, the CEO called me into his office to talk to me. I thought I was getting an apology, but instead he said if this were to happen again I would be fired. I was quite angry and snapped at him saying it wasn't possible to happen again if it didn't happen in the first place. I was proven innocent yet I feel like I am being treated as guilty. I am now working on a less enjoyable project. Although no one is supposed to know of the supposed harassment, everyone does. Peoples attitudes toward me have changed. This job has become miserable, all because a crazy woman made up lies about me. And as far as I know, this woman has had zero consequences for her lies. What can I do? <Q> Whether you like it or not: your career there is over and <S> you <S> it's time to plan your exit strategy. <S> It's not fair, but it is inevitable. <S> Once you accept this, you can focus on how to best do this. <S> Start looking for a new job right now. <S> The earlier you get one, the better it will be Look at your references. <S> If any possible get some from a previous employer, so you really don't need one from the current gig. <S> Create as much of a paper trail as possible. <S> Copy any e-mail, documents, etc. <S> Capture any verbal interaction with as much detail as you can: date, who was there, what was said, etc. <S> Study the employee handbook and make sure you understand all the relevant passages around harassment claims, <S> right to investigation, mediation etc. <S> Talk to a lawyer. <S> This would be one of the very few occasions where I would recommend this. <S> It doesn't seem like the company did this by the book, but regulations vary wildly from location to location, so you need to talk to someone, who knows the local laws <S> The goal of engaging a lawyer is NOT to sue someone but to get a sense of what you may be able to get out of the company and how to best approach them about. <S> The company does NOT want to be sued by anyone for anything. <S> It's expensive and bad publicity. <S> It many cases they would rather agree to a "mutually beneficial agreement". <S> This could mean some sort of severance payment and/or agree to give a you great reference. <S> It's a delicate negotiation, since you absolutely can't really say it that way. <S> Hence a professional may be helpful here. <S> You need phrases like <S> "My client feels that in the meeting on 4/23 with Jane Doe and Henry Smith your leadership didn't follow proper process you laid in section 3.8 of the Employee Handbook which led to a significant detriment of his work situation" . <S> That's the type of language that puts fear into the heart of any HR professional <A> A week later they called me in to the office. <S> I sat down with the same group and they said they did an investigation and found none of the claims to be true. <S> Generally when one person makes an accusation against another, there are three ways the resulting process can turn out. <S> (A) Evidence proves (to some high degree of evidence) that the accusation was substantially true . <S> (B) Evidence proves that the accusation was substantially false . <S> (C) Evidence is not strong enough to prove whether the accusation was true or false. <S> From your post, I'm not clear whether the outcome here is (B) or (C). <S> "Found none of the claims to be true" could mean <S> either "found that none of the claims were true" (i.e. B) or "did not find that any of the claims were true" (C). <S> The difference is very important. <S> If the investigation did find that these claims were untrue, then your employer definitely should be taking some kind of disciplinary action against your accuser and moving to quench harmful gossip against you. <S> Your next step should be to seek out a lawyer, who can advise you better than anybody here. <S> However, many workplace harassment allegations end up with a "he said/she said" situation where the accusation can't be conclusively proven or disproven. <S> In this case, it's not appropriate to punish either party. <S> The accused party is entitled to the presumption of innocence on the accusation of harassment; the accuser is also entitled to the presumption of innocence on the accusation of lying about harassment. <S> Obviously this isn't a great outcome. <S> Keeping accuser and accused in the same department is likely to lead to ongoing tensions, harm productivity, and quite possibly lead to repeat allegations or retaliation. <S> It's in the employer's interest to separate people who don't get along, and in general an employer does have the right to reassign staff according to the needs of the business - even if that means moving somebody to a less enjoyable project. <S> Unless you can find proof that this was done with the purpose of punishing you over these allegations, a lawyer is unlikely to have anything to work with here. <A> What can I do? <S> You can look for a new job <S> or you can persevere with the one you have. <S> You don't really have any other options that look beneficial. <S> Making waves over this only brings your sexual harassment allegations into the drama of the day category and you will always get people who believe them. <S> That is about all you can do in many places. <S> However, I'm in the third World so if this happened to me, this lady would find herself explaining what happened to my wife, female cousins, or sisters, just as people who have harassed my wife have had to explain what happened to me since it is a very personal offence to me.
| Depending on where you work, it's very likely that making false accusations is against your employer's code of conduct and/or applicable anti-bullying laws.
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Background check of employment history - will employers do so without my knowledge? I would like to know specifically what is done to find employment history as part of a background check. After doing some research on what constitutes an "employee," it has come to my attention that in my current job, I think I would legally be considered some kind of independent contractor rather than an employee. However I have not listed this fact on my resume (because I didn't understand the legalities and such, I just put it down as I would any other job). In the future I can add this fact to the resume if needed, but I am concerned about other jobs in the past that I have applied to (and been denied) without really understanding these legal details. Up until now I was assuming I was being denied jobs for normal reasons like not being the right candidate or being unqualified. What I am worried about is that a company will see the job listed on my resume, perform a background check without informing me, and then see that I was not "employed" by anyone for a long time period. Then they might assume or come to a false conclusion that I was taking part in something shady or lying/misrepresenting work on my resume and reject me, all without me knowing that they were checking my background. I would like to know if this scenario is possible - is a company that I am seeking a job with obligated to inform me that they are doing this check? If a discrepancy is found, it should be easy to clear up by having them contact my current "employer" (whom I suppose is really a contractor or something). I am very fuzzy on what precisely happens during a background check and what is considered "employment" as far as this check. <Q> will employers do so without my knowledge? <S> Generally speaking <S> no , they won't and in some cases cannot. <S> (details below) is a company that I am seeking a job with obligated to inform me that they are doing this check? <S> Having working or a background checking company I can shed some light perhaps. <S> Typically, a credit check is a part of the background checking process. <S> To do that, they must have your permission here in the US. <S> There are many ways to run a background checking process, and many agencies provide the service. <S> How do they do it? <S> It varies, greatly, but the major players will get the base of it from the credit report . <S> They also verify information though your previous tax filings with the IRS , which includes your W-2 and thus your previous employment history. <S> This process costs money and is not typically done willie nillie. <S> Most of the time a background check will be done once a decision has been made to make you an offer or it will be done as part of the offer itself. <S> (Contingent of a successful background check) <S> By this time, the interviewee will have had plenty of time to make his work as a contractor clear to their prospective employer. <A> I would like to know specifically what is done to find employment history as part of a background check. <S> Ask about it. <S> The background check procedure is very specific to a company/agency <S> so the answer will vary significantly between different organisations. <A> I think that perhaps you are over-thinking this one a bit, regarding the "employee" term. <S> Not necessarily these past jobs are exclusive for ones where you were hired as an internal employee (fixed contract, health insurance, tax handling, etc.) versus being an independent contractor. <S> Surely there are many professionals that have worked as independent contractors all of their lives, and if BG checks were like you describe all of those people would have been in trouble. <S> In future situations, if you feel that the specifics of your work relationship may be ambiguous <S> I suggest you make such relationship type explicit on your resume, so it does not give room for misinterpretation, if any. <S> is a company that I am seeking a job with obligated to inform me that they are doing this check? <S> Not necessarily. <S> It is more likely that they inform you that they do perform BG checks at some point , but I doubt they are going to tell you the exact moment when they start doing it, as this may be counterproductive to the check itself. <A> I am currently going throught a job change. <S> The new employer hired an outside agency to do the background check. <S> When I filled out the job application that was where I put down the specifics of my employment. <S> Contract through agency X from then to then, etc. <S> They called to verify because this kind of work is actually kind of tricky. <S> There were able to get what they needed from the agency, but I have in the past provided 1099 tax forms and pay stubs for companies that were either not around anymore or too small to be in their online system. <S> BTW, they checked my current employment through a company that tracks that kind of stuff, sounded like my employer sends information to this third party company that compiles job data. <A> It is incredibly unlikely that an employer would do a background check without your authorization. <S> There are too many potential privacy violations. <S> On the other hand, it is relatively likely that you gave that authorization when you submitted a job application. <S> Virtually every application includes a section where you authorize the employer to do a background check. <S> If you don't read the legal disclaimers before you sign/ submit an application, it is certainly possible that you could authorize the employer to do a background check without being aware of that fact. <S> When it comes time to verify your employment, in general, the background check company is going to call up the employer that you listed and essentially ask "Was user87704 <S> employed you between start date and end date as a title ?". <S> If you listed an employer that wasn't actually your employer of record (i.e. the company whose logo was on your paychecks and who was listed on your tax documents), the HR person that answers the phone when the background check firm calls is simply going to say that they have no record that you were ever employed there. <S> They're not going to have any idea who a contracting company might have sent to work at their building. <S> If you listed the wrong company, particularly if you did it multiple times, and a background check comes back saying that multiple employers have no record of you <S> , that's likely to be something that would cause an employer to simply discard you rather than trying to get an explanation. <S> I would generally expect an employer to ask for an explanation if the background check came back with slightly different dates than you listed or a somewhat different title. <S> Several employers having no record of you would be a much bigger hurdle. <S> It's certainly possible that the employer would call you for an explanation <S> but it's also possible that they would decide that the probability that you made up a large fraction of your experience was too high for their comfort level.
| Background checks look for past job experiences you have had, to validate they are indeed true and fit to what you described on your application.
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Is it appropriate to ask to change my title? I'm in this project where I came in initially to provide consultative advice about a certain technology domain that I was knowledgeable in in my organisation. So as the project progressed, I ended up taking more and more responsibility - basically because it was what the project needed. So anyway, at some point, the guy who I worked with primarily quits and now basically, I've been told that I'll be doing all his duties too. Which is actually fine, I'll be a little busier but I've been doing that type of work for months anyway. However, it does mean that my job is now formally a lot broader than I was hired for. I've been told my role is no longer a technical specialist - I'm now a Project Assistant. So for me, that sounds like a bit low level - it also sounds like it's very general work and not really the career path I'm trying to pursue. I'm scared this is going to affect me when I apply for the next job as they'll think I'm not technical. So how should I approach this? In this organisation, I've observed that unless it's the very senior managerial positions, job titles are not really formal things because people often have broad sets of responsibilities. So I'm just concerned that it would appear petty to raise this as an issue, especially given that I have no problem with doing any of the work. <Q> The good thing with job-titles is, they do not cost money. <S> That´s <S> the reason why janitors are nowadays called facility- managers . <S> * <S> * (Usually, with increased responsibility there should also be an increase in pay.) <S> Just state that you are currently satisfied with your work and your wage, but <S> think your title does not reflect well on what you are doing, and would not accurately describe your experience in your CV, going forward. <S> Suggest your preferred title. <S> This may also be a good time to talk about general career goals and development opportunities for you. <S> Your manager will probably be happy to get through such a talk as cheap as only a title-change ! <A> Maybe you don't need to. <S> It is not uncommon to have a title that does not reflect what you are doing. <S> We even have a question about it: How to label inaccurate job titles on resume <A> Is it appropriate to ask to change my title? <S> Yes , it is appropriate, nothing is gained if your don't ask especially when you are doing so much more. <S> So how should I approach this? <S> I think you approach this just as you laid out for us. <S> Have an open an honest conversation with your manager stating something like: " <S> Since person XXXXX has left, I have successfully assumed his responsibilities and I have enjoyed the challenge. <S> I wonder however if you would consider a change in my title (and salary if applicable) <S> that is more in line with my new set of responsibilities. <S> " <S> Be prepared however, based on what you have seen in your companies culture that they may not grant your request. <S> On occasion I have been asked to do more without getting any sort of compensation. <S> (title change or more cash) <S> I would also say, based on my experience, it is more important what you have done while working for a company versus what your title is. <A> Job titles are company specific and prospective employers know this. <S> Tasks performed, experience, technical expertise, certification etc,. are what they're looking at rather than <S> job title. <S> So ask for a change if you must, the only slight risk is that when you start talking about looking good on CV's etc,. <S> a manager might think you're job hunting soon and start looking for your replacement. <A> Though this might feel like a play on words <S> I think it's both true and honest while highlighting that your competence led to you being entrusted with leadership / a higher position / more responsibility. <S> Unless I misunderstand that project assistant is in your line of work a higher position. <S> It does sound like you'd directly report to / assist the project lead or supervisor while managing or distributing work to the employees who implement it for the project. <S> Going forward, it's pretty important for you to find out clearly how in your business these two titles are rated in the hierarchy or what sort of prestige is associated with each. <S> In general titles do have meanings, some can only be used if you have certain qualifications or experience, so it does matter as you show you realize by asking here. <S> or if you'll get a new contract with the new title, replacing or post dating your current contract. <S> If your contract is being involved you should consult a lawyer. <S> In light of suitability for your CV and any possible disputes, I would go for amending your current contract with your new title. <S> As I understand you're doing the technical specialist work that they hired you for PLUS perform the duties of the project assistant. <S> So technically that means, you should have two titles now <S> (; <S> As already mentioned, this also raises the question of a higher salary since you're expected to do more work. <S> It is up to you if you deem the additional work worth the hassle of renegotiating salary. <S> hope this helps somewhat,db
| As you stated you are currently satisfied, if you ask for a change in title without a pay raise, this should be quite easy. Regardless of how you decide, you can always list in your CV "hired as technical specialist, then promoted to project assistant, taking over XY additional responsibilities". Also,reflect on the implications of what title your current contract states and if they intend to change or update your job title in there
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Radio in the break room. Good or bad? This isn't a big deal, but I work a graveyard shift with about 5 other people, two of whom come in at 3am (I come in at 9pm). My colleague and I both like to have jazz on in the kitchen. There's a person who's coming in (someone I don't know well at all, not a longtime colleague) who's been turning it off. Since there aren't many people here it was easy to figure out who is doing it. No one hangs out in the kitchen, people just go in to refill their coffee (that seems important). No one actually takes breaks in there. This morning, after this happened, I turned the radio back on. I put it on a classical station as not everyone likes jazz. I also turned it down a few notches. And, then, she turned it off again. This just feels weird to me. For now I have decided that, while I'm still here, I'm just going to turn the thing back on again. It's just really helpful to have some sound in the office. During the day, there are people talking, but at night it is really quiet. I am having a really hard time figuring out why jazz or classical music at low volume should be such a problem for someone (anyone) spending 60 to 90 seconds in a room getting coffee. It feels like this person is kind of messing with me, or us. Anyway I just want the music on and I'm having trouble finding an adult, productive way to address this. How can I let my coworker know I would like the music on without a direct confrontation? <Q> It's just really helpful to have some sound in the office. <S> During the day, there are people talking, but at night it is really quiet. <S> Dead in here. <S> I am having a really hard time figuring out why jazz or classical music at low volume should be such a problem for someone (anyone) spending 60 to 90 seconds in a room getting coffee. <S> I can think of multiple reasons why they might be turning it off: <S> They prefer quiet, fair enough you prefer the noise <S> but they could very easily be of the opposite opinion <S> They don't see the point in leaving a radio on consuming power in a room that people are in for only 60-90 seconds at time while they make coffee. <S> Heck, they might even be viewing that as doing people a favor! <S> They hate the music. <S> Not everyone likes Jazz or Classical. <S> They are in fact messing with you - this one is possible <S> but I'd say it's a big leap at this point. <S> But to be honest <S> it's pretty pointless speculating without any other info. <S> Anyway I just want the music on <S> and I'm having trouble finding an adult, productive way to address this. <S> Talk to them - it doesn't have to be a confrontation, and nor should it. <A> My colleague and I both like to have jazz on in the kitchen. <S> Great. <S> But this is just the two of you. <S> It doesn't mean that everyone else likes it. <S> If I left heavy metal on every time I was in there because myself and another colleague of mine enjoyed it, would that be acceptable too? <S> I am having a really hard time figuring out why jazz or classical music at low volume should be such a problem for someone (anyone) spending 60 to 90 seconds in a room getting coffee. <S> You can easily flip this on its head and say "I'm having a really hard time figuring out why this guy turns the radio on for the 60 seconds he's in the kitchen, then doesn't bother to turn it off again when he leaves. <S> " <S> There's all sorts of legitimate reasons. <S> Perhaps a couple of others came in, wanted to have a conversation and didn't want the music on. <S> Perhaps someone came in and thought, since no-one else was in there, it was a waste of electricity. <S> Perhaps they don't mind the music, but don't like the "chatter" that often goes in between tracks played on a radio station. <S> Perhaps someone really hates both jazz and classical music. <S> I could go on, but suffice to say the chances are they're not just out to get you by turning off the radio. <S> There's a few easy things you could do to try to address the situation: <S> Just talk to the guy in a non-confrontational manner, ask if he minds the radio being on, and if there's any other kind of music he'd prefer. <S> Just keep the radio on when you and your colleague are in the kitchen. <S> Turn it off when you leave. <S> Bring some headphones to work and listen to some music in private <S> (if that's an option.) <A> How can I let my coworker know I would like the music on without a direct confrontation? <S> That seems an obvious thing to do. <S> It looks like someone from the day-shift just forgot it. <S> So if you don't want to explain to people that you want a radio playing in an empty room for no audience, you could take ownership of the radio. <S> Take the radio and put it on your desk. <S> Problem solved, the person now has to come to you to turn it off. <A> You could try to put a note to the radio not to turn it off during the day as continuous switching on and off is bad for the device. <S> This is a reason to convince them. <S> I don't see a chance to enforce your view over the others' view because no one is more right than the other. <S> The good news about this is it's not a personal confrontation or attack. <S> It is simply different people living together. <S> One leaves the radio on because he comes back, the other turns it off when leaving the room. <S> No one hangs out in the kitchen ... <S> No one actually takes breaks in there. <S> This is one more reason to turn the radio off when leaving.
| You cannot really complain if someone turns off a radio playing in a room where nobody is listening to it. Perhaps they're trying to concentrate or think of something, and it's a distraction. Just have a perfectly reasonable conversation with them and ask why they are doing it and see if you can work out a compromise
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How to correct wrong roles of past and gaps on cv In the past, I was unfortunate enough to end up working with recruiters who sold my CV to people who were looking for a full stack developer, even though my CV shows that I only have front end experience. So, I ended up in a job I was unfit for, since I had very little experience with back end development. The result was, I was hired only to be fired in few months' time. I also must admit that I have not updated or sharpened my skills in a while, and I have lost some jobs because of it. But now, I am getting questions about why those jobs were so short. I was told by people laying me off that reason for my leaving could be explained as "It was contract related," but some people might not buy it and it is technically not the truth. I have some concerns about my approach to this problem: If I say I wasn't a good fit, then the question would be "Were all 3 roles in the year not a good fit for you?" How good are you really? Given my 10 years I haven't been very fast and up to date, so why hire me and take a risk? What if my next role is short too, that add another painfully short entry to my CV? How can I justify my short roles? <Q> I don't condone lying during the interview process. <S> Stop that. <S> You're only hurting yourself. <S> If your previous positions weren't contract, you shouldn't say they were. <S> Since you are more of a front-end developer skills wise, you should pursue front-end developer positions. <S> You could say the other positions weren't a good fit, because they were looking for more full stack and you are specialized to front-end. <S> I recommend focusing on the skills you have now <S> and how it relates to the role rather than explaining the gaps in your resume. <A> Be honest . <S> You took bad advice from recruiters, acknowledge this but also demonstrate that you've learned and that you know better. <S> Be honest. <S> Speak only to your strengths. <S> "Knowledge of" means just that. <S> If asked about it on an interview, say that you have some familiarity, but are not skilled <S> Be honest. <S> Be ready to speak plainly and in a matter of fact about your difficulties, but put them in the context of what you have learned from them. <S> Anticipate questions and be ready for them <S> Well, it's fairly obvious that you've made some bad descisions <S> , why should I hire you? <S> I've learned from my mistakes and know what my strengths are, where I'm weak, and when to ask for help If I find myself out of my area of expertise <S> FOCUS ON YOUR STRENGTHS <S> You hit a rough patch, but you have a work history before these bumps. <S> Downplay the quick changes as a brief period where you tried to expand, but went too far. <S> Use the short gaps to your advantage <S> Yes, I had a short string of companies that were bad fits. <S> What I've learned from that is exactly what a bad fit is, and why I am a good fit for your company and how I can be of benefit to you. <S> Get off the subject quickly, and focus on the opportunity <S> Yeah, that was a rough patch, but I'm through it, and that's why I'm excited by this opportunity with your company. <S> The "That's exactly why" approach. <S> Yes, I did have some jobs that were bad fits, which is exactly why I'm a good fit for this job. <S> I have carefully researched your company, and the role, and made sure, before applying that I knew I would be a perfect fit for this role. <S> Anyone can have a run of bad luck. <S> Just don't let it hold you back. <S> GOOD LUCK! <A> First, I really liked <S> Crossed the river styx answer which directly answers your question. <S> But I'm going to take a different approach. <S> Are you passionate about what you do? <S> You need to figure out why you are not keeping your skills up to date. <S> The further you slip behind, the harder it is going to be to be to keep your job. <S> So maybe you need to seriously consider, do I really want to spend roughly 260 days a year doing this for the rest of my life? <S> I generally like what I do, <S> but I feel stuck <S> and I'm not challenged <S> Do your best at the job you have. <S> In the mean time start seriously looking for positions that offer challenges to keep you interested and operating at peek level. <S> I hate what I do <S> and I want to do something else <S> This may also be a valid response. <S> Figure out what you're passionate about and go do that. <S> If you're having a hard time doing that I recommend you really start evaluating yourself. <S> Start there and work your way up until you find the kind of work that matches. <S> There are many self-help tools and books like specialized personality tests that can help match you to the right kinds of work. <A> I wouldn't worry too much about gaps or short term jobs. <S> I've had a similar year <S> where early in the year my contract came to its natural end, so I was out of work, I then took 3 months off to refresh myself. <S> After that I was hired to a new company and 2 months later our project budget was cut <S> and I was out. <S> Finally, to fill the gap at the end of the year, I took a contract that I knew only had a 6 week duration (they were burning money at the end of the year). <S> So on paper that year looked really spotty, but I went into interviews with confidence and explained anything they asked (most didn't even ask) and had a new position pretty quickly. <S> Do NOT lie and if possible do not blame it on the recruiters other than a possible miscommunication between them and the client about the requirements for the job. <S> I have to ask though <S> , why are you boxing yourself in as a "front end" developer. <S> Yes, you might not be experienced with the tools used on other parts of a project, but you should use that as an opportunity to increase your skill set and make yourself more marketable. <S> I hate the term "Full stack", I prefer "versatile", but whatever you call it, the more skills you have the better off you are.
| Focus on what you did on the older jobs and how you were good there. Figure out who you are, what you love, what kinds of things motivate you. Don't apologize for the short term jobs or act like you've done something wrong, just be honest with as few words as possible and act like its normal.
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Doing an inventory check when I will be leaving the job soon I work at two schools and long story short I won’t have my job next year because they are giving it to someone with more seniority. Before it was known that I am not coming back next year, one of the principals at my schools wants me to do an inventory of the stuff in my room and see what is needed and not needed with a district employer who oversees these things. My question is: since I’m not coming back next year, do I need to do this inventory thing? Wouldn’t it be best to have the teacher next year do this to see what they want to use in the classroom? What’s the best way to handle this situation? <Q> do I need to do this inventory thing <S> Effectively, yes. <S> Your manager has asked you to do a job, so you do it. <S> You don't say "I'm not coming back next year <S> so I'm not going to do it". <S> That's just unprofessional. <S> The other option would be to start a discussion with your principal: <S> Hey principal, as I'm not coming back next year <S> , I think it would make more sense for my replacement to do the inventory. <S> I'm happy to do it if you want me to, but I don't want to throw out anything my replacement might want. <S> What do you think? <S> Note here that you're <S> not saying you're not going to do it - very much the opposite - but you are explaining why you think it might be a good idea for someone else to do it. <A> since I’m not coming back year, do I need to do this inventory thing? <S> Wouldn’t it be best to have the teacher next year <S> do this to see what they want to use in the classroom? <S> What’s the best way to handle this situation? <S> The best way to handle this would be to comply to a direct request done by the principal and carry out the inventory . <S> Perhaps it would be best for the future teacher(s) to do it, but that call is up to this principal. <S> If they want to proceed this way, and perhaps end up doing it again when the new teachers arrive then that would be their problem, and only when/if that happens. <A> If a future employer were to call in for a reference and you had decided to leave without performing the request, the principal might remember and speak negatively of you for being unprofessional. <S> You could also ask the principal for clarification on what you should, and also bring up the fact that you feel it would be better for the new teacher to complete the inventory. <A> do I need to do this inventory thing? <S> Yes you should account for the inventory of what is currently present. <S> Your boss also asked for a list of needs. <S> Submit this list with a written and verbal explanation that it is what you would add but clearly note that your successor might have different wants and needs. <S> Wouldn’t it be best to have the teacher next year <S> do this to see what they want to use in the classroom? <S> Yes it would be best. <S> It may not be practical though. <S> Depending on when the next teacher starts, there may not be time for them to take an inventory and requisition new supplies. <S> It is not optimal for them to start with a full set of supplies to your standard but <S> it better than being completely short. <S> The teacher next year will need supplies and may have their own needs. <S> If they can see what the previous teacher did they may be inspired to reuse supplies or borrow a lesson plan that they hadn't thought of. <S> If the next teacher does need something specific their job is made simpler since they can reference the inventory list instead of doing their own inventory. <S> What’s the best way to handle this situation? <S> Do the inventory quickly and accurately. <S> Submit your list with a clear remark that its yours and the next teacher may be different. <A> Ask the Principal Not us! <S> First of all, don't just go ahead and do it if you have doubts <S> the principal may not be aware of. <S> Explain to him/her that since you won't be back next year, you don't know what will be needed by the next teacher and ask if it would be better if they do it when they arrive. <S> The principal may have forgotten they gave you the task (or it's not foremost on their mind), OTOH it may be irrelevant who is there next year <S> and the principal needs to know the current inventory. <A> As an employee, you have a legal contract with your employer. <S> This contract contains a job description in which relevant duties are outlined. <S> Beyond the duties outlined in the contract, there may be duties that an employer reasonable expects you to carry out. <S> If a duty is neither in the contract, nor reasonably understood to be part of one's employment, then you are under no obligation to fulfill that duty. <S> You may choose to, or you may choose not to. <S> It is important to point this out, because you may feel obligated to comply, even when no such obligation exists. <S> This is because besides a legal contract, you also have an emotional contract with your employer. <S> It is good to remember that the emotional contract is not on paper, and may thus suddenly be worthless. <S> Your employer may variously choose to abide by it, or not. <S> For example, even the most devoted employee may be replaced with someone cheaper, more senior, or otherwise beneficial to the employer. <S> That said, choosing not to fulfill a duty that you are not legally obligated to fulfill may have repercussions. <S> Given that you're already fired, these repercussions are minimal: pressure to comply (i.e. conflict), and possibly a bad reference. <S> Though the latter may be further minimized by the fact that you're being let go. <S> Perhaps you should not expect a good reference even if you do perform the inventory duty. <S> Without knowing all the details, it is impossible to say whether the request to do the inventory is reasonably understood to part of your job. <S> And if not, only you can decide whether refusing is worth bearing possible repercussions. <S> If you do want to refuse, the best way to frame the refusal has already been pointed out: argue that it would make more sense for the next person to carry out the task. <S> Any believable reason will suffice.
| I would recommend that you do still complete the inventory check because not doing it might leave a negative impression of you when you leave.
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Politely warn boss that we don't have any more forms available We currently have an issue that needs to be informed to my boss in a polite and professional way. The situation is that we don't have any more delivery order forms at the counter, and we are unable to bring more from the storage as it is closed and locked with key. What would be a good way to phrase this situation in an email to explain to my boss? <Q> Be professional and considerate if they are off work: <S> Hey boss, I hope I am not bothering you, but we ran out of forms at the counter. <S> The storage is locked and I do not have a key, so <S> I have no way of getting them. <S> Is this something that we need right now <S> and if so, would you mind unlocking it for me? <S> If you are not available, is there someone else that can assist us? <S> Sorry for the inconvenience. <S> Also, to show you are a real go getter, ask how you can prevent this situation from happening in the future when he/she shows up to get the forms. <S> Thanks a lot for coming in (after hours) to help with the forms. <S> In the future, how would you like me or other staff to handle this if it happens again? <S> I would be happy to write it up and leave it at the desk for other staff to know how to handle this situation if it arises in the future. <A> What would be a good way to phrase this situation in an email to explain to my boss? <S> I would go with something like: <S> Hello boss. <S> Sorry to bother you, but we just ran out of forms to fill out at the counter, and we can't get more from the closet as it is locked with key <S> and we don't have it. <S> How do you suggest we proceed? <S> Is there a spare key somewhere we can use? <S> Thanks, user235133 <S> However, if it is an urgent matter a better way would be to <S> give your boss a call or instant message <S> , so you can respond faster to this situation and avoid any consequences from not having forms to use. <A> (this is simply being proactive) <S> If you don't inform anyone you actually would behave unprofessionally, potentially disrupting workflow at the counter. <S> So like in any other work related conversation with your superiors inform them briefly but politely in the same tone as you normally use to talk with them.
| This is a routine situation and you don't need to have any reservations telling your superiors about it.
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Searching job by contacting a recruiter via SMS Is it common and acceptable to reach out to a recruiter I have previously interviewed with via SMS to enquire whether there are any suitable open positions at their company? If yes what is the best way to go about this and if not what would be a better way? <Q> No. <S> Never send a text message, unless you were requested to do so. <S> A text message is not professional. <S> You do not know if the person still works there or has the same number. <S> You might not even know if the message was received. <S> A professional will send an email and make a phone call. <A> Recruiters hands hundreds of contacts per month. <S> And I am pretty sure they don't save all their numbers in the phone. <S> Sending an SMS after a couple of years would, besides being unprofessional, at best trigger an head scratch along the line "who is this?". <S> If you want to recall your last contact, give him a call and explain who you are and that you are looking for a job, thus sending him an update CV. <S> He/she will tell that he/she remember you and, before reading the mail you will send him, will scroll through his folders searching for your file to actually remember who you are. <S> In this way you will get the recruiter's attention and will also stress that you are serious about your job search. <A> (i.e. you invented C++). <S> Texting a hiring manager for a job is extremely sloppy. <S> Send a formal email, request a meeting, take your updated resume to the meeting, etc. <S> My answer assumes that you are not applying for a job at McDonalds/Subway, if that's the case, then a text message should be fine. <A> Unless your prior contact with this person has previously established that SMS is their preferred method of communication (and something tells me that if this were the case you wouldn't be asking this question) <S> then I would say No . <S> For the most part texting is still seen as an informal method of communication and while it is gaining ground in more and more "official" environments many would still consider it too casual and unprofessional for such an inquiry - especially given the time lapse from your previous contacts. <S> The timescales also provide further reasons why this is a bad idea - the person may no longer have your contact details saved (and therefore not know who you are) or they may have moved on from the company they were previously at and the phone number may have been reassigned to a different person. <S> Either of which could easily see your message being disregarded and leave you with no idea as to what has happened. <S> Emailing this person would certainly be a safer bet in terms of being considered professional and the longer format would allow you to more easily re-introduce yourself and communicate your request and current situation. <S> The downsides to e-mail are similar to the SMS message in terms of the elapsed time and of course it may be lost in an e-mail deluge. <S> Calling the number is perhaps a better option as even if the original recruiter no longer has the number the person who does may be able to help or put you in touch with someone who can .
| Treat the recruiter like you would a hiring manager unless you are a highly sought after professional
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When to fire a client? How to do it? I picked up a small client (like ridiculously tiny) a couple months back to make a simple site for them. I got them via Upwork, so I was going to do the work charging basically nothing as I wanted a good rating (though so far he hasn't paid me via Upwork, only independently via PayPal) to make people see I was legit on Upwork. I estimated 20 hours of work to give him a responsive site with a basic theme and basic functionality (newsletter, class registration, reservations and contact form) @ $30/hr. So total cost for a full website - $600. Very low compared to what I would normally charge (minimum my goal is $2500, and I've worked on sites that were legitimately worth $10000s for previous employers, that I basically all made myself), but I wanted a good Upwork rating. I have seven years experience doing this - getting me for $30/hr is a crazy bargain - it's actually lower than what my equivalent hourly rate would have been at my last job before going freelance. Since that time, he has been ridiculously needy. Calling all the time, texting all the time. He wants training so that he can make modifications to his sites but doesn't really know how to code, doesn't really understand databases or just basically how anything works. Always wants me to hop on calls with him to train him further and contacts me without much prior scheduling. I sent him an invoice a day or two ago for around $200 for the work I've done so far. Partially for theme-related stuff - we're using a common content management system and I configured his theme, did some basic setup for it, etc. He had at one point said he wanted to have a theme that looked like this one picture he sent me, but that it only had to look similar, not exact, I picked a free one that was relatively similar, and made some small edits to it, expecting that he would tell me what changes he wanted going forward. This morning after viewing my invoice, he sends me the theme picture again and says he, "wants to talk to me" - I assume to argue that he doesn't owe the $60 (for initial theme setup, modifications, etc) because it doesn't look exactly like the theme he sent me earlier (despite saying it didn't have to look exact, I double checked with him on that...). Basically, he's being a nightmare client for a ridiculously tiny sum of money when he's already getting a phenomenal deal. Do I fire him? Do client training to explain that he's getting a good deal/real work actually went into the invoice? How do I use this for myself as a teachable moment? My first inclination is just to fire him - especially if he's upset over $60. But I've never done that before and don't know how this particular aspect of business typically works. <Q> In my experience of working with needy clients, best filter is billing practices. <S> There are no problematic clients, only problematic relations. <S> Unless his voice / tone / way of writing irritates you, produce invoice after each interaction for work complete / hours worked. <S> Do not forget to bill the communication time as well, most of the customers that make lots of changes would not even look at communication as your work, but few hours on the phone "explaining" that this green need to be "more not less and little energized" is not your free time :) <S> First invoice will filter out clients that looking to waste your time. <S> Others will be paying customers and customer is always right as long as its paying for your work :) <A> How do I use this for myself as a teachable moment? <S> For the next time I suggest you stick to what the project included : <S> developing a site for them. <S> Two things I see here: <S> You are charging a small amount of money , which ironically can have the effect of making people say "whoa, what a bargain! <S> Let's see if I can get more out of it" , and in a way not appreciate the job being done. <S> To prove you are "legit" you don't need to do cheap work, you need to deliver good-quality products (which you seem to do). <S> You gave this client many extras . <S> All that support, training, changes, etc.., when you actually charged and planned for a simple responsive site. <S> You were not obliged to provide all this support, or at least you could have charged a bit more for doing so. <S> This resulted in changes (which require more time from you), friction, and a bad time for you. <S> IMHO, the hardest part of Software development is to stick to the features agreed without many changes from clients . <S> If you give them room, they will want to redesign and include "some minor changes" every time you meet, which makes finishing a product a nightmare. <S> The time for changes is after the product is finished and before the next iteration. <S> Do I fire him? <S> Do client training to explain that he's getting a good deal/real work actually went into the invoice? <S> If you fire him is up to you, but it seems to me that this has already been a negative experience for you so far, and most likely prone to continue. <S> Another option could be to be a bit more firm and objective with the service you are providing, so this client doesn't take advantage of your good work. <S> If he wants coaching and tutoring that would be another service that should be charged independently (or included in the price). <S> Bottom line, in future situations, don't confuse charging small money with delivering good-quality work. <S> Sometimes people don't appreciate or value what they get if they don't have to put effort or resources to get it. <A> First, as a freelancer, your time is money. <S> What you are doing is selling your time to clients. <S> If the client keeps interrupting you with calling/emailing/ <S> texting, you might want simply provide regular status updates about the project. <S> If that doesn't work, you might want to inform the client that these interruptions are eating into the original 20 hour estimate, and that you'll have to bill for any overages. <S> This is best done sooner rather than later, to set up the client as to what to expect from you and to avoid surprising the client. <S> Second, if you and the client have already agreed upon scope, requirements, and cost, you should absolutely avoid renegotiation with the customer to lower the costs. <S> In fact, especially if the customer is wanting to change the requirements , you should consider raising your estimate and your cost.
| Regardless, if the customer is refusing to pay for the work already performed and agreed upon, you should refuse to provide any work materials until the customer has paid up, and simply walk away. As the Joker once said: "If you are good at something, never do it for free"
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How do I recover reputation after passive aggressively challenging a management decision? Situation: When I highlighted this some months ago that my company was not compliant with GDPR, the decision was made by management to consider it late June/Early July. I believed this to be a big mistake (and still do, but I accept that it is not my place to try and overturn management decision) and I then acted inappropriately: challenging the decision by trying to have more meetings to discuss it, asking about it a lot (e.g. every time it came up in the news), spending time to do a compliant prototype, handing out copies of regulations with highlighted sections of non-compliant parts and penalties. Bordering on passive-aggressive. As a result, my previously good reputation has been slightly damaged - managers ignoring emails, and I'm reasonably certain a number of people think less of me professionally as a result. How can I undo this damage? Should I apologise to people? Do I ignore it and hope it recovers in time? <Q> Perhaps you were slightly over-the-top, but in terms of company compliance you did the right thing. <S> I was in a similar position and with some pushback until I told them they'd be eligible for massive fines if they didn't comply and then all of a sudden the attitudes changed. <S> If your company still isn't GDPR compliant then they could well be in trouble. <S> May 25th <S> I believe was the deadline <S> so July is far too late! <S> You've made your case and it was ignored <S> so at least you can hold your head up high if there are further consequences <A> I would say that whatever was my opinion <S> I overstepped <S> and therefore I feel like I have to apologize. <S> If it applies, you can consider to provide assistance in this transformation to GDPR when it takes place or any other way to show you accept the decision and that you will help to make it real <A> General Data Protection Regulation <S> The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) <S> (EU) 2016/679 is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). <S> It was made April 2016 and went into effect May 28, 2018. <S> Penalties can be large. <S> I am sure you pointed out the penalties and areas of non-compliance. <S> It was probably not a good decision to delay but I am sure they understood. <S> The law is not complex. <S> It is the type of thing you say once I think you made a poor decision to delay and let it go. <S> By bringing it up again and again you not only annoyed them but put them is worse position. <S> If a noncompliance is identified and it comes out that you warned them then they are not going to get the benefit of the doubt. <S> Just lay low and do your job. <S> I think apologize will just antagonize them more. <A> While not knowing the reasons for your management to choose to overlook your point of view (perhaps they have a better reason), it maybe a case of a short sighted management (a fairly common thing in my opinion). <S> Often times, unless you hold a position of authority to influence, my experience is that a detail oriented sharp employee's ideas are not heeded to. <S> Until, of course, it's too late. <S> I would personally continue to monitor and keep up to speed with the impact of the new regulation. <S> It does two things - First, you will become a fairly knowledgeable individual amongst a sea of not so bright ones. <S> Second, it you're looking for another job (where hopefully your perspectives are more valued) <S> you'd be in a better place to talk about your experience about the topic and how you can make an impact.
| Certainly only time will totally heal your reputation, but in the meantime I suggest you to approach to whoever manager you could have offend and offer your apologies.
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Training my subordinates to be interviewers I work for a company where there are regular job walk-ins or scheduled face-to-face interviews. A few relevant technical staff would be selected to be interviewers and they would be part of the panel. The vacancy need not be for their own project but could be for any team/project in the entire company. In the next few days, a few of my sub-ordinates would be part of such panel. Most of them are pretty excited about being at the other end. Though the HR person has given a few basic instructions, I want to add a few more. From my past experiences as an interviewee, I have made a few observations as to how an interviewer should not be, esp when it is merely a technical round. For e.g., not getting into personal details, not making fun of them if they cannot answer a basic or a tough question, not coming across as condescending etc. In short, if I were a part of the panel myself, I would do none of the above. I keep it point to point. I want to convey the same to my sub-ordinates. I do not want to make it a boring lecture, but want to keep it succinct. While doing so, will I be doing something that my role doesn't ask for? Will this be taken as an unsolicited advice? Or should I let my subordinates go with their own flow? I am into a senior role managing the technical aspects of my project. <Q> Have anyone you wish to train give you a mock interview. <S> Give them feedback on what they did <S> right/wrong. <A> It depends on how you phrase it. <S> I would phrase it lightly as it is technically not your job, but something along the lines of Hey (coworker's name), I had a few tips for you about your interviewing position. <S> I remember during my interviews <S> I really found it (uncomfortable, unprofessional, etc) when the interviewer did... <S> And then go through and list your concerns. <S> Keeping it lighthearted will make your suggestion feel more like a suggestion rather than a demand. <S> Crack a joke or two about a bad experience you had in an interview, or something along those lines. <S> Past your suggestion <S> I wouldn't think about it too much. <S> Once you made your suggestion don't press them anymore and let them do what they think is best. <A> The manager of a team is supposed to set the team expectations for hiring a new employee. <S> As a subordinate on the interviewing panel, I would also expect to have a say in determining the team guidelines for interviewing. <S> I would tell your subordinates some thing along the lines of: <S> I am confident in your abilities to determine the candidate's technical skillset. <S> However, I want to make sure that our interviews are a consistent and fair experience for candidates. <S> Here are my guidelines that I want to start with. <S> I invite you to discuss your opinions on these and any new guidelines you would like to add. <A> I don't often quote the big, black book, but ... " <S> whatsoever ye would that men should do to you <S> : do ye even so to them" - Matthew 7:12 . <S> Get that idea across to them, and they should be fine. <S> Short, sweet and to the point; it shouldn't take long to explain.
| During this interview, deliberately make mistakes and gauge their reactions.
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HR unresponsive after accepting offer I got a job at a company last week, they sent me an offer letter and I responded back to them with an acceptance mail the very next day. In the offer letter it was written that if you did not respond back with the signed offer letter within 3 days the offer may be withdrawn. Here's the thing, this is my first job change so I don't know how these things work. I called up HR the very next day and told them I would be sending the signed offer letter next week as I had to mention the joining date in the offer letter and I thought I would have to resign first at my current job and get a relieving date from them before I can give a joining date to the new company. The HR person agreed. I sent them the signed offer letter 5 business days after they extended the offer and HR has been unresponsive to phone calls and emails ever since (for a week). I'm concerned whether they have blocked me because I've extended their deadline or they have given the job to somebody else or the job doesn't exist anymore. I have no clue what's going on and what I should do? I have already resigned from my current job and I'm worried. <Q> Contact the hiring manager or whomever you interviewed with directly, explain that you have not been able to contact HR, have resigned your current position but haven't heard anything since returning the letter. <A> The subtext of your question is, "Did I make a terrible mistake quitting my old job before I'm solid in the new one?" <S> The answer is "Probably, yes." <S> You're not alone in this. <S> See the 'Ask the Headhunter' blog : <S> Lately I’m getting a surprising number of questions from readers about <S> job offers that explode — after the candidate relies on them to make career and financial decisions. <S> I think employers, HR departments, and staffing firms have crossed a critical line that’s telling us they’re either stupid and inept, or that they’re callous and lack integrity. <S> When the employer “takes back” a job offer for any reason, the applicant usually cannot “take back” a resignation. <S> In one case, a reader cancelled her lease, moved her family, and wound up homeless because a personnel jockey instructed her husband to quit his job and move to a new city — then the jockey reneged on the promise of the new job. <S> I’m collecting stories about exploding job offers because I’m worried <S> this is a dangerous new trend. <S> I think we should chronicle and discuss it, to help you avoid having job offers blow up in your face. <S> AACK.Call your contacts at the new company. <S> You should definitely talk to HR and insist on a real answer. <S> If you don't get one, the answer is "No, we didn't really offer you a job. <S> " The good news is, if that's the case, you didn't really want to work for an organization that would jerk you around like that. <S> The bad news is, they DID jerk you around, and now you're in a bad spot. <S> Better to discover this sooner than later. <S> I would tell your current employer that the other folks didn't give you a start date, and now you're not so sure you want to go, so you can continue working there indefinitely. <S> The current employer probably won't agree. <S> Ask the Headhunter is a great resource for how to find a better job <S> (I have no relationship w ATH, except commenting and asking questions there.) <S> You need to put your job search into high gear! <A> Given that you don't know the hiring manager, I recommend continuing trying to contact someone in HR at the new company. <S> May sure you document everything in writing. <S> Worst case scenario, you can try to unresign from your current position. <S> It's not uncommon and will be a little awkward, but at least you will stay employed. <A> Receiving a offer letter is just that... a letter with your name on it and some offer. <S> Now you said you mailed it in <S> and it is halfway across the country. <S> Did you factor in mail time along with your delayed response of 5 days? <S> I assume you're in the USA, and local mail takes a day, while out of state mail usually takes 2-4 days, and across the country mail takes about 4-5 days using the USPS. <S> So if you told him give you 5 days, you'd have to mail it by day 1. <S> If you mailed it day 5, then the delay would have really been up to 10 days. <S> Another option is you can fax it in from a local fedex office. <S> In the future, do not resign from your position until you a) have a offer letter, b) <S> you signed that offer letter, and c) the company accepted your signed offer letter and started you with some basic onboarding process (drug test time, HR material, code of conduct, etc). <S> Usually the start date is 2 weeks out from the time of the offer letter acceptance so you can quit on good terms. <S> As of right now, if you're sure your letter arrived by now, I'd call them every few hours. <S> Since you don't know the hiring manager - another lesson learned - I'd call and email everyday until you get a response. <S> Another option - though a bit unorthodox - you can do is if you haven't heard for a few days, you can beg for your previous job back if you left on good terms.
| You can try calling the main company line, explain your situation and ask to speak with someone more senior in HR.
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Why do recruitment agencies contact managers with unsolicited telephone calls? We receive multiple calls each week from recruitment agencies with which we've had no prior dealing, looking to "introduce themselves" and offer candidates. This would be understandable if they were responding to a specific posting on our company website, but this has never (to date) been the case. Most of the time we are not recruiting and these calls interrupt other work, which never gives a good impression of the agency. Our company website (as most companies) lists a postal address, a general e-mail and a "Contact us" webform. Using one of these would not only provide something we could examine when it was convenient, but we would also have a piece of paper or electronic record so, even if we were not recruiting at that moment, we could contact them when we were. The unsolicited telephone calls approach seems to give the worst possible outcome for agency, manager and candidates. Can any members with experience in recruitment agencies (or any without) let me know what explanation I might be missing? [I've tagged this "United Kingdom", but I'm sure it's not unique.] <Q> I have never been on the recruiting side, but I have dealt with various recruiters and spoken to some about their practices. <S> Basically it boils down to a recruiter needs to have a large enough pool of candidates and companies in order to generate enough revenue to make a living by connecting the two. <S> If you have been recruiting for a long time then you have built up both pools. <S> However if you are a newer recruiter then you have to build those pools up anyway <S> you can, and cold calling is one way of doing it. <S> Given calling enough companies it becomes purely a matter of statistics. <S> As an example of this I previously dealt with one national staffing company in the US. <S> The senior recruiters had their pool of talent and companies and wouldn't annoy me with any unnecessary calls. <S> However the junior recruiters (without their own large pool) had to rely on some company supplied software that crawled job boards and tried to match up with online resumes and generated a nightly report that these juniors consumed. <S> As a result when something that potentially matched my capabilities popped up (by keyword only) I would have multiple junior recruiters trying to contact me in order to "capture" me into their pool of talent. <S> In one particular case I had 2 recruiters from the same physical office, with adjacent desks contact me on the same day. <A> A lot of recruitment agents have to do a bit of cold calling using publicly available information; it's a competitive field and for smaller agencies, this is usually the only way they get exposure. <S> Even if your company does not have a telephone number on your web site, there are still ways they can find this information (do you have your own contact details visible on sites like LinkedIn for instance?). <S> In response to 'why call?', it's unfortunately the same older-than-dirt sales approach that has persisted for years. <S> As you mentioned, if you are talking directly to them, you are less likely to ignore them. <S> I live in the UK and over the years, cold calls in general are becoming far less tolerated. <S> From the perspective of the agents, their goal is to reach as many people as possible. <S> If they cast a broad net and only scoop up a few fish, that's better than none! <S> If you might be looking to use a recruitment agency in the future, you could ask them to send you an email and politely insist that you will come to them if the need arises. <A> Recruitment agencies are essentially a numbers game - individual "successful" placements each generate a significant amount of revenue for the time spent on them and this sort of business model lends itself to the mass/cold marketing techniques such as the calls you are getting - if they ring a 100 companies in a day (and I'm lowballing here <S> , they could easily make three or four times that number of calls) <S> then if even they only encounter say 5 companies that are recruiting then that's 5 valuable "leads" for them to attempt to place candidates with. <S> Even if they only manage to convert one of those leads into a placement the cost of having someone ring those 100 companies will be easily covered in the commission of that one placement. <A> The answer is: Doing something unproductive is better than doing nothing . <S> My experience is US based, as (1) <S> a contractor who dealt with a lot of recruiters while consulting for a number of years, and (2) as a team lead who was cold-called because I put that fact on my public profile. <S> There are two sides to recruiting; both require connections. <S> The more senior people are on the "dealing with the hiring company" side of things. <S> They may do cold calling, but they're more likely to call people in their network and buy them lunch/coffee to get new leads. <S> The more junior people have people that they are trying to place... anywhere. <S> Or they don't have their own people to place <S> and they're trying to place someone else's person for a split commission. <S> A person cold-calling you has run out of useful leads. <S> If they knew of a place that was hiring for a position (which they had a person for) they would be calling them instead of you. <S> At worst they 'look busy' to their boss. <S> Hope that helps. <S> P.S.My advice is to keep their name, company and contact info. <S> One day you may want someone - and it is best to keep all of them so you can find a good one. <S> The washout rate in that business seems staggering to me - anyone with more than 18 months experience is probably good enough to talk to. <S> They get off the phone quicker if you say, "Okay, I have your name. <S> As I told person last Thursday we aren't looking. <S> S <S> /he works with you at company name , right?" <S> Give them a sentence or two to close, but if they push much after that I become less polite.
| They have nothing better to do than cold call... and cold calling is better for them than sitting on their hands. If you are hoping to dissuade them; you can exercise your rights that they delete the information they have on you or simply have their numbers blocked.
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How to politely ask for my salary at the end of my internship? Today's the last day of my 3 months internship (as a computer scientist) and I'm supposed to earn ~3.66€/h (~510€/month). The fact is I haven't been paid yet and no one ever talked about money with me, so I thought the company would pay me the 3 months at the end of the internship. Today's my last day, and I just realized my boss isn't at the office today (He's at the meeting for the whole day). I think I will send him a mail but I don't know how to say politely I want to be paid soon ... Here's what I prepared for now : Mr [Boss Name], My internship coming to an end, I wanted to thank you for supporting me during these 3 months, it was a real pleasure to work at [Company Name] and I thank you for giving me the opportunity of leading this project. I sent with this mail a technical paper detailing the functionment of the tool I developed, explaining the code and why I decided to do it this way. The tool may be find in the folder « [Name of tool] » that has been created by [Name of the IT manager] when I started to develop. I will give back the computer used to develop to [Name of my colleague] before I leave as you told me. Is there any paper I have to sign in order to get my salary ? Thanks for these 10 weeks, I hope I will be able to work with you again someday, [My Name] Do you think this mail is a good way to ask for my salary?If not, what could/should I do? PS :I have a working contract made by my school and the company but they didn't give me a copy of it. (The mail is in French and it's a fast translation) Edit : As everyone told me, I contacted directly the HR, I'm waiting for their answer. Edit 2 :I contacted directly the HR asking how and when I will be paid, they answered me that they will mail me the paycheck during the next week if I give them my adress. Thanks for your advices ! <Q> Email is one way, but faster and harder to ignore if it's in person. <S> HR will be the people who can either help you directly or point you in the right direction. <S> Your boss most likely is not the person handling payroll. <A> You don't need to ask for your boss's permission to do this. <S> Their number will be in the internal phone directory, or just ring the main reception number and ask for payroll. <S> When they say " we've never heard of you ", call the people at your school who set the contract up and ask for their advice. <A> With the information given, I will assume that you are in France and it is an internship for your school. <S> As it is a 3 months long internship (more than 2 months), your employer must pay a minimal salary for your employment. <S> They are not required to pay at the end of each month though. <S> Stages : <S> les obligations de l'employeur (in french) <S> Moreover, the contract is a tripartite agreement (given it's a French internship) between the school, the employer and you. <S> You should have a copy of the contract and your school too. <S> You should then ask HR or whoever is in charge of payroll about when you will get your salary. <S> If they don't respond or say you are not payed, you have to turn to your school. <S> They will probably have more power to force them to pay you. <S> In your mail, I would not say Is there any paper I have to sign in order to get my salary ? <S> But preferably ask how and when they are going to pay you (ask if they need any bank information or else for the payment). <S> I hope it helped, I personally never had payment problem during my internship but a friend of mine had one and the school fixed it up. <S> EDIT: <S> After your edit and with the help of Kilisi's answer : I think you should ask an HR representative in person if you can. <S> Where I work they have a desk where you can ask questions or sign documents when you have to. <S> Maybe one of your colleagues now where you can do that. <S> As it is your last day and it is quite late in France, you should get the answer now before you leave.
| I would ask in person of HR, if you don't know where to find them ask reception or colleagues. Contact the payroll department of the company immediately and ask for your salary and payslips. You should ask your school about what was signed in this contract, it must have your salary written on it (and you should have read it and signed it).
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How to politely ask to trade stock option in job offer for something else? I've read some related questions but: This is just a good explanation (doesn't answer my question). What's an employee stock option scheme? This question is from a startup perspective (not applicable in my case, company in question is not a startup) How to ask for a raise in exchange for revoking a stock option grant? So with a job offer at a North American software company (age >10 years old, stock is googleable so I believe IPO-ed) and having confirmed they don't consider themselves a start up anymore from some of the some of my interviewers in person. The verbal offer later included a stock option. However if I wish to negotiate away the stock option after finally receiving the written offer (I personally don't think the stock option for this comapny will valuable, and I'm not into lottery tickets), how can I do so politely and what are the easiest/most common things to exchange it for instead? My current approach would be to politely mention I'm not interested in the stock option and would prefer X instead. (Should X be a salary increase, a signing bonus instead, is there a common industry substitute, are there rules of thumb for conversion rates to bumping annual salary or 1 time signing bonus?) The other problem is I want to ensure I don't seem too greedy or that I don't believe in the company and that's why I don't want equity. <Q> How to politely ask to trade stock option in job offer for something else? <S> Use this: Dear XXXXX, <S> In lieu of Stock Options would you consider INSERT WHAT YOU WANT <S> HERE? <S> Sincerely, YOUR NAME HERE <S> The crux of it is <S> you just have to ask . <S> You need to be polite and humble. <S> Ideally these talks would happen while negotiating your initial offer but if you are offered options after being hired, it doesn't hurt to ask. <S> Now, on the other side of the coin , stock options in some companies ( typically start ups ) are a way for the company to say thank for working all the extra overtime. <S> If you refuse them or ask for an alternative, it could be seen as offensive. <A> Don't expect much in return for your stock options. <S> It cost the company very little and can have tax benefits to the company. <S> It also can indicate you are not confident in the company. <S> Not going to buy go over that you are confident in the company but not confident in the stock price. <S> If you want more salary I think you would be better off just asking for more salary than trade salary for stock options. <S> If the company says something like with stock option that is equivalent to <S> $X you can say I would be willing to forfeit the stock options. <S> It still shows a lack of confidence in the company but you got them to put a value on it and put it on the table. <S> They are not going likely to put a cash value on the options. <A> My wife works as a recruiter, and while she doesn't deal with the offers directly (they have another department for that) <S> she does field questions similar to this a lot. <S> The basics of it are: it almost never hurts to ask, and if it does hurt to ask, odds are very good that you don't want to work for that company anyway. <S> The hiring process is more expensive than you might think, and because of that if they get to the point where they are offering you a job, they definitely want to hire you and won't withdraw the offer for something as minor as negotiating compensation. <S> The important thing for you to do before you contact anyone is decide what you are and aren't willing to accept. <S> Establishing this ahead of time prevents you from waffling on the phone or sounding unsure. <S> Are you willing to walk away from this job if they don't offer you money instead of stock? <S> How much money do you want for the stock they are offering you? <S> etc. <S> If you aren't willing to walk away if they insist on giving you the stock options instead of salary or bonus, then odds are very good you will be stuck with the stock options (as they will cite it as policy and not work very hard to circumvent that policy if you aren't willing to leave over it). <A> I had an offer from a company once that was on the lower-end salary-wise but came with stock options. <S> Their HR person kept emphasizing the stock options as if they were something that had real value. <S> The way the options were set-up, you couldn't exercise them for three or four years. <S> I turned down the offer, which ended up being a good move, since their stock tanked a few months later and hasn't recovered since then. <S> If you look at the options as a potential bonus that may or may not pay off in the future, and you're happy with everything else about the offer, I would recommend accepting the offer. <S> If you're not happy with the salary, negotiate that and ignore the options. <A> You can certainly bring it up, but you need to do your homework first and its not going to be easy. <S> Stock options are intended to create a better motivation alignment between you and the company: if the stock goes up you both win and if it goes down you both lose. <S> In order to ask for anything in exchange you need to valuate the stock options. <S> Some companies will give you some "model" that comes with the offer. <S> This is based on the predicted growth of the stock value. <S> Let's pick an example <S> Current stock price $10 share 10000 options <S> 4 years vesting period <S> Expected Stock value increase: <S> 10%/year <S> After the vesting period, the stock price would be $14.61 and you could cash your options for a net gain of $46400. <S> Stock options are deferred payments <S> , so the present value is significantly less. <S> Probably the best you could do is for asking for half of this. <S> Either as an upfront sign on bonus or as a higher baseline salary. <S> The break-even point for this scenario is about 5.5% annual growth. <S> If the stock grows by less than, you win, if it grows by more, the company wins.
| I would ignore the stock options unless the company emphasized their value in lieu of salary.
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Is it bad that an employee makes malicious jokes? For background, I own and manage a large scale gaming community (Minecraft) where we are a registered company, though the company registration part doesn't matter too much. One of our employees who I agreed to give 25% royalty to a gamemode he develops frequently makes malicious remarks whenever we are having casual conversation, and would make them in a jokingly manner. Let's call this person Jeff. Jeff would sometimes make joking remarks about wanting to leave backdoors in other companies he's actively working for, or talk about how far he'd go to ruin someone's personal life if they were to ever screw him over etc. I'm not exactly sure why he's making these remarks directly to me, especially given I am his employer. However, because we are friends I pretend to laugh along with his remarks. From a business perspective, something like this is seriously concerning and given the kind of malicious remarks he's making, and makes me wonder if he contemplates doing the same thing to us. Jeff tells me he is only joking when he makes these remarks, however it indeed uncovers what kind of person he may be. Removing this individual is easier said than done, due to the whole royalty and licensing agreement. There could potentially be other serious events that unfold, such as backdoors I have mentioned. I should note this person considers me a close friend, but I cannot see how that is the case when the code we are running on also has backdoors which he claims serves as protection incase I were to "screw him over" etc. <Q> This Jeff sounds like a sociopath and a potential threat to your business. <S> Even if he doesn't have the capacity to backdoor (gain access to a computer through stealth means) or ruin people's lives, that's serious enough to sit him down and say, "That's not funny and it's not a joke." <S> That may be just enough for him to stop. <S> Otherwise, I would keep track with progressive discipline ( <S> verbal > written > final warnings), documenting everything, and then I would send Jeff packing, like Ben Mz suggested. <S> The people who would say those kinds of jokes and then say "I'm only kidding" are not worth the risk to keep employed. <A> If you worry about whether you can trust him, then get rid of him. <S> If he makes you or others unhappy or uncomfortable at work, then get rid of him. <S> If you worry that he is hard to get rid of, then get rid of him because he will only become more entrenched over time. <A> He's joking (maybe) <S> So check, if he's leaving backdoors in software you own, find out, and get rid of him.
| If you worry that he will be a bad example for other employees, then get rid of him.
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Distracted by loud music I work as a contractor for a web development company. Where I sit I am sometimes negatively distracted by the music. I'm not certain of the details, but the speaker is built into the ceiling but I think a collection of people who sit in the area use bluetooth to control the volume and song being played (presumably from their phone or computer). The music distracts me because it sometimes is too loud the choice of songs are sometimes annoying and not really something I can listen to in the background the speaker is on one side of me and I never noticed this before but actually find it really irritating hearing music on one side but not the other I noticed that the people near the speaker often wear headphones so I wonder if they don't like the music and who exactly is playing it? The other day everyone had left and I was staying late to try to finish something and the music was really irritating. I'm relatively new to the job and don't work with the people who seem to be in control of the music. I work closely with one other person in the area. My boss is in a different city. What's the best way to address this? I tried listening to my own music on headphones but that interferes with my ability to quickly answer questions my colleague in front of me asks. <Q> If you have the choice of being constantly distract by music that you didn't choose, and not being able to quickly answer questions from your colleague, then the number one thing to stop is the constant distraction. <S> With mine, I can just about hear the weekly fire alarm test. <S> If your colleague has a quick question then (1) they should really think hard about whether they should interrupt you, because interruptions destroy your focus on the task at hand for at least 15 minutes, and (2) they may have to get out of their chair, walk up to you, and get your attention. <S> If they are not willing to do that, then the question wasn't important in the first place. <S> You should also bring up the matter with your manager at the earliest point possible, because this music is damaging to your company and if you can't do anything about it, it is your manager's job to do that. <A> Your choices are in order of my preference: <S> Directly address the people. <S> " <S> Your music is really distracting. <S> We can hear it really well. <S> Can you please stop?" <S> In this example, if they said anything other than "yes, we'll stop", I'd just leave without saying anything and pursue a different option. <S> To boost your confidence you could take a coworker or two with you to the other floor. <S> Indirectly address the people. <S> Tell your boss: "I can constantly hear music on another floor. <S> I can't work. <S> What should I do?" <S> Your boss should do something. <S> Get some noise-cancelling headphones. <S> I usually play white noise to cover up loud noises like conversations when I'm working. <S> Do nothing. <S> (Wouldn't recommend.) <S> Handling it yourself is the ideal option. <S> It's good practice for you, <S> that way you're not dependent on management to handle conflict for you. <S> This impacts other people. <S> Hence going to your boss is preferred to headphones. <A> I think a collection of people who sit in the area use blutooth to control the volume and song being played The speaker's location in the ceiling, and <S> that fact that it plays when no one else is there, makes me suspect that it's a piped music system, such as Muzak . <S> Back in the 1930's there was a theory that music should be piped into office spaces to improve worker efficiency. <S> These things used to be ubiquitous in large open offices, medical offices, grocery stores, and elevators. <S> They started becoming less common in the 2000s, but there are still a lot of them around. <S> A lot of them now simply get their programming from a local radio station, rather than a private source like Muzak. <S> It may be that none of your co-workers has anything to do with this annoying music. <S> Talk to your manager about it. <S> It may be an "amenity" of the building that everybody has simply been ignoring. <S> If I'm right, your manager should be able get in touch with the building facilities manager and get it turned off. <A> Quite odd situation that you don't seem to know how to control it and where the music comes from... ask. <S> No need to feel shy about this. <S> Also, see if it could be moved away from you. <S> Normally, if someone brought a speaker/radio they generally would ask around if people mind. <S> Should the music come from a PA system you inquire who is responsible for it,chat with them. <S> There shouldn't be some sort of constant background music carpet at your workplace unless you work in an elevator or a club. <S> Music tastes and preferences on working in silence or with music are very subjective and nobody should have an issue with it if you feel disturbed or distracted by it.
| Ask into the room if "we could pick some other music" or even if they mind to switch it off for a while as it distracts you. So put up some decent closed noise cancelling headphones.
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I've passed probation but I've been told I'm not working to the level expected for my salary, how should I proceed? I recently passed my probation period at work with no problems highlighted, however, during the probation review, I was told I was not quite at the level (senior) expected for my salary. I asked what I should be doing to reach that level, and was unfortunately told it was just a gut feeling he had about me and not something he could specifically word. How would you proceed? I currently feel like I've been left in a very uncertain place, is it possible they could just fire me for not matching the duties required at my salary, or reduce my salary? I have checked my contract and the job description I was given when I applied for the role, and I'm certainly doing everything they were looking for. I'm in the UK, working as a web developer. <Q> Performance feedback is most effective when it's specific and when given promptly. <S> Unfortunately, because most of us hate confrontation, people often don't do this. <S> Instead they avoid the conversation until they're forced to do it, e.g. by formal events like probation reviews, and so you end up getting this sort of vague and unhelpful feedback. <S> When you see something that makes you think I'm not working at the right level, can you please let me know about it ASAP? <S> I find that I learn much better when I get feedback quickly, while things are still fresh in my mind. <S> Perhaps we could schedule a short catch-up once a week to check in on this? <S> This achieves a few things: <S> It emphasises that you're serious about wanting to improve, while making clear that you can't do so without better feedback. <S> If there is a problem with performance, it greatly improves your chances of getting feedback you can use. <S> If there isn't a real problem, and your manager just has an unreliable gut instinct, having to tell you "no problems this week" over and over may push him to reconsider his image of you. <A> In most companies (UK at least), at a senior level you are expected to be able to complete projects with minimal/no guidance and also to guide/mentor other junior members of the team, in most cases. <S> If you feel that you are achieving expectations for everything in your job spec, it may just be that you are underperforming from this point of view. <S> You should try to improve your performance on these areas OR look for a way of getting more specific feedback - your line manager should be able to help here, although sometimes it may require to have one honest conversation with him or two. <S> Still, that feedback is definitely not good to hear, but I'd say that there is no immediate risk of them firing you just because of it (specially considering that these are your first months in the company), or to have your salary reduced (can that happen legally?). <S> IMHO, the best you can do is to try to improve and/or get more specific feedback. <A> This doesn't exactly speak for your manager: <S> Either he's not capable of concisely and effectively addressing problems with his reports (core management capability) - or he's trying to build pressure from nothing to keep you on your toes and working hard through fear. <S> Tread carefully around this guy so that you don't get hit by his incompetence or malice. <S> If you can, try to quantify his gut feeling and establish a paper trail: <S> Ask him to come to you immediately when he sees something problematic with your work and let you know <S> - so you can correct it asap, for everyone's benefit. <S> Ask for regular meetings where you briefly clarify what you've done recently, what you're planning to do next, and what the current issues are. <S> Take notes. <S> If he never raises issues but complains later you can ask: Why was this never raised before? <S> How can we ensure that problems get raised sooner, so that they don't cost the company a lot of money? <S> Keep notes of issues resolved, features developed, etc. <S> so that you can quantify your achievements. <S> Also, regularly but briefly report your / your team's achievements to him so that he associates you with good news (= good gut feeling). <S> ("In the last month, we've implemented features X, Y, and Z and fixed the font size bug.") <S> I've seen "bad gut feeling" used by an overly busy boss who didn't have the time to regularly check in with all his subordinates and made their yearly evaluations up from the last impression / rumour he got about them. <S> Of course, he couldn't quantify his gut feelings and then got angry when asked to explain. <S> Unfortunately, the only thing that helped was getting the worker's council involved to make him back off and ultimately finding a better job... <A> Nothing you can do really but prove his gut wrong. <S> I wouldn't let it worry me. <S> If he's not going to give you specifics then he has nothing to give. <S> Second guessing his rubbish isn't constructive. <S> The only time you should worry is if they try and reduce your salary. <S> It seems unlikely this chap can actually do that. <S> But that's another issue to face if it eventuates.
| My recommended response would be something like this: You mentioned that you had concerns about my performance, and I'd like to get a better idea about where I can improve.
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My company's laptop got damaged: what should I do? My company, after a relatively long period of dedicated work, gave me a company laptop for use during smartworking days and at a customer's office. During a holiday trip I left the laptop in my home's cellar, since I feared burglary and couldn't think of a "safer" place.However, when I returned home I found that the cellar was flooded during the trip. I managed to salvage the laptop, but it's obviously not going to work in the next days and I fear that the damage may be permanent. Of course I'm responsible for it and will pay its value if needed, but how should I address this issue outside the "obvious" details? I already called and e-mailed my boss and the tech and HR department (even if it's Sunday) and apologized (probably, I was mildly shocked during the call and can't remember exactly what I said). I followed "best practice" steps to keep the damage to a minimum without infringing warranties (whatever they may be). I work in Europe, in a small and informal software company. Edit: I finally retrieved the usage agreement that came with the laptop, and it says that "I shall take utmost care of the instrument and avoid losing it" and that "any damage coming from improper usage will be taken from my salary". I guess that accidental damage is not covered, then. How do I know for sure, though? Edit #2: this morning I returned the PC to the company. The customer's company will provide me with a temporary workstation for this week, while my company tries to at least salvage the hard disk. So, productivity-wise, the situation is stable at least for a little while.The tech guys were not sure if the replacement cost was to be taken from my salary or not, I didn't bring up the issue with the boss or the HR department and they didn't either, so I guess that, unless I get explicit notice via mail or paperwork, I will find out with the next paycheck. <Q> "Of course I'm responsible and will pay for the damage" - slow down. <S> It's the responsibility of the company, which ought to have insurance for that kind of thing. <S> So don't let the words "I will pay" ever pass your lips. <A> Most companies at least here, in Europe, just accept it. <S> These are costs of doing business. <S> Even if your laptop was in the office the whole time, it could have been stolen or distroyed. <S> Not sure who "all relevant colleagues" were. <S> Don't go around telling people what happened. <S> You should only contact the person responsible for buying laptops and maintenance, unless the practice in your company is different. <A> unless your basement was prone to flooding <S> and you knew it, this is a simple accident and not foreseeable or negligence. <S> Simply report it, take actions to mitigate the damage(put in a bag with rice, or another desiccant) and turn it in to your department and have your support people look at it. <A> Was is allowed or even desired by you employer that you take the laptop home? <S> Was common that the basement was flooded (e.g. every year)? <S> If the answers are (yes,no) <S> then it is - IMHO - <S> your employers responsibility to pay from the professional viewpoint <S> (I do not talk about legal/contractual obligations here, but what I think can be expected). <S> If the answers are (yes,yes), then it may be up to interpretation.
| If that damage was unforeseeable, then it's not your responsibility. You can damage or lose your laptop even if you're treating it as your most important possession, so don't worry yourself and others too much.
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How to proceed with very poor working culture and very little employment options I have a friend I want to help but I am not sure I have enough knowledge to do it. He works in a field where it's very hard to find a job. He and all the friends he's made this past 2 years (I know most of them since they are a fun group to hang out with, despite the patch they are going through) live stressed, depressed, and often end up crying for the stress half way through a shift. For them, simply resigning is not a solution since it is so hard to find job and, in our country, if you are not fired you do not get paid what you earned with your taxes for when you are unemployed. If someone is in a position where they are poorly treated, often times even abused verbally, and the workload is so bad that even when working full time, non stop for 40 hours weekly, there is not a week they do not have to make several overtime, unpaid hours. What can they do? How could I advise them to proceed? This is in Europe, in a place where overtime should be compensated and it has an annual limit (which they can surpass 3 times over without a problem). The issue they struggle is, they see that whenever someone in their field loses their job, months can go by looking for another in their field, or places where they would take them. Most of them have studied Journalism or something close to that, and most are working as community managers, but the pressure put on them and what I know about their work is more like a Consultant job where they are constantly pressured to take on more clients, constantly. Firing is frequent and the salary is sub-par, at best. They have 2 years or more of experience (intense experience, at that, since they LIVE in crunch time), and yet find it near impossible to switch jobs. How should my friend proceed given his dire situation and high unemployment in his industry? <Q> Unfortunately, if this culture is widespread throughout the industry your friend works in there is little they can do with immediate effect. <S> Working conditions like these are why trade unions exist. <S> Always seek legal advice before dealing in matters of law. <S> If a trade union does not exist, a little covert operation may need to begin to form one contacting people working in the same industry as your friend, whether they be colleague or competitor. <A> This happened to the IT industry during the great collapse of the early aughts. <S> If the situation is that bad, then your friend needs to get out regardless of the immediate consequences before his health or even his life is in danger. <S> Then, your friend can decide if he wants to continue in his career or launch a new one. <S> The book "What color is your parachute" has some wonderful advice on how to transition form one career to another, if need be. <S> I've done it myself, so I know it is possible. <A> As far as I can tell from what you wrote, there are no reasons to stay in this one. <S> They are not enjoying the work <S> , the pay is bad, there is no path to better jobs in the industry. <S> Why are they not looking for a related field or re-training to something better? <A> There is just a bunch of solutions: change your field into something linked to what you do now, e.g. become a copy editor, language teacher, editor, PR specialist, marketing employee, e-commerce specialist, translator retrain; do you have a hobby you could base your future career on? <S> Any transferable skills? <S> Or maybe do you want to try out something completely different? <S> Or maybe you could become an entrepreneur yourself and e.g. start up an editing/ translating business? <S> stay in your field but change your job; but if you consider abroad keep in mind, you probably won't be working as a journalist/ PR specialist abroad; you can however work as a language teacher or in marketing learn to cope. <S> The truth is the current labor market in most countries is horrible and mobbing/ salaries are awful; actually at least in my European country historical data says that my parents earned much more after finishing studies than I did. <S> Also, this is just my subjective opinion, but I've worked both in IT/ engineering environments and in language/ marketing environments. <S> My experience is that the latter are frequently quite toxic. <S> Which is funny, as these are the fields that stress the importance of "soft skills". <A> Emigrate. <S> That's what I did. <S> The country won't change anytime soon. <S> If they stay there, all that happens is more misery. <S> You can stay in such conditions for 20 years and all you will have is 20 years of wasted life. <A> Journalism as a profession by itself alone is becoming obsolete as we speak, or at most generic journalism. <S> People need to invest in itself and specialize in a field. <S> The people I know off that are still on the profession, do not work on it full-time. <S> The most versatile person in this situation, with whom I have worked in the past, he is quite well known in my country as a reputable journalist, having worked in our more renowned newspapers in the past. <S> He reinvented himself as an IT specialized journalist, and does side jobs setting and maintaining web news sites for African countries that speak our tongue. <S> I know other example that specialized in computer games, and another colleague of mine that graduated in IT, but did a lateral move to a journalist with an IT degree writing for computer magazines and making TV shows about IT. <S> Journalism is not the only profession in this situation. <S> If you are becoming obsolete/less requested you have to diversify your profile instead of crying over the situation. <A> sorry to hear about your friends. <S> It sounds like a horrible situation and I've been there before. <S> From your answer I understand that their profession is simply always in bad conditions and badly paid - correct? <S> If so, it seems they should look for another field of work with better conditions and salary. <S> Would it make any sense to even look for a job in the same field, if chances are very high they end up treated the same way? <S> As to switching fields - what professions could these guys use their already acquired skills in? <S> Having a background in journalism can perhaps open doors in corporate communication, content creation or management, if not even more general fields such as business etc?
| In situations like that the best bet is usually to switch to a better career field. If your friend alongside their colleagues can find the relevant trade union for your industry, they might be able to seek help in terms of employment law get representation in dealing with unlawful contract conditions for your friend and ultimately assist in fighting the unfair working conditions laid down by their employer.
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How should I handle offhand sexist "banter" in the workplace? Our rather small company shares a slack channel with our larger parent company. Today I came in to work to find that one of the employees of the parent company had posted a "joke" about the upcoming fifa World Cup in slack. I'm not going to post the joke here, because this question is more about the idea of sexist banter in general, rather than this specific joke (similar sexist jokes have been posted in the past), but in short, the "joke" was demeaning women by implying they are completely clueless about sport, and frankly demeaning men as well by implying we're all sport crazed hooligans. The joke received a few chuckles and mutters of "it's true though" from some people in the office, however myself, and another of my colleagues, were pretty disgusted by the message and frankly I'm not sure whether I want to work in an environment where that kind of thing is acceptable. I've considered going to HR regarding it, however there's the issue of "HR is there to protect the company, not the employee", there's also the fact that the instigator is not an employee of our company, but of our parent company, and I'm also fairly sure HR would simply cast it off as "just a harmless joke". What are my options here? Should I just suck it up and accept that the work culture of this office are okay with casual discrimination? Should I go to HR anyway? Should I confront the instigator directly? <Q> A simple: <S> What do you mean? <S> should suffice. <S> By doing this, you are presenting the fact that the joke is not all-inclusive so the joker will have to choose between elaborating on their offensive remark or hopefully delete it altogether. <A> This is a difficult question. <S> In a perfect world you would report it to HR and wouldn't have problems because of that. <S> By reporting it you would do something to improve the culture in the company. <S> But it's a typical example of a situation where something that is good for the company, can be bad for the individual. <S> You can face problems, start to be treated as a troublemaker and a person who doesn't understand jokes. <S> You can even start being bullied. <S> If you are a specialist who can find a new job easily you aren't risking much. <S> Even if you start being bullied after reporting the situation, you will change your job and be happy that you don't need to work for a sexist company. <S> If it's your first job and your market value is low, the answer would be different. <S> It's opportunistic and goes against my convictions but, rationally speaking, I would try to shut my mouth trying to convince myself that "I will show them" in a year or two. <S> You can also try to reply sarcastically or use self-deprecating humor. <S> What exactly - this depends on the exact joke. <A> First off, as you know HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND <S> Excuse me, but I don't think that's very professional, and it is certainly inappropriate for the workplace. <S> Then record the time and place it happened, and who was involved. <S> If it happens again, repeat the above. <S> If it happens a third time then. <S> Im sorry <S> , I've mentioned this to you twice before that this is inappropriate and unprofessional. <S> I have not escalated this <S> and I do not with to do so. <S> Please don't let this happen again. <S> At that point you've got a pattern of behavior. <S> First proceed to their boss, point out that it's happened several times and you have brought it to their attention. <S> Then wait. <S> If it still continues and you need to approach HR, then you will be able to head off any questions they may have for you such as "have you brought this up with them" or "Have you spoken to their boss".
| The best way to "ruin" a joke is to ask the joker to explain it: Going to HR should be a last resort, because then things become official and then it's out of your control. If I were you I would decide based on my position in the company and alternatives to the current position. I wouldn't try to discuss it with the instigator himself as many sexist people tend to get aggressive when their sexism is pointed out. The proper way to address this is to address the behavior straight on, with no emotion, and very professionally.
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How to manage guilt for taking a day off? Before yesterday, my last full day off from work was on May 13th. Between now and then, I have worked every single day in some capacity, usually 9-5 but also unusual hours on a work trip, being assigned weekend duties & also working late nights on top of my regular 9-5 hours. Last Thursday I was given permission from both my direct managers to take today (Monday) off from work given how long it had been since I'd had a proper 2 day weekend off. I already felt guilty about the idea as I always want to be in the office helping out and completing deadlines - but I felt as if I needed the time off as all I have really been able to think about lately is work work work work - it even has been seeping into my dreams. I took this as a sign that it was time to take a break. Now on my day off, one of my managers texted a bunch of messages to me with a kind of stressful tone about certain unfinished assignments, including some that I had only just begun on this past Thursday night & Saturday evening. It's unreasonable for them to assume I was going to spend my whole weekend (Saturday morning & Sunday) finishing projects when I have already been at work for so many consecutive days, correct? He previously hinted that I "could" finish the projects he's referring to on the same day I've started them - but I also was given no actual deadline by the department that requested them and the type of project that they are aren't typically same-day urgent. These messages have just compounded the guilt I already had about having a day off and now I'm feeling pretty uncomfortable. My break was just, was it not? Please help alleviate my guilty feelings. Thank you. <Q> Assuming you are on a salary, count up the number of hours you've worked ( <S> not simply those you're contracted to work, but actual hours worked) and divide it by your pay. <S> Determine if this figure is above or below the minimum wage, and if above, how far above. <S> Demand a raise. <A> Last Thursday I was given permission from both my direct managers to take today (Monday) off from work <S> Stop there, and stop feeling guilty. <S> Taking time off is part of any job in any country, unless you are a slave. <S> Your managers gave you permission, so you took your needed time off, end of story. <S> It doesn't sound like you are well respected that they are giving you grief about taking this (approved) time off, and you can bet you'll never get promoted into a new role, since they don't seem like they have any sort of replacement for your current role. <A> From what you have told us, it sounds like it was reasonable for you to take the day off, even if it doesn't sound like your day off was particularly relaxing. <S> I worked for a company with the same "policy." <S> They were very proud to tell me all about it during the interview process. <S> Unfortunately it wasn't a policy at all, and was documented nowhere in the employee handbook. <S> Shortly after I was hired my old boss left and with her went the whole 40 hour week idea. <S> Ironically enough the idea came back a year or two later when the same company decided that all employees must work at least 2080 hours per year in order to receive a raise. <S> This "policy" didn't make it into the handbook either, but it was certainly discussed come review time. <S> Maybe your company is different. <S> I know I loved the idea of earning back my time after 40 hours and some companies really make it work. <S> Is this policy documented in the employee handbook or in your contract? <S> If it is, the onus is on you to disconnect and relax when you are away from work. <S> Let it go, and come back the next day refreshed and ready to get back into it. <S> If your supervisor won't allow you to do that, it might be time to start looking for another opportunity. <A> Almost a month without a day off? <S> That is close to slavery (or at least indentured servitude). <S> Are you salaried or hourly? <S> If hourly you need to be collecting your overtime. <S> If salaried then determine what you're actually earning per hour and ask for a raise. <S> As humans we need days to rest and recover. <S> Even God took the 7th day off. <S> :) <S> Don't feel guilty. <S> I've done the 70+ hour 'death marches' for months on end. <S> It affected my health. <S> You need time away. <S> Next time turn your phone off. <S> I had a company in which (P)aid (T)ime (O)ff (PTO) was referred top a (P)retend Time Off.
| Next time you take a day off, turn off your phone. Personally I'd consider other job options in your area, and quickly give your notice if you find something else.
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